Women 200lb+, Let's Be Majestic This March!!!

Of course it's the day after my official weigh in day that my body flushes out another 1.2 pounds. lol. Hopefully I will keep that off and then some for next week.

Good morning! It's Thursday! Not Friday, but I'll take it. Happy St. Paddy's day for those who celebrate.



Steady improvement on the health front- I feel better today than yesterday. I didn't end up lifting yesterday, felt too tired and honestly weak, but I did get in 12k steps and worked overtime, so I gave myself a pass.

Tonight is bangers and colcannon for dinner- and if I don't feel like making "real" potatoes, I'll give myself permission to use instant ones, St. Paddy's day will survive if I don't use real potatoes. It's been a long week at work, lol.

Weight's a little up, but not much. It couldn't go down forever, weight loss isn't linear, after all. And I'm keenly aware that in a few days my period starts- I'll have a sharp increase in weight in the next couple of days, and it'll stick around until the end of my period, when I'll get a little whoosh. It's nice to know these patterns, so I take everything in stride.

Tag party time!
@roz0810 I totally have that same problem with fitness band straps. I might consider getting a clip on one, but right now my cheapy clip pedometer is doing enough for me. You sound very happy and motivated, and I'm happy for you.
@ladychr0nic lowest weight in 5 YEARS! YOU GOOOOOOOO!
@kenziestabes isn't that how it always goes, lol.

Have a great day, everyone!

Age: 39
Height 5'10"
SW Jan 7 2021: 271.1
SW Mar 2022: 183.4
GW this month: 179
Goal for 2022: reach maintenance (160-170?)

3/3/22 - 186.2
3/10/22 - 184.0 (-2.2lbs)
3/16/22 - 183.2 (-.8lbs)
3/24/22 -

LTD: 87.9

Happy St. Patrick's Day!
Back to seeing my slow steady progress. Less than 14 lbs to go before I start evaluating my maintenance range. I am starting to think that I will find myself happy with the upper end of my identified range. I feel thinner now then when I have lost down to a lower weight in the distant past. Time will tell.

@sandielewis2001 - as you get closer to maintenance, I hope that you continue to share with the group. Maintenance is where I failed before. Lost 99 pounds, didn't maintain, and it slowly crept back up and up until I was even heavier than I had been before. I'm trying to figure out NOW what my maintenance plan will be once I get within my goal range.

@CupcakeCrusoe - your food plan today sounds delicious!


I'm very glad it's Friday. Plus I saw a nice low number on the scale this morning after a FOUR POUND increase overnight from Monday to Tuesday. No idea why. Just my body reminding me that it's in charge, I guess? It's been coming down steadily since Tuesday, but still. THANKS, BODY!

Just can't get distracted by every fluctuation I see!

Hope everyone has a lovely weekend! I'm getting a mani, having a birthday dinner for a friend, and getting in a workout or two. Hopefully the weather is great and the pooch and I can go for a nice long walk.

@kenziestabes I have fine, thin hair and a small amount of it. I have very oily hair. That being said, I was sick for decades and found that dry shampoo is a dream come true for when you don't have energy to stand in the shower (and you don't want to admit to the hubby who is already very worried about your, that you can't seem to do it). So, if I don't take a shower I just put the dry shampoo in my hair. Now, I usually shower and wash hair every two to three days in the winter. Summers are as often as I am able, Texas is hot and the water comes out of the faucet hot. Making the "did you waste the 3 seconds of cold water before I took a shower??" a pretty constant saying here in the West household.

Also, as for the coworker with constant weird advice - sometimes, people don't know what to say so they can say the most superficial and sometimes insane things. I recommend patience, and not taking it to heart. I personally say the most insane things to people on a pretty constant basis.

@CupcakeCrusoe Love your pics, please keep them coming! Reminds me of me great-niece Madison, who used to grab the fan remote and pretend it was a phone to call... the dog. Yep, her dad was always away in Alaska, but she really wanted to talk to Nikko who was literally always next to her!

@ladychr0nic V is for Victory!! Amazing, way to go!!

@roz0810 hey Roz, seen you for a long time. You tend to jump in and out. Are you weighing daily? I have seen you jump in, get really motivated, and get discouraged. I have seen you come back, for almost a year now, every time. You are pretty amazing and determined. You might want to look into some psychological factors. Maybe try reflecting on what works? What doesn't? Are you a two feet in sort of lady, who then goes too fast to keep it up? Maybe go turtle. You seem absolutely desperate, I know the feels. I will tell you a story, you may have seen it before - but it might help you take a look at what is going on when you do your reflection.

*cue some sort of sad violin music* I started heavier than you, and I basically maintained for one year, maybe 14 months. Yep, at 277. Maintenance! I did a lot of fits and starts and I basically needed to make changes, but then I didn't really "want" to. (I don't know how else to describe this. I really lacked the knowledge of myself, willingness to sacrifice consistently for the journey and nutrition) I am going to give you a look at what it was like for me that first year: M-F doing great I think (man that one time on Tuesday, I didn't eat breakfast!), possibly, kept a deficit?? Sat and Sunday, all the buffets you can imagine, snacking a bit - but mostly for me, absolutely no limit of food. My denial was quite high, and I was not really being honest. There wasn't really a deficit, but I felt like I was putting in 100% effort!

Eventually, I had to really limit restaurants. And some foods, most especially, of the cheese kinds. I mean, yeah, I ate salads, but.. how much bleu cheese dressing, and fresh bleu cheese would I put on it? Ditto with baked potatoes, ditto with everything really. And while I thought I was doing good M-F, I did not weigh my food. I found out later, that this is an absolute disaster for me - my eyeballing it was not good enough, or close enough to know if I was actually in deficit. So, now I knew that I needed to be a bit more restrictive on my diet. But really, I needed to be restricting and constant. I was not either. I was chaotic! It really spiraled me into a bit of despair. I really, really thought I could NOT lose weight, as in I was incapable of it. I thought, I was the only person in the world who could eat at a deficit and not lose weight!

After the 14 months of maintenance, I started walking. Turns out, that was the only deficit I actually was able to do, at the time. Since I absolutely was certain that I was eating a deficit (not really, I was not eating at a deficit). Cue the next year, where after a year I basically walked off 37 lbs, also I never went to a buffet again. Then, I maintained that for 6 years. Yep. Maintained. I was so happy! I was not willing to change the way I ate, and be diligent in tracking every single thing I put into my mouth, yet. I also, for me, I HAD to stop with the restaurants! I had to cook, no one else seems to care about my weight loss (dear chefs!!! do you hate me?? they answer in unison "YES!!")

I had to do more than weigh my food you see. I could not maintain my deficit for very long due to the gnawing hunger. I then found this thread, of my peeps!! http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10563959/volume-eaters-thread/p1 The hungry peeps who would like to lose weight and not feel so hungry all the time. I did not care about my macros at all in the beginning. After Lent 2021, I realized that I really needed to look at what I was eating and not just how much. Because the hunger was really getting to me all. the. time. In fact, I would not have been able to lose more than 45 lbs in total without looking at the volume eaters thread, then addressing macros. (which at the time felt like final jeopardy - as in "nutrition is hard") What I finally did was address the hunger, and I chose to address hunger over taste buds. GAME CHANGER- this for me was a line I had not been willing to cross heretofore. (I had a bit of taste bud slavery going on, I really wanted things to taste a certain way etc etc to the absolute detriment of my weight loss).

Now, I would eat a salad of 250ish calories, and due to volume eaters thread found things I was willing to eat, and had low calories. I started hitting protein goals a few times a week, for the first time in my life for certain. I felt full sometimes! Enough to keep going. Granted, I think I spent 3 months eating a horse trough of salad items (the dog was quite disappointed and the hubby kept asking if I was going to keep eating trash - but yes - I was a trash eater, clean eating is trash in our house due to a cute dog who the owner kept throwing down salad items and he was like "I'm sposed to eat trash??"), but I was finally eating at a deficit without all the sabotage. I was weighing food regularly. I was really learning and growing. I didn't really cook yet, since I am a full fledged Italian food eater and the pasta and cheese made this calorically outside my realm of non-starvation. At my current calories, pasta and cheese just make me feel hungrier than before I actually ate - making this a no go food group for losing weight.

When I successfully weighed the food, and shopped with my limited calories in mind, and kept in mind my hunger game - I just did so much better. When I started cooking (no Italian for me due to backsliding behavior), I began successfully addressing my protein and fiber as well. Helping me even more to not be generally hungry all the time. My daily goal is to hit 100% protein and 100% fiber every day except for Sundays. Sundays I figured out maintenance at my goal weight, and any exercise means that I can eat that back. I took the hunger on Sundays for special treats, like keto cake or keto cookies, or cheetos, etc. Whatever I was really wanting during the week as a treat, I made certain to have a serving weighed out on Sunday.

This for me has spelled general success. A success I was certain was out of my reach and absolutely impossible. I recommend reflection on what is really stopping you from losing weight, and at least attempting to address it. (((super hugs Roz)))) ((((more super hugs)))))

Hi all,

Am new to this community. I have gained quite a bit of weight sitting at home for almost 8 years now. Plus have thyroid problem, which hinders weight loss. Also don't really have any motivation to lose weight. Now trying to get back in shape for it's starting to effect everything in my life.

Here's to starting again 🎉

Age: 42
Ht: 5'4"
SW: 269 as of today
GW: 175

Older ladies, or those with in tact good female relationships: I could really use some or any advice. I am entering peri-menopause it seems. I still have my cycle, but I have been having night sweats and baby hot flashes sometimes. I am having some depression, but I can't figure out if that is due to the night sweats messing with my sleep. I am able to get to sleep, but then wake up with 4-6 hours down and an attempt to cool off, towel down, and possibly chill out then it is time to get up.

I just started Black Cohosh, which seemed to immediately stop the baby hot flashes.. but the night sweats... I mean, they are brutal - and it is winter!! I can't imagine what I will do when it is summer besides, attempt to be patient? My Mom lost all her sanity right about the time she should have been entering peri-menopause. My mother-in-law refused to talk about it, and kicked Pa under the table if he even breathed a word of menopause (he got kicked a bunch!). I think she was quite angry all the time, and lost her emotional equilibrium. That is about the extent of what I know of menopause and related issues. I thank you in advance!

@justanotherloser007 hi there. thanks for sharing. my problem is I have a few great weeks, scale goes down about 6lbs or more, then I have a 'day off' like a takeaway, but sometimes I can't get back to it the next day. it turns into 3 days of off plan eating and then I'm back where I started. I'm currently on day 7 of starting again and I'm 6.6lbs down.

I've started noom which is cbt, psychological and I'm liking it. I have a 1:1 coach which I've never had before. in 2012 I lost 50lbs in 6 months and got back to 165lbs, I kept it off mostly for 8 years. I know what I need to do and how to get there. I brought a fitbit last month so that helps me with my steps. yes I weigh daily but I dnt always write it on this thread daily. I have other threads where I post my weight daily. hopefully I'll figure it out as I go along

Good morning everyone!

I got up before everyone again, didn't really want to, but it is what it is. I have coffee, and I'm snacking on some smoked salmon that I logged for my breakfast.

I was a black hole of hunger yesterday, so I allowed myself to eat a little more if I logged it all, and only came in 200ish calories over, about 200-300 under maintenance, still. I blame PMS, which I also blame for a shift upward in weight. But I knew that was coming- it's part of my pattern.

It's supposed to be very warm here today, and only partly cloudy, so I should have plenty of opportunity for a nice walk.

Tag party time!
@seltzer_lover your weekend plan sounds lovely and relaxing. Enjoy!
@justanotherloser007 It makes sense you're tired when you're fasting- your body is conserving energy. I unfortunately have no advice for menopause- my mother never even talked about going through it at all.
@danikat15 a slow transition to maintenance calories is exactly how some people like to do it, so as to make the habits that you made in weight loss, but for a slightly higher calorie level. Something to chew on.
@Amti57 Hi! You're in good hands. Advice incoming, but as you didn't ask for it, feel free to ignore it if you don't want it.

Do you and your GP have your thyroid stuff under control, good labs and all that?

Regardless, weight loss is a process, a series of habits, and building those habits is what is going to allow you to be long-term successful. It's got to be sustainable, or you'll start yo-yo dieting like so many people do.

It's got to fit into the way you like to live- for example, I have a huge sweet tooth. If I gave up sugar, I would feel so depived that I wouldn't last long. So I allow myself one portion of a treat per day, log it and make sure it fits in my calories. Sometimes I have to give up a portion of rice or bread somewhere to make it fit, but for me that's worth it. Some people can't have treats in their house at all, and go out to get one every time they want one. That's a valid method, too.

As you go along, you'll discover things about yourself that you never consciously realized before. Maybe you eat when you're grumpy, or sad, or bored. Maybe you always want salty things while you're watching TV. Whatever you discover, you can use that information to make yourself successful by modifying how you respond to those stimulii. When you're bored, find something to occupy your hands and give it a few minutes to see if you're really hungry. If you like salty things when you watch TV, maybe sub pickles for potato chips.

We're all here for you and rooting for you, so if you come up against a road block, vent about it here. We've probably been there, in some fashion. Welcome to the thread.

@DanaRenee518 way to go! Excellent progress!
@roz0810 I've certainly gotten off the wagon a ton of times, I understand this completely.

The thing I am working on now is logging through getting off the wagon, regardless of how horrendous I think the numbers are going to be. Because, usually? They're not as horrendous as I thought they would be.

And even if they are- that's just data for me to figure out what my maintenance calories eventually will be. I think we're friends- I'll let you know the next time I jump off the wagon with both feet for a day or two, and you can see how my log looks. in fact, I was very hungry yesterday and ate just whatever I could find, so you can look at my food diary yesterday for some minimal damage, lol.

If it suits you, I might suggest you work on doing the same- logging every takeaway, even if you think it will make your day's numbers look bad. If this doesn't suit you, like all advice that's not asked for, feel free to discard it. You're doing great. Thinking about the ways in which we fail informs how we can succeed.

@DeterminedKins You can sit next to me. My period is coming, and my weight is moving upward. It does this every month, for me. So keep calm and carry on!

Kick it in gear this Saturday, friends. We've got all the tools we need to succeed.

Age: 44
Height: 5'10"
HW: 290.6 (4/19/2021)
SW: 287.4 (7/16/2021)
CW: 222.0 (3/1/2022)

GW for March: 217
GW for 2022: 170
UGW: 170

3/5: 222.6
3/12: 221.6
3/19: 217.6
3/26:

Back to eating at a deficit after my maintenance week, at about a 1.5 lbs/wk rate. But I definitely didn't eat at 14000 under maintenance, so I am sure some of this loss is just water weight. It is pretty nice to see anyways. Hopefully some of it sticks around. As much as I dislike BMI charts, I am feeling really excited about how close I am to being out of obese and into the overweight range. I started well into class 3!

This week has been pretty stressful. I fpund out I have to move in the next 60 days (the homeowner I rent from passed away and her children want to sell), and my son is acting out at school again and causing the few natural non-grey hairs to turn grey, lol. I am feeling pretty darn proud of myself this week though. Even with the stress, I did not immediately turn to snacking or a whole bottle of wine to "de-stress", which I might have done in the past.

Goals for March
- Meet protein goal at least 3x weekly ✔️ 6 of 7
- Meet fiber goal at least 3x weekly ✔️ 5 of 7
- Eat out no more than 1x per week ✔ I have decided that leftovers don't count in this goal, lol
- Get minimum of 6000 steps daily ❌️ 5 of 7
- Drink minimum of 8 glasses water daily ✔️
- Take a day of self-care: Day off work, massage, and manicure/pedicure - still need to schedule this!

Good morning, Sunday meal prep day!

I slept in, but I'm still up before the house. I like this start to a day.

For today: it's going to be sunny and mild, so a good day for a walk. Going to put some chicken in the crock pot for the week, unsure what my vegetable this week is going to be. And TOM is still coming, so my weight is holding steady a little higher, which I expect.

Tag party time!
@jazzadesigns nice! I'm glad you didn't stress about logging at a party, that is a pain.
@lmgoff232 I hope all your stressors resolve themselves, that is a lot. But it's really great that you're learning to deal with adversity without old crutches that you don't want anymore (like stress-eating and drinking)
@justanotherloser007 I'm a boredom eater, myself. So I took up knitting and crochet, because I can't snack and do those at the same time. I've been knitting for a while, but crochet is brand new to me. I recently made this:

So you could say things are getting pretty serious, haha.

Have a great day, everyone!