So far I'm pretty pleased with this week. I'm tracking towards at least a 1 lb loss this week, so I'm pretty happy since I'm set up for just 0.5lb, especially considering it was Easter and I'm surrounded by chocolate. I weigh daily, but only record on Fridays so we'll see.

Today is my run and lift day. I'm hoping the shin feels ok afterwards, I oddly miss running (and I don't really enjoy it while I'm doing it, strange!). I'm tired after 2 bad nights in a row from my 2 year old, but I hope I can push it out.

I need some help increasing protein and reducing carbs, I may have to post in the forums about that later this week. I'm pretty slammed at work.

Hello All!

My food selections are limited, lol, til I go grocery shopping tomorrow! I have been eating a lot of the same things past week... Ready to change it up again...can't really buy a lot of fresh produce, since I leave in 5 days for cruise, don't want to waste it. I'm sooo excited!!! I started packing a little lastnight. Have a lot of running around to do tomorrow to prep for trip and things to do for my store before leaving for 5 days.

Plan tonight is to do the elliptical machine for an hour again! Did it for hr last night and even though it has been a week since I worked out (Migraines and working late restricted me) I actually didn't feel like I was going to collapse at end! So, progress! lol

Ellie, I know this weather has been sucky! I do all my exercising indoors. Ohio weather is always so unpredictable! I am looking to purchase a bike this summer! I have wanted one since last summer!

Have a great day all!

New to the group and so frustrated - I've hit a wall. I didn't think that was supposed to happen until I had almost reached my goal; not when I've barely put a dent in it. 5'3" and currently at 158 . . . have been for nearly 3 weeks now. I'm hoping to make it to 128 eventually, but this lack of progress has me wondering if that will ever happen (without amputating a leg or something). I can tell that I am getting stronger, maybe a bit firmer . . . but it's pretty minimal and not doing squat for my motivation. The urge to curl up on the couch surrounded by cookies, chips, and dips is getting a little more tempting with each day I don't see a change on the scale.

I've tried changing up the calorie intake a little - trying the "cycle method" but not going crazy. I'm also trying to find ways to get in a little more exercise. Besides trying to make it to the gym 3 times a week for strength-training and cardio, I've decided to take advantage of my office park being near a shopping plaza. Yesterday during my lunch break I slipped into some tennis shoes and walked over to run errands at Target, rather than hopping in my car and driving over. It's a pretty short distance but with a lot of uphill/downhill. I'm also trying to make protein 30% of my diet which can be challenging when you're also watching your cholesterol, but it's important for building fat-burning muscle. :ohwell:

I decided that maybe joining a group for my "age" might provide a little more insight than I get from, let's just say, less than qualified and/or relatable sources.

New to the group and so frustrated - I've hit a wall. I didn't think that was supposed to happen until I had almost reached my goal; not when I've barely put a dent in it. 5'3" and currently at 158 . . . have been for nearly 3 weeks now. I'm hoping to make it to 128 eventually, but this lack of progress has me wondering if that will ever happen (without amputating a leg or something). I can tell that I am getting stronger, maybe a bit firmer . . . but it's pretty minimal and not doing squat for my motivation. The urge to curl up on the couch surrounded by cookies, chips, and dips is getting a little more tempting with each day I don't see a change on the scale.

I've tried changing up the calorie intake a little - trying the "cycle method" but not going crazy. I'm also trying to find ways to get in a little more exercise. Besides trying to make it to the gym 3 times a week for strength-training and cardio, I've decided to take advantage of my office park being near a shopping plaza. Yesterday during my lunch break I slipped into some tennis shoes and walked over to run errands at Target, rather than hopping in my car and driving over. It's a pretty short distance but with a lot of uphill/downhill. I'm also trying to make protein 30% of my diet which can be challenging when you're also watching your cholesterol, but it's important for building fat-burning muscle. :ohwell:

I decided that maybe joining a group for my "age" might provide a little more insight than I get from, let's just say, less than qualified and/or relatable sources.

chin up! you'll get there. my advice: get your head in the game and appreciate the benefits of your journey aside from weight loss. i haven't lost any weight since june, and if i were totally focused on the scale, i would have thrown in the towel ages ago. but i figure i'm just going to keep on trucking. i am healthier than ever, my heart is stronger than my husband's, my endurance is out the roof, and i carry myself proudly. i'm accomplished in so many ways, and eventually, my body will comply. so don't sweat the small stuff. focus on every success - not just the scale.

I love this group. Feels good to know people are going through the same issues as me. When it comes to the scales i learnt early on that they can be cruel. When i started my weight loss journey i lost weight slow to begin with. Then i started losing more and more until i peaked at 6lbs a week. It felt great and my confidence was high but then as quick as it went off it started to slow right down to the rate it is now which is 2 - 3 lbs a week. So i sat down with my trainer and she assured me that this was a good thing and meant there was less fat to lose and that i shouldn't feel down about it. Not to trust the scales so much and keep weigh ins to a minimum. Now i weigh myself first thing in the morning every Monday. One way i found to keep an eye on how i'm doing was to go out and buy myself a t shirt that's a little to tight. It's a Superman shirt and when i put it on and it fits a little better it feels just as good as a possitive result on the scales.
Not gyming it tonight. My fridge is empty and i need my salads for lunch every day so i just got home from the supermarket. Doesn't leave me enough time to carb up before working out. I'll do my best to keep myself busy tonight though as i have a wall in the bathroom to paint and some lights to replace. Should burn a few calories before bedtime. Hope everyone has a good day.

Well we had a little mini-monsoon here and the streets and sidewalks are randomly flooded in spots so I'm going to skip the run tonight.

I feel you guys on the frustration. The scale hasn't budged for me in nearly two months and neither have the inches. I'm pretty much at a loss for what to do myself. I do suspect that I got a bit too loose with my calorie intake when I upped calories which may have put me more at maintenance than a deficit so I've been trying to be really diligent about my portion sizes and measuring to see if that helps. If I don't see any change by the end of this week I feel like I have to make a change, but I'm not sure if I should be going up or down in calories or maybe just exercising more. I'm only 2 workouts away from finishing stage 1 of NROLFW and then I will take a rest week from lifting so maybe my weight will go down some then. Everyone always talks about how your muscles swell and hold water when you're lifting. I don't know, sigh. I keep telling myself that as long as I'm not gaining I should ride it out but I feel like I'm well past the ride it out time.

And aren't I a downer? lol, sorry guys:ohwell:

Well we had a little mini-monsoon here and the streets and sidewalks are randomly flooded in spots so I'm going to skip the run tonight.

I feel you guys on the frustration. The scale hasn't budged for me in nearly two months and neither have the inches. I'm pretty much at a loss for what to do myself. I do suspect that I got a bit too loose with my calorie intake when I upped calories which may have put me more at maintenance than a deficit so I've been trying to be really diligent about my portion sizes and measuring to see if that helps. If I don't see any change by the end of this week I feel like I have to make a change, but I'm not sure if I should be going up or down in calories or maybe just exercising more. I'm only 2 workouts away from finishing stage 1 of NROLFW and then I will take a rest week from lifting so maybe my weight will go down some then. Everyone always talks about how your muscles swell and hold water when you're lifting. I don't know, sigh. I keep telling myself that as long as I'm not gaining I should ride it out but I feel like I'm well past the ride it out time.

And aren't I a downer? lol, sorry guys:ohwell:

I'm doing the same program - sounds like you're just a smidge ahead of me . . . but then I stuck with weeks 1 and 2 for more like a month. :blushing: There has to be something to that muscle swelling/water retention thing because this morning I weighed 2.5 lbs more than yesterday - weight lifting last night is my only explanation. Just curious; how often do you lift per week and do you also do cardio? I've been trying to go 2-3 times per week and usually follow up with the "fat burn" program on the treadmill for 30 minutes . . . I honestly have no idea if that's good or bad . . . just wondering what someone else using that book is doing.