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Weight Loss Support Thread

pridecity

pridecity

Patients took over asylum
I've been bouncing back and forth for about a month on whether to actually post this. Especially here. But I'm going to take the plunge and beg for support and tuff love.

After my accident in March 2009, I gained about 50 pounds. I had a hairline fracture in my hip (yay). I would really really like to be in my size 8s again for the trail I have against the offender on July 14th. Right now I'm in 16s (I think). My goal is to lose as close to 50 pounds as I can by July 12th.

Wait you say... 50 pounds in 10 weeks? You're crazy! It can't be done without serious harm!

But I disagree. If I were to start weight loss on May 6th, I would have to lose 1.36 pounds every day for 68 days. If I drink the appropriate amount of water (2 liters + 2 more liters for each additional 25 pounds I'm overweight), slowly building up to six liters a day and making sure I exercise enough to burn the calories I eat, I should be good. I will actually have to exercise enough to burn more calories than I actually eat so I will burn fat.

In theory, I should try to burn 4000 calories if I eat 2000. This should easily be done through walking, jogging, jump rope, stretching, and weights. Not sure if I can do half the stretches I should with the hip, or the jump rope, but will try anyway. I have approval from my doctor to get off my lazy butt and lose weight. I have enough salad foods, fish, and chicken to help steer me away from McDs.

I'm hoping that you guys will do me a huge favor and help me stay on track a little. I've tried actual weight loss forums but you wouldn't believe how judgmental they can be. It's like us fish people who yell at others for keeping goldfish in bowls and bettas in vases.

And, I'm grateful to admit that I'm comfortable around everyone here. I hope it's okay to ask for support for this. I also want this to be a support thread for anyone else who keeps telling themselves they should exercise more or eat right. I also want to share some yummy recipes that are good for you here. I guess in addition to this being a "Halley needs to lose weight" thread, it will be a good-eatin' thread.

Goal for May 6th:

Wake up at 7 or so and run the dogs. Rain or not. Then move furniture for weight lifting. Breakfast: orange-cranberry juice, possibly biscuits and gravy cause I really really want it. Dinner: Salad with spinach. Snacking throughout day: apples! because I love them.
 
Best of luck in your endeavor to lose the extra weight! I packed on 50 pounds myself after I quit smoking and haven't lost it yet, with probably nothing short of an illness to take it off. I no longer have cigarettes, alcohol or sex, and I'll be damned if I'm going to give up food! I'll help you as much as I can here as hubby has been on a no-carb diet for a few years now because of his diabetes, and I've gotten fairly good at creating meals without or with limited carbs. Oh, my family used to be limited to Red or Yellow Delicious apples only for snacking until hubby started trying the other varieties. Cost was a factor as well, and my personal favorite now are Gala apples! Tangy and sweet at the same time. And cut up to be cooked with your fish in the over...the best!
 
Halley- I am sorry to hear about your accident. Good for you for allowing your body to heal- despite the weight gain. Now that you are fully healed- you can focus on getting your weight down to a desirable point. I fight weight myself and would be happy to be of encouragement to you.

In the past few weeks, I have managed to drop 12 pounds. I can already see a difference in by clothes! I gained weight after an injury (sports related). I am in a uniform everyday and I am hellbent to lose the extra weight and fit back into it more comfortably.

One little thing that I have found- AND love is Stevia drops. They come in all sorts of flavor and ZERO calories! I love adding a few drops of the English Toffee Stevia and Vanilla Creme Stevia to my morning coffee. Also, if you like Orange or Strawberry Julius- try 1/4 cup of ice 1 medium orange (or for strawberry- 7 medium strawberries), 7 drops of Valencia Orange Stevia and 7 drops of Vanilla Creme Stevia. Blend. Pour. Enjoy!
 
The fact that you took the time to post this is a big step that shows that you are serious about losing the weight and if you're serious about it, you can do it, no doubt.

The hardest thing about losing weight (in my opinion) is eating right, tracking calories and most of all keeping up with your plan. A lot of people try to lose weight for a couple weeks or even a month or so then they start making excuses and stop. As long as your consistent you should have no problem!
 
Halley, I'm working on dropping 20 before July, we can do it together!

Make sure you're eating a really good breakfast...lots of protein! And it really should be one of your biggest meals of the day. I usually have something like this: bagel with veggie cream cheese (just for flavor, so a very thin layer), some sort of fruit (watermelon this morning, yay!), and yogurt. Sometimes I'll have two servings of fruit. I rotate between the bagel, a bowl of cereal, and cranberry oatmeal to keep things from getting boring. I also got the Yoplait light yogurt that comes in all those fun flavors, so yummy! Oh, and you really should have something light before you start your morning walk/run. Maybe have fruit and yogurt 30-45 minutes before your morning exercise (at least the fruit, you need something to get your metabolism running first thing in the morning). Don't eat your whole breakfast unless it is an hour or so before you run, don't want stomach cramps (I get them if I eat right before my walks).

I try to snack every 3 hours...about 100 calories (and I really don't include fruit in that calorie count). So I'll have something like a graham cracker and apple, a granola bar and a banana, carrots and celery, etc. I try to make one snack a day include cheese (my mom is wonderful...she buys blocks of cheese and packages it in individual baggies with a bit of cheddar and a bit of pepper jack, and she also puts grapes in individual baggies so we can just grab and go) to get another serving of protein.

Lunch and dinner usually involve a sandwich or salad, or one of those Weight Watchers meals (just watch the sodium). Lunch is usually a sandwich, fruit, and sugar free chocolate pudding. Dinner would be a W.W. meal and a salad or soup. Or switch it around and have the W.W. meal for lunch (and still include the fruit/veggie and pudding with it, then just sandwich and salad for dinner).

Overall, I shoot for about a 1600-1800 calorie diet, plus exercise (which unfortunately has been on the back burner for the last week because of finals).

Now, if you haven't been running, don't! You could do more harm than good. Start out walking and gradually move up to running. I once found a plan to train for a 5k in 8 weeks, you might want to search for that to see if it would work for you. I can't run because of my knees (more than 1/4 mile and I'm in excruciating pain), but I walk 3-4 miles at least 3 times a week, plus weight training and 'running' on the elliptical machines at the gym. If you can, get yourself a medicine ball to use when you do ab workouts, and possibly a set of small weights (2-3 pounds) to work on 'toning' your arms.

PM me if you want more help!! We can do this!
 
When you first make a large lifestyle change such as a healthier diet and regular exercise, you can expect to lose several pounds pretty much immediately. However, that rate will slow. Don't be discouraged, just keep plugging away. :)

That said, healthy wieght loss is about 2 pounds a week. If you're losing more than that, you're shedding muscle, which is only going to make long term weight loss more difficult. Have goals, but make sure they are healthy, realistic goals.

I was 350 pounds back in November of 2008. I'm 290 now and still going. :)
 
@Nova: That's the strange thing. I lose weight really oddly. When I first got on my own and my boyfriend at the time went back to jail (I never got back with him), I had no income. Luckily I had a few friends who cared and were able to spare a Subway sandwich or a few groceries. I ended up going through my change jug and my diet consisted of a Snickers bar and one can of soda a day. Then I got a job at a gas station working full time and my days off included 8 hours between shifts. Sometimes 12. I had to take the 30 minute bus ride home, pick up my dog from my grandmother's, walk my dog the few blocks home, feed the other animals, sleep for two or three hours, wake up and shower, walk the dog back over to my grandmother's, and take the bus to work again. I didn't really have a lunch break and ended up losing 30 pounds in three weeks due to lack of sleep and food. Quit after three weeks. I also had bed bugs at the time (moved into them) and couldn't sleep well because of the hundreds of bites.

Also, it seems that over the past few years it doesn't matter what I eat as long as it's not three big meals and I'll lose weight. So, I snack most of the day. Lately it's been nothing but sugar and I'll probably regret that lately in life. So, I figure that if I change my "big meals" into two reasonably sized healthy meals and snack throughout the day, I should be fine. Also, I'm not usually a big water drinker and tend to go through a gallon of milk every 18 hours or so. So, I'm going to replace heavy milk with water and that should make a huge difference. Then exercising more will do the trick.

I also feel that if I notice a change in sleep, alertness, bathroom, hunger, or dehydration, I'll write it down and follow it for a day or two. If I feel I've become more tired, hungry, dehydrated, or sleep more/less or go to the bathroom differently then I should call up my doctor. He told me that I should start to feel better the first day if I do it slowly.

Does any of that make sense?

Also, I know we don't know each other in person, but I'm proud of you anyway. You made a lot of progress. Keep it up!

@Susan: I LOVE gala and fuji apples! OMG in my book. I also love bread and butter pickles. Will eat them straight out of the jar. My other two all time favorites are strawberries and cherry tomatoes (eat those like candy).

You can lose the weight. Sometimes it takes time. But, I must say (not on your hubby's behalf), don't give up sex! I know it's one of the best things out there for weight loss. But then again, I also add my bit and say it has to be at least half decent to be helpful. I've had really terrible sex before. Gives me shivers just thinking about how terrible. Anyway, if you're both healthy enough for it, jumping in the sack will do a world of good. It's a natural stress reliever. Or, try to get a massage once a month or more. Can't afford it? How about a pedicure? All nerves lead to the foot.

Also, get a pair of guinea pigs. I have five and they all need one cup of veggies/fruits a day. That's five cups. And I usually sample along as I make their cups. A taste of tomato, a nibble on some Romaine lettuce. A crunch or twelve on baby carrots. Deciding if the orange is sweet enough or just a little too tangy... After all the tasting, I think I probably meet about a third of my needed veggies. Plus, who can argue with the reason to get more pets? "But it will help me lose weight". Lol.

You can do it, k? Please, post some recipes too if you're up to it. I'm thinking of doing a Julie/Julia type thing and cook my way through all my cookbooks. Except the Hershey's one. That might have to be buried under icky mealworms for a while (I can touch maggots but not mealworms. I'm weird).

@ssssinful-1: I'll accept half praise there. Thanks. I didn't let my body heal like I should have, so I won't say I did. The accident was in March. I was supposed to be on bed rest until October but ran out of money in July. So I started working again. And, seeing as I didn't have a car, I had to walk everywhere. Let me tell you, I'm literally at least a mile from ANY type of store. So, if I really want something, be it newspaper or McD's, I have to walk two miles. This is what I did last summer and my hip wasn't ready. So, I was told to be on bed rest until December. Finally got off of it in January. My hip still grinds once in a while because it's still really newly healed. So, I didn't do right by it the way I should have.

Good for you for doing sports though! I don't think my body could handle the things I love right now: horseback riding, snowshoeing a mile up a mountain in 15 minutes, and tennis/racket ball. Maybe in a few months. What do you play?

Also, never heard of Stevia. Might try it. I don't drink coffee much though. I'm a Starbucks junkie and the closest one is... wouldn't you know it, a mile away. Wonder how it would taste in a juice?

@Porro: To be honest, I think the most calorie counting I'll do is write down what I've eaten for the day. My thinking is that I'll average out how often I eat sweets and try to replace at least half with natural sugar or tea. I love tea. But then again, that has caffeine. Maybe with water then. I honestly don't know how much I consume in a day because I'm always snacking, so it might be really revealing if I wrote down what I eat. Thanks for the advice though. Maybe after a week or two, I'll be able to move up to a better method. If so, I'll probably seek you out for more advice.

@Hallie: I forgot about protein. That's very important. Luckily, I like fish. So there is protein. I've also been on another one of my pistachio cravings but boy, are they salty! I did buy a $15 steak from Safeway the other day. And a pot roast big enough to feed everyone who posted since this post. So, that should help.

Do you like bagels with cream cheese and smoked salmon? My friend introduced me to it and I think I like it. And I don't like salmon. Lol. It might be a good snack food. Or even dinner.

I love Yoplait yogurt and I think I even have some, but not the light. I'm not a huge fan of tv dinners though. Too much salt. There are very few things I'll actually put salt on. Most of my mom's cooking usually gets it. That's so mean... sorry mom if you ever read this. Lol. I do like to make sandwiches though. I make as close to a German sandwich as I can get. My sandwiches usually have about 12 different meats and 12 different cheeses on it. I try all sorts of breads, but wheat is usually what I go for. Half a sandwich and I'm good for three or four hours on snacking.

Last but not least, I run all the time! Usually after the puppy because she has a cat toy in her mouth. With the disaster my house is in, I jump hurdles, dodge around animals, do quick turns when I knock something over, and finally collapse on the bed after 10 minutes because I couldn't catch the puppy. Now that I think about it though, this is probably why my hip and back hurts all the time.... Who knew. Lol. PM way as you please. I'll consider all suggestions and will try anything twice.

And you are very right. We all can do it! Just as long as we do it safely. See your doctors! Especially if they are really cute. Lol.
 
@ssssinful-1: I'll accept half praise there. Thanks. I didn't let my body heal like I should have, so I won't say I did. The accident was in March. I was supposed to be on bed rest until October but ran out of money in July. So I started working again. And, seeing as I didn't have a car, I had to walk everywhere. Let me tell you, I'm literally at least a mile from ANY type of store. So, if I really want something, be it newspaper or McD's, I have to walk two miles. This is what I did last summer and my hip wasn't ready. So, I was told to be on bed rest until December. Finally got off of it in January. My hip still grinds once in a while because it's still really newly healed. So, I didn't do right by it the way I should have.

Good for you for doing sports though! I don't think my body could handle the things I love right now: horseback riding, snowshoeing a mile up a mountain in 15 minutes, and tennis/racket ball. Maybe in a few months. What do you play?

Also, never heard of Stevia. Might try it. I don't drink coffee much though. I'm a Starbucks junkie and the closest one is... wouldn't you know it, a mile away. Wonder how it would taste in a juice?

QUOTE]

Here is a link that tells you more about Stevia:
http://www.stevia.com/

I am a Starbucks DIE Hard! I should have invested in their stock! Fraps are my downfall. When I began dieting I would have about 32 oz of iced mochas a day. Talk about the quick way to gain a muffin top! Ugh! Anyways, I thought with my diet I would have to give coffee up all together, but finding Stevia drops (the flavored ones) allow me to have my coffee again. Black coffee just doesn't do it for me.

I have also tried it in my iced tea- the Valencia Orange or the Lemon Drop flavors. The Valencia Orange tastes yummy in chai tea. The Lemon Drop is subtle. It gives me the sweet, but I still add a lemon wedge for the sour edge.

I tell ya, those Orange Julius things are BOMB! The calories are in the fruit- that's it.

As far as my sports activity, I love hiking, lifting weights, and spinning. I injured my shins- which then effected my hip. I gimped around for months letting that heal up. Frustrating.
 
Never had Orange Julius. They're around though. Let me ask about your tea preferences. Do you like sweet tea? I don't and drink regular Lipton or Celestial Seasonings. On my mom's side of the family, half are from New England and half are from Mobile, Alabama. I've learned a very key phrase in both areas: "I'd like some tea with my cup of sugar". Lol

I've bruised the bones in my shines before. Is that kind of what you did? With me, I'm a pretty broken 20 year old. On my 18th birthday, I tore both my ACLs in my left knee. Didn't have surgery because my physician said the pain, bruising and swelling were from "emotional stress" even though she had pictures showing what my knee looked like on the inside. I went to another doctor several months later and by then it was really pointless to re-break the ACLs and piece them back together properly. And my hurt hip is on the right. So, with the extra weight and trying to walk so one or the other doesn't hurt too much, I end up hurting on one side or the other. Go figure.
 
Great Great Post!!!!!! I too have gained about the same amount of weight with the new job I've got. Before I was hired as an engineer, I was an inspector and before that an electrician. I used to keep very busy and move around A LOT with those last two jobs but as an engineer I sit behind my desk most of the day. I used to be skinny as a rail until I came into engineering and I have also been trying to focus on losing those pounds so that I can fit into my old clothes again. It is SOOO hard to stay on track, especially when I am working 10 and 12 hour shifts and I don't get the chance I need to go jog, go to the gym or plain just go for a walk and I am a very physical person and love to excersize or even work outside, which makes it all the more frustrating. I definitely will work towards the same goal with you!!!!!!!!! Thanks for this post.
 
I too have been trying to lose weight and get more healthy lately also. I've lost about 20 pounds in the past couple months, and dropped some clothes sizes. One of the best things that has worked for me is severely cutting my intake of sugar. I always look at sugar content now, which i never used to. I was a processed food junkie...it was just easier to buy something that i could take out of a box and throw into a microwave or oven. Now I make most of my meals, and find it easier to make a lot of meals in one day and fridge or freeze them. I probably used to eat/drink over 100 grams (if not more) of processed sugar a day. Now I doubt if i eat over 10 or 20. To sweeten things (if i need to) i use stevia now. I don't have drops, but i use a spoonable powdered stevia ...i think you can also buy purevia (or something like that).

I've also steadily reduced my portion sizes, and i now feel fuller with much less food than i used to eat.

also, i don't deprive myself of anything...because if i hold out on a craving it usually results in an eating binge. instead i eat tiny portion of the food i'm craving, or find a healthier recipe alternative.

There used to be a "fit club" in the social groups on here, but i think it disappeared.
 
I don't know wether I have any decent advice for you, but I just want to wish you the best of luck here. The way you talk about it makes it clear you thought it through and are handling the issue well.

A tip I got from my sister who was really overweight once, is to really make sure you don't get hungry. Hunger you can overcome when the diet doesn't last very long, but it wears you out.
One way is to take big amounts of vegetables with your meals. (but I guess I'm telling you nothing new :)) She sometimes only ate veggies in a meal, when another meal had a bigger amount of her daily rations.
For instance, a really nice meal can be made with different kinds of veggies you like, stirfried with just a little bit of olive oil. I eat that myself sometimes, it's really good and gives you a satisfied feeling afterwards.
If for instance you make this with red, yellow and green peppers, eggplant and zucchini, you get a mix with a mediterranean taste. A bit of italian herbs adds to that.
(mouth watering now:))

Anyway, I wish you success!!
 
ZoologyGirl said:
The problem with this for me is I hate most veggies :laugh:
Click to expand...

So make the stirfry with the ones you do like :D
And maybe there are some you haven't tried yet? Maybe some more "exotic" ones? Please do! You might be missing something!
 
I was thinking about making this dish in the next few days:

Cauliflower With Tomatoes and Cumin

Makes an excellent side dish to serve with grilled meat or fish. (I was thinking about using as a side for my pot roast).

Ingredients:
(Serves 4)

2 tablespoons sunflower or olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 small cauliflower, broken into florets
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
generous pinch of ground ginger
4 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and quartered
1-2 tablespoons lemon juice (optional)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
salt and freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup water

*Heat the oil in a cast iron pan, add the onion and garlic and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes, until the onion is softened. Add the cauliflower and stir-fry for another 2-3 minutes, until the cauliflower is flecked with brown. Add the cumin seeds and ginger, fry briskly for 1 minute, and then add the tomatoes, 3/4 cup water and some salt and pepper.

* Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat, cover with a plate or with foil and simmer for 6-7 minutes, until the cauliflower is just tender.

* Stir in a little lemon juice to sharpen the flavor (optional) and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Scatter on the cilantro, if using, and serve immediately.



It's a Moroccan dish found in my Taste of Morocco cookbook. Never tried anything in the book, but this one seems like it would be a nice side besides the carrots and potatoes. I posted the exact recipe just in case anyone wants to try it with me. Maybe we can eventually make a recipe thread that will be kind of like a book club: we choose a recipe for the week, or maybe four (breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack/dessert, and then post our thoughts on each by the end of the week and discuss. Seems like fun to me anyway.

I unfortunately got called away from what I wanted to do today. Have to remind myself that I love my grandmother even though she's acting silly. So, I haven't gotten much exercise today other than walking around the hospital and biting my tongue. It's almost 7pm here in Colorado. So, I'm going to make a sandwich for dinner because I only ate once today and then watch a movie while I digest food and sort laundry. After that, maybe I'll move some furniture around and, if it stops raining, walk the dogs. A slow start, but at least it's a start.
 
Some facts to consider: To lose one pound you need a caloric deficit of 3500 calories. To burn 3500 calories a 200 lb person would need to job for around 6 hours. Using that information, you should be able to adjust your diet plan accordingly.

Also you need to calculate your Base Metabolic Rate (BMR) to determine how to achieve the caloric deficit to accomplish your weight loss goals. As your weight is reduced, you need to readjust the BMR calculations and caloric deficit.

Unrealistic goals will only lead to disappointment, and ultimately failure. I wish you the best of luck in endeavor in achieving healthy, long-lasting weight loss.
 
I was thinking about making this dish in the next few days:

Cauliflower With Tomatoes and Cumin

Makes an excellent side dish to serve with grilled meat or fish. (I was thinking about using as a side for my pot roast).

Ingredients:
(Serves 4)

2 tablespoons sunflower or olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 small cauliflower, broken into florets
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
generous pinch of ground ginger
4 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and quartered
1-2 tablespoons lemon juice (optional)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
salt and freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup water

*Heat the oil in a cast iron pan, add the onion and garlic and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes, until the onion is softened. Add the cauliflower and stir-fry for another 2-3 minutes, until the cauliflower is flecked with brown. Add the cumin seeds and ginger, fry briskly for 1 minute, and then add the tomatoes, 3/4 cup water and some salt and pepper.

* Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat, cover with a plate or with foil and simmer for 6-7 minutes, until the cauliflower is just tender.

* Stir in a little lemon juice to sharpen the flavor (optional) and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Scatter on the cilantro, if using, and serve immediately.



It's a Moroccan dish found in my Taste of Morocco cookbook. Never tried anything in the book, but this one seems like it would be a nice side besides the carrots and potatoes. I posted the exact recipe just in case anyone wants to try it with me. Maybe we can eventually make a recipe thread that will be kind of like a book club: we choose a recipe for the week, or maybe four (breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack/dessert, and then post our thoughts on each by the end of the week and discuss. Seems like fun to me anyway.

I unfortunately got called away from what I wanted to do today. Have to remind myself that I love my grandmother even though she's acting silly. So, I haven't gotten much exercise today other than walking around the hospital and biting my tongue. It's almost 7pm here in Colorado. So, I'm going to make a sandwich for dinner because I only ate once today and then watch a movie while I digest food and sort laundry. After that, maybe I'll move some furniture around and, if it stops raining, walk the dogs. A slow start, but at least it's a start.
 
Sorry about the double post. My Cricket Broadband disconnected and decided you needed to read my post twice. Lol.
 
Kali said:
So make the stirfry with the ones you do like :D
Click to expand...

I don't think beet stir fry sounds very good :grin01:

The only veggies I really like to eat regularly are beets, cauliflower, and corn. Occassionally carrots. Are water chestnuts a veggie, I like those too.
 
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