Wagon Jumpers - January 25 - 31st, 2009 (Closed, Waiting List Available)
Welcome
(We are currently transitioning to 20 members (from 30). If you are interested in being on the waiting list, knowing that it will be a longer than usual list, please read below and e-mail me.)
Welcome to the Wagon Jumpers weekly thread. We are a group of CC members who have identified that one of our main challenges with achieving our weight loss, maintenance or general health goals is consistency.
This thread is designed to encourage long term commitment to our goals by publicly declaring them and asking the other members of this thread to hold us accountable. The primary focus of wagon jumpers is not how much weight you have lost, or need to loose, but what you need to do on a daily basis to meet your long term goals.
There are two rules for Wagon Jumpers:
1. All members must post once per week between Sunday and Friday.
2. All members must check the thread for members who have not posted by Saturday (a short list is posted on Thursday) or are on the MIA list on Sunday and send them a polite and positive message to stay involved in the group and on track with their goals.
If you would like to be a member of this thread please see the guidelines below and send me a PM if you are still interested (there may be a waiting list).
Medium Size Group = Some Time Commitment
The original idea of Wagon Jumpers was to create a close community where participants could get to know each other and hopefully form virtual-life and perhaps even physical-life bonds to create a support network as they attempted long term weight loss.
We quickly discovered that this was impossible with an 'always open' group as there were too many people coming and going. For this reason the group is capped at 30 participants.
A medium sized group means that we have an active thread that produces between 40 - 60 posts per week. Members do not need to read / respond to every post every week. I do notice that those who respond regularly do tend to keep their goals top of mind, and have a better chance to achieve them. I estimate the average time spent by an active member on Wagon Jumpers to be between 1-2 hours per week.
If you are looking for an always open group on CC there are several that operate by different weight criteria, similar motivational patterns etc... There are also many small groups that cap their numbers between 4-10 people to keep the group more intimate, and easier for members to keep up with.
Interested in Joining?
General Guidelines for Joining
1. Are you a wagon jumper?
Do you know how to loose weight, you often have success but then you find yourself loosing interest in your plan, or sabotaging your plan. It's not the "how" to loose weight that is the problem, it's the "how" to stay motivated.
2. Do you have a long way to go?
This group is designed so that members can get to know each other and support each other. Ideally you are planning to be a CC member and part of this forum for at least 6 months or more to achieve your goals and hopefully stay in motivation for a further 6 months or more.
Yes. This is, a long term plan.
3. Do you have the time?
This is a medium sized group, the thread does move fairly quickly each week. If you do not have regular internet access this is likely not the group for you.
Still interested?
Send Supersized a PM. (Please do not reply on the thread)
An overview will be sent to you, you will have a chance to ask questions and an invitation will be sent to you once a spot is open.
Wagon Jumpers Participants
Week 38 Riders:
Supersized (myself)
Week 34 Riders:
Week 30 Riders:
Week 29 Riders:
Week 28 Riders - Congratulations on 7 Months!:
Week 26 Riders:
Week 24 Riders - Congratulations on 6 Months!:
Week 23 Riders:
Week 22 Riders:
Week 21 Riders:
Week 19 Riders:
Week 18 Riders:
Week 16 Riders - Congratulations on 4 Months!:
Week 14 Riders:
Week 12 Riders - Congratulations on 3 Months!:
Week 10 Riders:
Week 9 Riders:
Week 8 Riders - Congratulations on 2 Months!:
Week 6 Riders:
Missing In Action:
Missing In Action - 1 Week:
Missing In Action - 2 Weeks:
Current Membership: 25
Current Waiting List: 3
Outstanding Wait List Invites: 0
12 Week CONSISTENCY GOALS
(as set w/o January 11th, 2009)
By April 4th, I will be...
Letsgetitstarted - consuming an average of 1,500 cal/day and 3 times a week for a minimum 30 minutes.
Rpete144057 - logging my food daily and exercising 5 days a week for at least 30 minutes.
Jessicaanne2001 - exercising 5 days a week for at least 30 minutes, and logging my food daily.
Supersized - logging all of my daily calories and eating in a calorie range of no more than 2,000 cal/day and no less than 1,500 cal/day (calculated by weekly averages).
Figurethefat - exercising a minimum of 1,500 minutes each month, and I will restrict using the scale to two weigh-ins per week on Monday and Friday.
Unlimitedana - eating between 1,500 - 1,600 cal/day and exercising three time a week.
Sarah1090 - logging my calories daily and eating dinner with my mom no less than 4 nights per week.
Cawilder - maintaining a 500 - 1,000 calorie deficit on a daily basis measured by my food log and, working out 5 to 6X per week combo of cardio and lifting.
Carryonandon - maintaining 300 - 500 calorie deficit daily and, exercising 3x per week.
Raven21 - drinking a minimum of 4 bottles (2L) of water daily and, exercising a minimum of 3X per week.
Nannygabber - doing the NROLFW program 3 times per week, and I will establish a 40/30/30 (Carb/Fat/Protein) macronutrient pattern on a weekly average for a minimum of 5 weeks of the next 12.
Germaica - exercising 3 times a week and logging my food for at least 4 days per week.
Pelkeyjm - logging my food daily and exercising at least 3x per week for at least 30 minutes.
The_Vitamin_Dominatrix - logging my caloric intake on calorie count at least six days every week and, exercising in the gym at least 3 days each week.
Tiegurl - eating 1,500 - 2,000 calories and exercising 5x a week.
Kyashiis - running 20 kilometers a week and making progress on the number of repetitions in my calisthenic exercises (starting at: 20 push ups, 30 sit ups, 0 chin ups, 2x 30 sec plank, 20-30 jump rope)
Lam7 - Logging all daily calories at least 6 times a week and, exercising minimum 40 minutes 3x per week.
Sjenn23231 - consuming and average of 1,500 cal/day and, doing SEAL team type workout 3 times a week.
Msmeg1984 - Following the 40-30-30 diet guidelines in NROLFW and working out 3 a week NROLFW plan.
Constanza - using the CC food log every day and, exercising an average of 4 times per week across the 12 weeks.
Defrog3 - eating with improved nutritional quality of food, specifically ensuring that I am getting enough daily protein and carbs and, walking six miles a week weather permitting.
Amber1l - working out 6 days a week for one and a half hours.
Wenchie58 - keeping my calorie intake between 1,400 - 1,500 a day and, drinking at least 2 liters of water daily.
Bigbitty - logging my calories daily and continue to drink at least 2 liters of water per day.
Previous Threads:
Wagon Jumpers - January 18 - 24th, 2009
Wagon Jumpers - January 11 - 17th, 2009
Wagon Jumpers - January 4 - 10th, 2009
Wagon Jumpers - December 28 - January 3rd, 2009
Wagon Jumpers - December 21 - 27th, 2008
Wagon Jumpers - December 14 - 20th, 2008
Wagon Jumpers - December 7 - 13th, 2008
Wagon Jumpers - November 30 - December 6th, 2008
Wagon Jumpers - November 23 - 29th, 2008
Wagon Jumpers - November 15 - 22nd, 2008
Wagon Jumpers - November 9 - 15th, 2008
Wagon Jumpers - November 2 - 8th, 2008
Wagon Jumpers - October 26 - November 1st, 2008
Wagon Jumpers - October 19 - 25th, 2008
Wagon Jumpers - October 12 - 18th, 2008
Wagon Jumpers - October 5 - 11th, 2008
Wagon Jumpers - September 28 - October 4th, 2008
Wagon Jumpers - September 21 - 27th, 2008
Wagon Jumpers September 14-20th, 2008
Wagon Jumpers September 7-13th, 2008
Wagon Jumpers August 31 - September 6th, 2008
Wagon Jumpers August 24 - 30th, 2008
Wagon Jumpers August 17 - 23rd, 2008
Wagon Jumpers August 10 - 16th, 2008
Wagon Jumpers August 2 - 9th, 2008
As always all members are encouraged to tag this thread so that it is easy to find.
This Week's Topic: Motivation
Why should I keep doing this?
Four weeks ago we had just made it through the holidays, there were a few slip ups, but it was a new year, we were energized and committed to making goals, and achieving goals...
Now, we are four weeks in, we have been working hard, and maybe we're not seeing the results we want to see. The work is hard, it takes a long time, and with no obvious carrot we begin to question:
Are we doing the right things?
Why am I not seeing the results I thought I would see?
I can't be expected to do this ALL of the time?
Isn't there a faster / easier way?
The temptation to change the plan increases as we ask these questions. So let's ask one more:
Why should we stick with the plans we set out for ourselves at the beginning of the year?
O man, this topic comes at a good time for me. As many of you may know from my past post I have been having trouble with motivaiton pretty much since school started again. The little motivation that I have had recently is knowing that I refuse to officially give up. I may not go to the gym or eat like I want but being healthy is always on my mind. If I was to let it out of mind and not go to the gym then I would be giving up and I wouldnt be happy with myself.
With all this being said I have recently met up with an old high school friend at the gym. She has lost tons of weight and works out on average twice a day. She loves to go and vowed to help me get motivated again. She is going to teach me new exercises and how to use some of the machines that I do not know how to use.
I know that having a buddy will help me!
I keep thinking of the phrase : IF AT FIRST YOU DON'T SUCCEED...TRY TRY AGAIN! That's how I feel at the moment when my motivation goes off track and I feel blah about myself. I had hoped to be at 145 on March 6 but there's no way I can make it so now I'm aiming for 149 (today I weighed 156.8).
At times, I find my emotions interfere with my motivation and desire to reach goal but then I stop and visualize what I would look like, feel like with losing that weight and that spurs me on. I think also, I tend to get "lazy" sometimes either not sticking to my calorie content or exercise expenditure and then I know that week won't be a one pound loss for me which is what I had hoped for.
I have lost 16 lbs so for sure I see results but I need to dig deep, find the strength to push me all the way to the end and to stop playing Mind Games with myself.
I DO WANT to reach goal but have to convince myself of it daily and keep on track. I know in the end i'll be in a better frame of mind when I feel I have accomplished that goal so I have to accept the fact that there isn't any easier way or quick fix...food is all around us and we have to learn to control what we put into our mouths.
Everyone knows what to do and how to do it.........it's staying motivated enough to win!
Good luck to all and have a great week!
Cheers,
Maureen
Weekly Topic:
This week's topic is definitely for me. AND... I can't believe I have been at it for 4 months!
At this point, however... there really isn't a temptation to change the plan. Although there are things occuring (RE: subsequent binges), that are not according to plan... LOL! But the basic plan is still in tact, and going well. I really have no intention of changing it, because there are definite reasons to stick to it!
1. I just simply feel better.
2. I know there will eventually be results, and if i give up now (fall off wagon, allow "all or nothing" to win out, stop believing in myself...etc) then the results will never come.
3. This should be number one in my list...heheh.... the best reason I can think of to stick with it is because consistency gives me comfort. Knowing I am succeeding, even if it is merely sticking to the plan, gives me comfort... Comfort... and allow me to add; CONFIDENCE. When I do these things I have set out to do, I confirm that believing in myself is worth it. I validate me. I don't need anyone else to tell me "good job", when I know I met my own goal, and know that I will continue to do so. I trust me to take care of me, and I have proven it to myself. Does this make sense?
Let's just say this, if I were to return to my BEFORE life (ty Robin!), or if for some unknown unforeseen reason, I was required to give this up... it would be like breaking up with my BF, or losing a loved one... I would be broken, and teary-eyed... I would be giving up part of myself. SO, there really isn't an option to give it up. It has become something I cherish, look forward to, and hold high on the priority list. It's who I am, it's a portion of what defines me.
4. The results, which I have allowed myself to fall prey to the desire of, are only a side benefit. The true benefits are: Getting and staying healthy, feeling good physically and mentally, enriching your quality of life, making friends... I am sure there are more...
And yes, I can do this all the time. I have to. Even so much that when I am presented with a "10 years from now" scenario, I literally imagine myself, healthy, fit, and still at it in addition to the scenario... IE: Playing with my grandkids! Won't it be fun to take them rock climbing?!?!
I know sometimes I get down on myself, but its never intended to bring anyone else down! I apologize if that has happened! I would never want to bring bad karma to NROLFW, in fact, I hereby promise that I will be one to ultimately prove that the program either works or kills you. This remains to be seen, as I am only at Stage 2 (almost!)... I did also promise at the beginning of my Wagon Jumper journey, that I would be honest with any and all, including myself. Sometimes painfully honest, especially with me, myself, and I. Being real... is part of the plan... LOL...
I suppose now... I am ok, since I had my little fling with my BEFORE life, I can move on to better things this week... maybe I am simply "getting it out of my system".... I will continue to monitor for triggers, and attempt to redirect myself when one comes up.
Hugs to all, and I really like what Robin said to me at the end of the last thread.... Have a healthgain day! (that is just so warm and fuzzy, Robin!)
~Julie
I am keeping up with this because it is something I want and it is something I need to do for myself. I need to get to a healthy weight so I can live a longer and happier life. Plus quitting and failure aren't options.
Jessica I'm glad your aren't going to give up. Make sure exercising and going to gym is convenient so you won't have an excuse not to go. I was talking to a friend today and he was telling me to make sure that going to the gym or doing any exercise is convenient so I won't give up or have an excuse not to it.
Maureenz you can still meet our goal. Good juck with the 16 pounds.
Nanngabber Glad things are going well.
Ooops sorry for missing the thread last week. If you blink at the wrong time, a week passes!
I want/need to stick with my goals, because I know I will feel better later. I will live longer. I won't get depressed whenever I look in the mirror.
My life has started to come around to a more normal gait the past couple of weeks. We are intending for me to return to work the first of February so that will help get me away from the foods. I am a "picker". Often times I don't have a meal, but I have been picking at little things all day. I need to get over that and get this thing a solid start.
Live well.
Vicki
Jessica Having a buddy is a very powerful motivation. I started by meeting people here online, it was safe and secure and nice to be able to have people to talk about weight loss struggles and health struggles who understood because they were going through, or had been through the same thing. The support I got here gave me not only enough courage, but actually a positive experience to be open and honest with the people in my life. Which has opened up a circle of friends that I have day to day to compare new fitness tips, go to the gym, go running etc... knowing the next time I see one of my fitness friends they are going to ask me 'so how is the gym going'... that keeps me pretty motivated.
Maureen What are the images that you associate with you numbers. I find it's often hard to meet a number goal 'I want to be Xlbs', being clear on what Xlbs symbolizes to you... a fitter body, fitting into a particular outfit, a leander physique are things that are often more powerful images than a number. What are you striving towards in that regard?
Julie Everyone gets down sometimes, you can't always be the one holding us all up, you do need to have permission to feel down, to have that moment when you just think that nothing is working. Of course our job and your job (joint job) is that we have that moment, then we pick ourselves and each other up and remind ourselves it's about more than the scale, it's about how strong our bodies are becoming, the new things we can do, clothes fitting better, feeling better in our own skin, and if all of those things start to fall into place the scale will start to produce results. Of course by the time it does and we have all the other benefits we won't care quite so much.
Tiegurl I think you friend has passed on one of the key success factors for gym workouts, if you can't get there quickly, easily and find a convenient time to fit it into your schedule it simply won't happen. Glad to see you are still plugging along.
Vicki Congratulations on the back to work, sounds like things are going quite well for you now. Of course now you 'just' need to manage not to get completely stressed out at work. Have a plan, follow the plan, make sure the plan includes you.
Sara.
Original Post by supersized:
This Week's Topic:
Why should we stick with the plans we set out for ourselves at the beginning of the year?
Simply put, the reason I should continue pursuing my weight loss goals is because the only other option is another year of poor health and negative body image. Self control is an important quality for every person to develop, and I'm taking my stand here with my health.
Sorry I was MIA last week. I'll try not to let it happen again.
I didn't do such a great job meeting my goals last week. I started getting lazy and eating packs of instant noodles instead of making myself a healthy alternative. This week I'm making detailed plans of what to eat and when to eat them; for me at least this process gives less opportunity to wander off and eat unhealthy foods.
Weekly Check-In
I successfully ate at 2,800 cal for the week, okay it was 2,801.6 but I figure close enough. I did have to think about that for a second, but then I figured the goal is a slow reduction, if I had missed by 100 calories on average I'd try again, but there is little benefit in trying again for a difference of less than 2 calories, especially since I've been super diligent about logging each and every little bit of anything.
The scales went up slightly, back to where they began when I stared this downward trend from 3,200 cal/day. I'm okay with this, in fact I'm more than okay. I'm really re-evaluating what I thought I knew about a reasonable calorie range.
From this site, and general nutrition guides I got the idea that the average calorie intake for a woman is 2,000/cal/day. I know that some diets (i.e. Dr Bernstein) are severely calorie restricted, (700/cal/day) and the typical diet range tends to be between 1,200 - 1,500.
I also know that the major criticism that most fitness professionals have of the diet industry especially when it comes to women is that we eat too little. So I figured aiming for a diet of between 1,500 - 1,700 cal/day was a reasonable target.
Now I'm re-evaluating. Why?
Well, before when I reduced calories from 3,000 to 1,500 I had great success and lost 6 dress sizes. However I should note that I lost at least 3 of those sizes between the 2,500 and 2,000 calorie range.
Eating at 3,200 - 2,800 calories I was expecting to see the scale slowly trend up each week, instead it has stayed reasonably stable, up one week, down the next, up slightly. It actually looks like a maintenance range at the moment. Now, I'm not suggesting it is. I'm sure if I ate 3,200 cal for the rest of the year and did not exercise I'd easily put on another 15 lbs. But it looks like as I'm slowly cutting back my body is not reacting by dropping weight quickly, nor by grabbing every single calorie it can and storing it.
When I used NROLFW to calculate my needed calories they are actually between 2,200 and 2,500 so I will be interested to see what happens as I drop below the 2,500 cal/day mark. My original intention was to get to a 1,500 - 2,000 range. However, if I see results sooner I may look for a 1,700 - 2,200 range.
This Week's Topic
The simple answer for me is that I've tried quitting, re-planning and starting again so many times my head must be spinning.
I know this much to be true: quitting doesn't work.
I've been there, done that. Now it's time to try forgiveness, consistency, constancy, self-evaluation instead of plan-evaluation. To really ask myself:
- am I really trying?
- am I doing as much as I can?
- am I doing enough to expect to see results? If not, why not?
I often find that I want to quit when I am slipping. I have not 'really' been trying, I've been eating above cal a few too many days, looking the other way on my food logging and not making it to the gym. Then I see no results, or negative results and rather than face up to what I am (or am not) doing I blame the plan and want to give it up.
Well that doesn't work, now it's time to see what a little self-commitment will get me.
The Vitamin Dominatrix Looks like we're going in the same direction on reasons to keep on. I started to get back to cooking this week, after a week of udon noodles. It feels good.
COOKING CLASS: (LOL!)
I just had the BEST mid morning snack!
Its from the menu list on NROLFW... Hummus and green pepper strips.
I made my own hummus. In fact, I cooked the chick peas from dried form last Friday because I knew ahead of time I would be wanting to try this.
Low-Fat Hummus
2 cups cooked, drained chick peas
1 T Tahini (I made this too, a month or so ago, low- fat also)
Juice from 1/2 Lime (I didn't have a lemon)
2 Cloves of fresh Garlic
Spices:
- Ras el Hanout (I am out of Cumin)
- Salt
- Black Pepper
Process all ingredients into a blender until smooth. If it's too thick, adding up to 1/3 cup of water will help that along. Scrape the sides down at least once with a rubber spatula.
This will make about four 1/2 cup servings. You can also add other veggies or spices, IE: sun-dried tomatoes, olives, onion, roasted pepper, jalepeno, what ever floats your boat.
Use as a veggie dip, this one called for red pepper strips (a whole pepper in fact) but all I had was a green one, and I only needed half of it. You could use what ever veggie you love, the point is to steer clear of the carb-based dippers. I would normally have used toasted pita, bagel chips, or tostitos... the pepper was a nice twist, and I have room for good carbs later in the day!
The Ras el Hanout... omg, the best spice I have EVER tried! I dry-rubbed a chicken breast in it, and grilled that baby a couple days ago... and WOW... my BF was like, "where did you get this marinade?" I just laughed!! I have had that stuff in my cabinet for a long time, just never tried it. I think someone gave it to me as a gift, but man oh man, I have been missing out!
Anyway, feeling better today, and back in the driver's seat... thanks everyone, for all your encouragement! Warm WV hugs to all!
Have a healthgain day...
~Julie
Weekly Check In: I kept my daily deficit between 400 and 500 calories again last week and saw a one pound drop in weight this a.m. I like doing the Monday Friday weigh in schedule. It keeps me looking forward to the next weigh in and motivated to stay focussed enough to see some more progress. Also I've already hit the 1,500 exercise minute mark for this month. I'm 100% on target with my 12 week goals.
This week's topic: There's no question for me of sticking with the plan, or not. I knew when I got serious about losing the flab that it would take at least 2 months, probably 3. At this point it's taking even longer than I expected. My expectation was that I could lose two pounds a week, but I've yet to hit that figure.
I've committed to two challenges, I'm involved with this group to keep me on the wagon, I'm logging everyday, and I'm journalling everyday too setting goals and going back to say if they've been accomplished.
So lots of positive stuff, I feel like I've really just gotten started, just picking up steam for the long journey still to come! I like the results that I'm seeing in my body and that keeps me motivated :)
Julie: I love to make my own hummus but I just use canned chickpeas. Good for you for cooking your own and for making that tahini. Lately I've just been making up a batch of Chickpea Salad to use as a spread on toast and sandwiches. Kind of like hummus, but just mashed chickpeas with chopped onion, curry powder and a bit of plain nonfat yogurt. Beans absolutely rule for providing fibre and protein with very little fat :P
Weekly Check In: I have stuck to my goals and then some over the past week. I actually worked out 5 days this past week! I really felt it when I didn't do anything much (other than walking) on Saturday and Sunday. I really missed the physical activity. I'm back to work today and back at working out. In addition to my official 12 week goals I am trying to get a balance on my eating habits with carbs, protein and fats. What I am finding is 2 things: 1) I don't eat enough and 2) I'm having a hard time hitting my protein requirements while not going over my fat requirements. I think I am going to have to go out and buy a protein powder to drink after workouts (not a bad idea at all) but they are kind of expensive so I really can't do that until later in the week or next week. Any ideas in the meantime on what I could have to increase my protein intake?
Weekly Topic: The reason I should keep doing this is because when I'm active I feel 1000 times better. I may not be seeing changes on the scale yet but as we have all heard and seen, it takes longer for women. The other motivation for me is that I want to see this plan through until the end. I am famous for starting things and not finishing them and I don't want this to be one of those things. I have a goal of reaching a certain size (or measurements) instead of a certain weight which is something new for me. I have always focused on the number on the scale and it hasn't worked so I'm taking another approach based on what I have heard from many of you.
Sara - Thank you for the congrats on 7 months. I can't believe it's been that long. I have struggled a lot with my weight and fitness and on one hand I feel I haven't come very far (clothes still the same size or bigger etc) but on the other hand I have become much more health conscious and aware of my own body (i.e. discovered I have a gluten intolerance which means I can't eat anything with gluten in it, my body doesn't know how to process it and thus stores it in my fat cells. Good news on that is my doctor has told me that now that I have identified the problem, losing weight shouldn't be as difficult).
Well that's enough from me for now. Glad to hear everyone is doing well and sticking with it. I think you are all great people and I appreciate your feedback and sharing your challenges with me.
Why should we stick with the plans we set out for ourselves at the beginning of the year?
What I have realised lately is that what I was doing in the past (no plan, all-or-nothing, wagon jumping and procrastinating) wasn't working, I got the results that I have now (loss-gain-loss-gain). Going back to before will only produce the same results. Also the plan I set out is for my health, strenght and energy. Not just to lose weight, actualy losing isn't the first goal. I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired. I have noticed changes since I started with these 12 week goals. The exercises are a bit easier to do and I have a little more energy after I workout. I took a walk with BF and friends, I was lagging behind and that depressed me, but as my BF reminded me I was less out of breath than in the past. Even though the scale hasn't changed 
, I can feel changes in me. This is a strong motivator. I keep reminding myself what my real goals are and where weight loss fits in.
Weekly check in: my logging is going fine but I only exercised twice, so I missed one. I noticed that if I put it off until later in the week, I find too many excuses and I don't do it. This week I did one session on Sunday, only 2 more to go. Hopefully I will hit it this week.
Happy health-gain!
Raven - Not sure if you are one of us NROLFWer's, but if you have the book, take a look at the menus... if not, I have some ideas. The protein powder is well worth the money, and it stretches pretty far. I have it only once per day... BUT until you can get some, here are some suggestions:
Have protein at every meal, snacks included. Some of the highest protein containing foods are dairy products (research where "whey" comes from, and you'll see what I mean). I found a couple things that I really enjoy which add lots of protein. Fat Free Cottage Cheese isn't as bad as I though it would be. In fact, its great! Also, I was getting low-fat Activia yogurts, but I remembered how to make my own yogurt (you can Google that also), and it comes out virtually fat-free, AND sugar free. Just use skim milk, and flavor with splenda, and if you need fruity flavor, instead of fruit (although the sugars are natural) use a sugar free jello mix, or a kool-aid packet (small amount) with the splenda. The only drawback with those are the colorings....
Other high protein/low fat additions I have discovered include, 8 oz skim milk, a can of tuna with lemon juice, poached salmon, grilled chicken, ground turkey meatballs, different types of dried beans (lentils, garbanzo, kidney, pinto) and also... eggs. I swore I would never EVER eat an egg without the yolk. Well, I finally gave in. I did find a substitute called Better'n Eggs... I am sure it's just eggwhites with yellow coloring... but it does do it for me... I can't stand to eat white scrambled eggs, they just look funny. If you make an omelet with the substitute, add a bit of 2% cheese, a scallion, some salsa, and some fat-free sour cream, you get a BUNCH of protein. I forget how much... LOL! OR... just scramble in some dill, and a dash of garlic and some salt and pepper... yum!
I know nuts have a high protein value, and the fats are healthy, but for now, even though I have plenty in stock, I am minimizing consumption of them and peanut butter, those items are more of a "treat" when I feel a need for a little "somethin' "... Next time I shop, I will pick up low-fat peanut butter, as well as low-fat mayo. One nice addition to my cabinet I found was sugar-free syrup... You can make a pancake from.... well, i'll give you the recipe at the end... Also, you can look at your grocery store, for Pure Protein bars, I get them for $1 each, and they have around 20g of protein, not too many carbs, and very little fat. I have three per week, each right after the gym.
I have managed to keep my fats in the 25g per day range this way, and in my opinion, having more (good) carbs as a result is better than having all that fat. While minding the fat, I mainly focus on the protein grams... and if you haven't already, figure out how many grams of each macronutrient you need for your calorie target range. It really helps to know that little fact when you go to read a label.
Additional fact, since I am on a roll here.... LOL. The consistency of my diet has completely changed in the past several weeks... but the good news is, I am eating things I like, and not ever hungry. I find it a fun challenge to see how many creative things I can come up with to meet the requirements for myself. On this note however, with the diet change, the digestive tract has taken notice. It has definitely been a little "off" lately. Yet, I figure this will adjust, along with the rest of me. All I am sayin'... is... with all that dairy, make sure you get plenty of fiber.
Hopefully, after all this, you don't say that you're lactose intolerant... LOL - get some lactaid... KIDDING!
Hope this helps~
~Julie
Here's the recipe:
Protein Pancakes
4 eggwhites (or 1/2 c substitute)
1/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
2 T vanilla protein powder (can omit if not on hand)
2 T self-rising flour
1/2 banana
Dash of cinnamon
With the protein powder, this is supposed to have 39 grams of protein, 43 carbs, and 3 grams of fat.
Mix all the ing, and cook as you would regular pancakes. Serve with sugar-free syrup or sugar-free applesauce.
One serving
Julie Are you new to Hummus? LOL it's become so popular here that it's now on our 'banned' list for 'snack food to friends house' as so many people were bringing it to bbq's / get togethers that it was beginning to look like we were having hummus parties. If you like spicy try mixing some jalepeno peppers into it!
Laura Good job on getting the exercise in already! I think that the 2lbs may be something that will average out over time, but realistically your body has so much going on when we change up our diet and exercise routine that having 2lbs per week every week is rarely a reality.
Raven Looks like Julie has a great post below on protein. I also use a lot of beans, seitan, tofu which are less fat/protein and more carb/protein so I'm trying to watch throwing that ratio off as well. I have to agree with you on the new perspective of success. I'm have not suddenly lost half of myself in a year, but I have lost some, and managed to maintain it. I also feel better prepared to continue the journey not in a frantic "I need to loose the weight" way, but in a calm "I can do this and I feel better equipped to do this" kind of way.
Germaica The walk is a great example. There's a big hill where we walk out dogs. And I remember at my heaviest not really even wanting to go on the dog walk as I was always so pathetically out of breath when we climbed the hill. Now I can not only get up it on the path with relative ease, but I can also climb the steeper grass covered sides without much of a problem. This means a lot to me, because if I had to say what I was more ashamed of it wasn't the weight, it was the fact that I could barely climb a hill.
Sara - LOL! Not "new" to it, I just didn't ever really incorporate it into my regular food stocks... also, I hadn't realized how easy it is to make. I always got mine premade at the store, at a much higher cost, no doubt. Plus, mine tastes better! Let's have a hummus party... HAHAH! I do, however, really like figurethefat's idea of a Chickpea Salad, I'll try that with the next batch I cook up. They're so inexpensive this way!
Hi,
Weekly Check In
Basically I did pretty well considering everything. I had to visit my mom who is not doing well and will probably not leave the hospital. But, I kept to my calorie deficit and did 3X working out during the week. Given all the travel - Portland, OR to Boston, MA and then back in 3 days I figure that's pretty good.
Why should we stick with the plans we set out for ourselves at the beginning of the year?
I guess I feel like with my life in such turmoil - husband out of work, stress @ work, my mother dying, layoffs looming at my company (probably will not affect me), financial stresses and strains and then there is all the normal life stuff. I need something that I can feel successful at and kind of hold on to amidst the turmoil. I love my runs in the woods as it gives me a sense of peace. So that's why I stick out and BTW, I don't beat myself up if I slip up. I just get back on track and slough it off.
Hope this helps.
Hi all,
Well, like everybody else, I feel like this week's topic is for me. Weekly check-in first - I've been doing alright on my goals so far. My computer has developed an interesting problem holding its internet connection which complicates frequent logging and may be the result of some kind of insidious virus :( I'm trying to get it figured out. It's been behaving well this morning though, so I'm hoping I can more or less catch up on the last few days of logging, which currently only exist in my head! Along with a few scribbled notes on the fridge... This weekend however hubby and I gave the house a top to bottom scrub down the likes of which it hasn't had in a year. It was about ten hours of non-stop physical activity! Then the next day we went for a hike. I felt so good about all the hard work, I had a bowl of ice cream with chocolate syrup - I figured if I was going to have it, it'd better be on the day I was moving for several hours. And today, the scale said (drumroll) that I'm down 1.5 lbs! Go figure! It'll probably move up a bit again, but the trend is encouraging given my recent frustrations. I've also been trying 'speed up your metabolism' tricks, like drinking more water - I almost never drink enough - eating breakfast, exercising in the morning, and so on.
That said (now to segue into the weekly topic), I think I'm deciding that I need to kick my weight/deadline habit. Part of what I get really demoralized by is not being close to meeting a set target, but I still set them all the time for myself. Sample: in September, I was aiming to drop 25 pounds in 20 weeks. Sounds ambitious, yes? I may have mentioned, but next month I'm going on vacation, and I thought I should have a sleek beach body for it. In October, it was 25 pounds in 16 weeks. I decided I was going to work hard, and at least I'd come close. In November... and so on. Most recently (start Jan), I wanted to get to 150 or maybe even in the 140s by the end of Feb. That would have required the fabled 2lbs/week loss. Let's just say that barring miracles/starvation, that's unlikely at this point. I get so tied up with these random goals, though, that I don't give myself enough credit for the things that * are * improving. For example, I can now run most of 45 minutes on the treadmill. I couldn't make 5 when I started. When I go running with my partner, he's the one who's more out of breath (secret inner triumph... he's one of those people blessed with natural athleticism and a fast metabolism - grrr - he was by far the fitter of the two when we met). I rarely ever feel sore after a work out. And I'm more pleased with the way my body looks and clothes fit. Yay!
So why stick with it?
Well, like a lot of others I've been here before (this weight) and lighter even, but stopped being vigilant for one reason or another and took several steps back. I've only done it once, but it's been soooo hard to get back here that I'm not interested in doing it again. I want this to be it for me. And I know that while I may not suddenly be a supermodel, I'm seeing progress and will continue to see progress if I stay on track. So the decision I'm slowly coming to is that while I like my weigh-ins - as someone who never did them, they help me stay on purpose - I'm going to try to let go of my weight-deadline fetish and just celebrate the successes as they come. I've been with the group two months now, and they've been two of the most consistent and successful of my loooong journey. I want to keep at it! Looking back on the way I used to think about weight loss, I realize I very much had the diet-regain mentality. I thought I could restrict for a month or two, drop about 20 pounds, and then go back to the way I ate before. Because my idea of a 'diet' was so restrictive, I couldn't imagine doing it long term. I'm finally starting to see that I have to adjust the way I approach what I eat to see results.
My eventual goal/motivation for starting to think about weight loss has largely to do with my family - I'm in my mid-twenties, which I think of as a turning point in the way I take care of myself. As a teen I never thought about or had to work hard for my health, but I know that as I get older that will catch up to me. Both my parents are overweight, my grandparents either had weight or heart problems, so it's in my genes. Even though my dad has always been active, he still had a heart attack in his early sixties. So for me fitness is a long term health decision. Plus, I like food. And cake. And I want to be able to enjoy things like that every now and then and feel satisfied that I'm incorporating them into a healthy lifestyle.
Sorry, I realize this is a pretty long post! This topic really got me going... (thanks Sara!)
Julie - I hear you about wanting to be healthy and fit years from now. The other day I saw a book about pregnant runners, and I thought it was the most kick-@** thing I'd ever heard of. I totally want to be that lady.
Vicki - Work provided good structure for me too, good luck getting things back into the swing!
Sara - I can only imagine how much soul-searching must come with lots of stops and starts. I can't handle my one! I'm glad you're getting as much out of the group as we do. And I think you definitely came close enough to your goal to move on through. Maybe you can loosen it up to a +/- 10 calorie margin?
Raven - I agree with Julie, beans are great for protein! I'm a recent convert to ground turkey, and I get as much seafood as possible. Particularly things like scallops, mussels or clams if you can get a hold of them, and shrimp.
Germaica - (I love the 'healthgain' wishes!) Congrats on your walking! I love walking; if I could do that alone for my goal I would just walk all day... Definitely stick with it. For me, noticing little progress markers - that it was easier for me to catch my breath, that I could be out longer, take hills better, was a big motivator - maybe you can use them as motivators too! They're definitely some of the fastest and most satisfying changes, and the great thing about them is the more you get out the faster you see a difference.
Cawilder - I'm sorry about your mom :( I hope the running helps you hold on to that little crucial bit of stability. Good luck this next week.
Weekly Check-in:
- I haven't hit the mark on running 20 kilometers during a 1-week period yet, including last week. I have walked/hiked long distances and come close to the mark, but I really want to be able to run. I think I may have been a little too enthusiastic when I set my goals.
- I guess I should be doing the same thing I am with the calisthenic exercise goals in increasing my activity gradually over the period to "reach" a particular goal. The exercising goals are coming along well, and I am making some progress on repititions.
This week's topic:
Are we doing the right things?
Yes, overall, I think I am headed in the right direction. I haven't had any spectacular weight losses yet, but I am definitely changing shape and getting more fit. I really "feel" a lot better than before I started using CC+.
Why am I not seeing the results I thought I would see?
This is an important question that I don't really know the answer to. I just keep slogging along and know that eventually I will get the desired results. This is not a "get thin quickly" scheme. It's a "get healthy and stay healthy on a sustained basis" lifestyle change. If there is an answer, it's that "it takes time."
I can't be expected to do this ALL of the time?
Sure, I can. If I fall down now and then, I think that I have made enough permanent changes to my eating and exercise habits and the way I feel emotionally about them to know I can get back on track quickly.
Isn't there a faster / easier way?
I am sure that starving oneself is faster and in some ways easier (at least for me), but the tradeoff is worse health and not building good habits for a healthy lifestyle... and maybe, creating worse habits that one already has. In the end, it is not a sustainable way to approach things.
The temptation to change the plan increases as we ask these questions. So let's ask one more:
Why should we stick with the plans we set out for ourselves at the beginning of the year?
I guess that most people have thought rather carefully about their plans set at the beginning of the year - including me. My Wagon Jumpers goals are only a blueprint for getting through the next few weeks.
I expect that the next time I choose my short-term goals for a 12-week period, I will be wiser than for this period. I will have tried my best to achieve this time period's goals. At the end of this time, I will evaluate what worked and what didn't work and make adjustments to my thinking about what I want to accomplish over the next time period.
I think it is the setting of short-term goals, working toward them, finding out what doesn't work or what does work, re-evaluating our goals for the long term and setting a new set of short-term goals that leads to the final result of success as long as we constantly KEEP TRYING.
This isn't particularly surprising as it is the same with any endeavor. I have accomplished things that a first seemed impossible many times in my own life, so I KNOW that doing the impossible (getting down to my goal weight and exercising regularly seem to be impossible) is really POSSIBLE.
I think we have to stick with our plans and give ourselves time to make them work.
Thank you everyone for putting so much thought and self-analysis into the responses this week. It really shows how far many of us have come, and how much we are committed to our goals.
Julie Chickpea salad is great, I do mine with roasted red peppers, red onions, string beans and a lemon garlic dressing.
Carol I find the idea of keeping in the health and fitness goals as something tangible and self-controlled during a time that is so uncontrolled and unpredictable. My BIG fall off the wagon, about a year before I formed this group was when my mother was in the hospital fighting cancer. I simply broke under the stress. Work and family stress are always my biggest triggers and everything spirals out of control. I will need to hold your rationale as an inspiration that if I can have something, one thing that is in my control it may help me get through the other stuff.
Constanza NP on the long post, you obviously have a lot to say, and it's all important. I think everyone here is familiar with the 'weight deadline'. I find one of the unfortunate things about this site, and most weight loss focused sites is that there is a such a heavy emphasis on X lbs in Y days/weeks/months. That is of course reinforced by every magazine on the grocery shelf and weight loss commercial you've ever seen. Of course X keeps getting larger and Y keeps getting smaller and then we have the ever increasing downward spiral of wonder what is wrong with us that we have managed to hit these numbers. Ultimately the only mass information out there is our lack of self control or proper tools all of which can be fixed by purchasing the right program / counsellor or supplement.
I forget when it was that the penny dropped for me that I couldn't "be" a number, I couldn't and didn't want to "be" a weight. I wanted what that weight symbolized in my mind. Which then involved much soul searching and a painful journey to admit that it would not matter if I was 180 lbs or 140 lbs as long as I felt that I looked good, health and in shape to myself. For me it's become about fitting into clothes without seeing little muffin tops, climbing hills without being winded, running without getting very red in the face. This thinking lead me to the "it's not the number it's what I do and how I do it" that matters. Focusing on the number would have me half heartedly trying, bingeing, starving, begging, bribing the scale to move. Suddenly realizing that it doesn't matter to me if the scale doesn't move, so long as the clothes fit better, measurements are going down, and I'm able to do more thing with more ease - that has felt like freedom.
Also kicking that diet fetish, the self depravation, self starvation cycle. Cooking, really cooking real tasty food that I enjoy eating and can be eaten in satisfying quantities, yes, with the occasional side of cake. This I can live with! I can actually happily live with. It has given a new dimension to my life and a new interest to share with friends and family.
I think with the multiple ups and downs you either eventually get it or you eventually give up. At some points I just figured that I couldn't loose weight or get in shape, it hadn't occurred to me that I hadn't tried the simplest things eat right, move body (consistently over the long term). I consider myself luck since before I had my accident I was quite slim, so at least I know I can get there, its the journey that's hard.
Kyashiis At some point should I have the money and time I know that I've collected a tonne of data on this journey, almost everything I've eaten in a year including what really bad days look like for weeks on end. I've got a good record of my fitness ups and downs. I figured the reason I'm not getting the 'typical' results is that if I really look at the data, I have not managed to be as consistent as I need to be. What I could like to use that money for those is to get a health professional or data analyst with a kineseology back ground to really analyze what are the mainstream weight loss and fitness expectations vs. what should be realistic expectations for someone who is not on a professional athlete fitness regieme. I really don't know how far off my expectations are from reality.
I agree entirely with your statement on the setting of goals. It often isn't in the achievement alone, it's in the lessons learned along the way.
Sara.
On the go andin the know.
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