Diet Buddy

Hi, I am looking for a diet buddy.  Some one with like interests.  If someone is interested in a quick daily chat or every few days, I could use someone's ideas,  input, or help.  A bit about myself:

Female, 58 years old, married, work a full time government job, mother of 1 son, grandmother of 4-plus 1 on way, like to cook, embroidery & crochet, garden, my Maine Coon cat, genealogy, swimming, the great outdoors, nature, travel, Christian upbringing.  I live in the NorthEast USA.

I am 4'11" and my goal right now is to lose 40 pounds.  The weight charts are unreasonable, they want me at 99 pounds.   I am not kidding myself, that is NOT EVER GOING TO HAPPEN!!! I have a lower back problem (lumbar degeneration) which prevents me from doing certain exercises. Chiropractic helps but will never cure it.  I walk as much as I have time for, during breaks at work, etc.  Looking for easy exercises that won't hurt my back.

Just looking for a buddy to chat with from time to time.

Sharon

I am looking for a diet buddy, too.  I need the additional accountability and support to make lasting changes. 

I will be 50 next July.  My goal is to lose 20 lbs.  I am married, mother of a daughter in the 6th grade, stepmother to 3 grown children, grandmother of 2 (7 yo, and 2 yo).  I work full-time as a project manager for a computer software company, live in the midwest, like photography and scrapbooking.

I would to check-in with someone weekly to share how much our weight has changed during the week, the successes we have had, and the struggles, and to help each other problem-solve where we have had difficulty. 

Also, I would like to email/chat when I am struggling to stick to my plan or my goal to lose weight and when I need  to strategize when going into a situation where the risk of overeating is high - like parties or family gatherings.

Just weighed in today - lost 1.5 lbs since last week - I am excited!!  I wrote everything down this week about what I have been eating.  Next step is to start counting the calories, also.  But, just writing things down and having a daily food plan that I create the night before helps me to stay on track.  I have been enjoying lunch-time walks with my husband in the park - we went twice this week. 

Going to my grandson's birthday party today.  Will need lots of willpower to not overdose on birthday cake and brownies.

Hi Sharonanne & cfitzlose,

I am in the northeast too  the NORTHEAST CORNER OF TEXAS .  Check a map and look for the intersection of Texas, Arkansas & louisiana. Move an inch west and you will find Bivins, Texas.

 S: Right now I have a chance to spend time with CC so will be here for y'all.

C:  I did the grandson birthday cake overload last week.  I was not successful hope you are.

S & C: I don't weigh until Monday morning but feel I have dropped some pounds this week.  Right now I am not eating after dark.  Seems once I get started I can't stop.

S: What part of Northeast.  I spent a year in Vermont on a job.  Learned to snowshoe.  LOve it!!!

love & light,

Marjg

I will jump into this group.

I am 53, F, 5'4" and would like to lose a total of 50 pounds. Of that 50, I have lost 12 so have 38 to go.

I live in Nebraska. I say I am a retired mom as I was a stay at home mom but my last kid is a college senior. I have two dogs that have replaced the children. I also have 2 grandkids with a third on the way.

My exercise plan is: I walk 3.5 miles three days a week. On the weekends, I try to walk at least one extra day but that varies depending on our schedules. I also have a 30 minute strength training progam that I just started two weeks ago. That has been hard. I cannot keep in a plank position for 45 seconds to save myself.

I also would like to jump into this group.  A first for me.

I am 53, 5'2", want to lose 20 pounds.  Gained them all these last 4 years, and the last 5 I gained in the last couple of months.  Had a stressful job and got laid off.  Figured I would lose the weight by having more time to exercise, but instead gained 5 really quickly.  Not sure why. 

I live in Iowa now.  It's nice, a small town with lots of walking opportunities.  I have a treadmill and like to use it.  

Just started to use the food and activity logs.  Want to eat no more than 1200 calories and start jogging again.  Walking is fun for me but doesn't give me the results I want.  

Would love to email or chat with anyone.  I hope that together we can keep each other motivated.

Rande

Hi, all!

This is fun to hear from all of you.  It is motivating to have others in similar situations going for the same goal. 

Rande - What part of Iowa are you from?  I have spent a lot of time in that state - have several aunts, uncles, and cousins for there.  Autumn is the best time for walking - I love the crisp air and the changing leaves.

ML4 - The plank position for 45 seconds!! Yikes! That does sound hard.  I, too, want to get started on a strength training program, but haven't figured out how to work it into my schedule, yet.

Marjg - Thanks for the encouragement.  I didn't do too badly at the birthday part.  I ate more than what was on my food plan, but not a lot.  I have noticed that weekends are much harder than the weekdays to stick to my plan.  I have more structure during the weekdays; with the weekends, I want to relax and that overflows into my eating habits, too.  :(

Sharon - How is it going with finding exercises that won't hurt your back?  How was your gardening this year?  Are you able to do that without hurting your back?

- Cheryl

I'm in Waverly.  That's a little north of Waterloo.  It's a nice smaller town.  Been here about 2 years.  It's starting to be pretty here and cooler.

I eat whether I am hungry or not.  I mean, if it's lunch or dinner time, then I eat.  Today wasn't hungry for dinner, but ate anyway because my husband wanted to eat.  Anyone have any suggestions how to only eat when hungry?  

Got room for 1 more?

I am 51 years old, weight 148.6, and want to lose 20 lbs. I am 5'4". I work as a nurse and am finishing my last 2 semesters of graduate school to be a nurse educator. I started on CC back in January and was very serious until summer. Then, taking 2 graduate courses I feel totoally off the track. I have put back on half of the weight that I lost. I quit exercising regularly, and I feel awful! In the midst of all this mess, I am into my second year of menopause with the hot flashes, headaches, and mood swings.

So, I am getting back on track starting today. I can't fix everything, but I can do one thing a day for myself. I am starting with my eating. From experience I know that when I eat healthy my emotions and hormones feel much better. I will get back into the exercise regimen as soon as I complete my professional paper to complete this semester's requirements.

I need an accountability group for support, encouragement, and to share the the struggles not only of weight loss but in life. I know CC works, I just have to get back on the horse.

J-mom

J-mom, Sharonanne, etal

I think by the time we hit our 50's (i'm 57)  we realize that a lot of our good ideas/intentions we were gonna do may not happen.  so i need to make do with what is reality for me and enjoy the ride.  Exercise is the next thing for me to add to my program.  As i read other posts there seems to be a theme of we know what to do, get started, then "fall of the wagon" so to speak. TODAY, i am doing better keeping to my plan, haven't been eating at night, counting calories most of the time.  planning ahead when i know i will be out.  Had the thought I spend too much time thinking about food.  right now if that is what i need to do to be healthy then so be it.  

read a good quote:

" NOthing tastes as good as feeling healthy"    my new mantra.  To really get real Nothing tastes as good as feeling healthy, thinner, sexy, feeling good about how I look.  Guess if I was totally spiritual healthy would be enough.  But there is that human factor.  (does this make sense to anyone?)

Also find that the support here is good for me.  I have pretty well kept the committment to check in daily.  keeps me accountable. 

I am an LVN/LPN depending on the state I work in.  I have been through menopause.  Wouldn't wish that on my ex mother-in-law BG.. 

Coming up this weekend.  A b-day party for my 96 y/o Aunt at noon.  Last one of that generation.  Then a wedding for hubby's great niece at 7pm.  Have made some road snacks so I won't have a chance to make a bad choice.

well enough gabbing for me.  need to put up tomatos in the freezer.

love & light to all

marjg

Marjg,

I do know what you are talking about. I, too, am living the one day at a time method. I must admit, I like the way 50 feels. I feel smarter, stronger, and more control of my life than I ever did in past generations. It is no longer a question of what I have to do but what I want to do. There are many things that I just do no want to do--so I don't.

For the most part, I like the way I look. I don't want to be bone skinnny, just lose some of the jiggle.

My biggest enemy is stress--and specifically work stress. I am ready to do something else, I just have to finish this semester and the next one to do that. I relish the idea of having summers off. My current job is really difficult with adequate staffing, and for the past 2 years, there has not been enough staff. I am in the throes of major burnout and no one takes me seriously. My resume is out there and I have found two PRN jobs, but nothing part-time (which is what I really want).

I know what I need to do; but I am trapped in work and school committments preventing me from doing that. I tell myself to be patient, but it's hard to keep a stiff upper lip when I am exhausted. I have good, supportive friends, but they tell me the same thing:  Get out of that job!!! My coping skills are pretty much toasted and I am ready to crawl in a hole. So, I am just taking one day at a time. I don't look forward or backward. I just finish out the day and move on. I realize that sounds bleak, but I am referring to the workday. On my days off, I am running as fast as I can to get my projects finished for school. Next semester is only one class, and I know that I can do that with my eyes closed.

I am glad to be back on CC. Venting really does help me, and in the past, the opinions of the other members who struggle just like me is really helpful. Thanks everyone for being there. We really are in this experience together.

J-mom

Hi, all,

Just weighed in and gained a 1/2 lb.  It could have been worse.  Didn't have a good couple of weeks.  It all started with traveling - a road trip to South Dakota with my family.  Even though I tried to plan a diet strategy in advance, it was difficult to keep to it with eating out for 4 days.  Then, last week, I wasn't as disciplined as I needed to me, capping things off last night with a dinner out with my family.  It was delicious, but I ate everything in front of me and didn't even try to distract myself or exercise willpower.  So, trying to crawl out of my hole and get on top of this again.

know about the road trip thing.  in south louisiana right now.  lots of eating out and fun.  but i am finding i don't enjoy some of the activities i used too.  oh well we all change.  usual stuff hang in there.  keep on keeping on.  if you will stick your hand up i will help you out of your hole and you can pull me out too.  already smiling more thinking about getting home tomorrow and back in my groove

love & light

marjg

I watched the biggest loser for the first time (my fit sister's favorite show) and decided if that Shay who weighs >400 # could hold onto a suspended bar then I could quit belly aching and get crack-a-lackin on this for myself.  I am a 51 year old nurse and I work rotating shifts so I find it a challenge to fit in diet and exercise into a routine.  I have lost and gained weight more times than I care to remember but now I am newly motivated by a television show.  I am also in graduate school because although I love clinical nursing I realize I can't do this forever.  I love to travel and we just got back from a 2 week trip to California..Yosemite, Death Valley and great friends in Southern California....I love to play golf and although I have been very active in winter sports this past winter I barely got off the couch...ouch!  And with winter coming I do need a kick start I think.   While I admire my sister for losing and keeping weight off it does consume her.  Right now the only thing that consumes me is peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. 

So now I would like to join in for conversation and more importantly motivation if anyone is willing to share stories or ideas....and of course start a 12 step program to get over peanut butter and jelly sandwiches

M

Hi! May I join also? I sure could use the encouragement & hearing from other people struggling with weight loss. I'm 54, 5.2, and weight 218 lbs. I enjoy watching Biggest Loser. It amazes & encourages me to see their transformations. I work full time and am taking night classes in Medical Transcription. I'm either going to count calories (most likely) or ww points.