freckafree, I was stuck waiting in a doctor’s office on Friday, and was reading an article in a health magazine about a six-month study of the efficacy of four different diets. One was the Atkins, one was the Dean Ornish (super low-fat) diet, I forget the name of the third one (The Brazil Diet? Something like that), and the fourth was WWO. Now, the two people studied who lost the highest number of pounds were on Atkins, and Ornish, respecitively. However, down the line, WWO scored high marks for being “liveable”, “manageable”, and all in all got the best marks for being easiest to work with.
Ok I weighed myself - 14 lbs down since this time last month! I’m pretty happy with myself to say the least. I wanted to weigh myself today because I’m going away for the weekend and we’re having dinner at TGI’s and that ain’t no diet food!!!
Only 84lbs to go … that sounds depressing really but it’s better than where I was at New Year thats for sure!!!
Honeydew, that’s great! Whatever you do, though, don’t fall into the trap of this kind of thinking: “Hey, 14lbs. in one month; that’s 42lbs. in three months. I’ll be at goal before Spring!” I’ve been down that road, and it’s depressing as hell. You always lose fluid and stuff the first month, and simply cannot extrapolate that out to future months. But you have every reason to be very proud of yourself!
If you are like me, you have lost a lot of weight before, and put it back on again…
I don’t have time to scrape up a cite, but google rapid weight loss. A running theme will be the word “temporary”. If you lose weight this fast, there is a good chance you will put it back on.
Pace yourself. You can lose less than 2 lbs a week and hit your goal in a year. This will give your body a chance to adjust to the demands of its new layout, and let it make the changes it needs to make.
Slow and steady. This time it is for good! This time it is for LIFE! You can do it!
I guess I do count it up altogether but only to cheer me up when I’m feeling a bit down. Basically, I’m doing this to be healthy (we want to start a family and believe it’s better for everyone if I’m healthier than I was at New Year’s when I was at my biggest). So, the goal for me isn’t just weight loss but health gain, and that is something that I’m really proud of. I’m a billion times fitter than I was but I’ve been here before and know my limits - and my downfalls. However, this time I have support, rather than doing it on my own, and that makes all the difference. I’ve lost a lot but still have a lot to lose - I treat it as a journey, and this journey won’t really have an ending because healthy eating and exercise is something that I will have to do (and want to do) for the rest of my life. Which is fine by me!
Yes, then I’m very like you!! However, this time round it’s different, for several reasons.
Firstly, I focused only on weight loss and not on health gains.
Secondly, I did it all by myself, not realising just how screwed up my thinking is.
Thirdly, I used to think it was a “just for now” diet, that I could go back to my old eating patterns after I’d lost the weight… eh, kinda stoopid that cos I just went back to the old me and picked up a few extra pounds on the way.
This time I’m aware of my limitations and my obsessions - I exercise for a limited time 5 days a week, I can only do it for that time and can’t extend it (I am so competitive with myself that, in the past, I upped the ante on my exercise almost every day to a point where I was working out 2.5 hours a day 7 days a week - not good for me). My husband supports me through it all but is very aware of my ability to fool myself so keeps an eye on me too. We both eat a low GI diet (it’s good for him as he has had stomach problems in the past and a family history of heart disease) which is excellent for us both and, by no means, stingy with food or treats - ie I LOVE Thai food and we make a Thai stir fry at least once a week, just a low fat version.
In the last month my exercise routine has changed, my old gym closed down when I was on holiday and I had to find a new one. The work out is better than I had been doing but I can still do it in the same time. I have a lot to lose yet - I think I’m only in the middle of my journey but I take it all one day at a time. That way, I don’t drive myself mental and I can relax and enjoy it all. I’ve found that I love healthy food, I adore fruit and vegetables (luckily I’ve always liked them, just never ate them cos I was so full on chocolate!) and I’m thoroughly enjoying the gym. All in all, I’m pretty happy with life at the mo!
Well, I just got the news that my bad cholesterol is high. The nurse who explained the results to me said that I could be missing a food with hidden cholesterol somewhere in my diet.
I don’t eat processed foooooods! What the hell is wrong with my body?
Could it be that your body is producing too much cholesterol itself? A girl where I work has this and has to be on medication for it - she cannot control it just by diet but that is also a factor. Did the doctors check this out do you know?
Gingy, get thee to a doctor pronto! High cholesterol is nothing to screw around with. Fortunately, there are very effective medications now, if it isn’t caused/controlled by diet alone.
I emailed my sister (and my dad, but he never emails me back), and she says that her cholesterol is high as well. She has just lost 40 lbs and her exercise regime and diet are pretty healthy. Genetics, whee.
I’ll call my mom when it’s later there (they’re two hours earlier) and ask her, as well.
I’ve found the culprit. First response is my sister, who has borderline high levels. Then Dad, whose is very low - as is his mother’s and his deceased twin brother’s. Mom said hers is high (despite drugs) and some of her older sisters’ is high as well. Whee for genetics.
Hey all, just thought I’d post an update. I’ve been reading the read pretty regularly but not posting too often.
I’m at 158 to 161 through out that day. I started at 190 something, though at that time I was cheating by going with the lowest weight of the day as my actual weight.
Anyway, I went and talked to a trainer today. I am changing the way I work out to focus more on gaining strength and less on losing fat. Certain muscle groups of mine are now pretty pissed off at me. It’ll take a while to get used to the new workout. Hopefully by the time I go to St. Thomas in April* I’ll be so ripped and cut and well defined that all the women will throw themselves at me. Preferably really rich women.
Ok, that probably won’t happen but I hope to be somewhat bigger and more defined. And hopefullly my little paunch (which is actually little now) will be gone.
I was kind of suprised because I talked to the trainer about my weight and I figured, using BMI, that I have another 5 to 10 pounds to lose. The trainer disagreed and basically said that I am about right and the BMI isn’t the best way to look at it. In any case, I am basically off the losing weight regime and on to a strength building regime.
I decided that I like the way I eat now (lots of salads and occasional junk. Lays potato chips are pure evil) and like working out. So I don’t think I am going to change anything except the workout The other cool thing about the way I eat now is that I am saving a ton of money. For my birthday I decided to splurge and get a Reuben from Jason’s Deli. I loved the Reuben but man, the $8.00 price was way more than I am now used to paying. It’s kind of funny because I used to eat out all the time and blowing $10-15 on dinner wasn’t a big deal. Now that I don’t do it all that often it just seems like a fairly big waste. I’m getting thin and cheap. Go figure.
Slee
*My brother is getting married down there. I’ll be down there for a week. The wedding is on the second day, I think, which leaves lots of time to do other things like snorkling, jet skiing, etc. The cool thing is that I’ll be in shape to do those things.
I’m really enjoying reading this thread and seeing that people are having success. Helps me think I’ll b able to stick with it this time, too.
OK, my menu web page sn’t back up yet. I worked on it a little last week and then had to let it drop for work-related stuff. Three day weekend this weekend for me, so that should help.
I am also finding it less easy to plan weekly menus this time around, because I have to plan around the weekly organic vegetable delivery we get - which we don’t have much control over the content of - what’s available is what we get.
For example, this week (my delivery day is Friday - today) we’re getting Cortland apples, bananas, pears, plums, kiwis, oranges, broccoli, celery, avocados, bell peppers, collards and lettuce. Ony I can’t remember if I put collards on my “do not want” list. Hm. Also, what’s up with all the freakin’ kiwis I keep getting? I’ve got kiwis coming out my ears! I suppose that’s a subject for another thread, though.
I was down 1 pound on Monday, hope to see another pound down this coming Monday. I’m not going to make my Columbus Day mini-goal, but I seem to be stedaily declining, so I’m OK with that.
You may recall that I reported last week having some sweets at a party. I didn’t feel guilty because as I said life is still for living and sometimes you should enjoy yourself.
Sunday I had two beers at a football gathering.
If I needed any more proof that my ups and downs emotionally are linked to my diet, I received it. Monday I had one of the first down days that I’ve had in months. I mean really down. Even a coworker noticed it.
So it was back to the diet plan that I have mentioned several times from the book Potatoes not Prozac. The rest of the week I am mostly back on track.
(I say mostly because this week I’ve been having trouble getting up in the morning. But I am blaming that on the fact that it is still pitch dark when I am supposed to get up.)
