Weight Loss Support Thread

[ProfCrash]

TWOP had a version of this thread but instead of a more formal once a week table maybe something a bit less formal. If you are looking for some support while getting healthy let us know.

I am sure we need some formal disclaimer but I am not a lawyer and I did not stay in a Holiday Inn Express last night. How about this, be nice to each other and there are no prizes for the person who loses the most.

[Bella]

Cool idea - and thanks for starting the thread.

[Chip]

I am doing the Slow Carb plan from The Four Hour Body. The first time I dropped about 40 lbs but I stopped doing it and slowly gained it back over several holidays, vacations, and a house renovation.  The gist of it is lots of veggies and legumes, no carbs or sugar, exercise for 6 days a week. Then once a week, you can eat the stuff you have been craving (but you still have to do your exercise)!

I have been on it again for about 3 or 4 weeks and have lost a little under 10 lbs. The cheat days make your weight go back up, but usually under what you were before. I'm thinking of skipping the cheat day and just doing a cheat meal once or twice a week to see how that affects the weight loss.

I have a FitBit Force and average around 12K steps a day, usually from jogging/walking at an indoor track near my house. My wife and friend run 5Ks every weekend, but I usually just do 1 or 2 a year.

[Bella]

Interesting, Chip. I agree that holidays, vacations, and house stuff (I moved last year) make it hard to maintain a decent weight.

I was one of those skinny people who could eat whatever she wanted without gaining, etc., etc., etc., hate me, hate me, hate me. And then I turned 40 and gained about 40 pounds. Now I yo-yo about 15 pounds each year, with the worst time being fall and winter, which is when we take our vacation and do the holiday visiting. The 15 pounds matter to me because of clothing fit and because I feel better at the low end of the range.

I have to cut out sugar completely. That, exercise, and writing down what I eat are my 3 successful strategies. Since Valentine's Day weekend, I've been off sugar except for 4 specific days when I had a lot of work stress and lived on baked goods. I lost 8 pounds, gained 1 back, and will probably gain another this weekend because of restaurant meals with out-of-town guests. But I think I can make my goal by July. I sure hope so!

This has really humbled me, and I am now in awe of people who lose large amounts of weight. The BL methods seem unhealthy, but my stance on the show is that if the contestants keep off half the weight they've lost, they're still a lot better off than they were.

[ProfCrash]

I tried the diet plans and meal plans a few times but figured out they are not for me. I lost my baby weight plus 25 by using a fitbit and my fitness pal. If I am honest about what I eat and exercise I am good. I lost the weight, 185ish to 160 this way and have maintained it for about a year. The return of decent weather means more walking and playing outside with a toddler. That combined with going to the gym 3-5 days should help me drop a few more pounds.

I recently set my my fitness pal to lose .5 pounds a week since I noticed I put on about three pounds. Well within normal swings but I can eat 250 calories less a day and be fine.

[photo fox]

Hey, all, I just wanted to let you know that someone just started a weight loss topic in the Food forum, if you want to find/share recipes and food ideas. It's not BL-specific, of course.

[editorgrrl]

I tried the diet plans and meal plans a few times but figured out they are not for me. I lost my baby weight plus 25 by using a fitbit and my fitness pal. If I am honest about what I eat and exercise I am good. I lost the weight, 185ish to 160 this way and have maintained it for about a year.

I lost weight & am maintaining th same way: I log everything I eat & drink accurately & honestly at http://www.myfitnesspal.com and I have two fitness trackers, a Jawbone UP24 & a Fitbit Flex.

You lose weight by eating fewer calories than you burn. Logging shows me my calories in—and keeps me accountable. My trackers show me my calories out. (One is enough, but I'm a data nerd.)

It really bothers me when people ask me my "secret." Logging is simple, but it ain't easy. Logging works.

[Canada]

I followed something called the Clean Program by Dr. Junger for the recommended three weeks and lost 10lbs.  I'm now going to follow a similar diet, but not so strict, in order to lose the 120lbs I need to lose to reach my goal weight of 160.  It was actually a really easy plan to follow and stick to, especially for someone like me who hates counting calories and diets with lots of rules.  I basically had a real fruit smoothie or soup (veggies and a bit of protein) for breakfast and dinner.  Lunch was brown rice, veggies, and a protein.  Two small snacks during the day of about 200 calories each.  Nice and easy to follow and it was actually quite filling.

[editorgrrl]

Hey, all, I just wanted to let you know that someone just started a weight loss topic in the Food forum, if you want to find/share recipes and food ideas. It's not BL-specific, of course.

 

And there's an Exercise: What's your workout? thread under Off-Topic > Everything Else.

[tribeca]

When I started really focusing on losing weight was last year.  Doctor gave me a goal weigh and I needed to lose 45 pounds.  Last year I gave up soda, ate more fruit drank more water and lost 30 pounds.  This year I have been doing the same (although some weeks have slipped : ( ) and have lost & gained the same 5 pounds all year.

[editorgrrl]

As I said in the Weight-Loss Support Group thread (linked above), you lose weight by eating fewer calories than you burn. If you're not logging everything you eat & drink accurately & honestly, then you have no idea how many calories you're eating.

Get a kitchen scale (they're only 12 bucks or so) and a food logging app like http://www.myfitnesspal.com. It's human nature to underestimate your food & overestimate your burns. Logging is a huge wakeup call. Logging works.

[Mrsjumbo]

I did best on the old WW Core program. The focus was on whole foods & less carbs. Carbs were allowed, but limited or you had to spend your points on them. It was good for me because deprived of carbs I end up bingeing, but left to my own devices I eat too many carbs. And you don't have to tediously count everything, as long as it is a whole food.

I have tried logging calories on an app but find my diet is still too unbalanced. I can stay within my calories but still eat way too many carbs. That's what is wrong with the regular WW program too- you can spend your points on junk.

I think I'm going to give the WW Core program a whirl again (I still have all of my materials). I have about 70 to lose.

[editorgrrl]

I have tried logging calories on an app but find my diet is still too unbalanced. I can stay within my calories but still eat way too many carbs.

If you eat fewer calories than you burn, you will lose weight. If you meet your weekly calorie goal, then there's no such thing as "too many carbs."

[kj4ever]

I did best on the old WW Core program. The focus was on whole foods & less carbs. Carbs were allowed, but limited or you had to spend your points on them. It was good for me because deprived of carbs I end up bingeing, but left to my own devices I eat too many carbs. And you don't have to tediously count everything, as long as it is a whole food.

I have tried logging calories on an app but find my diet is still too unbalanced. I can stay within my calories but still eat way too many carbs. That's what is wrong with the regular WW program too- you can spend your points on junk.

I think I'm going to give the WW Core program a whirl again (I still have all of my materials). I have about 70 to lose.

I killed it on the Core program too.  I like how it taught me to feel my natural signals of hunger or being full or being just right. 

[Mu Shu]

If you eat fewer calories than you burn, you will lose weight. If you meet your weekly calorie goal, then there's no such thing as "too many carbs."

That's correct for the majority of people.    All this low carb, caveman diet, yada yada is just making people rich who are plugging it, and the people on it flit from fad to fad.     Look at old photos of civil war soldiers-The average man weighed 135 pounds, relied on an extremely carb and fat heavy diet,  and didn't have an ounce of fat to spare.   They were simply burning an enormous amount of calories.

 

Fitbit is awesome for people like myself with OCD.   I plan my food for the next day the night before, and no deviations.   If I want a splurge, I budget for it.   It also breaks down the proportions of what you eat, so you can adjust carbs, fat, and protein.    I know exactly how much I can eat and how much I need to move to create a calorie deficit or maintain.

 

Before I actually started on the food part,   I spent one week eating as I usually do and logged it faithfully.  On average, my intake was 2,700 calories per day!    That's at least 1,000 too much.  It's a wonder I only have an extra 12 pounds only.

 

Plus, there is the competitive factor.   It's a really great motivator. 

[LoneHaranguer]

 

I have tried logging calories on an app but find my diet is still too unbalanced. I can stay within my calories but still eat way too many carbs.

Your body knows what it needs vs what it already has stashed away, so that's not a bad thing if you're eating the carbs because you really want them, rather than out of habit or convenience.

[ProfCrash]

I am of the opinion that people should do what works for them but look at it realistically. If there is a program that works for you and you do a good job losing weight on it, go for it. But keep in mind that you probably need to follow a modified version of that program when you stop losing weight. You cannot return to your old eating/exercise habits and maintain the weight lose.

[editorgrrl]

I am of the opinion that people should do what works for them but look at it realistically. If there is a program that works for you and you do a good job losing weight on it, go for it. But keep in mind that you probably need to follow a modified version of that program when you stop losing weight. You cannot return to your old eating/exercise habits and maintain the weight lose.

Agreed. Think lifestyle change, rather than going on (and eventually off) a diet. No need to eliminate entire categories of foods. Instead, learn portion control & moderation. See Starbucks as an occasional treat rather than a daily indulgence, and make it a tall or grande.

Deprivation can lead to bingeing, so fit yummy, portion-controls treats into your calorie goal.

Edited October 11, 2014 by editorgrrl

[editorgrrl]

From the "Penalty Box" episode thread:

Losing weight isn't all about the hard core workouts. It's also about nutrition and learning how to eat better. We see virtually nothing about food and I suspect it's because they're placed on such restrictive diets that the show doesn't want us to see that.

What would have been nice is to have seen Jen sit down with her team and say, "Hey, if you want to have a cocktail one night that's fine. Stick to a glass of wine or stay away from sugary drinks. Use club or diet sodas as your mixer. It's OK if you want a slice of duck from the buffet or a scoop of pasta. Just balance it out with grilled veggies or a salad." Teach them how to eat for the rest of their lives.

One of my favorite scenes from this show was when Jillian visited Tara at home and took her to lunch. Tara was all stressed about the finale and Jillian told her to have a glass of wine and Tara just about fell out of her chair. Jillian was all like, "Good god, it's one glass of wine. You need to learn how to live your life." She was right.

I can't say it often enough: You do not have to be perfect to lose weight—and keep it off. You just need to make better choices more often than not.

[beaker73]

From the "Penalty Box" episode thread:

I can't say it often enough: You do not have to be perfect to lose weight—and keep it off. You just need to make better choices more often than not.

Absolutely. I recently lost 40 lbs and I didn't stop drinking beer or eating Chinese takeout. I just didn't have them everyday. Ha ha.

[Brooklynista]

On Friday my doctor told me I was "overfat" . Overfat. It's one thing when you look in the mirror and know you have a few pounds to lose and quite another when a medical professional tells you.

At 5'3 and 160 pounds I am overfat. I'm really unsure how I'll approach the weight loss. I work out a good bit, but if I'm honest my diet could use a lot of tweaking. I'm all about the fish and veggies during the week but once Friday night happens Whoo Doogie!

Something has to happen and it has to happen seriously this time. Turning 40 really is a mother.

Thanks for letting me share.

[editorgrrl]

At 5'3 and 160 pounds I am overfat. I'm really unsure how I'll approach the weight loss. I work out a good bit, but if I'm honest my diet could use a lot of tweaking. I'm all about the fish and veggies during the week but once Friday night happens Whoo Doogie!

Something has to happen and it has to happen seriously this time. Turning 40 really is a mother.

I'm in my 40s and 5'2". What worked for me was learning to log everything I eat & drink accurately and honestly. It's human nature to underestimate your food (and overestimate your burns).

Get a kitchen scale (they're only $12 or so) and weigh everything you eat—even packaged foods. Eat "good" 80% of the time and fit yummy, portion-controlled treats into your calorie goal. Deprivation can lead to bingeing.

[beaker73]

I'm in my 40s and 5'2". What worked for me was learning to log everything I eat & drink accurately and honestly. It's human nature to underestimate your food (and overestimate your burns).

Get a kitchen scale (they're only $12 or so) and weigh everything you eat—even packaged foods. Eat "good" 80% of the time and fit yummy, portion-controlled treats into your calorie goal. Deprivation can lead to bingeing.

I second the kitchen scale.  What you *think* is 3 oz. of chicken is NOT 3 oz. of chicken.  :) 

 

Something that worked for me was pre-planning meals and logging them.  No matter if you're counting calories or doing WW, if you know what you're having for breakfast and lunch then you know how many calories, points, whatever you have left for dinner.  Good luck!

[ProfCrash]

At 5'3 and 160 pounds I am overfat. I'm really unsure how I'll approach the weight loss. I work out a good bit, but if I'm honest my diet could use a lot of tweaking. I'm all about the fish and veggies during the week but once Friday night happens Whoo Doogie!

 

I would suggest at least a few weeks of food logging to see what you are really eating. I know that I was surprised by how all the small snacks added up and I wasn't even really aware that I was having those small snacks. If you are honest with what you are eating for a few weeks, I think you will find that your Monday-Friday are not as clean as you think that they are.

 

I found that learning about portion control was a huge deal. I bought the 1/2 cup tupperwares to use for snacks like Gold Fish crackers and nuts and the like so I had a better idea of how much I was eating and could control my intake better. It is a pain in the wazoo but the food blogging really did help me change my habits. I did not weigh my food but measured my cereal, peanut butter, vegetables, fruit and all that type of stuff.

[Mu Shu]

I also measure and track my food.   Plus, I get a minimum of 15, 00 steps every day.  I lost 5 pounds in 2 weeks by doing the steps and 1200 calories per day.   I need 5 more pounds, so I am aiming for 1 pound per week and have upped the calories to 1500.   So far, it's working, but I never allow myself to go more than 10 pounds over, so don't ever develop a real weight problem.     Fitbit is awesome for this. 

[editorgrrl]

I also measure and track my food.   Plus, I get a minimum of 15, 00 steps every day.  I lost 5 pounds in 2 weeks by doing the steps and 1200 calories per day.   I need 5 more pounds, so I am aiming for 1 pound per week and have upped the calories to 1500.   So far, it's working, but I never allow myself to go more than 10 pounds over, so don't ever develop a real weight problem.     Fitbit is awesome for this. 

 

I love my Fitbit activity tracker, and I'm in awe of your 15,000 steps per day—I only get about half that. (I also have a Jawbone UP24. They both do the same thing, but I'm a data nerd.)

 

At your size, 1 lb. per week is too aggressive a weight-loss goal. A good rule of thumb is .5 lb. per week for each 25 lbs. you need to lose. The closer you are to a normal weight, the more slowly it comes off. That's just the way the human body works.

 

Food is fuel, and we should all be looking for the maximum number of calories at which we lose weight—never the minimum.

[ali59]

I got the results from my most recent labs and they are fantastic.  No more diabetes, no more high blood pressure and no more borderline cholesterol.  My doc is keeping me on the meds though because she says they are a great combination for keeping things good.  I asked her about going off the meds altogether and she said that sometimes she'll do that but in general she likes the preventativeness that they provide.  I said that's fine with me!

[newyawk]

Well, if I was a contestant, I would have fallen under the red line this week. 9 pounds the first week, nothing this week, worked out, kept my eating on point and clean. I know it was all sugar bloat and stuff flushing out in Week 1, but at least a pound  this week, even half a pound, would have been nice. Maybe next week.

 

Fitbit is coming out with a model that also includes a heartrate monitor, so that is the one I am waiting for. I hear a lot of good things about Fitbit. I got my dad one for his birthday, but I'm not sure if he actually uses it, lol.

Edited November 15, 2014 by newyawk

[editorgrrl]

Real-life weight loss is nothing like The Biggest Loser. A healthy, sustainable rate is .5 lb. per week for each 25 lbs. you have to lose. (The first week, you lose a lot of water & glycogen.)

And weight loss is not linear. Some weeks you do everything right and maintain—or even gain. Others, you lose a whole lot in a big "whoosh." Do not give up!

[newyawk]

Oh, I am not giving up. I keep thinking, "And where will you be in six months if you stop now, or if you keep going?"

 

One thing I did this time is to get a pack of markers and make four pages of charts, broken down by rows representing weeks, so I can X off each day and then see a completed row of X's after 7 days. I have this set up for 40 weeks. I'm someone that needs to have some sort of payoff on a regular basis, so this might be the thing for me, when I get to X out that day.

 

Thanks for the advice!

Edited November 15, 2014 by newyawk

[ali59]

Non-food rewards can be very motivating!  I like the x-ing out the days idea.  There are also other things like a pedicure after losing a certain amount or something of that nature.  My husband and I are planning to have a big shopping spree in April at LLBean.  We'll have been working on this weight for 14 months and will have nothing that fits anymore.  For me, that can be very motivating!

 

Here's a list of 50 non food rewards:

 

Give yourself permission to take a nap.
Visit the library or bookstore all by yourself.
Have a guilt-free home spa afternoon.
Sleep in!
Take a selfie to celebrate your progress.
Spend an hour away from your phone or computer.
Eat lunch outside or at least away from your desk.
Clean out your closet and donate all your too-big clothes to charity.
Post your progress on social media (or SparkPeople) so your friends can celebrate with you.
Take a bubble bath.
Drive to a beautiful neighborhood or park to walk instead of taking your usual walking route.
Use smiley face or star stickers to note milestones on a wall calendar hung in a prominent place.
Make your own ribbon or trophy.
Make or buy a refrigerator magnet with a motivational quote.
Take a vacation day from work to do whatever you want!
Unwind with a movie of your choice.
Plan a night out with your friends.
Buy a lottery ticket.
Subscribe to a fitness or healthy cooking magazine.
Get a new driver's license photo. (Don't lie about your weight.)
Download a new fitness app for your phone.
Buy a new workout song.
Get yourself a bottle of fancy shower gel or lotion.
Pick up a new plant for your garden.
Invest in some moisture-wicking workout socks.
Get fitted for a new sports bra.
Try a new shade of nail polish.
Get some new shades for outdoor exercise.
Come home with a bouquet of flowers.
Try a fresh hair color.
Buy a small personal blender for smoothies and protein shakes.
Order a pair of high-end wireless headphones.
Invest is a fitness tracker to motivate you even more.
Sign up for a charity walk or running event.
Splurge on some nice yoga pants.
Go for a mani/pedi.
Treat yourself to a massage!
Take a cooking class to up your game.
Get a new hairstyle.
Get fitted for workout shoes at a running store.
Go for a flashy piercing or tattoo!
Start a charm bracelet.
Get your rings resized to fit your smaller fingers.
Plan a weekend getaway with your significant other.
Adopt a dog so you'll always have a walking buddy.
Hire someone to clean your house so you have more time to hit the gym.
Try a fun exercise class like Zumba or pole fitness.
Book a session with a personal trainer.
Schedule a professional portrait shoot.
Two words: Dream vacation!

[ChicagoCita]

I've been flitting around the TBL WL threads on TwoP for quite a while, never got anything much accomplished.  Lots of reasons, including the death of two parents in 2013, put me at my highest weight ever, pre-diabetic, and at at BMI that was considered "super super obese."  What a joy.

 

I spent the summer out of town taking care of yet another parent who was ill (divorced parents who each remarried, so four parents in all raised me).  Not only did it make me more active than I'd been, but being in a caretaker role forced me to eat better, and I was in small town with very little access to fast food.

 

30 pounds came off without much effort over four months, and I've lost another ten in the past couple months.

 

I track my food on Calorie Count, and despite eating very cleanly, was at a month-long plateau. Thankfully, it broke last week.  I started taking Jillian's Fat Burners, just to kick-start weight loss, and while I'm not sure those were the reason, the plateau broke the same week I started them.  Not sold on them, just being honest.

 

Feeling better, down 40 lbs., and still lots and lots of weight to go, but I'm feeling better and eating well.  The pain I've felt for years in my lower back has disappeared, although I still get winded VERY easily (I lasted three whole minutes on the treadmill on my stress test last month). My doctor is monitoring and supportive of my efforts.  I'm not confident enough to put down numbers yet, because even if I lost another 100 pounds, I'd still be considered obese, but I appreciate the support here.

Edited November 17, 2014 by ChicagoCita

[ProfCrash]

Last year I got down to 160 and was thrilled. I did this mainly by counting calories and doing 40 minutes of cardio five days a week. Three months ago I was at 165, well fluctuating between 160 and 165, and decided that I really did need to find a way to get better about lifting weights. I do not want to lift free weights or be restricted to the weight machines at the gym that I know. Free weights I find are dangerous unless you are really good with form and know what you are doing, which I don't. The weight machines are good but limit the number of muscles you actually work and it gets boring doing the same thing over and over again.

 

I joined a new gym (Koko Fitness) which has those weight units that allow you to do 9,000 exercises on them (I think the actual number is 190). The Y has these things as well but I have no idea how to use them to do new things and with a 2 year old don't have the money to hire a personal trainer again. Koko's system comes with a computer system where you plug in an individual USB stick, it pulls up your preprogrammed work out path (you choose what it is), and it brings up a weight routine for the day. It has videos that show you proper form and there are coaches who will help you or correct form if needed.

 

So now I am lifting 4-5 days a week, which I love, but I am up to the 170 area again. (sigh)

 

I am trying to remind myself that the weight is less important then the fact that my clothes feel fine and I am noticing my figure start to change. I happen to be someone who has a larger build so I have always been on the heavier side even when healthy. 160 was at the top of the not overweight scale for my height and age which is why my Doctor suggested it would be a good number to shoot for. I know I am eating well, yes I have some junky stuff but I am not going totally overboard, more days then not I don't have the junky stuff, and I am working out an hour a day 4-5 days a week. I get in 30 minutes of cardio on the days I don't lift weights.

 

So conflicted. I know part of the weight gain, the last five pounds, is muscle gain (my lean muscle weight has grown from 117 to 120 pounds) but still it is hard to not be annoyed.

[editorgrrl]

So now I am lifting 4-5 days a week, which I love.

My clothes feel fine and I am noticing my figure start to change.

I am eating well, yes I have some junky stuff but I am not going totally overboard, more days then not I don't have the junky stuff, and I am working out an hour a day 4-5 days a week. I get in 30 minutes of cardio on the days I don't lift weights.

Those are all non-scale victories (NSVs). Celebrate them just as much as the number on a scale—if not more! Take measurements and photos, too.

[ProfCrash]

Yeah, they use one of those machines to measure body composition. You stand on it with bare feet and it has the double metal handles to allow more skin contact for measurements. I am more focused on the lean muscle mass and the strength increase (31% improvement in 2 months is pretty solid) but the scale number is so ingrained it is hard to not look at it. The good news is that I don't see that number at the gym, we get lean muscle and other indicators but no weight but it is hard to look beyond that stupid scale.

 

The thing is, I would rather have the added muscle then drop 10 pounds.

[newyawk]

Well, I lost another 1.8 pounds Week 3. This was actually an off week for me because I didn't get to the gym as much as I wanted to, and I had a few days where I snacked a little more than I should have and had a few things that were not the greatest for me to have had. So maybe I wasn't eating enough and that slowed things down in Week Two. Interesting..

Edited November 22, 2014 by newyawk

[editorgrrl]

I lost another 1.8 pounds Week 3.

Maybe I wasn't eating enough and that slowed things down in Week Two.

A good rule of thumb is .5 lbs. per week for each 25 lbs. you need to lose. And weight loss is not linear—some weeks you might maintain or even gain. Just keep up the great work.

[ali59]

I've had to figure out a new schedule for exercise since I started working.  At first I though I should work out after work because it would make me too tired to work.  That didn't really work.  I'd get home and be too tired and sore to walk.  So I started walking before work and it seems to be working much better.  I was at a sort of stand still until this last weigh-in on Friday.  I'm only 9 pounds away from losing 100 pounds and 24 pounds away from Onederland!!

[newyawk]

Well, I have lost 23 lbs since November 1st, which I think is a pretty good clip. I have a ways to go still though, but if I can keep this up, I should be at goal weight by the summer. I am halfway through Body Revolution (I did it last year but did not finish) and it is relly molding me, I feel much more compact and tighter. Plus, logging everything on MyFitnessPal is surprisingly helpful.

[ProfCrash]

Great news newyawk! Keep up the good work.

 

I am back to the 168 area, a gain of 8 pounds in a year but 12 pounds lighter then the 180 a year after giving birth. The interesting bit is that I put on five pounds when I returned weights to my weekly routine. I had a chat with my Doctor during my annual visit. She is comfortable with my weight given that I still fit comfortably into all of my clothes, all of my blood work numbers are excellent, and I look healthy. She said the 160 she recommended is at the high end of the BMI range and as long as I am healthy, exercising, and eating well the vast majority of the time don't worry about it.

 

So my goal is to stay under 170 and stop worrying about the number. I am working out 4-5 days a week, to include cardio and weights. Ideally, I will get myself to 165 and stay there. Still wearing a 6 and did just fine hiking in the Rockies this year. Toss in more then able to chase, toss around, pick up, and tickle a very active 2 1/2 year old.

 

I got to 160 by watching everything that I ate and doing 45 minutes of cardio 5 days a week. Cardio bores me, I like weights, and I really hate depriving myself of every donut or cookie to stay at 160.

[RedheadZombie]

Everybody has different techniques and plans that work for them, so I'll share mine in case anyone finds them useful.  I'm 5'9" and have hovered around 150-160 my adult life.  Of course, I thought I was a cow.  What I was, was rarely in shape.  I went through a period of extreme dedication to getting healthy and lost down to 137 pounds.  I walked the treadmill for a half hour daily instead of lunch, then had a meal replacement bar.  I walked the treadmill for an additional hour that night.  I really got into jazzercise about five days a week.  I religiously kept track of my food intake, and if my calories were low, I would make a smoothie of protein powder, frozen berries, OJ, skim milk, and some NutraSweet - absolutely delicious if you eat it right away - it's thick like a shake.  Anyway, as these things usually lead to, I developed a stress fracture in my foot, and slowly ended my exercise and diet regime.

 

I dropped down to 135 many years later, but it was due to extreme depression, so I do not advise that method.  After fracturing my shoulder, I was off work for an extended time, and developed an extreme craving for Laffy Taffy.  Even when I returned to work, I daily ate Mr. Pibb, donut holes, cookies, and ice cream.  And actually ballooned up to 180 - a weight I'd never even been close to.  I then lost my job, and easily lost twenty pounds quickly.  Looking back, I can attribute it to several reasons.  I had been working nights and suffering from insomnia.  After losing my job I obviously slept during the night, and got in at least eight hours of sleep.  Many studies suggest sleeping too few hours a night contributes to weight gain, or difficulty in losing weight.  I went off the pop, and switched back to diet pop, water, and crystal light.  I didn't deliberately adjust what I was eating, but since I frequently picked up all the goodies on the way home from work, that habit stopped naturally.  Something else that I slowly figured out - I lost weight more quickly when I happened to have days of "cheating".  Meaning when I ate in a controlled healthy manner, and had a day or two of extra calories.  Part of the problem with losing weight is the plateauing, and I think mixing up my calorie intake intermittently kept my metabolism cranking.  Anyway, this is how I lost twenty pounds without any exercise.  I wouldn't advise not exercising - it obviously helps physically as well as mentally.

 

One other thing - in my teens and into my thirties, I had a little binging issues.  I wasn't bulimic - I never ate and threw up, but I would eat recklessly to the point of acute discomfort.  I was a definite compulsive eater and I knew it.  Every Halloween to this day, I'm going to be shoving that candy in to the point of extreme nausea.  I just can't be responsible around it, particularly candy that is pure sugar - skittles, twizzlers, taffy, etc.  I have found a little trick that helps me.  When I am weak and buy candy, I don't let it get me down.  Typically I would feel bad and think the whole day was trashed, and then go to town eating everything I could find.  Everybody knows that when you do get weak and start eating something you shouldn't, it doesn't take long until the realization sets in that you don't really feel that satisfied.  In the past, I would just double down and keep eating.  Now, when that feeling hits, I take the rest of the candy and dump it into the trash and make sure it's mixed in with other garbage.  It's done, I can't get weak and try to dig it out, and I move on.

[wirebitersm]

I started working out and eating better(Body for Life) July 21st and am down a little over 80 lbs. Had an awesome 15 lb loss for the month of December. In the middle of the second week for my 3rd 12 week challenge. I am thinking about 50 more pounds to go.

 

Awesome job ali59!

[Chip]

My wife and I just decided to start counting calories and exercise around Christmas. MyFitnessPal and FitBit work pretty well for that. I'm down 15 lbs and she's down I think 8 or 9. We also have stopped eating out as much which really helps. To make it easy, we subscribed to a website called The Fresh 20 which sends out a suggested meal plan and shopping list every week. They've been good so far so we'll stick with it for the next few months anyway.

[CarolMK]

I'm happy to see here that many have had success using a Fitbit. I got one for Christmas from my hubby, set it up 3 weeks ago, and am loving it. I found it pretty easy to

get to 10,000 steps a day so my goal is to be between 12,000- 15,000. I was actually surprised to find out that I'm burning about 2600 calories a day, and since I started

to monitor all of my calorie intake, I've had only one day in the 2200 range..usualy I'm around 1850-2000. That said, I originally lost a lot of weight on Weight Watchers

during 2008-2009...from 228 down to 145. I'm 5'5, age 51 and felt great..but I got tired of counting points, and paying for meetings every time I gained 2 lbs. so I just

stopped that program. Now I find the Fitbit to be much easier than tracking Points, which I'm sure wasn't very accurate anyway. I have a Weight Watchers scale too which

really comes in handy. So far I think I'm down about 3 lbs and need to lose about 50 more, but I'm trying to focus more on activity this time around than the numbers on

the scale. If it takes me a year or more, I can live with that, it took me 2 full years to lose the 83 lbs before when I was in my 40's. 

[ali59]

Did anyone else have a tough time with Super Bowl food?  I was talking with my Physicians Assistant today about it.  She asked me what I ate so I told her.  We decided that it wasn't really what I ate so much as how much of it I ate.  Thinking back I could have been happy eating half of what I did.  This was really the first time that my husband and I "partied" on our own.  I learned a valuable lesson.  Even when eating fun party foods, portion control is crucial!  I've been working really hard this week to lose the pounds I gained last weekend.  I also signed up for 3 5K races!  Call me crazy!

[editorgrrl]

Did anyone else have a tough time with Super Bowl food?  I was talking with my Physicians Assistant today about it.  She asked me what I ate so I told her.  We decided that it wasn't really what I ate so much as how much of it I ate.  Thinking back I could have been happy eating half of what I did.  This was really the first time that my husband and I "partied" on our own.  I learned a valuable lesson.  Even when eating fun party foods, portion control is crucial!  I've been working really hard this week to lose the pounds I gained last weekend.  I also signed up for 3 5K races!  Call me crazy!

 

Hurray for signing up for three races. That's not crazy at all. Yay, you!

 

You can eat anything in moderation and still lose weight. Any. Thing. You lose weight by eating fewer calories than you burn, so portion control is key.

[ProfCrash]

Yeah, portion control is key. Not only at parties but in every day life. I think we lose track of that even more when surrounded by foods that are designed to trigger the pleasure responses in our brains making us want more. Most junk food has been developed to do just that. I try and remind myself of that when we bring potato chips into the house but it rarely works. The new Wasabi Ginger potato chips are freaking crack.

 

One idea, that sounds silly, bring a 1/2 cup Tupperware container. That way you have a visual reminder of how much you want to eat. Keep in mind that a serving of potato chips is normally between 10-14 and count them out. If you cannot log on an electronic device, log on a piece of paper what you ate and how much. Writing it down will make you more conscious of what you are eating and might help with the grazing. Eat two healthy snacks before you allow yourself a not healthy snack, so a piece of fruit and serving of veggies before you have the chips. Bring the healthy stuff with you. Bring a healthy snack for the entire group, that way you have one thing to eat that is safe.