Mimi2974's Journal
mimi2974
Posts: 40 Member
I saw @totaldetermination's mention of this group and decided to join. I want to opine about this journey in the open, but not in the "wide open," so this group seems like a great place to do it.
I am a 42 yo married, working mom living in Salt Lake City, Utah.
SW: 227.8 lbs
GW: 165 lbs
Height: 5'10"
Current clothes size: women's 18 on bottom and 16-18/1X on top
I joined MFP about 4 years ago to track calories as part of my work's Biggest Loser challenge. At the end of the challenge (I didn't win), I stopped using it. I decided to get serious about losing weight after seeing photos posted of me by a friend on FB from New Year's. (She managed to get full-length shots of me from multiple angles). The horror! Is THAT what I look like now? Um, yes, I do. My clothes size SHOULD have clued me in to my obesity, but I've been in denial.
I never had a weight problem growing up. I was a late bloomer, and I grew 8" during my 4 years in high school. Plus, I was involved in athletics. So, no weight problems at all during high school -- maybe even underweight for most of that time. I went to college and gained the Freshman 15, but I was still normal weight, and my clothes size did not change.
For the next 10 years, my weight fluctuated between 145-170 lbs. I'm tall, so the difference was only one, maybe two, clothes sizes during my weight fluctuations. During that time, I would lose weight by doing any combination of the following: (1) eating out less, (2) drinking less alcohol, and/or (3) increasing my activity level. I would gain by doing the opposite of these three.
The past 12 years have been a different story. I have only been fit for one of those years. Pregnancy played a role in meeting new all-time high weights. Over-indulgence and inactivity played larger roles. I joined a boot camp for 6 months and had great results. However, I did not track calories, and when I stopped the boot camp training 6 years ago, I started gaining weight again.
I rarely weighed myself over the past five years. For me, that was a mistake. After seeing those FB photos on January 1, 2016, I decided it's time to change my lifestyle.
My husband is on this journey with me, and he is a great support. He does the meal planning and most of the meal prep, and we recently started the Powerlifts 5X5 weightlifting program. We are doing this at home because we have the equipment (family give-aways and a local "Craigslist" find). Also, my husband has a lot of experience with proper weightlifting technique, so he ensures I use the correct form.
Hubby has lost 11 lbs this month. I have lost about 4-6 lbs this month. My weight is fluctuating 2-1/2 lbs this week likely due to my hormonal cycle. (That's what I'm telling myself because I am weighing my food, tracking it, drinking no alcohol, and lifting weights. And, I don't want to feel discouraged). If I don't see a budge in weight next week, I will reassess what I'm doing or may be doing incorrectly.
I can't wait to get below 200 lbs. However, I'm shifting focus from the actual number on the scale to excitement of summer activities. Namely, I love the outdoors, and I want to fully experience and enjoy them again. Utah is a beautiful state. I love hiking. Looking forward to many hikes this summer. Also, skiing and snowshoeing next winter!
If you've made it through this initial monologue, thanks for reading! I love having motipals (motivational friends), so feel free to add me as a friend. I receive a lot of inspiration from the people on MFP. The success stories are amazing! I also enjoy having friends at all phases of their weight loss journey. Those who are a few steps ahead give me hope, and those at the beginning (like me), provide the "we're all in this together" mentality that really brings the sense of community to support me through this process!
I am a 42 yo married, working mom living in Salt Lake City, Utah.
SW: 227.8 lbs
GW: 165 lbs
Height: 5'10"
Current clothes size: women's 18 on bottom and 16-18/1X on top
I joined MFP about 4 years ago to track calories as part of my work's Biggest Loser challenge. At the end of the challenge (I didn't win), I stopped using it. I decided to get serious about losing weight after seeing photos posted of me by a friend on FB from New Year's. (She managed to get full-length shots of me from multiple angles). The horror! Is THAT what I look like now? Um, yes, I do. My clothes size SHOULD have clued me in to my obesity, but I've been in denial.
I never had a weight problem growing up. I was a late bloomer, and I grew 8" during my 4 years in high school. Plus, I was involved in athletics. So, no weight problems at all during high school -- maybe even underweight for most of that time. I went to college and gained the Freshman 15, but I was still normal weight, and my clothes size did not change.
For the next 10 years, my weight fluctuated between 145-170 lbs. I'm tall, so the difference was only one, maybe two, clothes sizes during my weight fluctuations. During that time, I would lose weight by doing any combination of the following: (1) eating out less, (2) drinking less alcohol, and/or (3) increasing my activity level. I would gain by doing the opposite of these three.
The past 12 years have been a different story. I have only been fit for one of those years. Pregnancy played a role in meeting new all-time high weights. Over-indulgence and inactivity played larger roles. I joined a boot camp for 6 months and had great results. However, I did not track calories, and when I stopped the boot camp training 6 years ago, I started gaining weight again.
I rarely weighed myself over the past five years. For me, that was a mistake. After seeing those FB photos on January 1, 2016, I decided it's time to change my lifestyle.
My husband is on this journey with me, and he is a great support. He does the meal planning and most of the meal prep, and we recently started the Powerlifts 5X5 weightlifting program. We are doing this at home because we have the equipment (family give-aways and a local "Craigslist" find). Also, my husband has a lot of experience with proper weightlifting technique, so he ensures I use the correct form.
Hubby has lost 11 lbs this month. I have lost about 4-6 lbs this month. My weight is fluctuating 2-1/2 lbs this week likely due to my hormonal cycle. (That's what I'm telling myself because I am weighing my food, tracking it, drinking no alcohol, and lifting weights. And, I don't want to feel discouraged). If I don't see a budge in weight next week, I will reassess what I'm doing or may be doing incorrectly.
I can't wait to get below 200 lbs. However, I'm shifting focus from the actual number on the scale to excitement of summer activities. Namely, I love the outdoors, and I want to fully experience and enjoy them again. Utah is a beautiful state. I love hiking. Looking forward to many hikes this summer. Also, skiing and snowshoeing next winter!
If you've made it through this initial monologue, thanks for reading! I love having motipals (motivational friends), so feel free to add me as a friend. I receive a lot of inspiration from the people on MFP. The success stories are amazing! I also enjoy having friends at all phases of their weight loss journey. Those who are a few steps ahead give me hope, and those at the beginning (like me), provide the "we're all in this together" mentality that really brings the sense of community to support me through this process!
0
Replies
-
**I'm doing StrongLifts 5X5, not Powerlifts.0
-
Feeling a bit down today. I'm a bit overwhelmed with work. I need to set mini goals to power through my obligations these next three weeks. Usually, I get through these times with some comfort eating and plenty of wine.
The only movement on the scale is up a pound or two or three or back down a pound. No weight loss this past week. [Cursing] PMS! When I used to weigh myself regularly (years ago), it was common to gain 5-7 lbs during this time. I don't remember how long the temporary weight gain lasts. At least I am only up one pound today.
Maybe I shouldn't focus so much on the scale. However, I think the reason I gained so much weight was because I completely ignored the scale. It takes a while to put on 15-20 lbs, which is the point I would notice weight gain from clothes becoming too tight and then dread the thought of buying larger clothes.
Today's goals:
1. Finish two items on my work To Do List, which will take approximately 5 hours.
2. Keep tracking calories.
3. Get outside and go for a 30 minute walk.0 -
That is so sweet that ur husband is doing this journey with you! I also gain weight on my period so I like to think its normal! I like the idea of having mini goals each day! I think that is a great way to keep up the motivation!
good luck!!! And you can do it! 0 -
Good luck on continuing your weight loss and kudos to your hubby for helping along with the organization. I look forward to reading about your successes and will try my best to help out through your failures for this journey.0
-
Are you weighing everyday? I used to do this but it was depressing every time the scale went up. This time I'm weighing once a month. It's hard for me. I've just started back and I have 50 lbs to lose. Having your husband support you is great. Your daily goals are a good idea I may try that too.0
-
I'm weighing nearly every day. I'm not gaining any more from the PMS. I think I needed a bit of a minor meltdown to realize it's no big deal. My weight is now just fluctuating 1.5 lbs from day-to-day. I'm focusing on an overall weight loss trend for the month (that's what I'm telling myself).
I think I've only gone over my calorie limit once since I started (by less than 200 calories). I am exercising at least 3X per week. As long as my calorie counting is correct, that number on the scale will decrease.
I have been very gung-ho about this process for the past 2-1/2 weeks. Excited to stay within calorie limits and exercise. Yesterday? Not so excited. I had intense cravings for. . . ??? I couldn't identify what I was craving, but boy, I WAS craving SOMETHING! Lol.
Ultimately, I did not do any exercise yesterday (I don't exercise every day anyway), but I stayed within my calorie allotment. That's a win!
Going for a walk in a few hours, lifting weights this evening with my husband, and I will definitely stay within my calorie limits. The mysterious cravings are gone today.0 -
As of today, I have lost 7 lbs in 23 days! That's a good start. A bit faster than I have set, but expect a bigger loss the first month.
Why am I craving chocolate? I've had more chocolate in the last 2 weeks than in the prior 6 months. Oh well, as long as I have the calories to spare, mama's gonna eat it!0 -
7 pounds gone already? Great work!0
-
Congratulations on the 7lbs down !
My weight also fluctuates daily and monthly. I used to weigh myself daily and would then combine the numbers to get a weekly average. Each week I could compare the averages to see how I was that week vs the week before.
Then I created an account at withings.com which is where I now enter my weight each day.
Withings is linked to MFP so that my MFP weight is updated automatically.
I also set up links between withings and numerous apps that show weight loss trends (check out trendweight.com, and the apps 'monitor your weight', 'libra' and 'weight tracker'.) Each one has a slightly different way of displaying the data, and as long as you are losing they all have a line which is going down :-). Even if you don't use them all now, if you connect them to your withings account they will keep gathering data. So you can look at them in a years from now and get all your stats.
I base my 'losses' on the weekly loss displayed at trendweight.com.0 -
@totaldetermination, thank you for the information!0
-
Wow that is a great weight loss !!!0
-
Decided to have family pictures taken tonight. It's been about 6 years. I wanted a "fat" family picture to compare to a "fit" family picture to be taken in several months.
I was dreading it, but they turned out nicely. My hair and makeup looked great, and although I wish I weighed less, I love having a picture of my family.
Moral of the story: don't be afraid to take pictures. We're all where we are today, and we should enjoy that. We should always strive to better ourselves, but routinely finding joy is essential to long-term contentment.0 -
I like that statement too. Although my first instinct is horror when I see a picture of myself. The only one I liked lately is my profile picture which is a selfie my daughter took of us in December. I'd like to feel joy I need to work on that.0
-
Last night, I had my first glass of wine in over 30 days. Actually, two glasses. Well, if we're getting technical FOUR servings. 3.5 oz is a serving? Hahahaha.
The wine was divine. It's definitely something I can't drink every day. I don't want to derail my progress. Wine has played a significant role in my weight gain over the years. You know, drinking too much of it results in the inability to exercise and complete lack of desire to do so.
Feeling good this week. Completed three StrongLifts workouts and some great walks -- through the snow -- uphill, both ways!!! Well, just in the freezing cold. But, I navigated the ice patches reasonably well.
Happy success!0 -
I stopped wine at first and then gradually introduced it back as I could fit it into my calories.
That first glass...so good !0 -
Mimi, good job on cutting out the wine for 30 days, that must have taken a lot of will power. This might sound bad, but I enjoy having drinks every so often. I'm not a wine drinker, but a beer drinker. I 100% still plan on having a couple beers a weekend and everyone once in a while to have a few more than a couple. I will log it and do my best to make up for the calories in other areas.0
-
Super Bowl. My husband made many treats, but they were all a "skinny" version. Regardless, I went over my calorie goal. Not too badly, and I enjoyed every bite! Back on track today. Plus, I completed several items on my To Do list this weekend.
I'm not weighing myself every day. The fluctuations cause my attitude toward the process to fluctuate too. As long as I keep track of CICO and meet my fitness goals, then I will continue my progress.
Leaving for Vegas in a week. That will be a challenge!0 -
I'm glad your husband and you ate the skinny version of the snacks. Good for You !!!!!0
-
Returned from Vegas yesterday. I knew I would indulge in eating, drinking, gambling, and shopping. So, the trip was a success! Through the highs and lows, I only lost $20 net gambling. I only spent $300 shopping. Enjoyed some fabulous food, drinks and entertainment. The warm, sunny days with friends were exactly what I needed.
I went over my calorie limit every day. I'm okay with that. I did a lot of walking and dancing. I made a few lower cal choices. I think I resisted theater popcorn for the first time in my life. I was also able to get a bit of work done.
I'm back on track today. Accurately tracking calories and working out.
I'm staying away from the scale for now. I'm sure Vegas set me back a little, and I'm in the midst of my cycle. I'll just do what I'm supposed to do, and worry about the scale in a week or two.
I'm recharged and refocused.0 -
FIRST 10 POUNDS GONE.
It took 8 weeks.
My weight loss has certainly not been linear. I always gain during my cycle, and then about 4-5 days after, I have a "large" loss, i.e. 1.5+ lbs. So, I really only see weight loss during 2.5 weeks each month.
I was up a few lbs after Vegas last month. The following week, my cycle wreaked havoc on the scale. However, I am back on track. Since January 29th, I have 4 lbs, for a total weight loss of 11 lbs since January 6th.
Happy so far with my progress. I will take a 5-6 lb weight loss each month. Think of where I'll be by Thanksgiving! Very close to goal!
Off to my workout: squats, bench press, rows. . .0 -
Great news0
-
Congrats on the 10!0
-
Congrats!0
-
I have not updated in a while. I hit the 15 POUND WEIGHT LOSS mark! Woohoo! I do not know what happened to March. Poof! It's gone.
I've been at this for 3 months now. There have been ups and downs in March. What I did right: workout at least 3X per week, login to MFP every day, and generally, stay on track with my tracking, including weighing my food.
What I struggled with: I had one day of complete garbage eating. Seriously, it was like I said, "Screw it. I've already messed up the day, and I'm craving even more garbage food." Chik-Fil-A combo meal? Sure. Cafe Rio "salad"? Yep. Hey, let's throw in the nutritional equivalent of a cardboard box covered in lard and preservatives. . . you know, a Totino's pizza!
Why would I eat like that? Well, the night before, I saved the bulk of my calories for indulgence in alcohol. It's not smart, and I paid for it with my food choices the next day. Also, not smart because the alcohol was much more "effective" on a nearly empty stomach. And, I, like most people, do not like hangovers.
Oh well. I had a bit of an inner dialogue, moved on, and got back to doing what I needed to do -- the very next day. In the past, this could have been an event to completely derail the "healthy" path I was pursuing.
Happy April, Peeps!
0 -
You rock, being able to get back on track after a day of excess is s testament on how well your doing on your journey. Your weight loss is great too. This is what inspires me on MFP.0
-
Nice work on the 15!0
This discussion has been closed.