Need to Lose 100 LBS -Robins Thread !

@raindogmaa :
Best of luck with your class. I forget if I saw your stats anywhere, but the last comment (about better shape) sparked my mind a bit-- recomping is where it's at! Even though I'm tiny underneath all this "stuff," I don't plan to make it to the healthy BMI category at all, or if I do, just the top of it. When I get closer to a healthy body fat percentage, I want to keep my muscle and reshape as I get stronger (not bulky, just heavier in that category). When I tried starting weightloss before (in 2017), I was really inspired by this article someone else had pointed me to: https://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/female-powerlifters-meet-staci-ardison/

Anywho, I'm sure you've likely at least heard a bit about recomp, but wanted to throw the idea out there in case you hadn't and found it to be interesting/a good match.

Again, best of luck with your class!

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Monday check-in:

I went to a parade with my daughter on Saturday and am currently paying the price for the extra walking and standing. I deal with chronic pain every day, but these flare-ups are something I seriously hope go away as I continue to make progress on the fat loss. I can also feel the hormones shifting today into the "bad zone." Going to keep plugging away as I can, though I might have to take it a bit easier on the walks. I'm skipping the dog walking today, and will see how the body's doing tomorrow. Best of luck to you all on your coming week.

Hello everyone. This past weekend my husband and I went on an anniversary weekend getaway. When we were dating we hiked a lot, so I booked a get away cabin (complete with hot tub) in a popular hiking area here in Ohio (Hocking Hills). We spent the day Friday hiking (over 8,000 steps for me - and I usually only average 3,000 a day) - about put me at my limit - only because my feet hurt - I wasn't tired, just couldn't stand anymore - lol. Went back and relaxed in the hot tub. Spent Saturday doing a little more hiking, but not as much. Took the long way home Sunday driving through small towns - seeing old historic buildings, etc. Maybe gained a pound with the extra eating out, but it's gone now - back to my regular foods today.

I'm trying to add more exercise in - going for another long walk tonight.

@raindogmaa - sounds like a great program - and I'm with you 100% on the boot camp!! Let us know how it goes. I don't eat anything after 6 and usually don't eat breakfast before 10am. That gives me 16 hours of fasting, which for me, is good. I also find I eat less (my "breakfast" becomes my early lunch).

@MelodiousMermaid -- thanks for the protein tips! I eat a lot of eggs, cottage cheese, and meat as my meals--what I find difficult is finding high protein snacks. I love nuts, but they are so calorie heavy that I don't like to eat too many. As I shopped this weekend, I looked for protein bars that were lower in carbs, and the best I could find were Health Warrior Chia bars. I wish I liked protein powder shakes/smoothies, but I tend to find them unsatisfying and dislike the texture.

@sweeetypie1 --sounds like a great trip!!

@cyndy--can't wait to hear how your new class goes!

@holly-- give yourself time to get back on track. Loss of a loved one and the grief it brings has a powerful impact on our day to day lives. I didn't quite make my exercise goal last month, so I'm going to repeat it as well.

AFM--Wow, I've really gotten off track logging my food. I went to a friend's birthday party Saturday--glad I skipped dinner because the snacks there were amazing. I didn't overindulge too much, but I also didn't even attempt to log. She then brought all of the leftovers to work yesterday, which meant a lot of small tastes that I also neglected to log.

I'm moving towards keto, but I found I still have way too many healthy, but higher carb foods in my house, so this week I'm using up all of my Lean Cuisine lunches, fudge pops, and ramen cups, so they won't tempt me when I make the switch. I've started stocking up and changing over to low carb snacks, but I'm still not on the keto plan yet.

Today I went to the gym for the first time since before my trip to California, and it felt good to get back on the treadmill. My feet had been in bad shape from all of the walking/standing at the festival, but they held up fine for my 30 minutes run today. I plan to run again Thursday and Saturday to meet this week's goal.

I had to switch my stats age to 50. That made me wince a bit.

Name: Karen
Age: 50
Height: 5’7"
Highest Weight: 247
Current Weight: 196 (7/6/19)

7/6/19 = 196
7/13/19 =196
7/20/19 = 194
7/27/19 = 194
8/3/19 = 195
8/10/19 = 195
8/17/19 = 195
8/24/19 = 195
8/31/19 = 194
9/7/19 = 196
9/14/19 = 196
9/22/19 = 196
9/28/19 = 195
10/4/19 = 196

Exercise Challenge Goal:
Gym visit or run outside 3 times/week
10/6 - 10/12 = 1/3
10/13 - 10/19 = x/3
10/20 - 10/26 = x/3
10/27 - 11/2 = x/3

@holly-- the festival was a lot of fun, but it was physically exhausting. It was a very effective reminder that I was celebrating turning FIFTY!! LOL! Sending you lots of hugs and support--don't beat yourself up about the small gain; it's completely understandable. And yes, you will get back on track because you are one strong lady!!

Got my walk in between the rain. Actually, I had to take cover under a few trees a couple times for it at slow down, but I did my 4 1/2 miles! The scale continue to be my friend as the numbers keep dropping. Down 46pounds since.my restart, down about 75 from my highest. Still have about 110 to go, so I'm nowhere near done, but I'll get there. hope everyone is doing well and seeing losses. Have a good week!😎

@cyndy-- glad to hear the class is going well. Sounds like maybe 60 minutes of cardio dehydrated you too much before the core workout? I also sometimes see my weight go up when I start a new workout routine, but I'm crossing my fingers for you anyways.

@dustyspal --Yay for a friendly scale!! Mine is my perpetual frenemy... LOL

@MelodiousMermaid -- I also don't have a set end weight. My dream is to make it to a size 8 because I've never worn single digits as an adult. However, I have no idea what weight I would need to be to make it to that point.

AFM-- Nothing new to report. I made my workout goal for last week, and I'm still enjoying getting back into the running. I started back at a 5 mph pace and have increased now to 5.4. My short term goal is to get back to being able to sustain a 5.7 pace for more than a few minutes. I would also like to be able to run an entire 5k again without a walking break. Right now, I'm running 8-10 minutes and then walking for 2-3, so it's not completely unrealistic to think I might be able to run my entire Thanksgiving turkey trot.

I was off of work today, so I went out to lunch and shopping with a friend. Tonight I'm food prepping for the week--I'm going to finally take the dive into keto starting tomorrow. Wish me luck!

Name: Karen
Age: 50
Height: 5’7"
Highest Weight: 247
Current Weight: 196 (7/6/19)

8/31/19 = 194
9/7/19 = 196
9/14/19 = 196
9/22/19 = 196
9/28/19 = 195
10/4/19 = 196
10/12/19 = 196

Exercise Challenge Goal:
Gym visit or run outside 3 times/week
10/6 - 10/12 = 3/3
10/13 - 10/19 = 1/3
10/20 - 10/26 = x/3
10/27 - 11/2 = x/3

Hi guys! Just a quick check-in to say that, as of day 2, keto is going well. There have been donuts and cookies and candy out in our office, and I really haven't even been tempted by them. Tomorrow will be the real test--we have a potluck style get-together after our students' early dismissal. My department has to bring desserts, so I bought a bunch of berries--the only fruit allowed on keto. Wish me luck!!

Name: Karen
Age: 50
Height: 5’7"
Highest Weight: 247
Current Weight: 196 (7/6/19)

8/31/19 = 194
9/7/19 = 196
9/14/19 = 196
9/22/19 = 196
9/28/19 = 195
10/4/19 = 196
10/12/19 = 196

Exercise Challenge Goal:
Gym visit or run outside 3 times/week
10/6 - 10/12 = 3/3
10/13 - 10/19 = 2/3
10/20 - 10/26 = x/3
10/27 - 11/2 = x/3

Thursday Truth-
I’ve been really lazy since this cold MN has set in the last few weeks. I just want to sit under a throw blanket all night.
@Karen good job on Keto so far and glad festival was fun.
I have been reading all posts and proud of all the accomplishments everyone has had.

Saturday success check-in

The numbers started moving for me again this week. The goals were a bust, but I succeeded in keeping the calorie count under control (I'm currently navigating the worst of my hormonal "danger zone"). Going to aim for the same goals again over this coming week.

My goals for last week:
1) At least 125 g protein intake each day.
2) Complete walks at least 1 mile and a total of 30+ minutes 6 days a week.
3) Keep at least two days ahead in pre-planning the food diary.

My Stats:
5'1" Female
Restarting weight: 252
MFP restart weight: 242.7
Goal weight: Originally set it at 140, though I'm wondering if I'll go that low or not- will review body scans periodically as I go to be sure I'm doing well on body fat % and don't start to lose muscle mass. My goal is to be at a healthy body fat percentage with good strength and stamina, wherever it is that I end on the scale.

9/14/19: 240.7
9/21/19: 238.8
9/28/19: 234.6
10/05/19: 230.8
10/12/19: 231.0
10/19/19: 226.9

@karen: congrats on just having veggies at the work gathering. I can’t wait to have that will power.
@MelodiousMermaid: You got this and you will get back on track.

AFM:
I stepped on the scale for the first time since my dad died. I gain 10 pounds. I was slightly mad at myself because I could have stopped eating but I chose not to. However, Riley needs training so today him and I did training. We went to Saint Paul we really don’t hang out there much. We went to 3 different parks and walked a total of 6.35 miles.

@holly-- Over 6 miles of walking is amazing!! Glad you are working with Riley on the training--that can be really challenging, but so rewarding when you have a well-trained pup!

@cyndy-- We aren't quite at the snow stage yet here in Chicago, but it's feeling a lot like autumn--windy, chilly, and some rain. I'm jealous of your heat wave.

AFM--scale is continuing to show progress and like cyndy, I definitely feel better in my clothes--less puffy and bloated, so everything fits a little better. I've gotten in two workouts at the gym . Tomorrow I'm taking gunner to the doggie salon and myself to the human salon, but I plan to work out afterwards.

I managed to get most of my grading done during the week, so I can actually spend some time catching up on housework. Not sure if we are doing anything for Halloween. A friend's band is playing Saturday night at a bar we sometimes go to, but it's a bit of a drive, so we will have to see if we feel like making that trek...

Name: Karen
Age: 50
Height: 5’7"
Highest Weight: 247
Current Weight: 196 (7/6/19)

8/31/19 = 194
9/7/19 = 196
9/14/19 = 196
9/22/19 = 196
9/28/19 = 195
10/4/19 = 196
10/12/19 = 196
10/19/19 = 194

Exercise Challenge Goal:
Gym visit or run outside 3 times/week
10/6 - 10/12 = 3/3
10/13 - 10/19 = 3/3
10/20 - 10/26 = 2/3
10/27 - 11/2 = x/3

@skinnyjeanzbound. Nice loss!!

@dustyspal -- Thanks!

@MelodiousMermaid -- Sounds like you have a solid plan to work toward your goals! I did Strongllifts 5x5 years ago and loved it. It really helped me drop weight and firm and tone my body. Unfortunately, I experienced a frozen shoulder and tore my labrium (NOT related to the lifting) and had to stop lifting weights altogether. Once that healed, I started again and my other shoulder froze (again, not due to lifting). During my second shoulder PT, I started doing a bit of lifting as part of my rehab, but not anything heavy. I really miss it, and once I have better mobility, I plan to start again.

Saturday Success:
My weight continues to go down on the keto-light plan. Even though I'm not keeping my carbs super low, my daily percentage of calories from carbs has gone from a 40-50% range to a 15-25% range. More importantly, I'm not hungry and my overall calorie intake has been lower than before.

I was unsuccessful at completing my exercise goal this week because my hairdresser had to move my appointment to later in the day. Screwed up my whole plan to go to the gym afterwards and it's raining, so I couldn't run outside. Even worse, the cold, rainy weather is making me crave some warm comfort food, but I ate pork and roasted asparagus instead.

Name: Karen
Age: 50
Height: 5’7"
Highest Weight: 247
Current Weight: 196 (7/6/19)

8/31/19 = 194
9/7/19 = 196
9/14/19 = 196
9/22/19 = 196
9/28/19 = 195
10/4/19 = 196
10/12/19 = 196
10/19/19 = 194
10/26/19 = 192

Exercise Challenge Goal:
Gym visit or run outside 3 times/week
10/6 - 10/12 = 3/3
10/13 - 10/19 = 3/3
10/20 - 10/26 = 2/3
10/27 - 11/2 = x/3

@Cyndy- The graph you shared is great.
@MelodiousMermaid- You always have such a through plan in place. Very impressed.
@Karen- Congrats on the success you are having with cutting carbs. I understand hthe cold weather issue, for me cold makes me want to stay inside.

Tuesday Update-
I have worked out yesterday and today. I also did 2 mins on the sit up machine yesterday which was about 80-90 sit ups. I am working on going from 4 20 oz diet sodas a day to 1 20 oz a day.

Saturday check-in

First, thank you to dustyspal, Karen, Cyndy, and Holly for your kind words and encouragement.

This last week was pretty good overall, though tougher toward the end. I have chronic pain, periodic flare-ups, and such, but this last week a variety of foot pains just about took me down. I finally went into a specialty shop on Friday and found out that I need a specific type of support in my shoes and may or may not need custom orthotics to go with them. We're trying the shoes for 2-3 weeks before moving on to evaluate further needs, since it'll take a fair bit of walking to correct my gait and get used to the very different support in these shoes. I revised my gold walking goal to bring it to a more reasonable level to allow myself the ability to heal and adjust.

The strength training is going well, I believe. I completed three workouts this week. Bummer, Karen, that you had to let it go -- I find it to be a satisfying workout. Oh yeah, and that water weight prediction I was talking about last week? It was spot on. Monday morning was a huge drop, and it's pretty well been flat all week again. Not sure if hormone water weight will cause a jump or just hold on to what's there in the next couple of weeks. That will be interesting to see.

I decided to increase protein again, from 130g to 150g per day. My check-in scans on Monday indicated that I might have had a mild muscle mass loss (very small, but still a loss). One of my primary goals throughout my weight loss journey is to not lose it if it can be at all avoided. Therefore, more protein, and I'm also trying breaking it up into smaller bits throughout the day (4-5 intake times). For the few days I've tried it so far, it is OK, though I am going to play around with what I have and when I have it to see if I can somehow feel a bit more satisfied appetite-wise at night without dipping too much further into the calorie bank.

Menu planning has gone OK, but I do have to say I hope I have a few more successes with new recipes/food combinations going forward, because the couple that have been successful recently have really left me wanting more (in a good way)! I now have a curry-inspired chicken combination that I enjoy on its own, and could probably add to a base of several different veggies. SO good. I also have a honey sesame tuna with pak choi (bok choy) dinner that I find to be pretty satisfying too (would be better with a tuna steak instead of canned tuna, but the budget is what it is). If you're a menu peeper, I've got both programmed for Monday (breakfast and lunch) with a new omelette combination that I'm going to try for supper.

Unfortunately, I can feel the hormones shifting again. In its own way, I am thankful that getting my eating regimen under control and losing some of the excess weight has at least made the calendar predictable when it comes to that stuff. Two weeks and a couple of days and I should be back to game-on mode. Hopefully I'll be able to continue to stave off the unnecessary cravings and fight the mental wars at least as well as I have this month and last month. I wouldn't say I'm doing great overall, but I've been able to fight through a lot better than in the past, and I'm getting more "blips" of normalcy (a good thing).

[TL;DR]
So with that, I'll summarize - made last week's baseline goals, and missed last week's Gold Goals by 0.8 and 1 mile yesterday and today respectively, so pretty good, circumstances considered. Goals are adjusted accordingly and seem to be where I need to be at, both mentally and physically.

My baseline goals:
1) At least 150 g protein intake each day.
2) Complete walks at least 1 mile and a total of 30+ minutes 6 days a week.
3) Keep at least two days ahead in pre-planning the food diary.

Gold Goals:
1) Complete Stronglifts 5x5 workouts at least 2 times per week (ideally 3).
2) Walk a total of at least 4 miles per day (but no more than 4 miles at a time), except one day of rest (0-2 miles).
3) Find at least one new recipe/food combination to try each week.

My Stats:
5'1" Female
Restarting weight: 252
MFP restart weight: 242.7
Goal weight: Originally set it at 140, but that is likely to change.
My healthy body fat percentage is forecasted to start at 155 lbs currently, based on scans done 10/28/19.

To track/adjust goal weight, I will review body scans periodically as I go to be sure I'm doing well on body fat % and don't start to lose muscle mass. My goal is to be at a healthy body fat percentage (< or = to 25%) with good strength and stamina, wherever it is that I end on the scale. It seems as though a realistic range might be 144-167 based on the feedback I've gotten.

09/14/19: 240.7
09/21/19: 238.8
09/28/19: 234.6
10/05/19: 230.8
10/12/19: 231.0
10/19/19: 226.9
10/26/19: 223.8
11/01/19: 219.6