Need to Lose 100 LBS -Robins Thread !

Hello. I like all of the dialogue here. Very everyday and conversational. I would like to say that I have no clue at what I am doing when I look at my end goal (besides freaking out, then binge eating because it is so overwhelming)! But I see that I am not alone with the take it one step at a time, and focus on small changes. Funny story of what made me want to adjust my lifestyle. As I was walking past a reflective window, I turned around to see who was walking behind me...it was me! I had totally lost perspective of how my body had changed. Now don't get me wrong, I love me and my body, I just want to love it as a healthier version.

Hi everyone!
Just a quick check in to update goals.

@tracy (ND)-- glad the new job is working out so far.

@trina & vetty-- welcome!

Monday check in:
I had another good day nutrition-wise, but elected to grade rather than go to the gym. I fear the life/work balance not in the stars until I finish these research papers. If I can just keep my food on-track until then, I will *kitten* that as a success.

Grading Goals by 5/16:
1. 36/41 Kite Runner journals
2. 36/41 Yeats reflections
3. 9/10 Senior SOS speeches
4. 17/20 Junior Research Papers

Fitness Goals for the month of May:
Visit gym minimum of 8 times 2/8
Run at least 25 miles

You vs Year Challenge:
148 k done/ 852 k to go

Exercise Goals:
Sun-- walk gunner DONE
Mon-- walk gunner DONE + gym NOT DONE
Tues-- walk gunner
Wed-- walk gunner
Thurs-- walk gunner + gym
Fri-- walk gunner
Sat-- walk gunner + gym

It's funny that today is World Hypertension Day, because all I've wanted for the past two days was eat a big slab of red meat and cover it in a bunch of salt. Even though I actually had a nice medium rare sirloin (well, half) last night, I want more beef today. Like.. primal meat on the bone so I can gnaw on it like some sort of feral animal.

This is an extremely strange craving for me, and I can't explain it. Lord knows I exceed my protein goal just about every day, and I'm good on iron (and Lord knows I struggle to keep salt even NEAR the RDA). Does anyone else get weird cravings like that?

Having a hard time wanting to go do cardio, I just don't find it enjoyable like lifting. But either way I've still been going MWF to lift. Also if the scale at the gym is to be believed I've lost about 30 lbs so far in a bit less than 2 months.

Hello All, I'm looking for friends and support on my weight loss and healthy eating habits that I started AGAIN (for the umpteenth time), yesterday. I have approximately 120lbs to lose. I gained weight due to a medication I took 12 years ago, and am more than ready to shed the pounds! Wish me luck and send me a friend request! -Sarah

Good morning everyone.

Happy National Employee Health and Fitness Day!

”Stretching oneself too thin is the disease of modern life — letting oneself get too thick, the other.” ~Terri Guillemets



Tom

@Lauriek70 - how tall are you? With the amount of activity you are doing, I'm surprised you aren't closer to your goal, but I don't know how tall you are so it's hard to judge by a number (190's) as to whether that's bad or good. For me, I'm only 5'2" so my 190's (which I've been in for almost a year now) may be much higher body fat than yours. I have so little free time that it's hard to get any workouts in, I'm looking forward to the future when my time is my own and I can make decisions for the use of my own time. Right now, I'm trying just to maintain and keep some sort of discipline in my diet, I range between 1400 - 1700 calories and usually am eating back any exercise calories, what little of them there are. I have a problem with late night snacking, and I mean really late night since I work nights anyway. Right now I'm caring for my disabled hubs so taking extra time to work out at the gym is hard to do. I've been trying to walk at work but haven't been very disciplined about it. Plus I haven't been tracking on the weekend and I know when I'm confined to the house I eat a lot more. It's been very rainy here too, the lakes are at or above full and dams are releasing overflow for the first time in years and years.
Tracy
(TX)

Thursday Truth ... "Pride. Envy. Wrath, Gluttony and Lust. Sloth and Greed. The seven deadly sins." ... as defined in Google search.
Further ...
gluttony is a noun ... and is described as ... habitual greed or excess in eating.
synonyms: greed, greediness, overeating, gourmandism, gourmandizing, voracity, insatiability;
informal... piggishness
"the gluttony you displayed last evening was reprehensible"

sloth is a noun and is also an animal ... but the 1st meaning is what applies here ...
1. reluctance to work or make an effort; laziness.
"he should overcome his natural sloth and complacency"
synonyms: laziness, idleness, indolence, slothfulness, inactivity, inertia, sluggishness, shiftlessness, apathy, acedia, listlessness, lassitude, lethargy, languor, torpidity;
literary hebetude "who is responsible for the sloth of this department?"

Those are my two deadly sins. I feel like they are winning. Every night I plan for a better handle on them, every day one, the other, or both win the day.

Sloth has allies ... in the form of age and health related issues, and is by far my most intense enemy. Gluttony comes in as an opportunistic sin ... born of sloth's laziness, lethargy and complacency. It leads to a 'what the hell, I'll never win at this so I might just as well give in' attitude that leads to gorging mindlessly instead of eating intentionally.

I know people who have turned to the Bible as a source of inspiration to get control of their demons, others who have joined Overeaters Anonymous, and still others who have hired the services of mental health experts, or doctors to carve pieces of themselves out of their bodies. Is this where others of the deadly seven raise their Methuselah locks to stare me in the eye? Is this were Pride that I try to do it myself and alone, and Envy that others have been able to do this so why not I become lamentations? Is this were Wrath towards myself lead to destructive self-criticism and even hate?

Or, is this where I draw the line in the sand and pick up my shield and sword to slay the beast? My shield is my belief and my sword is my desire. Let them be strong.

I need to come to this thread more often!

Being on an extreme budget this past week has made me realize some things. I've over eaten. I've not gotten enough protein. I've had too many carbs. I've had more sweets cravings, probably because of the carbs.

Very little money for groceries means no extras like the Greek yogurt I like to take to work. Since I'm the only one at home right now trying to lose, there are no special buys for me. It means buying more bread and processed meats because they're cheaper and can stock the pantry more.

Any suggestions on healthier eating when you don't have money for healthier foods? It's pretty sickening that all the processed foods are cheaper than foods a person truly needs, like lean meats, fresh fruits, and fresh vegetables. Taste wise, fresh is better than frozen.

I've probably overeaten because I have been eating less protein. More carbs. More sugars. I gained 3 pounds this week, and it's made me sad. Well, what's done is done. New week, New start. Here we go!

Edited to add:
Just remembered I've been under stress lately trying to make bills and work is very slow right now. I'm a server, and I've made half add much money as usual in the past week and a half. Very disheartening.

@River314 I'm about as cheap as they come, and I've actually saved a ridiculous amount of money dieting. Admittedly, I don't give a tug about organic, non-gmo, gluten-free, vegan or whatever, which helps. Meals at my house are usually a protein, a bulker, and 2 servings of plants. Depending on the identity of each, I might wind up with grilled chicken, quinoa, steamed carrots and a salad, or I might wind up with Black bean soup and an apple.
For me, protein and fiber are very satiating, but fat is not. If fat kills your hunger, you'll probably want to increase that at the cost of carbohydrates.

My go-to's: I usually shop at Kroger, and I am located in West Virginia. I almost always buy whatever version is cheapest, and that's generally the Kroger store brand.

Proteins: Every meal contains one or more of the following, even breakfast

• No salt added beans (.69-.99/can) I like black and cannelinis. Both go into bean salads, warm salsa/pilaf things, soups, and as the main ingredient in burritos. I am a burrito fiend, especially breakfast burritos with scrambled egg.
• Canned tuna in water (.69-.99/can). I eat tuna salad like crazy, but it also works well with the cannelinis.
• Boneless, skinless chicken breast or boneless skinless thighs. Frozen is usually cheaper than thawed. (.99-1.99/lb). I usually butterfly and grill them with a spice rub, super easy and fast. And you aren't paying for bones you can't eat. Also, remember that a serving is 4 oz - I generally get two out of any given breast.
• Store-brand lite Greek yogurt (.70/tub). Flavored versions are breakfast, plain gets used wherever you need something creamy.
• Boneless Pork loin (I buy this at Sam's Club for <$2/lb.). This can be ground, grilled, stir-fried, whatevered.
• Eggs (variable price, usually $2.19-$2.49/dozen). Price is better if you buy in bulk. I turn these into breakfast hashes, hard boil them, poached on toast, crustless quiche, you name it.
• Peanut butter. Plain ol' Jif for me, just about a tablespoon at a time. I like it on toast with fruit as a protein snack.

Bulkers/Starches:

• Beans (as above). I am currently in love with a mixture of black beans, corn, tomatoes, bell pepper and sauteed onions, with cilantro and a splodge of plain yogurt. Pop it under grilled meat and it looks SWANK. Or go Cuban with black bean soup.
• Sweet potatoes (.70-1.29/lb). Bake in oven, or microwave 5-10 minutes. Nothing extra needed, but you can make them savory with curry powder, or sweet with ginger or cinnamon.
• Pasta. (about $1/lb). Remember, this is a side dish, so small portions will take you far.
• Canned no-salt added tomatoes (actually, these came out of my garden last year, but they're in the .49-.89/can range. These go in soups, with the beans, into homemade pasta sauce with onions and peppers
• Store brand oatmeal. The cheap stuff. Instant, regular, whatever. For me, this mostly gets turned into refrigerator breakfast oatmeal with the Greek yogurt, but it can also go into baked goods.
• Frozen or canned corn niblets, no salt. Good on it's own, good as a supporting player.
• Frozen broccoli or cauliflower in the microwave steamer bag (often on sale for $1). Frozen cauliflower generally becomes a mash/puree that is less calorie-dense than potato. Fresh gets roasted.
• Onions. Onion is da flava enhanca for just about everything I cook
• Indulgence buy #1: non-organic quinoa. I find it has the lowest calorie/volume, so I can eat enough to get full without killing my calorie allowance. Generally 3.99/lb.
• Indulgence buy #2: Shirataki Noodles. 12 ounces of noodle for 20 calories! But they are like 2.99/pack. Just remember to rinse them thoroughly. I usually put them in a hot skillet for a few minutes to dry them out as much as possible.
• Indulgence Buy #3: Ole Extreme Wellness Tortilla Wraps. At $3.29/8, these are expensive, and a little difficult to find. And they only superficially resemble tortillas. *BUT* they have a massive amount of fiber, only 50 calories, and if you fill one with some beans, a scrambled egg, and maybe a little cilantro and Greek yogurt, you'll be full for a while. I find the Mission brand low-carb tortillas to be fairly nasty, but the 80 cal La Salsarita? brand are OK.

Fruit/Veg:

• Green beans, fresh if it's less than $1.19/lb; frozen or no-salt canned otherwise.
• Zucchini/squash. I like zucchini noodles, sauteed, or in soups/casserole. Generally $1-$1.29 lb. AVOID CANNED/FROZEN, they are gross.
• Bell peppers. Green for sure, red if they are on sale.
• Carrots. Steamed with OJ and ginger in the water. Mashed. Raw. Sauteed with a dab of butter. Shredded with cucumber and radish in a Japanese salad with chicken breast. (mmmm)
• Lettuce: I am a huge salad fan, because the bulk fills you up without a lot of calories. It's a little more expensive, but go with green leaf, red leaf, or romaine lettuce because unlike iceberg, they contain actual nutrients. (.99-1.19/head)
• Spinach: I put it in my breakfast scrambles, with my tuna salad, in salads, and sometimes just saute it with garlic and onions. ($2.50-$3.79 for 12-20 oz, often marked down for quick sale).
• Any veggie on sale for $1.29/lb or less. Some weeks this is asparagus, sometimes it's eggplant or parsnips or corn. I figure the internet or Cooking Light has some way to combine it with a bulker to taste good. I particularly like it when turnip greens are on sale for .59-.79/lb. These are super good slow simmered in a pot with about 3 qts of water, a couple tablespoons of Worcestershire or low-sodium soy sauce and either a couple tablespoons of sugar or a few solid squirts of hot sauce.
• Any fruit on sale. The local store usually has some variety of apple on sale for .99/lb or .50/ea; sometimes I get pears or pineapple. I generally avoid bananas, because they are a little sugar and calorie dense for their mass, but I do keep some in the freezer for smoothie duty.
• Indulgence buy #1: Mangos, as raw fruit or in no-sugar added fruit cup form. Price highly variable.
• Indulgence buy #2: Frozen berries. Look for them on sale. Defrosted, they are dessert, frozen, they are smoothie fuel.

Some other things I cook a lot with:

• La Frontera saute mixes, in the Mexican foods aisle. You get a lot of flavor from the pouch, and not a lot of extra salt and sugar. $2-$3, sometimes cheaper.
• Store brand monterrey jack cheese, on the block. Lower calorie than cheddar, melts well. Usually $3-4/lb.
• Cilantro. I'm from Texas, and lived in California for awhile, so my impulse on just about any food is to add cilantro for instant flavor. If you're one of the folks who hates cilantro, this would obviously not be applicable. (usually .69/bunch)
• Kraft Fat-free Zesty Italian. Marinade, salad dressing (bean salads too!), and 8 cal/tbsp. Avoid the Wishbone version, it tastes like petrochemical buttcrack. (<$2/bottle)
• No-salt spice mixes. I have little mason jars with a Moroccan, a Southwest, and an Old World mix of herbs and spices. These go on meats, beans, veggies, whatever needs some flavor. You can buy them, or you can make them from what you have on hand.
• Kraft lite mayo. Tuna salad, deviled eggs, sandwiches. Fewer calories than Hellmanns/Best Foods. Avoid the fat free, it's terrible.
• Olive oil cooking spray. Pan lube, grill lube, and pre-roast veggie treatment.

I hope that helps! Of course, everything will be much harder if you have picky eaters in your house, too.