Need to Lose 100 LBS -Robins Thread !

I've been reading daily, but haven't posted much. My logging has gone better the last few days (except for Thursday, which I already reported).
Love the cakes. I love cake, but rarely make it because I don't get enough help getting it eaten. Today I made chocolate fudge, vanilla fudge, and peanut brittle. I got them packaged up to take to Utah tomorrow, so I can leave it alone. I managed to have a bit and stay under calories. My family really enjoys the homemade candy so I try to take some with me when we visit.
For Sunday share I wanted to share some things a friend shared with me. She sent me an article from an AARP magazine about how to lose that last 5#. Some of the suggestions really hit home for me. Getting enough sleep is a challenge for me. It just doesn't happen, and I'm not sure how to change it. Drinking enough water is something I should be able to change, but am still struggling with. The other one was to stay out of the kitchen. They said that one hangs out in the kitchen without eating. My kitchen, dining area, and family room are all kind of one room. I live in the kitchen. I was discussing it with Cathy. The non-food part of the kitchen has carpet. She suggested that I try to consciously think about it before I leave the carpeted area. I'm going to really work on that.
Thanks to my tablet, I will continue to check in while we are gone. I hope those of you who have spring break will be able to really enjoy it.
Onward and downward. Kaye

Good morning All.
@GOINSTD12‌ So glad you heard those magic words. An hope hubby is doing well today. I was diagnosed with colon cancer on my first colonoscopy and am cancer free for 3 years.

@grandmakaye44‌ Good tip about the kitchen. My kitchen/family room is all one room with the carpet/flooring divider. I spend most of my time in the kitchen. I too will be making a conscious decision when crossing the "line".

@skinnyjeanzbound‌ Yea on the well deserved spring break. I did notice you still have grading on your goals. I hope you get plenty of time for you in this week.

@melifornia‌ Love the cardio numbers keep up the good work, your miracle morning seems to be agreeing with you.

@lleecc‌ So sorry about the cancer. These things are never easy but I hope yours goes as well as possible. Check in here so we can keep up with your journey.

@brown_eyed_frog‌ great NSV on the snacking. These days I am not sure I would have the strength you've shown.

Missed out on the Sunday Share so here goes: My name is Lori, 54 down a total of 109 pounds in a little over 3 years. I live with my husband of 34 years and two grown sons, ages 22 and 27. I own my own custom drapery business and work with my sister.

I am a steady gym junkie and am there most days. I plan on doing a triathlon in July and am in training for that event.

AFM: Food is still not on target. I wish it were. One of my inspirational quotes "Don't wish for it, work for it" is not working for me at the moment. I will have to dig deep to get my mojo back.

Hubby and I are still communicating. We found out our counselor is leaving her group and we will have to find another. These changes are never easy but this may be part of God's plan for us. The next one may have a different take on things. Hubby went back to work today. I am so very glad about this in so many ways. I hope things go well for him today.

Work for me is a little crazy. Almost every job quote I send out is coming back with a deposit check. Good for the bank account, but means the to do list gets longer.

Sister and I have tickets to see Annie this week. I've never been to the live show and am looking forward to it.

Love to all,
Lori

@cblue315 Ooo! Annie! Please update on how it goes. I love watching musicals, but have only been to see two. And a triathlon sounds like a lot of work, but worth it. Is it the usual kind with running/biking/swimming, or a different kind?

@lleecc Cancer free! Good for you! My father in law was just diagnosed with bladder cancer (which I didn't even know was a thing) and is going in for surgery next week. I'm happy to see a success story! I hope all continues to go well.

@grandmakaye44 You baked three cakes and managed to stay on point? WOW! Good job! Home made cakes with home made icing are my kryptonite. I struggled with drinking water too, and I suppose still do a little. The only way I can drink it is to get it REALLY REALLY cold. Then it's pure yum.

@2ledbetter I want to know more about the resurrection eggs. They sound interesting. I loved Sunday school as a child. Kinda miss it, actually.

Just a quick check in. My thoughts are with those of you who are struggling for whatever reason. Sometimes life throws some pretty hard punches.
DH has gone to have the car serviced, and I am finishing up the laundry and packing. Right now I am at the stage I hate. Things still spread all over the house, and trying to decide how many clothes to take. I always over pack.
Here's to a great week for all of us. I will get to see all of my sisters, just not all together this trip.
Onward and downward. Kaye

Good morning all.

Happy World Meteorological Day!

World Meteorological Day!

If you don't get everything you want, think of the things you don't get that you don't want. ~Oscar Wilde

Tom


P.S. Kaye I went looking for the last 5 lbs to lose article, I think this may be it. 

1. Avoid environmental toxins
If you store your leftovers in plastic, keep old receipts lying around or think nothing of eating an unwashed grape or two, you could be exposing yourself to chemicals that impede weight loss. "These substances slow your metabolism and increase appetite or alter hormones such as estrogen in the body to cause weight gain," says Scott Isaacs, M.D., an endocrinologist and author of Beat Overeating Now!
What you can do: A new study in JAMA shows that repeated exposure to thermal cash register receipts is a significant source of the chemical BPA, so toss old ones. Plus, cut down on BPA by storing food (especially when it's still hot) in glass containers. And wash your hands frequently when you're at work; toxic compounds known as PBDEs are often found in office furniture and carpeting. To avoid pesticides in your food, thoroughly wash produce, and when possible, buy organic — especially "dirty" fruit such as apples, berries and peaches.

2. Chill out
Good news: There's a type of fat in your body that raises your metabolism. It's called brown fat, and it keeps organs warm by burning calories. Bad news: Obese people tend to have less of it. (You also lose this lean-making tissue with age.) One possible reason? People are too comfortable — thanks to modern-day heating and cooling systems — to stimulate brown fat activity. "We now live in a perennial spring," says Francesco Celi, M.D., chair of the Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism at Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine
What you can do: Turn down the thermostat. Chilly temperatures cause muscle to produce a hormone called irisin, which stimulates the activity and growth of brown fat, according to new research coauthored by Celi. You don't need to turn your air-conditioning on full blast or switch off your heat in January, but lowering your thermostat from 75 to 68 degrees stimulates brown fat and increases calorie burn by 100 calories a day, Celi's research finds.

3. Check your medications
Weight gain can be a side effect of prescription drugs, says Lawrence J. Cheskin, M.D., director of the Johns Hopkins Weight Management Center in Baltimore. For instance, some diabetes meds, such as insulin and sulfonylureas, may increase your appetite, making weight control — key in managing the disease — even more challenging. Antidepressants such as amitriptyline and mirtazapine (brand names Elavil and Remeron) are associated with weight gain, too. In fact, people taking some psychiatric drugs are up to three times more likely than others to be obese.
What you can do: Check to see whether weight gain is a side effect of your medication, and if it is, ask your doctor whether it makes sense to alter your dose or switch drugs. You may be able to substitute an alternate diabetes drug such as metformin, which is linked to weight loss. Similarly, the antidepressants fluvoxamine, desipramine and trazodone (brand names Luvox, Norpramin and Desyrel, respectively) are not associated with weight gain, a 2010 study reported. Word of caution: Always talk with your doctor before you stop taking a medication.

4. Work your cellphone
People who use their cellphones frequently (up to five hours a day) are less likely to be physically fit, a 2013 study found. Why would you want to go to the gym or take a walk when you're lying on the couch using your phone to play games, surf the Web or text friends?
What you can do: Your cellphone can actually raise your activity level, as long as you use it to connect with friends to go for a walk in your local park or meet for a tennis game. Try apps such as Fitocracy (fitocracy.com) or Daily Mile (dailymile.com), which tap into your social networks to get you moving.

5. Rethink the kitchen
Organizing your kitchen is about more than just deciding where the pans go. Kitchens have become destinations, says Brian Wansink, author of Slim by Design: Mindless Eating Solutions for Everyday Life. "No one hangs out in their kitchen and doesn't eat," he says. We're also three times more likely to eat what we see first, so unpack your groceries strategically. "People who keep sugary cereals or soda — diet or regular — visible weigh 12 and 22 pounds more, respectively, than the neighbor who doesn't," says Wansink.
What you can do: Make the kitchen less of a gathering place by removing comfortable chairs and the television, Wansink advises. Plus, he suggests stashing soda in the back of the refrigerator (behind the almond milk) and storing cereals, cookies and other unhealthy treats in a dark cabinet that's inconvenient to reach. Using 9.5-inch salad plates, as opposed to larger dinner plates, can help you eat 22 percent less, Wansink adds. And opt for red plates. They signal "stop" to your brain and, according to a recent study in the journal Appetite, decreased people's consumption of chocolate chips and popcorn, compared with the amount eaten on blue or white plates. Finally, break out the Miles Davis tunes. Another study in Appetite showed that listening to jazz makes food taste better. Truly enjoying your food means you'll be satisfied sooner and, yes, possibly even eat less.

6. Follow a budget
Women who have trouble paying their bills are more likely to be obese, a new study in Economics & Human Biology concludes. (Men, interestingly, aren't affected this way.) "If you're suffering financial hardship, you might rely more on low-cost — but high-fat — fast foods," says study coauthor Susan Averett, a professor of economics at Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania.
What you can do: It's never too late to develop a budget and stick to it. "This may help women both manage their finances better and lower their BMI," says Averett. She suggests the program StickK (stickK.com), which helps you set and commit to a goal.

7. Zap nighttime light
Do you sleep with your iPad next to your bed and check emails in the middle of the night? That constant exposure to light may be a contributing factor to disease and obesity, a recent study in the journal BioEssays finds. "Our body clock tells our organs and hormones what to do and when — and this is primarily controlled by the light," says José Ordovás, director of Tufts University's Nutrition and Genomics Laboratory in Boston. "Nighttime light disrupts the normal regulation of sleep, appetite and stress."
What you can do: People who get enough sleep and who maintain a consistent sleep-wake schedule are thinner. Because blue light (the kind emitted by electronics) decreases your body's production of sleep-promoting melatonin, switch off your devices at least a half-hour before bedtime, and move blinking light sources out of your room.

Tom

@Tom That is an interesting article. Thanks for taking the time to look it up for us after Kaye mentioned it.

@susan--maybe I missed it, but are you and cyrus going anywhere for spring break? I know you really had a rough time with your friend's passing due to his cancer. My friend is in great spirits and has a ton of support, but this is just the start of her battle. She's still completely healthy (other than some nausea from the chemo) and I have no idea how long she will stay this way. Another friend was saying she knows someone in a similar situation--treating but not trying to cure his cancer--and he's been living a pretty normal life for about 10 years. I don't really know how to ask the questions about her prognosis and doctor's predictions without completely breaking down about it. Regardless of the answer--it's not going to be a happy one. She's never going to have the privilege of not worrying about her health and her future.

@tom--thanks for sharing the article kaye mentioned. I loved the tip about turning down the thermostat. I will have to use that argument the next time DH and I are arguing about it. He always wants it at 72, and I'm all like "put on some socks!" as I turn it down to 68. LOL Also, love, love, love that Oscar Wilde quote. Who am I kidding? I love all of Wilde's quotes.

@molly--welcome! I think a lot of us on this thread tend to focus most of our support here. I know I'm terrible about supporting others on the general newsfeed, but come back often and you'll get tons of advice, motivation, and cheers!

@kaye--I also always overpack. I'm already trying to figure out a way to take a carry-on bag only when I travel to Nashville in May. Like you, I know I need more sleep but can't figure out how to actually get it. I know the easy answer is "go to bed earlier"; however, I just have a hard time unwinding in the evening. I have friends who go to bed at 9 pm, and all I can think is "how do you ever get anything done?"

@tracy (tlh)--After reading the advice/discussion regarding your macros, I checked to see how I've been doing on my protein. Not good. I've been averaging about 20% so I'm going to work on getting mine up to 30%. I find if I just focus on that number, my carbs and fat naturally fall into place.

@browneyed--I'm sorry you're struggling with your food intake. I understand the fear of going on a binge, and I tried looking at your food diary to offer some suggestions, but it's private so I can't see it. Are you eating once a day? Twice? Do you eat bigger meals or smaller snacks? Are there certain foods that seem to trigger the binges? I know for me, if I start on the sugary high carb foods, it's hard to stop--especially when the food is out for a party and everyone is just grazing all day. At home I have an easier time reigning it in b/c I don't keep the really "dangerous" stuff in my house, and I can weigh/measure out a portion or two of any treat I do bring home. As for your stomach--could you have as ulcer? When I was a teenager, my bodies stress response was a stomach ulcer. Arguments with boyfriends or worries about those relationships used to be my worst trigger. In fact, I used to joke that I stayed with my husband b/c he didn't make my stomach hurt.

@lori--Yes, I still have grading, but also have some down time with friends and family already scheduled into the week. Enjoy Annie! When I was a kid, I wanted to be Annie--I would sit in my basement for hours playing the soundtrack belting out the lyrics to practice for my "audition." I really have no singing talent--I can carry a tune, but that's about it--but my parents didn't have the heart to tell me I would never make it to Broadway. They just let me sing. Finally, my dad bought tickets for us to go see the musical on stage--one of the highlights of my childhood.

@2ledbetter‌ --Haha, I think anyone who knows me would tell you my rebellious streak is far from "little." If you tell me I can't do something, I will immediately try to find a way to do it. My dad figured that out when I was very young and used it to parent me. My sophomore year of HS when I started talking about getting into second tier universities like Georgetown and Loyola, he said "oh, your grades aren't good enough for those schools." I got straight A's my junior year. My mother still hasn't figured it out, but she's still a great mom.

@angelika--the new pup is adorable. Is it a cocker spaniel?

Monday Check in:
Weight is holding in the middle of my normal 5 lb range. As I mentioned to tracy, I need to work on my protein intake. I think whatever April challenge we decide upon, upping my protein intake will certainly be a personal goal.

Well, I'm on Spring break and we got 4 inches of snow this morning. No walk for gunner--I just can't bring myself to bundle up for it. So instead I'm at starbucks--going to make a dent in this grading before going to dinner at my friend's house.

March Challenge:
At or under calories 5/7 days every week and at or under as a weekly average.
Week 1: At/under calories 4/7 (but one day I was only over by 7 calories) UNDER FOR WK
Week 2: At/under calories 5/7 OVER FOR WK
Week 3: At/under calories 3/7 OVER FOR WK

All-in strength challenge=core work 3 x/week; PT 1-2 x/week; run 3 x/week:
Week 1: 1/3 core; PT DONE; 1/3 runs (sick most of week though)
Week 2: 1/3 core; PT DONE; 1/3 runs
Week 3: x/3 core; PT DONE; x/3 runs YUCK
Week 4: 1/3 core; PT; 1/3 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; 2/28=55:15)

Grading Goals:
1. x/64 AP essays
2. x/16 AP analysis activities
3. x/12 America Poem analyses
4. 45/60 Gatsby tests
5. 1/64 Wuthering Heights journals

Exercise Goals: (week 4)
Sun--walk gunner DONE + gym DONE
Mon--walk gunner NOPE
Tues--walk gunner
Wed--walk gunner + gym
Thurs--PT
Fri--walk gunner + gym
Sat--walk gunner + gym

2015 Mantra = Just 15 minutes

How do you figure out how much protein you need? I am a vegetarian (dairy and eggs are fine- can't handle the texture of meat) and I struggle to get enough protein. Any suggestions?

I am back after a few days off from the thread. I have been extremely busy the last couple of weeks and this weekend was no exception. I am still struggling but the weight is dropping- gotta love that water weight. I just want it to continue dropping without rebounding again.

Just a few quick responses- love the cakes, sorry about the illness, happy for those you of you have beaten illnesses.

Karen enjoy your Spring Break and please don't spend it all grading those papers. I have one more week until Spring break.

Susan and Kelley- I don't care if I go to Atlanta or Chicago to do the run. I just think it would be fun to meet up with others from this group. Susan, I would like to stay with you, it would be a fun slumber party.

Robin- I think we are looking for a location that will meet most people needs. Chicago is not the best for Karen this year so maybe next year. Hope you can join us, where ever we go.

This weekend was successful at the swim meet. I beat all my seed times and swam the 500 yds. in under 10 minutes. This was exciting for me since I could sprint at the end without being too winded. This week my focus switches back to triathlon training and running. It will be nice when I lose the extra weight since running should be easier. Tonight's workout was good in that I was spinning for 30 minutes then running for 30 minutes plus a warm up and cool down.

My goal for the coming week is to check in here more often.

Exercise plan
Monday- trainer
Tuesday- rest
Wednesday- swim/ run
Thursday- run
Friday climb
Saturday climb
Sunday gym- brick

I haven't been on in awhile but am slowly getting back on track.

@Morgori‌ thanks for the tips