Biggest Loser 9 Spring Challenge -- thread closing -- see new thread Part 2!

[DisFam95]

Congrats to the losers!!! And to those struggling hang in there and DON'T GIVE UP!!!


Well despite many obstacles of dining out I managed to lose 2.6lbs and got into a new number bracket (down to 177.8 )

There are just so many challanges to deal with lately. I've had so many 'going out' events..birthdays, concert and dinner out, and more.

Went to Pei Wei last night and really did not care about what I ate. I had the Mogolian beef (not fried so could be worse right). Had 1/2 a beer before the concert (Eddie Izzard - so funny )

Today should be a good day but family is coming tomorrow and we're ordering chinese . I have no idea what to order.

Good luck and here's to another week!

 

[Rose&Mike]

On a side note we had a tornado in our neighborhood this morning. I have never seen one before. Apparantly they do occur here in FL. I cant believe the amount of damage I saw on my walk from a 15 min storm. It was just crazy. 30ft Palm trees laying in the street. Fences blown down. Patio furniture in the lake. Just WOW. Luckily my block was spared this occured on the other side of the lake by the golfcourse where the million dollar homes are located. My side of the lake is middle class and most could not afford to fix that extent of damage. I am just thankful we did not get hit.

Glad the tornado missed you. Tornadoes terrify me. We have lived all over the country, and now live in a tornado prone area, and it's really scary sometimes. Hope everyone in your neighborhood is safe.

I am having a really sad day, and having a hard time keeping from giving into a binge. I've already done 45 min on the elliptical and it didn't help. I want chips, soda and chocolate. Why do I continue to think that will make me feel less sad? I know it won't change any of the circumstances. Ok, so no binge. I'm off today, so I think I'm just going to take a nap. DH and I are supposed to go to a movie tonight, and in the past when I'm having a day like this, we would end up not going and I would have been cranky all evening. So I am committing to no binge, a nap, cooking dinner and going to a movie tonight. Thanks for listening.

 

[lecach]

I gained .2 so not terrible but not great. I had my monthly visitor this week which always makes me super hungry. Plus I took DS to eat at his favorite restaurant last night - Golden Corral. I really tried to control what I ate but even making healthy choices there is still more calories than I needed. Oh well, next week will be better!

 

[beansf]

I am having a really sad day, and having a hard time keeping from giving into a binge. I've already done 45 min on the elliptical and it didn't help. I want chips, soda and chocolate. Why do I continue to think that will make me feel less sad?.

I am sorry you are having a sad day!!

I have a tendency to turn to food during "down" times too. I think it is a combination of two things:

1) It is a distraction. It gets your mind off of your troubles (only temporary, though).

2) I read the other day that chemically, you get a dopamine burst when you eat sweets and stuff. SO, it seems this is why the pull is so strong to turn to food for comfort.

I am trying to find other methods, but I know it is hard, especially when food has been your "go to guy" ever since you were a kid.

 

[ohMom]

((hugs)) Rose&Mike.....you are strong for posting that and not giving in...hang strong you can do it!

maintain for me this week...cyber high fives to the LOSERS!

 

[3TinksAndAnEeyore]

I stayed OP for the third week and lost another two pounds. I am crediting my new journaling habit with the results I've been seeing so far. I'm logging every bite I eat and it's really making a difference for me. One thing that I was telling DH this morning is that logging calories really helps me figure out what's going on. In the past, if I was trying to lose weight without doing Weight Watchers, I would just try to watch what I ate in terms of healthier foods and portion sizes. With that method I found that sometimes I would lose and sometimes I would maintain or even gain and I didn't have any sense of rhyme or reason to it. With counting calories, I've noticed that there are some days when I have a bunch of unused calories at the end of the day, but feel like I ate plenty. And, yesterday, when I ate healthy choices for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, I used up all my calories. So, while I may THINK I have a good handle on what I can eat in a day and lose weight, apparently I don't. This logging is keeping me so honest.

I started using the same logging method last year, too (the Lose It iPhone app). I liked it then, as well, but after two weeks my phone went through the washer in a pair of jeans and "pffft" went the phone. I got a new one eventually, but had long since lost the motivation to log. This time I'm still going, but I am basically still re-losing the weight I had lost around this time last year and then put back on over the last nine months.

I came up with an analogy for this yo-yo part of my weight loss. Sometimes there's a book I really, really want to read, but life gets in the way of letting me sit down and get really into it. Maybe I read the preface and then time goes by. Next time I try to read it, I re-read the preface and maybe start chapter one, and again life gets in the way. I start to get frustrated and the book sits on the shelf gathering dust. Finally, I pick it up, read the preface and first chapter AGAIN because I can't remember the details from before. That's kind of what this weight loss feels like. Right now I'm trying to finish the "preface" --i.e., the weight I lost last year. Once I get that off (about 3 more pounds to go), I can start working on Chapter One again (that's the six pounds or so that I got down to a couple of years ago). Since I'm an avid reader, this analogy is really working for me and I'm super gungho to punch through the preface this time and then power through that first chapter. Yes, there's a bunch of chapters to go, but I'm really only worried about taking them one at a time right now (though thinking about the ending now and then is fun, too).

 

[seashell724]

QOTD:

For 2010 I have a few fitness goals:
1. Lose a certain amount of weight by spring.
2. Maintain that weight!!!
3. Be able to up my running pace
4. Make healthy eating choices
5. Really be able to see the abs I am working hard for!
6. Not give up if I have a little slip.

 

[heatherlynn444]

I had another week of loss too. It's great to ahve a support group!

 

[lovedvc]

I lost .9 on my scale, but 1.4 at weight watchers this morning. I guess my scale is off, but that's okay. I'm using my at home weight for BL9. I know my home scale tends to get a little screwy sometimes. I'm okay with the .9 loss, I had 2 big losses the last 2 weeks. A pound a week is 52 lbs a year. Tonight I have a fundraiser and of course there will be dinner and drinks. DH has to work so I will be going alone, but meeting friends there, so that takes care of whether I will drink or not, NOT. I'm going to start the evening off with a full plate of salad since it is a buffet and then I will pick wisely. I'm not gonna screw this up. Three years a go I lost 50 lbs and gained 27 back, I have all ready taken 9 off, so 18 to go. I will get there it will just take time.

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

bought a new pedometer today, the kind that goes in your pocket. So far it seems pretty accurate.

 

[Nicholfamily5]

I lost 1.8 lbs this week, which thrills me! Two weeks in a row of measurable loss makes me so happy.

FRIDAY'S QOTD: What is a fitness goal you have for 2010?
I am going to start the C25K once the weather behaves, and my big goal is running the wine Dine and Dash in October.

 

[Nicholfamily5]

I am sorry you are having a sad day!!

I have a tendency to turn to food during "down" times too. I think it is a combination of two things:

1) It is a distraction. It gets your mind off of your troubles (only temporary, though).

2) I read the other day that chemically, you get a dopamine burst when you eat sweets and stuff. SO, it seems this is why the pull is so strong to turn to food for comfort.

I am trying to find other methods, but I know it is hard, especially when food has been your "go to guy" ever since you were a kid.

Its true that sweets can release that dopamine surge making you feel good, which is why it is sooooo hard for me to resist sweets when I am having an off day. I've found a few things that seem to help me, so I'll share them in case they help someone else too!

I limit myself to a sweet that isn't bad for me, and yet it is one that satisfies my cravings. I buy unsweetened applesauce in individual containers. If I am really needing icky sweet, I'll stir in a teaspoon of agave nectar or honey. I eat it slowly and deliberately, and when I am done scraping every last drop, I am satisfied. I've tried it with those tiny candy bars, but the only time that works for me is if I only have one handy, and I savor it, then brush my teeth IMMEDIATELY afterward.

Perhaps the same could work with those yummy flavored yogurts, some of those are just divine.

 

[my3princes]

I lost .9 on my scale, but 1.4 at weight watchers this morning. I guess my scale is off, but that's okay. I'm using my at home weight for BL9. I know my home scale tends to get a little screwy sometimes. I'm okay with the .9 loss, I had 2 big losses the last 2 weeks. A pound a week is 52 lbs a year. Tonight I have a fundraiser and of course there will be dinner and drinks. DH has to work so I will be going alone, but meeting friends there, so that takes care of whether I will drink or not, NOT. I'm going to start the evening off with a full plate of salad since it is a buffet and then I will pick wisely. I'm not gonna screw this up. Three years a go I lost 50 lbs and gained 27 back, I have all ready taken 9 off, so 18 to go. I will get there it will just take time.

I work at a Restaurant with a salad bar. Beware that salad bars can often be worse than ordering a meal. Try to stick to fresh veggies rather than adding in all the goodies that are bound to be abundant on the salad bar. Also beware of the dressing. Prehaps take a preportioned container of your favorite light dressing with you. You definitely can do this...you go girl

 

[maiziezoe]

Yay this is usually my fall of the wagon week and a I managed a loss of 1.5 not to bad. I walked every day for 7 days another huge step for me. I am so happy to have this thread and just want to thank everyone for helping me stick with it.

On a side note we had a tornado in our neighborhood this morning. I have never seen one before. Apparantly they do occur here in FL. I cant believe the amount of damage I saw on my walk from a 15 min storm. It was just crazy. 30ft Palm trees laying in the street. Fences blown down. Patio furniture in the lake. Just WOW. Luckily my block was spared this occured on the other side of the lake by the golfcourse where the million dollar homes are located. My side of the lake is middle class and most could not afford to fix that extent of damage. I am just thankful we did not get hit.

I'm glad you're okay and that you didn't have any damage.

When I was about 6 I saw a tornado pass through a field in our backyard. I've been fascinated ever since.

 

[maiziezoe]

I'm feeling great today! Lost another 3 pounds this week. I'm so psyched. I'm so happy with the choices I've made and even though I am probably driving my family crazy with my "lifestyle change" talk, I am thrilled at how well I've done. Yesterday I ate ALL my WW points. It was a first for me. I'm usually 12-ish points below. I was sad to see my 71 activity points go away unused.

HERE IS FRIDAY'S QOTD:
What is a fitness goal you have for 2010?

My first goal is to work out at least 5 days a week. So far I have been doing great. I haven't missed a day of working out in 20 days.

Second goal is to run a 5k with my dad at the end of July. My dad and I have never had anything in common... this morning my mom told me that my dad is looking forward to running with me. He is "excited" (my dad never gets excited about anything! LOL)

 

[donac]

HERE IS FRIDAY'S QOTD:
What is a fitness goal you have for 2010?

I am hoping to make sure that I walk at least 10000 steps a day or more. When I am doing that consistently then I will add to that.

 

[jennz]

I am having a really sad day, and having a hard time keeping from giving into a binge. I've already done 45 min on the elliptical and it didn't help. I want chips, soda and chocolate. Why do I continue to think that will make me feel less sad? I know it won't change any of the circumstances. Ok, so no binge. I'm off today, so I think I'm just going to take a nap. DH and I are supposed to go to a movie tonight, and in the past when I'm having a day like this, we would end up not going and I would have been cranky all evening. So I am committing to no binge, a nap, cooking dinner and going to a movie tonight. Thanks for listening.

That sounds like a great plan! The nap will help you stay out of the kitchen, dinner will keep you away from the popcorn (hopefully!) and the movie will redirect your mood! What are you going to see?

I'm feeling great today! Lost another 3 pounds this week. I'm so psyched. I'm so happy with the choices I've made and even though I am probably driving my family crazy with my "lifestyle change" talk, I am thrilled at how well I've done. Yesterday I ate ALL my WW points. It was a first for me. I'm usually 12-ish points below. I was sad to see my 71 activity points go away unused.

HERE IS FRIDAY'S QOTD:
What is a fitness goal you have for 2010?

My first goal is to work out at least 5 days a week. So far I have been doing great. I haven't missed a day of working out in 20 days.

Second goal is to run a 5k with my dad at the end of July. My dad and I have never had anything in common... this morning my mom told me that my dad is looking forward to running with me. He is "excited" (my dad never gets excited about anything! LOL)

You are awesome! What is your "lifestyle change talk?" You'll be needing a new shirt in an L soon! How very fun to run a 5k with your dad! Where is it?

 

[Cinderella Girl]

Hi, I'm back on. I'm going to do two week weigh-ins.

Can someone add me please? I've already PMed Ms. Shannon.

Hi everyone ,

My name is Lisa - tough one to figure out I know.

I'm 42. Lost a lot of weight but it's been very slow - years. I've lost it mainly through exercise. Eating - I eat only what I love but I try to eat consciously. Some of my weight came off with merely looking at emotional issues in my life.

I've decided in my head that I will be at goal in October/November of this year. Just a mental decision I've made - so there universe. Take that! Most of my weight loss has been when it comes - it comes. I'm changing that this year.

I struggle with the scale. Ie. neurotic. I lost the first half of my weight off scale but that doesn't seem to be working the same as it did when I was younger and I've struggled to accept that.

I also struggle with being bigger. Ie. most overweight people think they're bigger/big boned. I really am. And I've longed to be a smaller girl and that's never going to happen. However, this year I've accepted this is me and I'm always going to read bigger than I look on the scale and I need to let it go.
QOTD:

Fitness goals -

I would like to give spinning a try. I exercise so much on my own - mainly heavy intervals that I think I should give group a try.


Tia - I'm very happy to see you here.

WELCOME BACK LISA!!!!

Spinning is alot of fun!! I tried it for the first time last year and now try an get in one class a week.
Molly

 

[princessbride6205]

I stayed OP for the third week and lost another two pounds. I am crediting my new journaling habit with the results I've been seeing so far. I'm logging every bite I eat and it's really making a difference for me. One thing that I was telling DH this morning is that logging calories really helps me figure out what's going on. In the past, if I was trying to lose weight without doing Weight Watchers, I would just try to watch what I ate in terms of healthier foods and portion sizes. With that method I found that sometimes I would lose and sometimes I would maintain or even gain and I didn't have any sense of rhyme or reason to it. With counting calories, I've noticed that there are some days when I have a bunch of unused calories at the end of the day, but feel like I ate plenty. And, yesterday, when I ate healthy choices for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, I used up all my calories. So, while I may THINK I have a good handle on what I can eat in a day and lose weight, apparently I don't. This logging is keeping me so honest.

I started using the same logging method last year, too (the Lose It iPhone app). I liked it then, as well, but after two weeks my phone went through the washer in a pair of jeans and "pffft" went the phone. I got a new one eventually, but had long since lost the motivation to log. This time I'm still going, but I am basically still re-losing the weight I had lost around this time last year and then put back on over the last nine months.

I came up with an analogy for this yo-yo part of my weight loss. Sometimes there's a book I really, really want to read, but life gets in the way of letting me sit down and get really into it. Maybe I read the preface and then time goes by. Next time I try to read it, I re-read the preface and maybe start chapter one, and again life gets in the way. I start to get frustrated and the book sits on the shelf gathering dust. Finally, I pick it up, read the preface and first chapter AGAIN because I can't remember the details from before. That's kind of what this weight loss feels like. Right now I'm trying to finish the "preface" --i.e., the weight I lost last year. Once I get that off (about 3 more pounds to go), I can start working on Chapter One again (that's the six pounds or so that I got down to a couple of years ago). Since I'm an avid reader, this analogy is really working for me and I'm super gungho to punch through the preface this time and then power through that first chapter. Yes, there's a bunch of chapters to go, but I'm really only worried about taking them one at a time right now (though thinking about the ending now and then is fun, too).

The book analogy is great! And it's not just pounds, this time you've got a headstart because you know more about healthy eating than before.
Like you, journaling really clued me in what was going on with my eating and weight. January 2009 was when I decided to lose weight - I did my best to eat right and I exercised 5-6 times a week. In 4 months, I had only lost about 2 pounds. I had resisted logging my food/calories, but finally did via Daily Plate (now Livestrong.com). At the same time, I joined the Biggest Loser summer challenge (BL7?) here. Those two things made the most amazing difference! I'm at the point where I don't actually log calories anymore - I've learned what I can eat and maintain or lose. Though, I think I may have to start journaling again to get rid of these last pesky 3 pounds!

bought a new pedometer today, the kind that goes in your pocket. So far it seems pretty accurate.

I got a pedometer for Christmas. I'm enjoying it so far. It's neat to see how far I walk in an average day and to try and increase my steps. I can't wait to use it at Disney (starting tomorrow!) to see how much we're walking.

 

[iheartdolewhips]

Hello everyone! Do you mind if I join in? I'm trying to get ready for the Princess 5K in March (first time I've ever done anything like this!) and lose weight. Ultimately I'd like to lose 70 - 100 pounds, but right now I'm just trying to focus on losing the first 20.

FRIDAY'S QOTD: What is a fitness goal you have for 2010?

As I mentioned above, my goal is to run the Princess 5K and lose weight. I'd also like to complete a half marathon before the end of the year.