The amazing shrinking woman (I hope!)

Well, mother-daughter weekend went well. We had lots of fun - but I came back a few pounds heavier. But I think it's mostly water retention because that TOM started on Sunday for me and I ate way too much salty food over the weekend and didn't drink hardly any water at all. I drank TONS yesterday, but not much seemed to make it's way thru - so I think my body is holding on to it for a while. By this evening I'm already only a pound over where I was when we left last week.

I hadn't done any work in my garden since last Tuesday, so had a TON of veggies to pick on Monday after work. YUM! By the time I finished I only had enough time to either work out or come on here and catch up on journals. Since I hadn't worked out since last Wednesday (unless you count playing in the hotel pool with the kids and walking all over the place this weekend) so figured I'd better work out. The blisters on the balls of my feet are almost healed up, so I decided to do step aerobics instead of run to give them some more time to heal up.

For the last 4 to 6 weeks I've noticed that my hair has been shedding really bad. And not just a little either. I'm talking a handfull of hair every morning! I braided my hair this weekend for the first time in forever - and was shocked to find that my hair braid is about 1/3 smaller than it used to be! AAAHHH!!!!!! :willy_nilly: I'M GOING BALD!!!!! So I did some research on the net today and was so bummed to find out that with weight loss can also come hair loss! Especially if you lose too much too fast - which apparently I have because now my hair is falling out! I don't know how much more hair I'm going to lose and it's kind of freaking me out. Will I be skinny but bald in a few months???!?!?!? I have recently upped my calories, but it may already be too late according to what I read. However, I also found out that most people, once they reach their ideal weight and go into maintenance mode will regrow their hair - often thicker and healthier than what it was before it all fell out. But the average person's hair will only grow about 3 inches in 6 months. That really makes me regret cutting off my waist length hair to just above my bra strap back in June.

I WANT MY HAIR BACK!!! :troll:
 
Im glad that the weekend went well and you had a good time with the girls and the weight does just sound like water retention so you should be back to normal in a couple of days.
I can relate to being worried about the hair falling out but it will grow back. Mine does that at the end of every summer and each summer it seems to be more. I do seem to shed more hair than most people generally but it gets really bad in September/ October. What worries me is that the women in my Dad's family all had to wear wigs by the time they were 60 and I'm getting close to that age now. :eek2:
Yours will be fine, I remember mine doing that when I did crash diets years ago but it always grew back properly and I never lost enough to notice.
 
Hi Tigpuppy! I just read a bit of your diary (not the whole thing though, it's really long!) and I just wanted to pop in and say that you are doing great.

Have you figured out a punishment for the kids yet? I think I would have lost it, so good for you for keeping yourself under control.

About the hair thing, yikes! That might explain my problem too. My hair isn't noticeably thinner or anything, but I have handfuls that fall out each day. When I shower I wind up with literally a handful of hair, and every time I go to the bathroom, I take of my shirt so I can pick the hair off the back. There's always a ton. I thought maybe it was the heat and humidity here lately, but maybe it's my weight loss. Hmm... Did the sites you found mention what do to about it?
 
Hi Tigpuppy! I just read a bit of your diary (not the whole thing though, it's really long!) and I just wanted to pop in and say that you are doing great.

Have you figured out a punishment for the kids yet? I think I would have lost it, so good for you for keeping yourself under control.

About the hair thing, yikes! That might explain my problem too. My hair isn't noticeably thinner or anything, but I have handfuls that fall out each day. When I shower I wind up with literally a handful of hair, and every time I go to the bathroom, I take of my shirt so I can pick the hair off the back. There's always a ton. I thought maybe it was the heat and humidity here lately, but maybe it's my weight loss. Hmm... Did the sites you found mention what do to about it?

Hi! Thanks for stopping in!

The kids were grounded and got their bikes and DVD player taken away for a week. They were supposed to go to a birthday pool party, but I wouldn't let them go because grounded is grounded - even if you already bought the other kid a birthday gift and told them you were coming. They also got extra chores to do around the house. My kids have their own rec room, and during the summer months if I don't have to work the next day they are normally allowed to stay up and watch movies, and sleep in the rec room. They have lost this priveledge for the remainder of the summer. Also, strict 8:00 bedtimes will be enforced for the remainder of the summer (normally they don't really have a bedtime during summer vacation - just have to be in their rooms and quiet so I can sleep because I have to get up early to work).

I also shut off the water to their bathroom sink. Yesterday they were caught having a water fight upstairs with water from the toilet - so they will be losing the priveledge of having a bathroom to themselves upstairs - the door will now be locked for the next week (I have to buy a lock and key at the hardware store tonight). Maybe having to come downstairs to my bathroom for a week will make them appreciate and take care of theirs. I grew up in a house with 6 kids and 1 bathroom and my husband didn't get an indoor bathroom in their house until he was 8 or 9 years old (which is how old my oldest daughter is) so we know how nice it is that our house has 3 bathrooms in it.

As for the hair loss - from what I read if you are eating too few calories and losing 2 or more pounds a week, your body tries to conserve energy by putting your hair folicles into a premature rest period (instead of putting energy towards growing it). This rest period can last a few weeks, then the hair starts falling out. Normally the life cyle of your hair is that the dormant (resting) hair is pushed out by new growth. However, if a person continues to eat limited calories (especially calories from protein) their hair will not grow very much, if at all. According to what I found if you lose weight slowly (around a pound a week), get plenty of protein, and take a good multi-vitamin you can prevent or minimize the hair loss that often goes along with rapid weight loss. However, like me, many people don't do this until it's too late and all or most of your hair has gone into that resting phase, after which it falls out.

There were a lot of days this last spring when I was only eating 1000 to 1200 calories a day - which is too few for me, especially once I started working out regularly. I was losing 2 lbs a week on average, and a few weeks even lost 3 or 4. So the damage is done. All I can do now is eat more calories so I lose weight slower, and make sure to take my multi vitamin and eat a good variety of foods. If you google hair loss during weight loss you'll find all kinds of information on the subject.
 
Hi Tiggy! Glad to hear you had a great time with the kids.

As for the hair loss....maybe a multi vitamin or some extra minerals would help? Never know....but upping your calories would be a good idea too.

You are close to maintenance mode so might as well adjust for the long term.
You've done soooo well. I don't think you'll do any harm.

Take care!
 
I should never let myself have a break from exercise! It's SO HARD to get back into the routine of it. Had a headache by the time I got off work tonight and was seriously thinking about bailing on the run today. Took some tylenol after supper and laid down for a 20 minute catnap and felt a lot better when I woke up. Did my usual walk half mile, run 2, walk half mile and am feeling MUCH better tonight than earlier this evening.

I'm sitting up right now watching the weather channel - a big storm is brewing and looks to hit us sometime during the night. Kids are all down here sleeping in the basement rec room (where I'm watching TV) because of the storm.

Weighed myself tonight and I'm still stuck at 151 lbs! GGRRRR!!!!! I just can't seem to get by these 150s!

I was going to update my ticker yesterday (I usually try to do that every Tuseday) but I can't get in now for some reason. My password isn't valid any more for some reason.

Guess I'll have to start a new one...
 
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I hope you don't get stuck as long as I have. I've been stuck at 151 for weeks now. It won't shift whatever I do although I do feel a bit slimmer so think that I must be gaining some muscle. So near but so far!!!!!!
I can't get into any serious exercise mode this week after having such a great week last week. It has suddenly gone really humid here and everybody is lethargic. I'm going to have to kick myself in the butt to get me down to the gym today.
Sorry about your ticker, that is so annoyinng.
 
Finally got around to updating this month's pictures in my other thread. When I compare this month to last month I don't really see any change except maybe my boobs shrank a bit more. But this month I only lost 5 lbs, so I don't think it would be that noticable.

One thing that I HAVE noticed (though it doesn't really show up in my pictures very well because of the lighting) is that the dimpled cellulite of my thighs is smoothing out a bit. When I first started out that gross lumpy looking texture started about 6 inches above my knees and went all the way up my thighs and butt. I just noticed this week that the skin on my thighs is fairly smooth now for over half the length of my thighs! PROGRESS!!! Hopefully it keeps moving up my legs and gets to my butt some day. I can also see that the stretch marks on my upper thighs seem to be shrinking. I have high hopes that they will maybe someday almost disappear from my legs.

However, my belly is another story. The damage that the twins caused is just too severe there. :nopity:
 
Well, I had to work up in the city today. My in laws had to go up for doctor appointments, so hubby and the girls rode up with them and met me for lunch (McDonalds :ack2: ). Took my oldest to the walk in clinic because we received a letter in the mail yesterday from the school saying that all kids in sports (she wants to be in basketball this year) are required to have a sports physical now - not just high school kids. We went shopping and I found a clearance rack that had jeans on sale for $2! They didn't have my size though. But I did find a pair of size 6 jeans. I knew there was no way in heck they'd fit, but for $2 I figured what the heck. Maybe I'll use them as goal jeans or something.

We grabbed a couple of pizzas to eat on the long drive home. I was over my daily calorie limit by 250 cals today. So I'll have to be really good this weekend to make up for it.

I saw my boss today for the first time in over 2 weeks because she's been on vacation. When she saw me she said oh my gosh! You're STILL losing weight!!??!??! I said yes, a little. I still have another 15 lbs to go until my goal. She couldn't believe it! She thought I was really skinny already and said she couldn't imagine me with 15 lbs less on my body and that it may be TOO skinny. It really made me think though - how will I know if my goal weight is too much, or not enough? I don't know if I trust my judgement of my body or not. I see all the imperfections, all the soft spots, the stretch marks and the saggy skin and think that I have a LOT of work to do yet. It's hard to have perspective when it comes to my own body image. I have to wonder if I'm being too critical? Or is there really as much fat and flab there as I think I see?

When we got home tonight I decided to try on the size 6 jeans to see how far I could get them on. I wiggled, I squeezed, I squished. Tugging and jumping - I finally got them up over my hips. I laid down on the bed on my back, lifted my belly blubber up and out of the way and actually managed to get them buttoned and zipped! I couldn't hardly move to get up off the bed and had to waddle to walk out to show hubby how they looked. And forget breathing! The jeans were so tight that I couldn't bend my legs at the hip enough to sit down. Talk about skin tight! I felt like a stuffed sausage about to burst!

So I was thinking that maybe if I can get into those jeans comfortably and still breathe - I'll be done? At least with this part of my journey. Then the next part will start - maintaining that healthy weight for the rest of my life... Right now I think that's going to be the hardest part - harder than losing even.

Time will tell I guess...
 
One thing that I HAVE noticed (though it doesn't really show up in my pictures very well because of the lighting) is that the dimpled cellulite of my thighs is smoothing out a bit.
It soooo does notice. One of the first things I noticed was how much smoother and more toned you look and was amazed that you had managed to achieve that in a month :)
Well done on the bargain jeans and even more well done managing to squeeze your self into them :) I need to find myself a goal weight outfit as I can already fit into my previous one. I think that a pair of jeans would be a good idea.
It is difficult to have the right pespective when it comes to your own weight but I know that there are still a good few lbs of fat on my stomach that needs to go although I am constantly being told that I don't need to lose anymore. I think that people often don't want us to see this through to the end for whatever reason. It seems silly too me to come this far and then not get rid of the last little bit even though I am quite happy at the weight I am now. Like yourself I have lots of bits that I want to tighten up. So it's more a matter of looking better than actual weight loss.
 
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Hey TP!

I think you are right. The maintenancce part will be the hardest, because its forever. This part seems easy cause we have a deadline and once we make that deadline, we subconsciously feel we are done. (IMHO) So then we put less effort on the mtce.

I think, as long as we have some guidance like this place, we can stay on track. Just like we learned to be losers, we can learn how to be maintainers.


So dont think your gonna beseein any less of us!

Have a great day! The jeans experience sounded great btw! I could picture it!
 
I have had absolutely zero ambition for exercising the last few days. And while I've been pretty close to my target calorie level, I haven't been making the best food choices the last few days. Cookies and chocolate instead of fruits and veggies. And hardly any water either.

However, weirdly enough I've been at 149 lbs the last few mornings when I've weighed myself! I had been stuck at 151-152 for weeks it seems like.

Maybe I'll go for a bike ride later today or something. It's just that it's finally cooled off here and I'd just much rather snuggle with the twins and take a nap right now.
 
I have had absolutely zero ambition for exercising the last few days. And while I've been pretty close to my target calorie level, I haven't been making the best food choices the last few days. Cookies and chocolate instead of fruits and veggies. And hardly any water either.

However, weirdly enough I've been at 149 lbs the last few mornings when I've weighed myself! I had been stuck at 151-152 for weeks it seems like.

Maybe I'll go for a bike ride later today or something. It's just that it's finally cooled off here and I'd just much rather snuggle with the twins and take a nap right now.

Hey TP!

I hear ya on the lack of ambition part. I've been in the vacation mode most of the summer. No running, no workouts....but I still try to eat sensibly at least. Theres no way in hell I'm going to let myself go like I did for the past 20 or so years.

And 149 is great! Specially after bein in the 150's for a couple of weeks.

I find weight loss to be a saw tooth pattern.....you are high for a couple of weeks, then dip down momentarily, then go back up for a bit, then drop down a teensy weee bit more etc. I was 204 last week....thats up 5 lbs from my 199ish. Then I was 202 the other day. So as long as I am in the zone....I know I'm ok. Come September when the rugrats are back in school, I think we'll get back to serious business.

As for cuddling with the kids....my youngest tries to make sure he sleeps with both of us equally. (My wife snores so we don't sleep together often....really! lol) So he keeps track who he comes and snuggles with lol. My oldest on the other hand still has his bonding with his mom. Sleepin with his dad is passe!
So enjoy it whle you can!

Have a great day and take care!
 
Well, I didn't get anything done on Sunday except take a nice long nap. I feel like such a lazy bum lately!

I'm hoping to get a run in as soon as I get home from work tonight. That way after supper I can relax and not have to worry about getting my butt back off the couch to get moving with some exercise. I have to get some in early in the week because this weekend is going to be insanely busy and I don't think I'll be able to find time to get any exercising done till after the weekend. My hubby is the president of a local shooting club and they put on this big annual 2 day competition in August every year. This year is their 8th year. However, we also have our county fair going on the same weekend and the kids are now in 4-H - so they have stuff going on that I have to drag them to. Plus, the girls said that this year they wanted to provide concessions for the shoot instead of hiring it out to a local guy (who is always over priced and not very good food). Which means of course that I've been volunteered (yet again) to cook and serve food.

:willy_nilly::willy_nilly::willy_nilly: Should be a fun weekend, right?

Yea, I'll just keep telling myself that. Maybe by the time it's over I'll believe it.
 
Hey TP!

Just wondering what kind of shooting competition your hubby is involved in.

I belong to a gun club also, (chartered member) and we do mostly IPSC with some IDPA. (Handgun stuff if your not familiar with it)

Thats my favourite past time btw lol.
Hope you have a great start to a great week!
 
I AM QUEEN OF THE TREADMILL!!!!!!

I just ran 3 miles on the treadmill!!! YYYYEEEEEHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWW!!!!!

I figured since I was so lazy lately I better do some extra time. So I walked the first half mile, ran for 3, then walked another 3/4 of a mile. Took me around 50 minutes I think (forgot to look for sure what time it was when I started).

It wasn't so bad actually! I think I could actually run a 5K and know that I wouldn't die part way thru it. I wouldn't win any speed records though - but hey! At least I could do it!
 
Hey TP!

Just wondering what kind of shooting competition your hubby is involved in.

I belong to a gun club also, (chartered member) and we do mostly IPSC with some IDPA. (Handgun stuff if your not familiar with it)

Thats my favourite past time btw lol.
Hope you have a great start to a great week!

Boy, you and my hubby would get along great then! He's a big time gun collector, and does custom gunsmith work part time (when he's not busy with the farm/ranch).

You ever see the movie Quigley Down Under? That's the kind of guns they all use and the kinds of shots they take. Our shooting range has steel silouette targets (such as a bucket, a buzzard on a tombstone, a boar, a deer, a bear, and of course a buffalo) at various yardages from 200 yards to 950 yards. For safety reasons we only allow lead bullets (plus it's a bit easier on the targets!) on the long distance range. We also have a .22 range set up at closer ranges. They have monthly 1 day shoots from April thru September on our range, weather permitting, but the big one is in August. The first day is all .22, the 2nd day is the long range. We give awards/trophies each year and have a drawing for a gun for anyone who was a registered shooter during the competition that weekend.

The guy who serves as vice president of the club is also a local land owner and he has a high powered range set up on his land that will handle the more modern/high powered loads for rifles and handguns. As of right now they don't have regularly scheduled matches there though.

Our oldest 2 girls are excited because this year they will be allowed to compete in the .22 match with a gun Papa built for them (that's what the girls call their dad). I'll be fun to see if the girls can give some of the boys who compete a run for their money this year!
 
Awesome job on the treadmill!!! :hurray: I am in awe of you, seriously. I can run for about 1 minute before I want to die. I am working on it though.
 
Awesome job on the treadmill!!! :hurray: I am in awe of you, seriously. I can run for about 1 minute before I want to die. I am working on it though.

When I first started out I could only go about 30 seconds without feeling like that. I just increased the run time and decreased the walk time in between more and more each time till I got to where I'm at today. You'll be blowing thru the miles in no time too I'm sure!
 
I had an amazing steak dinner for lunch today - it was SO good! I haven't had steak in ages. And according to the menu it was one of their under 550calorie meals, which is why I chose it. Even better!!! The occasion was the birthday of a good friend and coworker. He and I started on the same day, trained in together and almost 15 years later he's still one of my best friends. He's like a brother to me - in fact I get along with him better than my REAL brothers! Too bad we can't pick our relatives, right? Except I wouldn't flirt with my brothers. We've had this teasing/flirting thing going on for over a decade, but it's completely harmless. He's a really quiet, shy guy and wouldn't have the nerve to flirt back if I wasn't already married and he didn't know me so well. He always says he wishes he had met me before I was married. But what he doesn't know is that it wouldn't have mattered - he is SO NOT MY TYPE!!! He would never have had a chance with me anyway because I wouldn't have ever given him the time of day back when I was single. He's just too much of a nice guy for me I guess.

Well, I better get off the computer and go lift weights. We'll see if I get done with that and get the kids in bed and some other stuff done if I have time to come back on here to catch up on some diaries before I have to get to bed.
 
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