Weight Loss Journey....

The fruity ice cream bars are sweet which I love but they are not thick nor creamy And by the way where I get them from- Aldi they are $1.99 USD for a box that has 4 bars. That's kinda cheap but Aldi is a grocery store that has awesome prices so maybe that's why. It says it's 100% real fruit.
Anyways, I know exactly what you mean when you talk about your cravings- I'm that way too. I feel like when I crave something, even though I know damn well that the more fudge I put on the ice cream for instance, makes it a killer calorie bomb, but that just doesn't even mean anything to me when I want it. It's like my rationality and logic disappear at moments like these. It's weird because usually a rational person who wants something sweet would say, okay what can I do to get away with eating and still staying on track?? And that would mean you have the low calorie low fat kind and eating a reasonable amount not going out of control. It's scary how out of control it feels to have a craving.

Originally Posted by Snake_Lady

I'm not much for weight loss books, but I do have one.

It's called "Flip the Switch". author Jim Karas

this book is great. It's not about eat this eat that. It has goal setting, exercises to do(not physical...emotional..written exercises), motivational blurbs such as



that one I believe, as I live it. I constantly doubt myself.

Part 1 is "It can happen to you" (believing in the flip and visualize the flip)

The flip is deciding that once and for all you can win at weight loss, then transforming that desire into a reality.

Part 2 is "What's kept you from flipping" ( chapters on common excuses like not having the time, not having the energy, not having the money, not having the right genes, etc)

Part 3 is "Living Flipped" (includes monthly inventory worksheets, food journal sheets, exercise logs, etc. one chapter is called "Oh no, I just gained 5lbs...or..how to stay flipped)

It is a great book, and I would definately recommend it for anyone....it helps, it really does. I've pulled it out to reread it again, because I am ready to flip the switch and lose and keep the weight off....I don't want to be out of breath playing with my kids, or out of control so much that I eat anything I can find.

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That sounded really motivational! I fail at part 2- I will probably use the excuse that I have classes now and I can't afford to put any energy into anything besides classes. I dunno though, when I lost weight, I had only 2 classes because I changed majors and dropped a few classes I was taking so I had all this free time. I feel like having that free time helped so much. So I don't think it's a completely crappy excuse. My problem is not just that of my desire to lose weight, i have a problem with myself being not willful and strong person. I procrastinate so much to the point where I do all assignments at the very last second possible. That means I'm completely idle browsing TCS or watching youtube videos all the time, unless it's literally minutes before something is due. I rush out of the house in the morning barely showered the last minute, I don't have time to even make myself a sandwich so I end up buying junk food (at least the one thing i've been successful with is to not eat fast food but junk food replaces it which is equally bad)..So I feel like it's all just tied together and that makes it so much harder. I think just making the time to read a motivational book will probably help a lot. I am going to check out this book as soon as I can. Thanks for suggesting it!

Originally Posted by ut0pia

The fruity ice cream bars are sweet which I love but they are not thick nor creamy

And by the way where I get them from- Aldi they are $1.99 USD for a box that has 4 bars. That's kinda cheap but Aldi is a grocery store that has awesome prices so maybe that's why. It says it's 100% real fruit.

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That doesn't sound too bad... here they will probally be $3 or so... I'll check em out anyways. If they are sweet, between one of them and a nice creamy yogurt, I might be ok.

It's scary how out of control it feels to have a craving.

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Indeed it is.

That sounded really motivational! I fail at part 2- I will probably use the excuse that I have classes now and I can't afford to put any energy into anything besides classes.

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I think you know, that when you say you'll fail, you will. I would suggest, pick up the book. Glance at it and see, I bet something would catch your attention, and you'll say "hey, that's exactly how I feel" and it may help You should be able to find it fairly cheap on amazon or something like that. I think I paid under 20....so it would be less than that for you.

I rush out of the house in the morning barely showered the last minute, I don't have time to even make myself a sandwich so I end up buying junk food (at least the one thing i've been successful with is to not eat fast food but junk food replaces it which is equally bad)..So I feel like it's all just tied together and that makes it so much harder. I think just making the time to read a motivational book will probably help a lot. I am going to check out this book as soon as I can. Thanks for suggesting it!

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I'm sorry, I have to laugh. I am the same way.... if I need to leave at 7, I'll get up at 6:30...shower and go, grabbing something prepackaged to take with me... (which wasn't bad for me, because the things I had prepackaged were yogurt or fruitcups)... this worked well for me tho, till I was pulled from school and now I'm home all the time.

I also hate the prep work time, but I try to make time for it.... heck, I have all the time in the world because I'm off work and recovering from surgery...so not having time is an excuse plain and simple. But, it is true that I just don't feel like making the effort. Like a salad... I don't feel like chopping everything, etc. So I will buy the bagged salads.... then I just dump on a plate, add a couple slices of fat free chicken meat chopped up for protein...and I'm good.

I have been buying the frozen dinners like Lean cuisines and such... they usually have meat and grain in them and are fairly yummy. I wait for sales then stock up... It requires no effort... pop in microwave and done. That might work for you... You can study while your dinner is cooking, without having to do any cooking

My goals for this week:

1. Write my food down in my journal, as well as on here.... for a couple reasons... it keeps me accountable, I am embarassed to post when I do overeat, and to get suggestions on what I could do to improve my food choices

2. Have some sort of breakfast each day this wk. I want to try to establish a healthy eating pattern... 3 meals and 2 snacks a day, to keep my metabolism going strong.

3. Go for at least 2 30mins walks. (if I can't get the actual walk in, I do have an eliptical trainer that I can use)

4. To eat under 1600 cals/day.

I had to redo my calculations because in my initial calculations, I put my height as 5'4.5 when just recently I found that I have shrunk in height.

After redoing my calculations, even with the 8lbs weight loss, my BMI is higher.

Current BMI: 34.8
Goal BMI: 27.5 (165lbs) 31.5 (180lbs)

When you mention it, packaging a lot of snacks and having them ready is probably going to help. I'm going to try that. Lol the thing is, everything seems so much more yummy and appealing when it's from a vending machine. I dunno what it is, it's like magic that makes vending machine snacks seem amazing!! But I think like anything I just need to break that habit of enjoying those snacks so much. And yea lean cuisines, smart ones and healthy choice are all a great way to eat less calories but still eat something nice and warm, that's actually a meal, I love them! I probably should eat them more often...those were all great suggestions!

Originally Posted by ut0pia

When you mention it, packaging a lot of snacks and having them ready is probably going to help. I'm going to try that. Lol the thing is, everything seems so much more yummy and appealing when it's from a vending machine. I dunno what it is, it's like magic that makes vending machine snacks seem amazing!! But I think like anything I just need to break that habit of enjoying those snacks so much. And yea lean cuisines, smart ones and healthy choice are all a great way to eat less calories but still eat something nice and warm, that's actually a meal, I love them! I probably should eat them more often...those were all great suggestions!

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If your vending machines are like ours, the price is ridiculous compared to buying that snack at a store right?

Think about how much money you will save by not buying.

Also, ok, say there is a snack you like... Using your snickers bar for example. Why don't you buy one of those bags with the small ones, you know the ones for Halloween. Keep it in your freezer, and pull one out to take with you to school. (along with healthier foods)

I learned that you cannot deprive yourself of treats.... that just leads to failure. But allowing yourself a nice treat once a wk is NOT going to make you gain weight.... its a nice reward.

I've been buying this yogurt, its called Dessert Yogurt. There's lemon merange(sp), cherry, strawberry chantily, and cran rasberry crumble in it. They are amazing.... my fav is the strawberry chantily. 35cal per container. (they are artificially sweetened though, so that may not work as I know some people stay away from artifical sweeteners).

In fact, thats what i had for breakfast LOL.

Due to my new meds, my plan for this week is on hold. I'm more focused on the med effects and writing all that down, instead of my food stuffs. i'm not saying that I'm not going to be trying, but for now, I have to focus on the med issues.

Keep going - don't get discouraged I agree about imagining your 8lb weight loss as 4 bags of sugar. If you had to carry around those 4 bags everywhere you went, you'd soon realise what a tremendous job you've done in shedding that weight. Take it slow and easy, keep plugging away and more will follow.

One idea though - the only way I could lose weight and keep it off for a significant amount of time was to change my relationship with food. It requires a different view of life. 10 years ago, I lost 2 stone over an 8 month period and kept that off until I had 3 sets of surgery in 12 months which meant I wasn't moving around as much (and eating the wrong kinds of food ).

Now, this year, I've shed that extra that I gained. Since the middle of January I've lost 1 stone 5 lbs and am almost at my goal. One thing I can't do and maintain my weight loss is to eat anything at all in between meals. As soon as I do that, however healthy it might be, it's only a small step to eating something fattening. Everything extra between meals is an extra set of calories that my body doesn't need. It also means my stomach expects more food and makes me want to eat. I definitely, don't keep any food whatsoever in my desk at work. Whatever I need during the day is taken with me each morning.

I found the worst period to be the first two weeks - now I simply don't want that extra food between meals. For meals I'm eating good, healthy, low-fat, low-sugar meals. I'm very lucky that my hubby makes every meal from first principles and if you can do that you'll find that time that it takes to prepare them is time when you don't have to think about eating.

I also do an hour's exercise every day (that's one hour more than I ever used to do)

Sorry for the essay, I hope it helps. Keep up the good work - 8lbs is over half a stone, it's a great achievement

I wanted to say I'm happier with how i'm eating this week!! I took your advice on the lean cuisine meals and I just ate that for dinner- herb roasted chicken (180 calories and 2 slices of low calorie bread 60 calories each- so my dinner is 300 calories) and in the morning I had a cereal bar (140 calories). I didn't do lunch cuz I have a full day of classes but I did get a snack of some sunchips whole grain chips. (200 calories). Besides gum this is all I've had for the day and I also drank some crystal light. I have to say I'm loving crystal light right now. I drink it all the time and it helps me curb that hunger. So yea total of about 700 calories and this is how most of my week has been. I have to say I attribute it to sharing ideas on here. After writing out my problem areas and getting some suggestions, it really helped me focus and actually trust in the solutions I come up with which is so important! I am thinking of weighing in on Sunday if all goes right until then

Good job Mariya (hope I spelled your name right ) Sounds like you are doing very well.

Aren't the LC's yummy? I like crystal lite too, but I mix it with way more water... It is too sweet if I mix it as directed into a 500mL bottle...instead I throw a single packet into my 32oz bottle.

Originally Posted by Snake_Lady

Good job Mariya (hope I spelled your name right

) Sounds like you are doing very well.

Aren't the LC's yummy? I like crystal lite too, but I mix it with way more water... It is too sweet if I mix it as directed into a 500mL bottle...instead I throw a single packet into my 32oz bottle.

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Thanks Chris, and yup you spelled my name right
I weighed myself today, 162, up from 160 when you first started this thread. I mean I kind of expected it but I just didn't want to face it because I wasn't ready to fix it yet. I feel more ready now so hopefully I will be losing weight soon. I feel so hopeful and happy lately. The smallest accomplishments boost my self confidence so much and I just feel more content overall and all the negativity towards myself kind of wears off. The only problem is that usually failure is around the corner. Lol but not this time, I keep telling myself because if I don't I know it will be a self fulfilling prophecy

My next goal is to start some sort of physical activity even just walking because I feel like it's important for my health, I've been slouching a lot lately and that's what a sedentary lifestyle does.

Originally Posted by ut0pia

Thanks Chris, and yup you spelled my name right

I weighed myself today, 162, up from 160 when you first started this thread. I mean I kind of expected it but I just didn't want to face it because I wasn't ready to fix it yet. I feel more ready now so hopefully I will be losing weight soon. I feel so hopeful and happy lately. The smallest accomplishments boost my self confidence so much and I just feel more content overall and all the negativity towards myself kind of wears off. The only problem is that usually failure is around the corner. Lol but not this time, I keep telling myself because if I don't I know it will be a self fulfilling prophecy

My next goal is to start some sort of physical activity even just walking because I feel like it's important for my health, I've been slouching a lot lately and that's what a sedentary lifestyle does.

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You really need to get that book I mentioned...seriously.... i'm not one for self help books but this one makes sense.... Just the things you say, I can see how it would help you. If you have the money, please buy it No I don't work for them, but I can just see you in a never ending battle with your weight and happiness because you fear failure. That is what will continue to hold you back.

oh, a good tip, and one that I try to observe:

Inculde a small amount of protein at each meal.... Protein is the most difficult food to digest, therfore, it stays in the stomach longer, providing a feeling of fullness.

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Thats another reason I like the frozen meals.... The ones I buy are between 200-320 calories, bought on sale for $2, sometimes I can get some on sale for $1....but they include a portion of meat (a correct portion usually), veggies, and pasta.

http://www.michelinas.ca/english/pro...ken-primavera/

It appears that they have different names in different countries. This is the US site, http://www.michelinas.com/Products.aspx You can print off coupons too

I will add to the meal as well....throw in some mushrooms and spinach, and then I have a full veggie serving, full meat serving, full grain serving, and only lacking a full dairy serving out of the 4 food groups.

I even found some dinners at walmart for a buck, (so cheaper in the US) that have 300 or less cals in them

I underwent a laparoscopic Roux-en-Y (gastric bypass) on January 28,2009.I advise anybody to NOT opt for bariatric surgery unless as your last solution.This decision took me about three years to finally reach and it has changed my entire life for the better.At my heaviest I weighed 314 lbs. (5`11``)and my weight on the morning of the operation was 308 lbs. The last time I weighed myself I was at about 242 lbs.(probably less now). I now exercise and work out almost daily on my lunch hour(gym at work) and my chronic plantar fasciitis is getting better.My chronic lumbar back pain has also decreased noticably.I have way more energy just don`t hurt all the time.

Even though I am temporarily in the poor house due to my out of pocket expenses It was more than worth it.My 20% of total bills comes to about 3k.Opting for bariatric surgery is a drastic cure and it difficult and frustrating to slowly move through: clear liquids,liquids,pureed foods,boiled/fork-tender foods and finally on to a semi-normal diet.You totally have to retrain yourself and can`t eat like you used to.If you eat too much or too quickly you will have severe cramping and end up vomitting.If you eat and drink together the results are the same.After my surgery I have to monitor my daily protein intake and make sure I`m getting what I need.Don`t let`s forget the vitamins and supplements that you need for the rest of your life.Those are`nt really that bad.Of course no soda or beer...or anything with carbonation.Bubbles and gas will bloat and cramp you.No breads,no pasta and no rice as they tend to swell up and can even block your new,tiny passage connecting your pouch and the re-routed intestine.Heaven help you if you don`t chew food well or if you eat some tough,stringy meat and get a blockage!Never had that!!In severe cases you are readmitted for an endoscopy.I`m experiencing some thinning of my hair(which often happens around 3 to 6 months post-op).They say it will come back."They" say a lot of things,don`t they? Sweets and high-carbohydrate foods are on my permenant DISALLOWED! list.High sugar and/or high carb foods initiate the "dumping syndrome" in most post-op patients.This happens because when the sugar/carb laden food hits your system it overloads it and your body reacts by dumping a super dose of insulin into your bloodstream...which causes a rapid fall in the bloodsugar level.You end up feeling weak,dizzy,sweating,and often have gastric upset accompanied by diarreah and gas.I`ve had this on a small scale and it is not pleasant.Just another way my new body helps to keep me honest.My view on it.Get used to reading labels and counting sugars and carbs and ALWAYS protein.

This is just how I live my life now.For everyone?No,not at all.So,that is my story in a nutshell.

Thanks for reading.
HosMan

In 1989 I lost 80 lbs; I was sick of being overweight. I kept it off for 13 years until I was laid off my job. Some people drink or do drugs, but I eat when I'm stressed and I put most of it all back on in the past few years. I'm in my mid fifties now and it's taken me as long to lose 35 lbs as as it took to lose 80 before.
What's kept me going is that I am doing something good for me. I look and feel better and many of my aches and pains have gone away.
I have 30 more lbs. to go and at the rate I'm going it will be another 6 months, but the reward will that much "sweeter" at the end.
IMO, this is a journey that you must want to do for yourself.

CLPeters,you are my hero! When my weight got to the point that I could`nt even exercise to begin to lose it...well,I knew I was`nt going to do it on my own. That was,for me,the worst thing! The fact that I wanted to exercise and begin tackling the problem,but had so much pain and mechanical problems that I effectively was dead in the water.That hurt the most for me.That feeling of utter hopelessness and being powerless.Just the fact that you are exercising is HUGE! You are building a life model;a habit.The hardest part for most people. Keep it up!

HosMan

Originally Posted by Snake_Lady

You really need to get that book I mentioned...seriously.... i'm not one for self help books but this one makes sense.... Just the things you say, I can see how it would help you. If you have the money, please buy it

No I don't work for them, but I can just see you in a never ending battle with your weight and happiness because you fear failure. That is what will continue to hold you back.

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I know, I see it too! Well, I've been to therapy when I was so depressed and my depression was kind of linked to my weight and it was why I was gaining weight at the time, and my therapist worked with me on those issues of why I always see failure and I never wholeheartedly believe in my smaller succeeses, I just see them as happening by coincidence. ...The thing is I never trusted her in what she was saying, I always felt like she had to say that because it's her job but she has no idea what it's like because she's never been through it herself..
But hopefully when I actually read it in a book I will trust it more and it will motivate me more than my therapist did.

Originally Posted by Snake_Lady

oh, a good tip, and one that I try to observe:


Thats another reason I like the frozen meals.... The ones I buy are between 200-320 calories, bought on sale for $2, sometimes I can get some on sale for $1....but they include a portion of meat (a correct portion usually), veggies, and pasta.

http://www.michelinas.ca/english/pro...ken-primavera/

It appears that they have different names in different countries. This is the US site, http://www.michelinas.com/Products.aspx You can print off coupons too

I will add to the meal as well....throw in some mushrooms and spinach, and then I have a full veggie serving, full meat serving, full grain serving, and only lacking a full dairy serving out of the 4 food groups.

I even found some dinners at walmart for a buck, (so cheaper in the US) that have 300 or less cals in them

Click to expand...

Those look nice!! I get the lean cuisine meals for about $2 on sale also. There are 3 major grocery stores around me- wal mart, publix and kroger(I think the last one is a local chain so probably only familiar to people from the south), and usually they will always be on sale in one of those stores. It's nice to have more than 1 store around. I used to get the ones that are up to 250 calories, now I aim at less than 200 calories though and I've stocked up on 3 varieites that are less than 200 calories. I just never feel full after eating one of those meals so I have to eat with some kind of side, like bread or something else so for that reason I get the ones that have the least calories. I used to eat like two of those 150 calorie ones per day!! That's only 300 calories per day and totally unhealthy..but that's how I lost a pretty big amount of weight. I'm lucky though because now I feel like I recognize hunger, and I never eat extremely small amounts of food nor overeat the way I used to at times. 2200 calories is not extreme, it's overeating but not to the point where it's completely unhealthy and dangerous...So I'm really lucky my sort of restrictive and unhealthy diet didn't force me to get an eating disorder of some sort, but some people aren't so lucky that's why I'd never do it again and don't recommend it to anyone. Lol I went on a little rant again...
Oh and about the protein tip- I think lean cuisine meals usually always have meat which is great!! Before I started eating them I used to eat mostly carbs, and even if I wasn't binging on them it still not very good. Besides protein is so essential for your health too.

HosMan- when I was on a very unhealthy low calorie diet of like 300 calories, I also experienced hair thinning and then it was back to normal. That's a totally bad way to lose weight but I'm confused, how can that gastric bypass surgery be healthy for you when you are eating so little? Doesn't that make you malnourished? I can never understand that part. I know it helps many people though so that's great and I'm really glad to hear your story of how your life has changed. Congrats for making such a huge difference in your life!

Originally Posted by HosMan

I underwent a laparoscopic Roux-en-Y (gastric bypass) on January 28,2009.I advise anybody to NOT opt for bariatric surgery unless as your last solution.This decision took me about three years to finally reach and it has changed my entire life for the better.At my heaviest I weighed 314 lbs. (5`11``)and my weight on the morning of the operation was 308 lbs. The last time I weighed myself I was at about 242 lbs.(probably less now). I now exercise and work out almost daily on my lunch hour(gym at work) and my chronic plantar fasciitis is getting better.My chronic lumbar back pain has also decreased noticably.I have way more energy just don`t hurt all the time.

Even though I am temporarily in the poor house due to my out of pocket expenses It was more than worth it.My 20% of total bills comes to about 3k.Opting for bariatric surgery is a drastic cure and it difficult and frustrating to slowly move through: clear liquids,liquids,pureed foods,boiled/fork-tender foods and finally on to a semi-normal diet.You totally have to retrain yourself and can`t eat like you used to.If you eat too much or too quickly you will have severe cramping and end up vomitting.If you eat and drink together the results are the same.After my surgery I have to monitor my daily protein intake and make sure I`m getting what I need.Don`t let`s forget the vitamins and supplements that you need for the rest of your life.Those are`nt really that bad.Of course no soda or beer...or anything with carbonation.Bubbles and gas will bloat and cramp you.No breads,no pasta and no rice as they tend to swell up and can even block your new,tiny passage connecting your pouch and the re-routed intestine.Heaven help you if you don`t chew food well or if you eat some tough,stringy meat and get a blockage!Never had that!!In severe cases you are readmitted for an endoscopy.I`m experiencing some thinning of my hair(which often happens around 3 to 6 months post-op).They say it will come back."They" say a lot of things,don`t they? Sweets and high-carbohydrate foods are on my permenant DISALLOWED! list.High sugar and/or high carb foods initiate the "dumping syndrome" in most post-op patients.This happens because when the sugar/carb laden food hits your system it overloads it and your body reacts by dumping a super dose of insulin into your bloodstream...which causes a rapid fall in the bloodsugar level.You end up feeling weak,dizzy,sweating,and often have gastric upset accompanied by diarreah and gas.I`ve had this on a small scale and it is not pleasant.Just another way my new body helps to keep me honest.My view on it.Get used to reading labels and counting sugars and carbs and ALWAYS protein.

This is just how I live my life now.For everyone?No,not at all.So,that is my story in a nutshell.

Thanks for reading.
HosMan

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And that is exactly why it is vital to take your vitamin and mineral suppliments on a daily basis as well as ensuring you consume most of your calories in the form of high-quality proteins.

HosMan, kudos to you.... not for the gastric bypass, but for advising against it.

My sister in law had one done in ummm, Oct or Nov 2008 I believe...could be wrong on the month. She never admitted how much she weighed at the most, but on my estimation and based on other comments, I'd have to say she was over 300lbs. I believe she has reached close to the 100lb loss mark now.

Anyone who says going for the gastric bypass is the easy way out, obviously has never been around someone who has had one.

It is NOT easy..... My SIL chose it because of her health, she's in her early
40's, her diabetes was getting worse, bp worse, and hip problems worse.... she was working on losing the weight naturally ( food intake and exercise) but there wasn't alot of exercise she could do because of her hips. The decision was made with the diabetes issue... I forget which type she has, (not the one where you have to take insulin) but it was just diagnosed last yr, then worse at her check up.

She had 2wks of prep work prior to the surgery, liquid diet, etc. Then after the surgery, exactly has HosMan has already posted. It is a battle... and you have to make sure you get the needed vitamins and minerals.

It was the right choice for her....within 2-4wks after the surgery, she could walk better (less pain in the hips) and the diabetes was "gone".

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Me...ok, last week was crap. Not that this was an excuse, but I was focused on dealing with the side effects of the new med and in doing so, my food intake varied.... it was not a good week.

This week, I am getting back on track. No excuses.

My goal is simply to get back on track. I need to focus on it, because of cutting down, then quitting smoking on Sat. or sooner depending on how the pills work. I don't want to be filling my face in place of cigarettes.

So, I will be back to writing everything down (last week I was writing everything down in regards to the meds and their effects), weighing, and counting calories while trying to maintain adequate nutrition.

Again, my week prior to this one, was crap... I did start eating better though.

Update: as of today on my scale, I was down to 188lbs. My goal is 190lbs on my doc's scale by my appt. which is in roughly 2wks.

I need to make sure I weigh myself before I go, so I can see how the scales compare because I know on my dr. scale, I weigh heavier.

Anyways:

I am back to eating on track, and I'm trying to get a minimum of 3hrs exercise per week (roughly 25-30 mins/day) of something such as walking, biking, inside exercises, my elliptical, going up and down the stairs, etc.

I put 3hrs/wk because I cannot say that I can do 30mins each day... some days I can barely function, let alone exercise.

Yesterday I went for a bike ride with my youngest daughter... we did what I call a country block.... and then some. When I got back I checked on a map, and its roughly 12kms that we did I was sooo proud of her, and proud of myself as I was not aching, sore, etc. My hindquaters are a little sore today, prolly cuz I don't use them much aside from sitting on it

Due to my meds, I have been having breakie and a snack at night (plus lunch and dinner).

Yesterday was a great day...my menu was:

Breakie: Yogurt, Cranberry juice, and coffee (1/2 milk serving, 2 fruits) 110cal
Lunch: Salad with tuna and light italian dressing (2 veg servings, 1/2 meat)
60 cal
Snack: Yogurt, canteloup (1/2 milk, 2 fruit) 69 cal
Supper: Chicken with ww egg noodles and mixed veggies with italian dressing ( 1 meat, 2 grain, 2 veg) 262 cal
Snack: Yogurt (1/2milk) 40 cal

Total cals: 541 ( + water 200oz min.)
Servings:

Fruit and veggies: 8
Food guide recommends: 7-8

Milk and alternatives: 1 1/2
Food guide recommends: 2

Grains: 2
Food guide recommends: 6-7

Meat and meat alternatives: 1.5
Food guide recommends: 2

Today:

Breakie: Yogurt and Coffee 40cals
Lunch: Salad with tuna and italian dressing 60 cals
Supper: 2 Hamburgers... (lean beef patties, dill pickle/tomato/mustard/FF mayo) 580 cals
Snack: Yogurt 80cals.

Servings:

Fruit and veggies: 3
Food guide recommends: 7-8

Milk and alternatives: 1
Food guide recommends: 2

Grains: 3
Food guide recommends: 6-7

Meat and meat alternatives: 2.5
Food guide recommends: 2

hmmmmm...interesting indeed. I am trying not only to watch what I eat, but also to try to eat healthy....

I find, it really helps if I plan out my meals ahead of time.... takes some pressure off me when cooking dinner and I eat better.

How is everyone else doing???

Hi Chris
glad to hear you're doing so well!! Congrats on all that weight loss..So is the med helping you not be in pain? It sounds like you're doing so well and enjoying it at the same time which is the most important thing..
As for me, I weighed myself this morning and I'm down 2 pounds back to the usual 160, I'm kinda happy although I'm back where I started..My week was good but I had a bad friday and saturday, I ate a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and a sammy from quiznos which were my worst foods but worst of all, I ate those in 1 day and I also ate a bunch of raisins with yogurt which is my favorite snack and I also drank 2 beers which are so high in calories... So I was really upset with myself but it seems like Sunday really paid off- I ate quite well on Sunday and it seems like it set off those bad days.
My main focus now is on going to the gym..I will try to go at least 3 times a week for at least 25 minutes on the elliptical. I want to gain some strength and get more fit. I really wish I could do a jog/walk training program to learn to run faster but treadmills scare me and running outside freaks me out because I live near a main road Oh well the elliptical will do..

I've been working on losing weight for a while now. So far I have lost 40-50 pounds but I did it very slowly and with a few setbacks...most of which were just plateaus but last fall when my dog got sick (cancer) I stopped paying attention to my food/exercise and when she died I got depressed and stopped caring completely and gained 10 pounds back. Now I am trying to lose that weight again...
I lost the weight by tracking my food/exercise and trying to stay in a particular range of calories/protein/fat/carbs and exercise. My sister introduced me to a website called SparkPeople and that has made a huge difference because it lets me just put in all my food and exercise in a tracker and then it calculates all the information for me so I can keep better track. This has really helped me to get a better view of what I am eating and how many calories I am burning and made all the difference in my weight loss, plus helped me to eat more healthy. Right now I am not eating as healthy as I was before last fall though, I am staying in the calorie range but not eating as healthy foods so that is my next goal now-- to reduce the junk food and eat more fruit and vegetables.