130/120 Club?

Original Post by hbbroadbent:

 For now maybe I'm safe weighing daily, but maybe around 125 (when the loss is sloowww) I should switch to weekly.

I also weigh in daily (when/if i remember); generally speaking i do hop on the scale pretty often but officially record my weight for the challenges (Sat, Mon and Wed nowadays LOL)

I think the "trick" to stay sane is to realize that it's NORMAL to fluctuate some lbs from day to day but if you fluctuate too much then it's a problem to be solved ; I've always weighed in daily (since Apr 16, 2006 when i joined Sparkpeople), of course wt the exception of the days when i wasn't at home and didn't have my scale around :)

Heather--I never weigh myself daily...not only will you obsess about normal fluctuation, but I feel like you never know your real weight.  I started only weighing myself once per week, on the same day each week, years ago.  I'm also afraid I'll just become crazy about weight, calories, etc. if I weigh myself everyday.

Marian--I love Lean Cuisines and Weight Watchers Smart Ones.  For LC my faves are Lemon Chicken, Fire Roasted Vegetable Pasta Bowl (or something like that) and Sesame Chicken.  For Smart Ones my faves are Three Cheese Macaroni, Three Cheese Ziti Maranara, Chicken Enchildas Suiza, and pretty much any pasta with a red sauce.  When I'm trying to be really good, I cut out the pasta ones and only eat the LC Spa Cuisines and Smart Ones with just meat and veggies--although I don't like those as much. 

I also do coffee before breakfast every morning, and think I agree with you guys that being hungry in the mornings means I did well the day before.  Sometimes I get worried that hunger is a sign your body isn't getting enough and will go into "starvation mode" and hang on to everything you eat.

I live off Lean Cuisines as well, at least 4 nights a week. My fiancé eats the regular Stouffers meals. we hate going to the grocery store so we always stock up on those, we probably look pathetic, but I just don't have time to cook every night, and he usually eats before I'm home for work. my favorite is the potato, broccoli and cheese and I like the bbq chicken pizza and mac and cheese. Those are the ones that fill me up, some of them are just not big enough.

Cristina- oh my gosh, you do have an awesome job!! And I need your help on where we should go for our honeymoon. My dad is letting us use his points from his time share so I went the website and pretty much we can go anywhere. We can only take a week off work though so we need to stay close so I was thinking Mexico or Caribbean, there’s just way too many options!! It’s driving me crazy.. I’ve been to the Dominican Republic and Bahamas and he’s been to Cancun so we want to go somewhere other then those that’s fun and relaxing, on the beach. Does anyone else have suggestions on places they’ve been as well? We’ll be going the second week in November.

cricket: in answer to your mantra/quote question- "everything happens for a reason"

I remember times that disappointed me when i was younger, really brought me low. Things I did NOT happen how I wanted. But i couldn't even imagine how many really good times and how much happiness was to come for me. I try to remember that now. Everything happens for a reason.

banditmb: My favorite Lean Cuisine is the Baked Chicken Florentine, "white meat chicken in a creamy spinach and parmesan sauce with carrots and yellow peppers." (Be careful though, there's two that are almost identical, one comes all mixed together, one comes separated [called Roasted Garlic Chicken.] I think the mixed one is superior).

My second fave is the Glazed Turkey Tenderloins with whipped sweet potatoes and dressing (studded with a few cranberries). If you like the butternut squash, which is kind of sweet, you may enjoy this b/c the sweet potatoes are sweet plus the cranberries.

I'm usually leary of frozen meal "beef," but was very pleasantly surprised by the Swedish Meatballs and Stuffed Cabbage.

LC, yum yum yum! To people thinking the Lean Cuisines don't fill them up, I recommend adding an additional side of vegetables, be it frozen veg, or salad, or light soup. And maybe a piece of fruit for dessert! Up the fiber.

Sometimes I buy "naughty" foods like Mac & Cheese or Cheesy Bacon Potatoes that are made by LC to use as low cal side dished for Nick and I to split and not feel like I'm "dieting."

Um, I don't work for Lean Cuisine, I promise!

Oh I so totally know that one! It's only destiny to "blame" for meeting my husband (he used to live 600 miles away from me) at the time I did. Pure destiny and bunch of luck!

Original Post by glaserpu:

 We’ll be going the second week in November.

 

By then the hurricane season is pretty much over so you don't need to worry. Well let's see...Acapulco? [the former perl of the riviera actually but now Cancun and Cozumel get all the "hype"]...USVI or BVI are also good choices (and worry free thanks to the Language)

Maybe this Caribbean site will be of any help. [not all is written by me, but i've put my share of article there and apparently i'll be the only one writing on this from now on]

We went to Budapest on our honeymoon...and almost a year later :) We got married on Nov 4, 2006 and finally had vacations for our honeymoon in Aug 2007.

Hubby's b-day is coming up on Jan 19 (28 yrs old) and i'm clueless. Plus St. Valentines...I'd like to go to a ski resort but he practically told me sort of "don't feel like" . I HATE SNOW but he loves it and he deserves it so I'd put up wt it LOL

Ok, I'm totally against pre-prepared MW stuff so unless it's something I cook myself I don't bother eating..EVER! We do go out to restaurants but usually I get a salad or grilled chicken breast wt a salad...

Yeah, I'm a clean eating freak! I got used to this and this works for my body. The sooner I put too much salt in it (pre-prepared foods are packed!) I bloat like crazy. No thanks LOL

Here's a favorite quote :) It's not inspirational but something about it is beautiful to me and a little sensual so that never hurt anyone :)

But once in special,
In thin array after a pleasant guise,
When her loose gown from her shoulders did fall,
And she me caught in her arms long and small;
And therewithal sweetly did me kiss
And softly said, "dear heart, how like you this?"
- Sir Thomas Wyatt (They Flee From Me)

Christine - I'm also jealous of your job, not with how many hours you work, but it must be fascinating to travel as much as you do.  I'm always up for a bit of traveling!!

Heather - I know what you mean when you were talking about worrying if you were going to become obsessive about your weight, calories, weighing, etc.  I was worried about that too when I first started.  I think that once a week or so would be just right for weighing yourself.  That way you are getting more of an average.  I think if I weighed myself every day then I would become a slave to the scale and I would worry too much about it.  I'm still afraid of figuring out my calories for the day.  I only do that once or twice a month.  I feel like, how can I honestly know exactly how many calories I have eaten?  And how can I honestly know exactly how many I've burned?  I can't.  So I try to eat as healthy as I can and try not to worry about it.

I've never tried a Lean Cuisine before.  I have had the Stouffers Lasagna and I'm not going to pretend that it's healthy at all, but it is delicious.  I like the idea of clean eating and although not everything I eat is clean I try to make the majority of it clean.  For instance, I've begun making my own bread, that way I know exactly what goes in it, and it's cheaper and more fun!  For dinners I usually cook at home, and I think I'm getting better at it.  Learning when to refridgerate is so important.  This weekend I might work on a soup to pull out this week, you can put so many veggies in those things!  This weekend I'm splurging on cinnamon rolls for me and a blueberry cheesecake braid for my husband.. I can hardly wait.

oh my goodness work has been CRAZY these last few days and I've been in the gym, going to class or writing my paper for class, so I haven't written since Wednesday morning, and there are SOOO many posts!

Where to start? OK lean cuisine and other prepared meals, BLUH! I prefer foods close to nature, w/o tons of preservatives, high fructose corn syrup, artificial sweeteners etc. LC is super high in sodium too. I have tasted them, they taste fine, that's not my problem. If you eat them it's better not to have more than one a day and get tons of water. FYI salt is a necessary mineral so get your recommended daily value. Fluctuations in salt intake cause bloating, not salt intake itself. I eat my RDV of salt and when I want to look really skinny for something, I just cut out the salt 4-5 days before the event. It works!

Protein is my forte. People are sensitive to different things, but often with shakes problem ingredients are casein, whey, soy, and artificial sweeteners. I've always had problems, but I like BSN lean desserts, and this whey called "berries & whey." It's so good! Designer Whey is also easy on the stomach but tastes like a balloon (I always mix with water). It's prob ok tasting with milk. Most people have issues with sweeteners and soy, so try to do without those and see what happens. I also only do about 20G protein per serving. I've found the only AS I can handle is sucrolose if it's low on the ingredient list. Berries & Whey uses Stevia instead which is a natural zero cal sweetener, I love it!

PS protein shakes are my fav breakfast! Delivers protein to your muscles super fast when they need it most and can use it most efficiently!

I can't weigh myself everyday, it's the worst thing in the world. If you ate cotton candy all day, you might be lighter in the morning, but you still consumed thousands of calories. If I ate 7 lbs of celery I would weigh more but my real weight wouldn't change because it's low calorie. The scale doesn't account for those things, it's very deceptive, I don't like that. Use the scale to see the general trend of your weight, so no more than weekly.

Last night did shoulders, hamstrings, quads/glutes. My shoulders are soooo sore today!

I need to be better about planning my meals and logging my foods. When I forget I don't eat enough and I won't gain muscle or lose fat that way. I wish I wasn't so busy!

Original Post by simignonne:

Christine - I'm also jealous of your job, not with how many hours you work, but it must be fascinating to travel as much as you do.  I'm always up for a bit of traveling!!

it's Cristina :)

anyway, I do get to do some traveling but most of my job is right behind the laptop. Still, I cannot complain.

UGH I'm never going to get this right!  Having a Christine and a Christina in the same group is killing me.

I think you both are great though!

How abt this? I go by "Cris" in my circle of friends so all of you can call me Cris :)

Oh I forgot!

Everyone was talking about telling boyfriends about the forum and how people react etc.

My boyfriend doesn't know I'm part of the forum, because I think he would look it up and read my posts which is embarassing for some reason. He is supportive of my body transformation goals though, and is always pushing me to workout and eat right.

I've actually found most guys I tell about working out are totally cool and supportive, it's the girls that are judgemental. They all say "why?" and that I'm too skinny and don't need to work out which is aggrivating. I'm not trying to get skinnier. I'm not even concerned with pant size! It's about being healthy and strong, and skinny doesn't equal healthy! I wish girls were more supportive, like you all, instead of catty and spiteful!

Do you guys get chipped dry lips in winter? I do and I just got Carmex (US) lip balm from the pharmacy. The normal Nivea lip balms don't help at all. So far, so good though.

It was again -6C/21F outside and of course i had to go out to get my BCP and pay some bills (I have a US card and cannot use it to pay wt it so I just can withdraw money from the ATMs; oh the luck LOL)

Original Post by rennai:

I've actually found most guys I tell about working out are totally cool and supportive, it's the girls that are judgemental. They all say "why?" and that I'm too skinny and don't need to work out which is aggrivating. I'm not trying to get skinnier. I'm not even concerned with pant size! It's about being healthy and strong, and skinny doesn't equal healthy! I wish girls were more supportive, like you all, instead of catty and spiteful!

Oh God , on the other site where I lost the bulk of the weight I get plenty of stupid comments like "you are skinny, why are you still here?" or "why do you still want to lose 10 lbs?"

It is stupid! Even those are totally vanity lbs it's my body and my life and NO ONE has the right to judge me! UGH

I love Carmex.  For christmas I got cherry carmex, I didn't know it came in cherry :)

Last night a friend of ours was over playing cards with my husband.  He was complaining about his girlfriend who is anxious to get engaged.  She's gained a lot of weight lately and he said that she has been trying to get fit using the Wii (which I think is crazy) but that after her workouts she starts eating like crazy.  Rennai I feel like girls like this look at me and say, you look like a super model you don't need to work out, or they give me that nasty face.  I'm proud that I'm thin, I'm sure lots of you guys are too, but I want to stay thin, and I want to be healthy, and personally I want to run 20 mile weeks :)  I just don't understand people like her.. do they just not get it, or do they just not want to change?  I feel really badly for our friend who looks good himself (well he has a high metabolism so he's pretty thin) because it's like she not only doesn't respect herself but she doesn't respect him.. I mean.. he's the one thats going to see her in her birthday suit.  I don't know about you but I like looking good for my man.  UGH.

Thanks Cris, that helps so much more, I can totally remember that one.

Margo where are you lady?!  I hope that you're feeling better.  It's my totm too and I've got cramps... it's like my BCP forgot that it also made my totm not so painful. 

Ok, today I have a very exciting line up!  I'm going to Aldi for groceries this morning, I heard they have super low prices and I'm not against exploring through the unknown.  THEN I'll call up the discount hair salon (paul mitchell training salon, so great cuts and color without taking my money) and see if they can squeeze me in for a cut.  It's time for a change.

Oh and the main reason for the hair cut, is that my old roommate in high school, went to boarding school, is getting married and she had these really close 'fab' friends who are all like... supermodels who live in ritsy New York etc.  So I want to look hot to knock their socks off... is this the same Carrie from highschool?  It's worth the working out which I've been doing, and now I need to razz up my do.

Original Post by simignonne:

I love Carmex.  For christmas I got cherry carmex, I didn't know it came in cherry :)

 

Thanks Cris, that helps so much more, I can totally remember that one.

  It's my totm too and I've got cramps... it's like my BCP forgot that it also made my totm not so painful. 

I just got the most expensive lip balm I could find in the pharmacy b/c I'm sick of those cheap things that don't work. It's plain though (and minty! LOL)

Sometimes, when i catch a cold, I get some cramps but never bad at all. My BCP really works great. Just had TOM (Wed to Fri, pretty much as usual LOL) and my weight actually went down a bit this week. YAY

Hehe all the ladies thatl like the lean cuisine, you sound like one of those commercials where theyd escribe whats they had for lunch. Thy make it sounds so damn good haha.

I don't eat the luine cuisines because they are loaded with sodium and thye are pricey for what you get, but i definitly think they are tasty!

**I'm glad im not the only one who gets those awful comments about how "skinny" i am!! Not that i want that happening to you ladies, i just get so frustrated. I have never gotten the comments from men, but i dont really talk to them about weight or working out.

The most common thing i hear is, "like you need to worry about eating this/that your already skinny." My response; "yea, and i'd like to stay that way."

That usually shuts em up.

So i went skiing yesterday it was awesome and it was a great workout!!

I just wanted to say that I'm in the middle of making a blueberry cream cheese braid and it smells divine!  It's a good thing that I don't really like blueberry or I'd be all over it :)  I love baking much more than eating.... usually.  Now if it were made with strawberry or.. cranberry... I'd be having a hard time right about now :).  I went out to eat last night and I don't even know how to begin to log it, it's one of those japaneeze places that cook in front of you, I just got the rice and veggies.. but I'm sure it was loaded.  By by cheat weekend, hello eating nicely week.  Today started out the eating good, and I had half a cheese quesadilla.. just cheese in a tortilla and heated up lol, and a heaping serving of veggies!  I'm feeling pretty good so far. 

Instead of doing out body pump class we're going to focus on our running until the 5K.  That way I can maximize my miles per week while not over doing it.  After the 5K my plan will be to continue the amount of miles I'm doing while adding body pump back in and maybe some pilates class!

I got that comment from people at a party on Friday night.  Talking about being skinny and how we drink the calorie free drink mixes instead of coolaid.  I said exactly what dmart said, I'm thin and I want to keep it that way, thank you!

This week starts my teaching.... ahhh!!! I'll let you know how it goes.. I hope I'm not filled to the gills with students, and I hope they don't suck.  I mean that in the nicest of ways of course :)  Nothings worse than sitting with a child for thirty minutes who 'forgot they played the piano'. 

Good morning!

About the skinny comments... I think I've figured it out! I think the problem with most women, and why they struggle with weight, is they see diet and exercise as a means to an end, not a lifestyle. They think once you get to your desired size it's like you can just eat whatever you want and never exercise and always look like that. HAHAHA. Health should be a daily part of everyones lives FOREVER. We weren't meant to be so sedentary, and since we no longer have to run around hunting for food, we have to fake it by running and working out for fun :)

Carrie, I'm sad to hear about your friend. She seems to want to make changes, but has no clue where to start! How close are you to her? I would love to see you help her with her goals. I think we women need to be more supportive of each other and less competitve, and i bet she would love the advice. It would probably help drive you even more toward your own goals too!

I had a normal week/weekend. It's funny how when I have cheat days, like sundays, the things I crave are fruits, oatmeal, sandwiches etc. I mostly eat meal and green veggies, so I miss all the other good food more than candy or chocolate.

I hope to start my totm SOON. I'm getting scared, today is day 33 of my cycle :/