Need to Lose 100 LBS -Robins Thread !

@charlotte--glad to hear you got back on the wii--I know you've been struggling to begin the exercise regiment, so I'm proud of you! Also envious of your cleaning binge--wanna come to my house? :laugh: Seriously, I really need to clean my bathroom tomorrow, and I DO need to get down on my hands and knees and scrub the floor! :ohwell:

@lioness--welcome and great success with the healthier foods!

@helen--I agree with charlotte--it's absolutely a victory that you put your foot down and said "no" to the coffee cake. Eating the cake today does not negate that decision to put your own needs first! You go girl! :drinker: Also, glad you were happy with your house and that "Hoarders" didn't come a'knocking! :laugh:

@susan--so sorry to hear about your friends and the cancer diagnosis. They will be in my thoughts.

@kris--great job burning off those twizzlers! I'm usually a chocolate person when it comes to sweets, but a bag of twizzlers will get me every time. I totally know what you mean about exercising to earn back calories--tonight out with some friends from work with whom I rarely go out, one of them asked, "so are you on some strict diet?" and I answered "no, I run my *kitten* off so I can eat whatever I want." :laugh: Not exactly the truth, but it made her laugh.

@drojen--OMG! I loved your description of running making you feel like "supergirl"--I feel the same way! And although I do plenty of other forms of exercise, none of them have the same affect on me. Even if I have a bad run, I still feel this great sense of accomplishment. Like today I woke up with my 95 lb dog half on top of me which was compressing my left hip. Didn't feel great and when I walked him later, I could still feel it. On the treadmill at the gym the hip was a little stiff and my right lower back was achy as well. I'm sure it was all related. Long story longer, my 4 mile run turned into a lot of alternating running and walking. However, I still felt great that I finished it.

@vicki--congrats on the clothing NSVs!

@rachael--measuring is good, but weighing is MUCH more accurate. Bigaug posted a video that shows why, but I didn't save it. Anyone out there have the link?

To answer your question about how much weight and how long. My heaviest weight was 247 (june 2010) and I started MFP in March 2011 at 241. My ticker goal is 71 lbs b/c that will bring me within the "healthy" range of the BMI chart for my height (5'7"). I was down to 202 by the end of 2011, and right now I'm at 189. There was definitely a slow down once I crossed into onederland, but admittedly, I also relaxed my goals and raised my calorie levels at that point. I'm happy that I maintained and even lost a little bit more in 2012, but my goal now is to kick it back up a notch (and maybe 2 or 3 notches once I'm off for the summer) to try to lose these last 20 lbs. to get me to that goal.

Hmm and now that I'm talking this through, I realize I've proven once again that I'm no math wizard b/c I actually have 30 more lbs. to lose to get to the healthy range...:ohwell: I'm going to leave my goal as it is and when I get down to 169, I will change my ticker. I'm honestly not sure where I will stop--as I've said before, I'd really like to get to a size 8 b/c I've never been a single digit size. However, I have a very large frame and would like to retain a good amount of muscle mass and a bit of my curves (I will never be willowy thin), so I may be more comfortable as a size 10.

Saturday Success:
Went to b-day dinner for a friend and another woman I've met a few times came out with us. I haven't seen her in a couple of years and she actually didn't recognize me at 1st. When she realized who I was, she said "Wow, you look great!" Later, at dinner she asked me what I had done to lose the weight. I told her about MFP and as I talked about it in the present tense, she said "Oh, are you still doing it to maintain?" Her implication was that I didn't need to lose any more weight, which made me so happy!! :bigsmile:

May hit the gym tomorrow if the ice storm isn't too wretched. Need to finish grading as well...

Exercise Goals:
Mon--gym (weights + bike) DONE
Tues--walk gunner NOT DONE (too cold/windy) + core DONE
Wed--walk gunner NOT DONE + gym RAN AT HOME INSTEAD
Thurs--walk gunner NOT DONE
Fri--rest day
Sat--walk gunner DONE + gym (long run + elliptical) DONE
Sun--walk gunner + core

Grading Goals:
1. 30/56 Reading Journals
2. 16/56 JRP thesis statements

Good morning,

Up bright and early today enjoyed a quiet time in a wonderful quiet house. Love it. Today will be a busy one once I get going here. I meet with a small support group of wives every Sunday morning at 8:30 for coffee. We use this time to share our weeks seek advice if needed it but just share we normally have a Bible study too. Than after that my small group is hosting this month potluck after church. The theme voted on is a potato bar. But I do know there is going to be one really big green salad. That is the one I am making so I planning on a big helping of that. :happy:

@Helen -- Good for you for sticking up for yourself. Way to take a stand
@Nicole sorry you had such a tough few days
@Alison good for you being consistent on your weight loss. Steady!
@Susan. -- so sorry about your friend's husband it is so sad.
@Karen - that is a really good Saturday success story how encouraging! Cant wait to have one of those myself in the future but it will for me be the far future.
@charlotte -- love going on those cleaning hinges myself -- good for you.


Need to get moving - because of how full today will be not sure getting a workout in. Plan for this to be a workout free day. But once I get to church I will be on my feet most of the time helping with setup and cleanup etc. So made my food goal to be 1300
calories today.

Wishing everyone a good day.
Liz from Caldwell, idaho

Sunday sharing: I've been cooking up a storm for my daughters, both had babies recently.(Rose Reisman vegetarian recipes)..I find they take a lot of time to make, not easy recipes. After today, taking a break from it. My life is busy with a lot of demands from family on it and I love it, but I find I'm tired. The weather here is going to warm up soon to above freezing. I can't wait. When it does , I'm taking bringing my little, grandson to my house. He likes to sweep outside and I'll take him for a walk along the lake. It will be a chance to for us to get outside.
OH, on an exciting note, for the last couple of days I've been helping my daughter with her newborn. While at her house I saw coyotes and I think two bush wolves cross in front of her place and go into the Provincial Park (which is across the street). It was snowing softly and one of the wolves was huge...quite beautiful..I almost screamed with delight.

Helen great job on saying no to your guest desire for coffee cake.

Karen- That is a great NSV.

I will be back later tonight. I have papers to grade and then I am rock climbing.

Definitely keep track of morning weight. It's always the lowest and therefore, in my opinion, the most correct.

I vote for the morning weight. I think that is more accurate. I'm disappointed that I only lost .8 of the 3 pounds I gained last week. I haven't had very many slow weeks so I am kind of spoiled.
Someone asked about where we started and our goals. I started at the end of Sept, weighing 164#. I was motivated, at least in part, by my upcoming knee replacement. I lost 10# in the first 2 weeks before the surgery. My weight loss has been pretty consistent. I'm not really sure what my final goal is. I am losing 25# at a time. I have nearly lost the second 25. I've said that I will lose that much 5 times, but I'm not sure. I'm only 5' 1", but I have a rather compact "Welsh" body. I generally weigh more than I look like I do. Weight charts don't reflect a realistic weight for me. I haven't weighed less than 160# for many years. I just want to be healthy, so I'll be counting calories for the rest of my life. When I reach the 50# mark, I plan to reevaluate my goals and perhaps set my calories for bit slower weight loss. I know that whatever I do, I need to be able to eat real food, and live a real life. It has to be sustainable for the l o n g haul.
Enjoy the rest of your weekend. Kaye

Skinny- I vote for the morning weight as well. Now that you have a good scale, I would only use that one for your "checking in" weight and only count the morning weigh ins. - Awesome NSV btw! Yay.

Jumpy- I've had you in my prayers... I hope that God recognizes screennames...

jtconst- I hope your time with the kiddos was fun!

Rachael- yay for getting to the gym! I have had a gym membership for many years, but haven't gone since 2010. Every post I read about someone being at the gym inspires me a little more to go. (thanks)

Vicki- glad the meds are helping. I completely understand about the prednisone. When I have to take it, I'm not really hungry, but I crave crunchy bread like carbs. Keep carrot and celery sticks handy- maybe it will help.

Susan - I am sorry to hear about your friends. They will be in my prayers, as will you.

I was gluttonous yesterday. I did great most of the day, but then went out for another birthday dinner. I decided I had enough calories left to splurge on a fruity drink and standard burger stuff. That probably would have been okay, but my friend couldn't drink her drink, because it was too strong- - - um long story short, I was a bit stressed so I let loose after the two very strong drinks. We went to another friends, and after to another burger place... I just didn't want to care, if that makes sense?

Today, I am drinking tons of water and trying to get the junk out of my system.

I am not happy with my decisions lately.

Hello friends - I hope all is well with you. I need to get up and walk around. My butt is yelling at me for sitting to long to try to write some replies. That's something I notice, much less padding means I cannot sit comfortably for a long time now. :bigsmile:

SUSAN – so sorry about your friend’s illness. Prayers and best wishes.

VICKI – how are you doing?? So sorry you’ve been ill and hope you’re on the mend now. Congrats on your shopping trip. What a wonderful result. Yeah!!!

ALISON – congrats on your upcoming SV. Great to see continuing results!

LMACKBETHL – congrats on maintaining your loss and I hope you did get out for a walk.

GRANDMAKAYE44 – I agree with you! I will think more than twice before waxing my lip. I think I’ll just remove the GIANTS with the tweezers and leave it at that.

NACETO – thanks for sharing your lessons learned with us. It’s a great list and for sure ALWAYS use a deadbolt lock.

JUMPY – I have clothes that are more than 10 years old and I plan to keep them!!!! They were pricey and they fit again. HAHA. I hope things are on the upswing for you.

KVANDEEST – glad you’re hanging in there! It’s always nice to see you.

JT – how did the sleepover go? Oh, I see you posted now and it sounds like a great time was had by all!

RACHAEL – congrats on joining the gym. Good job. I hope the kids will not make a fuss whenever you want to use the gym. Sounds like you are totally on track with everything. WONDERFUL!

DROJEN – it’s wonderful that you’ve found that running makes you feel so good. It’s great to find something you’ll stick with.

MYMOWMOW – blowing calories is not a pleasant experience but I know you’ll just move on and not let it get to you. I use to adore red laces or Twizzlers. No more, gluten free and sugar free life.

LAURIE – great work at the gym. That is a great bike ride.

HELEN – good for you. You really did stand up for yourself.

LIONESS – good for you---glad you hear you’re back on track.

KAH – good luck on the new challenge!!

CHARLOTTE – wow, you’ve accomplished a lot. I’m jealous!

LIZ – hope you don’t wear yourself out today! Sounds like a very busy day.

MELANCHOLY – it’s so nice of you to help out both of your daughters. I hope they appreciate the work you’ve done for them. I’m sure the wolves and coyotes were beautiful. I’m glad to hear you saw them from inside the house.

MARADIAZ – best of luck with the remaining few pounds.

SKINNY – I agree with the others, weigh in the morning. I track my info in a spreadsheet but only post on MFP once a week. But you should do what works best for you.

:drinker: :drinker: :drinker: :drinker: :drinker: :drinker: :drinker: :drinker:

Lin in kind of icey Iowa

Thanks to everyone who has congratulated me on joining the gym. It was a very big decision for me and I needed to do it. I get inspired with each of you everyday, reading all of your success and struggles. For the first time in my life, I'm being honest with myself and sharing a lot about my weight that I never did before.

Sunday share- for all the new folks, I'm rachael, 29 yrs old with 9 year old twins that have kept me on my toes since birth. I live in southern NJ. I started this fantastic journey on January 3, 2013. A friend asked if I wanted to do a marathon and my 302 lb body was in shock at the idea. I thought it might be fun and that's what sparked this life changing decision. So far I've lost 11 lbs. I don't get as winded as before, but I still do. My body still hurts when I do something new, which is good. I'm surprising my way undertones muscles. I let myself get to the highest weight I have ever been at in my life and sometimes I get angry with myself for allowing this to happen. This time will be the time that I am successful and a very big chunk of it is due to all the motivation, kindness and positivity from everyone here on MFP.

I really do adore everyone on this thread. I found this great motivational picture and it says "sweat is fat crying" I just love it! It's so true. For so long the fat lived on us and slowly we are makin it cry bc it can no longer take up residency on us. WE CAN AND WILL DO THIS!!

Have a great night everyone! Take care of those sore muscles :-)

-Rachael

Hi, good evening, my name is Susan, I have learned much after a surgery I underwent in 2009 that low iron can be a huge factor in those aching legs. Hydration is the next factor. Mine would ache so bad that I felt like I could not hold them still, kicking them so to speak while I was laying down at night was my only relief but who can kick and sleep? I would wake up from my knees aching. But watching my iron and on really humid or cold and rainy weather I take some ibuprofen at night. This rarely happens to me now. Hope this helps.

I just got on this site and thought I'd start with this topic to follow in the forum. I've lost #20 in the past 3 weeks and am trying hard to stay motivated to exercise - it's freezing cold, nasty winter where I live right now.

Perhaps check your potassium levels. leg cramps can be a result of not enough, especially if your working out hard, sweating etc. We need to be careful to replace the nutrients we lose through exercise. check with your doctor and see if they can run blood tests to see where you're at.

Sunday Sharing: I had to change the batteries in my scale because I just couldn't believe I was working out, eating 1200 calories a day and still losing so slowly. Changing the batteries didn't help.

I guess this last 10-20 pounds is going to try to hang around like the last couple of party goers at an all niter.

i've definitely heard that can happen

I started this on January 6th. The first two weeks the weight came off fast, I suspect mainly because it was water weight. I also have a lot to lose, so I kind of expected this instant gratification. I'm am eating well, staying under my calorie goal, and killing myself at the gym. When I weighed myself this morning I had gone up 2 lbs!!! WHAT?!! I know it isn't a medical condition because I've had an exam recently. Hormones? Sodium? I had a short term goal of losing 25 lbs before I have to be on an airplane the end of March. I'm starting to think I won't make it. Advice?

if you're really working out hard it's very likely that your muscles could be retaining water and causing the gain. also make sure you drink a butt ton of water.

@Liz -- I guess a potato bar is an Idaho speciality, right?
@drojen -- I love the range of stuff you can use an iPad for for kids with special needs, and kids generally.
@Melancholy2 -- coyotes and wolves! Wow. We do get foxes here but that's all.
@MaraDiaz -- I think they say that the last few pounds go much more slowly, and it's worth adjusting MFP to 1/2 pound a week. Some people say interval training helps a lot too.
@Karen -- I think now that I was a bit daft neglecting my health while I was working so hard. I always use morning weights -- I weigh myself every morning but only check-in once a week. I think morning weights are the most consistent. They do still go up and down a bit. Yay for the instant 3lb weight loss! If you're bothered about it, MFP will let you adjust your starting weight down.
@Tammy -- I'm glad you had a good time with the kids! When I started this I got a bit depressed thinking about how long it might take, but now it just seems like I can live my life in the meantime and not worry about it.
@Rachael -- "Sweat is fat crying" is one of my favourite quotes too.
@CakePlate -- welcome! You're fine, just keep going. That 2lb weight gain will either be your body bouncing back from the sudden early weight loss, or -- and this is my guess -- when you work out really hard, especially if you're lifting stuff, you get lots of tiny muscle tears. As they repair, you get stronger, but in the meanwhile, the muscles hang onto a load of water as they heal. Or it could be just TOM, or a change in your diet, or a whole host of things. So, just keep going, drink plenty of water, keep getting the exercise and logging, and it's all good. There might be some sodium stuff too; if you open up your diary it's easier to get a look at that. 25lbs by the end of March is just towards the top end of what's doable.
@Robin -- great to have a lovely new living room!
@Charlotte -- I use my Wii when the weather's miserable, and I'll keep Exerbeat in mind for next time I need a new game to perk me up.

Welcome to all the newlings!

Monday check-in -- I have lost 2 pounds and am doing the happy dance. Measurements coming up on Friday. Still not quite fitting into the size 18 jeans I got from a friend, but my ancient, favourite, size 18 stretch jeans are really comfy now. (This is a UK 18 which is like a US 16 -- except that these ones are a bit stretchy so I'm not quite there yet).

Looking forward to another great week!

-- Alison