Women 200lb+, Let's Be Extra Awesome This August!!!

orangequilt · August 2020

sending you hugs @bluffgirl67 it must be rough not to have your momma there xxx
@sweetirish you are getting through that pregnancy! Great that you are getting a chance to see what effect different foods have on your body
@cupcakecrusoe glad your baby is doing better now and enjoyed a bath!
i'm trying to stick more closely to my plan and have been battling the munchies, I haven't been very strict with myself the last couple of months, time to get things back to where they should be!

astroamy · August 2020

@KeriA I know, it's best if I get the exercise done in the morning then nothing can happen the rest of the day to prevent me from exercising. I hope your interview goes well.

Did better today, got in a bike ride this morning and ate well. My weight is up slightly, but this is fairly common for me particularly after a rapid decline. I'll just wait it out.

SW: 233.6
CW: 227.0

AlexandraFindsHerself1971 · August 2020

Alexandra
48 years old
5'7" tall
Starting weight 296 (1/20)
August starting weight:261
August 6:255
August 25: 254
August 26: 253.

This shows perfectly the plateau and cliff pattern that I've come to realize typifies my weight loss. In between the 1st and the 6th, (actually, before the first, for most of July) I yoyoed gently between 263 and 262, suddenly falling in about three days to 257, then 255. And then I hovered gently round 256 for most of August. I may lose more tomorrow as I am apparently in that phase of the cycle, and the month is not over yet.

I will say that as I have done this for the last eight months I've started to get comfortable with this pattern showing up. I weigh every day so the scale is routine, and that way I can watch the variations and know what my body's doing. I look forward to getting to the gym or getting a bike soon so that I can see what exercise does for this pattern.

aliciap0116 · August 2020

@bluffgirl67 sending you lots of hugs; I know how much you miss her.

@CupcakeCrusoe so glad your baby girl is feeling better and happy again. We are only as happy as our saddest child.

@sweetirish glad everything is going well and how wonderful to learn about how your body processes different foods. That will serve you well for your whole lifetime.

@KeriA I hope all the medical tests go well and wish you the best on your interview! I'm glad you are holding out for the right position for you.

@IsETHome welcome back; we all have bumps and curves on this road!

@speyerj so exciting and inspiring to hear that your body is adjusting to its new size!! Your hard work is paying off.

@micwrites, @wanderinglight @MuttiNM and @orangequilt your posts so resonated with me. I am proud of what I have accomplished so far but focus far more on how much further I have to go. The fact I am growing out my gray hair right now is also not helping this not pretty picture. I feel like this group understands me more than any person in my physical life. Thank you for sharing and supporting everyone.

aliciap0116 · August 2020

Can it really be weigh-in Wednesday already???

49 years old; 5'6"
SW: 236.4 (9/8/19)
7/31: 191.6
8/7: 189.5
8/12: 188.3
8/19: 189.5
8/26: 191.3

My focus this month has been on stress management rather than a weight goal. I am a little disappointed with the gain but attribute it partly to TOM.

I saw the cardiologist yesterday. We worked on a plan to make my heart as healthy as we can and I will go back in 3 months for additional blood work and to reassess. I thought I would share my plan here for those interested.

Current state: Despite low cholesterol (140 total) and normal LDL (98), I have low HDL (32), high lipoprotein (a) (basically sticky LDL molecules), mild heart disease overall but concentrated in one artery so am at the 97th percentile (to the bad) for my age and sex, and a heart murmur. I need to get an echo cardiogram for the murmur. The plan is to get me as healthy as possible to offset the hereditary lipoprotein (a) issue that can't be addressed with diet, exercise or medication.
Medication: He is putting me on a low dose statin to bring down my LDL and baby aspirin on MWF to make my platelets more slippery. This should bring my LDL and HDL more into balance.
Diet: He recommended a Mediterranean diet, including fish several times a week. Focusing on fruits, veggies, and whole grains, and avoiding saturated fats and partially hydrogenated oils. Avoid red meat; poultry is okay occasionally but is not the best source of protein for me.
Weight loss: He would like me to continue losing weight, targeting 2 lbs a week if possible. So I need to step things back up.
Exercise: He recommends 40 minutes a day; he was happy with walking and the exercise bike for an exercise plan.
Sleep: I have a CPAP that I have not been using regularly. I will make an appointment to adjust to masks etc and make this a priority.
Relaxation: He said taking time to rest and relax is part of my job right now, especially since I have been experiencing a lot of anxiety lately.
Supplements: Currently I take a multivitamin, D3, turmeric, fish oil, and a hair/skin/nails supplement. I am adding plant sterols, sugar free Metamucil, and K2.

So there are my September goals.

Overall, I think this is a plan I can live with, and other than the medication, it reflects what I was aspiring to before all of this. It just makes the need to take action a little more pressing. After taking August to focus on stress management, and getting my head in a better space, the timing is good.

In other news, I had volunteered several months ago to participate in the Moderna COVID vaccine trial and got a call yesterday. My cardiologist and PCP both think I should proceed with the trial as it is low risk. The blind trial will randomly assign 50% to get the vaccine and 50% to get the placebo and then I have to track symptoms and provide blood work and samples for up to two years. Even if I don't get the vaccine it will feel really good to take an action that is helping science.

Wishing you all a good week!

speyerj · August 2020

aliciap0116 wrote: »

I feel like this group understands me more than any person in my physical life. Thank you for sharing and supporting everyone.

- I could not agree more. There is no way I would have stayed on track without the support of all of you. Thank you to everyone for making this a space where I can be vulnerable.

And Alicia! I'm so glad you and your doctor have a plan (that you can live with!) to address your heart condition. It's great that it's in alignment with your own weight loss goals. CPAP is a pain and I keep trying to see if I can go off of it, but every time I do, my health suffers. And (I know you know this) getting restful sleep does help stave off cravings and hunger - so it can be a weight loss tool too. Finally, thank you for being a hero and volunteering for a vaccine medical trial. I admire you so much!

@KeriA - Best of luck to you on your interview! You got this!

MuttiNM · August 2020

@aliciap0116 That is a very comprehensive plan! It must help a bit to know that you are taking all the steps you can to improve your health. Good luck with it!

That's really interesting about the vaccine trial. Will you ever find out if you got the vaccine or not or is that something that is never revealed to the trial participants?

eliezalot · August 2020

HW: 257 (June 2019)
August SW: 201.4
8/2: 204.2 (highest August weight)
8/5: 201.6
8/12: 201
8/19: 199.4
8/25: 196.8 (lowest August weight)
8/26: 197.8

Big goal 1 achieved: Below 200!
Mini goal achieved: 60 lbs lost!
Next mini goal: Into the 180's
Next BIG goal: 174 lbs - out of obese and into overweight
Ultimate goal: TBD

After my maintenance break in July, it took me a while to see the weight start to drop again, and felt like it was taking forever. I briefly worried that I'd be stuck at 200 forever, never able to break through and lose more weight. (I know, its so silly. I've been doing this for a year. I know how and why it works!) And still, even my usually logical and chill brain started to freak out lol. It is reassuring to see the scale move again. My trend weight is also finally below 200 (199.19 to be exact). I don't expect to see any more loss for another few weeks now, based on my cycle. I tend to see the scale move substantially only twice a month: the week after my period and the week after I ovulate. Every other time I'm apparently holding on to water lol.

I've been enjoying doing yoga and seeing how much stronger I'm getting. I even went upside down briefly last week and did a few seconds in a not-quite-full headstand (both feet off the floor, but legs not fully extended up). Even the week before when I tried it it had seemed literally impossible (how the *kitten* do you gt your legs up? What muscle is that even??). It was exciting to try and it see it working.

I haven't been back to running yet. My heel doesn't hurt on a day to day basis anymore, so I went for a walk the other morning (just a short 2-3 mile walk around the neighborhood). It felt so nice to be out, but my heel was achy and stiff that evening and the next day. I had a tele-visit with a doctor for something unrelated, and asked about my foot. She does think it sounds like plantar fasciitis, but won't diagnose it without an exam. She suggested I keep icing it, get some shoe inserts, and if the inserts don't help, get myself to a podiatrist. The inserts come tomorrow, and I'm really hopeful they'll allow me to at least start walking again. It has been really frustrating. I felt like I was finally making progress with running, and outdoor cardio like that is so good for my mental health. The only upside is that I've been forced to practice on regulating my calories with and without exercise, which I've always struggled with. Once I get to start eating more calories from exercising, it is so so hard to stop! (And I guess I got to skip running in the heat of summer lol, I'll count that as an upside too!)

Hope everyone is having a good week!

Sweatpants_Sassy · August 2020

Hi everyone! I'm just getting started here and am glad to see this supportive community of women. You're all rockstars. Looking forward to following everyone's continued journeys.

I'm 5'3" and 27 years old.

My starting weight was 250lbs.

After my first week I weighed 247lbs.

So far my changes have all been dietary. About 1700 calories per day, focusing on well-rounded meals with lots of fruits and vegetables, with modest portions.

Soon I want to develop a fitness routine that works for me. Chronic pain / fatigue can at times make exercise challenging.

It would be great to have more friends on the app for mutual support. Feel free to add me : )

Have a good day!

AlexandraFindsHerself1971 · August 2020

Sweatpants_Sassy wrote: »

Soon I want to develop a fitness routine that works for me. Chronic pain / fatigue can at times make exercise challenging.

I have fibromyalgia and chronic pain from traumatic arthritis in my feet and ankles. We CAN exercise. What we have to do is to ignore everyone who says "Push through the pain! Pain is weakness leaving the body!" etc. and ease into it very very slowly at our own pace.

I am not doing this right now (COVID) but here is how I did it.

I went to the gym, and looked at machines, because I have loose joints and freeweights would be perilous. Maybe later. I put on just enough weight to feel like I was moving something, but not straining to move it. And I listened to that muscle group. However many reps it took for the muscle to start feeling clogged and heavy....that was however many I was doing. Didn't matter whether it was three or ten reps. I noted it down and went on to the next machine. When I was done, I hadn't broken a sweat and I wasn't tired, but I could tell I'd spent two or three spoons. But I came back tomorrow and did the same exact thing. And then one day I could tell that I could move past three reps. So I did...five, before that heavy feeling started in that muscle group. And I hung out with five for a couple weeks. And then I tried adding a little more weight to it when doing five.

So very slowly I worked my way up to where I had my muscles rehabilitated and could say, "Maybe I can do upper and lower body days, instead of the same thing every day. Maybe I could do some riding on the recumbent bike."

But it is important to listen, listen, listen! to your muscles, and not work yourself anywhere near pain and exhaustion in any one muscle group, and I found it was important to go every day because if I did a little every day it was just a new normal level of activity, and my body adjusted up to meet it. And I had a lot less pain when I did this.

Right now I'm not at the gym because we moved and I need to get a membership at my new local gym. Which I will as soon as Boyfriend gets a job somewhere. (He has a promising opportunity; all prayers and good wishes appreciated!) And because it's been a couple months, I'll have to go every day and recondition myself slowly. But it CAN be done.

JojoInTheForks · August 2020

I've been a lurker all month and have been so inspired by all of you and your hard work! Really hope there is a continuation into a September group as this feels like a very supportive and safe place to land! Thanks for the motivation and I look forward to joining you all for September!

wanderinglight · August 2020

aliciap0116 wrote: »

Can it really be weigh-in Wednesday already???

49 years old; 5'6"
SW: 236.4 (9/8/19)
7/31: 191.6
8/7: 189.5
8/12: 188.3
8/19: 189.5
8/26: 191.3

My focus this month has been on stress management rather than a weight goal. I am a little disappointed with the gain but attribute it partly to TOM.

I saw the cardiologist yesterday. We worked on a plan to make my heart as healthy as we can and I will go back in 3 months for additional blood work and to reassess. I thought I would share my plan here for those interested.
Current state: Despite low cholesterol (140 total) and normal LDL (98), I have low HDL (32), high lipoprotein (a) (basically sticky LDL molecules), mild heart disease overall but concentrated in one artery so am at the 97th percentile (to the bad) for my age and sex, and a heart murmur. I need to get an echo cardiogram for the murmur. The plan is to get me as healthy as possible to offset the hereditary lipoprotein (a) issue that can't be addressed with diet, exercise or medication.

Medication: He is putting me on a low dose statin to bring down my LDL and baby aspirin on MWF to make my platelets more slippery. This should bring my LDL and HDL more into balance.

Diet: He recommended a Mediterranean diet, including fish several times a week. Focusing on fruits, veggies, and whole grains, and avoiding saturated fats and partially hydrogenated oils. Avoid red meat; poultry is okay occasionally but is not the best source of protein for me.

Weight loss: He would like me to continue losing weight, targeting 2 lbs a week if possible. So I need to step things back up.

Exercise: He recommends 40 minutes a day; he was happy with walking and the exercise bike for an exercise plan.

Sleep: I have a CPAP that I have not been using regularly. I will make an appointment to adjust to masks etc and make this a priority.

Relaxation: He said taking time to rest and relax is part of my job right now, especially since I have been experiencing a lot of anxiety lately.

Supplements: Currently I take a multivitamin, D3, turmeric, fish oil, and a hair/skin/nails supplement. I am adding plant sterols, sugar free Metamucil, and K2.

So there are my September goals. Overall, I think this is a plan I can live with, and other than the medication, it reflects what I was aspiring to before all of this. It just makes the need to take action a little more pressing. After taking August to focus on stress management, and getting my head in a better space, the timing is good.

In other news, I had volunteered several months ago to participate in the Moderna COVID vaccine trial and got a call yesterday. My cardiologist and PCP both think I should proceed with the trial as it is low risk. The blind trial will randomly assign 50% to get the vaccine and 50% to get the placebo and then I have to track symptoms and provide blood work and samples for up to two years. Even if I don't get the vaccine it will feel really good to take an action that is helping science.

Wishing you all a good week!

This is so insightful! I'm really glad you got a good, clear plan of action from your doctor. And how cool that you're participating in a vaccine trial! It will be a wonderful thing when a vaccine is cleared, tested, and found effective for this thing.

aliciap0116 · August 2020

MuttiNM wrote: »

@aliciap0116 That is a very comprehensive plan! It must help a bit to know that you are taking all the steps you can to improve your health. Good luck with it!

That's really interesting about the vaccine trial. Will you ever find out if you got the vaccine or not or is that something that is never revealed to the trial participants?

@MuttiNM, @speyerj and @wanderinglight Thank you all; it is a big relief to have a plan. I was spinning for a while with worry.

Re the trial, it is my understanding is that it is a blind trial, so they will not tell me whether I have the vaccine or the placebo while the trial is going on. But I imagine they would have to tell me once the vaccine is approved so that if I was not one of the people who received it, I could then get it. I would also want my doctors to be able to find out in case I did contract COVID or something else came up. So I have a few questions for them on Monday!

MuttiNM · August 2020

Wednesday weigh in

Highest weight: 435 (11/1/18)--lost 50 lbs. by the end of 2018 but got off track and gained back almost 31 lbs.
SW: 415.8 (4/17/19)

7/31: 220.6
8/5: 220.6
8/12: 216.2
8/19: 214.2
8/26: 213.6
8/31:

Aug. GW: 213.6
GW: 160 (then reevaluate)

Weekly exercise goals (still working on revising these):
- bike ride or exercise bike 5 times per week - 5/5
- strength training (including core specific exercises) 2 times per week - 2/2; increased weight on a couple of exercises last week
- chair yoga 4 times per week - 4/4
- steps onto aerobic step platform twice a day at least 3 times per week - 4 days last week; plan to increase reps again this week
- bonus: 3 hikes last week

One of my trips to my parents was canceled so I ended up getting all my planned exercise in. Maybe not on the usual day but I got it done eventually. This week there should only be one trip so hopefully the exercise part of the week will be good.

Reached my August goal weight today even though my loss for the week was small. Lately it seems like my losses are up and down and up and down. I really wish they'd be a bit more consistent but I know that's not how this works. I can still wish for consistent results, though!

Hope you all are well.

orangequilt · August 2020

@eliezalot I too have plantar fasciitis but much much less since I started wearing birkenstock sandals, with the arch support, a nurse friend told me about it and it really made a difference. Even if they are not your style, you could wear them to go for a walk! The other thing that helps is to roll a golf ball under your heel. Hopefully the inserts will help too. I used to get it more in summer when I was wearing thin-soles shoes.
@aliciap0116 sounds like you have a good plan to keep your health on track, and thanks from all of us for volunteering for the vaccine trial! Hopefully a vaccine isn't too far away for everyone.

KeriA · August 2020

bluffgirl67 wrote: »

@CupcakeCrusoe I'm happy your daughter is doing better. I know having a sick kiddo can be a real stress.

@KeriA Good luck on your job interview.

So started emotional eating last night after I closed my log. I probably added another 400-500 cals and still in that phase today. Yesterday was my 53rd bday and the first of many firsts without my Momma. Most of you know how close we were so it was a very difficult day. One bittersweet moment was finding a birthday card for me she had fixed up in April. Reading it of course brought up so many emotions and opening up floodgates again. Today is lost log wise but that doesn't mean all is.

Happy Birthday @bluffgirl67 You get the whole week including a weekend to celebrate. You get years to grieve from your loss. My mother is a bit of a narcissist so it was my Dad that was hard for me to lose but that was very long ago. My mother has improved. Anyway I am glad you had a mother that you were so close to. I am so sorry that you are missing her now. You have done so well getting back to taking care of yourself. Give yourself the time you need. You will be back making progress with this soon. Take care.

KeriA · August 2020

The job interview went well. I am sure I have plenty of competition though. I got my thank you notes out right away and got a positive response from the head guy. Anyway that is done and I will hear back early next week. I feel good. I got a bunch of things done after it. I have more to do today especially my 2nd strength training routine for the week. I wanted to do it yesterday but had too much to get done. In the last year I have been sitting down when I have repetitive cooking tasks like chopping onions. I have not built back my length of standing time I had before I broke my leg a few years ago. I need to do that. So I have resisting sitting down to cut up things etc. I made Lamb Korma. I am sure it isn't as good as AlexandraFindsHerself's but it was good. This is the 2nd dish I have made this week inspired by people from this thread and another for tonight. Anyway the point is that I was active cooking yesterday afternoon. Today's meal is in the slow cooker so I will get it out of the way earlier in the day.

I have been better at getting my water since Monday's ultrasound and chugging 32 oz of water. I have had a few days of lower calories and am back down to my low. I am hoping if I can keep this up I will actually see some progress. My loss from yesterday was 2 lbs. Anyway I think this interview has changed my attitude for now. I realize although I don't count on getting it I also realize I could and they want me to start right away. They are swamped. So I need to be prepared in case I do get an offer next week. I am going to use this motivation for all it is worth to get organized. Such as getting my art room ready. I may need a better place to work. They said that with working remotely it has made them rethink their policies on this. Before they allowed one day a week to be remote. Now they are considering more days a week. It has benefits to productivity and to work/life balance and to environmental impacts with reductions in the commutes. I would have to take a ferry to work. I decided the commute was acceptable because I could get a walk or 2 in on the ferry. So whether getting the job or no this interview has benefits in my getting things ready to work at a job or at my art.

I still have medical tasks to do too. I plan to get 2 done today. Hope all have a great day!

Maddie_Enzo · August 2020

Hi Everyone! My name is Maddie and I've decided to continue my weight loss journey this month.
🖤 My start weight is 215
🖤 My current weight is 210
🖤 The heaviest I've been is 223
🖤 My goal is 170

I'm looking for friends to add on here and a support group to be a part of 😊😊😊

pliskit · August 2020

I am looking for a supportive group to help keep me on track and accountable. I have had success in the past when I was accountable to someone such as a coworker who was also on the same journey as myself or while working with a coach. I am unable to afford a coach or program at this time so I am hoping to find some supportive peers to check in with.

A bit about myself: I am 35 years old, married 15 years, and have two kids (6 and 8). One is diagnosed on the autism spectrum and the other is currently in the process of being diagnosed. I do have a lot on my plate as they have therapy 3-4 afternoons per week which I have to participate in, I have gone back to school myself for a 2-year program which just started in May, plus the usual children’s activities, husband, and house to tend to.

I do have time in my day to exercise, but I often fail to even start. Or I start and call it quits after a short time. This morning I decided to go for a run, but I quit at 20 minutes despite having nothing but time available this morning. I just wanted to be done. We do walk for half an hour with our dog every evening so that is one thing I can count on daily when the weather permits.

I am currently at my heaviest now, 224. Last summer I was at 189 and I ran a personal best time in a half marathon and I felt amazing. But I ended up with a foot injury a week later and the weight crept up to 200 over Christmas. Then COVID happened and I found myself sitting down 8 hours of the day homeschooling my kids or working on my own school, and here I am at 224.

The kicker for me was in our backyard pool last week my 6-year-old asked me why I am so big “like this” and pointed at my stomach and legs. Then asked why I don’t look like the other mommies. The need to make changes is there… I just can’t seem to keep myself accountable. I am 5’2. My doctor said I should aim for around 130lbs, or a bit more if I am going for some muscle, which as someone who generally enjoys distance running, would benefit me. So, I figure I have around 90lbs to lose.

My first target is to get below 200 again. I need to clean up my eating habits immensely as I do a lot of evening snacking and it is not healthy things. I need to get into a consistent routine with running and cross training. Riding my bike once a week would be one target also. I do like biking, at least while there is still no snow on the ground. Yes, I said the S word - I live somewhere where it snows most months of the year.

I hope this is the right thread for me. I looked over a few, but I wasn’t really sure where to try.

AlexandraFindsHerself1971 · August 2020

@bluffgirl67: I hope that you've been able to have a happy birthday. Give yourself all the time you need to grieve. I knew that I'd be dealing with a whole lot of feelings after I left my husband in 2018, and so while I knew I needed to lose weight, I didn't even want to try dealing with the feelings changing my eating patterns would bring up while still dealing with the emotional fallout of ending 25 years of marriage. About a year after I walked out I was in a position to do that. So go gently with yourself right now.

Women 200lb+, Let's Be Extra Awesome This August!!!

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