January/February weight management challenge

[Possegal]

Next two months of our weight management challenge!


Let me know
(1) if you want to join in
(2) what your weight is on Friday the 6th of January (or whatever day works best for you)
(3) what your goal weight is for the 2nd of March - if you want to, if you don't want to set a goal like that, then no worries.

I'll post the link to the chart later in the week.

[jobob]

Oooh, I'm first? Yikes!

In that case, let me be the first to say Thank You So Much to Possegal for running this challenge!

And Happy New Year, all. Onward!

(1) Yep, I'm in. I really appreciate the support and the accountability.

(2) My Weight Watchers weigh-in today was 153.6; that'll be my start weight.

(3) My goal weight for this challenge is 148.
Which also happens to be my WW goal weight. I'm going to reach goal by the beginning of March, dagnabbit!!! :cool:

[Catrin]

137 today :mad: I've been working my butt off, so I suspect water retention.

By the end of Feb my goal remains 132. I've GOT to get through this...

[goldfinch]

It is Friday! And a new year for the challenge!

I am 108.2 today. I am now in maintenance mode rather than having a weight loss goal. So, I guess that means I start off with a yellow square. :) My goal is to not exceed 110 pounds.

[SAMbike]

Thank you for organizing this!! I'm in. Starting weight: 116.5. Goal weight: 110.

[Giulianna23]

198 still..didn't lose any since last Friday but no workouts what so ever since then. Glad I didn't gain after the long Holiday weekend food ,alcohol etc etc.

My goal to the end of Feb is from 198 to 180. This time I am really going to work out like a beast at the gym. And I am totally getting rid of the rice pasta and bread.

[ehirsch83]

(1) in!

(2)127

(3) 123

and then no more weight loss! that will be 11lbs down from the last one and at goal :)

[yellow]

I'm in
Currently 129
Goal for March 2 is 125

[ny biker]

142.2 today. I guess I shouldn't have had that taco salad for lunch yesterday...

Goal remains 140.

Thanks!!

[DonnaS]

Count me in too! Sure would like to get below 130 by spring.

Current-136.4
Goal--129

DonnaS

[channlluv]

Me, too.

Starting: 224.6

Goal: 215



Roxy

[GLC1968]

OK, I'm in too, but I'm planning on sticking to maintenance for a couple of weeks so my overall goal won't change from the last challenge (since I didn't hit it!).

Today: 145.2
Goal: 139

[tprevost]

backslid a tad... currently 156.2

goal 145 :eek:

[Anelia]

My goal is to maintain weight and not to go over 113 pounds :cool:

[Catrin]

The forum software wouldn't allow me to edit my original post :confused:

I want to change my starting weight to 136.2, I know better than to weigh in on Friday because of my strength training/spinning schedule. I always retain water by Friday, but it is generally gone by Saturday.

My goal weight remains 132.

[Crankin]

OK, I am going to do this.
My weight on 1-6-12: 109.9 (danger zone for me)
Goal: 105
Then, I want to be able to maintain that, at all times of the year, not just when it's the peak of cycling season.

DH wants to join this challenge. He doesn't care if he's the only guy.I am sort of doing this a little more strictly than I would, to support him.
Mr. Crankin:
154.8
Goal:147

[emily_in_nc]

Okay, I'm in too. I hestitated joining because I know my weight must look miniscule and silly to worry about by many on this challenge, but it is up lately (since we moved to Belize) and is above my target body fat % (I can tell just by the jiggles and how much I can pinch). I have TINY bones so even at my current weight am overfat. Now that I see some other petite gals joining, I don't feel so bad about being a part of this:

Current weight: 107
Goal weight: 103

[Veronica]

You tiny gals have just as much right to participate as anyone else. :p

I've been on the fence about joining the challenge myself. I'm at 15.9% body fat currently and I'd like to drop to 12% before my first event at the end of April. That's 7.5 pounds to lose in 4 months.

Veronica

[five one]

It's been awhile since I did this. I'm still more or less in the same spot weight-wise, but I know the fat/lean ratio has changed. I've had a couple of slack years of cycling mileage. So I'm back to see if I can kick start my body with a combination of riding, stair climbing, hiking, and weight training. I eat good food, but obviously it's too much good food, so portion control is what I will be watching.

Start: 138
Goal: 130
Ultimate goal: 125

[katluvr]

I have not joined a challenge in a while since I normally DO NOT lose weight when I do this...but I must get the fall/holiday weight off.

Starting weight is 126.4
Goal weight 120 (should be able to do this if I try really hard!)

K

[Tri Girl]

Thanks for doing this again, Posse!
I'm back in. Went back and forth with my weight all last year.
I went vegan 3 weeks ago, and the weight is finally coming off.

Starting: 165
Goal: 155

[klesko]

I'm in. I ate too much for FIVE months during my sisters hospice stay and after she passed. I just could not seem to eat less than I burned. I gained some wait. I hesitated to join as I did not want to drop out but I have been focusing better here in January. I am at 145 and want to be 138 at the end of February. Thanks so much for doing this - even when I dropped out and felt discouraged, I still read all the posts and appreciate all the kind and encouraging words I have received from this group!

[Susan Otcenas]

137 today :mad: I've been working my butt off, so I suspect water retention.

By the end of Feb my goal remains 132. I've GOT to get through this...

Don't worry, you'll find your mojo.

I *finally* got my mojo back. After (too many) months of thinking about getting back on track and hoping to getting back on track, and expending energy worrying and beating up on myself for not being back on track :o .... I'm finally back on track! I've been scrupulously weighing, measuring, biting and writing for the last 11 days. Down 3.5 pounds already. :-) It's nice to see the hard work rewarded with a big bump at the beginning of my efforts.

I know it will slow down a bit from here (as it should) but that's OK. I can deal with it. Ever since Ironman Canada went from being "next year" to being "this year" :eek: it got a whole lot easier to ignore the treats, decline the desserts, take smaller portions, weigh my food, etc. I have ZERO doubt I will make my intermediate and longer term weight goals for this year. WW worked for me 3 years ago and I have every reason to think that diligently following it again will be equally successful.

[Catrin]

I think it is perhaps time to start weighing/measuring food. My diet is solid, but I may well be consuming more than I think I am. I write down everything I eat - and I mean everything - and it looks really good in Lose It when I look at nutrition splits and so forth. I am not hungry so I don't think the problem is not enough calories, and my thyroid levels are fine so THAT isn't the problem. I exercise most days...

So that pretty much leaves portion sizes and another good look at how much bread I eat. I love bread...and it may well be that I am eating too much. Portions aren't large, but perhaps they are larger than I think :o Time to get a food scale.

[VeganBikeChick]

Alright, I'm finally joining. I was ashamed to post my weight but need to be accountable. I'm slowly losing weight by cutting out processed foods and carbs (rice, pasta, potatoes, starchy things) and desserts (satisfying my sweet tooth with a piece of dark chocolate instead), bulking up on fruits and veggies, and drinking lots and lots of water and running. I'm 5'4; my highest weight 3 years ago was 212. Since then I've been fluctuating, but have been consistently weighing for the past 3 months and have managed to lose 15 pounds since my start.

Current weight: 175.4
Goal weight: 135-140.

If I get to my goal weight, it will be the least I've ever weighed as an adult.

[Susan Otcenas]

So that pretty much leaves portion sizes and another good look at how much bread I eat. I love bread...and it may well be that I am eating too much. Portions aren't large, but perhaps they are larger than I think :o Time to get a food scale.

Even after 3+ years of WW, I still use my food scale. Because, I find that when I get away from it for a while, portion size creeps. Now that I'm back on, I have two scales. One on my countertop at home, and one on the countertop at work. Everything gets weighed. Today I had a spinach salad for lunch, with 2 ounces of sauteed chicken. Not 1.5 ounces, or 3.2 ounces or whatever my brain thinks LOOKS likes 2 ounces, but 2-point-0 real ounces.

WW's points tracker will let you track a "medium" sweet potato, but really, do YOU know what that means? I sure don't. But when I weigh it and get 250 grams, I can put exactly that into the tracker and get an accurate point value for it. Then I know I stay on track.

Some people really rebel against the whole weighing and measuring thing, but I like it. It's very black and white. Concrete. No excuses. :-)

[goldfinch]

Even after 3+ years of WW, I still use my food scale. Because, I find that when I get away from it for a while, portion size creeps. Now that I'm back on, I have two scales. One on my countertop at home, and one on the countertop at work. Everything gets weighed. Today I had a spinach salad for lunch, with 2 ounces of sauteed chicken. Not 1.5 ounces, or 3.2 ounces or whatever my brain thinks LOOKS likes 2 ounces, but 2-point-0 real ounces.

WW's points tracker will let you track a "medium" sweet potato, but really, do YOU know what that means? I sure don't. But when I weigh it and get 250 grams, I can put exactly that into the tracker and get an accurate point value for it. Then I know I stay on track.

Some people really rebel against the whole weighing and measuring thing, but I like it. It's very black and white. Concrete. No excuses. :-)

I weigh and measure just about everything too. However, I am really good at guessing a half an ounce of walnuts because I have that every day and an ounce of cheese. Other things, like meat, not so much. I can be way off even after a year of weighing.

Catrin, I have this scale: http://www.amazon.com/EatSmart-Precision-Digital-Kitchen-Silver/dp/B001N07KUE/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1326317442&sr=1-1

I like it because it is small, you can weigh in a number of different units, like ounces or grams, and you can put a bowl or something on it, zero it out, and then add stuff you want to weigh.

[Crankin]

I could never weigh and measure. I guess if I had to lose 50 lbs., I'd do it, but I'd be stressed. Portion size is an issue for me, so I just have made them a bit smaller. But, since I've already lost 3.5 lbs. in 5 days, I'd have to say it's portion size and too much bread, and maybe the fruit I eat. I've restricted myself to blueberries and I've had one apple.
It's really hard to satisfy myself with a teeny piece of whole wheat bread or none a day. I am hungry ALL DAY long, despite giving myself snacks of nuts, cheese, and occasional dried fruit, if I'm exercising. I am craving Luna Bars :eek:.

[ny biker]

I could never weigh and measure. I guess if I had to lose 50 lbs., I'd do it, but I'd be stressed. Portion size is an issue for me, so I just have made them a bit smaller. But, since I've already lost 3.5 lbs. in 5 days, I'd have to say it's portion size and too much bread, and maybe the fruit I eat. I've restricted myself to blueberries and I've had one apple.
It's really hard to satisfy myself with a teeny piece of whole wheat bread or none a day. I am hungry ALL DAY long, despite giving myself snacks of nuts, cheese, and occasional dried fruit, if I'm exercising. I am craving Luna Bars :eek:.

3.5 lbs in 5 days is a lot, especially considering your starting point.

I measure pasta, because otherwise I'd have no idea how much I'm putting in the boiling water. I count easily-countable things, like crackers and cookies. I do rough estimates when the label says the package contains two or three servings and I only want one. Other than that, I just try to be mindful of how much I'm eating. I read years ago that a serving of meat is about the size of a deck of cards. If a serving is 1/4 cup or a tablespoon, I stop and think about what a 1/4 measuring cup or a tablespoon really looks like.

But mostly, I make an effort to stop eating when I start to feel full, even if the plate still has food on it. And I try to learn from that, and make the portion smaller the next time I prepare that meal, or plan in advance to only eat half of it the next time I order it from a restaurant.

[Susan Otcenas]

But mostly, I make an effort to stop eating when I start to feel full, even if the plate still has food on it.

I read an article that says that in cultures where people generally are NOT fat despite rich foods (like in France) is because they are taught to stop in a different manner than we are.

In the US and many other cultures, we stop eating when we are full.
In France, they are taught to stop eating when they are no longer hungry.

It's a subtle difference, yet intriguing. I've tried to retrain my thinking in this manner. I don't want to feel full. I just want to be "no longer hungry".

[Crankin]

I do measure the countable things, too. I don't make pasta at home anymore; it's a treat for a good Italian restaurant.
Yes, given the fact I've lost 3.5 lbs in this amount of time, it's told me that I really just need to tweak what I eat to maintain a slightly lower weight and that if I didn't exercise I would be fat. That's what keeps me from going too far into the danger zone But, the thing is, I already felt that my eating was somewhat restrictive before this challenge. I had quinoa with my dinner tonight, which, because it's protein and not technically a grain, I allowed myself. Now I feel very full. Just 7.5 more days of very low carb. Then I will start to add in some brown rice and occasional whole wheat bread. But, I still need to up the protein and watch the portion sizes.

[ny biker]

I read an article that says that in cultures where people generally are NOT fat despite rich foods (like in France) is because they are taught to stop in a different manner than we are.

In the US and many other cultures, we stop eating when we are full.
In France, they are taught to stop eating when they are no longer hungry.

It's a subtle difference, yet intriguing. I've tried to retrain my thinking in this manner. I don't want to feel full. I just want to be "no longer hungry".

I was taught to stop eating when the plate was empty, which worked well enough when I was growing up. But once I was out on my own, it was a long process to learn the right amount to put on the plate. And in restaurants I would keep eating even if I felt sick from too much food, until finally one day I realized I needed to stop doing that, even if it meant that some of the food got thrown away.

[azfiddle]

I'm in still/again for this challenge.

Frustrated because even though I'm staying active, I've gotten a too complacent, and am at least 6 pounds above my goal weight. I've forgotten my exact weight from Friday of last week (118 or 119?) so I'll start with this Friday. It jumped up to 120 after the 200k ride, but that is to be expected.

Thanks Posse Gal for continuing to do this.

[emily_in_nc]

I was taught to stop eating when the plate was empty, which worked well enough when I was growing up. But once I was out on my own, it was a long process to learn the right amount to put on the plate. And in restaurants I would keep eating even if I felt sick from too much food, until finally one day I realized I needed to stop doing that, even if it meant that some of the food got thrown away.

Doggie box! I try to take home half of my entree if I'm at a restaurant that gives large portions, as so many of them do. I am not one who minds leftovers at all; in fact, sometimes the food tastes even better the next day. :D

[Catrin]

I read an article that says that in cultures where people generally are NOT fat despite rich foods (like in France) is because they are taught to stop in a different manner than we are.

In the US and many other cultures, we stop eating when we are full.
In France, they are taught to stop eating when they are no longer hungry.

It's a subtle difference, yet intriguing. I've tried to retrain my thinking in this manner. I don't want to feel full. I just want to be "no longer hungry".

Interesting difference, and it makes sense. I do not eat large portions - though I do fall into that trap when I go out to eat. I know I need to eat more vegetables and have started to incorporate more nutrient rich dark colored veggies into my usual dishes. I've pretty much ruled everything else out so there has to be something going on with my portions.

I am just frustrated with myself, in August 2010 I was 2 pounds below my target weight of 130, and now I am almost 7 pounds higher than my target weight. That might not sound like much, but with my propensity for diabetes 2, my age, and my athletic goals those 7 pounds just aren't good for me. Nor can I delude myself into thinking that I've gained 7 pounds of muscle. My body would look quite different if that were the case :o

I don't measure when I cook - I am one of those "bit of this and a dab of that" cooks, but I start with healthy ingredients and limit my use of oil as much as I can. I am actively drawing back from bread, though I do need whole grains so am staying with my steel-cut oats with breakfast and brown rice a couple of times a week. I think the rest of my carbs should come from veggies/fruit. It isn't like I am going out on long endurance rides this time of the year!

[yellow]

I will be out of town for a long weekend with some girlfriends (read: much red wine consumption), so I weighed this morning. 128. I tried to go low-er carb this week and ended up totally bonking during running by Wednesday (and just going up the stairs!). I need a few more calories and a few more carbs if I am going to continue to train at 30-40 mpw, I think.

[Veronica]

Finding that right balance of carbs and keeping your weight where you want it, is hard!

A few weeks ago I started making Friday nights a carb fest. At first it was an accidental thing, we were both off and bought a bunch of evil stuff at Trader Joes. :D But I noticed that I wasn't completely exhausted by my long Saturday run, the way I ALWAYS had been. So, the next week I carb loaded on purpose on Friday night and again I had a great long run and felt great after.

I'm not losing the pounds I'd like to get to 12% body fat, but I'm not gaining either and the extra energy on Saturday afternoon is nice!

I'm sure you'll find what works for you. :)

Veronica

[channlluv]

V, how long is your long run? Just curious.

I was talking about carb loading for what I thought was a long ride and DH poo-pooed it, saying, "You don't need to carb load for 20 miles."

I'm kicking myself here because I'm falling back into old eating habits - no self control. I even recognize it while I'm doing it and I can't stop myself, or I've been unable to stop myself or unwilling or whatever. Damn Trader Joe's and their "healthy" snacks. Baked cheese puffs, my big Aunty Fanny.

I know I'm the only one who can control this. I don't know why I can't.

Roxy

[Blueberry]

(((((Roxy))))) It's hard. I still struggle with it. The exercise piece is, I think, coming together for me. Now to work on my eating habits (while potentially changing careers, selling a house, moving stuff into storage and an apartment, and....that's just the next few months).

For 20 miles on the bike, I wouldn't carb load. But I would require a small snack on the bike (a fig newton pack - 200 calories - or something of that size). I'm slow, so 20 miles (with stoplights) can be 2 hours.

[yellow]

I'm sure you'll find what works for you. :)

I know what works for me and just thought I'd try something a little different (hubby is trying to lose about 10 so we are trying to do this together). When the bonks happen on short runs, that's a problem. I haven't even gotten to my long run for the week (which, thankfully, is pretty short by my long run standards)! At this point I'm concerned with getting my weight down because I don't need to carry an extra 5 lbs up the mountain when I am running. I have no idea what my BF is, and for the purposes for moving mass through space (at the moment), I'm not too focused on it. I seem to be able to lose weight if I count calories. I don't really eat a lot of crap, anyway, so I think that helps. My problem is portion control. If I measure out my food, regardless of what it is, then I can usually lose what I need to lose.

Friggin' almonds. I can eat them by the handful.

Roxy, I eat regularly while I run long distances, but in very small amounts. For anything longer than about an hour or an hour and a half, I need some calories. If it's close to an hour and a half, I drink my calories (I prefer HEED). If it's 2+ hours, then I always have some food. What I eat depends on how long I plan to be out.

Edit: the low carb is definitely working for hubby. So we'll keep that focus but I will need to add in some!

[Susan Otcenas]

I've started this thing where I eat veggies with every meal. Even breakfast. It more than triples my daily intake, and reduces my appetite.

This is part of my strategy too. An egg for breakfast would never satisfy me. So, I put a little water in the bottom of a saute pan (no oil), toss in a cup of mushrooms, some diced red peppers, some onions, some garlic, a couple of handfuls of spinach, maybe some asparagus is I have it on hand, etc. I steam saute all of that until tender, then toss an egg (and usually a 2nd egg white) on top of the whole thing and toss it all together into a scramble. I end up with a nice pile on my plate, that takes a long time to eat, all for 2 WW points. I sometimes add some habanero peppers to the saute, or some salsa at the end. Last weekend I wrapped it all up into a high fiber tortilla (3 pts) with salsa.

At lunch I always have a big spinach salad - spinach, 'shrooms, peppers, perhaps some jicama, maybe some tomato, etc. Topped with a balsamic/olive oil dressing (ration of vinegar to oil is about 20:1). These are huge salads, so even though nothing is a trackable point with WW (veggies are free), I still charge myself 3 points for it. 1 for the olive oil (even though I don't think I'm even using a teaspoon's worth) and 2 for the veggies. Then, I charge myself for all the "toppings". 2 oz of chicken, perhaps, or 1/4 of an avocado. Add a piece of fruit on the side and it's a pretty big meal.

Dinner always involves large quantities of (usually) steamed veggies. Last night I steamed a pile broccoli & cauliflower. A tablespoon of sriracha makes a great dipping sauce. A few ounces of protein on the side and I'm good to go!

I've learned that I make BAD choices when I'm hungry, especially at night. So, if huge piles of veggies are what it takes to fill the empty space in my stomach, then that's what it takes.

Of course, I'm super busy, so the only way I can make all these meals is by doing prep work for multiple meals at once. I chop enough veggies for multiple meals and store them all in containers in the fridge. I buy pre-washed organic spinach and lettuce. I don't peel things like carrots and potatoes (I eat the skins). I make my lunchtime salads the night before, when I'm making my dinner salad. Etc.

[ny biker]

V, how long is your long run? Just curious.

I was talking about carb loading for what I thought was a long ride and DH poo-pooed it, saying, "You don't need to carb load for 20 miles."

I'm kicking myself here because I'm falling back into old eating habits - no self control. I even recognize it while I'm doing it and I can't stop myself, or I've been unable to stop myself or unwilling or whatever. Damn Trader Joe's and their "healthy" snacks. Baked cheese puffs, my big Aunty Fanny.

I know I'm the only one who can control this. I don't know why I can't.

Roxy

Just don't buy the stuff. Keep it out of he house. Don't even walk down the aisle in the grocery store if you can avoid it. If you have to walk down that aisle to buy something in a different category, avert your eyes from the bad stuff.

Sometimes when I'm shopping I'll see the Ruffles potato chips and think they would be really good right now so maybe I should treat myself. Then I close my eyes and picture my a$$ in swim suit. And I keep walking.

[Crankin]

I gained half a lb. last night so it's either the quinoa, the soy marinade, or having (my normal) 2 thin pork chops. DH gained also. Back to the drawing board.

[ny biker]

I gained half a lb. last night so it's either the quinoa, the soy marinade, or having (my normal) 2 thin pork chops. DH gained also. Back to the drawing board.

Or water. If you cut way back on carbs, you lost water weight. And possibly the soy marinade was a bit high in sodium?

And then there's just normal fluctuations. I weighed 143 on Monday and Tuesday, was down to 142.4 yesterday and 141 today. It was all water, mostly hormone-related.

[Susan Otcenas]

I gained half a lb. last night so it's either the quinoa, the soy marinade, or having (my normal) 2 thin pork chops. DH gained also. Back to the drawing board.

Crankin', these sound like normal day-to-day water fluctuations. Just one cup of water weighs a half pound. Body weight swings wildly throughout the day. It doesn't mean you're gaining or losing any FAT.

[azfiddle]

Lately it seems like I have been relying too much on carbs. I seem to be over my allotment of calories or WW points almost every day.

Just trying to do something different, today I tried celery with some eggplant red pepper spread with my lunch, also some leftover weightwatchers cabbage soup with a little oriental twist, ginger, snow peas, broccoli etc, a little rice and chicken, and a little soy sauce and sriracha sauce to give it some lift. More vegetables, anyway.

[GLC1968]

This is part of my strategy too. An egg for breakfast would never satisfy me. So, I put a little water in the bottom of a saute pan (no oil), toss in a cup of mushrooms, some diced red peppers, some onions, some garlic, a couple of handfuls of spinach, maybe some asparagus is I have it on hand, etc. I steam saute all of that until tender, then toss an egg (and usually a 2nd egg white) on top of the whole thing and toss it all together into a scramble. I end up with a nice pile on my plate, that takes a long time to eat, all for 2 WW points. I sometimes add some habanero peppers to the saute, or some salsa at the end. Last weekend I wrapped it all up into a high fiber tortilla (3 pts) with salsa.

At lunch I always have a big spinach salad - spinach, 'shrooms, peppers, perhaps some jicama, maybe some tomato, etc. Topped with a balsamic/olive oil dressing (ration of vinegar to oil is about 20:1). These are huge salads, so even though nothing is a trackable point with WW (veggies are free), I still charge myself 3 points for it. 1 for the olive oil (even though I don't think I'm even using a teaspoon's worth) and 2 for the veggies. Then, I charge myself for all the "toppings". 2 oz of chicken, perhaps, or 1/4 of an avocado. Add a piece of fruit on the side and it's a pretty big meal.

Dinner always involves large quantities of (usually) steamed veggies. Last night I steamed a pile broccoli & cauliflower. A tablespoon of sriracha makes a great dipping sauce. A few ounces of protein on the side and I'm good to go!

I've learned that I make BAD choices when I'm hungry, especially at night. So, if huge piles of veggies are what it takes to fill the empty space in my stomach, then that's what it takes.

Of course, I'm super busy, so the only way I can make all these meals is by doing prep work for multiple meals at once. I chop enough veggies for multiple meals and store them all in containers in the fridge. I buy pre-washed organic spinach and lettuce. I don't peel things like carrots and potatoes (I eat the skins). I make my lunchtime salads the night before, when I'm making my dinner salad. Etc.

Just in case you were wondering - this is a very paleo-like meal plan. :p

I know it'll add points, but if you are finding yourself hungry - you could increase the fat a little. Particularly on the salads as all the good nutrients in a salad are fat-soluble so you'll absorb much more of them when they are eaten with a little more fat (not a lot...just a little). It REALLY helps with satiety, too...much more, even, than protein does.

[GLC1968]

I gained half a lb. last night so it's either the quinoa, the soy marinade, or having (my normal) 2 thin pork chops. DH gained also. Back to the drawing board.

Wait, a half a pound? Seriously? There is no need to return to any drawing board for 0.5 of a lb.

Not only could it be water like others suggested, but it could also just be the physical food still in your system. No one 'empties' the exact same amount at the exact same time every day - so a 1/2 lb fluctuation should be completely ignored (unless it happens 10 days in a row ;) ).

[goldfinch]

I read an article that says that in cultures where people generally are NOT fat despite rich foods (like in France) is because they are taught to stop in a different manner than we are.

In the US and many other cultures, we stop eating when we are full.
In France, they are taught to stop eating when they are no longer hungry.

It's a subtle difference, yet intriguing. I've tried to retrain my thinking in this manner. I don't want to feel full. I just want to be "no longer hungry".

Maybe.

I know that I am never full and I am always hungry. I just aim for "less full" and "less hungry."

[ny biker]

Maybe.

I know that I am never full and I am always hungry. I just aim for "less full" and "less hungry."

Do you mean your stomach is always rumbling?

[Veronica]

V, how long is your long run? Just curious.



Right now I'm running for about 90 minutes.

I eat no carbs most nights. Dinner is generally a plate of protein in the form of fish, chicken or filet mignon. So adding any carbs at night is "carb loading" for me and a normal dinner probably for most people. :D

Veronica

[Susan Otcenas]

Just in case you were wondering - this is a very paleo-like meal plan. :p

Oh, I know. ;) Except that pesky tortilla, of course. And the fact that some mornings I do oatmeal instead of the egg. And that sometimes my evening side of protein is tofu. :-) And I could never give up beans and lentils. Or quinoa...

All that said, I find that to be truly successful on WW, I do have to dial back the bread/pasta/rice/grains, etc. and NOT because I think those are bad things to eat. They all have lots of healthful benefits and I would never cut them out entirely. The reason I end up reducing them is because they are calorie dense at a given volume of food. For me, being hungry or not is mostly about the *volume* I put in my stomach. 1 cup of broccoli or a cup of pasta take up the same amount of space, but the broccoli is lower in calories AND packs a greater nutritional punch. So, I pick the broccoli 9 times out of 10.



I know it'll add points, but if you are finding yourself hungry - you could increase the fat a little. Particularly on the salads as all the good nutrients in a salad are fat-soluble so you'll absorb much more of them when they are eaten with a little more fat (not a lot...just a little). It REALLY helps with satiety, too...much more, even, than protein does.

That's why I"ve been adding some avocado to my salads periodically. 1/4 is 2 points, which I can spare. And avocados are soooo yummy! I *want* to add a few nuts, but there's no such things as "a few nuts" in my world, so that's a non-starter. In the morings, I sometimes add a chicken sausage (Casual Gourmet Roasted Red Pepper Chicken Sausages, 3 pts each) which so a REALLY good job of adding some protein, and 4-5 grams of fat; totally satisfying and so yummy.

[Crankin]

I know for most people .5 lb. is nothing. On someone my size, it is. I am trying to discover why I dropped so much weight in the 3.5 days before. I *am* restricting my carbs even more than usual, but not totally. I allow myself one piece of whole wheat bread a day, or a couple of dried apricots/cranberries.
I haven't had a Luna Bar in 6 days.
What I have done fairly easily, is give up most fruit. I don't really want to do that. I don't like vegetables that much! They don't fill me up and I can't make them the main part of my meal. I always have a salad or maybe some sauteed zucchini, peppers, or other squash with dinner, but anything else either makes me gag, or hurts my stomach. Not to be gross, but it's pretty hard for me to digest most veggies and I have been to the emergency room more than once because I ate broccoli. So, I have to balance my "delicate" stomach with having to increase my veggie intake. This is good for my health overall, not just for losing weight.
Like Goldfinch, I am never "not hungry," and rarely "full." Truthfully, I can eat more than most people twice my size. Sometimes it is stomach rumbling hungry, other times, just the gnawing emptiness. I try to eat until I am just not hungry. I don't want to be one of those women who is always starving and just pushes food around on her plate.

[goldfinch]

I know for most people .5 lb. is nothing. On someone my size, it is. I am trying to discover why I dropped so much weight in the 3.5 days before.

I also am a small person but my weight can vary a couple of pounds or even more in the course of a day. I can easily weigh 108 in the morning and 110 in the afternoon. After all, we eat, drink, sweat and pee and our weight will change with the changes in water. I just figure it is statistical noise. If I weigh myself at the same time in the early a.m. under the same conditions, like I do for the weight challenge, I should have less variability but I do have variability there as well. When I was actively losing weight some weeks would stall and others move quickly, not necessarily correlating to how much I ate, which was fairly consistent. However, exercise was harder to measure and may have accounted for the differences. Now that I am maintaining my weight I seem to still have variability, ranging usually within three pounds up or down. I have no idea if it is gains or losses or just noise.

[Susan Otcenas]

I'm kicking myself here because I'm falling back into old eating habits - no self control. I even recognize it while I'm doing it and I can't stop myself, or I've been unable to stop myself or unwilling or whatever. Damn Trader Joe's and their "healthy" snacks. Baked cheese puffs, my big Aunty Fanny.

I know I'm the only one who can control this. I don't know why I can't.

Roxy

Oh, Roxy, I wish I could give you a great big hug. You aren't alone. Really. I could have written these exact same words (except that nuts are my Kryptonite, not Trader Joes :o ) any time over the past year. I knew what I should and should not be eating. No one was holding a gun to my head when I walked down the bulk foods aisle and bought a nice big bag of roasted salty nutty goodness. (and then repeated the pattern every other day for months...:o ) Sometimes it was like I was having an out of body experience. I'd watch myself walk down that aisle, fill the bag, all the time wondering what invisible hand was pushing me along, all the while knowing I shouldn't be buying the *as I was buying them*. Then I would eat them. And because I knew I *shouldn't* be eating them, I didn't get nearly enough pleasure out of them. Then they'd be gone and I'd be miserable, wondering what was wrong with me.

The trick is, how to break out of that cycle? Good question. The million dollar question, in fact. If there were one nice pat answer to this, we'd all be thin and happy, wouldn't we.

I wish I had an answer for you, Roxy. I truly do. I've finally managed to break back out of that cycle (Ironman Canada being the trigger that has finally snapped me out of it, or more accurately, scared the crap out of me enough to force me to get serious...) But I believe that you WILL find that place of strength deep inside you, the one that knows that those baked cheese puffs are not what truly makes you happy. Keep the faith, girl. I believe in you.



I was talking about carb loading for what I thought was a long ride and DH poo-pooed it, saying, "You don't need to carb load for 20 miles."


Honestly, he's probably right. It would be good for you to eat a normal-sized meal a few hours before a ride (say, a bowl of oatmeal, a banana and a glass of milk). Give yourself time to digest. I can often ride two hours with nothing but water, but usually around an hour I want 100-250 calories to help me ride better during that second hour. But that really is all most people will need. Our stomachs are not physically capable of digesting much more that 200-300 calories per hour when we are being aerobically active. Anything more than that will cause digestive distress.

[goldfinch]

Do you mean your stomach is always rumbling?

It is more the drive, the desire for food. Appetite is more than a rumbly stomach.

I even remember when this started, though my doctor poos poos this. Years ago I got pregnant and ended up with way out of whack hormones. This made me ill and I would vomit many times a day. Think morning sickness times 100. I had to be fed through a feeding tube and given liquids intervenously. I lost a lot weight that I could not afford to lose. This went on for a couple of months and then I miscarried. The hormones went back to normal and I was Hungry. I was hungry like I could never have imagined before being hungry. I never was not hungry. I never was full. I gained a lot of weight.

I think this is what happens with many people who go on starvation diets. Their bodies are driven to eat.

For years I felt the ever present hunger. It eased off somewhat with time but never has truly left.

I am sure that there are both physical and psychological components to my drive to eat. I have been pretty successful dealing with eating triggers, or as the behaviorists say, the discriminative stimuli. For example, I can't talk about diet and food a lot because it makes me hungry. I am hungry right now and want a snack, even though I am 100 calories over my daily allotment. I need to go do something else, that does not trigger an eating desire, but cues something else, like getting sleepy. :)

[goldfinch]

Okay. This is simple. Ready for it?

There is nothing you shouldn't be eating.

There is nothing that is not allowed.

There is no: I can't eat this, even though others can.

If you want something, calculate the calories. Measure it. Write it down. Do it with everything else too. Eat a reasonable amount based upon your daily total that works for your body size and metabolism.

Now. There are many things I don't want to eat because I've decided they are too processed. They don't provide adequate nutrition for the amount of calories consumed. Perhaps they don't taste quite good enough for the number of calories they give. Those things I don't eat. But it's because I truly don't want them. Not because I cannot, shouldn't, don't qualify to eat them. And frankly, those words are red flags for me. They lead to some very unhealthy habits. (For me, not necessarily for anyone else here).

If I want something. I eat it.

Guilt is not an option. It's food.

YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO EAT FOOD.

I agree. When I started losing weight I went low carb. This probably was a good idea as it totally shook up the way I was eating and made the diet more of an adventure in new and tasty foods. It wasn't suffering. It made sticking to 1200 calories a day doable. But over time I've drifted away from low carb and now have no forbidden foods. That said, I at least make an attempt at decent nutrition and don't live on chocolate and jelly rolls. :)

I count all the calories. I have to. I have no reliable judgment about when to stop eating if I don't keep a running total.

[Crankin]

I wasn't complaining over .5 lb. gained over the course of a "normal" day. It's more like, OK, I changed my eating a bit, lost 3.5 lbs in as many days. Then, the next day, when I was just really hungry, I had one -two different, but not necessarily bad things and my weight went up. Why, when on one of those other days I had 2 glasses of sangria, which is, as far as I know, not on anyones list of good dietary habits!
Yes, my weight always goes up 2 lbs. over the course of a day, unless I am in a phase like I am now, (or I am running, which keeps my weight stable much more than cycling) or I do a hard, but not too long ride. As with others, very long, hard rides make me gain weight, but it's temporary. In fact, over the course of a day, I can almost feel if it is a day when I am losing or my weight will be down the next day.
I don't count calories. If I ate 1200 calories a day, I am not sure if I'd survive. I've seen formulas that say I should eat something like 1100 calories a day to maintain my weight :eek:. Realistically, I think I eat about 2,000- 2500, with exercise, of course, and now I might be eating 16- 1800.

[Susan Otcenas]

Not because I cannot, shouldn't, don't qualify to eat them. And frankly, those words are red flags for me.

I don't entirely agree.

First, let me clarify that, at least for me, nothing is totally off limits. I believe that food is fuel. Our bodies need fuel. We shouldn't starve our bodies of what it needs. I believe variety in our diets is critical. Colors, textures, flavors, the more the better. I eat vegetables, meats, grains, etc. (though, very very very little in the way processed foods.)

But, there are absolutely, FOR ME, times when I *shouldn't* be eating certain things. In my case, nuts are a trigger food. I don't know what it is about nuts, but I am incapable of eating just a few. You know those big jars of mixed nuts they sell at Costco? Well, I can motor through one of those in a couple of days. :o So, FOR ME, nuts are some I simply SHOULD NOT have in my house when I am actively trying to lose weight.

Does this mean nuts are completely off limits? No. If I'm eating at a restaurant, I'll often choose a salad that has hazelnuts or walnuts on it. And I enjoy them, don't feel guilty, and don't go off on a binge after eating them. The difference for me is that they are part of a meal, and what I'm served is what I get and then it's done. I can't keep sticking my hand back into the jar to add more nuts to the salad (which is what I'd do f I were eating the same salad at home. :o )

Can I explain this irrational behavior? No. But I just know that it... IS. So, why torture myself by having nuts in the house? So, I stand by my original statement which is that I should not buy and eat nuts.

[Catrin]

...
Yes, my weight always goes up 2 lbs. over the course of a day, unless I am in a phase like I am now, (or I am running, which keeps my weight stable much more than cycling) or I do a hard, but not too long ride. As with others, very long, hard rides make me gain weight, but it's temporary. In fact, over the course of a day, I can almost feel if it is a day when I am losing or my weight will be down the next day.
I don't count calories. If I ate 1200 calories a day, I am not sure if I'd survive. I've seen formulas that say I should eat something like 1100 calories a day to maintain my weight :eek:. Realistically, I think I eat about 2,000- 2500, with exercise, of course, and now I might be eating 16- 1800.

My calorie "budget" on non-intense exercise days is around 1,350. That actually doesn't change on exercise days, but I estimate the calories burned (I figure about 80% of what my HRM tells me I burned) and try to keep my net intake between 1,000-1,400 calories.

I think one of the things that is going on for me right now is there is little variety in my diet. What I eat is solid, but I need more veggies of all kinds...so I need to figure out how to do that. I am starting to get ideas from the "what did you eat today" thread.

If I didn't count calories or measure...well...that would be bad. My body rarely tells me when it is hungry, and it takes awhile for it to tell me when I've had enough. It's like that connection is missing from too many years of eating too much of awful food. During the summer when I've long ride days that is a different story.

[goldfinch]

I don't count calories. If I ate 1200 calories a day, I am not sure if I'd survive. I've seen formulas that say I should eat something like 1100 calories a day to maintain my weight :eek:. Realistically, I think I eat about 2,000- 2500, with exercise, of course, and now I might be eating 16- 1800.

My resting metabolic rate, the calories needed just to run my body at rest, is roughly 975 to 1000 calories. I currently eat between 1450 and 1500 with exercise, on a weekly average. I will have higher days when I have significant exercise or I just blow it. Last week when I rode 57 miles I had about 1900 calories that day. But my weekly average still stayed close to 1500. Last week it averaged 1534.

When I was heavy my resting metabolic rate was roughly 225 calories more than it is now. That is because I had more body to support. :) I think that I always want that additional 225. :)

As far as variability, the "hacker's diet" has a good discussion of the fluctuations people have that basically are meaningless: http://www.fourmilab.ch/hackdiet/e4/signalnoise.html

[goldfinch]

Hey, this is the thread where we post our weights!

Friday January 13: 108.4

[SAMbike]

Morning everyone!

1/13: 115.0

but I'm wondering when those cookies and other junk food that I scarfed down earlier this week at a 2-day conference will kick-in... it's certainly not an immediate thing, the weight gain that is, so if I go overboard it might not actually show up in a consistent weight gain for a few days

[goldfinch]

In my case, nuts are a trigger food. I don't know what it is about nuts, but I am incapable of eating just a few. You know those big jars of mixed nuts they sell at Costco? Well, I can motor through one of those in a couple of days. :o So, FOR ME, nuts are some I simply SHOULD NOT have in my house when I am actively trying to lose weight.



I agree with both of you. :)

In some ways the behaviorists were right. Certain things get associated with eating behavior. Have the stimulus and get the response. Appetite is not rational. But our rational selves can identify and address the triggers like you did with nuts.

When I was actively losing weight I did the same with chocolate, bread, sugar and most other carbs. I had no chocolate or bread around at all because I would eat it and I was low carbing. Shaking myself out of the foods I used to overeat worked out good for me. And the only sugar I ate was fake. I still mostly use fake sugar as I have developed a taste for stevia based sugars but now I can manage chocolate and bread products in moderation.

I also never ate in front of the tv, to break the tv stimulus. I never had dessert because eating a meal would make me want to have something sweet at the end. I left the sweet things, which were primarily fruit, for other times of the day and not associated with meals.

[azfiddle]

For me, it's not so much particular trigger foods or binges, but more mindless eating, portion sizes and sweets. My successes in weight loss are always associated with an internal shift in attitude that allowed me to commit to the idea firmly that I was focused on losing weight. My most recent journey from 150 in the "110's" was that way. And struggling to keep it off lately, my motivation wandered away for a bit and I'm trying to reorient myself.

Although I never read the whole book, I heard a couple of interviews with the author of a booked called The End of Over-eating. It talks about some research on how your brain responds to the combination of sweets, salt and fat, the role of self-control and how hard it is to wean yourself from the highly processed foods formulated with those 3 factors. I was thinking about it as I found myself dipping in to a box of wheat thins earlier this week- that combination of flavors kept calling me back to the box- even though I wasn't hungry. I think I should read the whole book sometime though.

[azfiddle]

Oh, forgot: I was 117.2 this morning, and my goal is 114

[tprevost]

153 even this morning... Last year I attempted to get down to a healthy weight and then my dad passed away and with all of the stress I gained it all back... I'm almost to my low point of last year and feeling very positive that I will get it done this year! :D

[GLC1968]

What made me nervous (for myself based on past history) was the idea in general of "I can't eat such and such, I'm not like other people." Not what you meant, but dieting is not always rational for me.


I don't believe in the "I can't eat such and such" mentality either. I know that probably surprises people considering the way I choose to eat.

There are lots of things I don't eat. I can if I want to, I just don't want to. Some because I've lost all desire, others because I keep trying to eat them and each time, decide that it's not worth it to me. If that makes my diet unrealistic or unimaginable to some people, that's fine with me. I'm not expecting anyone else to eat the way I do any more that I would expect every person in the world to be vegan or to do weight watchers just because that was one person's choice. Personally, I love my way of eating. It's a piece of cake (no pun intended!) for me.


Although I never read the whole book, I heard a couple of interviews with the author of a booked called The End of Over-eating. It talks about some research on how your brain responds to the combination of sweets, salt and fat, the role of self-control and how hard it is to wean yourself from the highly processed foods formulated with those 3 factors. I was thinking about it as I found myself dipping in to a box of wheat thins earlier this week- that combination of flavors kept calling me back to the box- even though I wasn't hungry. I think I should read the whole book sometime though.

I also haven't read the book, but have read reviews and summaries of it and I think they are very much onto something there. I've read similar arguments in many other places and based on how my body reacts to those things (and how it's been reacting since I gave them all up), I think it's a very sound point of view.

(and wheat thins - particularly the basil and sun-dried tomato ones - were a nemesis for me. Wow, those thing were hard to put down!!)

I forgot to weigh myself this morning until after I'd had a big glass of water and two cups of coffee...so I'll weigh tomorrow and post then.

[Susan Otcenas]

I guess I ought to officially join the thread this month. :p

Starting weight on 1/1/2012: 145.5
Today's weight: 141.5
Goal weight for 2/28/2012: 136

[Susan Otcenas]

What made me nervous (for myself based on past history) was the idea in general of "I can't eat such and such, I'm not like other people." Not what you meant, but dieting is not always rational for me.

Agreed! :)

I've tried that type of restrictiveness, and while it often works over a 3-4 week period, it usually just ends up making me feel resentful of everything I *do* put in my mouth. Then I rebound way off in the opposite direction. Bad news.

So, now, nothing is entirely off-limits. But there are, like nuts, definitely things that I am better served by eating only under particular circumstances (like nuts on a salad at a restaurant) or as special occasion "treats". Alcohol is a good example of that. I haven't had any since New Year's Eve and don't plan to have any until I reach my goal weight, except during just a few very specific upcoming special events and even then in moderation. Jeff and I used to toss back a few bottles of good wine a week. :o I like good wine (especially a nice bottle of Oregon Pinot Noir...MMmmm) but during this time period, I'm choosing to partake just a little and to savor every drop!

[Crankin]

OK, interesting discussion. It shows we all are different. I basically don't keep any sweets or junk food in my house, so it's been ages since I regularly craved that stuff. I've never "binged" on anything. But, I do crave weird things like whole wheat bagels and Luna Bars. I just love to eat and go out a lot, so it all has to be tempered with moderation. And, yes, nothing is prohibited except for right now, to jump start myself. The one time I had to lose 25+ lbs. I did it just by eating healthy, no junk, little meat, etc., but it took me almost a year. Of course, i hardly exercised then.

todays weight: 106.6
Mr. Crankin 151.8

[ny biker]

142.0 this morning.

The Christmas cookies that my mother sent back with me are all gone, in the sense that there are no more in the kitchen because I finished the last one a couple of days ago.

However they are still here, in the sense that I can see them on the scale. ;)

They are the best cookies ever in the history of all Christmas cookies that any mother ever baked, so I have no regrets.

[DonnaS]

135.4 this am with a goal of 129.

[emily_in_nc]

107.5 today. Wrong direction! :( Strange too, because the previous two days I weighed 105.5 and didn't eat an extreme amount yesterday, plus was pretty active. Hopefully it's just salt/water weight as I did eat lunch out yesterday and chili (low fat, high veg) for dinner last night.

I will have a better number next week. <--- power of positive thinking! :cool:

[five one]

137 this morning.

Too soon to tell if this is real weight loss or water weight fluctuation, but I'll take it. If I can lose one lb. per week during this challenge, I'll be happy. Once I can tell the difference in the fit of my clothing, I'll be even happier.

I suppose I can call the way I eat modified Paleo. No wheat, pasta, white rice, etc., but I am eating steel cut oats, quinoa, and some dairy. Lots of veggies, some fruit. I'm back to measuring and weighing the foods I bring to work for breakfast and lunch. I track those calories, so at the end of the day, I know what's left for dinner. Then I kind of wing it. Portion control is what will be key for me as far as diet goes.

This has been a very interesting discussion.

[tealtreak]

142.0 this morning.

The Christmas cookies that my mother sent back with me are all gone, in the sense that there are no more in the kitchen because I finished the last one a couple of days ago.

However they are still here, in the sense that I can see them on the scale. ;)

They are the best cookies ever in the history of all Christmas cookies that any mother ever baked, so I have no regrets.
Does your Mom want to adopt me?! (:

[klesko]

I was 145 this morning. I am glad to be back participating in this forum. I try to eat about 1700 calories a day to lose weight slowly - if I eat any less I am starving! I have found that if I do not write down everything I eat (and use my food scale religiously) I will naturally eat 2300-2500 calories a day and my weight will drift up, even when I am exercising a lot. I average less than 30% fat and less than 7% saturated fat. I keep alcohol (wine) intake to less than 5% of total calories but only eat about 15% protein. I need to eat more protein while still keeping my fiber intake over 30 grams a day.

[Jones]

I am currently not in the weight management challenge although weight management is a huge challenge for me. I just wanted to say I have really enjoyed reading the conversation so far. I am surprised at how many people have to weigh every bit they take, it makes me believe that is were I am going wrong. I lose weight and then gain it all back because I don't think I have to count, weigh, measure anymore. I guess I need to realize it is a life time of counting calories or a life time of being fat. The chose is mine.

[ny biker]

I am currently not in the weight management challenge although weight management is a huge challenge for me. I just wanted to say I have really enjoyed reading the conversation so far. I am surprised at how many people have to weigh every bit they take, it makes me believe that is were I am going wrong. I lose weight and then gain it all back because I don't think I have to count, weigh, measure anymore. I guess I need to realize it is a life time of counting calories or a life time of being fat. The chose is mine.

I know one adult who is thin and does not need to watch his diet everyday in order to remain that way. He has that body type that struggles to gain weight (ectomorph? endomorph? I can never remember).

Every other adult I know who is not overweight watches his or her diet carefully. They may not measure and weigh all their food, but they make choices at every meal to make sure they're not consuming too many calories and too much unhealthy food.

(And that one naturally thin guy has to watch his diet anyway, because he has very high blood pressure.)

So I think it's a daily effort for many people, in one way or another.

[Susan Otcenas]

I lose weight and then gain it all back because I don't think I have to count, weigh, measure anymore. I guess I need to realize it is a life time of counting calories or a life time of being fat.

Many many people have this experience. If you haven't read this NY Times article yet, it's a good read.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/01/magazine/tara-parker-pope-fat-trap.html

[GLC1968]

I know one adult who is thin and does not need to watch his diet everyday in order to remain that way. He has that body type that struggles to gain weight (ectomorph? endomorph? I can never remember).

Every other adult I know who is not overweight watches his or her diet carefully. They may not measure and weigh all their food, but they make choices at every meal to make sure they're not consuming too many calories and too much unhealthy food.

(And that one naturally thin guy has to watch his diet anyway, because he has very high blood pressure.)

So I think it's a daily effort for many people, in one way or another.

I agree. Even in a room full of skinny runners, I noticed that most of them were monitoring what food they put on their plates even though they all just ran a bunch of miles.

And every single person I know who has lost a significant amount of weight and kept it off is very diligent about what they eat. Those that aren't (myself included) are the ones who eventually gain some back until they get back on top of it again.

Even eating paleo, I can gain weight if I'm not paying attention to my total consumption. The only thing I eat with abandon are non-starchy veggies - everything else must be monitored.

I think it's the price we pay for living in a society where food is varied and plentiful. If all we could nourish our bodies with was what we hunted or fished, we'd never have to count another calorie!

[ehirsch83]

127.4. I was sick for a week and on antibiotics so didn't work out, worked on maintaining.

Goal weight 123

[jobob]

151.6

After stalling through much of Dec-early Jan, looks like I'm back on track.

[goldfinch]

I am currently not in the weight management challenge although weight management is a huge challenge for me. I just wanted to say I have really enjoyed reading the conversation so far. I am surprised at how many people have to weigh every bit they take, it makes me believe that is were I am going wrong. I lose weight and then gain it all back because I don't think I have to count, weigh, measure anymore. I guess I need to realize it is a life time of counting calories or a life time of being fat. The chose is mine.

I learned a lot reading about the people who are on the National Weight Control Registry. The people who are on this registry have lost at least 30 pounds and have kept it off for at least one year. A number of kept it off for years. I am hoping to join some day and provide data.

There is variety in how NWCR members keep the weight off. Most report continuing to maintain a low calorie, low fat diet and doing high levels of activity.

78% eat breakfast every day.
75% weigh themselves at least once a week.
62% watch less than 10 hours of TV per week.
90% exercise, on average, about 1 hour per day.


http://www.nwcr.ws/

Here is some information they have culled out on those who regain weight:

Risk factors for weight regain included more recent weight losses (less than 2 years vs. 2 years or more), larger weight losses (greater than 30% of maximum weight vs. less than 30%), and higher levels of depression, dietary disinhibition, and binge eating levels at entry into the registry. Over the year of follow-up, gainers reported greater decreases in energy expenditure and greater increases in percentage of calories from fat. Gainers also reported greater decreases in restraint and increases in hunger, dietary disinhibition, and binge eating. This study suggests that several years of successful weight maintenance increase the probability of future weight maintenance and that weight regain is due at least in part to failure to maintain behavior changes.

I keep wondering about the fat calories because my diet is much fattier than it was before I started losing weight. I got fat eating a vegetarian diet that was pretty low fat. It is hard to know from this information if carbs also increased with the fat or was it fat alone that increased.

[jobob]

I learned a lot reading about the people who are on the National Weight Control Registry. The people who are on this registry have lost at least 30 pounds and have kept it off for at least one year. A number of kept it off for years. I am hoping to join some day and provide data.

Thumbs up!

BTW, the National Weight Control Registry was discussed in the NY Times article Susan linked a few posts up. It's a really interesting (albeit sobering) article, and very timely to the discussion now.

[ny biker]

This summed up my reaction to the NY Times article:

http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2012/01/the-obesity-mountain/250748/

[tealtreak]

Agreed! :)

I've tried that type of restrictiveness, and while it often works over a 3-4 week period, it usually just ends up making me feel resentful of everything I *do* put in my mouth. Then I rebound way off in the opposite direction. Bad news.

So, now, nothing is entirely off-limits. But there are, like nuts, definitely things that I am better served by eating only under particular circumstances (like nuts on a salad at a restaurant) or as special occasion "treats". Alcohol is a good example of that. I haven't had any since New Year's Eve and don't plan to have any until I reach my goal weight, except during just a few very specific upcoming special events and even then in moderation. Jeff and I used to toss back a few bottles of good wine a week. :o I like good wine (especially a nice bottle of Oregon Pinot Noir...MMmmm) but during this time period, I'm choosing to partake just a little and to savor every drop!
HELP!!glad to read this post- since i turned 50- coinciding with more outdoor MT bike mileage- my weight is up 4 lbs.............(or 5) I have been trying to decide problem y/n? lose y/n? I am vegan with an addiction to my garden, mass quantities of veggies and berries...........my main vice being Chardonnay! yikes! Wondering if I should cut it out..............can't really afford a dietitian/coach and actually no particular training goals other than 5-8 times a year I ride Mt bike with my son (19- yes I die, but it is a blast at the time.....) I have not even really posted yet cuz i am not sure if i need to lose weight......... happy for any advice..........

[shootingstar]

I guess I should weigh myself after not doing it since Christmas. The only mitigating factors against a noticeable tighter waistband: has been cycling (short distances) for past few weeks due to lack of snow (which is returning again in a few days) and snowshoeing in mountains in past few days.

It is often underlying vigilance/mindfulness at the very least for me, when I eat.

I have never counted calories yet - but instead in a haphazard way take notice of the fats, sugars and volume of food in my mouth. Sometimes I'm better discplined than other times.

One thing I have noticed in the past few years, is if my body/palate finds a type of healthy food enjoyable, I will want to have it regularily: lots of fruit, even a bowl of cornflakes late in the day (if there's nothing at home to "snack"), etc.

[Crankin]

NY Biker, I totally agree with the response article from the Atlantic.
I am one of those people.
I lost 25 lbs. when I was 25 years old and I never regained it, even after being pregnant; I lost the pregnancy weight in 4 months, both times. And I did this by exactly what the article described. Losing weight at a glacial pace ( a year), changing my eating habits for good, and starting to exercise regularly.
When I started gaining again in my mid forties, I got disgusted with myself and I was bored with my exercise. That's when I started cycling and it didn't take me more than a year to get back to a reasonable weight for my size. While I didn't look as "big" as I did when I had to lose the weight the first time, because I was exercising, albeit, in a half-assed way, there is a picture of the 4 of us, about 2 years before DH started cycling and maybe 3 or 4 years before I did, that scares the crap out of both of us. We take it out as a reminder about why we have to be diligent. I will post it here if I can find it.

[Crankin]

NY Biker, I totally agree with the response article from the Atlantic.
I am one of those people.
I lost 25 lbs. when I was 25 years old and I never regained it, even after being pregnant; I lost the pregnancy weight in 4 months, both times. And I did this by exactly what the article described. Losing weight at a glacial pace ( a year), changing my eating habits for good, and starting to exercise regularly.
Then, I started gaining again in my mid forties. I got disgusted with myself and I was bored with my exercise. That's when I started cycling and it didn't take me more than a year to get back to a reasonable weight for my size. While I didn't look as "big" as I did when I had to lose the weight the first time, because I was exercising, albeit, in a half-assed way, there is a picture of the 4 of us, about 2 years before DH started cycling and maybe 3 or 4 years before I did, that scares the crap out of both of us. We take it out as a reminder about why we have to be diligent. I will post it here if I can find it.

[goldfinch]

I agree that there is less weight loss research on those who lose weight over a long period of time versus those who lose very quickly and there should be more research on this issue. However, based on the weight control registry the successful people had a wide variety of ways they went about losing weight and their strategies have not seemed to correlate with success. Plus, there is the theoretical problem that the end result is the same, you lost a certain number of pounds and you still have fat cells. (Interestingly, the failure rate for bariatric surgery patients over the long term isn't good, but it is better than the long term failure rates reported on dieters, and the bariatric patients lose their weight fast). However, one thing that a slow loss may do that improves odds is you may have less of a risk of losing muscle along with the fat.

I lost my weight at about a pound a week over the course of a year. Any faster I would not have had adequate nutrition. Any slower would have driven me nuts as I needed at least some rewards and wanted to be able to do more things that were difficult to do at my weight. I think no matter how I lose weight (once I starved because I was sick, and 20 years later I lost weight slowly) I find it difficult to manage my food intake. But I can live with that.

More than how you lost weight the important factors seem to be how much you lost, how good you are at monitoring, whether you tend towards binges, how depressed you are, what kind of social support you have and how much you exercise. And maybe most important of all is your own genetic makeup, based on what has been found in twin studies. But more research is needed. I wouldn't assume though that the weight regains are tied to how the weight is lost.

[Catrin]

I lost 60 pounds in a bit over a year and reversed diabetes 2...16 months later I've only regained just under 4 pounds. That isn't from my smallest weight (which was from over-doing things), but from where my weight settled at after backing off after a developing several over-use injuries at the same time :o I had carried that weight for about a decade, and it was actually much higher - I had lost about 35 pounds over the previous 4 years.

16 months later I certainly still have to focus on what I eat and the balance of nutrition and exercise. If that is what it takes to keep the weight off for life, prevent a return of the diabetes, and to feel as good/active/young as I do - then I've no problem with that. As I've a sedentary job I do expect this to be a challenge, and that is fine.

[Catrin]

135.6 today :)

Do we have the spreadsheet yet? No problem if it isn't ready yet, just checking to see if I've missed it ;)

[goldfinch]

I lost 60 pounds in a bit over a year and reversed diabetes 2...16 months later I've only regained just under 4 pounds.

Sign up for the weight loss registry!

[goldfinch]

I lost 60 pounds in a bit over a year and reversed diabetes 2...16 months later I've only regained just under 4 pounds.



Sign up for the weight loss registry!

[klesko]

I just sent in my application for the weight loss registry - feels good to be able to do that :)

[VeganBikeChick]

Since I posted a couple days ago, I've gained. Up to 179.5 today. I've been in a post break up funk and my diet reflects that. Also haven't been running due to a cold, but I was back at it today.

[klesko]

NY Biker - how did your 4.7 get cracked? Karen (klesko)
"<CRACKED> Gray Trek Madone 4.7 road bike with Bontrager Affinity R saddle"

[Catrin]

Sign up for the weight loss registry!

I didn't know there WAS such a thing until this thread...and I have signed up for it.

[goldfinch]

Klesko, Catrin, congratulations on the weight loss and maintenance. Keeping off weight is such a tough nut to crack and anything we can learn from people who are successful may help the rest of us, so thanks for joining the registry.

[Catrin]

I don't FEEL very successful, but really I am stressing out over an entire 4 pounds total gain in the last year when I've actually lost an entire 75 pounds from my heaviest? I need to get this into perspective. I just would like to be 10 pounds lighter, and in the scale of things, that really is nothing. But I still want to see 125 pounds...

[Veronica]

But I still want to see 125 pounds...

Are you sure 125 pounds is appropriate? If I weighed 125 I'd only have 5 pounds of body fat! And I'm not super tall - only 5'5".

Veronica

[channlluv]

225.4

'nkay

[goldfinch]

I don't FEEL very successful, but really I am stressing out over an entire 4 pounds total gain in the last year when I've actually lost an entire 75 pounds from my heaviest? I need to get this into perspective. I just would like to be 10 pounds lighter, and in the scale of things, that really is nothing. But I still want to see 125 pounds...


You are so incredibly successful. You are an inspiration to the rest of us!

I am only 4'11" and probably should weigh closer to 95 pounds, like I did when I was first in college, rather than the 108-110 I weigh now. But I feel like I have met my limit. But I understand wanting to be 10 pounds lighter. What I am trying to do is concentrate on building/maintaining muscle. I still remain way too high on body fat, but of course, not near as high as I was when I was heavy.

[Crankin]

I understand how you feel Catrin.
Everything I read says I should weight 105. But, I look fine a couple of pounds higher. My body fat is consistently around 16-18%, goes down in the summer. I'd really like it to be around 15% and am working on that at the gym. I guess the reason I want to shed a few pounds and get down to 105 or even below, is so I have some leeway here. I know I cannot live the rest of my life not eating bread.

[azfiddle]

As another short gal, I get it! My range at 5'1" is theoretically 105-120 something, but at 117, I have quite the extra tires around my middle and though some people wouldn't think this is a problem, at the bustline. At 112 I felt like my weight was almost proportional to my height, but still had some extra padding and I think that 105-107 would be better. For what it's worth, at 117 a lot of medium cycling tops are too tight!

I lost 38 pounds starting 3 years ago, and have pretty much kept all but 5-7 lbs off (currently 5). It takes constant focus and a lot of bike miles or I start gaining.

[Catrin]

Are you sure 125 pounds is appropriate? If I weighed 125 I'd only have 5 pounds of body fat! And I'm not super tall - only 5'5".

Veronica

I used to be 5'4", but am now 5'2.75". Normal but it is a little frustrating.

At 135 pounds I've still a significant spare tire - traditional 'apple' shape. Now part of that is due to having had two major "female" surgeries - the first one of which they cut those muscles all the way across. I will never have a 6-pack (even if I cared about that), or even a flat stomach.

At my smallest I was 128 (back when I was way-overdoing things), and I still had that spare tire...however you could see the bones in my upper-chest above my breasts? I am unsure what you call that those bones... I think I would be happy back at 130, if I can dip a bit below that during prime riding season then that would be good :) There are still a good number of medium jerseys I can't wear - mainly due to my boobs but that tire doesn't help.

I seem to carry my weight more like a man (only around my middle). I never did have a butt or large thighs - certainly not in proportion to my stomach :eek: Thankfully things are more in proportion these days, but that remaining tire is maddening :o

[ny biker]

225.4

'nkay

So how has the recovery been going? How much exercise are you able to get? Are you still on the many-small-meals plan?

[Tri Girl]

164.3 yesterday morning. Every little bit of downward motion is good, even if I'd like for it to fall off faster than it is. ;)

I'm hoping that once the stress fracture heals and I can run again I'll drop some more. Not being able to run for the last 8 weeks has *really* hampered the weight loss since running is the only thing that really does it for me.

[Blueberry]

I used to be 5'4", but am now 5'2.75". Normal but it is a little frustrating.


Really?! That seems like a lot for someone your age (if I am recalling the ballpark approximately). Just curious....

[Catrin]

Really?! That seems like a lot for someone your age (if I am recalling the ballpark approximately). Just curious....

The truth of the matter is I may have been wrong about being that tall...during my recent neck x-rays due to the whiplash the original technician "saw" moderate osteoporosis in the images which caused my doctor to panic as I am only 52 :rolleyes: Off to the super-duper whole-body bone-density scanner...and that technician was SO wrong - my bones couldn't be in better shape :D

I suspect that I was never as tall as 5'4", that I just had that in my head. I WAS 5'3 a couple of years ago, so I've not shrunk much so far.

[channlluv]

So how has the recovery been going? How much exercise are you able to get? Are you still on the many-small-meals plan?

Thanks for asking, NY Biker. I'm still not in the pool or on my bike, but I have been walking the dog a mile and a half several times per week. I was eating the small meals up until last week, when suddenly my appetite turned ravenous. No idea why, but I'm constantly snacking. Mostly healthy stuff, but still.

I believe I'm fine to get back on the bike and in the pool, although I don't have official medical release to do so. My wounds are closed, and mostly fully healed (one has a little hint of a scab still going). I've been lifting heavy boxes and things with no problem, although I do get a little twingy in my pancreas from time to time.

Mostly I'm better, though. Just need to get back on the right eating and exercise path.

Roxy

[Catrin]

I believe I'm fine to get back on the bike and in the pool, although I don't have official medical release to do so. My wounds are closed, and mostly fully healed (one has a little hint of a scab still going). I've been lifting heavy boxes and things with no problem, although I do get a little twingy in my pancreas from time to time...

Roxy

This is good to read, I am glad that you are feeling better :)

[Crankin]

I've also lost some height, but I do have osteoporosis. I used to be 5' 1" and I have probably lost 1/4 of an inch. Not so much, and hopefully it's stopped, as I am finally on a medication that has not caused side effects. I won't find out until May, when I have my Dexa scan.
Roxy, I hope you can find your way with your nutrition. It sounds like you are healed physically and soon enough you will be on your bike.

[emily_in_nc]

Would love to hear people's reactions to this article/photos:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2085226/PLUS-Model-Magazines-Katya-Zharkova-cover-highlights-body-image-fashion-industry.html

I must say, it made me feel much better about my own shape and size as I'm busily obsessing about a few extra lbs. on my basically slim shape. I am 50 now, and maybe I shouldn't expect to weigh exactly what I did at 25.

Food (pardon the semi-pun) for thought...

[Veronica]

I think extremes are bad. I wonder why they couldn't find a plus size model who was more fit, that would make a better statement. Rolls of fat are not attractive and neither is being so skinny that you can't lift a 5 pound dumb bell.

Veronica

[emily_in_nc]

I think extremes are bad. I wonder why they couldn't find a plus size model who was more fit, that would make a better statement. Rolls of fat are not attractive and neither is being so skinny that you can't lift a 5 pound dumb bell.

I wonder if there are any really fit plus-sized models, though? Seems that perhaps the whole model/fashion lifestyle doesn't really lend itself to spending a lot of time on fitness, but I could be wrong, since all I know of it is is watching "America's Next Top Model" in the past, and that show never showed the models working out or even talking about any athletic endeavors, that I recall.

I actually thought the plus-sized model looked attractive, despite having some obvious body fat. Surprised me that I felt that way -- perhaps because she was tall and had long legs and beautiful skin (probably airbrushed, though).

[goldfinch]

I thought the plus woman looked fine. She sure looks a lot better than me as a 57 year old woman who has had children and has lost a third of her weight.

[Crankin]

I'm conflicted. The plus sized model is a very attractive woman, but... the rolls of fat don't look healthy or athletic to me. Not sure if the modeling lifestyle at any size is compatible with being athletic. I remember when I was in high school, a couple of my friends took a modeling course and I went to the runway show. It was really creepy.
As someone who is smaller, take this as my opinion. I do think, though, that clothing manufacturers should take the plus size market seriously and should have the same choices as "regular" sizes. And they should remember that short people buy clothes, too, no matter what their weight is.

[Blueberry]

And they should remember that short people buy clothes, too, no matter what their weight is.

+1. They make larger sizes longer - which just makes them look worse on me. Bleh. At 5'4", I'm not even *that* short.

Focusing on the fitness and gradually cleaning up the diet. Ate like crud over the holidays and didn't gain weight - clothes are looser. Now to work on actually losing weight!

[jyyanks]

HI- I just saw this thread and would love to join. I know I'm late but I need some sort of challenge to keep me motivated.

At first I was hesitant to join because most people don't understand why I need to lose weight. I always tell them that at my height (I can't afford to gain 5 pounds because I go up 2 sizes). However, seeing that there are several ladies in my weight/height category, I'm inspired.

Anyway, I was 110 on Jan 1 and would love to get back to 105 so I can fit into my jeans. If it's not too late, please add me to your list.

If anything can motivate me. I'm sure this board can!!
Thanks!

[SadieKate]

Veronica - what do you think of this person?

[SadieKate]

That's three-time U.S. Olympic Hockey Team medal winner Angela Ruggiero, a confident 5 foot 9 inch, 185 pounds. She could wax your a$$ in all its sizes. Chill out about the body image stuff, okay?

Do what you need to do to be fit and healthy, and let others be. If they have a few rolls, it may be healthiest for them.

http://www.womensrunning.com/articles/54

[Blueberry]

SK - Interesting article - thank you!

[maillotpois]

Wow. She is amazing. I wish I could remember the magazine that did the swimsuit or underwear shots of the different athletes - all totally different sports and some of those women didn't look rail thin or even traditionally "fit". But they were all strong.

My body fat ranges in the mid to high 20% range, according to triple site caliper testing, but I am riding better than I suspect I would have in my almost anorexic grad school years.

[SadieKate]

Serena Williams frequently has some rolls and manages to be pretty darn fit.

[jyyanks]

Hey - just wanted to comment on the article.

I too am conflicted. I absolutely believe that runway models are too skinny and that a majority of women can't identify with them. I think it's important to let women know that they should feel confident even if they are not a size 0 but that doesn't mean that they it's ok to not take care of yourself. The model they showed is beautiful but in my opinion, she didn't look strong or healthy. Neither model looked healthy, toned or strong (not that I should talk as I'm not toned either)

I agree with the reader who said :

'I don’t think the fashion world should support obesity, just as I don’t think it should support anorexia.'

I don't know, I have to noodle on this one as I feel like I'm being wishy/washy.

[salsabike]

That's three-time U.S. Olympic Hockey Team medal winner Angela Ruggiero, a confident 5 foot 9 inch, 185 pounds. She could wax your a$$ in all its sizes. Chill out about the body image stuff, okay?

Do what you need to do to be fit and healthy, and let others be. If they have a few rolls, it may be healthiest for them.

http://www.womensrunning.com/articles/54

Nice post.

[Crankin]

I am sure she could wax my azz. I never judge people's athletic ability by how they "look," after being dropped on the bike by all kinds of people. And i am the slowest runner in the world.
But, I still don't think rolls of fat are healthy or attractive. This may be society's way of influencing my thinking, but I am proud of the fact that I have a flat stomach and no back fat at age 58, after having kids, etc. I'm not anorexic, and I love to cook and eat. While I don't look like Veronica (because I am not quite as disciplined :)), I try to strive for a healthy, fit and strong look. I love my cycling thighs and calves. I don't feel "better" than others, but I am proud of how my athletic endeavors have influenced my life, in terms of what I eat and how I spend my time. I was a skinny, uncoordinated kid and in my mind I still am. The stuff I do has made me a better person in terms of my ability to take risks and feel "strong." And body image plays a good part in this.

[GLC1968]

Wow. She is amazing. I wish I could remember the magazine that did the swimsuit or underwear shots of the different athletes - all totally different sports and some of those women didn't look rail thin or even traditionally "fit". But they were all strong.

My body fat ranges in the mid to high 20% range, according to triple site caliper testing, but I am riding better than I suspect I would have in my almost anorexic grad school years.

The original photos are kind of hard to find, but here is a blog post where they included all the images. I believe the original spread was to celebrate the diversity of olympic caliber bodies... (and it made me think that I probably should have considered weight lifting since Tara Nott and I have an awful lot in common).

http://ninamatsumoto.wordpress.com/2010/12/18/athletic-body-diversity-reference-for-artists/

As someone who has struggled with body image her whole life, I can relate to the need to see more than just one type of image in the media. But I will say that looking at the body of a super model is not much different than looking at the image of an olympic athlete from a young girl's perspective. Both could be classified as 'unattainable'. I was more influenced by the bodies of the women in my life than I was by the media. Though, I will say that the 1980 olympics made me fall in love with watching sports. Mary Lou Retton kind of changed my life, as corny as that sounds. She made me realize that I should appreciate my body more for what it could do and less for what it looked like. I started wearing shorts and short skirts a lot more after seeing her because I felt like my big, muscular legs looked better when you could see the muscles than they did when covered with pants. Thank heaven for leaving the 70's behind. Flat straight hair and flat straight bodies were not attainable for this teen - bring on the 80's!! :p

[jobob]

A great take-away message from the article SK posted:

"Barring any medical conditions such as thyroid imbalances or medication side effects, by exercising regularly and eating a healthy diet based on whole grains, fruits, vegetables and lean proteins, it’s normal to fluctuate within a 10-pound weight range. But to determine how healthy you are, keep track of your energy levels, how well you are performing athletically, and periodically check your standard health markers with your physician. That way, the numbers on the scale won’t matter as much."

Now, I take issue with the 10-lb weight fluctuation mentioned in the article; I personally consider a 2-lb weight fluctuation to be completly normal. But apart from quibbling with the actual number, this makes great sense to me.

It saddens me when people fret over a 0.5 to 1 lb weight gain. I think the body goes thru readjustments, and sometimes body weight will bounce around a bit, it's perfectly normal, imho. Probably has as much to to with your last trip to the bathroom as anything. :o

[SadieKate]

Mary Lou Retton kind of changed my life, as corny as that sounds. She made me realize that I should appreciate my body more for what it could do and less for what it looked like.
Right on! We've come a long way, baby! :p

Twiggy was not good a role model.

[salsabike]

The original photos are kind of hard to find, but here is a blog post where they included all the images. I believe the original spread was to celebrate the diversity of olympic caliber bodies... (and it made me think that I probably should have considered weight lifting since Tara Nott and I have an awful lot in common).

http://ninamatsumoto.wordpress.com/2010/12/18/athletic-body-diversity-reference-for-artists/




Those photos are wonderful! Together, they really make a thing of beauty, don't they? Thanks for posting that link.

[GLC1968]

Here is a good post by Krista Scott-Dixon about embracing your body for what it is... (including those same olympic athletes photos):

http://www.stumptuous.com/why-dont-you-look-like-a-fitness-model

[SadieKate]

Great article! My 2 takeaways:


Low bodyfat. By and large, fitness models are photographed only when they are in “contest shape”, which means that they have dieted down to a low bodyfat for a short period of time. In the “offseason”, most carry a higher bodyfat level because extremely low bodyfat levels are physiologically unmanageable. Many fitness shows hosted by models are filmed only a few weeks out of the year for this reason. And by the way, dieting down to 10-12% bodyfat is much, much less exciting than you would think. You do not feel sexy and attractive. You feel hungry. All you can think about is how crappy you feel, how hard it is to concentrate on anything, and how you would kill your own momma for a bag of Cheetos.

Frankly, I’m sick of other people telling me what I should look like.

Thanks, GLC!

[salsabike]

Here is a good post by Krista Scott-Dixon about embracing your body for what it is... (including those same olympic athletes photos):

http://www.stumptuous.com/why-dont-you-look-like-a-fitness-model

Wow, check out Lynne Cox! Formidable swims.

[GLC1968]

Oh, and in all the excitement...I forgot to post my weight! I'm up to 147.1. Three splurge meals in one weekend will do that to a person. ;) I'm OK with it since my plan is to hold pattern until the 22nd when I will start actively trying to lose again. I don't think I'm *really* up two pounds, either...

[Susan Otcenas]

"Don’t try to look like someone else. Try to look like yourself, only fitter. If you have big muscular legs, use them to squat with. If you have narrow hips, take up running. If you have wide shoulders and big hands and feet, enjoy beating the hell out of everyone else at swimming."

This is my favorite quote from the article GLC posted. Good reminder for all of us to celebrate what we have.

[tealtreak]

"Don’t try to look like someone else. Try to look like yourself, only fitter. If you have big muscular legs, use them to squat with. If you have narrow hips, take up running. If you have wide shoulders and big hands and feet, enjoy beating the hell out of everyone else at swimming."

This is my favorite quote from the article GLC posted. Good reminder for all of us to celebrate what we have.
Amen to that and not to sound preachy...........but how about celebrate being free of ALS, Cancer, or even yeah! I was born with all my limbs and my eyesight...........

[emily_in_nc]

This may be society's way of influencing my thinking, but I am proud of the fact that I have a flat stomach and no back fat at age 58, after having kids, etc. I'm not anorexic, and I love to cook and eat.

You are also most likely genetically blessed. I am about your size (weight and height-wise) and yet starting at around age 45, I started getting more tummy fat, more hip fat (love handles), and yes, back fat. At 50, these things have only gotten worse, especially since I've also put on a few lbs. lately. I also wear a C cup bra so have more fat there as well. I run, I bike, I walk, I do yoga, I don't even own a car, I have strong legs and a reasonably strong upper body for my size, and yet I have a higher % of body fat than is ideal and than I feel comfortable with. I would have to get down to about 95 lbs. or less (or have liposuction) to have a flat stomach again. I have rolls of fat on my belly when I sit down, and I hate it. :(

I also have lots of fat people in my family on both my mother and father's side back two generations. I eat a much healthier diet than any of them ever did, and am much more physically fit and active; and those facts are all that is standing between me and obesity. I am quite sure that if I lived the lifestyles most of my relatives did, I would be obese.

[goldfinch]

You are also most likely genetically blessed. I am about your size (weight and height-wise) and yet starting at around age 45, I started getting more tummy fat, more hip fat (love handles), and yes, back fat. At 50, these things have only gotten worse, especially since I've also put on a few lbs. lately. I also wear a C cup bra so have more fat there as well. I run, I bike, I walk, I do yoga, I don't even own a car, I have strong legs and a reasonably strong upper body for my size, and yet I have a higher % of body fat than is ideal and than I feel comfortable with. I would have to get down to about 95 lbs. or less (or have liposuction) to have a flat stomach again. I have rolls of fat on my belly when I sit down, and I hate it. :(

I also have lots of fat people in my family on both my mother and father's side back two generations. I eat a much healthier diet than any of them ever did, and am much more physically fit and active; and those facts are all that is standing between me and obesity. I am quite sure that if I lived the lifestyles most of my relatives did, I would be obese.

I've never had a flat stomach and always have had a large chest, even when I weighed 95 pounds I was curvy. It is my genetic destiny. All the women in my family are round to one degree or another. I now wear a 32F or G bra. My body fat is higher than I want but the best I can do is be sure to work on staying fit and active, as you do.

Losing a lot of weight in my late 50s has left me with too much skin. Which is a drag but it is what it is.

[Crankin]

My genetics are a mixed bag. While my mom was very petite and slim for most of her life (and active at a time when women weren't) she did start gaining in her mid fifties. Then she got diagnosed with an autoimmune liver disease, so all of anything about diet/exercise went out the window. She died at 67. My dad has had thin and quite heavy periods in his life, but I would say he is mostly thin. But, since my mom's death, he eats terribly and still smokes. He's never exercised.
I have very heavy relatives on both sides of my family. My mom's sister is 70 and very overweight. Three of my grandparents had periods of being overweight, with only my paternal grandmother being thin (and strikingly gorgeous) until the day she died. Needless to say, no one was active. My dad thinks i'm nuts, but humors me.
I have not been thin all of my life. I started gaining when I got out of college, lost the weight and was very thin until my early to mid forties. I struggled with an extra 10-20 lbs until I started cycling at age 48. I made a conscious decision, though, to always be vigilant. And, it's not easy, as you said, Emily. DH and I always say that just once, we would like to be like "regular" people, i.e. people who don't care what goes into their bodies and are not active. But, it's not meant to be. As you said, Emily, if I didn't live the lifestyle I do, I would be at least 30 pounds heavier.

[Veronica]

That's three-time U.S. Olympic Hockey Team medal winner Angela Ruggiero, a confident 5 foot 9 inch, 185 pounds. She could wax your a$$ in all its sizes. Chill out about the body image stuff, okay?

Do what you need to do to be fit and healthy, and let others be. If they have a few rolls, it may be healthiest for them.

http://www.womensrunning.com/articles/54

No, not okay - since I am not about body image and I have never espoused that people should be a certain weight or BMI. Excess fat is NOT healthy. Why did you feel the need to bring in physical violence?

Yes, I am very proud of the hard work I put in to lose nearly forty pounds and keep it off. And I am thrilled with the progress I continue to make. Silly me for thinking that I might be able to encourage others to take charge of their lives and do what they say they want to do.

Veronica

[tealtreak]

No, not okay - since I am not about body image and I have never espoused that people should be a certain weight or BMI. Excess fat is NOT healthy. Why did you feel the need to bring in physical violence?

Yes, I am very proud of the hard work I put in to lose nearly forty pounds and keep it off. And I am thrilled with the progress I continue to make. Silly me for thinking that I might be able to encourage others to take charge of their lives and do what they say they want to do.

Veronica
Please do not be discouraged or discontinue encouraging others, with the myriad complexities in my life now that curtail my training time- I am so thrilled to add my time to the google spreadsheet you made! (:

[Crankin]

Veronica, I feel like you do, though as I said before, my accomplishments are different. Why shouldn't I be proud of my healthy body? None of this is easy and if I couldn't get some positive self thoughts from all of my hard work, that would not be good. Yes, looking good and strong and lean enhances my self esteem. Is that bad?

[Owlie]

By all means, be proud of what you've accomplished, and keep on doing what you're doing. Just remember that just because some of us have some extra fat (maybe more than is "ideal") doesn't mean that we're not healthy or have let ourselves go. :)

Veronica, I certainly appreciate the encouragement. Once I get my bike back, it's back to the indoor challenge for me.

[maillotpois]

By all means, be proud of what you've accomplished, and keep on doing what you're doing. Just remember that just because some of us have some extra fat (maybe more than is "ideal") doesn't mean that we're not healthy or have let ourselves go. :)


Nicely said.

[salsabike]

By all means, be proud of what you've accomplished, and keep on doing what you're doing. Just remember that just because some of us have some extra fat (maybe more than is "ideal") doesn't mean that we're not healthy or have let ourselves go. :)



Yes, that.

[SadieKate]

No, not okay - since I am not about body image and I have never espoused that people should be a certain weight or BMI. Excess fat is NOT healthy. Why did you feel the need to bring in physical violence?

Yes, I am very proud of the hard work I put in to lose nearly forty pounds and keep it off. And I am thrilled with the progress I continue to make. Silly me for thinking that I might be able to encourage others to take charge of their lives and do what they say they want to do.

VeronicaYou definitely should be proud of what you've accomplished! We're all pleased as punch for you to meet your goal but you have repeatedly implied that we should all have the same insanely low weight goal. Your reaction to the plus-size model and your pinch an inch thread saddened me. You sound like a reformed smoker but on a topic that isn't black and white.

What happened to the woman who encouraged but didn't judge? What happened to the woman who showed up for group rides and rode with the group, enjoying their company? Who never said a word about others' weight challenges other than to encourage everyone to stay positive and keep working. She's the one who got me to try Diablo for the first time and got me seeking other hills to climb. I miss her.

She also had a sense of humor and wouldn't have been deliberately obtuse about "wax your a$$." Nobody ever accused a cyclist of winning a race through physical violence. Well, OK, maybe Mark Cavendish. Oh, and Robbie McEwen. :p

[SadieKate]

By all means, be proud of what you've accomplished, and keep on doing what you're doing. Just remember that just because some of us have some extra fat (maybe more than is "ideal") doesn't mean that we're not healthy or have let ourselves go. :)

Owlie, ditto what everyone else said about this.

[Veronica]

Wow, thanks for your honest reply. I hadn't realized I had become one of "those" people. I certainly never wanted to become preachy. :eek:

And I don't think everyone should be aiming for some absurdly low body fat. Everything I've read says the twenties are healthy.

Veronica

[Giulianna23]

I more pound down 198 to 197 today...didn't get a chance to check with the scale last Friday due to the fact that I was off . Hoping to get rid of at least one more pound by this coming Friday.

[Triskeliongirl]

I am going to chime in here. Its been mentioned that some of you feel you have low body weight, yet have too much fat. In the body recomposition world, this is referred to as 'skinny fat.' This happened to me many years ago when I allowed myself to lose too much weight on weight watchers, on a diet that was too low in protein. When I look back at those records, what I realized is that at a certain moment my percent body fat stayed the same, but I started to catabolize my lean body mass (i.e. muscle). Then, without any change to my diet and exercise program, I started to gain fat. That is because muscle is metabolically active, so as it is lost caloric needs go down. In time I gained more weight, of course putting on muscle as well to carry the fat. But this time, I targeted losing only the fat, by eating a diet high in protein (~1g protein/lb of LBM). So today, I keep my weight in the 140s, with a LBM of 110. That keeps my percent body fat in the low 20s, which seems to be comfortable for me to maintain. However, it terms of clothes size, I can still wear the clothes I bought when I was a 'skinny fat' 115 lb. So, ladies that are losing, consider diets that preserve lean body mass, and set your goal not on an arbitrary number on the scale (or too low a number), but on having a high strength to mass ratio, which is really what we should care about as cyclists.

[SadieKate]

Wow, thanks for your honest reply. I hadn't realized I had become one of "those" people. I certainly never wanted to become preachy. :eek:I wouldn't have gotten up at the crack of stupid to deliver 'one of "those" people' to the Davis Double, or had ready a recovery milk shake in the middle of the night for when you finished.

I do love your enthusiam and drive, V, I do.

[Catrin]

....So, ladies that are losing, consider diets that preserve lean body mass, and set your goal not on an arbitrary number on the scale (or too low a number), but on having a high strength to mass ratio, which is really what we should care about as cyclists.

This is a very good point! I've a high protein diet (medically ordered to preserve stable blood sugar), but I think I need to tweak my carbs more on a seasonal basis... As of this morning my weight is less than 2 pounds more than it was last January, but I KNOW my body fat is higher because of the pants I can't fit in any longer :o I will check into your suggestion.

[Veronica]

I wouldn't have gotten up at the crack of stupid to deliver 'one of "those" people' to the Davis Double, or had ready a recovery milk shake in the middle of the night for when you finished.

I do love your enthusiam and drive, V, I do.

Thank you! and I truly appreciate you telling me what a real friend would.

Now back to our regularly scheduled program... more explosive push ups today! Ouch! But I got in all ten each time this week. :D

Oh wait... this is the weight management thread. I've been able to maintain through the winter. I'm pleased with that as I had reduced my cardio and I like my Christmas treats - especially champagne!

Veronica

[Gypsy]

I want to join, if it's not too late!

I read here more than post, but I think I need to start posting more.

My weight back on January 6th was around 163.8 lb (?). I had just gotten back from a trip and lots of eating out.

I'm still eating out like it's the holidays and I need to get back down.

My goal for March 2nd is to be under 160 lbs.

I know it sounds like a little goal, but I lose weight glacially (I have insulin resistance). I would love to be at 155 or less, but I don't think that will happen.

My only concerns right now, which is why I wanted to start posting, is that I am still riding, despite the cold, and I'm finding that I don't know what I should be eating to fuel my rides. We did a 50 mile ride on Sunday and my blood sugar was too low, despite eating carbs BEFORE and AFTER the ride. Any advice would be great.

[Gypsy]

Oh and one last thing. I don't know how to lose weight and still train!

[Catrin]

.... We did a 50 mile ride on Sunday and my blood sugar was too low, despite eating carbs BEFORE and AFTER the ride. Any advice would be great.

I also have insulin resistance, and I've found it is quite important for me to eat DURING the ride. Before/after is good, but during is equally important. After guidance from my specialist and dietician, I actually don't "count" what I consume before/during the ride.

When I first started riding I had to eat during every ride, regardless of length, but that's changed. I still, however, need to eat during any ride > 25-30 miles. <20 miles I just drink water, greater than that I have Heed in either bottle or hydration pack. For on-the-bike food I've learned that my body likes Cliff bars, for road riding I break them up and put them in my Fuel Belt that is mounted on my top tube. For a 50+ mile ride I need to have something like a PB and Banana sandwich stored somewhere and will also have Shot Blocs just in case - if it is hot I will also have a bottle of Accelerade. For mountain biking I judge this more by the amount of time I think I will be on the bike rather than distance as I am quite slow.

Of course our bodies are different, and some couldn't tolerate my Cliff bars as they are rather dense - but I've found that other bars or real food other than what I've mentioned either upsets my stomach or doesn't give me enough.

Considering your insulin resistance, would it be possible for you to visit a sports nutritionist who understands both cycling and insulin problems?

[gnat23]

Oh and one last thing. I don't know how to lose weight and still train!

Holysnot, I'm still trying to figure that out, too.

So far, I'm trying to attack it by dieting at the same time as cutting *back* on my cycling, doing more weightlifting. Bigger rides for me means WAY bigger appetite and gaining weight. Haven't found that sweet spot yet. :(

-- gnat!

[salsabike]

Holysnot, love it.

I went to a sports dietitian last year to ask about this (she and her partner serve as sports dietitians for all the UW teams). I was training for Olympic length triathlons, most workouts around an hour except for the long weekend bike ride. I had a resting metabolic rate that had been done the year before that showed I burn around 1700 calories in a day (sans workouts, which typically burn 400 calories or so an hour depending on a bunch of stuff). Given all that: she said, eat about a 500 calorie breakfast, ditto lunch, ditto dinner, with a couple hundred left over for snacks. That was quite workable. For the longer bike ride, I'd add a 100-200 per every 2+ hours. I don't seem to need a lot on the bike,

It worked pretty well. That is, it fueled the workouts and allowed me to lose about a pound a week.

[Catrin]

....I had a resting metabolic rate that had been done the year before that showed I burn around 1700 calories in a day....

I am starting to think that I need to do this (again). I did this back before I lost all of my weight and learned that my metabolism was faster than expected - given my weight. That was a couple of years ago, 60 pounds and a hysterectomy ago...

The new gym I am moving to provides one "bod pod" analysis a year + a discount on a metabolism test. I think I need to go there. My weight is just stuck, diet solid, lots of exercise, yet my level of body fat is more than it should be. Diet probably needs tweaking, but probably good to check my metabolism. I've always been resistant to eat as much as they tell me to, so perhaps it is time to finally start paying more attention to that.

[Anelia]

An interesting article (http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/most_recent/control_leptin_and_control_your_leanness) worth reading.

[goldfinch]

I am going to chime in here. Its been mentioned that some of you feel you have low body weight, yet have too much fat. In the body recomposition world, this is referred to as 'skinny fat.' This happened to me many years ago when I allowed myself to lose too much weight on weight watchers, on a diet that was too low in protein. When I look back at those records, what I realized is that at a certain moment my percent body fat stayed the same, but I started to catabolize my lean body mass (i.e. muscle). Then, without any change to my diet and exercise program, I started to gain fat. That is because muscle is metabolically active, so as it is lost caloric needs go down. In time I gained more weight, of course putting on muscle as well to carry the fat. But this time, I targeted losing only the fat, by eating a diet high in protein (~1g protein/lb of LBM). So today, I keep my weight in the 140s, with a LBM of 110. That keeps my percent body fat in the low 20s, which seems to be comfortable for me to maintain. However, it terms of clothes size, I can still wear the clothes I bought when I was a 'skinny fat' 115 lb. So, ladies that are losing, consider diets that preserve lean body mass, and set your goal not on an arbitrary number on the scale (or too low a number), but on having a high strength to mass ratio, which is really what we should care about as cyclists.

I was concerned about "skinny fat" when losing a lot of weight. I ate high protein and lost weight at the rate of a pound a week. I started out with a very high fat percentage, IIRC, something like 46%. So, the few little fat rolls on the plus size model are nothing to me. It still is high but not anywhere nearly as high. But is sure is not in the low 20s. But I have to keep in mind that I lost a third of my weight and I was extremely out of shape. So I am proud of where I am, even though I remain "too fat" with a body fat percentage of 30%. I went from never exercising to riding 1500 miles on my bike the first year and starting to strength train too. Maybe I will over time and with consistent exercise improve my muscle/fat ratio. But if I don't I am still a lot healthier than I was and will not feel like I failed.

[Gypsy]

I also have insulin resistance, and I've found it is quite important for me to eat DURING the ride. Before/after is good, but during is equally important. After guidance from my specialist and dietician, I actually don't "count" what I consume before/during the ride.

Sorry, I should have been clear that I ate during the ride -- I had a granola bar and a snack pack fig newton too.



When I first started riding I had to eat during every ride, regardless of length, but that's changed. I still, however, need to eat during any ride > 25-30 miles. <20 miles I just drink water, greater than that I have Heed in either bottle or hydration pack. For on-the-bike food I've learned that my body likes Cliff bars, for road riding I break them up and put them in my Fuel Belt that is mounted on my top tube. For a 50+ mile ride I need to have something like a PB and Banana sandwich stored somewhere and will also have Shot Blocs just in case - if it is hot I will also have a bottle of Accelerade. For mountain biking I judge this more by the amount of time I think I will be on the bike rather than distance as I am quite slow.


I need to take a sandwich thing with me next time, then -- on this ride, I took both the granola bar and the fig newton pack because I knew 50 miles was a lot and I would need it. But my friends thought I was crazy to have that much food. Obviously I need more. I like that idea a lot.



Of course our bodies are different, and some couldn't tolerate my Cliff bars as they are rather dense - but I've found that other bars or real food other than what I've mentioned either upsets my stomach or doesn't give me enough.

Considering your insulin resistance, would it be possible for you to visit a sports nutritionist who understands both cycling and insulin problems?

I had NO idea there were sport nutritionists. I'll need to look one up in my city and probably ask for an appointment. I will try your ideas on this weekend's ride -- we'll be doing 55 miles (we average around 15 mph, so it'll take us just under 4 hours to do).


Holysnot, I'm still trying to figure that out, too.

So far, I'm trying to attack it by dieting at the same time as cutting *back* on my cycling, doing more weightlifting. Bigger rides for me means WAY bigger appetite and gaining weight. Haven't found that sweet spot yet. :(

-- gnat!

Glad I'm not the only one!

I've been attending spinning classes for a few years now, so I know that I can lose weight and exercise intensely, but I just haven't found the right balance with these hours long rides.

I think part of it is psychological too... thinking I can eat whatever because I was on a ride for 2 hours. My body just doesn't work that way.

[Gypsy]

An interesting article (http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/most_recent/control_leptin_and_control_your_leanness) worth reading.

Very interesting!

I had seen the link between IR and leptin in the past, but just as a minor comment. I didn't realize there was such a significant link.

This actually would explain a lot...

[tulip]

Gypsy, I think you need to eat MORE during the ride, and make sure you are drinking enough. As an example, on my rides I eat a big bite of powerbar (my preferred ride food) every 15 minutes and take a big gulp of diluted G2 every 5 minutes. On a longer ride, like 50 miles, I stop a few times and eat a banana or two, pbj sandwich, or come cookies.

I have no insulin issues, so your requirements might be different. Definitely see a nutritionist who knows cycling.

[salsabike]

Here's the person I saw, and she's great. There may well be an association whose listings you could check.

http://www.momentum4health.com/about.php

[Possegal]

Sorry for the delay folks.

Here is the link (let me know if anyone has trouble). I'm going back now to update!

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

OK, I think I'm caught up. But if you think I missed your weight in there, just holler and I will go back and check. You ladies were quite chatty while I was working and traveling. :)

Welcome to new folks. It is never to late to join in!!

[Anelia]

I am going to chime in here. Its been mentioned that some of you feel you have low body weight, yet have too much fat. In the body recomposition world, this is referred to as 'skinny fat.' This happened to me many years ago when I allowed myself to lose too much weight on weight watchers, on a diet that was too low in protein. When I look back at those records, what I realized is that at a certain moment my percent body fat stayed the same, but I started to catabolize my lean body mass (i.e. muscle). Then, without any change to my diet and exercise program, I started to gain fat. That is because muscle is metabolically active, so as it is lost caloric needs go down. In time I gained more weight, of course putting on muscle as well to carry the fat. But this time, I targeted losing only the fat, by eating a diet high in protein (~1g protein/lb of LBM). So today, I keep my weight in the 140s, with a LBM of 110. That keeps my percent body fat in the low 20s, which seems to be comfortable for me to maintain. However, it terms of clothes size, I can still wear the clothes I bought when I was a 'skinny fat' 115 lb. So, ladies that are losing, consider diets that preserve lean body mass, and set your goal not on an arbitrary number on the scale (or too low a number), but on having a high strength to mass ratio, which is really what we should care about as cyclists.
My 2 cents here. To keep the muscles and shred, I follow these:
1. Every meal should be rich in protein. I mean EVERY. Not once a day but 5 or 6 meals.
2. Strength training. Weight lifting or body weight exercises 2 or 3 times a week. Keeping all the muscles toned, your body preserves them. Because to do a heavy lift, you need muscles. And when you need something, your body is clever enough to keep it.
3. Supplementation with amino acids. When I diet, I decrease carbs and I do fasted cardio. Before and after the fasted cardio I take BCAAs to preserve muscles.
4. Don't cut too much the calories. Depriving your body of food will lead to muscle catabolism. Keep a deficit of no more than 400-500 calories/day.
So, girls, be patient, keep the good work and the results are rewarding.

[Crankin]

Thanks, Possegal. I's nice to see it all in numbers. I am so not a spreadsheet person, so I appreciate the work.
And DH liked seeing his name there.!

[Catrin]

Thanks Possegal! It really is quite helpful to see the numbers, thank you!

Regarding fasting cardio - has anyone done this who is prone to unstable blood sugar? I do get hypoglycemia, though not as often as at one time :D
I am trying to understand the purpose for fasting cardio and the best approach. So taking amino acids as a supplement prevents our body from using muscle as energy and thus uses fat?

[Crankin]

I would faint if I tried to do any intense cardio while fasting. Seriously. I can feel sort of OK going to a spin class in the early AM without eating a snack, but I still don't feel great.
I question the need for any supplements if you eat a healthy diet, unless you have some type of medical condition. Real food trumps pills, in my mind. I know some people really believe in this stuff, but I am very leery of this.

[indysteel]

Thanks Possegal! It really is quite helpful to see the numbers, thank you!

Regarding fasting cardio - has anyone done this who is prone to unstable blood sugar? I do get hypoglycemia, though not as often as at one time :D
I am trying to understand the purpose for fasting cardio and the best approach. So taking amino acids as a supplement prevents our body from using muscle as energy and thus uses fat?


The idea behind it is that it, because your liver is theoretically depleted of whatever stored glycogen it had when you went to bed, your body will then turn to stored fat as its energy source. I say allegedly because there is some dispute as to this basic premise. Just Google it and you'll get a sense of the debate.

I, personally, would proceed with caution if I had hypoglycemia. Try it on the trainer, perhaps, so that it's easy enough to stop and grab some food if you start to falter. I wouldn't recommend it for a ride on the road or trail.

[Triskeliongirl]

I do perform fasted cardio. I started after reading this paper: Physiol 588.21 (2010) pp 4289–4302 4289: Training in the fasted state improves glucose tolerance during fat-rich diet. Karen Van Proeyen1, Karolina Szlufcik1, Henri Nielens2, Koen Pelgrim1, Louise Deldicque3,Matthijs Hesselink4, Paul P. Van Veldhoven5 and Peter Hespel1

To me one of the most impressive aspects of the study was that the fasted exercisers had a 30% increase in transport of Glut4 receptors to the cell surface. I am a mild type I diabetic. While I have good insulin sensitivity, since I undersecrete insulin anything I can do to boost the action of the insulin I have makes a big difference. But I don't mean a 3 hour bike ride. Every morning before work, after just a cup of espresso, I go to the gym, and do a 35 minute workout on the arc trainer that my HRM and the machine say burns about 310 calories. Then I shower and eat. But if I am going to do a 3 hour bike ride, than I always eat a high protein breakfast like 2 turkey sausages, and then drink muscle milk lite on the bike. I do eat a low carb/high protein diet to manage my diabetes.

For the women that asked about hypoglyemia, try it in a gym, and bring your glucose monitor. That is what I did, and found I had no problem with my blood sugar readings. In fact, I find my blood sugar always goes up when I exercise since at least in the beginning glycogen is metabolized to glucose.

I do find this 'trick' is useful in my battery of weight control/blood sugar controls. I also incorporte this into an intermittent fasting (IF) protocol. For me it means I don't snack after dinner, and then delay breakfast until after my morning workout. The article I cite above is discussed a this link in more popular language, a site dedicated to the IF protocol that I follow: http://www.leangains.com/2010/05/early-morning-fasted-training.html

[ny biker]

"Is it better to exercise fed or fasted?"

http://community.active.com/blogs/NancyClarkRD/2011/08/23/is-it-better-to-exercise-fed-or-fasted

[Crankin]

I am aware of the science behind it, but I just don't feel good doing it. And, as far as I know, I am not hypoglycemic or anything else in regards to blood sugar.
My problem is, I need to eat!

[Anelia]

ny biker, there is no one sided truth here. Everything depends on how you feel. Of course, if you feel dizzy, you should eat something before you work out. I feel OK in the morning after a cup of black coffee. If I do morning exercise, I have to get up really early to eat breakfast, wait to digest it and then cycle. I prefer to use the time to sleep.
You can be right: "try to move the meals towards the active part of day". But again there is another side of the coin and the same principle is used in the Intermittent fasting and even better: in the Warrior Diet, i.e. in order to digest fully the food, your body needs rest. Food digestion (especially of carbs) makes you sleepy and lazy. So, they fast in the active part of the day and eat a big meal in the evening. Yes, and they also lose weight, depending on their caloric balance.

I don't support either way and there is not an only answer to this. Just everybody should experiment and try which way is best for their body.
As far as fasted cardio for fat loss is concerned, my whole daily routine included: coffee, 20-30 minutes fasted cardio, protein shake/amino acids immediately after that. After 1-2 hous: protein(eggs usu)+complex carbs (oats). Depending on my day, I rotated strength training or longer and non-intensive bike riding in the afternoon. I ate simple carbs after the weights+again protein (milk usually). My dinner was protein (meat) and salad. My late dinner was always curd and walnuts. So, my glycogen was never full, I was always "fasted" in the mornings because of the small amounts of carbs and especially during the eveneng. Eating the slowest possible digested protein (casein from the curd) just before bed, combined with the fats from the walnuts which made it even slower to digest, ensure my good sleep. I hate when I go to bed slightly hungry and I can't even fall sleep if I eat dinner at 6 p.m. I'm already starving until 10 p.m.

[Gypsy]

Gypsy, I think you need to eat MORE during the ride, and make sure you are drinking enough. As an example, on my rides I eat a big bite of powerbar (my preferred ride food) every 15 minutes and take a big gulp of diluted G2 every 5 minutes. On a longer ride, like 50 miles, I stop a few times and eat a banana or two, pbj sandwich, or come cookies.

I have no insulin issues, so your requirements might be different. Definitely see a nutritionist who knows cycling.

I will take more food with me on this weekend's ride, now that I know this.

I also found a couple of nutritionists in the area (Thank you SalsaBike, your link made me realize I could Google the RD association in my state!).

I made an appointment for next week with one (just to get the initial consultation) and I've left a message with another to interview.

This first one had a receptionist that confirmed they were sports nutrition related and could work with my IR/hypoglycemia so I'll keep my fingers crossed.

I've tried an RD in the past and I was annoyed at the processed foods she wanted me to eat. I think we just didn't have good chemistry and I need to have that rapport in order to make it work me.

[salsabike]

My pleasure--makes me happy to share really useful stuff!

[SadieKate]

"Is it better to exercise fed or fasted?"

http://community.active.com/blogs/NancyClarkRD/2011/08/23/is-it-better-to-exercise-fed-or-fasted

Thanks for this link! Calories and time of day is interesting. My weekday workouts are 5:45am and 6 am. I don't have to eat before cross training, but spinning without calories just sends me spinning.:p

[maillotpois]

Yeah I would never go for a ride or do intervals without food. But my husband commutes into the city several times a week (maybe 15 - 18 miles each way) and he NEVER eats anything before he leaves the house. I would fall off the Golden Gate Bridge if I did that. :p I think he keeps the intensity relatively low for his commute in and really works on the way home, but still. :rolleyes: Whatever. Men.

[azfiddle]

I am a big fan of Nancy Clark's approach, and have two of her books.

The Carmichael Training Systems Coaches have a similar guideline about eating before exercise. Ideally, they suggest you have a big meal about 3-4 hours before a workout. Clearly, that isn't always possible, and the closer you are to the start, the smaller the meal should be, say a bagel or a banana if it is just half an hour before. They recommend mainly carbs shortly before/during the ride. Also, the half hour or so after you finish the workout is a good time to replenish your energy- the muscles continue to gather energy as if you were still working.

You can store enough glycogen for an hour or two of exercise, but after that you need to eat 100-200 calories an hour to refuel. Carmichael coaches suggested eating about an hour into the effort.

Personally, I'm usually good with just water for up to 15-20 miles (a little more than an hour) unless I haven't eaten for a while. I've followed that guideline of eating 100-200 cal/hour on long rides/ events and have never bonked.

[Owlie]

I know that if I don't eat within two hours of getting up (I can go longer if sleep-deprived, but that gets into other things), I'll end up with a splitting headache by 4pm. And that's without exercising! I can't do fasted workouts. No way.
DBF, on the other hand, can go 25 miles without eating breakfast, and on somewhat longer rides on relatively little. :rolleyes:

I can do 15 miles in decent (not too hot, not too cold) weather on breakfast alone, with water on the bike. Anything longer than that (or in hot or cold weather), I need to eat.

Anelia, I'm like you. If I eat before 7, I'm hungry before bed!

[salsabike]

Bob Seebohar is another very well-thought-of person in the field. An example of his approach:

http://firebreatherfitness.com/coachjdietrx/wp-content/uploads//2010/06/EatingInTheZone.pdf

[Triskeliongirl]

I have noticed on our club rides, that many of the overweight women are eating way more than need on the bike. I am bringing this up, because I know we all read articles and training books, but many are geared for the 20 something racer. If this is you, then by all means follow those recommendations. But if you are like me, a middle aged women who rides her bike for fitness and fun, by all means eat adequate food for your activity level, but if you are trying to lose weight, allow yourself to burn off your stored body fat, by being mindful of how much on the bike nutrition you really need. I am talking about the gal who shows up for a 30 mile club ride, with her pockets stuffed to the brim with gels and candy bars. I want to shout at her: You don't need that much food to ride 30 miles! You have your stored body fat! I don't because it doesn't seem my place. I am only posting here for those of you that have been 'stuck' for some time to consider it it applies to you. I will also say that sometimes you need to train your body to run on stored fat, so you will feel bad at first until your fat burning enzymes are expressed, so give it time, and perhaps try to gradually cut down how much you eat on the bike if you think this applies to you.

[klesko]

146 this morning. That article on leptin was really good and all the other discussion and articles are great too. I realized that when I gained weight through stress eating when my sister was in hospice, I messed up my hormone levels. I have terrible chocolate and carb cravings. However, I have cut down on my carbs and banned sugar and feel much better this week. Now I plan to work on portions and I should be fine. Thanks all!

[Catrin]

135.2

[Crankin]

106.8
A little bit in the wrong direction, but I've been all over the place in the last week. It's really hard for me to not eat a lot of fruit and some bread. Mostly, I've learned a few things:
Eating vegetables at breakfast helps. I can usually have one apple, without any ill effects. Having a piece of whole wheat bread with nut butter as a snack in the late afternoon usually works, too.
I am not as disciplined as DH.

Mr. Crankin: 151.8

[goldfinch]

Funny, I am exactly where Crankin is, 106.8.

I appear to still be losing weight, even though I was maintaining at around 110. I'm fine with that. My calories in for the week averaged 1480 a day, so I guess I may be burning more than that. Calories out is very difficult to estimate.

[Giulianna23]

196.3

[Veronica]

Here's an interesting pos (http://nerdfitness.com/blog/2012/01/18/10-months-128-pounds-lost/#more-11544)t on Nerdfitness about a guy who lost some 128 pounds in 10 months. He's chronicled his weight loss monthly with pictures - pretty inspiring.

Veronica

[Gypsy]

164.6 (up?!)

Actually, I think it's because I've been hitting the gym hard this week, so I guess it's to be expected, but it's definitely not in the right direction.

[Triskeliongirl]

I tried to update this post with a better link, but it looks like its not longer editable, so here goes:


http://www.leangains.com/2010/09/fasted-training-insulin-sensitivity.html




I do perform fasted cardio. I started after
reading this paper: Physiol 588.21 (2010) pp 4289–4302 4289: Training in the fasted state improves glucose tolerance during fat-rich diet. Karen Van Proeyen1, Karolina Szlufcik1, Henri Nielens2, Koen Pelgrim1, Louise Deldicque3,Matthijs Hesselink4, Paul P. Van Veldhoven5 and Peter Hespel1

To me one of the most impressive aspects of the study was that the fasted exercisers had a 30% increase in transport of Glut4 receptors to the cell surface. I am a mild type I diabetic. While I have good insulin sensitivity, since I undersecrete insulin anything I can do to boost the action of the insulin I have makes a big difference. But I don't mean a 3 hour bike ride. Every morning before work, after just a cup of espresso, I go to the gym, and do a 35 minute workout on the arc trainer that my HRM and the machine say burns about 310 calories. Then I shower and eat. But if I am going to do a 3 hour bike ride, than I always eat a high protein breakfast like 2 turkey sausages, and then drink muscle milk lite on the bike. I do eat a low carb/high protein diet to manage my diabetes.

For the women that asked about hypoglyemia, try it in a gym, and bring your glucose monitor. That is what I did, and found I had no problem with my blood sugar readings. In fact, I find my blood sugar always goes up when I exercise since at least in the beginning glycogen is metabolized to glucose.

I do find this 'trick' is useful in my battery of weight control/blood sugar controls. I also incorporte this into an intermittent fasting (IF) protocol. For me it means I don't snack after dinner, and then delay breakfast until after my morning workout. The article I cite above is discussed a this link in more popular language, a site dedicated to the IF protocol that I follow: http://www.leangains.com/2010/05/early-morning-fasted-training.html

[Susan Otcenas]

Here's an interesting pos (http://nerdfitness.com/blog/2012/01/18/10-months-128-pounds-lost/#more-11544)t on Nerdfitness about a guy who lost some 128 pounds in 10 months. He's chronicled his weight loss monthly with pictures - pretty inspiring.

Veronica

THAT was super inspirational. My favorite quote: “Don’t sacrifice what you really want for what you want right now.”

[jobob]

150.6

[ny biker]

140.8

[yellow]

127.6

The better news is that my massage therapist, who sees me weekly, noticed that I have leaned out in the midsection. So while the scale isn't all that different (and my clothes still seem to be tight), maybe something is working! :D

[Crankin]

I tried some fasting cardio this morning. It had snowed and the roads weren't really clean at 5 AM, so instead of going to the gym, I slept an hour later, got on the trainer and did an easy 20 minute spin at 80-90 rpm. Then I ate a high protein breakfast.
I just got back from yoga class and I might walk or run later, after some work stuff I have to do. It will be interesting how this affects me. I am going out tonight with friends and I will have to restrain myself some from the carbs and too much wine, but I am not going to be totally restrictive. I can avoid the bread, and even the pasta, but not the wine.

[Triskeliongirl]

Crankin, wine is fine as long as you count the calories, i.e. it has minimal effect on blood sugar. You have so little to lose, that you will also need to be careful to not get confused by daily fluctuations in fluid balance, etc. I find for me, its best to weigh every other day (first thing in am), and then average my weekly weights. I look to see the average go down over time when I am trying to take off a slight recent gain, and also each week to hit a new low, that is a weight I haven't seen for a while. That way even if I am bouncing around due to fluid retention (which can happen after a long bike ride) and losing at a slow rate, I don't get discouraged as long as I see that slowly but surely I am getting back to where I want to be.

[five one]

Still 137. Sigh...

Picking up my repaired beater/trainer bike tomorrow, so hopefully I can get some indoor work done this rainy weekend.

Due to some carpel tunnel issues, I haven't been doing any weight work since my grip has been unreliable. I may give it a try tomorrow and see how it feels.

And just for grins, I'm wearing my HRM for 24 hours (no workouts during that time) to see what I burn on a normal day at work. If I'm continually stalled at 136 - 138, I still must be eating more than I need to in order to lose. Good food, but too much. It doesn't seem like it, but I spend a large part of my work day sitting. With limited workouts lately, I must be eating exactly what I need to maintain rather than lose. Will tweak a few things this week to see if it makes a difference.

[SAMbike]

117.0

not the right direction...

[Crankin]

Trisk, I kind of do what you describe, because I know how my body works, after all of these years. I weigh in the AM, right when I get up. I know if I weigh myself even right after I've eaten breakfast or, ah spent time in the bathroom, I will be 1-2 lbs. up and that is normal for me. I do look for patterns, and this is why I decided to start doing something differently, as the pattern I saw wasn't good! I don't want to gain 5 lbs. every winter.
I do weigh myself everyday, because when I don't, it seems to get away from me. I know that it will be higher after the weekend, due to either going out, or a long, hard ride/ski, or both.
OK, going out to run/walk. Three types of exercise in a day is a lot for me, but the first 2 were not really strenuous.

[channlluv]

226.2

On the up side, I did go for my first bike ride since the surgery this morning. I only went seven miles, and they were slow, but it was nice. My body is so no saddle-ready, though. I look forward to getting back in the routine of riding.

Roxy

[ny biker]

226.2

On the up side, I did go for my first bike ride since the surgery this morning. I only went seven miles, and they were slow, but it was nice. My body is so no saddle-ready, though. I look forward to getting back in the routine of riding.

Roxy

Considering that you've been unable to exercise due to your recovery, I'd say you're doing well. Sometimes you just have to focus on getting healthy again.

Congrats on your first post-op bike ride!!

[Crankin]

Congrats on your ride, Roxy.
Some of my rides are about 7.8 miles, when I go and do errands in town... it all counts.

[Blueberry]

Congratulations, Roxy!!! So glad you're on the bike. You know the drill - build up slowly and carefully and above all avoid injuring yourself!

[DonnaS]

Nuts, back to 136.4.

I know it's harder to lose weight at 61 than it was at 21, but really. I've revamped my diet and exercise plan to include some regular kettlebell and hand weight sessions... not something I enjoy but worth trying. Plus, I've decided a pair of those new LG Neo Power bibs would be a good reward if I can get in the 120s before my first spring bike trip!
DonnaS

[VeganBikeChick]

Ugh. Not posting this week. My appetite for sugary carb-laden foods has come back with a vengeance. :(

[azfiddle]

117.0 - it went up and back down to the same place I was last week.

I came home and snacked a lot I am looking at next to no dinner to stay on track today. Hope I stick to my plan and focus for tomorrow

[emily_in_nc]

106.0 -- the right direction at last.

And I did my longest run in the new year today, since I came down w/ a bad cold just before new year's -- 4 miles. :)

[emily_in_nc]

Some of my rides are about 7.8 miles, when I go and do errands in town... it all counts.

Yep, that's about my typical errand ride. The nice thing about Belize, I do a ride like this nearly every day. The downside: that is often the only riding I do. There aren't a lot of places to ride down here, so it's hard to get a lot of mileage in. That's part of the reason I run as well as ride, just to get some real cardio in. Since there aren't any real hills here, it's hard to get cardio from riding alone.

[katluvr]

So I did not post weight last week...well cuz whenever I do this challenge I gain weight. I did weigh today..126, still not good but not up!

[jyyanks]

I've been dieting since Jan 6 and trying to exercise (was on a role and had a setback) and all I lost was 1 measly pound. 109 for me this week. Discouraging because I thought I was eating well and exercising. Apparently it was't enough.

[Tri Girl]

164.3
meh :/

[Possegal]

Updating again.

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

[Susan Otcenas]

I forgot to post my weight last Friday, but there was no change. Hoping for a better result this week (though, after Saturday night's cocktail party at a friend's house, I may have totally sabotaged my week.... :o

Susan

[Veronica]

I don't think one day is a complete sabotage. Did you have fun? If yes, then no big deal. If no, well... we'll have to talk. Have you gotten back on track? Yeah, I figured you had. :D

Life is meant to be lived and enjoyed; look back on Saturday evening as a pleasure - not a guilty pleasure, a pleasure. Then get on you bike and ride! :p

Veronica

[Susan Otcenas]

I don't think one day is a complete sabotage. Did you have fun? If yes, then no big deal. If no, well... we'll have to talk. Have you gotten back on track? Yeah, I figured you had. :D

Life is meant to be lived and enjoyed; look back on Saturday evening as a pleasure - not a guilty pleasure, a pleasure. Then get on you bike and ride! :p

Veronica

Yes, had a great time, with wonderful friends. It was all worth it! :)

I do sometimes get into the "guilty pleasure" mindset, and need the occasional reminder to lighten up a little, so thanks! It's hard to reconcile that against the "don't let what you want now get in the way of what you really want" mode I'm trying to be in, though. It's a delicate balance!

[Veronica]

It's a delicate balance!

Ain't that the truth!

I have a desk drawer with Welch's Fruit Snacks in it. Don't know why, but those things are like crack for me. One bag and I need to have 4 or 5 more. bags.

I generally don't get into that drawer, but today I was putting away some stuff after school and those fruit things were calling my name.

I said, "Shut up, fruit things!" and closed the drawer. I could still hear them, but it was much fainter.

Now those, are a guilty pleasure. No good reason for me to eat them, ever. I have them to give to my students for 100% completion of homework for the month. They like them and they're not too junky.

Veronica

[indysteel]

I don't think one day is a complete sabotage. Did you have fun? If yes, then no big deal. If no, well... we'll have to talk. Have you gotten back on track? Yeah, I figured you had. :D

Life is meant to be lived and enjoyed; look back on Saturday evening as a pleasure - not a guilty pleasure, a pleasure. Then get on you bike and ride! :p

Veronica

I heart this post.

[Susan Otcenas]

Then get on you bike and ride! :p


OH, I forgot to mention....

Sadly, I am currently sidelined and not riding. And going absolutely STIRCRAZY because of it. I've been battling an IT band issue since October-ish and it's finally gotten too bad to ignore. I've started ART treatments http://www.activerelease.com/about.asp with a very well respected doctor here in Portland. No cycling, no running (though I've been cleared to begin again in a very limited manner later this week), but lots and lots of swimming. I've swum 4 of the past 5 days, which is unheard of for me, but if I don't do something, I'll go insane.

This is part of the reason I'm extra sensitive about what I'm eating right now, because my level of exercise has fallen off a cliff. There's only so much swimming I can do, and it just doesn't get my aerobic system going the way cycling or running does.

Susan

[Veronica]

Awww.... that is a bummer. How about weights and core work?

Veronica

[Susan Otcenas]

Awww.... that is a bummer. How about weights and core work?

Veronica

Yes, starting a program of core and strength training, rehab stretches, etc.

I'm a crappy swimmer, so I'm, trying to see the glass-half-full of all the swimming I'll be doing in the interim. Plus, I start swim lessons with an awesome coach this weekend, so who knows, maybe it will all be for the best? One thing is for sure, I will never again take healthy legs for granted. I've NEVER had an overuse injury, and boy I hope never to have one again.

[Catrin]

(((Susan))) I am sorry to hear about your over-use injury! It isn't fun, but it will pass. I am sure you will be more patient than I was...

I do remember last winter when I was dying to find some kind of cardiovascular exercise that wouldn't tweak my quads and hamstring, I tried the "hand-cycle" at my gym. Lucky for you, you can swim so that provides you another option.

[Susan Otcenas]

(((Susan))) Lucky for you, you can swim ...

Not sure that the flailing about that I do can be classified as swimming, but yeah, at least it's an alternate activity. Today's swim will be my 5th in 6 days. I'm thinking of having gills surgically implanted.

On the bright side, I saw a new 2012 low on the scale this morning, so I must be doing something right. :) One of my co-workers came in this morning and said that today is national peanut butter day. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/24/national-peanut-butter-day-healthy_n_1228291.html I wonder if I can work some in.... :D

[azfiddle]

Hang in there Susan. I had an IT band problem about 2 years ago, which turned out to more of a hip alignment issue - and I had rest, PT etc, and swimming was about all I could do too. At least it was April/May and warm enough to enjoy swimming outside in Tucson. Not near as much fun for me as cycling. But be patient and don't rush- way worse having setbacks from going back too soon.

Hey and congrats on the scale

[Tri Girl]

And going absolutely STIRCRAZY because of it.

I'm sorry to hear you're injured. I feel your pain.

I've been dealing with a stress fracture on my tibia since before Thanksgiving. I can bike to work (only because I ride a cruiser and go so slowly), but I can't REALLY ride and can't run at all. :(
I tried walking for the first time in 7 weeks last week and it still hurt. That means at least another 5 weeks off.
NOTHING maintains my weight like running. It's maddening.

We will heal. All in good time (I keep telling myself). ;)
Hang in there!!

[Gypsy]

So, I made an appointment for a nutritionist and the appointment is tomorrow.

Now, I want to cancel it.

She called today to confirm the appointment (I think it was her or maybe it was her assistant) and that was it. I asked if I should bring anything with me (like food diary etc.) and I was told if I wanted to write down what I eat on a typical day (weekday or weekend) that would be fine, but that they would give me a menu plan.

*sigh*

This is what I wanted to avoid. I don't know if I should go just in case I'm wrong. Or if I should just cancel it and go with someone else.

In addition to this nutritionist, I found someone else who has worked with other women who cycle (a friend of hers did, used her, then referred her to other women cyclists, and now knows about it) but she doesn't use insurance and her rates are really high.

Or, I can just continue through trial and error and figure it out on my own.

Thoughts? What would you do?

[indysteel]

I've never worked with a nutritionist, but perhaps it would be worth your while to call the office back and tell them specifically what kind of information/assistance you're looking for from the nutritionist. Be frank but polite that you're interested in something different from, or in addition to, a menu plan and ask if they work for clients in that manner. If the answer is "not really" or a grudging "yes," then tell them that you think it would be better to seek assistance elsewhere. It could just be that this is the default approach that the nutritionist takes because most of her/his clients simply want to be told what to eat.

Again, I don't know what's standard in this area, but I've learned over time to be more assertive (but polite) even when it comes to the services that I get from people like doctors, PTs, therapists and the like. I realize they're the "expert," but it's my body and my money. I make sure I state what I want and need out of the relationship.

[Jones]

I have read all the articles and have learned much, but it still all seems to come down to the same thing. There are no short cuts in losing weight and it will be a life long commitment. I just need to wrap my head around the fact that if I eat cookies I am choosing to be fat and my weight is nobodys fault but my own.

On a different topic: I want gills too. Every time I swim I dream of not having to turn my head to breath. That is why I like the drill of pulling 300 yards and breathing every three strokes on the first 50 every five strokes on the second 50 and every seven strokes on the thrid 50 and repeat. When you only breath every fifth stroke you get accross the pool much faster, but every seven strokes is hard.

[goldfinch]

I have read all the articles and have learned much, but it still all seems to come down to the same thing. There are no short cuts in losing weight and it will be a life long commitment. I just need to wrap my head around the fact that if I eat cookies I am choosing to be fat and my weight is nobodys fault but my own.



I really dislike using the concept of fault in conjunction with weight gain. Sure, you are the one who has to make decisions about how you want to live your life, but to say that your weight is your fault is a pretty heavy judgment when there are so many factors that went into how much you ended up weighing.

But yes, weight loss and maintaining that loss is a life long commitment where you may be fighting your own biology and if you are not willing to make that commitment day after day, year after year, it probably is better to be happy where you are at. And there is nothing wrong with being happy whatever you may weigh.

FWIW, IMHO. :)

[goldfinch]

Friday, 1/27, 107 pounds.

Up a few ounces but maintaining. Averaging about 1550 calories a day for the week with a fair amount of exercise. I think my calorie counting is fairly accurate, but hard to be exact. All the calories burned calculators indicate that I should have maintained my weight this week at anywhere from 1800 to 2200 calories a day. I know I am not that far off on counting. I guess I'll never trust calories burned calculators.

[Crankin]

105.8
I've been up and down all week. After x country skiing last Sunday my weight was even lower than today's. Then it went right back to 107, which is my set point.
Of course, after weighing myself, I rewarded myself with a whole wheat cheese crisp with black beans, avocado, and salsa. And an orange. For some reason, oranges make me gain weight, but apples don't.

Mr. Crankin 149.8

Both of us have noticed our pants fitting much better!

[Catrin]

135.2, the same as last week but I am not complaining. For some reason I've increased my calorie intake this week with the same activity level but my weight stayed constant.

I really have a hard time dropping my net caloric intake below 1,300-1,400 and with my activity level I doubt that I should. I am also ramping up on building strength now that my neck is starting to improve, so I certainly don't need to decrease anything and I do need to increase my protein intake since I am focusing on building strength right now.

Currently I am on a free month's membership at a new fitness club, but once that is up in mid-Feb, I will be eligible for a free Bod Pod session and also a free visit with a sports nutritionist. The new facility is based on fitness/sports research, and my membership will also provide a discount on metabolism testing. I think I need to take advantage of all of these before I made any significant dietary changes.

I am 60 pounds lighter than my last metabolism testing and at that time it was faster than expected...

[azfiddle]

116.8 - I was below 117 three days this week. I'll take it! I am still being a little sloppy on tracking, and had a mild cold all week so I didn't feel like getting any exercise. Hope this will give me a little jumpstart to refocus.

[Gypsy]

163.4, which is down from last week. I also had my manager call in a meeting this afternoon which means I have to cancel the RD's appointment. It's the universe telling me that this was not the appointment to go to...:confused:

I just want to get 20 lbs off. It feels impossible.

[yellow]

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.

[channlluv]

227


Yeah.


Roxy

[Giulianna23]

197 last week..196.1 this week. not a big improvement. but I am feeling awesome!!...


Question?....how can someone look like 40 pounds less than their actual weight?... I saw a few friends today that I havent seen in a few months and they were all excited about my weigh loss and the way I am looking now. They kept asking me and I asked a few of them how much they think I weight..and they all said around 155 -170 . I know I have dropped more size than weight but thats my problem with gaining weight in the past ... I always look way less than what I really weight......but why is that?..some poeple say it depends on your body type or/and bone structure..and also if you were into sport when young. But I am just wondering.

[Susan Otcenas]

141.0

[five one]

138. No excuses. Bad week at work, fitful sleep, very little exercise.

Looking forward to getting out on the road this weekend to burn off some frustration and calories. No rain expected, temps predicted to be in the 60s.

I have my trainer bike back from the shop, so I hope to spend some pre-work morning time spinning before the next weigh in. My wrist also feels better. Limiting the time spent on my cross-stitch project (almost finished!) has helped. So back to the weights.

One month of the challenge gone and I'm still where I began. Hoping for some downward movement before the end of February.

[ny biker]

142.6. I think oranges might make me gain weight, too. Damn clementines. I bought a box last weekend because they were on sale.

(Anyway, they look nice in a glass bowl on my windowsill. My new kitchen is white cabinets, black counters, white tile backsplash with silver gray grout, robin's egg blue walls, gray floor, silver gray window shade. I find that having something that is red, orange or yellow on the windowsill looks really nice.)

[yellow]

ny biker, I call clementines crackentines. I can never eat just one. :p

[goldfinch]

197 last week..196.1 this week. not a big improvement. but I am feeling awesome!!...


Question?....how can someone look like 40 pounds less than their actual weight?... I saw a few friends today that I havent seen in a few months and they were all excited about my weigh loss and the way I am looking now. They kept asking me and I asked a few of them how much they think I weight..and they all said around 155 -170 . I know I have dropped more size than weight but thats my problem with gaining weight in the past ... I always look way less than what I really weight......but why is that?..some poeple say it depends on your body type or/and bone structure..and also if you were into sport when young. But I am just wondering.

Muscle is denser than fat so you might have a nice muscle mass.

[jobob]

149.0

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

The funny thing is, I've been sitting on my butt watching figure skaters all this week (US Figure Skating National Championsips in San Jose -- a front-row seat, no less :cool:)

Wonder of wonders, the HP Pavillion is actually letting people bring in their own food -- which has not been the norm at FS competitions I've attended in the past! -- and that's helped a lot. I've lived on turkey & mustard sandwiches, fresh fruit, carrots, and fat free greek yogurt. And I've ridden on my trainer almost every morning for 30-45 minutes before heading down to the arena.

I pass by the concession stands and I think "I don't want to eat that crap!" It helps that the concession food costs a bloody fortune, although I have spent an ungodly amount on mediocre coffee this week. :p There's a Peet's coffee shop about a half-mile walk from the arena though -- good coffee and activity points, can't beat that. :rolleyes:

Oh, and I've had only one adult beverage so far this week, at the tres swanky bar in the Fairmont hotel (and it was pretty darn good).
Heh heh, this is where maillotpois pipes up and asks "Who are you and what have you done with jobob?!?"

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

[Veronica]

Lucky you Jo! I've got them queued up on tivo this weekend. I looked into going to see them live...
I hope they are good.

Oh...and congratulations! :D

Veronica

[jobob]

Heh, maybe you'll see me on TV! :D I'm sitting across the ice from the judges, nearly in the center. Looking from the ice I'll be a bit to the right of the center-ice camera stand -- there's an AT&T logo on the boards just in front of me (granted, there are about a half-dozen AT&T logos around the arena). A lot of skaters have been landing salchows in front of us.

[Gypsy]

I've never worked with a nutritionist, but perhaps it would be worth your while to call the office back and tell them specifically what kind of information/assistance you're looking for from the nutritionist. Be frank but polite that you're interested in something different from, or in addition to, a menu plan and ask if they work for clients in that manner. If the answer is "not really" or a grudging "yes," then tell them that you think it would be better to seek assistance elsewhere. It could just be that this is the default approach that the nutritionist takes because most of her/his clients simply want to be told what to eat.

Again, I don't know what's standard in this area, but I've learned over time to be more assertive (but polite) even when it comes to the services that I get from people like doctors, PTs, therapists and the like. I realize they're the "expert," but it's my body and my money. I make sure I state what I want and need out of the relationship.

Thanks. I will do that. I think I need to find out exactly if I'm going to get what I need/want out of this otherwise, there's no sense in spending the time or money.

[emily_in_nc]

I wish I had a newer digital scale that measured to the 0.1 lb. accuracy; mine only measures to .5 lb, making day-to-day fluctuations look larger than they probably are at times.

Anyway...I weighed 105.0 and 105.5 just about every day in the past week, but yesterday I blew it eating out with friends, drinking beer and plenty of high-sodium food, so was 106.0 this morning, just like last week. It could have been worse, I guess.

Next week we're traveling (within Belize) so will be eating out a lot. Hopefully we'll also get a lot of exercise, but if I could just maintain, I'll be happy.