May/June Weight Loss Challenge

[channlluv]

Thanks, Veronica. I appreciate the words of wisdom.

What sort of plan did you follow, or was it one you made for yourself?

Roxy

[chryss]

154.8. Stalling again, but that's ok. This time.

[surgtech1956]

177.5# - finally heading in the right direction

[Veronica]

What sort of plan did you follow, or was it one you made for yourself?

Roxy

One I made for myself. You have to decide what you can live with and without and then stick to it. It takes trial and error and really being honest with yourself about what you need to stay away from.

When I weighed 180 I was eating at least three of my homemade chocolate chip cookies a day. Plus any other chocolate I could get my hands on. When I decided to lose weight that became one cookie a day AND no other sweets. That's where my rule of, if I didn't bring it, I didn't eat it come from. That worked to get me down into the mid 150s along with just regular exercise in about 6 months. I held that from the end of 2001 until 2009.

When I become more serious about triathlon in 2009, I cut out the cookie. That got me down to around 150. Last November, I seriously upped the protein and become more conscious of what kinds of carbs I was eating and when. That got me down to 142 and 16% body fat. I don't always eat clean. I really like Trader Joe's frozen raspberry macaroon cake thing. We share one on Saturday's - the day I do my long brick or run and Thom works out with the trainer. I would love to also eat a cookie when we go to lunch at Panera on Saturdays, but I don't because I'm having the raspberry cake thing in the late afternoon.

I drink water most of the time. I don't eat much fruit - it's all sugar and doesn't satisfy me.

I hardly eat any chips or fried food.

I really pay attention to what I have already eaten each day and make decisions based on that. We have a teacher who makes really good homemade cake and frosting. If Penny has brought a cake, you can bet I'm having some. But if I have some "Penny cake" - I'm not having any other sweets that day. Typically I'll save my sweets for night time, that's when I really crave it. Right now my evening sweet is a Trader Joe's raspberry and yogurt bar.

I have discovered that there are certain sweets I can't have in the house - chocolate and ice cream. I don't buy chocolate at all anymore. But I still get it from my students and I eat it and enjoy it when I get it. I wish I could make it last a little longer. Ice cream has become something we go out for when on vacation.

Veronica

[GLC1968]

I forgot to check in this weekend - weight was 148.1.

My body fat barely moved at all though and based on my week, I'm certain the loss is water. My goal for this coming week is to not gain it back which means actually burning 1.6 lbs of fat so that I weigh the same next Friday!

[goldfinch]

Another week. 128.5. I am surprised I am down a pound because my average calories this week were up, to 1334. I should only be down about a half a pound or even a bit less. But calories out is a variable that is hard to pin down, as well as hydration. Either way, I have met my goal for the two month challenge. I am happy.

[Catrin]

Still 136....but it is true the weather has prevented me from riding since Sunday. So many of the cardio machines hurt my knee or tweaks my hamstring injury scar tissue from last year that I hesitate to use them...

[chryss]

153.4.

This is fine after fluctuating up and down this week, and already having reached my 1 lb/week goal for June.

BUT. I'm considering going to maintenance for a while. The reason is that I'm having a bit of a health scare at the moment. I went to my first ever appointment to a US physician a week ago -- just to establish a relationship, checking if my weight loss means my blood pressure is normal again (it was) and having a PAP smear done, which I hadn't in 10 years (oops). What happened is that didn't like the looks of my abdomen very much and sent me to get a CT scan. Well, the bad news is that I'm harbouring something I shouldn't and that it's big and not simply a cyst. The good news is that I'm otherwise fine. But of course I also have "weight loss" on my symptoms, which is ironic because I worked damn hard at losing 70 pounds! Anyhow, next step is a gynaecological surgeon. It doesn't help that I've been living in two different health care systems in major Western European capitals, where you have access to state-of-the-art in just about every specialty, for the last 15 years feel a bit lost about Fairbanks, Alaska, in that regards. Anyhow, maybe sticking around in the mid-to-low 150s is a good plan under the circumstances. Life there is sure different from the 200s, or even 180s.

[indysteel]

((((Chryss)))). Sending positive thoughts and vibes your way. I hope that whatever is your abdomen is benign and that it can be removed without any complication.