This has to be it... I hope!

Thank you so much Grey!! It makes me feel good to hear that. I am getting in shape for myself but if I can inspire other people that would be an added bonus!

This morning I am back to 168.5 and feeling great. I was a little too close to 170 and that was't sitting well. Despite the fact that it is 85 degrees out and very humid, I made it out this morning for a 2.85 mile run/walk. Again I ran the first .63 miles then walked the rest. It really has felt great to push myself and see what I can do. So far this week I have kept up with my goals of exercising and eating well, except for going out for lunch with a friend on Monday.

Now that I seem to be on track, I was thinking about my long term goals and what those would look like. I was thinking by my birthday in November, I'd like to get down to about 130 lbs. That's slightly less than 40 pounds to lose which seems like a HUGE mountain to climb but I think I can do it. If I aim for 130 at the beginning of November, that would require me to shed 10 pounds per month for the next 4 months. I did manage to get rid of 15 pounds in July but I know that the first few pounds typically are easier to lose than the last few. At any rate, I am in it for the long haul and can't wait to continue to see the numbers of the scale keep getting smaller.
 
Back on track! Good to see it :) Ten pounds every month is a mighty goal but sometimes you just have to shoot for the stars (and even if you don´t reach them immediately you might come up with non-stick pans in the process).
 
I have been stalled at 168.5 all week. Yesterday I was avoiding exercising, even though I had plenty of time to fit it in. I managed to squeeze it in and went for a 2.6 mile walk. It was 90 degrees out and very humid so I wasn't able to run but I was still very happy I at least got out there. Today I won't be able to exercise because we are getting a storm and the gym is closed for the holiday. I may look up an exercise video on my tv or computer later as an alternative. I really want to get below the 168.5 that I have been stuck at for days.

This is a holiday weekend and I know I will not be making the best food choices but I am hoping at least to practice some self control. I want to be able to splurge a bit but I hope the guilt doesn't get to me. I know one weekend of unhealthy choices isn't going to kill me but I've worked so hard to drop these 15 pounds that I don't want to gain any of it back. I think I would die if I saw 170 again! I will do my best to not go over board but I also want to enjoy the time with my family and not be thinking about weight all weekend.
 
Best of luck on your weightloss journey Kakes2!

Remember that it's going to be a marathon, not a sprint :)

Advocare, is that an VLCD based diet?
 
Well this weekend was not kind to my scale. On Saturday, I weighed myself and saw something horrifying... 172.4!!!! I was so upset about it but decided to try and get past it, at least for the rest of this weekend. Not only was this July 4th weekend, but also my mom's wedding was on Saturday. I did a lot of baking and also had a friend visiting from out of state. Needless to say, I couldn't stick to my preferred diet and had no time for exercise. I loved having my friend here and spending time with family but I am happy to be able to get back to what was working so well for me. I haven't weighed myself (I'm nervous) but I am expecting a 173. That means that I gained back nearly 5 pounds, horrifying!!! The only good part is that I know that I can lose the weight, it is just A LOT of work! I must say that I did enjoy not having to watch what I eat but now I feel yucky. I feel very lethargic and lazy. My friend left this afternoon and I wasn't able to get myself outside to run as I am so tired from all the festivities. I have to work tonight and so I am planning on getting back to running tomorrow. I am actually quite looking forward to it. I am very discouraged by the fact that I gained back so much of the weight in just a few days but it really goes to show me that I can't deviate from my plan. I'm not going to let a few pounds discourage me from going forward but it is really hard to not just give up. Previously, I would have convinced myself that losing ten pounds was good enough and that I could just quit. There is no way I am letting myself do that now! I want to re-lose that weight and continue to lose more and more until I feel good about myself. I think I am going to need a lot of encouragement in the next week or so because I am at a critical time where I actively have to fight off being discouraged. I hope that once I get back on track and back moving again, then I will forget about this weekend and continue to kick ass!
 
Kakes don't let it get you down...
You had a long a busy weekend with the holiday and wedding. Its almost expected to gain some back with all that food and drinks. I was the same way this past weekend. Just keep your goal in front of you and push your way back through it.
We all know you can do it and are always here to help you get through it....
 
The good news: at least have of those regained pounds are water and will disappear again quickly. The bad news: you´ll have to make them.I´m getting on the scale tomorrow and I know I´ve gained weight so I´m not looking forward to it. But we can only get to where we want to be when we´re realistic so let´s go kick that scale´s ass!
 
Kakes, it happens to most of us & you just have to put it behind you. Drink lots of water, get moving, eat healthy & within a few days it will be gone again. You don't want to have that current feeling on a permanent basis. You can & will do this as you want to feel good about yourself. Cheers, Cate
 
Joey, Running is not fun to me but it sounds like you are making huge progress. I love the attitude. keep it moving!
 
Hey everyone... I am back! I have been away for about two months it seems. In those two months I have done close to no exercise and have been eating anything and everything. When I started this forum on June 6th of this year, I weighed around 180. A month later I was around 168. Now, another two months later, I am at 173.2 lbs. I weighed myself yesterday for the first time in those two months, and honestly I was shocked that I didn't weigh more! After my mom's wedding in July, I gained some weight back and just couldn't get past it. I keep thinking "imagine if I didn't take these two months off?" I could be way below 160 by now. Oh well. The only thing I can do is get headed back in the right direction and continue to push myself like I was doing before.

Last night I got off my lazy butt and walked 2.6 miles. It felt great. Earlier this summer, I was so close to being able to run the first mile and I sooooo want to get back to that. This summer I was coming up with every excuse in the book to not run (it's too hot, I don't want to mess up my hair, I don't have time, etc etc). I need to do away with the excuses and just get it done. I actually don't mind it and it appears that it was really working for me before. Along with that, I need to start making way better choices when it comes to eating. I always seem to use the excuse that I live with my parents and can't make my own food choices. In reality, that is a bunch of bologna. I am 25 and can certainly cook for myself, buy my own groceries, etc. Also, the fast food has got to go. I am someone who likes to hide food. I often find myself eating in my car and in my room, and it has become such a bad habit.

I think the breaking point for me was the other day when I saw a picture of myself from that very same day. I saw the picture and was absolutely disgusted. I am very short (4'10) and so the weight is an even bigger issue than if I were of average height. Not only that, I am very uncomfortable in my own skin and feel like I can't do anything anymore. I am constantly embarrassed about the way I look and just want to feel comfortable. I am not even aiming for "skinny" at this point... just comfortable. As of right now, my biggest problem area is my midsection. I could tell I was gaining the weight back just by looking at my stomach. Although I wish I never saw that picture of myself the other day, I am so glad I did because it has pushed me to get back on the right track and start taking responsibility for my health.

Changes to be made:
Walk/go to the gym at least 4 days per week.
No eating in the car/my bedroom.

I will start with those and see where it takes me. I greatly appreciate any encouragement from others as I know I am going to need it!! Thanks everyone. Can't wait to see how others have been doing the past few months!
 
Hi again! Immediately after writing that last post ^^^ I got changed and headed out for my walk. For those of you that were following my story a few months ago, you probably know that when I commit to something, I really commit. Unfortunately, the flip side of that means that when I am not committed, I fall wayyyy off the wagon and do pretty much nothing (i.e. the months of July and August). I don't want to over do it and burn myself out so I will be careful to keep an eye on that, but for now, I am going full force.

While I was walking my 2.6 miles, I was trying to come up with some mini goals for myself for the next few weeks. My first goal is that I would like to be at (or under) 170 by Sunday. For some, that might seem like a hefty goal but knowing myself, I know I will drop a few pounds quite fast. I even just weighed myself after that run and I was at 171.4 (down from 173.2 this morning). I know it's water weight but we will see what happens. My next goal is going to be at 160 by October 18th when I have an event where pictures will be taken. That is in roughly 40 days and would be about 13 pounds. I hope I can do it! That's as far as I want to go in terms of "long term goals" because I don't want to get too reliant on the scale.

Sorry in advance, I will be posting A LOT. I need something external to hold myself accountable and this diary is great for me. I appreciate any and all feedback that others are willing to give :)
 
Hi Kakes & welcome back! It takes courage to share your feelings & 'fess up. You've done it, it's behind you & you're back! I think most of us have done what you have done & hidden when we eat things we know we shouldn't eat. "Comfort eating" is absolutely no comfort at all & just makes any issues we have about ourselves and/or life even worse. Working on self-esteem I think is the most important thing that any of us can do. Your body is your temple. I really believe that we should treat our bodies with the respect that they deserve & they do not deserve junk food.
You are young & it is a great time to learn about healthy nutrition and doing what you can to be as healthy as you can. The older you get, the harder it gets to stay slim. Yo yo dieting is not the way. Long term healthy eating & regular exercise is. You have that chance & you can do it. I'm sure you can! xo Cate
 
Thanks, Cate! I completely agree with what you said about the body being a temple.

Yesterday I was not into exercising AT ALL but I was able to convince myself to walk my normal route. I did not run a stitch but I am happy i was able to get out there at all and walk at the very least. Today, on the other hand, I am in a horrible mood and wanted nothing more than to just take a long shower and get myself together. Unfortunately that meant no workout but I am trying not to beat myself up about it. I am happy to report, however, that I have been eating better the last few days. I did make some poor choices (i.e. soda, pasta, bread) but it's not the end of the world. I don't think that I need to be counting calories or anything because I feel that I have a good handle on things as far as eating only when I need to (for hunger or energy). My biggest problem is eating in small portions throughout the day and not going a whole day without eating then eating a huge meal. Still a work in progress there.

It's only been a few days and so I'm not really expecting to see results. I have weighed myself and I've seen a few 171 and 172s, which is down from my starting weigh of 173, so I guess that's good. Above all, the 3 times I have walked this week, I have felt great afterward so that feeling is what is going to push me to continue.

Hope everyone else is having a good week so far!
 
Wow, it has been quite some time since I have been on here... since September to be exact. Unfortunately, I fell off the wagon AGAIN and have not been eating well or exercising at all. I know that the holidays are hard for everyone when it comes to eating but I think I took it to a whole new level. Long story short, I am back up to weighing about 176.5 lbs (that's what I weighed this morning). To me, that is just wrong... very very wrong. I'm not saying the scale is wrong- it is just wrong that I have allowed myself to get back up to that weight. I am only 4 foot 11 so I should really weigh around 120 lbs I think so I have a longgg way to go. I know that I am highly capable of losing weight. The two times that I have been committed to losing weight, I dropped a few pounds in a relatively short time, just by working out and eating well. My problem is staying committed to the journey.

Just like the last time I attempted to get healthy, I know that I need to start out slow and make changes that will last. For me, that starts with going to the gym. I actually managed to get myself to the gym last night and this afternoon so I am off to a great start. I am not going to go crazy and beat myself up if I don't make it to the gym one day. I am going to make a solid effort to do something active every day and leave it at that. Another big thing for me is eating in my car or in my bedroom. I somehow have this habit of wanting to hide food and I know if I was around other people I would't be shoving the food into my mouth. That needs to stop. And lastly, just making smarter choices when it comes to eating. I do like a lot of healthy foods so that shouldn't be an issue. I just need to ward off those horrible cravings for fast food or junk food. Going to be tough but worth it!

Anyway, I am hoping to post pretty often so that I hold myself accountable. I am eventually going to need feedback on my workout plans and eating so I am looking forward to posting about those. Please feel free to give me constructive criticism as I am so open to doing things the right way.
 
The scale today is 173.9 which is down a little from what I weighed almost a week ago (176.5). I'm happy with that. I only made it to the gym Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday last week because I started a new full time student teaching placement on Wednesday. On top of that, I have a graduate school class on Wednesday nights, and then I coach a high school sport every night except Wednesdays. I think that the student teaching will absolutely be great to get me on a better eating schedule. Normally I would wake up and not eat a single thing until about 2pm. At that point I would be starving. Now, I know that I need to eat breakfast, then I have a snack time and lunch time every day at the same time. That is perfect. The only downfall to that is having to make sure I have something to pack for lunch and healthy snacks every day but I'm sure I can do it. So far I have stuck to fruit and yogurt for snacks, and then a sandwich for lunch. I know sandwiches aren't the healthiest for you but they are a whole lot more healthy than fast food so it's fine for now. Everything in moderation, right?

I am happy that I made it to the gym today, unhappy that I didn't make it yesterday but oh well. I doubt that I will be able to get myself to the gym in the next few days because we are supposed to be getting a huge snowstorm here tomorrow night. Maybe I will be able to go once between now and Thursday (pending the weather), and then I will make sure I go Saturday and Sunday. One thing that I can do is look for things to do at home in case I am snowed in. I have an exercise ball and some weights so I will have to dig those out.

Looking forward to a productive and healthy week!
 
I am back. Again. Since January I have gained more weight back and I am not happy about it. I think I am the heaviest I have ever been. I came back on this forum today to look at the weights I had posted about almost a year ago now but I decided it would be a good idea to get in the habit of posting again. Currently I am 181 pounds. That is very unhealthy for someone like me with a small frame... I am 4 ft, 10 inches tall! Right now my BMI is far past obese, which is horrifying to me. My ultimate goal weight is 130, and even that is right in the "overweight" category according to the BMI. I'm not going to worry about that for now. I am going to make small goals for myself and see where that takes me. In the past, I have been able to see results if I stay committed to eating healthy and exercising so I am optimistic.

A little about me. Bad habits I have are binge eating. I can go almost all morning and afternoon without eating and then need to stuff my face with unhealthy food. I also eat fast food wayyy too much and that needs to stop. Also, I am great at hiding food (eating in my bedroom, buying all kinds of snacks and hiding them, etc.) I also eat in my car which is a bad idea when trying to lose weight. And lastly, I drink almost no water during the day. As much as I hate to put these bad habits in writing, it is the first step to being able to stop these bad habits and pick up some good habits.

I have recently purchased a FitBit. Has anyone had success with one? So far I think it's great because it challenges me to get moving by counting my steps all day every day. I've had it for maybe 5 days and so far I have steps more than 10,000 steps each of those days. I have gone for at least 2 mile walks each of these days. And this morning I walked nearly 4 miles! It felt great. This past week its been semi easy to get back on track because I have been on vacation from school (I am a teacher) so tomorrow when I am back to work will be the true test. I know I won't be able to fit in a long walk every day but I will try my best and see what happens.

Goals I have for myself: As I said before, my ultimate goal is 130lbs. For now, I would like to be down to 160lbs by the end of the summer. That is a little over 20lbs and I think I can do it. Being a teacher, I will have a good amount of free time during the summer to get out there and exercise. If I hit that goal before the end of summer then I will happily come up with a new goal :) Another goal I have is that I really want to be a "runner." I cannot run to save to my life. I try from time to time but I just can't do it. I kind of think it is a mind over matter thing but at this point I physically am so out of shape that it is no wonder I can't run for more than a few minutes at a time. I would LOVE to be able to run even a half marathon someday. Maybe next spring or so? That would be amazing. And my last goal is more of a personal goal but I want to just feel comfortable in my own skin. I am 26 and I don't date currently because I just feel horrible able myself. I want to be confident about the way I look and right now I just feel horrified.

A major problem that I face with my weight loss is that I see people who post their success stories such as "I lost 50 pounds in 9 months!" and I am very happy for these people but I always think to myself "I don't know if I can wait 9 months." I know this is completely crazy because 9 months is going to come and go no matter what so why not commit to it. I always think things like, "what if I had stuck to it this past year, I would be in such good shape!" so what I am trying to do now is make it so that a year from now I can look back and say "I am so glad I stuck to it this past year. I am in such great shape!"

So that's me. I am excited to poke around the site and see what others have been up to on their weight loss journeys. Please feel free to read my posts and comment (sorry I can be long-winded). Any forms of constructive criticism or positivity are welcome :)
 
Kakes, You absolutely need to eat a healthy breakfast & a healthy lunch so that your body is not screaming out for whatever it can get. Have protein with each of these meals. Eat fruit and/or veg with every meal. Force yourself to drink water until it becomes a habit. Stop buying "snacks" unless those snacks are fresh fruit or celery for eg. Make a new rule that you only eat in front of other people.You can do this. You have to want to be healthy, but it won't just happen. Start making some positive changes, don't expect it to happen overnight & every positive change that you make will get you to where you want to be. It's you & only you that can do that. Forget the last year. If you have any junk food laying around get rid of it. Start right now. GO!
PS That's as harsh as I get.
PPS I'm positive you can do this if you set your mind to do it.
xoxo Cate
 
Thank you so much, Cate! That is the kind of advice I need to hear. I LOVED your idea about only eating in front of other people. I think that will be slightly challenging but it will be SO worth it. Thank you!

Today I had a great day. I reached over 15,000 steps today, that's including a 2.65 mile walk after work. I was so proud of myself for hitting the pavement after having a long day at work. My body feels so tired but I did it! I also ate fairly well. I had a banana for breakfast, a small snack, pulled chicken for lunch with a few pickles, then a taco for dinner. I know those aren't the most healthy of foods but that is much improved compared to what I usually eat. For now I am trying to focus on making better choices but also paying attention to spacing out my meals and limiting my portions. I have a feeling I am going to see some results with that, especially if I keep up with my walking.

I think I will start with the "only eating in front of others" tomorrow. It will be most difficult for me at night when I am craving a snack but that is my biggest weakness and the time when I usually eat the worst food. I am absolutely willing to give it a try and see how it works for me. Thanks again, Cate!
 
You're welcome sweets. Congrats on having a good day. Give yourself credit for every good day you have. One good day adds to another good day & then you have a good week etc. Only eating in front of others will make such a difference. I had hoped I hadn't sounded too harsh or self-righteous. I hate that :blush5: xo Cate
 
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