Fall/winter weight management thread

[VeganBikeChick]

Count me in too.

I'm 38, and this year have discovered that age has caught up with me. My body just won't let go of the fat anymore. I'm running intermittently, but my diet's not great. I LOVE carbs and dessert, and unfortunately, my body doesn't. If I could low-carb my way through life, I'm sure I'd lose a good 30 lbs. My thyroid is broken, and no matter how much my synthroid gets increased, it never helps. I'm on the mid-high end of the chart now for dosing. And I work nightshift, which I think is the major culprit. My body doesn't know when to eat and I'm sure it goes into storing mode much of the time.

I'm determined to fit more running, cycling, and yoga into my life, but don't know that it'll make much of an impact. I'm 25 lbs down from my heaviest ever weight, but the scale just won't budge anymore. I'd like to lose 40 lbs for good and know that I'd feel much better.

[GLC1968]

Count me in...though at this point, I'm struggling with my goals. I still have weight to lose but I've been sitting at my same weight for a little less than a year now with no real focused effort to go lower. Internally, I'm torn. I would like to be smaller and there is still plenty of visible fat to lose, but in a lot of ways, I'm happy where I am. This weight is easy to maintain with my current activity level (which is actually a bit low for me) and eating the way I most enjoy eating. All of my clothes fit. I think I look pretty good.

I could look better. I could buy smaller clothing (or look better in a couple of things I already own). I could be lighter for biking and running (a big plus). I could lose this weight because I've said I would and I owe it to myself to hit those goals for once in my life.

But is all that enough? Oh the things running around in my head!! Anyway, at the very least, I know for certain that I plan to not gain any weight during this holiday season so I'm all about the accountability.

I am currently doing a Whole30 with my husband, so that should keep me on track until the end of November. Then the real challenge kicks in as I have quite a bit of travel during the month of December. Getting in my activity and not making excuses to count every meal out as 'special' will be important to my success.

[Catrin]

I've managed to get my "day time" clothed weight down to 129 :-) THAT means my early morning weight is roughly 126. No idea how I dropped those two pounds, but I will take it. It is probably an unrealistic goal to get my "day time" weight below 118 by Jan 31, so I won't be killing myself in the attempt. I've not been that weight in at least 42 years!

[ny biker]

Then the real challenge kicks in as I have quite a bit of travel during the month of December. Getting in my activity and not making excuses to count every meal out as 'special' will be important to my success.

Yes, travel is a challenge. I managed to get through the past weekend without gaining anything -- it was weekend trip for a family wedding, with long periods between meals wherein I ended up so hungry that I pretty much inhaled whatever I could get my hands on when we finally were able to eat. Then on Tuesday there was ladies' night at the bike shop, with cheese and crackers and cookies.

Thanksgiving will be the next big challenge, with a relative's anniversary party two days after the Giant Meal With Way Too Much Dessert.

[Crankin]

So far, I've kept my early morning AM weight in the 107's... in some ways that's a good sign, as I am pretty sure it's my set point. But, I was 104-106 all summer, without a lot of trying, so I hope I can get back to 106.5 at least. I had brunch on Sunday, and on Tuesday and Wed. went to friend's house for dinner, for my birthday, since DH is away. Usually, I lose when he travels, but right now not gaining is my goal. Today is my rest day and I needed it, even though I only rode 13.5 miles Tuesday at 5 AM, and 11 miles yesterday. I had the time to do more, but mentally, I was not into it. Looking forward to boot camp tomorrow. I had a very stressful week at work, but things are calming down. New clients, old ones getting booted for not coming, sobriety issues, and lots of phone calls/emails from the counselors at the high school I go to one day a week. On monday, I am doing a workshop for the school nurses in my old district. Preparing for it now, but they will be a tough audience. But, it's at my old school, so I am happy for the chance to see my friends.
Going to make a chicken/quinoa salad for dinner!

[Crankin]

I thought I had spoken too quickly. I woke up yesterday and my weight was very close to 109. How does one gain almost 2 pounds overnight? I know it's technically not a big deal, but once I get there at this time of year, it's very hard for me to get down 5 lbs. or so. However, I'm back to 107.2 today. In retrospect, I went to a friend's on Wed. night and had chicken with some kind of soy marinade, which is poison for me. I've also been stressed and not getting as much sleep as I should. Time to get back to the self care I usually practice.
Yesterday, I went to boot camp in the AM and when I got home at around 2:45, I went for a 2.5 mile walk. It was 44 and so windy out, I was freezing. I was dressed OK, except maybe I should have had on warmer pants. Anyway, I convinced myself to do the whole loop, as I had set out to do just the one mile actual hill loop. I did feel much better afterward. Need to do 2 longer rides this weekend. I will commute on Tuesday and maybe ride Wednesday, but then it's going to get bitterly cold for the end of the week.

[ny biker]

I thought I had spoken too quickly. I woke up yesterday and my weight was very close to 109. How does one gain almost 2 pounds overnight? I know it's technically not a big deal, but once I get there at this time of year, it's very hard for me to get down 5 lbs. or so. However, I'm back to 107.2 today. In retrospect, I went to a friend's on Wed. night and had chicken with some kind of soy marinade, which is poison for me. I've also been stressed and not getting as much sleep as I should. Time to get back to the self care I usually practice.
Yesterday, I went to boot camp in the AM and when I got home at around 2:45, I went for a 2.5 mile walk. It was 44 and so windy out, I was freezing. I was dressed OK, except maybe I should have had on warmer pants. Anyway, I convinced myself to do the whole loop, as I had set out to do just the one mile actual hill loop. I did feel much better afterward. Need to do 2 longer rides this weekend. I will commute on Tuesday and maybe ride Wednesday, but then it's going to get bitterly cold for the end of the week.

Seriously. I was at 144.5 for several days mid-week, then 144.0 yesterday. Progress!! (My goal is 140-141). Yesterday I was hungry all day long and planned a bike ride after work. I have learned the hard way that I must eat enough before a bike ride in order to avoid bonking, even if it's a short ride. I had a turkey sandwich for lunch, which is not a high-calorie meal even with mayo on it. So I had a couple of whole grain fig bars for a snack. After the ride it was dinner time, I had a slightly larger than normal dinner, then a cup of greek yogurt a couple of hours later (because I was hungry). This morning I was up to 145.5. So I'm really not making progress, just seeing fluctuations in water weight and still stuck.

And as I write this, I am hungry again even though I had a normal breakfast and it's more than an hour before my usual lunchtime. This stupid end of daylight saving time has had me wanting food an hour too soon, so I ending up eating too much in order to get through the day.

[Crankin]

I did an experiment this morning. I had quinoa flakes hot cereal for breakfast, with some almond milk and walnuts, and half a banana thrown in for good measure. Also had 1/4 of an avocado. My experiment just proved that I cannot eat cereal, even quinoa cereal, without being hungry about an hour later. If I ate regular quinoa and an egg, it would be different. I went out to do errands at around 9:15 and I was so hungry in the grocery store, around 10:30, I was searching for the cheese samples, but there weren't any.
I made myself a portobella mushroom sandwich on a spelt roll for lunch. I had to have some grains.
Going out for a ride now....