I'll be 43 this June anyone around the same age want to join my weight loss quest?

Greetings!

I am hoping that this site I stumbled on will help me out. I have been on a diet or fighting with food my entire life. About 8 years ago I lost about 100 pounds, my lowest weight was 204 then I had my first child at 40. Now I am 220 and he'll be three this June. The only good news is that I do not weight 300 + pounds anymore having said that - No excuses, my food addiction problem has been out of control now since his birth. I try - and try - and try - and still nothing seems to be working. Maybe I can find a friend here who will help give me the strength I need to be healthy. I need to stay alive for my family.

Thanks Omagraf

 I will try your suggestions. Robert does drink high calorie suppliments/ soy based/ to prevent any cross contamination of gluten. He'd love a beer but it is a no no for him loL.

   My weekend was not a great weekend. I know it was too good to be true, I had not yet come down with the bug going around out work. This weekend consisted of broths and jello the bug caught up with me. To make matters even worse we had 5" of snow Saturday night grrrrrrrrrrrr.

   I'm going back to bed for I still feel terrible all take care. Hey throw this into your German Kruse. It is my maiden name yep full German blooded.

Arlis

My weekend was okay I suppose. I didn't do anything to really hurt my diet, but I certainly didn't do anything to help it either. Weekends suck! :) Been trying to stick to less than 1500 calories a day, but I think I went over that this weekend. I had lost 9 pounds as of Friday and I am still sitting at 9 this morning which is officially two weeks into it.

I decided when I started that I am taking it one month at a time. My goal for the first month was only 10 lbs. I felt if I could lose 10 pounds a month without too much sacrifice, that I would be happy. I have since modified my goal for the first 4 weeks to 15 pounds. So I have two weeks to drop 6 more.

Oh and "Hey" to all the new folks. Welcome aboard and please share your experiences. It really helps to hear that we are all in this together and facing the same problems/challenges.

Terry

Didn't do so great this weekend.  Had a banquet on Saturday nite and they had steak.  It was so good.  Going to the doc today.  Have an ear ache and its driving me crazy.  I hope you all have a good week and thanks for all the encouragement.

Hi Hope~

Thanks for the advice.  I will try your suggestions this week.....not eating after 7.  I've only been doing 2 hrs before bedtime....but I'm sure you're right.  The sooner I quit eating before bedtime the better off I'll be....and I'm sure I could always use more water....even though I'm not especially fond of it! lol  I try to force myself to drink 3-4 bottles per day.  Thanks again!!

Denise

Hi Marie~~

Thanks for your support.  I am slacking on getting to the computer on the weekends to log my food, but during the week I'm pretty good about logging everything in.  Somedays I'm only eating about 1700 cal. and other days it's more like 2000 cal.   I'd like to keep it below 1900 and perhaps even that's too much? 

As for the gym....I am doing weight training and cardio....an example....mondays I usually work shoulders (3 different exercises, 3 sets, 12-15 reps) and as for as cardio...I alternate between the treadmill and the eliptical (20-30mins)...depending on how my knees are feeling.

Thanks to everyone for the suggestions.  I really do appreciate it!!

Denise ; )

Hi Denise,

In my humble opinion, you're doing everything right. :) Just hang in there. Your body will hear you soon enough. I know that's not what you want to hear! :(

 I'm standing still myself. Everytime is reduce my cardio (because I really hate exercise) my body stops losing weight. UGH! I really have do cardio 5-6 days per week to see good results. Such a bore!

Marie

I guess you're right. I just need to be patient.  However, I tend to be hard on myself, especially when I see everyone else losing and I've got nothing to report.   I would be grateful to report even 1lb!! : ) 

I'm done with dinner (6:30) and I'm drinking my water this evening....

Have a great evening,

Denise 

Thank you all so much for letting me join you.  I have a question.  How many calories should I really be eating?  I am 185lbs, 5'5" and a medium frame.  I have researched this extensively and get different answers everywhere I go.  I aim for 1200 - 1500 calories per day.  I always shoot for the lower end, but I don't want to put my body into starvation mode.  Any suggestions? 

With all of my dieting experience I hope to have some good tips to share.  The one thing I can say for sure is measure and weigh your food.  Eyeballing food will get you in trouble sooner or later.

I just cannot get into the weighing & measuring of food. I have to use the standard eyeball (size of fist & deck of cards, etc...). I am just too lazy about that stuff.

The calorie calculations they do here have been really good for me so far. I have noticed that by having my body type logged and keeping the food & activity log updated I can get a good handle on the calories I should have. Alot of days I do not log extra activity (cleaning house, etc...) just so that I keep the calories in my meals lower (trying to not go past the amount they reccommend). It even has helped me look more at what I eat also, things that I thought were pretty good haven't scored real well. I don't log everything all the time now because I have started to get an idea of where I am on most days and I kind of know if I am on track or not.

Usually the more you burn the more you are allowed, but you can always run into those ruts where you are building muscle and not see actual weight loss. I try to remind myself that I did not "gain" a pound a week for several years so why do I expect to drop a pound a week? There is such a fine line between watching what I do today and also keeping my eye on what is still in the distance.

OH, sorry did not mean to go all deep & philosophical there. I too have patience issues that I am trying to focus on & maybe I have become a little too zen this morning! 

Maybe it is the big snowfall that is looking so Norman Rockwell outside. Have a good day everyone, I must go shovel if I plan to get out the door! Mother nature has her own idea of an exercise program for me today!

LOL

That sounds like me. I can remember asking my grandmother for her recipe of her famous German Chocolate cake, that had been passed down throgh the generations. apinch of this a glob of that. I finally got it in our terms lol.

Sink once again yesterday broke down and went to the doctor thank the lord it was not the flu I don't think I could handle a week of misery Sinus infections and bronchittis.

So will begin again today. The scale at the doctor said 195 sorry about miss leading have to adjust my scale.

You know, logging food, exercise, etc was really important and great when I started a couple of weeks ago. It really opened my eyes to what I had been eating and it helped to understand what I should be eating. I am at the point now, that I am not using the logs as much anymore (other than the weight loss log. I LOVE to see it heading down!). I pretty much go through the same routine everyday in the office...cereal/skim milk with fruit for breakfast and one of those Healthy Choice, Lean Cuisine type meals for lunch. Then I keep assorted low cal/fat jello cups, fruit, etc around for a snack. I like to mix up dinner, so one night I'll cook some sort of grilled chicken meal or my wife and I will go out to dinner. Most restaurants have their nutritional information posted online, so I usually check out the numbers before I go. That way, there is no guessing.

On a side note, I finally passed the 10lb loss mark. I wanted to do it in two weeks and it ended up taking two weeks and one day. Then again, I wasn't exactly a diet role model this past weekend!

Denise...Sorry to hear you aren't losing at the moment. Knowing how disappointed I was yesterday when I missed my goal by one pound, I can sort of understand your frustration. I guess the key is how do we deal with it? It is easy to stay motivated when you see the losses... I actually got mad and cut out another 500 calories down to 1000 (which I know won't work longterm) and I also increased my cardio to two hours yesterday and killed that pesky pound that wouldn't go away. Hang in there!

And I quote from Terry

"...........I can sort of understand your frustration. I guess the key is how do we deal with it? It is easy to stay motivated when you see the losses.............."

 This is so true! How do we keep the motivation up when the scale won't move?

Answers, anyone?

I find using CC keeps my motivation up. I thrive on other's success. Just knowing I'm on the right path, reading of other's good work, keeps me motivated. The scale will move!

 

Terry: Great job! You're the man! Frozen dinners for lunch is a great idea, it allows you the freedom of not *yawn* weighing and measuring  It is a pain to do it. And checking out the restaurant's web site is another great tip. That way your mind is set on that dinner and temptation is kept away.

Tamcc: Yes, I agree. I learned from experience. My eyeball grows the portions. It might take a month or so but the portions do grow when I abandon my food scale. So, I now weigh and measure a couple of times per week. This way I have the freedom and then I have the reminder of what the portions really look like.

 Any other feedback on keeping motivation up?

Marie

I am jealous of you that can eyeball food an be successful.  I have tried this before and am surprised how much and ounce of cheese will grow for me over time.  I am a planner so I weigh and measure foods and pre-pack them for convenience.  It is the only way I can assure portion control.   It may take more time and planning, but it shows up on the scale.  When I get my weight down, I will take a more relaxed approach, but for now, I will remain a control freak...lol. 

My greatest motivation comes from others...which of course we can't control.  I don't want to be fishing for compliments, but it is so awesome to hear from someone those magic words "have you lost some weight or something".   I have also found motivation in things other than "the scale".  Clothes fitting less tight, my cholesterol level going down, increased energy...the scale is only part of my goal...overall improved health.  So if I stall on the scale, I think about how I "feel" better.  It usually gets me through the day.

Tammie

I never weigh & measure my food, either.  However, over the weekend I did buy new dishes @ IKEA and the smaller plates are the perfect size.  There's no way I can over eat.  I too just eyeball my portions.....hum, maybe that's what my problem is....perhaps I should get glasses?!?! LOL jk  

I have to admit....this morning I felt so much better since not eating after 6:30 last night.  I'm going to try to make that a routine every evening.  My daughter tells me.. that is how her boyfriend lost weight....he never eats after 6pm.  He's lost alot of weight in the past 6 mos. 

Take care,

Denise : )

I watch a special on Discovery. They were testing different foods for different affects. They concluded a diet high in protien stays with you longer than a diet of high carbs or fat.

They also tested the affects of dairy products to aid in dieting. They concluded the calcium in dairy produts helps prevent the absorbtion of fat.

They suggest if your dieting to eat high protein, fish, chicken, turkey with 8ounces of dairy, and recommended fiber,  in each meal. I tried that today and I hunger cravings (snack) were not there that much

Arlis

Good Morning all~

Thanks for the info., Arlis.   I enjoyed reading it.....one can never have too many ideas for dieting.  What works for one person, may not work for another.

Thanks for the support Terry....you guys are the best!!! 

I've tried to take a more light-hearted approach and not worry so much about my weight.  Some days I'm consumed with reading info on the web or buying magazines such as, Women's Health.  In the past I've pasted my face on the body of a model from a magazine....it did help motivate me...just to remind me of why I'm working out so hard. lol

Also, I've come to terms with the fact that I am gaining muscle and this is another reason why the scale isn't tipping in the right direction.  Because we all know that muscle weighs more than fat.  However, I don't see my waist or anything else shrinking either.....which is what I want.  I wouldn't mind weighing 142lbs if my waistline was shrinking in the meantime....right? lol

Take care guys,

Denise : )

Ladies and gentlemen (don't know if you have any guys in here or not), the time has come for this thread to move out of the New Members Forum and into the Weight Loss Forum.

I recommend that everyone tag the thread (to tag a thread, simple click "Tag It" at the top of the thread, right under the Moderator's names), to make it easier to find.

This thread will be moved no later than Friday.

Coach_K

Volunteer Moderator 

Wow, I was ahead of the game for a change...I tagged this about a week ago!

I don't think I am having a good week so far. I have not been eating well and for the past few weeks I have been the chauffeur for a friend at my office who had back surgery and cannot drive. I am looking forward to regaining my schedule and hope that after this week's Dr appointment they will clear her to drive some, but if not I am still in it till she doesn't need me.  I did mention that I am a sucker for helping anyone who asks, didn't I?

That being said, I am really depending on you guys to have some good news tomorrow. I plan on being motivated by your good news, don't let me down here! I have lost two weeks in a row so I am due for a bad weigh in. Hope some one is willing to lose a pound for me!

On the more good news note, I have a sinus infection! I get these at least 3 times a year and I have known because of my asthma, it always gets out of control when this hits... I may have to go back on the steroids again (they really do not help my diet, I am constantly hungry). Hopefully I can fight it off before it gets that bad, I have fingers crossed but I also have lousy sinuses. So go out there and work off a pound for me! I can't get to the gym heck I can't even walk up a flight of stairs without using the inhaler so get out there and help me feel some success vicariously.

Sorry to hear you don't think the week is going well.

As I mentioned before, I didn't have a great weekend. I mean I didn't go crazy and overeat, but I didn't stick to the plan. It is no wonder I did not have any loss from Thursday through Tuesday. I have seen a couple of pounds disappear since then, so all is well. In fact, this morning, I got on the scales and it showed another pound, so not a great week, but still progress.

I am finding that I am a bit obsessive over the scales. It is the first thing I do everyday and if it doesn't move down at least every couple of days, I get a little disappointed. I would be thrilled if I could manage a 5 pound loss this week. Its a little confusing as our group weighs on Friday and my personal start date is Monday. If I can manage to hit 5 pounds by Monday, that will be 15 pounds in three weeks.

I have decided that I am going to break it down into 20 pound "mini" goals and reward myself with something when I hit a goal. Not a food reward, but something fun. Maybe a day off work to just chill.

Hey...has anyone tried the "One a Day WeightSmart" vitamins?

Hello, do you guys have room for one more? You look like a really good group, and it's nice to talk to people closer in age.

My name's Cynthia, I'm 42, and will be 43 in May. I'm currently hovering between 173 and 176, like I have been for several months. I lost 40 lbs but regained 10, and I'm trying to get down to 140ish eventually. I have a short walk to work which I take as fast as I can, but I really need to get off my butt and do more cardio. I've just upped my intake from 1300 to 1500 a day and I'm seeing if that does anything, since I was feeling draggy.