Over 200 club!

HI! My name is Laura and i am 5-5 and 235 lbs as of today. I did weigh 240 almot 2 weeks ago. I am counting calories cuz I do not know what ele to do. When i gave birth, I only weighed 201 lbs! My son is 5(his bday is halloween). I cant believe i have put on so much lately. I have high blood pressure so I am on Diovan. I am also on protonix( for heartburn). I took myself off depo provera lat Sept and currently have the IUD, Mirena. Birth control was part of it but that is why I switched to IUD. I am taking it slow, and watching what I eat. I guess I am supposed to stay under 1700 calories and I walked 20 minutes today. I hate exercise now but I have to do it to lose weight the old fashioned Way!
if you have any suggestions, please tell me....

Well, no loss today...gotta quit weighing every day i think? Got in a big fight with hubby, and ate a chocolate chip cookie to comfort myself. fit it in to my day's calories, though, and my blood glucose reading was uder 100, so i guess this one booboo wasn't too drastic. My calories for the day are only 1795, so it should be ok. Don't plan on making a habit of that, for sure! oh, and hi everybody! I've been struggling with some hormone imbalance depression since i had a hysterectomy in February. I guess i should just be glad my cancer is gone and i'm not gaining weight! Count the blessings, right?

Hope everyone has had a good day.

Yes carol...beating cancer is a blessing.  Better days ahead.  Don't fret the cookie, your calories look fine dear.  (((((Big Hugs))))

carol - I agree with rockinmama, beating cancer is a blessing!  I hope that fight got resolved.  You only had ONE cookie...that's not bad.  I eat when I'm depressed and when that happens, forget ONE cookie...try like an entire batch of cookies.  So, good for you - that wasn't so bad.  Small steps. 

Oh, did someone bring up fashion again???  Hahahaha!

I totally agree with plus size shopping.  It's no fun.  You know they make clothing for all different body types but, as soon as you get to plus size, we all have the same body types...or at least the clothes do.  I won't go into the problems that I have with hips of clothing but, let me tell my biggest problem is the tops and the room they make for boobs.  I can tell you my little puppies never ever fit into the alloted space for the boobs.  Why do they think all plus women have huge boobs?? 

Okay...tonight, I really indulged and had some yummy tacos.  Although, I didn't eat the whole pan, I did eat quite a bit in one sitting.  I have to work on evening out the calorie intake throughout the day.  Right now, I barely eat during the day and for dinner I eat the majority of my calories.  That can't be good for me.  Is anyone else having this problem??  You can stay under 500 calories before dinner and then at dinner you eat the rest of your calorie intake for the day?  By the way, I'm still under my 1500 calories for the day!

Hi everyone.  Boy, i've missed a few postings!  it's fun to check up and 'listen' to everyone.  Sorry about the mishaps.  Seems like a few of us has some this past week.  i'm still nursing my leg and hip and then TTOM shows up with back cramps.  Ugh!

Caroljoy -- I only wish I could stop at one cookie.  I ended up eating dark chocolate M&Ms again tonight.  However, with everything today, I still only had 1700 calories on the nose!  If I wouldn't have had the M&Ms, I would have had under 1500.  Oh well, at least it is still under 1700.

Good news, I weighed my official weigh in today and it was 237.5 and boy was I surprised considering TTOM is visiting.  I'm really hoping that by the end of this visit, I will be under 235.   I'm keeping my fingers crossed.  237.5 is still .5 more than what I weighed a month ago.  but it is nearly 5 lbs less than 2 weeks ago.  I'm excited but not going to celebrate too much until I get below 235.  Then I will consider it a real loss.........  I have too much up and down to get excited about a weight I've seen multiple times over the last couple of months only to see it go up agian. 

This site and you, my friends, are really helping me to be honest and accurate with my food counts and exercise.  Thanks for being my morale, my conscious, and my support.

Shopping, hmmm.  Big dresses, big flowers, long arms, skirts that hit the ankles, stripes that go the wrong way, and prices to match the sizes.... Oh, and the selection, sadly lacking, sometimes even in the stores that "cater" to the larger person.  It would be nice if they used the same or at least as attractive material as they do in the smaller sizes instead of putting some of the prints that they do on the plus size clothing.  Some of it just looks like it came out of a catalog that was out of style 50 years ago.  Some things are good and we have a store called Catherine's that has some nice selections but the prices are hefty.  Then there is Cato's, selections are ok, prices are ok, but seems like once the clothes are washed they shrink quite a bit, so then you go buy more.....

Keep on losing! 

Good Morning everyone!!!!!!!

Life still sucks here on occasion but today I have some good news...I tried on last year's clothes and they fit.....The weight I gained back last year I have now lost....AND......    &nbs p; (YES, there is an AND here!!!!!!!)

When I first started this journey in 2001, I wore a size 32 pants.  I could not find jeans to fit because the 32's did not fit and they didn't have larger.  My husband suggested buying a smaller size jeans to hang on the wall as motivation as the years have gone by.  3 years ago I bought a size 18 pair of jeans.  Today I put them on and zipped them up.  I did not have to jump, scrunch, lay down on the bed...nothing and they zipped up.  I am so excited. 

I am jazzed about being able to wear a size 18....A SIZE 18...Can you believe it???????????

Stats for yesterday, May 2, day 40, calories 1781, water 66 ounces, walked for 40 minutes.

I don't feel like whining so much now that I can put them on...

Thanks you guys for listening.......

So, a question, what about all this skin....

I was so FAT, my skin is strecthed out, not just stretch marks but stretched out.  My stomach hangs down 6 inches.  I know that as I get down to 185, more of it will skrink but then what.  I can not afford plastic surgery....any ideas?  I know toning will help some but with the farm work I do, I have muscles, I am worried about getting even bigger muscles...

CONGRATULATIONS, Ginny!!!!  That is awesome!!  I'm so happy for you!  What a fantastic feeling!  Great job!!!

Unfortunately, I'm no help on the extra skin/toning area, but I'm really, really hoping that some others might be, because I need the same help.  Anyone?

Congrats to everyone who lost!  Glad most are feeling better!  Kt - hope your tailbone is feeling better, but if not, I agree with everyone who said that it might warrant a visit to the doctor.  Better safe than sorry....

Have a great day everyone!   : )

Good Morning Friends!  Congrats to everyone, even if there are trials and testing and hard times, GREAT JOB... For without mishaps, no one could ever reach success!  I have to share my happiness with yesterday.  My coworker wanted to go to Starbucks yesterday morning, I went thinking I would just get a coffee and not eat the rest of the day BLAH.... When I got to the drive up window, I decided NO I am not throwing this away... I have worked too hard... The drink I get is a Venti No Whip White Chocolate Mocha with an extra Shot of espresso, one pump hazelnut and one pump vanilla.... WHEW!  800 Calories Later and its worse than an entire meal... ANYWAY I SAID NO!!! Then she wanted to go to Jack in the Box to get Breakfast sandwiches... I ordered a Sausage, Cheese and Egg Bisquit.... When I got back to my office, I jumped on CC and looked it up; "F" rating and packs 740 calories... I literally LOST MY APPETITE for it.... I handed it off immediately to my boyfriend who works with me.... LOL No sad feelings, NOTHING.... I spared myself 1,540 calories in just those two items alone!  OVerall, ate a little over 2000 calories for the day, which isn't great, but isnt bad if I NATURALLY burn 2100 a day just by sitting.... Anyway, I told myself I could, and I did!  Lost another .4 of a pound... Started CC 2 weeks ago and am down 4 pounds!  YAY!!!   

KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK EVERYONE!!!

We are glad carol that your cancer is gone. Just one chocolate chip cookie? I don't think I've ever eaten just one!  Yeah you should stop weighing every day if it bums you out.

hye, I agree, too much boob room. I think that's half of where my long sleeve problem comes from. What keeps you from eating during the day? Are you not that hungry or is it just habit or lack of time?

blj-glad you are losing, it is frustrating when you find yourself losing the same pounds over and over again, but you'll get there.

WOW ginny!!! That is so amazing and inspiring!! SO COOL for you!! Size 18!!!!!!!!  Oh to wear 18"s again! RAH RAH !!!!! That just came out, I'm sure no cheerleader!  As far as the skin goes, no good news there :( Maybe we can just save our nickels and dimes for plastic surgery. By the time I saved that much they will probably have the technology to just zap it away!

Good for you queen! I've just decide to give up coffee for the most part because I don't like it so much that I can't live without it and the extra cals just for the creamer aren't worth it to me. There are ways to get a better cal coffee drink.  Starbucks can't make a no sugar mocha but I think you can get a sugar free, fat free, latte with sugar free flavors. For sure having nothing but coffee for the day would have been a bad choice. You did good! congrats on the loss!

OMG Ginny!!!  WOOHOO on size 18!!!!  CONGRATULATIONS!!!!  RARARA!!!  That is such an accomplishment; be proud!  That must've felt really really good to zip those babies up.  I've not lost enough to see the skin problem yet but would be curious to see any responses.  Just an idea but you might want to start a separate forum just to pose that question.   Congrats again!!! 

Mabear-I agree with mama, the food scale has done wonders for me too.  I picked up a digital one at Target, it ran $20 bucks.  I use it for EVERYTHING.  I was finding measuring spoons/cups were not easy to use with the way some things are portioned here.

Blue-it's probably too late but dominoes...

Hye-same problem over here too!  Geez, what else do we have in common?!?!?  Lol   Anyway, I have my set breakfast daytime (weekday) foods and I usually leave work at 500-600 calories...which means I have 1000-900 to consume for dinner.  Lots of calories for dinner.  I want to even it out more but hubby already thinks I don't eat enough so I eat the most in front of him.  It also doesn't help that all this means my tweaking is left for the end of the day.  I do take responsibilty though (I can't blame hubby), most of it is me and my apprehension to go over aka get carried away.  I have in my mind...what if, by the end of the day I am starving and I have no calories left to play with...then I'll cheat, then I'll spiral, and then....

BLJ-Catherine's is expensive!  Jerks!  Plus size fashion sux!Welcome Supergirl!!!  Congrats on your loss so far and I'm glad you're catching yourself this early in life.  Good for you!

Carol-I am so glad for you for having those blessing to count!

I don't know how you guys go all day on so few cals. Only 10 o'clock and I'm at 1000 cals again. I'm just so hungry in the mornings. I think at some point I probably learned to eat during the day instead of at night where hubby would give me a bad time about eating alot. Oh well, I'll try to keep it under 1800 if I can today.

I think I should get a food scale. I almost got one the other day but I figure I would stop using it after a while and it would be another thing sitting around getting dusty.

blue - I'm noticing a pattern myself.  I still haven't eaten anything, but what will happen is the following:

11 am - Start to get hungry; get some cottage cheese

12:30 or 1pm - Lunch, probably won't eat anything

2 or 3pm - Get hungry, crave sugar.  Nothing but cottage cheese in the work fridge, so I get candy from vending machine.  Then maybe two more over the remaining few hours, telling myself that "this will be the last you have" (who am I kidding?). 

5:30 - Go home.  Eat two portions between 5 and 7.  Hopefully, that's it.

I'm ashamed to admit this, but part of me is scared to fully commit, and I DON'T KNOW WHY.  I used to think it was because I knew I couldn't have what I wanted (can't change my height, stature, etc.) , but I actually feel scared.  I don't know what's wrong.  I've been moderately overweight since I was 11 and I don't know what it's like to be skinny or in shape anymore.

Hopefully at no more than 230 (weighed 2 days ago) at 6'3"...

Ha blue, I hope eventually mine will just be sitting there because I get so darn good at eyeballing size/portion.  Yeah...that's a goal, but a loooonnnnggg term goal.  Lol

My morning is a half cup of instant oatmeal made with water and I add a 5th cup of 2% milk.  I have my coffee with sugar free flavored powdered cream and a cup of grapes for my mid-morning snack. 

Lunch varies with a sandwich w/low fat/sodium ham and a side of low cal chips (yes, Ruffles) or a side salad, or a can of low fat/sodium soup, or a whopper jr and side salad, or just leftover dinner in a smaller portion.  The later two options is when I hit around 600.  I never used to eat breakfast until I started my weight loss back in November.  That might be why I can do a small breakfast.  Try more protein at night to keep you from being extra hungry in the AM.  That's a trick I learned fairly recently. :)

Ginny!!  That is awesome!!  I haven't seen size 18 in years!  I'm hoping to get there real soon.  I'm very proud of you for being able to fit into the size 18s.  As far as the stretched skin problem...I don't have a clue.  My friend who lost 140 lbs. ended up having surgery to remove all the extra skin. 

KT - How's that tailbone and head??  Did you go to the doctor's yet??

bqueen - That's great!  I'm glad you were able to catch yourself.  I know what you mean about checking everything on CC.  Good job at turning away Starbucks (aka Fatbutts) and Jack in the Box.  It won't be as easy every time but, when you're able to do it, it feels great...doesn't it???

Blue - When I'm alone I do fine.  It's when I get around other people that I just start eating.  I guess eating for me is a social thing.

V - My thinking is the same as yours, what if I'm starving by the end of the day and no calories left, etc.  You definitely hit the nail on the head on that one. 

The past three days, I've been talking walks, drinking lots of water and staying within my calories and the scale as not moved.  It's staying right at 201.4.  So, tonight, I am consciously going over by a few hundred calories to see if it'll move.  The calories I'm consuming are fruits and vegetables so, I don't feel so bad about it.  I think my body is settling in at 1500 calories and right now, I'm maintaining.  So, I'm gonna see if I can give it a kick.  I'm hoping by Monday I'll be out of the 200's..I'll see.

Alright...one more chapter left then, I'm finished for the semester.  I'll check in later!

loose skin  http://www.leehayward.com/loose_skin.htm   hope that helps.

wow soundsl ike everyone is doing awesome!

congrats ginny! that must be sooo exciting for you! and that's a pretty good idea your husband had.

hye- i'm feeling okay. i woke up today and everything was sore: my neck, side, arms, and of course that tailbone. i dont understand why my head hasn't been killing me and it kinda worries me. i ddi talk tot eh nurse yesterdya and they said that i should be fine, my tailbone will just be sore for a while. it hurts most after ive been sitting so driving adn then sitting in calss all day today is nto going to be fun. i just walk very slow now and try to sit on it as comfortably as possible haha...i'm hoping it starts to feel better soon.

thanks shannon, the article was interesting and at least a little encouraging. I doubt I would ever have surgery so I just have to hope for the best.

vk, I might try eating oatmeal instead of cold cereal for breakfast. I always eat 2 servings of cereal and 1 cup nonfat milk because 1 serving is just not enough to fill me up. Oatmeal is more filling so hmm... I'll try more protien at night too, thanks.

Hope your scale moves for you, hye. You are so close to 200!!! So you are going to have to do something to celebrate, right? 

Ignorance.. I imagine if you eat lunch it will be easier to stay away from the vending machine. That much I have found to be true, that if I feed myself enough that I feel at least somewhat satisfied it really helps keep me on track. Good luck.

blue - true, true re. the vending machine.  normally i'm good about avoiding it, just these last two days...  I'm trying to train myself to only eat when hungry, which is surprisingly NOT easy.  I also attempted to starve a few brief times before coming to grips with the fact that even weighing 160 pounds isn't going to make me like what I look like, and maintaining it will probably only add to the misery.

I don't know how much of a factor this is, but I haven't been sleeping well for a week.

Ignorance and want:  That could totally be the reason you are feeling hungry, but your body really isnt.... Sleeping for at least 8 hours a night is sooooooo important in weight loss.  Often times, people mistaken their tired feeling for a desire for food.... DUNNO why!  Are you exercising at least 30 minutes 3 times per week?  This may help, even a simple low impact.... ALSO, in the vending machine at work, is there anything that is a better bad choice?  For example, rather than going for that Snickers Bar go for Sunchips or Cheese Its?  Or is it just a candy vending machine?  What about chewing gum?  Sometimes, our mouths just need something to occupy them!  LOL I know it is crazy, but that could do it....

As for the sleep deprivation and hunger... Check this article out...

http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2004-12-0 6-sleep-weight-gain_x.htm