OnceAndFutureAthlete Member

Congratulations!!! That's really inspiring. I started at 278 - so about the same as you - and am down 30#. Seeing the change in your photos is very inspiring and motivating. :)

Cloudy with NO chance of meatballs. - Becasue I'm sticking to my plan!

I was defininetly not thinking children when I read this the first time. :D

This x 1,000,000,000,... Sounds like he is setting you up to take the blame for HIS failure to lose weight. I agree you can be supportive by asking him what you can do to HELP (not do it for him, but SPECIFICS), like does he want your traditional recipes altered? cook new recipes (that HE provides)? Details of your…

It is hard when they insist on keeping to their ways. My mom cooks everything with butter - even sauteed onions for spaghetti sauce - because "that's what [her] Swedish grandmother taught her." We've gone thru more butter in the last 3 weeks than I typically use in a year, no exaggeration! Good for you for being able to…

Yep, with you here. Tried that - and a few other things - when I was fat and NOT losing. With, shall we say, limited success. Thought it might be different now that I'm actually doing well at losing weight. [shrug] I'll keep trying this and that and that other thing, too. Just wish I could spend the energy on other things!…

Thanks for your comment. Yeah, when I wasn't losing, I would just ignore what she said, or says something like "uh-huh, thanks" and just let it pass by. I did try explaining that it wasn't like I didn't think about eating and food all the time (so I don't need reminders), and it seems/seemed like there was something wrong…

I'd suggest go to a different market. Look for new ingredients that you can work with and try new things. Is there a farmers market near you? Or an asian market? I especially like going to asian markets because they have a lot of produce that the "regular" markets don't generally carry. They also have different spices,…

I think you know the answers to all these questions already but since you're asking... You know you're not considered vaccinated until final shot PLUS TWO WEEKS. So "gotten my 2nd shot" on its own does not get you "points" or allow you to break the rules, even "just a little". Speaking of "just a little" - if it was "just…

Thanks for the encouragement, everyone. Been below it for a week now, so it wasn't a fluke. I'll let you know when I'm "obese". :D

This may sound weird, but are you the same height you were when you hasd a 26" waist? My mother was always 5-8, now, much older, she is ~5-5. She says her ribs are about 2" above her hip bones, when she used to be able to put her hands on her waist between her hip bones and ribs. In her case it's because her spine has…

Yeah, agreed. I know there are a lot of shortcomings to BMI calculations and they're not hard-and-fast categories, but they make nice milestones along the road. At least when you're headed DOWN!

I'm not a big fan of green tea myself, but have read that it does have some health benefits, even better than black tea (more antioxidants/polyphenols, IIRC). And it does have caffeine, but much less than coffee, which I've been trying to eliminate. What I found works for me is to make a pot of tea in the morning with 1/2…

You will have those "white knuckle" days, especially at the start. Sometimes you will win, sometimes the cravings will. Be proud of when you beat them, and when they beat you, just forgive yourself and start again. I have also found that reducing sugar and carbs, before worrying so much about calories/portion size, can…

Just FYI for anyone who DOESN'T have a Costco membership, LivingSocial (like Groupon) is offering a Costco basic membership for $55 but you get a $20 Coscto gift card AND coupons for a bunch of free stuff. (Combine with/go through Ebates for even more savings: 3% cash back!)

Chocolate protein powder drink. I put the protein powder (1 serving), 2 Tablespoons fiber supplement (like Benefiber), 8 fl. oz water and 4 ice cubes in my mini blender. Blend, add a straw, and it's a sweet, chocolately, lo-carb, good for you snack. Sometimes I add some instant decaf coffee powder to make it like a Mocha.…

YEP, get rid of the artificial sweeteners, too, if you can. They just keep your tastebuds trained to sweets. If I need a little something, I use a little honey or stevia, depending on what it is. There's a soda brand I like - Zevia, sweetened with stevia, that you can find at Wegmans, Whole foods, and a bunch of other…

Just this afternoon I came through the end of a 3-day headache due to sugar withdrawal. I had been all good and eating fresh and clean for a few months (and lost 46#) then went nuts baking and eating what I baked (cookies and brownies). Not going over much on calories but just a bad mix of food. So to get back on track, I…

I read a book years ago with the title "It's not what you're eating, it's what's eating you" and that title has really stuck with me. Makes me think about WHY I'm eating when I just can't seem to stop and nothing satisfies me. The other thing I do is bargain with myself - tell myself to wait just 10 minutes, and if I still…

Well, smart alec-y replies aside.... Yes, when you start doing this and tracking your food, it IS surprising to learn how much sugar is in some foods. For me it was tomatoes. LOTS of sugar (relatively) just in raw tomatoes. And I love tomatoes. I also have a target of 24g sugar/day. To keep my cravings under control. And…

Love, love, LOVE this. I think you're on to something. Next step: write a book, go on Dr. Oz, ??? then Profit!

A rotisserie chicken carcass with some leftover meat on it makes a great soup base, too. Toss it in a big pot with some chicken broth/stock and whatever veggies you have in the fridge, a can of tomatoes (juice and all) and seasoning/spices. Boil/simmer. Then at the end you can add some thick noodles or rice or whatever…

Me exactry! I've lost 46 and have 36 to go to get to 150#. So I'm in. How do you want to do this? :D

I used OKC for a while a couple years ago and had what I consider quite good luck with it overall: not too many jerks, only one semi-stalker (20 years old!), 2 relatively LTRs (6 and 8 months - both really decent guys), and one guy who's now one of my best friends. Not bad for a middle-aged, overweight woman (meaning I'm…

You should be proud. This isn't easy. It's not about being perfect, it's about making more good choices. You developed a strategy for dealing with the reality of where you were and came up with something that will work. This is a good sign for future success and getting to your goal. Good for you!

Can you expand on this a little? How much is bad? (like 1 Naproxen or 2 Ibuprofen per day?) And I guess the answer/treatment to this is ... soluble fiber and probiotics! Thanks for a really interesting thread and all your consciencious replies.

Me, too! [edit to fix coding]

I think this is great. I have been saying that losing weight is like a part time job - weird how doing LESS takes so much more time. Anyway, I hope this "bump" gets more people to see this. Thanks and keep up the good "work".

OK, I LOL'd. I SO get what you mean!

HAHAHAHA! OK, thanks for those images. :D