Food and exercise journal.

[Beth]

From this (http://www.freethought-forum.com/forum/showthread.php?p=49097#post49097) thread. This is the thread you journal your food and or caloric intake and the exercises you do that day, as well as any weigh-ins to track success.

[Beth]

My starting weight is 143.

So far I have had a cup of coffee with non-dairy creamer and half a salted avocado(165 cal.) stuffed into half an oatmeal pita(65 cal). For lunch, 2 bananas(200 cal.) and ate an orange(60 cal) and a Gorton's fish fillet meal(160) for a snack. For dinner I had spaghetti(190 cal) with extra sauce (meatless, with black and green olives), most of a biscuit, and a salad.
exercise: house work, gardening (digging and pulling up weeds for an hour), and one mile on treadmill
cal:approx 1,400
fat:25

[xorbie]

All I've eaten so far today is a McChicken Sandwich and a Big and Tasty. :innocent:

Nutrional value (by the way, I highly recommend getting an account here (http://www.fitday.com/), it's very helpful):

Calories: 940
Fat: 51
Carbs: 82
Prot: 39

I'm definetely going to have a protein shake or something, because I'm aiming for 80 g of protein a day.

[Dingfod]

Starting weight 291.4 pounds.


So far today:
Calories: 1143
Fat: 75
Carb: 13
Prot: 104

Exercise: 1 hour yard work

[Ensign Steve]

Yay, thanks for getting this started, Beth!

So far today:
Cheerios & Milk
Yogurt
sugar-free candies
orange
Beef stew
dried plums (yes, prunes! and I love 'em!)
Doritos "Edge" chips with salsa (those are high-protein soy chips)
Diet Dr. Pepper

Yet to have:
veggie burger patty w/ mashed potatoes (poor man's shepherd's pie)
caesar salad with lite dressing
asparagus with olive oil and garlic salt
sugar-free jello with fat-free cool whip

Wow, that looks like a lot of food! Which it is! And it still only works out to about 1200-1350 calories. I can't narrow it down better than that because I don't count calories, I count exchanges. One time when I was on this diet, I had a friend ask me what diet I was on because I was losing weight but I was "eating constantly!" LOL

No exercise for me today, but I had PLENTY the last two days and I'm taking a break. Had water and vitamins and all that other good stuff.

[LadyShea]

I went to the buffet, but can still list it out I guess. I tried to exercise portion control by taking just a taste of everything except the fruit.

Numerous cups of coffee with equal and skim milk-100 calories
A bowl of mixed berries-250 calories
A big serving spoon of melon/pineapple-100 calories
A small scoop of potatoes-200 calories
A tiny eggs benedict (only one egg and half a muffin instead of usual two and like a tablespoon of hollandaise)-300 calories
A piece of french bread-175 calories
A chunk of cheese-60 calories
A tablespoon or so of veal stew-100 calories

---------------------------------------------
Total-1285 calories


Somewhat blew it with dinner, but Lauri kept insisting on treating me! I am not going to bother with a calorie count here

One Madras (vodka and OJ)
Tomato salad (three kinds of tomatoes in a vinigarette)
Goat cheese with veggies on toast rounds
Some kind of plantain nachos thing

We barely made a dent in the goat cheese or plantains, they were both appetizers we sorta split but brought most of home.


I have to guess at calories here (and I went a bit high), with the help of www.calorielab.com since I don't have accurate measurements.

[Ensign Steve]

Wow, you did very well at the buffet, LS! Where did you go?

(ps: I can't help but notice the lack of mexican food! hehe! And champagne too, though. wowie!)

[LadyShea]

Wow, you did very well at the buffet, LS! Where did you go?

(ps: I can't help but notice the lack of mexican food! hehe! And champagne too, though. wowie!)

Oh oops, I did have one flute of champagne so add, what, 50 calories? And we don't have mexican buffets here, I tole you! We ate at the Paris, it was yummy.

[Ensign Steve]

ooh-la-la! Yah, 50 calories sounds right.

[AspenMama]

eh I already blew it today with the snacks-- I had a cup of potato chips, a Starbucks chocolate drink and a pastry of some sort. The rest of my meals were fine. Now it's too late to get on the treadmill. I did do an hour or so of housework including going up and down the stairs a few times so that's something--

Monday I start.

[viscousmemories]

The book that outlines the weight training regimen (http://www.freethought-forum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1884) I've been doing for a few weeks includes some nutrition guidelines which I'll probably loosely follow. At the very least I'll adopt the "Sunday you can eat whatever you want, within reason" part of it, since that's exactly what I did today. :D

I'm glad for this thread and LadyShea's that spawned it. Just forcing myself to record what I ate today made me aware of how careless I've been with eating lately.

I had:

2 cups of coffee w/ flavored non-dairy creamer.
1/2 - 3/4 c of granola w/ flavored lowfat yogurt
An apple
10-12 chocolate chips
15-20 little pretzel sticks
Some leftover Thai food
1/2 a Chipotle burrito w/ sour cream, cheese, and guac :eek:
A bag of Chipotle chips
4 deep fried potstickers
2 mini-Lindt chocolate bars
A fortune cookie w/ a non-fortune in it ("For a good cause, wrongdoing may be virtuous.")

Sunday is rest day for working out, so I didn't do any of that. I have to get some air in my bike tires and get outside for some cardio soon, though. I've been neglecting that part of the workout routine.

[wei yau]

How coincidental, today just happen to be my first day at losing weight.

Glad to have so many of you aboard, kudos to Lady Shea for the initial trigger.

Starting Weight: 242 lbs.
Goal Weight: less than 200 lbs.

Today I am having:

coffee w/Equal
mixed berry yogurt
banana

1 can tuna
lettuce
1 tomato
low-far vinagrette

steamed red snapper
sauteed sugar snap peas

[Beth]

so far I've eaten:
Breakfast:
1 banana
Lunch:
9 pieces of salmon sushi roll with wasabi and pickled ginger
Snack:
Hunk of sharp cheddar and a green salad with light vidalia dressing and a cup of coffee with skim milk
Dinner: a handful of frozen peas, eaten frozen, few bites of yellow rice, a few bites of salmon, and a sliver of cake.
Not very hungry, cannot eat any more.

Cal:
Fat:

I never realized wasabi had 91% calories from fat. Oh well. It's well worth it.

excercise thus far: regular housework, gardening(digging and pulling grass and weeds), walked for one mile, jumped on the trampoline for 15 minutes and some floor excercises.

[AspenMama]

Monday, 3/14/05

Weigh in this morning: 142.4 pounds. 27 more to go...

Breakfast:
2 cups of coffee, 3 slices of turkey bacon, 1/4 cup of cheese chunks.

Lunch:
1 small lettuce salad with misc veggies, a hunk of tuna, one egg, some nuts, oil and vinnegar dressing
1 good size bowl of hot and sour soup from a Whole Foods store

Dinner:
1/2 cup steamed broccoli
1 hamburger, bunless with mustard and a pickle
1/2 cup of fat free, sugar free yogurt with some added Splenda

Exercise:
5.25 miles on the exercise bike at the rec center while my daughter was in ballet. Unfortunately that's all I had time for.

[viscousmemories]

9 salmon sushi rolls
I hope you mean 9 pieces of salmon sushi roll. 9 rolls (which are typically cut into 6 or 8 pieces each) would probably be a bit much for your diet. :)

[Beth]

9 salmon sushi rolls
I hope you mean 9 pieces of salmon sushi roll. 9 rolls (which are typically cut into 6 or 8 pieces each) would probably be a bit much for your diet. :)Hehe. So you are right! Yes, my mistake, thank you.

[Ensign Steve]

Food Today:
bran flakes & milk, yogurt, prunes, coffee w/ sugar & non-dairy creamer
tomato soup, apple, one small cupcake (oops!)
curry-flavored chicken & rice, margarine, green beans, caesar salad w/ lite dressing, lite lemonade
fat-free pudding

Exercise:
stretching
100 pushups
100 situps
3.2 mile jog/run
stretching

[LadyShea]

Food today:

Um, like a pot of coffee
3 quesadilla wedges (approximately 3/4 of a tortilla with cheese and onions)

As soon as I am caught up on my work I plan to do some juicing and the Tae Boe workout.

[xorbie]

Fries, onions, peppers, chicken salad and egg salad for lunch. Not so good.

Then went down to work out:

Dips (10, 8, 8)
Shoulder press: (4x30, 8x30, 6x30)
Pec Deck (10x55, 8x55, 5x55)
Side Lateral Raises: (6x20, 15x15, 10x15)
Tri Extensions: (6x40, 10x35, 10x25)

Those numbers might be off, but it was a decent workout. After that I had beans, chicken and two bowls of cereal, and I'm having chicken, eggs and beans for dinner (super protein).

[viscousmemories]

Okay still easing into this diet thing slowly... :D

Food today:

- 1/2 bowl oatmeal with raisins and 1/8 c skim milk
- 1/3 of the Chipotle burrito from yesterday
- 5-6 slices smoked turkey and 2 slices genoa salami
- 1 piece of toast
- pickle spear
- orange
- apple
- linguini and homemade ragu
- brocolli
- 1/2 c Healthy Choice Rocky Road Ice Cream
- 1 stroopwafel

Standard exercise routine.

[maddog]

a.m. walk 1+ miles, about 30 min.
p.m. walk 2.9 miles, about 1 hour (got a blister on my foot 'cause I wasn't wearing my regular gym shoes.)

40 abdominal crunches

food today stunk:
Indian buffet: rice, cauliflower-green-bean-potato, spinach-cheese, 1 drumstick, chutney, lettuce, tomato, yogurt dressing, garlic nan, diet coke

pkg chocolate blueberries (throughout the day)

starving at night; ate 4 slices of wheat toast; felt sick

#362

[AspenMama]

Exercise:
stretching
100 pushups
100 situps
3.2 mile jog/run
stretching

Wow, you're in far better shape than me!

[Dingfod]

One good day, 2/3s of another. Consumed less than 2000 Calories Sunday, then I blew it last night. I ate out at La Margarita last night, ate some chips and salsa and a burrito, then ate a box of Hot Tamales candy at the movie theater. However, in total, I still consumed less than 2000 calories for the day. Today is another day and I'm off to a good start.

[wildernesse]

I'm trying to keep my goals kind of small so that I don't get all overwhelmed and stuff--but I'd like to sign on too! I'm just playing with losing 3 pounds by April, which by now may not really be realistic. Anyway. Since I don't eat many veggies, it will be good to think about this.

So far:

B: Frosted flakes, 2% milk, oj
L: leftover half of chicken bryan and sghetti from Carrabba's--well, without most of the goat cheese. I'm not sure I could eat that much goat cheese alone, much less once it's been coupled with a butter sauce. I eat healthy, don't I.

[wei yau]

I managed to stick to yesterday's meal plan. Although, that red snapper didn't seem like actual red snapper. I vaguely recall reading somewhere that some other type of fish is often sold at red snapper, even though it's not actually red snapper. :shrug:

Today's plan:

Breakfast:
coffee w/equal and half and half
yogurt
banana

Lunch:
lemon chicken w/spinach

Snack:
cottage cheese w/peach preserves

Dinner:
roast leg of lamb
stringbeans almondine with dried cranberries

And since I clearly can't get my fat ass to the gym, I'm gonna spend some time on the stationary bike in the basement.

[AspenMama]

Tuesday, 3/15/05

Breakfast: 2 cups of coffee, 2 mini pizza bagels :(

Lunch: Diet Coke, boring small spinach salad, one small piece of chocolate


P.S. I'm just going to do one post per day and edit it as the day goes along.

[Beth]

Breakfast: Banana, coffee
Snack: a blueberry bagel with a tsp. of cream cheese, feel icky from it. Note to self: Lay off the bread.
Few bites of spaghetti, few bites of salmon, few bites of chicken skin, bite of yellow rice. Two glasses of wine.

The bagels messed up my stomach and I lost my appetite.

Exercise: digging and pulling up grass and weeds (Dang, if the back of my thighs aren't sore from all the squatting!), Housework, walking 1 1/4 mi., jumped 5 min on trampoline ( late at night while taking puppies out and a little tipsy and twisted ankle getting off), strength training on some sort of contraption that I have-arms and thighs.

[godfry n. glad]

Whoops...

I found this today.

So, yesterday was:

Breakfast: Cheese bagel with cream cheese and an iced latte.

Lunch: Roast turkey slices, whipped potatoes with gravy, green beans. (And...here's one of my weaknesses - a cake donut with chocolate icing...ouch.)

Dinner: Vegetarian burrito with mild salsa and a Sprite.

Evening snack: Two slices bread with butter.

Walked about 3/4 mile home from the Mexican restaurant.

Weighed in this morning at 216 lbs., which is down 4 lbs. from last Wednesday, probably due to a fair amount of gardening and walking.

[maddog]

03/15/05
worked out with my trainer this a.m. 1 mi treadmill warm-up; lots of upper body stuff, 10 min cool-down on the treadmill



food today:
12 oz. oj (w/meds)

I'm having lunch with friends today; don't know where we're going
Hm. Chinese lunch. Steamed rice, 4 strips fried chicken, steamed cabbage & carrot, pickled turnip, 1/2 of 1/2 of a funny-colored hard-boiled egg.
Dinner was a hot dog w/mustard, relish & onions. Steamed milk.



#363

[Ensign Steve]

Food:

oatmeal, orange, yogurt, coffee with sugar and non-dairy creamer
chicken & dumplings (in a single-serve luncheon-style microwave cup), fat-free pudding, ff cool whip, raisins, a WHOLE LOTTA baby carrots and ff ranch dip
veggie burger patty, rice, mixed vegetables, salad with oil and vinegar, diet dr. pepper
light popcorn


Exercise:
30 minutes strength-training: upper body

[LadyShea]

I went to the concert last night and had 4 or 5 Bay Breezes after eating only those quesadillas.

Exercise yesterday dancing in high heels and vomiting.

[godfry n. glad]

Man, that vomiting sure tones the abs! Reduces weight fast, too!

[xorbie]

Workout today was legs.

Lunch: Grilled cheese, cornbread, chicken salad.

Dinner: Salad, turkey, grean beens, some cake.

[viscousmemories]

1 c oatmeal and raisins

turkey/salami/provolone melt
1/2 can chunky chicken noodle soup

1 bowl salad (romaine, red onion, cuke, tom, feta, g/s)
1 carrot

2 Aidells Roasted Red Pepper and Corn Sausage
Sauteed potatoes and onion
Corn

1 stroopwafel, 4 mini-Lindt bars

Standard exercise routine...

[Beth]

Breakfast:banana, pita, stuffed with a salad(lettuce, carrots, avocado, and light vidalia dressing), 3 oz. skim milk ~very hungry this morning.

lunch:Small cup of light strawberry and banana yogurt, 1/2 oz. cheddar, blueberry bagel with tsp. cream cheese (couldn't help it, was starving.)
cal: 825
fat: approx. 25.5 gr
exercise:
3 hours digging and pulling up grass,

[LadyShea]

Yesterday

7 grain bread with peanut butter
Glass of 2% milk
Leftover plantains with cheese
Leftover goat cheese with onions and tomatoes on french bread

[godfry n. glad]

Yesterday:

B- Cheese bagel with cream cheese, iced latte.
L - Falafel w/half pita, lettuce, tomato slice and 1/2 cup Basmati rice, diet lemon-lime soda
D - Fried egg sandwich made w/faux eggs and cracked wheat bread, small salad with lowfat dressing, a whole lemon, water.
S - Lean Cuisine French bread pizza, water.

No exercise.

[Dingfod]

Yesterday:

Food:

Breakfast: Meat (450 Cal.)
Snack: Raw sunflower seeds (50 Cal.)
Lunch: Green Salad (250 Cal. including dressing, cheese and such)
Meat on salad (200 Cal.)
Dinner: 2 Peanutbutter on whole wheat bread sammiches (640 Cal.; my bad, blew it again, what can I say, I was hungry and that was quick to fix)
Snack: A handful of pistacios, unshelled (70 Cal?)
Total Calories: 1660

Fluid:

2 liters water
2 liters Diet Dr Pepper

Exercise:

12 hours fretting over justifying my existence to my employer.
1/2 hour feeding horses and cleaning stalls
1/2 hour chasing the dogs around the house and yard
1000 forearm curls

~~~~~~~~~~~

So far today:

Exercise:

15 minutes feeding horses and dogs
6 hours of fretting over justification of my existence to my employer

Food:

Breakfast: Meat (450 Cal.)
Snack: Raw sunflower seeds (50 Cal)
Lunch: Meat (350 Cal.)

Fluid:

1 liter water
3/4 liter Diet Dr Pepper

[LadyShea]

Today

Quaker instant oatmeal Nutrition for Women- 160 cal
Turkey, provolone, baby field greens and mustard on 7 grain bread- 380 cals
1/2 Dole fruit and juice bar- 55 cals
2 Danish butter cookies- 60 cals

[viscousmemories]

Right now I'm more interested in moderating my food intake and maintaining my exercise routine than keeping strict control over exactly what and how much I eat, so I'm going to stop recording what I eat here.

For those of you who wait impatiently for my next installment.

[Dingfod]

Right now I'm more interested in moderating my food intake and maintaining my exercise routine than keeping strict control over exactly what and how much I eat, so I'm going to stop recording what I eat here.Me too, but not for exactly the same reason. I just don't want to kill another thread.

[LadyShea]

Don't worry about killing the thread. I am doing pretty well, I just wanted to get started...motivation and all that.

[Beth]

Today was not such a good day for me. I feel like a huge glutton, even though I probably ate less than most people. I did no exercise; my body hurts from spending most of yesterday digging up a vegetable patch and I split one of my nails open (hurts alot, dern dog for chewing up my gloves.). Rainy today so I did nothing outside and I have no desire to workout on the treadmill. I hope I feel motivated tomorrow. I feel best when I am very active.

[Beth]

Well, today the weather is better, although, the rain brought with it cold, damp wind. Difficult to manage with that when, two days before, the low was around seventy and highs in the eighties. Anyway, I had a brisk walk with the puppy first thing this morning, then spent an hour working up a sweat in 57 degree weather( thought that was impossible to do in such cold weather) by digging up grass. Plan on doing some more heavy cleaning inside and about three miles on the treadmill.

I ate a half a cup of grapenuts with milk this morning and then things went bad. I gave into an urge and I ate French toast sticks with about a quarter of a cup of syrup. Drinking coffee for lunch and will eat a light salad for a midafternoon snack later.

[TomJoe]

Ok, count me in folks. Don't think I have the patience (memory) to record everything I eat, but I'll give weekly weight totals (if I can remember to get my ass on a scale).

Starting weight: 181 pounds.
Waist size: 34 inches.

[Dingfod]

Don't worry about killing the thread. I am doing pretty well, I just wanted to get started...motivation and all that.Yes you are doing well. Good for you and everyone else that isn't struggling like I am.

Last night, I went out and had a couple beers to celebrate the lack of snakes in Ireland or something like that. After that I had a 9" pizza from Hideaway Pizza. Except for some sausage for breakfast about 6:00 AM, that was pretty much all I had eaten all day.

On the plus side (or is it plus-size?), I've lost nearly two pounds, 289.8.

[Beth]

Great job, Warren!

I certainly am struggling. I am trying really hard and feel bloated and larger than before. I even got asked if I was preggers today.:( I know I definately am not.

[TomJoe]

Starting weight: 181 pounds.


Week one weight: 177 pounds

[viscousmemories]

Good job, TomJoe. :1thumbup:

[TomJoe]

Good job, TomJoe. :1thumbup:

Thanks. The only real changes I've made is an attempt to eat breakfast everyday, and use the stairs (I work on the third floor) instead of the elevators at work.

[Beth]

I'm just about ready to stinking give up. I've worked my ass off for weeks around the house, outside, doing intenssive work. I've exercised myself to the point of exhaustion plus walked miles daily and I have gained eight pounds in the course of two weeks! I am not pregnant, so that cannot explain the gain, I am bloated and feel like a blimp. I looked better before I started trying to get into shape.

[viscousmemories]

I'm just about ready to stinking give up. I've worked my ass off for weeks around the house, outside, doing intenssive work. I've exercised myself to the point of exhaustion plus walked miles daily and I have gained eight pounds in the course of two weeks! I am not pregnant, so that cannot explain the gain, I am bloated and feel like a blimp. I looked better before I started trying to get into shape.
I'm sorry to hear it Beth. :(

It sounds like you're doing fine in the exercise area, but without paying close attention to nutrition I don't think exercise is going to do anything obvious for you. And I'd have to say -- just based on your posts in this thread -- that it seems like you've either been eating too little (which can have detrimental effects on your weight because of the fat storage resulting from your body's natural resistance to starvation) or too much (and not posting about it, since according to this thread you've had about one day's worth of food in the last week. :) )

Are you keeping strict track of every single thing you eat throughout the day? I've noticed for myself that I tend to overeat quite a bit just from nibbling here and there when I'm not careful. Is it possible something like that is going on for you?

[Beth]

It sounds like you're doing fine in the exercise area, but without paying close attention to nutrition I don't think exercise is going to do anything obvious for you. And I'd have to say -- just based on your posts in this thread -- that it seems like you've either been eating too little (which can have detrimental effects on your weight because of the fat storage resulting from your body's natural resistance to starvation) or too much (and not posting about it, since according to this thread you've had about one day's worth of food in the last week. )Well, what I have posted is a lot of food for me. I try to make sure the fats that I eat are the healthy kind and I eat alot all day, if I remember to. I just eat salads as snacks- they are filling, but low cal and low fat if using a low fat dressing.


Are you keeping strict track of every single thing you eat throughout the day? I've noticed for myself that I tend to overeat quite a bit just from nibbling here and there when I'm not careful. Is it possible something like that is going on for you?I calculate everything I eat in my mind. I lose my appetite or start to panic if I think I eat to much, so I rarely go overboard on the snacking.

When I saw the scale yesterday, It was just so horrible because my calorie intake cannot explain it.
All I can think of is that it is either water weight, or the Zoloft that I just started this past month has caused this. Zoloft never made me gain before, though.

Thanks for the input. Hope you are doing well in your goal.

[viscousmemories]

Well, what I have posted is a lot of food for me. I try to make sure the fats that I eat are the healthy kind and I eat alot all day, if I remember to. I just eat salads as snacks- they are filling, but low cal and low fat if using a low fat dressing.
Really? Because if you've recorded everything you've eaten it looks to me like you're averaging about 800-1200 calories a day, which honestly isn't a lot of food for anybody. Plus I noticed when I was reviewing the thread that in the beginning of the week you listed everything you ate (which wasn't much at all), then when you ate a little more you accompanied it with apologetic explanations, and eventually you stopped itemizing altogether.

I calculate everything I eat in my mind. I lose my appetite or start to panic if I think I eat to much, so I rarely go overboard on the snacking.
Hmm... have you considered the possibility that your mind is playing tricks on you? You might want to consider writing everything down instead. Also the fact that you're losing your appetite or panicking if you eat more than you're supposed to is problematic, and I think it explains what I mentioned above about your reporting on this thread. You shouldn't have to feel guilty for eating a healthy amount of food and enjoying it.

When I saw the scale yesterday, It was just so horrible because my calorie intake cannot explain it. All I can think of is that it is either water weight, or the Zoloft that I just started this past month has caused this. Zoloft never made me gain before, though.
Well maybe your scale is broken. :)

Here's your week in summary. I don't see any way you could describe this as overeating, so if you have really gained weight I'd have to say that either you're not accurately recording what you eat, or you're body is storing fat to protect you from imminent starvation.

3/14/05 (http://www.freethought-forum.com/forum/showthread.php?p=49234#post49234)
B: Banana
L: A little sushi
D: Few bites of salmon, rice and peas - a bit of cake

3/15/05 (http://www.freethought-forum.com/forum/showthread.php?p=49380#post49380)
B: Banana, coffee
L: Blueberry bagel w/ cc
D: Few bites each of spaghetti, salmon, chicken skin, yellow rice. Two glasses of wine.

3/16/05 (http://www.freethought-forum.com/forum/showthread.php?p=49541#post49541)
B: banana, pita, stuffed with a salad(lettuce, carrots, avocado, and light vidalia dressing), 3 oz. skim milk
L: Small cup of light strawberry and banana yogurt, 1/2 oz. cheddar, blueberry bagel with tsp. cream cheese
D: ?

3/17/05 (http://www.freethought-forum.com/forum/showthread.php?p=49768#post49768)
Not a good day, but you probably ate less than most people.

3/18/05 (http://www.freethought-forum.com/forum/showthread.php?p=49900#post49900)
I ate a half a cup of grapenuts with milk this morning and then things went bad. I gave into an urge and I ate French toast sticks with about a quarter of a cup of syrup. Drinking coffee for lunch and will eat a light salad for a midafternoon snack later.

Thanks for the input. Hope you are doing well in your goal.
I hope I haven't offended you and that my objective input is helpful. I personally gave up trying to watch what I eat after like day 2, because overeating and splurging on fattening foods is the only emotional crutch I have left! Dammit. :( So hopefully you can benefit from the little bit of knowledge I refuse to use to help myself. :wink:

[Beth]

Really? Because if you've recorded everything you've eaten it looks to me like you're averaging about 800-1200 calories a day, which honestly isn't a lot of food for anybody. Plus I noticed when I was reviewing the thread that in the beginning of the week you listed everything you ate (which wasn't much at all), then when you ate a little more you accompanied it with apologetic explanations, and eventually you stopped itemizing altogether. I didn't always list what I ate at night and a couple of nights, I simply could not eat. I have not had much of an appetite for a few months. The medicine is even making that worse.


Hmm... have you considered the possibility that your mind is playing tricks on you? You might want to consider writing everything down instead.I have a food journal at home, I was told by a doctor to write down all that I eat because I was eating so little. He suggested being forced to write things down would remind me to eat. It works. I just stopped doing it in here because it felt strange to write down every single thing I ate and share it with everyone.

Also the fact that you're losing your appetite or panicking if you eat more than you're supposed to is problematic, and I think it explains what I mentioned above about your reporting on this thread. You shouldn't have to feel guilty for eating a healthy amount of food and enjoying it. I have a problem with my blood sugar, a type of hypoglycemia that seems especially aggrivated by stress. When I eat the wrong thing or too much of the wrong thing, my body begins to panic, sometimes I get angry, sometimes I start to shake or even vomit. That is basically a physical reaction, not a psychological reaction. Basically, a whole lotta food makes me sick. But there are periods where I only rarely experience this, then all of a sudden, I react to food nearly everytime I eat something I shouldn't. On top of that, I'm not going through the best time personally. When I am stressed or upset, I don't have much of an appetite.

Because of this, I have a guilt association with food. A love/ hate type of thing. It is even worse when food that you love causes a negative physical reaction to your body.

Here's your week in summary. I don't see any way you could describe this as overeating, so if you have really gained weight I'd have to say that either you're not accurately recording what you eat, or you're body is storing fat to protect you from imminent starvation. I haven't changed my eating pattern for it just to happen out of a survival mode. If it is water weight, it'll be gone in about a week. If I've continued to gain or have not lost any of it, then I'm gonna see the doc again. Some meds make me get fat. I am concerned my body is having a new reaction to the current med.


I hope I haven't offended you and that my objective input is helpful. I personally gave up trying to watch what I eat after like day 2, because overeating and splurging on fattening foods is the only emotional crutch I have left! Dammit. :( So hopefully you can benefit from the little bit of knowledge I refuse to use to help myself. :wink:No, not at all. I appreciate your input. Honestly. :)

[viscousmemories]

Okay, cool. I'm glad you're seeing a doctor and doing what you need to take care of yourself. And that you're eating more than you listed here! :) Hopefully I'll find the willpower to address my unhealthy eating habits soon, then I'll come post all about it.

[LadyShea]

Beth, if you don't take in enough calories, your body will stop burning calories and store everything, instead. You need to eat more than you are to lose weight and build muscle.

Read any number of nutritional guides, they'll all tell you the same thing. You should eat 6 or so small meals a day and at least 30% protein, and never skip breakfast to keep your metabolism going.

The panicking and apologizing worries me too, quite frankly. Those are signs of the kind of distorted self image that leads to eating disorders, Beth. :(

[Beth]

Hopefully I'll find the willpower to address my unhealthy eating habits soon, then I'll come post all about it.
Well, just try to keep exercising. That is good for you, whether or not you give up the bad stuff. I cannot really offer advice in how to control your appetite. But when I was eating normally, to help keep me from binging, I would go through large bags of snacks and put a single serving in a little baggie. That way, all of my snack food would already be portioned out and I could not binge on high fat snacks. I would store this in a paper bag under the counter. When I was hungry or wanted something to nibble on while running errands, I would already have the correct portion.

[Dingfod]

On the plus side (or is it plus-size?), I've lost nearly two pounds, 289.8.

Exercise today:

Started at 8:30 AM tearing down the wooden deck on the front of our front porch with a small sledgehammer and a prybar. When that was completed, at 11:00 I went to town and rented a 60 lb electric jackhammer, came home and jackhammered up the massive 10-12 " thick concrete and stone porch extension. At 3:30 PM, I was exhausted and done with the jackhammer. I probably broke up and moved a couple thousand pounds of rock and concrete, let alone all the lumber. I'm feeling it too.

Food intake today:

I dropped by Carl's Jr. for a low carb single patty cheeseburger and a diet Dr. Pepper on the way back to the equipment rental store, the first food I'd had since the 170 Calorie Slim-fast breakfast bar early this morning. I plan to eat a some left-over turkey later. Total caloric intake: approximately 1000. I don't have much appetite when I work that strenuously. I'm not hungry now for sure.

This morning's weight: 288.1 another almost 2 pound loss (hey, at least it wasn't a gain).


The project I'm working on is a new partially covered concrete deck on the front of our house. The reason it's on the front is because the back is unuseable hillside. Our house is 700 feet from the road so having the deck on the front, overlooking the barnyard and pasture is perfectly fine. The old rotting wooden deck, which appeared to me to have been built for something else, perhaps a mobile home, then moved here, just had to come out before it fell in.

Between the original front porch and the wooden deck there was a four foot wide strip of concrete and sandstone rock. I'm using all that for fill underneath the new deck. The rotten wood is on the future burn pile. The useable boards have been stacked on concrete blocks beside the woodshed. Now I just need to rent or borrow a tractor with a loader so I can put some fill dirt in on top of the loose rock and concrete.

Tomorrow's agenda: finish moving the rock and concrete to the hole, then move all the horse tack and feed to the other end of the barn, remove the pallets and plywood they've been sitting on, and restack the remaining hay to prepare for pouring a concrete floor for the new tack room (another project).

[Beth]

On the plus side (or is it plus-size?), I've lost nearly two pounds, 289.8.

Exercise today:

Started at 8:30 AM tearing down the wooden deck on the front of our front porch with a small sledgehammer and a prybar. When that was completed, at 11:00 I went to town and rented a 60 lb electric jackhammer, came home and jackhammered up the massive 10-12 " thick concrete and stone porch extension. At 3:30 PM, I was exhausted and done with the jackhammer. I probably broke up and moved a couple thousand pounds of rock and concrete, let alone all the lumber. I'm feeling it too.

Food intake today:

I dropped by Carl's Jr. for a low carb single patty cheeseburger and a diet Dr. Pepper on the way back to the equipment rental store, the first food I'd had since the 170 Calorie Slim-fast breakfast bar early this morning. I plan to eat a some left-over turkey later. Total caloric intake: approximately 1000. I don't have much appetite when I work that strenuously. I'm not hungry now for sure.

This morning's weight: 288.1 another almost 2 pound loss (hey, at least it wasn't a gain).


The project I'm working on is a new partially covered concrete deck on the front of our house. The reason it's on the front is because the back is unuseable hillside. Our house is 700 feet from the road so having the deck on the front, overlooking the barnyard and pasture is perfectly fine. The old rotting wooden deck, which appeared to me to have been built for something else, perhaps a mobile home, then moved here, just had to come out before it fell in.

Between the original front porch and the wooden deck there was a four foot wide strip of concrete and sandstone rock. I'm using all that for fill underneath the new deck. The rotten wood is on the future burn pile. The useable boards have been stacked on concrete blocks beside the woodshed. Now I just need to rent or borrow a tractor with a loader so I can put some fill dirt in on top of the loose rock and concrete.

Tomorrow's agenda: finish moving the rock and concrete to the hole, then move all the horse tack and feed to the other end of the barn, remove the pallets and plywood they've been sitting on, and restack the remaining hay to prepare for pouring a concrete floor for the new tack room (another project).
Wow, Warren. Busy, huh? Good job on losing the 2 pounds! It seems like a healthy loss. Losing too much (or gaining :fuming: too much) in a short period of time puts a strain on the heart.

I started drinking tons of water, thinking maybe I am bloated because I've been working so hard in the heat and though maybe I should try to hydrate myself and flush toxins. Anyway, I woke up less bloated and my pants are again loose. Not sure what I weigh- avoiding the scale right now. We don't currently like each other.

[viscousmemories]

Hopefully I'll find the willpower to address my unhealthy eating habits soon, then I'll come post all about it.
Well, just try to keep exercising. That is good for you, whether or not you give up the bad stuff.
That's what I keep telling myself. :)

Seriously though, the exercising is going great. Monday marked the beginning of week seven in the routine I've been doing, which means I moved on to the next phase -- increased the weight, reduced the reps and added a set. I'll be doing this for four weeks then I increase the weight again, reduce the reps and add another set. After three weeks of that I start the "real" routine.

I cannot really offer advice in how to control your appetite. But when I was eating normally, to help keep me from binging, I would go through large bags of snacks and put a single serving in a little baggie. That way, all of my snack food would already be portioned out and I could not binge on high fat snacks. I would store this in a paper bag under the counter. When I was hungry or wanted something to nibble on while running errands, I would already have the correct portion.
That's a good idea. When this thread started I was all gung-ho about cutting out all the chocolate chip cookie and ice cream eating I'd been doing, but I wasn't counting on my housemate bringing a pack of stroopwafels (basically carmel stuffed cookies) and a box of Lindt chocolate bars home from Amsterdam. Fortunately that's all gone now, so I'll be binging on carrots and celery for the time being. :)

[Beth]

Well, I am at 142. I have not dieted so I suppose it was water weight. I have slacked on exercise as well. I've been resting this week because I nearly collapsed from exhaustion of doing everything that I was. I have gone horse back riding, however, leaving my inner thighs very sore and I have done lotsa stretching so that I can even walk. Other than that, no exercise or gardening since Friday.

I have eaten 2 avocados a day for the past week as well. To hell with the fat, I need it. I think avocados are the most wonderful food in the world, they actually make me feel good, energized, and lift my mood. Amazing, most food depresses me. I wish I had discovered these gems years ago.

I measured myself today: 40-27.5-38, so I'm the same and have not lost in those areas. (I think hubby is pleased about that) I also think my arms have been firming up. That was my worse part and I hate pics of myself because of my upper arm. My arms are very muscular from massaging others, bread kneading, and doing other various things. I have beaten men at arm wrestling at my strongest, but my upper arms always looked poochy to me. The gardening I am doing is working that one specific area and firming up that problem spot on my arms.

[Beth]

Beth, if you don't take in enough calories, your body will stop burning calories and store everything, instead. You need to eat more than you are to lose weight and build muscle.

Read any number of nutritional guides, they'll all tell you the same thing. You should eat 6 or so small meals a day and at least 30% protein, and never skip breakfast to keep your metabolism going.

The panicking and apologizing worries me too, quite frankly. Those are signs of the kind of distorted self image that leads to eating disorders, Beth. :(
I just saw this, otherwise I would have responded sooner. The advice about the smalls meals is good. I try to do that. I also eat at least something in the morning. Honestly, I have been eating less than I was, but lately I have been eating full meals for dinner, my appetite is starting to come back.

I do have a distorted body image. I don't deny that. I never realized it till I tried to give clothes that were a size too small for me to a woman whom I though was smaller than me. Turned out she was a size 18 and I was a 12. It was a very embarrassing and puzzling scene, but the woman and her husband were kind and did not treat me like the nut that I felt I was after insisting that there was no way I was smaller than her. Now I go by photos. I get photographed a lot more now so I have a more realistic image to go by.

Anyway, my diet is recorded to make sure that I eat enough.

[Dingfod]

287.5, another 1.6 pounds lost, just about 4 pounds since this started. It's deceiving though as I know have gained muscle mass, my waist measurement has shrunk by over 2", neck by .5" and my body fat percentage as calculated here (http://www.he.net/~zone/prothd2.html) has dropped from 37% to 34%. I'm well on my way!

[Beth]

Warren, that is fantastic! From what I read, the weight concentrated in the waist is the most harmful to your body.

[Dingfod]

The best part is, despite a couple of very stressfull days Tuesday and Wednesday and some serious sleep deprivation for the past week, I feel pretty darn good.

[Beth]

Well, I lost two pounds in a day, which is not something I strove for. I know it is due to walking around thirty miles in the span of two days, plus searching around the neighborhood and hiking through cow pastures and putting up posters, hunting for my puppy. I also think I might have lost water as well. My body is fucking sore, I feel crippled and walk with a hobble at this time. I plan on pigging out on Chinese food and tequila that hubby is on the way home with (surely that will put at least a pound back on)- kids are at sleep overs tonight so I can drink. Yippie. Maybe sex will be extra exercise? Dunno, I doubt these hips can move, unless I am numb and drunk. Hey! that's why he got me booze!

[LadyShea]

I am at 141 lbs as of this morning! That's 11 lbs since I started, which seems healthy to me :)

[Lauri D]

I am at 141 lbs as of this morning! That's 11 lbs since I started, which seems healthy to me :)
That's awesome :1thumbup: - 11 lbs. in about 5 weeks sounds just right, a couple pounds a week. I've noticed as I've gotten older that if I try to lose weight quickly instead of slowly and steadily it not only makes me feel unhealthy but it doesn't seem to stay off.

I've been informally following this thread (not contributing) but I think I will start . I'm trying to firm up and decrease my body fat % and gain some muscle and tone. I have a hard time counting calories although I know where to look - gotta bookmark calorieking.com again I guess. I don't have a problem overeating for the most part, I'm kind of a grazer, and I haven't been drinking alcohol in the past month-ish other than a very occasional glass of wine (about twice a week). I think that's where a lot of my extra and empty calories have come from in the past (beer and wine really do seem to go straight to my waist).

Anyhoo, so far today, might as well jump in:

Breakfast:
2 eggs made with milk and some diced sausage and shredded cheese
1/2 sourdough english muffin (dry, I piled the eggs on top
Coffee with skim milk

Lunch will probably be a chicken caesar salad with the light caesar dressing and water with lemon. I'll edit as the day goes on.

Excercise in the past month has been 45 minutes to an hour of walking/jogging, usually 5 days a week. I love this time of year as it makes outdoor excercise a real pleasure and not a chore. I need to get a gym membership again so I can start a routine with weights again.

[inland wave]

287.5, another 1.6 pounds lost, just about 4 pounds since this started. It's deceiving though as I know have gained muscle mass, my waist measurement has shrunk by over 2", neck by .5" and my body fat percentage as calculated here (http://www.he.net/~zone/prothd2.html) has dropped from 37% to 34%. I'm well on my way!286.5 pounds this morning, another pound off and body fat percentage down to 33%. I'm not losing weight very fast, but I can tell I'm gaining muscle mass at the same time. I didn't put this weight on at any more than a pound a week so losing it at that rate is better than not, and much better than gaining instead. But, it's not all about massive rapid weight loss, it's about a lifestyle change for the better, and that, I am doing.

[Dingfod]

287.5, another 1.6 pounds lost, just about 4 pounds since this started. It's deceiving though as I know have gained muscle mass, my waist measurement has shrunk by over 2", neck by .5" and my body fat percentage as calculated here (http://www.he.net/~zone/prothd2.html) has dropped from 37% to 34%. I'm well on my way!286.5 pounds this morning, another pound off and body fat percentage down to 33%. I'm not losing weight very fast, but I can tell I'm gaining muscle mass at the same time. I didn't put this weight on at any more than a pound a week so losing it at that rate is better than not, and much better than gaining instead. But, it's not all about massive rapid weight loss, it's about a lifestyle change for the better, and that, I am doing.Oops! That was me. I didn't realize inland wave was still logged in.

[Beth]

Gaining muscle mass is important. Good job, Warren.:)

I just did a calliber thingamajiggy to check my body fat. I am at 23% body fat, so some of these online calculators that had me at 12% and 14% body fat were totally off. Only problem is, hubby likes it better with teh meat on me, trying to buy all sorts of fattening stuff to plump me up a little. I think I'm losing will power and wonder if my goal of being really fit as I age onward toward my twilight years will ever be reached. Man, I really wanted to be a kung fu, ass kickin' granny.

[TomJoe]

Starting weight: 181 pounds.


Week one weight: 177 pounds


Since I posted this (Mar 25) my weight has dropped to 177. Yah, no change at all. I've been weighed several times (I'm doing a medical study so I get checked weekly) and it's always 177. I guess it's good that I'm not gaining weight, but I'm certainly not losing it either.

[HelenM]

I saw this thread when you started it, Beth, but wasn't ready to work seriously at diet and exercise then.

I got serious on April 15, after talking with a friend who also wants to lose weight and get in better shape. Since then I've cut back a lot on what I'm eating and have been doing more exercise. I have an exercise step in my basement and a number of step videos that I do, down there, alone. The nice thing about it is that I can do that in any weather, and if I want I can do it before other people in the house wake up because it's down in the basement and so it doesn't bother them. I also like to bike when the weather is good. It's been cold on and off still, but I have been out on my bike on the nicer weather days. I try to do local errands by bike; like if I only need a couple of things from the grocery store, or if I have to take library books back, and it's nice weather, I'll bike. My minimum goal for exercise (unless I'm sick with some virus, as can happen in the winter) is 30 mins of somewhat aerobic exercise at least 3 times a week; I've been trying to do some almost every day since April 15 so I can get fitter and hopefully lose weight.

As far as eating goes, it's mostly a mental/emotional battle for me. I don't follow any specific diet plan, but incorporate lots of things I've learned and adapt them to my own specific issues. I try to favor protein & fruit and veg & greatly limit high-glycemic carbs and anything low in nutrients and high in fat &/or sugar. Some structure seems better for me than 'grazing' all day and also I try to wait until I'm genuinely hungry before I eat, if I have that flexibility in my schedule. Limiting foods with sugar in really helps me not to crave more sugar; so I try to have very little with refined sugar in until after dinner, at which point it's easier to resist rather than ruin an otherwise 'good' day so far. My children usually have icecream after dinner and I have just one spoonful since it's about taste rather than satisfying genuine hunger. Or none at all, depending.

I drink lots of [not calorie laden] drinks during the day to make sure I'm not eating because I'm thirsty (I think I used to do this a lot - which really is silly!)

My general structure is to have breakfast, lunch & dinner and a snack in between each if I'm hungry. That seems to be a good number of times to eat because then I can limit my meals rather than try to eat enough not to get hungry for hours and hours; and evidently it helps keep our metabolism from shutting down if we eat fairly frequently. Yet, I need definite "in between eating" times when I don't eat, so I don't 'graze' all the time. I need that so I can feel I'm in control of my eating; if I 'graze' continually I'm really not in control.

Avoiding high-glycemic foods does seem to help my blood sugar stay stable - I can feel when it is getting low; I get tired and/or irritable. That's a problem with dieting - not snapping at my kids because I'm getting hungry! :blush:

I did start a daily journal at home of food and exercise, which I've never done before. I'm not planning to post all that detail on here. I weigh myself every day; my weight fluctuates but that way I don't miss if I have a day when I weigh a bit less :p I know that how much I ate the evening before and how much carbs I ate the day before (because they cause water retention) and time of the month all cause my weight to fluctuate. So I suppose my goal is that my weight 'range' moves downwards.

Since April 15 I think I've lost 5-7 lbs, which I'm very pleased about. I don't generally lose weight fast, even if I'm doing my best to exercise and cut back on food.

Ok, that's all from me for now...how is everyone else doing???

Helen

[MooseIBe]

I'm just about ready to stinking give up. I've worked my ass off for weeks around the house, outside, doing intenssive work. I've exercised myself to the point of exhaustion plus walked miles daily and I have gained eight pounds in the course of two weeks! I am not pregnant, so that cannot explain the gain, I am bloated and feel like a blimp. I looked better before I started trying to get into shape.

I empathise :(. I bought a pedometer the other day but apart from a cpl brief walks haven't really used it. I dunno where to begin and I never see any bloody results.

[Beth]

Since April 15 I think I've lost 5-7 lbs, which I'm very pleased about. I don't generally lose weight fast, even if I'm doing my best to exercise and cut back on food.
That is great Helen! I'm glad that you are that motivated and that you found a plan that you can stick to. Good for you!

[Beth]

I empathise . I bought a pedometer the other day but apart from a cpl brief walks haven't really used it. I dunno where to begin and I never see any bloody results.
I'm sorry that you are having a tough time. Just start small and gradually build yourself up to longer walks, or if you have stairs, dash up and down them. Someone gave me this tip and it is very good- an excellent workout. Results are gradual expect it to take a couple to several months to see results.:)

[MooseIBe]

I've thought of running up and down stairs but I'd feel a bit silly ;) How many times do you think you'd have to do it to do some good?

[Penni]

I don't want to get too science-y in here, but I feel like I am forever trying to get in better shape. Losing some fat would be nice, as would increased muscle tone, but really, I'm pretty satisfied with that kind of shape. The kind I can never seem to improve is the shape of my heart. I wouldn't say I'm an Ironwoman or anything, but I get 1-4 hours of exercise 2-4 days per week, through ashtanga (intensive) yoga, rockclimbing, backpacking/hiking and bicycling. However, I feel like I never get any better. My resting heart rate is still almost 80, and shoots up to 175 really easily. In fact, what with my handy dandy heart rate monitor on my new watch, it appears to me that heart rates in excess of 170 are the norm when I get into any sort of cardio. I mean, that's not even really hard cardio, that's just like hiking up a steep hill. I'm just not sure why my heart isn't getting more efficient. Do any of you track heart rates and cardio fitness and such?

[HelenM]

[posted May 18]Since April 15 I think I've lost 5-7 lbs, which I'm very pleased about. I don't generally lose weight fast, even if I'm doing my best to exercise and cut back on food.

Now I've lost 10-12 lbs! :)

However, tomorrow I'm going away for 10 days with the children (to visit family in England while my husband spends a week working in London) and I usually eat atrociously on trips, so...I may have to re-lose some of this when I get back. We'll see...

Helen

[viscousmemories]

Congrats, Helen, and good luck on your trip. :)

[HelenM]

Thanks, vm :)

[Dingfod]

Now I've lost 10-12 lbs! :)That's grand, Helen.

[Talulah]

However, I feel like I never get any better. My resting heart rate is still almost 80, and shoots up to 175 really easily. In fact, what with my handy dandy heart rate monitor on my new watch, it appears to me that heart rates in excess of 170 are the norm when I get into any sort of cardio. I mean, that's not even really hard cardio, that's just like hiking up a steep hill. I'm just not sure why my heart isn't getting more efficient. Do any of you track heart rates and cardio fitness and such?

I know that my heart rate usually hovers in the low 90's/upper 80's. When I was running regularly a couple of years ago it got down in the 70's for a while but now its back up in the 90's. I don't know. My blood pressure is also usually low. I don't know if there is any relation. We had a health assessment done at work and she didn't really comment on that. They only commented on my weight and my bone density. I need to lose about 20 pounds (I think I would happy with closer to 30 though) and my bone density is low for my age. It was -.04 when they checked it and 1 is supposedly normal for a 30 year old. I'm barely 26.

Anyway, I thought I would use this food journal thing and see how it goes. I am supposed to be writing down everything I eat anyway.

Starting weight 162 lbs.

Yesterday I went to the gym. I walked 30 minutes and then lifted weights for about 20 minutes.

Breakfast - Egg Sandwich on wheat
snack - strawberry smoothie from Books a Million
Lunch - Chick-fi-lay (chicken nuggets with ranch, fries, Dr. Pepper)
Supper - Chicken with rice and steamed broccoli. One glass of milk, 1 glass of wine. One cake muffin with icing.
several glasses fruit punch.

Today - Gym - 30 minutes walking, 15 minutes recumbant bike

Breakfast - 2 cake muffins with icing, 1 banana, 2 hard boiled eggs, 1 glass milk.
Lunch - left over chicken with rice.
Supper - Subway turkey sandiwich with lettuce and tomato, Dr. Pepper, no fat chips.
1 healthy choice ice cream sandwich, 1.5 glasses wine. 1 peach.
I also had a piece of cheese at one point and it feels like I forgot something else as well.

Any comments welcome.

[Talulah]

Breakfast - 1 bowl raisin bran with 2% milk
snack - 1 hard boiled egg - 1 slice cheese
Lunch - 2 tortilla's with chicken and fat free cheese
Dr Pepper
Supper - lean cuisine chicken alfredo dish and 1.5 glasses 2% milk.

[HelenM]

We got back late yesterday - we had a wonderful time; great weather (as those of you who live in England know) and it was fun to see my extended family. As of this morning, I'm up 2lbs from my weight the day we went on vacation, which I'm quite pleased with, considering how I usually eat on vacation. I made some good choices even though I ate more than I do at home. Now I'm back it's back to consistent exercise and stricter goals regarding what and how much I eat.

Helen

[viscousmemories]

:welcome: back, Helen!

[HelenM]

Thanks, vm :)

[maddog]

I had a PR today:
1 mile in 12:10, on the treadmill.
#508

[Dingfod]

That's darn near running.

[HelenM]

:marsrover:

Update: I'm down 22 lbs so far (since April 15, when I began trying to lose weight in earnest). I joined a health club (http://www.gottliebfitness.org/) last week to help me be consistent about exercise. I'd like to lose another 10-15 lbs, then I'd be in my goal weight range.

On the day I joined the club I went to the morning cardio and sculpting classes and found myself thinking "Why have I been trying to exercise at home alone? This is so much better!"

I do like cycling outside but we're quickly heading into the time of year where it's too cold for me to enjoy it. Admittedly other cyclists are much more hardy than I am!

Helen

[JoeP]

That sounds good Helen!

[viscousmemories]

22 lbs. is awesome, Helen. I was diligent with the exercise program for a few months, but a strained muscle in my chest put me off it for a week and I didn't get back into it. We recently got an elliptical machine but I'm finding it hard to use. For some reason my legs turn to butter in about 5 minutes. On the diet tip I was going hog wild (pun intended) until a week ago, then I started a new policy of no eating after 7:00 pm. It was hard because I was binging at night a lot, but my metabolism is already starting to fall in line.

Anyway, congrats to you! :)