The SDMB Weight Loss Club!

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
21

I hear you, though I am carrying on a rather intense affair with the elliptical trainer at my gym (six mornings a week–we are SO hot and heavy), and it’s not so bad.

What’s hard for me is getting motivated to do anything after work. That’s when all I want to do is plant my ass on the couch with a box of Girl Scout cookies. But lately, I’ve been working in little things while I watch TV, like leg lifts, planks, pushups, and a few little exercises with my dumbells (no, not my dogs). If I make it through one sit-com doing something, I call it a day.

22

No kidding! I bet each of my boobs gains 10 lbs. during that time!

Q **
[/QUOTE]
Oops, was that TMI? Oops, was that TMI?

Alcohol really kicks your ass calorie-wise, doesn’t it? Plus it gives me the munchies . . .

I admire your low-carb plan. You are a better person than I, because Dude, I just can’t do it!

I have a question for everyone: Anybody have any advice on maintenance once I’ve met my goal (I’m almost there)? I’ve got a pretty good weight-loss plan going (aside from weekends, when I cheat like a mofo), but I have no idea what to do once I meet my goal.

23

you could always try signing up at livejournal.com since this thread can’t realistically last forever. They already have a regular SDMB community here.

And of course, that would also start another frenzied thread about people needing codes, if you decided to do so. ;p

/Shadez

24

OK, so help us out, how’d you do it?

BTW, I bought a scale on the way home from work. My official weight is 226.0 lbs (convenient, eh?). So my goal is 21 lbs. - 205.

25

Ok, I 'm in. I lost 100 pounds last year, but 30 of them found me again. I want to lose 25–that was the weight at which I felt comfortable and looked good. :slight_smile:

My problem is eating at work. Our very sweet secretary keeps the candy dish on her desk stocked, there are constantly cookies, brownies, and other goodies around, etc. I get tired and hungry and all my resolve goes out the window.

On the good side, I just got off a 20 minute, 1 mile treadmill walk and I worked out twice this weekend. Go, me!

26

I’m afraid that something like Livejournal, etc., wouldn’t be a good idea for some (esp. myself) seeing as how I don’t need something else to check every day or so. We can always just keep starting new threads if one gets locked due to length.

27

Well, I’m down 71 so far, and I’ve got 32 left. Should be there by summer. Weight Watchers Online :slight_smile:

28

I saw this infomercial for some Instant Slimming Tablets, sent off, took one… and sure enough lost loads of weight. Easy!

Just kidding. I read ‘Body For Life’ by Bill Phillips. I don’t follow everything the book says. The author is obviously into ‘body building’ and muscling up. I’m not into that. I just wanted to lose weight and get fit, and maybe get a little stronger. All of which I’ve now done. Also, he advocates the use of some special high-protein bars and shakes (and whaddya know - he has his own line of them for sale!!), whereas I decided that (a) these are too expensive and (b) I was going to achieve my goals just with normal, regular food, thank you, and not some special protein bar supplement.

So I just took from the BFL book what I needed to know to work out my own programme to achieve my own goals. Basically, you need to get three things right: mental attitude, diet and exercise. The reason I like the BFL book is that it was the first (and so far only) book I’ve ever read that actually addresses all three of these areas, and has plenty of good information in respect of each.

My own version of the BFL programme did involve making changes to what I eat, but I never, ever felt hungry. Not for one moment. In fact I actually eat less than I’m actually allowed to on the BFL programme!

I also did start exercising regularly, but with the emphasis on intensive cardio-vascular exercises to lose weight, using a ‘20 minute’ technique explained in the BFL book. This was a revelation. Before I found the BFL book, I used to try cardio vascular exercise sessions that could last up to an hour (treadmill, rowing machine, exercise bike). By doing just 20 minutes cv exercise the BFL way, I’ve achieved more than I used to do with the 60 minute regime!

Just for the record, I have no financial interest here and I don’t care whether anyone buys the BFL book or not. I’m just saying it gave me all the info I needed to put my own programme together, and it has worked spectacularly well. I have never felt better in my life, and I’ve loved every minute of the BFL programme, or my version of it.

29

I’m in! I joined Weight Watchers at the beginning of the year, and I’ve lost 10 pounds. I’m thinking about joining Curves for Women, to supplement the eating side of things. I started at 187.6 lbs and now I’m at 177.0 lbs. Goal is 135-140, or a size 8, whichever works better for me. (It’s been so long since I’ve been either that I don’t know which is more realistic for my body!)

30

Heh… college has been a good diet for me so far.
I came to college in August weighing 205 lbs, and the fact that there are hills (albeit small ones) on campus and I walk to classes and don’t eat as much has meant I’ve lost about 20 lbs. in the time I’ve been a college student without making an effort to do anything exercise-wise at the gym. Last time I checked (around late February) I weighed 184, and the top of the BMI scale for what I’m “supposed” to weigh is 170 lbs. In addition to the weight loss, I’ve gone from wearing 16/18 sized clothing to 12/14 sized clothing. The only real problem with this weight loss is the fact that it’s due to poor nutrition and being sick for about a month’s worth of this semester. Even though I’m eating a lot better now, I’m not gaining back weight. I need to start jogging again and get into shape as well as lose weight.
There are days when I look in the mirror and can barely believe I’m as thin as I look in comparison to what I looked like. I’m not used to having a defined jawline.
Good luck for everyone else.

31

I joined Weight Watchers two weeks ago after doing it on my own for a week. I have also joined Curves for Women, and have had only one session there thus far. I was down 3.8 lbs my first weigh-in day, and the next one isn’t til Thursday, and I’ve got my period, so who knows if I’m down this week at all.

I’m finding the points system remarkably easy. If I really want that Oreo, I can have it, but there’s 2 points GONE, wasted, so I’m forced to make better choices.

Forgive me if vanity precludes my mentioning my current weight or goal. I have a wide-load butt, that’s all you need to know.

32

Well, I’ve mentioned it here before, but I started a plan on the first of the year, and have not backslid! My plan is this: No simple carbs (white flour, refined sugar, white potatoes, white rice, dried fruit or fruit juices), lots and lots of water, exercise, cardio plus weight circuit two to three times per week. Aside from the restrictions I’ve put on myself (I have to. I’m a sugar junkie, and know nothing of moderation when it comes to sweets or simple carbs that make me crave sweets), I can eat anything, and as much as I want. Just as an example, on a typical day, I eat: 2 slices of whole wheat toast with cream cheese for breakfast, with water and coffee; maybe some meatballs in tomato sauce with melted mozzarella, and a piece of fruit for lunch; a fried pork chop (batter made with whole wheat flour), mashed sweet potatoes and buttered green beans for dinner; about a cup of no-sugar added ice cream for a snack.

So far, I’ve lost 30 pounds, 5 inches off my waist, 4 inches off my hips and 2 inches off my upper thighs and upper arms. Only 85 pounds to go. :slight_smile:

But I’m settling in for this to be a way of life. I can’t go back to eating sugar any more than an alcoholic can start drinking a beer a day.

33

I started WW at the beginning of the year. But because I’m not as good as I should be (I’m not sure why, it’s like I sabotage myself. I’m sure there’s a deep psychological reason for it) I’ve lost - but I’ve lost really, really, really, really slowly (about 8 1/2lbs.) I need to get in gear.

I’m in.

34

I have been on a ‘diet’ for the last 4 weeks now. Simply put, I’m restricting myself to 1600 calories per day, minimum of 72oz water, and exercising 3x’s a week at the gym and playing competitive sports 2x’s a week. Here is the breakdown:

Gym:
1 mile @ 4.0mph on treadmill broken into .25 mile increments
2 miles @ 7.0mph on treadmill broken into .50 mile increments
3 miles total - alternating the walk/run increments to get approximately 435 calories burned

Competitive sports:
Friday 2 hours competitive volleyball
Sunday 1 hour competitive volleyball (league play)

I started this regime on February 17th and at that time I weighed in at 217lbs. As of March 17th I was down to 193.6, a total loss over just over 23 pounds in one month. My goal weight is 175 and my initial target date was by June 30th. If I remain on the current pace, I will reach my goal weight by mid-May instead of the end of June.

Reflections: It was incredibly difficult the first week. I was not accustomed to the portion control I would have to discipline myself into to keep below 1600 calories per day. In addition, I never really knew how to “eat right” and found myself really struggling to select foods that were 1.) good for me, 2.) low in calories, and 3.) provided variety so that I was not bored with eating the same things each day.

Exercising was also incredibly difficult at first. I am also a recent smoker (2 Months, 2 Weeks, 2 Days as of today) of 10+ years at 2 packs a day. Needless to say, my lungs are not very healthy and beginning to run/walk on the treadmill was a very humbling experience. With time and dedication, I was able to slowly increase both the speeds and distance. I am no where near my goal yet, which is to be able to run 3 miles a day minimum. I continue to increase the run portion of my exercise and decrease the walk portion until I eventually will be running the entire 3 miles.

Today, a month into this diet I can honestly say that I am very satisfied and a wee-bit proud of myself. I still have a beer belly and still have a long way to go but I can see the noticable differences in my body. I can feel the strength I’m building up when I play sports. My pants are baggy on me, sweaters hang on my upper body better instead of tenting over my gut, and people are complimenting me already and I’m only 1/2 way there. I’m encouraged that this will work, that I am on the right track to reach my goals, and that with each week I am a little lighter and a little stronger and a lot more healthier.

Two tips I would advise anyone.

1.) Go see your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program.

2.) My wife and I have found the DietPower software program to be vital to our success so far. This is not a “commercial” here, I honestly find this thing to be amazing in helping us to keep track of what we’ve eaten, nutritional information, exercise logging, and goal progress/tracking. Check out www.dietpower.com for information, it is free for the first 15 days so it’ll cost you zero to check it out. It does not advocate a specific “diet” or “program” to follow, it is simply a tool that allows you to set up a diet with your goals and then provides you the tools to track your progress, log your food and exercise, etc. and it will suggest daily caloric intake to meet your goals. Okay, enough of that… I’m not getting paid to endorse this product so I’ll shut up now.

To everyone on this thread, good luck and keep at it even when you fall down. Strength comes through endurance in the face of adversity! Pain is weakness leaving the body!

MeanJoe

35

Okay, I’m in.

Few years back I re-created my lifestyle and lost 64 pounds and 4 pant sizes. Keeping it off was effortless as long as I kept up with my running (which I’m generally addicted to anyway).

Then a year and change ago my doc puts me on meds which she assures me are “weight-neutral.” I instantly bloat up 25 pounds. It took me several months to convince her to wean me off the meds. (And yes, I’m fine.)

But even once the meds were gone, the weight wouldn’t go away. I already eat well and exercise, so the only thing I can do is become a Calorie Nazi too – 1600-1800 a day. Which I absolutely HATE doing – I’m always on the edge of hunger (I need to be busy to distract myself from my stomach) and usually by the end of the week I’m absolutely climbing the walls. I end up giving myself one day where I eat normally just so I don’t end up binge eating later.

I swear I’m the only person on the planet who can slash their daily caloric intake by 500+ calories and still gain 5 pounds in two weeks. (Yes, I’m incredibly frustrated.)

I still run about 20-25 miles a week, now that the weather’s nicer I’m working in some cycling too. I’m looking into getting a place to store my bike at the office since riding to work will automatically double the amount of exercise I get (and without cutting into sleep time, too).

I track everything with www.fitday.com. Very easy, just enter what I eat and how much I exercise, it calculates everything for you.

36

OK, I’m in too. “Calorie Nazi”–ha! That’s what I’m doing. Aim for 1200, accept 1400.

Charting on my PDA per “The Hacker’s Diet”, referred by a kind fellow poster whose name is “beef”-something but unfortunately escapes me at the moment.

Since Feb. 19th, when I got on the scale for the first time since August and found a surprise 14 lb gain (GHASP), 9.5 pounds down. 25 pounds to go for acceptable, 20 lbs extra for ideal weight (top of recommended range, not sure if it’s maintainable). Hooray for the nerds!! (Also on exercise bike 30 min, 6 days/wk unless hiking.)

Wish you all luck!

37

I’m in. I have gained 10 lbs. in the past month, most of it due to the fact I quit smoking and now everything tastes so GOOD I want to eat all the time. That and it has been a very bad winter and I haven’t been very active as a result of the crummy weather.

I have a back condition and when I get over XXX pounds, my back and hip start hurting like the dickens. We’re now at that point, so this weight must come off or I will be crippled.

So I’ve cut down on the eating, and pitching the junk food and am ramping up the walking, now that the weather is better. 2-3 times a week of fast walking (outside or in a mall), started last week. I wish I knew someone with a pool, so I could do laps. I want to lose the 10 I’ve gained, and another 5 for wiggle room. No progress yet, but Rome wasn’t built in a day – and neither was this pudge.

38

One thing I have realized with the WW ‘Winning Points’ system, is that I’m eating about 1300 calories a day. Well, that’s at the minimum of my range, but I don’t usually go up past that.

It makes me wonder how the hell I’ve stayed alive and not turned into Jabba the Hutt.

39

Am in too !!! I have lost a ton of weight but from early December started back sliding and then Christmas came … yadda yadda yadda ya all know the usual story…

Now my jeans are too tight when they were loose on me (was even thinking of buying new ones a size smaller)… and I have to lose some more apart from that.

I used to be a calorie Nazi (good term !!!) and it works for a time but then you get so pissed off with yourself you break out - which is what I did. I want to get a more balanced approach (ie not making myself mental about it and realising that I never will be a supermodel)…

Ideally I should be 140 lbs and am 5’ 5" - a little extra meat on me suits me better (was 110lbs once before and I had trouble sleeping cos my ribs where painful against the mattress - so I wanna avoid that again!!!)…

It’ll be a long slow road but I really need the kick up the arse to get started on it first - hopefully this maybe it???

40

Consider yourself kicked. :slight_smile: Now I could use one!

Day two and I’m already struggling. I’m drinking LOTS of water, which is helping some. I did the stairmaster for about 15 minutes last night and I intend to work up to 30. Ten years ago I lost 40 pounds with a lowfat diet combined with 30 minutes of exercise every day. I’m hoping it works for me this time, too.

Right now I just really, really want a snack.