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| Motivation | Girls in their 20's who want to lose about 100 pounds | May 25 2008 18:46 (UTC) |
9,481 |
Hello ladies,
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| Motivation | Girls in their 20's who want to lose about 100 pounds | May 04 2008 16:43 (UTC) |
9,810 |
Welcome to all the new members, and congratulations to everyone on their success and perseverance. I wanted to share some foods that I found this week which might be helpful to those trying to watch their calories, and carbs: 1) Oikos Organic 0% Greek Yogurt: Our dining hall on campus just started to offer this yogurt, in Plain and Vanilla. The plain has 90 kcal per 150 g, no fat/cholesterol, 60 mg sodium, 6 g sugar, and 15 g protein. CC gave it a B- for the sugar, but compared to other yogurts, 6 g is nothing. Plus, all of these sugars are from milk (no added sugar). 2) Nestle Fat Free Hot Chocolate mix: per packet, it's 25 kcal, no fat/cholesterol, 150 mg sodium, and 5 g carbs. I added a packet to 1/2 c. cottage cheese last night and had quick and delicious chocolate "pudding."
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| Motivation | Girls in their 20's who want to lose about 100 pounds | May 02 2008 14:35 (UTC) |
9,826 |
Ally, thank you so much for your words of wisdom! I'm back on track now, and the scale has already more-or-less "corrected" itself. :) Watchme, I wish I knew what to tell you...what happened with your metabolism test? Maybe that can give you some more insight as to how much you need to be eating/burning?
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| Motivation | Girls in their 20's who want to lose about 100 pounds | May 01 2008 14:31 (UTC) |
9,834 |
Hello ladies...I'm (almost) jealous to hear how well you are all doing! The past 3-4 days I've had midterms and relatedly have been eating total crap (as in, ate without consideration for ANYTHING). The scale was up 3 (!) pounds today, but I'm hoping that some of that is just from the salt, etc (I don't "binge" eat, so even when I eat crap it ends up around 2000-2500 a day). The worst part of all (or maybe the best) was that I made one of my favorite "study" foods, tortilla chips with cheese and salsa melted together...and it just did not taste as good as I had remembered! I even got a cone of Ben and Jerry's (on Free Cone Day) and I threw it away after 3 bites...it just tasted blandly sweet. Oh well...here's hoping I can get back on track. My graduation is in 5 weeks, and I would love to be back to the weight I was when I started college (190), but I don't think 30 pounds in 5 weeks is doable... |
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| Motivation | Girls in their 20's who want to lose about 100 pounds | Apr 26 2008 23:27 (UTC) |
9,869 |
Ooof, I just got off the phone with my dad...so we're talking, and he says, "Mom tells me that you've had some success with your weight" (since I told her that I'm down 15), and I expect some sort of compliment, right? Instead, he says "Well, just double your workout time and double your weight loss." Wtf? I mean, on the one hand, I understand how this might make sense on some level--but the man is a physician! He should KNOW that it's not just pure thermodynamics! I was pretty shocked, and said nothing--so he says, "It's pretty simple." If it's so simple, why is he carrying an extra seventy-odd pounds (my rough estimate)??? My father has NEVER been one to hand out compliments, so at least it's not some "major shock." But his reaction really pissed me off. On the other hand, I guess it's a good motivator to do some exercise--the guilty truth is that I've totally slacked lately--first it was my tumble down the stairs, then my loss of my toenail--but I'm really going to make an effort to walk 2 hours a day (not too fast, but briskly, and outside). It's funny how I managed to ignore all the other signs regarding my weight for so long, and not until my father sat me down and yelled at me about it did I decide to take action. Part of me hates him, but part of me is rather thankful for it--does anyone get my drift? Ok, sorry to ramble: In regards to the request for hummus recipes! There's really no set quantities; it entirely depends on your taste. But to begin, I recommend draining the canned chickpeas (save the liquid). Put them in the blender/food processor. Add in 1 Tbsp. chickpea liquid, 2 cloves garlic, 1 tsp. lemon juice, and 1 tsp. thina. Blend well (add more liquid if needed). Taste, and decide if you want to add more garlic, lemon, etc. It's really up to you! Also, you can add in some hot pepper if you want (I never do this, but some people really like it). Don't worry, I'm sure yours will come out just fine :) |
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| Motivation | Girls in their 20's who want to lose about 100 pounds | Apr 26 2008 22:33 (UTC) |
9,873 |
Sarahbear, 3000 kcal a day doesn't sound right--what is your current weight and your activity level? I'm 218.5 and set myself at "sedentary" (I add-in my workouts)...CC recommends that I consume 1450 kcal per day...hope that helps!
Also, if you're feeling industrious, try making your own hummus! I'm from the Middle East, and personally I cannot stand the store-bought brands (though the Sabra hummus is not bad). It's really easy--one can chickpeas, some of the water from the can, a few cloves of garlic, some lemon juice, some thina (also called tahini)...everything to taste. Garnish with a drizzle of olive oil and paprika, enjoy :) |
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| Motivation | Girls in their 20's who want to lose about 100 pounds | Apr 26 2008 14:31 (UTC) |
9,880 |
Welcome to all the new members, and congratulations to everyone on their success!
Speaking of goal weights, how do you establish yours? Based solely on BMI? Or is it more of a "see how I'm doing as I go along" thing, based on health, appearance, etc? |
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| Motivation | Girls in their 20's who want to lose about 100 pounds | Apr 25 2008 01:12 (UTC) |
9,897 |
Congratulations to everyone on the progress! And thank you to everyone for your encouragement! Ally, your new photo looks wonderful--you can definitely notice a difference! Sweepie, thanks for your support. In terms of mini-rewards, I don't really have any--I do buy things for myself, do my nails, etc., but I just don't feel a need to tie those things to my weight loss. I would suggest a nice manicure? Watchme, I am interested to hear the results of your metabolism test. Is this an expensive procedure? I have really crappy student insurance, so I'm sure something like this wouldn't be covered...oh, and re: losing in spurts--I also tend to lose the most before and during my period. I'm actually researching the connection between insulin and luteinizing hormone levels (which are related to your cycle) in PCOS patients for my endocrinology class--I'll let you know if I can make any connections!
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| Motivation | Girls in their 20's who want to lose about 100 pounds | Apr 24 2008 13:16 (UTC) |
9,914 |
Have fun in CA! Omg so I got on the scale this morning, and do you know what I saw?? 219.5!! Yes, that means that I am officially out of the 220s (hopefully, forever)! I am so relieved--does anyone else seem to "hold steady" for 10+ days and then drop like 2-3 pounds? My body is insane... |
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| Motivation | Girls in their 20's who want to lose about 100 pounds | Apr 24 2008 00:25 (UTC) |
9,918 |
Suzanne, thank you for your kind words! My toe really doesn't feel any better, but I'm going to soldier through it and go for a long walk today--I think my body gets "stuck" if I don't incorporate enough exercise. I love your new photo, btw! Dalma and watchme, your stories are really inspiring--it's nice to know that it IS possible to lose so much weight (by the time I lose 60 pounds, I'll be at a weight I haven't seen since 2001!). Dani, congratulations on getting your summer job, and good luck with the interviews. I need to start looking for some summer employment, as well, but it's hard to find the time. |
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| Motivation | Girls in their 20's who want to lose about 100 pounds | Apr 22 2008 19:43 (UTC) |
9,929 |
OMG...I haven't read/posted here in a few weeks, and I am in SHOCK by how much has gone on...I won't even pretend to have caught up with everyone, but I would like to say hello! Things have just been so busy with school (last term as an undergraduate) and holidays...I was home and ate without counting for 4 days, but when I weighed in this morning my weight had not changed! So, that's a positive. The negative is that it hasn't changed for almost 2 weeks...why is this process so, so slow? I also wanted to begin exercising more, but I dropped this huge suitcase on my foot Friday and lost my entire big toenail (if possible, it's grosser than it sounds). It's infected (I'm taking medicine) and makes walking very painful--I did manage to walk for an hour today, but my pace is way down (around 2.5 mph, I would guess). I hope this is still worth something! I just bought a bunch of vegetables and want to make this week my "spa" week--lots of vegetables, little bread, and tons and tons of water. Maybe after having eaten heavy foods the past week or so, this will jump-start me into a loss? |
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| Motivation | Girls in their 20's who want to lose about 100 pounds | Apr 04 2008 13:16 (UTC) |
10,327 |
Hello everyone, and welcome to the new members! So I am starting to get a little scared...I weighed myself today (and every other day this week, but Friday is my "official" weigh-in day) and I lost FIVE POUNDS this week. That makes a total of 12.5 pounds, in just over a month! Of course I am excited, but I am also freaked out--when I looked at my food log, I realized that I was averaging 1600 kcal per day this week (whereas CC says I should only be having 1450). Not to mention that I don't really "exercise" per say (my arm is feeling better, but I am so busy with my studies now--and I really need to graduate and move on with my life!). I do walk a lot--usually about an hour a day in total, and I climb a lot of stairs. But it still feels weird. The sad part is that I am now so excited to see 222 on the scale, whereas I can distinctly remember that weight being my "scary weight" two years ago...you know, the one that if you somehow saw it on the scale you would diet for a week just to make sure it didn't reappear...I guess it did reappear, along with some friends... A parting thought--when I looked at my daily averages, I realized that I was (unconsciously) "zig-zagging" my calorie intake. I read a lot about that on this site, but I am wondering if any of you practice that. I ate a high of over 2000 kcal twice, a "medium" of about 1500 3 times, and a low of 1100 twice. It seems to have produced good results, and I am going to give it another shot. Have a wonderful weekend ladies! I'm going to see "Margot at the Wedding"--did anyone see it? |
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| Recipes | bland hummus help | Apr 03 2008 12:16 (UTC) |
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I'm from the Middle East, and we usually eat our hummus topped with a little bit of olive oil and paprika, or zaatar (I think this is "hyssop" in English). It's very good! |
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| Motivation | Girls in their 20's who want to lose about 100 pounds | Apr 02 2008 00:45 (UTC) |
10,386 |
Hello ladies! I cannot believe how much goes on here...now that I'm back at school, I don't get a chance to read them all (or do a lot of other things that I wish I could could be doing...sigh). But it really encourages me to know that this group is here! I seem to have finally figured out how to get some results...not nearly as dramatic as I wished (50 pounds gone by June, anyone?) but still, it's something. This week's food discovery: light string cheese (60 kcal, no carbs, 2.5 g fat--perfect for those with PCOS, etc.) and these little pre-packaged 1 oz. containers of hummus that they sell in the cafeteria...I LOVE hummus (I'm from the Middle East), and I could put away so much pita and hummus without thinking...now I eat 1 oz. with sliced cucumbers...almost as good :) |
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| Motivation | Girls in their 20's who want to lose about 100 pounds | Mar 29 2008 15:28 (UTC) |
10,468 |
Welcome to all the new members! This women here are great support and a constant source of motivation--very nice to have you join us :) Dalma, safa, ally, pink: thanks for the gym encouragement! I've decided to hold off a little longer on returning in order to fully heal (it's at the point where any pressure on the wound hurts sooo much, and I envision getting it with a weight or something and just bawling). Mladdy, if you're interested, we could do a "virtual gym buddy" thing: I plan on returning a little later this week, and I am intimidated as heck, so we are definitely in the same boat! Fallon, congratulations on getting the job! I heard that Starbucks really knows how to treat its employees (full benefits, etc). Enjoy it! So...guess who saw the scale move? I don't know why, but on Thursday I ate like 1500 kcal, and yesterday (my "off" day) I had like 2500 kcal, and yet today when I weighed myself (I know, I was supposed to wait until next week) I saw 2 pounds gone! And this is BEFORE I get my period! I know that I am getting a lot more exercise than I log--walking an hour or so a day to get to class, living on the third floor, etc.--could it be that I am really meant to eat more than 1200? I had been adhering to it so well and not seeing any progress...I'm going to try to follow what CC recommends for me (1450) and see if this magical story continues! |
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| Motivation | Girls in their 20's who want to lose about 100 pounds | Mar 28 2008 03:23 (UTC) |
10,516 |
Congrats to everyone on the exercise routines! Since my little (massive) tumble down the stairs, I thought it would be best to lay off a few days, but I'd like to hit the gym on Sunday. Slight problem--now that I am back at school, "going to the gym" means exposing myself to a bunch of super-fit, super-perky cheerleader/football types...does anyone else feel uncomfortable when heading to a public gym? Besides attending at off-peak hours, as I hope to (i.e. when it's really dark so that no one can see me :-P) how did you ladies overcome your gym-discomfort? Watchme, thanks also for posting that article. I know I said that I wouldn't weigh myself until I got my period...that didn't happen! Plus today I ate a horrific amount of sodium (over 3000 mg), so I think for my sanity it would really best to skip weighing in tomorrow morning! Good night everyone, keep it up! |
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| Motivation | Girls in their 20's who want to lose about 100 pounds | Mar 27 2008 19:07 (UTC) |
10,526 |
Hey, Thanks for the great info, watchme. Fortunately, I had a very sensitive GYN/Endocrinologist (possibly owing to the fact that she herself was overweight and had PCOS), who helped me realize what I need to be eating (whether I stuck to that or not is another story). She put me on Metformin as well, but I had such bad stomach pain that I stopped taking it. Instead, she put me on Yasmin (BCP) and it has been wonderful--decreased facial hair, testosterone down to normal levels, etc. etc. Plus, I KNOW that I can lose weight on Yasmin--in 2004 I lost 30 pounds with little effort, and whenever I get motivated enough, I am able to lose. It seems that only this time around am I having trouble! I think I will give it 2-3 more weeks (I especially want to see what happens once I get my period), and if I REALLY am seeing no results, I guess I will pay a visit to a doctor... I really hope that I see some good news soon--I'm currently taking a course in endocrinology, and succumbing to "medical student syndrome"--every hormonal disorder we learn about, I am sure I have! |
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| Motivation | Girls in their 20's who want to lose about 100 pounds | Mar 27 2008 12:15 (UTC) |
10,533 |
Good morning everyone, Thank you all SO MUCH for your kind words and encouragement...I am very happy that I have been accepted to several medical schools (but now I have to choose one!). I'm hoping to study pediatrics, but given my personal struggle against weight gain compounded by PCOS, I just might consider endocrinology... Big congratulations to everyone who has been meeting so much success, whether it's dropping under 200 or losing the first 5...I am so proud of you--you are my motivation! So I got back to campus on Monday afternoon, and proceeded to trip in my high heels and tumble down an entire flight of stairs, landing on my elbow/head. Fortunately no one witnessed it...and fortunately I seem to have avoided serious injury, although I have had shoulder pain, whiplash, and a huge (and disgusting) bruise and abrasion on my elbow for the past few days (don't worry, it's getting better :) ). I was reminded of the saying, "the bigger they are, the harder they fall"--honestly, I was probably quite lucky that I did not do more harm. In any case, I decided to refrain from exercising until at least Sunday in order to heal (I do get about an hour of walking in daily, simply going to class). I'm not sure if it's due to the lack of exercise, not enough water, being 5 days before my period, or what--but I cannot seem to lose any significant weight! I have been adhering very honestly to the calorie counting, and have a daily deficit of about 1000 calories (sometimes more). I know that such a deficit is supposed to be "bad," but with over 100 to lose, larger bodies can generally afford it (at least initially; I plan on slowing down once I get some results). Anyone want to share advice/encouragement? I suppose the best thing to do would be to hold off and only weigh-in weekly.... I WANT RESULTS NOW! :) (Sorry for the tantrum!) |
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| Motivation | Girls in their 20's who want to lose about 100 pounds | Mar 24 2008 01:07 (UTC) |
10,627 |
Happy Easter to those who celebrate...I am not a Christian, but I had a less-than-positive food day anyway...go figure. I just want to wish everyone who shared their stories about their parents a lot of peace and strength. I think that one of the rudest awakenings that you undergo as you enter independent adulthood is realizing that, like everyone else, your parents are fallible human beings... On a positive note, I got accepted to my top-choice medical program! My acceptance letter was delayed in the post, and I thought it meant that I had been rejected...of course, that fed in to a very negative thought-cycle (powered by my father), that no one wants an overweight applicant to medical school...
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| Motivation | Girls in their 20's who want to lose about 100 pounds | Mar 23 2008 05:37 (UTC) |
10,636 |
Hi ladies...I'm so sorry that I can't answer everyone individually (I need to start reading this forum every day! I love that it is so active!). But hello to all the new members, and thanks to everyone for their supportive attitudes :) I've worked out for the past 3 days--this is like, a record for me! Unfortunately I already know that Monday is out (I'm headed back to campus, which is a full day's journey), but I definitely plan on hitting the gym on Tuesday. I can relate to a lot of what people wrote about their mothers...I guess another question would be, how does everyone get along with their fathers? My father woke me up at 4 AM a few nights ago in order to yell at me about my weight...seriously...I assume he is motivated out of paternal "concern" (I mean, I would like to assume) but the things he said were so hurtful that I really haven't been able to talk to him since then...he basically ended the whole thing by telling me how hopeless he considers me (sigh). We've always had an odd relationship (he's not very emotive, and reserves his praise), but I really didn't enjoy that encounter. My mom is also a story...she herself was thin when she was younger but has gained weight with age (although she's not obese)...she has a very strange attitude toward my weight (I'm sure many of you can relate), as in she is constantly encouraging me to eat less and exercise, yet when she is depressed she buys doughnuts and looks to me for approval, or something of the sort... Agh! Could it really be that so much of one's screwed-up attitude toward food is due to parental influence? I remember growing up, after-school snacks consisted of cookies and potato chips, and no car trip was complete without a stop at Dunkin Donuts...nowadays we eat healthy meals (lots of vegetables, tofu and rice) as a family, and yet there is always plenty of junk food in the house...who does my mom buy this for? None of us (parents, siblings, myself) really need it! Ok, at this point I'm rambling :) But it does feel very good to put these thoughts down...I hope some of you can empathize with my situation! Of course, no matter what our backgrounds, what matters most is what we choose to do today...every day that I stick to my plan I move further away from this messed-up relationship with food and family. I hope that everyone has a pleasant and productive week! |
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| Fitness | New to working out--are any of these "burn calculators" accurate? | Mar 21 2008 21:26 (UTC) |
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The one with the most factors that I could find (doing a quick Google search) only asked for weight, duration, and speed. Do you know where I could find any that include these other factors? Thanks! |
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| Motivation | Girls in their 20's who want to lose about 100 pounds | Mar 10 2008 17:27 (UTC) |
10,906 |
Hi ladies, Glad to hear that everyone is doing well! Hope you all had lovely weekends and that your week is off to a great start. I appreciate the advice on making do with so few calories...some days it is much less difficult than others (does anyone else get super-hungry during their period?) I had a wonderful weekend, and ended up not counting my calories for two days--my original plan was to have 1 day a week where I don't count, but somehow that transformed itself into 2 (at least next weekend I'll know to choose Sunday, when I go out to eat with my family, instead of Saturday). The good news is that despite being "free" to eat what I wanted, I made relatively good decisions and did not go much over my "calories burned per day"...accordingly the scale didn't really move since Friday. And now it's back to the old routine! |
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| Motivation | Girls in their 20's who want to lose about 100 pounds | Mar 08 2008 00:51 (UTC) |
10,922 |
Hello again, Count me in on the whole "being fat prevents sluttish behavior" deal...it's not that I was ever a "go-all-the-way" girl, but when I was thinner, I definitely made out with some pretty random guys! Hope everything is going well for you all...I had a major fight with my bf last night (he's an artist, with all the moodiness and pretentiousness that that entails) and basically broke up with him...trying not to let my fractured emotional life affect my eating (as would be the usual scenario)! Speaking of that whole "healthy eating" deal...this site says that since I burn about 2100 a day, I should be eating 1400 a day. That sounds fine to me, but being an overachiever I set my personal goal at 1200 a day. Needless to say, I have managed to consume this little on only 1 of my 4 whole days of dieting so far (and it wasn't today). The rest of them have averaged out to about 1600 per day. Does anyone actually manage to eat this little and stay full throughout a 17-18 hour period? My nutrition is earning me an "A", and I'm eating a lot of fiber-heavy foods, too (I'm a vegetarian)...any advice on how not to be hungry and miserable? :) |
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| Motivation | Girls in their 20's who want to lose about 100 pounds | Mar 06 2008 19:03 (UTC) |
10,950 |
Wow, there is so much going on in this thread--I'm sorry I don't have the time to read it all! Thank you all so much for the warm welcome--I've already lost a few pounds (although that's probably not so significant at the start of a diet, I know). I really appreciate the warm atmosphere, especially since I've been having some personal issues lately (problems with bf, facing the possibility of rejection from my top-choice med school...sigh). I wish you all the best and look forward to hearing about your successes! Btw, I just had lunch and it was so fantastically delicious that I feel I must share: Two red bell peppers (the long ones), hollowed out 4 Tbsp. nonfat whipped cream cheese (I suppose I could have gone for less, but I was hungry!) Garlic powder and sriracha (Thai hot sauce) to taste. Mix up the garlic, hot sauce, and cream cheese. Spread it in the pepper cavity. Microwave 45 s. Enjoy! |
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| Motivation | Girls in their 20's who want to lose about 100 pounds | Mar 03 2008 16:04 (UTC) |
11,026 |
Hey, I'm 23, 5"2 and 235 pounds...the heaviest I have ever been! I looked really fantastic (and was in much better shape) at 180, but obviously I'd like to get to the point where I am really healthy (130 would be great). I love this group, and I'm looking forward to updating in the near future! |
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