Going for it.

maverick2

maverick2

New member
12-3-07

So, this is my second attempt at losing weight. I lost about 45 lbs (from 200 lbs) two summers ago when I was in training for the Air Force Academy. I didn't end up going to the Academy, and slowly but surely in the last few years the weight has crept back on, until I weighed in at 187 lbs.

After visiting my brother at the USS New Orleans and seeing how happy the Navy has made him (and thinking on how bored and tired of university academia I've become) I've decided to revive my dreams of going to Naval Flight School. Unfortunately, I'll never get in at my current weight, so I've set my weight goal at 150 lbs.

I've started documenting my progress on Fitday.com, going to the gym for at least half an hour a day to lift weights and run the treadmill. It's been a little discouraging to see how out of shape I've become, especially next to all the ripped young high school guys in training for the spring, but I just put my headphones on and get into the zone, knowing it'll all be worth it when it's over. I don't want to be out of shape when I go off to boot camp. I want to be top of my class.

I've replaced most of my drinks with water (though I still indulge in a glass of iced sweet tea once a day sometimes, and maybe a glass of wine on the weekends) and I've given up white bread, potato chips, fried foods, all the yummy sabotage stuff that is still hanging around the kitchen haunting me because I don't live alone. But I don't eat it.

My gourmand family is definitely one of overindulgence, and together they cook the best food most people have ever put in their mouths - big American breakfasts, filet mignons, the works. It's torture sometimes.

But I've been careful, allowing myself very small portions of this yummy food and that with the healthy stuff because I know that if I'm too strict with myself, I'll cheat in a binge.

Since this Thursday, I've lost 7 pounds. I'm down from 187 to 180.

And that's kept me going. Because it's really working this time. Just like last time.

I know I can do it.
 
Weclome to the forum!! I know exactly what you mean about the weight slowly but surely creeping back up, I'm 5'2 and 158 pounds and 17 years old. Last year I got down to 119 pounds, but my weight has also crept up due to going back into bad habits (I was way to strict with myself before, so I got tired of it and started binging). So I definitly know what it feels like to gain weight...I wish you the best of luck in the Air Force Academy, I know you will be at the top of your class because of your hard work and persistance. My goal is to be able to join my schools track team, so I'm currently trying to get in shape for that, but with hard work, we can both accomplish our goals :) Good luck! And feel free to stop by my diary as well "Michelles Journey To A New World".
 
Thanks for the encouragement, Michelle! I know we can do it!

What is your current height and weight?
I am 5'4'' and 180 lbs.


If you were at an ideal weight now, what would that weight be?
Ideally, I would like be 150 lbs. It's about 5 lbs higher than my "recommended" weight, but I figure since I'm bodybuilding too, I ought to give myself some leeway.


At what weight would you like to be at four months from now?
By March, I'd like to be 150 lbs. If I haven't reached it at that point, I hope to at least be close.


Why do you want to lose weight?
I want to get into the Navy and be top of my class. I don't want to be that chubby girl panting in the back getting screamed at by the division commander at boot. Oh yeah, and I want to look good naked. I want to buy cute clothes in a size I can actually find.


Do you want to lose weight for a specific life event such as wedding or reunion? If so, when is that event?
I want lose weight so when I go visit a Navy recruiter the day after I graduate from college, he/she will look at me and know that I'm serious about what I want.


What obstacles could get between you and your weight loss goals?
My family eats some pretty unhealthy stuff, so it's hard to eat salads and whatnot and see/smell all the wonderful things they make. The holidays are going to be very hard. Just keeping up the habit of exercising every single day will be difficult. I'm just one of those people who is great at picking up bad habits and terrible at making new ones.


Why do you think that you now have a weight problem?
I've always been heavy, but it's probably because I'm such a sedentary person. I overeat, but I'm not big into sweets or anything that is the downfall of most people. I used to be a pretty active person when I was younger (travel volleyball, marching band, etc...) but now that I'm older I'm much less active. I think that's something that's going to have to change.


What lifestyle changes do you think would help you lose weight?
Going to the gym almost every day. (I've made a rule that I can skip one day a week if I need/want to, but the day after I skip I have to go for an extra half hour.)


Have you lost weight in the past? If so, what has worked in the past to help you lose weight?
When I lost weight a few years ago, I did it healthily by watching my food and working out for at least an hour a day. I lost weight last year as well, going down from 210 lbs to about 165 lbs, but it was not done in a healthy way; I was losing weight from partying in college and not eating properly. This time I'm going to do it right.


Why do you believe that you did not lose weight or you gained the weight back?
I just let old habits slide. Second helpings and gave up the gym.


What, if anything, has not worked for you in the past in helping you to lose weight? Why do you think it did not work?
I refuse to do diets because I've seen my mother yo-yo with the low carb diet over and over again, each time gaining more weight back. I don't think diets, as opposed to watching portions and nutrition, is a healthy way to go about it. Plus, eating cheese slices and hamburger and little else just doesn't seem very sustainable to me.


Would you try writing down all food and drink consumed for a given period of time?
I do that now.


Do you cook at home often? If so, what do you cook?
I don't cook very often, but my family does. The extent of my cooking generally is throwing a Campbell's Soup-At-Hand into the microwave. I make salads and fix cereal though.


How often do you go out to eat? Where do you go?
My family almost never goes out to eat. I mean, we only go out to eat if we're on vacation. Occasionally we do order Chinese though.


What are your three favorite foods?
Lobster/crab.
Stroganoff.
Most kinds of soup.


What are your three favorite restaurants?
Miyako's Japanese Grill
Chick Fil A
Any place that serves shellfish and crab or lobster.


What are three things you can do differently when it comes to food?
- Replace sweet iced tea with *real* water. I live in Alabama, so we drink it like water down here. We have at least two pitchers of it in the fridge all the time.
- Eat a bowl of cereal and salad with my protein at dinner instead of a side dish like french fries; I get just as full, but I don't eat food that not good for me.
- Eat breakfast every day.


If you woke up tomorrow and your body was exactly the way you want it, what would be different?
I'd probably walk around the house naked all day. No joke.


Do you eat when you are not hungry?
Sometimes.


Do you binge eat (large amounts at a time)?
Not very often. I haven't done it in a long time.

Do you hide your food or eat in secret?
When I was younger.


Do you eat when you are sad, nervous, or depressed?
I eat when I'm depressed sometimes, but I try not to because it doesn't make me feel any better about things.


Do you eat as a reward?
Sometimes. I did today. I spent an hour and a half at the gym and ate well all day. My mom brought home little peppermint ice cream sandwiches and said to me, "I'm so sorry, I forgot you were working out and brought you these as a surprise." I couldn't turn them down, so I had one as a reward for doing so well this week.


Do you eat while watching TV or using the computer?
My family eats dinner in front of a movie most nights.


What do you normally eat for a meal?
Breakfast: A bowl of Special K and a few pieces of wheat toast with blackberry jam, or maybe a salad with some fruit and a protein bar.

Lunch: A Campbells Soup-At-Hand soup (usually chicken noodle or tomato) and a sandwich (just deli turkey and bread). Sometimes a carrot or a handful of tomatoes to go with it.

Dinner: A bowl of Special K, a salad, and whatever protein my family is having (provided it hasn't been battered and fried). Depending on the side dishes, I'll have small portions of those too if they aren't too unhealthy.


What type of snacks do you eat?
Protein bars, carrots, cherry tomatoes, a can of soup, a handful of pretzels, a handful of almonds. Mostly healthy stuff. I'm not as driven towards potato chips and stuff like that as I was when I was younger.


In terms of exercise, what, if anything, are you currently doing?
I go for at least half an hour of cardio every day (the treadmill if I can get one available to run/walk, or the Nautilus machine if the treadmills are full). I'm trying to incorporate weight-lifting into my routine as well, because I can't do a single pushup and it's really ridiculous to me. I also try to do modified pushups and crunches during commercial breaks. I don't watch a whole lot of TV, but I leave it on Discovery Channel or cartoons as white noise most of the time. I also do mountain climbers, ski jumpers, donkey kicks, and other military-style calisthenics when I'm at home.


Where do you go for exercise? A local public gym? School/work gym? Home?
I go to the YMCA. I also exercise at home.


What, if anything, are your three favorite types of exercise?
I like the Nautilus Treadclimber, because I can walk on it for 30 mins. and burn 350+ calories, while I can run my butt off on the treadmill for 200. Even though I know running is more important to my physical training, I think the Nautilus will help me with the initial weight loss that will make running easier. I also like a machine at the gym that works your obliques by twisting your body from side to side (you can really feel it later) and the rowing machine.


What is your daily/weekly/monthly/yearly motivation to move towards your goals?
I look up Navy tribute videos on Youtube. They make me all teary and patriot and they make me want to work my a** off.


Do you have rewards for certain goals?
Not really. I'm considering getting a tattoo when I get out of boot camp, if I make it that far. I already have one (a tribal hawk between my shoulderblades that I designed myself) but I'd like to embellish it and make it more sailor-esque.
 
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Broke 180!

So I weighed myself this morning for Fitday.com and I'm down from 180 lbs. yesterday to 176.5 lbs! Yay! I'm so excited!

I walked naked to the bathroom to do it (because I sleep naked, and I'm generally naked when there's no one around....just call me a closet nudist, lol...) and it's *so* cool that I can already see how much weight I've lost just from this Thursday.

I'm literally watching myself shrink before my eyes. The pooch on the front of my lower stomach is disappearing a little more every day, and I'm starting to see my figure better and better! If I had a digital camera, I'd totally take pictures. I'd put them on someone else's digital camera in the house, but if they were discovered that'd be really weird for somebody.

I have a really hot hourglass figure (wide hips, wide shoulders, skinny waist) underneath all this fluff, it'll be nice to show it off when I finally lose all these extra pounds.

Now it's time for a yummy breakfast to kickstart the day, then I'll finish my paper for finals and it's time to hit the gym with my cuz! She's going to be able to tell the difference, I think.

I've lost 11 lbs. since Thursday, just from eating healthy (not starving myself at all, in fact I'm eating more food than I used to eat before I decided to lose weight), drinking only water, and committing to the gym at least 6 days a week for half an hour.

It's amazing what a half hour of commitment will do for you. :coolgleamA:

Breakfast:
- 1 turkey sandwich on honey wheat bread (no dressing or tomato or anything, just turkey and bread)
- 1 small bowl of Special K w/ milk (need to go to the grocery store!)
- 1 large glass of sweet tea (gotta have a little caffeine this morning, I only slept from midnight to four; had to get up to write a paper from 4-6...)
 
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Cousin cancelled gym date, which really doesn't bother me that much. I'm still going to go after lunch.

I'm actually one of those people who prefers to go to the gym alone anyway-I like to zone out with my Zune and just listen to music, rather than having to worry about turning it into a social event. I hate having to keep people entertained while I work hard at something.

No time for a mid-morning snack today, but no biggie. The turkey protein in my breakfast kept me too full to eat between meals this morning, anyway.

Lunch:
- Campbell's Soup-At-Hand (Chicken w/ Mini Noodles...mmmm....)
- Yoplait yogurt (Strawberry Mango)
- Banana
- Water!
 
Just got back from the gym. Need a shower, but I'm glad I went through with my commitment to go, even though my cousin bailed for the second day in a row. Note to self: do not try to send a text message on the Nautilus machine. (I almost busted my butt...good thing the gym was pretty deserted...)

I'm really hungry though. I already had lunch, but it just didn't seem to stick with me very well after working out. I think it's because of all the calories I've been burning...it's sending my metabolism into overdrive. I wanted to stop at a fast food restaurant on my way back from the gym SO BADLY.

I think instead I'm going to hit Subway after I grab a shower. I haven't eaten there in a long time, and I heard their sandwiches are pretty healthy. I can probably swing one for second lunch. :D
 
Ugh. I was so hungry by the time I went to Subway that I ended up getting a double-stacked Chicken Teriyaki Sweet Onion sub. Not terrible as far as fat and calories goes, but not as good as a regular CTSO, either. So much for splurging on dinner.

Guess I'll take a salad later and maybe hit the gym again later tonight, if I have time.
 
been there, done that, on a treadmill... wasn't pretty.. but good entertainment for others..
Click to expand...

Mal - Good thing I have lots of practice at laughing at myself....:smilielol5: Hey, if anyone else in the gym had done it, I would have laughed too.

12/5

Last night I did not do so good. Went to the gym and worked my butt off, but then went with my mother shopping and she stopped at Chick Fil A on the way back. Talked myself out of a 12 piece chicken nugget with waffle fries....:drool:...but couldn't talk myself into a salad or wrap, so I ended up getting the small chicken nuggets w/ fruit instead of fries and a lemonade instead of a Coke, which for some reason I really, really, really wanted.

This morning I'm glad I didn't indulge harder, 'cause I woke up to a three pound gain. :( I guess the three pounds from yesterday was just water fluctuation. That doesn't surprise me (176.5 from 180.0 seemed *awfully* low) but it always sucks to see the scale go up instead of down. At least the true weight still seems to have dropped .5 lbs from the day before yesterday, and I've still broke 180, so I'm optimistic.

NO cheating today! I'm also going to try to get in two gym sessions today, since I didn't get in a second one last night. I'm going with my cousin this morning around ten (if she'll get her lazy ass to the gym like she said she'd do the last two days) and tonight I'll gym again on my own.

But for now, gym fuel! :D I've found I tend to do better in the middle of the day if I eat some protein first thing, so I'm sticking with a protein heavy breakfast from now on.

Breakfast:
- 2 fried egg whites (in no-fat cooking spray)
- Peach yogurt
- Turkey sandwich (just turkey and honey wheat bread)
- Water!
 
Mal - Good thing I have lots of practice at laughing at myself.... Hey, if anyone else in the gym had done it, I would have laughed too.
Click to expand...
everytime I've giggled at someone else's expense for doing something completely moronic... fate has a way of say -na na na na - you're not immune and will cause me to do something more moronic... and there's a long list of really stupid things I've done... :D
 
Just got back from the gym. I wasn't going to go because I had a really bad day today....I gave into a major temptation and got Guthrie's for lunch (two no-nos in one meal: fried foods and Coke!), and ate it way too fast because I skipped my midmorning snack (again) and was ravenous by the time I actually got around to lunch...(2:30 PM)

I guess it's just the lack of grease in my diet over the last few days or so, or maybe it was just the overwhelming influx of guilt, but the sudden grease and sugar overload made me violently sick. Probably a combination of the two. Grease and guilt, that is.

I almost made today my "skip" day for the gym because I wasn't feeling so hot for a few hours afterwards. I usually let myself skip one day a week, but in the end I decided to stop feeling guilty and sorry for myself and get my butt down there.

I definitely feel much better now. Only did a few machines and spent 20 minutes on the Nautilus machine instead of my usually half hour, but 20 minutes is better than nothing.

We're ordering Chinese for dinner. :drool: Now to try and figure out what to order that will be the *least* terrible for me...:D
 
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Exclamations make me feel better!

Inventory for the day!

Starting weight: 187
Weight today: 178.5 (Yay!)

Food!
Breakfast -
Turkey sandwich, yogurt, cereal
Lunch -
Fried chicken fingers, french fries, Coke (I know, I know...didn't get to keep it down in any case...)
Dinner -
Mongolian beef, white steamed rice, blackberry wine

Exercise!
Weights: Arms, calves, thighs
Nautilus Treadclimber: 20 minutes
Housekeeping in a 4 bedroom house: (Vacuum, mop, etc...)
 
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Weigh-in (morning): 180.5
Measurements:
Hips: 42.5
Waist: 33.5
Thigh: 26.5
Forearm: 12.5

- At first I was upset that it seems I've gained two pounds since yesterday (I weighed in at 178.5 last night), but even though I don't do measurements normally (just started today), I can still tell that I've lost inches, so it's not so discouraging. My hips are slimmer, my stomach is more flat, and the shape of my face is changing. (Nice to know I don't naturally have a "round-shaped" face...I'm actually developing a pointy, instead of a double chin. :D)

- I'm starting measurements today alongside a daily weigh-in, because I'm starting to put on muscle mass and it's messing with the scale, even though it's obvious I'm still losing fat.

- I've given up on taking my cousin to the gym. She bailed two days in a row and never called yesterday (even though it was *her* idea!) so I'm just not going to call her about it again.

Also developing a pretty good bicep from all the arm machines and modified pushups! Nice!!

Breakfast:
- 2 pieces of honey wheat toast w/ peanut butter
- 1 Special K protein bar (chocolatey chip!)
- 16 oz. water
 
Lunch:
- 1/2 pint of steamed white rice (w/ tbsp. butter and salt: note to self - buy spritzer no-fat imitation butter)
- 1 large baked chicken breast with lemon pepper
- 8 oz. blackberry wine (man, I totally need to get rid of this wine, but I forgot it was in the bar fridge until yesterday, and since my dad bought it especially for me before he went to Arizona for his business trip, I have a hard time staying away from it...)

I need to go to the grocery store. I went ahead and baked four chicken breasts so I would have a source of instant protein in the fridge when I get hungry. One of the things that drives me to fast food is that I wait until I get really hungry and then I don't want to wait around for something to cook. Need to buy some salad, too.

Right now I'm so full I can barely move. Gotta wait a few hours before I hit the gym, but I'm going to try and go before the afterwork rush, so I can actually get some good machines....

Today is my lay around and do nothing day otherwise, though. I don't have any finals (just one left tomorrow!), but I DO have to wax the foyer floors and scrub down the kitchen. Not to mention I gotta clean my room today. I'm kind of avoiding it at the moment, though. *sigh* I need to go grab my mp3 player and get to it. Maybe if I dance around while I mop and wash and organize, I can burn some extra calories. :eek:
 
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Dinner:
- Chicken-and-stars soup
- 1 grilled cheese sandwich
- 1 large carrot
- 1 handful green grapes

Went to the gym. Left a little late and got there right in the middle of the late afternoon rush, so I didn't get a Nautilus. (Darn.) I ended up doing a good old-fashioned run on the treadmill instead. Ran for ten minutes straight, then switched to a two minute run/two minute fast walk for the other twenty minutes.

Talked to my mom tonight and she said in the spring she would start going to the gym with me. Guess that she's seeing how it's paying off, which is encouraging as far as my physique goes. She's extremely distrustful of the weight training (she hates the initial weight gain it causes) but she's starting to believe me when I say it helps weight loss, too.

I'm glad she said she would start working out too. She's much heavier (250 lbs.+) and she needs it more than I do. I worry about her health a lot at the weight she is, especially since it's all in the front. She has sleep apnea already, and I think the weight has gotta be bad for her heart. :(

I weighed in at 182.0 tonight, which sucks, but I think it's because I'm PMSing so I'm not too worried about it. I can tell I'm bloating a little. I also have a nasty chafe mark across my chest beneath my breasts because the fancy bra I've been working out in (haven't bought any sports bras yet) rubs me in a bad spot. I have to wear it to the gym for now because it's the only one I have that doesn't let my boobs bounce up and down when I run. Don't want to knock somebody off a treadmill. :p

But I'm definitely getting some new sports bras tomorrow. I need some new workout clothes in general.
 
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Yes! My weight is down to 177.5! My high weight [after meals and stuff] yesterday was 182, so 177.5 *definitely* looks better!

My measurements are lookin' good, too. :D

Waist: 33.5 (no change)
Hips: 42 (-.5 Yes! This is where I have to lose the most...)
Thigh: 26 (-.5 Yes!)
Forearm: 12.5 (no change)

Having a nice big breakfast to celebrate!
Breakfast:
- seasoned/baked chicken breast sandwich plain, on honey wheat bread...it's one of the breasts I cooked yesterday, so I'm happy that I'm actually utilizing something I cooked
- branch of green grapes
- handful of pretzels
 
My cousin actually made it to the gym with me today, and we had a pretty good time. She's going to start going with me every other day, as she's pregnant and still recovering from a broken collarbone. Did some weight-training and a 25 minute cardio (would have gone for my regular 30 minutes, but my cousin was bushed after 20 and I didn't want her to have to sit around by herself...).

I scarfed lunch on the way to the gym, but by the time my last final was over at four, I was frickin' STARVING. I wanted some fast food like a mad woman, but luckily I already had some chicken breasts baked and foiled up in the fridge, so I just pulled out one of those. I'm on Meal #3 as we speak. No clue what dinner is going to be.

I've tried to do six meals a day, but it's been difficult to fit in so far. I'm just not hungry six times a day. One of my goals is to get as close to six meals a day as possible.

Meal #2 (Lunch)
- honey wheat bread/peanut butter sandwich
- Special K protein bar (these things taste like chocolate and particle board :ack2:)

Meal #3 (...er...Second Lunch?)
- cold baked chicken breast w/ lemon pepper seasonings
- handful of pretzels
- banana
- fat-free mango sorbet

Exercise: Yes!!
 
Ugh, cheated on dinner and had fast food (Taco Bell). I feel like a greaseball now.

Dinner:
- taco
- 3/4 of a steak quesadilla
- Pepsi

Grrr.

Oh well. Tomorrow is another day. :)
 
Just woke up to my first morning of Christmas vacation, sans finals! YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!!

Course, first thing I did was do a weigh-in and a measurement. I was going to go back to sleep, but I've never been one of those cats who can wake up all the way and then go back to sleep again. (sigh) I envy you people who can.

Weigh-in: 179.0
Note - Sometimes it's a little discouraing with my my weight going up and down during weight training (aka difficult on the psyche to fluctuate between fat weight and muscle weight) but I'm trying to maintain a long-term perspective about it. Which is why I have...

Measurements!
Waist: 33'' (-.5!)
Hips: 42'' (no change, but for some reason my tummy looks much smaller this morning, so I don't understand this one...)
Thigh: 25.5'' (-.5!)
Forearm: 12'' (-.5!)

I need to grab some breakfast, but I need to laze around and try to go back to sleep for a few minutes more before I commit to awakeness. :D

I was awake until two last night trying to purge my room of unwanted items in a desperate attempt at organization. I actually got RID of a huge bin of books. I'm an English major, so it was pretty traumatic to me. I have thousands of them, more books than any other object in my possession, and even getting rid of one with no covers and missing pages hurts my feelings a little bit.

I like my shelf a lot more now that I can fit all the books on it without having to double stack them, though. It's much nicer looking.
 
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