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

It’s still too early to call it official but after yesterday at 201.2, I saw 198.8 this morning again. I did have a huge deficit yesterday and that was breaking fast too. I’m almost a week ahead of “schedule” but that’s nice, hopefully I can keep it up. I have the weekend inside to study for exams on Monday, so fingers crossed I can keep a deficit this weekend with no steps. I just vacuumed so I can get some stretching in though! I feel so tight after a week of not stretching. On the other hand I think I’m coming down with something, since my throat is very sore.

@Terytha Twinsies! I just weighed in again at 198.8 this morning.

@lmdh2o Welcome!

I lost 120 lbs once when I was about 21 years old without realizing I would have sagging skin on my arms, legs, and belly. I was devastated and ended up feeling so depressed over my appearance that over time the depression got to me and I gained my weight back. Now, knowing what I know, realizing that this is more about my health, I try to focus on the positive aspects that losing weight helps with vs the negative. We only get one body and what is under our skin and how it functions is really important to our vitality. I’d rather be healthy knowing what I know this time around.

February Tracker:

Height: 5' 9''
SW: 286.5 (June 3, 2019)
GW: 180
1/31/20: 206.8
2/8/20: 206.4
2/15/20:
2/22/20:
2/29/20:

Goals for February:
Strength train 3 x week: 100%
Continue 5K/10K training 3x week: 100%
Get 10000 steps a day: 86%
Go to bed by 10:30 on weeknights: 40% - Epic fail
Eat no more than 100 grams of net carbs (Carbs - fiber): 86%
Eat more than 100 grams of protein a day: 100%
Drink 140 oz of water a day: 100%
Log accurately every day: 100%
Get to Onederland!! - still working on that

Not so successful in going to bed earlier. I hope to do better next week, but I did well on all my diet and fitness goals.

The scale has been a yo yo. I was at 204.4 on Feb.3 - up 2 pounds since then. But I just have to be patient for my whoosh. I'm still going in the right direction, and more importantly, crushing my fitness goals. The scale will reflect that back in a week or so.

I do love using Libra - that you @CupcakeCrusoe for sharing your graph. For those of you discouraged by temporary gains, I urge you to use it. It helps make it all make sense.

Today is day 250 of logging my food!

What songs keep you going at the gym/running/cardio? I need some new stuff and I live in the boonies (the only thing on the radio is whatever the current top 10 is on a loop mixed with ooooold crappy 90s songs. Or country). Help a woman out!

1/31: 255.5
2/6: 253
2/14:
2/21:
2/28:

@OksanaMaliarClark, congratulations on onederland! I am so excited for that day, just to be able to tell myself that I did it.

@lilann1961, those nights are worth a little slack on the calorie counting, especially if you had been good all week.

@lbostic89, the waiting is the worst part, but it will come.

@stefgreen72, I agree that looking good is secondary, I just want to feel good.

@acaliforniadreamer, I bet that was a nice feeling. Also, walking AND beach? That sounds great!

@Terytha, I'm sure that feels quite nice, especially when you mentally might have been expecting a gain

@lmdh2o, welcome!

@VictorSmashes, I hope you get to feeling better! Being sick can really throw a wrench in plans.

@stantonlisar, great job sticking to that commitment. I'm sure that felt like such an accomplishment.

@speyerj, you are totally crushing your goals. I also need to work on going to bed earlier, it makes it so hard to get up in the morning sometimes.

@svm569, sodium is something that I struggle with, too, I've been trying to work on it. I did not realize how many foods have a high sodium intake.

@Danielle__S, do you have any type of streaming service? I use spotify fairly often and they have a wide variety of workout playlists with songs that can keep you going.

@KeriA, I am sorry to hear that, pets are family. I hope this week gets better for you.

@jtaen, water can be hard for me, I really have to force myself. And welcome!

Hi all! This week was so busy at work and next week is going to be the same. I honestly just have to make it through the month of February. Kickboxing is going well and my mood is feeling a little better, but still bleh. I think there's just a lot going on with work, being in grad school, and life in general, but I haven't missed a kickboxing class yet. I also hit the 240s this week, a number I haven't seen in FOREVER. Granted, it is 249, but still! I take that as a win.

Hope y'all don't mind me joining late.

SW-336 (02/04)
CW-326.6
GW-200

Before having my son in 2017, I was in the 260's and working out a lot. I've fluctuated up and down since then. My son has health problems, and I've put myself on the back burner until now. My husband isn't ready to change his eating habits and doesn't exercise,so I'm doing this solo for now. I've switched over to ground turkey, and eating more fruits and veggies. I also have been weighing everything I eat.I'm wanting to use this check in with you guys to help keep me going when it gets tough, and to be able to talk to someone in similar situations.

My goal for February
-lose at least 2 more pounds
-be more active in the community section on here
-get a treadmill and start doing 1-2 miles a day walking/jogging.

Hi everyone, happy Sunday!

To all who have recently joined, welcome! It’s never too late to join and start your journey to better health. I wrote it last month and I’ll write it again: you do not need to wait for January 1st/the beginning of the month/Monday/a personal anniversary to start your plan to lose weight. The day you decide you want to change and make a change, no matter how small, is the day.

This group has gotten so big it’s hard to address everyone individually, but here are the things that I wanted to mention for sure:

@KeriA – so sorry about your cat. I know how hard it is, pets really do become a part of your family.

@bluffgirl67 – hoping for the best for your Momma’s surgery. How wonderful it is you will be there to support her. I know how difficult it will be to stay on plan. My own current plan was launched after I got home from helping my dad through his hospitalization, effectively living in the hospital for a bit over a month. I really wished I had done the minimum to take care of myself during that time by walking a bit each day. It would have been more helpful to my state of mind than my body at that point. I did try to control my intake by eating pre-packaged trays I found at Target, along with fruit and yogurt. You are in a much better place than I was, I know you will be able to concoct a plan of your own.

@shorepine – You are not a failure. You got back to your plan. You didn’t give up on yourself.

@aerohead21 – Congratulations on receiving recognition from your teachers in your nursing program. Believe me, I know how awesome that is. Nursing school was one of the hardest things I ever did, though to be fair I was in a one-year, second-degree accelerated BSN program so I didn’t make it any easier on myself! I know it’s hard to try to also lose weight while in school. I wasn’t weighing myself at the time, but I probably lost weight during my program because I did focus on proper diet and I was naturally more active.

@speyerj, @cupcakecrusoe, @Savannah80, and to any other half-marathoners I’ve forgotten: wishing you much success with training. Of course, I’ve got my eyes all over this 10-miler I’m hoping to run at the beginning of May. But I’m starting to look beyond that a bit, and there are at least three half-marathons here in Philly I’ll be looking at later in the year. But Broad Street has long been a goal of mine.

@Terytha – that 5K sounds fun! I always wanted to do one of the Color Runs myself. When I was running with a now-defunct group, we ran a lot of the local brewery 5Ks. Running with a beer reward at the end of the race? Yes please!

I’ve been listening to the Phit-n-Phat podcast pretty steadily. She always seems to be discussing something that’s applicable to the current discussion here. I recommend her podcast because she does focus primarily on getting your thinking about weight loss on the right track. As always, I warn people about her explicit language: I do not find it to be gratuitous, only that it emphasizes points she makes. But if you are put off by such language, this podcast may not be for you. She does not pull any punches, either, which I appreciate. I have been listening since the beginning, they do seem to progress a bit over time so I think it’s worth it. But if you peruse the list of podcasts you may just want to listen to what interests you. The one I listened to yesterday that resonated with me was podcast 41 – “Losing that Loving Feeling.” It addresses the concept of stages in the weight loss process, and where your mind and routine are at any given time.

@aliciap0116 set up a separate thread for discussions related to the podcast here: https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10783774/losing-100-lbs-with-phit-n-phat-podcast-discussion/p1https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10783774/losing-100-lbs-with-phit-n-phat-podcast-discussion/p1. Thanks so much for setting this up!

Height: 5' 6"
SW (09/08/2019): 239.2 lbs
February SW (2/1/20): 192.0 lbs
2/2/20: 189.8 lbs
2/9/20: 187.6 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 – check. Did a long C25K workout yesterday using week 4 intervals.
• Increase walking distance to 8.5 miles for one workout a week – planning for a 7.5 mile walk today. It’s going to be an unseasonably warm and sunny day here today, I can’t wait to get out there!
• Core exercises at least 3 times a week – check.
• Take better care of my skin in hopes it will start to regain its shape. – Not as consistent as I’d like. Saw lots of comments this week from other people on the thread. Loose skin, whether it’s temporary or permanent, will happen with large amounts of weight loss. It’s a common thing to see comments on other threads about people’s disappointment about how bad their skin looks after using weight. Including a handful who mention that they consider gaining “a little” weight back to reduce the loose skin. Personally, I think of other things that are permanent and likely an outcome of conditions linked to being overweight (and/or being unhealthy): dialysis, limb amputation, residual weakness from stroke, blindness, among others. I’ll take the loose skin!

So, 187.6 pounds. It’s the lowest weight I’ve recorded since my 20s. It is honestly so overwhelming, what I am feeling, that I still need to process it. My previous low was 188.4 pounds, about two years ago.

More about the skin care: when I “take care of my skin” it really is not so much other than establishing the following routine: exfoliate while in the shower, then moisturize. The only other thing I do is take a supplement with Biotin in it. (And please, please, please, if you have any medical issues or take any prescription medications, discuss any supplements and herbal therapies you might start with your doctor. Just because it is available over-the-counter does not mean it is safe for you. St. John’s wort, for example, is one of the worst - it interacts with many prescription medications.) Exfoliation increases circulation in your skin and prepares it to benefit from the moisturizer by sloughing that top layer of skin cells. I use a couple of moisturizers, and I do add Bio-oil to those. Bio-oil may be expensive, but I end up diluting it not just to make it last longer but also to cut back on the fragrance. I can’t remember if they add fragrance or not, but the oils used are quite fragrant on their own.

I will say this: of all the things I’ve got on my list of goals for the month, this one stays on the list and I need the most accountability for because when I’m getting ready in the mornings, I think about it being on this list and how I might have to say I didn’t take care of my skin every day! I’m actually very automatic with the other goals on my list, maybe because of the external things that keep me motivated to do them.

Well, everyone, have a great week! Keep up the good work!