year 2009, short girls aiming to lose 20-30 LBS

so due to all the end-of-year celebrations. I've gained tons of pounds.

I'm 5'2 at 131.12LBS (59.6kg)

aiming to lose 25 pounds to reach my happy weight.

anyone joining me?

Oh yeah!  Forgot to mention that I'm 5'2"...thanks all

Hi All,

It wasn't a very good week for me either, I was also sick all week!

Weight lost this week: 0.6 lbs since last friday

Current weight: 134.6

Good luck to everyone else!

Weigh in time! Happy friday everyone!

Lost this week: .5 lbs  :(

Current weight 122.5

Height: 5'1.5

Goal weight: 100 lbs

I had a tough week. Upped my calories to 1200 daily and at one point gained 2 whole lbs from it. Thank god I recovered a little in time for the weigh in.

Next week will be worse- Three "dates" which will require eating out at unhealthy restaurants. Wish me luck, guys!

Hi everyone

After last week's disappointing start I am delighted with a 2lb loss : )

Start weight   144 lbs

current weight  142 lbs

goal weight 126 lb

Only another 16 to go : (

Have a great weekend everyone

Weighing in at ta da!  Exactly the same as last week 141

BUT - I must look better, everyone is commenting on my "weight loss" though it is only 6 lbs total.

goal:  115

Name:  Gwen

Height:  4' 11.5" (lol ... I do love to count those lovely .5"! haha)

Starting Weight:  171 (when I joined CC) 150 when I joined this challenge

2/27/2009--  145.5

Loss This week --  1 lbs

Loss Since Starting This Challenge -- 5.5 lbs

Happy Friday, All!  Welcome to all the new folks!  I had the most amazing thing happen to me today ... and at just the right time!  I am coming off a very naughty weekend without exercise and a lot of cheeseburgers and wine (YUM).  My motivation and energy to get back on track has been horrible and I feel like every day is a struggle ... and I don't like it one little bit!  But, this  morning ... I decided to go and fetch myself a nonfat, sugar free white chocolate mocha (a treat I haven't allowed myself since November and I was a daily customer).  When I pulled up to the window, the gal that was working there was like, "Wow!  You look great, what are you doing to lose weight?"  It made me feel so good ... as it solidified that it is noticeable not just in my belly ... but also my face ... as she could only see me from the shoulders up in my big old truck!  I think this may help me find some renewed motivation!   Wish me luck! 

leahhh:  I would be up for whatever ... just let me know if and when this thread moves so I can find it!  I guess that would be up to jas_cuzzie ... since jas started the thread ... but I haven't seen jas in here much or am I flaking?

madamq:  I was right there with you ... not wanting to see the scale.  I came off a long weekend of being very naughty!  I ate all kinds of yummy things and didn't exercise a lick ... and I still managed a 1 lb weightloss somehow!  Staying the same is much better than gaining, right?

redselene:  I do hope you feel better!  It is not pleasant to be sick and it makes it tough (if not impossible) to exercise and make good choices around calorie intake and healthy foods.  Drink lots of fluids and hang in there!

jla0610:  First of all, welcome!  Plateaus can be so frustrating.  Don't worry ... it will pass.  I am coming off a plateau myself ... and I am very impatient so I won't tell you to be patient ... because I certainly wasn't.  But, this will pass!  Have you changed anything to see if it will help you break it?  I know for me I had to up my calories for a bit ... scary for me ... but it really did do the trick!

bure7360:  Get well soon!  Being sick is the absolute worst!  Not only do you feel crappy but I know when I am sick ... my motivation wanes ... even for awhile after I get better!  Hang in there and take good care of yourself!

yummy_kitty:  Sorry to hear you had a tough week.  It is likely you didn't gain 2 lbs from upping your calories ... I hope that makes you feel better (you would need to have gone over maintenance by like 7,000 calories to acheive that) maybe it was water weight?  Are you drinking enough fluids (water in particular)?  A .5 lb weightloss is great, try not to beat yourself up!  I know one of the things that helps me when I have to go out to functions that may be iffy with my eating plan is to do one of these things:  1.  plan out what I am going to order ahead of time by looking at the menu and making the healthiest choice I can possibly make, 2.  eat something healthy ahead of time and pass on the food that is available (which isn't my favorite option), 3.  plan for those extra calories by being careful the rest of the day with what I eat and compensating for the calories in extra workouts (I tend to choose this option because it gives me more freedom in what I want to eat ... I just have to decide how much I am willing to workout if I want a bacon double cheeseburger and a side of fries dipped in tartar sauce)!   Sometimes, calculating those calories ahead of time helps me to make a different food choice when I realize that I have to work out for like an extra 3 hours in order to eat what I want!

shonaghmartin:  Gratz on your 2lb loss!  Doesn't that feel so good?  I haven't had a 2lb loss in so long ... you are helping to inspire me to work a little harder!

Thanks Gwen! I usually just save up all my calories for the big meal and allow myself to splurge.

I cancelled my date last night (guy was being an ass and I've decided I'm not interested in him), and was so depressed I came home and ate a whole box of gorgonzola chips in about 20 minutes followed by two burritos before passing out. That is almost 800 calories over my daily limit.

How could I DO that?!

I am predicting right now that next week I will have gained weight for my weigh-in. :(

yummy_kitty  I am guessing that you are an emotional eater?  LOL ... my BFF is an emotional eater.  Part of changing your eating patterns for a new lifestyle is learning how to change some of those behaviors that go along with eating ... that relationship with food.  We all have our issues with food or we wouldn't be in the boat we are in now, right?  I know for me, I sometimes don't realize what it is I am doing ... or why.  For example, I got really anxious and irritable last week end (when I was on my naughty duty ... eating everything I shouldn't) and I had to leave food on my plate at the restaurant because I was too full to eat it ... but I knew I wasn't taking it home for leftovers (because I had to get on track again).  I know I gotta figure that out!  I have a tendency to hoard my food ... it was an epiphany when my BF pointed out that I was being "bitchy" since we left the restaurant and I realized I was pissed at him for not finishing my meal!!  Even though he had eaten all of his own!!  I knew I had to sit down and seriously answer some questions to myself in order to figure out why I had that reaction in order to change it ... becasue no one should eat after they are full!  Anyway, my point is that I didn't even connect the two until it was pointed out.  Now I have been given an opportunity to figure out what I am getting out of the behavior and how willing I am to change it and/or replace it with something else so I can improve my relationship with food.

I am guessing that you want to change the behavior of eating when you are depressed.  I could be wrong, you may not want to change that at all because it serves a purpose and it doesn't make you feel bad afterward.  But, since you are here for support around weight issues, I am guessing it is not that big of a leap to assume you want to change that behavior.  I apologize now if my assuming is annoying you or offending you.  But, here is what I had to do to help resolve that restaurant food thing:

I asked myself, first if I wanted the behavior to change.  

Next:  I had to ask myself, what are the advantages of the behavior staying the same and I made a list.

Next:  I asked myself, what are the advantages of the behavior changing and I made another list.

Next:  I asked myself what would changing this behavior look like and if I was successful and how would I feel if I was successful?  And, I put it in my journal.

Next:  I asked myself what I needed in order to change the behavior and wrote that in my journal, along with a list of those folks that I thought would be able to help and support me.

Next:  I asked myself, if I changed this behavior, what could I replace it with to allow myself the same benefits the behavior is serving me ... and I made a list of those replacement things I could do instead.

I don't know if this is helpful, but I know for me, that I needed someone to point out the behavior and for me to connect the things that were causing it to why it was occurring and then seek out some folks that may be able to help me because I had NO CLUE how to fix it once I identified it until my co-worker was like ... relate it to your work (I am a counselor specializing in adolescent addictions and youth offenders) ... what process would you take a client through if they wanted to change their behavior?  And, I came back to what do I ask clients that is effective ... and well, I think it worked pretty well for me! Sometimes, things are easier said than done when we are talking about ourselves ... sometimes it is easier to help someone else fix their issues than it is to fix them ourselves but I am glad my co-worker saw that I had some resources within myself that I didn't realize I had ... and maybe you will find the same thing if you take yourself through the process.  Only you will be able to find what will truly work to change that behavior or yourself.  I mean, we could all give you advice on how to not emotionally eat and what to do instead ... but that would not be very helpful because you need to resolve the deeper issue that is causing the behavior if you want to successfully eradicate it!  Good luck!  Let me know if this is helpful for you ... or if you want me to piss off! haha! 

Have a great week!

Gwen

Hey, I was wondering if it was too late to join in or not. I'm 5ft 136 lbs, I want to lose around 25-27 lbs.

Wow, Gwen.

That was really helpful. :) I am an emotional eater.

I eat when I'm sad, happy, bored, angry, content... Basically, if I'm experiencing any emotion, I'm hungry, hehehehe  :P

I'm working on resolving some other outlying issues and I'm hoping that my COE will be cured as a side-effect of that. I've hit a few set-backs, but next time I'm tempted (which is constantly, haha), I'll try the rational approach you discussed and see if that helps me long term.

It's similar to the approach my therapists have recommended for other things (my temper, my pushing people away, my mild paranoia, etc...)

Thank you for the helpful words.

Anytime, Yummy_Kitty!  This is a process and we are all here to help.  I will send positive energy your way ... every little bit counts!

~Gwen

Raginheadache - thank you for the welcome!  I'm coming back to weigh in with everyone tomorrow and haven't weighed myself since last Friday so I'm a little bit anxious.  My last day of work (I got laid off) is tomorrow so I'll be a stay at home mommy with my 2 little ones who are 21 months and 5 months.  I'm planning on upping my cals because I know I'll be more active around my house than just sitting at the computer for 8 hours and in the car another 2.  So hopefully that will help break this plateau.  I'm so ready to drop some more weight!!!

Hey there, I hope its not too late for me to join in!!?? 

I am 5' 2" with a medium frame, 22 years old, and a starting weight of 144.4 lbs as of the beginning of the week.  Its so cool to see all these fellow shorties with similar starting weights.  

I started CC almost a year ago and lost about 10 pounds, but gained most (not all, but most!) of it back so I'm needing the motivation and accountability.   

Its never too late to lose a few melinska.  Welcome!

On a topic not related to melinska at all:

There are some pretty strong emotions sourrounding the debate "strength training vs cardio".  Just out of curiosity, how many of you follow one line of thinking over the other?

Even today on the fitness board there was a very well respected cc member advsing people to drop cardio and just to do it if you have time at the end of your work out. 

Since I have watched my boss drop 70 lbs by walking (he is my inspiration), I am finding this line of thinking difficult to swallow.  Not that that one does not need or should not do strength training, but I rather see strength training as complimentary and one should not ignore either.

What do the ladies of this group think?

brittschissler:  Welcome!  I don't think it is too late to join us shorties!  As far as I can tell, it is a pretty informal group and I happen to think that the more we have the merrier! I think we have all agreed to do a weigh in on Fridays.  Hope to see you then!

jla0610:  I don't know how you manage to have the willpower to make it an entire week without weighing in ... I think I have a compulsion to see what is going on with the scale on a daily basis.  I would love to just limit myself to one day per week ... now to just work on staying off that scale! haha!  Sorry to hear about your lay-off.  Times are so tough right now!  You sound as though you are staying positive about the free time you are going to have with your little ones ... it is such a blessing to be able to have that time -- it goes by way too fast!!  I can't believe my baby is already 18!!  It makes me want to cry (well ... sometimes I want to kill her ... but mostly it makes me want to cry)!  Hang in there ... that plateau will break!  Mine seemed as though it took an ETERNITY!  Upping the cals and getting more active really ought to be helpful!  I will be thinking about you and sending some positive energy your direction!

Melinska:  Welcome!  I don't see why it would be too late to join ... this seems like it is a pretty informal group!  In my humble opinion, the more the merrier!  I am right with you in terms of needing motivation and accountability ... some days I feel as though I could conquere the world and others I feel lucky that I just got out of bed!   Plus, I am pretty good about rationalizing, justifying and minimizing my uhelpful, unhealthy behaviors so the accountability is so KEY for me!  Welcome!

Madamq:  I don't think I would give up cardio at all!  From my understanding from reading and working with my trainer, the cardio is what melts the fat!  Plus, cardio offers other health benefits to our bodies like a stronger heart.  But, I tend to agree with you, that I don't believe one is more important than the other.  I think that both together make a great strong program.  Strength training will give us that lean sculpted look, making us look great once the fat is actually gone, plus it offers the benefit of upping how fast we metabolize food long after we have eaten it ... cardio (from my understanding) only offers that benefit for a few hours, while strength training offers that benefit for a day or two after completing the work out.  I think both together offer maximum effectiveness. 

I think the thinner you are, the less you may NEED the cardio to melt fat, but use it only to give you a healthy heart and maintain your level of fitness, and maybe once you achieve goal weight, less cardio and more strength training would be the way to go?  I am not really sure!  I think beyond being complimentary, I may take it even a step further to say they are both neccessary.  It may also depend on the type of strength training one is doing.  Heavy weights can  not be done daily and circuit type stength training, with little rest between sets offers some cardio benefit.  So I suppose it would depend if one is getting cardio benefit from strength training by doing circuit type work or if they are only doing the heavy weight lifting, which could really only be done 3-4 times per week.  I know for me, I need to work out daily, or at least 5-6 times per week or I will slide right back into sloth-ville!  I am not one that can take a rest and then get right back on the program -- easily. 

Did that make sense?  LOL!  I guess ... making a very short story long (wish it were that easy to do for my legs S-T-R-E-T-C-H me to 5' 9 or so) ... I favor the combo!

**EDIT**  Madamq:  So interesting that you brought up this topic!  I just opened my Fitness magazine and someone posed the question, "Which should come first in my workout session, strength training or cardio?"  The answer: "It depends on your goal. 'If you're trying to lose weight, you should do cardio first,' says trainer Annette Lang, a FITNESS advisory board member.  'Burn the most calories you can, then use whatever you've got left for strengh training.'  If you main goal is to tone, do the opposite. 'Most research shows that a fit person who is trying to improve her strength should lift first,' syas FITNESS advisory board member John Porcari, Ph.D.  That's when motivation and levels of glycogen a muscle's move-it fuel -- are at their highest."  On the same page, it talks about getting flat abs and includes cardio as the number one step in reducing belly fat, along with crunches (which is part of strength training) -- and no big shocker, number 3 and number four deal with diet (eating nuts in particular) and wearing "ab flattering" clothes.  I just thought I would share this because I saw it after I answered your question ~ thought it was interesting and coincidental that you posed something similar today!

There we go, here in Brussels it's Friday again ;)

brittschissler & melinska: welcome! I too think the more the merrier, and it's never too late :)

raginheadache: Thank you so much for pep talking everyone! You really encourage me, even the encouragement you give other people does! :)

As for the matter of strength training vs. cardio, I just read that article and parts of the thread (damn it's become long ;)) and the conclusion I like best: do whatever the hell you want! I mean, it seems to me that the ones discussing in that thread are mostly the "fit people". Those who are maintaining a healthy weight and trying to get stronger. We, on the other hand, are trying to lose weight, some of us are having a hard time with it, so we should do what we like best in order to do it at all. If you only like one of the two, keep it to that. If you do like both, however, I think doing both is best. The cardio as a calorie burner and the lifting (or let me call it "muscle exercise", because I don't even own weights , I just do crunches and lunges and such) to get stronger and raise your BMR. I agree with raginheadache, that you might not need the cardio any more once you reached your goal weight, but then again, I think you should do what makes you happy and what suits your goal. The ones who want the nice muscles, will concentrate on the lifting, and the ones who just want to stay fit will probably concentrate on cardio.

Personally, I would alway go for the latter, because I LOVE bike riding, always have, always will. Also, I have come to like my workout videos. And my muscle training mostly constists of Pilates, which is fun. I just try to vary a lot. I also do Yoga for flexibility, and now I can bend down and hug my toes. Awesome :)

Like jla0610, I only weight myself once a week. I know I'd be thinking about nothing else if I weighed myself every day. It would be unhealthy. Although I am sometimes tempted to try it nonetheless, I manage to resist. This week was a bit better than the week before. I'm still fighting the rest of my cold, but at least I was able to exercise a bit. I had problems motivating myself after being ill, but the exercise took care of that :) So finally the weigh in:

Height: 5'3"

Starting weight: 141 lbs

Lost since last week: 1 lbs

Current weight: 132.3 lbs

Lost since the start of this challenge: 8.7 lbs :)

To lose to reach my happy weight: 12.3 lb

I took comparison pictures a month ago and the day before yesterday. When I look in the mirror, I don't see the loss, but I almost dropped off my chair when I saw the pictures in comparison. I now have a waist where before I had a blob!! And my stomach is showing indications of shape beneath the fat!! I can hardly believe it :)

So, I hope you guys had a good week, too! Looking forward to reading from you

I'm in. 4'11, 147lbs. Goal is 125 by June. I don't wanna be a beach whale again this year.  :)

and truthfully, I'd just like to look good in a pair of jeans....the joys of being under 5 foot. gahh

My third friday since starting with CC... and I haven't lost anything since last week, but that's okay.

Height: 5'1''

Started at: 158.4 lbs

Current weight: 154 lbs

Goal weight: 125 lbs

Left to lose: 29 lbs

I'm longing for wearing shorts this summer. :) I won't have reached my goal weight by that, but hopefully come a long way.

Ladies!  I'm so excited...waiting a week to weigh myself and eating clean (for the most part) has totally paid off.  I lost 2 pounds this week!  YAHOO

Starting Weight - 138

Last Weigh In - 133.8

Current Weight - 131.2 !!!!!!

Goal Weight - 112/115

For those who just joined (I'm new myself too) I've been on a month long plateau so this is the first drop I've seen in a LOOOONG time. 

As for our little discussion about cardio vs. lifting.  I come from a background of dance - danced as a little girl, danced competitively in highschool, almost have a dance minor in college so I just cannot fathom my life without cardio.  When I excercise now my body seems to crave cardio so I tend to love my workout videos and feel that it works best for me.  Don't get me wrong - I do like to lift weights too but definately don't feel like it's them or the highway.  I looked amazing when I was dancing, I was toned and in shape and never lifted anything but my legs.  LOL

Raginheadache:  I really am an every day weigher at heart but I was getting so discouraged and depressed about it that I had to stop.  And fortunately it paid off!  It's a fight to only weigh myself once a week - the scale calls me as much as those cookies and potato chips.  LOL  Today is my official last day...it's so weird.  All I can think of is being at home with my babies now, I'm really excited at this opportunity.  Heck - at this age all they need is love, food, and diapers and fortunately we can still provide that.  I'm just hoping things turn around by the time they are 17 and 18 because I remember too well how expensive I was at that age.  Class ring, Varisty Jacket, Graduation, College... and I had a job!  Oh my.

Redselene: Can you post your comparison pics?  I would love to see them.

Hello all :)

I'm very happy with my lost this week.

4.4lbs in only two weeks. Many more to go but I feel great!

Starting Weight - 148.2

Last Weigh-in - 147.6

This Weigh-in - 143.8

Total lost - 4.4

Total to go - 18.8