Welcome to the Group

Welcome! We would love get to know you, so please tell us a little bit about yourself. You can choose any format you'd like, but most of us here share some or all of the following details:

1. History with weight loss:
2. History with Calorie Count:
3. Reason for joining this group:
4. Some interesting details about yourself, such as your job, your family, your pets and your interests:

And now just go ahead and make that first post!

Hello! I started being serious about this in June. When I joined the biggest loser game at work. I like challenges like that, motivation & the pleasure of winning. I found this site when I was reading articles about fitness & the right foods to eat. Its great I love it. I started gaining weight after I got married 7 years ago. My highest weight was 254 lbs. I have always been the curvy perfect body all the way until my 20's. After that I just let myself go & started to be really lazy & ate alot. After I had my baby I went down to 221. Its been about 10 weeks I have lost 27 lbs. Now I am at 193. This is my lowest weight Ive been in 7 years. I am soo excited. My GW is about 150 I am 5'7. I dont want to be too skinny but I want to get my cute curves again & my small waist. My GW for Halloween or before (hopefully) is go down to 175.

More about me... single mom, I have a daughter 2 1/2, & a son 4 1/2 months. My job is in accounting, sitting down for 8 hours. but always make an excuse to go walk around & get some exercise during the day. I just recently joined the gym about a month ago. I am so excited to go. I been going to every class they have aerobics, kickboxing, step up, etc... On days that I dont make it to class I just work on the machines for cardio or weight lifting. best of all they have babysitting. so dont have to worry about them. I guess thats it for now.

The Elliptical is the only favorite machine I like to get my cardio done.

Hi! I love the ellipticall too! I started using one when my school (I'm a part-time New Media undergrad) opened its new gym last September. The first time I got on I couldn't even figure out if I was going forwards or backwards... and I passed out after 10 minutes on "quick start." Now I usually go for 40-60 minutes of moderate intensity intervals a couple of times a week, and use the "weight-loss" setting for easy days.

It's been a wonderful tool to burn calories and to increase my cardiovascular stamina... I've been able to incorporate running into my workouts without much pain, although I do feel the impact that I don't get on the elliptical.

Oh, my stats: 24, 5'4.5", F, SW:170, CW: 148, GW: 125 

1. History with weight loss: I totally suck at weight loss. The only time I was successful, a friend an I were doing 3 hours or so of aerobics 6 days a week. We were poor college kids and it was our entertainment. I guess it was better than wasting money on beer.

2. History with Calorie Count: I found the site Dec 2007. I love it. It is easy to organize all things related to loosing weight and it is easy to find calorie information even if you have to type in a recipe which is a feature that I think is great.

3. Reason for joining this group: Of all gym equipment, the elliptical is my favorite, so I thought I would find like minded folks within this thread.

4. Some interesting details about yourself, such as your job, your family, your pets and your interests: Hmm...I have a disabled kid yet our family is pretty active. My kid and I do martial arts every Tue/Thurs and ride bikes every Monday and Friday. He is involved with several other activities as well like horseback riding, swimming, and baseball. Myself, I have been skydiving and loved it...now that I have kid I don't do it anymore. I also enjoy whitewater kayaking, cooking, gardening, and world of warcraft online game. I don't think we are very interesting...just a typical family doing typical things.

Hi everyone,

I have had my elliptical for about a couple months now and absolutely love it.  I have other equipment that I have slowly accumulated but so far the elliptical is my favorite.  I like the different levels and programs and I like the dual action as well.

I currently am working towards a weight loss of about 10 to 15 pounds and I've been with CC for over a year at least on and off.  I am a wife, mother, and dog owner of 3 wonderful dogs.  I am a tax accountant and full-time student as well.  Yes, I am pretty busy but I always give myself some time.  I quit smoking over 9 months ago and I am 41 years of age and I find weight loss to be very difficult but I keep on goin....  I enjoy working out and lifting weights as well.  It just makes me feel good and strong.

Good luck everyone with your goals!!

Lisa

 

Hi all,

 

I have been using my elliptical since Feb 2007. I started out at just over 190 pounds with severe type III hyperlipidemia and high blood pressure. With a combination of using the elliptical daily, walking my dogs three miles a day, and eating healthy I lost 67 pounds in five months.

I no longer have high blood pressure and my triglycerides are normal.

 

I vary my routine on the elliptical but usually I go for an hour and keep my heart rate between 87% and 91% for at least 30 minutes. I use the dog walking as a cool down.

My stats are M age 46, height 67.5 inches, SW 192 lbs. CW 125 lbs GW 138 lbs average BP 106/60 RHR 52

 

I use CC religiously to track my progress. I do keep a separate spread sheet for my blood pressure.

 

The reason for joining this group is I've seem to have hit a point where my performance is decreasing.   I looking for suggestion on how to get back where I was about two months ago.  My milage has dropped by about 20 percent.  I feel fatigued during the day too.  I've increased my caloric intake and actually cut back on the elliptical.  But I'm not gaining weight and I feel like hell.

I'm looking for ideas or suggestion on how to get back on track.

Good Morning,

I am a 40 year old married Mom of two.  I am self-employed, working from a home office which offers me a lot of flexibility to get to the gym.  I am 5'1" and have been a lifetime dieter after growing up "heavy".  Have never made it to the obese category, but have gotten frighteningly close a couple of times.

I have been with CC+ since early July, starting at 151, am now at 138 with a Christmas time goal of 125 and ultimate goal of 119.  I have fought for each and every ounce I have lost, but I have to give major credit to this website.  I am a numbers person by nature, so putting healthy living into a numbers format certainly makes sense to me!

I go to the gym 6 days a week, and spend time on the elliptical every day.  I have recently "graduated" up to the elliptical with the moving handles (sorry, not sure what that is called) which I have certainly been feeling in my shoulders.  My routine is using manual settings and building certain patterns on the progress screen.  I like to do little mountains, or sometimes drastic up and down patterns.  Again, being a numbers person, this allows me to increase resistance and incline on a timed basis - which distracts me from watching the clock too much!

I love love love the elliptical, it makes me feel like I am really working hard, and gives me the opportunity to increase the workout to match how I am feeling in any given day. 

I am eager to hear how others use the elliptical, because I want to keep changing things up, but I don't want to not include the elliptical.

Thanks much for starting this group Melkor!

1. History with weight loss: 

I was always a little "thick".  After having my two kids (5 and 6 yrs old) only 1 year and 3 weeks apart, i was huge.  I joined a gym and lost 100lbs by counting calories and exercise.  I became an aerobics instructor and trainer.  We moved 2 years later to Utah from California.  I gained some weight back and have been struggeling since do to the desk jobs i have had.  Its not as flexible here as it was when i could be an instructor and get paid to work out.  Now I wake up at 5 am everymorning before work to get an hour of cardio in and some weights (if i can squeeze em in)

2. History with Calorie Count:

Off and on for a couple years to find nutritional info

3. Reason for joining this group:

Love my elliptical!  I also have an upright bike, a treadmill and a really nice weight bench.  Plus some other equip.  But i love my elliptical!!

4. Some interesting details about yourself, such as your job, your family, your pets and your interests:

I am an assitant to a financial advisor.  Unfortunately i am on my butt all the time.  I have been married for 8 years and have two babies, mentioned above.  I have two dogs- a yorkie and a maltese.  We live in Utah and miss good ole CALI. 

 

I am 5'9" and at 167.  I gained 9lbs since June/July.  I want to be at 150.  I was there before and I know I can do it again.  I'm keeping a food a workout journal that I carry in my purse to hold myself accountable.  If I didnt, I am sure I would forget about half the little things I eat here and there.

1. Weight loss - in May 2006 I was 266 lbs, I'm now down to 182. I did plateau during th latter half of 2007.  During the early part of August '08 I hit my goal of 175lbs, but have since put 7lbs back on.
   
   
2. CC - I use CC a lot to track my exercise and food consumption. I did in the middle part of the year stop logging, and I think that was part of the reason I put weight back on. Well, that and starting to use the gym.
   
   
3. I use the elliptical as part of my workout at the gym. My usual workout is to run 2.5k on the treadmill, do some weights (mainly arm stuff like biceps curls), 20mins on the elliptical at 7mph, more weights (hip abduction and adduction), 10 mins on the bike, finishing with some abdominal crunches.
   
   In the last few weeks I've also started swimming again, and will follow a workout in the gym with a leisurely swim which will be anything from 20 to 60 lengths of the 25metre pool.
   
   
4. Me? Oh yeah, me. I'm female, 6ft, age 48, medium build, polyamorous, lesbian. My hair colour is variable, at the present it is an orangey red, it has recently been purple, and may well be again in the future. Currently I'm not in employment, but when I am I'm a systems and network administrator. 
   
   For fun, when I'm not spending 3hrs at the gym/pool, I do photography, play Magic: the Gathering, go hill walking. I have a caramel corn snake as a pet. At various times I've been accused of being a coffee snob, I'm not really, I just like good coffee.
   

So Im cutting calories, counting every one, that worked for me before when I got married 5 yrs ago.  I am also running on the elleptical, just got one at my home given to me, not the best model but I get a work out, I do this 30-60 min four days a week.  Just started running again so Im ready for the weight to melt off!!!  I find it almost relaxing to take off, pretend Im running as I run through the day in my mind, I dont watch tv I just focus, its a job for me.  OUrs is in the garage and I look out at the yard, neighbors, street, I dont care if others see me.  I have two children four and 17 mo and I do childcare in my home, was a teacher for eight years.  Mainly Im obsessed with losing the weight and need to talk about it and read about it and get advice about it daily, to keep me fresh and motiviated.  Once I start losing weight, Ive lost 8 pds in one and a half months,  I have 25 more to go.  I weigh 153 now but Im only 5'2  at most :)  I get excited and theres no turning back for me.  Im not one to yoyo diet, I just eat really healthy, snack on veggies and fruit and exercise and that seems to work out great for me.  I stay away from fast food, which is easy as I am home allllllllllllllllllllll day!!!!  ON the weekends however I struggle with drinking too many calories if you know what I mean.  So Im also working on quitting smoking and drinks and smoking go hand in hand for me, so their both gonna have to go pretty much, which has really helped now that I count calories again, after many years.  Thanks for reading, any advice or support is appreciated :)

Since it will probably be easier for me to say what I want to in fewer words (I tend to ramble as I'm sure you can already tell lol), I'll use the format mentioned in the first post :)

1. History with weight loss: My wait has been up and down ever since I was 13. I was diagnosed with epilepsy, put on anti-convulsants, and my weight just soared. I was very noticeably heavier by my 14th birthday. It went down again around the time I was 18, up again after about a year, down again when I was 21 (probably at my lowest point - under 140 - I'm 5'7"). Went into a huge depression (for other reasons) and gained weight from the medicine - was in excess of 300 pounds. Went off the meds in 2004, six months later started noticing I was losing weight. Went down to about 160. Then again after being on Lupron and addback therapy after surgery last year, I gained again. That brings me to now, 195 pounds, and wayyy to close to the big 2-0-0.

2. History with Calorie Count: I have actually quite often used the site to help me figure out calories. I officially started a diet diary yesterday, and this site has helped me very often. I decided that maybe it would be good to have some help from peers, and so I joined today.

3. Reason for joining this group: I recently got a membership and a health club, have been exercising at least twice a week (I know, I know) for about a month now. I'm starting to get interested in the elliptical in addition to the treadmill. Don't really have a goal for it yet, but it should be interesting.

4. Some interesting details about yourself, such as your job, your family, your pets and your interests: I work in the mail center of a major pharmacy as a team lead (which means I don't sit around as much as most people seem to think, lol). I live with my and support my mother as well as supporting myself, which can be stressful at times. I have two dogs and three cats, and they are the joys of my life :) Interests, well, as of late, working out ;) I also love to travel when money and time allow.

I've been dieting off an on every since I can remember.  Losing weight was never a problem for me until recently and I blame either yo yo dieting or the fact that I'm getting closer to 30.  About a year ago I was involved in weight watchers and lost about 20lbs but subsequently stopped goin because I felt like I was paying a $12 fee just for them to weigh me (it was hard for me to make the weekly meetings due to my schedule).  I started working out again in July 2008 and since that time I've lost 20lbs again but the problem is I gained about 30lbs when I left weight watchers.  It's very discouraging for me to lose the same weight over again.  But, this time I'm adament about not re-gaining the weight.  I think this calorie counting website helps alot because it helps me to be aware of what I'm eating and involved with a group which is one of the things people say boost weight lost.  My current challenge is working out.  I hate to do it.  I can watch what I eat before working out but it takes both things to lose weight.  I like working out on the elliptical machine but it gets boring.  I like would like to do aerobic classes but I'm unsure if I can keep up but I have to do something because this weight has to come off.  I am currently a size 18 and would love to be at least a size 14 by my wedding date in April 2009.  I'm rambling so I will stop now.  Any ideas about some fun work outs?

1. After having my kids I have packed on the weight.  I put on 70 pounds during my pregnancy and it is still sticking around. My youngest is now 5 so the whole "baby weight" has not worked for me in years. I have hit age 31 so I better do something quick!!!

2. I don't really have a history with CC but I am hoping too!!

3. I joined this group looking for people who love the elliptical.  I use it 5 days a week and love seeing the calorie burn.  It is more then any other cardio machine I have used.

4.  I am a stay at home mom who loves to spend time with her kids.

1. History with weight loss:  I was always thin but curvy since I can remember in High School and College working out and watching what I ate 85% of the time. Counted calories after college before getting married 5 yrs ago and widdled down to a healthy 135 with lots of exercise and healthy eating. I have had two children now and just havent been focused or driven enough to get down past 149. I started in August seriously at 163 (mid august) and am now 151. My GW is 125 and I want to get to that or darn close by my 30 b day which is Feb. 11.
2. History with Calorie Count: I have used the method of counting calories for years, however, I had to write it down an a pad of paper I carried everywere with me... now with intranet and a computer at my home I track it this way and its sooo much easier!!!!!
3. Reason for joining this group:  I like to share my story and get advice and learn new ways to cut unhealthy calories.  I need encouragement with regard to cutting out alchohol... I like to drink and can keep it pretty out for the week, however, come the weekend sometimes its like all bets are off and sometimes it sabotoges my losing a pound for that week and thats not what I want. 
4. Some interesting details about yourself, such as your job, your family, your pets and your interests:  I had a very rough delivery with my son one and a half yrs ago, were doing great now.  I chose to change carreers after that and am now staying at home with my two children and watching a few other children at home as well.  Its a very busy job, however, what is great is I can keep up on the things I want done around here, count out every possible calorie on calorie count and plan my meals and when their all napping which is every once in a while, I can run on the elliptical get that in so I dont have to wait until 7:30 when Im totally beat! My husband works out of the home regular hours, we are kind of home bodies and get teased for it, but it keeps us from eating out much, we do family dinner every night, I love to cook and do it very healthy and my husband does the grocery shopping.  I am into reading again which has helped with late night eating, I brush teeth and get ready for bed crawling into bed and reading and passing out by 10 instead of having several beers and lowering my inhibitions and eating that bowl of icecream at 10:00. My husband doesnt really need to watch his weight much so he can have icecream nearly every night, or munch on something late after dinner, I cant, thats not helpful for me. I work out four or five days a week, on the elliptical and I love it. I do two 60 min work outs on low resistance and two or three days of 30-45 min at higher resistance/intervals. This is cutting down my clothes size by at least one this last couple of months, I havent seen a lot of change in my weight but my clothes are getting a lot looser!!!!!! Its encouraging. Thanks for reading, love advice and encouragement as Im sure you all do as well.

1. History with weight loss: I was one of those girls that everybody hated. I could eat anything and I used to eat a lot. I would eat more than my brother and I'm only 5.4, and he is over 6 ft, and I would still be skinny. I was active, but never played sports or actively exercised... just enjoyed doing things outdoor, etc

But after I turned 28, got married, got lazy, my body changed,and now I feel that my metabolism has slowed down and I started to gain weight. I went from 116 to a 160 in the last 5 years.

2. History with Calorie Count: Never quite mastered the calories counting...

3. Reason for joining this group: I just got my elliptical delivered today, and I would love to be part of a support group, where we can encourage each other.

4. Some interesting details about yourself, such as your job, your family, your pets and your interests: I went back to school, and also work at school, so I am there all day long! I grew up ovo-lacto vegetarian, so I have never eaten any kind of meat, but I think I couldn't never go vegan since I love love love cheese!

Hi Everyone,

My mom put me on my first diet when I was 9, 1200 calories a day for the next 7 years until I went to college and gained a ton of weight. I never learned how to eat when I was hungry and stop when I was full. I was always hungry. I continued to diet for years. I lost weight with Jenny Craig but was hungry all the time and it all came back when I tried to eat normal food. At 35 I simply stopped dieting and found that my weight stablized. I wasn't thin but I stopped gaining just by letting myself learn to eat and when to stop. I eventually went onto the South Beach diet with good results, but again it didn't stick. Now I am not dieting, but have changed my eating habits. I eat only organic meat, and organic vegetables. I have organic vegies delivered every other week. I started working out at the gym at work because my knees started giving me trouble and the PT said I needed to strengthen them. Exercise has always been my stress reliever so not being able to walk my dog vigorously was a problem. I joined the gym and found the elliptical trainer to be easiest on my joints. I also own one, but prefer the gym.

I decided to join Calorie Count because after 3 months of working out I gained 2 pounds. I wanted to make sure I wasn't eating to make up the extra calories. I am pretty sure it is the muscle weighs more than fat because I am visibly smaller. Just not lighter. I like the accountablity. It is harder to have an unhealthy snack if I know I will have to log it later.

I thought it might be good to have some support. I am a single mom. I date but no one special, so I am not getting a lot of encouragement. My daughter does say "go Mom" but she is a teenager and a little self focused right now.

Interesting details about me? I have a beautiful daughter, a big bouncy 70 pound lapdog that insists she must be walked at least twice a day (despite having a back yard to play in). I love to read, cook and garden. And I have done Stand up comedy on open mics around my town, so I am pretty outgoing and self confident.I also had a close call with my dad recently, we thought we were going to lose him. He is fine, but I decided that I needed to reduce my risk factors so my daughter doesn't have to worry about me. The only one I can really do anything about is my weight. I don't drink or smoke, or even do caffiene.

 

 

1. History with weight loss:  My history of weightloss is glum.  I haven't succeeded.  I think it had to do with the fact the I didn't really incorporate is as a lifestlye change, in which I am doing now. I'm still learning what works for me so I don't stop. 

2. History with Calorie Count:  I just joined Calorie Count.

3. Reason for joining this group:  i joined because I love elliptical machines.  I workout on an elliptical since I started my lifestyle change a weeks ago.  I here because I don't want to ever stop working out, but I find that there are days when I need the support to carry on.

4. Some interesting details about yourself, such as your job, your family, your pets and your interests:  I'm a fulltime student and a full-time mom.  I'm studying to become a paralegal.  My major is Legal Studies.  I love the law and have great respect for it.  I love the research part of it all.  I'm a geek I know =)

Hey... I'll try to keep this short and sweet.

I started my new life style in the summer after a routine check my doctor discovered I had extremly high blood pressure .  I then decided that meds were not for me and took care of my BP on my own by reducing salt intake.  I reached a better level and then decided that 189.5 lbs for a 5'2" was a little much and I've always been affraid to weight 200 lbs, so I started going to the gym in october.  I started with just going to the gym 3 time a week for 45 minutes of hard cardio and did not watch what I put in my mouth, fiured one thing at the time is best, so now I started watching my calorie intake and calories burned.  I am currently down 19.5 lbs and reached my first plateau I haven't lost anything in about 15days....

I joined this web site because it was very interesting and absolutly love that I can now figure out what my own recepies are like as far as sodium and calories. My machine of choice is the Elliptical and just love it, it gets me going for the day.  I haven't purchased one yet but I do think I will in the near future.

I'm a mother of 2 and living a simple life...what can I say...

wishing everyone the best on there own journeys.

Amelie

how we doing all. i am over here in iraq. i am over here working for the government as a civilian. i have lost almost 80 lbs using the elliptical and cutting calories i started with the calorie cut in the wrong way i almost just stopped eating, and now i am tring to deal with my under eating habbits. but i have discovered with my undereating habbits comes binge eating, which is horrible. i guess i am just scared to put the weight back on.  i am 5"6 (thats being generous) and i have gone from 230 lbs to i am currently around 150 depending on the day. i run on the elliptical between 30 min and 50 min a day. sometimes i do 2 30 min seesions in a day. i run between level 8 and 12 i usualy vary it through the run. i like to change up my runs with the features such as the around the wrold feature and hill and random features on the elliptical.  when i went home on leave i purchased a elliptical for the house. i enjoy using it that much. 

 

 

Hazelnut here.  Silly name, but it means a lot to me....

My history with weight loss is just beginning.  In October I discoverd a heart condition that caused me to now have a pacemaker...I'm only 30!  So, about a month of people "feeding" the patient, then the holidays have got me thinking that the dryer is shrinking things

I joined CC because I needed a place that I could enter the entire recipe that I was using and get the calories in the meal.

I head straight for the eliptical machine when I hit the gym.  I played indoor soccer when I was a kid, and running is way too painful.

I am an 8th grade math teacher in ft worth, tx.  I am currently in a relationship, with a great guy!  He is totally supportive and I love him very much.  I enjoy camping, fishing, and just hanging out!

Hey everyone!  Well I just started this whole weight loss thing.  For the last, well 23 years of my life, I have eaten and drank anything and everything.  My metabolism has always been very high, and I have always exercised by playing sports.  I just graduated from college, and I am getting ready to start life in the real world now.  I am not an unhealthy weight.  I am 6'4" and I weigh 203 pounds.  I am not overweight, and I do not feel "fat", but I have a lot of weight in places that I wish it wasn't.  I played a lot of sports in high school and was a student-athlete in college.  This has caused a lot of problems with my joints, so I think that the elliptical is great.  I am able to reach my target heart rate without having to hurt myself on the treadmill.  Anyway, my roommates and I are having a "Biggest Loser" challenge.  The loser has to pay for the scale we bought, and also has to put a picture of themselves with no shirt on sticking their gut out on Facebook.  That is my main motivation, lol!  Anyway, I wish everyone luck in their weight loss challenges.