I read your posts about being at 1000 calories..thank you all for taking the time to comment. I was able to stay around 1000 a day for about a week. However, I have to say that after that I ended up going back to 1200-1300; exactly what is recommended. Why? Because I was hungry!!

I will still hope for a loss of five pounds by the 1st; I have been pretty good foodwise and that is still ten days away.

I finally got outside for my run! I spent $$ on some Underarmour gear for winter running that has sat until Saturday. It was in the high thirties and I got out there and ran three miles. It felt great! I will try to take advantage of the milder days and do it again. I do not anticipate being out in the bitter cold, I'm just not into that.

And barbie662, welcome. I hope this thread is as helpful to you as it is me.

toby2indy, I missed you! Glad you came back!

Liz

Good evening everyone.  Hello and welcome to Barbie 662. 

Liz, Wow, running 3 miles.  I could walk 3 miles but it would be a challenge for me to run 300 feet.  I'm glad you upped your calories.  I was afraid the 1000 calorie diet was going to make trouble for you.

Nanamoss, so sorry to hear your are sick and hope you are back in the swing soon.

Skinnyoldme, I have never heard of that particular weight loss strategy but I would be interested in hearing more about it.  This month's Prevention magazine had an article called "Nature's Fat-Burning Breakthrough" which recommended adding foods with "resistant starch" to your diet.  The foods with the most amount of this in them are beans, bananas, both white & sweet potatoes, barley, brown rice and corn.  It has something to do with the kind of fiber in these foods.  I am sure there is no magic bullet, but rather a collection of good choices.

Good Morning Ladies..... I missed you gals.  Loved catching up on all the posts.  So glad you all thought of me from time to time.  Welcome to margueritep and barbe662, and anyone else I may have missed. 

Well we had quite a trip with the weather here in the northeast we ended up leaving a day early since our outgoing flight was cancelled (the luxury of being self employed) flew into Miami at night without anywhere to stay hmmmmmm (I am not spontaneous) did finally get to a hotel after the ride from hell with a taxi driver who said "he didn't know where the hotel was", I was a little scared....Drove down to the lower keys the next day couldn't get a connecting flight, would recommend it to anyone, it was a great drive about 4 hours.

Stayed at the Sheraton Suites "BEAUTIFUL" on the outside of downtown had a wonderful time great pool, great beach, downtown was lots of fun, busy and always noisy, music, planes, etc and constantly.  GREAT FOOD hmmmmmmm... spend the whole week and ate what I wanted but did good, really hard to eat healthy while away restaurant's DO NOT have healthy choices I was amazed.   But did good had salad every day lots of fresh fish, but also lots of wine, margaritas and Bahama mamas by the poolside hahahaha.....

Went to come home "FLIGHT CANCELLED" ughhhhhhh so we were put up in a hotel that was downtown for the night.  One more day in Paradise.... walked around ate out at a really great restaurant at night, walked around the next day (we had the last flight out of the keys).  managed to get on an earlier one (was worried we would get cancelled again) and then we had our connector in Miami got in at midnight and home around 2sh by the time we got our luggage and got home........

Well it was an experience, longer than we planned vacation, the weather was beautiful every day, I would go there again for a vacation the people were so nice and it was surprisingly very clean there even with ALL the people that are there.  Walked every day A LOT I think the island is 2 miles by 4 miles so you really could walk everywhere.  I weighed myself one day do you beleive they had a scale at the resort???? and at that point I didn't gain anything...  I will weigh in tomorrow to see what the damage is.  Glad to be back home, it is true there is no place like home.  Back to counting calories and exercising again, but first need to get to work I have a lot to catch up on.  Have a wonderful day everyone.  Betty

Welcome back Betty!  I know I'm looking forward to vacation in March.  With 14 of us going, it's sure to be fun!  We all get along well and we plan to put all the teenagers in one condo and all the adults in another!  I don't know who will be happier!  Hey Skinnyolme- I checked up on those MUFA's.  According to the diabetic site, they can definately lower your risk for cardio disease by about 15-20%.  Most of the other sites reccomended at least one MUFA per meal.  The list includes:  olives, olive oil, canola oil, grape seed oil, soybean oil, peanuts, peanut butter and seeds - like sunflower or flaxen. 

I will try to post that 3 day diet plan this week that I use to get me off plateaus.  Sorry for the delay.  It's good to be back though!  And I finally figured out the buddy thing.  I'm just not so sure I can keep up with the journaling - this thread is about all I have time for - and I really enjoy it!  Carla

Good Morning everyone, Carla were are you going?  14 people wow, we are going away with our adult kids and sig. others in April and there will be 9 of us, I thought that was a lot.

As for the  MUFA's I take a fish oil pill twice a day to get my omega 3's, I do eat sunflower seeds in my salad or some nuts each day but I don't think it is enough daily.  I started back in the fall with the pill once a day at first, you can take up to three a day.  For over a year my hip had been bothering me and after xrays etc the doctor couldn't find any reason bursitis he said...  then I read how the omega 3 fatty fish oils are good for joints, hasn't bothered me since!

I have read since then the other benefits, heart, mood, diet and more.  My Dad took them for years didn't have any problems till he was around 85 lived till 89.  He swore by them and garlic pills yuck... I am sold on them, not the garlic ones, just the fish oil. 

Have a great day everyone.  Betty

Hi Betty and welcome back.  A vacation is sometimes the mental jump start that we all need to get through the winter.  About the MUFAs.  Apparently the editors of Prevention magazine wrote a book called flat belly diet.  These 2 women are making the talk show circuit.  The claim and reported that their research is supported by the USDA and other gov research.  They say that  by adding a MUFA (i.e., evoo, or flaxseed oil, fish oil, sunflower oil, etc.) to each meal, that it actually helps with the digestive process and helps the body to get rid of "belly fat".  Apparently the oils are most helpful if actually part of the meal. 

So what the heck.  I'll give it a try and see if it makes a difference, can't hurt!!  I actually take some of these oils some of the time anyway for cardio.  I'll let  you all know the results.  According to those who testified, reported positive results after only 4 days. 

Have a wonderful day.  It snowed here today.

Good Morning everyone, question for you all.  Have any of you experienced drier hair since you started on this lower cal life style?  My hair which is usually very soft and shinny has become very dry and dull and the only change I have really made is eating healthier??? Just wondered if I am missing something in my diet that is making this change or if it is that lovey menopause. 

It is snowing right now "looks pretty" but sure do miss that 75 degree weather I was in just a short couple days ago.  Have a great day everyone.  Betty

Good Morning all.  Betty, Hmmm...I can't imagine that a healthy diet could ever make your hair dry out, especially since you take the fish oil capsules everyday.  This is a mystery.  It could be those lovely beasts, Menopause & Perimenopause.  They might as well make you hair get dry, as they causes everything else to happen.  I have forgotten what a good night's sleep feels like.  Of course, having two dogs in bed with us doesn't help.

I weighed this morning and nothing lost, nothing gained.  I had a feeling that I was going to stall out this week.  I just didn't have a feeling of accomplishment that I have on "loosing" weeks.  Going to have to step up the workouts...oh joy.  I do have 3 new workout dvds on order and am looking forward to getting started with them.  I have a wide varity, something to fit whatever mood I'm in.  That is expect for my couch-potato mood.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Hi all, I haven’t posted to this list for a while. I’ve been on maintenance for a month and my weight has gone up and down by about 3 pounds, but has basically remained the same. When I am down, I think I’m spiraling toward ED, when I’m up I think I’m going to gain everything back. When do I get to feel comfortable with my body? I’m a grandmother already so I don’t think that is going to happen. I should make feeling good about my body a goal but it seems unrealistic. Getting good numbers (BMI, blood pressure, cholesterol) is easier. There is a lot of wisdom and experience on this forum: What do you think?

I was watching this thread a while ago, and I kind of got away from it.  I thought I would jump back in.

Skinny- concerning the MUFA - flat belly diet.  I think I read that article in Prevention last month.  Was it the one that talked about adding MUFA in the form of "dark chocolate, avocado's, olive oil and olives, nuts" to your diet?  I've been trying to incorporated all those foods into my daily diet.  However, I think I have been doing it all along, but just wasn't fully conscious of it.  The problem that I find is.... sometimes these foods really add a lot of calories to your daily consumption.

I love dry roasted almonds, and usually have a pound or so in the cupboard for snacking.  I try to eat less that 1/4 of a cup at each snack, but they sure add up in calories.  

I too have just started using an omega 3 supplement. 

I haven't seen any major change to the loss of fat around my belly.

I'll keep you posted.

I've come to realize that a lot of times that scale is not the greatest thing in my life. I know... this sounds like a cop-out excuse because I gained this week. And I did... according to the scale:

Previous Week's Weight: 161.2 pounds
This Week's Weight: 162.4 pounds
Amount of Weight Gained: 1.2 pounds
Total Loss to Date: 26.60

Now, with all this being said... I've had some really awesome changes that have taken place besides weight numbers in the past 4 weeks. And these changes are DEFINITELY worth noting:

I haven't done great on exercise for two of the past 4 weeks, except maybe cleaning the house quite a bit (spring cleaning, extra laundry, closets, deep vacuuming) and a couple days on the treadmill. The other two weeks I did really well. During all 4 weeks I really haven't gotten my water in.

But......I measured yesterday and compared the numbers from 30 days ago and that's where there are CHANGES!

My Previous Waist size was 35"
My Current Waist size is now 33"
I've LOST 2" in my waist!

My Previous Body Fat% was 34.0%
My Current Body Fat% is now 31.5%
So My % of Body Fat is DOWN by 2.50%

My Previous LBM (Lean Body Mass) was only 108 pounds
My Current LBM (Lean Body Mass) is now 111 pounds
So My amount of lean muscle gained is 3 pounds.

My Previous Weight Goal stood at 148 pounds because it wasn't accurate
My New Weight Goal is now at 152 pounds

This is good news for me, and a more accurate system than going by simple tables, guessing, or listening to what other people's opinions are. All of these figures were obtained through 2 sources. The measurements were done with the Accu-Measure Caliper and their tracking chart, and with a tape measure. My new calorie configuration was done with a website entitled "Weightloss for women over 40". It's what I've used to figure my accurate caloric intake since I started on this journey, and it has worked! So now I've established some new goals and plans.

MY NEW GAMEPLAN FOR NEXT 30 DAYS:
1) Drink at least 64oz of water a day
2) Keep calories at 1235 Maximum
3) Exercise at least 30 minutes a day
4) B12 Lipotropics injections twice a week.

I'm also only going to start weighing on the scale once a month. I'm going to try and not even peek at the scale until the month is over. So Feb. 29 will be my last time for February to step on the scales until March 31! But I'll still be posting my weekly progress. So, based on all of this, plus the way that I've been feeling, I think it's only fair to say that the scale doesn't rule my life! I have to look farther beyond what it says.

Hi everyone, Welcome Deb,

Della, Congrats to you on your loss, I wish I could say it was from vacation, sun, salt, chlorine but it started around the holidays.  One thing I know I changed when I started this journey was the amount of starch I eat i.e. rice, potatoes, noodles I only eat them 2/3 times a week now and I use very little margarine, so you may be right Hasta, I think I may have lowered my fat too much.  I do take the fish oil pill twice a day and I started that in the fall at one a day and have taken two a day for a couple months now so I thought I was getting enough oil fat etc.  And Cheryl you may be right that it might just be those, how did you put it, "lovely beasts".  Oh and I have not noticed any difference in my "belly" since starting the fish oil supplement in the fall.  I have however notice a HUGE difference in how my body feels in general aches and pains... don't have any.

Hi Phox50 nice to hear from you, I wish I had something to tell you to help but I know I try to not let the numbers get to me especially with only a couple lbs up or down, easier said than done but I think we need to remind ourselves that going up and down daily is normal.  Sorry no words of wisdom here.

Hi Ro, while I do believe weighing yourself once a day is too much, I think once a week is healthier.  I wanted to let you know I did read something in an article about weighing in once a month, I read that it leaves too much time between and if you should gain due to changing something you wouldn't know for the whole month.  Just an FYI I thought was interesting.

I actually worked out on the bowflex and added two more exercises to my list.  So I have 12 to pick from now and will try to do 8/10 of them.  Enjoy the rest of your weekend everyone.  Betty

Good Monday morning everyone. 

ahh a clean slate, right?  My husband had a bday on Saturday.  We went out to dinner on both Friday and Saturday.  I blew both days at dinner.  Yesterday I got was nauseaded and got sick around lunch time.  As you might imagine my portions were very small for the rest of the day: rye crackers at lunch, for dinner about 1/4 cup on chicken mixed with black bean sauce and 1 cup of soup.  I was feeling much better withing a few hours, just a little week.  I had just done a 2mile jog before getting sick, but I think it was a reaction to a precription pill I took that morning.

Enough about me.  Welcome Deb!  You can count on this thread for a lot of support.  Keep coming back.

Ro, I agree with Betty on weighing in more often than once per month.  Once a week really works well, and doing it in the morning just after getting up.  That way the food you eat and water you consume won't be a factor in the reading.

Phox50, my 2 cents are that having a high self esteem is the most important thing.  If we can achieve that, then the confidence in our bodies at any given time will be acceptable to us at that given time.  Doesn't mean we won't want to improve that, but it will be balanced and in context with the other things in life that make us happy.  Hope you feel better soon.

Good morning! 

Revins- I really enjoyed reading your post.  You statistics sound really close to mine so I was on the edge of my seat while reading.  

I think I will check out the web site that you mentioned in your post.  

I too have been staying away from the scales.  I've had a few weeks where I have had some very weak moments, and it's messing everything up so I've backed off a little.  I do think however I need to find a day of the week to weigh-in.

Have a great day!

T  

Good Evening.

I have read and reread everyone's posts that have been made since Saturday morning.  You have all given me alot to think about. 

First of all, welcome Deb.  I hope that you find this particular forum as helpful as I have.  Hershy, I have read some of your journal responses and am very glad that you are back.  I don't think that I had discovered this site when you were on before.  Ro, thanks for the heads up on the new website.  I am definately looking forward to checking it out.  I was watching a health show the other day and the person talking made the comment that we should never let the scales be our only judge.  There are too many variables such as the weight of muscle vs fat, and water retention in women.  You just proved his point.  Having said that, I still feel the need to weigh once a week just to keep myself focused.  If staying off the scales works for you, then more power to you.

Phox50, like Betty said, I have no words of wisdom either.  Actually, you have hit on my biggest obstacle.  I have always had a very poor self image.  It has been almost 50 years in the making.  I think that even if I had a body like a super model, I would still see a fat girl when I looked in the mirror.  I have just made up my mind to loose this weight so I can feel better and be healthier and be a more active participant in life.  As for the self image, I'm turning that over to God.  When I started this journey, the first thing I did was take a long, hard look at my many past diets.  Even when I was able to fit into size 9 jeans, mentally nothing changed, which is probably why they all ultimately failed.  All the scales, tape measures and skinny jeans in the world can't fix that when it is so deeply ingrained in your being.  It has to come from a deeper place.  (I do hope this doesn't sound too preachy.  Lord knows I certainly not the wise old woman who lives on a mountain).

Have a great evening everyone.       Cheryl