Posts by pixieninja

Hey Starbrow!  Welcome to the site!  You're definitely not alone in your goal.   I've met lots of wonderful people here that are on a similar journey and some who have completed that journey.   I'm currently at 343.   I lost my first 6 pounds last month, and I'm aiming for my goal of 8 next month.

Pgeorgian is absolutely right about mini-goals.   It's discouraging to think about the big picture sometimes.   I just look forward to celebrating my first 20. 

Violet, I couldn't relate to you more!   I'm totally a psychological eater too.  Unfortunately, I've gone way beyond overweight and am well into the obese range with it now.     You're not obese yet, which is awesome.  Just keep telling yourself that you don't want to make that struggle any harder than it has to be.  I certainly don't want to see you end up where I'm at.  I've got so far to go.

Anyway, I find that 3pm is a tough time for me too.   I don't think it's ALL psychological though.   Some of it may be physical hunger.   My 3:00 ride home from work used to be horrible!  I'd stop anywhere on the way home and just binge.  I've taken to keeping a 100 calorie pack of popcorn in the car just so I can tell my brain that I AM eating something, even if it isn't much.

Keep up with the exercise too.   It does help with the depression.  I noticed that when I stopped exercising, my motivation dwindled much more too.   You might also want to rethink how you plan your meals so that you can allow for more snacking throughout the day.  Maybe if you allow for more snacks, you can keep your hunger and craving levels a bit more stable.  

I hope that helps a bit.   Don't be afraid to write me if you need a sympathetic ear.   

Kindal, I'm so sorry you have to go through such a trial!  While I've never been in that particular situation, I can totally empathize.   There have been many times where that exact situation seemed imminent, and I know the fear and the stress it causes.

I'm very much a stress/emotional eater.   The last time I fell off the weight loss wagon was due to overwhelming stress.   Looking back, I can safely say that my binging did not do a single thing to make me feel better...  It simply added to my problems.  On top of everything I was upset about, I felt sick, disappointed in myself and made it very difficult for me to get back on track.   I know what you're feeling right now must be very overwhelming.  Just try to remind yourself that food won't fix it, it'll only make it worse.  

Instead, just keep reaching out for help.   Remember that even if the worst happens, if you are motivated, you won't have to live on the streets.   There are temporary shelters, and many programs that will help you find affordable housing.   Just reach for the phone to find solutions instead of reaching for the food.  

I hope that helps.  *hug*  Good luck, and keep us updated.   I'll definitely keep you in my thoughts and prayers.

Glenn, thanks for the book suggestion.  I'm going to have to check that out because it certainly seems to deal with a lot of the issues I'm facing.  I definitely know that my thinking patterns can get me into a lot of trouble when it comes to dealing with anxiety and depression.

Interestingly enough, I work with a population that runs more towards anger and impulsiveness.   Maybe I can find some strategies to help them out while I'm at it.

Yayyy!  Thanks Sun!  ^_^  It's nice to see it up there on the big wall o' weight loss! 

Well, as for myself, I'm avoiding restaurants at all costs.  We tried that last year, and we ended up standing in the cold for an hour and a half just waiting for a table.   We made reservations, but apparently it's not officially a "reservation"... it just gets your name a little bit higher on the list.   Bah.  Never again. 

I don't think we're doing anything really big because our birthdays are on the 3rd and the 17th of this month.  There's too much going on.  I like the movie idea AND the Friday the 13th celebration too.   That would make the whole dining out experience nicer.   

The first time I started losing in 07, I started because of my health.  I would get out of breath over the stupidest things.  Walking from my car to work?  Ridiculous.  I hated how I felt, and I hate to be that person that's whining all the time but not doing anything about it.     I did great for a while, and I guess I self-destructed when the pressure of a million converging events got to me.  Trust me, it's a BAD excuse, but I just couldn't handle all of it.

What made gave me the strength to begin again?   Looking at my wedding videos and nearly crying that I wasn't the beautiful bride I wanted to be...  Depression over work and my weight is getting to be too much.  I decided to try to fix at least one of them.   And I was worried that my clothes would no longer fit, so I had to put the brakes on all of my self-destructive habits and turn this fight around again. 

It's a constant struggle.  I've been very emotional lately, and my tendency is to just say "forget it" to watching what I eat when I'm feeling down.   So far, I'm doing well, though.  Just trying to stay strong.

I'm so glad I've recommitted myself to losing weight.  My highest recorded weight ever was 335.   My January 1st weight was 332.     My weight as of this morning is 321.   That's a monthly loss of 11 pounds.

I'm really proud to be able to count my voice among all of you.  Seeing all of your successes makes me happy!  Congratulations everyone. ^_^

Claire, I know exactly what you mean.  I'm not sure what I'd do if I were forced to limit salt.  Well...I'd limit it, of course, but I wouldn't be happy about it.   I've heard differing opinions on the harmfulness of sodium.  I've never had a doctor flag me for high blood pressure.  I'll have to ask my doctor about it the next time I see him.   

Victoria, I love your list!  I'm looking forward to all of those future perks!   I've been avoiding amusement parks and airplanes for those very reasons. 

Shopping at regular stores is a big goal for me!   I just read in the news recently that my favorite plus sized store (Lane Bryant) might be facing bankruptcy soon.  Talk about motivation!    I love the way their clothes fit me and look on me.   I don't know where I'd shop if they weren't around.

 It's funny.  I tend to wonder what sense of style I'll have when I have more choices before me.   I spend as little time as possible in regular stores.  When I go in one with a friend, I always wonder if the sales girl will kick me out because nothing there could possibly fit me.   Weird thought.  Does anyone else experience that feeling?

Hey everyone!  A happy Monday to you all!  Well, it's another weigh-in day for me, and it looks like I'm down another 4 pounds.  I had a couple of really difficult days.   I went to the diner only to find out they were serving the most delicious mac and cheese in the whole world!  Well who can resist that?    To my credit, I only ate half of the huge dish they gave me, but I have to imagine that's still a lot.   Plus I had other food with it. 

Well, it's nice to know that one or two days don't necessarily destroy everything.   I'm not trying to make a habit out of the bad days, though.  

Yayy!  It's weigh day and I lost 3 pounds!  I'm pretty happy with that.

I wish I could say my meal today was totally good for me and low-calorie, but that's not true.  I'm just going to chalk it up to my one super-splurge for the month and let it go.   I'm just going to have to step it up by working out this week and being super good about my calorie counts for the rest of the week.  Hopefully I'll have made up for it and then some by next Monday!  I guess we'll see.  

In good news, I'm going to be joining in on a Biggest Loser competition at my job.   Weigh in is on Thursday.   I think that's really going to spur me on in terms of motivation.   My goal isn't to be the winner.   I just want to lose slow and steady.   I like the extra aspect of accountability, and it'll be fun to see my statistics in relation to my co-workers.   I don't think they post actual weight...just percentage lost.  

Well, back to some gaming!   Night all. ^_^

Evening everyone!    Well I'm glad we're finally talking about my favorite food: RICE!  I never thought of freezing rice before.   Might not be a bad idea for those days I make too much (especially when company's over...I always seem to overestimate). 

My dinner tonight was pretty delicious, by the way.  I'm trying to be a bit more adventurous in focusing on foods that are healthy for me.   I usually hate beans.  The only way I'll eat them is in chili.  However, I know they're very filling AND good for you.  So I made some black beans, mixed them with some diced tomato, and seasoned them with chili powder, cumin and cayenne pepper.  I loved them!  I'll have to do that more often.   I also stir fried some chicken with bell peppers, onion and jalapeno and seasoned that up taco-style.    It was great.   I've never had non-fat sour cream, so I was surprised at how much I liked it.  

Anyway, it is definitely time for some sleep!  See y'all tomorrow!

I love chicken so much.   Because it's so simple, there's no limit to what you can use it for.  Here are two of my favorites.

Chicken Stir-Fry-

The chicken should be cut into bite-sized pieces.  I stir fry it (with very little oil or cooking spray) with sliced bell peppers, onions, bean sprouts and water chestnuts.  I also make sure to use garlic and ginger.   I just love those flavors.  Sometimes I'll add a tbsp of a sauce like hoison sauce or oyster sauce, but usually I don't think it needs it.

Taco Chicken

Again, cut chicken into bite sized pieces.  Stir fry it with bell pepper and onion (again).  I also use cumin and cayenne pepper to give it a little kick.   Top with just a little bit of light cheese and serve.   

I've also done similar to a whole chicken breast, but not stir fried.  I'll pan fry it (again with cooking spray or just a little bit of olive oil).  I sprinkle the chicken with cumin and cayenne.  Again, I might top it with a  little cheese. 

Hey all!  I just love reading about everyone else's experiences.  Gracie, I can't believe the chocolate on the desk thing.  That's funny.  Now I'm dying to know what type of chocolate you hate.   I can't imagine one for myself :)

Anyway, jerry's post about 1 day at a time is absolutely right.   As someone just beginning, that final goal seems so far away.  I'm just going to focus on my little victories.   I will say that just a week into things, I feel great!  I didn't realize how horrible I was feeling.  I was feeling run-down, achy, out of breath- the whole nine yards.    I haven't really started an exercise routine, but just watching my calorie intake alone has alleviated most of my symptoms.   I also have PCOS as a result of my weight, and I'm noticing my cycle seems to be kicking back into gear too.   Like I said, I'm surprised all of these things are happening so quickly.   

I'm looking forward to weighing in on Monday.  My body's telling me good things are happening.  It makes me wonder what the scale says.