5 Pounds A Month March 2010 Challenge

twt1999bird

So I decided to get a medium fry from McD's. That way it was a small serving of something and I hopefully will keep me from going overboard later. I have been working out like crazy this week so I am just going to burn it off tonight. About to finish up my lunch with some tomatoe soup.

I have to figure out how they make those mushrooms at Houlihans now. Better yet, their horseraddish dip. mmmmm...dreamy!!!

TCASMEY

Did great three days in a row. Now it is day four and I need some help. What do you do when you start to have a serious craving? :sad: My mouth is watering so bad for Houlihan's stuffed mushrooms with horseraddish. I just found online that a plate of them is over 1400 calories.:devil: Is there a way to not deprive yourself of the food you love with out ruining your progress? It's only a dream isn't it? :mad:

Never had this food but it sounds good! When I look at something like this I start thinking how much extra exercise it would take to burn off those calories. If you really can't avoid the temptation order it with a friend and eat only half. It is still 700 calories but not quite as much damage as the 1400. I personally have decided not to totally eliminate any food that I love, but to enjoy it occasionally. I want to be able to eat the things I enjoy but in moderation.

I could be losing weight a lot faster if I was not dieting this way, but this lifestyle change has to be something I can live with the rest of my life. I am not on a diet, I am learning how to eat in a healthier way.

erinm

That's exactly what I do too. If I completely forbid myself of things that I am craving or really enjoy, then I can't forget about it, and want it even more. So, I allow myself those things in moderation to satisfy the craving. Perfect example is last night my husband and I went to our favorite ice cream store. In the past I would have ordered a large malt, which is over 1300 calories. Last night I didn't order anything, and had four small bites of his. That satisfied my craving, and I didn't blow my calorie intake goal. I also look at the big picture of how much it would take to burn off what I eat, and whether I really need it. That helps me work through it too. It's hard, but the pay off is wonderful. I have lost 22 pounds since January 1st. That means more to me than any malt or craving does!

kalmf

It seems like so much of cravings are habit. There's history and association and it takes a moment to change the habit. I've been trying to expose myself (Oops) to fabulous foods that are healthy (bizarrely I had a craving for a specific salad the other day - that's a first) and modifying higher calorie foods like one of my faves, Anthony's salmon burger. I take off half the bun and scrape off most of the sauce - there's still plenty left for flavour. Rocco Dispirito has been doing recipe makeovers in magazines and on TV which sound great too.

I had two of my son's fries last week and quite frankly they tasted greasy and disgusting. I think my taste buds are changing. Yeh!
Karin

DixonKels

Ok, so I had my weight wrong on Monday. It was 229.5, not 228.6. But I did my weigh in for this morning and was 228.2, so I am down 1.7lbs since Monday! I think weekly challenges would be great motivation for our group! Any one have any ideas??

TCASMEY

March 1st weight 181
March 5th weight 178

Weight is such a deceptive thing. I admit to being a daily weigher. I saw 176.6 one day this week (Wed) and then my weight went up a little each day! I know it is water weight because I know I have been eating well and exercising. I am more intrigued by the way weight goes up and down than I am frustrated. For me it is a learning process about which foods make me retain more water than others. I am looking for that downward trend!

On a totally unrelated subject.....yesterday was a good example of why I love my exercise bike. I jumped on it during the kids nap time with a good book. In what seemed like a short time later I looked at my HRM and it said I had burned 800 calories. I love it!

silmarwen

March 1st: weight 198.6
March 5th weight : 197.2

Down 1.4 lbs! Heading to the gym in a few before work.

rjadams

March 1 178
march 5 176.2

makin progress.

iwantthis

March 1: 203.8
March 5: 196.8

7 pound difference...
OKAY I also admit to weighing myself EVERY day. Regardless if that's good or bad, I weighed 200.8 yesterday, so this number is slightly disturbing to be. I hope it's the real deal !! fingers crossed.

nisijam5

March 2nd 173.4
March 5th 172.0

Down 1.4

Looks like everyone is doing good!

phyljen

Hi everyone,
Look like lots of pounds are going down the drain! YIPPEE
I was sure that today I would not see a weight loss but low and behold!!!! I was down so I finally get to see the 140's again.
March 1 - 150.5
Today March 5th - 149!
Ya HOO!!!!! I am so excited.

I am all jazzed up for my Saturday morning jog tomorrow morning. Today I am just relaxing and having a day of rest. It is the Sabbath here in Cairo.
Actually I took a long drive with my hubby, daughter and son and I tell you ... I felt like I had been to an amusement park riding the scariest ride ever by the time I got home. Cairo Traffic is a mix between a roller coaster and the bumper cars. ( luckily we didn't get bumped but there were too many close calls. I guess this doesn't exactly sound like the day of rest! The morning was relaxing though. My daughter is having her wedding reception in August so we were out driving around the city looking for a nice venue to have it at. There are some pretty cool places to have a pool side wedding. ( also some crummy ones too) :laugh:

Came home and made up some soft shelled tortillas and all the trimmings for healthy home made soft shelled tacos. It was a great way to calm down from the thriller ride. I prefer driving up in the mountains in the summer in Idaho!!!! I am glad I don't live in the city over here. School is only about 3 miles away so I don't have a veyr long ride and I go early before there is much traffic.

O.k. Can't wait to hear the rest of your reports of your weight lose or whatever and also some good stories to go along with them.

Bye for now. PHYLJEN

kalmf

2/26: 134
3/5: 132.5

But here's what's interesting - I also weigh myself everyday - and yesterday I weighed the same as last week. I had a moment (a very, very long moment) of feeling like a failure. I moved my body everyday, recorded everything, made good choices and hadn't lost anything. I started to panic. Then this morning when my weight was down I was elated. And I realize how much I put my entire self worth into that number on the scale. It's like having a bi-polar relationship with myself - I'm the scum of the earth and then I'm the most successful person alive. And neither is true.

So I'm working on that. Trying to see that number as just information, not validation or invalidation. And that's a little tough for me.

Today I'm walking for 40 minutes and doing strength and pilates for an hour. And then.... it's Friday, my official Lady's Who Lunch date!:drinker:

Good first week everyone!

JABehler

Thanks all for the encouragement with walking. I have hand weights which I usually carry for walking, time to put them to work while watching TV. I wasn't going to weigh in today cause I just weighed Monday, but with a nudge from someone on the thread, I did anyway. I did not lose anything yet BUT...I weighed after I had eaten a good breakfast and exercised so.... I did take measurements and lost .5" off my hips. Pants feel great.
Keep up the good shares I really enjoy reading and feel a part of your lives. Will weigh in next Friday.
Jacque

sonia2003

Hi Everyone,

I joined MFP about 1 month ago and havent lost a pound! I eat pretty healthy for a few days and under my calorie goal, and work out and then when I dont see any results, I get upset and end up eating cookies, or a bad dinner since I feel like my efforts are showing. I normally weighed 120 pounds and then I gained 25 pounds within a few months after my wedding. I' have not lost that 25 pounds for over a year now, and I recently through working out a lot, managed to lose 5 pounds about 3 months ago and now my scale is stuck.

I know the challenge started last week, but if its not too late, I would like to join this as well and see if this helps me not fall off track if the scale doesnt show my efforts!

My starting weight was:145
Current weight is: 140 05/03
My goal is be: 135 at the end of March and 120 by July1,2010.

Today: I will workout for 1hr at the gym, go for a 45 minute walk and add some strength workout.

kalmf

Sonia, I'm with ya!!! I weighed 106 on my wedding day. Twenty three years later, on December 25th/09 I weighed 145. I quit smoking in the middle there so that boosted my weight, but even then...:grumble:

I poke around alot of the threads here, and it seems like one unrelenting truth is you HAVE to eat to lose weight. You cannot lose and sustain weight loss by under-eating because you either binge, or your metabolism shuts down.

The one change I made that seems to have kick started loss has been not eating pasta and other simple carbs late at night. I get in from class around 10pm and my DH would have a fabulous pasta with veg waiting for me. As soon as I cut that out and have veg or cereal or protein things changed, even though I still have my 8 ounces of red wine faithfully! But I eat a real dinner around four before I leave.

Hang in!

sonia2003

Thank you for your encouragement! I know many people say 1200 cals is the minimum you need,but I always used to eat about 1000 cals a day for years, and it was okay for me since I never had a weight issue, I worked out everyday and was healthy. I guess 1 year of eating a lot more, and not exercising enough has really messed up my metabolism. i never worried when i gained the weight becuase I thought, its okay, i can lose it! But not this time! I have been struggling very hard and finally managed to lose 5 pounds about 3 months ago by following the sureslim diet for a month. I did it and it worked, but it is way too restrictive.

I hope I can trust myself to eat a bit more of my exercise cals back, and see if that changes anything.....just scared to eat more when I havent been losing much......

sonia2003

WOW, I was too upset to weigh myself today and lo and behold I am down 2 pounds!!!!!!!!!!!! YAyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy

Mar 5/2010: 138!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jennplus2

Sounds like everyone is doing great!

My turn...

2/26: 146.6
3/1: 153 :huh:
3/5: 147

I am not really counting Monday because I don't know what was up with that, 6.4 lb gain in two days??? :noway:
So I am reporting a 0.4 lb gain. :ohwell: But the good news is that I know I can't be trusted with having snacks in the house. I got a few boxes of 100 calorie packs of chocolate covered pretzels and some 90 calorie Rice Krispy Treats to have on hand for days I needed a little treat and eat them one after another last Sunday. (For the new gals I am a binge eater in recovery, well trying to recover, I'm still working on it) FYI if you eat all of them they are no longer 100 calories! So I took the rest of them into my daughter's school for the kids to eat as a sweet treat. (They looked at "health freak mommy" a little strange for having these but they were glad to have them all the same :laugh: )

Terri, I like what you said about not saying no to the things you love and it needing to be a life style change that will work for your whole life. That really hit home for me. I think that might be my problem. I need to not deprive myself the little wants so that I can stay in control on those hard days.

I am feeling ok even with the slight gain. I know that I am a lot healthier than I was a year ago. I look much healthier, eat much healthier (most of the time), I feel better, and I can play with my kids without feeling like I am going to die. That is the whole point of this for me! I'll just keep plug 'n along and I hope I will see that happy 146 again SOON!

sonia2003

Jenn,

Its great that you have lost 32 pounds so far! That is amazing. I am the same way as you, I am simply better off if I dont buy junk food. I made the mistake of buying those mini chocolate easter eggs, and boy, was that ever a mistake. I will just keep snacking on them, and if you think you will eat one or two then stop, well, it never happens.

I think for people like us, we need to just keep the junk out of the house!

TwentyTen

Yay, this week the scale moved a little!! Seeing nothing last week was a little discouraging, so I am happy. Normally I weigh in on Sunday's, but since ya'll were doin Fridays I stepped on the dreaded scale tonight. I started this challenge at 174.4, first week no loss, and today 172.8.
So, very nearly 2 lbs down. And still 3 weeks to get in the other 3. It just might work out!

Thanks everyone for the motivation!! :happy:

lreed

Well I didn't weigh in on Monday, but today I am at 207.3! Hoping to get down to 203 by the end of the month!
Good job to those of you who have already lost weight! Phyljen great job! Here is to a great weekend. My calorie burn goal for the weekend is 1500 calories, along with 5 fruits/veggies each day!

TCASMEY

Good morning everyone! Hope everyone had a relaxing Friday night.

Ireed great goal for the weekend. I am off to jump on the bike or treadmill, maybe both! I have not quite planned my day after that because I have to run some errands but have a parent interview at 1 so I need to be home. Plus I told the kids I would make ribs for dinner so I need to get them on the grill by about 2 so they can smoke for at least 4 hours.

Have a great Saturday.

Mini goal for everyone for the day

DRINK LOTS OF WATER. EAT LOTS OF VEGETABLES AND FRUIT! STAY UNDER YOUR CALORIES!

I thought I'd give you guys some ideas for today because it seems like everyone does well during the week but weekends tend to throw us off! Keep working at it. This is a doable goal!:drinker:

izzypup

Sorry I didn't make it here yesterday. This has been one of those crazy busy weeks. On a happy note, I am at 180 even. Next week I will go below 180. It's the first time in soooo long.
3-1 181.4
3-5 180
Wow, there are so many new people here. Welcome to all!
TCASMEY - I like that... drink lots of water! Still my biggest challenge.

Jenn - Very funny!..... Drink and drive. Love it. I will!

Jane - Don't you just love it when the scale moves! MFP really works.

Sonia - good job! I agree with you and Jenn. I DO NOT have stuff to snack on in my home unless it's fruit or something on that line. I do like the sugar free puddings.

Hope everyone has a great weekend. I WILL DRINK THE WATER!!!! LOL

Sandy

nisijam5

Happy Saturday morning everyone!!

Went to Olive Garden last night with hubby...boy, is eating out a trigger for disaster...let me tell you I tracked every single bite I had yesterday...Oh, might as well mention, had 2 sliders for lunch with my gf...we thought we were funny eating them sober

That's OK, plan is to get on track now that it's out of my system...yes, lots of water this weekend, meal planning and exercise

thornbirds86

I missed yesterday's weigh-in but here's what I have today

March 1st: 172.8
March 6th: 170.0

I'm not sure how that happened because I had a rough last two days as far as eating goes, but I did chaperone an elementary school dance yesterday and spent the whole time trying to get the kids to go out and dance. Definitely got my fair share of dancing in!

kalmf

Agghhh!!! The weekend!!!
TC, thanks for the tips. It does help to focus in on specifics, like the water. Strangely enough, I was thinking about that just before I got on MFP. Even though I ate consciously yesterday,when I woke up I seem to have mysteriously acquired a pot belly. I thought through the options - alien implantation, fibre - but my fibre was good - and I'm past menopause, they wouldn't pick me. And then I thought, maybe it's the water.

Kim, Olive Garden is a mine field. My kids love it, but I've decided I can't take them. Even their appetizers are loaded. I don't eat chicken but I think there may be some reasonable choices there.

Even with the nutrition menus available, there are some restaurants where I cannot trust myself to make healthy choices. I have declared my local Greek restaurant off limits because I cannot go in there and not have Taramasalata, and it's gotta be at least 1500 cals with the pita bread. Maybe one day, but I'm not strong enough yet.
Karin

TCASMEY

Where are all my new friends from? I am curious...would be awesome for any of us to find a friend nearby who is on the same weight loss journey. Lets hear it!

I live in Northfield, MN. Almost made it to 40 degrees today.

Jennplus2

Hi everyone!

I'm having a good Saturday so far. I was so happy the rain didn't come, because I talked my guy into a family bike ride. 295 calories burned. I'll still have to do a few exercise DVDs tonight but I was glad to get out in the wind. I have a seat on my handle bars for my son to sit in. He screams "Dog!" "Hi Police man!" "Truck" "Other Bike" "Hi Daddy Sissy" the whole time, it is so funny and we get lots of smiles from others on the trail we ride. My boyfriend has a trailer bike for him and our daughter so it is quite a caravan. It was a great start to the weekend. Had a healthy lunch once we got back and now I am trying to plan what I will make for dinner...

:drinker: Got in 3 glasses so far!

I'm a cali girl! San Jose, CA
Nice today, a bit chilly and windy with clouds but sun is out and shinning.

thornbirds86

I'm in Phoenix, AZ. It was gorgeous out today, but I've got to head out for a quick walk before the rain settles in for the rest of the weekend!

lreed

I am another Cali girl! Petaluma Ca. Today I did great, I set my goal at 1500 for the weekend calorie burn with 5 fruits/veggies for the day. Started out by doing a Saturday morning boot camp with Great circuit exercises. Then went for a walk and finished it off with 1/2 hour on the wii fit. Got in 733 calorie burn for today, and have Gotten in my 5 Fruits/Veggies (if I count dinner) AND have come in under my calories (with the rest of the night planned out, including my glass of chardonnay I definitely need a weekend goal! Getting close on my water! Up to 72 oz right now and trying for 96 oz.