Anybody interested???

Hi,
Count me in to. I want to lose pretty close to 100 pds. I will weigh in weekly if others do to. I guess I have to buy a scale now

So anybody got any good ideas on what helps? I have been on this weight rollercoaster for years now.

Ok I guess I will join to. I need to lose about 100 pds or so.
I will post my weight weekly if others do to.
I guess I have to go buy a scale now

Oh Oh no more regular mt. dew
If any one has some good tipes or pointers please please feel free to let me know

swtsassy65,

Yes! Good for you and welcome to the "club"!!! There are some good suggestions in this thread, if you have the time to go through the pages and read the posts. It has gotten pretty long since Amy came up with the great idea. I wrote my own method of losing on page 2 if you're interested in how I've lost my 14 lbs. in 8 weeks. I am stuck now at yet another plateau, but really am looking, at this point, at another 9 lbs, which they say the last 10 are the hardest to lose. I keeping repeating that to myself as a mantra, just about, so I won't get discouraged . But be prepared for those nasty plateaus. When you have a lot of weight to lose, in the beginning, it flies off if you're good. Then you hit the plateaus and it's easy to want to give up, but don't.

We are all here to support each other (a wonderful thing when you're going through anything!). I wish you best of luck and be strong. You can do it!!!

Hi Sassy...sounds like we have some things in common. I had (yes had!!!!!) over 100 pounds to take off. For now, 50 pounds are "gone for good" ..... My plan is on page 3. Its NOT a diet. Its a healthy way of eating for life. Big difference in focus and results and staying power.

This is the one thing that works for me at the age of 53, postmenopausal and heavy my entire life (except for a brief respite when I was a very little girl at about 5 yrs old is my guess). I have struggled w/frustration over trying many suggested ways to drop weight since the age of 12. This has been a long time coming, I've been my own "experiment" and w/God's grace have found what works for me and what improves my health.

We're here for you! Terry
ps. Lose the shame over posting your weight...it is what it is. And you are a work in progress like we all are. You are not a number.

_________________

CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): Power

Horror stories.....
My sister-in-law asked me if I was pregnant...she's an idiot.
Can't cross my legs anymore because my legs are too fat.
Barely fit in a movie theater seat.
Barely fit in an airplane seat.
I guess I barely fit in most "normal" size seats.
Have trouble getting through a turnstile.
I'm always hot...too much body fat.
Ugh....can I stop now?
Amy

To Yawn, I think we also carry a lot of emotional baggage along with the excess baggage (lbs.) we are wearing under our skin. A lot of people eat for reasons other than being hungry which is the only reason one should eat. We are constantly bombarded by food advertising on television, newspapers, flyers advertising fried chicken, pizza, fast foods. I personally have a problem with night eating. I can be good all day but find myself wanting to eat in front of the TV set. My solution, don't watch tv and do something else. Fortunately, I have numerous hobbies that I can do.
YOU ASKED FOR SUGGESTIONS SO I AM WRITING MY LIST.
How you eat is almost as important as what you eat. eg. Eat slowly, chew your food, put the fork down between bites. Do the dishes midwaythrough the meal..anything to stretch it out. Clear your cupboards of all foods that you cannot have..crackers, chips etc. You can't eat what you don't buy. Don't eat with distractions. Plan your meals and make extra meals to freeze. I plan my food according to the following menu.
Breakfast 1/2 protein, 1 fruit, 1 starch, 1 dairy
Mid AM 1 fruit 1 protein bar (optional)
Lunch 1 protein, 2 vegetables, 1 fruit, 1 starch
Mid PM 1 fruit, 1 starch, 1 fat,
Dinner - 1 protein, 2 vegetables, 1 starc
Evening - 1 dairy, 1 protein bar WATER - 8 GLASSES MINIMUM (very difficult)
I am not suggesting you follow this plan because it might be too much food and each food plan is geared to the individual. The exchanges are similar to weight watchers in size. Anyway, I plan my meals around this plan. CareS[/u]

Dear Amy,

I can really relate to your post....esp the always hot part....the furnace I carry with me has been there since childhood so I couldn't blame menopause!

more "horror stories":

the little boy who sat behind me in grade 5 and whispered so noone but me could hear: you are a fat pig, everybody hates you...he'd repeat insults like that over and over through the year. That year I decided I hated school. I'd make myself sick in the mornings so I wouldn't have to go in. I was depressed and would sit in class w/tears running down my cheeks. I was as quiet as a mouse becasue I was convinced he was right. I couldn't share how I felt or what was going on w/my Mom because she was overweight too and I didn't want to hurt her. Shame, rejection, worse, self rejection, got a stronghold in my mind and heart at a tender age that year.

being the last one picked on teams at recess

not wanting to leave the house as a preteen because I was too embarrassed by my weight

shopping in the "chubby" section of the store

having my mom try to stuff me into my thin big sisters' handme down clothes when I was about 4 and when I couldn't get my arm through the sleeves and she couldn't get the dress off of me easily, having her tear the dress so she could get me out of it while she was screaming at me and I was crying....feeling like she was mad at me for who I was, how I was and being too little to understand her own frustration

when I was older? trying so many extremes to lose weight that I damaged my body and not accepting myself for so many years...then I met Jesus and He put things in perspective for me...He created me and loves me completely in this moment as I am....imperfections and all.

Love, Terry

CareS,

Good point about emotional baggage and being overweight. My boss had a gastric bypass done about two years ago. When she first had it done, probably about four months post-surgery, we had a talk. She told me that although she had lost a considerable amount of weight already as a result of the surgery, what most people don't realize is, you overeat, a lot of the time, because of some underlying psychological reasons that don't go away just because you now physically cannot put a lot of food into your stomach. So while the actual process of losing weight occurs, it doesn't stop you from still wanting to eat like you have your whole life because the psychological issues weren't addressed by the surgery. To her, this was excruciatiingly hard to come to terms with. She said anyone who undergoes gastric bypass must have counseling along with it because if you still have the emotional reasons that caused you always to overeat but physically cannot put that food into you anymore, it is very hard on your mental well being. That was something I never thought about or related to.

However, even without gastric bypass, a lot of people who now, after a lifetime of being overweight and overeating, are trying to eat more healthy and lose the weight are still carrying around whatever it was that caused them to be overeaters in the first place. That can make this whole process tremendously difficult. I don't know, but maybe just realizing that can help. Like they say, realizing you have a problem is the first step in getting help.

I have to say, I was blessed my whole life with being thin until I had kids and then the weight crept up on me slowly. I have never been what you would call heavy. I guess being almost 5'6" helps, too, to distribute whatever weight you carry. And I am thin-hipped, something that I used to hate growing up (wanted really curvy hips like some of the other girls) but now am so grateful for. I can't relate to a lot of the things that other people who have been heavy all their lives have gone through, and I won't pretend I can. But I can understand not being happy with your self-image, as I was not happy with mine, and not eating healthy and causing physical problems as a result. I think this "support group" idea Amy came up with is a beautiful thing as it will give ALL OF US with our own issues to deal with the opportunity to vent and be given advice/help from the others. Support is a wonderful thing and sometimes it's just what we need to keep us on track.

I truly wish everyone who is involved in trying to improve their eating habits and get healthier and look better the best of luck. And with all this support, maybe we won't need it.

Terry,

I just read your post and all I can do is cry. I am so upset by hearing what you went through. I know it was a long time ago, but how do you erase that? I am so glad you found your comfort now and have come to terms with being just who you are. Oh, what a horrible little boy to do such terrible things to you. Kids can be so cruel. And for you to have to feel so sad by what you underwent at home, too, and feeling so inferior just because of your weight. No little girl should ever have to endure that.

We can't go back and change what happened, unfortunately. But you sound like you have triumphed emotionally and I am so happy for you. Thanks for your courage to share that story with us all.

Terry - It is unfortunate that what others tell us during our formative years we continue to tell ourselves in our later years. We are all special in our own way and we are all different and unique and each of us has our own talents and gifts that I believe we should use to help others. We are worth it, and need to challenge the negative voices inside our head that tell us we can't do it, that we are worthless and what's the use. What we think inside is going to affect our progress losing weight and how we feel about ourselves. This will apply to any endeavor we take on. Think only positive thoughts and replace negative thoughts with positive thoughts. Visualize yourself slim and happy.
A WEIGHT LOSS TIP: Drink one glass of water with a small portion of high fibre food example (half a wheetabix cereal biscuit) with skim milk or a small glass of tomato juice with wheatgerm or brewers yeast (from the healthfood store) a half hour before your meal. This will take the edge off your hunger and you won't want to eat as much during the meal and you will be in control of your eating. Count the fibre as 1/4 starch serving. Have the other glass of water with your meal. CareS

When my identical twin and I were in our early teens, my step-father kiddingly told us that we were "fat and ugly". As you can well guess we both took that into adulthood. At the time neither of us was either fat or ugly. It took along time for us to get over that underlying feeling though. At 41 today, we still both have that crop up from time to time.

While I am not exactly thin right now, I am not really much over weight either. I could stand to loose about 10-15 lbs. Which I am working on.

One thing thing that has always helped me is NOT to diet, but to eat healthy and exercise. I don't deprive myself of cravings, but do limit them. I drink LOTS and LOTS of water. I recently found something call True Lemon that you can add to your water or whatever beverage you would like. If you are interested, you can find it at http://www.truelemon.com I like it rather than caring around cut up lemons in my purse.


I recently joined the local Curves with my daughter and have really enjoyed it. I am not seeing much of a weight loss yet, but I am seeing muscle tone... don't forget... muscle weights more than fat.

Good luck to all trying to loose weight and don't forget to eat breakfast, the most important meal of the day!
Best,
Teri

Teri,

You and I have similiar methods and are in somehwhat the same ballpark as far as weight to lose and the fact that we've never been very overweight. Stick with it...it has to work. I've had friends who swear by Curves, Ladies Express Workout, Contours, the 30-min. type workout places. I just need something at home or I won't go. I joined Ladies Express Workout last October and paid $30 per month for a year (this month being my last payment) and went twice. Boy, did I waste my money. So I spent a couple of hundred on an in-house recumbent bike and there are no more excuses anymore, like "I don't feel like going."

tlc95066 wrote:
I recently joined the local Curves with my daughter and have really enjoyed it. I am not seeing much of a weight loss yet, but I am seeing muscle tone... don't forget... muscle weights more than fat.

Hi Teri,
I've thought about joining Curves but I wasn't sure how it worked. Somebody told me they have a 30 min. program that you follow and that's it. You're supposed to only do the 30 mins. My doctor wants me to do 45 mins. of cardio 6 days a week so I don't see 30 mins. as much of a help. Also, is it cardio and/or weights? I currently do 30 mins. a day on my eliptical machine and then do weights. Would Curves have much more to offer?
Thanks....Amy

Amy,

Ladies Express is the same as Curves. It's actually a circuit of machines, and you use each machine for a timed interval (it's been since last October so I forget how many mins. each machine) and listen for when the recording tells you to change machines. The idea is to do two circuits, that takes 15 minutes per circuit. There are also little jogging pads and steps in between some of the machines that they place that instead of doing a machine, for some of the next timed intervals, you either jog or do a step type exercise until it's time to move to the next machine. In addition, mine had an elliptical machine, a treadmill and some upright exercise bikes that you had to sign up for but only at 10 minute intervals. That you were supposed to use either before or after the circuit.

I couldn't see how this was going to work for me. Being an instructor from way back when, when Elaine Powers was in business (dating myself here), we were taught that in order to burn fat, tone up or build, there were specific ratios of sets/repetitions needed to achieve your desired result. If everyone is just doing one machine for a short amount of time and then moving on to the next, at the same tension, etc., I couldn't see how it would work. BUT...people swear it does and have gotten incredible results. The last time I joined a regular gym (not a 30-min one), a young girl was joining at the same time and told me she just got through with Curves; that it had worked and she had been a member for two years, but wanted something new to do so was joining a regular gym. So it does work.

Let me also just say, if you're doing 30 mins. on an elliptical machine, BRAVO!!!! That is hard to do. I found it exhausting the last time I tried it. That was pre-CPAP back last October, but I went 15 mins. and thought I was gonna die. I give you much credit for that one. I do 45 mins. on my recumbent, but that's sitting down. Elliptical, IMHO, is way harder.

Once again, congrats on your weight loss. Keep up the great work.

Wow, you currently do 30 mins a day on the eliptical, thats great! i am not sure that Curves would offer you much more. What it offers me is being with other people. Thats what I need for motivation. I work out of my home and I am a social creature my nature. So for me it is the human contact.

Also because my daughter goes with me, it is an opportuntiy for us to bond. She is 15 going on 30. Between homework, dance and boys I get a little bit of her time.

Even though Cuves does say that all an individual need to do is 2 X around, I typically do anywhere from 2 1/2 to 3 X around. This typically provides me with enough cardio. I also do have weights at home and occasionally will do arm exercises. I will also do lunges outside, good for the butt and thighs.

Best,
Teri