# SDMB Weight Loss Club, December 2008 **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 1, 2008, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-weight-loss-club-december-2008/475212 "2008-12-01T18:00:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![MeanJoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanjoe/32/5693_2.png) [@MeanJoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanJoe)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2008, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-weight-loss-club-december-2008/475212/61 "2008-12-23T14:23:20Z")
…and to everyone in the SDMB Weight Loss Club I wish you all Peace and Joy! Happy Holidays, Michael a.k.a. MeanJoe ---
**Author:** ![Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hazle_Weatherfield)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2008, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-weight-loss-club-december-2008/475212/62 "2008-12-23T21:53:00Z")
Gah! Still the same weight as 12/15, but, I guess, during the holidays, I should be glad to be maintaining, rather than going up. Still seven lbs to go. ---
**Author:** ![GingerOfTheNorth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/cdc98d/32.png) [@GingerOfTheNorth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GingerOfTheNorth)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2008, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-weight-loss-club-december-2008/475212/63 "2008-12-23T22:30:57Z")
I registered a loss last week, but I don’t hold out much hope for this week. We’ll see. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2008, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-weight-loss-club-december-2008/475212/64 "2008-12-23T23:32:10Z")
I hit the gym three days this week, Sun-Tue. I’ve added ab crunches to my cardio because Ivylad and I are celebrating our 20th wedding anniversary with a week in Key West in June and I will be able to fit into a bikini, so might as well make my tummy nice and toned, eh? Now, if I can figure out how to give myself a tan without skin cancer, we’ll be set. Have a wonderful Christmas, and don’t worry about those extra calories on Thursday. Going over one day will not undo all your hard work! ---
**Author:** ![yellowval](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/919ad9/32.png) [@yellowval](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yellowval)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2008, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-weight-loss-club-december-2008/475212/65 "2008-12-24T13:47:35Z")
**ivylass** , I like Jergens Natural Glow. It’s a gradual self-tanner that won’t turn you orange. I’ve used it for two summers now, just so I don’t blind people with my legs, and I’ve gotten lots of positive feedback. You could also try the spray tanning that many tanning boutiques now offer. Merry Christmas, everyone! ---
**Author:** ![Karyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/fbc32d/32.png) [@Karyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Karyn)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2008, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-weight-loss-club-december-2008/475212/66 "2008-12-24T14:54:54Z")
I’ve been eating cookies for days but at least I’m still working out every morning. I don’t care if I gain back a few pounds and have to lose them again but I’m not weighing myself until it’s all over so that I don’t start stressing out about it. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2008, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-weight-loss-club-december-2008/475212/67 "2008-12-24T15:01:13Z")
Hi guys! I’ve missed you! I’m glad to see you are still fighting the fight! Well it’s been interesting. I learned that my love of running cannot overcome my hatred of the cold, so my husband and I both agreed running is to be a seasonal thing. I’ve had a series of health problems that helped toss me off the wagon. I resumed eating junk, and was feeling pretty down about the whole thing. Yet somehow, inexplicably, I am losing weight at a faster rate than ever before. I lost 7 lbs in the past month and am now down to 155, which is less than I’ve ever weighed and incredibly close to my goal weight of 150. In January I was 185, so I’ve lost 30 pounds over the last year. In spite of all this, I don’t feel _healthy_ anymore. My body is softer and weaker than it was two months ago and I know I need to get back on track again. Since I already know what I need to do, it’s not going to be as hard as it was when I first made these changes. In fact, I think eating healthy is still somewhat effortless for me, as long as I bring attention to it. This holiday break is all about going back to SparkPeople and getting back into healthy eating and exercise habits. Rather than do an hour of cardio a day, I’m going to focus on strength training since I seemed to have the best results with that. I resumed strength training earlier this week, and my Christmas present to myself is a brand-new chin-up bar. I bought it because there are certain arm exercises I didn’t have the equipment to do. I have never been able to do pull-ups but damn it, watch me learn! ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2008, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-weight-loss-club-december-2008/475212/68 "2008-12-24T17:51:23Z")
I was missing you over at SP. I was thinking life got in the way, what with your move and all. All your hard work over the summer may have revved up your metabolism, so “slacking off” now isn’t going to have as bad an effect. You know you can do it, so good luck getting back into the swing of things! ---
**Author:** ![NinetyWt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cc9497/32.png) [@NinetyWt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinetyWt)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2008, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-weight-loss-club-december-2008/475212/69 "2008-12-24T18:35:24Z")
I went and got measured this morning, for my last measuring of 2008. Since October I’ve lost a total of 6¼ inches! Arm: -¼ Bust: -1½ Upper Abs: -3¼ :eek: Lower Abs: -¾ Hips: -¼ Thigh: -¼ These last 3 weeks I’ve consistently lost one inch per week. Hopefully I can keep that up through 2009. 🙂 Happy Holidays everyone, and Happy New Year! ---
**Author:** ![GingerOfTheNorth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/cdc98d/32.png) [@GingerOfTheNorth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GingerOfTheNorth)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2008, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-weight-loss-club-december-2008/475212/70 "2008-12-24T19:03:26Z")
Holding steady from last week (which was a loss). Currently 169. Merry Christmas, everyone! ---
**Author:** ![Karyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/fbc32d/32.png) [@Karyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Karyn)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2008, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-weight-loss-club-december-2008/475212/71 "2008-12-26T15:27:52Z")
As of this morning I’m back on the wagon. The leftover cookies are in a tin in my partner’s den so that I don’t eat any more of them and half a lasagna is packed up and frozen so that there’s only enough leftovers for one more meal. At this point the sight of food is making me queasy. I’m not going to weigh myself for another week and hopefully by then I’ll be back to where I was a week ago. I’m all caffeinated now and ready to work out but I feel like hell from this food hangover. Maybe it will help. ---
**Author:** ![Hokkaido\_Brit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/d26b3c/32.png) [@Hokkaido\_Brit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hokkaido_Brit)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2008, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-weight-loss-club-december-2008/475212/72 "2008-12-26T19:18:51Z")
I’m in England for a month, and up till Christmas day I did very well and only put on a couple of pounds over two weeks. But yesterday and today have been gobble-fests so I am frightened to get on the scales. We go back to mid January so the plan is to begin to eat normally in the next couple of days when everything is all gone, and then once back in Japan to go right back on the wagon. I am walking a lot while here as I have more time and no car and no snow! But it’s balanced by eating more than usual every day and having no privacy to exercise in the house as in this two bedroomed place there are nine people this week! ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2008, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-weight-loss-club-december-2008/475212/73 "2008-12-26T21:56:57Z")
**NinetyWt** , that’s fantastic! I got voted a SparkPeople Motivator! I never knew my weight loss journey and little blog entries were inspiring to others…I am so humbled. Ivylad gave me my Christmas present today…he took me out to lunch and clothes shopping. I have some lovely new outfits for work, and they fit! I know Christmas Eve and Christmas were Gobblefests, but I hit the gym today so hopefully it didn’t do too much damage. I don’t think so…when I was full, I stopped eating, so while there was a spread of food everywhere I turned, I didn’t pig out. ---
**Author:** ![purple\_haze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/db5fbb/32.png) [@purple\_haze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purple_haze)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2008, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-weight-loss-club-december-2008/475212/74 "2008-12-27T17:35:39Z")
So far I’ve lost 7 pounds and it’s all thanks to SparkPeople! Once I got used to how it works I found that tracking what I eat each day is an enormous help. I do the exercises three times a week, and am adding cardio as well. For the time being I just walk 1/2 hour on the treadmill. I just started a new job and they have a fitness room, which is wonderful. I hope to lose a pound a week in January. It’s not much, but I prefer the slow, steady, and sensible route. ---
**Author:** ![MeanJoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanjoe/32/5693_2.png) [@MeanJoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanJoe)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2008, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-weight-loss-club-december-2008/475212/75 "2008-12-27T17:49:11Z")
Start Date: 203 Start Date: 10/15/08 Current: 191.8 Goal Weight: 185 Goal Date: 12/31/08 MeanJoe is still hanging in there through the holiday eating frenzy. I’ve even managed to touch 190 a couple days ago although I expected and got a bit of a bounce back to the 192 range. Still hitting the gym 3-4x a week, eating reasonably well but not as good as I was. (Damn Christmas parties!) One fun thing - I was able to wear my favorite pair of jeans last night. They’ve been in the back of the closet for over a year because they no longer fit. Last night as I was getting dressed to go out I decided to try them on - fully expecting them to be too tight. Yea, I looked damn good in them. 😃 MeanJoe ---
**Author:** ![MeanJoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanjoe/32/5693_2.png) [@MeanJoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanJoe)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2008, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-weight-loss-club-december-2008/475212/76 "2008-12-27T18:01:13Z")
> [@purple\_haze](#): > > So far I’ve lost 7 pounds and it’s all thanks to SparkPeople! Once I got used to how it works I found that tracking what I eat each day is an enormous help. I do the exercises three times a week, and am adding cardio as well. For the time being I just walk 1/2 hour on the treadmill. I just started a new job and they have a fitness room, which is wonderful. > > I hope to lose a pound a week in January. It’s not much, but I prefer the slow, steady, and sensible route. That’s great **purple haze**! Slow and steady wins the race. I did not use SparklePeople but did track everything I ate through another software program. It can become tedious but it really helps you stay focused on calorie intake. Bonus for me is it also makes you more aware of the calories in everything you eat, buy, drink, etc. and I’ve found it slowly shaped my mental outlook on food choices. I don’t track everything anymore but I am maintaining the same approach to food(s) in regards to portion sizes, calories, fat, etc. Keep it up! MeanJoe ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2008, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-weight-loss-club-december-2008/475212/77 "2008-12-27T18:42:49Z")
A pound a week is exactly right. Slow and steady means the weight will stay off. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-weight-loss-club-december-2008/475212.md?page=3)