The Over 300 Club

Tyravis

Hey that's cool. That is exactly some of the thing i am working on. I'm not a trucker but a forklift driver and sit on my butt all day. So i have to burn lots of energy to lose weight. Now i have something to look forward to. Thanks!:drinker:

stillkristi

:happy: hey gang! I've been on vacation to San Diego for a few days. Beautiful weather! We had a great trip. Went whale watching and saw a humpback breach! It was great. Good food great company and lots of fun. Hope everyone is well. Talk to you soon!

YankeesGirl

{{{{{{ Kristi }}}}}}}}} welcome back!! You've been missed!!!

I sooooooooooooo want to go whale watching ... that's why I'm going to Alaska for my honeymoon ... for that reason and because I've always dreamed about going to Alaska ... you must have had so much fun!! Did you get pictures?????

stillkristi

Hey, YankeesGirl! big hug back atcha! I missed you guys, too! However, the vacation was great!

Whale watching was fabulous! I highly recommend it if you're interested.

Here is what I got to see:


Here is what most of my pictures look like!

Oh well. It was really reasonable, too. $28 for about three hours. The very first whale spotting we had was a humpback breaching. It was really awe inspiring. We also saw these rare dolphins and this kind of strange fish called a bone fish. All susposed to be pretty rare. Anyway, it was all great. How are things going?

YankeesGirl

That is sooooooooooooo awesome!!! At least you got to see them! I had a friend who paid to go out great white watching and because of the weather - they couldn't go. He paid $1000 and didn't get to go! (I think they were planning on diving w/ the great whites which is NUTS so I'm grateful they didn't let him go ... but could you imagine walking away from that kind of $$!) Of course they told him he could go back anytime to take the trip again but they are located in San Francisco and we live in NJ ... so it would be costly to get there again ... know what I mean!?!

Anyway - I'm so glad you had fun! Welcome back!! Did you find it difficult to stick to your diet while on vacation???????

stillkristi

I did a fair job of sticking to the diet (oops!) ahem, I mean new lifestyle. I avoided soda (a big downfall of mine) and desert (not such a problem) and I generally ordered lighter meal options. Another big downfall of mine is bread, and I did eat bread with several meals. :ohwell: I was prepared to have gained a couple of pounds when I got home, but was pleasantly surprised that my weight had stayed the same. So, its all good.

You gotta try it!

AmyNVegas

Jesupeties! Time funs when you're having flies let me tell you! Wow welcome to all the new people I am sorry to have been away! Kristi thanks for all of the encouragement! Yes I had RnY GBP in 2001. I lost 170-180 in the first year then really haven't lost since then. I keep losing and gaining the same 30 pounds it is very frustrating. I lose about 20 then I plateau and get discouraged and feel like I get nowhere. I have yet to get below 350 for more than a day. I feel like I am fighting genetics here but I need to win. I have gotten so off track lately with everything going on but hopefully I am getting a handle on it. I do not even want to go near a scale geez! I am using this week off of teaching(Spring Break) to catch up on life. I have papers and projects due and I am taking a fast track class this week(which is the easiest class I have taken in my life by the way!). I want to come out of SPring Break with a plan for getting back to my plan. Eating every 3 hours, minimal whole grain carbs and lots of veggies. I will have no classes Fri-Sun so I am going to get a menu together for next week and shop to fill it this weekend. My Spring classes end beginning of May and then I will have 2 classes a week and another fast track in June but nothing in July or August. I will definitely need a break by then.

The new class they gave me to teach is getting better. The assistant principal came in to do my evaluations last week and said I had the patience of Job with them so I think she approves of how I am handling the whole situation. 51 new students in March is usually not the norm but I am handling it. I am just glad I have 11 years of experience to pull from, the other teachers do not have that advantage one has never taught Spanish before and only has a minor. Must suck to be her but she agreed to it.

SO my goals this week are to get prepared to be back fully back on track next week. I am back to eating again so that is good. I have skipped way too many meals these past few weeks and I can feel it. Too much junk on the go, too! I made sure I ate at least three balanced meals every day this week so that is an improvement. Getting back to the gym is my next step. Once I get through this class this week I am in for that on Friday.

Hope you all have a wonderful blessed holiday!

Tyravis

:laugh: San Diego is so beautiful. We took the kids to Sea world.I thought oh yea whatever but it turned out to be one of the greatest vacations ever.Cool pics. by the way.
Also getting back on track is a part of life.I start and stop a lot.The thing is not to revert to the old ways.That is what Ive recently learned.Good luck.
As for spring break I am getting some projects finished on my house and starting spring clean up.I'm so ready to be outside and get a garden started.Talk to ya all later.

msarro

I started at 325, think I can join up? I'll gladly give a shoulder or advice to anyone who needs.

AmyNVegas

I started at 325, think I can join up? I'll gladly give a shoulder or advice to anyone who needs.

The more the merrier! We can use all the good ideas and support we can get.

Monday here I come again! LOL! Hope you all have a Happy Easter!:flowerforyou:

stillkristi

Heym, gang, how is everyone? I have had a crappy eating week, gaining about 4 lbs back. URG!:grumble: :grumble:


So, I finally decided enough all ready! Not beating myself up, just getting back on track. msarro, Good to have you, I look forward to your your experience - you're a real inspiration to me! Thanks for coming along!

FITFORLIFE1944

HELLO EVERYONE,

I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT I WISH YOU ALL SUCCESS. I WAS HEADING TOWARD 300LBS (264). I THOUGHT I WOULD NEVER BE MORE THAN 199. PROMISED TO NEVER BE 200. THEN STARTED PROMISING NEVER TO BE 300. FINALLY COULD NOT BREATH GOING UP THE STAIRS, PAIN IN BACK AND KNEES, CONSTANT ASTHMA ATTACKS. I JUST HAD TO DO SOMETHING. SO I JOINED WEIGHT WATCHERS AND LOST 50LBS. THEN MOVED TO FLORIDA AND MY MOM PASSED AWAY. BEING AN EMOTIONAL EATER I REGAINED 22 OF THOSE LBS. DECIDED TO JOIN TOPS (TAKE OFF POUNDS SENSIBLY,IN CASE SOMEONE DOES NOT KNOW). SO I LOST A TOTAL OF 109LBS. I WOULD LOSE 1/4LB TO 2 AND 1/2 PER WEEK. SOMETIMES DID EVERYTHING RIGHT AND NO LOSS AT ALL BUT IT EVENTUALLY WOULD CATCH UP. NOW I LEFT TOPS AND STARTED GAINING AGAIN SO THOUGHT I WOULD GET GOING AND NOT ALLOW MYSELF TO GO ANY HIGHER. I EVEN LOWERED MY GOAL TO 145. I HAVE 20LBS TO THAT GOAL. IT'S NOT EASY, NEVER WAS AND NEVER WILL BE. BUT IT IS SO WORTH THE EFFORT. MY HEALTH IS 90 PERCENT BETTER AND I AM NOT GIVING THAT UP. I AM 65 THIS MAY AND NOT LOOKING TO BE A BEAUTY QUEEN,JUST WANT TO LOOK AS GOOD AS I CAN AND FEEL HEALTHY.
SET SMALL GOALS AT A TIME, ABOVE ALL ALWAYS HAVE A PLAN (IF YOU FAIL TO PLAN,YOU PLAN TO FAIL). IF MEDICATION FROM DIABETES IS A PROBLEM SEEK OUT A PROFESSIONAL . I KNOW MANY WHO HAD GAINED FROM MEDS AND LEARNED HOW NOT TO GAIN. PLEASE TRY THAT.
PUT IN THE HARD WORK. MAKE THOSE SALADS AND LOW CALORIE MEALS. KEEP THAT JOURNAL WITH CALORIE COUNT. THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT IS HANDED TO US. WE WORK HARD FOR OTHER THINGS IN OUR LIVES,OUR JOB, FAMILY ETC. WE HAVE TO WORK HARD FOR US. EXERCISE WAS A PROBLEM AT FIRST BUT I DID WHAT I COULD AND IT GOT EASIER AND EASIER. GO SLOW AND STOP WHEN YOU ARE TIRED. EVEN IF YOUR KNEES ARE BAD DO CHAIR EXERCISE.
BLESS YOU ALL. YOU CAN DO IT.

stillkristi

Hey, FITFORLIFE welcome, and thanks! What an inspiration! I sometimes think about what it will be like to have lost a significant amount of weight, like so many of you have. It gets a little discouraging to think about how much I have to lose. So, I know your advise is so important. Can't be thinking about that. I've gotta just think about the steady progress that translates into less pain, more freedom of movement, etc. Thanks!

Topaz1962

Hey Kristi, I finally made it! :happy:

I can relate to a lot of the comments in this thread, such as I promised I'd never let myself go over 300. My weight gain can be attributed to several things: emotional upheavals, medications, and genes. I inherited the fat gene from my mother's side. She has to work really hard to keep her weight stable. I'm pear shaped, like my mother, which means we lose the weight on top and carry the caboose around forever. :laugh:

I move overseas over 3 years ago, and just moving to a different country forced lifestyle changes that made me lose weight naturally. Three and a half months were spent in Spain, where I ate Mediterranean style. I completely dropped fast-food and soda from my diet and instead I was eating pasta, fish, veggies, and even having wine with meals. Twenty pounds melted off in one month, another twenty in the next two months. At that time I was getting out and walking every day, taking my daughter to the beach, and just walking around town.

Then we moved to Finland, where I still reside, and my weight loss came to a halt. The food culture here is so different than what I'm used to that I had a hard time figuring out what to eat. Food shopping was a lot easier in Spain.

I'd been wanting to get a Lap-band, and tried to do that before I left the US, but my insurance wouldn't cover the surgery. Here in Finland the Lap-Band isn't even offered, they only do a gastric banding type of surgery that's permanent. I had a surgery consult last June, but the surgeon couldn't answer any of my questions. He told me to do my own research. But the kind of surgery they do here in Finland is not equivalent to any of the GBP surgeries done in English speaking countries. About all I could find out about the Finnish version is that they have a zero mortality rate, and that's the reason they do not offer the Lap-Band because they couldn't reach a zero mortality rate with that surgery.

Since the doctors here only care about their mortality rate, and not about the quality of life after surgery, I dropped the idea of having any surgery done. The only case my nutritionist was willing to tell me about was a man who had the surgery and now has chronic IBS. Finns are notorious for keeping information to themselves. It shouldn't be so hard to get information out of them when this is such a serious decision for a person to make.

About a year and a half ago I went on Reductil, which worked great for a few months, until I had an emotional upheaval in my life. I think the emotional upheaval counter-acted the effect of the drug, and neutralized its ability to help me continue to lose weight. Of course, it could have been just a coincidence. Maybe the drug only works well for a few months, until the brain starts compensating for what the drug is doing.

I went off the drug several times, but kept gaining weight, so would go back on it, but then I was stuck losing the same 5 lbs. week after week. I made the decision to quit taking the drug altogether last fall, and ever since then my weight has kept climbing, until just recently when it finally stabilized at 321 lbs.

My doctor and nutritionist are non-responsive, sad to say, but that's the way things are when you have socialized medicine. My doctor likes to write 'scripts, but has no interest in finding out the root cause of problems. Two days on this site has been more helpful than a whole year with my local nutritionist.

One change I'm going to make this time around: weighing myself only once a week. I used to weigh every day, and I think the fluctuations didn't help my motivation. I'm hoping a once a week weigh in will make a difference.

It's past my bedtime already, so good night everyone, it's been nice meeting you all. See you tomorrow!

stillkristi

Topaz, I am so glad you found us! Good luck in your journey! Stay in touch and lets compare notes! You are right about there being a ton of great information on this website. I hope it helps! Take care, I am going off to bed now, too! :yawn:

stillkristi

Hey, gang I have been thinking about the need to get some information here especially for those of us working on losing a really significant amount of weight. I would like to invite everyone to post the information they are gathering on this topic. I am copying here a post by Tamtastic who has lost 135 lbs in the past 16 months. Here is what she said:

"All I ever add to these threads is my own personal experience.

But first of all, I know it sounds strange but when you think about it, you start to understand better.
You decide to lose weight. You lower your calories to a certain amount. You then exercise and burn MORE calories than those you are already excluding from your diet. So, eating some back....yes, you are eating more than 1500 calories but that isn't what your body is "bringing in" due to the exercise.

Anyway, for ME. Non-gym days, I ate 1400 calories. (I never ate below that). At the end, that was Mon, Wed, and Fri. On workout days, I got to the point where I was burning over 1,000 calories and I would eat around 1,900 calories on those days. (I ate about half the workout calories back). That was Tues, Thurs, Sat and Sun.

On the days I didn't go to the gym, I would do some lunges and squats and things at home and just stuck to my 1400 at the end.

I rarely had a plateau and when I did, I didn't stay for more than a week or two. I lost 135 lbs in 16 months (so even with plateaus or better weeks, worse weeks, etc...that averages out to about 8-10 lbs a month).

So, in MY personal opinion and experience....eating plenty and exercising plenty is what worked for me. And I think by doing the almost every other day thing, my body was kept at a constant burn and HAPPY!

It is all about finding what will work for you. It can be a trial and error thing. But also, making sure the calories burned are accurate is important as well. I never used a heart rate monitor. I did read in a fitness article that a good way to get an accurate reading on a machine like an elliptical (Which I used a lot), is when it asks for your weight, enter in a weight about 5-10 lbs LESS than you are. And at the end, deduct about 15% from the final number it gives you. That is what I did and it worked for me and I never ate ALL of them back."

Thanks to Tamtastic for this.

stillkristi

HI gang, here is another very motivational story - this newbie has lost 109 lbs and hopes to lose 28 more.

Hello Everyone,

I was introduced to this site by a friend and I love it. What a wonderful tool.

I first started dieting because we hired a new team member who just shined... she was everything I wanted to be...I prayed and asked God for the power to overcome my issues with my weight and at 335 lbs I felt like I was going to die.

My mental state was not that great... I felt depressed and I was lacking lifeskills. I heard about a program through work called lifeskills 411 and it basically taught me that I don't have to stay fat all my life. I can change. I learned that the brain will do anything you tell it to. The classes helped me make up my mind.

Then I used Oprah's Commitment where she challenged 1 million people to lose weight. I signed my contract with her and kept it up on my wall at work. I saw it every day and was reminded of the promises I had made.

Then my co workers were my fan club at Stellar Enterprise. They cheered my every pound. I can honestly say the lifeskills program and my co workers...are the biggest reason I have lost 109 lbs.

A person I go to church with had lost a substantial amount of weight and she came over during the Christmas Holiday and brought her own food. She then told me about the FA program (Food Addicts Anonymous) which is a free 12 step program that deals with the mental obsession of food addiction.\

Its kinda funny but some people do use food as a drug and they just cant stop eating.

The program along with lifeskills 411, my co workers and my friends helped me get the moral support I needed to deal with the biggest challenge of my life... what was really eating me so that I refused to give up the comfort of my food?

The root issues I dealt with took me back to my childhood which was full of abuse and trauma. This is where I learned my unhealthy coping skills of using food to deal with how I was feeling and to avoid life... I just made something to eat and vegged out in front of the TV.

I lived in a fantasy world because mine was not a nice place.

The 12 step program is kinda like AA but is taylored for FA to help people with Food Addictions.

I am so much happier but now that I have dealt with my emotional eating issues I still have to learn how to live.

I am thankful to God and am really ready for sharing my story and using this new tool for my next adventure on My Fitness Pal. I still have substantial weight to lose at 227 but at least I am not 335 anymore.

This site looks great and I will enjoy the new journey .

Starteam 144

Falcon

I'm getting close to breaking out of the 300, actually I'm down to 299 yay

Anyways so this is what I eat.

On days that I walk 2 miles. I will consume around 1700 - 1800 as I burn around 500 per walk. On days I don't exercise I consume around 1600 cals. On days that I walk 4 miles a day I will consume between 1900 - 2175. I burn between 700 - 900 per walk.

That seems to be working for me.

I'm finally winning the battle with the scale as so to speak :laugh:

paddlemom

HI everyone! I just found this thread and I'm in there!!! As much as I LOVE this site, it can be daunting at times for us heavyweights - 1200 calores/jogging and crunches/last 20 lbs - all seem overwhelming! I wonder if we can get Mike to tack this thread or even create our own forum so that our 300 - ish newbies can see right off the top that we are here. There are so many topics even in this thread alone that are SO helpful!!!

eandasmom

Kristi-thanks for the link to this thread!
I joined MFP yesterday, (don't know where it has been all my life )

I am curently 375 and 5'9" so have along ways to go to healthy!! I have 2 young boys and really want to be healthy for them!
I look forward to getting to know everybody on here!!
Karen