Running From Time (comments/advice appreciated!)

[npullen]

Don't worry too much about the weight. Just hang in there, and make sure to watch how much salt you eat. Salt can make you retain water, which at least for me shows up big time in the scale. I think Bally's is a great idea, especially if you have a friend to workout with. I have heard that you will be much more successful if you work at losing weight with a friend who understands and has similar goals!
As for the diet pills, be really careful! They can be risky. Plus something like 5 different companies are being heavily fined by the FDA for not being able to prove they actually do anything. So just do lots of research, and don't expect an overnight quick fix, there is no such thing.

Hang in there, and good luck
Nicole

 

[lovinaz]

I would advise against diet pills. I just don't think they work. You are better off eating right and exercising and saving your money for a reward when you reach your goal!

It's great that you have a buddy, that always helps stay on track. Keep up the good work!

 

[Penguin23]

So, I haven't posted on here for a couple of days because of two reasons. First, I haven't been keeping track of calories for a few days, on purpose, so I haven't had my diet on the brain. The other reason is because I was busy with something that cause me to have a HUGE letdown today.
I found out about a great job for me, and I applied and had a great interview. I fit all of the qualifications and then some, plus it would double our income (at least) and I was convinced that they were going to hire me. Well, they offered me a job, but it wasn't what I was going for, and to make a long story short, I'm devastated. Now I have to decide whether I want to take the job or keep my old job. Here are the pros and cons:
The new job is performing, which I've studied and I like to do and I'm good at. It's more money. It's also more hours, maybe strange or long hours. It would cause me to work on some Sundays and Wednesday evenings, times when I have church activites. It would be working with a girl who is my friend but who drives me crazy when I spend long periods of time with her. And lastly, it would be a job much lower than the job I applied (and am totally qualified) for.
The old job is not what I love to do, in fact I have little interest in it. It's less money, but also fewer hours and no weekends or nights or strange or long hours. I'm pretty low on the totem pole and it's not much fun. A pro is that I don't have a lot of responsibilities at this job. Unless I'm given something specific to do or I'm helping somebody, then I'm just sitting at a computer doing what I want.
I was so excited about the other job, because we have some debt that we want to get out of. We both want to have kids, but my husband wants to get out of debt first. I want to start trying for kids within two months, but we won't be out of debt until summer, unless I take this other job, in which case we may get out sooner than that.
So I'm at a total loss. I don't know what to do, and I'm so upset about it. The job I applied for was like a dream job, but the one they are offering me is not, so I'm so down right now.
I'll let you know what I decide! Oh yeah, about my diet and exercise... Yesterday I was so busy that I only ate one meal later in the evening, and today I'm not hungry because I'm so upset, so maybe that will work out for me. I haven't exercised in a few days, so I need to get back on track with that. Tomorrow I'll probably go running. I will update later!

 

[Penguin23]

Well, I think I'm going to take the new job (today, after deciding yesterday that I was going to take the old one), but the main factors are that I'll make more money, and therefore be able to get out of debt faster, and also that I'll be performing which I love to do, rather than sitting at a desk.
So here's the good news- I weighed 138.6 this morning! Yesterday I weighed 140.4 in the morning AND at night before bed, so I figured there was a good chance of breaking the barrier this morning, eventhough I wasn't feeling particularly slim. But anyway, I've said goodbye to the 140s, and I will not see them again until I'm very pregnant!!!!!!!!!!! I'm glad to have broken that plateau, but I know that I'll still have to work hard to keep losing. I need to up my exercise (which might not be a problem with my new job), and then I need to keep watching what I'm eating and not let my body get too used to a small number of calories. I think if I stick to about 1500 a day but then go back up to around 2000 one day a week, then it should help my metabolism to stay active. My appetite has gotten so used to 1500 that I actually have to struggle to fit in 2000, but that makes me happy. Now I also need to work on eating better foods, because while I'm not eating too much, I am eating too much of the wrong foods.
Well, I need to go do some more thinking and then call the new job. Please W.I.S.H me luck!

 

[Foxfiregrrl]

I think it is a good idea to take the new job even though it wasn't the dream job you had wanted. At least it is something you will enjoy and is related to your degree. That will help you down the road having it on your resume.

About the diet pills... I wouldn't recommend taking any Especially if you are considering trying to get pregnant in the next few months. I would just be nervous that it wouldn't be healthy for your body or the future baby's body. Just my thoughts though.

I think your exercise is AWESOME!! I need some of your energy...maybe I would have it if I exercised half as much as you do!

WAY TO GO!!! on getting down below 140! I knew you would get there!

Keep up the good work and keep us posted! Have a Great weekend too!

 

[Penguin23]

Yay, today I weighed 138.6 again! It is Sunday morning, and I am sitting here surrounded by food, and I am so hungry! In my church, we fast for 24 hours once a month, and that happens to be this weekend, so I can't eat until after church (which is from 3-6 this afternoon). Yesterday around 5:30 DH and I ate an entire large pizza and breadsticks and soda to get ready for our fast, and tonight I will be eating everything in sight! Tomorrow I'm going to start an actual diet plan to try to jumpstart some more weight loss, and I'm going to be posting on here to keep myself accountable.

Here is my plan:

1. no carbonated beverages except when I'm eating out
This way I will limit myself a great deal without totally getting rid of them, so I won't have bad cravings. I like to drink coke when I eat out, so it will seem even better if I'm not having it any other time. The reason for this goal is to try to tighten up my tummy by reducing bloating caused by carbonation.

2. eat around 1500 calories a day, except for one day a week where I will eat around 2000
I've gotten used to 1500 a day, so I eat about that much naturally now, but I don't want my metabolism to get used to it, so I'm going to cheat once a week to keep my metabolism active.

3. eat more fruits and vegetables, especially when I'm having a craving or am very hungry
I know I eat bad foods, and when I get hungry, I crave good-tasting stuff, so I'm going to try to get myself to start with something healthy first, before hitting the bad stuff, so hopefully I will eat less of the bad stuff, and I will get in my daily fruits and veggies.

4. don't eat when I'm not hungry
This is a big one for me, because I eat food because it tastes good. The other day I went through McDonalds and I wasn't really craving fries, but I got a small fry and ate it anyway. If I had listened to my stomach and just gotten the cheeseburger and coke that I wanted, I would have eaten fewer calories that I didn't need.

5. take a vitamin everyday
I need to start taking prenatal vitamins, so as soon as I get to the store and buy some, then I'll be taking one a day.

6. strength train 3-4 days a week
I need to focus on my abs and arms more than anything, especially since running tends to tone up the other areas, but I may incorporate other muscle groups. I'm going to be wearing show costumes again, and I need to look good! I hear there are belly shirts in one show... so yeah, abs...!

7. run as often as possible
With my new job, I'm worried that I won't be able to have a set schedule for running, but I will also be getting a ton of extra cardio by dancing at work. So whenever I have the time, I will run 1-3 miles or do interval training. I'm going to shoot for 3-4 times a week.

8. stretch every day
I want to do a good job dancing so I need to make sure that my leg and hip muscles are stretched out everyday, as well as the rest of my muscles. I also need to increase my back flexibility.

So those are the details of my plan. I hope I can stick with it. I'm going to post on here the results of how I did everyday, and then I'll hopefully post a summary at the end of each week to see how well I did. Every other week or so I'll post my measurements to see if they've changed, and I will post any new weight loss. Sounds good to me!

I'm a little stressed out today, and hardly slept at all last night, because I haven't been able to get in touch with the people at my new job. I still haven't told them that I'm taking the job yet. They offered it to me on Friday and I said I'd call them back later that day, but I was still undecided so I didn't. Now it looks like the human resources guy is off all this weekend, so I'm guessing I'll hear from him tomorrow morning. I know he's working tomorrow eventhough it's a holiday. I left a message on his machine and email, so hopefully he'll call me first thing. I can't imagine that they would recind their offer, but I still just want to have it set in stone. Plus, I'm going to be asking them for a higher position. The girl who took the supervising job I was going for (and would have been offered if she hadn't taken it) left another position which is one step up from the rest of the performers, and if they thought I was qualified for the first job, which I am, then they should give me this other job. Just to clarify, there are the performers, then the entertainment lead (who is also a performer, but above the rest of the performers), then the entertainment supervisor (who performs sometimes but also does office work and is above the lead and the performers). So since I didn't get the supervisor job, I'm going to ask for the lead position. The girl who took the supervising job told me that they were thinking of offering me the lead position but decided to wait until I had worked there a little while, so I figure if I push it on them maybe they will change their minds. If not, then after working there a month, I will push it on them again. It sounds like they are planning on me having it eventually but want me to work there for a bit first, which is dumb considering how I would have gotten the other, higher job without working there first... Anyway, it's stressing me out a little bit, and I'll feel better once it gets worked out and I start working there, so I know what to expect.

Well, I hope everyone is doing well! I feel bad because I don't have a ton of time to read other people's journals, but I'll try to do better with that. Thanks for everyone's comments on mine!

 

[Blueeyes101817]

Great job on getting out of the 140s and into the 130s!! Keep it up!!

 

[Penguin23]

I did a really bad job today, but oh well. I wasn't in the greatest mood all day and that's when I tend to give up on my eating and exercising plans. I'm not too concerned or upset, considering how well I've been doing, but I do need to step it up! Here's my disappointing results for today:

1. had one soda for dinner, which was Wendy's
2. ate about 2010 today, so I'll need to be good for the rest of the week!
3. well I had a baked potato, but other than that I did bad with this today- I need to go to the grocery store and buy some fruit and veggies, because we don't have many here right now
4. not bad- I didn't overeat today, just ate the wrong stuff
5. don't have vitamins yet
6. did not exercise today
7. see above
8. I'm going to go stretch right now while I watch the Golden Globe awards- at least I can get one thing right today!!!

Here's hoping for a better day tomorrow- and I'm starting my new job, so I'm excited!!! I've stayed at 138 for two days now, so I'm hoping it's for good! Now if I can stick to this plan, I should be able to lose more! I'm going home in six weeks, and I want to lose six pounds, so just one pound a week, and I can do it!!!

 

[Penguin23]

Okay this is for yesterday and today. I started my job yesterday, so I was exhausted when I got home, and today was even longer, but I have a little bit of time.

Yesterday:
1. had one soda with dinner :|
2. definitely didn't go over 1200- probably didn't even hit it
3. had a little salad, but not enough! :|
4. very good, but not necessarily my doing- at work I didn't get a chance to eat until 2ish (for the first time), and then dinner was just a cheeseburger at the school basketball game
5. no vitamins yet
6. when I got home I did 50 push ups, 50 tricep dips, and 200 crunches
7. no running, but I did spend at least an hour dancing, so that was cardio
8. stretched a little bit before bed :|

Today:
1. added a little 7-up to a cup of lemonade, other than that, none
2. hit close to 1200
3. I had an apple and a few tiny veggies on my lean cuisine panini :|
4. did well with this today- had just apple slices for breakfast, lean cuisine and apple slices and lemonade for lunch, then went through burger king for dinner on the way home- having a few oreos right now, but that's it for the day
5. getting vitamins tomorrow hopefully, so not today
6. no strength training today :|
7. no running, but I danced for probably close to three hours, so plenty of cardio!
8. I will stretch at least a little bit before bed :|

So I'm not doing so bad. I was proud of myself today for eating the lunch I had brought instead of buying lunch at the park. I'll probably bring my lunch most of the time, especially since the park food isn't that great. Apple slices are great, because I buy them in a bag all sliced up, which is good for me because I'm really picky with foods, and whatever it takes to get me to eat fruit or vegetables is worth it. I'm going to try to drink mostly water during the day, especially just to stay hydrated at work. Right now I'm dancing a lot to get into the show, but once I start performing, I'll only be dancing the show once a day at the most, so I'll need to get back into running in the evenings or maybe mornings. I don't know if it's good or bad, but I'm feeling the pressure to get thin and especially tighten up my abs because I'm working with performers and most of them are really fit, plus there is a show I'll learn eventually that has some revealing costumes, so I really need to get a move on! Hopefully the job will help me to lose the weight even faster, but we'll see!

Till tomorrow...

 

[lovinaz]

Sounds like things are going well. Did you get the higher position that you were asking for? I'm sure with all that extra exercise the weight will come off, just be diligent with your eating and make sure your calories are coming from healthy choices.

 

[Blueeyes101817]

Things seem to be going well--keep it up and have a great weekend

 

[Penguin23]

Well, I've been doing a pretty crappy job this week. It was my first week at work, and I worked five full days in a row, so I've been tired. I realize that's normal for most people, but this is the first time I've had a full time job, and it's up on my feet all day long and dancing for part of it. Anyway, I'm enjoying it and having a good time so far. And no, I didn't get the higher position that I originally applied for- a friend of mine who has worked there for a long time decided at the last minute to take it, so I was just offered a full time performing position, which I took. However, this same friend was a step above the rest of the entertainers and now that she's moving up, that position will be open, and I don't know when they will be looking to fill it (they might not right away), but when they do, I think I will apply and get it. The only other girls who I think would be possibilities are part time, and I don't think they can get it being part time.

Anyway, like I said, I haven't been doing a very good job with my diet and exercise, but I'm ready to get back on track! The past few days I've been back up to 140, which sucks for me, but I think that if I can have a few good days then I'll be right back where I started. I should have another day off on Tuesday or Thursday and I'll go grocery shopping then so we have good choices at home.
It's hard to work at this job because most of the other girls are more in shape than I am, and some of them are pretty thin. So I'm definitely feeling the pressure to lose weight! It's hard for me to stay motivated because I want to look good as a performer, but I won't be a performer for much longer, and when I'm at home with kids I probably won't be so concerned about being really thin or in shape as much. I feel like by the time I get to where I want to be it will be time to stop performing and be a mom. Well, I still want to lose weight, so I'm going to do it, regardless of what happens in a few months. I need to not equate having children with giving up my performing career. I won't be able to do whatever I want for periods of time, but even with kids, I could be in a show every once in awhile, so I should definitely stay in shape. I'm also getting to an age where a lot of parts are going to be available to me. I'm still young enough looking to be able to play teenagers, but mature enough to play adults, so I need to take advantage of that.

Well enough rambling, let's get on with my poor habits:

Thursday: overall rating-
1. had one soda with dinner
2. probably ate around 1500, maybe more
3. some apple slices, caesar salad, and some corn on the cob
4. didn't overeat or eat when I wasn't hungry, just ate the wrong stuff
5. bought vitamins, but didn't have one on this day
6. no strength training
7. no running, but some dancing for cardio
8. stretched a little at work

Friday:
1. no soda!
2. ate way too much (went to chilis for dinner and splurged)
3. a few pieces of celery
4. ate more than I needed!
5. had a vitamin!
6. no strength training
7. no running, but danced a little
8. stretched a little at work

Saturday (today):
1. a little bit of soda at work and one for dinner
2. ate chilis leftovers, so not necessarily good stuff, but didn't overeat, probably around 1500 calories
3. some veggies in my eggroll
4. ate when hungry, plus a little bit of goodies after work which were given to us by the kitchen staff
5. had a vitamin!
6. will do 200 crunches before bed
7. no running, but danced in a show which was good hard cardio for 20 minutes
8. will stretch before bed

I think I started on Monday, so after tomorrow I will do a summary of how I'm doing and I may reorganize my goals to be able to focus on some of them more. I really want to crack down because I still don't feel like I've been strict with myself at all yet, so I need to get down to it!!! Tomorrow is the start of actually trying for me!

 

[Foxfiregrrl]

I think you are doing a good job! It is hard to work on all of those goals and then to start a new job on top of it all! I was in a similar situation last March when I started my current job. It is a lot of things that you have to focus on. You just have to do the best that you can. You may end up having to prioritize your goals and work on strengthening one each week or something. Like this week focus on fruits and veggies, next week vitamins, the next week running... or whatever. Then once you have had your focus week hopefully that aspect will come a little more easily for you.

Good Luck! You can do it!

 

[Penguin23]

Sunday:
1. one soda with dinner
2. ate just about 1500 calories
3. no fruits or veggies
4. ate too many sweets
5. vitamin!
6. 200 crunches
7. no cardio
8. stretched

Here's the summary:
1. drank soda when I wasn't out to eat, but not too much
2. ate over 1500 more than one day, but stuck to it most of the days
3. hardly ate any fruits and veggies
4. ate mostly just when I was hungry but caved for some sweets on several days
5. got my vitamins and started taking them each day
6. a few days of strength training, though not much at a time
7. no running, just some dance cardio
8. some stretching

All in all, a pathetic week. I weighed 140.0 this morning, so I'm hoping to be back at 138 really fast, so I can then concentrate on getting down to 135, which will be my next goal. That is my current lying weight, so it will be nice to actually get there and lower my lying weight.
I did a bad job this week, but I'm going to do better next week, and I'm also going to change these goals. There are too many and I need to focus better.

Here are my goals for this next week:
1. drink mostly water
I crave juice sometimes, but I've gotten over my need for soda, so if I can drink juice when I feel like I really need it and water the rest of the time, then I think I'll be doing good.
2. 30 minutes of cardio everyday
If I'm working, then there is an automatic 20 minute of cardio if I do a show, and if I'm not working, then I should be able to fit it in easily. The one exception I will allow is Sundays. If I don't workout on Sundays that is okay.
3. Abs, arms, and stretch
Those are my two areas that I'd like to tone and define, so I'm going to spend more time on them and rely on mostly cardio to get the rest of my body where it needs to be. I'd like to aim for abs and arms workouts every day, along with about 10 minutes of stretching each session.
4. 1200-1500 calories per day, including healthy foods
I'll still allow the occasional cheat day to keep my metabolism active, but otherwise I'll stick to 1200-1500.

This whittles my plan down to eating right, strength training and stretching, cardio, and drinking water and eliminating sugary and carbonated drinks. I really want to look good, regardless of how much longer I'll be a performer, so I'm ready to just do this! I will continue to report each day on here, because it's helping me stay motivated. On Tuesday I have a day off again so then I will measure myself and see how I'm doing.

 

[Penguin23]

Monday 22nd:
1. drank mostly water today, along with a little bit of diet cherry 7-up
2. ran a 10 minute mile, then did a 30 minute Biggest Loser workout from the dvd (difficult!)
3. the workout included a lot of arm work and stretching, tomorrow I will focus on abs
4. just about 1500 today

So I feel like I did pretty well today. I grazed basically all day without any major meals, but I bought a lot of healthy foods at the grocery store today that I can bring to work for lunch, so I think it's going to be a good week. I had today off because it snowed (in Tucson!), and tomorrow is a regular day off, so that's three days off in a row! I'm using it to my advantage by working out and running and getting other stuff done. I'm hoping for a weigh in around 138 tomorrow morning, but we'll see about that. If I work hard this week, I think I should be able to get down another pound or two, which would be awesome! I know I'm shooting for 125, but even if I get to 130, I'll be in great shape, and that's only 8 pounds away. Here's hoping for a good day tomorrow!

 

[Penguin23]

Hooray! I weighed in at 138.8 this morning, and 138.6 has been my lowest weight so far. And I have a day off today, so that gives me the chance to work out and control my eating really well, so I'm hoping to be down even more tomorrow. I'd like to see 137 or even 136 by the end of this week. As long as I don't go back up, I'm on the road to my goal of 132 by the first of March. Today I'm planning on running three miles and doing some serious ab work. I will report later tonight!

 

[Penguin23]

I'm not keeping this up too well, but anyway, yesterday I had about 1600 calories and I danced heavily for about 40 minutes and played basketball for 20 minutes, so I got in a lot of cardio. Today I walked around at work for a long time (got the sunburn to prove it!), along with 20 minutes of dancing, and I had about 1300 calories. I've been at 139.2 for the past two days, and I'm hoping to be down tomorrow morning. It sucks to be losing weight so slowly! Work is tough, just because of the long hours and amount of activity, but it's got to be good for me! Eventhough I don't have time for many of my own workouts, every day at work is like a workout, so that's helpful.

 

[Penguin23]

Well, it's been two weeks since I weighed 138, and I still have yet to see 137. I can't believe that I can't even lose one pound every two weeks! That's pretty sad. At the same time, though, I totally skipped 139, so maybe I'll wake up one day and be 136! That would be great, because that was the weight I was at before I went on vacation for a month and gained 8 pounds. So I'm not sure what I want to do, because truthfully, I'm actually feeling pretty good about the way I look now. I'm technically about 6 pounds overweight, which is not bad at all, and I've definitely toned up a bit over the past few months, so if I were to stay at this weight and body shape and size for the rest of my life, I'd be happy. However, I realize that with age and children come body changes, so I know I need to continue with healthy eating and exercise habits.
That being said, I'm still going to continue my weight loss efforts for now. I think right now what is holding me back is intense exercise. I think that because I have not been overeating at all. Work has been hard this week, so I haven't been doing extra exercise, but at work I walk at least an hour a day and dance heavily for 20-40 minutes, so I do get somewhat of a workout everyday. Maybe the reason I'm not losing weight is because work is causing me to gain some muscle. In that case, I should see some weight loss soon as I start burning more fat. I haven't been eating particularly healthy foods, but I haven't been going overboard on bad foods either. I haven't counted calories in a few days, but I know I haven't been going over.

I'm happy with my positive outlook on my body right now, especially considering how I work with a group of girls who are mostly in better shape and thinner than I am, but I'm starting to not care about that. I definitely want to look good and not let myself go, but I'm not concerned with being skinny, because I just am starting to not care about what other people think. When I'm a stay at home mom, I'm going to continue to exercise and eat healthily to stay in shape and to stay healthy myself, but I'm not going to worry about what other people think of me. The most important thing is that I'm healthy and that I can do things with my children. And being 6 pounds overweight is not going to prevent those things.
Anyway, all that being said, I'm still going to try to push forward with my weight loss goals to at least get to a good healthy weight. I know that running is the best way for me to lose weight quickly, so I'm going to start running as often as I can and just deal with it if I had a long hard day and go out anyway. Even if I run just a mile or two a day, that will make a big difference, I know. And now it's getting lighter out later, so when I get home at 6, there is still plenty of daylight left.

Okay, so that's all I have to say for now. I'm going to push hard this week and try to make it to 137, because I know I can do it!

 

[Foxfiregrrl]

I think you are doing a good job of staying on track. I think that you are probably gaining a lot of muscle at your new job. I would try to worry less about what the scale says! It sounds like you are doing a better job at that these days which is excellent! The most important thing on this journey is realizing that you are doing this for yourself and your health, not for what the scale says or what anyone else thinks!!

Keep up the good work!! And keep trying to get those healthy foods into your diet! They will help alot!

Have a great week!

 

[Penguin23]

Okay, so I have a plan for this week- for the next five days. I'm working Monday through Saturday with the exception of Thursday, and Saturday my husband, brother-in-law, and mother-in-law are coming to the park, then we are going to a late night show up in Phoenix, so we'll be going out to eat that night. Also, that is fast weekend, so I have to eat a big huge meal on Saturday night! So my plan is to be hard core from Monday (tomorrow) through Friday. That's only five days, and I'll have a fun night and eating out to look forward to on Saturday. What I want to do is eat very well each day- with the right foods and lots of vegetables, drink water more than anything else (only water if I can do it), and no soda or eating out. I have a bunch of lean cuisines that I can take to work, and I will be getting home each day this week in time to make myself dinner at home. I have cereal bars for breakfast which will hold me over until lunch. For exercise, I plan to run each day when I get home from work and at least do an ab workout before bed. When I can, I will add in arm workouts and extra toning and/or cardio. On Thursday, my day off, I will run 5k and do extra strength training. I think that since this is just a short period of time I'm sticking to this, when temptation arises, I can just remind myself that it's just five days and then I have an excuse to eat a ton for one day. Then I will have 24 hours of fasting, and then I'll see what I want to do for next week. It all starts tomorrow morning, so here goes nothing!