Any More Chubby Twenties?

rinren84

Wow you guys are great, thanks for all the welcomes. I really do need support and motivation. But I am doing better. I was so proud of myself last night. We went to Bandana’s for lunch and probably didn’t make the best choice, but I actually made up for it in eating a really healthy low calorie (not to mention delicious) dinner. Normally I would just sabotage myself and decide that since I had eaten badly at lunch I might as well just eat crap for dinner. I can’t believe all of you crazy cleaners! You all would think my house is a filthy mess.

Saturday I picked up some fun workout videos. I can’t really force myself to go to a gym yet, so I picked up some cardio dance workouts. I was surprised how hard they were. When they say dancing off the pounds they really mean it! Has anyone tried Yoga Fit or have any experience with it?

pattitricia85

Jenn-that is a great idea about the water bottles! Thank-you!
Carrie- If you don't show a loss this week don't sweat it! It sounds like you are doing everything right. Sometimes i won't lose for a week or two (even though i am doing everything right) then all of a sudden i'll have a 2.5 pound loss or more.

cminter007

I am 20 soon to be 21~
I would def join the twenties group!
i weigh 173 lbs, and don't enjoy it at all.
my target goal is 135 which is what i weighed in high school.
good luck to y'all~

mandijo

Woo hoo ladies (and maybe some boys?? lol) ! I lost 1.1 on the scale this week. It's not a ton, but definitely needed to see some sort of negative after the holidays. I'll take it

Welcome cminter007! I've only been here less than a week and I love it already. You will too I'm sure!

jb- we all have our days when that sweet tooth kicks in. It won't make or break you and at least you are still motivated to keep going. The old me would have said well crap, I blew it for the week, I'll try again Monday. No wonder I'm almost 200 pounds! Right now I'm only doing treadmill, but I do have a kickboxing DVD from when I tried P90X. Maybe I'll pop it in one of these nights!!

Seriously girls, if you have an hour in your day and you want something that will kick butt.....do P90X. Hardest workouts of my life, but so worth it. I'm not doing them right now due to lack of time. I'd never see my family, but if you have it, it's worth it!!

Carrie- I've never heard that it takes your body time to process. I am constantly hearing the muscle weighs more than fat. I'll have to keep that in mind! Nevertheless Pattitricia is right, one of these weeks you'll see a major loss. Now that I think about it, when I was in weight watchers, my leader did say that sometimes weigh ins can be a week behind so maybe it's next week's weigh in that will be the doozie!! Either way, I'm rootin for you!!

Pattitricia- I think the money thing is always a good incentive. As for prizes what about gift cards for like massages or pedis?? That's one of my rewards. I don't know if that totally is out of the price range. Otherwise little trinkets that remind them of how much they've lost?? Charms for charm bracelets. I don't know!! I'll keep thinking.

Good luck for those of you weighing in tomorrow! Can't wait to check in. Night everyone!!

Mandi

balihimoon22

I can definitely relate...to most of what you say. The difference is, I'm 30! I've spent much of my 20s feeling like I wasn't in my prime shape & should be. I've never really been super hard on myself (I've always wanted to like myself just the way I am) however, I've reached a limit. I'm 5'3" and was weighing 158 at my heaviest (approximately 30-40 pounds for where I wanted to be.) Gradually, over the past 6 months I've begun the journey toward a healthier weight & a happier/healthier me! It is a gradual process. My focus has been on fitness & feeling good rather than a specific goal weight or dress size.

What has worked so far?
1.) Exercise that I actually enjoy!!! (It doesn't feel like such a chore, because I love to walk around my neighborhood, I LOVE yoga, I love to dance, and I enjoy tennis.) Exercise that feels like fun means I'm more likely to do it. Also, having a kick-*kitten* mix on my ipod keeps my pace up for walking (to the beat) & really motivates me to walk for a whole playlist (I have one that's 30 minutes, on that's 60 & one that's 90). In particular, Black Eyed Peas, Shakira, U2, Gypsy Kings, and Beyonce put an extra bounce in your step, but pick genres or artists that fit your tastes & the faster the pace the better!

2.) Nutrition-I simply feel better when I eat healthy food. I've made a list of healthy ingredients & put them on my fridge. It's a constant reminder of the wholesome foods that are good for me & that I can use as building blocks in my recipes.

3.) Healthy snacks-I've been changing the cycle by buying lots of fresh fruit, nuts, and whole grain crackers/cereals so that when I'm tempted to snack I focus on these rather than high fat/calorie foods. I also have some healthy granola bars I keep in my desk drawer in case I get hungry in between meals at work.

4.) Portion C-O-N-T-R-O-L: I typically eat way too much of any given entree. I've started drinking a glass of water before a meal & then follow up with smaller portions & avoid going back for 2nds. This makes a big difference in my overall calorie intake & I feel full. The holidays really got me here! I need to get this back into effect pronto!

5.) The food log on myfitnesspal has been very useful in helping me be mindful about what I'm taking in & the amount of energy I'm expending in exercise. These two things work together to lower my over all weight.

6.) Alcohol-I used to drink wine/beer in the evenings with dinner. I've completely cut that out of my weekly routine. It is high/empty calories and an unnecessary splurge that I save for special occasions or for moderation on the weekends.

7.) Birth control-For many women in their 20s, the pill adds on some weight. I don't know if it's a coincidence or not, but after I stopped the pill, I immediately started slimming down. Of course, this was also a time that I began really focusing on other healthy choices in my diet & exercise, but it still may be a contributing factor. Other safe b/c methods do exist & I feel better knowing that I'm no longer taking in unnecessary hormones in my system that may have added on some unwanted poundage.

8.) Happiness-I've seen commercials about how stress can actually lead to storing weight. I truly believe that a relaxed body & mind are going to operate better physiologically & therefore be overall healthier. I've been focusing a lot on stress reduction, recreation, etc. I feel better & I'm sure that leads to me reaching my fitness goals.

Hang in there & enjoy being a young & beautiful YOU (past, present & future)!

embr

Hi guys,
I'm technically not 20, at least not for a few more months! but I feel too old for the 'teen' group even if i could find one!! so am at a bit of a loss, I hope I'm welcome here!
I only started this a couple of weeks ago so I'm a newbie as well! :happy: , I'm so impressed with MFP and the community spirit that seems to be on here! we're not alone in our struggle and it's a relief reminding myself of that sometimes!!
:flowerforyou:

jb_sweet_99

Welcome embr, even though you are a few months off that's ok, you're welcome here =0)
Well Kickboxing wasn't as hardcore as normal last night, I think that the instructor didn't really feel like teaching yesterday, and she stopped early, that's annoying! Oh well, we're going to see how she is next week and if she is the same we'll go to a later class to get a better workout in. Tonight is with a much better instructor, he's very attentive and makes sure that you are doing everything right and are keeping up with everyone; and it doesn't hurt that he is gorgeous and sweet! LOL :blushing:
Good luck today everyone, I hope it goes smooth for you all! I am working to keep positive and in a good mood today being surrounded by grumps! LOL! :grumble: Oh well, I won't let em get me down!
Jenn :bigsmile:

mxburke

Hello ladies! so did my first weigh-in today and after 1 week i went from 167.8 lbs to 165.4 lbs! which is a 2.4 lb loss~~~~!!!!! i am so excited, definitely off to a great start in the new year! I think its also partly because i joined something new. In the city that i live in, there is a family kickboxing club, and they offer a two week free trial, and me and my boyfriend went three times last week and once last night, and it is definitely an awesome workout, and i actually like it, which makes a huge difference since i am not a big fan of the gym.

balihimoon22- your so right about so many things, the exercise that i enjoy, has clearly worked in just 1 week, and the happiness is also something that has helped me in the past and now. during highschool and my first two years of university i was in a terrible relationship, very emotionally abusive, and i gained 50 lbs in a span of approximately 3 years. which is insane, i had terrible stretch marks on my stomach, looked like i had a baby or something, and i can tell you right now that it was due to stress and unhappiness. So finally last year i decided to dump his *kitten*, and immediately i felt better about my life and better about everything. I lost 20 lbs in that year up until now. During that process i met a wonderful man, who treats me so well, and he is a big workout buff, which helps me stay motivated. Unfortunately the past few months i did manage to put back on 7 of those 20 lbs that i had lost, just due to lack of exercise and my poor eating habits, but i think that this year is going to be amazing for change, and I know i can get down to 130 in no time if i continue !!!!!

MercuryBlue

Welcome embr, even though you are a few months off that's ok, you're welcome here =0)

What are you talking about? No way!

...Just kidding. Welcome, embr!!!

mxburke - Congrats on the weight loss, that's fantastic! Glad to hear your life is moving in a more positive direction, as well. Your new man sounds good for you- body and spirit! He'll be a great motivator for you.

Jenn - Ack! How frustrating! Ah well, hopefully tonight will be better with your hunky instructor....

Mandi - I'd love to eventually do the P90X program, but I'll admit, it intimidates me! I'm working myself up to getting fit enough to do that program, lol!

I actually posted a question about weight gain after exercise to the board yesterday but didn't get a response, so I researched it online. This is what I came across:

-An intense workout, especially one with weight-lifting, can cause the body to retain water because water is attending to those muscles that are working overtime. Strengthening muscles or muscles that have been pulled or torn are areas where water travels to in order to heal.

-If you did not previously have a routine workout and then started a high-intensity workout, your body can go into a sort of shock-like state. This extra stress has your body collecting nutrients and water to protect it. When you keep a routine workout, the body will get used to this sort of exercising and adjust.

(From: http://www.ehow.com/facts_5579501_do-retain-water-after-exercise_.html)

This basically describes me to a 'T'. I was barely working out at all then about a week and a half ago, started this new regimine. So yeah, probably wouldn't surprise me if my body is in shock, lol. Also from what I've gathered from this article and others, water carries nutrients to muscles to heal and repair them after exercise. When the muscles are repaired, they 'let go' of the water. Okay, good to know! Thought I'd share it with you guys.


As it turns out, there was another reason I'm retaining water and I'm kind of embarrassed that it didn't occur to me sooner but... I got my TOM today. :laugh:

The reason it never occurred to me is that I'm still nursing my son, and it's the first period I've gotten since he was born. And obviously I didn't get a TOM when I was pregnant... so it's been nearly 2 years since I had a regular period. Honestly, I did not even think of my period as a cause of water retention because I was like, 'What period?'

:blushing:

Now I feel sheepish, lol.

Anyhow, hopefully after this 'ordeal' (GAH! It's BACK! Darn it to heck!) is over, I will see the water weight go away.....


Bah. Well, weigh-in day today. I'm down 0.6 pounds from last week which I'm kinda 'meh' about because based on how hard I worked I know it should be more. I'm going to hang onto the belief that I'm retaining some water and that I actually lost more.... because it's what will keep me sane, lol. :bigsmile:

While I'm a bit disappointed in the weight loss I am pretty happy with the measurements. Looks like I'm down 1.75 inches this week. Woo hoo!

embr

awh thanks!

wow all you girls are so inspiring!!
the idea behind this group is great, i don't wanna get to like 80 and wish I'd made the most of being young and able, our bodies can do whatever we want them to so I'm all for embracing that and making mine lose weight.. unfortunately it's not the 'want' thats my problem!! :laugh:

I used a different set of scales today that said I was 15lbs more than my usual scales say, now I don't know what to believe!!
Tomorrow is a big test... I'm going to a club with some friends and although I'm not a big drinker I like to have a few, but I know it's just wasteful calories.. but how do i avoid???

I don't wanna drink soda and get bloated but water seeems strange in a club! :drinker:, any tips would be much appreciated!
& mercuryblue, i've heard that about 'shock' exercise too, I guess the muscle needs water and nutrients to recover and get stronger, although it may be disheartening at first !

okremix

Hello people! I'm 5'4'' and currently 186 and I haven't been below a size 12 since the pre teenage years...my highest was 250 in 2007. I am going to kick some butt this year and take care of some business! My plan is...

SW 198
CW 186
GW 140

2/14/10 180
3/22/10 173
4/26/10 165
6/01/10 158
7/04/10 150
8/09/10 143
8/28/10 140 My 25th birthday!

jb_sweet_99

So Carrie we were both right! Thanks for posting that, that makes me feel better too since I haven't seen the scale budge much in the last week, so here's hoping that we'll both see a much better result next week! At least you are down in inches, that's great! I feel for ya that you have TOM back, must have been a nice break for you for a while, so why would you think of it, really? I hope tonight is better too, I'm sure it will be. I've had him a few times now and he's much better, and not hard to look at
Embr I would stick to the scale that you have been using and maybe next time you are at someone's house or a gym you can check again and see which one is closer? As for the Club, I would suggest Vodka and Cranberry if you have to drink, it's very low cal and shouldn't cause you to bloat much. I don't drink much, usually I'll get one drink and nurse it and have water from then on. Just think, there are always DDs at the bar that drink water, why can't you? I do, don't let it bug you. If people try to pressure you just tell em straight out, you are trying to be healthy and it's not worth it, period. They'll either like it or not, but it's your decision right? Good luck!
Congrats Mxburke, great start! Ive been taking Kickboxing at a Karate club, it's a fantastic workout! I'm sure yours is different since it is a family class, this is pretty hardcore, but it's nice to do something different that also gets out your aggression eh!
Welcome Christina, you've come to the right place if you plan is to kick butt that's for sure! I am the same as you, never below 12 since then either, it sux, so now we're going to change it. Good luck with your goals!
Talk to you later folks!
Jenn

kaytbognar

Oh gosh! so exciting to have so many new faces Welcome everybody!

Jenn & Carrie -- I am with you on the frustration with the scale. I'm trying to be patient, because I know my body is adjusting to doing yoga every day (and now I'm trying to add in even just a short swim 3xweek on top of it!) but darn if I'm not ready for that stupid scale to stop jumping up and start going down again. --grumbles-- Measurements, like you're finding Carrie, are going down for me though, so there is some comfort there. In addition to water retention, there may be some change in body composition, conversion of fatty tissue to lean tissues and such. Anyway, sounds liek you ladies are doing super awesome with working out, so I'm sure once you get used to the routine, there will be a drastic drop!

Embr, cutting out mixers all together is what I do most of the time. I don't really like mixed drinks to begin with (prefer shots of whiskey or a lovely glass of scotch...) but if you gotta have a mixer/chaser, water is always something to try. My old roommate swore by vodka-waters, and I am very fond of rye+watts, too. Careful, though, dropping mixers will make your drinks pack extra punch Good luck, and have fun! If you're at the club, try and spend most of oyur time dancing instead of hanging on the bar, then you won't notice that you need a next drink as much.

mxburke -- nice progress! It must be great to have your BF to go with you to work out! I remember it being tough to motivate when I could see my roomie hanging out all cozy on the couch reading. Keep at 'er



One of the guys I work with complimented me saying I was looking good today, he said I look like I've lost a lot of weight since I first got here (about 2.5 months ago, now!) It was nice to be encouraged, all the other staff here are always marveling at the amount of time I spend in the pool doing laps. LOL.

I was kind of cranky yesterday, because my gosh darn scale refuses to go down. I am DETERMINED to break 170, even if just for a day, before the month is over. Since I started doing yoga every day my legs/butt have shrunk by like an inch each, which is good, but I wish wish wish my waist and hips would do the same. I'm sick of this jelly belly, and even though I know it all balances out eventually, I hate the idea of being a bowling ball on toothpicks. Grumbles.

Resisted the urge to binge on cake today, made a cup of cocoa (sugar free, only 1/2 a packet of splenda and like...a tsp or two of rum to sweeten it up) to comfort me instead. Been a little lonely this week, but I'm thinking of going to California to visit a girlfriend in May so it's fun to have that to plan for!

gummibaehr

Hi everyone!! I'm 24. I currently weight 166. My target weight is 145. I discovered MyFitnessPal yesterday and I LOVE IT! I hope you don't mind me joining in on this thread!

I'm not loving my 24 year old body right now and I've been working on getting it in shape! In 2007 I weighed 152 and felt AWESOME. But instead of working hard to get down to my target weight, I graduated college, became seriously depressed for about a year and a half, and put all the weight back on. I was up to 171 when I decided enough is enough! I've been slowly knocking off a few pounds by eating better and working out gently on my Wii Fit. Now that I've gotten a bit of progress going, I want to step it up and really get my body in gear!

Using the food diary is going to help immensely. My eating habits have been better lately, but I know I can polish them even more with this website. I've picked up ice skating and I do that once a week. I bowl and go dancing with my friends often and I'm trying to scrounge up the money for a membership at the local pool. When it gets warm (can't wait!) I will get back on my bike and I'm also thinking about giving the Couch to 5K a try. Also, JUMP ROPE!!! How I miss it. I have no place to do it in the winter. :-( Exercise is hard for me because I have a short attention span and I get super bored at gyms or in classes. So I'm trying to plan my routine around FUN-OUTS (as oppose to work-outs) so I don't feel like it's a chore.

It would be AWESOME if I could lose 20 pounds in 90 days! But I think 6 months is more reasonable. Heck, it might take me a year! But I won't let myself go like I did before. I want to have a rocking body that I'm proud of while I'm still in my twenties!! I want to build and maintain excellent, healthy habits that will keep me active when I get older.

Woah! I'm done rambling. Sorry about that. :-)

jrbowers83

Hey everyone. And hello to the newbies. Great job to mxburke and mandijo on your losses this week. And Kayt- I think that's awesome you got some comments on your weight loss. It really fuels you to keep going doesn't it? Jenn hope the kickboxing is more challenging today. You sound revved up for it. It's so funny how you start cardio and feel so dragged down, but then it's almost like an addiction and you start craving more of it and harder, longer sessions. LOL. Sounds so fun.
Carrie, wow I can only imagine how shocking the abrupt arrival of TOM must have been for you. It's funny how you both dread it and are thankful for it. I think you will def see a more significant loss next week! I tend to lose in weird ways also, like I'll lose 3 lbs one week, and nothing the next week.

Well, I have no loss to report this week. Actually I supposedly gained 1.4 lbs. But I'm not going to record it. My blood pressure is up pretty high, so I'm fairly confident that "gain" is water retention. I have to say that today was one of those days I SOOOO wanted to just give up. I mean I'm doing this to get healthy, to lose down to a weight that's going to support a healthier lifestyle, to have more energy for my kids, etc. And today I just kind of felt like I was reaping NO rewards from this. :noway: My blood pressure is back up, I'm depressed, I hurt my back and can't hardly do anything the last 3 days, I'm constantly tired. The list goes on and on. But I started reevaluating things. Okay, so I'm eating everything right to lower my blood pressure, so what else could it be? And found out that stress (um, yes, got a lot of that going on right now), being excessively cold (it's been below freezing here in TX which I am NOT used to), acute pain (like in my back), taking medications (like the ibuprofen for my back and antidepressants) can all cause high blood pressure, sometimes in ppl who don't previously have issues. Phew. So it's not that I'm not eating right. I stopped taking the ibuprofen, and I set up a space heater for warmth. Those are the only things I can change there right now. And honestly, I'm sitting here ready to throw my hands up, but I'm craving healthy foods, so why would I just splurge anyway? Someone used the quote "we give up what we REALLY want, for what we want RIGHT now." and the unhealthy food isn't even something I really want OR want right now. So it just doesn't make any sense. I'm feeling bad right now, but I'm sure I'd be feeling WORSE if I went back to my old eating habits. I managed to get some jogging done today too without aggravating my back too much. Sweeping/mopping my large kitchen and dining area kind of did me in though. But taking some advice from a friend in my SAHM group and taking it easy this afternoon. I put the baby down for a nap, sent DS to his room to read books, and I'm laying on a heating pad with my water bottle in easy reach. AHHH!:yawn: Hopefully I'll cheer up and enjoy the rest of the evening. Hope ya'll are having a good afternoon.

rubysparkle

I would like to join this group - the only trouble is im always put off joining groups because im not good at remembering to login in all the time.

I am 28, 5'2 and currently 205lbs. I would like to lose 25-30lbs in the 90 days or somewhere near. I know last year I lost 30lbs in just over 10 weeks so its possible.

I just need to login and i know the weight will come off as i have used mfp in the past and it has worked. I would really like to get under 200 lbs again as i know then its new territory and i will keep going this time. From then on anything is a bonus.

Please help me to login and stay on track and i will help and support as much as i can!

Also i have a weekend away in April with my friends so it would be perfect to shift some weight in time for that!

kerimcdonald

Embre, gummibaehr and christina and mxburke- Welcome to our happy little family!! These ladies are all great, and we try to always be honest and supportive with each other which is really what has kept me on this thread.

jrbowers- Sorry to hear about your back!! When it rains it pours right? Don't give up. Giving up would be the only thing that you could regret. High blood pressure sucks. I haven't had issues since my foot surgery, but the constant pain in my feet kept my bp really high. Low cal comfort foods like oatmeal always help me when I'm stressed. Let me know if there's anything I can do.

Carrie- Thanks for the shock exercise bit. I think that's where I'm at right now. My body has had 2 straight weeks (2 days off a week) of 60 minute elliptical sessions, and I am waiting (somewhat) patiently to see the scale start moving. But I FEEL so much better! And I do crave it. It's my time. I put my headphones on and Eris watches a movie next to me and I love it! Boo water weight though. Hope your own TOM shock has worn off!! LOL! I can't believe you forgot about THAT!! The great news is, the scale probably won't drop for you, it's gonna plummet!

kayt- You are dong so well with the yoga and the swimming. I feel lazy just reading your posts:ohwell: Way to go on the compliment too good-lookin'!

Jenn- You are so supportive!! That sucks that the scale isn't moving much for you either. Looks like we're all in the same boat. why do I feel like we're trying to paddle through pudding some days:grumble: I'll keep my fingers crossed for you!!

I had a pretty good day though. I ate well yesterday and kept it up today. I did have one set back. I learned not to take my vitamins before I eat. I figured I would eat in the car on the way to work. peanut butter toast is pretty portable, and it was only a few minutes so I ate a banana and figured I was fine. Nope!! I was dropping my daughter off at school and I just felt nauseas and upchucked the banana. Not kidding, it was only 5 minutes or so after I took the vitamin that I ate the banana. Valuable lesson though right?!

Everyone have a great night, and for those of you that weigh in wednesdays, I'm rooting for you!!

-Keri

sarina87

I'm a chubby twenty. Can i join

mandijo

awh thanks!

wow all you girls are so inspiring!!
the idea behind this group is great, i don't wanna get to like 80 and wish I'd made the most of being young and able, our bodies can do whatever we want them to so I'm all for embracing that and making mine lose weight.. unfortunately it's not the 'want' thats my problem!! :laugh:

I used a different set of scales today that said I was 15lbs more than my usual scales say, now I don't know what to believe!!
Tomorrow is a big test... I'm going to a club with some friends and although I'm not a big drinker I like to have a few, but I know it's just wasteful calories.. but how do i avoid???

I don't wanna drink soda and get bloated but water seeems strange in a club! :drinker:, any tips would be much appreciated!
& mercuryblue, i've heard that about 'shock' exercise too, I guess the muscle needs water and nutrients to recover and get stronger, although it may be disheartening at first !

Hey girl, Don't deprive yourself of having a drink or two. Don't go overboard. Stick to drinks that you can mix with diet soda or club soda or drink something virgin and calorie free in between every alcoholic drink you have. Have fun!

mandijo

Ah! I have so much laundry to do and haven't seen the hubby all day so I have to make this post short and sweet. Today was a trying day. Ate too much and thought I wouldn't have the motivation to workout after watching the Biggest Loser, but guess what....I did! Not something I do often. Tomorrow I'll read through all the posts I couldn't read through today, so have a goodnight ladies! Catch up with you all tomorrow!!!

Mandi