100+ Pounds to lose Labor Day Challenge beg 7/6

cdwinters

aerdrea - Thanks for your support! I know that I have a very stressful job. I work in an elementary building but I am a school psychologist. And lets just say that things did not end well in the building last year so I have a lot of apprehension about coming back to work this year:( I know that I am a stress eater. I have really tried to keep up with my workouts to try and help get rid of some of the stress. I have been doing 45 mins of the My Fitness Coach on the Wii each morning before I even come into work. I thought about doing more when I got home to help release some stress if needed but I am already burning so many calories that I don't know what to do with them all...lol.

I have been doing really well with my water intake as well until I came back to work. I am on the move so much that I realized I only had 1 cup of water all day at work yesterday:( I have to work on that. I have also gotten a little bored with the taste of water lately. I thought I would try some Diet Lipton Green Tea...should be healthy and increase metabolism. Yeah, it has sodium in it:( Everything that is "low fat" has more sodium. I just started using fat free milk...down from 2%...it has more sodium. I guess you just have to suck it up and use full fat products to avoid all the sodium and just watch the calories.

Sorry....I know I am just rambling at this point:(

Dreaj79

@ cdwinters, sorry I saw elementary school and just assumed teacher. Still I'm sure being a school psychologist is pretty stressful also. Being a stress eater is soooooo much more difficult to me than any other addiction. Not to trivialize alcoholism, drug abuse or smoking, but you don't have to do those things. You can't stop eating cold turkey (pardon the pun).

I've read that it's actually better to eat the full fat stuff because you feel fuller longer. Calories are the most important. I encourage everybody who is trying to lose weight, especially those that fit in our category to listen to Jillian Michaels' podcasts. I have learned so much from just listening to her radio show that I can't even tell you all of it. Even if you are turned off by her TV persona, she is not like that on the radio at all. You can find past episodes at mediafly.com. Anyway, you would be surprised by how much more satisfied you feel eating say 1/2 cup of real ice cream than you feel eating the low fat, sugar free kind. Or from eating two real Oreo cookies instead of 10 Snackwells. Something that I thought of recently: If diet food is actually supposed to help you get thinner, what is the long term profit for the company selling it? Wouldn't you just not need to buy it eventually? There has to be a catch somewhere. I try to eat food that has been processed as little as possible. It always has less sodium and less ingredients I can't pronounce. Yes, it means that I have to do more prep for my lunch the night before or the morning of work, but it has been so worth it for my weight loss. :bigsmile:

lstpaul

How's everyone doing? :happy: I'm feeling back in control for the most part ... getting my exercise in and have had a few good eating days. I'm hopeful that I will see it on the scale, but I still feel like that last 1.5 pounds that I gained last week are hanging around my middle.:grumble:

kimcat73

Hey guys, how is everyone today?

I just tried Whey Protein Vanilla powder. I mixed it with frozen strawberries, banana, and ice. I could only eat half of it, it filled me right up! I'm thinking this will be a good breakfast before work.

No exercise today, my back is sore. I did most of Jillian Michael's No More Trouble Zones yesterday and I'm thinking I might have hurt it a little. Figured I'll take a day off today so I can get back on track tomorrow. It's back to work tomorrow too, so hopefully I'll be back at the gym. My gym is closer to work than home so I don't tend to go on my off days.

Ok, everyone have a great weekend ... think of me while I'm slaving away lol

SusieSonshine

Hey guys, how is everyone today?

I just tried Whey Protein Vanilla powder. I mixed it with frozen strawberries, banana, and ice. I could only eat half of it, it filled me right up! I'm thinking this will be a good breakfast before work.

No exercise today, my back is sore. I did most of Jillian Michael's No More Trouble Zones yesterday and I'm thinking I might have hurt it a little. Figured I'll take a day off today so I can get back on track tomorrow. It's back to work tomorrow too, so hopefully I'll be back at the gym. My gym is closer to work than home so I don't tend to go on my off days.

Ok, everyone have a great weekend ... think of me while I'm slaving away lol

I used to use the whey, but since we are essentially gluten/dairy/legume free these days, I haven't used it. I was shopping at Trader Joe's last night and saw that they now carry Hemp Protein Powder. Sooooo... when I get a blender again (my son killed mine! lol!), I'm gonna try it out!

BTW... I just changed my goal from 199 to 165, which is the recommended BMI weight for me. I have an extra large skeletal structure and lots of muscle (which BMI doesn't account for), but I've been afraid of making that my goal, because I've feared it was unattainable. However, I know I can do it! AND, I NEED to do it, for the health of my heart and the love of my children!

All the best to you all on the journey to fitness and health!!

Susie :flowerforyou:

kimcat73

Hey guys, how is everyone today?

I just tried Whey Protein Vanilla powder. I mixed it with frozen strawberries, banana, and ice. I could only eat half of it, it filled me right up! I'm thinking this will be a good breakfast before work.

No exercise today, my back is sore. I did most of Jillian Michael's No More Trouble Zones yesterday and I'm thinking I might have hurt it a little. Figured I'll take a day off today so I can get back on track tomorrow. It's back to work tomorrow too, so hopefully I'll be back at the gym. My gym is closer to work than home so I don't tend to go on my off days.

Ok, everyone have a great weekend ... think of me while I'm slaving away lol

I used to use the whey, but since we are essentially gluten/dairy/legume free these days, I haven't used it. I was shopping at Trader Joe's last night and saw that they now carry Hemp Protein Powder. Sooooo... when I get a blender again (my son killed mine! lol!), I'm gonna try it out!

BTW... I just changed my goal from 199 to 165, which is the recommended BMI weight for me. I have an extra large skeletal structure and lots of muscle (which BMI doesn't account for), but I've been afraid of making that my goal, because I've feared it was unattainable. However, I know I can do it! AND, I NEED to do it, for the health of my heart and the love of my children!

All the best to you all on the journey to fitness and health!!

Susie :flowerforyou:

So I have a question for you Susie .... what is the reasoning behind going gluten/dairy/legume free? I've seen others that are gluten free and I'm curious what the benefits are or the reasoning behind it.

jennbarrette

time for another Monday weigh in

last week - 263.5
this week - 260.6

Just short of 3 pounds!

kimcat73

Jenn that is awesome! 3 pounds in a week is terrific! Congrats:)

Checking in with the stats:

Starting weight for challenge 274.5
Current weight 265.0

I checked in with my Nutritionist last thursday with this number and she is impressed (she isn't much of a talker in the emails we send, so any words from her is an improvement). I haven't yet told her that I've decided against the WLS. I'm below the required 40 BMI right now anyway, so without health problems, I won't qualify for insurance. No problem, this seems to be working. Yay MFP, love you!!!

Queenie000

Hi there -

Way to go you guys, keep it up!

It has been almost a month on mfp, and things are going surprisingly well for me. I am following the caloric guidelines, occasionally going over by a bit, but not much. I also have been walking every day, and hope that the weight keeps coming off.


Sw 275 July 09
Lw 265.4 July 23
Cw 262.8 July 30
1st mini Gw 250 Sept 20, 2009
Gw 170 July 4th 2010

lstpaul

checking in ... progress is slow, but at least back in the right direction

challenge SW 7/7: 244.4
last week 243.6
today's weight 242

cdwinters

Ok. Checking in for this week. Has been a rough couple of weeks and it is that TOM:( I am up a pound from where I was but I am keeping at it. I have an appointment with my doctor today to talk about this and my lack of progress (only 5 pounds in 2 1/2 months:( ). Don't know what he is going to say so it should be interesting. Will let you all know how the appointment goes later this evening.

SW 280
LW 274
CW 275

SusieSonshine

Hey guys, how is everyone today?

I just tried Whey Protein Vanilla powder. I mixed it with frozen strawberries, banana, and ice. I could only eat half of it, it filled me right up! I'm thinking this will be a good breakfast before work.

No exercise today, my back is sore. I did most of Jillian Michael's No More Trouble Zones yesterday and I'm thinking I might have hurt it a little. Figured I'll take a day off today so I can get back on track tomorrow. It's back to work tomorrow too, so hopefully I'll be back at the gym. My gym is closer to work than home so I don't tend to go on my off days.

Ok, everyone have a great weekend ... think of me while I'm slaving away lol

I used to use the whey, but since we are essentially gluten/dairy/legume free these days, I haven't used it. I was shopping at Trader Joe's last night and saw that they now carry Hemp Protein Powder. Sooooo... when I get a blender again (my son killed mine! lol!), I'm gonna try it out!

BTW... I just changed my goal from 199 to 165, which is the recommended BMI weight for me. I have an extra large skeletal structure and lots of muscle (which BMI doesn't account for), but I've been afraid of making that my goal, because I've feared it was unattainable. However, I know I can do it! AND, I NEED to do it, for the health of my heart and the love of my children!

All the best to you all on the journey to fitness and health!!

Susie :flowerforyou:

So I have a question for you Susie .... what is the reasoning behind going gluten/dairy/legume free? I've seen others that are gluten free and I'm curious what the benefits are or the reasoning behind it.

For us, the reason is that my oldest daughter, Shoshannah (age 26, retired Army firefighter, 2 two-year deployments to Iraq), was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis last year and was medically retired from the Army on August 22, 2008. I've done tons of research on it, and, while she decided to do the recommended meds while still living in Colorado, before she was retired, we had decided that when she got home to use diet to control it, and see how she did. On the meds ( which is a daily, biweekly or weekly injection of low-dose chemotherapy drug), she gained 50 lbs in three months, and still wasn't feeling well. Once she got home, we slowly changed her diet to the paleolithic (we've always been health concsious and only use whole, natural, organic foods as much as possible). Now I have 4 children altogether, and I can't cook differently for one and then something else for the rest! And it would also cause temptation for her, so we all eat the same.

Ok, so that is what first motivated me, because SHE had to have an essentially paleolithic diet. And the reason for that is this: simply put, certain foods cause sensitivities in some people. The biggest offenders of this are gluten/legumes/dairy products. Also, sat fat and sugar need to be controlled. So what happens with MS (and also Candida, which, oftentimes, goes hand in hand with MS), is that the gut is irritated, becomes "leaky" and passes proteins into the bloodstream. The body reacts to these proteins and sends out its defenses. The proteins mimic the myelin of the nerves in the brain and spine, and the immune system attacks, causing the lesions that are found in MS. This is auto-immune disease. (this is an excellent website on the subject: http://www.direct-ms.org/bestbet.html)

So... I got to thinking... there is soooooooooo much auto-immune disease today! Why?! I don't think that I have all the answers, but one of the pieces of the puzzle came together for me when I watched this video on youtube by Dr. Robert Lustig of UCSF. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBnniua6-oM Ohhhh myyyy goshhh! You HAVE to watch it!

Anyways, Shoshannah has been following this diet for about a year now, and is doing GREAT! Now that she is stable and doing so well, and we're all used to this lifestyle and diet, she has now decided to get on the ball and lose the weight she gained while taking the meds. So we're doing this journey and logging in MFP together.

I hope this answers your question! If I can answer any more Q's that you or anyone else may have, I'll be glad to be of service!!

:flowerforyou:

cdwinters

Ok. So I had my doctor's appointment today. Needless to say it is 7:41 in the evening and I haven't stopped crying since the appointment at 2:00:( He took some blook in order to see if there is any medical reason why I am not losing....won't have those results for a couple of days. In the meantime he wants me to cut my calories to 1400 and increase my protein to at least 80g each day. He suggested whey protein that I could use as a supplement or add to my meals in order to get in enough protein. I am a little concerned about how my body and my emotions are going to handle the 1400 calories a day as I have been consuming almost 2000 a day for the last 2 months. Guess time will tell how this is going to work for me. If this doesn't work then the next step is a diet program he wants me to check out that is strictly protein shakes for 20 weeks along with nutrition classes and such. Really trying to avoid that but I am desperate to see some results at this point:(

lstpaul

Ok. So I had my doctor's appointment today. Needless to say it is 7:41 in the evening and I haven't stopped crying since the appointment at 2:00:( He took some blook in order to see if there is any medical reason why I am not losing....won't have those results for a couple of days. In the meantime he wants me to cut my calories to 1400 and increase my protein to at least 80g each day. He suggested whey protein that I could use as a supplement or add to my meals in order to get in enough protein. I am a little concerned about how my body and my emotions are going to handle the 1400 calories a day as I have been consuming almost 2000 a day for the last 2 months. Guess time will tell how this is going to work for me. If this doesn't work then the next step is a diet program he wants me to check out that is strictly protein shakes for 20 weeks along with nutrition classes and such. Really trying to avoid that but I am desperate to see some results at this point:(

I'm sorry your doc appointment was upsetting. Hang in there.
My Aunt had a lot of luck with the protein shake plan, lost over 150 pounds in about a year - but unfortunately put it back on faster than she lost it after she quit. So I would say that it definitely works - but I think you have to really work on changing exercise and eating habits so that it doesn't all come back on afterwards. Are you getting much weekly aerobic activity in now? 1400 seems low to me too, I would maybe try 1600-1700 first so that it isn't impossible to stick with. But of course I'm not a doctor, and am in the same boat you are - so keep that in mind.
Good luck! I know from seeing the success of other people on this web site that it is possible, and we can do it too! :flowerforyou:

lstpaul

:flowerforyou: How is everyone doing? I gained 1.5 pounds last week, but worked really hard over the weekend so now I'm down to where I was:happy: . I'd really love to see the scale move down this week. Next week I'm on vacation at a cabin ... lots of food challenges there because we bring lots of 'treats' - and since I think most of the treats are for me, I need to rethink my food packing list from last year and leave off a few of the things that are high calorie and were mainly just for me (but I'd better keep a couple 'treats' on the list or I will feel deprived ... and that never ends well for me :embarassed: ). I won't be getting to the Y ... so plan to walk/run an hour every day before everyone gets up. Maybe I can talk my son and/or daughter to walk with me! My husband is a lost cause ... at least at this point. Although he did walk with me yesterday - just because I was mad at him :mad: . He just about died when he had to run 3 blocks to catch me! :laugh: Maybe I can convince him that he needs to walk with me too... but I doubt it. He will say that fishing will be enough exercise.:grumble:

Have a good week everyone!

cdwinters

I am having a rough week since my doctor's appointment. I have been following his prescribed diet of no more than 1400 calories a day...primarily protein. I am feeling pretty deprived at this point. Not to mention the fact that I ended up sick with a cold this weekend and all I want to do is eat some comfort foods to make me feel better:( I am trying to give this some time but don't know how long I can hold out with the 1400 calories a day if I don't see some results soon:(

lstpaul

I am having a rough week since my doctor's appointment. I have been following his prescribed diet of no more than 1400 calories a day...primarily protein. I am feeling pretty deprived at this point. Not to mention the fact that I ended up sick with a cold this weekend and all I want to do is eat some comfort foods to make me feel better:( I am trying to give this some time but don't know how long I can hold out with the 1400 calories a day if I don't see some results soon:(

:flowerforyou: I'm sorry cdwinters, hang in there! I see you are down 11 pounds now ... that's great!:drinker:
I wasn't seeing any progress on the scale for the last month, so I decided I'd better check on my calorie limits after losing 13 lbs and I discovered that I have been eating a 'maintenance' number of calories for my current weight, so no wonder I wasn't seeing the scale move. I had to move down to 1600 calories this week and am having some trouble with it too. We can do this!

kimcat73

Just realized I forgot to check in on Monday
Last week 265
This week 261.5

I have a feeling it will be up next week as it was my birthday on Saturday and we pretty much celebrated the whole weekend and then TOM showed up so I don't expect much next week. I'll keep ya posted.

On a positive note, it's been really nice to get so many compliments at work. People who see me everyday are starting to notice and are asking how I'm doing it. Of course I talk up MFP and I'm spreading the word! Hope it helps:)

cdwinters

Checking in for this week.

Last week 270
This week 268

I think my body is starting to get used to the fewer calories although I definately still have days where I feel like I could eat everything in sight...but I don't. Things are really crazy at work right now with the beginning of the school year so I am not making it to the gym like I would like. Things will calm down mid September and then I will get back into going to the gym and at least walking and doing some strength training.

I hope everybody else is having a good week:)

lstpaul

Yeah! I finally reached 15 pounds lost! and the scale moved down again after staying the same for about a month! :drinker: