Posts by peasmum

While beauty is somewhat subjective, you would be fooling yourself if you argued Kim's body was not hot! She's proportional, curvy and toned. The fake boobs however, may not be to everyone's personal taste...this I concur with. However, how she attained her hot bod, her character and her choice of clothing have absolutely no relevance on whether she "looks" hot or not,...come on! Talk about b*&^%'ing for b*&^%'ing sake!

That said, she is not what I would personally strive to look like. Reason....she's a pear, I'm more of an apple. If I were a pear... then yes she would be along the lines of how I would want to look....because it would be attainable - whether through lipo or plain ole fashion hard work. So, to the OP...if you're a pear...go for it...awesome motivation!

Seeing as I'm an apple...this look would be totally unattainable for me, and a pointless one to go for. Lucky for me I prefer the smaller booty/hips, slightly thicker waist (WHR .75 suits me fine, I could never be .7 without being very unhealthy) and larger chest that comes with being a hot apple! At the same time, I appreciate and admire other body shapes too!

It's about "working with what you got" and improving it. Stuff this jealousy C&%$ you get from women who can't accept the shape they have and b&^%$ on all the other shapes like there is one "right" shape to be. Have an honest look around (celebrities, hot people you know etc) and you will realise it doesn't matter whether they are a fruit, a shape, or an eggtimer - all shapes rock! What a pretty boring world full of bodies if we were all just one shape/height/frame size! 

Yeah... don't know where you got the idea eggs were a bad cal choice lovesya?

 Most eggs are between 60-80 cals each, so as long as you boil or poach them you can't go wrong. Moreover, if I eat eggs, I feel full and satisfied a lot longer than I would if I ate cereal for breakfast - which usually is higher in calories anyway!

I really don't understand the whole eat the egg white only thing either, as the yolk holds all the nutrients. If you are worried about cholesterol, most tell you to limit to 2-3 eggs a week. However research suggests that the white of the egg contains a substance that counteracts the harmful effects of the yolk to a great extent. A recent study also suggests that eating 1 egg everyday appears to have no effect on cholesterol levels, heart disease or stroke in healthy individuals. Two other studies found that eating 1 egg a day can reduce the risk of macular degeneration, a form of blindness.

Needless to say, I love eggs...lol!

Added ya! Hey... you can do it. I never would of thought I could do it, but I actually did, and it still kinda baffles me that I did it...but honestly once I got into the swing of it, it wasn't really as hard as I thought. Yeah those plateaus can be a royal pain in the a@@, but zigzagging calories  or even going to maintanence for a week or more can really help....and if you need any advice around these, feel free to message me anytime!

  Like I said, it took awhile cos I decided to avoid failure by not getting my hopes up about meeting big goals by a certain time frame. While I did set mini goals along the way, I didn't always reach them, but I would eventually a few weeks to a month later...the main thing was to just not give up and to not make a big deal out of "fallin off the wagon". After all, sometimes you do just need to give yourself a break as well and eating over your calories for a week here and there can actually make it easier to lose weight again once you go back to deficit calories. Just concentrate on the whole 1 pound a week loss (deficit of 500 = 3500 cals a week) and take it a day at a time. Baby Steps is definately the way to go in the beginning!

Zigzagging just means that you take your total calorie deficit amount for the week and literally eat different amounts each day so long as they add up to the the total for the week.

e.g in your case 1350 cals a day x 7 = 9450 cals for the week

To demonstrate further how zigzagging can work really well,  I'll just give you an example of how I figured out one that worked with my lifestyle, work, activity levels etc

Day 1 (Monday) I work and my job requires a moderate amount of heavy lifting and being up and down on my feet. I literally felt like on work days 1350 or less cals would have been far too little for me as I would be fainting from hunger by the end of my work day, so I would aim for around 1550 cals on this day.

Day 2 (Tuesday) Work again, so cals around the same - 1550.

Day 3 (Weds) At home with precious daughter, some light house work or a trip to playgroup or to the grocery store extent of physical activity, so can afford to get away with lower calories without starving, so say 1100

Day 4 (Thurs) Ditto so say 1200

Day 5 (Fri) Ditto so 1200 again

Day 6 (Sat) The weekend has started. I tend to be tempted to eat more with hubby being at home and might want the odd drink or snack with visitors etc so say 1600

Day 7 (Sun) Hubby is still home and tempting me into eating food - probably because he's always snacking on chips and chocolate etc, so I will probably just have a small helping of chocolate and a small handful of potatoe chips and opt for a healthier dinner. Roasts are great for this, being Sunday roast day and all, because a handful of meat, some roast veg and a bit of gravy is really filling, yet not too high in calories! So, total cals of say 1320.

Adding up all these amounts would give a total of 9450 for the week. 9450 divided by 7 = 1350 cals on average a day, my target calorie deficit of 500 under maintanence.

So yeah, plan your week, plan your meals in advance, play around with the food calculators to get an idea about foods that are high in calories (avoid or limit) and those that are low (eat more). You will probably be surprised by what foods you thought were low are actually quite high (for me it was cereal servings are not what they appear and nuts although good for you are really high too), and that low calorie food doesn't necessarily mean you have to eat like a rabbit on salad and vegies all the time or feel like you haven't even eaten. I can give you one example.....eggs. They are fantastic. If you like them, eat them a couple of times a week. They are high in protein so make you full for longer and there is only around 60-80 cals in one unfried egg. I often have an egg or two for breakfast twice a week and this works great for keeping me from getting hungry. Another example would be fat free ham -another fav of my mine. 50 grams is only about 45 cals. Chicken and fish are like this too. 100 grams is equal to around 100 cals much the same. Of course portion control also comes into the equation, because this then allows you to still eat the nasty foods you love from time to time. For me this would be anything with cheese, fast food hamburgers, hotdogs, pizza mmmm. If you like pizza, look out for a supermarket variety that has a lower calorie crust because this is generally where a lot of calories are hidden in food - Carbs tend to be higher than saturated fats like those found in meat and dairy or in pizzas case the toppings! 

Anyway hope some of this helps. Let me know if you have any other questions. I'm no expert, but I have done it and if I don't know an answer to something I like to seek out the answers myself anyway. I find nutrition a very interesting subject now that I seem to have lived it!

:)

Yeah, people say the darndest things alright!

I have to say, most of the comments I have gotten have been positive! Funny thing is the same people (mostly males) who were telling me I looked great 20 lbs ago and didn't need to lose anymore weight are now telling me I also look great. Hmmm...maybe this is proof guys like our bodies at different sizes more than we do, or they are just being nice? Who knows. Hubby has told me to stop losing weight, but that has to do with my newly decreased breast size lol. 

I am actually a bit cheeky, cos I keep getting the comment "Wow..you have lost so much weight!" especially from people who haven't seen me in quite some time. My reaction to a few has been "what are you trying to say?" knowing they are cornered with the alternative statement that I must of been sooo huge before...hehe. It is priceless seeing the look on their faces when I say this. Most just stutter a bit and go..".no ah you're like really slim...you look fantastic!"  

Truth is, I am probably a lot slimmer than some people's tastes, so they could always reply with..."actually you are too skinny". I have been told 'you're so skinny". Where some people would be insulted by this... I love it... because that is what I wanted. I have also been told  "you're a shadow of your former self" which I wasn't too keen on, as this left me disconcertedly thinking...do they mean I was too big before, or am I too skinny now? I probably should have asked, just wanted the clarification so I could agree or not agree with the person. In any case I would rather people's honest opinions anyday than have them lie to me and I'm a pretty straight up frank person myself and respect the same from others.

I would be lying if I said I didn't like all the positive attention I'm getting, or that other people's opinions didn't matter, but my main motivation for losing weight was never about anyone elses opinion of me and how I looked, it was purely how icky I felt about how I looked, and I believe that because I now feel so much more positive and confident about my body, anyone with a negative comment would be written off as either being "nasty for nastys sake" or "jealous". There are also people who view skinny as "just not their cup of tea" which is fine, we are entitled to our own preferences.  I don't give a rat's ring about that kind of thing (besides I'm happily married and don't need to lol).

Quite simply this has been quite selfishly all about me! After all, it was me and me alone that accomplished this (okay hubby's support was also paramount to my success and I love and will thank him for it). The point is, I am finding that I don't really care what people think about how I look anymore. Funny really, cos what I perceived others thought about my body when I was slightly overweight mattered a great deal until I did something about it!

ANYWAY I HAVE TO SAY...I DID IT...AND I'M TRULY LOVING THE NEW SKINNY MINNY ME, JUST LOVING IT! Yahhhhh me!

This is the first time I've actually said this about myself I must of finally reached my goal weight. Tis a good thing, cos If I lost anymore I would be unhealthy...and that's not cool!

Works for me. I've lost 40 pounds in just over 14 months by skipping breakfast 5 out of 7 days a week (I have to eat breakfast when at work 2 days). I sometimes eat lunch a bit earlier (11ish) and have dinner around 5.30 with a small snack inbetween. Dinner is usually around 800-900 cals ~ 60% of my daily allowance.

I don't exercise. Exercise (cardio) makes me hungrier (understandably) and eat more (often negating the hard work), so if I was exercising (I know, I should be!) I wouldn't recommend skipping meals as you are burning more energy up and will need those extra cals. Just opt for the high protein over the high carbs - i.e. an egg or shake is good! A boiled egg is only 60-70 cals and it's something light. If I wake up hungry that is what I go for!

I think most of the talk about slow vs fast metabolisms and that you have to eat regularly to speed it up is nonsense. Obviously it hasn't effected my weight loss! Most of the research out there on this is just not convincing enough IMO. I think you just need to eat full stop, when you eat is irrelevant unless you starve yourself and ignore hunger signals. This is when the metabolism really will slow down and use your fuel more efficiently and effectively for self preservation/survival reasons.

All I know is that if I eat more often, especially breakfast, I get hungrier and end up overeating. Know your body, and do what works for you I say.

I'm 5'7 and 127. My goal is 125, but may go as low as 120-121. It all depends on how I look when I get there as I'd like to lose another inch off my waistline  making me more hourglass and hopefully get rid of my love handles once and for all!

I love my horror! King, Koontz, John Saul, Peter Straub (wrote the Talisman with King), Richard Layman are all good. My fav has to be King's 'Desperation'. Not such a well known one of his, I think a B grade made for tv version was made but I've never been able to find it  Also a big fan of 'The Stand' ~ the long book version,

I went out to my hubby's work do on Sat night (don't get out much these days with a toddler lol) and for the first time in a long time I didn't feel subconscious about my tummy and love handles while sitting down. Usually I am pulling at my top, pulling my jeans up as high as I can or stooping over the table so noone can see them, but I have actually found myself at a place where the minimal fat I have left there doesn't bother me so much. Such a huge deal to me as I feel so much more comfortable and confident in my own skin finally  

I started logging what i ate at the end of June 2008 too. I'm now 37 pounds lighter and feel like I know the secrets to weight loss (thanks mostly to CC) that I will never fail in my attempt to lose any weight should I need to again in the past (i.e. subsequent babies, holidays etc) nor does it scare me so much if I gain some, I will just be more cautious in how much I let myself gain before I decide to do something about it.

I hope this doesn't sound smug or arrogant, but  I just wish others who feel they can't lose weight actually knew how easy it can be. Sure, the hardest part is usually getting started, and plateaus truly suck! and there are times you slip up, get too hungry or tempted by something and say to hell with it and then you feel guilty and bad, but as long as you stay committed to your goal (personally my guilt motivates me to stay focused) and know to pick yourself up and keep going, it will happen and you will wonder why you got so worked up about a couple of hundred calories overeaten here and there! Like others have said, one pound at a time... baby steps! I think keeping your goal losses to small increments is far more attainable then the bigger long-term goal picture. Humans are wired to achieve short-term goals for that more instant gratification then they are for long-term goals. The beauty is that you plan it so you have lots of short-term goals that led you to you're ultimate long-term weight loss goal!

You don't have to be the healthiest person in the world to lose weight. Nor do you have to go low fat or too low in carbs to lose weight. Don't deprive yourself of something you love, just don't overdo it! If it is high in calories, sugar or fat - portion control is the key. I always felt sick when I ate a whole bar of chocolate or packet of chips in the past anyway, now I can handle a couple of pieces/handfuls and feel like I have satisfied my urge.

 I only joined CC about three months ago to help with the final pounds, but have found the forums invaluable for motivation, support and advice.

Good luck with what ever you're short-term ~ long-term goals are!

Hey thanks for your replies! Unless someone tells me I'm dreaming about fitting 6's over my larger than I'd like midsection even though they would easily fit my hips, this is probably what I will end up going with!

Joanne, I can buy two pairs of levis from the US for the price of one pair here in NZ and I prefer the US ones to the NZ ones as I have found them to be quite different jeans texture and colourwise etc. They are actually manufactured by different companies (US levis made in mexico or sometimes pakistan, NZ ones made in phillipines) so maybe this has something to do with it. I actually don't really give a hoot about the Levi brand and prefer to buy jeans that just look good regardless of price tag - preferably the lower price however! So I totally agree, I would also prefer to try them on to know if that look good with my weird apple shape...absolutely!

I just figured that as I am going to buy hubby a couple of original Levi 501's (his one and only prefered jean) from a US site (around $55NZ when they are $140 at hallensteins or Just Jeans - so yeah two for the price of one here!) I might as well throw in a pair for myself as it won't make much difference to postage and nil on Customs charges. It looks like I will go for either 6's or 7jrs and if they don't fit, I can either give them away to someone smaller or sell them on Trade Me  

Original Post by lkburrows97:

So I'm taking it that if you aren't super human than this weight stays forever....that isn't what I was wanting to hear ladies!

I'm 26, 5'7 and 157.  I have a 7 month old and was 138-140 before I had him and 178 before labor.  I was told (way too late) that anything over 30 pounds is yours to keep! 

I have been working out almost daily for months with no change.  So I found this website just over a week ago and started counting!  I found out that am and have been eating between 1100-1300 a day and have lost nothing so far.  I also do measurements and that is only changing in my arms and legs. 

 ikburrows97 - You are not eating enough!

I plugged in your stats - age, height, weight

If you did nothing all day you would burn 1780 calories, so you would eat 1280  (sedentary option is more for couch potatoes, definately not busy mothers!) but as you said you are working out daily, you will be burning anywhere between 2040 - 2300 calories a day, so should be eating between 1540(light active) - 1800(moderately active). Also, are you still BF'ing? If you are, you need to add at least another 300 calories to this daily target.

I know this is hard to fathom, that you need to eat more to lose weight, but if you don't eat enough your body goes into starvation mode (especially if you go under 1200 too often), your metabolism slows and it conserves the energy you give it. Seriously, I found this hard too. I hit a major plateau in my weight loss at 142 pounds  and my answer was to eat less, which did absolutely nothing. I then started eating a bit more (mostly out of being fed up, not because I knew better ) and amazingly the scale started moving steadily down again! I'm now about 129 pounds at 5'7, eating anywhere between 1200 - 1600 a day (average about 1350-1400) and still losing weight and I do no exercise other than looking after my little girl all day and housework! (so I put myself in the lightly active category)

  As for gaining more than expected during pregnancy, it is not true it will stick forever, it just might take a bit longer than the 9 months to a year expected for someone who gains only 25 pounds. I myself gained 40 pounds and I have lost all that plus another 12 pounds in just over a year of trying, so it is definately doable. Just give uping your calories a go.

Maybe it's from cutting carbs and sugar from your diet? I know when I was eating under 100 grams of carbs a day I would get pretty light headed/dizzy, with headaches and low energy, especially during a busy day rushing around on my feet.

After this happening on and off for several months, I read up some more on low/restrictive carb diets and found that they lower your blood pressure and insulin levels which can cause you to experience light-headness, confusion, headaches, insomnia, nausea etc. Most sites say that this is true of the initial stages of low carb diets, but I had these symptoms on and off for a few months and my carb levels weren't even as low as the suggested amount for Atkins or South Beach etc. Anyway low carb diets might be okay short-term but obviously eating too little carbs will find you lacking in nutrients the body needs. Moderation and all. Not to mention good carbs (low GI) provide us with sustained energy during the day.

After reading all this, I went and uped my carbs to between 100-150 grams a day and have had no more problems and continued to lose just as much weight. I read somewhere that less than 135 grams a day is not good for most people long-term, but can't find that now sorry. It depends on the individual I guess, but maybe your carbs are too low in relation to your activity level etc?

Oh yesssssss! Like now, I'm thinking about all the food I could easily go and devour in my pantry. Probably got my appetite up after the big eat fest yesterday lol.

Usually I have a low cal hot choc if it's night time. During the day, my biggest vice is Coke Zero. Not so healthy I know, but next to 0 Cals! It has definately had a big impact on my losing all my weight!

Hmmm...I also occasionally keep boiled eggs in the fridge. Another fav is low salt peanut butter with celery or carrot. Definately opt for something high protein over high carb, as the carbs will just make you hungrier, whereas the protein fulls you up for longer. 

Yep count me in! I'm actually half a pound away from my original goal weight, but still not entirely happy so have decided to try for another 5 pounds (the maximum I can lose to be at 20 BMI and healthy). Then I seriously need to get fit and strength train to build about 3 kgs of muscle to replace the muscle mass I have lost.

About me" 5'7, 33 year old mum of one

SW: 164

CW: 130.5

GW: 125 - 130 (depends on muscle mass)

It has taken me just over a year to go from 164 to 130.5 lbs after having a baby. So I've lost a total of 33.5 lbs, which is an average of about 0.6 lbs a week over a year. I joined CC about three weeks ago as I knew the home stretch was gonna be the toughest part and during my weight loss struggles, I always found reading posts in here extremely helpful and motivating. I lost most of my weight by limiting sugar, limiting carbs, eating healthier choice foods and not eating past 7pm - although there has been the occasional once a week takeout and small bits of chocolate and a handful of potatoe chips here and there! It's just got to be done to stay sane and prevent binging! The last three weeks I have been counting calories so I can truly keep track of how much I need to eat to continue to lose and reach my - albeit NEW set goal weight...damn it!

I have just started hitting the maintainence forum to get clued up about what happens when it comes to maintaining as it's going to be so different eating more food after not doing so for so long now, it's kinda a freaky concept to me right now iykm?

Anyway nice to meet you jjcakes. Lets do this thing!

Hey congrats on the 30 pound loss!!! All this by simply making healthier food choices....that's awesome! And it is the best way to go because now you have set yourself up with good eating habits that can take you through to the rest of your life! 

Yeah I know how you feel about not feeling like you look much different depite a big loss. I think our brains get use to how we saw ourselves before and must take a bit longer to catch up to seeing how we actually look now. Also, when we see ourselves everyday, it is hard to notice the gradual changes that have occured - as you said. Another thing I find when I look in the mirror, is that whilst occassionally I focus on the parts of me that are slimmer, I usually tend to focus on the parts that are still bigger than I would like iykm? 

Remember those compliments people have given you so far for losing all the weight you have and treasure these. Believe me, people do not comment much about other people's appearances as usually we are all too hung up on our dang selves to even care! Also, I've found that people only start commenting about your weight loss if you have really noticeably lost a lot of weight. And yeah, I have found that it is the people who haven't seen me for awhile that notice the most change, so it is not just ourselves that find it difficult seeing the gradual differences on a day-to-day basis. So it is normal to think that we don't look that different. Besides, fat comes off from all over our bodies at once, as well as the fat surrounding our organs that is not visible, so despite a 10 pound - 15 pound or so loss here and there, it is possible to not have changed much in terms of body measurements etc. But think when that happens, if it all just come off from my organs, I am so much healthier for it!  

As for you're last 30 pounds, I wouldn't try to lose too much too soon.  Half to 2 pounds a week is the recommended amount of weight one should lose to remain healthy. So think more 30 pounds over 30 weeks or just over 6 months. Also, the faster you lose it, the easier it will be to put it all back on.  I would stick with what you've been doing in just eating healthier and exercising as much as you can. Stick with what worked! There is always next summer and you're still young...please don't be too hard on yourself to look a certain way by a certain date, you may set yourself up for an overly ambitious expectation that won't happen. 

Again, congrats on the loss! I'm sure you will lose those last 30 in time. You have come this far right? 

All the best