Posts by jeccababe

Hey guys!

So I'm still trying to catch up on everything that I've missed. I feel like I need to pull an all-nighter to see what's been happening! Haha that being said, I can see some REALLY positive comments from everyone and I want to say congrats to you all for staying motivated!

I was having a hard time keeping the balance between mindful nutrition and scary obsession. My boyfriend was a little worried about me and it's strange, my self-esteem seemed to plummet when I got it into my head that I needed to lose weight. I'm goal-oriented and just wanted to find a challenge, but it became more than healthy interest.

Anywho, I still eyeball my calories everyday and workout as often as I can. I weighed in today at 128 and I've been fluctuating between 126 and 129 for the past 3 weeks or so, so I'm feeling really good about that. Coming back onto CC was a reward I actually set up for myself haha... once I started feeling okay with the way I looked and not wanting to look like pictures that I *know* are air-brushed but still really want to emulate, you know? It's stupid but I think I have those feelings in check.

All that being said, summer has been great! I had a lot of fun going hiking and swimming with friends. I just moved back to university town so the past week has been SUPER hectic and busy... it's my first apartment, and I'm sharing it with my boyfriend, so we've had a lot of shopping and stuff to do. The great thing is I've been cooking INSANELY good meals and he is totally game for the health food. Like, I put ground flax seeds and wheat germ in his smoothies and he knows enough to say "mmmmm" =P

Oh I finally bought my own scale, and here's a funny story. I wanted one with a body fat tester thingy, and I saw this one that showed more than your weight and it was like $60, so I thought "that must be the one!". I buy it. Turns out it's a weight-loss tracker. You put in your goals and it keeps track of your progress for you, and tells you your BMI. I mean really, I can tell my bmi with a calculator! Yeesh.

You RMR is lower than BMR?

You won't damage it, especially if you don't make it a habit to eat under too often. It may sound like a lot, but I think that's where the whole "diet" mindset conflicts with a lifestyle change. Isn't it funny that 1500 cals sounds like a lot now? I can put back 3000 cals EASILY in one day, but they're icky cals. When you eat lots of good food, you really need to eat a lot of them. But it means you're getting so much out of the food!

Your BMR will also go down as your weight goes down. If you consistently eat below that, you will affect your metabolism a little. But there's a big difference between 3 days, 3 weeks, and 3 months of eating insufficient calories. Just be careful not to be too low on the cals on a daily basis.

At light activity, you said you burn 2100 calories. So try and keep the deficit between 350 and 650 cals. If you have some days where you eat less, they'll balance out with the days where you eat more. Just don't be afraid to eat more. It's a silly psychological game where you feel like eating those extra 150 calories couldn't possibly help, just like taking a couple rest days seems counter-productive. Haha gotta love it, huh? Just remember that you aren't reinventing the wheel, and there's a reason why people say eating more helps. Not too much more, but enough to keep the body a chuggin'!

Heather, that sounds like a wicked scale! Congrats on the BF%! I have no idea what mine is, but I plan on purchasing a nice flashy scale when I go back to school. So I'll try and be patient. I was reading on a website for this mobile Body Fat testing group in the US that the ideal BF for women 20-29 is 19%. Does that sound a little low to use as an average for all shapes and sizes? I was thinking that I'd like to be around 19% anyways, but 20-24% is very healthy for young women, and up to 30% isn't awful for middle-aged women. Any thoughts?

Switching scales isn't a bad idea. It doesn't have any impact on what you really weigh, but does help that curious voice inside of your head. Constantly switching scales would skewer your understanding of how much your weight is actually fluctuating, but making an actual change to rely on this new scale is certainly worthwhile!

Lea- that sounds like a really good idea, and kinda what I've experienced. Keep the rest days up, and eat at maintenance on occasion. Just don't overdo the sweets or alcohol, and you'll be in the clear!

Oh freezing winters. I love waking up for an 8:30am class, and walking the 25 minutes to campus in -30 degree weather (not sure what the fahrenheit equivalent is, but that's FRICKIN COLD in celcius!) Whenever it dips below -40, classes have to be cancelled because it's too dangerous. That doesn't happen every winter, but the temperature does hover around -35C for most of February... blah

Oh a happier note, +25C here today! =D

I survived the ticks! People were showing me their bites and talked about them all the time, but I didn't see any of the buggers... lots of mosquitos and other bugs though, so I'm nice and itchy. I figure it was a step in the right direction!

I definitely had a funny experience... well, part funny, and part stupid. I seem to be pretty sensitive to certain foods and my stomach bloats in a major way if I eat something I shouldn't. Anyways, we had a bonfire, and of course I had to roast hot dogs and marshmallows. I had 7 or 8 marshmallows before feeling sick of the gooey sweetness, went inside to shower, and just gaped at my bulging belly. I actually could have passed for a pregnant woman. It would be an oddly shaped baby, more box-shaped than balloon, but still. It was out there big time, and I couldn't suck it in haha. I showed my boyfriend and made a mean joke (looked pregnant... you do the math), and then it turned into a big conversation about my dumb body image. After I made the joke, I couldn't hide the fact that it really bothered me. I felt pretty awful about having a huge tummy. So he was rightly concerned about a negative image that I have and can't figure out why I feel the need to get down to 125. He's supportive of the healthy lifestyle, but not me buying into some ideal that I can't even justify.

Do any of you sometimes feel like you get caught up in measuring success by the scale? I know that these are vanity pounds. I won't be any "healthier" at 125. I'll be at an 18 or 19 on the BMI, which is low and a stupid thing to want. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone else, so why am I choosing that as a goal? I've adjusted my goal weight to 130 as a compromise between where I am now and where I originally wanted to be. I'd like to be fit, which I think I can pretty much say I am... bah sorry for bogging down our thread with this.

Oh another note, yay for Monday!

So the barium went okay? Did you find the test... easy to swallow? Oh nothing like a little cheesy humour to start your week. Do you mean you're afraid of the caffeine withdrawal? Or just... sugary goodness withdrawal? And Carrie, how was the show?

Howdy to Lauren and Angie, great to have a couple additions. I admire the mental strength of anyone who can run a marathon... Running for 30 minutes tends to drive me nuts. They say it's a mental sport and I can definitely understand why! 4 hours blows my mind. And Angie, you're a young woman and are going to have nights of partying and things you probably won't be proud of come weigh-in day. But it's all about moderation! You knew it was coming, and yeah, hangovers do seem to cause junkie binges. But so long as it's the exception and not the norm, you're in the clear. Like Heather said, drink up some of the elixir of life, H20. And yes, the wit just keeps coming...

So matt, about weights... is it normal to have faster rates of improvement with some muscles as opposed to others? I feel like my glutes and quads are just eating up the training and thrive with more intensity, while the biceps and triceps seem much slower to accept the increase in weight. Is it as simple as being the size of muscle? Should I change up the arm exercises and see results that way? I feel like the legs are still benefitting from my routine and there are no stalls there. But the silly arms.

Oooh yes it does! Kinda. See, it really depends on the exercise. I know there are some articles about this somewhere on the fitness forum because I read a bunch of them, but I forgot to tag them =S

Essentially, I gathered that strength training is the most effective form of exercise for weight loss because of its effect on the metabolism. You don't just burn calories while you work out, you continue burning a higher rate of calories for the next day or so. On the other hand, cardio is more "in the moment". You burn calories at a higher rate, but it stops about 90 minutes after your workout stops, and your burn-rate goes back down to normal. So if you combine the longer-lasting strength training with the in-the-moment cardio, you're a fitness machine.

If I can find the article, I'll post a link here.

Oh, and my name's Julie! I like the idea of names, it works for me too :)

Ahhh barium swallow! I had to do that... blech. It isn't awful, but definitely isn't pleasant either. Imagine pepto bismol without the pink flavouring, and three times as thick. Be sure to really wash your face afterwards too. I had the unfortunately experience of being a little dopey, and came out of the room with this chalky white substance all around my mouth... my mother and grandmother thought it was hillarious. Me, not so much. It's just strange having a bunch of pictures taken of your stomach as you drink liquid chalk... not awful, but bizarre.

Hahaha size 4, I can't imagine wearing that! Lol send the 7s this way! =P

Thank you for the tick advice! I will DEFINITELY have some nail polish remover on hand, just in case. That makes me feel way better... see, you're nicer than a mean boy who thinks it's cute when you're scared. As for the weights, I've been reading a lot on the fitness forum here and a few other sites, and I feel best about the 8-12 rep thing. The lower weight/higher rep routine does work, but it isn't as efficient apparently? I dunno, I used to do it that way, but I don't have enough time to fit everything in if I'm doing more than 2 sets with each exercise. It's working really well for everything else, but these biceps are poop! I've been considering a switch to the lower weight/higher rep but just for the arms. I have 5 pound weights at home, so maybe supplementing my training with some lifting there will be good enough. We'll see!

Carrie, that's a great loss! What kind of puppy do you have? I have a mini poodle, and he is the best motivation in the world to go walking. He's so full of energy before and after the walk, it really makes me want to get up and go. Puppies are fun! Do you have any reward for 5 pounds? Haha I love rewards, they definitely keep me focused. Rewards and this group :) I'd hate to say to all you guys that I was really lazy and ate 3000 calories a day... it'd be embarassing for me, so knowing that I'm talking to all of you keeps me accountable.

Hey everyone!

So I'm still 133 this week, which isn't too bad. I was hoping to see it go down, but I know I've been having deficits and my exercise is definitely sufficient. If I stay at 133 next week as well, I'll probably up my cals by about 100 and see if that helps... I had been losing with a deficit of about 400 cals a day, but now the deficit's a bit bigger (600ish) so I may need to compensate for the extra activity that I'm now handling!

I reached pretty much all of my exercise goals, except for the boxing. I was still tired and took a second rest day instead =)

I'm going away this weekend to stay with my boyfriend and his family, so I know the food intake is going to be vastly different. I'm probably going to be eating at maintenance all weekend, so *hopefully* the weather will be nice enough that we can get outside for lots of activity. He lives in the country though, like, I mean the sticks, and apparently they have a wood-tick problem... so I'm slightly frightened. Normally I'm all about the hiking and spending time in the woods, but he told me a story about ticks and now I'm squirmish about the idea of 'em. Oh well... we'll probably play basketball instead!

Now here's a question. For those of you who are lifting weights, which muscles are improving the fastest/slowest? I find my glutes and quads are becoming super strong, and I will probably be increasing my weight next week on the leg press. On the other hand, my biceps are soooo weak! They show the biggest improvement in definition, but the slowest actual improvement in terms of weight. I started off at 5 pounds, and after 2 months, I can do 8 reps of 15. But I mean, that 8th rep has KILLED me for the past 2 weeks. My routine works so that I do 8-12 reps of whatever weight, and once I can do 12, I increase my weight. But I haven't moved from 8 repetitions at all, even though every other exercise I do shows great imrovements and I'm close to upping weights in everything. Anyone else have a particularly weak muscle? I'm not a bodybuilder and really don't mind that they aren't strengthening super fast, but I do like to see improvement...

Hmmm... It's hard to say what'll happen. You were only eating at that low of a deficit for a little while, so your body isn't going to be too wonky. But see with building up muscle strength, your metabolism has definitely gone up. Combined with a low intake of cals, it would account for your really fast drop in weight. You'll probably see some of it come back once you're eating at a more appropriate level, but I doubt you'd gain more than a pound or so. You just don't want to lose any of that muscle you've worked so hard to pump up! Maybe try eating at maintenance for two days, and then go back to your normal 1200 min deficit. Too much of sub-1200 calories and you'll hurt your metabolism.

And holy cow stephy, that sounds delish!

Hello and welcome! It sounds like you've got a GREAT handle on exercise. You've adopted a plan that keeps you active and works within your ability. Besides, weight loss is said to be 80% diet and 20% exercise.

Once you get the hang of counting calories and controlling portion sizes, you should be able to come up with a daily deficit that averages between 500-1000 calories. The exercise is a healthy boost, but it takes a lot of cardio to make a significant deficit in cals. So focus on nutritious, wholesome eating. Keep up the exercise because it sounds like you're doing great! Just be sure to challenge yourself and raise the bar every couple of weeks =) And try to incorporate strength training somehow, with free weights or making weights at home. You don't want to lose much muscle mass, so be sure to push your body. The fitness forum has a lot of information and ideas about that!

Good job everyone!

I weighed in at 133 today =) It's exactly what I expected and I'm very happy! Just 3 pounds away from my next reward, and the anticipation is huuuuuge haha... Down 2 pounds from last Monday.

So I'm pretty sure I met all my goals for last week and surpassed the walking goals. I've turned into quite the walker now that I've discovered a beautiful trail right next to my house =) So for this week, here's my plan:

Friday, Monday, and Wednesday are all strength-training days. 45 minutes of grunting and sweating. It should be my last week on these weights, and then increase max weight by 5-10% for each exercise (except biceps because those puppies are struggling!)

Saturday is boxing day, so 50 minutes of cardio boxing and probably 1-2 hours of walking in the morning.

Sunday is a 2-hour jog/sprint. I'm thinking 10 second hard sprints+50 second easy jogs.

Tuesday is an hour bike ride.

Do you have a Costco membership? I saw some in the Costco here in Moncton just last week. It's in the frozen foods section, near the frozen berries and veggies. It's a HUGE bag, being from costco and all. But if you have the freezer space for it, go to town! And if you haven't tried it before, I have to say, I experimented with their edamame salad first, and it was delish. They have that near the bean salad and the ready-made pizza, chicken, etc.

I just figured I would help out, being from the same neck of the woods!

My sophomore slump was pretty similar! But it was because of the drinking. Party party party in residence, and then out of residence once I turned 19. Ah well, those days have passed, and I know that's why I'm feeling so much better now.

I would KILL to have a pool party to go to! Hehe that would be so much fun! Man, I can't wait until I have a chance to go swimming outdoors... it's by far my favourite form of summer exercise because it's refreshing. Sports are great, but the sun really wears you out!

And hharris, weightlifting n00bs unite! I'd rather be new to weightlifting than be the old me, who was teeeerrrrrified of picking up a weight. 8lb freeweights are the real deal, for all you doubters.

Yay for our fun group =)

That leg exercise sounds great, hharris. Really funny too! I'll probably be trying it out tonight.

I had a lot of sodium this weekend, and definitely averaged at a higher calorie intake. But I didn't stop exercising! Haha it was great, I probably spent 5-6 hours every day walking at a pretty serious pace, and in hot, sweaty weather. It felt good to say the least.

I hope your prom went well =) Dancing is super fun, and you really get that last breath of high school. Verrrrry fun!

That's too bad about your ankle, Brenda. I'm sure you'll be back in action soon, just so long as your don't stress it. Best of luck!

I just looked it up on the pizza hut site, and here's the scoop:

1 slice from 12" Thin'n'crispy pepperoni = 77g (weight), 210 cals, 10g fat, 4.5g sat fat, 640mg sodium, 21 grams carbs, 10 grams protein

1 slice from 12" pepperoni pan pizza = 102g (weight), 280 cals, 14g fat, 5g sat fat, 640mg sodium, 27g carbs, 12g protein