Thinner by Valentine's Day

[4myfuture]

Funny how an apple throws us off! AN APPLE!!! WHO WOULD OF THOUGHT. In the scheme of things, an apple is way better than say, a granola bar after the race!

Great job on the 5k! That's a wonderful accomplishment.

Eating healthy feels so much better these days. It's so weird how over a year ago I was trudging through the day having food control me. I was always thinking too how I would never be able to lose weight, I would just be the person who kept gaining every year.

I enjoy my food better now, and I understand THOSE DARN CARBS!

Monday mantra: Think of the positives!

[Macc0021]

Hello! I am struggling to lose the holiday weight... GRR.... it is not coming off as quickly as I planned. I have about 4 extra pounds as of this morning. I really need to quit snacking after dinner... even if it is LC. I KNOW that is my problem, yet I continue to do it... and it is not because I am truly hungry. It is eating out of boredom. So frustrating that I know what I need to do, but I have lapses in judgment and decide to snack anyways. UGH. That is my current struggle.

My husband decided to join me and is eating wheat-free with me now!!! I wouldn't categorize his eating as LC, but cutting the wheat out is a huge step toward his (continued) overall health!

[svenskamae]

So glad your husband is joining you in eating wheat-free, Macc! He sounds like a keeper, and it's great that he's being supportive of your allergy-based food restrictions.

I've been reading a book about the psychology of making and breaking habits, and it sounds like evening snacking is a habit for you. The super short version of the information is that habits consist of 1) trigger situation; 2) habitual response; 3) reward. A way to change a habit is to substitute a different habitual response, but keep the triggers and the reward. So can you substitute something like a flavored tea for the snack, or something lower calorie but still low carb for your current snack, or do something else (relaxation routine, short workout, snuggling with DH, whatever) in place of the snacking when you get the urge?

I used to feel that I needed to eat something when I got home to feel that I was REALLY HOME NOW. I'm trying to substitute a non-alcoholic drink (e.g., tea, coffee, lemon water, seltzer) instead of the food, followed by a short workout, as my "I'm really home now" signal, and it's getting to be an easier habit to follow, the more I do it.

I hope you find something that works for you.

[4myfuture]

Hey Sven---I get that about habits. I was a nighttime cookie and milk, cereal and milk girl. Now, I try to read, stretch, and/or sometimes just go straight to bed instead of venturing into the kitchen!

Going home from school soon and looking forward to a lc food. My stomach is starting to grumble----hunger signals are awesome!

[Macc0021]

Originally Posted by svenskamae

So glad your husband is joining you in eating wheat-free, Macc! He sounds like a keeper, and it's great that he's being supportive of your allergy-based food restrictions.

I've been reading a book about the psychology of making and breaking habits, and it sounds like evening snacking is a habit for you. The super short version of the information is that habits consist of 1) trigger situation; 2) habitual response; 3) reward. A way to change a habit is to substitute a different habitual response, but keep the triggers and the reward. So can you substitute something like a flavored tea for the snack, or something lower calorie but still low carb for your current snack, or do something else (relaxation routine, short workout, snuggling with DH, whatever) in place of the snacking when you get the urge?

I used to feel that I needed to eat something when I got home to feel that I was REALLY HOME NOW. I'm trying to substitute a non-alcoholic drink (e.g., tea, coffee, lemon water, seltzer) instead of the food, followed by a short workout, as my "I'm really home now" signal, and it's getting to be an easier habit to follow, the more I do it.

I hope you find something that works for you.

Thank you for the information! That is truly what it is... a habit. I bought tea a couple months ago for this very reason, so I will try that tonight instead. NO more food after dinner!

[Macc0021]

Originally Posted by 4myfuture

Hey Sven---I get that about habits. I was a nighttime cookie and milk, cereal and milk girl. Now, I try to read, stretch, and/or sometimes just go straight to bed instead of venturing into the kitchen!

Going home from school soon and looking forward to a lc food. My stomach is starting to grumble----hunger signals are awesome!

I was totally a cereal-and-milk snacker in the evenings!!! Haven't done that since I went LC, but that was my snack of choice for sure!!!

[4myfuture]

Hey all, yes cereal and milk was a go to for me. Years ago I could get away with that snack, but not now!

Hope everyone is doing well. I'm planning to hit the gym right after work today.

I guess I'm always stuck in my head, but I'm realizing that eating healthy is really a balance and trying to find the right balance for one's self is sometimes difficult.

I know that quickfixes don't work for me. Patience is key, it took me 8 years to put on 60lbs, 60 lbs since I got married!! I've lost a little over half of that in a year. So, I'm ok with losing the little bit here and there, because I know I will get there...and whatever the number is... will be ok, wheather it's a loss of 40-50-or 53 lbs. There is no magic number in my life right now. I just know that I've got get a bit more off and eating correctly and working out will do it!





My daily mantra: Motivate yourself.

[svenskamae]

As always, you have a great attitude, Lindsay!

This morning I did a new stretching and resistance training DVD for 50 minutes; not a very challenging one, since the people working out in the background looked like they were all in their 70s, but I used 8 pound hand weights (not 3-5 pounds, as demonstrated) and was sweating by the end. My goal is to keep doing these resistance training DVDs until the 8 pound weights are too easy, and go up to 10 pound weights, and so on. There were a lot of stretching exercises that one could do in a chair, too, that I should try doing at work; I routinely spend 12 hours a day sitting and typing or reading a computer screen, and it would be good for me to pause and stretch periodically (or at least when most people depart at 5 pm and I keep working).

[cfine]

Congrats on the 5K, Adoug4ho!!

Lindsay-Yay on getting rid of the old clothes!! I can't wait until I can do 65 minutes of cardio! I got up to 36 minutes today.

Although I had a really good time with my friend this past weekend, I am so bummed about my weight! I know it's probably just fluid mostly, I feel like I just keep starting over.

[Adoug4ho]

Originally Posted by cfine

Although I had a really good time with my friend this past weekend, I am so bummed about my weight! I know it's probably just fluid mostly, I feel like I just keep starting over.

Thanks! And I feel your pain about th scale, and starting over. I always start so well, and then small carbs slowly creep back in. Really focusing on making this a WOL.

[svenskamae]

Originally Posted by cfine

Congrats on the 5K, Adoug4ho!!

Lindsay-Yay on getting rid of the old clothes!! I can't wait until I can do 65 minutes of cardio! I got up to 36 minutes today.

Although I had a really good time with my friend this past weekend, I am so bummed about my weight! I know it's probably just fluid mostly, I feel like I just keep starting over.

I hope you feel good about your own increasing exercise sessions, cfine. I think you said you hoped you could do an hour by the end of the year, and now you are already over half-way there--and it's just the first half of January!

Having to lose water weight is a drag, I know. Try to drink extra water and get extra sleep and it will go away sooner.

[4myfuture]

I feel like I start over every minute sometimes! I'm always changing my mindset, eating, exercise, always something!!!! Like today I just feel "heavy"...not sure why. I keep changing my mindset, because I keep feeling like I'm fat. I hate that feeling! My muscles feel tense, I'm going to do some stretching later I think. My hairdresser teaches Yoga and I'm going to go to her class Friday, since I'm not at the Y anymore. $14 a lesson for drop ins.

[svenskamae]

I don't there's much relationship between when we feel "heavy" and how we look to others. You certainly don't look fat in your picture, Lindsay, and those who see you regularly in person are doubtless thinking how good you look and wishing they could have as much success in getting fit and losing weight.

The drop-in yoga class sounds like a good idea, and very reasonably priced. So long as I'm not expected to push too much (I'm not naturally flexible and I'm getting old), yoga makes me feel really good and more at peace with my body. Of course, the yoga DVDs that I do are led by Jane Fonda and by Lilias, in their 70s, and they do a pretty gentle form of yoga ; I'm sure you could handle more challenging classes.

[zagnut]

Oh I try to remember all the places to post, just so many lately
Lindsay I love your new pic, you look great! Sorry you were feeling crappy today. I hate the days where I feel like a big bloated mess, so you aren't alone.

Sven, I only have 12lb weights right now, they are the lowest my husband has LOL You should have seen me trying to lift those suckers up behind my head. I could only do some of the weight training moves with them, the rest will have to wait until I can get NORMAL sized weights! I was going to get the 8 and 10 lb ones and I see those are the ones you use too.

You guys talking about snacks at bedtime, I was a cereal person too,(banana nut crunch!) or ice cream...I've since switched it out for 1TB crunchy natural peanut butter, a little dark cocoa powder and about 1/3cup almond milk, I eat/drink it slow with a spoon on my Up days and some Down days when I can afford the calories, and I'm pretty sure I'm addicted to it, but i eat it right before bed and it keeps me calm LOL

[4myfuture]

Thanks everyone, I do feel better a lot today, so I'm thinking it was just an "off" day for me. Last night I had some peanut butter after dinner and it did the trick! I really think my night time eating is just a habit I formed over time that I'm slowly breaking.

I have very light weights at home that my 5 year old daughter will work out with me sometimes. At the gym I push myself, but I like the lighter weights and more reps. I really love the leg press at the gym, I feel empowered and strong!

I'm always happy when the week hits Thursday....just feel like the weekend is so close!

What does HWC mean in people's coffee? Heavy whipping cream?

[cfine]

I really think my night time eating is just a habit I formed over time that I'm slowly breaking.

I have had this issue ever since I became an adult and moved out on my own. I worked 2nd shift and my friend and I would go and have Taco Bell every night. It all went downhill from there. Fat bombs are my new treat in the evening if I am truly feeling hunger. They work every time to combat that feeling of wanting to snack.

I am now up to 36 minutes of cardio. I am just going to slowly add in a minute in here and there so it won't seem so bad. My friend went with me yesterday and she saved me from quitting once. It's nice to have a friend to talk to.

I am back down to my original weight before my little weekend trip. It didn't take too long to get that water weight off

It's supposed to snow here today, and we always get a little crazy here in the south when there is the mention of snow. I'd better get off my tushy and get to the gym before the blizzard.

[svenskamae]

Hi, everyone, it's nice to hear how you are all doing. Lindsay, HWC is heavy whipping cream; I put a quarter cup in my coffee on JUDDD up days for my breakfast, and then I'm satisfied until early afternoon. I'm glad you are feeling better today.

Sounds like people are having success with little high-fat snacks if they need to eat something in the evening to fall asleep or feel satisfied--fat bomb, peanut butter, peanut butter/almond milk, and, in my case, coconut butter. For so many years we heard about things like cereal and skim milk being "healthy"--but they just make me super hungry! I like to try new things to make lowcarb food seem like "treats," so I've tried various nutbutters, and almond butter, cashew butter, sunflower seed butter, and macademia nut butter are all really good.

It's great that you have a workout buddy, cfine! Congratulations on losing your trip water weight and building up to longer workouts.

It amazes me how much easier exercise gets, pretty quickly; I'm thinking that I may move from the 8 pound weights to the 10 pound hand weights in my workouts by the end of this challenge. I won't be at the 12 pound weight level for a while though; I'd be afraid of bashing myself in the head with a 12-pound weight, zagnut. I hope you can pick up some lighter weights soon.

[4myfuture]

Hey, that's what I thought, I had some left over from another recipe I had made and I put it my coffee for the past few mornings and really like it! I have been using 1/2 and 1/2 which I know has more carbs than people sometimes want, but it was ok for me. But, I think I've made the switch now. yay!

Exercise can become addicting, in a good way, I'm becoming a gym rat again. I was in college and now it's happening again! Those endorphins! I'm prepared to work out tomorrow after work and then go to yoga! My husband is making a chicken chili for us tomorrow night for dinner, yum! Oh how I love Fridays!

We have less than a month till Vday----time flies!

Question: Ok, so I'm 185, but I feel like people think I weigh less, I'm tall which helps, but.......is it also because low carb eating gives us that less bloated look?? My hands look so much better than ever, my rings are spinning all the time!

[svenskamae]

Originally Posted by 4myfuture

Hey, that's what I thought, I had some left over from another recipe I had made and I put it my coffee for the past few mornings and really like it! I have been using 1/2 and 1/2 which I know has more carbs than people sometimes want, but it was ok for me. But, I think I've made the switch now. yay!

Exercise can become addicting, in a good way, I'm becoming a gym rat again. I was in college and now it's happening again! Those endorphins! I'm prepared to work out tomorrow after work and then go to yoga! My husband is making a chicken chili for us tomorrow night for dinner, yum! Oh how I love Fridays!

We have less than a month till Vday----time flies!

Question: Ok, so I'm 185, but I feel like people think I weigh less, I'm tall which helps, but.......is it also because low carb eating gives us that less bloated look?? My hands look so much better than ever, my rings are spinning all the time!

I'm sure that your exercise routine means that you have a fair amount of muscle and a more toned body than most women, so your 185 looks like less weight on your frame. I remember the woman who invented the T-Tapp routines saying in a talk that people tended to assume she weighed about 20 pounds less than she actually did weigh, because her muscles were heavy but didn't take up a lot of room. Maybe losing the water weight at the start of lowcarb helps, too, but my guess is that exercise matters more.

[zagnut]

Lindsay, Sven, cfine, and all you other "gym rats", I am in awe! I have never been able to stick to exercise of any kind but am working on it! When I read what you guys are doing, it gives me motivation to keep at it!

[4myfuture]

OH IT'S FRIDAY! I love my Fridays! I think it's because I have two days ahead of me without work getting in the way!

I love my coffee with HWC!!!! Someone at work today, said...ooh you are losing more weight! I'm excited but my scale doesn't seem to want to move. I keep losing inches maybe...hopefully that scale will catch up! I will not weight until my nutritionist appt in about a month. Weighing isn't my favorite thing.

Today I think I'm feeling pretty good about portion control, this is my part of my phase 2 of weight loss. Not only low carb, but portions, and realizing the true hunger pangs....

Hope all have a great day. Talk to you soon. Lindsay

[cfine]

Question: Ok, so I'm 185, but I feel like people think I weigh less, I'm tall which helps, but.......is it also because low carb eating gives us that less bloated look?? My hands look so much better than ever, my rings are spinning all the time!

Your picture certainly doesn't look like you weigh 185!! I honestly thought you were probably around 145. You look great!!

Drum roll please....I got up to 39 minutes of cardio today!! I also did my weights. I still hate it of course, but it's getting better. The feeling I have afterward is hard to describe. I LOVE THAT feeling. I guess nothing in life worth having is easy.

[svenskamae]

Woohoo, cfine! 39 minutes of cardio is EXCELLENT! It's so great that you are continuing to go to the gym and gradually increasing your minutes working out!

I've started to crave doing my resistence training and stretching workouts and trying to fit in one in the morning before work and one in the evening when I get home. The scale isn't moving lately, but I know that I'm getting stronger, because the exercises are getting easier to do. I'm going to try to learn some of the stretching exercises to do at work, too, since I spend so much of my life hunched over a keyboard and my back and shoulders get tight and tired by the end of the day.

zagnut, I see from your post that you have made progress on your cardio, shaving 2 minutes off your treadmill 1 mile time. Way to go! I think an important indicator is how long you can work out on the treadmill (endurance) as well as how fast you can go. I never cut my time on the elliptical machine down below 15 minutes per mile (with resistence), but I did get to the point of being able to do it without stopping for 2 hours or more.

[zagnut]

Nice work cfine! Congrats! A great feeling I bet!

Sven I did get a few minutes off the time, but I have found that I'm not as worried about that now, I know it was a goal in the other challenge, but I really enjoy brisk walking more than running, it feels better and I think it fits me better. Running wears me out and kills my shins but the fast walk energizes me, so the endurance thing you speak of is what I am after, maybe I should go change my challenge goal lol.
And 2 hours on an elliptical?! Holy cow woman, you are going for gold!!

[svenskamae]

Originally Posted by zagnut

Nice work cfine! Congrats! A great feeling I bet!

Sven I did get a few minutes off the time, but I have found that I'm not as worried about that now, I know it was a goal in the other challenge, but I really enjoy brisk walking more than running, it feels better and I think it fits me better. Running wears me out and kills my shins but the fast walk energizes me, so the endurance thing you speak of is what I am after, maybe I should go change my challenge goal lol.
And 2 hours on an elliptical?! Holy cow woman, you are going for gold!!

I think it's a good idea to do fast walking rather than running, zagnut; I worry about injuries and stress on joints with running.

I know I built up strong muscles in my legs spending 2-3 hours a day on the elliptical machine a few years ago in an unsuccessful attempt to lose weight, but I don't do the elliptical machine much now because I don't seem to be able to lose weight while exercising a lot (other than walking). The lower body workouts on my "prime time" DVDs are sure easy for me, though, compared to the upper body segments.

The scale hasn't moved for me for a couple of weeks now. I'm not sure if my current stall is due to my exercising more (cortisol and stress) or just reflects sore muscles holding onto water (I seem to be experiencing some "squishy fat" right now) or is sheer coincidence. But while I'm not happy with my current weight, I find it bearable to stay there for a while, while I work on some fitness goals. If I haven't lost any more weight by the end of this challenge, I'll go back to just walking and doing JUDDD, and set aside the resistence workouts for a while.

[cfine]

Sorry the scale isn't moving for you Sven. I am also finding that exercising more is causing me some issues on the scale, but I'm not doing it for weight loss so I hope I don't get discouraged.

[cfine]

Ok, so I'm now officially bummed
These are my stats:before my weekend trip 233.5
after trip 239
got back down to 233.1
yesterday 235.4
this morning 236.1

I look and feel smaller. I know that I need to go on that and not worry about the scale so much, but dang it, I hate it when the scale doesn't cooperate!

[4myfuture]

The scale measures EVERYTHING, not just fat, bones, water, muscle------ But it doesn't measure attitude, feeling, and emotion. Don't let it get to you.... I don't like the scale because it will make or break my day....I stay away.

I had a good Friday at the gym and yoga 2 hours of exercise! Yesterday I walked outside with my family, and today I'm going to the gym.

I'm feeling tired though....not sure I was sneezing my head off yesterday, just allergies from cleaning my dusty house..but I'm tired today!

Ok, I'll check in later!

[svenskamae]

Cfine, I hope you don't give up on exercising. It sounds like doing what you are doing is very important for your health, and you are making such excellent progress. I suggest you put away the scale for a couple of weeks, go by how clothes fit (I try on slightly too small clothes to see if they are fitting better, and keep up with your exercise. That's what I'm planning to do, since the scale has been frustrating me, but I can tell that I'm getting stronger.

I had been doing resistence training (hand weights) practically every day, but I learned that one needs to do that every other day to let muscles heal, so I'm going to have to do more stretching and aerobic exercises instead. Maybe this will make me actually do the beginners' DVD for callenetics or T-Tapp. For today, I did both of Jane Fonda's Prime Time walking workouts.

[cfine]

I'm not going to give up my exercise(as much as I'd like to )t because of my health issues. I can't except a doctor to just give me a pill and think that's going to fix me. My goal is to be medication free at some point. With that said, I didn't exercise yesterday and the weight came off plus a little extra. I wish I could make myself NOT weigh daily, but it really does keep me on track. When I stop weighing, I start eating things I shouldn't.
My friend swears by T-Tapp, btw. I didn't like it when I tried it but I've heard nothing but great things about it.
Hope ya'll have had a good Monday. I'm glad the hard part is over for the day. Just waiting now on my workout buddy so I can go get my sweat on