Need to Lose 100 LBS -Robins Thread !

With the joining of many newbies I decided to just do a post with things that have worked for me.
My advice to you is:

~ Remember your weight gain didn't happen over night, it will not come off over night. Weight loss takes time. Be patient!!!
~ Use multiple methods to measure your progress - scale, measurements, progress pictures
~ Learn your body and the way it works. Your weight fluctuates regularly. This is ok. Rather than becoming frustrated with this, learn to embrace it. Over time you will begin to see patterns.
~ Look for and celebrate those NSVs (Non-scale victories - a success for you - clothes falling down, being able to do something you couldn't before, accomplishing a goal)
~ Find an exercise routine that you enjoy and stick with it. Start slow and increase your duration and intensity as you become stronger.
~ Listen to your body. If you are tired, it is ok to take a day to rest. Get back to it the following day.
~ Focus on 1 goal at a time.
~ Conquer 1 goal before adding in another.
~ Make your goals ones that are easily attainable. Instead of staying I am going to lose 5 lbs this month try stating it as I will lose at least 1 lb this month. This way you are not putting unnecessary pressure on yourself. Shedding 1 lb is a lot easier to conquer than shedding 5.
~ Focus on what you have done/ accomplished rather than how much further you have to go.
~ Log everything no matter how good or bad it is. That piece of chocolate, the salad dressing, oil you put in a pan to cook with. Log, log, log.
~ Weigh and measure your food. I found this helpful in relearning what a normal portion size is rather than what I thought it was.
~ Don't ban foods. Learn to eat them in moderation. If you crave that piece of chocolate eat it. Just make sure you log it and it fits into your range for the day.
~ Be honest with yourself.
~ Learn to love yourself for who you are and what you have accomplished.
~ Don't compare yourself to others. We all progress at different rates.
~ Focus on YOU!
~ Don't be afraid to try something new. Even if you can't do it, stick with it. Over time you will accomplish your goal.
~ Experiment and figure out what works for YOU then stick with it. Remember everyone is different, what works for one person doesn't necessarily work for another.
~ Learn from your mistakes. You are guaranteed to make a few along the way. It happens to all of us. Don't get too hung up on it.
~ Build your online MFP support team. They will cheer you on and provide you with encouragement and advice along the way.
~ Have fun with the process.

Hey there!
So, I was super pumped when I got up this morning, which is REALLY unusual because I HATE mornings!

But, my hubby promised that if I got up, we'd have a healthy breakfast together. This is what I made: Chocolate Fudge Oatmeal!
(If anyone is interested, I got the recipe off thechew.com.), anywho, it tastes like dessert, but is about 250 calories (per serving, it makes 2) and really fills you up! What a fabulous way to start the day!!!!

Unfortunately, as often happens, the good didn't last. I was so tired that I fell asleep reading in bed (which I knew I would, cuz I always do) and missed out on lunch with the ol' man! He made chili. When I woke up, he was gone (helping a neighbor move a fridge) and I had to eat by myself! Anyone else struggle with eating really quickly? Any tips for slowing down? My cousin sets a 20 minute timer and forces herself not to finish eating before that timer goes off. I'm at the point where I don't think I can sit down for 20 minutes, much less eat for that length of time. (I prefer the shovel method...the faster it's in my body, the faster I can do other things). However, the shovel method doesn't allow for when I'm full. Perhaps I WILL try the timer method. I'll let you know how it works....

My 16-year-old stepson is here this weekend, which is always fun! He's diabetic and has Celiac, so he's gotta eat gluten free, too. I'm not sure how many of you have experience with Juvenile Diabetes (Type I), but I'm sure some of you are familiar! It wasn't till he was diagnosed last year, that I learned they don't count sugars anymore for their food. They count carbs because sugars are included in carb count. Anyway, at his healthy weight, they want him to eat at least 90 grams of carbs...which is really hard when he can't have bread because of the GF part! haha. I've become VERY creative in my cooking. Last weekend, we made our own tortillas our of GF flour. My husband liked them, but I did not. They weren't thin enough, but how do you roll something out by hand and make it super thin, ya know?! Now, we just buy his tortillas, which is kinda cool for me cuz he can eat spinach and rice flour, just not wheat, and those others are healthier.

@skinnyjeanz - thanks for your kind words about my Grandma. Also, I'm sorry if I offended you with the English pple can't do math joke! I'm sure you're a wonderful teacher with many skills. Math just isn't one of mine! lol! Also, thnx for the advice on rinsing beans. I have never, in my entire life, bought beans that didn't come in a can. Is that strange?! haha! Grocery shopping yesterday, I made it outta there without buying anything in cans except tomatoes and tomato sauce. It's a start!

@Grandmakaye - thank you also for your words about my Grandma's passing. It is nice to have so much support on here, especially when I'm a newbie and didn't really know what to expect from posting on message boards! You, relating to my situation, really made my day. It's nice nowadays to hear about someone who loves and respects their elders as much as I do/did!

@Robin - sorry to hear about your health. I hope you get better soon. I really appreciate you starting this thread, because 110 lbs seems like a LOT of weight to lose, but as I scroll thru here, I see people who have had great successes and I know that I can do it too with support, tracking my food, and being honest with myself. (all of which were not exactly available previously)

@JNettie - thanks for all the great tips! I went grocery shopping yesterday and this is the first time I really concentrated on fresh, canned, and frozen...frozen was the middle ground when it comes to price, but the sodium count was sooo much lower. I did buy fresh spinach, bananas, oranges, apples, and grapes. (I love fruit, but struggle with veggies. the reason I bought canned was because of the price and they are easy when I need a quick snack. I just pop open the can and eat!) However, I did buy frozen green beans, peas, and corn. I was really pleased with the price and the amount of sodium per serving.

This seems like a thread for me, I want to lose 100 lbs. I've read through posts & it seems like a great place :-)

About me: my name's Cait, I want to lose 100lbs, I'm getting married in July (and I'd like to have lost some of this nonsense by then), erm... I teach too (mainly statistics) and after ~1 week on MFP I've lost 3 lbs. My diary's open & I'm open to help/suggestions. I've been trying to eat better, I joined a gym in December & got a trainer (I meet with him once a week & try to go another 1-2 times on my own), I walk everywhere (live in the city), and I have a Basis watch to track my vitals.

Oh, a question for those in the know: is going over the sodium recommendation really a killer? It's true, I like salt, and when I check it my blood pressure is always slightly low (genetic, from my father's side). Looking at my MFP stats, I see that I'm almost constantly going over the recommended sodium threshold. Will that slow my weight loss? I know it could make me retain water, but I'm not as worried about water as I am about fat :laugh:

It's Saturday! I've been working so hard at work and haven't had a day off in the last 12 days, so I'm using today to get caught up on housework (I really know how to live it up! LOL), and read through this thread.

@Hayley- So sorry to hear about your Grandma. And you might try frozen veggies...less sodium and still pretty cheap. I don't know if anyone already suggested that, as I've been reading through pretty fast.

@L2T- Your conversation with your husband was really funny. That's the kind of discussions that go on in our house too, as my husband is also trying to lose weight, and really needs to because he's been diagnosed as prediabetic this year. His nutritionist and I gave him a schooling on the value of broccoli over corn that was pretty amusing.

@Robin- Good luck with all your upcoming tests. I hope they can help you!

@Caitlin- I've found that the less processed stuff I eat, the easier I lose, and because there's sooo much sodium in most processed stuff, the sodium automatically goes down too. I guess if your blood pressure is normally very low, you won't need to worry too much about going over. My husband and I are both saddled with family histories of hypertension, so we should watch ours more closely.

So, my Saturday Success....my husband and I are participating in a weight loss challenge sponsored by a local running store. We had our third weigh-in today, and I'm down 10 lbs since January 1st! AAAAAND....since I've lost over 6.2 lbs, I buzzed right by the "5K Club", and I'm in the "10K Club" for the contest, which means I got a gift certificate for $5 to use at the store.

Sunday morning here - Gotta love a Sunday!

Hansea, I admire anyone who participates in a challenge like that, it takes a real commitment.

Cararenee, welcome & jump in (I've only been here about 4 weeks too & they are a great group)

Cait, good on you for starting a weight loss journey. My mum taught me to always rinse any canned vege's i use (which is almost none). I mostly buy frozen for the convenience & I've seen studies that say that frozen is best tradeoff between nutrient & salt (as canning keeps best nutrient, but you have to use the liquid to get it, which is full of salt to preserve).

Plx, that's a fab weightloss - nothing to be bummed about there :-)

Hayley, what a great step-mum you are! Fudge oatmeal sounds a bit yum.

Skinny, nothing wrong with a day around the house, and taking Gunner for a walk sounds good. Surprising how many calories a vacuum works off, LOL. Enjoy your weekend away, have fun & log, log, log.

Nettie, what great advice - especially the one goal at a time. So often we self-sabotage by concentrating on too many things. And being positive about our achievements instead of focussing on the huge goal really helps! Loving the idea of having to go bra shopping - was at the factory outlets with my (annoyingly no effort slim) hubby yesterday. Told him I was going to cost him a fortune in 6 months lol.

Kah, Have fun furniture/tablet shopping. I'm going to assume you mean the electronic variety!

Mel, that's a great loss. Keep up the good work.

Robin, hoping for you that you have some kind of a diagnosis soon. I know when I had dreadful fatigue & pain that it was hard not knowing what was wrong with me. Getting a diagnosis & then the right treatment made all the difference. Course, now I can't get life insurance because of it, but you can't have everything right?

Kaye, hope you are feeling better soon.

I know someone asked, but I can't find who - I have a Samsung Galaxy 10.1 tablet. It's really very good, but does not have a usb port anywhere, and you have to have separate internet, which it connects to wirelessly. I know you can get wireless keyboards & mouse(s?) for these though.

AFM - Sunday Share.
As we've got the kids back (from a week at their grandparents) we are planning on just veging around the house today. I've got 3 of them, all boys, 9, 11, 14. My hubby is a scientist (sounds worthwhile, lol) and works full time. I've returned to work just over a year ago as Accountant at a local 4WD business after 10 years at home full time with my kids. I work 9-2, mon-fri which is great during school term, but holidays are hard to manage. I have family where we live, but I don't like to abuse their generosity. We live out of town (about 15km) on 20acres (8hectares) so I don't like to leave them home alone very much.

Thank you Naomi!

Oh Hayley thank your for posting about the chocolate fudge oatmeal. That sounded so good I went to the website and got the recipe and a few other recipes to try out. Thanks again!

Wow, I can't believe how much I missed in a few days. I've been home sick and just didn't have energy to sit on the computer. Was sleeping 12 -14 hours a day for about 5 days and then sat like a zombie in front of the TV. I'm feeling a bit better and have started back to work but still not feeling great. I have no energy and work has been rough the last few weeks. I work on a surgical floor and this winter is killing us. So many people coming in with fractures. We admitted 6 people last night and all but 1 were fractures. Arms, hips, shoulders. Most of them falling on the ice or falling down stairs. Worst year for it I've seen in almost 19 years on the surgical floor.
I'm doing great with my diet and fluid intake. Haven't lost any more weight as of Friday but I'll weigh in again on Tuesday which is my day off. I've been eating lots of fresh fruit and veggies. Lots of salads which fill me up but are low in calories. Its the cheese and eggs and salad dressings that add in the calories. I'm not much on oil and vinegar dressings. l love the Catalina dressing. I've not had too many problems with temptations either which is surprising. I'm finding that if I want to eat a chocolate I eat it and then drink a full glass or two of water immediately after to fill me up so that I don't seem to want any more of it. Its working for me.
I'll try to catch up on the posts but I'm behind about 15 pages so don't think I'll be able to do all of it. I'll work backwards for a bit and see how far I can go. Hope everyone is having a great w/e. Don't forget to be kind to yourself and drink your water. I'll check in again on my days off. Charlotte

Sunday Share - Here is a brief recap for all the newbies. My name is Jeanette. I will turn 41 next month. I am married to my wonderful husband, Brian. We don't have any human children but I do have 2 cats, a bird and turtle. They are my loves. I am a special education teacher and work mostly with children with autism. I am vegetarian. I have many hobbies. I love to paint and draw, garden, bird watch, hike, swim and really anything having to do with being outdoors in nature.

hayley - I am glad to hear you went shopping and were pleased with the prices. The sodium is an extra bonus!

p1xyn1xy - I am sorry to hear you are feeling sad. But congrats on the loss. That is great!

tcaitlinO - Welcome. Congrats on the upcoming wedding.

cararenee11 - Welcome.

hansea 47 - Congrats on the loss and moving to the new contest. I hope you win!

Naomi - Thanks. I ended up just doing my own measurements (Following the online store guide) and buying my bras on line from Kohls. Because I am larger size, I have a very difficult time finding bras in my size in the stores. It's frustrating. I have a gift card to Macys and considered going there however I didn't want to pay a lot since I know my size is changing. LOL I told my husband too that I am going to be going through a lot of clothes in the upcoming months. He laughed at me.

Charlotte - Sorry to hear you are sick and not feeling 100%. Good luck on your Tuesday weigh in!

Kaye - I know what you mean about it being exciting to see your friends succeed. Every Friday on my wall I do a fabulous Friday post and ask my MFP to share their NSVs. I get some really wonderful responses from them and love reading about all the successes they are having.

@Hayley- Don't let one day throw you off balance. Setbacks happen. The important thing is that you're owning it, and had the guts to let us all know on here that you had a bad day. You can't go back and undo what's done, but you can move forward in a positive way.
I have the same problem with chips! I just CAN. NOT. HAVE. THEM. IN. THE. HOUSE. I've tried. I've measured out portions and everything. I always end up eating way too much. Good for you for identifying that they're a trigger food for your overeating and deciding you can't have them around.

Thanks for all the congrats on my loss everyone. I owe it all to making sure I'm drinking enough water every day and cutting back on my portion sizes. Also, a big shout out to Mother Nature, as she's been giving us plenty of snow to shovel (ie: calories to burn)!

My Sunday Share- I'm 34, married for 7 years, have two children (daughter- age 6, son-age 5), and work supposedly 32 hours/week, but we're in a staffing shortage right now, so I've been working more like 40/wk for the past year. I'm a medical technologist and work in a clinic laboratory. I've been using MFP since December 2012, lost over 40 lbs by July 2013, but then gained a lot back after taking on a supervisor position at work. (I stress eat!) I'm happy that I kept off 16 lbs, but I'm ready to get my personal life as organized as my work life and take on 2014.

bump :flowerforyou: