Need to Lose 100 LBS -Robins Thread !

Ughh... I'm so far behind again. I'm just going to post now, because I will forget what I came here to share.

I weighed in on Sunday... 202.4 sooooo close! Then the same day I proceeded to stay home and binge watch Prison Break while eating an entire big bag of chips! Yesterday I didn't pack a good lunch so I bought fast food. It was fine until I met a friend after work and we went for pizza for dinner, which I didn't really need, but I wanted to spend time with them. Today I went grocery shopping and picked up crap I didn't need.. emotional eating again due to yet another injury...

Today I began modified duties at work, I hurt my back yesterday while delivering mail. I have chronic back pain which flares up from time to time, and one of the things that bothers it (which NOBODY seems to understand) is climbing over snowbanks on the curbs and standing on uneven hard packed snowy surfaces... I'm fine if I'm standing on flat ground, but with a foot of snow that's been stepped in, frozen, etc. puts stress on my back, so in addition to the armloads of mail I'm carrying, causes pain, this time I have spasms as well. The problem is that Canada Post hires contractors to clear the snow within 24 hours of a snowfall, and only when 5cm or more has fallen. So the snow wasn't cleared this time, but it's still a health and safety hazard for me. So if it is just left like that, I can't keep going out and working in those conditions. I don't know what I'm going to do. I can refuse unsafe work, but the mail piles up for weeks (I've done it before) and when the sites are finally safe enough for me to work, I am completely overburdened with mail that I get back pain caused by the huge volumes of extra mail I have to deliver. So frustrating. Never mind the fact that the sites are unsafe for customers (especially elderly) that have a problem climbing over the snow banks or who may trip and fall on the hard choppy snow in front of the mailboxes. Everything falls on deaf ears.

On a good note, there has been a very small improvement in my neck. I am pretty free of headaches, but turning to the left and right is still painful, but more manageable. (or quite possibly I'm simply able to ignore it, it's been there so long) Is it possible to become depressed from chronic pain? I'm starting to wonder if that's what's happening... the pain becomes so frustrating that I actually feel sad and think that it's going to be there forever, which makes me feel sadder still.

Forgot to add: I went to a walk in clinic today to get the WSIB forms filled out for work because I really do not like my family doctor (long story) and this was quicker anyway. Long story short, 10 yrs ago I went through a trial of 8 different anti inflammatories before I found one that worked for me. Then I moved and changed to my current doctor. I told him what med worked for my back pain, and he refuses to prescribe it!!! He will give me narcotics, which have no effect for me, and muscle relaxants that I cannot take at work (I drive a lot) because they make me drowsy... and that's when I need to take them! Anyway, the dr at the clinic asked which meds I usually take for my back pain, and then prescribed them right away! She also gave me modified duties, whereas my family doctor tells me a story of some 300 lb patient he had to transfer from gurney to bed in the ER and pulled his hamstring and HE continued to work, AND without any meds, and so should I. True story... he truly is an idiot.

Rant over... thanks for reading.

Tuesday, Day 2 has been a success! I managed to eat within my calories & walked 2 miles. I was sweating like crazy & it felt great!!!!

One struggle I'm having is when I'm logging in MFP, I seem to be hungry, even if I've just ate! I guess it's because of all the talking about food???!! I don't like CONSTANTLY thinking about food. I'm sitting here typing this post, thinking about it right now. But I am drinking water!

How does everyone keep track of what everyone says & reply specifically to their posts? I see the name in blue with the @ symbol, but I'm not sure how it works.

Going to bed soon, it'll keep me from eating. Good night everyone.

@kapansm - I don't know how people who use a smartphone do this, because I use a desktop computer that has a large monitor screen.

I was typing the same information that @Kay68 wrote ... her's posted before mine, so I have edited out my comments about that.

I think about food almost all the time ... but not because I am hungry ... How many calories are you allowing yourself a day, and how much is carbohydrate compared to protein and fat? I ask because high carbs can make you feel hungry soon after eating, as well as not evough food!
Follow-through
niki

Hi everyone!

Well, another busy day here on the thread--I just caught up at 10 pm and I really, really need to get to bed at a decent hour, so I will skip personals today (again). I promise to get caught up with everyone this weekend--it's a 3-day for me! Woohoo!

Tuesday Goals:
Need to get my calories under control. This week started off badly with party at my sister's Sunday and then all-day meeting yesterday. However, today was much better, so at least I'm making some ground on reducing the overage.

First real day of PT which was fine. He gave me some more exercises to do at home, so I wil add those to my balance work tomorrow. I've been reading so many articles about how important balance is for running, so I'm using that as motivation to work on that.

Grading is starting to build. I plan to get the poem and Godot analyses done tomorrow during the school day. Then I have another meeting after school. Thursday my PT appt isn't until 5:30, so I will get some grading done while I wait. It's in the opposite direction from my house so no use coming home first.

February Challenge:
Under weekly calorie goal: 1/4 weeks
All-in strength challenge=balance exercises 3 x/week; PT 1-2 x/week; run 2 x/week:
Week 1: 2/3 balance; PT completed; 2/2 runs
Week 2: 1/3 balance; PT; 1/2 runs
Week 3: x/3 balance; PT; x/2 runs
Week 4: x/3 balance; PT; x/2 runs
8k at end of month (not sure what day) in 55 minutes (Thanksgiving 8k = 56:49, NYE 8k = 57:47,1/25 = 55:41)

Grading Goals:
1. 60/60 JRP journals DONE
2. x/12 poem analyses
3. x/15 Godot analysis
4. x/60 Gatsby journals

Exercise Goals: (week 2)
Sun--rest day (or dance party )
Mon--gym DONE
Tues--PT DONE
Wed--meeting maybe gym
Thurs-- PT
Fri--rest day
Sat--walk gunner + gym

2015 mantra "Just 15 minutes"

Welcome new people!
Ok, I'm posting on my iPhone so can't keep track of everyone but here goes.
Someone mentioned that they are in the middle of negotiations for pay raises for the teachers in their district. I'm a fed worker so I can sympathize, we've gone many years with no pay raise, and the last 2 yrs got only 1% (about $80/mo for me, before taxes). Good luck with your negotiations!
I've tracked my meals for 16 days In a row now and stayed under my calorie goal every day. In the last 16 days I've lost 5.3 lbs! Not doing so great on my exercise goals but working on it.
Question (hoping no judgement). Have y'all heard of I-Lipo, a non-surgical laser procedure targeted on fat deposits? I have large "chicken wings" - fat deposits under my arms that make everything I do uncomfortable and all my clothes look terrible - I look like I have 4 breasts and I hate it so much. It's supposed to kick-start fat melting in the targeted area and exercise is encouraged immediately after to increase fat burning in that area. It's expensive but not as much as true lipo and non-invasive. My oncologist cleared me for it. I'm just exploring my options right now but would appreciate some input. Fire away!

@GOINSTD12 - I've never heard of the laser lipo, but it will be interesting to hear how it works for you. Good luck!

Gotta get moving. We got snow last night, so I have to get out and get shoveling this morning before getting the kids to school and me to work. It doesn't look like too much, and my kids like to help now, so that's nice. I do miss the extra calorie burn when they help, though.

Wednesday Wish- That I could go back in time and redo some conversations I've had over the past few months at work. Things are fine, but they could be so much better if I had done a couple things differently. Hind sight. Sigh.

@skinnyjeanzbound - I have a long weekend coming up, too! Thursday is normally my day off, and I was able to snag Friday and Monday to be off while the kids are off from school. So, a 5-day weekend...can I still call that a weekend? It's really almost a week.

More time for personals later this week, I hope since I will be off of work and nothing too huge planned. Going to do some spring cleaning....winter cleaning? Whatever. I am going to organize some cupboards and give away/throw away. It's time to purge!

February:
Calorie Goal- 3/10
Exercise Goal- 3/12
Lift Goal:
Leg Press-180/200
Squats-180/200
Abs- 150/165
Back- 150/165
Triceps- 80/90
Biceps- 80/90

2015 Mantra: You Know Better! ~and~ Finish This Baby!

Hi everyone! I'm having a fresh start today after being exhausted and not doing anything for the past few days. I have a new deal with my PT too. First of all I've added him on here so he can monitor my food diary (as I keep not keeping it!) Also I agreed to exercise 10 times before my next session. For every one I dont complete I have to do 10 burpees at the start of our next session. So at the moment I will have 100 burpees to do, but am planning on going to the gym again this evening and for a swim so that will take me down to 80.

You know how you plan out your evening on your drive home and self-talk about how you will not snack while cooking and you'll hit the treadmill while it's in the oven? We'll I had such a great plan last night only to be derailed when I drove in. My DH had a buddy over and they were clearing snow. I made them a nice dinner and dessert. Oh well - that's what friends & families do. It was a nice evening and I kept within my calories (homemade blueberry cobbler and all). That was the first dessert I've had in weeks.

I am thinking about joining a gym again. The only downfall is that the one that is close to my office is rather run down, but the convenience really out weighs that.

Today my goal is the watch my sodium. I feel like I haven't done very well with that since I cook in a crockpot with seasonings often for my family. My portions have been small but the seasoning is not my friend.

You're all doing great! ~ Keep it skinny!

Good morning. I have a question for you exercise gurus out there. Is it better to do more reps and fewer sets or fewer reps and more sets? I.e. 15 reps and 2 sets or 10 reps and 3 sets.
Thanks in advance. Kaye

Hello All,
They say when life gives you lemons, make lemonade. Today life is throwing rotten tomatoes. What do I do with those?
Food wise I am still doing well. I am drinking most of my water every day. Today is the first day I skipped the gym in a while.
My son is still in the hospital. The session with his social worker went well yesterday. We are putting plans in place. He has a court date next week for the DUI on Sunday night that started all of this rolling. We have a appointment for a lawyer on Friday. The retainer is 3G. Yikes. He has an appointment set up to have his alcohol assessment by the court. All of this is taking a toll on me.
I am getting sick again. Third time this winter.
Thanks for listening once again.
I do not have it in me for personals today.
Love to all,
Lori

Good morning everyone.

Happy Don't Cry Over Spilled Milk Day
When : Always February 11th
Don't Cry Over Spilled Milk Day is in recognition that everyone spills a little milk now and then. It's a day to be optimistic, think positive, look on the bright side, and to find something good in everything that happens. As the song says: Don't Worry, be Happy!
Today is a day to recognize that s_ _ _ happens. And, when it does, Don't worry, or fret, or cry over it. Rather, take a positive attitude and fix it, or get past it.
We all know the concept of the question: Is the glass half full or half empty? The pessimist sees it as half empty. The optimist sees it as half full. It's all an attitude towards life.
You should participate in "Don't Cry over Spilled Milk Day" with an optimistic attitude and a smile on your face.!

“Our food should be our medicine and our medicine should be our food.” ~Hippocrates

Tom

I struggle with if I am using this site correctly in photo below I am given 1790 calories a day to eat. I am wondering is no matter how much I exercise I should always stay at 1790 or less to lose weight correct?

@mnwalkingqueen... I tried to reply to your post, but got all confused with the numbers. Maybe someone else will have the correct info. But in a nutshell, you still ended up with a deficit for the day.

@txmom & tom--happy birthday!!!

@holly--as niki said, it somewhat depends on your goals. Is the 1790 based on losing 1 lb/week? If so, then you are at a daily deficit of 500 calories which would make your maintenance calorie allowance 2290/day. So technically, as long as you stay under that amount NET, you are in a deficit and should lose weight.

@lori--sorry for all you're dealing with right now. Hugs to you as you work through it.

@kaye--I'm not sure I understand your question about the sets and reps. If you are talking about an exercise that is the same intensity each set, then it doesn't really matter--you're doing the exercise 30 times total either way. Now if you are talking about doing different intensity levels (for example increasing weights) for each set, then it it would make a difference. In that case, it would depend upon your goals. Generally more reps at lighter weights results in increased calorie burn and building more endurance while fewer reps at heavier weights results in building strength. However, all of this is a pretty simplified explanation.

@renae--as a self-proclaimed gym rat, I would always choose convenience over the bells and whistles. The fancy equipment does me no good if I don't get my butt into the gym in the first place.

@hansea--enjoy your 5-day weekend--I'm jealous!

@goinstd--I am the one in the middle of bargaining our teacher contract--thanks for the well-wishes. I've never heard of the procedure you described; however, I also suffer from disproportionately large upper arms. The good news is that the size of them decreased quite a bit through the weight loss (I'm down 60 lbs). They are still relatively large, but at least they no longer inhibit my ability to buy shirts with tailored sleeves. Also, weight lifting helped firm them up and diminish my "bat wings" but I think only surgery would make them ideal.

@erin--the balance routine is one my last PT put together when I was rehabbing my torn meniscus. Basically, stand with both feet together weight on the left. Tap the right toe out forward, bring it back to starting point; tap to the side, bring to start; tap to the rear, bring back to start. I repeat that on one side 15 reps and then switch sides. The other moves are various yoga and pilates moves. I think I have a link to the video that demonstrates them saved in my inbox. I will try to find it and post it for you.

Wednesday Wish:
Well, I got some terrible news about my friend who fought through breast cancer last year. After being diagnosed last Feb, going through chemo, and having a double mastectomy plus reconstruction, we thought she could finally put this nightmare behind her. I mentioned last week that they saw a spot on her liver and had to do follow-up testing.

Turns out the spot is cancer AND they found bone cancer in her shoulder. It's an even worse scenario than they imagined b/c the bone cancer means a whole-body approach to treatment, and a much less optimistic prognosis than if it was just on the liver. She's in the process of going for various opinions about her options, so no word yet on how they will proceed.

She's only 27. I'm just beside myself with sadness for her and her family. I have no idea what to do or say--will just try to be there for her. My Wed Wish is that she gets some good news from the various specialist she's meeting with over the next few weeks.

February Challenge:
Under weekly calorie goal: 1/4 weeks
All-in strength challenge=balance exercises 3 x/week; PT 1-2 x/week; run 2 x/week:
Week 1: 2/3 balance; PT completed; 2/2 runs
Week 2: 1/3 balance; PT; 1/2 runs
Week 3: x/3 balance; PT; x/2 runs
Week 4: x/3 balance; PT; x/2 runs
8k at end of month (not sure what day) in 55 minutes (Thanksgiving 8k = 56:49, NYE 8k = 57:47,1/25 = 55:41)

Grading Goals:
1. 60/60 JRP journals DONE
2. x/12 poem analyses
3. 15/15 Godot analyses DONE
4. x/60 Gatsby journals

Exercise Goals: (week 2)
Sun--rest day (or dance party )
Mon--gym DONE
Tues--PT DONE
Wed--meeting maybe gym NOT DONE
Thurs-- PT
Fri--rest day
Sat--walk gunner + gym

2015 mantra "Just 15 minutes"

Thanks everyone for the feedback on replying to posts. I Hv a smartphone (even though I feel it's not always smart) & there are SOOOOO many posts I want to reply to,but its not easy with this phone. I will try to figure something out in time with replies, but for now I'm just going to read, read, read & read!

Ended up having to work 12 hrs today, just got home at 8pm, took a shower, grabbed some dinner & I'm ready for bed. No walk tonight, but I did hit my 10,000 steps!

I wish losing weight wasn't so hard, I'm looking forward to craving exercise & eating right!

Sorry, that's all for now.