bluenoser38 Member

I usually get my butt kicked at scrabble, too. You have to be a little bit ruthless to win, and I'm not very ruthless. On the up side of not being very competitive, its just about having fun.

I've been travelling this week so I didn't have access to my scales on December 8th. I'm going to post as if today is December 8th, though, just to keep it on a weekly time scale. December 1: 209 December 8: 207 Two down, five to go. Leslie, my struggles were with restaurants this week, too. I am so happy to be home.

@ashafraz, congrats on not gaining over thanksgiving. That's a big accomplishment on two fronts; firstly, you managed not to gain any weight and secondly, you've proven to yourself and to the rest of us that gaining pounds because of the holidays isn't a given. In past years I've tended to look at holiday weight gain as…

@cpw2109, I think that clothing fitting again is a great motivator and a concrete way to see your progress. It's hard to see the small changes in the mirror, because we see ourselves every day. When you can try on a pair of jeans that didn't fit for a while, and wear them again, there is no second guessing that progress is…

December has me worried (holidays, travelling for work, stressing about French exams), so this might be just what I need. Name: Barbara Height: 5'7" Starting Weight: 209 (12/1) Goal Weight (12/31): 202 Ultimate Goal Weight: 167

@amymoreorle, as a beginner myself, I can say that walking and yoga are both very forgiving activities that let you progress at your own strength and pace. I've been walking for 30 minutes a day almost every day for the last three weeks, and I can feel my stamina improving. I am getting less winded when climbing a few…

I'm trying to walk at least 30 minutes a day, and doing yoga and bowflex on alternate days. Sarahstarr, I've done a cycle of Beachbody's Brazil Butt Lift before, and had really good results, but I don't think my fitness level is there yet. Maybe in a few more months; right now, I'm trying to be kind to myself. More a…

I've set MFP to one pound per week; I have a fairly sedentary job and MFP allows me 1590 calories per day. I've been following this for three weeks (plus walking, doing yoga, and doing a basic bowflex workout), and I have lost 8 pounds so far. I know that this will likely slow down very soon, and I'm comfortable with the…

Greenline, you are so right about how much happier you can feel just by starting to take care of yourself. I'm only 3 weeks and 8 pounds into this, but I've been walking, doing yoga, and eating better - and I've been in such a good mood. I feel like I'm appreciating everything more. I don't know if I had an 'aha' moment,…

My blood pressure has been coming down a little each week. I'm going to see my doctor next week to ask to reduce my blood pressure medication by half. Having MFP track my sodium - and motivate me to do cardio every day - is really helping me get a handle on this.

I'm Barbara. I started Nov 7th. On my bathroom scales, my starting weight was 217 (on doctor's scales, it was 211, but I figure I'll stick with my bathroom scales for consistency). My goal is to lose 50 pounds, lower my blood pressure and avoid heart disease down the road. I've been doing yoga and bowflex on alternate…

My December challenge is eating healthy when not at home. I have to spend a week in Ottawa in early December, and the latter part of the month will be filled with holiday parties, pot lucks and similar pitfalls. I've only just started, but I'm really excited about the progress I've made in the last couple of weeks, and I…

I am so glad I read your post, Kate. My son is 14, obese, and suffers from depression. His Dad and I had a long talk with him last night as we are really worried about him; his grade in English dropped from a 95 to a 53 on yesterday's mid-term report (with similar slippage in other subjects, but English was the most…

I can absolutely see a difference, particularly in the way your shirt hangs (hanging more naturally in the second pic, without the fabric pulling across the hips). Great idea to take photos wearing the same outfit, too. This is a great motivator, and emphasizes that progress is about so much more than the number on the…

It's daunting, but give yourself a chance. I'm also just starting out on this adventure, trying to lose 50 pounds. When I set everything up, I didn't even set my goal weight for the 50 pounds I knew I needed to lose; it took me two days to find the courage and honesty to go back in and make that change in my profile. I…