Interested in Nightly or Bi-nightly posts?? A place to discuss everything, hopefully to keep us on track?

I am new to calorie count and all this, but I was wondering if there was anyone out there who would be interested in logging on and posting every night or every other night. This would be a place to talk about the foods you ate, how well you did, what you really wanted to give into, if you gave in, if something made you mad.. Anything you want to talk about you could. I just really would like to get a group like this together because I personally feel like if I knew I had to report all my food that I ate that day to someone I would be more likely to stick with my diet and not binge (yuck!). We can write down our weight if you guys want, or just weight loss.. Or simply stick to diet and excersise stuff. If you are interested let me know!! Thanks!

(ps like I said I am new to this so I am not sure what I am doing lol so if I am not doing something right, let me know..) :-)

hi swim chick!  

I'm on board.   I am 31, single a few months now after 4+ years with the same guy.....   = long and boring nights/weekends, so I will check back in as often as someone posts most evenings after work.   

I started at 230, 153 this morning ---  original goal weight so long ago was 150 even.  It is taking me forever to actually hit that goal, but hey.  I feel good, I look good, I am fairly happy physically.  

The mental aspect lately has been harder.....   I was very gung-ho for the longest time -- daily cardio, etc.    I still AM ----  just being a teacher and having the holidays, it was easy to push my workouts earlier in the AM vs. doing it at 5AM like I always do.   Now it is COOOOOOOLLLLLLLDDDDDD ----  still trying. 

I do not still log daily, but I do guesstimate very closely and accurately (being a little anal retentive in my cal knowledge --lol) and shoot for 1500-1700 cals a day. 

I drink too much.   I lack things to do in the evening and on weekends minus the obvious work or party.   Being newly single, you'd think I could find something fun to do, but I live in one small Kansas town and teach in another.  The single scene is DEFINITELY lacking around here.    HENCE ----- I have plenty of time and am more than happy to chat when and about what you want, swimmer!

My name is Olivia --  yours?   I have 4 cats, a dog, and a bunch of kids at school who love me dearly.  Now if only I could find a hot boyfriend.........    

PS EDIT:::    welcome to cc!    this place is awesome

I am 19 and have been in a relationship for almost 3 years now.. it will be three years in march. I am sorry to hear about youre relationship ending.. thats sad. I am in college, so i do not do anything at night lol, or really on the weekends. i know it is supposed to be the time for me to go out and party but i really dont. sure i might drink with my friends every now and again, but i dont really go out much. frats arent my thing, bars arent fun because i cant legally drink, and clubs arent really worth it when i have a guy already..

i am so impressed that you went from 230 to 153!! that is my goal!! well i want to go down to 150 too, because that was my lightest i ever was. I am currently sitting at a fat 230. the biggest ive ever been in my life!!! i was only 220 before my christmas break, but over 5 weeks i seemed to gain like 10 pounds!! I am freaking out and ready for a change.

wow i am glad that you are on board! because we seem to have a lot in common. . youre a teacher? thats nice.. what grade? i want to be a guidance counsler when im done with college. im hoping you can give me hints on what you did to lose all that weight! please help me!

my name is angie and i have (at my home) 2 dogs, a cat, a bird. at school i have some fish.. i have a great boyfriend who i love more than anything. . now if only i could lose weight and be that super hott girl friend he deserves! (even though he swears i already am..)

Hi swimchick I am also new to calorie count and I'm about to be 21 I am a mom of a wonderful daughter, I am a army wife and soldier. Most ppl think I should be small but I have never really been small I am currently in Iraq and comming home soon I want to lose about 10lbs before I leave my goal weight is 130 I am currently at about 200. I need to drop at least 50lbs to get promoted to sgt which is my ultimate goal and motovation I love leading soliders and when I get out I want to be a DEA agent or social worker so health is my goal for this year I also want to have childern (my daughter is adopted) but I want to be at my goal weight first I am definitaly on board I to think being held accountable for what I ate will help GOOD LUCK

well, hello then, angie and heather!   and again, welcome to cc.   this website changed my life.  I have lost and gained back 100's of lbs in my lifetime.   the love, support, and friendship I get here at cc made the critical diffeence between sticking to it and giving up, making it a lifestyle vs. a temporary terrible diet.     hope you love it as much as I do. 

I teach high school English (usually sophs and jrs) despite any "too fast typing" typos.      love it, but stressful this time of year with reading and writing assessments.   

tips for losing...............   JOURNAL here at cc.  I find that so key to my own accountability and tracking things that went well/stuff to work on, etc.   daily cardio.   no soda (or WAY less --- I totally cut put even diet soda because of the ungodly amounts of sodium).   LOTS AND LOTS of water.   way less processed, easy, frozen, food    (used to live on pizzas, pizza bites, burritos, you know ---  junk)    ------   fresh foods -- especially veg and fruit.  they are my new sweet and crunch, you know?  I have baby carrots or cut celery almost every day with my lunch = chips, sort of.   fruit -- in all its yummy and amazing variety = my chocolate.   no, not the same, but worth the mind set switch to feel good about me, you know?    make working out fun ---  walk with a friend, find a dog to walk, you know.....    don;t get bored with your food.   try new things.   be honest with yourself logging ------  even that "just one little bite of... "  it all adds up.   don;t drink your cals   ((((this one is hard for me ---  not juice or pop.   booze ---  like last night))))   I could go on and on, but getting a mitivstional post here that you KEEP GOING is important, at least it is for me.  I can always count on my girls here to keep me pumped.    

my little (ok, younger -- he is after all 6'5") brother just got home from Iraq.   we love our soldiers!  thanks.    ------     good for you for adopting too.  that;s awesome. 

WELL --  I am all cool with checking in and talking about whatever you ladies wanna.    :)    thanks for starting this swimchick.   gives me something more to do too.  

OH and as low sodium as you can consciously deal with / high fiber. 

I used to salt EVERYTHING --  usually without tasting it first.   duh.    I use a TONS of the many yummy flavors of Mrs. Dash / other seasonings like cumin and chili powder to keep my sodium down.   I find things taste better and I do not mis salt anyway.   :)    

My friend is a marine and is currently in iraq, so i too love our men and women who are keeping us free... plus my sister is in the air force and her husband is a retired army soldier.

I have tried to keep a notebook with me before, writing down everything ive ate or drank, but it still doesnt seem to make that much of a difference. and actually i am a vegan, so there are a lot of things i really dont eat that a lot of people who are overweight eat. however i do realize that i can eat a lot of junk food and last semester i did.. so one of my goals is to NOT be like that this semester.. or ever again really. i know the pasta and bread i eat is most likely my biggest downfall, but for a vegan living on a college campus i really do not have many options. I am going to be on a swim team this semester, so i hope to be working out every day. but this is nothing really new to me, because i normally work out just about every day. i do drink SO much water, way over the 8 glasses. i tend to drink more pop than i ever used to though, and i know that is not good.

i think i have more wrong with me than just my eating habits.. when i was younger i would go days or so with out eating anything, sometimes i would go a week. and when i did eat it was something so small it really didnt make a difference. i never got professional help, just my friends forcing me to stop being like that. so i started eating again, and since then i had a steady gain of 10 pounds a year.. this last year was the first year i didnt put on 10 pounds over the year.. well until now! thanks to the stupid holidays where i didnt work out and just ate! (ugh im horrible i know!) so i think i demolished my metabolism, making it next to impossible to lose weight.

i have reasons to believe i have a thyroid condition also, an underactive thyroid. having a low thyroid can make it impossible to lose weight. but i saw a doctor once about two years ago, but they  said i was fine.. however i do not know what exactly they tested for because they didnt tell me anything other than diabetes.. and for 95% of people with thyroid conditions, it doesnt show up on blood tests. so what are your guys' suggestions about this metabolism problem?

it gets me so discouraged! because i eat so much less and so much healthier than all my skinny friends. i am tired of people saying "but you have such a pretty face" and my roommate saying " i dont think youre TOO big".. read: youre big, but its ok. i want to go back to the girl i was when i wasnt eating (only i want to be able to do it and be healthy, not starving).. when i was like 148-150lbs and starving myself, i had people say they were jealous of me! i want that back.. but i dont know where to start. i feel so lost..

first, ang  ----   you're not horrible.   =P  most people cut a little loose for the holidays.  this is the first year ever I did not gain weight from Halloween - New Years. 

do you have to eat in the dining hall at school?    could you keep a few non-perishable, yummy things in your room to eat and skip the bread/pasta?

Not eating is bad.    not still doing that, right?   I used to do the same thing though...   in high school, my diet consisted of cigarettes, soda, and if I was lucky and mom made me, something for supper.   and I never lost weight.    ditto when I did not eat all day long my first couple of years of teaching when I reached my highest weight ever -- 270.   My "diet" mindset was so unhealthy and I never learned the right way to do things until I found cc.     Now I get the math of losing and healthy living, and it has been SOOOOOO much easier and less frustrating. 

I hear you on the hypothyroidish.   My mom's is bad, I was testing as a teen and borderline.  One of my cc girls posted a list of symptoms in her journal because she was just diagnosed, and damn if it didn;t sound JUST like me.     talk to your doctor --- surely there are multiple ways to test that, did you do a fasting test?     that would surely make a difference...... . 

I am positive you have a gorgeous face, great attitude, a good sense of humor, and a big brain among a million other things to be happy about, so stay positive and make it work, angie!   you can do it!!!!!

I think this forum is a great idea. I'm new to CC and making life-style changes, as well. I think this site is absolutely amazing, so far. I joined on the 10th.

My name's Asia. I'm 27, and currently 274 pounds (Yikes!) Had my son last July and that was certainly a contributing factor but no excuse to get this bad off. I had gestational diabetes and want to learn about being healthier because I don't want to be diagnosed with type-two diabetes anytime soon. Also have a wedding coming up in October, so would like to get the weight down a bit (Well, a lot, really) for that...

I don't know what I'm doing, either, so very much welcome suggestions, and feedback. Other then "crash-dieting" I've never really tried to LOSE weight and I think this is going to be an interesting (and challenging) journey.

I am not getting as much exercise as I would like, currently, but anything would be an improvement to nothing. I'm trying to keep my calories down around 1500 a day, but Monday's are killing me with dart league... Beer drinking and the subsequent fast-food run too late at night... I am hoping this one day a week is not going to "wreck" everything, but we'll see. The rest of the time I've been really amazed at myself and how well I (hope/think) I'm doing... My whole mind-set about losing weight has changed. It's no longer something "I'd like to do"... (Implying someday) It's something I'm DOING.

Looking forward to learning more about everyone who's posted so far... Will check back in often... I "need" this place to stay on track! And I think CC is an amazing service... Especially for free... And all the people I've met so far have been spectacular!

hi asia -----------------   welcome to cc.   it changed my life.     it will yours to, if you let it

one day a week is not going to wreck you, just slow you down.    Example:  my ex's bowling league on ThursdaY evening.     beers at league, 3 $1 Wendy's itme when done at 10PM = BAD BAD BAD.     :)  all about priorities.      and time.      

AGREE, asia.   cc is tbe best thing ever. 

well thank you olivia for not calling me terrible lol.. but thats how i feel about myself most of the time, honeslty. as for the food.. yes i pretty much have to eat foods that are on campus. because when you live in a dorm you are forced to buy a meal plan, so i have about 1,500 dollars to spend a semester (or it goes back to the university.. as if they need it!)

no i am not doing that anymore.. with the exception of a few times when i did it last semester, going just a day or so with out eating. and when i do  that i FEEL better about myself, because that is something i can control you know? i just feel so good when i know i exercised and didnt eat a thing.. but i know how bad it is, so i try REALLY hard to not fall back into those bad habbits...

another problem i am realizing i truly have since i quit starving and started eating, is gradually over the years i lose track of portions. i dont really eat single portions anymore.. i dont know how i got this way because i used to eat half portions and stuff.. somehow my stomach has gotten bigger both on the outside and inside lol! i think i can partially blame it being around friends and my boyfriend who eat like garbage disposals.. so i guess maybe i picked up that bad habit. (but all of them are sooo thin! like 110-120!)

welcome to the group Asia! i think i am in the same boat as you in the "crash-dieting" and never really tried to LOSE weight for good. i always talk about it but it never works.

i am just hoping this website will help me to stay on track.. i tend to get REALLLLLY depressed about myself and i think "whats the point? its been like 4 weeks and i havent noticed ANY difference"..

oh ps while im being honest on here, i guess ill admit i had a set back (already!) last night.. i had some ice cream and 4 oreos :-( i didnt eat the whole pint of ice cream.. i at the 1 cup serving or whatever, and its vegan ice cream so it is like half the fat of regular ice cream but still terrible. i just said the other day i didnt want to buy junk food anymore. this is why i fail i guess. . maybe this website will really help because having to write down these things is embarassing and that should be motivation to NOT do it, lol.

it is wednesday morning at about 6:21am, and I am at work. work is the only  time i can weigh myself, so i guess i am off to face the scales again.. see if there is a difference from monday to today. :-\ when i see the number im sure ill want to burst into tears.

disgusting! two pounds GAINED in TWO DAYS!! how does this happen? this is why i fall back into not eating.. seriously if i wasnt chatting in this group i would probably not eat the rest of the day, or most of the day tomorrow..

how the heck do i gain two whole pounds in two days?? i didnt think two pounds could come of ice cream and oreos the next day!!! gosh i am so disgusted with myself. and my boyfriend is coming to visit today so i wont be able to work out.. well at least the traditional gym workout LOL!!

but really, how does this happen????? ewwwww.. i am growing exponetionally.. blowing up like a balloon!!

cc is a place to figure out what works for you and what doesn't, ang.   :)    (((((((HUGS))))))  not eating doesn;t work. 

and NO ---  no way to gain  2 lbs in 2 days --  = 7000 extra cals, right?   I would bet stress or sodium bumped the number up.   lots of water --  a big girl workout with the bf  (LUCKY!!!!).   it;ll be back down before you know it.    I gained TEN a couple of weeks ago OVERNIGHT from too much sodium.   fell back off in 2 days = impossible too.  

CHIN UP.   if it makes you feel any better, I got really drunk last night, knowing full well I shouldn't, and stayed up too late with insomnia = I am exhausted right now and have to go teach a bunch of teenagers all day.    =P 

yeah maybe.. i gained 6 pounds in 2 days once.. i almost died. wow ten pounds over night?? holy crap i never would have thought that was possible. and i am feeling pretty stressed since last night to this morning.. and even still right now. i just jumped on the scale again and i gained like .5 pound.. and i havent ate anything! its only 8am and ive drank almost 4 glasses of water. i guess that could be it too.

well i hope your day goes well even though you got drunk on a school night!! LOL.. have fun with those teenagers.. sometimes they can be impossible (haha you know they are bad if a teenager is admitting it!! LOL) (i guess at least im not a teenager for much longer..)

seriously though.   no way did you gain 6 like that.   worry not.   ;) 

LOL ---  I am a teenager on the inside too.   =P   keeps me young!    and allows me to keep up with them.

Hey everyone I hope you all are doing well. The sodium thing and water play a big role in overnight weight gain and also stress. I freak out about these things to but your weight will never be completly on the dot everytime try weighing yourself at the sametime everyday. ANG I agree with Janay LUCkY you!! I'm jealous!! LOL I cannot wait to be back to the great USA I know i shouldn't but I want some taco bell yumm and a nice steak with some wine now that I'll be 21 when I get home woo hoo although I dont know If I could drink and stay out late and then gt up and teach the next day. Good job

Have you ever had that person such as a co-worker come up to you and critize you about your weight and so forth?

I did today and almost got into trouble because he is my boss he critized me about going to the gym and pretty much said I was a failure I was took off guard and hurt. When I first got to Iraq back in arpil I admit I wasnt going to the gym but byJune I had started and was doing well I had lost 10lbs it was going good till I got to see my husband in July and he didn't notice and I was crushed beyond belief and instead of moviating me to make  a bigger change I did the exat opposite untill about late Aug- Sep and I started going again strong I went home for 2 weeks in Oct and gained of course and came back started again at the gym although not consistant now for the last 2-3 weeks I have been going strong my boss comes out and said I haven't went to the gym this whole year and pretty much belittled me in front of my peers and I couldn't say anything! I am very touchy about my weight as most people are and today was suppose to be my relax day but I couldn't let it go so I ended up at the gym for 3 hours I cannot believe I let him get to me

Heather, I know exactly what you mean!! I am touchy about my weight every minute of my life, and I feel like things people say are directed at ME specifically. I cannot believe he did that to you! (well, ok I can because it is the military lol, and I know the kind of things they do, but still) That was not fair of him to do that to you in front of everyone. I am sorry to hear about all that, but dont take it too personal with your husband.. He after all is just a guy and he was probably more excited to just be seeing you and didnt pay attention to your weight.. I think you should think of it as, he loves you for YOU!!!

however I can completely understand you being crushed that he did not notice. My own mother has called me fat.. She has said "I dont know what happened to you, but you have gotten big. maybe you should to change your clothes before you go out because that looks bad" . I was hurt because she didnt say it in a very nice tone, more condesending than anything.

I suppose one good thing came out of your boss being a jerk.. You spent a good amount of time at the gym and you most likely burt off a LOT of calories.

I do weigh myself around the same time, somewhere between 6am and 8am. I know it should be more exact, and I will work on that. But I dont just weigh myself once while I am at work, I weigh myself multiple times. I guess you could call me an obsessive weigher.. However, if there is anyone else around I will not weigh myself, in fear that they will see it. THis website is the first place I have EVER openly talked about how much I weigh and my deep struggle with it..

I also do not know if I could get up and teach the next day, lol. I do know I am capable of going to work and class, but I dont know if I could teach!

Oh and I was wondering, have any of you guys used sugar free gum to try and curb your cravings? I read a few times that chewing gum can help minimize the craving for sweets after a meal, and sometimes chewing it when you feel hungry can keep you satisfied for a few more hours. I know a few people from the biggest loser have used this method.. I was just wondering if any of you guys have tried it.

And is there a time at night that you guys do not eat after? I have heard some people say 7 and others say 8. Just wondering your guys point of view again.

Angie (swimchick_04)- You have GOT to learn to cut yourself some slack, hon. It isn't reasonable to say (or even think) "I'm NEVER going to eat ice-cream or a cookie again, as long as I live..." That's just silly. We're in this for LIFE, now, right? And you aren't going to be able to stick to your 1500 (or whatever) calories every single day for the rest of your life. That's not reasonable. And it isn't expected. When you fall off the wagon, just pick yourself up and try to be good for a day or two (or three) and it really will even itself out. You may (or may not) be interested in this article, but I found it last night and thought it was quite interesting:

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1608/i s_2_15/ai_53697967

The general gist of the article is this:

"The real guilt of the cheat meal comes from the belief that one unthinkable night of gorging on chicken wings and fried cheese balls can negate all your hard work. Not so. "Your body responds to what you eat over time, not what you eat at any specific time," says Ken Goodrick, PhD, an assistant professor at Baylor College of Medicine and co-author of Living Without Dieting (Warner, $11). It's simply a matter of statistics: Eating poorly two or three times a week out of 21 meals (or more) isn't as harmful as it seems. "That's cheating 10 percent of the time, which means you're adhering to a regimented diet the other 90 percent," says Goodrick. "At this pace, you'll still reach your nutritional goals within relatively the same amount of time, plus you'll be less likely to quit halfway through."

Also, there is a school of thought that if you allow yourself to indulge, your more likely to stick to the "new" life-style... Well, for life. The guy even suggests "If you've been good, enjoying a "cheat meal" even a few times a week won't put on unneeded pounds. In fact, throwing back a few Big Macs might help you lose weight in the long run - and it can be downright necessary for someone on a hardcore fitness program."

Progress vs. perfection

Obviously, it's something you need to be aware of and making sure you aren't binging... So many of us are "emotional eaters" (I'd never even heard that term before I started CC, but it makes SOOOO much sense! With all the stress, etc. that we're dealing with, sometimes the only comfort we seem to get comes from eating really unhealthy foods...)

Hang in there, hon. I know if you want this, you can do it! Don't beat yourself black and blue emotionally if you have a bad day. Just carry on as you should do. Don't use it as an excuse to continue being naughty. I've been in that loop many times. It's an easy trap to get caught in, but you can rise above it!