January/February weight loss thread

[kjay]

El same-o

:-(

[channlluv]

248 for me. Yay.

I've barely been able to move this week, though. I've had neck spasms and a headache so bad yesterday I actually went to Urgent Care (my father's had an aneurism). Turned out to be a "migrainous episode" linked to high blood pressure, tension and stress...go figure.

I've been put on high blood pressure meds (Lopressor) and told to take it easy for a few days while the medication regulates my heart rate. I took today off and I've been lazing about in bed reading and watching TV, and then I had to get up and come report my weight.

Thank goodness D*H was able to drive DD to school today and will pick her up. They should be home soon. I should go see about starting dinner.

Or maybe I'll just go take another nap. Side effect: sleepiness. Check.

OH, one thing I did do, this is my Year of No French Fries. I'm off fast food for the year. I think that's why I've dropped a couple of pounds, because I sure haven't been able to exercise at all the last two weeks. Nothing to speak of, anyway. A couple of short rides is all. Barely got my heart rate up.

Does Rubios count as fast food? It's all fresh and prepared from scratch. And they don't have a drive-thru. It's hard to think of something as fast food if you have to get out of your car to go get it. This may not be the thread for this question. I may go start a new thread to ask, because it does affect my dining options for the year. <g>

Roxy

[Susan Otcenas]

Does Rubios count as fast food? It's all fresh and prepared from scratch. And they don't have a drive-thru. It's hard to think of something as fast food if you have to get out of your car to go get it. This may not be the thread for this question. I may go start a new thread to ask, because it does affect my dining options for the year. <g>

Roxy

Roxy,

Not answering your question directly, but... I've found that not eating out hardly at all over the past few months has been what's worked for me. There's so much hidden fat, sugar, salt, etc in restaurant food. And it's really hard to estimate portion sizes.

If I *do* eat out, I ask for a to-go box to be delivered to the table along with my meal. I immediately put 1/2 of whatever is on my plate into the to-go box, before I've eaten anything. That way, I'm not tempted to overeat.

Usually I don't eat the other half at all. Jeff typically will eat if for lunch the next day.

Susan

[solobiker]

hanging in at 150

[Dazeepetals]

Ugh, 154 this AM! What is up with that? I've been sick all week and haven't worked out at all. Hoping to get to gym this weekend if I can breath better.

[Kelly728]

150

down 2 more... woot.

[derailed]

191 this morning before breakfast.
Possegal, I just read about your cat. Best wishes.
Thanks so much for doing this for us, it's helping me.

[3for3]

127.8 grrrrr. But I have two things that should affect my results for February. My husband and I have started working out together (Today was the first day), so I think I will get into a better routine with a workout buddy. ALSO....found out this week....I'm pregnant!!! We're so excited!!! SO....is it still healthy to try to lose a couple of pounds during the first trimester? I'm going to do some research as to what is best for baby. I may have to just change my goal to maintain my current weight for the first trimester. We'll see. Also, Channlluv....do you have Chipotle around you? It is super yummy, and has been rated the healthiest "fast" food restaurant. I love Rubios but aren't their fish tacos fried?

[Aggie_Ama]

146.5 but I did indulge in my favorite Mexican food place last night. I wonder if I am down after the bloat wore off? Either way my goal is looking like it just got a swift kick in the pants since I am planning to do a 10k in two months and I gotta get running- a lot.

[channlluv]

Roxy,

Not answering your question directly, but... I've found that not eating out hardly at all over the past few months has been what's worked for me. There's so much hidden fat, sugar, salt, etc in restaurant food. And it's really hard to estimate portion sizes.

If I *do* eat out, I ask for a to-go box to be delivered to the table along with my meal. I immediately put 1/2 of whatever is on my plate into the to-go box, before I've eaten anything. That way, I'm not tempted to overeat.

Usually I don't eat the other half at all. Jeff typically will eat if for lunch the next day.

Susan

My aunt and uncle did that, sort of. They'd go to a restaurant together and share an entree, and they both lost quite a bit of weight doing that. I cant' convince D*H to do this, though. Alas.

I think limiting eating out to one meal per week is really helping. It's also encouraging me to cook more, so I'm exploring healthy recipes and we're eating a lot more organic veggies. This is working pretty well. I like to cook.

Last night I made what started out to be beef stew, but turned into steak soup. Beef chunks, seared in a frying pan with salt, pepper, and Worchestire sauce - did I spell that right? Then I put that into the crock pot and added a half-bag of frozen organic sweet corn, a half-bag of organic broccoli, and three tomatoes I had left that I hadn't used in a salad yet. I cut those into the soup and let it cook for about three hours, served it over rice with Ezekiel bread toast. It was really good.

I could have made it even healthier without the carbs, I guess. Zucchini instead of corn, yellow squash instead of rice, but I've got a husband and daughter to feed, too, and they tell me they need more substance. Go figure.

Roxy

[Aggie_Ama]

127.8 grrrrr. But I have two things that should affect my results for February. My husband and I have started working out together (Today was the first day), so I think I will get into a better routine with a workout buddy. ALSO....found out this week....I'm pregnant!!! We're so excited!!! SO....is it still healthy to try to lose a couple of pounds during the first trimester? I'm going to do some research as to what is best for baby. I may have to just change my goal to maintain my current weight for the first trimester. We'll see.

Congratulations!! I would ask your OB. But you are kind of small now they may not like that. I think working out and staying fit is always okay although there are conflicting HR theories which I am sure you know. I have seen pregnant women running so I am way confused by the HR stuff. Guess I will worry about that when and if I am ever pregnant.

[Crankin]

Yes, the theories about HR and pregnancies are often conflicting. But one thing has not changed since I had my kids; don't try to lose weight when you are pregnant! Please. Keep exercising, but you are now providing the fuel for someone else. You are active... you can lose the weight after the baby comes.

[3for3]

Okay, this may seem like a totally daft question, but what does HR stand for? I've decided as long as I keep exercising and make sure I make good choices, food-wise, I should be okay. I just want to be "cute" pregnant, not huge pregnant. I weighed more when I first got pregnant with my 3 1/2 year old, and I gained on the high end of healthy weight gain for pregnancy. (A lot of creme brulee went into that! ) So I'm hoping to stay on the lower end of healthy weight gain and maybe overall I'll weigh less after the pregnancy and lose the weight easier? So my goal is to maintain my weight for the first tri-mester. Does anyone know good exercises for pregnancy? I'm having problems with my IT band, so running is out right now anyways. I'm walking for cardio. I hate the trainer, but I may have to grit my teeth and go with it, until I'm too big to do it comfortably. With the weather here, there's no riding now (I'm too wimpy! It's freezing!).....which means I won't be riding for.....probably 15 months!!! Because by the time the baby is born, the weather will start getting too cold again to ride. Wow, didn't think about that before. What I'm also wondering about is what sort of strength training is okay or not. Anyone have some great things they did while pregnant to stay healthy? Okay, this is now a very rambling message. Thanks for all your feedback everyone!

[Crankin]

HR= heart rate.
Most doctors will tell you to walk or swim for cardio when pregnant. Some people ride right up to their delivery, but others stop in the last trimester, because of balance issues. Riding on a trainer or spin class would be a good alternative. My "babies" are now almost 24 and 26, so my experience is old. I did high impact aerobics through both pregnancies, though probably I did too much! I modified a lot of stuff near the end. I had to be on a sort of modified bed rest for the last 6 weeks of my second pregnancy because I went into premature labor, probably as a result of a bike accident, where I stopped short and the down tube shifters on my 80's Univega went directly into my bulging belly. I most definitely was not listening to my doctor there.
The HR thing that some say is not to let it get above 140 and do not lie on your back, like for sit ups, as it compresses the major artery that supplies blood, and hence oxygen to you and the baby. There is a lot of conflicting support for this and some say that it depends on your condition, i.e. if you are highly trained then getting your HR up high will not shunt as much oxygen away from the baby's needs.
I think I gained 6 pounds in my first trimester with both pregnancies. I was very thin (like less than 100 pounds) at the start of the second one, but I gained at about the same rate for both, until they put me on meds to stop the labor, which actually caused me to lose weight. I had to significantly "eat for two" during those six weeks, but in a healthy way.
All the exercise paid off after the babies were born. I went home from the hospital in regular clothes, a couple of sizes bigger than my usual size. I lost the remainder of the weight in 3-4 months, with continued exercise 5-6 days a week. I didn't have to starve myself to do this, just eat healthy foods.

[Susan Otcenas]

3for3,

Congrats!! How exciting!!

I have no advice to offer, being childless myself. But I can imagine that if I were in your shoes, my goal would be to gain baby-related weight only. I've had some friends put on 50 pounds or more during pregnancy, who have had to work really hard to take it off afterwards!!

Perhaps you can use the Challenge to keep your weight GAIN on track, with the advice of your obgyn, of course. Could be fun!

Again, congratulations!

Susan