New Maintainers - Week of 06/01

[JuliaL]

Hello everyone - hope you enjoyed the long weekend.

I had a great weekend as far as maintenance is concerned. I find that I'm much more able to control the impulse eating thing lately. DH and I were in Super WalMart yesterday and I stood and eyeballed the LC treats for a long time but ended up deciding I really didn't want one. Today I did treat myself to a latte from the coffee shop - but NOT the 1100-calorie low carb version! Instead I got the 120 calorie low fat version. Yes, it did have more carbs, but I felt I could afford them.

Welcome, DJ! Funny how many of us get to maintenance and decide we just want to lose 5 more lbs. I did the same thing, but haven't been able to. I've about decided that what the scale says doesn't matter (even though I weigh myself twice per day) and that what really matters is how my clothes fit. I think its just hard sometimes for us to let go of the weight loss process. It gives us gratification to see the scale go down and when you reach your goal you need to set new goals for yourself so you always have something to strive for. Only you know what your ideal weight should be, I'm only making this point for you to consider.

So how is everyone this week?

Julia

[jvryden]

I had a great weekend. Did a little weeding in the garden and went to a few bbq picnics. I totally overate at the one last night...so many legal choices! Veggies and dip, strawberries and melon, my sister brought Cheeters crackers and cheese spread and some lc tostitos (I only had a couple....not bad, but I'm not a chip eater), Italian sausages and brats, deviled eggs, and Beachgirl's cheesecake (my contribution). We had a big group of family there including an aunt and uncle and some cousins I don't get to see very often.

Julia, I was at Walmart this morning too. I like to look at all the treats that are out there now, but I don't usually buy them. (I do like those Carbdown wraps there...). They have LC Snackwells cookies now! The "Snackwellification" of LC is official, lol.

How did everyone else do on Memorial Day?

[JuliaL]

I saw the Snackwells. I had a box of them in my hand and I thought - 'I never ate cookies BEFORE lc, why would I start now?!?"

Oh, and I forgot to add earlier - Ann, I am going to post a new pic as soon as I get a chance. I spent all day yesterday cleaning out my closets - took 5 bags to Goodwill! Just for fun I put on a pair of my old size 16 pants. It was a pair that I never wore because the waist was too tight on them I couldn't believe it - I could practically get both my legs into one of the pant legs!

[sugarless4life]

Greetings everyone!

Memorial Day weekend was good. No problem avoiding bad stuff or dealing with temptations. Ate on plan, no treats, lots of water. 100.5 this morning.

I've been upping my running minutes for the past week and am now up to 20 minutes straight every morning. I hit the streets early because once that intense Florida sun comes up, all bets are off. So I've been getting out there between 5:30 and 6:00. Works pretty well so far. Manage to sweat like an ever-livin' pig though! Ahhh, life in the subtropics ..

Bowled 7 games yesterday with DD. Had a great time. We've all just started in a summer league, so practice is a good thing!

Have a wonderful day!

Betty

[akmd65]

hi everyone!
i had a wonderful weekend. i stared down quite a few treats but avoided them! i am still bouncing between 142-145. this morning i was at 143. i am still weighing myself twice per day (sometimes more) but trying to relax about it. i am so afraid of gaining the weight back. i had blueberries and strawberries this weekend with whipped cream and was in heaven! do y'all bounce around between weights? i would like to be closer to 135-140 but i really feel good now. i just need to tone everything up!! way to jiggly still. since school is out soon i figure i have all summer to get in better shape! im not looking to be "rock hard" just not jiggly!! lol.

[JuliaL]

Jeannie - I'm just like you. I bounce between 140 and 144. Friday morning I was 140.5 and this morning I was 143 As I said I was really good over the weekend with the eating and exercise. I too would love to be between 135 and 140, but we have to remember that is only a number on the scale and nothing more. I weigh myself a lot too, but I'm trying to look at it as only a way to keep myself on track. In other words, if the scale says 144 but my size 4 pants are not tight then everything is o.k. Especially since I'm lifting weights now I can't get hung up on what the scale says.

At least that's what I keep telling myself. I know if I got up tomorrow and saw 145 on the scale it would totally ruin my day - even in size 4 pants

Julia

[Bonnie]

Hello fellow maintainers! Had a great long weekend - we had a couple of BBQs at home so no problem staying legal. Started making those cheese snacks that are the latest rage on the recipe board. Seems like after I eat them I start craving stuff. That seems strange when all it is is cheese.

Still working on drinking water. I don't know why I'm having such a hard time with it. It seems like before I was thirsty all the time and now I'm not. Maybe I get spoiled because I stay 123-124 even without drinking it.

Have a great day!

[JONAH'S GRANNY]

Hi everyone. Sounds like all had a good Memorial Day weekend and stayed nice and legal with their eating. I did fine but didn't have a whole lot of chance to really eat normal meals. Spent the whole weekend helping DD unpack from moving from NJ to NC. That ended up being my exercise as well.

Julia, isn't it nice getting rid of all those old "big" clothes. Can you believe how big they look now? What has everyone else been doing with all their "big" clothes? Julia, we are also looking forward to that new picture. We'd like to see some of you other posters as well.

I'm really tired today so I will catch up with everyone later. Those two trips to NC about got me. Maybe that is a good thing; will keep me from making a pest of myself.

[JuliaL]

Ann - where in NC did your daughter move? I live in Charlotte.

[sugarless4life]

All my big clothes are at the goodwill....

Rest up, Ann. Btw, you're NOT A PEST! I love reading your posts!

Betty

[jvryden]

So far I have boxed up all my bigger clothes...I'm hoping my sister, who had/has quite a bit more to lose than me will be able to fit into them soon (size 10-8's)! I'll save them for her and let her graze through before I send the rest to goodwill. I'm weirdly sad about not being able to fit into some of them. I really liked some of those capris I had! I've found some cute replacements though.

[Jamie]

Hi all!

Thanks Julia for the words of wisdom...I am only 5'3 1/2 so I am thinking I might feel better at 130. I started Curves almost 2 months ago and that is changing my shape a lot...so we shall see. I need to stick to my 135 first!

I weigh daily but primarily it gives me feedback that I ate too much sodium and/or didn't drink enough water...I try not to get too hung up on the number.

Unfortunately I broke my nearly one month cheat free record by eating a stupid piece of cake Monday night...so not worth the hangover this morning...can you say bloat?

Anyways...looking forward to all your words of wisdom and support...have a good night.

Jamie

[ginabw]

Hello everyone,
I am in the middle of another week with DH out of town, so not much exercising. I did arrange for babysitter for this evening so I could go to the gym, and think I will ask her if she will do Friday to so I can get out again. But the amazing thing is that lack of exercise, at least for a few days, does not affect the scale for me. I ate legal over the long weekend, but a little more than usual, plus wine too. Ate a whole half bag of pork rinds too at the new Harry Potter movie (which was GREAT! can't wait for next book to come out). Also have been snacking on nuts, unmeasured. I found when I measured I ate them all right away, whereas if I don't measure I seem to eat less because I realize I am not keeping track and don't want to eat too much. I guess it's all psychological!

[kbgardengirl]

My weekend was great too but quite hectic. Besides all the berry picking I hosted my nephews graduation party here at my house. I of course fixed some low carb foods for me and others who might be lowcarbing including the Beachgirl cheesecake. There was other cheesecake but the lowcarb version went faster and even those who weren't lowcarbing ate it. I did splurge and eat a pinwheel with real sugar (haven't done that before)but other then setting off the cravings had no problems with that. I guess all the extra work and activity did me in because yesterday I was feeling quite ill. I think I had a touch of a virus as my glands in my neck were sore and my teeth ached along with a slight sore throat and head ache. I'm still not feeling up to par today but so far feel a little better then yesterday. Haven't eaten breakfast yet so I think I'll run out and pick a bowl of strawberries and mix up some whipped cream for on it.

[Jamie]

Ginabw: I can't wait to see the new Harry! It premieres here on June 4th but I'm sure it'll be nuts to get in this weekend.

It's funny to hear everyone talk about getting rid of the old clothes...my poor DH. Everytime I have lost weight in the past I immediately dump my old clothes and then regain and end up buying tons of new clothes (ka ching). I have done this several times as I usually would gain weight back very quickly. So this time around (I am talking about this WOE which was not how I had lost in the past) my husband kindly and gently asked me to just move the bigger clothes to the attic instead of dumping them and he would get rid of them after a year. He didn't want to be mean but I could see his point. So as I went down 16...14...12 they would go to the attic. There they have been for a year! I am mostly 10's now and starting to get into some 8s. So I am starting to go through the attic stuff to give some to my Mom and the rest away. Woo hoo! I have spent a lot of money replenishing my wardrobe but I am confident now that I will keep this $%#^ weight off!

*I do need to quit shopping though so I don't end up in divorce court!*

My favorite show is What Not to Wear (the British version) which I can watch on BBC America. I wish they'd pick me!!!!

Anyways...back on track after my cheat Monday night. It is the FIRST time that a cheat only lasted one day so I am proud of myself. I think I'm finally learning.

Have a great day,
Jamie

[JuliaL]

DJ - I love that show too! I would love to get a makeover from them as well. They are so right on when it comes to giving people advice on wardrobe, makeup, etc. I can also relate to your point about spending money on new clothes. I feel guilty about it too, since I'm a bit of a clothes horse. This weekend when I dropped my stuff off at Goodwill I also did a little shopping. I found a beautiful Jones New York silk suit for $7.50! Some of my favorite new clothes came from Goodwill. I even got a silk blouse with the tags still on it for $3.50.

Today I'm having my second interview for the new job I mentioned the other day. For those of you who don't remember every detail I post about my life, lol , I'm interviewing for the position of executive assistant to the Chief Marketing Officer where I work. It's a big job and would be a promotion for me. I'm currently in the Finance dept. but have over 5 years' experience as asst. to the CEO of an ad agency before we moved here, so this would put me back in the marketing world, which I truly love. In case that isn't nerve-wracking enough, I work in a high-rise building and today is fire drill day!! So sometime between now and noon we will have to evacuate the building. My interview is scheduled for 11:00. How much do you want to bet the alarm goes off at 10:56?

[jvryden]

Good luck with your interview, Julia! Let us know how it went!

[akmd65]

ok, i need to rant! my best friend who i love dearly, called me last night. she had a wonderful party this past weekend and i tried a brownie. well, i got sick! ugh, i was gassy and finally threw up. anyway, she called me last night and accused me of having an eating disorder!!! she said i dont eat much, and i threw up this weekend. i tried to explain i eat PLENTY and i only got sick because of eating way too much food and then cheated, but she kept saying to stop making excuses!! im so sad and angry. i love her and im glad she obviously cares, but i dont have an eating disorder. she said because i skipped dinner one night after not snacking at the baseball game it sent up a red flag. i tried to explain that my other friend and i ate in the car on the way to the game, she sid it was too many hours to go without eating. grrrr. just because i wasnt hungry i have a disorder???? what the f.....

i went on the net today and looked up eating disorders and it doesnt fit me at all. ok, one question did, but the question was "do you record what you eat?" lol yes, i do!

how do i get her to listen to me???

[JuliaL]

Jeannie - your friend has no right to judge you like that. Friends should not try to diagnose friends. Is she a health care professional? And even if she is, she's not in a position to know if you have an eating disorder.

I don't think that just because you threw up after eating a brownie that you have an eating disorder. Your stomach is not used to that kind of food. I'm so sorry your friend is judging you like that, its just wrong. Is she overweight? I think you should tell her that you appreciate her concern but you are an adult and perfectly capable of feeding yourself without her advice.

My interview went very well. I want this job a lot, and I know that I have the skills they're looking for. I think I have a good shot at it, but they are interviewing the rest of this week and all next week so I won't know any more until then. Thanks for your good wishes everyone.

Julia

[JONAH'S GRANNY]

Julia, good luck with the interview. My DD moved to Hickory; very near you.

akmd - Sorry about your problem with your friend. I have had to put up with a lot of the same thing from my dearest friend in the whole world; my sister-in-law. Best thing for me was that her DD, my niece, who was overweight wanted to try lowcarb. Well, all of a sudden it has become the greatest WOE in the world and her DD has lot about 40 lbs. I would try to ignore my friend as much as possible and go on with my WOE. If she insists on continuing to give you a hard time, just tell her you love and respect her but you will just continue eating the way you want to. How can she say you have a "eating disorder" when you have done so well losing so much weight which has got to have improved your health considerably. More and more obesity is becoming one of the largest health problem in our nation. Would she rather you weigh 300 lbs? How big is she? Does she have a weight problem? If so, maybe she is a little jealous. It will eventually pass, but at the time it can be frustrating. Just hang in there and stick to your guns. Granny

[kbgardengirl]

Does your best friend realize what you weighed at the beginning of your journey and that you have spent 4 years losing that weight? Does she know what you weigh now. If you had an eating disorder I am sure it would have taken a lot less time to lose that weight. Is she over weight? Any chance of jealousy. If she cares about you then she then her concern may just be that she hasn't yet adjusted to your new look. I saw my sister for the first time since last August. She is very anti Atkins. She told me I was too skinny. I told her that I weighed 15 pounds more then I did when I got married. It didn't seem to matter that I had been at a lower weight on several occasions. She told my sister in law that I looked anorexic. There have always been jealousy issues on my sisters part since we were children. We are 13 months apart in age and she was always chubby as a child while I was the skinny one. She has been overweight all her adult life and now weighs about 250. When my sister in law saw me over the weekend (we hadn't seen each other such Oct.) she said she thought that I looked fantastic.

Show her the weight/body index charts and that you are in the healthy weight category. Maybe that will aleve her fears.

[Jamie]

Julia: Glad the interview went well...keep us posted.

akmd65: First and foremost try to remember that your friend cares about you and that is where she is coming from...if she doesn't eat low-carb then she doesn't understand how much overeating or eating the wrong thing disagrees with us. I cheated Monday night (I swear I won't mention it again!!!) and I am still gassy and not feeling right.

Also...I have gotten some strange reactions since I have lost weight from some who are near and dear not only about the weight loss but about my WOE. I try to stay patient but it can be aggravating. I was at a cookout the other day being interrogated about my WOE, don't lose anymore weight, etc and I am holding a plate FILLED with deli meat, salad, meatballs, strawberries, cheese etc (obviously I was not starving myself!)

You have acheived a tremendous accomplishment...it took you some time to adjust to your new body image and WOE so it will take others time as well.

Hang in there and take a deep breath
Jamie

[Rosetta]

Originally posted by JuliaL


My interview went very well. I want this job a lot, and I know that I have the skills they're looking for. I think I have a good shot at it, but they are interviewing the rest of this week and all next week so I won't know any more until then. Thanks for your good wishes everyone.

Julia

Hi Julia,

I really hope you get that job! I'm happy to hear that your interview went well. Don't worry about the others, just think good thoughts and remember how great you look & feel to go along with your job skills. People notice everything during an interview, but especially how a person feels about themselves. I'm sure you made a great impression. You're a lovely person. Even on a BB, it's obvious.

[JuliaL]

Thank you, Rosetta, that's very nice of you to say.

I'm just going to try to forget about it (yea, right) until next week since I won't know any more until then. These first two interviews were with Personnel execs and if I get to the next round (gee, this sounds like American Idol or something ) then I'll meet with the CMO herself. I think they are going to have just the top two candidates meet with her.

One thing the Personnel exec told me during the interview yesterday is that the CMO likes to work out every morning before coming in to the office. I think its a good sign when a boss takes care of him/herself. I used to work for a woman who ate terribly (donuts for breakfast, candy all day) and never exercised. Of course she is overweight, and she was a nightmare to work for! Always playing head games with me and generally put me through hell.

On another subject - Jamie you mentioned a "cheat" on Monday night. If we eat cake or potatoes or whatever, since we're in maintenance is it really a cheat? I only consider it a cheat if you're trying to lose. Otherwise an occasional indulgence in maintenance is o.k., IMO, thoughts?

[akmd65]

thank you so much! my other friend called last night (the three of us hang out) and started in on me, after an hour of trying to explain to her i gave up and i told her to stick it in her ear. ugh. now they say they are going to watch what i eat. grrr. im close to moving to a desserted island.

Julia, congrats on the job! i KNOW you will get it!!!! it sounds like it will be perfect for you!!!!

[believe_27]

Hi everyone! (Not so) New maintainer here back after a little hiatus. Wow, it's great to see so much activity and so many new maintainers here. I have been away from these boards for a while, but decided to come back cause I missed coming here. Even though there were some unpleasant people ont he boards, I decided there were enough of you wonderful people that make me want to keep coming back!

How is everyone doing? Any plans for summer? I was gone for a couple weeks up north for vacation visitng some friends and I admit I went wayyyy off plan, put on some water weight and went back to Atkins for a couple days and was unbloated once again. After that though I decided to try CAD because it fit my lifestyle a lot better. So I have been doing CAD for almost a month now and I haven't gained a pound. I actually lost 2 pounds at first but used the outlined CAD plan for gaining weight to put me back at goal. I entered a typical day into fitday and I average 1800-2000 calories and 80-100 carbs. I was in shock, I guess because I am so young my body does better at more carbs. And the weirdest thing is I don't have cravings at all or hunger, even though I am wayy out of ketosis. I know many people who find that CAD makes them crave and sends them off into binges but I have found this is the plan that works for me. It looks like for most people here though, Atkins really works well.

It looks like everyone here is really sticking with their exercise. I'm impressed with everyone's exercise regimens. I"m embarassed to admit that I barely exercise other than walking from here to there. I have been really bad about exercising this summer. Most people exercise more when the weather is nice, but I do the opposite- the sun and warmth just make me want to lie around and be lazy. I really need to get into some routine! Anyone have any advice for starters? I hate running but want to do something outside.

Well hope everyone has a great day. I am planning on going out for Thai food with some girlfriends for my RM.