Need to Lose 100 LBS -Robins Thread !

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  • kah68
    kah68 Posts: 1,515 Member
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    Good Morning.

    @Nettie~I wear the larger Flex band for the same reason, I like changing out the band though so currently have 4 different colors.

    @Karen~Hooray for new runners and finding a great deal! I can completely sympathize with the scales unwillingness to budge, it’s always hard to know what to change. I honestly think your macros look good. My recommendation is to increase your water from 8 glasses to 11 and see how your body responds – two weeks ago I increased my water from 12 to 16 glasses and had that huge loss recently.

    @Tanya~I think it’s a consensus, that soup did sound terrible – not sure how you finished it. Anything with protein/fiber is going to make you feel full longer – snacks for me usually include a piece of fruit with string cheese, yogurt with some nuts, or a half a peanut butter sandwich. I also like turkey jerky as a fill-in for protein – I think I remember you saying you don’t eat meat so maybe try a combo of fruit/veggie with some protein such as cheese or peanut/almond butter. Also, one of my “go-to” snacks in the evening is a bowl of cereal with almond milk.

    @Haley~Sounds like you had a great weekend with your old college roomie!

    @Tigredia~How nice that a trainer at the gym gave you some pointers on stuff to do at home until you reach a comfort level for working out there, I don’t know of a lot of trainers that would do that.

    AFM~Sadly the Olympics are over.:sad: Busy day yesterday getting caught up with stuff around the house. Good session with trainer, more battle ropes but we didn’t do intervals yesterday during my session since my active metabolic assessment is this afternoon. No change on the scale pound-wise but did drop 4% in BF% when I weighed in with my trainer yesterday – not surprised as I had that huge loss last week but was really surprised I had lost that much BF – I’ll take it! :wink: Hopefully I’ll fare better in the exercise department this week, work shouldn't interfere with my schedule – so far no afternoon meetings.

    Exercise Goals this week:

    Sunday~Session with trainer DONE!
    Monday~Active Metabolic Assessment
    Tuesday~Racquetball with trainer
    Wednesday~Cardio
    Thursday~Session with Trainer
    Friday~Rest Day
    Saturday~Cardio

    Have a great day!
  • ushkii
    ushkii Posts: 472 Member
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    Monday check-in: Hello all the scale was very nice to me today, I think it know I need a break. I am going to add water to my goals and keep the other the same.

    humbleheart - Great job on the walking, WTG.
    OmahaRocks - Your in!
    Skinnyjeans - Thanks, sometimes you need a little break.
    L2T - That is a great story of your travel! It is what i needed to keep on my path. I want to travel later this year. TY.


    Goals:
    A: Under Cal. goal 4/7 days
    B: Walk 3/7 days
    C: Drink 8 cups 3/7 days

    Mon:
    Tue:
    Wed:
    Thur:
    Fri:
    Sat:
    Sun:
  • JNettie73
    JNettie73 Posts: 1,208 Member
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    Monday - All the sodium and lack of water these past few days has shown on the scale. I know it is temporary but frustrating. I am going to try extra hard to make this week a really good week.

    I am pretty sure I mentioned it before that I am a gardener. A few weeks ago I planted all my tomato plants. Last Thursday I planted the rest of my seeds. I noticed yesterday my arugula and escarole have already begun to sprout. I am so excited. I spent most of yesterday surfing the web and pinning gardening ideas to Pinterest. I am looking forward to the snow melting so I can get outside and prep my soil for planting.

    Humbleheart - Wahoo for the walks in the sun. That sounds heavenly. Wahoo for the loss!

    jtconst - Glad to hear you had a great road trip.

    cjen - I completely understand your frustration. I have been there myself. When you first start out it is a good thing to log everything you eat and be honest about it. It helps you to see how much your are actually eating. You can go from there and begin to make changes. I recommend starting slow and working on one change at a time. I promise you it does get easier the longer you stick with it. Best of luck to you!

    Tanya - Sorry to hear the soup was gross.

    Laurie - LOL my tires are definitely flat. They were that way when I had the bright idea to ride my bike from the garage to the shed for the winter. Unfortunately while riding across the grass I managed to fall off and hurt myself. I think I may have posted about it on here a while ago. The first thing I definitely need to do is pump up those tires. I am wondering if buying an extra wide seat would help any. Right now I have a gel cushion over the seat the bike came with.
    That is great that you found your glove. You must have been so happy!

    OmahaRocks - Welcome!

    Skinny - Good point about the sodium and body fat. I was thinking more in terms of water weight from it. I know that definitely is my problem as of right now. I just have not been wanting to drink much of anything and my sodium has been all over the place.
    I am a bit nervous for tomorrow when the adjuster comes. Brian has taken the morning off so he will be here as well. I am hoping for good news.

    Hayley - Sounds like you had a great time this weekend. Glad you made it to the gym. Best of luck making it to the gym 3x this week. I know you can do it!

    Tigreda - If you sodium number is in the green then I would say you are ok. Your water consumption sounds good too. I typically drink 10-12 glasses of water. How do you measure your food? Are you using a kitchen scale? Measuring cups and spoons? Or a combination of both? Have you been logging everything? I would start by looking at those things first. Then maybe try changing around how many calories you are consuming or changing up your exercise routine.

    Lives - I am glad to hear you had a great time in Boston. But I am even happier to hear about your epiphany! That is truly one of the best NSVs I have ever heard. Congrats. You have a lot to be proud of.

    Kah - It makes me feel better knowing I am not the only one purposely wearing Fitbit larger. :wink:
    Congrats on the drop in body fat % that is great!

    Ushkii - Glad to hear the scale was kind to you. I really like that you added a drinking more water goal.
  • mnwalkingqueen
    mnwalkingqueen Posts: 1,299 Member
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    I know it is not confession day.....I have been going through some major issues that basically put me in a pity party mind frame where all I wanted to do was eat junk and isolate myself. I did just that being my son is gone so much it was easy to do and I only interacted with him. Well needless to say it took a toll on my health and I got some bad test results from the doctor.
    So I am pulling up my big girl pants and putting on my big girl shoes starting this journey over again for the 4th time. I know I can do it I was on the right path for a very long time. My plan right now is to start back with proper food and keep my daily walks, once that is going good I will add more fitness.
    I will say this also I have lived in MN my whole life and winters are hard but this year has been the worst for me and I think it has to do with owning my own home. Wouldn't change it for the world but learned how to deal with winter better next year.
  • shantanorris
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    Hi NEWBIE HERE!!! I Hope I am doing this correctly in joining the group...Just to post right? ;) well a tad bit about myself... I am a 27 years old working mother of two beautiful babies(boy and girl) And enjoy every minute of it! I am looking to lose 50 pounds however long that takes(though the sooner the better) and i'm trying to first and foremost do so in a healthy way. My goal calorie intake by MFP is 1780, however I've been between 1300-1480. Hopefully this is good?? I am walking and attempting different cardio exercises as well as drinking atleast 10-12 cups of water daily and though I haven't checked the scale yet (i've heard it's best to do every other week?) I feel that I am succesfully losing inches!!!

    My only snag that i'm having is still feeling hungry and not sure what to do... I know it's not healthy to ignore the body and NOT eat but I know constant snacking raises your calorie intake( even "good" snacks).

    It's not just "boredom" hungry because I stay busy...it's actually FEELING hungry...lol! Sooo trying for alittle support here what is best to fill the gaps when hunger strikes!? I just don't want to get to a point where I slip up and indulge in a horrible meal b/c i've felt hungry all day. OR risk my metabolism slowing down b/c my body feels that i'm starving it?

    Any good advice is MUCH appreciated thanks and hope to hear from you soon!!!
  • grandmakaye44
    grandmakaye44 Posts: 1,205 Member
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    Good morning, it sounds like it was a good weekend. It was good for me, too. I got in some really good walks. The weather is just beautiful. And the scale has finally started to move slowly in the right direction.
    L2T, your post really resonated with me. As I read I was thinking, 'that is just how I feel'. Then I looked at your ticker and realized that we have lost nearly the same amount of weight. It is enough to completely change our life-style. I still want to lose around 20#, but definitely feel that the pressure is off.
    Because I can't toggle back and forth on my Surface, I don't remember who said they were afraid they didn't have time to lose the weight. I am 69 years old. The last 18 months have really changed my life and my health. You can do this. Stick with this group. You will get lots of encouragement and good advice.
    I'm still working on my GHD challenge goals. I'm doing great on getting some exercise every day, and struggling with the water, but doing better than before.
    Onward and downward. Kaye
  • grandmakaye44
    grandmakaye44 Posts: 1,205 Member
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    Walking queen, welcome back. You can do this! We're here to help.
    Shanta, I don't have a lot of advice. Just remember that food is fuel. I have been on 1200 calories until recently. To do that you have to cook from scratch, and avoid high-calorie drinks such as sodas and alcohol. I also avoid juices because whole fruit is more filling for the number of calories. That said, I do allow myself treats. Be sure that the changes you make are changes that you can live with for the rest of your life so you won't be doing this again when you are my age. Stay with us. There are lots of people here who have lots of experience and good advice.
    Onward and downward. Kaye
  • kah68
    kah68 Posts: 1,515 Member
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    @L2T~Sounds like a great trip to visit your daughter and what a great epiphany. We need to remind ourselves sometimes that its more than that number on the scale, we need to remember where we came from and how far we’ve come.

    @Shanta~Most likely you are feeling hungry because you are lacking in one area, possibly protein. It looks like you have around 300 calories to play around with, try and fill in the gaps with seeds, nuts, protein shakes, etc. There is nothing wrong with snacking, it helps to stabilize your metabolism – just remember to track it. Kaye also gave some excellent advice, as I’m sure others will do as the day progresses.

    @Holly~Great to see you. I’m sorry you’ve been thru a rough patch and the doc gave you less than desirable news – you’ve got a great plan! I think a lot of people are suffering from the winter blues – the crazy weather is wearing on everyone. Spring is in sight though. How is the puppy?
  • karenleona
    karenleona Posts: 3,959 Member
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    had a refreshing, windy, snowy walk home from the lab today. Fingers crossed that the numbers are where they need to be today.
    We got about 10 inches of snow over the weekend. Not much compared to other areas but totally unusual for here.
    I am not able to sweep or shovel so ,thankfully, one of my renters cleared the sidewalk and steps for me. It was so hard to sit and listen to her doing it as i am used to doing everything myself!
    Not a total loss over the weekend but not totally good either. I seem to do better when my daughter is home in the evening.Over the past two months i have gained and lost many pounds but now seem to be exactly where i started jan 1. Hoped to be less by now but surgery has interfered.. Still trying to get a handle on the food. Slowly making progress.
    I can't wait till i can do pilates again!! I really liked it, once i got over the sore muscles!
  • rainandwood93
    rainandwood93 Posts: 121 Member
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    Hello everyone
    Not much to report. Still feeling absolutely exhausted, but I can't figure out if it's that I'm not eating enough, if I'm training to hard (I'm on my last week of 5k training) or if I'm coming down with something. I'm sleeping extremely deeply though which is really unusual for me, so maybe it's a good thing. Still managing to get in my daily workout, and did 5k yesterday during a 50 minute training run. Hopefully I snap out of this, as I don't have an appointment with the dietitian for another week and a half, and have been avoiding student health like the plague.

    Might just work up the nerve to go to the weight room and do some simple upper body stuff with the machines, but even if I manage not to feel awkward I have no idea what sort of reps/movements/weights I should be starting at.

    Goals for this coming week are to run 5k without stopping by Sunday, continue to not go overboard with sweets at the dining hall, and figure out what's going on with my body!

    @L2T I'm glad you had a great time in Boston! I lived there last year and miss that city terribly. I also loved how walkable it is, especially given my new residence in LA!


    @Lauriek Thanks for the advice. I have a hard time thinking about upping my calories, just because I suspect I'm already eating more than the info I have (they must sneak oil into lots of things in the dining hall) but you're right that I might need to reconsider. Luckily, I do eat a fairly reasonable amount of steamed vegetables every day, since that's often one of the "sure bets" I see when I enter the mainline area at school!

    @skinnyjeanz Thanks for the encouragement! I know I shouldn't be so worried about it. Generally, most people I meet at college (I'm a transfer student, so I'm new) are wonderful and kind, and I guess I shouldn't think the hardcore male athletes would be different. I think I'd be less worried if I didn't have classes with these people, but I'll never be comfortable in my own skin until I start feeling stronger so I'll try and bite the bullet today...
  • kah68
    kah68 Posts: 1,515 Member
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    @rainandwood~Are you running every day? If so, it could be part of the reason you feel tired – break up the 5k program so that you are running every 2-3 days. The idea of lifting weights (free weights or otherwise) is to lift the muscle to failure, which is the point at which you cannot complete another push or pull movement without doing it improperly – you’ll feel it. Start out with a really low weight (use the lowest setting on the stack) and low reps (start out with 8, work up to 10-12) – do 3 sets of reps, resting in between for a count of eight (subsequently, if you are doing 10 reps rest for a count of 10 in between). If you don’t feel the muscle fail, add additional weight the next time you do weights. It may take you a week or so do figure out what the best weight is for you – once you reach a comfort level with weights and/or reps, increase your weight in small increments and repeat. Remember that if you do a full-body lifting session to give yourself a day in between, so the muscle can recover. Most of all – have fun! :happy:
  • aimeemarie150
    aimeemarie150 Posts: 354 Member
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    @rainandwood - look on bodybuilding.com there are a ton of exercises, what areas of the body they target, and how to do them (they even have videos). Be sure to use proper form. If you're not sure, ask for help!

    @karen- 10"? ick!

    @shanta- you have more than enough calories, but be sure you're making good decisions in terms of WHAT to eat. If I eat one big mac i'll feel a lot hungrier than if I eat a huge salad and some baked chicken.

    @walkingqueen- you've got this!

    AFM- I had a MAJOR cheat weekend. First full on cheat in my 6 months doing this. I was well over 2500 calories each day (Not necessarily food.) The good news is that I only gained one pound on this, so I'm at 223.8. I'm not happy with that number, but I'm hoping that I did shock my system. I don't feel guilty for my binge because everyone is allowed to cheat, and I planned ahead for it. I'm hoping for a loss this week now that I'm back down into my normal calorie range.
  • hansea47
    hansea47 Posts: 353 Member
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    Boo. I forgot to check in on the thread last night. It was a long day away from home, so I guess that's a good enough excuse for wrecking my GHD Challenge streak. Back on board for the rest of this week!

    We had such a busy weekend! Saturday was soccer for most of the morning and then a trip to my parents' house. Sunday was church, a bowling party for my niece's 5th birthday, shopping, and we took our kids to see the Lego Movie in 3D. (So fun to watch the kids' reactions to their first 3D movie!)

    So, between the popcorn, pizza, cupcakes and eating out, it was not a great weekend nutrition-wise, but I'm okay with that.

    My plan for the week is to try and get more sleep. I need to be going to bed earlier. I started tonight by making my kids go to bed 45 minutes earlier. The earlier they go, the earlier I go! :smile:

    @Hayley- Sounds like a great time with your friend...what a wonderful influence she is...making you work out and all!

    @Karen- With the surgery getting in the way, I think it's awesome that you've lost the weight you've gained and that you're basically holding steady since Jan 1st. Slowly, but surely you'll start dropping pounds as your healing improves.

    @L2T- Thanks for the epiphany share. It's nice to get a reminder that we should put things in perspective. Even the small accomplishments need to be remembered and celebrated, let alone the big, life-changing stuff!

    Welcome to all the newbies! There's some very positive people on this thread. I've only been here a short time, but I've found them very encouraging!
  • jtconst
    jtconst Posts: 641 Member
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    Good evening everyone. I had an uneventful day. I was initially over on calories since my dad pulled out the summer sausage and cheese while we were playing cards and I already had a very high cal dinner prepped. I was ready to log it and move on for the day and then my son suggested going to shoot hoops after dinner. At first I blew him off but then gave in and went and now couldn't be happier. Not only did it put me back in the black for the day but I ffeel great.
    Well I am going to go snuggle with hubby so have a great night everyone.:heart::drinker: :flowerforyou:
  • Lauriek70
    Lauriek70 Posts: 2,087 Member
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    Welcome to the newbie's. You will find great support if you continue to come back and join in the discussions. Don't hesitate to ask questions or for advice.

    L2T- Congrats on your NSV and as you said that is what we are working towards.:drinker: :drinker: Cheers to your success.:drinker: :drinker:

    Shanta- Welcome-The amount of food you are eating really depends on what you are eating. Try eating foods high in protein: lean meats, legumes, Carbs: more whole grains, fresh fruits and veggies. As someone else said it is okay to snack. Since you are feeling hungry you most likely need to eat some more or space out your meals throughout the day.

    I had another great day of exercise with my trainer. I ran 2 miles today in about 20 minutes. Not bad considering, I have not run in almost three weeks. This was suppose to be an easy run but I ended up pushing myself. The reason was that I did not want to stop because of side stitches starting up so I pushed through it. I finally stopped at 2 miles even through the side stitches were really bad. I am one of those people who has a problem with side stitches but I have been assured that they go away over time and practice. After the run, we worked on strength training for the upper body. I have a new favorite exercise: planks on the ball, you walk your hands out until your knees are on the ball, toes pointed and your core is totally engaged. I will do those again. We also added bicep curls, hammer curls and swim arms so a good workout overall.

    I have a busy week ahead so I need to make the time to workout and hopefully get a swim in before Sunday. The triathlon is 2 weeks away. I am running out of time to train so I need to make the most of it.
  • Tigredia
    Tigredia Posts: 107 Member
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    Just checking in = I have been looking at my calories. I increased my carbs. I think that might help my choc binges.

    Nettie - I do measure everything. It depends what it is if I use scale or measure cup/spoon. I am going to try and drink more water and eat more small meals. I have been eating basically once a day.

    Kah - The trainer at the gym is my girlfriends husband. He is great.

    MNWalkin= Where in MN? I'm from Duluth but live in AZ now.

    Shanta - Welcome _ I'm a newbie also. I am still trying to get my calories and carbs, protein fat regulated.

    Karen Hope your numbers are good

    Alu We had the same kind of weekend. Lets hold hands and jump into a new week of eating healhy.

    Bless you all for being here

    LL
  • skinnyjeanzbound
    skinnyjeanzbound Posts: 3,932 Member
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    Hi guys!

    Thanks for all of the feedback about my scale frustrations--it really means a lot that you all care so much and many of you know where I'm coming from.

    @laurie--sounds like you are killing it in the gym--I can't believe your tri is only 2 weeks away! I used to get side stitches when I first started running. I found something online that said to exhale forcefully as you come down on your opposite foot of the stitch. So if the stitch is on your right side, push the air out of your lungs forcefully as you come down on your left foot. Do that several times, and the stitch will go away. I know it sounds weird, but it worked for me. Couldn't hurt to try it, right?

    @hansea--sorry you messed up your streak, but I know you will finish strong this week! :flowerforyou:

    @alupinsk--we all have those weekends--and as you said, it can sometimes be a good shock to the system.

    @rain--I second kelley's advice to limit running to every other day--running every day when you're just starting out can lead to injury. You'll also find that you make bigger gains in endurance and speed if you rest your running muscles for a day or two between training runs.

    @karenleona--ugh--10 inches of snow sounds awful. A lot of ours has melted, but we are due for more flurries tonight and tomorrow. :grumble:

    @kaye--glad you've been able to take advantage of the nice weather! :flowerforyou:

    @shanta--welcome! Ditto what others have said about eating the right foods to stay full. Also, it's hard to say whether eating below the MFP calorie allowance is "good"--it depends upon a couple of factors. What is your deficit? Are you set to lose 1 lb/week? 2lbs/week? If you are set at 2, it may not be wise to eat below the calorie allowance--your body may need that fuel to function properly. Also, what is you activity level set as and are you exercising? If you have the activity level set at sedentary, but you are working out, are logging and eating back exercise calories. If not, that could explain your hunger. I agree that you don't want to snack on "junky" choices, but if your body needs more food, don't ignore that either. :flowerforyou:

    @holly--Yay!! I'm so glad to see you back here!. I was getting worried b/c you hadn't logged on in so long. I feel the same way as you about this winter. I'm used to severe weather here in Chicago, but this Chiberia crap has got to go! :laugh: I am SOOO ready for spring!

    @nettie--I really enjoy gardening and doing yard work, but I'm so clueless about what to plant when. My SIL is very knowledgeable and bought me some books when we first bought our house. However, they weren't that helpful b/c they assumed I would understand basic gardening terms, which I don't. :ohwell: I think I need to look for "Gardening for Dummies"--I bet it exists. :tongue:

    @ushkii--hooray for nice scales!! :drinker:

    @kelley--awesome on the BF loss! :drinker: I usually drink between 8-10 glasses of water/day, so this week I am shooting for 12/day.

    @L2T--I LOVED reading your post!! What you said really resonated with me b/c I have also been frustrated with the scale lately. Thanks for that reminder about how much better my life is even if I'm not at my goal yet! :heart:

    @tigredia--sounds like you are in a similar frame of mind as many of us--I wonder how much the weather plays into this? I don't have a perfect answer for you, but I also suffer from those same sleep issues. I've been an insomniac all of my life--can't fall asleep, but once I'm down nothing wakes me. I can say that I know when I get more sleep, my weight goes down. I've read that our bodies burn a lot of calories healing any damaged cells in our bodies while we sleep which is a big reason it's tied to weight loss.

    @hayley--sounds like a wonderful visit with your friend!! :flowerforyou:

    Monday Check-in:
    After contemplating my lack of progress (and admittedly having a tiny pity party for myself), I've decided on a course of action to try to get the scale moving again. 1) I'm upping my water intake to 12 glasses/day 2) I'm going to zig-zag my calories for a few weeks and see if that makes a difference. I've had luck with that strategy in the past, so I figure it can't hurt. I used the calculator at freedieting,com figuring in 4 days of exercise. My goal is to make it to the gym 4 days/week. However, I think if I only make it there 3, my daily walks with gunner should make up for one of those workouts.

    Groundhog Day Challenge:
    21/28 days at 100g or more of protein

    Grading goals:
    1. x/71 Canterbury questions
    2. re-read Great Gatsby DID MORE
    3. x/50 AP journals

    Exercise goals:
    Mon--walk gunner DONE
    Tues--walk gunner + gym (circuit training + HIIT)
    Wed--walk gunner
    Thurs--walk gunner + gym (circuit training + HIIT)
    Fri--rest day
    Sat--walk gunner + gym (circuit training + HIIT)
    Sun--walk gunner + gym (cardio)
  • hayley5680
    hayley5680 Posts: 36 Member
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    I didn't want to log today, so I put it off as long as I could. Every time I turned around, I was in the fridge. Also, we ate at Hardee's for lunch. I tried to do okay, not great, but okay...I had the turkey burger, which is actually really good. Then I messed up and ate all the fries, too! GAH! I kept with my New Year's Resolution and didn't have pop ( I had tea) and I felt good about that.

    Basically, I'm just checking in and hope everyone had a good day. I'm ready to start tomorrow!

    loves :love:
  • aimeemarie150
    aimeemarie150 Posts: 354 Member
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    @hayley--I want to give you some tough love. You HAVE to log when you eat it. Log it before you even put it in your mouth. That way there's no damage done yet, and you're seeing just how far it pushes your little calorie ticker on your diary. I was in the same place as you, where I was always in the fridge. Focus on what you're eating. If you eat better foods, you'll feel more full, and you'll stay full longer. Your body is probably addicted to sugars (mine was), and it's really hard to overcome that. Another suggestion is to log whatever you're planning to eat during the day in the morning and stick to it! That way you're limited to what you planned to eat and it should be within your calorie range. Your turkey burger had 460 calories, plus an additional 564 calories for a medium fry. While the turkey burger is more healthy, you could've gotten McDonads grilled wrap (420 calories) and 2 bags of apple slices (30 calories) and had a very filling meal. If you eat fast food a lot, be sure to know what's high in calories, and what isn't. Education on WHAT to eat is one of THE MOST important aspects of this journey if you want to be successful. I'm sending you SO many good vibes right now, and if you need ANYTHING...message me! :)
  • JNettie73
    JNettie73 Posts: 1,208 Member
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    Goals: This week my goal is to keep my sodium in check and get my water in. Of course I am still working on my GHC goal of protein. This weekend I would like to go shopping for my running sneakers.

    MNWalking - Sorry to hear you are struggling and received a bad report from your doctor. Sounds like you have a good plan in place. I wish you the strength to pull yourself out of this funk and stick with it. I know you can do it!

    Shantanorris - Welcome. From the numbers you posted it seems like you are coming in 300-400 calories under your goal. If you are feeling hungry and still have calories left then by all means you should eat a little something especially if you are exercising. There are a lot of different snacks you can have such as some fruit, some veggies with dip or humus, peanut butter and apples, nuts, trail mix, smoothies, granola bars, cheese and so on. You can also try bumping up your protein intake, this should help you feel full longer. There is really no right or wrong answer as to what you choose to eat. There are so many different dietary types and needs out there. The best thing is for you to experiment and select which one works for you and your lifestyle. It sounds like you are doing a great job getting in your water and fitting in some exercise. As far as weighing, I believe it also is a personal preference. You can step on the scale as little or as much as you like as long as it works for you. In addition to weighing I highly recommend taking progress pictures as well as body measurements. Best of luck to you!

    Kaye - Congrats on the scale moving again!

    JTconst - Good for you for getting out there and moving with your son!

    Tigredia - Just curious why you have been eating once a day? I could never do that. I eat 4-6 times a day. Breakfast, lunch and dinner and some snacks in between. But that is just what works for me. Everyone is different.

    Skinny - Best of luck to you with your new plan. I love that you self-evaluate and are willing to try something different rather than give up because things aren't going the right way. I think that is an important lesson that we can all learn. No matter how much we work at something sometimes things just don't go our way. It happens. It is important that we recognize this, reevaluate and change things up rather than give up. Thanks for being a reminder of this!
    LOL to Gardening for Dummies. It actually exists. I know this because I own it. :blushing: I bought it years ago when I worked as a recreation therapist in a nursing home. My boss put me in charge of the gardening program, something which I knew nothing about. I bought the book to help get me started. It's been so long that I don't remember if it was helpful. The more you garden you begin to become familiar with when and where to plant certain plants that you frequently incorporate into your gardens. I find it very relaxing and a good stress reliever. :love:

    Hayley - I agree with what Alupinsk said. It's the truth. Logging before I eat it has helped me so much when I was first starting out. It helped me to think twice before putting it in my mouth. You won't have success with this site if you are not logging and being honest with yourself. I know you CAN do this. You now have to believe in yourself and do it!