I’ve never started one of these and I’ve been waiting for one to be started so I’m starting one.
Ok so after a couple years of trying to just accept my body and to hell with anyone who doesn’t like it, I am, yet again, embarking on a weight loss journey.
I joined Weight Watchers which is completely different than it used to be, with an emphasis on low carbs. I decided not to join a gym because I know it would be a waste of money. Instead I’ve been walking home from work every day, which I actually enjoy very much. I can get a lot of thinking done during the 30-35 minute walk.
After walking a couple times in my Skecher shape ups, my ankles ended up in pretty bad pain and very swollen so I will be taking those back. Now that I’m walking in my regular runners again, no more pain.
First weigh-in was on Tuesday and I was down 1.5 pounds. I was hoping for more but I’ll take it.
On 3/31 I reported here that I had lost 12 pounds (288 to 276) since the start of the year. Since then I’m down another 3 to 273. It’s slow, I know, but at least I’m going in the right direction.
I’ve been keeping up my efforts to eat healthier, though I’m starting to get lax on the exercising end of it. Still, I keep losing, so I remain encouraged, and I hereby vow to step the physical activity back up a couple notches!
Today is my one year anniversary with Weight Watchers. Don’t believe I posted anything on the weight loss threads here before.
Lost 91 pounds. Incredible. My prior self would refuse to believe that I could do it or be satisfied most of the time on much less food. I don’t consider the new WW plan low carb, but more carb conscious than before.
Also, remember not to religiously pay attention to that scale. Depending on how much water you’re retaining, the “real” weight (i.e. fat) you lost may be higher or lower. My own weight varies by as much as 7 pounds in a 24 hour period (I’m 165 lbs–came down from 205 over two and half years ago). Shoot for 1-2 pounds of fat per week, and pay attention to long term trends, not daily fluctuations–those really don’t mean anything.
I’m in WW too, and when I hear about people like you who have lost a lot of weight, it keeps me motivated. I like how semi-restrictive the new plan is because it forces me to make healthier choices if I don’t want to go over my daily points allowance. I’ve also learned to be happier with less food and prioritize. If I want the bacon, I have to give up the potatoes and choose fruit instead. I’ve also learned the magic phrase “No, thank you” and to be assertive about what I want. For example, I went to my mother-in-law’s house for dinner last night, and instead of buttered corn, I went to the fridge and had a handful of carrots. It saved me three points and some fat and carbs I really didn’t need. I’ve also learned that exercise isn’t going to kill me, and that in addition to the health benefits, I’m saving gas and money because I walk to the post office and the convenience store and the coffeehouse. (“Skinny” lattes with sugar-free syrup and skim milk are awesome, and I get a serving of dairy in the bargain.) Best of all, I’m down four clothes sizes and feel a lot better, both physically and emotionally.
In terms of the numbers, I’m down 34.4 lbs. since I started in January, and I’m down from a size 24 to a comfortable 20, and some of those clothes are starting to get a little loose. I still have a ways to go yet, but I’ll get there.
I’m having quite a bit of difficultly getting used to the new weight watcher program. As a vegetarian I make an effort to get enough protein, but the program is high protein, low carb. It’s quite hard for me to to make my diet high protein.
At least fruit is free now. That makes a big difference.
Well, I’m failing at this weight loss thingy on my own. Managed to get from 94 kilos down to 64.3 (aim: 63). Easter intervened and, several dozen hot cross buns and a tonne of Easter eggs later, I was back up to 68.2.
I started Jenny Craig yesterday. I don’t know if it’s the solution for me but I really want to get this disordered eating under control. Fingers crossed.
I don’t want to jinx it, but I may have broken my stall. I was stuck at 159 for months, and I’ve apparently started losing again. 157 this morning, putting me at my lowest weight in 11 years.
I made the mistake of talking with a coworker of a coworker about my 4-month stall, and she pushed me to read this book called “The 17-day Diet” by Mike Moreno – have any of you heard of this? I read the first couple of chapters, and it seemed basically like the South Beach diet, but without all the science. I tried to explain to the coworker that I already eat more strictly than this 17-day-diet calls for, so that while for her, she would be cutting out a lot of junk if she were to go on it, for me who has been on a low-carb diet for months, I would be adding junk back into my diet if I were to go on it. She did not get this and kept insisting I give it a try. This was my first encounter with a pushy diet-mongering coworker, and luckily I don’t have to see her if I don’t go out of my way to.
I’m really proud of myself. I just hit my third goal and am down around 40 lbs. Last week I was able to buy petite jeans for the first time since 2005.
Petite sections rarely go above a size 16, so that meant buying women’s sizes and having all my jeans altered. You can alter the length, but not the rise, so my clothes never really fit.
Friday I got to wear pants that truly fit. And off the rack! Yay!!
Since my last weigh-in, the Friday before Easter, I have lost 1 lb.
I find it interesting that I tend to lose in 1 lb increments. I have a digital scale and I would have expected to see like 1.1 lb changes or 1.2 or something. But since I have been keeping track, it has been always been a multiple of 1 lb.
That does make it rough. I don’t eat meat at every meal, but I do need protein. Unfortunately, that means dairy or eggs, which is fine, but I’m starting to get tired of yogurt.
Yes, there’s a vegetarian in my meetings who’s been having a really rough time.
Off in a couple hours to Milwaukee for the week, one whole week of eating out. Did some damage over Easter I’m still working off. There is an evening reception advertised with ‘heavy hors d’oeuvres’. Do want a piece of that.
Yay for everyone who is sticking it out and getting some results. Also yay for everyone who may not be seeing the results yet but is being strong and making healthy choices. I salute you!
I have a question, and you are obviously a knowledgeable bunch so I hope it’s okay to ask it in this thread… “They say” it’s important to eat breakfast because that wakes up your metabolism and gets it burning calories more vigorously, right? Well, I often have two cups of coffee with a little milk, no sugar, and no food in the morning. Does this count for revving up the metabolism? Is it sending stuff into my stomach for processing, or just calories, that does it? Or maybe it’s only a myth in the first place? Thanks for any advice!
You know, I don’t believe there is any hard and fast rule about this. In fact, I’ve read that a lot of the “rules” about spacing food (eat a little bit every couple of hours rather than big meals more spaced out) aren’t actually proven to be true, and are especially not true for every individual person out there.
If you’re having a hard time losing weight, I’d say mix it up a little – try eating solid breakfast early in the morning for a week or two and see if that affects the scale. If it doesn’t (or it makes you gain), go back to coffee and don’t worry about it.
Hey all! I too have gone through periods of “I’m fat, live with it” and thinking that counting calories was absolutely a no-go, but having gone through the process of accepting myself as I am now, I find I’m freer to restrict calories and feel OK with it. (It’s like a zen koan - I can only lose weight when I don’t care so much about losing weight.)
I also worked through adding waaaaay more produce to my diet, which I’ve realized is the key to keeping calories in range without starving. Hardly a revelation, but to me it is kind of a new idea.
So, I had crept up to 233. In the last week, I lost 5 pounds! I don’t plan to keep that pace, but recall from WW that the first week or two weight can really plummet, and then balance out at 1-2 pounds a week.
I’m using Calorie King, and I really like it. It has excellent motivation-sustaining tools. I now eat fruit and/or vegetables as the base of each meal, and most snacks. Not only can I stay in range without feeling very hungry (the first day I felt STUFFED!), but I am getting the recommended 20-35 grams of fiber a day.
I could feasibly lose 100 pounds and still not be too thin, which is daunting. But it’s nice to see that even a few pounds makes a difference. I no longer worry that my pants will be tight. And I must have lost quite a bit from my torso, because I noticed my boobs look awesome!
I am still really struggling but I’ve done a bunch of reading online about high protein vegetarian foods and I’m going to try to up the protein and have fewer carbohydrates. It’s very different from what I normally eat. My diet consists mostly of vegetables, fruits and grains and I loves me my grains!
My focus for the week is going to be moderation, which is a completely foreign concept to me. I try to do everything and do it perfectly and only set myself up for failure. Cutting out all junk food and pop and lowering my intake of carbs and upping my protein and walking home from work every day, is just too much for me to do perfectly and all at once.
I love an ice-cold glass of died Coke in the evening and I think I’m going to keep having it and make an effort, maybe every other day or something, to have fewer carbs.
To those having success, please keep posting. I love hearing about people doing well and try to motivate myself by your successes.