Women 200lb+, Let's Stay Fired Up This February!!!

Hi everyone! I’m still kinda new to this thread and following from the January forum. I have been reading the posts from January up through to today’s posts. Can I just say how inspirational and amazing they are! Everyone is so supportive and just great. It was really nice to read how good everyone did in January. Today is the beginning on a new start so Let’s Crush It!! We Can Do It!!
So my stats so far
OW 326
SW 245
Jan W around 220
Feb 1 213.7

I am happy that I have finally found a way of eating I can stick too and see results. That has been a major issue for me. I have tried just about everything from magic pills and potions to starving myself and trying very restricted diets. I would have very little success. I am also an emotional eater and was diagnosed with an eating disorder not too long ago. I was always self sabotaging and I would let myself cheat because I was rewarding myself for a small loss. I was finding I was cheating a lot and then would get upset because I would gain then I would feel so ashamed and guilty. Then too feel better I would eat something bad again. It was a vicious cycle. Also for the last 10 years that I have been battling with physical ailments and surgeries as well as mental health issues. I finally feel I am at a good place. Even though I am nursing my back right now( I have had 4 spinal surgeries) I have strained my back putting on my pants lol welcome to being 40!! I didn’t know I was standing on part of it so when I pulled up I was trying to pull over 200# in a bent over position. My back was still weak from recently injuring it. Mental health wise I am ok but feeling really depressed. My husbands job has been requiring us to move every 1-2 years. It is very difficult. I feel like I can’t put down roots. And because I never know how long we are staying anywhere it is hard to do things for myself like to go to school and get another degree or even get a steady job. It doesn’t look good going from job to job. My last job I had was over a year now and I find myself stuck at home all the time alone all day. The only time I go out is for a weekly shopping trip. My husband is either at work or at home working. So I decided now is the time to focus on myself and my health. So here I am. I am happy with my progress so far. I am up a little bit today. I too struggle with the scale fluctuating but my overall trend is down. I am doing this all on my own and am glad I found this thread.
So sorry for the long post and thank u for reading it.
Have a great day! Looking forward to February with all of you!

Weigh today. I am really happy with my hard word for the month of January. I am down 18.2 pounds. From 242.2 to 224

SW
01/02/20



CW
2/1/20

Today marks one week since beginning my weight loss journey. Weighed myself this morning and I’ve lost 2.3kg/ 5lbs this week. I’m so happy and feeling even more motivated to continue.

Congrats @Terytha!! So happy for you and your progress!!!

“I’d become uncomfortable with how comfortable I’d become for settling for a second-rate me, and it was a wake-up call. I wanted to get my health back and regain a body that felt empowered to achieve anything. Most important, I wanted to do it in a way that also allowed me to rediscover my love of food, so my food could start loving me back.” – Daphne Oz, Relish

That quote above pretty much sums up how I felt last May when I started on my third major weight-loss journey. I do not know how high my weight was at that point; I knew I wasn’t back at my highest, 301 pounds, but I knew I was uncomfortably close. So I started with walking and eating better last summer, and decided on the first week after Labor Day as a starting point for a more organized plan.

Height: 5' 6"
SW (09/08/2019): 239.2 lbs
February SW (2/1/20): 192.0 lbs
February GW: 186 lbs
GW: 150 lbs (then reconsider)

My goals for February are:

• Cardio for 45-60 min, 5-6 times a week, 3 of the sessions Couch-to-5K workouts
• Increase walking distance to 8.5 miles for one workout a week
• Advance in the Couch-to-5K plan to Week 5 workouts. I’m going to have to figure this one out. For the first four weeks, the three workouts are exactly the same. Starting week five, two days are interval workouts and the last day of the week is all running. I don’t know if I’m going to save the continuous running for the last week of my three-week repeat schedule, or if I’ll pepper it in a different way from the start. Probably the latter, I’ll have to see.
• Core exercises at least 3 times a week
• Lose 2 inches in my measurements
• Lose 6 pounds
• Take better care of my skin in hopes it will start to regain its shape. Hoping faithfulness here will be rewarded in the long run.

Looking forward to these milestones in February:

• Getting into the Broad Street Run, after I first tried five years ago, then training for the race in earnest! Registered today, and I’ll find out if I’m in about halfway through the month.
• Reaching 50 lbs lost since I started weighing back in September.
• My lowest recorded weight in the past 20 years was 188.4 lbs. I’m hoping to be back there by the end of the month.

If you are new to the thread, you should know I’m a huge fan of Corinne Crabtree’s Phit-n-Phat podcast. I don’t agree with everything she preaches, but I seem to identify with most of it. I really do love her coaching about fixing how to think about my weight loss efforts. I’d like to be mindful this month about fixing my thinking about my eating habits. I don’t think I’m going to be leaving anything on the plate just yet, but honestly I could stand to tighten up on my logging. Everything is there, but I can be lackadaisical about the details – like picking close substitutes I’ve already logged instead of searching for or entering the information for what I’m actually eating. I know it seems trivial, and it’s typically my salad ingredients I’m logging when I do it so it’s not like I’m substituting flank steak portions when I’m really having a rib eye steak. It’s the habit that matters. I would of course use close substitutions when I dine out or it’s something I didn’t prepare.

Also, I never complete my diary entries. But my diary is open for friends to look at if they’d like.

A lot happened in my life in January, and I resorted to keeping my nose to the grindstone to get through. I feel like I just white-knuckled my way through the month. I’m actually grateful that I lost weight last month, considering my frame of mind many of the days. I know that winter is never a good time for my psyche, either. Exercise helps me get through winter.

On a positive note, a co-worker asked me yesterday why I haven’t bought new clothes to show off my new shape! Frankly, it’s the money, honey! I did finally buy two new pairs of pants online yesterday. I threw away the stretched-out pants a few weeks ago and have been wearing the not-as-stretched out pairs. I’m actually looking forward to the “smaller” pants – when I eat they will keep me honest!

Once again, thanks to the wonderful @RavenStCloud for setting up this group and keeping it going each month. So happy to see familiar faces back for this month! Ready to settle into February and keep getting the job done!

47 years old
Height: 5' 6"
SW: 223 lbs
CW: 223 lbs
GW: 150 lbs
GW for the month: 218 lbs

I'm SO disappointed that I never have time to keep up with MFP. More than that, I'm disappointed with my lack of motivation to lead a healthier lifestyle. I work at the YMCA where I have a FREE gym membership (and 50% off other amenities such as spin classes). How many times have I used that gym membership: NONE! That is so disappointing to me.
On a more positive note, I stopped drinking soda since September 2019. I plan to slowly introduce exercise and healthy eating in the coming weeks. I've been toying with the idea of intermittent fasting and working towards a vegan lifestyle. I haven't researched enough of either subject to make a final decision, but it's what I'm currently interested in.

Oh my gosh I missed a whole page of posts! @terytha congrats!! I know you are so thrilled and been working really hard to get to onederland!

I'm new to this thread but excited to be here. I have a lot of weight left to lose and love having more accountability.

SW: 300
CW: 289.2
Feb GW: 280

My goal for this month is more than it normally would be but I feel really bloated the past few days and I think that's delaying the scale. I expect a couple extra pounds to drop early in the month once I stop retaining water.

I'd also like to incorporate more exercise. Right now I do literally none so I'm going to start easy by walking 20 minutes 3x/week.

Also trying to complete my diary every day this month. I have a tendency to log at work but when I get home for dinner...well who knows what happens lol.

I used to be a really active person who got out for nature walks and to the beach all the time but lately I only go to work and the dog park. Trying to change that habit too, more for my mental health than anything but I'm sure it will help me get more exercise too.

I only have a handful of active friends on the site and am looking for more, so if anyone wants to add me please feel free.

66 years old, Height: 5'6

SW: 266 lbs
CW: 263.6 lbs
GW: Onderland 1st, maintain for a few weeks then 150 llbs.

My February Weekly Goals are:
1. Continue to go to Aquafit 3 times a week
2. Improve my weekday breakfasts
3. Log weight, food and exercise
4. get into the 250s and stay in them
5. Make progress adding in exercise on days I don’t go to aquafit
6. Make healthy foods at home
7. get enough sleep and improve water intake
8. Check out this thread more often

If you looked at my 1st January post you would think I haven't made any progress. However I know better. My weight varies a lot and my highs are lower and my lows are lower. For January my lowest was 262.4. This is better than December. I also learned a lot in January. I think one thing is that this group is helping me. I didn't get on here today until I read what I missed for the last days of the January thread. I even made replies on Word to post but I actually think it is best to start fresh (except for two exceptions).

@aliciap0116 hope the knee is better. Just read you have reached onderland. Congratulations! But you have achieved some great non scale goals too and I love how you list them separately.
@Teriyha Congratulations reaching onderland!

Some of you mentioned parent health issues. Tomorrow I am meeting with my sister and brother since we have all noticed a turn downward in independence with mother who turns 93 on Valentine's Day. My issue is that my life is very busy. I have a semi-demanding job, a commute, am not quite an empty nester. I have stopped the regain but am not doing well with the re-loss. I still have to fight not to regain. The one time I lost it involved daily 1 hour exercise (I was unemployed) and I haven't been able to manage that while working full time. However there are ways to do it so I need to decide what I am willing to give up or where I am willing to give in.

Most evenings when I get home after exercising or not, depending on the day of the week I just can't face getting on the computer to log. I was better in January though.

So I am going to list some NSV for January:
I logged more.
I read all of your posts in January.
We did well making food at home.
I continued to do my 3 days of aquafit and added some other exercise in but not regularly. I also made some tries at tweeking my weekday breakfast.

I was able to lose 40 lbs and still have my Grande Latte and Starbuck's bakery item. However I can't do that if I don't exercise as much as I did then. I have gone to a double tall on some days. I have tried bringing a healthier food item in the car with me. The way I dealt with my commuting to work was to pretend I was at a Cafe, starting off the day with Starbucks drive-thru. At the last part of January someone posted something that hit home. It was that the foods she enjoyed tasted better when she didn't have them as often. That is what I have to do with this habit. I rarely have a soda but last year I admitted to myself that the weekday Grande Latte is my soda. Although I have improved this I haven't kicked it. So #2 above is really #1 for me. A little tweeking of my breakfast and a little improvement increasing my exercise isn't making it. I need to commit to a more substantial change that shows in results.

The reason is that I see how many of you are making discernible progress. It is inspiring. I am fine with a pound a week. I am not fine with something less quantitative. Even NSV can be quantitative like losing inches or clothes sizes. This weekend I need to come up with a better plan.

AGE: 52
SW: 287
CW: 256.5
FEB GW: 247
GW: 180

I started my weight loss journey in March of 2019. I’ve had some successes and failures but not consistency. My goal for February is to have consistency in my routine of keeping track of my calories daily and exercising at least 4 days/week. I’ve never used groups before to help me with my goals and get support. But, if you want different results, do something different, right?!. I’ve been somewhat successful with my weight loss but not nearly the success I should be having. I’m looking forward to being part of the discussions and the support I will get from those who struggle as I have and do. Motivation is my goal for today, tomorrow and so on. One day at a time. And sometimes one hour at a time. I’m ready to be serious and feel better.