March/April weight loss challenge

[channlluv]

I have to think there's something to it. I cut way, way back on bread last week and dropped about four pounds. I think partly because where I was eating a sandwich every day for lunch (whole grain bread and turkey with lettuce and cucumber, or almond butter and jelly, depending), I went to eating a head of celery with that almond butter instead, or leftovers from my breakfast scramble of spinach, onions, peppers and an egg. The fiber ratio went way, way up as the bread went way, way down.

This week I went back to my normal bread intake and ploomp...last night I was back up to 231.2. I feel like that blueberry girl in Willy Wonka.

I upped my water intake yesterday. I was feeling really dehydrated and constipated -- another bread-related issue? That helped, but I still feel bloated.

So, breakfast this morning is fat-free vanilla Greek yogurt and a half-cup or so of pomegranate seeds from Trader Joe's. Lunch will be an apple and a head of celery with some almond butter. That seemed to agree with me really well last week.

I'm about to go get back on the treadmill. I'm going to continue doing the 5ks because I like how my legs feel really muscular when I'm done, like after a hard bike ride.

I've also been told I need to do more weight-bearing exercise. I wonder if some of this bloated feeling is from inflammation because my body's not used to the pounding it's taking.

I dunno. Why, why, why does French bread have to taste so darn good when it's right out of the oven?

Sigh.

[Tri Girl]

I understand your frustration, Channlluv.
I've been upping my workouts lately (marathon in 5 weeks and Ironman training started last week) and even tho I'm working out more, I'm not losing. So frustrating.
Do you think it could be that you've been walking so much everyday- that the mucsles are retaining water while they are growing and repairing? If you haven't been walking that consistently and then started ramping it up, perhaps that's it. Hopefully next week you'll see yourself return to your previous weight.
Or maybe it is the bread...
bread is one of my BIG weaknesses. I've recently gone gluten-free to try to resolve some of my tummy issues, and GF bread is pretty gross- so I think it's curing me of my affection for it.

Funny how your weight can fluctuate so much in one day- yesterday I was 1.5 lbs lighter than this morning. I need to stop getting on the scale everyday (but I'm trying to also figure out what foods I'm eating are helping me retain water to try to reduce that).
Oh well... my progress has been about .7/lb lost per week for the last 14 weeks. At least it's progress. Slow... but progress nonetheless.
I gotta keep my eyes on the big picture. And at least this time I'm losing weight and still eating things that I know I'll continue eating for life. Last time I lost 35 lbs I was losing 1.5-2.5 per week, but I cut out everything remotely bad for me. Then when I reached goal, I went back to old eating habits and gained it all back (plus 12 more). I'm hoping that this time since I'm cutting back on portions and losing it will help me maintain my loss when I eventually lose it all. I have to remind myself that slow is better in this game...

[GLC1968]

148.5 - not much of a loss, but I'm actually quite pleased. It's been a week of gluttony and sloth. Bad combination. I was sure I'd see a gain.

I'm picking up the intensity again on my training now that a few other things in my life are settling down, so I'm hoping for some nice progress in April.

[channlluv]

TriGirl, I hope you're right about my muscles just retaining water. I suppose that could be it, the trauma of working out every day. I'm burning about 350- 400 calories per workout according to the machine.

I don't want to get into a super-restrictive diet. I'm just not good at that for very long, and then, like you, I gain the weight right back.

We want to go to Hawaii this summer. I really would like to be under 200 by July. I think I could do it. I mean, on paper, I could do it. In reality...who knows.

Roxy

4/1, 12:30pm, Exercise update: 4.5 miles at elevations 1 and 2, 90 minutes, a little over 500 calories, according to the machine

[Veronica]

I don't want to get into a super-restrictive diet. I'm just not good at that for very long, and then, like you, I gain the weight right back.

You have been working at losing weight for quite awhile and you're not happy with your results. At some point, if you want different results, you're going to need to change something.

I can ony speak to personal experience. In 2000 I weighed 180 pounds. I had always worked out, but it wasn't enough to overcome bad eating habits and the amount of stress eating I was doing. I had to make changes. I lost 25 pounds in about 6 months, which I mainly kept off.

Last November (2010) I committed to losing more and I have taken off another 11 pounds. That 11 pounds meant giving up a weekly pizza (or 3!), and really cutting out a lot of extra carbs. I love pizza, rice, bread and pasta. But those carbs seem to become fat moleclues right away for me, no matter how much exercise I do.

I love having 17% body fat way more than I love that food. You have to figure out what changes you can really make and then stick to those changes. Believe me I know it's not easy to give up food you love. And starving yourself isn't the answer either. A healthy, satisfying diet is what you need. All that lettuce would send me running for a pint of Ben and Jerry's.

Veronica

[GLC1968]

You have to figure out what changes you can really make and then stick to those changes.

THIS. Big time. And being realistic is very important. Saying that 'you'll never eat bread again' (like I did once) doesn't work. You have to be brutally honest with yourself and what things you are willing to sacrafice and what things you won't. And these decisions must be made in moments of clarity - not immediately after an over-indulgence, during a post-race high, or in the middle of an emotional upheaval.

Another key for me was finding the right motivation. For some people, looking better or being able to wear certain clothing is enough. Actually, that was plenty of motivation for me when I worked in the fashion industry as it was a very big part of my life. When I became an engineer/farmer in the PNW - what I looked like mattered a lot less and it wasn't enough to keep me on track anymore. I had to find something else. Now, racing performance and feeling good doing my workouts is what motivates me. Of course, getting the benefit of better looking clothing is nice too, but it's no longer my primary motivator. For some people, health markers are a great motivator. I could never get on board with that when even at an 'obese' BMI, I had excellent HR/BP numbers, low cholesterol and excellent insulin results. Getting healthier? Why?

Now I have my 'why'. Everyone needs to find their 'why' before long term success is possible.