Trying to lose 10 lbs. forever club

I am interested in finding others who have been struggling for a long time with losing the "last 10 lbs". .  I've been battling to lose 10 lbs for many years.  Actually, I've lost 10 in the last year but I needed to lose 20 a year ago (not just 10). 

I run, bike and swim now and have been participating in running 5k's and triathlons.  I have firmed up but would like to wear a size 8 comfortably.  I may want to go on to a size 6 next.


I think that if I had some friends with the same goals, then I would stay motivated.  Maybe we can share ideas and recipes. 

Let me know if you are out there and interested.

morning all :) it's Wed weigh-in, remember ? as of today i'm -1.4 lb meaning i have 8.6 to lose. but that means a lot for me! haven't seen such weight in a loooong time. is the double exercise thing still on or was it only for the first week? i'm having period since Sun so wasn't doing much vigourous exercise just yoga and walking.

good luck with the weigh ins, can't weight to see your results :)

eugrrrlll- Wow- talk about an early weigh in! It's been Wed for less than an hour...

Question- do you girls usually weigh yourself at the same time each Wednesday? My initial weight joining June 5th(ish) was 178. A few days later I was at 174. The other day I weighed myself naked and was 169.4... but today when I weighed myself I was back to 175.2...

Thanks for all the encouragement and comments so far- amyb- you are right- turkey will get boring after a while! I enjoy alternating which veggies I put on it (cucumbers or bell peppers or lettuce and tomato, etc) and congrats on the bike ride!!!! that's quite an inspiration! dievans- I tried fish for the first time (my mama recommended talipia and my neighbor let me borrow a really tasty cajun rub) and it was very tasty... also, my cereal has flax seed in it which I'm told is really healthy?

My physical therapist says it will still be a while until I can run but I am trucking it on the elliptical and doing workout videos at home for now!

I was very nervous for a party that I was throwing Sat night because I wasn't sure how to "drink healthy" but I think I did okay... I had rum mixed with crystal lite lemonade :)

meltydawne - 

no! i didn't weigh myself at 1am! i'm in a different time zone it is late Wednesday morning here. weight fluctuations are normal, i weigh myself everyday, always second thing after i get up, without any clothes and that's the weight i log. but on the other hand i don't have such big fluctuations, maybe 2-3 pound difference, check out the green line on your weight chart, that's the trend line telling you the average weight loss

:) take care

Hi all,

weight this AM  - - - - -139 lbs!! Woo Hoo!

(after a 4 mile run of course)

I have stayed within my calories goals for the past three days.... who would have thought it?

I weigh myself at the same time everyday, right after I get up.... I also step on the scale 3 times.  Sometimes I think it "sticks"..  Try the same time every day/week and see.  I think sodium,etc play a role... so if you had a salty meal, and drank alot, even though you think you countered this, you are probably still holding some H20.

eugrrrlll---------awesome!!

keep up the good work... planning a bike ride after work to get my "double" in.

eapatterson - I am just like you!!!

I eat well during the week and then the weekend comes. I drink and then want to eat bad things!!!

It's Wednesday and I have only worked out once this week. I am lacking the motivation! When I get home from work, the last thing I want to do is workout. I have no energy.

The mornings are not an option - I don't want to get up at 5 a.m.!

Anyway, will have to try harder.

Weigh in - 123lbs (i'm 5'4 and was 125 before). So it's not so bad. And that's after eating!

Someone was asking about cool whip- I buy the light kind, I forget exactly which one but it's 25 cals for 3 tbsp!!!! Can't complain and it's great as a desert, it satifies my sweet tooth!

Hello everyone!

  I am down -4.2lbs.  Woo Hoo!  Today I did BodyAttack(It is a high impact aerobic class) and I biked 7.5 miles.  I plan to stay within 1400 calories.  That is just the amount of calories I eat.  I am not counting how many calories I burn and I am not eating back my calories after a workout.  I tried that before and hit this plateau I've been on forever. 

Congratulations to AmyB and Eugrrrl on the weight going down! Eugrrrl, I love tilapia too!

I also weigh myself immediately after I get up and pee.  I do weigh everyday, but I am trying not to get caught up in the day to  day fluctuations.  I like that we picked Wednesday to weigh in and report.  I hope to get to the point where I weigh myself only once a week.

Because my triathlon is 6/24 this will be the last week of really intense workouts.  Next week I plan to taper and rest a little more.  I am hoping this does not have a negative effect on my weight.

Good luck everyone!

Di

Hi all.  I discovered this board last night.  Yesterday was a bad day - I was bummed that after 8 days of eating 1100-1300 calories, combined with 1 or 2 workouts per day (combo walk/run or gym in the morning/ swimming laps in the evening) - and I haven't lost a single pound!  I'm usually good for 2 or 3 pounds of water weight which is good incentive to continue.  So yesterday afternoon, I kind of lost it and ate more -- calculated it all this morning and I still only ate 1575 calories and gained 1/2 a pound!

My stats - I'm 41 and 5'3".  Current weight is 132.  Pre-kid #2 I was 118 (and she's almost 11).  Got to a range of 120-123 after her.  Since kid #3 (almost 5), I've lost the same 5-10 pounds four times.  Got back down to 120 one time.  Each time I add a couple pounds to my high weight.  Last year my high was 130, got down to 123, and watched it climb over the winter so now I'm starting at 132.

It's really depressing to be so good for 8 days (which I know is not a long time) but still, you'd think I'd lose something.  The good news is I have lost an inch total in hips/waist/abs.

So today, I'm back on track with the rest of you ladies.  I'm going to try to not weigh myself everyday because it's too depressing.  I'll start with today's weight as my baseline and follow your Wednesday weigh-in schedule.

Congratulations to those of you who are seeing results!

Hi mOnster2!  I hear you - weighed myself today and there's no change from last week.  Boo!  I've lost 2 pounds total and was committed all last week and nothing.  So....do you think I should do double workouts every day or increase the intensity of the workouts I'm currently doing?  I'll decrease my calories to 1200 for 2 days in a row and see if that does anything too.  So frustrated!

trixtrix -

I don't know.  I've been doing double workouts most days and have average 1200 calories for the past 8 days.  I'm wondering if I'm doing too much activity for too few calories.  Maybe I need to up the calories to 1300-1400 or lower the exercise?  Or maybe I need to go to 1000 for two days to jumpstart?  Let me know what you decide to do.  Maybe I'll try the same thing.

Mel

I am afraid to tell you all, but I was good all last week, gorged myself on Saturday (but did a short run) and then the bike ride on Sunday.  Took it easy on Monday and Tuesday (WALKING for 35 -40 minutes) staying in calorie range 1250-1400 and drinking lots of water and LITTLE SALT, and that seemed to help.  I am down.    I think shocking your body is good sometimes... change up your routine.  I don't necessarily mean eating, but maybe vary what you eat, not the same old turkey sandwich, etc..... I love to try new foods..... also, walking and giving my body a rest.  My only suggestion is to change things up, if you do 2 workouts, do a low impact, fat buring (as I call it) type workout, like walking, and keep your heartrate in the 60% range....

Hope this helps.

Hey amyb!  I'm glad you're down.  Maybe I need to shake things up a bit.  Okay - here's the plan for the next 2 days:  lower calorie intake to 1200 and double the lengths of my walks for the next week.   I think it's also a good idea to cut out salt - who knows how much water's being retained in there!

Have you tried zigzagging your calories, mOnster2? 

I'm up to 1500 calories today.  Going to try 1300 tomorrow.  I've been eating lots and lots of fruits.  Diet has been mostly carbs.  I'm going to try a 40/30/30 diet for the next couple of days.  The pool manager knows I've been doing a lap more each day and was asking me today how many I'm up to (14).  When she heard how low my calories were, she suggested upping it.  She also said that she's been seeing a nutrionist who told her to have a protein with all her carbs.  So, if I'm eating 1/2 cup of blueberries, maybe I should have that with yogurt.  It will mean higher calories than my 1100-1300 but obviously that's not working.

Good morning everyone!

      Good day Wednesday and I am off to a good start today.  I ran 5 K and then went to an hour long Total Tone class(very challenging).  I feel pretty good.  I plan to keep the calories within 1400.  It is getting a little easier.  As for the workouts, I am doing doubles 5 days, 1 day single, and 1 day rest.  I am also trying to vary the time of my workouts.  Maybe my body will get confused and drop another pound!

Good luck!

Di

Protein is essential (says my doc)  Check your yogurt for it's SUGAR content..... I have been doing the twist um string cheese for a snack.  1 has 60 calories, but if you eat it slow, it helps.  Also, baby carrots with a few low cal crackers seems to satisfy me (all that chewing)

If you are swimming alot, you may need a few more calories... or just maybe more of the right  ones.  More fiber (veggies? and oatmeal?)  and less sugar?  I don't know what you eat.... I am just guessing.

Incidentally, my beau (100 days until the wedding TODAY!!) was complaining last night that he is watching his calories and doing lots of exercise and not losing weight.  So we broke it down last night and he was misjudging his calories, by nearly 700!  His serving of cereal was actually 3, he told me he went out with the guys for lunch, but had a grilled chicken wrap.... when we conservatively added it up, it came out to nearly 800 for the wrap with all the fixings, and his nighttime snacks have gone from 1 serving to 5..... 1 TABLESPOON of peanut butter is NOT what most of us think it is.  I am normally not obsessive about all this, I work out and try to eat well, and sometimes fall off the wagon, but this wedding thing has me in a state..... I am weighing and calculating everything..... this is the only way I know how to judge exactly what I am eating, and it's working.  I just don't want everyone (on this thread) to think I am some kind of compulsive wierdo :)

As a problem solver (that's what I do for a living - try to solve other people's problems) my suggestion is to step back and REALLY look at what we are doing~~~ all of it, what we are eating, how we are keeping track of it (guess - t-mating, weighing, package nutritional values, etc) what we are doing to exercise, and is it really in the quantity we are saying (whether underestimating or over, they are both bad) how much sleep we are getting (is this making us eat more of the bad things because we are simply too tired to prepare/plan good choices)  our family lives ~ is someone, (children, spouse, SO) unintentionally/intentionally sabotaging our efforts?  Why?  Are they jealous?  Do they think we are going to change if you get "skinny"?  Are we drinking enough water?  How are we measuring how much we drink? 

stepping down off soapbox

amyb--you're doing great, and congrats on the wedding :):):) ! today was a bit bad day, and i have to admit i acted as a maniac! i had this really important buisness meeting at 10am (which is my snack time and than lunch is at 12) and i was sneaking out of the meeting to have my meals as planned (which i had packed with me) and i even got to the comp to log ma cals! that is crazy, talk about being pre-ocupied with yourself, food and weight loss! i think it's rather humurous tough... and i had some pastries that were served during the meeting, bad bad bad. the big bummer of the week was that i found i'm large framed! i always thought i was medium (the wrapping your fingers around your wrist thing) but than i followed another method of estimating your body frame and it said i'm large framed, which i deny to accept!

large/medium frames...... do you believe all that?  I have always been told I am BIG BONED and have a large frame.... I have always denied this and said that I am medium framed... how can a girl who is 5'3" tall be BIG BONED?  Seriously, this never made sense to me.  So eugrrrlll, what are you going to do with the information?  Does it change something for you?  I thought bigger framed people were heavier, and were "allowed" a higher weight on those stupid height/weight charts.  Is there something else?

Before she left town last week, toniahayes asked me to post a recipe for low-fat bean dip.  Here it is:

Whir the following together in a food processor:

1 15-oz can cannelini, drained and rinsed
1 7-oz jar roasted red peppers, drained, with liquid saved
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tbsp lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

Add pepper liquid or water until dip is at desired consistency. Garnish with fresh parsley, if you like.

Since 1/2 cup of beans is 110 calories, I would guestimate that a 1/4 cup serving would be around 60 calories.  It's good with carrots or toasted pita chips.

A variation:

1 15-oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
10-15 pitted olives (I like kalamata but have used green martini olives)
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Again, whir all together and add water to thin to desired consistency.  Calorie count may be a bit higher due to the olives. 

I've also put in about a 1/4 cup of nonfat yogurt, which would add calories but also some creaminess to the dip.

about large/medium/small frames, ya, that exists, ppl have different bone frames, i think that can be recognised mostly by the size of your foot/ hand and it has almost nothing to do with weight loss. it doesn't change anything for me, my goals and stuff, i mean maybe if i am large framed i have more bones so i will be heavier on the scale but how can bone affect how much flab i carry around my hips or how much muscle definition i have? conclusion -- inches and toning count more than pounds! but we all knew that before.

trixtrix -- yummy! i love black beans!