Need to Lose 100 LBS -Robins Thread !

@karenleona--great job getting some of that yardwork done!!

@robin--congrats on the volunteer position!! :flowerforyou: Also, thanks for the advice about NROLFW--I already know quite a bit about lifting weights, so maybe it's not what I need. I'm looking for something with actual routines (which exercises to do with how many reps and sets), not the basics of lifting or form. I will check it out of my library to see if it's worth buying for my needs.

@charlotte--Congrats on that looser top--that's a great NSV! Oh, and I think being a nurse has got to be the most selfless job on earth. People sometimes say being a teacher is a calling not a choice, but I think that's even more true about being a nurse. :flowerforyou:

@susan--welcome home and congrats on your success while traveling!

@laurie--I have also missed being at the gym this week--all of the meetings at school and then the social events this weekend put exercise on the back burner. However, I agree with you--it will be okay b/c it was an odd week for both of us. We will get back to our normal routines this week.

@kaye--sounds like a fun shopping trip!

@nicole--sounds like you did a great job at the birthday party. :drinker:

@elena--I agree with what others have said about building up gradually, but I think you were asking more about whether people can start running when they are still really heavy or above a certain weight/BMI. I was about 235 lbs when I started running and I'm 5'7", so I was well into the obese range for BMI. I also know of several women (my height or shorter) who've started running at higher weights--some close to 300 lbs. I guess my answer is there's probably no magic number that determines if you're "ready" to start running--as others have said, if you build up gradually, you'll run less risk of injury regardless of your weight.

@alice--whether you can lose 40 lbs by Feb. depends on a lot of factors--how much you weight no is a big one. You say you have 80 lbs to lose, but we don't know if that's 80 lbs from the lower or higher end of your healthy weight range. If an 80 lb loss will put you at the high end of your healthy weight range, then that first 40 lbs will likely be easier to lose than if you are only 80 lbs from the lowest healthy weight for your height. Also, as others have said, it also depends upon your accuracy and discipline calculating and tracking your calories in and calories out. If you use tools like a food scale and a heart rate monitor, your numbers will be more precise and you're likely to have more success. Those big events are great motivators, but ultimately won't you be happier to be healthier regardless of the actual # on the scale? I mean if you are 38 lbs lighter in Feb. rather than 40 won't that still be a success? And even if you're only 20 lbs lighter, as long as you are achieving that weight loss through good nutrition and exercise, you'll still be healthier than you are today.

@mel--I remember when the scale scared me and I obsessed--often weighing myself several times a day. I also know from that experience that nothing I say will free you from that fear--only you can do that for yourself. I will tell you that I overcame my scale fears and obsession by weighing myself EVERY morning (but NOT any other time of day). I then would ignore the number unless it was lower than my previous lowest recorded weight--and would only check in on MFP when that happened. After doing that for awhile, I could see that the scale would bounce up and down from day to day, but as long as I was eating right and exercising, the general trend was downward. I honestly don't remember how long it took to overcome the fear, but it was more than a week or two--probably something like 2 months of daily weighing. Now, I try to weigh myself daily b/c I've read countless studies that say it's better for losing or maintaining a healthy weight. However, I don't really think about the scale much (I often forget to weigh in the morning) and I'm no longer "afraid" of the number--I sometimes get frustrated with it :grumble: , but I don't fear it.

@kaye--as you get closer to goal weight it's important to start increasing your calorie intake to get closer to what you will be eating to maintain. Thus, eating back your exercise calories may not be a bad idea. Yes, your weight loss will slow down, but once you reach your goal weight, it will be a smoother transition to what you will be eating for the rest of your life to maintain.

@tracy--Go Bears!!! :devil:

Saturday Success:
Had a fabulous weekend in Chicago! Lunch at Frontera Grill yesterday was SOOOO yummy!! I'm sure it wasn't low calorie, but the portions were appropriate (not the ridiculously monstrous portions you get at typical restaurants). I also opted for a "champagne margarita" which was much lighter (and based on the ingredients) lower calorie than your traditional 600+ calorie margarita.

At the reception, the hors devours never even made it to the section of the room where I was socializing. In fact, I had no idea they were even serving them, until a tray came near us and a friend tried to snag the last chicken satay but missed out to a faster guest. I am glad they never got to us b/c I didn't starve without them, but if I had the opportunity I'm sure I would have eaten them. Dinner was delicious--I had salmon with garlic mashed potatoes and asparagus. There was also a yummy salad and some pasta with vodka sauce served family style before we got our entrees. I cleaned my plate, ate my piece of wedding cake, and then ate the frosting off of my husband's cake :blushing: . It was a satisfying meal, but I wasn't uncomfortably stuffed. We then danced for hours to help burn off some of the damage. I didn't even try to log it--although I'm a strong proponent of logging every bite (even if you have to estimate), I would have no way of even guesstimating the ingredients or calorie count of my lunch. Also, I lost track of how many drinks I had at the wedding. I didn't get drunk by any means, but every time we got up to dance the cater-waiters would take our half full drinks away. It was very annoying and made it impossible to track how many Captain and diets I actually drank. :grumble:

After the reception, we went back to the hotel, changed, and headed up to the grooms' Presidential Suite for the after-party. The room was 2200 square feet!! That's twice the size of my home. It had a grand piano in the foyer, a full wet bar, and a pool table. It was almost 3 am when we said good-bye and walked back to our hotel room to get some sleep. :noway: This morning we dined at the hotel restaurant's Sunday Brunch which was pricey for breakfast, but really yummy. They had some very yummy chicken sausage and I got to finally try steel-cut oatmeal.

This afternoon I watched my Bears beat tracy's Vikings , and now I'm trying to muster the energy to go to the grocery store.

I will check back later to add my exercise schedule for the week.

I am looking forward to a more settled week without to many meetings. Today, I biked the entire Baltimore and Annapolis trail which is 26 miles. This trail follows the old railroad tracks that would take people to Baltimore and back. It starts outside of Annapolis and goes to the airport. This was a great accomplishment for me and it took about 2.5 hours. This is the most I have ridden in one day. I am tried from the ride but it felt good to exercise today and the weather was perfect today. Then, I helped my brother unload and dump about 10 bags of top soil into his garden beds for next year. That was an upper body workout. I should sleep well tonight.

Workout plans for the week
Sunday- bike 26 miles done:bigsmile:
Monday- Trainer workout ( might be running)
Tuesday- rest or swim Most likely rest since I have plans after work and kids staying after school.
Wednesday- Swim or rest
Thursday- Gym
Friday- climbing
Saturday-swim

@nicole--yes, other than eating the frosting off of my husband's cake, I managed to control myself wit the delicious food. :laugh: I'm glad you are enjoying your fitbit! I've thought of getting one for the sleep info alone.

@laurie--glad the weather cooperated for your bike ride--26 miles is awesome!! :drinker:

@tracy--the Vegas trip sounds like a great motivator! I really enjoyed Vegas both times I visited. My favorite place is a restaurant/bar in Mandelay Bay called Red Square. It's Russian food and drink with a "Soviet" theme. They have an ice bar and the bartenders like to put on a show as they mix your martinis. There's also a separate "Zero Degree" room--you don an old Soviet military overcoat and Cossack hat and go inside to do shots.

Oops, DH is telling me dinner is ready, so I'll come back for Sunday share after I eat.

I wrote my Sunday share but I guess its out in cyberspace somewhere. It didn't post. At age 69, I think that I am the oldest one on Robin's thread. I had my one year anniversary on MFP last week. My formula for success is very simple. Log everything and eat 1200 calories a day. Nothing is off limits. Because I cook for a family, portion control is my best strategy. My exercise of choice is walking. I have spent no money on Fitbit, HRM, or gym memberships. I think that I have successfully debunked the theory that you can't lose weight when you get old. I've had my struggles and plateaus and go through all of the emotions of discouragement and frustration that everyone does, but you just have to plow through. I say this, not to brag, but to encourage others who may be wondering if it is ever going to work. Forty pounds by February? I did it last year, but I don't expect to do it again as weight loss slows down when you get closer to your normal weight. Being fit and healthy is the most important, and any loss is a good loss.
Karen--Thanks for the reminder about changing strategies as I get closer to goal. I have adopted your strategy with the scales. Weighing daily is much like keeping a close eye on my bank account. If I don't, things can get out of hand quickly.
Robin--The volunteer job sounds great. You will probably get to meet a lot of really nice people.
To the rest of you--Thank you for your constant encouragement and inspiration to me. It really helps.
Onward and downward. Kaye

Well this weekend was full of failure... My busy Saturday started with a stationary bike ride followed by some elliptical nursing my sore ankle... Couple football practices all was going well. Then it was time for my Dad's 60th B-day party... we chartered a fishing boat for the afternoon... it was a good day and a good time but my no carbs went out the window with sandwiches... then after the boat it was pizza... then ice cream cake.

Sunday started promising with some a deadlift workout.. coaching two football games where one team won a hard fought game and where the other team came back from 20 down to tie the game. I passed up on all the field goodies... even deep fried oreos! Got home started to watch my Giants... drinking Oktoberfest beers, some bratwurst... then the damn pretzels!

So back to no carb today... planning a cardio session tonight since it is the one night a week I do not have football! I am thinking stairmaster.



skinnyjeanzbo - Good luck with the Zombie obstacle race! That sounds awesome!

naceto - Sounds like your fitbit will do the trick to help add in motivation! Keep pushing it!

Lauriek70 - What a bike ride!!! I bet with this nice weather you will log some serious miles on that bike!

ElenaM4 - My tip for starting to run... is to find the pace at which you can go without losing your breath. It might be slow... it might feel really slow but you should be able to keep that pace for quite a while! Before you know it that pace will quicken...

@Laurie…how bad does your butt hurt? :laugh:

@Susan…so proud of you for how well you did on your business trip.

@Kaye…whoo hoo! New clothes!!! New size!!!!!!

@Karen…those days happen and a wedding weekend is a special occasion. As long as it doesn’t become a habit of not logging things, you are just fine. It sounds like a wonderful time! I don’t believe I’ve ever had Russian food (now Vodka on the other hand…). We might have to give that a try.

@Kinnurse…hope they figure out what is going on with your daughter. :flowerforyou: And thanks for the reminder..just filled up with water. :drinker: :drinker: :drinker:

@Gorilla…ahh football season and those dang foods and beers.:embarassed:

AFM…got through ¾ of all my corn yesterday. I have a couple more that I need to blanch and package, but that’ll get done tonight. I ended up with 1.09 bushels of it so I’ll be able to enjoy corn on the cob this winter. Other than that I wasn’t very productive yesterday with all my other activities. Today, I’m making my Mom’s hamburger soup. Lots of veggies so it comes to about 214 calories per serving!:happy:

It’s going to be nice and cool today so I think I’m going to go for a walk or bike ride after work today (love the 70’s this time of year). Jacob tries out for the Jazz band tonight so if everyone would say a quick prayer for him. He’s still having some difficulties in his life and he’s so excited for this. An activity that he is excited about is just what he needs since he can’t play sports right now.

I had too much salt this weekend, so I’m ready with water bottle in handle to get that flushed out.:drinker:

Have a great Monday!

I came here everyday last week and typed a whole thing and kept forgetting to click post reply. Yes every single day. I just got so busy at work. I was talking to my ex last night about how I feel like I have little to no support at home most of the time. My mom and grandma will tell me I need to lose weight but when I tell them I'm getting up early to go to the gym or how many times I plan on going to the gym I get "oh you don't need to go that early" and "you don't need to be going to the gym that much". I don't think going to the gym 4 times a week is a lot and to go to the gym in the morning with my sister we have to get up at 4 am but we always make sure to be in bed by 9:30 at the absolute latest and when I go without her I have to get up at 4:40 am. I don't even complain about being tired afterwards mostly because I'm not. I know I don't need someone to walk beside me and hold my hand through my weight loss but it sure would be nice to have the occasional squeeze to show support. Sorry I needed to let that out.

Monday check-in: My weekend wasn't great food wise. Today is a new day. I was supposed to go to the gym this morning and had my alarm all set for 4 am but I forgot to change it to Monday instead of Tuesday and Thursday. So I will be going on a walk/run tonight with my sister and Deputy. Oh let me tell you this munchkin gets so lazy. I take him with me on all of my walk/runs now and I can only run so may times before I am just dragging him along. We do 2 loops around a 1 mile park path and I was only able to run 3 good times. I tried twice more and he just would not run. I don't even think that he was tired because as soon as he saw my sister and her friend he ran to them.

Have a great day,
Helena

Monday-Run/walk
Tuesday-Gym Maybe hip hop abs
Wednesday-Off- I'm going to see the Sick Puppies (band) show. (super excited)
Thursday- Run/Walk
Friday- Gym and maybe hip hop abs
Saturday- Gym and Run/walk
Sunday- Gym or off not sure

Happy Monday morning friends. Well I cant say I had a healthy weekend but I am actually okay with that. I spent the entire weekend being extremly lazy and doing exactly what I wanted . I havent had any dedicated me time in quite a while. Well I feel nicely relaxed and wok up with energy and a good mood today so time to get back to work :happy: I am going to Zumba class in about and hour and then my son and I are making a run to the dump when I get home. Then it is housework and getting the house ready for hubby. He flies home sometime on tuesday and I cant wait to see him. I hope you all have a great day. Gotta get busy now. Dont forget to drink your water today:drinker: :drinker: :bigsmile:

Well I survived!!! The color run was a lot of fun and I did pretty good on time, missing my 45 minute goal by 45 seconds. I came in dead last of those running, was passed by both an 8 year old AND a friend in her late 60s.... those moments were slightly demoralizing!!! But when I finished I felt AWESOME!!! The Patriot Day 5K did not go as well.. I did finish but again I was dead last of the runners, my time was over a minute longer than Saturday's and I just felt glad to have survived at all!!! The only thing that kept me moving was the soldier whose name I wore to honor his sacrifice in service to our country. But at least I didn't get passed by the walkers or lapped by the 10K folks and I FINISHED!!

I have become acutely aware of just how far I have yet to go toward my goal of good health.... and just how SLOW a 45 min. 5K really is!!! So as Kaye says, onward and downward!!!

the important thing is that YOU DID IT!!!!!:drinker: :drinker: There will always be people faster than you but you were faster than the people who did not get off the couch and try. Great motivation fo rthe Patriot Day.
You will just keep getting better and better at this!!

Karenleona How are your knees? I still have more pain than I want! They are working well and don't keep me from my walking, so I shouldn't complain. Kaye

@Charolette- how scary!! Lots of prayers for your daughter, you and your family!!

AFM- I'm working on being more active once I get home from school this week. Up til this point this school year it's been walk in the door, fix supper, grade papers while watching tv, planning for the rest of the week and crash for the night. Tonight I fixed supper, cleaned the kitchen, got a roast ready in a crock pot for tomorrow's supper, cooked up left over chicken for lunches for the rest of the week, and did some yoga. Not a heavy workout but at least it's a move in the right direction.

Very inspiring! Good for you for doing the 5k at all! I'm going to follow in your footsteps. And just about at your 45 minute goal.
Keep on it!

@ Gorilla and @ skinny jeanz I will try a little running tomorrow. Gorilla, I hope your ankle heals well.
@ Charlotte, I will pray for your daughter, too, and for the people treating her.
@ Robin, thank you for letting me be part of this neat group.

Charlotte- Hope your daughter gets better soon. It must be really scary for you and her. I wish you could be in two places at one time so she wouldn't be alone.

pie- Sometimes we all need a night off from working out just to relax and complete a totally lazy day. I wish I could have a day like that in the near future.

Anna- Good job making time to fit in some exercise. Teaching is very demanding especially with all the papers to grade and lessons to plan.

Kaye- You are amazing in how far you have come this year.

Top- Congrats on completing 2 5K's in one weekend. That is a great accomplishment with good times on both events. The next time you will do it a little faster. Just remember that your body was still recovering from the run on Saturday. Did you ever think you would run 2 5ks in the same weekend? Think about how far you have come to be able to accomplish that goal.

I did okay over the weekend and today was tiring at school. I managed to complete the popcorn lab papers and the quizzes I had to grade but now I have 92 more lab on boiling point to grade. Just not up to grading papers tonight.

My trainer had me run 2 miles tonight and I did it in under 26 minutes so I was happy with that. However, it was a good run but challenging. I really need to work on controlling my breathing since my throat was hurting by the time I was done. I am sure it did not help that I am tired tonight and left work later than planned so I did not have much time to warm up before the workout. Next week, I will do better about leaving work on time. Goal is to run 1 mile this week, so swimming on Wednesday might have to wait until the weekend.

Workout plans for the week
Sunday- bike 26 miles done
Monday- Trainer workout ( might be running) DONE ran 2 miles:bigsmile:
Tuesday- rest or swim Most likely rest since I have plans after work and kids staying after school.
Wednesday- Swim or rest
Thursday- Gym or swim
Friday- climbing
Saturday-swim

@elena--can't wait to hear how the running goes. I agree with gorilla's advice about starting slow. I struggled at first b/c I was trying to start at a 5 mph pace and couldn't get past 5 minutes. When I slowed down to 4.5 mph, it was all good. Once you can run a full 5k at a comfortable pace, you can start pushing yourself to improve your pace.

@pie--sometimes we just need a lazy day. I had mine yesterday.

@anna--I know what you mean about not being active after school. It's so easy to sit down and not get back up. Fortunately for me, gunner ensures that I at least get out the door for a walk with him. I've been trying to change into my gym clothes before I walk him. Then when we get home, I just grab my keys and head to the gym. Great job getting that cleaning done and dinner for tomorrow. The only "cleaning" I do during the week is laundry, and that's only out of necessity. :blushing:

@charlotte--sorry your daughter is in pain--I hope she gets good care at the big hospital. :flowerforyou:

@karenleona--it's easy to get away from the gym when the weather is nice. What is the challenge you joined?

@tammy--exciting that your DH is coming home this week!

@lydia--Welcome! :flowerforyou: I like your cat.

@helena--sorry you aren't getting any support at home. Remember that we are all here for you to cheer you on when you need it. Gunner also can't run as much as me b/c he gets too tired. Also, remember that while they're galloping, dogs can't pant (which is their only means of cooling off since they don't sweat). That means they need lots of breaks, especially if it's hot outside. Gunner is way faster than me, so most of the time while I'm running he's only walking really fast, but when I do get him up to a gallop, he needs a walking break to cool off afterwards.

@marca--HOORAY!!! You finished both 5ks!!! I'm so proud of you!! :drinker: :flowerforyou: And your time of just over 45 minutes is really great for a 1st 5k--now you have a PR to beat down the road!

@tracy--I'm not gonna lie--I've been to Red Square twice and both times it was all about the vodka. We didn't have a morsel of food either time. :laugh:

@kelley--wow, only 6 months until your cruise! That's a great motivator! :flowerforyou:

@gorilla--I'm also struggling with my macros right now. I'm trying to increase my protein and have done pretty well over the past few weeks. However, last night my husband made a big pot of shrimp and broccoli w/ linguini. He almost never makes pasta, but when he does, there's enough to feed a family of 10. :grumble: So it's pasta for me for a couple of days and then back on the protein wagon.

@kaye--I like your analogy of watching the scale like you would watch the bank account. I already tend to view my calorie allowance like money. I often decide I won't eat a treat b/c I don't want to "spend" too much on it.

Monday Check-in:
Well, I'm back in the gym mode this week--going to try to fit in 3 days and then take Friday off before my Zombie run. Today I did some lifting and then the stationary bike. I was originally going to run, but my knees have been sore due to dancing in heels this weekend. :ohwell:

My student teacher is also a runner, and he introduced me to a website called Athlinks which will pull all of your online race results into one place. You set up a profile like on facebook or MFP and then you can just keep it private and use it to track your progress, or you can "friend" others. It's pretty cool--I recommend it to any of you who enter races of any type (in addition to running, they have race walking, cycling, triathlons. etc).

Exercise goals:
Mon-walk gunner DONE + gym DONE
Tues--run outside w/ gunner
Wed--walk gunner + gym
Thurs--walk gunner + gym
Fri--rest day
Sat--Run For Your Lives!!!
Sun--we'll see wink

Grading Goals:
1. x/73 AP essays

Hi All, Its going to be a late night. Talked to my daughter around 10 tonight and they were prepping her for surgery. The surgeon did another ultrasound and confirmed it was her appendix. I am staying up till I hear how things went. I told my daughter to get the nurse to call when she's out of recovery but if I haven't heard anything by 1 I'll call them. My son in law sat watching football all night while texting with my daughter and has now gone to bed. In the meantime, I've literally done 5 loads of laundry, dishes from last night and today, made dinner, bathed the kids and got them ready for bed, cleaned the bathrooms and read stories all while worrying about her being alone.
Okay, phone rang while I was typing this message. It was the surgeon letting us know that Melissa is out of surgery, they were able to do it laproscopically. She had no complications and is in recovery. Thank you for all the prayers and well wishes. He said if all goes well she should be able to come home later today. I woke my son in law up to let him know.(Could have waited till the morning but hey, I'm mean).I don't know how he could sleep not knowing anyway. I know I wouldn't have.
I've been way under calories today, just didn't feel like eating which is so strange for me. Usually I eat when worried so I guess I'm doing okay.Thanks again everyone. Charlotte