Need to Lose 100 LBS -Robins Thread !

Thanks for the kind thoughts. I WILL try to be a good patient...even though I'm worrying about losing all the fitness strides I've worked so hard for.

I practically fainted when I got on the scale and saw a 10 pound gain since my hospitalization!!!! In panic I fasted for half a day yesterday (only 350 calories and lots of water). Yes, I know that's not smart. As I've been feeling bloated, still fighting my pre-procedure cold, and achy, my vivid imagination was wondering how I could have consumed enough cals to gain 10 pounds--blood clot, slow internal leak from the femoral arteries, aliens taking over my bod pod? I got up this morning more than 5 pounds lighter. So--it's either meds & the IV (?!), or some sort of inflammatory reaction to the "assault" on my ticker. Truly--I did not gorge on 35,000 extra cals. :noway:

Today I'm eating more--just not all 1400 cals--especially since I can't work out.

Helena: Your mom is lucky to have a supportive daughter/family and I'm sure, with medical intervention and lots of love and prayers, will recover completely. Hang in there. We're listening. (I'm channeling my inner Frasier Crane.)

Robin: Ouch! Sorry. That was for your pocketbook! Don't you hate it when home repairs begin to snowball?! I hope the good luck fairy visits you soon.

Re the obesity discussion: I started out pitifully skinny...but once I was a stay-at-home mom, I became a "foodie," using food as a cure for boredom, anxiety, smothered creativity, sadness, lack of self worth and a host of other maladies that should have been handled more productively. Food became my drug of choice. Knowing that still doesn't "fix" me, but helps me to understand the whys. Now if my super-famished, over-used and abused fat cells would just quit clamoring for MORE, I'd be better off. However, my grandmother, who had 9 children AND gestational diabetes, was always more than plump and lived to her mid 80s in spite of her weight. Genetic? Don't know--though I was a gestational diabetic with the twins. Rambling here, not sure this makes sense.
Think my blood sugar is dropping.

@Marsha~Welcome back! I’m quite sure your body was just rebelling after your procedure and it’s just an inflammatory response. Glad 5# of that was gone this morning. On my off days or days I can’t make it to the gym I always eat a bit less that day, I especially watch my carbs intake.

@Robin~Sorry for the house repairs, it irks me when I have money set aside for other stuff but then get hit with a house or car repair bill.

@Holly~I’m sorry you’re struggling. Of course, you know it’s worth it – take a look at your diary and see if you are staying within your macros. If you are eating too many carbs, sodium, or sugar that can sure derail your efforts at the gym. The pressure from co-workers is hard – people here order out all the time and there are cookies, candy and the like around for snacking. I just have to avoid it and my friends/co-workers are pretty understanding – I bring my meals and snacks to work every day except Friday, I still try to make a healthier choice that day though.

Still trying to get the baby used to the new schedule, but it is going better. A friend of daughters picked Keith up this morning and took him to the park with her kids for 2 hours. That was a nice break for him.
I'm counting down to my dr appointment and trying to keep my calories low until I can start walking again.
Helena--sorry about your mother. I know that you will be a good support for her. Speaking from the perspective of a mother of adults, I can tell you that it really means a lot to me to have the support and help of my children.
To all who are struggling--this really is worth the effort. (And it does take a lot of effort.) Even with my knee hurting, I feel so much better than I did 6 months ago! Hang in there.
Kaye

Totally blew my sodium out of the water today. A thousand calories to go and I'm already over. Shoulda known even an otherwise healthy chicken wrap would be pickled in salt coming from the Great Boobs of America (aka the Golden Arches). Blah.

BUT I just cranked out my 75 squats in sets of ten w/ the five to spare. Usually I have to spread them out over the day in fives.

Tonight and the next couple of days are gonna be a bit crazy. Lotsa baking to do, music to practice for Saturday & Sunday.

@ Marsha, no worries about the fluid gain. Any time we do surgery-type things to our bodies, we retain fluid. And the surgeons add fluid during procedures. It takes 2-3 weeks to lose it all. No, you did not gain 10 (or even 5) lbs of fat! Glad the procedure was a success!

@ Toots, there's a lot that's mental. Doesn't help that losing weight just empties the fat cells. They're still there and it's a lot easier to fill empty ones than it is to empty full ones. When you gain over your highest weight, though, you are building and filling new fat cells. There's also the dopamine release we get from simple carbs, especially processed sugars (dopamine release in the brain hits our brain's "pleasure center", which reinforces all sorts of behaviors). So there are a lot of biologically useful processes that, in times of overabundance, work against us.

Truth: I really enjoy hubby's newest hobby: backyard movie theater. It's been warm all week and tonight was especially pleasant. Sat outside and watched a cartoon with dinner, then a DVD after the kids were in bed. Too sleepy to do any more personals, but am reading them. 'Night!

Wishing everyone a wonderful weekend!!

Last week's fitness: not sure I had a plan. Anyway:

Friday/Saturday/Sunday -- at Center Parcs so lots of walking, cycling and swimming. And went to the nearby parkrun on Saturday morning to do a parkrun in a lovely lovely forest.
Monday -- 'plastic Mayday' -- the early May bank holiday, so we were dancing at the Bocking May Fayre. Lots of dancing and also walking around carrying my instrument (which is tiring).
Tuesday -- walked to the park for circuits class, and home again! Also did some strength on the new outdoor gym. Yay for outside!
Wednesday -- walked up to the hospital for a blood test.
Thursday -- ran to the Lido (5 miles) and then swam for an hour. And then took the train home because that was plenty.
Friday -- badminton (twice). And a bit of cycling.

Next week:

Saturday: parkrun
Sunday: badminton
Monday: morris dancing plus I want to run
Tuesday: circuits again maybe?
Wednesday: badminton (I haven't done Wednesday morning badminton for weeks)
Thursday: run
Friday: badminton.
And three lots of strength... (did two this week so that's not so bad)

@Helena -- thinking of you and your mum. It sounds like she's getting excellent, urgent care. Do look after yourself.
@Kris -- I reckon 500 cals of exercise per day is doable, but quite hard. I've done nearly 5000 this week, but it's been a particularly busy week with a holiday in it. More importantly, I find that when I'm exercising at that level I can't keep my calories down *as well*; I have to eat back at least half of them and often more. Is there some reason why you can't just stick to the 500/day overall deficit, lose a pound a week, and carry on from there? it will be more sustainable in the long run.
@MommaRobs -- I find logging really helps me even if I'm eating loads -- because it reminds me that even if it's the difference between 2500 calories and 3000 calories, it still matters in the long run! It's also good when I'm having a difficult day, because often when I look at the log it turns out not to have been that bad.
@Tammy -- you're really rocking it with the exercise at the moment! I have a long list of things for the house too.
@Karen -- my boy's a complete slacker (we had parents' night last night and it was one teacher after another saying 'he's so clever and capable, but he just messes about in class...'). But his English teacher has given him a reading list and he's currently devouring Ender's Game at high speed.
@Marsha -- so glad the op was a success and you're on the mend! Do the walking and pilates, and look after yourself till you get the all clear to do proper exercise again.
@Caramel -- yay for the cute linen pants and the new Someone! If your bra back size has gone down then the same cup size will be smaller cos that's how they work. But I have gone from a 40G to a 34J over the last year and I'm now seriously worried that I'm going to end up needing something like a 26TripleQ which does not actually exist.
@Toots -- I think what often happens with people who lose a lot is that they gain *some* of it back. I have a friend who had WLS about five years ago and he's gained perhaps 20% of the weight back -- but that's still a ton better than where he was at before. And another good friend did sensible diet and exercise about three years ago -- she's gained about half of that back and is now getting back on track again. Gaining some of the weight back is still a ton better than where people are when they start. That 98% figure includes a lot of people who are dieting to lose ten pounds -- and obviously a lot of those people lose the ten pounds, gain twelve, and so on. There are *lots* of people here on MFP who've lost a lot and maintained. I mean, there are definitely ways to do this that don't work. And I think there's an issue where people lose a certain amount and then obesity stops being such a driving force in their life, other priorities take over, and it's hard to maintain the focus that caused the weight loss in the first place. The National Weight Control Registry looks like a good resource -- because it makes clear what successful control appears to take (continuing careful attention to what people eat, and regular exercise).
@MaryPoppins -- I love baking too!
@Marca -- ooh, not logging odd things is a bad habit. I do that occasionally and I always try to check myself and get back in order as quickly as possible. But well done on hitting that ten pound goal!
@Robin -- fingers crossed for a good weigh in and breaking your long long plateau!

All you horse riders -- I have a good friend who bought a horse last year, and has dropped three dress sizes! From a UK 16 to a UK 10. She's not been dieting *at all*, but she rides most days, and then there's a measure of mucking out and so on as well. Funnily, the doctor doesn't count riding as exercise, so the NHS system shows her as doing one hour of pilates a week and that's all. She also said I'm light enough now to ride her horse (benefit of being short) so I've got that to look forward to. TRY ALL THE EXERCISE, that's me...

I hope you all have a Brilliant Weekend!

Cheers

Alison

I took a health screening today and my Blood Pressure, Blood Sugar, Cholesterol are all at normal levels. My Cholesterol use to be in heart attack range. I was told that I should lose about 14 inch from my waist.
I am sharing this because I guess eventhough the scale never moves and I am not getting thinner what I am doing is improving my health. I guess on funny note I can honestly say "I am a healthy fat chic" hope I didn't offend I was just trying to be funny.

UGH!!! After a great week... I hit my exercise goals quite nicely... I am having a REALLY dizzy/sick day. But then that is how my life goes, you pay for the good days with some bad days. But my fitness goals remain the same: 5 days of SOME sort of movement!!! Hoping to start out (if the drugs kick in well enough) to get some gardening done today! Fingers crossed!!!

Marca:bigsmile:

Robin--We all need a plumber like that!
Walking Queen--Good job on such good health readings.
Friday Fitness--Still have to be satisfied with a little light housework and walking the baby. My knee was feeling a lot better until I accidentally caught my foot in the vacuum cord when I stepped back. UGH!
I had a fun NSV today. I was picking up a few groceries before dinner. The lady in front me commented, "It looks like you are eating a lot healthier than we are." When 39 cents a pound sounds high for watermelon, I remind myself that chocolate costs a lot more than that, $5 or more per pound.
Have a great night. Kaye