January/February weight management challenge

[Susan Otcenas]

149.0

Hot dang! I'm below 150 !!! :D

Oh, and I have only one pound to go to my Weight Watcher's goal weight. Booyah!

WOOT!! You go girl!! SO happy for you. What a sense of accomplishment, eh?

[Susan Otcenas]

Well, considering I spent most of the week feeling like sh!t because of calorie reduction (fuzzy headed, dizzy, fatigued), I am only down to 127.2. No change in waist and hip measurements. I should be happy with that but, honestly, I'm disappointed. It's affecting my running a LOT. I think I will eat a bit more this week and see what happens.

I'm not a nutritionist (nor do I play one on TV ;) ) but it sounds like you are underfueling for your level of intensity and training.

I find it a very delicate balance to fuel enough for training, yet not so much that I don't end up with a small deficit to nudge me along the weight loss path.

[Tri Girl]

Well, yesterday I was 163.8 and this morning I was 165.3 :rolleyes:

I'm going with the 163.8.
I generally don't weigh everyday, but did yesterday because I was going to the doc and I wanted to tell her how much I'd lost since I've last seen her.
Then today I weighed because it's our weigh-in day. I like yesterday's number better, so that's what I'm going with. :p

[VeganBikeChick]

177 today. Better than I thought.

[SAMbike]

116.6

At least now I'm not heading upwards... :)

[SAMbike]

149.0

I pass by the concession stands and I think "I don't want to eat that crap!"



You are awesome!! Congrats! That's what I need to do.

[katluvr]

Forgot to post.. 126.4...same. And that was a good weigh in. Now I have family & friends here for the weekend...lots of eating and drinking :eek:

At least I ran this AM before indulging in coffee cake!:eek::eek:

K

[Possegal]

Updating.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AkxMKcttLKvTdDlma2lfSTE5SjhxUUR5clpNUjlMSHc

[klesko]

I find it a very delicate balance to fuel enough for training, yet not so much that I don't end up with a small deficit to nudge me along the weight loss path.

I agree, and when I was stress eating the last few months I actually found I felt better on my bike when I ate more than I burned if I was eating nutritious food. I am back to a very small calorie deficit in January and will work on my balance. It does take a lot of focus, since I naturally eat 100-200 calories more than I burn if I don't track more carefully than I have been and weigh every day.

I had internet access problems the last couple of days - 146 this week. Sorry for the late post.

[jobob]

Just had my Weight Watchers weigh-in.

148.4

Dagnabit, a lousy four-tenths of a pound from goal!!! :mad:

But hey, that said, I'm only four-tenths of a pound from goal. :)

I've been wearing the same jeans and top for nearly every weigh-in -- and the jeans have been getting looser, woo woo.

But the helpful ladies at the front desk suggested I don't wear jeans next week. I'm off to check my closet for a lighter-weight pair of pants ... ;)

[ny biker]

But the helpful ladies at the front desk suggested I don't wear jeans next week. I'm off to check my closet for a lighter-weight pair of pants ... ;)

I'd go with pajamas... ;)

[SadieKate]

I'd go with pajamas... ;)

With pink ribbons . . . hee-hee. :rolleyes:

[goldfinch]

It's Friday, 2/3/12.

I'm 105.6, the lowest since the early 1980s. My goal has been to maintain my weight but it didn't hurt to drop a bit more.

More importantly, since I've been in Texas I've lost an inch around my waist, which had stayed the same for several months despite the fact I had been losing weight. I think that working with weights might be helping trim up a bit.

[Catrin]

Still 135.2.

[klesko]

I am 145.2 but have been eating much more healthy foods and dropped my portion sizes later in the week so expect to see my weight start dropping this month.

[klesko]

Goldfinch - I just noticed that my bikes are the same as 2 of yours (Trek 4.7 and Cannondale Quick4). :)

[azfiddle]

The scale is just creeping down again... 116.6.... but better than going up !

[goldfinch]

Goldfinch - I just noticed that my bikes are the same as 2 of yours (Trek 4.7 and Cannondale Quick4). :)

Cool! Nice bikes, eh? My new bike, the Downtube folder, hasn't even been ridden yet. A LBS was putting it together for me and a pin in the folding mechanism broke. :(

[Susan Otcenas]

No change for me this week. It was a, um, tough week. I've been feeling very blue about my limited mobility due to the acute issues I'm having with my IT band. I'm an emotional eater, and I let that get the best of me in the early part of this week. Given the distance I strayed on Monday and Tuesday, I'm frankly just happy that I maintained this week!

[Gypsy]

163.4 lbs.

No change from last week.

I did end up going to the nutritionist this week. She's recommending a diabetic exchange plan that's on the lower carb/starch side.

It feels, though, like I am eating too much. She wants me to keep my calories balanced throughout the week, instead of increasing when I ride, and eating less when I don't exercise. So, it feels like I am eating too much.

[tealtreak]

163.4 lbs.

No change from last week.

I did end up going to the nutritionist this week. She's recommending a diabetic exchange plan that's on the lower carb/starch side.

It feels, though, like I am eating too much. She wants me to keep my calories balanced throughout the week, instead of increasing when I ride, and eating less when I don't exercise. So, it feels like I am eating too much.
Did she give a reason for that strategy? (I am always curious about physiology/nutrition/excercise info) When I backpack or Mt bike I eat a ton more than "regular" life, I would bonk with out the extra..................

[five one]

Still 138. Good to know the amount of food I am eating will maintain this weight with little or no exercise. At least I'm not gaining.

I'm having carpal tunnel/tennis elbow problems as the result of a cross-stitch project (a baby gift) I have been spending a lot of time trying to finish. The good news - I finally finished the stitching last night. I can stop the repetitive motion causing the problem. The bad news - my forearm and elbow are inflamed and tender. Sleep has been poor despite using ice and Aleve. As a result, I am just dragging myself through the days. Getting up at 5 am to riding the trainer is not going to happen until this is resolved. Hope to get out on the road this weekend.

[ny biker]

142.4.

[Crankin]

105.8.
Exactly the same as last week. The good news is that while my weight stayed between this # and 106.4 this week, it didn't have the wilder fluctuations I've seen in the past. One of my issues is that I do eat more on the weekends, so I spend a good part of the week playing catch up. I've cut down my carbs so much for me, that I do admit to rewarding myself with half a whole wheat bagel as well as waffles last weekend. Another good thing, is that I seem to have lost that vicious hunger in between meals and at night. I still have a snack most afternoons, but I just put it out of my mind.
Mr. Crankin : 150.4 He was at his company meeting in Boston all week, staying in a hotel. He said it was amazing he didn't gain more.

[Gypsy]

Did she give a reason for that strategy? (I am always curious about physiology/nutrition/excercise info) When I backpack or Mt bike I eat a ton more than "regular" life, I would bonk with out the extra..................

The problem that I'm having is that I'm not eating as correctly as I should be (based on my conversation with her). I agree. I think I've been getting away from healthy, whole (not processed) foods, and the result is that my blood sugar is getting too low when I ride (or after the ride).

So, I'm not eating enough protein and not enough fruits and veggies.

Anyway, the point is that she wants me to eat evenly throughout the week, so that I build "reserves" for the long riding days. And on riding days, I'm supposed to eat protein to "recover" rather than eating fig newtons or gels.

I'm not exactly sure she's on the right track, to be honest. I'll be testing it out this weekend and see what happens. The real concern is all the junk carbs (like the fig newtons or granola bars) that I'm eating and not the real complex carbs. As she told me, eat all the vegetables you want if I want more carbs in my day.

If I'm dying on Sunday after a long ride, clearly she's off her rocker.

[GLC1968]

Anyway, the point is that she wants me to eat evenly throughout the week, so that I build "reserves" for the long riding days. And on riding days, I'm supposed to eat protein to "recover" rather than eating fig newtons or gels.


I totally agree with this. This is what I've done since going paleo. The only exception would be for really long exercise sessions. In my case, any run longer than about 75-80 minutes and any ride approaching 3 hours. So I'd say that it kind of depends on what 'long' means to you (and your body).

I have found that refueling on real food (like protein and veggies) works WAY better than refueling on just carbs (even good quality carbs) in terms of controlling long term hunger and having better recovery results.

[DonnaS]

136.2. Down with a head cold last week so didn't weigh in until today.

I started Weight Watchers today rather than continuing to count calories. I like the idea of being able to munch on fruit whenever I feel like nibbling without feeling guilty.

DonnaS

[emily_in_nc]

Depressing weigh-in this morning after a four-day vacation during which we ate out every meal. We walked a lot and did a long bike ride, but I ate way too much delicious food.

109.5

Totally wrong direction and the most I've weighed in nearly 10 years. :(

I won't give up, though; I just have to get back to careful watching of portion size, sweets, and carbs. I did a nice 4-mile run this morning and a long walk this afternoon so am just starting over, I guess.

[tealtreak]

The problem that I'm having is that I'm not eating as correctly as I should be (based on my conversation with her). I agree. I think I've been getting away from healthy, whole (not processed) foods, and the result is that my blood sugar is getting too low when I ride (or after the ride).

So, I'm not eating enough protein and not enough fruits and veggies.

Anyway, the point is that she wants me to eat evenly throughout the week, so that I build "reserves" for the long riding days. And on riding days, I'm supposed to eat protein to "recover" rather than eating fig newtons or gels.

I'm not exactly sure she's on the right track, to be honest. I'll be testing it out this weekend and see what happens. The real concern is all the junk carbs (like the fig newtons or granola bars) that I'm eating and not the real complex carbs. As she told me, eat all the vegetables you want if I want more carbs in my day.

If I'm dying on Sunday after a long ride, clearly she's off her rocker.
Please keep us posted- always looking for advice-I always eat tons of fruits and veggies and lots of lentils,tofu,beans but like I said- way more on "outside all day playing" days (: My anti-bonk portable protein crutch is vanilla whey protein which I usually drink pre activity......

[katluvr]

Not even going to post my weight...it embarrassing. The scale was UP way more than expected. Yes, we did have company and lots of food & adult beverages were involved--but didn't expect it to be this bad. So this week I need to really get serious!
K

[channlluv]

224.6

<--beyond embarrassment. <g>

[Tri Girl]

163.4

down only .4, but I'll take it. Considering I didn't eat very healthy the last couple days, I'm pleased.

[ny biker]

So, Wednesday and Thursday I weighed ~141.5. Friday was 142.4. This morning it was 140.8. This is water weight going up and down, even though I can't really point to a reason for it.

It's just of weird, and interesting.

I think it was Emily who said she wanted a scale that showed weight to the nearest 1/10th of a pound. I think maybe rounding to the nearest pound would be better for some of us. Seeing 142, 142, 142, 141 would harder to obsess over.

[goldfinch]

So, Wednesday and Thursday I weighed ~141.5. Friday was 142.4. This morning it was 140.8. This is water weight going up and down, even though I can't really point to a reason for it.

It's just of weird, and interesting.

I think it was Emily who said she wanted a scale that showed weight to the nearest 1/10th of a pound. I think maybe rounding to the nearest pound would be better for some of us. Seeing 142, 142, 142, 141 would harder to obsess over.

I love this article on how water dominates what is shown on the scale and how you need to use a moving average to see weight loss: http://www.fourmilab.ch/hackdiet/e4/signalnoise.html

So yes, the fractions of a pound are basically irrelevant. But I still got excited when I was 105.8 rather than 106! :)

[Crankin]

Me too.
But probably because I've this type of scale for 12 years or so, and I am used to it. It shows a trend of when I have the water weight and that , most of the time, is very related to what I've been eating, no matter what my weight is. It made me realize that I was eating too much salty stuff and had to stop with the Asian food, except every once in awhile.

[tprevost]

Totally fell off the wagon ... 156... Climbing back on now. :o

[tprevost]

Great job Jobob!!!!! :D




Just had my Weight Watchers weigh-in.

148.4

Dagnabit, a lousy four-tenths of a pound from goal!!! :mad:

But hey, that said, I'm only four-tenths of a pound from goal. :)

I've been wearing the same jeans and top for nearly every weigh-in -- and the jeans have been getting looser, woo woo.

But the helpful ladies at the front desk suggested I don't wear jeans next week. I'm off to check my closet for a lighter-weight pair of pants ... ;)

[VeganBikeChick]

Ended at 177.2. Not as much of a gain as I feared.

[emily_in_nc]

Water weight is amazing. I reluctantly reported my Friday weigh-in (right after a four-day vacation during which every meal was eaten out) at 109.5, way up for me. During the day Friday, I peed a zillion times. Saturday morning, I weighed 106.5! Yesterday I ate pretty normally, no strict dieting but nothing too bad either, and this morning I weighed 105.5!

Really strange, but I am thrilled to have lost four lbs. in two days, even if it was entirely unreal weight (i.e. all water). :D

[yellow]

Late posting because I was gone for the weekend. Before I left, 124.8. Speaking of water, I think this was dehydrated weight. I cross country skied a total of about 32 miles F-S-S, so I was very hungry S & S (and ate a lot more than normal, and food I don't normally eat as we were eating out for dinners). Back to reduced calorie for another week or two!

[GLC1968]

Weighed in at 147 again on Saturday but never got online to post about it until now. Considering how little exercise I've gotten and how little attention I've paid to my nutrition in the past three weeks, I'm THRILLED to still be at the same weight.

Now...to start nudging it downward again.

[Possegal]

Catching up before I need to catch up again tomorrow. :)


https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AkxMKcttLKvTdDlma2lfSTE5SjhxUUR5clpNUjlMSHc

[Susan Otcenas]

Catching up before I need to catch up again tomorrow. :)


https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AkxMKcttLKvTdDlma2lfSTE5SjhxUUR5clpNUjlMSHc

Possegal, Thanks sooooo much for keeping these records. Columns M & N are not calculating for my row. Do you have a moment to update it? :) SInce I've actually *lost* something this go-round, seeing that little number change us a motivator for me.

[Possegal]

Possegal, Thanks sooooo much for keeping these records. Columns M & N are not calculating for my row. Do you have a moment to update it? :) SInce I've actually *lost* something this go-round, seeing that little number change us a motivator for me.

Fixed. I delete the "lbs lost" from the blank lines (which are really names from previous rounds just hidden, which originally was meant to make it easy for me but probably now isn't really:) ) so that we have a total of lbs lost rather than an error due to NA for those lines. It's nice to see a total for the group. Anyway, looks like I deleted your cell too when doing the couple rows above you. Without a lbs lost, no % lost. DOH.

[jobob]

146.4

Goaaaalllll !!! :D

I finally reached my Weight Watchers goal, which amounted to a loss of 10% of my weight from when I started in mid-September.

It sure took me long enough, I averaged just under a pound lost per week, but what the heck.

Now I have to maintain my goal weight of 148 (+/- 2 lbs) for the next 6 weeks so I can make Lifetime. Yikes! That could be more of a challenge than losing the weight in the first place ...

I mentioned last week I was going to try to find a lighter pair of pants (or pajamas ;)) for my weigh-in this week, instead of the jeans I've normally been wearing to WI. Digging around the back of my closet I found a very lightweight pair of pants I got back when Lee & I were bike touring (when I realized that lugging a couple of pairs of Levis in my panniers was a dumb thing to do). I haven't been able to wear these pants for years, but joy of joys they fit me now! And they're about a pound lighter than the jeans I had been wearing to WI. But I was under goal by more than the difference in the weight of the pants, so I wasn't cheating ... much ;)

To celebrate, Lee & I went out for dinner at the Lobster Shack, where I had a Lobster Roll ("Naked" - basically just lots of lobster (yum) in a bun, no mayo (not a fan of mayo), tho I did use some of the clarified butter), coleslaw, some of the fries, a few spoonfuls of Lee's clam chowder, and, of course, a beer (Shipyard IPA, yum). That sure put a healthy dent in my weekly points allowance, even with my upped daily amount on account of being on Maintenance now. But boy was it worth it. :cool:

[Crankin]

105.4
Mr. Crankin: 149.0 (there was a big note left on top of my laptop this morning, with this # on it)

Weekends kill me. Last Saturday I weighed the same as today. Then, with just moderate eating out and the usual exercise, it took me all week to get back. But, there's a downward trend and now my "high end" after the weekend is about 2 lbs. less than it was before.
And now I am off to a weekend of x country skiing and eating!

[Veronica]

Congratulations Jo! That's awesome.

Veronica

[goldfinch]

Jobob, congratulations! And just under a pound a week is about perfect!

Well, it is Friday the 10th. I am at my lowest yet at 105. I am not trying to actively lose weight, but to maintain. However, I am having some adjustment trying to figure out how much to eat for the exercise I do and the weight I am. Maintenance is really a foreign issue to me. Averaged 1475 calories a day this week and down .6, which is statistically insignificant, but looking at the charts I am still trending down, though slowly.

It wouldn't hurt for me to be 100 pounds but I am not going to make that my goal. My goal is still to maintain and to get stronger.

[SAMbike]

117.2 -- a few set backs... now I'm ready to really focus on this :)

[Crankin]

Congrats, Jo.
I have utmost respect for those of you who have lost a lot. I think it's even harder when you are trying to balance fueling for intense exercise and losing.

[five one]

The same...138...sigh. Lack of good sleep = lack of exercise = bleh.

Way to go Jo!

[DonnaS]

134.8. Spare tire seems to be shrinking.
DonnaS

[yellow]

Yay, Jo and hooray for shrinking spare tires, DonnaS!

124 for me today. Maybe a little dehydrated but not as bad as last week :)

[azfiddle]

I was 116.8 this morning. Have been tracking well but feeling really hungry all week - I hope I can see a change next week.

Congrats to everyone who is seeing a change in the right direction - or even better, getting to their goal!!!

[ny biker]

I seem to have some sort of cyclical thing going on where I weigh 1-1.5 lbs more on Friday than I do the rest of the week.. This is annoying me.

So I'm going to wait and see what I weigh tomorrow.

[emily_in_nc]

105.5 today -- WAY better than last week's awful water-weight gain. Still only 1.5 lbs. less than I started, which may not even be statistically significant, but at least it seems to be moving in the right direction now.

Congrats, Jobob! :p That lobster roll sounds great!

[Susan Otcenas]

140.0.

Congrats, jobob!!

[jobob]

Thank you so much, everyone! :o

The hard part is going to be finding the right balance to keep that weight off.

Especially when Special Events come up ... like right now, SF Beer Week (all ten days of it :rolleyes:) starts today. Ruh roh.

[SAMbike]

Congrats jobob!

Yes, it's the keeping it off that is challenging. I've been my ideal weight before, last year for about 3 months, and then... well I got larger. So the fact that you're thinking about it now is really good - you can do it!!

Did anyone else read the NYTimes article about mindful eating?
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/08/dining/mindful-eating-as-food-for-thought.html

Really interesting... I am definitely one of those who eats while working, reading, etc etc

[Tri Girl]

Congrats Jobob and Donna! :)

I was at 163.6
Up a few tenths of a pound. Not worried.
I'm just not losing like I should be. Sigh... hopefully when the leg heals (stress fracture from almost 2 months ago), I can start running again and will start losing more. I'm sure not losing like I thought I would on this challenge. :(

[Jones]

Congrats Jobob.

[Gypsy]

Do not want to make my weight this morning. I came back from a business trip and I'm still retaining water.

Congratulations, jobob! Great accomplishment!:D

[ny biker]

141.6.

I've taken a complete break from exercise for a week due to some back pain that just wouldn't go away. If all goes well I will attempt an indoor bike ride tomorrow, and then will get back to the gym on Monday.

[GLC1968]

Congrats, Jobob!

Weighed in on Sunday after traveling all week at the same number (147.0). Guess I found a set-point, huh? :rolleyes: At least it's an easy weight to maintain...too bad its not the weight I want to be! :p

[VeganBikeChick]

I've really lost my motivation since the beginning of the year. Trying to jump back on. Maybe posting my weight this Friday will kickstart it!

[Catrin]

I forgot to post my weight, but it hasn't changed any. Again. 135.2

Going to enter a "slim it to win it" challenge at my new gym. It is a multiple team competition to see which group loses the most body fat in an 8 week period. This starts, and ends, with a Bodpod evaluation, and there are two weekly group training sessions. I am thinking this should mix things up just enough to get my body's attention and also get accustomed to the new gym.

[Possegal]

Some more updates

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AkxMKcttLKvTdDlma2lfSTE5SjhxUUR5clpNUjlMSHc

[emily_in_nc]

Thanks, Possegal!

I am not optimistic about this week's weigh-in. Between Valentine's day dinner out and a few extra treats around the house this week, I am feeling bloated and chunky. I will try to be good tomorrow, but so far I've been up from last week's weigh-in all week. :(

Next week we'll be traveling and unable to run (will be on a sailboat!) or ride bikes, so it could be scary. But we'll be having a lot of fun, I think, so I am not going to sweat it too much. :D

[Crankin]

This challenge is making me too competitive. DH has been riding to work a couple of days a week, to help his weight loss quest. I can't ride to work, and although I've been exercising like crazy, it's making me nuts. There have been several positive changes in my eating habits (like more veggies) and I've kind of lost my taste for some things that I know keep the pounds on me. But, once I see my good # on Friday, I loosen up a little, mostly because we go out on the weekend. I enjoy myself. Then, I end up spending the whole week trying to get back down to the # I was at on the previous Friday. It's probably not going to happen tomorrow, as I gained a pound yesterday.
I know you all are going to say "so what?" but I think this is the same reason why I don't compete in athletics. I get extremely focused on comparing myself with others, and then I get stressed, and it ends up being a negative. I have a considerable amount of self discipline, which I think makes all of this worse.
I didn't need to lose as much as DH, just wanted to reset my set point... I kind of feel the same way as when he rides faster than me! I know I shouldn't compare, but this (eating healthy) is one thing that I've always been "better" at than him. This is all distorted thinking, but it still bugs me.

[limewave]

I've been lurking on this thread . . . knowing I should probably be throwing my hat back in the ring. Coming March/April challenge, I'm going to be all-in.

[Susan Otcenas]

I have been arguing with the scale for several months now on the proper placement of the number "4". IMO, It should not follow a "1". ;) Today, I saw a 3!! :D According to my Weight Watchers log, the last time I won this argument was June 1st 2011. Progress is slooooow, but its better than no progress at all.

[GLC1968]

Today, I saw a 3!! :D

Congratulations!! It's nice when the hard work finally pays off, right?

I'm looking forward to the day when I get to see that same 3. But in my case, the last time I saw it, the year started with a '1'. (OK, not quite...but close!!)

[jobob]

146.6

SF Beer Week and Valentine's Day has not gotten the better of me, so far ... :eek:

Congrats Susan!

[Susan Otcenas]

I'm looking forward to the day when I get to see that same 3.

You will. I have no doubt.

I'm looking forward to having the same debate with the number 2 in a few months. Haven't seen that since Feb 2010! :eek:

[Susan Otcenas]

SF Beer Week and Valentine's Day has not gotten the better of me, so far ... :eek:



Nice!

For Valentine's Day, I made homemade peanut butter cups for the staff, and set one aside in the cupboard for myself. It disappeared. When I asked Jeff if he ate it, he said yes and protested that it wasn't labeled so he ate it. Harrumph. I was disappointed but figured it was probably for the best anyway, since I really don't need the calories. Well....he felt bad and when I got home last night, I discovered that he gone to the store, bought some very nice chocolate and made FIVE more. :eek: I ate one. He's eaten 2. There are two left. I should freeze them or something, before they call my name again. I can hear them alllllll the way from here (Susan, eat me!!! Suuuuuusaaaaaan....!)

[Crankin]

Susan, one year I ordered a bouquet of chocolate chip cookies for DH on Valentine's Day and had them delivered to his work. I can still see myself and my 18 month old son sitting on the couch waiting for dad to come home with the cookies for us to eat.
He had eaten 2 or 3 and "given the rest to everyone to eat."
We joke about it now, but I was not amused.

[Susan Otcenas]

We joke about it now, but I was not amused.

I bet!

[SAMbike]

115.2

better, better :)

[Veronica]

That was really sweet of Jeff. Freeze them now if you haven't already; they can be a special treat for later.

I love peanut butter and chocolate together.

Veronica

[Crankin]

104.8
Mr. Crankin 148.0

I've reached my goal; now the task is how to maintain. That is going to be even harder for me than losing 5 pounds. The challenge ends when I am going to be on vacation in Vermont, so I will be focusing on maintaining and reporting my end weight a couple of days early.
Long weekend coming up and lots of social plans; my professional consultation group, dinner out with friends, dinner out with son and DIL, plus Monday, something out of the normal routine. If I can handle this wisely, I will know this challenge was a positive thing!

[goldfinch]

Congratulations Crankin. I hear you on the competitive comment you made above.

Friday again! Today I am 105.6.

I upped my calorie intake last week. I was feeling tired and like a wimp, and ended up overeating a couple of days. It would have been better just to slightly increase for the week. So, I have increased my general calorie goal by 50 calories a day. I had still been losing weight and at this point I don't know if I want to. My priority is getting stronger and I have a long way to go with that. Anyway, average calories per day this week was 1623.

[katluvr]

FINALLY down to 125.4. So by the spreadsheet it will look like I lost a full pound, but actually it was more as last couple of weeks I was UP! So I lost what I gained an managed to get a bit under my "starting" weight. Hope I can keep the pattern heading in the right direction!

K

[yellow]

124.8, so about the same as last week.

[emily_in_nc]

106.0

I knew I'd be up a bit this week, so it wasn't as bad as I thought (.5 lb, and since my scale only measures in .5 increments, it could have been a little less or a little more than that). Still, I'm down only 1 lb since the beginning of the challenge. :( It's my own fault, I haven't been as disciplined as I planned to be. It's just very hard down here, for some reason. Too many temptations and social occasions, I guess. And lots of fruit, which, despite being healthy, isn't so good for me for losing weight due to all the carbs.

This next week will be interesting. We're leaving on a charter catamaran early tomorrow morning to head down to Guatemala. The captains were looking for some crew/companions to go with them as they take the boat down there for haulout for a couple of days. We will not be able to run or ride bikes, pretty much walking only when we're out of the boat. And I am sure there will be plenty of eating and snacking. Could be a dangerous week!

[azfiddle]

116.0- that's the lowest it has been since last May!! The beginning of the week I saw the scale as high as 120 but I knew it was because I rode the century on Sunday and was retaining water.

Congrats to everyone with losses and meeting goals :)

[five one]

Continuing at 138. That said, right now my ring is tight enough to leave a mark on my finger where it normally slips on and off easily. So I must be retaining some water. Yeah, that's it. I'd be 130 if it weren't for that extra gallon of water I'm holding onto :rolleyes:.

Sigh... maybe next week (or the next, or the next) will show a change in the right direction.

[Susan Otcenas]

138.5.
I'm fairly certain that at least a pound of that is dehydration, considering that I was two pounds heavier 2-3 days ago. But regardless, despite all my day-to-day fluctuations, my weekly lows keep getting lower, so I know I'm making progress. I started this challenge at 145.5. I don't think I've lost 7 pounds (sure not seeing it reflected in how my clothes fit yet :( ), but I *also* know I'm not 7 pounds dehydrated either. Slow progress, but progress nonetheless.

[Susan Otcenas]

I love peanut butter and chocolate together.



You need some of this!
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150666686571133&set=a.10150549461401133.435201.505691132&type=3&theater

I bought this 2 weeks ago. Two of the 5 peanut butter cups Jeff made me used this instead of regular PB. Oh. My. Goodness. Deadly good.

[emily_in_nc]

You need some of this!
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150666686571133&set=a.10150549461401133.435201.505691132&type=3&theater

I bought this 2 weeks ago. Two of the 5 peanut butter cups Jeff made me used this instead of regular PB. Oh. My. Goodness. Deadly good.

Not a good link for someone trying to lose weight to click on. OMG. Just very glad this is NOT available in Belize. Regular "natural" peanut butter is dangerous enough for me! :D

[Susan Otcenas]

Not a good link for someone trying to lose weight to click on. :D

And even worse for me to have it in the house. It was my evil twin who bought it, I swear!

[ny biker]

140.8. I was up to 143 a few days ago, thanks to TTOM. My back is better but still not 100% so I'm getting some exercise but not as much as usual.

Emily, seek out hills and stairs when you're out walking, if you can.

[DonnaS]

133.8.

DonnaS

[Gypsy]

165.2

This is not good news. I'm following the nutritionist's advice, which is not to count calories, but exchanges, but this is for the birds. Despite the travel, the scale should have gone down by now and the fact that it hasn't, means I'm eating too much.

I've been tracking calories along with the exchanges too, and I'm eating above what I should be, in my opinion. The dietician is right that I don't eat like a werewolf on days I do long rides anymore by eating more calories on the other days, but I'm also gaining weight at this rate.

:eek:

I'm not sure how long I should keep this experiment going. I'll give it another week and then I'm off this plan. I can't continue to gain weight.

[ny biker]

165.2

This is not good news. I'm following the nutritionist's advice, which is not to count calories, but exchanges, but this is for the birds. Despite the travel, the scale should have gone down by now and the fact that it hasn't, means I'm eating too much.

I've been tracking calories along with the exchanges too, and I'm eating above what I should be, in my opinion. The dietician is right that I don't eat like a werewolf on days I do long rides anymore by eating more calories on the other days, but I'm also gaining weight at this rate.

:eek:

I'm not sure how long I should keep this experiment going. I'll give it another week and then I'm off this plan. I can't continue to gain weight.

I'm not familiar with how the exchange thing works, but can you reduce things a bit each day, so you're still eating more on non-ride days, just not as much as the past couple of weeks?

[Gypsy]

I'm not familiar with how the exchange thing works, but can you reduce things a bit each day, so you're still eating more on non-ride days, just not as much as the past couple of weeks?

The exchange thing is using diabetic exchanges to eat, and it divides the food world into starches, proteins, vegetables, fruits, fats, milk/dairy. I'm supposed to eat a combination of these foods every day. Each "exchange" is equal to a portion sized amount of a food (for example 1 oz of chicken breast is considered 1 lean meat). But this is a really difficult way of eating unless you eat a lot of processed foods (the boxes come with the exchanges listed on the side for the most part). It kind of works out to be just under about 100 calories for a starch exchange, for example. It's not really direct and it varies when you combine food. For example, it's bizarre to me that hummus is considered 1 lean meat and 1 fat. I'm sure there's logic to it, but it's very strange.

Anyway, I am thinking of lowering 200 calories and kind of "cheating" on the exchanges (eating less). I'm eating right now about 1800 calories, even though the nutritionist told me the exchanges should equal 1650 (it doesn't! add up to that...).

I'll reduce it and just eat less of the starches.

[GLC1968]

No change for me, again. 147...I'm starting to hate that number! :rolleyes:

[Maye]

Can I still join the challenge?
Today(2/18/12): 153.6 (sigh). Last night I ate pizza and drank 2 Cosmopolitan's. Hall of shame!!
Goal weight by March the 2nd: 149.9

I used to be 145 almost all the time...I have been behaving really bad lately.

[Catrin]

135.2....still and again.

Thankfully the body fat loss challenge at my gym starts Tuesday so hopefully this will give me what I need to start improving. I am not so concerned about my weight but about my body fat and losing more of my "apple". My core is really the only place where I still carry it.

[Gypsy]

Today, the freaking scale read 162.8 lbs -- it do this back on Friday?!?!:p:eek::rolleyes:

[azfiddle]

Gypsy, if I wasn't getting a lot of exercise, I would be gaining weight on 1300 calories a day, much less something over 1500.

[Becky]

The exchange thing is using diabetic exchanges to eat, and it divides the food world into starches, proteins, vegetables, fruits, fats, milk/dairy.

I don't know any diabetics who use the exchange system anymore (though I'm sure there are a few). Most of us have switched over to counting carbohydrates for insulin purposes.

Has your nutritionist explained why he/she doesn't want you to count calories?

On a more personal note, I need to get my body fat measured. I know it's winter, but 137 is not an acceptable number to see on the scale. I'll be jumping in for the March/April challenge!

[Gypsy]

Gypsy, if I wasn't getting a lot of exercise, I would be gaining weight on 1300 calories a day, much less something over 1500.

Thanks. I have to find the perfect amount to lose weight and not feel like I'm starving. I think it's around 1500, eating well (not junk). I think I can lose on that, but I'm not sure yet, no confirmations, because my weight doesn't go down steadily.


I don't know any diabetics who use the exchange system anymore (though I'm sure there are a few). Most of us have switched over to counting carbohydrates for insulin purposes.

Has your nutritionist explained why he/she doesn't want you to count calories?


No, I have an appointment with her a couple of weeks, so I'll ask then. I'm not diabetic, but I have PCOS/IR, so I don't know if it has to do with that. I have a friend who is diabetic (and family members too) and it's a mixed bag. She does count carbs and has an insulin pump, my closest family member doesn't have/do either and manages his insulin/sugar levels through food and exercise.

[shootingstar]

The exchange thing is using diabetic exchanges to eat, and it divides the food world into starches, proteins, vegetables, fruits, fats, milk/dairy. I'm supposed to eat a combination of these foods every day. Each "exchange" is equal to a portion sized amount of a food (for example 1 oz of chicken breast is considered 1 lean meat). But this is a really difficult way of eating unless you eat a lot of processed foods (the boxes come with the exchanges listed on the side for the most part). It kind of works out to be just under about 100 calories for a starch exchange, for example. It's not really direct and it varies when you combine food. For example, it's bizarre to me that hummus is considered 1 lean meat and 1 fat. I'm sure there's logic to it, but it's very strange.

Anyway, I am thinking of lowering 200 calories and kind of "cheating" on the exchanges (eating less). I'm eating right now about 1800 calories, even though the nutritionist told me the exchanges should equal 1650 (it doesn't! add up to that...).

I'll reduce it and just eat less of the starches.

What is "but I have PCOS/IR" that you mentioned later in this thread?

Anyway, how confusing this exchange way of eating. I am not diabetic but I did have a close blood sugar test reading to diabetes 2.

Though not life threatening, I eliminated white rice from my diet in last 2-3 yrs. (I do have sushi and sashimi 2-3 times per yr.) and cut back eating bread by 80%. I don't get high glycemic/sugar crashes as much. It's just that I know now if I eat these foods I don't feel well...ie. exhausted.

Now drinking white wine has more of a negative effect on me compared to a decade ago.

There are certain natural fruits that are much higher in natural sugars for you to just be moderate in intake: grape, pineapple, watermelon.

But then I don't know what your medical issues are. So I'm just relaying my experience (and I have to combine diet with daily exercise) and a sister of mine who lost 50 lbs. by reducing high glycemic food intake. (there are books on high glycemic foods). I don't count calories, I stick to whole foods --real produce. The most processed foods (some aren't truly that processed at all), I have in the cupboard is...soy sauce, cornflakes, yogurt, chili paste, chili soy bean paste, tinned salmon and tuna. :) I guess some light pasta counts too. Hummus is great...for me in smaller amounts before I go overboard.

[Becky]

No, I have an appointment with her a couple of weeks, so I'll ask then. I'm not diabetic, but I have PCOS/IR, so I don't know if it has to do with that. .

Ahh....I'll bet that it is the PCOS & IR. Good luck at your next appointment!

[Gypsy]

What is "but I have PCOS/IR" that you mentioned later in this thread?

Anyway, how confusing this exchange way of eating. I am not diabetic but I did have a close blood sugar test reading to diabetes 2.

Though not life threatening, I eliminated white rice from my diet in last 2-3 yrs. (I do have sushi and sashimi 2-3 times per yr.) and cut back eating bread by 80%. I don't get high glycemic/sugar crashes as much. It's just that I know now if I eat these foods I don't feel well...ie. exhausted.

Now drinking white wine has more of a negative effect on me compared to a decade ago.

There are certain natural fruits that are much higher in natural sugars for you to just be moderate in intake: grape, pineapple, watermelon.

But then I don't know what your medical issues are. So I'm just relaying my experience (and I have to combine diet with daily exercise) and a sister of mine who lost 50 lbs. by reducing high glycemic food intake. (there are books on high glycemic foods). I don't count calories, I stick to whole foods --real produce. The most processed foods (some aren't truly that processed at all), I have in the cupboard is...soy sauce, cornflakes, yogurt, chili paste, chili soy bean paste, tinned salmon and tuna. :) I guess some light pasta counts too. Hummus is great...for me in smaller amounts before I go overboard.

Thanks. PCOS is Polysystic Ovarian Syndrome, which is a combination of different symptoms (hence the syndrome part of the name), that results in a variety of different things that go medically wrong with you -- from cystic ovaries (from the name) all the way to insulin resistance (IR) which one of the many things I have as well.

I overhauled my way of eating two and half years ago and I went with a whole foods, macrobiotic style way of eating, which, because of the IR, I've had to rethink a year or so later and I've added more protein to my diet than before. It's made a significant difference.

The issue is now that I'm riding longer distances, I've been struggling to eat well enough to lose weight, but still eat enough not to bonk out or be haggard the rest of the day/week.

I still need to lose weight, about 13ish pounds for my doctor, 23 for my own thoughts on how I think my body will be like (140 is my goal).


Ahh....I'll bet that it is the PCOS & IR. Good luck at your next appointment!

Yeah, it's been tricky trying to find the right combination of what I'm eating... then sticking to it! :p

[Becky]

Gypsy, there have been some good discussions here at TE about adding extra complex carbs on ride days. I've also found some good info at Diabetes Forums.

It can be tough to find health care team members that understand the unique needs of athletes with chronic conditions (BTDT!!). Don't give up and don't be afraid to speak up- it's worth it in the end. You'll be alright :)

[Catrin]

134.6 :)

I will take ANY sign of downward movement as a good one. Interestingly enough I've dropped my carbs a bit and raised my fat intake a bit...

[klesko]

148.8 :(

[SAMbike]

114.2

[Crankin]

105.0
Yesterday, I was 104.4 :eek:. But, I resisted the urge to carbo load.
Mr. Crankin 147.2

He's driving me nuts. Rode to work in the rain and strong wind yesterday, so he could "get to my goal."
We are leaving for vacation in Vermont next Wednesday, so will report our final numbers on Wednesday. Not sure how I will handle vacation. Part of me wants to forget about any type of food restriction, but part wants to be "a little" good. We will be doing lots of x country skiing and snow shoeing, but we are staying at a really funky B and B where the owner is an awesome chef. Breakfast and dinner are included and he packs us lunches for the trail. I need to fuel differently for this type of intense exercise, but 5 days may be enough to push me right back to 110.

[goldfinch]

105 for me today too.

Holding pretty steady. I like this number and want to stay within a couple of pounds variance from 105. I ate like a pig yesterday. Over the three preceding days I rode 100 miles total and I think I was a big short on calories, but I went way over board yesterday, into binge territory. My average calories for the week was 1643, my highest in more than a year!!! The next two days will be off days. It is stormy, both windy and rainy here through Saturday. I don't even want to walk in the weather.

Now I'm off to ride a golf cart around the state park, filling bird feeders in the rain.

[azfiddle]

Goldfinch and Crankin, I'm envious of your numbers- which I may never reach, but happily, the scale today said 115.6, and has been below 116 at least 4 days in the last 7.

Last June we went on a vacation for 2 weeks and I gained about 4 lbs. In spite of all my cycling, it has taken me until now to get back- and that is still above my goal of 112 (which I last saw during mid-winter 2010-2011). But still, wandering between 112-118 is better than 145-150 :-)

[yellow]

Wow, 105 Can't imagine. I think I weighed that in 4th grade. :p

123.8 today. It surprised me that I did not gain a pound or two this week. Last week was my first 40+ mile running week since last fall and I was ravenous Mon-Tues-Wed of this week. Couple that with less running this week (it's my easy week), and I was sure I'd see an upward creep. Probably next week. I'm targeting more of a maintenance level of calories now that the mileage is increasing.

[azfiddle]

Meant to add- Crankin I hope you figure out a good balance on your vacation eating- even though I was active when we went on ours, I just didn't track what I was eating at all and it sure took a long time to get rid of the vacation pounds. Sounds like you will have many wonderful temptations though.

[Maye]

149.6 :-)
Great after a difficult week at work.
TGIF!

[Gypsy]

164.6, which is a downward again, after a week of being sick. Hopefully this is the last of the obstacles I'm facing now and can focus.

[Susan Otcenas]

138.5. Same as last week, but honestly, I'm thrilled. I *thought* I'd be up this week, for various reasons, so no complaints from me. That's 7 pounds since 1/1. Looks like I'll miss my goal of 136 by the end of the month, but I'm hoping to get maybe a pound closer this coming week. We shall see....

My longer term goal remains 130 by May 12th (the day of my first triathlon for 2012) and 127 by the end of August (Ironman Canada!)

[five one]

138 yet again. This weekend I am going to sit down and REALLY analyze what I am eating and how much. I have gotten away from recording it. I need to get it dialed in better. Obviously I am in maintenance mode with what I am eating and expending.

I have a cycling metric coming up in early May and I'm signed up for the San Diego R&R Half in June (walking. My left hip protests the impact of running). It sure would be nice to shed some excess fat by then.

[jobob]

146.0
... and that was wearing jeans & a sweatshirt; yeah, I'm still losing weight. :o

I'm hesitant to deviate very far from my old routine; on days that I splurge, I follow up with a few days back on the program (portion control, snacking on fruits and veg, no alcohol).

Eh, I have many fun things (involving food & adult bevs, natch ;)) planned over the next several weeks, so it's probably a Very Good Thing that I'm well under my WW goal weight now.

If I'm under 150 lbs -- which is w/in two lbs of my goal weight of 148 -- on March 22, I make Lifetime. Woo-woo.

[Crankin]

AZfiddle, your tale is a cautionary one, though, usually I can get back with a little work, just like I did in the past 2 months. The last time DH and I went on this eating program, it was also before a trip. When we came back, some of the habits stuck, but not all. And, it was 8 years ago; it's more important for me to maintain now.
All in all, I see very specifically what puts pounds on me, and what doesn't. Some of it doesn't make sense, such as I can eat a small amount of whole wheat cereal and milk, but not half a bagel (which causes me to gain). Brown rice and quinoa seem to make me gain, but whole wheat pasta doesn't.
I've learned how to control my portion size, which is a big issue for me. An issue now is I want to get back to using my normal Cooking Light recipes and other recipes, which really are quite healthy, but I am afraid that we will both gain it all back. I'm not content to only use the recipes/meals from the low glycemic cookbook I've been using over and over. It's a 6 week eating program and it really works. The past week, I've been recycling the last 2 weeks, which pretty much model what you are supposed to eat to maintain.
Yellow, 105 is a normal weight for my height and build. I've been around this weight since high school, except for my one "fat" period and during pregnancy. I am only 5' 1", and I think now I'm actually closer to 5' 0."

[Susan Otcenas]

If I'm under 150 lbs -- which is w/in two lbs of my goal weight of 148 -- on March 22, I make Lifetime. Woo-woo.

Woot! You go girl!

[emily_in_nc]

I skipped this week's weigh-in to avoid falling into a depression. I just had a glorious five days on a large sailing catamaran trip down to Guatemala. We ate and drank with wild abandon, and only got to walk around in town one day of the five as the rest were on the water. I can tell I put on from 3-5 lbs. and just can't face seeing the scale until I've had a week of normal eating behind me. I expect I'll still be up a little, but I can't deal with 5 lbs.

Back next Friday after some runs and bike rides!

[Crankin]

I'll be in the same position as you next week...

[Crankin]

OK, we are leaving on vacation in 3 hours. DH has been nuts knowing that he had to do his weigh in 2 days early. I told him he already had a diagnosable case of exercise anorexia... he didn't get to ride to work yesterday, blah, blah, blah.
My final weight this morning: 105.4
Mr. Crankin 147.2

I have been at or below my goal weight for most of the past 2 weeks. Since Saturday, I have toned done the intensity of my work outs, since I have been recovering a sinus infection, which triggers my fibromyalgia symptoms. It's amazing what a combination of just a little bit more of clean eating and an increase in intensity of exercise does for me. When I look at last week, I rode outside 3 times, did one spin class, and 2 very hard weight/core/circuit classes. This is a lot for me, no matter what time of year it is.
I am happy with my new normal of a weight range of 104-106.5. Before my range was just too close to my "danger zone." The challenge has taught me a lot about the way my body responds to different foods, and it's been worth it just for that.
Now, off for 4.5 days of x country skiing, snow shoeing, and eating in Craftsbury, VT.

[Catrin]

Crankin - just curious how tall you are?

I am just trying to decide what a real target weight for me should be. I've recently changed clubs and had a bod-pod (free) eval last week and found out that 33% of my weight is fat :eek: That isn't considered obese, but it isn't ideal. I know my diet is pretty good, I mean, I reversed diabetes 2 with diet and exercise. I also get a lot of exercise.

So, on March 16 I am getting a full 1-hour long resting metabolism test, and will then take all of that information to the sports dietitian at my club for a talk. Thankfully the new club is part of a large university fitness research facility so I am pretty confident that these people are qualified. With my age and lack of thyroid or a reproductive system it seems good to talk with someone qualified about my diet. Perhaps I am not getting enough calories...with a target of 1300 I doubt that I am getting too many.

While it is true that I exercise a great deal, and have worked with a trainer for the past 2.5 years, my workouts haven't changed all that much over the last two years - outside of weight and intensity. My exercises have all come from the same "menu" of choices, and I suspect my body is just plain used to it.

The group training at my club that is part of the body-fat loss challenge is already mixing things up. They focus on high intensity exercises that utilize as many large muscle groups at the same time with the goal of boosting our metabolism. Since we started last week I've lost 1 pound...hmmmm

Perhaps my body just got bored? No matter, riding season is just around the corner :D

[Crankin]

Well, I say I am 5' 1", but I suspect I might be 1/4 or 1/2 inch shorter now. Thankfully, I'm on medication to stop the osteoporosis, which runs in my family.
I think you are right, Catrin, about mixing up the exercise. Since I started the weight/core/circuit classes (in November) it's easier to manage my weight and I have muscles that I haven't seen, even from heavy duty cycling. My body fat has always been consistent; it only goes up when I get near my danger zone weight. I have a range for that, too. I know my body gets adapted to whatever I am doing very easily. Also, with me, sometimes, less is more, as someone stated in Solo Biker's thread. I can do intervals on the trainer for 30 minutes, or go for a 10 mile ride, which includes challenging hills and maintain my weight. Since I am not training for anything, this keeps me from burning out and lets me enjoy my longer rides/skis/hikes a couple of days a week. I seriously couldn't spend the amount of time you spend working out so many days a week. When I see my weight or body fat climbing, or I know I'll be eating more than usual, I will add in more time, but generally, it's a point of diminishing returns for me. I get sick or injured...

[Catrin]

I actually don't work out as much as I once did. For me it is fun and I derive a lot of benefit from exercising so much. My old bouts of depression have completely disappeared, and when I exercise most days my assorted places with arthritis do not bother me near as much as when I don't exercise so often.

I do have to work harder than the average bear just to get my body's attention, that is a given. Thankfully I seem to have figured out that balance and I've not had an over-use injury for some time now :cool: I am ramping things up a bit right now as I come out of the whiplash recovery period and looking forward to the riding season. As my riding increases however, my time in the gym will go down and my spinning classes will disappear until next fall.

I know I've lost endurance since my injury because my neck wouldn't allow me to stay on anything that looked like a bike more than 30 minutes for a time, a little more than double that now. The neck still isn't 100% however, so I still have to be careful. I am paying close attention to my body as I increase my activities.

I think things will be fine for the mountain bike trail by mid-April :)

Considering how large I was for so long, I am not going to complain about 134 pounds. What I need to focus on now is body composition and let my weight do what it needs to do...I am 5'3.

[Catrin]

Yesterday:

B: 3 egg whites, bran cereal, skim milk, coffee
S: strawberries with a bit of fat-free cottage cheese
L: roasted skinless chicken breast and some home-made fruited wild rice salad
S: Luna bar before workout:

25 minute walk, followed by 1 hour intensive training class (wild party, and much sweating to be had!). THAT was followed by a 30 minute Bosu class

Starving after all of that - so roasted some kale, had a small chicken breast, a small slice of Irish Cheddar and a small tomato.

[ny biker]

So, last Friday-Sunday I weighed > 142, which pissed me off. Yesterday I was 140.8, and this morning my final February weight was 140.0.

So that's good. Given all the fluctuation, I think my true average weight is about 141 right now.

[emily_in_nc]

I finally weighed myself this morning (gulp), a solid week after our trip on the boat. Still up three lbs., a bit worse than I'd feared. I was really hoping for 2 or less. Maybe by Friday I'll be at that point. I've run three times since then and ridden every day except for one, but I haven't been as good about food as I should be. :(

[Possegal]

Last week's updates entered just before this week's come in. :)

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AkxMKcttLKvTdDlma2lfSTE5SjhxUUR5clpNUjlMSHc

[goldfinch]

Last week's updates entered just before this week's come in. :)

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AkxMKcttLKvTdDlma2lfSTE5SjhxUUR5clpNUjlMSHc

Showing 150 rather than 105 for me is throwing your stats out of whack. :)

[jobob]

147.4

Thanks for doing this, Possegal, it's been a big help for me.

[SAMbike]

114

Weighed less earlier this week, and then ate more (what was I thinking!?)

Indeed, this is a huge help to me too so thank you for keeping track! And also thank you to everyone for sharing their successes and challenges... it's amazing how some days I think: "I've got this under control!" and then the next day: "I want chocolate, now!" :)

[goldfinch]

Friday, March 2: 105.2

Averaged 1620 calories a day. I have been watching moving averages on my weight and even though today is roughly flat from the last couple of weeks my trend line is inching up based on daily figures. I've been exercising a lot but 1620 calories is a bit too high.

[Gypsy]

At least it's heading, finally, in the right direction: 164.2 (only 0.4 down from last week).

I just saw my weights from the previous weeks and I am frustrated. :eek:

[five one]

136

This has been my first week being mostly Paleo - as in about 90%. No dairy other than a dollop of 1/2 & 1/2 in my morning coffee. No sugar, but am still using stevia in the coffee. I'm drinking unsweetened herb teas the rest of the day. Once my coffee beans are used up, caffeine is going away along with the cream and stevia. No grains. Giving up my morning oatmeal has been the most difficult change.

Whether the 2# change is real loss or water weight, I can't tell, but I'm happy to finally see the scale go down. Maybe this week was the kick start. Fingers are crossed. I'm actually looking forward to the next challenge.

[emily_in_nc]

107.5

Not the right direction from two weeks ago, but I am sure I weighed more last Friday, when I refused to weigh in after being on a charter catamaran for five days and eating/drinking way too much (and exercising too little).

[yellow]

122.4. Hooray. The 40+ mile running weeks are helping! :)

[azfiddle]

I'm back up again a pound or so- 116.6. Rode 176 miles last week and kept waiting for the water weight to disappear, but it hasn't all gone away.

[Catrin]

134.4

[Crankin]

OK, good thing I weighted myself for the challenge before I went on vacation. I gained back the exact amount I lost. I knew I was eating a lot, but I thought some of the very intense nordic skiing and snow shoeing might mitigate some of it.
Sigh... back on phase one of my plan.

[emily_in_nc]

OK, good thing I weighted myself for the challenge before I went on vacation. I gained back the exact amount I lost. I knew I was eating a lot, but I thought some of the very intense nordic skiing and snow shoeing might mitigate some of it.
Sigh... back on phase one of my plan.

I totally feel your pain! I didn't weigh myself for a week after our trip, and I was still up (and still am today). I think our bodies just become awfully efficient at "the gain back" when we hit our 50s. Even when we're active. :( I'm beginning to think I've just got a new setpoint and will never be back to what I weighed when I was working.

I'm probably overly paranoid about even a small amount of weight gain b/c my mom was a skinny mini til she hit her mid- to late-40s, then started packing on the pounds, though not eating outrageous amounts or anything; it seemed to be more of a hormonal change. At 77 now, she's never been able to get the extra pounds off. I look just like her and am built like her as well so know I have that propensity. One major difference is that she never exercised, and I am very active. I am hoping that will be enough to keep me from ending up where she is. I refuse to go on severely restrictive diets b/c I know those don't work for me in the long run.

[ny biker]

FWIW, my mother is 74 and she lost almost 20 pounds recently. My father had to change his diet due to a pre-diabetic condition, so she made changes to the kind of carbs they ate -- different kinds of bread, sweet potatoes instead of white -- and lost weight pretty easily. She is active in terms of everyday activities, like carrying laundry up and down stairs, but does not do lots of exercise other than that.

[emily_in_nc]

FWIW, my mother is 74 and she lost almost 20 pounds recently. My father had to change his diet due to a pre-diabetic condition, so she made changes to the kind of carbs they ate -- different kinds of bread, sweet potatoes instead of white -- and lost weight pretty easily. She is active in terms of everyday activities, like carrying laundry up and down stairs, but does not do lots of exercise other than that.

That's great, ny biker! Wish my mom would have that kind of success. She does get that type of housekeeping exercise too, and she already sticks to a low-carb diet for the most part (with occasional splurges at restaurants). She is savvy about nutrition, a great cook, and eats no fast food or junk. She's also on thryoid medication for hypothyroidism, so she's done everything she can other than "real" exercise. And I know she won't do that -- I long ago gave up nagging her to take walks or anything more strenuous. She actually has lost about 10 lbs. over the past year, but that's a drop in the bucket compared to what she would like to lose.

On the plus side, her cholesterol and blood pressure are great, and she's quite healthy, no diabetes, etc. But once she added so many fat cells over the years, she's found that she has to STARVE herself to shrink 'em back up. I think she did herself in with lots of yo-yo dieting in her 30s (anyone remember "The Cambridge Diet"?) and 40s and really screwed up her metabolism. :(

[Crankin]

My mom also was extremely thin (and gorgeous) until she was about 54. Well, she was still gorgeous. She *did* exercise, walking very vigorously, to the point that nurses at her check ups often asked if she was a runner. The weight gain started after menopause, and then a couple of years later, she was diagnosed with a liver disease. She finally didn't have the strength to walk and gave up. She died at 67, very skinny, but as a result of having a transplant that didn't work. My mom also ate very healthy foods and was a fabulous cook, but like me, she went out a lot and food was a huge part of her life. I always say she was born in the wrong time; she was very athletic, but there were no outlets for it. She always went riding with me, when I was about 10 or 11 and people made fun of her!
So far, I've avoided the huge weight gain. But, I'm OK with having to be this watchful. I was able to maintain the lower weight and still go out. It's just that on vacation we had 3 meals a day made by a French chef whose cooking is so good, we put up with the fact his inn is kind of decrepit and dirty! It's like having a personal chef.

[goldfinch]

It's just that on vacation we had 3 meals a day made by a French chef whose cooking is so good, we put up with the fact his inn is kind of decrepit and dirty! It's like having a personal chef.

It sounds worth it to me! Yum!

[Crankin]

In the end, it was. But, the dirt finally got to us and we explored and found a new place to try that will also help us try out new touring centers, as well as ski where we were this time.

[Catrin]

I've a resting metabolic rate test scheduled fro March 16, now we will know If I am eating too few calories or not...I suspect that I am, but don't want to change things without more information and professional guidance. The latter wouldn't be so important if I hadn't already reversed diabetes once...

I have an appointment right after that with an experienced sports nutritionist/dietitian so all of that, combined with my bod-pod evaluation two weeks ago, should give me a really good snapshot of where I am at 52.

I seem to have settled again at a new weight (134), but at least it is lower than it was. I am more concerned about my core body fat however, which is the driving force behind all of this. It isn't healthy, and the older I get the harder it will be to lose. Frankly I don't care if my weight really changes, but that my composition does.

[Crankin]

3 pounds down today.
Phew. Now I just have to feel better, so I can start working out again.
Catrin, I am interested in what your evaluation shows and what the dietician says.

[Possegal]

showing 150 rather than 105 for me is throwing your stats out of whack. :)


whoooops. :)

[Possegal]

I'll set up the next round, so look for that thread and respond there if you are in for the next 2 months. It will take us until May 4.

[Catrin]

3 pounds down today.
Phew. Now I just have to feel better, so I can start working out again.
Catrin, I am interested in what your evaluation shows and what the dietician says.

So am I, will update afterwards :)

[ny biker]

I'll set up the next round, so look for that thread and respond there if you are in for the next 2 months. It will take us until May 4.

Thanks!!!

[Catrin]

Thanks Posse!