Posts by omagraf

Simone, I have had what I called my "sick soup" times. I actually exercised less than normal but was sick and ate the typical sick persons diet and lost weight. Funny how that happens, I always thought that the scale dropping was almost a reward for being sick! Glad you had a good week, I hope you don't have too many bad ones they can be a real bummer for the mood.

Cynthia so glad that you found something to help cover the lay off time. I know so many people going through that this year, it really worries me here sometimes also. I hope your lay off is very temporary, hang in there and stay strong.

Terry glad your blood work was good, that is one of my next hurdles personally. I have been waiting to go in and I suppose that I have put it off long enough. P.S. I didn't forget that I promised pictures, I am going on vacation and will put up a recent picture when I get back. Aren't you proud of me, I'm actually getting a photo (only took me two years, I am such a coward)!

Simone, if you check you'll see I am the longest running person on the post here! I can completely relate to anyone who is feeling stalled or slow. You do have to make sure that you avoid anything that you know will make you ill. That said, watching WHAT I eat has helped more than anything else for me. I am currently trying to move out of a long plateau and am watching what I eat more than counting calories.

Lots of fruits & veggies, only very lean meats (poultry, eggs, fish), very little dairy, high fiber. I allow myself a free day if I have been good about my exercise. If I do not eat right I know that I will get sick. I take my vitamins but I really stress the good foods because when you exercise that bowl of cereal is not going to cut it for you.  With time, you will find what works for you, I have decided that THIS TIME I am too stubborn to stop and I will drop the weight! I have been sticking true to this, maybe we can help you do the same. Even when I have lost it, I know I have to maintain somehow. I am hopeful that these guys will be here then for me as they have been all along! Change things up, keep trying to find the healthy way that works for you.  I am certain that if I didn't have these guys helping me stay focused (and interested) I would have lost my will again.

So to everyone else here: Thanks, I think I am passing another bad patch now and I know that it is because you still check in on me!

P.S.  Simone, I think that you are really doing great, don't risk your health for a quick fix!

Kathryn ~ 198.5 - Up 1

Simone - 77,5kg or 170,85lbs - down 2,5kg or 5.51lbs

Sandy - 148 - down 2

Terry - 186

Sandy - 152

Yes it has been quiet here Terry. Been personally busy with stupid stuff but busy! Glad the Dr has a plan for your wrist, it is always good when there is a plan to return to normal. I suppose at our age we should just expect parts of our bodies to start causing us grief.

I have been lacking on the exercise lately, lots of battles with the lungs again. Maybe a good freeze will help, not that I am looking forward to that though. I am going to get out a little more this month, getting ready to take toddlers to visit THE Mouse next month (and that takes some endurance conditioning)!

Sounds like everyone is doing pretty good.  Cynthia congrats on the run, glad you enjoyed it.

Alicia, glad he is making progress. I am sure that this will be a long haul, hang in there.

Terry, you keep this up and when you turn sideways you'll disappear!

Since it is friday I will start things off:

Sandy - 152 same....well at least I am not gaining!

Happy Friday! Things are fairly normal for me lately, too much work and too many allergens in the air...but I have been feeling good this week. I think I need to do the sick soup diet again, whenever I feel lousy and have lots of soup I seem to lose lbs (even without the extra exercise). I am out walking & running lots lately so I feel pretty good about that. I am afraid that some of the meds are causing me to retain fluids right now, feeling puffy but it should pass. I think that that is why I am up a bit right now so I am not freaking about it, mostly because physically I am feeling good. Anything that makes me feel like my lungs are stronger is great!

I hope that everyone is doing well! Like me, you guys seem to really be working at it and as long as we are trying we are doing ourselves good; no matter what the stupid scales say!

Sandy - 152 (up 2)

Terry, great job that is so thrilling. You kept up with those guys...two thumbs up.

Kathryn a loss...I am so jealous. I think I have stalled here for over 5 months or so now. I am half affraid to look at the dates and see for sure.

Alicia - I know when my asthma gets bad and they start to talk about intibating me it and I can't even get enough air to speak...it freaks you. It takes awhile after one of those episodes to relax again so I think I know what he is feeling. Pretty scary stuff. I hope that he starts to feel stronger soon, it will really help him to be able to relax when every breath doesn't remind him that is illness could kill him.

Cynthia- have a great trip, check in again soon.

I am getting ready for my 49th birthday next weekend...not as far down on the scale as I had hoped. I am a greatly improved version of myself though. I think that I will celebrate a little by having a picture taken...shocking isn't it? Well if I finally get there I will make sure that I post it (and a before picture for you). We have been busy cleaning the yard lately, taking down some trees and such so I didn't get any workouts in (so to speak). I'd better get busy and post the friday update here....have a good one all!

Sandy - 150 (still hanging in there)

Terry – 190 – down 1

Cynthia - 186.2 - down 0.6

Kathryn - 210 ~ + .05

Sandy 150 (up 1)

Sorry I am late posting, been a busy weekend & upcoming week. We have parties every weekend for the next month (lots of birthdays & anniversaries). I had a little piece of cake (our youngest granddaughter turned one, had to celebrate). I had some fries last week also, shared an order of fresh cuts fries at a local deli....they were still as good as I remembered....I had to share or I would have eaten them all. I have been much better at food choices, I don't have fries (once a month maybe, if I share), I haven't had any soda (pop) in about a year now and I have been avoiding sweets (sugar addict).

I have been feeling better since making all these changes, I just wish that I could get the scale to move again. Oh well....I'll keep at it. Doing some light weights and trying to run more (walk if I don't feel up to a run)...but I am feeling good and so I will keep working on it. Hope you are all having a good week!

Great news on the ride Terry. You probably should keep a log of foods and fluids to see if there is any connection with the days that you end up being too tired. It could be that your body got too "drained" on your ride days and didn't get fully "recharged" on your rest day.

What a bummer, everyone has been sick or otherwise out of commission lately. Alicia, my best record of weight loss was what I called my sick soup diet. A rough way to go! Kathryn - great news on the job for you guys, congrats! Cynthia, I pack on the water weight really bad after Chinese and Indian foods so I wouldn't be surprised to hear that someone else does also!

I was out visiting relatives last week, managed to stay away from too much of the bad stuff and have done better than I expected. I am really looking forward to the weekend myself, I am a bit behind on my exercise goals and I need to get better about that!

~Alicia~ 243 down 2

Terry - 193 - No change.

Cynthia - 187.4 - down 0.8

Kathryn - 217 ~ Down 2 lbs

Sandy - 149 -same

Kathryn - 220 ~ Down 4 pounds
Terry - 194 - Down 2 pounds

Cynthia 187.2 (up 2.2)

Sandy - 149 (same)

Nothing new on the scale, but cutting out all artificial sweetner has been great for my system. I also bought a new pair of shorts and the smaller size that I have been wearing is a little big. So all in all I'd say that the changes in my food choices has been very positive (trying to ditch the word diet).

It is great to see so many dropping a few lbs again. I am very hopeful that next week I will again join you and lose a lb. Have a great weekend everyone & congrats on the losses, you really boosted my spirits today!

It really is great to see everyone checking in again. I was getting lonely last winter. I have been in a rut for months now and am shaking things up a bit. I had been creeping up on the scale, I have been reading labels for quite awhile but I read a report where sugar is a real stumbling block for some people and can cause bowel trouble (I have issues with that). I have done nothing new the past three days but consume nothing that has more than 15 grams of sugar and I am feeling good. Sometimes just a serious look at the diet helps my mood, at least I feel like I can still do something about my weight loss. Even if it doesn't work it cannot hurt me to try. I did get to 155 on Tuesday so today is really a good day for me. I will be interested to see what happens next friday, this is a recovering sugar addict hoping that kicking her habit helps!

Terry - 196 down 1

Kathryn - 224 ~ No Change

Omagraf - 149 (down 1 from last weigh in)

Been a rough week, had to help at two funerals. Really has me bummed, yesterday we buried the 3 year old (you may have heard, it made the news) her father took her & his 72 yr old mother to Michigan (from IN) and killed them. Her two sisters go to my church's elementary school, there simply are no words today!

The other death was the 46 yr old father of 2 other students at the school, died of heart failure in his sleep. No prior problems but they found his arteries where 90% blocked. A pretty sobering reminder of why we need to get healthier. Keep working at it for your families, sometimes we need to remember that you cannot take your health for granted.

I don't want to be a complete downer to everyone so I'll just wish everyone a good weekend, and tell you to get out there and get moving!

Hi, sorry I have been out lately but I am back again. It looks like everyone has some motivation going, that was so great to see. I have been stuck working some insane hours lately and things are just starting to slow down again. I have been good about what I eat but I have not had much exercise the past two weeks and feel like a garden slug. Oh well, this too shall pass.

I am still in my rut and I expected worse this friday (since I am a garden slug). I am cutting back on the work this week and getting back to me. Because the office has been crazy everyone is turning to "comfort" foods, yesterday there were 3 people eating candy bars in front of me and someone brought in a 3 lb chunk of homemade fudge; I really wasn't even tempted and now today I am so proud of myself! Feeling like I have self control is sometimes just as fulfilling as stepping on the scale to see a weight loss. I know it isn't much but I am taking what I can get.  

Sandy - 150 (up 1)

That sounds like a great ride Terry! I am jealous, we have to drive to get to a good bike area here.

Alicia, I thought about the kettlebells but I do the same thing (basically) with the weights I have so (being cheap) I'll stick with what I have and if they fall apart I'll upgrade. If you haven't put some weights into your exercise routine try it...I really feel the tension leave my back when I do (and I stick to light weight 8-10 lbs tops). If I can't get outside using weights in my exercising is my next favorite thing.

Spring is a great time for a fresh start Kristine, one day at a time (P.S. jelly beans are probably one of the better bad snacks I can think of).

Good week to all, the weather here will keep me in for the next two days but the rest of the week looks great. Spent lots of time outside this weekend (first real BBQ of the season), cleaned the yard, hid dozens of eggs, and it all felt great. Man have I missed the sunshine!

Let's not get started on food...you are making me hungry! I have been into making Mango salsa lately, my daughters and I are nuts for it. I haven't had much of a chance to check in, weight is the same though (of course). We are getting a new system at the office and the hours have been really horrid. hope to have training completed by this week so I will try to check in for the friday weigh in. Eating lots of pizza at the office (fast food is not my favorite). I had to bring myself something a few times because that stuff just isn't sitting well with me, I must have gotten used to trying to eat better because I can FEEL the junk food! Carrying apples, homemade meals and healthy snacks with me to get through this. I actually had 3 sodas (or pop if you call them that) this week, I haven't had one in months. I'll be glad when I am back to normal, no time to exercise right now (except running stairs in office), next week should be normal. Hang in there everyone, Alicia I am glad you are starting to feel better hope you can get back to exercising this week also!