Weight Loss Support Group for Teachers

Hi!

I'm a teacher heading back to work and hoping to keep my summer weight loss going, despite a hectic school schedule.  I need motivation, and finding some from others in the same profession would be terrific!

Is anyone else in the same boat?  Do you want to start a "teachers' support thread"?  If so, reply and tell me a little about yourself . . .

I'm an English professor (American literature, actually) at a small, private college in the Midwest.  I started at 284 and am down to 236 (almost 50 pounds!).  My eventual goal is 145-150, and I'm eating about 1500 calories a day and working out 3x-4x a week.  :)

Oh, btw, punctuation and spelling won't count on this thread--we all need a break from that, right?  LOL

OK, so maybe everybody is already back in school??  Hello??  Are there any other teachers out there?  :D

Hi :) I'm a high school reading specialist, starting in a new district this year. Just had my second baby in May (had 2 within 15 months of each other).  Very busy!

I'm 166 as of today, hoping for 150. We're going on a cruise in February, no babies, and I want to feel good on it! 

Hi there. Yeah you can count me in. I'm a music teacher (hope that counts) from a large private school in the South, but I just relocated to north AL. I now teach music lessons from my home and I'm hoping to get in a school here part time. Just got married and, wow, did I pack it on. My problem is cooking and snacking. So, now I'm trying to get fit for my hubby.

Hello Writestuff, dannie138, and ana_kay,

I am not a teacher, but I work in a classroom with children. I am a full inclusion aid for special education in an elementary school. The child I am with is now in 4th and I am hoping working with him will keep me active enough I won't have to look for exercise. (I have a ab lounge and bowflex sitting here beside me now and all I am exercising are my fingers). I would be glad to join in a support group. I am 5'10", large frame, and I weighed 245 when I started this on Aug. 4th. I am only down to 239 today. I had visitors for a couple days and was a bad girl, desserts and all. To keep myself honest, I have been wearing a small notebook on a string around my neck (I never can find my notebook if I don't) and writing everything that goes into my face into the book. I was just using a calorie book to figure my calories till I found this site. My calories have been between 1300 and 2000 per day till the last couple days, but I am back on the wagon. Please let me know if you have any ideas that have worked for you. (I know, I should just use these things sitting beside me shouldn't I)

       &nb sp;               &nb sp;               &nb sp;               &nb sp; 

BTW I am glad you aren't grading me on my grammar skills

 

Hello all,

I'm a second grade teacher from Manitoba. I've lost at least 10 pounds (didn't weigh myself at start of summer) since the end of June.

I've really been watching what I eat although haven't been perfect on weekends. I started the couch to 5k program on my treadmill and I'm also walking quite a bit.

As soon as school starts again there will be stress, lack of time and the dreaded treats on the staff room table. Yikes.

SW: 225
CW: 215

Want to get down to 185 by Christmas, then I'll go from there.

May I join you???    ( :

I especially like the no making fun of typing mistakes, writestuff, since I type way too fast at time.   =P  lol

I started last summer at 230+, 164 lately.    I started a motivation post called "tips and tricks for teachers?" about keeping my good and well-practiced habits going through the school year.    Just my luck I had time to surf tonight and find all of you!!  (Yay!)

My bf is really grouchy lately ---  4 years is a long time and we are having the itch.  School just got rolling.   So far, it is good, but it is hard to keep up with everything.

Currently, I get up at 5AM, ride my bike about 10 miles a day, maybe jog with the dog a couple of mornings a week, try to drink lots of water, and take (and actually eat, not work through) healthy snacks and lunches.    How are all of you "making it work"????    

OH -- I teach high school (10th and 11th) English in a rural Kansas town, commute 30 minutes every day.   I love what I do --  even when they make me crazy!   lol

May I join you as well?

I am starting my second year teaching first grade.  I started the beginning of the school year last year at 164 lbs.  I was able to get down to 130 by the end of the year.  Summer is a hard time for me because I'm so lazy!  I ended up gaining about 5lbs over the summer, and I'm trying to get back into my healthy eating and exercising routines. 

My school system changed our lunch schedules this year, and we now only get 25 minutes for lunch.  When you work with young children and have to scoot them through the lunch line, a 25 minute lunch turns into about 15 minutes of actual eating time.  I'm having a hard time eating my entire lunch, and by the time I get home at around 4:00-4:30ish, I'm so hungry that I practically eat the entire house.  I guess this is my new weight loss obstacle this year! :-)

I'm looking to lose about 15 more pounds.  I would also like to get into pretty good shape. 

Here are my stats in case you didn't read the entire post and want it in a nice compact format :-)
Starting weight: 164

Current weight: 135

Goal Weight: 120

Height: 5'3

Age: 23

Yay!  The teachers have found us!  :)  Welcome to everyone!

Dannie, you sould like you have your hands full right now.  I dont know how you do it all!  I'll bet you don't need any extra "exercise."  :)  That cruise sounds like fun, though, so hang in there and let us kinow how school and your healthy eating plan are going. 

Ana_kay, congrats on getting married and moving!  Is your new hubby fit?  My fiance and I are trying to do this healthy stuff together, but sometimes he just doesn't get it.  :)

weirdmom, I like your notebook idea.  I think posting what I eat is a real eye-opener.  I tend to underestimate calories (or forget about what I've eaten, believe it or not), if I just try to rely on my memory.  I think menu planning and measuring portions helps, as does drinking a LOT of water.  haha!

jinxozzie, congrats on the weight loss!  Yes, those dreaded treats (usually baked goods where I work) are sneaky, aren't they?  Maybe the couch to 5k plan will help?  How does it work?  What phase are you in now?  I do 30 minutes on the elliptical, but it is at a really slow pace.

Olivia77, welcome aboard and thank you for teaching English at the HS level!!  I'm impressed!!  :)  Your progress is absolutely amazing, and I'd LOVE to see that motivation post with all the tips.  I'm thinking about getting a bike but am worried my backside is too big.  At what point did you get yours?  What kind did you get?

Averitia, sure, join us!!  Your progress is amazing, too!  Good for you!  Do you find it easier to be healthy during the school year?  I do, for the most part.  I don't know how you deal with 25-minute lunch periods, though.  Phew!!!

Anyhow, hello to everyone!!  I'm glad you found this thread and hope you'll come back to check in with us.  I'm off to get ready for my first day of classes tomorrow, whoo hoo!!  I'd better pack my lunch, huh?  ;)

Hi all!  I'd like to participate in this thread.  I'm a 4th year PhD student in Comparative Literature and an adjunct instructor.  This semester I am teaching a film and globalization class and next semester I'm teaching a course on "Literary and Philosophical Monsters" (I'm really excited about this second one).

I am 28 years old, female and currently weigh 135 lbs.  I started out at 140 about 6 weeks ago.  I'm hoping I can keep up with my calorie counting and exercise once the semester begins tomorrow.  Let's keep each other motivated!

Hi! I started a similar thread about a week ago but didn't keep it going, so I'm definitely interested in participating. I start back with meetings on Tuesday and have also started grad school (8 hours every other Saturday after an opening weekend of 16 hours).

I'm a high school history teacher, 5'8, 197.6 (today, anyway!! ), female and 49. Looking forward to facing the challenges with all of you!

I see some familiar names here from running or other posts.  I like that.

thanks, writestuff.   ( :    I need all the encouragment I can get some days......   I try and workout every day before work and when I wake up on weekends BEFORE coffee.      My bike before it died was AWESOME  if very old and slightly noisy.   I got a padded butt seat from ebay on the advice of a trialthete cc friend.  very nice.   Recently I bought a new bike from overstock.com.   Hopefully it will be even nicer than the old one.  I do not think your booty will be too big.   ANd if so, that is one of the prime changes in my body I noticed right away ----  butt shrinkage and lifting. I used to have a flat butt -- no more.   I also noticed my saddlebags are smaller and more shapely/less noticeable.   YAY.   ANd the cal burn is awesome.    I can ride 10 miles in less than 30 minutes for right around 400 cals.   

I also adore using the bf's Bowflex.  I can tell a real difference in my strength and muscles in my arms/back/chest, etc.  

Hey Teachers,

I just started a new group for teachers in the CC Groups.  The link is:

http://caloriecount.about.com/teachers-g249

...or from "Groups", go to "Professionals", then "Other" and you'll see the group called "Teachers"

I like this new Groups concept - it's easier to keep track of than threads that get lost in the forums.  Hope to see you there! 

-andesite

Hi writestuff and all,

No and yes, my husband looks fit because he's a stick (5'8", 118lbs. when we married), but he's not at all athletic. I was tempted to get really depressed this week because he has lost the 20lbs he he had put on since we married in June. I, on the other hand, have only lost 1.5lbs (5' 148lbs down to 146.4lbs) in 2 weeks. I enjoy exercising to a degree, but he hates it. Congrats on getting married! When is the big day?

Averitia, I thought in a school with a lunch break just like that for the past 2 years, so I understand about the "after school snack-turned-binge." Here's something my trainer told me and it helped me to maintain my weight as well as drop a few pounds in the process. She said to eat freely at lunch and to eat healthy at dinner since you won't burn as many calories once you're at home for the evening. So if you want pizza and ice cream, then go for it--only at lunch though. Let that be your splurge. Make dinner a smaller, healthier meal. Good luck.

Sorry this is so long.

Later, ana_kay

Original Post by andesite:

Hey Teachers,

I just started a new group for teachers in the CC Groups.  The link is:

http://caloriecount.about.com/teachers-g249

...or from "Groups", go to "Professionals", then "Other" and you'll see the group called "Teachers"

I like this new Groups concept - it's easier to keep track of than threads that get lost in the forums.  Hope to see you there! 

-andesite

 Please join the GROUP!! Right now, I'm the only new member and it's much easier than following a thread, IMHO!!

See instructions, above. Yep, we're all really busy but remember, this is for YOU!!

Do you think anyone out there other than teachers really understands the "feast or famine" schedule of educators? ANSWER in the group site, please!! (my way of encouraging you to join!)

is there a way to access that from cc classic?   I couldn't find one.....  

I'm an 8th grade English/Language Arts teacher. We have been back in school since 8/4. I found that once school started, my weight loss stalled. During the summer, I walked religiously outdoors daily with my dog and never cheated on my calories more than twice. When school began a group of teachers and I started walking right after school around the hallways (very fast walking) however, I haven't lost another ounce. I know that I haven't been eating AS healthy as I had during the summer. There are a lot of cookies, cakes, candy and STUFF around all the time. I don't get crazy but I have had more sugar than I'd had in months. No weight gain, thank goodness, but no loss.

I'm 5'7", my starting weight was 166.6, I'm currently 156. I want to get down to 145. 

Got room for one more?

My saga: I really pushed to lose weight starting in January, joined CC in March, and worked very hard for almost 6 months with little to no weight loss.  Very frustrating.  I went to the doctor to figure out if there was a medical reason for the lack of weight loss and came up with nothing.   I was doing well keeping up with tracking and workouts until about the second week of August and then got frustrated and took a couple week break.  So, I am really looking to find ways to push myself so that i can see some significant loss.  I have really learned to watch portions and have a good idea of how many calories are in the items I eat most regularly.  I need to work on not slipping up and making myself workout.

I teach high school English.  I would tell you what grades, but alas, our master schedule is still being reworked.  I start back Tuesday and I have already decided that Tuesday is going to be a new start for my exercise and diet regime.  I usually do well in the summer and then totally lose track once the school year starts.  This time I figured I would start during the worst of the chaos and then see if it is easier to stick with it.   I'll try just about anything at this point.

 

Hi guys,

Went well the first week at school...until this cookout yesterday. Had some things I shouldn't have had because there weren't many options...haven't weighed myself this week yet, so hopefully they'll be some changes.

 

On a positive note, I had a sip of Pepsi...and I immediately said to my boyfriend that I've lost the taste for it!

from one former soda addict to another, HIGH FIVE, dannie!   ( : 

steph --- what else changed? I actually lost A LOT right at the end of the month when we started back on the 11th this month.....   less water?  more sodium?  maybe?  I wish I had a walking group of girls at work though.....sincerely.    Maybe you could start a Biggest Loser contest at your school?   ( :

Hi love --  one of my best discoveries this summer was how good I felt and how easy it was for me to be done for the day --   just to get up and workout BEFORE work vs. making excuses after work.  

I am stoked to see some more faces here.   YAY!

Good job Danni!  The pop habit is a hard one to break.  I used to drink it so much an IV drip would have been easier.  Then I went cold turkey, no diet pepsi, at the end of the school year in June (didn't need the caffeine to survive the summer ).  I have allowed myself to have it occasionally now, but I don't enjoy it or crave it like I used to.  If I go a whole week without, it is no big deal.  It also helps me to drink my water.  I became a water bottle junky and can't survive without my 32oz nalgene bottle.  Now I drink over 100 oz. a day.