*Snowflakes to Sunshine Challenge* Week #7 Discussion (Close

gethealthygetfit

I lost a pound from last week

ltlhmom

Anyone else a little confused about the net calories? Here is a great post that explains it well!

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/61706-guide-to-calorie-deficits

I just realized today I have pretty much been in stand still since May of 2010 212 lbs -203.3. But up and down. This is crazy not sure why I haven't realized it until now. I should have been under 200 lbs a long time ago! I'm going to try to adjust my goal and see what happens. I know some of the time I wasn't eating my best camping etc. But what gives? Any suggestions? I have been trying to eat some of my exercise calories back but maybe I'm not eating enough. I'm going to go into my goals and reset it. But any suggestions are much appreciated.

I joined the gym today! I will continue to burn at least 500 calories a day and Drink 12 cups of water. I will weigh in tomorrow I was up .2 so want to see if it goes down.

You all ROCK!!!

Laura

Krys_T

Well now that we have been getting to know each other a little better over the past month or so...I wanted to post a topic for us to get to know each other even more and grant a better understanding of our motivation.


So I want us to share...how did we get here? How did we get to this point of feeling like we needed to lose weight, take our lives back, and become healthier? I know that we all have a story and different motivations for how we got to MFP. And why did we choose MFP and not Weight Watchers, NutriSystem, or Jenny Craig? If you do not feel comfortable sharing yet, that is ok...definitely understandable. I just want us to find other levels for us to connect on and be able to empathize or encourage each other.

whittrusty

Well now that we have been getting to know each other a little better over the past month or so...I wanted to post a topic for us to get to know each other even more and grant a better understanding of our motivation.


So I want us to share...how did we get here? How did we get to this point of feeling like we needed to lose weight, take our lives back, and become healthier? I know that we all have a story and different motivations for how we got to MFP. And why did we choose MFP and not Weight Watchers, NutriSystem, or Jenny Craig? If you do not feel comfortable sharing yet, that is ok...definitely understandable. I just want us to find other levels for us to connect on and be able to empathize or encourage each other.

I have been heavy my entire life. I remember trying to lose weight with my mom when I was about 12. That was the last time I remember weighing under 150 lbs. My highest weight was 230 lbs during my Junior year of high school, then I lost some weight without really trying before college. I stayed around 200 lbs for most of college. I initially decided to lose weight for my wedding (January 3, 2009). I lost about 30 lbs for my wedding, getting down to 185 lbs.

I told myself that I would never see 200 lbs again, but alas, I gave myself a lot of slack after the stress of the wedding dress was off my back and I got up to 225.8 lbs as of April 25, 2010. After having to buy new size 18 shorts for a vacation to Florida I realized that I was SO much happier at 185 lbs and wish that I had kept going to my ultimate goal weight of 140.

So, knowing that I had lost 30 lbs for my wedding, I knew that I could do it; I just had to start. So here I am, 29 lbs lighter and only 11 lbs from where I was on my wedding day. I can't WAIT to get down past where I got stuck last time.

This time I'm losing weight for me and for the health my husband and future children. No deadlines. Just because I love myself and I want my body to look the way I FEEL!!

ltlhmom

So I want us to share...how did we get here? How did we get to this point of feeling like we needed to lose weight, take our lives back, and become healthier? I know that we all have a story and different motivations for how we got to MFP. And why did we choose MFP and not Weight Watchers, NutriSystem, or Jenny Craig? If you do not feel comfortable sharing yet, that is ok...definitely understandable. I just want us to find other levels for us to connect on and be able to empathize or encourage each other.

Hi My name is Laura and I'm a food addict!

I have tried losing weight a few times in my life. After having my daughter in 2000 I got back into size 12 for a little bit but soon went up over the next 5 years. @ 2002 I saw a nutritionist lost maybe 10 lbs or so. But I wasn't getting anything out of it and stopped going! I needed support and once a month wasn't enough! 2003 I tried Atkins. I got down to @ 200 lbs. 2004 I got pregnant with my son had him in July of 2005. Jan 2006 I started going to Weight Watchers. I went until summer time then it was hard to making it to meetings as my son would not sit still during the meeting and I had no one to watch him to be able to go. Again I was down to @200. 2007 I had to family members pass away one being my cousin who passed away at 37 leaving her 3 children and the other my grandfather. I was a size 18 at that time. At the end of 2007 I was treated for anxiety and depression and was on meds for about 8 mos. I have a fear of dieing! I met with my doctor once a month. She was also helping with weight lose but I would lose and gain the same 10 lbs. I was also seeing her for rib pain and heartburn. I just wasn't ready to seriously commit to it. Dec 28, 2009 the light switch finally went off! I was in size 22 by then and 261.8 lbs. I reached my half way point on 5/14, 140 days into my journey, 208.4 lbs, and a total loss of 53.4 lbs. And I just realized it today I have been in stall mode since that day my lowest has been 203.3. I have gain and lost and gained and lost. What is it about 200??? Why can't I get past it??? But I have made it to size 14 and XL shirt but I want more then that!!!

How I found MFP! On Dec 28 2009 I told myself that I was writing down everything that went into my mouth. Do you know how hard it is to do that and look up the calories ect. Someone suggested that I look on my iphone and see if there was an app for a calorie counter. That is how I found MFP! On that day I told myself two things I was going to log my food and drink my water. I have done those two things and I have been logging over 400 days now. Now to figure out why I can't get past 200. What is it what that number???

whittrusty

So I want us to share...how did we get here? How did we get to this point of feeling like we needed to lose weight, take our lives back, and become healthier? I know that we all have a story and different motivations for how we got to MFP. And why did we choose MFP and not Weight Watchers, NutriSystem, or Jenny Craig? If you do not feel comfortable sharing yet, that is ok...definitely understandable. I just want us to find other levels for us to connect on and be able to empathize or encourage each other.

I have tried losing weight a few times in my life. After having my daughter in 2000 I got back into size 12 for a little bit but soon went up over the next 5 years. @ 2002 I saw a nutritionist lost maybe 10 lbs or so. But I wasn't getting anything out of it and stopped going! 2003 I tried the Atkins. Got down to @ 200 lbs. 2004 I got pregnant with my son had him in July of 2005. Jan 2006 I started going to Weight Watchers. Went until summer time then it was hard to making it to meetings as my son would not sit still during the meeting and I had no one to watch him to be able to go. Again I was down to @200. 2007 I had to family members pass away one being my cousin who passed away at 37 leaving her 3 children and the other my grandfather. I was a size 18 at that time. At the end of 2007 I was treated for anxiety and depression and was on meds for about 8 mos. I have a fear of dieing! I met with my doctor once a month. She was also helping with weight lose but I would lose and gain the same 10 lbs. I was also seeing her for rib pain and heartburn. I just wasn't ready to seriously commit to it. Dec 28, 2009 the light switch finally went off! I was in size 22 by then and 261.8 lbs. I reached my half way point on 5/14 140 days into my journey 208.4 lbs a total loss of 53.4 lbs. And I just realized it to day I have been in stall mode since that day my lowest has been 203.3. I have gain and lost and gained and lost. What is it about 200??? Why can't I get past it??? But I have made it to size 14 and XL shirt but I want more then that!!!

You WILL break past it! It's just a mental barrier. You can do it and we're going to help you!!

ltlhmom

So I want us to share...how did we get here? How did we get to this point of feeling like we needed to lose weight, take our lives back, and become healthier? I know that we all have a story and different motivations for how we got to MFP. And why did we choose MFP and not Weight Watchers, NutriSystem, or Jenny Craig? If you do not feel comfortable sharing yet, that is ok...definitely understandable. I just want us to find other levels for us to connect on and be able to empathize or encourage each other.

I have tried losing weight a few times in my life. After having my daughter in 2000 I got back into size 12 for a little bit but soon went up over the next 5 years. @ 2002 I saw a nutritionist lost maybe 10 lbs or so. But I wasn't getting anything out of it and stopped going! 2003 I tried the Atkins. Got down to @ 200 lbs. 2004 I got pregnant with my son had him in July of 2005. Jan 2006 I started going to Weight Watchers. Went until summer time then it was hard to making it to meetings as my son would not sit still during the meeting and I had no one to watch him to be able to go. Again I was down to @200. 2007 I had to family members pass away one being my cousin who passed away at 37 leaving her 3 children and the other my grandfather. I was a size 18 at that time. At the end of 2007 I was treated for anxiety and depression and was on meds for about 8 mos. I have a fear of dieing! I met with my doctor once a month. She was also helping with weight lose but I would lose and gain the same 10 lbs. I was also seeing her for rib pain and heartburn. I just wasn't ready to seriously commit to it. Dec 28, 2009 the light switch finally went off! I was in size 22 by then and 261.8 lbs. I reached my half way point on 5/14 140 days into my journey 208.4 lbs a total loss of 53.4 lbs. And I just realized it to day I have been in stall mode since that day my lowest has been 203.3. I have gain and lost and gained and lost. What is it about 200??? Why can't I get past it??? But I have made it to size 14 and XL shirt but I want more then that!!!

You WILL break past it! It's just a mental barrier. You can do it and we're going to help you!!

Thanks!

I have reset my goal it bumped my calorie to 1230 for daily intake and I changed daily activity to lightly active. Looking for a 2 lbs loss a week. Now the next question is my eating. Should I be eating more of my calories back?

emma44ny

Krystle:
My current routine is 40 Minutes on a treadmill walking 3.8-4.0 mph, with varing inclines 1-5, followed by 40 minutes on the eliptical, and 30 minutes in the pool which is about 20 laps alternating freestyle (front crawl) and breaststroke. I do this 3-4X a week because I can't get to the gym as often as I'd like because I my husbands and my work schedules... I just need to do something different I feel because I just feel like I'm stalling... Any thoughts?

Krys_T

I have never been a skinny girl...However, I struggled with weight a little in 1998-1999 when I went through a period in the 8th grade where the friends I had in middle school turned into...hmmm middle school aged girls! I had moved for a year and a half to a different city and when I moved back, went to a school that all of my old "friends" were going to thinking that it would be just like old times. Well needless to say, I got to high school and started to redefine myself! Got into sports again and really started to become the social butterfly that I was before. . I got back into volleyball and softball and there came the pounds shed and muscle gain. I still was about 165 and I now realize that A LOT of that was muscle. I was in a size 10 and I loved the way I felt. Senior came and once my sports seasons were over...I put on a little weight because my metabolism had slowed.

Once I hit college...it was ALL OVER! I was taking anywhere between 15 to 18 units and working 30 to 40 hours a week! I worked at In N Out...a very popular fast food restaurant. I was eating burger and fries at least 4 to 5 times a week for a year and a half! And no exercise...bad mix! So I slowly but surely start gaining and gaining and gaining. In 2006 I reached about 220l lbs. Nice! Well then I met my now boyfriend and got comfortable, because he never complained about my weight. I knew that I was gaining and hated buying a new size every few months and I noticed that I became meaner and more irritable, the more weight I gained. I became less sociable, although I had friends in college...I wasn't all about meeting and greeting each new person I came across. I went to Weight Watchers for a few meetings and didn't stick with it...I felt like all the women talked about was how they could find "this ice cream or this cupcake to eat" while staying under points instead of introducing healthier options altogether.

When I got pregnant with my son, I weighed-in at 250 lbs by the time I delivered I was 266. Woooo. I went to the doctor a little over a year after I had my son and ended up losing 17lbs, with her putting me on a 1200 calorie diet and I walked 2 miles a day. I moved to Georgia a few months later..and used the fact that I didn't have any family or friends out here to start getting my life together. With a few starts and stops...here I am.

One of our challenge participants BettyBoop told me about this site...she was on babycenter.com with me and here I am...and this time I am losing this weight for me, because I know I can do it and because I know I wasn't put on this Earth to be obese..but to be a confident, happy, and healthy mom, future wife, friend, daughter, and motivator. This is for MY life...because I only get one.

emma44ny

Well now that we have been getting to know each other a little better over the past month or so...I wanted to post a topic for us to get to know each other even more and grant a better understanding of our motivation.


So I want us to share...how did we get here? How did we get to this point of feeling like we needed to lose weight, take our lives back, and become healthier? I know that we all have a story and different motivations for how we got to MFP. And why did we choose MFP and not Weight Watchers, NutriSystem, or Jenny Craig? If you do not feel comfortable sharing yet, that is ok...definitely understandable. I just want us to find other levels for us to connect on and be able to empathize or encourage each other.

I was in great shape in high school. I played 3 seasons of sports and played summer soccer, skiied, etc. I was never super skinny but I was always fit and mostly felt good about the way I looked. When I went to college, but parents had just separated and I so I pretty much immediately went out of control. My girlfriends and I would go out drinking 4-5 nights a week, eat nothing but pizza and french fries, and never EVER exercise. In my 20's I got my weight down to about 165 but that success was short lived. I weighed about 210 at my wedding 6 years ago and to this day, I hate every picture that I am in from that day. I have decided to lose weight this time because I am better than this. I was raised in a healthy household. I know what the right food choices are and how to make them. I have a 15 month old son and it is crucial to me to show him two healthy parents as an example. I am fully commited to this journey, I will not stop until I reach my goal and then I don't stop- just maintain!! I chose MFP because I had a girlfriend reccomend it and since then I have roccomeded it to probably a dozen people. It's definitely the greatest and most used app on my Iphone. I am so grateful to have the help and support of all of you! I look forward to getting to know you all a little better!!

ymamyma

Happy Friday everyone! This has been such a great week for me after several mundane ones, and for more reasons that just one! I lowered my sodium goal to 1800, upped my water intake, and started cooking more. Crazy how much of a difference that makes! After weeks of the scale doing nothing much, this week I lost five pounds!

Added to that, this man that I have a ridiculous crush on told me I was beautiful. :blushing: I was so surprised, I actually stuttered trying to say thank you! Now, to get from "beautiful" friend to girlfriend...

I hope everyone had a fabulous week!

Krys_T

Happy Friday everyone! This has been such a great week for me after several mundane ones, and for more reasons that just one! I lowered my sodium goal to 1800, upped my water intake, and started cooking more. Crazy how much of a difference that makes! After weeks of the scale doing nothing much, this week I lost five pounds!

Added to that, this man that I have a ridiculous crush on told me I was beautiful. :blushing: I was so surprised, I actually stuttered trying to say thank you! Now, to get from "beautiful" friend to girlfriend...

I hope everyone had a fabulous week!

That is awesome! 5lbs is wonderful! Cooking more makes a huge difference, especially in the sodium department because you have control over it! And always nice for someone that you have a crush on to be dishing out the compliments. Woo Woo...good for you girl! Keep it up!

robynrae_1

Hi my name is Robyn I am 31 years old. March 20 is my 1 year wedding aniversery, I have been with my husband 6 years. I have watched my sisters and my mom yo-yo from obese to skinny my whole life.
When I was in high school I was at a healthy weight. After high school I gain some but maintained around 185. When I was 23 I was diagnosed with hypothyroid I gained a bunch of weight, I know I was over 200lbs. I never did get the courage to get on the scale. I went on a diet that consisted mostly of chicken and vegtables, I manage to get down to 148 in 3 months. I meet my husband and have been putting on weight since. I gained about 25lbs in the first 3 months of being together. After that the weight gain slowed down. I was 203lbs at my wedding 6 months later I was up to 213.

I was at the point where I need to go by bigger jeans. I walked into the store grabed the next size up. I was looking at myself in the mirror in the bigger pants. What I saw wasn't my body, how had this happened. Where did those hips come from. (I am apple shaped, I don't have hips.) I took a picture of myself in those jeans and walked out of the store. I didn't want new jeans I wanted me back. So here I am.

I think I found the link to MFP in a magazine.

bhonniered

help! will someone please send me the wiegh in spreadsheet link and a new brain so i can just do it each week without asking for help. thank you!! embarrassed :blushing:

Don't feel embarred because I don't save it either...I found the link on the "weigh in thread"

https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?authkey=CKDt1aAO&hl=en&formkey=dG51bjFDSE1xNEoyRVFoMTc4Vkh0a1E6MQ#gid=0

Good luck!

I lost it too - you would think I would put it in my favorites!

Krys_T

Krystle:
My current routine is 40 Minutes on a treadmill walking 3.8-4.0 mph, with varing inclines 1-5, followed by 40 minutes on the eliptical, and 30 minutes in the pool which is about 20 laps alternating freestyle (front crawl) and breaststroke. I do this 3-4X a week because I can't get to the gym as often as I'd like because I my husbands and my work schedules... I just need to do something different I feel because I just feel like I'm stalling... Any thoughts?

I would try my interval training on the treadmill...you know walking for 2 minutes and then bursts of sprints for 30 seconds or so. To the point where you get 6 to 7 sprint intervals in your 30 minutes. Also, I would look into doing some strength training with free weights or on weight machines at the gym 2 to 3 times a week. Building that muscle will be key in burning more fat and calories when you are doing your cardio. Or you can mix it up with some kickboxing or high impact aerobics DVDs... But incorporating the strength training would be my first change :j Hope this helps girl! Stick with it...you are doing great!

leandread

I had an entire paragraph written for my introduction, got distracted then my macbook logged me out! GRRRR..

But me in a nutshell. I was a size 18 from age 14-23. Lost 60 pounds and wore a size 14/16 (I'm a serious pear shape with a lot of hips! It takes about 25 pounds for me to drop a size). I kept that weight off for about 5 years even though my goal weight is 180 (I am six feet tall). From 2008 until January 2011, I regained that original sixty pounds after some really big life changes (a failed marriage, a 900 mile move away from the east coast city to a one-horse town, a divorce and losing touch with my stepson who I am very close to). But in January of this year, I completed my PhD in anthropology and realized that if I can do that I can really do amid all that drama I really can do anything, because graduate school was something I often wondered and feared that I would never finish. But I did. So I joined MFP late last year, did nothing, did not log on much, etc. And finally, finally finally, I got a bit more serious about wanting to be healthy again and found this wonderful challenge, with amazing women to travel this journey with. And I have a long way to go, but just like with graduate school, I am finally starting to believe that I will get there. I know I can do it because I was halfway there once, and I will see ONEderland and a healthy BMI.

dinareed

Hello Snowflakes! You guys are so awesome and I am so proud to be a part of this challenge. I nearly cried when I stepped on the scale today... I finally have a decent loss. I've upped my calories to 1400 so I will at least hit 1200. How did I get started on this journey? Well for me it was kind of strange. I have almost always been a healthy weight. I am retired Air Force so I was always active. In my early thirties I started having some major health issues. Medications, lack of exercise and motivation led me to start packing on the weight. I hit 235 a couple of years ago and decided something had to change. I actually lost quite a bit but then with my ankle problems started packing it on again. I hit 206 in December of last year. Something about crossing that 200 line really tweaked me out. I started noticing that I don't like my picture taken, I don't like my clothes, and don't even like me all that much. One of my friends told me about MPF. I had already signed up for Weight Watchers so I was actually tracking points and calories. Now I am strictly tracking on MPF and I have cancelled my weight watchers account. I love the support on here, and being able to track calories from my phone when I'm not near my desk. Weight watchers helped me learn what kinds of foods to eat and it is a great program. However, MPF has a larger database of foods and has you guys! I am not looking for a diet...but a lifestyle change that I can live with and maintain.

whittrusty

I just had to celebrate this with all you wonderful gals, I am wearing my 12 size jeans for the first time since 2009 and boy does butt look awesome. I feel like I should take a picture.

I was planning on staying in all night and studying, but I think I might need to head to the mall and show off my new size 12 behind. Also, I'm going to Mexico in 2 weeks and all the shorts that fit me 3 weeks ago are too big!! What a wonderful problem to have. The only problem is that I'm reaching the part of my weight loss journey where soon all my clothes will be too big and it's going to get expensive. But I'll make it work because I'm so glad to say goodbye to size 18, 16, and now 14!! Can't wait for single digits!

CuteMommy88

Hmm....How did I get started on this journey??

I have struggled with my weight since i was a kid. I was like 12 years old and i was wearing a bigger size than my 21 year old sister!! I started dieting when I started high school. My sophomore year I went through something very traumatic (i dont want to go into detail) but i ended up having to change schools, where my first friend just happened to be an anorexic/bulemic...so I unfortunately got pulled into the crazy unhealthy lifestyle. So i lost a ton of weight, a very unhealthy way. Then I moved to college where I gradually put on a few pounds but not anything too crazy. Well my ex boyfriend broke my heart, like i literally had a mental break down and i put on about 30lbs in about two years....which is insane!!! Well I finally got my life in order and started dating a great guy. Then As soon as I started working out i got pregnant and i just gave up!!! I was about 170lbs when I got pregnant and I was 206lbs when I had my daughter. After I had her I tried to lose weight on my own and I actually did pretty good. I got down to 166 and got stuck. I got so frustrated after not losing weight that i gave in and just ate crap!! I gained up to 179lbs in about 4 months!! Thats when i decided i absolutely had to change, not only for myself but for my daughter, i had to change the life i was living. So I found MFP shortly after i started dieting and so far i have lost 19.5lbs!!! in just a little over 3 months, and the best thing is that I am actually working out more than i ever have in my life!! I love that I am leading a healthy lifestyle now! and I can raise my daughter with healthy eating and exercising habits :happy:

Krys_T

I just had to celebrate this with all you wonderful gals, I am wearing my 12 size jeans for the first time since 2009 and boy does butt look awesome. I feel like I should take a picture.

I was planning on staying in all night and studying, but I think I might need to head to the mall and show off my new size 12 behind. Also, I'm going to Mexico in 2 weeks and all the shorts that fit me 3 weeks ago are too big!! What a wonderful problem to have. The only problem is that I'm reaching the part of my weight loss journey where soon all my clothes will be too big and it's going to get expensive. But I'll make it work because I'm so glad to say goodbye to size 18, 16, and now 14!! Can't wait for single digits!

That is awesome! Good for you girly...time to buy some new clothes!