Healthy Weight Loss

[JustJo]

Hi healthies

I just got off the phone with my oldest and dearest friend, and I'm just sitting here, so sad and hurting for her. She has always struggled with her weight and, while I would be overweight and pretty much holding steady, she worked incredibly hard over and over for years to lose the weight, but would always gain it back. She's been on every diet I know of, and her weight has fluctuated by as much as 100 lbs up and down, over and over.

In recent years, she just keeps gaining, no matter how hard she tries. She's been working with a nutritionist, working out....and still gaining. Her doctor has told her that all of her yo-yo dieting has essentially damaged her metabolism ....and she no longer has that internal set point that most of us have.

On top of that, her life is full of stress and....like me and many others....she is a stress and emotional eater.

She's 5'2" and is currently at her heaviest ever weight of 283.
She's seriously considering bariatric surgery.
I'm worried about her.

[*Anya*]

I am sitting in Nordie's Bistro and was just beating myself up because the "Not your daughter's jeans", dress slacks and blouse that I just bought, are not size 10 but are 12 petite ( I am a shorty: 5"3).

I had to give myself a stern talking to.

In 2009, I was in size 22's. Yep, not only short but short and fat.

I hope that does not offend anyone but for me, there are no euphuisms. It is exactly what I was.

I am not thin, maybe if I had larger breasts, I could be considered voluptuous. I don't know exactly what I am, other than hypercritical of myself.

I am back where I was after I lost 50 pounds. My cholesterol is staying at 170, from the high of 270, even after stopping the Lipitor.

Self-acceptance.

Even more difficult than losing weight.

[JustJo]

Originally Posted by *Anya*

I am sitting in Nordie's Bistro and was just beating myself up because the "Not your daughter's jeans", dress slacks and blouse that I just bought, are not size 10 but are 12 petite ( I am a shorty: 5"3).

I had to give myself a stern talking to.

In 2009, I was in size 22's. Yep, not only short but short and fat.

I hope that does not offend anyone but for me, there are no euphuisms. It is exactly what I was.

I am not thin, maybe if I had larger breasts, I could be considered voluptuous. I don't know exactly what I am, other than hypercritical of myself.

I am back where I was after I lost 50 pounds. My cholesterol is staying at 170, from the high of 270, even after stopping the Lipitor.

Self-acceptance.

Even more difficult than losing weight.

((((( Anya )))))

I'm so glad that you posted this.

I think it's so easy to get caught up in berating ourselves because we aren't where we want to be instead of patting ourselves on the back for what we've accomplished.

Your cholesterol count alone equals a big improvement health-wise.

I know that I sometimes go a bit sideways and grumble about the world's slowest weight loss. I see others losing 1, 2, 5 or more pounds each week....and I'm averaging 2 a month. I know it's partly genetic, partly diabetes medications, partly because I'm exercising and being more active but not doing serious "training" and, in largest part, because I'm not dieting. I've just been making small life changes that I can live with forever.

So....when I really want a cheeseburger, I go get one. But I don't drive thru McDonald's multiple times in a week anymore. If I really want some ice cream I have it, but I don't drown my sorrows in a pint of Ben & Jerry's every night.

At the end of the day, here's what I have to look at. I've been in Florida a little over 2 years. Since I've been here, my highest weight was 229, but I'm not sure exactly when that was. I struggled mightily to break the 200 barrier, and now I'm running a pretty consistent 193 - 195, with a gradual trending downward slope. This morning was 193.

That's the lowest weight I've been in so long that I can't remember the last time.

That's a loss of 36 pounds....and slightly more than 15% of my starting body weight. I KNOW that positively impacts my health, not to mention how I look and feel....and that's where I need to focus, not on how far I still have to go.

Hugs to you all

[JoSchmooze]

Thanks to both of you for posting!
I went for my weigh in on Friday....
I have been on maintenance for 6 weeks and only
lost 2 pounds. ONLY!!
Forget the fact that I have a stress fracture in my left
foot that has prevented me from being in the gym...
Forget the fact that I have gone from 500 calories a day
to 1200 calories........I STILL was able to lose something!

As long as we are able to focus on achievement and HEALTH,
and not be hypercritical of ourselves and not focus on what
what others achieve......that's a win in my book.
It takes all of us to be able to look at our own
acheivements and celebrate the healthy!

Keep on trucking y'all.....I know I will be......

[Cowboi]

OMG!!! Today was leg day. I had to crawl out of the gym. Im thinking tomorrow, im gonna be walkin like Fred Sanford.

75 pushups
75 wallballs(12lb ball) with box squats
75 squats
and that was just to warm up.
then on to Leg press 4x10
leg raises 4x10
seated hamstring curls 4x10
calfs(on leg press machine) 4x15

[*Anya*]

I had a very interesting discussion yesterday with

<<<<<<Occupied.

She is average weight, proportioned for her height, has no food issues or addictions.

She texted me from my house while I was at work asking me: "Where are your sweets? I can't find any cookies, candy, ice cream or cake. How can you live like this"?

She was only half-kidding.

When I got home from work, there was a Mounds bar in the frig. She actually went to the store to buy candy.

I tried to think from a non-food addiction person how strange it would be.

The only analogy I could give her was an acoholic and how one drink sends them down the path of hell.

Sweets seem so harmless but for me, they set up a craving so intense, such an obsession, it feels like an addiction to me.

I think she got it and was apologetic as she ate the candy bar and asked if I wanted her to go outside to eat it. Just like an alcoholic in recovery, I could watch her eat it because I had no craving.

I don't miss the insanity of eating a bag of cookies in one sitting or a box of Thin Mints or even the last time I fell off the wagon with Graham crackers.

I can never eat just one or have one bite. Period.

[Gráinne]

Last night at the gym, I noticed that my 25 minute mile was becoming easy. I wasn't sweating as hard, nor straining to finish. I told myself that it was because I was watching the debate on one screen, and football on the other, and thus wasn't working as hard as I do if it's just me.

Then this morning I noticed that my pants didn't work; they were way too loose. I told myself that these were old pants (true) and probably just worn out. My top was also too baggy, but I told myself the same, that it was just wearing out.

So it looks like I have to buy new pants and new bras, and kick up my pace to the next level that's difficult but doable. But what I've been thinking is, why do we ascribe outside things for success, like 'the clothes are worn out', but castigate ourselves for our "failures"? It's not only about weight.

[Andrea]

A medical procedure has kept me from working out for the last few days and I am missing it.

Wow!!! When did that happen? LOL

How is everyone else doing?

[JustJo]

Hello healthies

Well....I've been struggling a bit. It's not reflecting in the scale, but it's operating in my head for sure.

I've been under intense stress....both work and personal...and the emotional eating triggers are all kicked over to "Chow Down!" Thankfully, my good eating of the last year-ish means that my capacity is wayyyyy down. So, when I grab the chips and dip I manage a couple spoonsfull of dip and a couple handfuls of chips....and then I feel stuffed and mildly ill. At least that's better than the full bag and full tub action of 2 years ago.

Still, I know it's not good.

I also had such a crazy schedule of unplanned "stuff"...car issues, kids that needed to be watched because moms had crises to deal with, school schedule changes...that I missed over a week of Curves.

I was back today, and it felt fine....so I know I'm not too far off.

I guess it's just frustrating to see (and feel) how quickly those negative patterns are ready to jump back to the forefront when things get rocky. So far, the worst thing is my diet soda addiction....which has returned with a vengenance...and which I really need to stop, because I know it leads to worse eating habits pretty quickly.

Hugs to you all.