"My Skinny Summer" Weight Loss Journey

[redrose85]

I hit my first major goal (10 pounds) and actually surpassed it-- 11 pounds down! I lost about 2 pounds this week, which is a much better pace than the first week where I was dropping weight so fast.

 

My cold turned into an infection, so I’m on antibiotics and should be back to myself very soon. I sure miss lifting weights.

 

I talked to my husband and explained that I am also incorporating salads and protein such as beans into my day, and if he wants to, he can do that too. He is really missing meat and junky foods, but is sticking to it. I’m not missing much of anything, really. It’s very strange, but refreshing. I just don’t want to put any more garbage into my body, knowing how much better it functions when I eat healthy. Food doesn’t have the same draw for me that it used to. It’s like that saying, “nothing tastes better than healthy feels"

[Mesemene]

Congratulations! And hope you feel better soon.

 

Our family is getting chinese tonight, so I decided I'll have Yu Shan spicy veggies and Moo Goo Gai Pan It'll last me a few days, I'll just have to resist the lure of adding rice

 

172 and counting for me - so I'm down about 25-30 pounds since November, about 40 since last summer. Haven't had as much time to hit the gym this week as I'd like, BUT was doing yardwork and physical housework, so still doing ok on activity.

 

I really don't have the urge for much in the way of the "bad" carbs anymore, thank goodness - egg noodles were a real weakness.

[redrose85]

Congratulations to you!! You’re doing awesome

[Mesemene]

Thank you!

 

Oh -should've posted this earlier - there's a "my plate" tracker on link removed. It's REALLY nice for tracking calories and nutrition - especially if you always seem to either over or underestimate what you've had, intake wise. I'm always surprised when I'm under what I thought for the amount I've delt I ate and sometimes have to add something so I'm not getting too little calorie wise.

 

Just as an example, today I've had my large mushroom melt (8 oz mushrooms, 1 slice cheese, 1/2 gardenburger, 1 tortilla), about 6 oz baby carrots, 4 servings of coffee WITH international delight creamer, and Yu Shan Spicy Veggies (about a cup or so) and 2 potstickers. I figured I'd be at at LEAST 1000 calories. Nope, around 600. So I know I need to eat at least a little more before it's too late, or at least plan a really good breakfast in the morning. It really helps.

 

I just don’t want to put any more garbage into my body, knowing how much better it functions when I eat healthy. Food doesn’t have the same draw for me that it used to. It’s like that saying, “nothing tastes better than healthy feels"

 

Yes - and the one time I gave in and had a real binge (fast food burger) I could barely finish it, and I felt like I'd eaten granite for a few hours after. It sure took the appeal away really fast. Now I think about it and the immediate following thought is "ugh, no thanks. I do NOT want to feel like that again!"

[Tanzi]

Well done EVERYONE!! You are all amazing!

[sharky988]

You girls are doing GREAT!!!

 

And I love hearing what you're eating, too -- so please do continue to share.

 

I've been focusing more on exercise as I'm pretty much coming back after a year-long hiatus following a shoulder injury. I tried for many months to work around it, but even walking or hiking was painful and it just got too depressing, so I gave up.

 

It's scary to have seen extra weight come on this year. I've always exercised and looked young for my age but this year is the first time I started to FEEL my age. It really is a matter of *use it or lose it* -- for me, anyway.

 

It's a bit of a fight to get back to where I was a year ago, but it helps to be part of a group.

[Tanzi]

It's a bit of a fight to get back to where I was a year ago, but it helps to be part of a group.

 

I absolutely second that!!

[Mesemene]

It's a bit of a fight to get back to where I was a year ago, but it helps to be part of a group.

 

Definitely! I think without this group going, I'd have thrown in the towel by now and decided it was too much work, and just easier to fall in with my family's eating habits.

 

You all are amazingly inspirational - I feel at this point, I can't let everyone else AND myself down again. I'm SO glad this thread is here - I've tried so many times to get back in shape and healthier and failed, this time, I think I'm going to go all the way, and that, for me, is like winning the lottery. Something I've held as an ideal I never thought I'd be able to hit. So thank you to EVERYONE here, and keep up the awesome work.

[redrose85]

I've tried so many times to get back in shape and healthier and failed, this time, I think I'm going to go all the way, and that, for me, is like winning the lottery.

 

The same goes for me. I have hope that this time, I will finally do it!!

 

I made horrible veggie juice for breakfast this morning and my poor husband nearly upchucked. We’ve got a big pot of borscht going now

[Tanzi]

I think I will go all the way too. My recent illness has set me back some but I haven't give up hope. I just want to recover the ground I lost then I will feel more comfortable with where I'm at. I am still feeling disappointed but for a while I was too ill to care. I just wanted to get better and to stop feeling sick! It might not have been so bad had I been further along my journey as I would still feel as if I had achieved something but, despite how well I started out, I don't feel as if I've achieved anything now. Still, as I said, I haven't given up hope of getting to where I want to be by the time summer gets here!

[Mesemene]

While I wasn't in quite the same illness boat, I know how you feel - I basically maintained instead of losing for the 3 weeks after my surgery here. While it wasn't as disturbing as gaining - it still felt like time wasted and lost

 

I'm trying to just move forward from it, but there's no getting around I'll be almost a month behind my goal "time" of mid-July. Blech. I SO wanted to be there by the time I go and visit my daughter to be with her for the birth of my third granddaughter. I just realized today - part of that is, I know I'll end up running into her father (my wonder-ex, you know, I wonder why I married him...) and while never, in a trillion years would I want him back - I still want him to SUFFER. I still have "issues" 10 years since the divorce from the mind games, and I want Mr. Serial Can't Learn a Lesson and get Counseling to SUFFER a bit and be faced with, once again, what HIS issues cost him.

 

That may be quite small of me - but while he's been out dating a series of women and making the same mistakes over and over - and oblivious - I've been struggling to get completely past everything, with the help of a very good man and loving husband. So yes, at least in a small way, I want his world invaded with the reminder again that he has left a scattering of hurt females in his wake, and cost himself so many good relationships because of his ego.

[redrose85]

If he hasn’t realized it by now, he will. Reality will hit him eventually. In the meantime, focus on what you’ve got and relish that you have a better life than you ever did with him.

 

My husband and I went out for dinner for a friend’s birthday tonight. It was our first time out to eat in two weeks. We started looking at the menu and said “you know what? Let’s have what we want tonight.” So we did. My husband opted for a burger, caesar salad, and tiramisu. I had grilled chicken with olives, tomato, peppers and onion, and a side of mashed potatoes and steamed veggies. Normally I’d have been chomping at the bit to have something deep fried and cheesy, but I KNEW that if I ate that way, I’d just feel sick. I did have dessert, some super dark chocolate cake/cheesecake hybrid. Not going to lie, it was amazing and I have zero guilt. I completely relished my dinner and feel so satisfied. Now we are back on the plan.

 

The challenge this week is going to be family dinners...

 

I’m really looking forward to hitting the gym tomorrow!!

[Tanzi]

Same for me … I am way behind where I wanted to be by now and if it wasn't for this thread I think I would have given up again (as I have many times before). I think I am still in the loss zone (albeit by only 2lbs now) but such is life. It has a habit of getting in the way!

 

And your ex-husband sounds so much like my ex-husband. He also has a trail of hurt females (who he still seems to be stringing along) in his wake and although he can't hurt me anymore, he can still p*ss me off. He has a tendency to moan about me to my children - probably because he knows it is going to get back to me … but that is him all over so I shouldn't take it personally. He is actually good to us but he is one of life's moaners. He is only really happy when he has something or someone to moan about.

 

It sounds as though you have something good now so I expect your ex-husband knows that things have worked out far better for you than they have him.

 

 

 

I don't blame you at all!! There really is no point in denying ourselves too much. Overall, I think we make it harder on ourselves if we do. Life is here for us to enjoy and whilst we can do all that we can to help ourselves stay fit and healthy, we also have to allow ourselves some pleasure too. It doesn't sound as if you were as naughty as you could have been anyway!

[Tanzi]

Is it just me or does anyone else get the "munchies" when they are on their period? Fighting it though!

[Mesemene]

I know I do Usually for things I normally don't even have an interest in, or sometimes for "comfort food" that is usually a once in a blue moon want.

 

Last month I was really lucky - I wanted olives. Something I normally like ok on things, but wouldn't go out of my way for. And I ate a whole can of low sodium black olives! At least it wasn't ice cream, or mac n cheese, or McNuggets!

 

I've been allowing myself one somewhat indulgent meal at my major milestones (every 10 lbs) so I know I have that to look forward to. I'm still trying to portion control, but I'll allow myself a small fry, or a piece of fried chicken, or a couple piece of veggie pizza. So I always have something to look forward to. And I figure when I get where I want to be, I can still allow myself those indulgences once a week or so, just so long as they stay indulgent and not the norm. That's the plan, anyway!

[redrose85]

Olives or pickles are something I'd usually pig out on, any time of the month. Or, good old chips.

 

This month I didn't have any crazy cravings. I wanted chocolate a little bit, but a mug of chia chocolate pudding satisfied that mood. I noticed one thing though... I barely got any cramps.

Have you (ladies) noticed this happening with inches lost around the waist? I thought it was great!!

[Mesemene]

Yes!!! I put on a pair of drawstring shorts that used to fit "just right" or if anything, get a bit snug.

 

Today I have so much excess material that pulling the string tight enough for them to stay up made them poof out at the waist lol.

 

Hubby has promised me a MAJOR shopping trip when I hit the 140 mark. Getting excited. And my "baby pouch" of skin and well, flubber - something I completely expected NOT to even shrink, is definitely shrinking! It's still loose and icky, but NOTICEABLY smaller and less "full." Which made me do a happy jig in the shower today I hope nobody was watching

[redrose85]

Yay!!! you are doing so awesome!

[Tanzi]

Unfortunately I haven't noticed any significant loss around my waist but that is because I haven't made any significant loss. Onwards and upwards though. I had fruit and soup all day yesterday. Same again today.

[sharky988]

Unfortunately I haven't noticed any significant loss around my waist but that is because I haven't made any significant loss. Onwards and upwards though. I had fruit and soup all day yesterday. Same again today.

 

Fruit and soup sounds good!

 

I was bloaty and crampy yesterday and hating life. So, no exercise. And I over-ate on curry and brown rice and such.... I tried to keep it healthy, but I could feel like I was eating too much grain and my stomach was hurting. So, ugghh.

 

So, all raw today to make up for it! And back on the spin bike!

 

About the bike: at first, I thought I'd be able to use it every day, easy. Then when it arrived I did a class on DVD and it almost killed me!!! I took a day off. Second time went better. But still I needed TWO days afterwards to recover!

 

So, rather than be a perfectionist and get disappointed in myself, I'm just going to have to accept that after a year with little exercise, I need to start out again as a near-beginner. If that means only 3 spin workouts a week for a few weeks, so be it.... the world won't stop turning just because my butt got lazy.

 

I keep telling myself: weebles wobble but they don't fall down. This is a lesson in humility! Onward and upwards!!!

[sharky988]

Did my workout, feeling better.

[Tanzi]

Three spin sessions a week are better than zero sessions a week!! In fact 3 spin sessions should be more than adequate!

[mhowe]

Just finished workout with trainer. I think I am going to hurl!

[Tanzi]

Just finished wormoit with trainer. I think I am going to hurl!

 

 

Oh Lord and there's me just having a session on my WII Dance/Let's Sweat!!!

[Mesemene]

Hehe you guys really keep me going when I'm tempted to say "to *&^% with this crap." You know, those days where it's tempting just to grab stuff because you feel blah and don't feel like cooking or making something. Then I read what everyone else is doing and get a bit of that determination back.

 

I've been doing yard work the last couple days. The hand kind - spraying and yanking and tilling to get rid of stubborn weeds. The lovely landlord decided to put down rock (common here) without putting down tarp to stop weeds coming through. Impossible to use a weedwhacker without tossing stone everywhere, so it's all hand work. I did say I wanted more exercise... -_-

 

Had my Dr's appt this morning. She thinks she'll be able to take me completely off blood pressure meds, scaled back last month, this one scaling back more, and if still no change, they're going bye bye. THAT feels like progress. In July last year, I went to urgent care when I couldn't get a dr's appt quickly (when we first got on our current insurance). My blood pressure was so high (221/109) they insisted on doing an EKG on the spot to make sure I wasn't going to have a stroke. And sadly, that had gotten normal for me. We just didn't have health insurance at the time, so I wasn't able to get a scrip. So anyway - being back to normal WITHOUT medication? That's something I didn't think would ever happen. I'd been told not to expect it, that I'd be taking that medication for the rest of my life.

 

So if I need proof that, at the least, I'm MUCH healthier, I have it.

 

I also had blood drawn for my lipid and vitamin levels today. Last time the panel was done was August, at my unhealthy worst. So we'll see in a month just how much of a difference I can see there (and oh boy I'll be disappointed if there isn't one!)

 

So thank you, all of you, for just posting here regularly, giving me something to constantly strive to stick with, and a group to do this with. I sincerely would NOT have gotten this far without you!!!