# SDMB Weight Loss Club, January (08) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 31, 2007, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-weight-loss-club-january-08/431825 "2007-12-31T18:36:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2008, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-weight-loss-club-january-08/431825/61 "2008-01-06T23:42:26Z")
240.5, down 3 since last Sunday. Not bad considering that week includes our New Year’s Eve dinner party and eating too many leftovers on New Year’s Day. Another week should see me back to where I was on Christmas Eve, and I wouldn’t say no to another pound below that to leave me below 17 stone for the first time in many years. Target is once again 224 pounds by Valentine’s Day, if I can - slighly ambitious but not out of the question. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2008, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-weight-loss-club-january-08/431825/62 "2008-01-07T01:12:31Z")
I’m up 2 pounds since last week. ☹ Must have eaten too close to bedtime or something. But you know, I could feel a difference. I felt blobbier and bloated. Interesting. On the other hand, I can now arm-curl 50 pounds! 🙂 (Both arms at the same time in the exercise machine.) ---
**Author:** ![SkeptiJess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea666f/32.png) [@SkeptiJess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SkeptiJess)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2008, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-weight-loss-club-january-08/431825/63 "2008-01-07T17:49:40Z")
OK, I’m in too. I’ve had a hell of a couple of years – both my kids moved away (my son to the Navy, my daughter to college); before I’d completely recovered from this, they both kids had some problems. My son made a foolish choice (DUI), which caused him a lot of problems, as you can imagine. He manned up and took responsibility and has pretty much put this behind him, but it was obviously quite stressful for him. He also did a 6 month deployment last year, which he enjoyed, but was hard on me. My daughter (who is diabled with Cerebral Palsy) had a lot of difficult health issues including 2 major surgeries. Her health is improving, but I have too much experience with her condition to assume that all problems are behind us. In addition to all this, my husband has been in a tough cycle at work for the last year – traveling _way_ too much. For the last 4 months, he’s basically been away from home for 2 weeks, then home for a weekend, then gone for 2 weeks… All of this has added up to major stress eating, and far too much reliance on fast food. I’m approaching my all-time-high weight again (I weighed 148 this morning, my all-time-high is 152 – I am 5’1"), my cholesterol is high enough to bother my doctor, and my blood pressure is starting to creep up. I need to get a handle on this, because my home issues _will_ continue – my son is scheduled to deploy again in February (this time to a truck unit in Iraq, so even worse than last time); my daughter’s health situation is chronic, so isn’t ever going to go away; and while my husband is starting to see some light in his tunnel, it will be another 6 weeks _at least_ before we can assume he will be home for at least half of the month… I’ve already started working on getting my head together a bit better – joined a couple of book clubs and a skeptic’s group which will get me out of the house some; and I’m looking into a couple of volunteer opportunities which will also help to fill my time in healthier ways than I usually employed this year. But I’d really like to get my health and weight under control too. I’d like to lose 25 pounds. Hopefully that will bring down my cholesterol numbers. I started a Weight Watchers diet plan this morning. Not the Flex plan – I didn’t like that one so much. I went back to the earlier plan (the one which just gives you a daily point range with no ‘flex’ feature) which I have used successfully before. I don’t really want to go to meetings, so I’m hoping you all can stand in as my support group. I also went to Curves this morning. I like Curves (I listen to Podcasts on my iPod and work hard, not chat with the other ladies). I’m going to shoot for 4 times a week on that. ---
**Author:** ![Illuminatiprimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/illuminatiprimus/32/11520_2.png) [@Illuminatiprimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Illuminatiprimus)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2008, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-weight-loss-club-january-08/431825/64 "2008-01-07T18:59:29Z")
Well I had my first weight watchers meeting today and was very encouraged by it all - the information they give you is good and comprehensive, and the flex plan seems very easy to follow. Fortunately my current diet isn’t that far off what I need to follow to stay within my points allowance, in fact even though I’m doing kick start this week (which is supposed to be more restrictive than usual) I can actually eat quite a bit. I’ve just had a low cal carbonara pasta for dinner which was only 6 and 1/2 points (normally I skip dinner so this is quite nice to do). I’ve still got 6 points left for the day so trying to work out what I should eat to make up the rest. Once my pasta has gone down I’m hitting the gym for some cardio work, and I did my all my walking today. So I’m off to a good start! ---
**Author:** ![3acresandatruck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/e79b87/32.png) [@3acresandatruck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/3acresandatruck)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2008, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-weight-loss-club-january-08/431825/65 "2008-01-08T14:26:13Z")
It’s been a week since I last weighed in: I was 167 then and I’m 165 this morning. This could be within the range of normal fluctuation, so I’m not too excited yet. If the weight is still gone a week from today, I might consider this a good sign. At least I didn’t get heavier! I’m not doing Weight Watchers or SlimFast or anything…just concentrating on eating right and being active. All I really need to lose is a pound a week, so I’m trying to maintain eating habits that I can just continue if I get to my target. ---
**Author:** ![Illuminatiprimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/illuminatiprimus/32/11520_2.png) [@Illuminatiprimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Illuminatiprimus)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2008, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-weight-loss-club-january-08/431825/66 "2008-01-08T14:30:09Z")
Day two of WW - had a nice filling lunch of Heinz big soup (it’s called soup but it’s more accurately stew) which is only 2 points, plus a ham sandwich with an orange for dessert so that makes a trim 6 points for lunch. I’d quite like to eat some more fruit (got a bag of apples and oranges in my drawer) but I’m out having a Japanese yaki soba tonight with a friend and that’s 12 points, so can’t really afford it. ---
**Author:** ![pbbth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f9ae1b/32.png) [@pbbth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pbbth)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2008, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-weight-loss-club-january-08/431825/67 "2008-01-08T19:28:29Z")
I weighed in after my first week on WW and I have lost 3 lbs. I was a little dissapointed simply because I know during the first couple of weeks most people tend to lose quite a bit more weight and then level off to 1-2 lbs a week. I was hoping for closer to 5 lbs or something but I can’t be too sad about it since I am still 3 lbs lighter than I was last week! ---
**Author:** ![Bin-Gay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@Bin-Gay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bin-Gay)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2008, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-weight-loss-club-january-08/431825/68 "2008-01-08T19:33:20Z")
I want to join in too!! I’ve been following your threads for awhile now and want to throw my hat in the ring. I’m a devoted weight watcher and have been following their flex plan (counting points) for years. I started in May 2002 at 215 lbs and trimmed down to 165 over the course of a year. I was able to maintain that for 3-4 years. I never attended meetings, just followed their flex plan on my own. . . and exercised ALOT!! Last January, I decided to actually join Weight Watchers to support a friend as well as drop that last 20-25 lbs. One of my goals is to actually become a leader! My goal is now 145. I had actually reached 142 months ago, but that lasted for half a second and I popped back up to 150. Over the holidays I hovered around 155/157. This morning I weighed in at 152.6. It feels good to be refocused. So, not a a big number to lose. . .but DAMN, they are the tough ones. I want to check in with your support network for a daily dose of encouragement. ---
**Author:** ![Bin-Gay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@Bin-Gay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bin-Gay)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2008, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-weight-loss-club-january-08/431825/69 "2008-01-08T19:36:45Z")
[QUOTE=pbbth] I weighed in after my first week on WW and I have lost 3 lbs. I was a little dissapointed simply because I know during the first couple of weeks most people tend to lose quite a bit more weight and then level off to 1-2 lbs a week. I was hoping for closer to 5 lbs or something but I can’t be too sad about it since I am still 3 lbs lighter than I was last week! [/QUOTE] Right on. . .3 lbs. That’s terrific!! I understand always wanting better/bigger/quicker results, but hey, you are on the path and any loss is a victory and a step in the right direction. My motto. . .hold the course. Eventually the body figures out what you are working hard to do. Hang in there! ---
**Author:** ![Sticks\_and\_Scones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sticks_and_scones/32/16951_2.png) [@Sticks\_and\_Scones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sticks_and_Scones)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2008, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-weight-loss-club-january-08/431825/70 "2008-01-08T22:35:04Z")
I’m baaaack! I know, it’s been awhile, but at least I came back and, of course, brought (lowfat portion controlled sugar free, etc., etc.) Pie! After a month or so of emotional trainwreck I’m getting back on track. I made it to Curves once last week and once so far this week (I’m going tomorrow morning) and I’ve lost about 2.5lbs! Ok, so it’s only about 1 lb since I last posted here, but still, it’s heading in the right direction. ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2008, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-weight-loss-club-january-08/431825/71 "2008-01-08T23:27:06Z")
Had my first weigh-in yesterday. Gained two pounds. 179/181/165 ---
**Author:** ![SkeptiJess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea666f/32.png) [@SkeptiJess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SkeptiJess)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2008, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-weight-loss-club-january-08/431825/72 "2008-01-09T14:42:02Z")
Kind of good news. I went to Curves this morning (second time this week, plus I got on the treadmill yesterday so it’s been a good week so far) and I weighed in and got measured. On the Curves scale I only weaighed 146! This is just a scale issue, of course, not real weight loss, but it still gave me a psychological boost. I came right home and adjusted my home scale to match the Curves one. ---
**Author:** ![zweisamkeit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zweisamkeit/32/4360_2.png) [@zweisamkeit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zweisamkeit)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2008, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-weight-loss-club-january-08/431825/73 "2008-01-09T16:11:55Z")
Not bad. Wednesdays are my official weigh in days (though I weigh myself daily to get an idea of normal fluctuations vs ‘oh crap, I AM gaining this weight!’). Last week: 188 This week: 186.5 I have a new weight training/strength workout from my personal trainer. He decided to kick it into high gear to beat me into shape. This one will definitely do it! I’ll post it if anyone is interested. ---
**Author:** ![GingerOfTheNorth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/cdc98d/32.png) [@GingerOfTheNorth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GingerOfTheNorth)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2008, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-weight-loss-club-january-08/431825/74 "2008-01-09T16:29:19Z")
[QUOTE=zweisamkeit] I have a new weight training/strength workout from my personal trainer. He decided to kick it into high gear to beat me into shape. This one will definitely do it! I’ll post it if anyone is interested. [/QUOTE] Quite. I need a kick. I also need a personal trainer but I can’t afford the expense. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2008, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-weight-loss-club-january-08/431825/75 "2008-01-09T20:11:31Z")
do dee do dee do dee do… _walking with head in the clouds_ _trips over Ego and lands in the Weight Loss thread_ Oh! Hi! Er…um…yeah. _nervous giggle_ How is everyone? Long time, no, uh, see. (And I can say the same for my waistline!) Holidays? Yeah. Not so well. So, here I am again! Hmm. The side of this wagon is getting familiar - I seem to be climbing on and off of it with alarming frequency. Well, I’m on for today. That’s all I’m promising. I hope to be on again tomorrow, but like quitting smoking or drink, I’m only promising myself the next 12 hours. Or maybe the next 12 minutes. I DID pick out 5 good looking new recipes to try over the next few days that are all 6 Points or less, so that’s promising. ---
**Author:** ![zweisamkeit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zweisamkeit/32/4360_2.png) [@zweisamkeit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zweisamkeit)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2008, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-weight-loss-club-january-08/431825/76 "2008-01-09T23:39:26Z")
[QUOTE=GingerOfTheNorth] Quite. I need a kick. I also need a personal trainer but I can’t afford the expense. [/QUOTE] I’m lucky enough that I work down the street from the Uni I went to; I can get a Field House (gym) alumni membership for only $150 a year. I found out earlier this year that you get _free personal training_. This is so awesome. No way could I actually PAY for one! Here goes! The goal is to do this entire routine in 20 minutes. For my first attempt, I did it in 24 mins, which isn’t too bad. Do only one repetition all the way through (meaning, don’t do 1-11 and then repeat them, or go 1,1,2,2, etc.). Do not rest between exercises. Each one targets different muscle groups so you’re giving the muscles you previously worked out a rest while keeping your heart rate up. 1 - 20 walking lunges with 10lb weights in each hand. Then 20 backwards lunges. 2 - As many push ups as I can do (I have to do cheater knee push ups). 3 - Run 2 laps around all the basketball courts (maybe 0.2 miles). 4 - 15 Assisted chin-ups (weight machine for this). 5 - 12-15 Leg curls with exercise ball - Lay on the ground/mat, legs extended with your feet on the top of an exercise ball. Keeping your butt in the air (an incline bridge position), curl your legs towards you, bringing the ball to you. 6 - Full sit ups on an incline bench. Right now the bench is not at a very extreme incline, but that will change. As many as I can do. 7 - [Mountain Climbers](http://beauty.expertvillage.com/videos/calisthenics-mountain-climber.htm). I’m supposed to build up to 40 of those. I managed 20. 8 - 12-15 Wall squats with lat raises - With an exercise ball against my back, I do a squat against the ball (which is between me and the wall). As I come up, I do [lateral raises with 5lb weights](http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/DeltoidLateral/DBLateralRaise.html). 9 & 10 - 12-15 One arm pressdowns and arm curls - We have a pulley machine with two pulleys close to each other (in a 3 way mirror set up, they’re at the outside edges of mirror 1 and 3). Put one pulley near the top and the other near the bottom with handles clipped on. One arm does a bicep curl while the other one does a press-down. Turn around to alternate the exercise. 11 - [Squat Thrusts](http://beauty.expertvillage.com/videos/calisthenics-squat-thrust.htm) with a jump at the end (instead of just standing). I managed 10 of these; I have to work up to 20. Whew! It’s quite the workout! Sweat was pouring off my face and my bangs and hair around my face was soaking wet. ---
**Author:** ![Bin-Gay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@Bin-Gay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bin-Gay)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2008, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-weight-loss-club-january-08/431825/77 "2008-01-10T05:12:57Z")
That looks like an awesome routine, **Zweisamkeit**!! Thanks so much for sharing it. I’ve been trying to come up with something to kick up my workout to be more challenging. I believe THIS will do it for me. I can hardly wait to try it out tomorrow! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![pbbth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f9ae1b/32.png) [@pbbth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pbbth)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2008, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-weight-loss-club-january-08/431825/78 "2008-01-10T20:17:59Z")
This last hour and a half has been the hardest hour and a half of the new year. We had a meeting in the office during lunch so they ordered pizza. Delicious, New York pizza. You know the kind I am talking about-huge, cheesy slices that have to be folded to keep the toppings from falling into your lap. There were also calzones that dripped cheese and a variety of meats and vegetables out onto plates as people cut into them and dipped them in marinara sauce. I spent the last hour and half watching people gorge themselves on one of my all time favorite foods while I ate a bowl of chicken noodle soup. At least 3 people asked me why I would be eating soup instead of _free pizza_ paid for by the boss. I gently explained that I am trying to lose some weight and I had not budgeted my diet for pizza today so I was having soup instead and they all nodded like they understood but looked at me like I was crazy. Slowly over the course of the meeting I found myself becoming angry with everyone in the room. They were all so thin! They ate and ate and ate but they were all so skinny! Why do they get to eat whatever they want and stay so slim? One slice of pizza wouldn’t hurt me, right? I was so upset that I was almost shaking. Then I caught up with myself and realized that the reason everyone else could eat like that was because it was probably rare for them to eat that way and that I couldn’t have one slice of pizza because one turns into three or four very, very easily. I fell back on my analogy that calories are like money and I have gone into a serious caloric debt and that is why I can’t charge that pizza to my calorie credit card. It took a lot of work and I don’t really remember much about the meeting because I was so focused on the food, but I was able to walk away from a bountiful buffet of pizza without succumbing to temptation. I came to realize today that it isn’t just about learning better eating habits and changing your lifestyle but that food is an addiction for me just as much as cigarettes or alcohol would be for someone else. I am incredibly proud of myself for not giving in and loading up a plate like everyone else. I know I can lose the weight and keep it off this time. I think I am going to go peel my orange now. ---
**Author:** ![CaveMike](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cavemike/32/16379_2.png) [@CaveMike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaveMike)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2008, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-weight-loss-club-january-08/431825/79 "2008-01-10T20:25:30Z")
[QUOTE=Sunspace] About two months ago I started exercising much more frequently, while not changing my dietary habits much. To my surprise, I started to lose weight! I’d been stuck at 210 for a year. I have lost 7 pounds in the past six weeks… [/QUOTE] Thanks for the suggestion **Sunspace**. I think I’ll try this to bump me out of my plateau. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2008, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-weight-loss-club-january-08/431825/80 "2008-01-10T20:28:07Z")
Well, I’m not working out daily the way I “resolved”, but I’m at 162.5 (my target range is 158-162), so I’m doing OK and need to be disciplined and not backslide (“Mmmmmm. \. Yum.”) My wife ordered Nutrisystem and it arrived yesterday, so she’s going to be starting that up, which means all the prepackaged food laying around will be generally off limits to her. Here’s keeping our fingers crossed for the both of us. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-weight-loss-club-january-08/431825.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-weight-loss-club-january-08/431825.md?page=5)