Need to Lose 100 LBS -Robins Thread !

susan2396

Sunday Share: I don't think we had any newbies or folks who I haven't introduced myself so I'm Susan. LOL!!! Weekend was good. Cyrus and I went to see Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters. He's reading a 5-book series for his AR (Accelerated Reading) class at school. I think seeing the movie will encourage him to read. I wish there were movies for all the books. We then had to go to Lenscrafters to get his glasses repaired since the lens popped out. Groceries were next and he was a great help. We came home, put groceries away and then I started cooking. I did a couple packages of Turkey Bacon for Cyrus during the week. He wanted pancakes for dinner while I opted for salad and a little protein. I also did a pan of my Chicken & Artichokes in Garlic Sauce for the week. I'm ready to make this a GREAT week!!!

@ Karen - I'm so glad you enjoyed your weekend and didn't go overboard at Oktoberfest. It's so easy to do that's for sure, but you did get in a great walk so you're covered either way. Nice finds too!!

@ Charlotte - You admitted it now move on. You're right back on track and stay focused this week. With your Thanksgiving possible this coming weekend, you'll want a good week so you can "splurge" a little and celebrate.

@ Kooky - Good job committing to the FitBit! I think you'll like it. I know I have so far.

@ KarenL - Hope you enjoyed your Thanksgiving!!!

@ Beachgirl - We've all been there that's for sure. Some times are bodies just say "no more" and we need a little breather. Take your break and try to get something in tomorrow. Hopefully, the sun will shine soon.

@ Robin - I'm so glad you had a nice evening. I need to start branching out and trying to meet folks. It's hard with my schedule, but I know how important it is to get out there. Glad you're enjoying yourself! I wonder where Kris has been and if she's having computer issues. Normally, she's on her daily. Plus, she started the new job and was waiting to hear about the other one too. Hope she's doing OK.

grandmakaye44

Not my best day. I was feeling really good about the day. I even got in 2 good walks. Then I made peanut brittle. SIL did some pretty major repairs on DH's riding lawn mower without any cost to us except the parts. He loves peanut brittle so I made some for him. Unfortunately, he will not be getting the whole batch. Need I say more?
Hope you've had a great weekend.
Onward and downward. Kaye

PHYLLISALEXIS

Thank you for the invitation. I have lost 6 lbs in 2 days. I know most of it is water retention but it feels good. I decreased my carbohydrate intake and increased my protein intake

RobinsEgg

Phyllis - Welcome - congrats on your weight loss - even if it is as you suspect - water weight - still be proud of it. Good move on getting more protein in your diet!

Happy THanksgiving to our Canadian participants! Have a lovely holiday! (In moderation :bigsmile: )

kinnurse0754

Hi All, Welcome to the new people this week, sorry I've missed a few of you by being away this week. Hope you enjoy the support and friendship this particular site is so well known for. Great group if you're looking for new ideas and support.
Today being Sunday its a day to share, so I'll start by saying Hi, I'm Charlotte. I'm a single working woman, with 2 grown kids and 5 grandkids with 1 more on the way in January. I work full time as a registered nurse on a surgical floor in a community hospital just outside of Toronto, Ontario. I'll be celebrating 40 years nursing next year. I am proud of the fact that I still love nursing even after so many years and so much change in the health care system. I am a people person and love helping.
My daughter and her family live about 2 1/2 hours away from me and she is also a nurse. She started me off with a grand daughter 14 years ago and has added another grand daughter who is 6 and a grandson 4. My son lives in Cochrane, Alberta and he has graced me with 2 grand daughters 5 and 3 and will be adding the last of the grands in January. Don't know the sex but am hoping for a grandson . Will be happy either way but my son is a huge sports fan and his girls are really girly girls. He wants a boy to share his love of sports with.
I've struggled with weight problems since having my kids and have tried all kinds of diets, and programs. I was successful about 25 years ago and got down to about 154 lbs and have never been close since. I kept the weight off for about 2 years and then my ex who was a police officer came home one day and announced he had quit the force to go into real estate. 2 months later the real estate market crashed and we almost lost everything. Needless to say, my weight started going up from stress eating and I've never been able to get it back down into onderland since. I started on MFP about 3 years ago and successfully lost about 60 pounds but went off the program and didn't even notice the weight creeping back on. I restarted the program about 2 months ago at my highest weight ever 314 lb. I don't think I've ever told anyone how much I weighed when I restarted. I'm struggling daily with keeping to a good program of eating. I've yet to start a regular exercise program as I work permanent nights, 12 hour shifts with an hour of drive each way. Doesn't leave much time for anything other than sleeping on the days I work. I used my Wii Fit program the last time I was successful and would like to get back into it but unfortunately am lacking the motivation needed to get started. I know I'll get there. Maybe once I hit my 299 goal, it'll get me motivated. I'm only a few pounds away from it. Hopefully by the end of October I'll be in the 200's again. Thats my goal anyway.
Hope everyone is having a wonderful w/e and to my Canadian friends, enjoy your Thanksgiving dinners. Charlotte

NewCaddy

I've caught up on all the updates (man, this thread does move fast when you aren't on every day ). My weekend was tough. Apparently, you should get enough sleep before you have to drive 7 hours because I was so tired I did end up getting caffeine. And because I don't like coffee and I'm allergic to diet soda, it ended up being in the form of a Mello Yello.

Friday was the Customer Service celebration that started at around 12:30. Our company provided free tap beer (even my favorite - Michelob Golden) and one free appetizer. There were shots going around, but I only did one (apparently, I need to become a Director because he bought a round of shots for the room and by that time there were still around 30-40 of us). I paced myself so I never actually got drunk -- I quit early and just stayed and visited. It was so nice to see so many of my friends/co-workers. Got to bed around 1:30.

Saturday was a busy day. I had lunch plans with a couple dear friends and then got a request to meet another friend for breakfast. I actually did pretty good as my lunch was a chicken sandwich (I even removed some of the bread) and salad. However, it was pretty much sitting on my fanny from 9 - 4 talking with friends. I did get my cleaning done at my house and hit the road to see my best friend who lives 1 1/2 hours to the west.

Sunday, got to visit the morning away and then hit the road. It's always hard to say goodbye to these friends of mine from the last 15-20 years, but knowing that our move has helped Michael rid his life of his alcholic sabotaging friends, makes it all worth it. His best friend in Bismarck doesn't drink and that's been such a positive change in his life. Luckily, technology makes it easy to stay in touch with those that live far away (this thread for example). Again, not enough sleep over the weekend so I ended up buying the sunflower seeds and caffeine to keep me awake and safe on the road.

When I had stepped on the scale Thursday morning I had lost 1.4 pounds. :flowerforyou: However, knowing my challenges for the upcoming weekend, I didn't log the loss. Based on what I saw today, that was a smart move. :sad: But, I'm going to spend today flushing my system and see where I end up. I will probably weigh myself on Wednesday as tonight I'm going to do my lifting routine and a water aerobics class.

Sorry for the long post, but just writing it has made me see where I could do better next time. Not too upset over it though because it was a special time and now I'm back home and back on my routine. Well, better go fill that bottle of water again --- have a great start tot he week!!! :drinker: :drinker: :drinker:

aimeemarie150

Welcome Kinnurse!

This last week was a bust. I went out of town for the weekend, and stayed within my daily calories (kind of), but I haven't hit the gym in a week, and I feel so sluggish. Had my weigh-in yesterday still lost 4 pounds, which is exciting. I think I may be starting to taper off from losing my water weight. I was also very discouraged because I had hoped more people would've acknowledged my weight loss while I was out of town (I only see these people every once in a while), but they did not. After losing 42 pounds, I felt like that would make me look different, but oh well.

Melwillbehealthy

Robin, I live on Lake Ontario, outside of Toronto.

BettyJoCan

The weekend was up and down for me emotionally, but I did pretty good on my food choices. Did get some exercise in - mostly walking. I had a 3.5 lb loss when I stepped on the scale this morning, so I am quite pleased Was definitely a needed improvement over the last few weeks of 2 weeks gaining and 2 weeks no movement. I so enjoy this thread. I feel like I know you all personally and your posts are always great. I feel like we share our victories and our downfalls, so thanks again! Hope we all have a great week

sjacobs425

i'm new, well i don't post much and don't communicate with many as i just dont have the time. but i need to lose 100 lbs and i'm soooo discouraged. thought i'd come here and see if it can help any. i've gotten so much advice from different people but what i'm seeing is 1200 calories works.

i've been told 1450 calories, 1380, 1350, 1700 and don't record workouts, i'm 5'2 and i just don't know how much i should be eating. i started about a month ago. 25 days i think i got serious and dropped my ww membership because it wasn't working. i was loaded with fluid so i took ,my fluid pill and i went from 282 down to 271 and about a week ago i've been fluctuating between 275-279. UGGGGHHHHH. i'm measuring and weighing EVERYTHING. I'[m in the gym at night doing cardio every other night 45 min. opposite nights i do strength with a 20 min elliptical or arc warm up and 45-60 minutes of machines, weights and smith machine. so last week i started, in addition to all this, the jillian 30 day shred. i was away over the weekend, and i just took matters into my own hands and changed my calories to 1200 and i'll run that for a week and see if it works. i will not quit, and something has to give. i'm the girl that has been sedentary and now is a gym rat plus 20 minutes hard cardio in the morning.

anyway sorry to ramble, just wanted to put it out there. i'll follow the rules, so today is monday - my weight was 277.3 i'm drinking only water, it's all i ever drank before. it's almost lunch time so have a great day everyone.

kah68

I've shared some of the articles I receive from my gym periodically, I thought this was another one worth sharing - written by the corporate RD for my gym.

5 Tips for Weight Loss Journaling.

What comes to mind when you think of a weight loss journal? A succession of photos? A food log? Calorie calculations? Daily reflections? Goal visions? A compendium of successes and setbacks along the way? The truth is, a weight loss journal can be anything you want it to be. Above all, however, it should be a positive resource that helps you strategize for success. In the midst of your daily workouts and meal planning, a weight loss journal encourages you to take time to connect with yourself, your behavior patterns, and your developing strengths. Over time, it becomes a record of discovery--discovery of what thinking motivates you, of what strategies work for you, of what vision directs your new, healthy life.

1. Use it to track your behavior, not just calories.

I’ve had a number of clients who spent countless hours tracking minute details of their food intake down to the very last calorie. They had a razor sharp focus on the caloric outcome of each day. Truthfully, their discipline and meticulousness impressed me, but their technical vision lost the forest through the trees. In each case, our discussion revolved around putting aside rigorous calorie counting and focusing on food selection itself. Those single numbers they organized their eating around did them a disservice. They would deliberately restrict calorie--but also nutrient dense--foods like healthy fats just to get their target number below a certain amount. Journaling at its most effective (and encouraging) shouldn’t read like a spreadsheet.
A better approach would be recording compliance to measurable behavior goals like “eat a cup and a half of colorful veggies with every meal” or “drink at least 40 oz of water before noon” or “take at least 15 minutes to finish a meal”? It’s pretty clear when we focus on behaviors, the outcomes are more likely to happen and stick. These behaviors are designed to cultivate habits that increase nourishment – the opposite of restriction. If you journal your food, do so with the intent to change behavior rather than restrict calories or fat grams.

2. Look for bright spots (and repeat them).

Too many people scour their records for missteps only to wallow in their shortfalls. The goal of a weight loss journal, however, shouldn’t ever be punative. Take a more positive approach by focusing on observing successes--and repeating them. You may have to partner with an optimistic supporter to see these in your own journal, but it will be worth it. An example of a bright spot in your journal would be recognizing that you actually made your dinner and added colorful veggies even though you only had 15 minutes to prepare it!

Let’s break that down; 1) your time was limited, but you still made the choice to avoid the drive-thru, 2) you prepared something yourself, and 3) you added veggies? How did that happen (e.g. what did you tell yourself in that moment, what did you have on hand at home, what planning had you done that made it easier), and--more importantly--how can we make more of that happen in the future? Reflecting on--and recording--the how-tos of your past success gives you a roadmap for future successes.

3. Read between the lines.

Better yet, record “between the lines.” Go beyond documenting the obvious (calories, grams, ounces, cups, etc.), and add how you feel, what your mood and energy are like, how much sleep you got, what your stress level is, how fun your workout felt, and the like. If you do this regularly, you’ll begin to see patterns and connections that will guide you toward making better choices across the board. For example, when you go to bed by 10 o’clock, you’re less likely to get cravings the following day or if you work out over your lunch hour you don’t need that afternoon coffee or sugary snack to make it over the mid-afternoon hump.
Document the way you thrive in the new choices and elements you’re adding to your life. Likewise, let yourself revel in the focus on yourself. In my experience, people do far too little reflection as they embark on health and fitness journeys. It’s not just about logistical changes. Appreciate it as an investment in genuine self-care. Look at all the angles of that. How does it feel to invest in yourself? Take the chance daily to bask in the glow of your efforts, and be proud of the choice you’ve made and the effort you put into it! Be connected with yourself in this process.

4. Share it with someone who won’t just judge.

I’ve had clients who were downright ashamed to share their food records with me. Why? Mostly it’s due to their belief that, as a dietitian, I eat perfectly and I might judge them for their choices. (Confession: I’m not perfect either.)
Some clients have had experiences in other weight loss programs in which a staff member looked over their food journal and simply marked it up with red pen sad faces, exclamation points, or other color commentary.
Let me state definitively: the journal is for you, not a professional you consult. Journaling should be about you developing a process-oriented “how-to” book on caring for yourself. The dietician or personal trainer should be a helpful resource but not the target audience. Own your journal the way you own your weight loss process.

5. Use it to get ahead.

My favorite trick to throw in once people are seeing even minor successes from journaling is to get them to use their journal as a secret weapon to bullet-proof themselves. If you’re becoming an expert at documenting what you did do (and it’s working), why not try documenting what you will do in anticipation of that tough day of meetings, tricky week of travel, or next trip to the grocery store?

People are often shocked by this activity because these are usually people who carefully anticipate and plan nearly every other facet of their lives. I’m talking about amazing folks who can tell you what their three-year business plan unfolds or how they plan to get each of their four kids off to different sports tournaments within a two hour period this weekend but they can’t seem to plan where their next vegetable will come from. Simple journaling activities and meal planning can have a profound impact on compliance to your goal behaviors. In short, use your journal to write your destiny.

mnwalkingqueen

Happy Monday!!!

This weekend wasn't to bad. I applied for a part time job it seems so weird needing to work 2 jobs. I went to a new church with a friend. My exercise was mostly just general walking up and down stairs at home and church, walking around the store and church building. I don't seem to think of food much on the weekends like I do during the week at work.

kah68

Well, I discovered what happens to chia seeds when you put them in your yogurt and walk away – they grow! Geez, that was some chewy yogurt! :laugh:

@Tracey~Sounds like you had a great weekend, like you said it was a special occasion – honestly, I think you made some good choices. Don’t be hard on yourself about the soda, it was one soda – it shouldn’t completely derail you, be happy with the rest of the choices you made over the weekend.

@BJ~Terrific loss this week, doing great!

@Karen~I thought of you yesterday when I was procrastinating by looking at runners on line, ran across the coolest looking Asics – so colorful, I talked myself out of them though since I just bought a new pair of Brooks. But if they ever go on sale I cannot be held responsible for my actions!

@sjacobs~Everyone is different and requires different calorie allotments. You might take a look online regarding TDEE (there are even a couple of useful threads on MFP) to help you set your calorie allotment and macros. You are exercising a lot. It sounds strange but to lose weight you need to eat – I cannot tell you how many conversations I have with both my trainer and the registered dietician at my gym that I don’t eat enough. I’ve gone the TDEE route (as many people on this thread have) and I’ve also had resting metabolic rate assessments done to see just how much I need to eat daily. I was surprised to find out it was a lot more than I was actually eating. Now, I know several people that stick to 1,200 calories a day and it works well for them, but personally if I eat that little I will gain weight – I’m too active. Try the 1,200 and see if it works; but for your activity level I think it may be too low. Another recommendation is to checks your macros – MFP has carbs set really high at 55%, for most people it should be much lower (mine is 30% carbs, 40% protein, 30% fat).

Here is a useful thread on MFP regarding TDEE, lots of great info: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/963088-level-obstacles-lose-weight-target-fat-easy

Monday Check-in~Decent weekend, lots of exercise as usual. Good session with my trainer yesterday, he decided to torture me with the battle ropes – I’m guessing that is why my arms a little sore today.

Exercise Goals:

Sunday~Gym, training session DONE!
Monday~Gym, arc trainer or elliptical
Tuesday~Rest Day
Wednesday~Gym, training session
Thursday~Rest Day
Friday~Gym, Stairmill/Weights/Row
Saturday~Running Drills either outside or the gym

Let's make it a great week!

sjacobs425

you are the best! thank you so much for your response!!!

i will continue to forge forward and check out that link. thanks for allowing me to post!

have a blessed day

Alliern45

Hi all I started checking in here late summer...then went on vacation and sort of hit a downward spiral. Sigh. I tried doing a few weeks of Medifast (my friend has a bunch of left over “food” and gave it to me...I would do well during the week and then tank on the weekends...NOT healthy. I think I finally figured out that this has to be a life style change and it has to be about portion control, choices and EXERCIZE! I knew this but I think I am finally ready to accept that there is no quick fix. It is going to take time and commitment to living a healthy lifestyle. I hope I can use this group to find support and stay accountable.

A bit about me. I am a 45 year old married mother of a tween and a teen. I have an active family and my DH who is 8 years older is in great shape. NO ONE in my family is overweight. My weight issues started after the birth of my second child (12 YEARS ago) I stayed about 30-35 pounds overweight until both of my parents died 7.5 and 3.5 years ago...I started numbing out with too much food and too much wine and not enough movement. Gained another 35...One day I stepped on the scale and was 210#...I am 5’5” and curvy so I think I need to be somewhere between 130-140ish. UGH. It seems like Mount Everest is looming in front of me. Sometimes it is paralyzing. I want to wear the beautiful clothes I have in my closet...some still with tags. I hate living my life in scrubs (for work) and yoga pants and elastic waist skirts...I work FT as an Oncology Nurse. I moved from acute/critical care Oncology (mostly surgical about 25% medical) which was extremely stressful and 3 long 12-14 hours days...to Outpatient Oncology (100% medical) much less stressful and 1-12hr 2-9hrs & 1-4hr day...no nights, no holidays, no weekends. I love it BUT. I am more sedentary (I administer Chemotherapy, transfusions and infusions and do a ton of education with patients) and there are always treats around (from the patients/families) and lots of catered lunches (usually not too healthy...Italian and the like). I just have not been able to find my groove for healthy living. But I committed to myself and started logging everything. My goal for this week is to exercise one hour on my days off...30 min on 9 hour work days and nothing on my 12 hour days. I have started walking on the treadmill. slow and steady with intervals and a little slogging. LOL. So this week looks like; Sat 1hr (done) Sun 1hr (done) Monday 1hr (about to do) Tuesday 30min, Wed OFF, Thursday 1hr, Friday OFF (as I am doing 2-12 and 1-9 this week).

So far I have come in under calories all weekend EVEN with wine (which I am limiting to the weekends only).
ONWARD!
Allie

sjacobs425

allie,
i'm new so all i have to offer is friendship and moral support. advice, knowledge and the likes are something i'm learning. keep at it, keep pushing and stay focused.

FrauHaas2013

You guys are all so supportive and nice - I love it!!! I had fun this weekend. My Hubby and I went to a new grocery store that had a HUGE produce and veggie section, both organic and non-organic. We loaded up our cart and spent a few hundred dollars! (We did buy a few other things than fruits/veggies, mind you).

susan2396

Monday Check-In: Happy Monday everyone! Weekend was good just busy. With being out of town on business last weekend, I needed to play catch up this weekend with a ton of errands. Plus, this coming weekend we've got the Color Me Rad 5K on Saturday and birthday on Sunday. Fun, fun! I then leave bright and early Monday AM for two conference in Orlando and back late Thursday. Next week is going to be long.

@ Kelley - Thanks for the gym articles. Really good stuff. I've always been pretty good about adding comments in the Note section just so I reminded myself why I made some of those choices that day. I always figure the more I can tell myself I can always have reminders for later.

@BJ - Way to hang in there and nice loss!!

@ Tracey - What a week for you. Super busy, but sounds like you made some good choices overall. It's nice to visit, but also nice to realize the reason you left too. It sounds like it was the best move for your whole family too.

@ Queen - What kind of church did you visit? My son and I visited a new one this weekend as well. We both enjoyed it. Definitely much larger than our current one so we want to visit a few more times before making a change if we do. It's so important to find that right place that fits what you need.

@ Alliern - Patience has been my Wednesday Wish for weeks and probably will be going forward. I want this weight gone immediately, but I know that's not happening. It's taken me awhile and the weight is really slow to come off, but like you said I'm making lifestyle changes. I have been learning other things though like becoming a true daily food logger, paying more attention to my macros, trying to exercise every day or at least 5 times a week, keeping positive people around me, and getting stronger through my exercise. I know the weight will eventually start to come off, it's these other life lessons I'm learning that will help carry me through. Baby steps.

@ Sjacobs - You've found the right place for advice. The folks on here are amazing and always provide great insight. Everyone has to find that right program for them. I was trying 1,200 and it wasn't right for me. Like Kelley, my trainer agreed that I was not getting enough calories either for the amount of exercise I was doing. Also, the intensity of the exercise plays a big part as well. Some people do well on the high carb/low protein while others need the high carb/low protein. All of our bodies are different so you have to find the right fit for you. I think the one thing we all agree is eating less/moving more will benefit all of us.

Kookyk9s

Got up at 4:45 am and by 6:30 had been on the computer for more than 1 hour. I was looking at Insanity because many have talked about it on MFP. Then the ridiculousness of it struck me. I am sitting like a slug with 8 dogs wanting to go for a walk and I am looking up exercise DVDs. HUH!! Shut the computer off and took 2 dogs for a walk. Started with a starry night and watched the sun come up by the time we were home 90 minutes and 5 miles later. Felt great and still feel pretty good that that is done for the day. Met my girlfriend for brunch and ate well - no regrets. Now thinking that I need to do this exercise thing in the am. I am too full of excuses in the evening when I am already tired from working all day. Not physically tired but mentally worn out. Still have dogs bugging me to go for walk. Maybe short one for the little ones tonight.

FrauHaas2013 - I have given up on fresh produce. Unless I buy only what I am going to eat on a given day too much of it rots in the fridge. Frozen is the way for me. - thaw only what you cook and eat. Less waste when good intentions go awry. Your new grocery store does look great. Just the kind that could tempt me to buy too much and watch it rot - But that is me not you. Cannot eat veggies if they are not in the house in some form so good for you changing your eating/purchasing habits.

GorillaNJ

well your buddy Gorilla is doing pretty ****astitc... not exactly feeling well fighting a cold, have lots of crap clouding my brain... I have no made the best of eating decisions and my workouts have been impacted, especially cardio wise.

Had a very busy weekend which did not include enough sleep... I am kind of paying for it today, going to take one more rest day from cardio... and lift tomorrow morning.