March/April weight loss challenge

[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.

[klesko]

138.2 this morning.

[klesko]

I have been reading the above posts and thought I would chime in. My high weight was 184.6 in May of 2008. I am 5'4" so that registered obese. I lost about 15 pounds and then held for a long time. Then I just decided I would write down everything I ate and ramp up my exercise. I have tracked all my food intake and exercise on fitday.com for almost a year and a half. I gradually figured out that if I eat less than about 30% fat, I am STARVING. I try to eat healthy fats (almonds, avocados) and if I stay around 30% I can eat a lot less and not feel like I am so hungry I want to chew on my arm. I am down to about 22% body fat and feel great - I would like to lose about another 8 pounds. I have been losing about half a pound a week (lost over 46 pounds so far), and figure I will keep doing the same thing when I reach my goal - just eating a little bit more of the same ratio. My husband and sons all have raging metabolisms and it is disappointing to eat a tiny amount of food compared to them, but that is just the way it is.

[Tabby]

136 ....

[Tri Girl]

158.6

[Glory]

202.8

[Possegal]

I'm way behind. Catching up now.

https://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?...lE&output=html

[Blueberry]

227. Slowly and steadily. Lots of life stuff going on right now, but I've been managing some form of movement lots of days and really paying attention to the food (which is getting easier thanks to spring veggies).

[azfiddle]

113.6

[azfiddle]

Roxy,

just a thought- are you tracking everything you eat? I think it often makes a huge difference.

I started back on weightwatchers in January 2009 and tracked faithfully. I lost 13 pounds, then hit a plateau until I started cycling. Some things I changed were switching to whole wheat pasta, cutting out most (but not all!) sweets and replacing with more fruit, nuts etc.

I hope that you find something that works for you.

[channlluv]

Thanks, AZ. Yes, I do track most days in LoseIt.

And thanks, Veronica, for the message. You're right. I do need to make some significant changes. I think cutting out bread may be part of it. At least in the short term. I saw significant pounds lost the week I cut out bread, and three days into reintroducing it, I was back up to my average weight.

I did five miles on the treadmill this morning. I will try to get in at least two miles (30 minutes for me) each day. That's what all the plans recommend. Thirty minutes a day. My metabolism should rev up a bit from that, yes?

I'm already doing almost all whole grain, organic veggies, lean proteins, and no scary sugars. (The sweets I eat are like Tofuti minis or the coconut Fruitstix.) I do need to drink more water, but since I started doing so many treadmill miles I'm just eating too much, I guess. I need to track it more closely. Measure out the meat servings and so on.

Thanks, all.

Roxy

[Catrin]

Lose it is awesome!

135 today... could this still be from my cookie weakness Thursday? Trainer is also building the amount of weight I am lifting as we focus on building strength until mid-May when I will drop to maintenance. I suppose part of it is fluid...

[Veronica]

At least in the short term.

I'm already doing almost all whole grain, organic veggies, lean proteins, and no scary sugars. (The sweets I eat are like Tofuti minis or the coconut Fruitstix.) I do need to drink more water, but since I started doing so many treadmill miles I'm just eating too much, I guess. I need to track it more closely. Measure out the meat servings and so on.

There is no short term. The changes you make need to be forever changes, otherwise, as you have discovered , the weight will come right back.

It's not just about what you're eating, it's also about quantity. Whole grain still has calories. Whole grain and organic veggies have nothing to do with weight reduction. It's all about calories in, calories out. How often are you eating your sweets? And how much?

Like I said, I know it's hard. Two years ago I used to eat a homemade chocolate chip cookie every day for dessert at lunch. Just one, but that was 310 calories that I really got nothing out of. I switched to a Trader Joe's yogurt, 140 calories, as my dessert. Back in November I cut that out as well. I still make the cookies for events (every couple of months) and I'll eat a few then. But not every day anymore.

Change is going to take time. It's not going to happen overnight, or over a week or a month. Stick with what you change and it will happen. Don't keep changing your changes.

Veronica

[azfiddle]

I agree- measuring is as essential as tracking.

Veronica- of course you're right about the calories in-out. Weightwatchers does seem to give lower point values to high-fiber foods, so that a cup of whole wheat spaghetti is less than a cup of regular spaghetti.

Typical day's menu for me when I was on WW and not doing more than an hour of cycling.

bowl of oatmeal with raisins & about a teaspoon of brown sugar and a splash of milk, or 1/2 bagel with light cream cheese and lox cup or 1 slice of toast with an ounce of melted cheese of hot tea with milk and honey

snack around 9:45 something like: handful or almonds, 1/2 luna bar, handful of pretzels, small banana, or trader joe's fruit cereal bar

lunch: salad with chicken, no dressing but something like a few artichoke hearts, olives or parmesan cheese to give it extra flavor, slice of bread or about 100 cal worth of crackers, piece of fruit Or- leftovers to equal about 250 calories, or on really hurried days- a frozen meal (WW, lean cuisine, etc)

snack around 4 pm about 100 calories-

dinner: 1 cup pasta with chicken and veggies, salad, OR stir fry and rice OR corn tortilla quesadillas with veggies- basically less about 300-350 calories total calories- not a big dinner.

snack: 100 calories

So there is room there for bread, or the occasional small cookie or bowl of light ice cream or whatever. Just not a lot of any of those things.

I lost 38 pounds and am in my maintenance range but just barely....