Weight Loss

Hey ladies, I thought I would kick things off for our first week! Tuesdays are weigh in days, so I will kick things off by sharing my weight again

SW: 259

CW: 246

GW: 140

P.S. - Love all of the pics - You ladies look fabulous!

hey Fab 5,

thought you might find this interesting.

Progress, not Perfection!

http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/motivatio n_articles.asp?id=437&page=2

Hello Sharyn,

I don't know if our friends will easily find this thread. It might be useful to post it in your journal... I found it by chance, because I visited your profile and saw that you had indeed created the new thread.

I agree that progress is the key... Persevering is also very important. As a group, I think we are most useful when someone is having  problems with their weight loss journey. If everyone is perfect, then there is no need for a support group! I do have a fear of failing at this and I must admit that when I joined this group, I felt a bit stressed out at having to be accountable. The first thought that came to my mind was: " What if I don't lose weight one week?". I know that we are all in the same boat, but still I am so afraid of having to say that I didn't lose or I gained weight. Silly... no?

Thanks for the article. I enjoyed reading it.

By the way,

SW:280

CW:275

GW:180

Hi Lucie,

thanks for posting the thread in your journal, that is a great idea. You are right in that I think all of us have the same fear of failing and the fear of being accountable. I think if we look at every other area of our lives, such as careers and family, what motivates us to do our best is that we have accountability to those people.  I actually had the same first thought as you...."what if I don't lose one week?" Well guess what? that has already happened! And sometimes it happened when I worked my hardest. But those are the times when we need the most encouragement, which I think our group will provide. Those are the times when I want to throw my hands up and say forget the whole thing! So no, it's not silly. So on the weeks that we don't lose weight, we should still report on any progress in any other area. We're all about learning and maintaining good habits. If we focus too heavily on losing weight, I think we lose sight of that, and end up doing drastic stuff to lose weight, which I think we all know backfires in the end. So chin up :) one of my motivations for starting a small group was so that I can take this journey for the last time with people who want to take it for the last time too. There is strength in numbers :)

Hello Sharyn,

I do like the idea of reporting on  "any progress in any other area". True... we tend to focus all our energies on the weight loss and it seems we are just waiting for that time when we fail to "throw up our hands and say forget the whole thing"!!

I found a great website yesterday (http://www.calorieking.com/) and I was reading, in the recipes and articles section, about motivation:finding it and maintaining it. As the article says, it's easy to find motivation but much more difficult to maintain it. It's worth a read! They also have great success stories which is a good motivational tool.

I do want to take this journey for the last time and I do wish it's the last time you take it. You are still very young (by my standards!!!) and there is so much to look forward to... Not that I am on my deathbed!!! But sometimes I do wish I had seen the light earlier... As they say, it's never too late! I am reading a book called " A new world" (one of Oprah's picks) and it talks about living in the moment and accepting what is... Not easy stuff but inspiring! Yesterday evening, I read a passage that reminded me of things you wrote in your journal. I don't have the book with me now but I'll try posting a passage of the book in your journal later on in the day. It had to do with emotional eating...

Anyway, I need to live in the present and do what I can to improve the situation... NOW! Not two years ago, not in four months, but now!

I hope our three other friends soon join us here!!

thanks for the link - I will check it out. Who is the author of the book you're reading? I used to read all the time and I have been trying to pick it back up for the past few months. I would love to read that one.

I hope our three other friends join us soon too! We'll keep their spots warm in the meantime!

I'm here and running late for work! I will be back later to post- I didnt know this was here until this morning!

Have a great day ladies!

Glad to see you're with us still! maybe in the future I will send the nw link for the week to everyone's e-mail.  Not sure if you get an auto notification when you receive an e-mail to your CC account or not? I will test it and see.

Welcome Trippydish! I'm really glad that you found us...

Well, I had that "emotional eating" thing yesterday!!! I said something in a meeting and then I spent the day wondering if I should have said it... Then, IT started... Wanting to eat everything in sight! But I managed to outwit my addiction! I waged several battles during the day but everytime I thought of the passage I had read the previous evening. So here it is, in case it helps you someday:

" If you have a compulsive behavior pattern such as smoking, overeating, drinking, TV watching, Internet addiction, or whatever it may be, this is what you can do: When you notice the compulsive need arising in you, stop and take three conscious breaths. This generates awareness. Then for a few minutes be aware of the compulsive urge itself as an energy field inside you. Consciously feel that need to physically or mentally ingest or consume a certain substance or the desire to act out some form of compulsive behavior. Then take a few more conscious breaths. After that you may find that the compulsive urge has disappeared-for the time being. Or you may find that it still overpowers you, and you cannot help but indlulge or act it out again. Don't make it into a problem. Make the addiction part of your awareness practice in the way described above. As awareness grows, addictive patterns will weaken and eventually dissolve. Remember, however, to catch any thoughts that justify the addictive behavior, sometimes with clever arguments as they arise in your mind. Ask yourself, Who is talking here? And you will realize the addiction is talking. As long as you know that, as long as you are present as the observer of your mind, it is less likely to trick you into doing what it wants."

(A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle, pp247-248)

OK... It may be high-flying stuff... but I remembered the sentence in bold character and that's what helped me overcome the urge to eat yesterday.

One battle at a time, as they say!!

Hi Lucie,

I like that little trick! I am definitely going to use it. It reminds me of the Sedona Method which helps you to really feel your emotions in the moment and acknowledge them rather than put them aside. I am very proud of you for overcoming and old habit and putting into practice a great new habit instead!  High Five Girl!

I think my biggest problem is eating out of boredom. I wouldnt really say that I have ever been an emotional eater- until i started trying so hard to lose weight! As soon as I set a goal I want to eat everything in sight like instantly! Hence my post yesterday about driving into a Krispy Kreme when I dont even like them! I think its very interesting that I can go along just fine- then when I set a goal like- ok Im gonna work out 4 days this week- something in my body/subconcious instantly rebels!

Mind: Today I am gonna go to the strength training class at the gym! I always feel so good after I work out!

Body: You only THINK you are gonna do all those squats- Ive got some couch time coming and doesnt The Closer start back up this week? Check the TV Guide- OH! and grab me some cheetohs kay? thanks!

It's a war ladies! I need to pick a side already lol.

Trippy,

From what I have read from the experts, we should have simple things that we can readily do that will satifiy the need for "something to do" for example, read a good book, watch a movie, call a friend, etc - anything that calls for action. The same thing doesn't always work everytime, so they say you should have a list of possibilities. I'm forwarding a link to you about the weight loss stress thing

http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/wellness_ articles.asp?id=473

Mind and Body are so hard to line up...lol...I guess that's why it takes 21 days to learn a new habit....the funny thing is once you learn that new habit, why does it feel like it can virtually disappear overnight? complexity of the human body and brain......

I am happy to see that you are hanging in there

Hello FFF,

Happy Sunday!

Serene Sundays - I'm going to brag a bit. I had really good measurement stats compared to last month and I am still celebrating that. I ate with my sister's family last night (usually tough) and stayed within my calorie intake, because I was aware of how many cals I had left before I went. I had one emotional eating episode this week. I am happy to say that I got through it without a binge. Not quite at the point where I don't pick up food at all, but at least it was a choc. protein bar and trail mix rather than 3 slices of cake or something like that. I'm learning every day to celebrate my accomplishments. At 35 years old, it is a challenge not to try to do everything perfectly. What is perfect anyway? I think it's what we tell ourselves it is - after all you can accomplish the same thing several different ways in various time frames. I read a great quote which says that "small steps lead to the same destination as giant leaps". How profound. So which way is perfect? The way that suits you and makes you feel good about yourself. So Kudos to those who can lose weight easily and maintain their perfect body weight easily. But also, Kudos to those of us who have to work harder at it and put more effort into it. Because Guess what? Our smaller steps will still lead to the same destination - our perfect weight and great physical health.

BTW,

check out my body at 140 pounds (had to cut the head off- helps me more easily envision that it is me)

whether it's a year from now or two or three, at some point my head is going to be on this body!

http://caloriecount.about.com/cc/community/us erpics.php?count=35

Hello Ladies,

Happy Sunday!  I had a long weekend away and totally blew my "diet". I made all the wrong choices and didn't seem to care. That's just not right. My nephew and his wife and baby were in town  from Ca and they come but once every 8 years and we hosted a lobster roast/clam bake with all the fixing's and I mean all of them with cocktails to boot. Today I'm going to my mother in laws house for yet another party. My nephew will be there. He is a chef and is preparing a meal of Lobster Bisque (from the leftover shells) and Braised Beef ribs.  I  feel like a cow and hate to see people that I haven't seen in a long time as i feel like They will look at me and say , there she is, big and fat but once again -  afterall I am a yo - yoer and when I lose, they are quick to comment. Today there will be a look and silence. That's the way I feel. Then, dare I put food in my mouth . . . I weighted mmyself this morning- big mistake. 251. Broke the 250's. Frist time since 2003. What should I wear . . .

Sorry ladies, I needed to vent. Thanks for listening.

:(,

Louise

Hello Louise,

I posted in your journal... Have a look!

Hi Louise,

I posted in your journal as well. Be encouraged, and thank you for sharing with us.

below is the link to  a great article

http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/motivatio n_articles.asp?id=84

Thank you for the words of wisdom!!

 I followed your link to sparkpeople and am amazed at all of the helpful info available at our fingertips!! Thank you for the link :)