Support Group to reach Goal by Halloween 2012
I am giving myself one year to get to my goal. I do not want to be that fat chick dressed up looking awful, I want to be able to go along with the themes my friends choose, Like this year they are all X-Men but I am going as Athena in a flowing costume that masks some of my fat. So, next year I will be at my goal by Halloween, If I get to it before that is awesome but by Halloween for sure. So, who's with me? I would like this to be a supportive group where we can do weekly weigh ins and talk about life and set backs and break throughs. I am part of a dying forum that was awesome but has died down. I envision this as a place to check in daily as we work toward our goals, be it to lose 30 pounds (like me) or 100 or 10, or to just get down a size and tone up for superhero abs. We all have a goal lets work together to get to them...
After being stuck mostly the whole month at 220, I weighed this morning at 216!!! YEAH... our bodies are so crazy!! I can SMELL the ONE hundreds!! LOL
Have a great weekend 
today is my first day of low carb and sugar for 90 days! I'm excited. I plan on rewriting my plan at the end of every month depending on how I am doing. After learning that sugar feeds tumors, I'm really motivated to keep it as low as possible for a life change. And that also means staying away from artificial sweeteners. still vegan, but I was cheating really bad for a while... just now getting back in the seat.
kathryn: I am almost at the beginning again. I am at 206... again. at least I', not at my heaviest. I would cry. tough stuff lead to be just not caring for a few months. it's crazy that a few years work can be totally dismantled in a few months. hey, I would try for 1 pound a week if possible. I think you could keep going with that in mind. lots of swimming if possible to keep too much strain off your ankle.
Have Thirts for Survival. Keep Calm And Stay Alive. Keep Calm And Run. Keep Calm And Run From The Zombies.
17th of July 2012, Phoenix Park Dublin ~ Surivival Starts Here.
Think again of them sound good for a Zombie Run poster??? lol
kathryn: Today is my day one. Shooting for a week of KILLER deficits to try to help off-set the horrible week I just had. ;) Then a little more sane/normal come next Sunday. Here's to giving 110% the next 7 days! Still weak a wobbly, but that doesn't mean I can't eat decent. Exercise I'm going to have to ease back into. Disappointing, but that's life. My hope is to weigh in and have "maintained" my 255 by next Sunday. (With some work de-bloating, etc. this week.)
ksanta: You'll get there, girl. Hang in there.
atl: I THOUGHT I was nipping the silly cold in like... 4 days and I was super stoked... But then I kind of relapsed. It's been nasty. I'm on the mend, but it's taking FOREVER. THANK you for the support. I need... Help keeping accountable. I know it's all about me and MY choices, but it helps SO MUCH knowing you girls are here and rooting for me. Thank you. GAH! You are SO close to Onderland! I am SO proud of you! Great job keeping on keeping on.
roman: You have me wondering, now, if some of my dizziness/apathy is at least partially antihistamine related... Comparison wise the tea has to be hella healthier then ice-cream, right? So... If someone told you they were having a serving of ice cream twice a week, no biggie, right? So its a HEALTHIER choice, and you're using moderation. Just make sure you're always aware that it's a treat and enjoy!
rys: Sorry kitty is still not doing well. Hope Texas was fun.
haz: Welcome!
ro: GOOD LUCK on exams! Great job with the gyming! I really love the "Keep Calm and Run from Zombies." The slight contradiction just strikes me as hilarious. And I can so see the poster in my mind's eye.
timid: Are you still going to have things like fruit? I totally agree with "low carb" as a temp cleanse, esp. to get sugar levels back on track, but not sure how I feel about it as a full time lifestyle change... I don't know. Just think we need whole grains and fruit... In moderation. Hang in there, girl. I think you've gotta take some comfort that you haven't gone back to your highest. And you're back and trying again. I've been struggling with this for years, but we CAN do this, girl. Really. We can.
Goals for May:
- Get back to exercising 6 days a week
- Drink a minimum 64 ounces of water a day
- LOG EVERYTHING
- Follow new "1 no count day/3 scheduled maint. day" plan
- Find something comforting that isn't FOOD when needed
- MODERATION
So... I am going to try not to drink the next 30 days. I'm not sure if I can do it or not, but it's been causing a lot of problems for me, lately. And 's empty calories. Will see how it goes... So... May... Here we go. :)
atl: So close! :) Go for it!
timid: Given that you're already vegan, won't it be difficult/challenging to get your daily cals given you're also going to go low-carb? Hope you don't take this the wrong way or anything, I'm really just curious.
roro: Sounds good to me!
akela: Don't go overboard on the deficit though. I've noticed that when I overdo deficits, I end up eating a LOT the week after, to make up for it! But that may not be a problem for you.
The tea would be healthier, except it's like 22oz of milk tea, so it's a lot of calories. And the last few days I've been having a couple servings of ice cream every day... on top of the tea. :(
So yesterday I decided, no more store-bought milk tea! (Okay, well, maybe once a week.) I brewed a big pitcher of Red Fruits tea (that's what it's called -- it's hibiscus, strawberries, raspberries... tastes like Starbucks Passion iced tea but without the sugar) and I've been drinking it. And I've a new batch of honey-vanilla-chamomile that I need to stick in the refrigerator to cool.
Gym today, set B of NROLFW Stage 5, then did a Zumba class after. Pleasantly tired now. Had the last of my iced red fruits tea, and now defrosting a chicken breast for dinner.
ETA: Uh-oh. I don't know where this came from but my allergies just started acting up.
not doing well. Emotionally drained. I feel like I need sleep even though I have had lots of sleep.
Hey everyone,
Some good news for all of you, I ran about 9km last night (The longest run of the year so far) in about an hour. I may have died a little doing it, but the fact is, I did it! I'm also pleased to announce that I'm down to 174lbs. I finally made my short term goal. I now have about 14lbs to go. My binging has been going well too. I find it way easier to just take one day at a time and not worry about what happened yesterday and whats going to happen tomorrow. It also really gets easier the more you stick with it. I do however find that you never get rid of the urge to binge. I still find myself wanting to buy everything horrible for me and gorge myself on it. I also joined a soccer league and will see how it goes. First practice is Monday.
ATL- I hope I can get through it. The summer hasn't even started yet and I'm already anxious for it to be over. It is the busiest time of year for me as I'm in the landscaping industry. I have a bachelorette and a softball tournament this month to look forward to. I will have to put them in clear view. Congratulations on all your workout success. I also want a trainer but not till the 160's. That's when I usually seem to plateau.
ROMAN- mmmmm to all those yummy foods. At least you've been able to maintain. Also is that tea drink kind of like orbit. I've never heard of it over here in the north. Does it come from a corner store or like a Starbucks type store?I've been wanting ice cream so bad but have been staying away. My new go to dessert is 3TBSP of 94% fat free whipped cream with a banana. Yum so delicious. its only about 140 calories.
Well I think that's about it for today.
Hope you all have a good week!
Kathryn: I know it's counter intuitive, but when all you want to do is sleep all the time. Go exercise more. Lift heavy things or run or whatever. It'll make you feel better. I treat my depression with exercise. It's highly effective.
Ksanta: Good job! Glad that the binging is going easier for you now as well :)
Roman: Try Chai tea with soy milk. If you get Oregon Chai concentrated Vanilla Chai and soy milk, the 8 oz glass is only 130 calories and still all creamy and delicious. It's how I overcome my desire for creamy-tea goodness :P
Texas-trip: Had plenty of fun, it was nice to see my family. I got to meet my nephew as well, he's quite adorable.
Kitty: His eye is starting to dilate more. *Fingerscrossed* Here's to hoping that it goes completely back to normal. Last time it started to look better, it got to the point he's at today and then got worse.
Roro: Keep Calm and Survive the Zombies. Enough said.
Atl: Good job! :) I'm sure onederland will show up soon enough for you :)
Me: I started a physical food journal/activity log. It'll go with me everywhere and let me track everything. I did it to kick the bug I've had lately where I just wanted to eat a bunch of treats :( Hopefully this'll fix that. Was 191.4 after I got back home, and I'm down to 189.6 today. TOM also started today, so we'll see what my 'real' starting (back up) weight is when it's finished. Even if I'm still up 5 lbs from my low, i'm fine with that. I think I needed the month to just do whatever and stop freaking out about not losing in over a month. It was good to just relax. Also, I had a little too much fast food during my trip. It's so hard to eat anything else when in airports and driving long trips to the airport :(
Just popping in for a quick hi to everyone, I'll be back home later this week and will catch up then. Hope you all have a great week.
I am NOT having a good day. I'm supposed to have the day off (Labor Day) but we had issue at work and I got called at 3am, I was online till 6 am, went to bed at 7, woke at 3pm and the work problem hadn't been fixed so I've been online since then. It is now 3am.
So clearly, no gym today, and unless this gets fixed in the next couple hours, likely no gym tomorrow either.
I've also been eating/craving all sorts of things because my system wants treats when stressed. I've eaten 4 pieces of hopia today, and each piece is like 120 calories. :P
rys: I don't think I have pre-packaged chai tea around here. But I'm sure I can get chai tea, I just have to brew it myself. And I can get vanilla almond milk, which is less cals than soy. I just have to convince myself it's as good as/better than the store-bought milk tea!
ksan: Congratulations for hitting your short term goal! In spite of all the times you felt down or disheartened, here you are, successful and all!
Not sure what Orbit is. This is my favorite milk tea store. They're kinda like a Starbucks type store, there's an actual seating area, but very small, like maybe 3-4 tables.
chibi: Nope, not too late. Welcome!
It's only the first, but still been trying to get back in it the last few days. I've been unable to even pretend like I'm going to exercise, so far. I mean, I get my workout clothes on, lace up my shoes, etc., but then it's like... "You've got to be kidding me. I got winded tying my shoe." I have NO pep. And I'm caught in that loop... Know I need to exercise and know exercise will help me feel better... Yet, somehow can't even fathom tackling even my most favorite routines. What to do with myself?? I will work to get an hour in of LIGHT activity and build it up as the week progresses. (Maybe even be ready for Kenpo by Friday.) As much as I want to get this cycle of p90x done, I'm keeping track of what I have (and have NOT) done... I'm being honest with my logs. As much as I want that victory, this isn't a race. And SOMETHING would be better then nothing, by a long shot. Back to baby steps. Frustrating, but 's also life. And I'm NOT giving up...
roman: I know exactly what you mean. I will try to be careful. That whole binge/restrict thing is a horrible thing to get caught up in and I've certainly been guilty of doing just that. I will try to listen to my body and not push too hard/too fast. Milk Tea still sounds yummy. We don't really have anything like that, here, that I know of. Hope your DIY homemade versions do the trick for less cals! Gah, work sounds terrible. So sorry, hon. Good luck!
kathryn: Hope you feel better, ASAP. And I know it's a glib thing to say, and I don't mean to BE glib, but hope you're sort of able to... Fake it until you get to feeling better. That's something I'm working on for myself this month, too. Just gotta keep telling myself I can do this, and remind myself that just because life isn't going the best direction, I can still work to EAT healthy and exercise as I can. (I know, I know, hon. Easier said then done.) Hang in there!
ksanta: Great job on your run! 3 days binge free and counting on this end! :) One day at a time is def. the best strategy for many things in life, but def. this healthy living thing, until (eventually, I hope) it becomes ingrained habit and not even something we think about, anymore. (Can you imagine? Wouldn't that be awesome?) *lol* I LOVED soccer as a kiddo. Would love to play, now. Hope you have fun with it.
rys: Glad kitty is maybe doing better. I'm going to use your advice to kathryn (or try to) re: depression/exercise. I've known that that's a fairly decent way for me to nip a binge before it starts, but sometimes it's damn near impossible to REMEMBER that when that urge is in my brain making me crazy. Glad your holiday was ok. Hope things are settling down for you a bit.
alex: Always good to see ya. :) Take care and have a safe trip home!
chibi: Never too late!
Just popping in to say that today I did weighted squats for the first time ever. I did 22.5 dumbbells. I *could* do the 25 and 30 lbs dumbbells, but they hurt my knees, 20 was too light, and 22.5 was just right for working and not hurting knees. Then I did deadlifts. Did a warm up set with a 30 lb and then I did my sets on a 65 lb until I couldn't lift anymore because my legs were done. Completely done. I'm now rubber legged out and can barely walk down stairs or get out of chairs. But I feel so good right now. I'm gonna hurt so bad tomorrow, but it's so very worth it.
rys: Congrats on the noodlegs! It's horrible, you feel like your legs are going to give out on you any moment, but it is so strangely satisfying. :D
I use barbells for my squats mainly because anything heavier than 20lb dumbbells resting on my shoulders kinda hurts my shoulders. Make sure your squat stance is good, have your toes and knees pointing out. One good way of "training" yourself to have the right stance is to squat allll the way down, you know, like a little kid, put your elbows between your knees, and your hands together and push your knees out with your elbows. That's how wide your knees/feet should be apart. Also a good way to build ankle mobility.
And nice job on the deadlifts too! After a good lifting session, I'm as out of breath and as sweaty as if I did serious cardio.
me: Well, I FINALLY finished work at like 11 AM. I worked 20 hours on a holiday, yay. :P Slept four hours, woke up to drive my mom to the grocery (and get mine done as well). I did not find chai tea (which is weird, I swear I saw some last time), but I did find some cinnamon black tea, caramel-infused black tea, and vanilla-infused black tea, which all sounded like good candidates for milk tea, so I got 'em all.
Er. I did get some store-bought milk tea on the drive home. Because I was so stressed by work. I thought I deserved it. And yes, I know I'm making excuses. 
On the plus side: I did four pushups today! From the floor! Real pushups! I tried it last week, managed one and collapsed on the second one. Today I did four! Okay, they weren't THAT low (my chest didn't touch the ground) but they were real pushups nonetheless!
Am off to do some yoga or bodyweight exercises -- I was planning to gym yesterday or today but that plan got wrecked by work.
ETA:
Okay, I'm back after an hour! I was so psyched by the pushups that I decided to try the hundred pushups training program. I honestly don't think I'll get to a hundred, but if I can do twenty in a row, I'll be happy. I did the test, and I'm fitness level 1. :P (Can do 1-5 pushups.) So I did day 1, which was 5 sets of pushups: 2, 3, 2, 2, and as many as you can on the last set (I did 4). We'll see how that goes.
After that, some circuit training. 2 rounds of: 30 seconds each squats, shoulder presses, mountain climbers, renegade rows, and burpees; then 2 rounds of 30 seconds each lunges, shoulder raises (not sure if that's what they're called), mountain climbers, one-leg toe touches, crunches, and leg lifts.
I am feeling better (emotionally) now but I have a stomach ache that just wont quit. I think it is tied to the emotional stuff, like when you are anxious and your tummy gets tied in knots, mine seems to be incapable of un-knotting. I am getting back on track (again), going to fake it till I make it.
roman I did the 100 sit ups one the year before last, it does get easier, though if I were to try to do it again I am sure I would be at ground zero. In fact I think I will try to do it again.
Not as sore as I expected to be today.
Roman: I'm not following a plan or anything, but I'm working on building up push up potential. I can't do anything but girly ones on the floor. I'm down to 30 degree push ups. I guess that puts me at stage 0 : 0 push ups :P What amazes me is how quick the progress was from 60 degree to 30 degree when I really actually worked at it. Only like 2-3 weeks. I went to 30 degree when the first set felt like nothing happened in my arms at 60 degree, and I could do a full set at 30 degree. I'm no where near going to the floor yet though, my 30 degree first set is still a challenge.
RE: posture/form: Yeah, it's nothin to worry about with me, I'm OCD about posture and such to avoid hurting myself. And, I'm afraid to do barbell squats because of the fact that I have a slightly weird spinal formation right where my neck hits my shoulders. It's extra "bumpy" compared to most people and I don't want to hurt my spine.
Yeah, I didn't do as many sets as I wanted to yesterday, my legs were all like "yeah, no". I did like 3-4 sets of squats and 2 sets of deadlifts at 65. I also did a couple sets of assisted pull ups and triceps pull ups (?) I have no idea what those are actually called. As well as 5 sets of 8 30 degree pushups yesterday. It was a pretty good strength day for a "beginner"
Re: Tea: They sound yummy! :)
Down to 189.2 this morning Pre BM. TMI probably, but it means that I'm still down :)
I had to put my cat in a cone of shame because he kept scratching above his bad eye so much that he would make himself bleed. Poor kitty :(
kathryn: Tea always makes my tummy feel better. Or chicken soup. Even if it's from stress, it helps.
I don't think I can do 100 sit ups! Actually I'm not sure I can do one without someone holding my ankles, or me hooking my ankles around something. I THINK I might be able to do 50 crunches. Hmm, actually that's a good idea on my non-gym days. Do push ups and sit ups.
rys: I decided to try the plan just coz... well, without it I'd probably be lazy, heh. We'll see. Sometimes I think of plans as suggestions, rather than actual rules to follow. :D I started with the 60-degree ones too, and went down to 30 fairly quickly. I think part of the quick improvement was my neuromuscular system getting used to it. And then I was stuck at 30-degree pushups for a good long while. (I started the push ups as part of NROLFW waaaay back in September!) Some days I could do it from a bench, some days from a box (so slightly lower), and on REALLY good days, from an 8-inch step, but only one set.
Pull ups now -- those are still WAAAAY beyond me! LOL. And those "tricep pull ups" you mentioned -- is that the one where your palms are facing you? If yes, they're chin-ups and supposedly easier than regular pull ups.
Barbell squats -- you can try a low-back position for the barbell. It should rest kind of where your back deltoids make a little shelf. If I go low-bar, it tends to slip a bit, I prefer high-bar but I've heard you can lift more if you go low-bar. But even with high-bar it should go below that bumpy part you mention. Maybe someone can spot you and help you figure out where it goes, if/when you decide to go barbells later on.
Kitty -- Poor baby. :( I hope he continues to improve.
Roman: Oh, don't worry, I can't do a real pull up yet either. I'm assisting myself with a machine that takes care of 96 lbs of my body weight. There we go, finally found the word for it. They're dips :P Where you have your arms at like hip level and lower yourself down for a nice triceps exercise. Also assisted to 84 lbs or something like that. I'm working my way down though, i used to have to do 112 lbs of assistance for everything and barely be able to do it. And the palm facing me chin up is actually harder for me for some reason. Probably because I never actually did them, I started with my palm facing out and never did the reverse for some stupid reason.
Sit ups/crunches: Are we talking 100 straight without stopping for a set? If I actually tried, I could get there pretty quickly. I used to (back in the crazy days of anorexia and over exercising) do 200 + crunches every day. Without set breaking. I can still do sets of 50 pretty easily.
The 'bumpy' part of my spine: Yeah, mine is about the size of a fist and slightly more protruded from my back than most people. And there's a good dip just before it meets my back that's about 3/4 of an inch. It's not noticeable if you don't know it's different, but I've compared it to like every person I've ever dated and mine is far more pronounced/bigger. I don't know why.
rys: Oh, THAT machine! I see that at the gym - for both assisted pull ups and dips if you put your arms/knees/feet in different spots, right? I'm intimidated by it. Mainly because I'm not sure where my limbs should go and I have to clamber up the thing. I've been trying to kind of catch someone getting on it so I can figure out how it works, except all the guys doing pull ups at the gym are doing unassisted ones.
I've heard it's better to use that than the lat-pull machines though, if the eventual goal is to do a pull up. Maybe I need to just get over my intimidation. Or go when not a lot of people are around and won't see me trying to figure it out.
My gym's machine is different than all the ones I've seen online. It assists you by having you stand on a bar that supports so much weight through plates, then you just do a normal pull up while standing on the bar. It's just a counterweight machine, basically. The ones I've seen online are all far more complicated looking.
