Need to Lose 100 LBS -Robins Thread !

Tuesday goals... my goal was to log all of my food and post to this thread! I can check those off... well not done with the food yet, BUT I did good so far.

Added fresh spinach AFTER I was done cooking my Alfredo with veggies... sooooo good and one way to get a salad in, right?

Hope you all are having a fabulous week... Was sick yesterday and I have a nasty paper to finish for English about an article about the slow food movement. Funny, I always thought the "slow food movement" was about eating slower... really, it is about taking your time preparing meals and eating as a family. There is a lot more to it, (local cuisine and how food consumption is based on a socio-economic influence--- hehe I'm trying to sound smarter than I am) but I was thinking... If I were to practice taking my time choosing, buying and preparing meals... and then eating as a family- Would I eat healthier, choosing less junk?

Food for thought.....

Hi everyone.

Saturday night we went to the hockey game after eating at the Pub. Everything was going great until the Wranglers lost and while driving home a lady smashed into the back of my car. We were not hurt and either was she. Her small car was in bad shape and not drivable. My big car has some holes in the bumper and scrapped paint but I won’t know how bad it really is until after I get estimates. At least it is still drivable.

I ‘m having a problem getting past 270 lbs. Once I hit 270 I gain a few back. I have done this many times. I may need to lower my calories again. I have been trying some light strength training but still need more exercise. I’m going to go try some treadmill walking and see how that goes. I’ll be back with the results …

Tom

I'm so sorry to hear about your accident. This is one thing I've noticed about Vegas and that's our poor drivers. While the Atlanta traffic was brutal, I don't remember so many accidents. Plus, our crime here seems to be more frequent too. I'm just glad you guys were OK.

You've been in this journey longer than me so I can't give much advice, but I think like you said changing things up may be needed (lower calories, try new foods/recipes, change up your exercise). Hope you can start seeing the scale go down again!!

Tuesday Goals: I completed my fitness assessment for our Get Fit Challenge. BP is 112/80. I was able to do 43 squats in 1 minute. I think I'm on the right track. They will assess at the end of the challenge in 3 months. Afterwards, I hit the dreadmill for 60 minutes utilizing the hill at 3.5 speed with a 2.0-8.0% incline. I had 90 oz of water and 44 oz unsweet tea. I had to pee ALL day. LOL!!! Upcoming week goals:

Tuesday - Gym. DONE
Wednesday - Gym
Thursday - Gym
Friday - Gym
Saturday - Walk outside or perhaps pull out the bike
Sunday - Walk outside or perhaps pull out the bike
Monday - Trainer session

We CAN do this!!!!

tuesday goal- to survive this day, finish the wine and go to bed

Hi everyone, I have to confess..I'm not exactly a newbie. I was under another user name prior to now and well, didnt succeed in my goals..I never wanted to give up so i tried again on mfp,only to gain some weight back after my goals were RESET :grumble: However,something in me just wants to keep moving with the struggle,good or bad & I came across this thread, I have been on here before and i am excited to see some familiar faces still dedicated to mfp. So, i'm encouraged to join if you will all have me back with you in hopes to have some success this time around. Congratulations on your success!

The FitBit is indeed awesome. I have had mine for about three weeks and I do believe it has made me move more. When I first got it, I was only getting in about 3000 steps... now I get in at least 6000 and usually more. Totally worth the money. I have the FitBit One.

@Kathy -- congrats on the SV. Log those bites! Once you start logging them it becomes second nature, and sometimes I don't have a bite because I think 'oh, but if I have that, I'll have to log it'. Plus bites don't have many cals *each* -- and now I quite often have a bite or a half portion of something really wicked.
@KarenLeona -- sorry about the job, and I hope they find something else good for you. A hiring freeze shouldn't matter as you're already an employee -- and in fact it might help because what happens in hiring freezes is that people get absolutely desperate for staff and can't recruit any, so if there are staff available they get snapped up.
@Kris -- Sorry you've had a little wobble but do get straight back on track!
@Klezmergal -- welcome! You need to look after yourself when you're sick, and if you go up a few calories that's ok. Remember that MFP includes a deficit, so if you go up 2-300 calories a day, you'll still lose, but not quite as quickly, and it will help you feel better and get better faster.
@Tammy -- I'm pretty sure that as long as you don't give up it will all come right in the end. My favourite Wii games, by miles, are the Dance Dance Revolution ones. You do need dance mats. But I love the way that the easiest settings are accessible to everyone, and the hardest settings are impossible for obsessed teens who play all day. And it's a proper *game* so you're always trying to beat a score, or pass a level that you've failed before, which means you work up that sweat.
@Karisma -- welcome! I think the great thing about MFP is that you don't have to 'stick to a diet'. I eat all sorts: I plan it into my week, and I have a load of strategies for managing that. Do make sure you have MFP settings at 1lb a week not 2lb -- it makes a *massive* difference in terms of making it easier to hit targets. Then just log every single thing that you eat, and take a little exercise every day. If you're struggling to stick to the diet, then you can just try that for a week or too -- aim for the target, try to eat stuff that is good for you -- but just reckon to log everything and have a look at what it all adds up to. If you look at a week's eating you can always spot places where you can make better choices. But my guess is that if you log everything you eat for a week, and take some exercise every day, then you'll start to feel better.
@Kristen -- I am always amazed by how much we pay for broadband/TV/phone/mobile. We've got 4 mobiles now cos the kids have them, so that doesn't help. Plus some PAYG data on the iPad. But still, it's a lot of money! If you're finding this week easier on Insanity, you're probably getting fitter. But do check your form on the exercises. It's very easy to slip into a different form that's not as hard.
@Tom -- ooh, sorry about your car, but I'm glad nobody was hurt. If you're finding a level hard to get below then I'd focus on upping the exercise rather than lowering the cals. Because if you're already struggling, then lowering your cals will make you grumpy and hungry and then you'll snack. In fact, if you've been gaining back, then you might want to *raise* your daily calories by 200 or so -- but then stick to it, and Weigh Everything.
@Kaye -- Glad you enjoyed your trip, and I'm sure you'll get the bonus weight off in no time. I really struggle with people leaving lots of food out. It's possible to eat so much in such a short time!
@Ang -- congrats on the SV!
@Charlotte -- I don't think the thread police are gonna worry if you skip days! Just check in when you can.
@Liz -- congrats on the SV, and do try to celebrate small losses! They're the best sort in the long run; gives your body time to get used to the lower weight and makes it more sustainable.
@Holly -- we all have so many blessings! We just need to keep track of them. I think it was me who said that once you can do a brisk walk for 30 minutes you should be ok to start the beginning of a program like couch to 5k. 'Brisk walk' is normally defined as the pace you walk when you're just a little bit late for something. So you're breathing heavily and working up a little bit of a sweat. It's about sustaining moderate exercise rather than the speed per se, but if that's less than 3mph for you, I'd keep up the walking rather than starting jogging I think.
@Desdemina -- Welcome! This has been such a great community for me.
@Rachael -- I hope you love your new gym!
@ButterflyWolf -- you might try going for a walk when you're mad. Or doing something crafty that uses your hands so it's hard to eat. One of my favourite MFP sayings is 'You're not a dog, so don't reward yourself with food'. It does help whenever I think 'Oh, I need a big snack after that.' I do try to log unplanned snacks -- often they don't turn out to be as many cals as I think they are.
@Nicole -- Eating good food doesn't necessarily imply healthier choices. There's been some publicity here that some of the famous TV chefs' food isn't actually all that healthy -- and Jamie Oliver was apparently confused that he was gaining weight despite eating really good food. What I find is that if you cook all your food, it's much easier both to make healthy choices as to what to cook, but also to balance portion size so that your plate has lots of the lower calorie things and only a little of the higher calorie items. When you use convenience food or eat out, this is much, much harder.
@Karen -- yay for normal body fat! That's pretty awesome.
@Luckycharm196 -- welcome back!

On managing on a lot less money -- we looked over our finances at Christmas and determined that we're still ok for me to not work for the time being. We're so lucky to have some savings. And you're all so right about living with gratitude -- and just not buying stuff you don't need. I can't believe how much money we used to waste when we were both doing central London jobs.

I've been a bit lax the last couple of days. My Monday check-in was that I weighed the same -- not too surprising given all the snow and no exercise. But yesterday I was completely unproductive (I think my day contained about 12 hours of video games and pencil puzzles -- that's trashy!) and did a little bit of mini-binging (I've eventually managed to track it, 24 hours late; that's how guilty I felt. And I've put in quick calories because I'm so embarrassed about one of the things I've eaten that I don't want my pals to see it. Whoops. But in fact I only went 700 cals over which is *nothing* really). Back on track today though I think. I'm pretty sure that bouncing straight back is the key, cos one day never makes that much difference in the long run.

Wednesday wishes -- having a better day today. I know what caused my mini-meltdown yesterday (I'm stressed about stuff); I need to focus, stay on track, and get some exercise!

Hope you're having a great day everyone.

-- Alison

Good Morning.

Interesting talk about personal finances lately, I’m actually taking a personal finance class right now. There is a website I learned about yesterday, www.mint.com, it’s a free site and allows you to set up budgets, run reports to check your liquidity, plan goals to pay off long-term debts, etc. I was overspending years ago (amazing how much I found out I was spending at Starbucks), so I set myself up on a budget – mostly I used Excel to create my budget and Money to track my expenses and balance my credit card and bank accounts. I looked at this site last night when I got home and its pretty cool, there is even a phone app for it – it will send reports through that app based on some preferences you set up on the site. So if anyone is looking to get a handle on their expenses, track how they are spending money, or set some goals to pay off debt or save for something special, it’s a great tool. I love finance (weird, I know) and lately have actually thought of taking the certified financial planner exam.

@Charlotte~Sitting down with the financial planner at the bank to prepare for retirement was a great idea. There are foods that I find hard to turn down too – one of them is this pizza place here, Carmine’s, that some friends of mine like to go to. We go once a month and I get two slices and a salad – absolute heaven! It’s the only place I’ve found that reminds me of NY style pizza that I miss so much.

@Alison~I’m so sorry for your meltdown and the stresses you are going through, I hope it eases soon. You’re right , it was just one day – today is a new day, make it a great one. I hope the weather is improving so you can get outside for some exercise – a good, long run will help ease that stress!

@Karen~Awesome about the scale, I need one like that at home. They have a fancy one at the gym that the trainers use for their clients, I was actually surprised at how much of my body was muscle – more muscle than fat, that’s a good thing!

@Susan~Good job with the assessment, have you met with an actual trainer yet or is that next week?

@Holly~Do you have an iPhone or Android? If so, you can download a 5k app – it will walk you through the paces of a C25K program. They all say that if you can walk at a decent pace for 30-minutes you can do the C25K – like Karen said, I think how fast you can jog/run is dependent upon your body and height. I can run consistently for 30 minutes if I keep my stride short and run at about 3.8 (I’m tall though at 5’9” and am very muscular). I can run at 4.5 or 5.0 but I do poop out a lot quicker and will have to incorporate more walking segments. Remember to just start out slow and build your way up.

@Butterfly~I used to be an emotional eater too, but since starting on this weight loss journey I have tried to find other things to substitute for food. For me, exercise really helps - there are times when I'm really stressed or upset that it doesn't work and I try to take that time to meditate or do some yoga to relax. Chocolate milk (or a piece of dark chocolate) is actually a good thing to turn to - chocolate boosts seratonin. :bigsmile:

Welcome to any newlings that have stopped by lately – you have truly found the best forum on MFP!!!

Wednesday Wish~That those struggling with finances or health issues find solace soon.

~Kelley

@MyM0wM0w Glad to hear it's doable! I have been SO strict. It's one thing to eat right to try and lose weight for appearance or general health, it's another when the doctor says "Do this or you could develop diabetes within the next couple of years." It's a lot easier to resist temptation with that statement!

@butterflywolf Boy, do I understand! I'm lucky (in a way) that I live alone, so have complete control over what's in the house. One time I got on one of those emotional binges and the only thing I had to binge on was sugar-free jello! So I ate like 10 of those individual serving things. If you can't keep unhealthy options out of the house, the only thing I can suggest is that you do something else that keeps your hands busy so you don't eat. Leave the house and go for a drive. I play video games (the more violent the better when I'm in that mood!) Honestly, though, you didn't do that horribly in your food choices for your breakdown. It could have been worse! I wouldn't have suggested skipping dinner, though, because that would just make you more hungry. I would suggest still eating dinner, but eat lightly.

@greygal I love my Fitbit! I have the Zip. And it's definitely motivating to see the numbers go up. I'll park a little farther away, or walk to someone's desk instead of emailing, or walk to the farther bathroom, just trying to up my steps a little!

I worked out last night for the first time in at least 6 months (I moved 6 months ago and haven't worked out since then). I have the xBox 360 with Kinect and it's my favorite source of exercise! I have Humana health insurance and they have a fitness motivation program where you can earn points for doing healthy things, and the points can be traded in for real stuff. Anyway, you can link your xBox account to the Humana Vitality site and for every day I burn at least 200 calories on the Your Shape "game", I get points. Well, I didn't burn 200 calories last night, but it's a start! I figure I can try and do a little more each day. I also love the dance games, like Just Dance or Dance Central, but I can't earn Human Vitality points for those!

Wednesday wish, eh? Ok, I wish for more hours in the day to get everything done! But on a more realistic and health-related theme, I wish that my glucose levels will be significantly lower on my next blood test!

i forgot that i was supposed to work out every day until i was about to get in the tub last night. the tub takes forever to fill so i just marched in place for fifteen minutes. it's not amazing, but it's a start.

JUST CHECKING IN. HAVING A DIFFICULT TIME STAYING ON TRACK. HAD GREAT MEAL PLANNED LAST NIGHT AND GRANDSON CAME HOME AND SAID HE AND GREAT GRANDCHILD WERENT JOINING US, SO HUBBY DECIDED TO GET TAKE OUT CHINESE. NOT ONLY WAS IT NOT VERY GOOD, BUT IT WAS DEFINITELY OVER MY CALORIES FOR THAT MEAL AND FOR THE DAY.

TONIGHT I AM SHOPPING WITH MY TEENAGE GRANDDAUGHTER FOR RUBBER GALOSHES, WHICH APPARENTLY ARE A FAD NOW, SO I WILL PROBABLY EAT OUT. I NEED TO PLAN ON EATING SOMEWHERE HEALTHY

TOOTS I THINK THAT IS PRETTY AMAZING. AT LEAST YOU DID SOMETHING

Good Morning. I don't think that today will be one for much activity. My grandson was sick during the night and is still not feeling very good. Today will be one for lots of cuddle-time. Yesterday was a good one. We got in a good walk at the track, and I got laundry and some cleaning done. I'm working on some blankets for the new baby. I think that I will try to get in some Leslie Sansone this evening after sick boy goes home. My wish for today is that he will get to feeling better soon. Kaye

Charlotte- i hope your day continues on such a positive note!! I have also met with my financial advisor a year or two ago and she wants me to be debt free and mortgage free when i retire in 8 years......i could not stop laughing

kaha68- gonna look up that web site....right now i have my budget on a piece of paper beside my computer where i can see it and i write expenses in a book then total them at the end of the month. I think it would be easier to do it on the computer. I used to have an excel spreadsheet but forget how to re-create it!!

yesterday I did a giant crash and burn. I don't have a job to return to and now the brakes on my van are done and i do not have 1700 to repair them..Cannot possibly cut anything else out of my budget. Waiting and trusting that there is a plan

Aug- hope you are doing well

Good morning.

I am home sick today so there will be very little activity. I started a fever last night. I have a very runny nose and chest congestion. I am taking some anti-biotic and hoping for the best.

Good news is I was 268.2 lbs. today! Maybe I should complain about not losing more often :laugh: I finally broke the 270 lbs. barrier!

On March 2nd I am going to the pub for St. Baldrick's fund raiser. This involves shaving heads for kids with cancer. They raise money for research. So make sure you look on March 2nd for picture of me with no hair :blushing:

Hope you all do not get this illness that I have.

Tom

@MyM0wM0w - thanks for the support, kindred spirit! Yes, I know that I will have to learn to allow myself occasional splurges because this is forever. But until my numbers get down and are a little less scary, I'm pretty motivated to follow the plan to the letter. I think once I'm back in normal range, I will learn how to have occasional treats without binging. But I've only been at this about 6 weeks, so right now, my entire focus is on getting my glucose down. I have no idea how long it takes, though...

The nice thing is that since I have pretty much cut out sugar and a drastically reduced my carbs, I'm really not that tempted anymore. I can't believe I actually consider a piece of fruit as a "sweet" now! Who am I?!