aettinger448 Member

Learn to cook. I thought I hated white meat of any kind and veggies. Turns out I actually really like them! Invest in an iron skillet and learn how to use it.

I think you all are right. And I think I knew that I needed to have a firm talk to him about it. But I needed to write it out to assess exactly what was bothering me. The "I only like your vegetables" thing is grating on my last nerve. It feels like having a 45 year old child. And a spoiled one at that. He's a great guy in…

He says he's not comfortable doing exercise by himself or with others except me and my husband. And he won't set up an account. He says he's too self conscious. I want to help, but I honestly just think he's doing this to be part of something. He says the only vegetables he will eat are the ones I cook, etc.

Our home gym equipment has weight limits. So when he wanted to try the treadmill I used the excuse that it doesn't have a low enough setting. (That's true, btw. I bought it used.) But he has the finances to afford a personal trainer. I'm trying to encourage that aspect. I feel like he needs modified exercises, and I'm so…

My six year old said "Mom you have a big fat belly!" And when I thought a 280' sand dune climb might literally kill me as he ran up it.

I used to have similar symptoms. It would flare up 2-3x/ month. But after a 35lb loss (about 40 to go) I haven't had any. So whatever mine was, my weight and/or lack of core strength was obviously the cause.

I recently started using a protein shake to replace the high calorie coffee creamer I was using. That in combination with increasing my water intake during lifting has helped me. A friend swears that a light cardio cool down also helps, which makes sense to me since cardio makes me less hungry in general.

You can set it to lightly active if you feel that number is too high. But try it out at 2400 for a few weeks. If you aren't seeing the results you want, just set it lower. YouTube has great exercise videos. I started way back at the beginning with those.

Wow! I finally get to see the pics! I was so excited to find this post! You are such an inspiration to me!

My starting weight was 248. I'm down to 209 now, and I already see such a big difference. I know exactly what you mean. I never felt pretty or sexy. I didn't have energy to play with my kid. I hated summer because I felt hot in my "cover the fat" clothes. I'm so excited to see your results and can't wait to get there…

I don't want to cut it yet. I have a goal of getting pro pics with long hair at my goal weight. It's silly but it's a big motivator for me.

I should also add: I do a circuit including treadmill, bench presses, sit ups, free weights, etc. Like 5x5 but with treadmill "breaks" between sets.

I sometimes use them as a meal replacement if 1) I'm going to or have just worked out with high intensity and don't want a big meal and/or 2) if I know a later meal will be high in calorie count and I need to save up some calories.

joemac- If I didn't budget that, and I'm getting about 100+ calories per day just in creamer, it would add up. In the long term, 1400 calories per day as opposed to 1500 calories per day would be about 1lb worth in a months time. That may not seem like much but when your goal is 1 lb per week it is worth considering. I…

I have tried milk. I have had American style creamer for so many years now that milk is too bland and thin for my taste. I'm losing at a great pace, about .5-1.0 lbs per week. So I'm not really posting for advice (though I know you're doing so with all good intentions!). I'm more curious if there's anything other people…

Maybe you could just do some journals at first too. Then you could identify what you ate that day compared to what you were going through. On more stressful days, I tended to crave salt. On boring days, I ate more carbs. Then once you've id'd those patterns, you can find a replacement strategy.

Just off brand French vanilla coffee creamer. Nothing fancy! Lol. I think it's 30 calories for 2 tablespoons. And I have about 4-6 tablespoons spread out across 3-4 cups of coffee. It adds up.

I'm not totally sure if this is what you're looking for, but maybe you could set NSV short term goals? Some of mine are based on lifting, or fitting into an old pair of jeans, etc.

It's nice to know I'm not the only one dealing with this feeling. At the start of my weight loss, a good friend jabbed me with "I'd rather be fat and have my fried chicken than be skinny and give up all the things I like." To be fair, she later apologized and has actually started to lose some weight recently. But that…

Great point! I'd eat a half bag of chips after a bland meal of pork chops and potatoes. But now I know how to cook a pork chop correctly with fresh veggies instead of a heated can of corn. It's easier to feel satisfied when you actually like the food you're eating.

Excellent point. I should clarify. I guess I mean that I won't bargain with my coffee. For example, I still eat pizza. But I have 1-2 slices with lots of veggies instead of 6-8 pieces with lots of greasy meat and extra cheese. But I would rather decrease my breakfast/lunch calories in order to have the calories in the…

Strength training is my "secret weapon." I won't go into the physical aspects. You can research those. Your BMR increases, etc. For me, it's a psychological thing. It reminds me of health versus being skinny. And you feel powerful and badass. And when you can lift things that were so hard to lift a few weeks ago, it gives…

I plan family vacations and getaways based on the best hiking trails instead of the best buffet restaurants.

I laugh because I have been there! My mother in law uses sign language. And Deaf culture is very blunt. After taking care of her last summer during her heart surgery, and gaining more weight in the process since I was eating hospital cafeteria junk food, she has pointed out MULTIPLE TIMES "You're still fat even after…

My husband and I are lifting together. Right now, my SL5*5 weights are close to his 60% max, so he does more reps per set, usually 10-15, to bulk up. It's strengthening our bodies AND our marriage. Lol. But really, we have a 5 year old and busy jobs, so that's our daily time to spend with each other. Lifting is so much…

I'm fitting into my "maybe one day I will fit into these again" pants!

This is a tough situation. Behaviors change when we have positive reinforcement, not social punishments. You can add me, email me, whatever and I'll be supportive! And hopefully someday you will inspire your family's support. Loves to you and your journey!!!

We also do "snack plates" which my son loves. It's a plate of favorite fruits, a little cheese, rolled up deli meats, olives, or whatever you like! Then we eat it with blunt toothpicks while laying on the floor.

Crock Pot Whole Chicken! My five year old loves it and it's super easy. Roll up 3-4 palm sized balls of foil, place the chicken on top of them (rosemary and orange zest if you're fancy), set on low till internal temp is about 200 or till it's falling off the bone. Put it on in the morning and by dinner time all you need to…

Lol. I found a YouTube video and started with that in our basement using my hubby's dumbbells and bench.