In keeping with tradition, we’re starting a new thread for a new month, so the [February](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=406510&page=1&pp =50) one doesn’t get overly long.
Who’s in?
I lost a whoppin’ two pounds in February.
March 1 2002 is the date I began dieting on Weight Watchers. On that day, I weighed 256 (by my home scale, which seems to have been 4 pounds low). By March 1 2003, I weighed 190 - and was pregnant. I gained back 50 pounds, which I have lost since the baby was born and then some. Today I weigh 177.5. I have been on a plateau since at November. I’m about thisclose to giving up. I thought my ankle was healed, but I still get pain if I turn it the wrong way. I haven’t been able to exercise for two and a half weeks and I’m frustrated like you can’t believe.
I joined eDiets 3 weeks ago, following the Atkins plan (which has worked wonders for me in the past.)
I am really amazed at myself for being so blown away by eDiets. Just the fact that I can tell it “no fish, and not too much cooking” and it spits out a week’s worth of meals for me is awesome.
After a year and a half I am still adjusting to living (and cooking) alone. So much easier to get something quick for takeout, order in, or eat crap from the gas station instead of cooking. So my biggest problem was not knowing what to eat and when but having the willpower to do it.
Now that I have Mama eDiets telling me what to eat and when, I am so much more content. I hate having to think about what to eat next and now that burden is gone.
I’ve only lost 8 lbs so far, which is unusual for me on Atkins (at the beginning) but I’m sticking to it 100%.
My general wardrobe does not really lend itself to letting me gauge my weighloss by how my clothes fit (really, once you get up to XXL there’s not much difference between here and 30lbs.) BUT…I am happy to announce that my karate belt fits MUCH better now and that is really exciting.
Mother Nature is a cruel, heartless bitch. One of the little “jokes” she plays on us is this: when you lose weight, you lose fat, and some muscle. When you regain it, you regain all fat. ::Blip:: Here that? It’s the sound of your metabolism dropping! Then it’s harder to lose the next time.
Hahahaha! I hope that fucking bitch gets a good laugh out of it, cuz I for one am not amused.
Good luck to you!
I had a setback back in November, as I got a nasty cold that lasted for 2 months. During that time I could barely be bothered to eat right (getting ANY food was enough of a task) and had no energy to exercise. I stopped losing weight, and even gained back around 5. I’ve had a hard time getting jump started again, but over the past 2 weeks I’ve done well. 2 pounds exactly (not 2.1, not 1.9) each week, for a total of 4.0.
Started mid-March last year. 275.0 down to 245.9 last week. My goal is 230 by Memorial Day and 200 by New Years.
In about 15 minutes I’ll stroll down to the weight management department and get this week’s official good news.
Two words that have changed my world: Leslie Sansone. She has DVDs available, but she’s also on cable OnDemand. She does walk aerobics that are fantastic. I can do them at home while dinner is simmering, and I don’t need any special equipment (but handweights are good). This week I’m trying to ramp up to 5 days per week.
I don’t want to get into an Atkins debate here (we can do that in GD or GQ, and have a real knock-down-drag-out over it – hey, it’s exercise), but I personally reject Atkins. What’s been working for me, and it seems to be backed by research, is to limit my carbs to about 1/2 cup per meal. And make them whole grain. I get full, but limit my calories by a ton. My current favorite is sweet potatoes.
And broccoli has become my main dish of choice. With a side of thick juicy steak, it’s a yummy way to lose weight.
Mmm, sweet potatoes. I have one sitting in the fridge, time to pop it in the microwave. Thanks for the reminder!
Mmm…sweet potatoes. Suddenly I’m hungry! Which is good, because I’ve had a cold and haven’t felt like eating anything but soup & jello for the past few days.
I’m down to 138, FINALLY! I was stuck at 140-142 for what felt like forever.
3 pounds to goal. I have to start kicking up my exercise, especially walking. I’m doing the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer 3-Day in November in San Diego (60 miles in 3 days), and I have to work up to walking that much. Right now, I can do about 6-7 miles at a 3mph pace before I start to crap out. I have plenty of time, but I don’t want to end up rushing myself when it gets closer.
172/138/135
Gasp. Hamsters just ate my post. Oh well, it was just some nonsense about not losing any weight in February but still doing really well on my workouts and wanting to stick with them because of the whole healthy thing, yada, yada.
Anyway, what I really wanted to do was share my “treat of the week” discovery. This time I’m going to go with Blue Bunny Health Smart bars. Found them at the grocery store yesterday and they are delish. Only 60 calories per bar and it’s a good-sized bar, too. Same calories as a rice cake but oh, so much more tasty. Sugar free too.
The scale, she is a fickle mistress…Yesterday I weighed 173.5, today I weigh 176 
But screw it! I know it’s only temporary.
What’s strange is I’ve been walking my usual route in the mornings which I originally clocked at around 3.8 miles on my pedometer. Takes me right around an hour so that seems to make sense given my pace. Except that today my pedometer says it was only 2.5 miles. Same quantity of steps, different distance. Weird, huh? Maybe my battery is going. Or maybe I need to check my settings.
Monday we start another challenge at work. Last time I came in something like 216 out of 1600 or so participants. I’m shooting for finishing in the top 100 this time. The challenge runs from March 5 through April 5.
ZipperJJ I did the low carb thing for a while ( and still am mostly low carb, just not quite so zealous about it) one thing that I always noticed when I was limiting my carbs to fruits and vegetables was that I felt in control of my eating. I didn’t crave things and I didn’t find it difficult to stop eating.
tdn You’ve made excellent progress in spite of your little set back. Good luck on reaching your goal.
My short term goal is to be under 170 by March 23. that’s only 4 weeks away, seems do-able. Depending on the day of the week I’ve either got 3 or 6 pounds to lose.
Thank you! 
Bad news. This week I only lost 0.2. But it’s still forward progess, and maybe to be expected after such major gains recently.
I’m getting a little sick of my veggie selections. It always seems to be broccoli or carrots, carrots or broccoli. For a number of reasons, salads are hard for me to do. Share your tasty and easy to prepare recipes?
Roasted asparagus or brussel sprouts.
Snap off the tough asparagus butts, and lay them flat on a cookie sheet, make sure they’re not overlapping. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil, some kosher salt, pepper and garlic if you like. Roast at about 400 until little black spots appear.
For brussel sprouts, clean and cut in half. Olive oil, salt, pepper, etc, lay them cut side down on the cookie sheet. Drizzle on some balsamic vinegar too, before roasting.
Roasted peppers - I use red, yellow & orange. Cut the sides off the peppers so you end up with 3 or 4 big flat peices from each pepper. Lay them skin side up on a broiler pan and squish them flat with your hand. You might want to spray a little pam or use a little olive oil on the pan, they can stick. Broil until the skins are black. Put peppers in a zip-lock bag for about 15 minutes. Then they’ll be cool enough to handle, and the skins should slide right off. Good in sandwiches and pasta, or pretty much anything.
My body doesn’t like processed sugars or starch. That stuff makes me lethargic, bloaty, prone to yeast infections, lowers my libido, gives me acne and sebaceous cysts, and puts weight on me twice as fast as anything.
I lost 90 lbs previously on Atkins. I only gained some of it back because I got lazy (and poor) and couldn’t keep it up because it is easier & cheaper to eat mac & cheese.
That’s swell that you limit carbs but avoiding simple carbs like pastas and white rice, no matter how “calorie concious” they are, is the only thing that works for me. My metabolism and my body are different than yours.
You can reject Atkins all you want but do not reject it on my behalf, I do just fine.
Good ideas, badbadrubberpiggy. The thing is, I need to make enough to measure about 2 cups. Asparagus, though I love it, is kind of expensive. Peppers tend to repeat on me. I’ll have to give brussels sprouts another try.
Or I could server two kinds of veggies instead of one. The only problem is the extra work and cleanup. If only those activities were aerobic, I’d be all set! 
Whatever works for you is the right thing to do, of course. But I try to limit simple carbs as well. They don’t fill you up as much, they cause blood sugar spikes, and they have no fiber. And they’re just so – white.
What exactly do you think Atkins is? No carbs, ever? Not the case. Eventually you get into the same stuff you’re eating.
Good weigh-in today! I was down 2.4 lbs for a total of 6.6 lbs down. I really wasn’t great this week, but I wasn’t HORRIBLE, despite the fact that I didn’t go to the gym once.
But again, new week, new chance at being good. I’m going to try to make it to the gym tomorrow.
182/175.4/164 (my 10%, first goal)
Sorry, it’s been a few years since I read the book. I do remember that you add some carbs in eventually. How much are you allowed?
Right now I’m at 20 a day in the form of low-glycemic veggies - green & purple lettuces, asparagus, zucchini & yellow squash, cucumber, avocado, tomatoes, watercress, broccoli, peppers, onions (in small amounts), etc. Also in some cheeses - but not stuff like cottage cheese or yogurt, and nuts. In addition to that I eat plenty of lean meats (chicken, ham, roast beef, pork, ground beef) and dress all my veggies with olive oil and vinegar.
Later on, “Phase 2 - ongoing weight loss”, you go up to 50 depending on how much you can handle and still lose weight. You add berries (low glycemic fruit), melon and the occasional apple or plum, cottage cheese, full-fat yogurt.
During the next 2 phases, maintenance and lifetime maintenance, you really eat exactly as you (tdn) eat now.
Almost every single diet plan I see out there right now - from South Beach to Weight Watchers to “You On a Diet” is low-carb all of a sudden. Or since Dr. Atkins died. Only they seriously play down the low-carbness. I find it very hard to lose weight on “moderate carb, low-fat.” Those fats (meats, cheeses and oils) are what keep me from being hungry or tired. It’s a bit of a no-brainer that people don’t need processed sugar or white flour. Just the fact that Dr. Atkins was so passionate about it is what makes people all “anti Atkins.”
tdn I share your vegetable boredom. It can get downright tedious. I walk through the grocery store every night picking up my “green food” for the evening meal and it seems like I’ve eaten an acre of everything.
My faves include: roasted eggplant - peel it, cube it, toss it with olive oil and salt and pepper and put it in the oven on about 375 until it’s tender.
Roasted root vegetables - sweet potatoes, beets, turnips, parsnips…they take a while to roast but they’re good.
I also have a particular fondness for any type of greens, turnip greens, collard greens, mustard greens…they’re very easy to cook and don’t really have to be boiled all day to be edible. I can get collard greens, kale or turnip greens pre-washed and cut in a bag. Boil a big pot of water add the greens to the boiling water and let them boil vigorously for about 5 minutes. Meanwhile heat some olive oil in a large skillet and add a large quantity of garlic (or however much you like) and one onion chopped up let that cook until the greens are done. Drain the greens and add them to the skillet with the garlic and onions. Season with a splash of vineger and a splash of worcestershire sauce (cuts the bitterness) salt and pepper and crushed red pepper if you like them spicy.
I’ve also added turkey bacon and black eye peas and when I’m not on a diet hog jowl bacon which adds a wonderful pork fatty goodness.
Hmmmm, may be time to have greens again with dinner.