Slow-paced dieters? Let's rally!!

Hi everyone!  I've read so many threads where people are dieting quickly and eating like 1300 calories a day and stuff like that.  I've got a very slow-paced goal for myself.  I want to lose 63 pounds but plan on doing so over the next 23 months.  I'm in no rush and don't have the discipline to "crash diet". 

I'm consuming 1700-2000 calories a day and trying to work out 20-30 minutes/day but I'm REALLY bad at motivating myself to do that, especially during the August heat.  I'll be doing more bike riding as fall comes closer. 

So, who else out there is dieting slowly?  Who needs motivation to work out?  Let's get on each other's friends lists and start supporting each other.

Whew, I'm back online. It has been awhile since I have been able to log on and see how everyone is doing! Wow new faces too! Cool! Well, we have moved from the out backs of Idaho to the raring fires of Southern  California! Let me first say moving sucks. Then let me say I am proud of myself for still being careful of what I ate during this experience - even during the 23 hours driving it took to get from Idaho to our new home.  I can't wait to find the scale! I was not able to keep a food log, but I think I did well! Not perfect but well!!!

  Anywhoooo, I really liked that recipe for greek pizza. Should I get the dried kind of sundried tomatoes, not the kind in a jar?  (Does that make sense? )  I'm pretty exausted if you can't tell....

Hi Everyone.  I hope that you will let me join this thread.  I am 27 years old and I weigh 301 pounds.  My heaviest weight is 315.  I have been trying forever to lose weight, but it just does not happen.  I have PCOS, which makes my appetite a lot worse than normal, but I still would think that I could have lost some weight over the years.  I don't really eat a lot of food right now, but I do eat the wrong kinds of food.  I don't eat very nutrtious foods.  I also drink almost no water, and I am a soda addict.  My lowest weight reccently has been 289 pounds.  I am going to try to be healthier and see what happens.  I guess if I lose weight, that will be great, but if not, at least I will be healthy. 

Doorfry<><

clarkplace, that pizza is yummy! I just buy a precooked pizza shell, slather it with a mixture of about 1 T olive oil, basil, oregano, thyme, and minced garlic, then sprinkle on about 12 cut up sundried tomatoes, a handful of sliced black olives, and a handful of light feta, then broil it until the crust starts to brown and the feta slumps. But yeah, try to use the dry tomatoes rather than the jarred ones, as the jarred ones are usually packed in oil. The dried ones I cut up with scissors and then nuke in some water for a minute or so to soften them.

Welcome, doorfry! I used to drink a lot of diet cola as well as sugar-free koolaid (my answer to plain water) but I recently determined to drink 8 cups of water a day (and I used to hate plain water!), and I can't believe the difference it's made. I'm not as hungry as I used to be, and--someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I think I read somewhere that even the diet cola is bad because the sweetness of the aspartame/splenda/what-have-you in it triggers the release of insulin--the body thinks it's got some sugar to take care of--and it blocks the body's ability to burn fat. Not good. Simply getting away from soda might be a good thing to try.

Ugh, bedtime. I've got another busy day tomorrow; the magazine articles I'm editing are coming fast and furious now. One good thing--it's a health and fitness magazine, so I'm learning a lot as I work!

 

 

Yeah, I've heard that diet soda is bad for you because of the chemicals in it.  That is actually what I drink because it is what my parents drink so it is usually what is in the house.  I really do need to change that.  Cherry kool-aid is one of my other favorite drinks too.  Right now I am drinking some Sunny Delight.  I don't know if that has any nutritional value at all.  Maybe I'll try to increase my water a little bit at a time unitl I get into a healthier range. 

Talk about weird. With all the exercise and hard labor I have been doing since July, I have only lost 6 pounds but I have lost 2 pants sizes!!!! hooray!?

Clarkplace, I think dimensions are what matter most, right?  Because you may be converting fat weight to muscle weight, which is good.  Smaller is definitely still on the right track.   (It would be nice, though, while everything is getting smaller, if some of what's on my rear would gravitate to my boobs....  *g*)

LOL!!!

Original Post by cc:

Clarkplace, I think dimensions are what matter most, right?  Because you may be converting fat weight to muscle weight, which is good.  Smaller is definitely still on the right track.   (It would be nice, though, while everything is getting smaller, if some of what's on my rear would gravitate to my boobs....  *g*)

HAHA! I've always told my husband, if I had all the blubber that's on my butt in my boobs, I'd put Dolly Parton to shame!

I have to diet slow as I have heart disease, pancreatitis, and diabetes. I lost weight four years ago but put it all back on after my husband's death and am now in the process of taking it back off. I have lost 26 pounds since the diagnosis of diabetes in March. I babysit my three year old granddaughter and find it hard to exercise as I have her from dark until dark. I do take her walking to a close by park sometimes. I am in desperate need of motivation and my health should be enough I know but it is hard. I am getting there though a little at a time and that is what my cardiologist told me to do. Keep at it.

Barker, good for you for starting earlier!!! 26 pounds since march is NOTHING to shake a stick at! And yes, we all know it is extremely hard or we would all looif you need encouragement or support!  Finding time to exercise has been my biggest hurltle as well, and I was doing pretty well, walking up to an hour a day with my kids until my heel started giving me fits even more than usual. I just found out I have severe heel spurs and the doc said I need to do "non-weight bearing" exercises like biking or swimming. I really have no idea how I am going to swing that as I don't have a bike (never have and have no clue how to ride one) and where do I go swimming that is free and open the hours that I could go.   Still working on this one.

Anyway, don't let me be a downer, you go for those walks with your grandbaby. Do you have a wagon or stroller? that is what worked best for me. Sometimes though I had to just slow down and let them take time to smell the flowers...:) Good luck!

I just thought I would say 'hi'. Apparently my body has decided it wants to lose weight slow so I'm with it! I just want to lead a healthy life-style--so if it takes slow to get it off--then slow it is. It took a while to put the weight on and if it takes a while to take it off then that's fine--as long as it comes off!!!

"Apparently my body has decided it wants to lose weight slow so I'm with it!" ur lucky ur body wants to lose at all!!! my body doesnt want to lose anything! i have trimmed quite a bit since taking up martial arts, but not enough so that it makes a difference! besides that, i have been counting calories really carefully! not overdoing it but being really healthy etc. IT HAS NOT HELPED AT ALL... i haven't been on the scales for a couple of weeks becuase i am not particularly bothered about numbers, but i know that the eating has made zero difference!!!!! perhpas in my next life i'll be slim... anyway, now for something different- i am starting personal training in kick boxing tomorrow, am really looking forward! i love letting out energy like that, and hope it will help in the grand scheme of things.......

anyway, hope all is well with u people, and look forward to joining back in the convo if i may....

 

xx

Hi everybody!  haven't had time to chat with you guys in ages -- I used to work at home, but now I sit out in the open at an office most days, so I can't be online as much as I'd like!

They invited me to volunteer moderate the Health & Support -- come and visit me there! 

Don't give up, sickofdieting -- I feel your pain!!  Bodies can be stubborn!!  There's stuff all over this site (and the 'net) about plateaus.. seems like our bodies are just designed to conserve energy, which is a drag when we have other ideas.  I actually took about 3 months to lose a measly 5 pounds, and then, after seeing my target weight last week, I've gained 4, lost 3, and gained 1 for a grand total loss of 3 pounds in 3 months, haha!  I have some more strategies for making this next part more successful, but I gotta say, even when I applied all my energy to this goal, counted every calorie and worked out all the time, the pounds didn't exactly fall off.  You're doing great with kick boxing and watching the intake -- it'll work in time! Just don't let yourself get down about it.  You'll get there.

:oD

 

just wanted to say hi and hope every one in doing well...

hullo! i just have to report back on this kickboxing thing! The main reason i started is becuase i have arthritis (and yes i am only 22...) and apparently it is good for the joints. i have personal training once a week and do it at home with a dvd as well!! the first few times i did it, there were only guyz there and myself! i felt so intimidated, it was unreal!! and this is coming from someone who has no issues giving presentations in front of 500 people. There was boxing and kicking all over the room, was sure i would end up in casualty!! (yes they were trying to impress me as well, which didnt make  me feel any better....)

when i entered the centre this week i noticed it was much quieter, i entered the main room, and yes it was lovely, there were no guyz, only instructors, and ummmm, 5 of my students having a lesson!! i thought i was going to cry!! they always see me all dressed up, hair, makeup etc and then along comes their teacher in gym clothes, and eventually a red faced teacher who was all sweaty!!! not sure which scenario was worse!! and now as i entered school this morning, the kids all had their little comments about how well they have to behave coz else i will use my kicking talents on them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What a lovely experience:-) and no, i still haven't lost weight by the way....

 

have  agood day, and yes it might sound amusing but only retrospect!!!

take care,

 Shelly

Dear Friends- I'm back on this site after about a 6 week absence and boy do I ever need your help!  I've avoiced the scale but I'm probably back up about 5 pounds since my last weigh-in.  I'm in the middle of a class for my new job and studying 8 hours a day has led me back into HORRIBLE patterns of sugared pop, caffiene galor, and snacking all day long! 

My hubby and I didn't sign up for a gym but I found out today there' s workout facility I can use for free now with my new job.  I need some mega-help and motivation in getting back into better habits, especially with the holidays coming up.  HELP!!

Love and dieting prayers to all of ya,
K

First of all welcome back my friend!!! I am so glad you have made the choice to do this !   

As far as help goes, I have one little suggestion.  When my hubby had major classes and work, he had me pack him three big water bottle type Thermos's  filled with  calorie free Gatorade or crystal light powder. He would fill one up as he needed it instead of the soda he had come to rely on to get him through.  I know it is not the best but if he really needed the caffeine, I sent him a set # of cans of diet soda in small cooler.  He had to gauge when he really needed one to help him keep going. 

 He also left an hour early each day so he could go work out at his company's gym and that really helped as well.

As far as what I do to help me through the holidays, starting at halloween and all that great candy the kids bring home, I set out a dish with a premeasured (and pre calorie counted) amount of either granola, trail mix  or cut up fruit.  If I really need a sweet fix, I have a little premeasured amounts of raisons or if I get really bad, SMALL baggies of m&ms if they are within my caloric goal for the day. I figure if I try to completely deny myself, # 1,  I will never learn moderation and #2 I will fail miserably.  

 I also have monthly, weekly and most importantly daily goals. I am a list person, so when I make my lists of things to get done that day, I just do my goals at that time as well. Sometimes I screw up, or am too busy or don't feel good enough to make my lists and I don't get much done on those days, but I at least try.

Good luck to you and keep us updated on your progress !!!

 

I love lists! Writing things down and then working to cross items off the list is a terrific motivator.

And wow, free gym access? Sounds like a great job perk.

We all fall off the wagon once in a while, kthompson. As long as you hop back on before the gain creeps up to ten (what is it about ten lbs that seems so daunting, anyway?!), you'll settle back into the swing of things. Just remember how tough it's been to lose what you have, and ask yourself if you really want to do that all over again!

Wow, I'm starting to think I'm the conversation killer...

oh don't say that! we all read what you said and all agree so much  - well it might just be hard to top perfection!  .

this thread is too important to let die! may I humbly suggest everyone post thier weight they are now and the weight they were when they started and that date? 

Me, I am at 166 right now (started at 176 on July 21 of this year) . Down 10 pounds in 4 months. Boy if that ain't slow paced dieting I don't know what is !