Women 200lb+, Let's Be Fang-tastic This October!!!

I have been plugging away...not seeing a scale drop but things are fitting looser and looser. And it has become a trend that I lose in the first few weeks of the month and not at all in the last of the month so I'm cognizant of that. Even still, I have tightened up my logging/food choices and added in some more exercise (which I had been going to do for some time now). So hopefully the scale will start being my friend again soon! October is tough with a million celebrations. Our Thanksgiving, my anniversary, Halloween and birthdays galore. So hunkering down in November seems like a nice gift to give myself. A myfitnesspal friend and I have challenged each other to be on point for the next 8 weeks, bringing us to the week of Christmas. So my goal is to be disciplined but I guess I will get into that on the November thread!

Thanks to everyone for all their posts this month. I kind of got behind on my responses so will be better in November but I so appreciated reading everyone's posts. It really helps, especially on the hard days.

I have to share something that really means the world to me and I never in a million years would have been able to foresee it. This week my oldest friend in the world (our parents were best friends before we were born) who has always been athletic; who has been a runner since junior high school; who I used to hate getting my picture taken next to; you know what I mean. Well she sent me a message (she lives in Ottawa now) saying that for the first time in months she dusted off her sneakers and went for a run, thanks to my inspiration. Imagine. HER inspired by ME? It was a little overwhelming and then it made me think of the ripple effect we have in this life. Because I have started being kind and mindful with myself, I have cousins in Texas and Georgia who have started their own journeys. My brother has gone back to the gym for the first time in years. A girl I barely knew in high school called me out of the blue to ask if I had any tips for her to help her get started. It's pretty amazing how this ripple effect can become so widespread. So thanks to all of you ladies for being MY ripple and for inspiring me. Gosh, I can't wait to see what effects the next 50 pounds have in store!!

Happy Wednesday!

Weekly weigh-in:
Age: 35 Height: 5'6"
10/7: 247
10/14: 243.2
10/21: 239.6
10/28: 238

I'm kinda bummed that I've gained weight the last several days (my lowest was 236.8 two days ago), but looking at all my weekly weigh-ins, I can see a consistent loss and that allows me to see the big picture rather than feel bad about one or two days of gaining weight.

Just a thought I've been having, how do your partners/family feel about your weight loss journeys? My partner is wonderful and very supportive, but I could feel him getting frustrated the other night when we were deciding what to get for dinner. (I had agreed to a couple of pieces of fried chicken but said no to pasta salad.) I'm about 70 lbs. heavier than him and he thinks I'm fine the way I am. He is supportive of me, but I think he is afraid I'm going to lose curves and jiggly bits, which he loves. He's seen pictures of me back when I was about 155 lbs. and thought I was too skinny then. He is losing weight without trying, and eats whatever he wants. Ultimately, this journey is for me and my health, but I feel like our different eating patterns in particular might cause some stress in our relationship.

Weekly Weigh-In
Age: 39 Height: 5'6"
SW: 272.2
10/7: 240.3
10/14: 237.2
10/21:236.1
10/28: 235.8
GW: 175

Wow, just Wow. I have been getting frustrated with myself since the scale isn't move much and there is a lot of bouncing back and forth but like @JAC581 said, looking at the big picture, I have had a rather successful month. This is exciting and super motivating. I need to not get so concerned about the daily weights and just use them for accountability. To be completely honest it would be great to only step on the scale once a week but I am too impatient and anxious to not do it daily.

I have been thinking a lot about the "whys", why do I want to lose weight, what is motivating me. The standard answer of "to be smaller, more comfortable in my clothes, look better", just don't seem to be enough. My husband is amazing and loves me just as I am, even when I don't love myself. Trust me, I have PLENTY of comfy clothes, no judgment on what they look like, lol. And as far as "look better" if I don't take pics of myself then I don't know what I look like So the great big WHY... still trying to find it. Of course I want to be healthier and more active. Thankfully my health has not taken a noticeable toll due to my weight, yet, but I do know that is a distinct possibility. Being active is one of the things that I have enjoyed with the weight loss I have seen so far, I feel like I can move more, stay active longer without getting tired or winded, and just do more overall. I do struggle with when I get tired or have been going non-stop for a while and have the veg day or days to not get down on myself because I am "being lazy". It isn't lazy it is rest and regrouping. Sometimes I feel like if I would just lose more weight that I wouldn't need those lazy times but part of me knows that isn't true either because everyone needs to rest and going non-stop all day is just not realistic. So I guess that is a good why but I need to find more, things that will help drive me and push me to avoid foods when they aren't in my plan or just too much.

@iloveeggnog Your post just put a smile on my face, your ripple has had an effect in South Africa! I've been feeling low today, and you perked me up! Going to download a playlist for my last week 8 run now! (For the early am run)
@KMC55 My why is now because I feel so much better about myself, I know that discipline and consistency over long periods show results, so even when I'm not having the best day because of outside influences, I will still count calories and exercise because that works. I have stopped letting my emotions rule over my life and that is empowering. I also realise that this is a chronic disease I'm controlling for the rest of my life.

I've read all your posts, and am cheering you on from my side! Lets be strong with our daily disciplines, good luck ladies xoxo

Weigh in Wednesday

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)

9/30: 201.0
10/7: 197.6
10/14: 195.8
10/21: 196.6
10/28: 191.6
10/31:

Oct. GW: 194.4
GW: 160 (then reevaluate)

Weekly exercise goals:
- bike ride or exercise bike 5 times per week - 5/5
- strength training 2 times per week - 2/2
- chair yoga 4 times per week - 4/4
- steps onto aerobic step platform twice a day at least 3 times per week - 4/3 (plan to increase reps this next week)
- bonus: 2 hikes

Well, I had something of a whoosh this week. It helps make up for the gain from last week.

@KMC55 My "why" has changed as I've lost weight. In the beginning, it wasn't well-defined. I just knew my physical fitness was terrible and I wanted to do things I couldn't do like shop in a "regular" store, fit in an airplane seat, fit in a restaurant booth, etc. Right now it's about maintaining and increasing the improvements I've made in my physical fitness. Everyday life is so much easier now in just about every way. That improvement feeds the desire for additional improvement. I mentioned before one thing that's helped me (and I know this might not be useful for everyone) is every 3 months writing down things that are better due to weight loss and/or exercise. Week to week, the changes are so small you wonder if all your effort is worth it but when you reflect back on the last 3 months you can see the impact of those incremental changes. I'll also go back and read my notes when I feel like things aren't really all that different. Having that log of positive changes helps me realize how much better my life has become since I started eating at a deficit 18 months ago (and trying to add in some exercise 15 months ago). And yes, rest days are important! Enjoy your ability to move more and for longer and good luck defining your "why"!

Have a wonderful last few days of October everyone!

@chupacabragumbo That is an amazing goal to make right before Halloween. Hope you have a good start back into a healthy routine.
@iloveeggnog Your October sounds like my December: my husband’s birthday, our anniversary and Christmas. I think that is the best NSV I have heard – the ripple effect. Very nice!
@azalea4175 That is what I used to do with unwanted temptations, take them to the office. Of course now I am still unemployed this week but starting back to work next week. However I will be working remotely. So this isn’t an option during this holiday season. Hmmm?!
@JAC581 This month you got out of the 240s into the 230s . Very nice!

My husband is supportive. The last time I lost a significant amount he did too but he had a lot less to lose. He lost muscle so I made him go to Aquafit with me and he firmed up. Now we can’t go to Aquafit. He is working remotely. He isn’t getting exercise and gained some. I had already gained but missed Aquafit with the pandemic and lost my job. I started to lose but was struggling with exercise. I have started to replace Aquafit with strength training and cardio (walks or the Gazelle) but it seems to be the 1st thing that goes. My husband is supportive but since he is busier he is having a harder time with keeping off the COVID 19 lbs. and getting exercise. I was taking him for walks when I could but lately he has been suffering from Achilles tendonitis.
@AlexandraFindsHerself you have so much to be proud of yourself for. You did do it a healthier way. I am sorry your sister has been hurtful in the past. Just keep on being healthy. You also have supported your partners. Just keep being the helpful, healthy person you are and don’t worry about others.
@KMC55 you are making great progress and I applaud you looking deeper at your motivations. I find that when I love and accept myself I have more success getting healthy. Not the other way around.
@sadie2399 Welcome. I found that a group like this one really helps. I had one when I 1st started on here but it petered out. Then I started a thread. It petered out when I made it a group. Then I looked and looked until I found this group. For a while I made it a goal to check in here regularly now I just do. You will be losing and getting healthy soon.
@changeforeverlj One thing I have learned about emotions is listen to them and give them their due. Acknowledge them and validate them but then you need to take control when it comes to action. If we are angry we have good reason but that doesn’t mean we can let anger lead to something we don’t really want to do. Sometimes behind anger is hurt or sadness and we need to get down to that too. If we ignore them they will control you. If you make friends with them you keep control of your life. Great job taking control.
@MuttiNM Look at you. You are not even slowing down with your weight loss after getting to Onderland. You are now enough below that you don’t have to worry about it. Speaking of rippling effect reading your weekly progress has that effect on me.

My why was always to get healthier and I guess it was to have a ripple effect on my family, my husband and daughter. I guess it is to have a healthy me and a healthy family. Even when I regained weight I kept exercising (maybe not as much) and that has helped a lot. I never got that round bloated face I had when I was at my heaviest before. When I started on MFP I had no health or injury issues but was getting older and wanted to keep it that way. Now I have a few, particularly my knees but am still quite healthy. COVID 19 was a more recent spur. I want this fall not to be like last fall but to be more like last spring when I was losing weight faster. I just want to lose an average of a pound a week like I was doing then. That is healthy and it gives my body/skin a chanceto adjust to the weight loss.

Here in Pennsylvania, we are getting a heavy rainstorm all day, so that means no neighborhood walk outside today. I would like to find some sort of Zumba/dance video on YouTube I can work out with tonight after work. Does anyone have any YouTube videos they enjoy working out to?

I just want to say that I love this thread. I'm pretty introverted and don't socialize with people that much, even online, but this thread is so welcoming and positive!

alisampm wrote: »

On October 18, 2020 11:29PM, Hi 👋🏻. New here.

SW 272
CW 218
3-month goal (Mid December) 203. (THIS IS bad math... ha. Mid December goal would be 208.)

I’ve been averaging 5lb-month so doable. Surreal. I turn 41 on Dec 31, wouldn’t that be a great birthday present?

CW 215.8 - Doing well tracking, excited about Halloween! My eight-year-old isn't trick or treating because of COVID, but we are celebrating by eating pizza, popcorn, and candy at home while watching a movie with her neighborhood friend! In MFP world, I will be upping my calories up to maintain for the day and then tracking the heck out of the day. Then back to regularly scheduled activities.

xofarrah wrote: »

I have noticed there are some foods that are triggers to me binge eating, does anyone else have those? Do you have a trick for eating those items moderately, or do you just avoid, avoid, avoid? I saw the frozen chocolate trick, I just eat it frozen 😂

For me - chocolate, candy, baked goods... and this week those frozen taquitos from Costco lol.

I'm not one of those people that can eat certain foods in moderation. Like pizza, like candy, like baked goods. I cannot keep them in my house. I will bake for a dessert for a dinner party but then it all has to leave my house that night. (I try to send the remains home with whomever has been dinner guest). I made one tray of cookies a week or so ago and wound up eating every last one cause I hadn't followed my rule of sending them out the door. With Christmas baking starting soonish I will have to bag up and put in deep freezer at my Mom's to keep it out of my site. Some day I hope to be able to just eat one or two...but I know now that I can't be trusted.

The only thing that remotely works for me - and not every time - is when I hold myself 100% accountable for the calories. So if I'm splurging 600 calories on pie and ice cream or whatever, then I refuse to let myself go over my alloted amount. So that makes for a hungry day. SOMETIMES to avoid the hunger, I can control myself.

With chocolate, if I buy it, I tell my husband immediately. And leave it in a publicly visible spot. He doesn't eat it (of course he doesn't, ugh) but if I think he will see the stash dwindle rapidly, it helps me to not go too far overboard. Not like he would care AT ALL. But it helps.

And thank you cause now I want taquitos from Costco!!! hahah

Thanks ladies for making me feel “normal”
@KMC55
@iloveeggnog
@KeriA

One of my ultimate goals is to be able to have these things, and having 1 piece/slice/serving. And to not only stop when it runs out. I had to cut out Diet Coke, I was drinking obsessive amounts. My last Diet Coke was Dec 28 - it truly feels like an addiction that I’m getting past.

Happy Friday everyone and Happy Halloween. Wishing everyone a great weekend of rest, relaxation, and healthy eating. I am already thinking of what the plan will be this weekend since that is always my hardest days. Thankfully (or unfortunately) I don't have any plans for Halloween so that makes it a bit easier with less temptations. My hub and I are going to some friends to watch football tomorrow night so already thinking of the plan for that but thankfully that set of friends are not "eaters" like others are so it makes it so much easier to just not snack because they aren't available and others aren't eating. I have also found that keeping my hands busy helps a LOT when it comes to just "hanging out" and watching sports or even sitting by the fire. I knit and take it with me everywhere so I can keep my hands busy and not think so much about food and eating when I'm just sitting and watching TV. Small victories, step by step. We will all get there, together.

Love it when the tight jeans start feeling loose again.

Here’s the plan for the day relative to my weekly goals:
• Start back to my goals of water, exercise and healthy meals at home this week. I upped my water but still not up to goal. I plan to drink my 8 glasses today. I did 60 min strength training Tuesday. I did almost a 60 minutes’ walk on Wednesday. I did a 30+ minute resistance band video yesterday. Today I plan to walk 1 block farther so that I walk 2 more blocks more and hopefully a full 60 minutes. I got Sun on Tuesday and should get some today. It was overcast on Wednesday. We have made all our meals at home this week.
• Move office corner from upstairs to home office downstairs. ✔ I have just a bit I can do to bring some art things down stairs.
• Set up weekly schedule for when I start work which includes meals and exercise. ✔ I got started with this but need to continue to tweak it.
•Continue to be more active generally.

@torih941 It sounds like you have a good plan. With all you do scheduling is important. I hope you like this as much as kickboxing. It keeps taking adjustments to keep things going right. Good job tweaking the plan.
@KMC55 It sounds like you have a good plan for this weekend. I am still working on mine. My daughter has asked her boyfriend and his uncle over. They are in our social pod since when my daughter started to see him in person again last June. When their college program went online they didn’t see each other at school and were busy. So now I need to figure out dinner and what treats will be around.
@IsETHome I hate wearing tight clothes. Right now I am wearing jeans that fit just right and hope they start to feel looser soon too.

I have been waiting for the paper work for my new job and they say it will come this afternoon. I have an appointment to meet my new boss at the office (which is closed for now) on Monday morning although I will be working remotely. I just need to get through Halloween successfully. That is when things went off course for me last year. However a lot has changed. My old office was really into Halloween. This year I do not have a lot of those temptations. I can't afford to lose the progress I have made since it is so slow and hard fought. Also going back to work fulltime is when I gain weight. Not sure how working remotely will influence this. Usually I lose then start to slowly gain since I don't get as much exercise and don't adjust my calories down accordingly. That is why setting up a healthy schedule is important now.

Happy Halloween all!

A blessed Samhain to all my friends. I wish that we may all remember the past, and take with us into the future the things that help us and the memories that make us happy.

Today I froze 16 cups of lovely golden chicken stock in two cup and one cup portions. That will make some meals better this next month, and since I roasted a chicken yesterday, why waste the bones? And putting them in the slow cooker overnight meant no work or worry for me. Strained it this morning, measured it, and all done before breakfast.

Once it warms up I'm intending to do a little work outside with some plant tubs: getting the remains of the annuals out of them, and putting in bulbs. Then I'm going to drag them into the garage so that once it gets spring we can put them out, and keep the plantings safe from the squirrels in the interim.