NEW MOTIVATION GROUP - BMI of 25-32

You're not morbidly obese, but you may have had the doctor sit down with you to talk about how you're overweight. Or perhaps you can't zip up those jeans anymore. Or, like me, you had a health scare that made you wake up and realize that you have one life, and you don't want to be overweight to live it.

I'm Kristin, and I'm starting this motivational group to help others, as well as myself. No weigh-ins, no numbers other than your BMI. As you lose weight, update your BMI.

While I will provide happy-happy-joy-joy commentary and motivation, please sign up *only* if you will check in regularly.

Name:
BMI:
Biggest diet pitfall:
Best motivator:
Personal goals:

Thanks, and I look forward to getting to know you.

Here's to your health,
Kristin

It's only fair that I fill this in, too:

Name: Kristin
BMI: 27.3
Biggest diet pitfall: emotional eating... when I'm stressed, I reach for the sweet and salty.

Best motivator: Feeling that rush from healthy foods or a good run.

Personal goals: Very slowly start a running program again so that I stick to it and don't injure myself. Long-range goal of hitting a healthy BMI, of course.

Name: Sara

BMI: 26.1 (CC Calculator)

Biggest pitfall: not paying attention to what I eat.

Best motivator: feeling great and able to do a lot

Personal goals: lose the next 10 lbs and then the next 10 lbs.

I hope that I'll know when it's time to stop.  I look and feel great at 157, but apparently I can go as low as 120 and still have a healthy BMI...I cannot imagine 120! 

Name: Rachell
BMI: 27.4
Biggest diet pitfall: no self control, when I have a craving I want to satisify it...a bit like a toddler ;)
Best motivator: I don't wnat to get so far gone that it's harder to get back.
Personal goals: Educate myself on what's healthy and learn to choose those foods over what I crave.

Sara, I like your thought process... the first ten pounds, and then the next ten pounds. It's so much easier in smaller increments. I'm going to steal that idea!

Rachell, your photo is gorgeous! I'm with you regarding getting so far over that it's harder to get back. I've been up to 210 lbs. But the worst thing was sweating and breathing hard after walking up two flights of stairs to my dr. SO embarrassing.

Welcome!

Name: Cat

BMI: 30.3

Biggest healthy-lifestyle pitfall (this isn't a "diet" to me!): I love love LOVE food. I love eating lots of unhealthy food, for the sheer tasty pleasure of it. I love fast food, and junk food, and all kinds of restaurant food, and even airline food. It's tricky for me to delay gratification and/or to practice moderation but I'm getting better at it. Also I tend to eat fast and/or mindlessly, though I have changed that habit most of all - partly by using my hedonism as a weapon! (It's more pleasurable to savour slowly, and pay attention).

Biggest motivator: Health!! (And, also, being able to buy clothes at regular stores. But mostly, reducing my risk of chronic disease.)

Personal goals: BMI under 25. Picking the right residency program. And developing some sort of organizational system for my home, to finally stop living in mild squalor. ;)

Name: Chia
BMI: 32.7 Only just in the group, I know but I figured it still counted
Biggest diet pitfall: Family As cruel as it is to say that it's true, my family aren't the most healthy eaters and it's a constant temptation.
Best motivator: The mirror Really looking at yourself after years of denial can be a real shock
Personal goals: Seeing the scale drop And ofcourse fitting into maller clothes and obtaining a healthy BMI of 23.

Kristin...thank you very much for the compliment :)

This is a great idea for a thread...there are so many people on the site that have alot to loose and many more with just a few vanity pounds.  It's nice to know there are others out there that are "toeing the line" :)

Welcome everyone!

Welcome Cat and Chia!

Motivation Tip of the Day - Chart your progress. Of course all of us are typing in our caloric intake, but how many of you use a physical, tangible chart to monitor exercise, for instance?

This goes back to our childhoods... remember getting that shiny sticker on a good test or paper? Or, if you're as old as me, scratch and sniff stickers on ace spelling tests.

Stickers are still motivating. Get a pack of your favorites from Michael's or Hobby Lobby (craft stores), or check eBay for some tiny Japanese stickers. Make a goal - I'm going to not binge, I'm going to work out for 20 minutes, I'm going to hit my calories for the day and no more - and put a sticker on your calendar.

As the stickers add up, it's a physical reminder that you are working hard for your goal, even when your BMI isn't budging or you've hit a plateau in your training.

Here's to your health!
Kristin

Name: Scott
BMI: 26.2 (started CC 5/29/07 @ BMI of 31.8)
Biggest diet pitfall: Alcohol!  Throw the calories out the window for me when it comes to drinking.  It takes me a good 5 days of super-dedicated counting to get back to where I was before drinking even a small amount.
Best motivator: Data!  Looking back at the past 4 months I can get motivation seeing how I was (what seemed to be) endlessly stuck at other weights and always came out dropping the pounds in the end.
Personal goals: Get to a BMI of 24 by year-end, see how it looks, and possibly go lower into normal if needed.

NAME: Sarah

BMI: 24.9 (started CC 9/27/07 @ BMI 25.5) (I know I'm on the brink, but I have been waivering around 25)

BIGGEST DIET PITFALL: I'm with Scott on the alcohol (love my beer and wine), and with Cat on loving food because it is just oh so tasty!!  Also, working in an office where there are always treats around doesn't help.

BEST MOTIVATOR: My huge wardrobe of GAP clothes from when I worked there a few years ago that just don't quite fit right now.  It would be a sin to waste all those gorgeous clothes!

PERSONAL GOALS:  To have my BMI back to 21-22 before my wedding on June 7, 2008.

Name:  Katie

BMI:  29 (down from 41--18 months ago)

Biggest diet pitfall:  Staying balanced.  If I'm too "good", I feel like I have license to be "bad".  I have to be just good enough.

Best motivator:  The weight loss graph and analysis grade on CC, my general health, being able to see and feel my muscles getting stronger, and SHOPPING! 

Personal goals:  When I reach my goal (hopefully in about 4-5 months) my BMI will be at 24.  I'll be happy with that!

Name: Pam

BMI:28

Biggest diet pitfall: girl scout cookies! I am the product manager for my neighborhood and my house is always full of cookies, I still have left-over ones from last year! Aaarggh! And I just got a box of more cookies for the upcoming year!

Best motivator:I want to feel good in my own skin, and be comfortable enough to go out in public and be myself

Personal goals:size 8 pants, weight 145

Name: Kay

BMI: 28.7 (down from 31.9 in August)

Biggest diet pitfall:  (just go back to trustwomen's -- I swear, exactly the same, except she's figured out how to savour -- I'm still trying)

Best motivator: Health -- I mean I'd like to be able to buy clothes from anywhere and not have to shop the mens department for certain items, but really -- cholesterol level/too high triglycerides is what's driving this current push

Personal goals:  BMI under 25, weight loss maintained, best times at swimming competition in May 2008

Name:Dacia (day-sha)
BMI: 31.2 (down from 34.9 on 7/2/07)
Biggest Pitfall: Emotional Eating and Alcohol
Biggest Motivator: Being healthy and feeling sexy
Personal Goals:Ten pounds (and sometimes less) at a time, educating myself on health and attaining a healthy lifestyle, and setting our wedding date (we are waiting - see biggest pitfall)
Biggest Concern:Plateauing in my weight loss, knowing where a realistic healthy goal is and when to stop loosing and start maintaining my weight (I'm setting a BMI goal between 21 and 22).
Make it a Great Day!
Smiles,
Dacia

Name: Julia
BMI: 29.6 (down from 39.3 on 31 May 2007)
Biggest Pitfall: Eating obsessively, eating when not hungry
Biggest Motivator: Being healthy and looking & feeling good 

Personal Goals: To get down into a healthy BMI, to maintain this healthy lifestyle after I reach my goal weight.
Biggest Concern: That I will have trouble maintaining and sticking to the foods that I know are the healthiest for me.

Wow, I'm personally shocked by the reaction. It just reiterates the need for motivational partners. I hope that as we get to know each other, you will all feel free to give each other ^5s and <knock knuckles>.

Scott, your weight loss is inspiring. I totally know the alcohol empty calories, but sometimes that bottle (or two) of wine or champagne is so worth it. I'll be on the wagon with you.

Sarah, congratulations on next year's nuptials! There is nothing like a big event to keep you on track.

Katie, wow, another inspiration. You've lost a first grader! When you look at it like that, it's crazy. Way to go!

Pam, got to love the babies, but don't they mess up your figure? Or, our reaction to them changes our eating behaviors. I remember putting my young-uns to bed and immediately sitting down to chips and dip as a "reward." And I would go nuts with Girl Scout cookies... you must have steel concentration!

Kay, I like how you describe the "swimmer's curse." It was the same for me, but with running. "What do you mean I can't eat a steak dinner with pie for dessert?" Oh, yeah, not running anymore. Welcome!

Dacia, I have some great information about plateaus, so I'll be sure to post them with the regular motivation.

Julia, you are an inspiration! Please share all of your tips, too. We'll work on maintaining, too (as soon as I lose about 2 BMI points). BTW, I'm an adjunct professor for English, so I empathize with your school year work schedule (but aren't the summers great?).

Fantastic to have you all here. Post frequently for advice, motivation, and encouragement, and I'll post tidbits on healthy living.

To your health,
Kristin

Good morning all!

Hope you had a good weekend.  I somehow managed to stay on track for the first weekend in a LONG time.  I have recently discovered the wonders of water.  I had read about the benefits in the past, but never actually tried it.  After a week of 64oz/day water refreshment, I can tell you that it's working for me!  It increases the efficiency of your liver.

I'm probably one of the most unconventional members in the group, but the different dynamic may be helpful to somebody.  I am a male, only eat 2-3 meals per day, eat most of my food out, and hardly do any routine exercise.  But my mixed-up formula is working!  I did start an honest strength training routine, but my weight loss came to a halt.  I've put that on hold until I burn some more of this fat off.

Overall I'm happy and surprised how far I've come since basically the end of May.  But I've got some stubburn fat pockets that have yet to burn off.  I'm just gonna keep chugging along and hope we can share ideas and motivation along the way!

Scott

Wow, Doomie -- you really have been successful, even if you say you are unconventional, you are obviously doing something right. 

But -- do you think it's possible that when your weight loss stopped when you started strength training that it could have been the change from fat to muscle?  Don't get me wrong, I'm sticking with cardio (luckily, my cardio is also resistance training) until my weight stablilized somewhere south of where it's at now before I start lifting again -- but it definitely has it's benefits -- and guys usually see the results faster than us girls.  Anyway, something to consider.  And -- water, the elixer of life.

Congratulations on your weight loss thus far -- your pictures really tell the story.

Coach K - I do think that muscle gain played a part in levelling out.  I was possibly gaining the same amount of muscle mass as what I was losing in fat.  I probably could have kept it going and saw positive results, but I was really focused on burning off these last few pounds of fat first.

I do ride 10 miles on my bicycle when I get the chance, but it's certainly not on a set routine.  It's crazy because I feel like I'm getting away with something, but as long as I can lose weight at this pace w/o an honest effort for exercise, I'm gonna keep being lazy!  I'm sure as I get closer to a normal BMI I'll have no choice.

I want to go to the beach next June, so I've got time to hit my fat-burn goal by new year's, then I have 5 months to work on the strength training routine.  If I can keep this rate up, I might be able to make the switch sooner!  I'm almost a month ahead of schedule now.

It's fantastic to get that time in on the bicycle, even if not for weight issues. Those exercise endorphins are the best. It just sucks that we can't remember them enough to want to do it more.

Speaking of exercise, I went running today. OK, jogging. All right, fine, so I lasted 3 minutes doing intervals. I'm not even at the couch potato-to-5K level yet. But I did it, and someday I'll look at this post and laugh, laugh, laugh.

How is everyone else doing?