Need to Lose 100 LBS -Robins Thread !

@laurie -- good luck at your race Saturday. I have a 5k on Thursday evening and our forecast is also for warm, humid conditions. However, it will be on the lake which usually helps (lake breeze) and it's not until 7 pm, so at least the sun will be going down.

@kaye -- glad to hear your DH is improving.

@niki -- great idea to track your different food groups. I also need to pay more attention to my macros--I never get enough protein unless I'm being purposeful about it.

@ladyadraine710 -- welcome to the thread!

@lori-- love the new bike!

@tammy-- Sorry to hear about your DH--hope it's nothing serious and he recovers quickly.

@Methynks -- I agree with laurie's advice about your ankle. And, yes, I wholeheartedly agree with you that losing weight is about what you eat more than exercise. I've been trying to outrun my fork for a couple of years now, and have maintained about a 60 lb weight loss that way, but the scale quit moving down. Just recently, I lowered my net calorie allowance and started being more diligent about my food choices. I haven't seen any results yet, but I know it will happen. Good for you for planning to get back to the gym though. Injuries really stink--I'm dealing with a shoulder injury right now, and it sucks not being able to lift weights.

AFM--sorry I was kind of MIA over the weekend. I had that bridal shower Saturday, and then Sunday went to Lamb's Farm with my sister, bil, and niece. We had fun but it took up a good chunk of my day, so didn't get much else done.

Monday Check-in:
Food has been okay. I was up a bit on Saturday due to the shower and a few drinks at the bar that evening. However, today I'm way under, so I think it will even out. Scale had dipped down mid-week, but bounced back up yesterday. Could be due to sodium from party and restaurant foods. We'll see what the week brings.

I had planned to do my monthly 8k today; however, after PT and running errands I had to choose between the gym or yard work, and yard work won. On the plus side, I actually burned more calories than if I'd run the 5 miles.

My DH moved our old dining set out of the spare room and into our dining space, so now I can really get to cleaning out that extra bedroom. If I have time, I would like to paint the room, but we'll see how the cleaning goes. I'm going to put a few items on my Tuesday Goals list now, since it's on my mind.

Tuesday Goals:
1. Clean off 2 book cases (go through books to see if any can be donated, dust, etc.)
2. Clean off work desk
3. Move work desk into other spare room
4. Clean window treatments
5. Paint ????

July Goals:

Run another 8k (Thanksgiving 2014 8k = 56:49, NYE 2014 8k = 57:47, 1/25 = 55:41; 2/28=55:15, 3/29 = 59:15; 5/9 = 59:16; 6/22 = 59:10)

Exercise Goals:
Sun--rest day
Mon--walk gunner DONE + PT DONE
Tues--walk gunner
Wed--walk gunner + PT
Thurs--Rock the Night 5k
Fri--rest day (traveling to MI)
Sat--In MI so maybe go for a run in my aunt's neighborhood

2015 Mantra = Just 15 minutes

@Tammy~Sorry to hear about your DHs illness, hope he recovers quickly. Glad you like your trainer so far, I had one for a couple of years and it was really helpful.

@GOINSTD12 (Tracy)~Have you looked into the possibility of having someone to come in and help with DH? You need to give yourself a break every once in a while.

@Karen~You are certainly tackling those projects this summer. I finally got my spare bedroom all cleaned out, painted and put a new bed in there. It feels so good to walk by and see it no longer a “catch-all” room. Of course, right now I’m using it for organizing/packing—I’m slowly tossing things into suitcases. Enjoy your trip to MI.

AFM~Not much to report, the scale is inching downward. Achilles still a thorn in my side but I’m managing, just hope it holds up while on vacation—so much activity planned. I’m definitely counting down to vacation now, just 7 more days of work!

One of my favorite afternoon snacks is 1/4 of an avocado on Wasa rye crisps ... but have been avoiding eating that because the other 3/4 would turn ugly by the next time i wanted some (like the next day) ... then I saw this tip on America's Test Kitchen ... and IT WORKS! Now I can safely buy that very expensive heart-healthy berry without fear of wasting money and food.

Here's what you do .... Cut the avocado in half. Eat off the half that does not have the pit in it. Take the half that does have the pit in it and place it peel side down on a bed of coarsely chopped onion in an air-tight storage container. Store it in the fridge. It will stay fresh for at least 4 days with no discoloration of the flesh.

Since I usually only eat 1/4 avocado at a time, I nestled the 1/4 back into it's position on the avocado before I stored it. There is no onion taste on the avocado because only the peel actually touches the onion. You don't waste the onion either because it can be used the next time you need onion in your cooking.

Thank you all for your welcome! It really helps having such a friendly bunch to check back in to :-)

Lauriek70 wrote: »

Methynks-Welcome. When it comes to exercising and rehabbing ankles you have several options. Look on the internet for ankle strengthening and stretching exercises. Talk to your doctor about exercises. When you talk to a Personal trainer ask the questions about rehabbing injuries, if they know there stuff then go for it. Free weights start with the arms-biceps, triceps etc. Then start slowly add leg work. Just make sure you warm up the muscles before you start weight training. How is your ankle doing now, can you walk on it without any pain or swelling? If you use the circuit weight you can start just by lifting the bars with no weight and using one leg at a time. Listen to your body when you are exercise and see how your body responds. You can do core work- at this time as well. Water aerobics is great way to get started since it take the impact off your ankles.

Thanks Laurie. I have been to a physio and I now have a good list of exercises for my ankle, and I am almost pain free for most of the day. It’s just the stiffness in the morning, the odd twitching here and there or stumble over some bumps und general unevenness in the pavement that are still painful, but normal walking is fine again - even a bit quicker or a couple of quick steps over the road or to catch the bus are ok. I still get some swelling on it when I have done more than usual, but a painful evening is usually followed by a better day – so I actually think that pushing the ankle a bit more every now and then is helping.

I will definitely ask to see a PT when I am going back to the gym (right now a PT would be killing my budget) and will make sure to mention the rehab work – I used to love doing compound lifting with free weights and definitely want to get back into that. But the majority of those exercised rely on stable footing and I am not sure how much of that work my ankle could take just yet, so I have to take it slowly with that. I still don’t have the full range of movement back compared to my other leg, so that is still something that needs to improve before I can start on lunches and squats again.. Or would those actually help?

cblue315 wrote: »

@Methynks - So good for you to have a plan. One thing that was suggested to me when I joined was to make a list of things I was willing to do, things I was not willing to do and things I may try later. I was willing to cook healthy meals, at the time I was not willing to lift weights or run. Well now I am doing those and more. But the lists made me think about a plan for getting healthy.

Thank you very much, that list is a great idea. I am still re-reading a lot on the forums and keeping focused, but that list is a great idea – I think I already have a rough list in my head of things that I want to do later on, but putting it to pen and paper will definitely help sticking to it – thanks for the idea!

Oh, and that bike really is a beauty! Hope you’re having lots of fun with it!

skinnyjeanzbound wrote: »

@Methynks -- I agree with laurie's advice about your ankle. And, yes, I wholeheartedly agree with you that losing weight is about what you eat more than exercise. I've been trying to outrun my fork for a couple of years now, and have maintained about a 60 lb weight loss that way, but the scale quit moving down. Just recently, I lowered my net calorie allowance and started being more diligent about my food choices. I haven't seen any results yet, but I know it will happen. Good for you for planning to get back to the gym though. Injuries really stink--I'm dealing with a shoulder injury right now, and it sucks not being able to lift weights.

Thank you and congrats on your maintained loss! I am sure your scale will show the loss soon, consistency is key! I hope your shoulder heals soon and that you will be able to enjoy lifting soon – just be careful and don’t start with too much too early, it might prolong the healing process.

Wednesday - Wishes (what do you wish? It can be weight related or not, can be realistic or not):
My wish is for strength to keep it up, to stay in this positive attitude even when the going gets tough, even when I am emotional and down and all in the “what’s the point?” frame of mind. And that this is truly the last time I have to “start” – because it is all a constant improvement which does not only happen on the scales but mainly in my mind. In my attitude. And in the actions that I am taking.

Wishing that DH could have less pain and sleep better at night. His restlessness also makes it hard for me to sleep.
The lawn mowing went better today. It took less than 2 hours. DH was able to start it for me, and it was a bit cooler, too.
Onward and downward. Kaye

Good morning everyone. Things are tricking right along here in my neck of the woods. The hubby has been to the dr and has a severe case of gastritis. They are running tests to try to find the cause. Could be anything from a viris to an ulcer. Good news is they have put him on Prilosec twice a day and slightly modified his diet and the pain is gone. He will probably be heading back up to work next week sometime. So far with the trainer we have had legs and core day and then yesterday we set up back and biceps. My poor legs are so sore and I look kinda like a little old lady trying to get around but I just keep moving. It isn't the bad I hurt myself kinda pain just the oh my god there are muscles there kinda pain, lol. So far I am enjoying working with him. He is friendly but professional at the same time.
@kaye I hope your hubby continues to improve. Its hard when we try to take care of our loved ones while taking on all of their responsibilities as well.
@Karen you are doing an amazing job on your clean out this summer. I keep telling myself I am going to od this or that but haven't accomplished a whole lot yet.
@kah I am so jealous of your cruise. I bet you have an amazing time. Not sure that is one I will ever get since Dh doesn't seem to think Alaska on a boat is a vacay lol.
@Julie I am glad that the meeting with the new principal went well. It bodes well for your new school year. Hope you slept better last night.

Alright time to go get changed and walk the dogs. The fun just never stops, lol.

Hi everyone!

@niki-- sorry to hear about your colleague's passing.

@laurie-- glad the meeting with the principal went well. I also haven't been sleeping well.

@tammy-- Thanks! My progress on the cleaning stalled out this week. Too many other appointments and now leaving town tomorrow to visit family. I really need to get back to it when I return. We are having friends over on the 16th for a bbq and I would like to have it done by then. Plus, I start school on the 19th, and once that happens, I won't get anything done around the house.

@mel-- welcome back!

@kelley-- I thought it was the Alaska trip--then I couldn't remember if that was the last one. And San Francisco too! That will be really nice.

AFM-- I skipped my race tonight. By the time I got back from the ortho I wouldn't have had enough time to get all my laundry done for the trip tomorrow. Plus, the weather was not good--way too hot and humid. I went to the gym instead.

Ortho said to just keep going to PT and see him again in a month. Of course he has no afternoon, evening, or weekend hours, so I will have to take a sick day.

I will be MIA over the weekend, but will check back when I return on Monday.

Tuesday Goals:
1. Clean off 2 book cases (go through books to see if any can be donated, dust, etc.) DONE
2. Clean off work desk STARTED
3. Move work desk into other spare room
4. Clean window treatments
5. Paint ????

July Goals:

Run another 8k (Thanksgiving 2014 8k = 56:49, NYE 2014 8k = 57:47, 1/25 = 55:41; 2/28=55:15, 3/29 = 59:15; 5/9 = 59:16; 6/22 = 59:10)

Exercise Goals:
Sun--rest day
Mon--walk gunner DONE + PT DONE
Tues--walk gunner NOT DONE (ridiculously hot)
Wed--walk gunner + PT
Thurs--Rock the Night 5k NOT DONE--GYM INSTEAD
Fri--rest day (traveling to MI)
Sat--In MI so maybe go for a run in my aunt's neighborhood

2015 Mantra = Just 15 minutes

Hello Everyone.

I have over a 100lb to lose. I am looking for some kind of support, I have been at this my entire life.
I have a very low self esteem, and can not seem to get back on the wagon.

CreativeSunflower wrote: »

Hello Everyone.

I have over a 100lb to lose. I am looking for some kind of support, I have been at this my entire life.
I have a very low self esteem, and can not seem to get back on the wagon.

Welcome to this thread Sunflower. I hope we supply the kind of support you are looking for. I can relate to your description of having low self esteem because of your perceived inability to lose the over-weight. Probably every person who shares on this thread has felt the same at some point or other.

I won't go into all the tips and mental exercises you can do to help improve your self-image because there is so much in print about that topic from people far more knowledgeable than I am ... so I hope you avail yourself and try some of the suggestions. There is a MFP blog right here that has some good articles about that topic as well under the "Hello Healthy" topics.

@Skinny/Karen and @Kah/Kelley ... thank you for the condolence on my former coworker's passing. I remember her fondly as one of the first people who I trained as my department at that employer started to grow back in the early 1980's. We worked together in various capacities until I left that company in 2003 and continued to keep in touch through the years since.

AFM ... Friday - Fitness (what are you doing to get fit? How are you preparing for weekend eating?
I wanted to report that my planning a week's menu for last week's goal has made a big difference in how I'm eating. Not all the meals I'd planned were made that week, having continued into this week as I live alone and it takes a while to get through a whole recipe of any food. It's also made a difference in what I've chosen to buy of any prepared meals and my calorie range has been on target thus far. So I'm working on my plans for next week which will become part of my August goals.

Today, for fitness, I am going to scrub all the pots and pans and plastic storage containers and wash the kitchen counters/cupboard faces and floor. My plan for Saturday include making a pot of some sort of veggie soup and I'll be needing to do a lot of veggie prepping.

Speaking of which, my spinal stenosis must have grown a little recently because one new symptom surfaced when I was doing all that cooking ... When I stand in one place for a while ... like at the counter to chop and prep, my feet go numb. The first time it happened the numbness went all the way up to mid-calf on both legs and I couldn't move from side to side because my legs wanted to return to the starting position on their own, and when I tried to step down onto the floor, my foot thought it had reached the bottom while it was still several inches up in the air. Good thing I had the counter to hold on to. I dropped down to the floor and did some of my PT moves and that did the trick.

At first I thought i was having a TIA but it didn't last or come back until a few days later when I was standing at the butcher's counter waiting to be served. If it keeps occurring I'm call my neurologist and schedule an appointment for an evaluation. They wanted to do surgery on my spine a few years back and I decided against it, but I didn't have this kind of symptom at that time.

I guess the lesson in all this is .... keep moving.
Follow-through
Niki

methynks- AFM- As for me. The mental aspect is tricky because everyone is different and deals with it in there own way. There will be ups and downs, little changes in weight that drive you crazy until you realize they are normal. Change does not happen overnight, it takes time and patience. It can be done just tell yourself to take small steps.

Niki- Are you locking your knees when you stand still for long period of time? If so, that could be causing the numbing sensation.

My week became very busy dealing with a Zombie run that I am planning. I am working on getting sponsors for this event and coming up with the plan. In addition, I have been working on finding a good registration sign up website. The run will be fun and it is occurring on Halloween morning. Good thing I am off for the summer otherwise, I am not sure we could pull this off.

Tomorrow, I have a 5K run and it should go well. The humidity is down but the temps will be high. I did a run warm up today and realized that I need to do certain things before the race tomorrow such as strides after a running warm up. I did buy running shorts and a skort so I will see how the skort works tomorrow. I must say buying the running shorts was a lesson in patience and not getting down about how the clothes looks. Running shorts are very short, they should be longer definitely made for pencil thin people. The skort is a 2 in 1- meaning a pair of fitted shorts with the band under the skirt.

Have a great night.