Motivation

HI! My name is Laura and i am 5-5 and 235 lbs as of today. I did weigh 240 almot 2 weeks ago. I am counting calories cuz I do not know what ele to do. When i gave birth, I only weighed 201 lbs! My son is 5(his bday is halloween). I cant believe i have put on so much lately. I have high blood pressure so I am on Diovan. I am also on protonix( for heartburn). I took myself off depo provera lat Sept and currently have the IUD, Mirena. Birth control was part of it but that is why I switched to IUD. I am taking it slow, and watching what I eat. I guess I am supposed to stay under 1700 calories and I walked 20 minutes today. I hate exercise now but I have to do it to lose weight the old fashioned Way!
if you have any suggestions, please tell me....

I found the most amazing thing.......i was craving chocolate in a bad way so i was looking at fudge pops blue bunny makes one called sweet freedom, 35 calories and now i have no more choc craving weeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!

just thought id share in case anyone craves like i do sometimes!!

Yeah chrisbaptiste, most fudge pops are nice and low in calories.. I'm going to get me some next time I'm at the store!

That is a great find Chrisb - I never thought to look at the calories on something like that.... hhmm, I bet that would suffice my ice cream cravings that I always get!!  Awesome!!

hi all! So much to read.

turtle..some days do seem to just be hungry days. I've noticed that and try not to trip on it.

carol...swim aerobics or just swimming sure do seem to make you feel good, I think.

cuzmommy... YEAH!!

kylie...YEAH!!

hye...so glad you were able to get that water weight off!

kt..hang on, it seems like we all have times when we are not doing as well as we would like but just keep plodding along and you can succeed! As for dinner ideas, I just started buying frozen ready to cook turkey patties and they're pretty good. Tonight I cooked one up, topped it with a slice of fat free cheese, and had a bag of Smart Pop popcorn. I know, no veggies (well, popCORN, could be a veggie, right? hee hee)

buker..you could try grabbing a few slices of deli turkey meat with a slice of lowfat cheese. On the days when you can cook, if you take some fresh spinach and saute it in cooking spray (or a very little bit of oil) for a few minutes (along with mushrooms and onions if you like). Then beat 2 eggs and 1 egg white, add it into the spinach and cook it  and you have a pretty quick and very satisfying breakfast.

turtle..hope you have a great time!

mabear..YEAH on the loss!!

hey, i am 210.8 and was 215 on last monday when i started and was up to 221 a few weeks ago. i love this sight and can not wait to see 199. I was 189 before kids and felt comfortable and people thought i looked good, i am big boned and strong but over 200 lbs is just ridiculous, really. So hopefully this week will go well and by Monday i will be closer to my shot term goal, oh yeah i did that w/out exercise but added it today, 50 minutes yeah.....

welcome penney...short term goals are great...good luck with yours.

hello everyone.  Just caught up on reading all the posts.  i am still trying to sort everyone out. 

Great job everyone on losses and willpower.  mine is a willpower thing.  i've managed to keep under 1800 calories now except for Sunday, so i feel really good about that.  i have my weigh in tomorrow............  we'll see what is going on.  it has been so long since i've seen a weight loss, I'm kind of excited and kind of apprehensive about weighing in.

Bukerj--I have the same problem with trying to find something without carbs/starches for breakfast but mostly because of diabetes.  My doctor says to eat some carbs anyway but use whole grains with fiber.  it makes you feel fuller for longer.  i started eating All Bran flakes then adding some pecans and almonds for extra fiber and protein.  it tastes good and it really is filling.  Before hand i was eating an egg or two and 1 slice of whole grain toast (Aunt Millie's brands) every morning.  I don't think that was great for cholesterol but the carbs weren't bad, oh and a cup of milk too.  It really went a long way with counting my carbs for the day.

Short term goals--  my first one is to break the 235 mark on the scales, my 2nd short term goal is to get below 225, (I was at 225 about 2 years ago), then, WHEN I reach these goals, I will be looking for the 199 mark.  I don't want 200 as my goal because i want to be BELOW 200 not AT it. 

Everyone, besides getting below 200, what are some of your short or long term goals.  My ultimate long term goals are to get rid of the problem with diabetes and to see 130 again.

Happy Tuesday~!

I agree with Ginny, tacos are very easy to keep at low calories, believe it or not.  I've had tacos every night this week since Sunday.  Grilled skirt steak Sunday, grilled boneless skinless chicken thighs yesterday, and tonite, lean ground beef.  My regular additions to my tacos are salsa, onions and squeeze my lime.  Slurp, good stuff dudettes!  Of course I'll switch up the additions sometimes.

Way to go all you losers!!!!  The only thing we want to lose...right?!?!?  :)

Turtle...I'll miss ya!  Have fun!

Welcome Penney, glad you found us.  :)

Blj-my short term goal is 250.  I was hoping to hit it by the end of the month but there's only 6 days left...doubt it happens.  I'd probably be worried if it happens at this point...that's a pound a day!  My mini goals have been to get to the next 10...280, 270, then 260, now 250...etc.  I don't want to overwhelm myself and get discouraged.

Ok, I'm off to eat my spoon of peanut butter.  Wish me luck on my portion control at the luncheon tomorrow guys!!!

Do tacos taste good made with ground turkey? I seem to be stuck on a turkey thing, huh?

Hi Everybody!

vklamorick - Yeah, I have woods behind my house, beside my house, and in front of my house. :) And usually it is very nice but today some guy shot a State Trooper nearby here and he is out there somewhere IN MY WOODS! The Trooper is ok (body armor) but there are helicopters flying all over the place. It's 11:42 PM ... I don't know what they expect to find in the dark.

caroljoy - I too have a bad back and nerve damage (sciatic nerve). Mine is from a birth defect though. I also have multiple sclerosis. But I moved to the country 2 years ago from just outside New York City where I lived in apartments all my life and I am DETERMINED to do my gardening and go on hikes in the woods! I figure, I'm in pain all the time anyway ... might as well make the best of things while I still can. I have a little rolling sit-on cart that helps me out in the garden. It's called a "Lawn Buddy" ... isn't that cute :) ? As far as hiking goes, if I have to, I just pop a couple of advils and hit the trail. Of course, I may not be able to walk at all the next day ... but it's worth it.

Well, I guess I'll bid you all goodnight ... it's 100 calorie pack snack time! Yeahhhh!!!

Hello Ladies and Gents,

It took some doing and a minor set-back but I finally made it. As of this morning I'm at 199! ::dance of joy::

These past few weeks have been very rough. In addition to an emotional binge (my first slip in 9 months and I'm watching it closely), I currenty went on the pill and gained some water weight. Not to mention the increase in hunger (don't know if that was also a pill side-effect.)

So I've been patiently watching my intake, actually increase my intake as lately I've been running a deficit. Waiting, waiting, bingo!

Hopefully it's all down-scale from here, but I'm elated. Haven't weighed this low since undergrad (I'm 39, so that's quite some time ago.)

Now I wiggle my ass with pride! Congrats to all who are here and working. Stick with it!

CONGRATULATIONS WRRLY ... THAT'S GREAT !!!!!!!! HOPE WE'LL ALL BE JOINING YOU SOON :)

Thanks everyone for the great tips, I decide to weigh today to see if watching my starches was helping guess what another pound gone!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have created an excel spreadsheet of my short term goals, I set it up for every 5 weeks I would like to lose 10 pounds for each 5 week goal and I have the calculations so that on such and such particular date this would be my goal weight..........(I cant help it, I am in accounting LOL) This helped me get a perspective on staying in line and how long it would take me to get to each point. So far so good my first 5 week 10 pound goal is for May 6th and I am already at 8 pounds so only 2 more to go!!!

wrrly--199 wow that is terrific It has been 6 years since I was less than 200. I am so happy to see someone falling under that mark, its like that one mark that everyone over 200 would like to see.

So according to my chart I should reach 199 by early October, it is so exciting to think that by halloween I will be smaller than I have been in 6 years!!!!!!!!!!

Good morning all!!

Wrrly - WOW, this is great news!!! I am so happy for you!!! That's right girl, shake that thang with pride!!! Keep it up girl you are doing great!!

Bukerj - Great news for you also! 

Woke up today as hungry as a little bee.... hope I'm not continually reaching for the snacks that always makes my dinner light. 

Congrats to everyone on keeping up the great work!!

Well, this morning they are all on the war path, both boys and the hubby.  On days like this I want to cry, eat, sleep, and cry again.  I have tried all morning to think positively.  I did work out for 35 minutes...got a late start...and did sneak a peek at the scale...it seems I may have lost 2 more pounds but I can not count on that because last month, when I did that, by the weekend and my wiegh in day, I was back up 2 pounds. 

We are currently taking my youngest son off of his medications.  He is on 5 of them.  We need to do a sleep study for siezures and sleep disorder but we want him off his meds to do this.  When we took him in January on his meds...they said there is nothing wrong.  So our thought is if there is nothing wrong, then we don't want to drug him so much.  However, apparently the meds do help because he is tantruming more and more and has a very smart mouth now(which is normal for an almost 12 year old but coupled with the whining and tantrums is very it gets out of hand).  My oldest son spends his days yellign at people beause he wants his way.  When all 3 of them yell, I just want to move out.

So, I came on here to talk to you guys...If I call my family, they say I told you so, and if I tell the few people I know around here, they say stuff like aw you poor thing...I don't want pity...I just want to scream for a minute or two or maybe 10..;-)....then I will feel better and can get back on with life...I appreciate you guys so much because last year when things got bad like they are right now, I ate and ate, and gained 37 pounds.  I can not do that this time...I need to stay accountable.  I need to lose this weight for me and then for them...what would happen if I did get sick or die...who would take care of these guys...

So I have whined long enough...Bukerj...you can reach 199 by October.  I have found that charting everything has helped me stay focused and accountable...there is no room for cheating in numbers that are written down...

congrats wrrly on 199!...we will be right behind you...

ell-bell...I am so glad you have such a positive attitude...hopefully reaching your goal wiehgt will take some stress off your body and let you enjoy more things.  I have a friend here with MS and she is now bed ridden at more than 400 pounds because she didn't make the choice to lose the weight when she was more active...You have made agreat choice and I am so happy for you....Maybe the helicopters have the heat sensing cameras on board and that is what they were flying int he dark for...an easier way to find bad guys is to look at night and they can't hide their body heat...

Blj...my short term goal is to get to 230 within the next 7 weeks, only 14 pounds to go.  240 has been a problem for me and I need to get past it.  THen my next goal will be 199 and then finally 185.  I have not weighed below 200 since I was about 12.  I am really looking forward to being 185.

VK...how did the luncheon go...I am sure you made great choices and took the right portions...

I forgot stats for yesterday, Tuesday, Day 48, 2013 caloires, 60 minutes walking, and 62 ounces water.

Ginnyannb -- I know how you feel about the yelling and the stress it creates.  You really do want to go hide somewhere or just not come home from work because you know what is waiting.  I have a very high strung loud husband, a young son and a nearly teenage daughter with ADHD and on meds that continually fight, and a son that is quiet but lazy and pretends to be dumb (trying to stay out of the lime light).  And to top it all off, a 19 year old daughter that thinks becasue she works and is in school she should have no other responsibilities at home.  Try that one on for size!!!!!!  It really makes it hard to stick to your guns about what you need and want to do or eat when you have a family that is right there seemingly blocking the way.  We can do it though.  We have to!  This is for ourself and then them.  Hang in there.  I'm pulling for you.

Well I've managed to stay within my calories, but today I think I'm under attack...  My co-worker brought me a small ziploc bag of bite size HOMEMADE peanut butter fudge!  I couldn't resist.  I had 2 pieces before lunch...  Good thing I have Zumba today!  I weigh in before lunch too, so I'll let you all know the results.  I've got my fingers crossed.

wrrly -- WAY TO GO! You've reached one of my primary goals.  You are an inspiration!

ell -- just keep working at it.  Sorry about the pain.  Maybe the weight loss will help with that too.

Ellbell- Don't you dare go for a hike until they catch that guy?  Have they caught him yet? I clean for a lady who has MS...not a fun disease, she is in constant pain and is in bed most of the day, but she is such a positive little thing, she's amazing.  Sounds like you are too. :)

wrrly- GREAT! You should be proud.  Eggs us on, It is possible!

ginny-  keep going girl.  That's all we can do and you are doing well.  Hope that 2 lbs is for real....wouldn't that be something..:)  Big hugs.

I've upped my protien. Lessened my carbs, not totally but some. Still eating tons of veggies and my fruit and I allow myself potatoes and bread twice a week..here's hoping this works to get my body moving that fat off again.

Hey ladies.  I wanted to tell you all that I have been walking for the last two nights (30 minutes) and I have noticed an immediate improvement.  I CAN SLEEP BETTER.  Seriously, I have been having a hard time sleeping for the last month or so.  It could be because we are moving and selling our house (anxiety maybe), but it's funny how just a little bit of exercise can tame the monster.  ;0)  BTW, I weighed myself this morning..I am at 213.  Funny, my weight fluctuates a lot, sometimes by 6 or so lbs a day.  I think I am going to pack my scale up this week and keep it packed until we move the end of next month.  Have a good day everyone.

thanks for the encouraging words guys...I appreciate it.  I walked a few more minutes (16) while Josh was in therapy which is good.  I don't know how you hold it together Blj with all that going on...I think handling things is relative...Some days I am a trooper and everything slides right off and some days I just feel so low...It did get better with being able to tell you guys and walking a little more.  I sure hope the 2 pounds off is real too rockin...we'll see this coming Monday.  I hope the lower amount of carbs does help you...Gosh peanut butter fugde...I would have had a hard time with that one too...:-)...Smare I am glad you can sleep better...without sleep I think I would curl up and die....hahaha