Posts by mkmaj

You know - I have to say- I do spin class 3 days, run 2 days , weight train w/nautilus daily, and take a body force classes every week.  It doesn't fit into my normal gym time, but when I can, I like to hit a yoga class and I'll tell you what - it is challenging and makes me sore in muscles that I didn't know existed - for DAYS.  So I don't believe that it's only a good starting point for beginners and doesn't strengthen anything.

From what I've heard and read about the test it's supposed to be pretty accurate.  They take your vitals, hook you up to a heart rate monitor, put this crazy mask over your face, and ask you to relax and breathe for 15 minutes.  (You also fill out activity info and such and have an appointent with a dietician the following week - which I won't do until next week)

I know that the cost varies from place to place. My gym is $40 for members and $100 for non members.

I'll let you know how it's working out for me in the next few weeks!

I got the book because I love her on the show - but it's basically a manual on how to be anorexic.  It did make me feel better that people who look like her do because they don't eat, not because there's a magic secret.

Looking back on life, I think what changed when I lost weight was how I saw myself and my confidence level.  When I was the fat girl in high school, I couldn't conceive of anyone liking me.  If I guy did want to date me, I was immediately turned off because I thought there must be something wrong with him to want to date me. 

Eventually, I lost weight and gained self confidence and began meeting men like crazy -I wasn't exactly thin, but I felt great about myself because I lost the weight.  Men that I wouldn't even bother looking at or noticing if they looked at me years before that, I suddenly had the confidence to approach or consider their approaches as serious.  I had the confidence to approach a gorgeous but shy stranger and start flirting like crazy and if I didn't, I would've never met my husband of 7 years...  He probably would've been attracted to me heavier, but I would've never known because I wouldn't have approached him and he was certainly too shy to approach me.

I see friends that are very heavy but super confident dating gorgeous men that you'd think would only date model types - but it's most often just not the case.  Other people see what we find attractive about ourselves.   

Be proud of who you are - there are men who will love you no matter what your size, but you need to have the confidence to go out and get it rather than waiting for it to come to you sometimes - and that goes for people of all shapes and sizes.

Yes, gas station BP.  They're premade in a cool drink tank (like lemonade, punch, etc).  Carmel is my poison.

MORE NEGOTIABLE THAN A USED CAR.

We went to check out a new gym a few weeks ago - Awesome facility, equipment, classes, etc....  but the kids room was pretty awful.  After touring the facility we said thanks but no thanks due to that....

Long story short - When we said we weren't interested they suddenly remembered all of these special incentives and sales and the manager gave special approval for a coupon, etc. and the membership price went from $50/month per adult $15/month per kid to -  $400 per adult for 18 months and $15/mo per kid-  That's a difference of $55 per month.

We still didn't switch, but the sales tactics were crazy!

Fun!

fruits: cantaloupe, strawberries, watermelon

veggies: baby greens, mushrooms, onions, broccoli...  oh, I could go on

meat: chicken breast

chips: not a fan - popcorn!

pretzels: honey wheat

cereal: raisin bran

dairy: 1% milk

icecream: mint chocolate chip

soup: mrs weiss

frozen meal/pizza: whatever's on sale w/out meat (I just can't stomach the texture of most frozen food meat!)

bakery item: mmmm donut

bread: light whole grain

bar (ex. chewy,powerbar): nature's valley trail mix fruit and nut bar

drink: diet cherry 7up

spread: i can't believe it's not butter light

nuts: almonds

cake mix: bake? 

cookie mix: see above

crackers: wheat thins

dip: helluva good french onion

salad dressing: good seasons italian mix

bagel/english muffin: onion bagel

Why would you have to hide what you are eating from your friends?  Also, ordering a small burger (or nuggets), fries, and diet is less expensive than a kids meal at a fast food place so why not just order that instead of going through the trouble?

As a frequent RR flyer...  lol.  I get the Whiskey River BBQ chick sandwich w/ ONLY red onion, lettuce, tomato on it with fresh fruit as a side  and it's satisfying and fairly healthy (look up on the nutrition calculator, I think it runs around 500 cal and pretty low fat). 

Going to have to weigh in late this week - nasty head cold keeping me from the gym today and don't have a scale at home!

I'm in!  I warn you - I may be a jinx as I am not very good at the weight loss thing! Currently 5'6, 147-149 depending on TOM - would like to get to 130-135

  In my former life, whenever I wanted to lose (and I have struggled my whole life) I would just not eat.  Didn't work out - would just starve myself.  I'd lose some weight, start eating, it would come right back, and so on. 

 After I had my first child, that is what I did to lose the pregnancy weight and I was about 15 pounds under my pre pregnancy weight within a few months (135).  Of course it came back.  Then I got pregnant with my second (she's 2 now) and got up to 178.  After her birth, I started on the same routine that I had known forever and got down to 149 within a few weeks. 

Around that time, my husband and I joined a gym and I started working out.  I thought that because I was working out, I could eat whatever I wanted and wound up back at 165 within a few months.  I started trying every diet there was (weight watchers, atkins, you name it) because I just didn't have it in me to starve anymore.  I finally decided that I needed to be healthier for my family.  I would lose a few pounds and then pleateau, get frustrated, go off the diet and put the weight back on.  It sounds so simple typed out, but I was so depressed and miserable I can't even explain.  Most of my friends are bigger than me, so when I tried to talk to them about it (and still), they'd tell me to shut up.

So - I started trying to be healthy last October and learn how to forgive myself for going overboard with food or slacking on workouts and just try and pick myself back up and keep plugging away instead of giving up.  It's been hard for me to do that, but I've been doing the best I can and have gone from 165 to 147 in the last year.  Slow, I know, but at least the scale's finally moving in the right direction! 

I would really like to get the scale moving faster, and not to make so many mistakes to begin with.  Maybe I can with some support and people that understand what it's like to be not THAT big, but big enough to be miserable.

I currently (TRY) to get to the gym 5 days a week (that means lucky if 4, acceptable if 3, lol).  Ideally, I'd do 2 spin classes, 2 45 min elliptical, 1 run/walk on the treadmill...  I'd like to do more, but right now I think it's more important to get myself into the gym than plan on killing myself and not wanting to go.  I'm also TRYING to stay w/in 1500-1600 calories a day.  I'm good.  Except for weekends.  And nights at work where there are tons of goodies around. 

I'm not sure how this works - I've just recently started posting on here...  What do we do?  (and thanks for reading my book!)

Can you elaborate?

This is what I've done to my grocery shopping budget to change from eating crap to eating well on the same or less money : 

 -invested in a cheap freezer

-bought a freezer pack of meat (3 months worth of chicken/pork/beef for $225) from the local butcher shop 

-buy staples (and kids snacks) like cereal and oatmeal from the wholesale club

-in the summer take advantage of all of the fresh fruits and veggies to be had at good prices and buy whatever's on special all year

-plan a menu and keep my weekly grocery shopping to just what I need for breakfast lunch and dinners for the week, staples like milk and bread,  buying poatoes and brown rice for sides and flavoring them myself 

I've gone from spending about (for a family of 4)  $520 a month to around $425 give or take a few, but we are eating soooo much better.  All of the good things I can make - it's like we're feasting every night.  My husband's cholesterol is down 40 points in the last 3 months to prove it!

As far as exercise - find a rec center or use excercise videos or take a walk around the block!  Anything that you can do for 30 minutes a day to get your heart rate up will help tremendously!

Oh - and about the boyfriend eating crappy - hubby was the same way - wanted nothing but hamburger helper and Doritos - he's WAY happier having great meals every night!

Are you overestimating your calorie burn?  I went through this last year and I think that was the reason.  I was working hard, but not burning as many calories as the machines / calculators counted.  It got to the point that I'd get on the scale and cry.  For a whole year.  (I had also killed my metabolism w/extrememe yo yo diets for many years) 

You don't have to answer to anyone else, but be honest with yourself about what you are putting out and taking in.  For awhile, I was ashamed to write my binges in my own journal!  Since I've been doing this I have been able to slowly lose weight and bump up my metabolism to the point where I can maintain my weight (still want to lose another 10-15, though) eating like a normal person, which is a victory in itself!