Women 200lb+, Let's Make March Meaningful!!!

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Replies

  • sargemarcori
    sargemarcori Posts: 301 Member
    nicolee0105 wrote: »
    SW 254
    CW 246
    GW 140/150

    I don’t know where to start this post. I’ve always struggled with my weight. The lowest weight I can remember being was 175/180 back in 2012 after I had my first child. Since then, my weight has consistently fluctuated between 225-240, occasionally going above. When I had my third and last child in 2021, I managed to get down to 216. But have since gained it all back and then some.

    I really struggle with self discipline and I’m going to try my best to work on that this month. It’s getting to a point where my weight is really affecting my day to day life.

    Any tips or insight would be greatly appreciated. I’m so grateful I found a group like this. Hoping it helps! 💚

    Welcome! I suck at self-discipline. My best success has come from making it EASY to make the healthier choice, and making the unhealthy stuff harder to get. I'm lucky in that my family all creates food separately--so when I don't buy bread, I can't *have* bread (unless I steal it. And I'll be honest--sometimes I do.) I bury their goodies in a designated spot deep in the freezer so 1) they are hard for me to snag and 2) they KNOW where their food should be and know if it's gone it's not lost, it was stolen. And I do not want to deal with a cranky teenager who went looking for their Death by Chocolate on a bad day and didn't find it, so...
  • serenecompassion2663
    serenecompassion2663 Posts: 59 Member
    Good afternoon Ladies!!!

    I will weigh in on March 20th.
    I have had other successes and challenges this winter:

    In January I was ill with a combination of Strep and Flu.
    This month it’s pneumonia.

    I’m feeling discouraged and depressed because I feel like every ( yes, I know this is an absolute, so the statement isn’t true) time I prepare to start a training or exercise program, I get knocked flat with an illness. Since my fever broke last weekend, I’ve gotten out to walk. I’ve pushed myself way too hard, going 2.5 miles Tuesday and making myself sick with coughing and shortness of breath. So now my walks will be a mile total, with a break at the halfway point for awhile. I’m frustrated that household tasks are wearing me out, and I’m still spending much of my day sleeping.
    All kinds of new meds, a nebulizer.
    Crap.
    I just want to be healthy.
    Tomorrow will be spent running errands on the bus: picking up prescriptions, groceries, paying bills.
    And then I will make chili and crash for the weekend.

    I received my new walking shoes today!!👟

    @pamperedlinny : do you have a veggie spiralizer? You can turn everything from zucchini to carrots into pasta with this thing. It’s awesome.

    @nicolee0105 : tips:
    I struggle with self-discipline. I do a whole lot of talking before I actually do anything.😁
    Pick just one or two things to work on for a week or two until they become habits.
    An example:
    My sister suggested I start exercising…moving, just 15 minutes a day. My very first day, I set a timer and walked my apartment floor hallway for 15 minutes. Then I moved outdoors and walked around the block. Now, when I’m well, a good workout for me is two miles, about 30-40 minutes.
    My first food goal was simply to start drinking more water. To do that, I bought a 40-oz insulated bottle and my goal was to drink two throughout the day. Sometimes I need a boost, so I flavor it with Crystal Light. Sometimes my tongue just wants cold water.
    My next goal was to increase my veggie intake. So I set a goal of two servings a day.
    And I built up from there.
    You can do this!!!🤗💙

    To the March questions:
    I usually LOVE Winter. Being born in WI, I live for snow. But this past Winter was very mild where I currently live, and we didn’t get any snow worth speaking of. Just grey skies. And the grey without the magic of snow deeply depresses me.
    Plus I’ve been sick with respiratory issues this Winter, which takes all the fun out of being Cozy.

    I am looking forward to Spring. I want to take pictures of the budding trees, and I’m looking to redecorate my apartment, complete with new paint, plants, and bookshelves as my budget allows. I desperately need color.
    And color is what makes me feel confident: I like to dress in a classic style, with jewel and bold colors, and my favorite lipstick color is a raspberry pink by REALHER called “I’ve Got This.”

    Blessings to you all!
    Andi in Illinois 🤗💙
  • pamperedlinny
    pamperedlinny Posts: 1,687 Member
    edited March 2023
    @serenecompassion2663 I do have a spiralizer. Actually, one of the first blog recipes I posted was Thai Drunken Zoodles. I probably don't use it often enough but I do love it.
    https://www.healthyeatingwithlinda.com/post/thai-drunken-zoodles
  • pamperedlinny
    pamperedlinny Posts: 1,687 Member
    edited March 2023
    Good morning!!!! Anyone else happy that it’s Friday?

    My neighbor, whom I normally go walking with at lunch time, had a birthday on Saturday and it’s raining today…. That means we’re going out to lunch instead. I was already checking out Panda Express nutrition sheet and realized I can get a kids meal without feeling like I’m going overboard at all. For 300 calories I’m going to have some broccoli beef, rice, veg, and apple chips. Plus it’s cheaper than a big plate.
    ajgfbl58te2l.png

    Yesterday I was feeling stressed and annoyed at the whole world. I did end up having a candy bar with my daughter and then potato chips later on…. But I still logged everything, used my food scale to keep my portions in control and still ended my day within my calorie range. I can’t say my fasting blood sugar was the best ever this morning, but it also wasn’t as bad as it could have been. I still got to my Zumba class, my evening snack was a protein shake, and life happens. If I stayed in all my boundaries even during all of that I’m good with it. I feel it just proves to myself that I can do this long term and without all the sliding on my boundaries. I just need to remember to keep them in mind.

    Another thing I learned. My view of portion sizes has been changing. When I measured out my serving of chips, it felt like a lot of chips. I used to just sit with the whole bag if I was having a day. Putting a single handful on a very small plate and using the scale made it seem like a lot more.

    @kelliward1 Congrats on smaller clothes!!!!
  • campbjp1
    campbjp1 Posts: 4 Member
    Hi everyone!

    SW: 219
    CW: 212.3
    12-week Goal: 207
    Goal: 150

    I've been sticking to the workout and meal plan and am starting to dislike working out a little less. I don't love it, but I definitely don't have to fight myself to get started like I used to. Another driving force is getting to my off day. I know I made it another week when I reached my off day.

    March Goals:
    💚 Loose 3 Lbs
    💚 Plan my meals in advance
    💚 Log all my food
    💚 Keep drinking water

    Thank you guys for sharing your inspirational stories!
  • CupcakeCrusoe
    CupcakeCrusoe Posts: 1,440 Member
    Good morning everyone!

    I've been a bit MIA recently, joined the Fat2Fit challenge, and didn't feel like I had the bandwidth to keep up with both until now. But I'm ready to kick my weight loss efforts into high gear, so y'all will have to put up with me at least once a week, here, haha. I've missed you all and the vibe of this thread. (And I'm procrastinating doing housework, lol)

    Doing Saturday weigh in day, just because I usually go to the gym on Friday, so I'm giving myself an extra day to offset the DOMs, lol.

    Christina
    34 years old
    5'4"

    SW: 220ish
    Re-SW (Feb 2022): 200.4
    UGW: 150

    SW 3/1: 175 (176 average)
    3/4: 174.8 (175.5 average)
    3/11: 173.6 (175 average)

    🍀 March Goals! 🍀

    🍀 March GW (average): 174

    💚Log everything in grams
    💚Do at least three fitness classes a week
    💚More than 100g protein every day
    💚No doomscrolling after 7PM each night
    💚At least 64oz of water a day

    I'm on track with my goal of .5 lb a week, which is as low as I really want to go, right now. I enjoy food, I'd rather not deprive myself unnecessarily. And I absolutely never want to go under 1400 cal ever again, lol.

    My scale weight is officially in the OVERWEIGHT category! Somehow, I'm not trusting it until the average weight gets there, so I've got another couple weeks at least, but it is very exciting. I haven't been this weight since about 2016, lol. And I was heavier than this in high school.

    Tag party!
    @bonniemcc4 way to go! That's fantastic, congratulations on 70 lbs lost!

    @campbjp1 you kinda get used to those exercise endorphins! I find when I can't work out for a few days in a row, I sleep terribly and my mood tanks. I hope either you start to like exercise or find one you enjoy!

    (A little background about me: I do pole fitness and chair acrobatics, as well as dance choreography, all of it for fun, I'm not a professional or anything, but those things absolutely light me up, and I love going to work out)

    @pamperedlinny that is SUCH a life hack! I'm totally stealing that next time I go to panda. And hi again! And CONGRATULATIONS on all your hard work and progress!

    @serenecompassion2663 to take a note from your lipstick, you've GOT this. I also find I get more energized by spring, being in a state that almost never gets snow, so it just gets dark and cold. Also because my whole household gets sick less often in spring and summer, so I hope it's the same for you.

    @sargemarcori I love imagining a showdown with a teenager about their Death by Chocolate :lol: hi again!

    @kelliward1 I love this for you! You deserve scrubs that fit!

    @mling84 it's so empowering to know you can take the reins if you need to.

    @nicolee0105 the best advice I can give is to 1) make it sustainable for you, whatever that means. Some people can't have treats in the house, some people can have treats sparingly and it keeps them going, either way is valid. Some people can give up carbs pretty easily, others would feel super depressed without them (it's me, hi, I'm the problem it's me), and both are valid. Experiment with what works for you in your life, there's not one answer for everything (except CICO, log all your food if you want good data for your self-experimentation, and watch out for calories burned estimates- they're often not accurate, and the more important thing is just that you do move in whatever way makes you happy). Welcome to the best thread on MFP, people are super nice here.

    @pdd1216 nice to meet you!

    I guess I should stop procrastinating now, lol. I've finished my avocado toast with everything bagel seasoning and green onions on low-calorie bread and my cold brew with almond milk, time to clean.

    Have a great day, everyone!
  • swimmom_1
    swimmom_1 Posts: 1,302 Member
    My name is Mary, 65 from Pennsylvania.
    Been MIA for a few months but still logging in everyday since I started MFP 5/14/21.

    Unfortunately lost my mojo and gained a lot back but not all Thank God! Need to get back on track and focused. I bought a NEW to me, gently used, Commercial PreCor EFX 835 Elliptical. It was delivered the beginning of November, as others here know I wore my previous 10+ year old one out from my extensive workouts. Back up to 150 minutes on my 3 days off per week.

    Good to see some familiar names here and glad to see some new ones too!

    Heaviest weight 255 lbs, twice. :-(
    9/14/20-255 lbs
    5/14/21-232.2 lbs
    4/6/22- 147.6 lbs (107.4 lbs lost) I did NOT have a surgery. Did Keto.
    8/1/22- 167.2 lbs
    12/1/22-198 lbs
    1/1/23- 213.4 lbs
    2/1/23- 207.4 lbs
    3/1/23-201 lbs Yippee!

    3/5/23- 200 lbs Elliptical Thurs, Fri & Sun 150 minutes for just over 10 miles each session. Finally glad to see a drop. I was hoping for Onederland though. Oh well, it's inevitable. Can't complain about 7.4 lbs since 2/1, in 4 1/2 weeks.

    3/12-23 205 lbs. Too many carbs lately. Elliptical HIIT setting on Friday & today (Babysitting on Sat) 150 minutes each day, just over 10 miles each day.
  • swimmom_1
    swimmom_1 Posts: 1,302 Member
    @CupcakeCrusoe
    Welcome back! People were wondering where you went.
  • CupcakeCrusoe
    CupcakeCrusoe Posts: 1,440 Member
    Good morning everyone!

    My weight shot up this morning, because I hadn't been to the gym in almost a week, then went Saturday and went hard, haha. I'm sore! But that's good, just means I'm building muscles. Gotta focus on the protein and water today. I'm getting a good start, adding some pre-made caramel protein shake to my coffee. Delicious.

    7ea2m7.jpg

    It's good. It's not fat, I'm not eating enough for that, it's my muscles repairing.

    @swimmom_1 hi! Yeah, for a while there, I didn't even really check in with F2F until the last minute. I always get the juice to start doing weight loss again for real in March, it seems. That's when I came back to this thread last year after a while away (again!). I wonder if I'll keep sloughing off in october/november and coming back in march in a cycle, like a butterfly, haha.

    Tonight is chair conditioning class followed by chair choreography class! I love this combo. Just have to make it through today first, got work, and errands, gonna make tacos for dinner and make mine a taco bowl. Taco ground turkey, purple southern peas, spinach, and taco fixings. Mmmm.

    Does anyone remember the taco salad advertisement from the early aughts? Now I've got to find it...

    https://youtu.be/jx2pYyscSPE
    Is it healthy? Of COURSE it is. It's a salad, isn't it?

    Mine won't have that beautiful deep fried crunchy bowl or quite so many fixin's, but man. Mmmm.

    :lol: Anyway. Time to get going for the day. Have a great one, everyone!
  • pamperedlinny
    pamperedlinny Posts: 1,687 Member
    @CupcakeCrusoe We've missed seeing you on here lately!!! Question for you. I got an invite a beginner pole class for free. The place also does chair classes and all the stuff you've posted about doing in the past. How hard is it? I'm really thinging about grabbing some friends and trying one of them but I'm also nervous because I've never tried anything like that before.
  • pamperedlinny
    pamperedlinny Posts: 1,687 Member
    SW: 300 lb
    Next GW: 180 lb
    3/1: 198.8 lb
    3/2: 198.0 lb
    3/4: 197.8 lb
    3/7: 197.0 lb
    3/8: 195.6 lb
    3/9: 195.2 lb
    3/11: 194.2 lb
    **weight updated whenever I lose.

    Saturday was a bit crazy. I had a friend's sales party. I love that company and needed some things so I went telling myself to keep my food boundaries in check. My daughter had a volleyball game at the same time so my husband did the divide and conquer. LOL. Then we went to Winter Jam at our local arena. That meant waiting outside in line for a couple hours, eating whatever we could afford in the arena, etc. My daughter LOVED going to the concert and I was able to have some nachos and popcorn because she wanted them and I just shared a handful of each. It gave me yummy stuff without my needing to eat it all myself.
    iz89w9i7oust.jpg

    Yesterday didn't go as planned at all, but that was because it was better than planned!
    I went out with 2 friends for lunch. I pre-planned what I wanted to order. One of these ladies is one of my closest friends and the other was someone I am just getting to know. My "going out for maybe 2 hours after church" turned into 9 hours out with my new friend! When the lady that I'm close with went to work we kept hanging. We went into Ollie's, ran down to Home Goods (she had never been in Home Goods), kept just poking around some discount stores all on the same strip of road. Kept talking in the car. It was amazing. She is definitely one of my new favorite people. I'm so happy to be friends with her now! Those 9 hours felt like a third of that time. It just flew.

    Since we were out so long, we also got dinner. Since that was unplanned I had to pick something on the fly. It was Mexican so I almost ordered things I know I shouldn't have. I mean, who doesn't love burritos or taquitos or all the things covered in cheese? However, I'm so glad I kept to my boundaries. I ordered the carne asada dinner.... thin but juicy pieces of steak, grilled spring onions, grilled jalapenos, grilled cactus, shredded lettuce, pico de gallo.... I didn't even need the tortillas, rice or beans. It was amazing!
    25kf4xuhxqk9.jpg


    @campbjp1 Hating it a little less is still a win.

    @conniemcc4 What shake recipe did you try? I love a good shake.

    @CupcakeCrusoe I just need to reiterate WELCOME BACK!!! You really were missed.
  • mling84
    mling84 Posts: 35 Member
    @CupcakeCrusoe Way to go with your perseverance and non-deprivation method to get to your current weight! Very inspiring!✨🎉🏆 Go go go!
  • CupcakeCrusoe
    CupcakeCrusoe Posts: 1,440 Member
    edited March 2023
    Good morning everyone!

    We're BACK, to 174.4, much closer to my average. I am still so sore, because I went into the gym last night sore, lol.

    Tonight, we're going to be cleaning the house after work, and I'm making bangers and colcannon (and maybe soda bread, I'll decide after I log everything). Breakfasts and lunches this week are overnight red curry oats with a soft jammy egg, and a banger with a green salad, and an apple. Got my protein in my coffee again, this is good.

    It's so cold, spring, where are you, it's literally freezing outside.

    Tag party time:
    @pamperedlinny oooooh, I'm excited! Like any new skill, you'll see a lot of ladies doing it really well because they've been doing it a long time, and there are things that are very hard to do. But basic pole moves are doable for an absolute beginner: my first ever beginner pole class, we did a fireman spin, what we call a GI jane, a pirouette, and just got acquainted with the pole- trusting that the pole will not fall over, the basics of what people do to make it pretty, all that.

    this is a fireman, imagine her spinning around the pole.
    fey1lj24pjln.png

    You will. be. sore. after. Guaranteed. You might have a couple bruises from contact points with the pole, but like, in the moment, you don't realize that you're working that hard, because it's so fun and cool to see yourself flying through the air around the pole (and you can, and will). Just remember for the 1-2-3 days after, that you might be very sore and that's normal- you're using muscles we don't use often in daily life for pole.

    As far as chair classes go, not quite as high-impact, but a great workout. (And if you do things like superman, yes, it's going to hurt):
    fn9oesraoopg.png
    But in a beginner class they might not even do that, just teach you the basics of balance and counterbalance to do pretty things on a chair. You'll also be very sore after a chair class, but fewer bruises (except for superman, haha, because you will get bruises right there).

    So, I'm biased, haha, but I would also say go for it, because if you like it, it's a great workout that doesn't feel like a workout- it feels like learning a fun and pretty hobby, and if you don't like it, it was free. You know at least one fanatic about it- and I have no dance background. I became this way after my first class, :lol:

    That dinner looks so. good. Mmm, I can almost smell it through the screen.

    @mling84 what you did there- stopping in the middle of what you'd planned to do- is so important. Trusting your body and your instincts is so important for avoiding injury and burnout. That's so great.

    Now that I've gone on (and on!), time to get going for the day. Have a great day, everyone!


  • pamperedlinny
    pamperedlinny Posts: 1,687 Member
    SW: 300 lb
    Next GW: 180 lb
    3/1: 198.8 lb
    3/2: 198.0 lb
    3/4: 197.8 lb
    3/7: 197.0 lb
    3/8: 195.6 lb
    3/9: 195.2 lb
    3/11: 194.2 lb
    **weight updated whenever I lose.

    Yesterday my husband took off work because our daughter had off school. As someone working from home…. That was fun. To make it more fun, she had a friend spend the night on Sunday night and was here all day. Add in daylight savings and that it takes me at least a week to really get back on track, it is our fiscal year end for work and I do collecting and account clean ups, all 3 of them interrupting or running around the house yesterday….. after I made dinner I just sat on the sofa with my book and didn’t do much else. No exercise. No going out. No nothing. I’m still exhausted this morning. Oh well.

    Tonight I’m going to Zumba. My daughter’s volleyball team is practicing at the same time as the Zumba class and at the same building so this works well. Then we’re both going to jump in the gym showers for a super quick clean up and meet friends at our local tea shop for trivia night. I’m actually looking forward to an after workout pot of tea, maybe picking up a small slice of cake or cookie, and feeling like I don’t know a thing during trivia. Last time the highlight was that I knew Barbie’s last name. I didn’t know hardly any other questions but it’s still fun.

    @mling84 great job listening to your body. I have found I never make it as long on the elliptical as I plan. I can go a lot longer in some other forms of cardio but I still use my elliptical often. It’s hard to cut it short when you have a plan, but listening to your body is so much better than pushing ourselves past what we need.

    @CupcakeCrusoe Thanks. I definitely thought of you when I got the free class card. I’ll have to get a few friends and try to get them to go with me for that first one.
  • CupcakeCrusoe
    CupcakeCrusoe Posts: 1,440 Member
    Good morning everyone!

    Felt so weird last night, weak almost, so I purposefully ate over my calories, still under maintenance, and felt a little better. And the scale says 174.2 this morning, so no harm.

    The house is cleaned up and ready for the cleaners to come, I think at least half of my house being clean is me decluttering and putting junk away so that the cleaners can do the actual cleaning. :lol:

    Tonight the girls have little gym, so as usual I packed us up dinner, and I ended up with some leftover cabbage/garlic/onion mix with some deli turkey thrown in there :lol: I'm probably going to be hungry, but I'll have plenty of calories for a kind of "second dinner" when I get home. It was much more important that the girls especially, because of gym, and Whatsisface get a good dinner, I can deal with a glorified snack to tide me over.

    Caught up with all the posts from November to now, so impressed with everyone's hard work. @pamperedlinny was working so hard, reading about habits and then applying what she learned in November and December, we love to see it. Special shout outs:

    @tahitig ! hi!!!! I hope you're doing well!

    @hap2go I hope we get to see pictures from Italy!

    @KeriA hi! how was the visit with the grandbaby, how's 2023 treating you?

    @justanotherloser007 helloo! how are you doing? still symptom free I hope?

    @bonniemcc4 I saw your progress pictures, you're doing AMAZING

    @pamiede I was so happy to see your smiling face again, hello! How's March for you?! You're doing great!.

    Tag party time!
    @pamperedlinny trivia night sounds SO FUN, exactly the kind of activity that should come after a workout.

    Alright, time to try to relax for .... a half hour before I have to leave for work, lol. Have a great day, everyone!
  • pamperedlinny
    pamperedlinny Posts: 1,687 Member
    Morning all!

    Does anyone else’s child take their money to the book fair and not buy a single book? We now have a giant cat with strawberry milk poster, stickers, “fun” pens (the body of the pen has balls in it so you can tip it back and forth or other fidget type things), another actual fidget toy, and a bunch of stickers. I keep hoping my child with want the books. Sigh.

    Trivia was great. I didn’t know much of anything last night…. But we had some people on our team that knew things and actually came in first for once. It’s a small place and only have about 8 teams, I think. Still, I’ll get a free bubble tea or pot of hot tea next time I go in. Yay!

    Also, I forgot to include the newest recipe link. It went up yesterday morning. www.healthyeatingwithlinda.com/post/bulked-up-taco-meat

    Today I have to go see my allergist, get shots, etc. I never feel great after all of that so it will be a slow night at home if I get my way.
  • KrekolAnjel
    KrekolAnjel Posts: 4 Member
    Day 1 for me.

    SW: 315
    CW: 315
    GW:285 by June 1.

    By the end of March I am hoping to healthily loose at least 3 lbs. I went to the gym yesterday for the first time in a long time. I want to build a consistent habit of going to the gym everyday and eating healthier. It is my goal to eat under 1700 cals a day. Any encouragement and tips are well accepted thank you all. We can do this!
  • mling84
    mling84 Posts: 35 Member
    @KrekolAnjel Congrats on going to the gym yesterday! And for wanting to lose weight in a healthy manner! I listen to podcasts that discuss anti-diet culture mentality/weight loss and it helps when I am tempted to shortcut/deprive my way to weight loss.
  • CupcakeCrusoe
    CupcakeCrusoe Posts: 1,440 Member
    Good morning everyone!

    It's Friday, at last. Tomorrow's weigh in day, I feel like I might not lose anything this week, I've been eating consistently between my deficit calories and my maintenance calories, but that is fine. My average might actually still be lower than it was last week.

    I've been getting back into the gym, prioritizing my protein, and I made progress that I could feel on my splits last night. My front leg hit the yoga block I put underneath to monitor my progress, so now time to turn the block to the shortest side to go under, start monitoring that way. So exciting.

    Tag party time!
    @pamperedlinny overall progress downward = success! I hope zumba last night was fun.

    @mling84 I love a good numbers goal not related to weight. And finding alternatives for when you really want a sweet will be so helpful for the future. And I love a sunshiny walk! It's amazing how much difference I can feel in my mood just being out in the sun a little while.

    @KrekolAnjel welcome, and congratulations on day 1! Even getting through the first day is a small win, and I hope you can feel that. My best advice for staying under 1700 cal is to log as accurately as you can. Sometimes, you'll be surprised how much you CAN eat for your calories, and as you go along, you'll figure out what works best for you as far as eating what you want and staying under your calorie limit. Also, I would recommend you eat all your calories, as long as you're logging pretty accurately. If I go too low, personally, I tend to binge in the near future afterward.

    Have a great Friday, everyone!
  • UrFavoriteMelissa
    UrFavoriteMelissa Posts: 1 Member
    Hi everyone! I am starting over for like the fifth time. I get close to my goal weight and then boom I totally sabotage any progress I’ve made and end back at my start weight. Happy to have found a motivating group to keep up with.

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