7 Pounds in 7 Weeks - Second Week Update!!

[Mixie]

Going on our wonderful Disney vacation in 7 weeks from today!!!

Having put on a few pounds over the winter I want to lose them before we go!

7 pounds in 7 weeks - can I do it? Not without you!!!

Tips, tricks, recipes, workouts, and just plain yelling at me - all welcome!!!

Who's with me????

 

[Conservative Hippie]

I will! I've lost 6 lbs in the past 4 weeks by cutting back (not cutting out!) on sugar, and upping my protein. I got the Jillian Michaels meal replacement shakes - they have more protein than Slim Fast and taste much better. I have one JM shake or protein bar for breakfast, a "healthy" lunch, another shake or bar for a snack, and a good dinner. I count calories on caloriecount.com. My son is 7 months old and I'm nursing, and I've really been struggling with losing my baby weight from him!

 

[bitohoney]

I was up to 150 lbs in December and I'm only 5'4" but have started running on the treadmill 4 days a week and have lost 8 lbs since Jan 1st!

 

[clarabelle]

Keep a food diary and try to cut 250 calories a day
plus exercise
or exercise less and try to cut 500 calories a day
Get a digital scale and try to measure your portions.

Have a "go to" meal for a backup (mine is a southwestern bean burger with salad.

Find some lo-cal treats you like (I Like 60 calorie jello choc pudding)

Do some weight training. It doesn't have to be all out
Just get some hand weights a magazine like shape or oxygen and try some routines there.

Hope this helps

I teach spinning -so of course I am going to plug for group exercise classes.
Studies show exercising with a group releases more endorphins than alone.
Also exercising to music makes you work harder -than you would without music.

Good luck with your goal!

 

[VAfamily1998]

I totally agree with Clarabelle about keeping the food diary.
Make sure the portions you are eating/recording are accurate--use a kitchen scale/measuring cups/measuring spoons so you know how much you are really eating.

How/Where are you getting your excercize? Do you consider yourself very beginner or have you been excercizing consistently for a while?

 

[bellebud]

I lost 8 pounds in 2 weeks (actually didn't mean to) by using my treadmill everyday for 45 minutes to an hour. It can easily be done - YOU CAN DO IT!!

also, slimfast worked wonderfully for me once (baby weight after having dd). I didn't do any exercise when doing that - it took a bit longer though to loose the weight.

drink a large glass of water 1/2 hour before each meal. Then eat a salad, then eat your small, well proportioned meal. Protein and a veggie (don't know about carbs in there - I'm sure there's a good balance you should be having). Small portions. If you still feel hungry, give your body 1/2 hour to feel satisfied. You never want to feel "full". Sometimes your body just needs time to feel satisfied.

Whenever I needed to loose weight, I stop eating when I'm not hungry anymore... I don't wait until I'm "full"... does that make sense? There's a big difference between being not hungry, and being full. Don't ever eat until you're FULL.

6 smaller meals a day instead of 3. Big breakfast (so they say - I'm not a breakfast person, so I find that difficult). If it's not your next meal time, and you're feeling hungry, do 10 sit ups. I've always found that very helpful. Then have a glass of water.

YOU CAN DO IT!

Let us know how you're doing, and what you're doing.

good luck!!

 

[Mixie]

Yay! Thanks for posting - I sure could use some backup!

Ok - first thing this morning I weighed myself. 150 lbs.

*sigh*

1 pound per week is all I'm trying for. I figure that's a doable goal without crazy crash dieting and it's weight I can keep off as the days get warmer.

So on April 3rd I want to get on that scale and weigh 143 lbs.



Sugar is a big one for me - I know I consume too much in the form of soda. I don't drink tea/coffee at all so I get caffeine thru soda. I just can't seem to break that habit.

Exercise - in the cold months I hardly do any at all. I have taken up karate again and I go 1 or 2 times per week (DD has archery practice that conflicts with karate sometimes) and that workout is for a fairly intense hour.

When it's warm enough I take the dog for walks - but just walking at a good, not fast, pace. At the moment I would say we get in 2 good walks like this per week - usually 45 minutes or so. The days are getting warmer here so that will probably increase closer to our trip.

That's really about it. I don't belong to a gym ($$). We do have some free weights at home but I never use them.


Food - I don't have a kitchen scale for portioning. I like the salad idea - usually eat more salads in the summer than the winter (better produce, cooler meal) but I can add that back in now instead of later.

I'll be honest by saying I would do better - especially for lunch - with premade meals (like lean cuisine stuff) because it gives specific proportions, is easy to fix and has veggies. I tend to reach for chips if left to my own.

 

[newddmommie]

I went on weight watchers and have lost around 1 pound a week since the end of Decemeber. 10 lbs to date with an average of 1.2 pounds per week. Haven't done a lot of working out what with having a 3 month old. The food diary is what helps me the most. Keeps you from mindlessly snacking. Just remember: You can do it!!! One pound of week is a great goal.

 

[cybrkitn]

I'll join in. I'm 5'4" and weighed 188lbs last summer. I'm now down to 174 I'm finally back into a size 16 petite. My goal is to get back down to a size 12/14 petite.

The most weight I lost was while I was pregnant with DS8. I lost 30lbs and weighed less (154) than I did before I was pregnant (186). I averaged a weight loss of 1/2 lb per week but that was only because I had gestational diabetes at the time and I was on a very strict diet per my OB. So I figure that if I was able to lose 30 lbs when I was pregnant, I can do it again (just not as strict this time).

DH is diabetic and I've been tyring to cook meals that help him keep his sugar levels under control. Because he's been measuring out everything, I started doing that as well. Without realizing it, I was starting to lose some of the weight. Then I realized I was drinking way too much regular soda. My intake was almost a 2 liter bottle a day . So I cut that down to just one 8 oz glass per day and drink unsweetened iced tea and water the rest of the time. That's where I think I lost most of my weight from.

We have an excercise machine called a Gazelle that we have used at the beginning of the summer. But then, our downstairs would get as high as 88 degrees that we just couldn't use it. It went into our garage for the holidays and now we're ready to get it out into the living room and start using it again. I'm determined to lose my belly fat (as well as my left-over pregnancy weight) and tone down my legs.

 

[cybrkitn]

I was up to 150 lbs in December and I'm only 5'4" but have started running on the treadmill 4 days a week and have lost 8 lbs since Jan 1st!

I'm the same height and am looking forward to the day I get back down to 150 lbs.

Congrats on you weight loss!

 

[Christine]

I've managed to lose 8 lbs in 7 weeks and I've been using SparkPeople to track my food. I started out just logging in everything I ate to see how many calories I took in per day (about 2200). After a week, I started measuring my foods in measuring cups (I don't have a scale) and sticking to controlled portions. My calorie count is now, daily, down to 1300-1600 per day. I started at 152 and am now at 144 (I'm 5'7") I have been getting on my treadmill 4 times a week and doing 30 minutes (10 of those are warm up cool down and for the 20 minutes in between I alternate between walking and running intervals). I've also added some very low-level strength training.

That's it!

 

[Conservative Hippie]

I'm the same height and am looking forward to the day I get back down to 150 lbs.

Congrats on you weight loss!

I'm 5'2 and I haven't been 150 since before my first baby!

I have always weighed more than most women would at my size, so my weight goals are based upon clothing size instead of what some weight chart says I should be.

 

[clarabelle]

the scales are not expensive
I think they are a good investment. You can buy non-digital ones at the grocery store but for 20 bucks are so the digital are better.

If you can't do that then really look close at your portion sizes and think of seconds at dinner as another dinner. So if you are in the habit of getting second portions -you are in essence having two dinners.


Pasta, rice and cereal -all can add up really quick -so measure your portions there with a measuring cup if not by weight.

 

[dreamin_disney]

I lost 8 pounds in 2 weeks (actually didn't mean to) by using my treadmill everyday for 45 minutes to an hour. It can easily be done - YOU CAN DO IT!!

also, slimfast worked wonderfully for me once (baby weight after having dd). I didn't do any exercise when doing that - it took a bit longer though to loose the weight.

drink a large glass of water 1/2 hour before each meal. Then eat a salad, then eat your small, well proportioned meal. Protein and a veggie (don't know about carbs in there - I'm sure there's a good balance you should be having). Small portions. If you still feel hungry, give your body 1/2 hour to feel satisfied. You never want to feel "full". Sometimes your body just needs time to feel satisfied.

Whenever I needed to loose weight, I stop eating when I'm not hungry anymore... I don't wait until I'm "full"... does that make sense? There's a big difference between being not hungry, and being full. Don't ever eat until you're FULL.

6 smaller meals a day instead of 3. Big breakfast (so they say - I'm not a breakfast person, so I find that difficult). If it's not your next meal time, and you're feeling hungry, do 10 sit ups. I've always found that very helpful. Then have a glass of water.

YOU CAN DO IT!

Let us know how you're doing, and what you're doing.

good luck!!

did you walk or run on the treadmill???

I'm 208lbs
5'6
and could lose about 50 lbs

I'm sticking around to learn some tips

 

[zoemurr]

you need to ditch the soda. That will be huge.

It's hard at first, but if you can go sugar and flour free you will lose 1lb a week. I lost 30lbs this way. Check out Dr. Gott's books.

I tried to keep small treats around when I needed something. I drink 1/2 a cappacino cooler (adds 30 calories and is very filling when added to skim milk) or a few Hershey kisses.

You can eat as much food as you'd like as long as it doesn't have sugar or flour. Very easy. The sweet tooth craving does go away after about 2 weeks.

Good luck!

 

[Mixie]

The more the merrier! We can do this - for us, for those who love us, and for that trip coming up! Yay!


Ok - someone tell me how to kick the soda habit because I know, I just know, that it'll be the hardest to do.

I can eat salads. I can skip cookies. I can walk more. But dammit - that pepsi knows my name and is an evil temptress.


I did manage it while I was pregnant and nursing but fell off that wagon once she was weaned. Now I'm a 2-3 12oz can -a-day girl.

Tips, tricks, advice?

 

[Conservative Hippie]

The more the merrier! We can do this - for us, for those who love us, and for that trip coming up! Yay!


Ok - someone tell me how to kick the soda habit because I know, I just know, that it'll be the hardest to do.

I can eat salads. I can skip cookies. I can walk more. But dammit - that pepsi knows my name and is an evil temptress.


I did manage it while I was pregnant and nursing but fell off that wagon once she was weaned. Now I'm a 2-3 12oz can -a-day girl.

Tips, tricks, advice?

I quit drinking soda 3 years ago. I didn't drink a lot to begin with. At that time, I had cut it back to only a few things I was "allowed" to have a coke with - pizza, burgers, Mexican food, or while walking around WDW. Then one New Year's I decided to give it up, telling myself I would rather eat a bowl of ice cream than drink a 20 oz coke, and I'd also save money on buying soda. My exception was I could always have ginger ale if I was sick. After a while I quit missing it and now I will occasionally have a root beer (DH's favorite, it's always in the house) if we are grilling out. Oh, and of course when we went to Wizarding World of Harry Potter I had, um...3 or 4 butterbeers (it's basically cream soda).

My biggest problem is Coffeemate. I would have 3-4 cups of coffee a day and I used A LOT of Coffeemate. Four weeks ago when I started using caloriecount.com I realized I was really sabotaging myself with my creamer habit. So I quit making coffee at home, and instead if I want coffee I go to Starbucks. At $4 for a latte, it keeps me from having more than 1 a day! Plus I get protein and calcium from the soy milk, so lattes are actually much better for me than my empty-calorie sugar-laden Coffeemate.

 

[Christine]

The more the merrier! We can do this - for us, for those who love us, and for that trip coming up! Yay!


Ok - someone tell me how to kick the soda habit because I know, I just know, that it'll be the hardest to do.

I can eat salads. I can skip cookies. I can walk more. But dammit - that pepsi knows my name and is an evil temptress.


I did manage it while I was pregnant and nursing but fell off that wagon once she was weaned. Now I'm a 2-3 12oz can -a-day girl.

Tips, tricks, advice?

I think if you were to just drop the soda, you could probably drop the 7 lbs without any other changes. I'm sure you realize how many calories you are intaking with that. YOWZA!!!

I quit cold turkey. I find soda to be very addictive for me and when I drink it I crave it more.

If you have to, because of the caffeine, switch to iced tea that you sweeten on your own. Even though you will still be intaking sugar, it will be far less then you are used to getting with the Pepsi. Then wean down from the tea.

I used to a have a fierce Mountain Dew habit.

 

[Robinrs]

I started Weight Watchers and lost 10 pounds in 5 weeks! LOVE IT! I know it's hard to believe you can love a food plan but it's really easy and I actually look forward to it. The point diary is a BIG help and since it's on the web it makes it easier for me. I do NOT like to write.

I also work out on the Total Gym and Kinect Sports on the XBox. I've already cured my Gerd and fit into clothes I had put away!!

Good luck!!

 

[bellebud]

did you walk or run on the treadmill???

I'm 208lbs
5'6
and could lose about 50 lbs

I'm sticking around to learn some tips

I didn't run. I made a cd of songs, starting w/ 2 slow songs and I walked at a slow pace w/ no incline for those 2 songs (so about 7 minutes - for my warm up), then the songs get faster and faster, and I'd up the incline and walk faster w/ the songs, then a short cool-down at the end. I ended up at the highest incline (12) and walking at about 3.4 at the fastest. The songs really helped me keep the pace, and feel really good (like almost dancing, knim?)

I also don't eat a lot (when I have anxiety, and this is why I started exercising, for the anxiety). I really enjoyed doing it, but stopped because I don't eat enough to account for the weight loss that was happening.