Women 200lb+, Let's Creep It Real This October!!!

@RavenStCloud best wishes with the job search. I just finished one. After the last interview that went well I said to myself no more interviews! I was doing so many of them. I knew I was about to get an offer from another job but ended up with the place who I had my last interview with instead. It took 5 months but I know I wasn't looking as hard the 1st month or so and I was being picky this time. I love the fall too.

@misscourtneya exercise helps you lose weight by upping your metabolism and of course using calories however when you increase your exercise it may not result in weight loss right away. If you increase your exercise or do weight training your muscles can retain water for a while. Water intake can help but keep a moderate calorie deficit the lbs will come off. You may be building muscle and your fat % may be going down so that is good but muscle is heavier than fat. Muscle will help you lose eventually. Watch eating out and take out and high sodium which will also result in retaining water. Eat plenty of vegetables and fruit and make sure you get some good fat everyday (olive oil, salmon, avocado, nuts etc.). This isn't for just one cruise this is for life. Welcome.

Linda
40 years old
5'7"
SW: 300
CW: 230.6 – up almost 4 lbs in just a weekend so it should go back to 226 in no time.
Previous Low: 295 (2020)

Personal recap: I have PCOS and Type 2 Diabetes (secondary diabetes as its underlying cause was the PCOS). I started my journey back in 2009 at 300 lbs. I got all the way down to 209 and then finally had my daughter in 2014. Even while 9 months pregnant I didn’t put all the weight back on so YAY! I had a bunch of ups and downs but did get myself down to 195 lbs in 2020. I let a lot of things go again for a while and blamed it on being busy….and put almost 50 lbs back on. So now I’m steadily working on fixing that but truthfully I’m more concerned with my blood sugars than my weight. I also write a blog with recipes, food finds and things I learn for the sake of accountability. I tend to share the link here when I have a new post. I know my mom and aunt read it regularly so I stay accountable by knowing if I don’t post I’ll get a call asking why and that will kick me back onto the wagon. In my life accountability is key.

My goals for October are to have an A1C under 6 on my home test at end of month and not gain any more and to get back to my September ending weight of 226…. And since it was just one weekend of eating whatever that second one shouldn’t be too difficult but we shall see.

My schedule is just as hectic as ever since I want time with my husband, I want my daughter to be social and I want time for my own things and making all that work is always a challenge. I’m still making sure I walk most days and hit Zumba or the gym a couple times a week. I also need to make more use of my YouTube Premium. I got it so I could exercise without commercials popping up but lately haven’t been using it as often and I can’t justify the cost if I’m not using it for that purpose.

We did celebrate my 40th this weekend. My best friend threw me a Hocus Pocus themed party with tons of food, cupcakes topped with Book brownies, friends, watching both movies and just a ton of fun. My husband also took me to dinner and drove me around to a few places to cash in the FREE birthday goodies and coupons. So I still have Crumbl cookie, cupcakes, onion rings, etc all in the fridge. I'm going to try and kill it off in moderation through the week and not all at once.


🎃Do you have any special October snacks you'll be treating yourself to or any special holiday events you'll be participating in?
We try and hit a lot of trunk or treat events or free/cheap festivals whenever our schedule allows from October thru December so I’ll just try moderation and to have whatever as long as I don’t go overboard.

🎃Are you trying to accomplish anything in the three months left of 2022? How has this year been treating you overall? Have things gone more or less how you've expected them to go?
I’m really focusing on having my A1C in control by my November doctor appt. Most years from my birthday (Sept 30) thru my daughter’s birthday (Jan 14) I try to coast and just maintain. Any loss is great during that time but it feels like there are too many events and holidays on top of each other to make that my focus. I want to still celebrate without putting too much pressure on myself.

@KeriA I wish the aquafit class at my YMCA wasn’t early morning and mid-afternoon. I really want to go but I can’t get there with the school bus and working all day. I’m just thankful if I really shift things around I can get to Zumba up to 5 days a week. I do love the Y though.

@RavenStCloud Thank you as always for this thread! Good luck with the move and new job.

@misscortneya Welcome! That sounds like a rough shift. If you are on for 4 days a week can you squeeze in your exercise during the other 3 days? Even just a 30 minute something a few days a week makes a big difference. I also take breaks occasionally and “house walk”…. As in I don’t go outside or really exercise but I’ll take 5 minutes to pace around the room I’m in just so I stretch out the muscles and walk for a few minutes. You’d be surprised how many steps you can get just by moving 5 or 10 minutes every hour or so. Good luck! The cruise sounds fun!

Hello Ya'll,
SW: 253 lbs
CW: 221 lbs
October goal weight: 217 lbs (- 4 lbs)
GW: 150 lbs

My sticker chart last month was a success. It really helped me get back on track after the summer. I lost 3 lbs last month which was my goal. I will try to not use the sticker chart this month and see if I am still being honest with myself and my progress.
I have been increasing my exercise so I can increase my calories most days. Its a good motivator for me. My son has started kindergarten this year and the other day I realized my school drop off, daycare drop off and walk to work is over 5 km! This is now my exercise on work days which is great!
I wish you all the best in your pursuits this month! I am looking forward to enjoying some Halloween treats guilt free in moderation!

Good morning!!!

It's Bible Study night and I haven't done any of the lesson or reading even though I had 2 weeks so I might be skipping my afternoon exercise so I don't show up with an empty book today. Oops! My one thing I both love and hate with ladies bible study night is that they serve a light supper but I never know what it is in advance. I love that I don't cook that night and that the ladies running it can seriously cook but I don't know how many calories I need to save and I wish I could plan better.

I did a new blog post this morning so if you're looking for a Slow Cooker Moroccan Lentil with Chicken type dish I've got you at https://pamperedlinny.wixsite.com/coffee-required/post/slow-cooker-moroccan-lentils-and-chicken and it's probably what I'm going to re-heat for lunch since I stored some in my freezer when I made it last time. I love a good slow cooker recipe when it's getting chilly outside and I'm busy.

I did make it to Zumba class last night even though I nearly skipped it. I never seem to want to go to the gym but once I'm there and moving I always feel so much better. Why do I forget that when I'm so comfy on the sofa with a good book or movie???

This afternoon I also have to run my girl around some. The local library is doing a Dine & Draw event for an hour.... think the kid version of paint night. They get a snack and will be painting. I love these free library events but I wish it wasn't in the middle of my work day. Also, I kind of wonder if I can paint too. It might be fun.

Mini Tag Party:
@DeshotelK Welcome! Logging daily makes a huge difference for me. I’ve learned if I have to write it down it makes me think about my choices more.

@sbortnick I loved your sticker chart idea last month. Great exercise walking to drop offs too!

@CupcakeCrusoe Happy Birthday Month!!! I love the tea room idea. I need to find one here eventually.

@kenziestabes I bet your calves are going to look AWESOME! Way to work leg day in flights!
@pamperedlinny I have the feels for you and Bible study night with the ladies. I sometimes just eat a little beforehand that is measured so I am not super hungry, etc. etc. so that I will only have a tiny amount. No matter how calorically dense I can fit a little bit. Have fun!
@misscortneya Welcome!
@RavenStCloud Thank you for continuing the thread!
@Roz0810 hi Roz! Welcome back!
@Deshotelk Welcome to a really good group, we can help you with a low key accountable!
@sbortnick I am glad the stickers kept you motivated, and now the training wheels are off!
@CupcakeCrusoe Super happy birth-month!!! Have lots of fun!!

I just have one thing I really need ya'lls help with and you cannot laugh! Or maybe you can laugh, I am having a bizarre problem. I have heard about "trigger foods" before, and I am pretty sure that cheese was the worst trigger in my diet previously. I have to pretty much never eat it, I cannot moderate it ever at all. Since I have lost 130 lbs now, I am still trying to figure out my general diet. And since this is October, that means candy!! I am not going to say I don't like chocolate, I do eat it on occasion, because it seems generally available.

Let me also state that I was never really a candy adult. That means, that after I turned 13 I only eat candy on occasion (this usually means I go somewhere and they offer it for free and I have a couple) . I have bought butterscotch candies, and I am able to moderate them easily. I count out six, when I have space in my day and move on with life. I bought smarties two months back and after eating the whole bag in one sitting.... For the whole bag it was 500 calories so not a huge set back, BUT I couldn't eat the raspberry sherbert I had planned that day - and that smarts! I mean if I put smarties on one hand and ice cream on the other...

Oh, my goodness, I am picking smarties! lols. I have a friend who calls it the "chalk candy". I am making banana raspberry ice cream right now so that my ice cream will be lower calorie (200 calories for a pint vs. 560 a pint from the store) then I can probably fit in half a bag of smarties, assuming I can moderate that stupid bag of candy. I will tell ya'll if that works. Wish me luck for my next episode of "As the Candy Turns".

This is just so weird, I would never have figured smarties as a trigger food. I think that when it comes down to it I like tart/sweet not really bitter/sweet. I love hibiscus tea, and raspberries are my favorite berry. Maybe that is why I am so blah with chocolate and *don't hit me* coffee. Coffee is okay, because it gives me caffeine, but I don't think I would drink it ever if it didn't have caffeine in it!

Have a wonderful day! Have a beautiful day! Keep on keeping on!

Happy Wednesday!

First, did you all know it's National Kale Day???? I'm trying to figure out if I have a recipe for kale that speaks to me for tonight because I love having foods that match obscure holidays. I used to have a calendar just for that and I might start checking it again for meal ideas.

I survived the meeting last night without being too bad at all. We had a taco bar set up so I just made myself a taco salad out of the fixings, had a small handful of tortilla chips and a single cookie. Unfortunately, my fasting blood sugar this morning was up and I'm not sure what happened. I didn't eat all that much during the day (only about 800 calories before going to the meeting) and had walked for exercise and had over my 10,000. I didn't do any serious cardio or weights but I wasn't sedentary either. I hate when something doesn't maky any logical sense and affects my numbers. Hopefully tomorrow will be back to my normal range.

Tonight my daughter has volleyball practice so I got in my morning walk and I'll get some exercise on my lunch break. I won't be able to get any real movement in tonight if I'm watching the practice.

On a positive note I did a mid-week weight check and the jump over birthday shenanigans is already starting to dissipate. 228 lbs this morning and I had been 226 lbs prior to celebrations so I expect to be back to that low in a few days. Yay!

@justanotherloser007 I actually really like Smarties too. I use to run an MLM business and would have a bowl at events. Whatever was leftover I would end up eating. The business was great and helped pay for a lot of things my family did but having Smarties on hand was a bad idea.

@cosmiccurves Do you follow a specific LCHF plan or have a certain number of carbs/fat you aim for each day? I used to do a modified plan under that umbrella when I first started losing weight so I’m always curious what restrictions are working for people and which ones aren’t.

Good morning all. I've been weighing in daily to keep an eye on things but logging officially on Thursdays.

PW: 270.8
CW: 267.8

Very happy with the progress.

Does anyone have a fitbit and want to add me. Here's my profile link.

https://www.fitbit.com/user/B6V5N7

Good morning everyone!

Christina
33 years old
5'4"

SW: 220ish
Re-SW: 200.4
UGW: 150

SW 10/1: 180
10/7: 177.2

🎃 October Goals! 🎃

🍂 October GW: 177

🧡Log everything in grams ✅
🧡Do at least three pole classes a week ✅
🧡More than 100g protein every day ✅
🧡No doomscrolling after 7PM each night ✅
🧡 At least 64oz of water a day ✅

Did pretty well this week, MacroFactor thinks I'm gaining weight thanks to me weighing in in the 174-176 range all week when I had COVID (probably all the rest I was getting and all the water I was drinking, and absolutely no challenges to my muscles, and in the beginning, not a lot of food), and then I went on vacation where I ate probably over maintenance a little. It'll all even out as I keep doing my thing.

Needless to say I'm happy I'm getting back toward what I was weighing then.

@justanotherloser007 smarties is a weird trigger food, but bodies are also weird. Let us know how regulating them went! My biggest trigger food is mint moose tracks ice cream, so much so that I absolutely never have it in my house. I'll eat it all in one sitting, or in spoonfuls from the freezer over the course of a day.

@kenziestabes happy moving! and yes, those calves are going to be popping

@cosmiccurves good on you for making their costumes! Couldn't be me this year, haha, considering it takes me several tries to set up a sewing machine to make a straight line.

@pamperedlinny sounds like you're doing all the right things! And those pork chops with stuffing look incredible

@jojo202188 welcome! Your struggles with IF are what I fear for whenever people tell me they're doing a super strict IF, and I'm glad you recognized that pattern and stopped, rather than doubling down on it. Self-awareness is key! You'll find a lot of good support here, the best thread on MFP (imo).

@roz0810 good progress!

Have a great day, everyone!