Support Group - 10 lbs or less

[kolohe_lady]

Hey everyone! Welcome Kate! Just checking in, seems so very slow around here! How are everyone's holidays going?

I had planned on taking some time off of running this winter. But then my Dad and sister signed up for the Surf City Half Marathon in February and invited me along. Couldn't pass up an excuse to go to Southern California in the dead of winter and sneak in some more Disneyland time! So now I need to get back on my running routine. Plus it will help me to not gain 10 lbs this winter like I did last winter. So far I've been lazy, using the snowy coldness and inversions (annoying weather phenomenon that causes cold air and pollution to get trapped in the valleys. Exercising outdoors is strongly discouraged.) as an excuse to not go running outside. Not a huge fan of treadmills so haven't been running inside much either. Soooo . . . not starting off well. But I'm determined to hit the treadmill after work today. I've also been doing some expirimenting with the weight machine at the gym. Haven't used one since probably high school, but slowly getting the hang of it again. I've been working out with my free weights pretty regularly, but needing some variety to achieve the results I want.

Hope everyone is doing well and will stop by and write a little. This is the time of year we all need a little extra support!

 

[MommyMcQueen]

Hi everyone! Welcome Kate!

Karen - so sorry to hear about your grandma.
Kolohe - congrats on the next half and trip to Disney!

Been a while since I've posted...and I guess it's been awhile since I've exercised in any kind of a regular fashion!! Winter in Wisconsin has hit and I've run a few times outside - we still don't have snow but it is COLD out there. I ran a couple weeks ago when it was about 40 degrees and a bit breezy, and I was frigid the entire time and for hours afterward when I got home - so no more outdoor running for me, I just can't tackle this cold (I'm one of those people who is always cold, and I really hate being cold).

So, I did manage to hop on my elliptical a couple of times here and there - nothing consistent at all. And it shows - I had been up 3-4 pounds from my lowest in August, and now I'm up 5, yes 5 pounds. UGH. I feel like such a failure...how could I let myself do this again? Now with Xmas, my goal is to just not gain more - make it through the holidays and try to start fresh with a new year and start losing again. In the end I'm still down 15 pounds this year but I'm still 8 pounds from my goal. So it's not all that bad...could be worse.

I miss running terribly and I've been considering getting a treadmill or a gym membership - both are expenses that we really don't need right now. I have my elliptical (and DVDs and Wii games) and need to use it! But I do miss running outside - the fresh air, feeling strong and fit while I ran, and the sense of accomplishment when I finished. Spring can't get here fast enough!!! I miss training for an event!

Hope everyone is doing well! I'll try to post more and hope everyone else can too!

 

[ohMom]

morning everyone

MMQ -- try watching craigslist for a gently used treadmill. i bought mine at a garage sale for $100, so many people buy new and hardly ever use.

my weight is at a standstill as well, my frustration grows with the local dr as my labs are still not consistent enough for him to give me an official diagnosis. I am seriously considering a trip to CA to see one of the 2 experts in the country. i've been visiting a message board like this, but for people with the diagnosis or trying to get one. it's crazy to think in modern medical times, there is no definative test or universal protocol. well there is that but it's very outdated according to the latest research.

so -- i'm very depressed too about my weight --

let's hang in there together -- we have our first holdiay meal this Sun. thankfully it's at my house so i can sorta control the offerings. Then straight into my annual cookie-baking marathon with my aunt and mom.

 

[KarenAylwood]

Been a while again since I've posted but I need to keep up posting to get through the holidays!!

A little victory on Wednesday night- DF really wanted a sonic blast (the new holiday one) and I said I'd go with him but I wasn't getting one. I knew once we got there that I'd probably cave so I looked up how many calories are in one before we left (DF didn't know I was doing this and holy cow it was 864 calories!). When we got there I ordered a diet cherry limeade

Last night though we had a Christmas dinner with friends and I ate too much. I wasn't horrible but I snacked a lot beforehand. I only had two mini cupcakes for dessert and didn't fill my plate with food but ate way too much mac and cheese. I was up 1.5 lbs this morning (although yesterday morning I was down 1.5lbs) so who knows where I'll be tomorrow morning. We have another party tomorrow night too, but will be less focused on eating and more on drinking (not that either is great for my thighs!).

Another great thing this week- I ran TWICE before SUNRISE!! It was dark and temps were at 25 (feels like 15) with winds gusting at 20mph. I did 3 miles on Tues and 3.5 yesterday. They were my first cold weather runs and weren't horrible (but weren't great either!). I'm officially training for the Princess Half now so I want to stick to the training schedule as well as possible.

I'm also thinking about wedding weight and I need to get serious to get down 8-10lbs before the wedding in September.

Welcome Kate!! Awesome job on losing the weight for your wedding

MMQ- I second OhMom's treadmill suggestion. I want one once DF and I start trying for kids so I can run inside instead of going to the gym when he/she is a baby.

OhMom- All I can really offer is and we're here to listen! It does sound like flying to CA might be one of hte better options if you can't find a diagnosis soon.

kohlohe~ I read recently that putting the treadmill at an incline of 1% makes it closer to running outside. Not sure if it's true but it definitely worked me harder! Goodluck training. I'm already worried about mine!

 

[MommyMcQueen]

Hi all! Hope everyone is doing well and looking forward to the holidays!

OhMom - so sorry to hear that you are feeling so down - it has got to be very discouraging. Seeing a specialist may be the right thing to do if you ware not getting anywhere with your current docs...there has got to be an answer somewhere!

KarenA - sounds like you are doing great and have great willpower! YEAH for September - it will come fast!

Thanks for the suggestion to look for a treadmill on Craigslist - I never think to look there! So I did look around a little on there, and did a little reasearch on getting the right kind of treamill to run on - still a long ways to go before I'd feel ready to get one, but I'll keep looking for sure.

For whatever reason, today I'm feeling really good. I've been off those hormone pills about 3 weeks now and can honestly say I feel like a different person - I actually want to go exercise today and feel like I have the energy to do so! My headaches are lessening, althoughI still get them several days a week, not as severe as when I was on the hormones. I feel like I'm coming out of a fog or something....

So, DH and I set up a little area in our basement to workout - we moved the elliptical and his bike over and we have our old TV down there now (early Xmas for DH was a new tv) so I still have to hhok up an old DVD player then I can do my videos down there. I want to get back into the schedule of working out when DH gets home - so from 4-5pm today I'm going to go down and work out! And I'm going to try to do this everyday.

I think I've decided on a new half to train for! It is the Green Bay marathon/half marathon in May. I kind of want to register now so that it's final, but not sure due to the medical issues right now if I should - if I would end up having to have that surgery then I'd be out and have wasted the entry fee. So, we'll see...but MAY! 5 months! My plan is to start working out and and strength training, then by March start running outside again. I'd have about 10 weeks of running outdoors to train, so I think I can do it - it should be enough time. (and if I can get a treadmill before then that would be even better.) I love the idea of having a goal race out there to train for...really helps with my motivation! I've already set up my training schedule!

Oh - my eating has been just awful....really really horrible. Christmas. Cookies. Need I say more?? And I can really feel it. I haven't been drinking hardly any water lately either, so I'm keeping a water bottle with me at all times now - need to increase the water and stop eating cookies!!!

Hope everyone has a great holiday!

 

[bellem04]

Have not posted in a while.

Right after Halloween the girls got the stomach bug. I really thought I was coming down with it and went to the doctors and found out I was having a gallbladder attack.
I now don't own a gallbladder. Still a little sore but, I feel so, much better.

 

[MommyMcQueen]

bellm04 - Hope you are feeling better - so sorry to hear about your gallbladder surgery! I had mine taken out a few years ago - it's painful! I hope your feeling better these days!

Well just when I was feeling better, ready to start exercising again and getting geared up with a event to work toward - I was hit with the worst cold I've had in like 5 years. I seriously haven't been this sick in like, forever! I've had a horrible head cold for just over 2 weeks now, and it's still pretty bad today, so it'll probably be a few more days until I'm actually over it. Ugh..I hate being sick. The can handle the stuffiness, sore throat and coughing, but the headaches are kililng me...I sometimes wish my head would just explode already!!

So between Xmas eve dinner, Xmas day dinner, Xmas cookies and candy, a few high caloric beverages, and ZERO exercise (and lots of laying around and sleeping from being sick) I'm sure my weight is up another couple of pounds. But I'm ready for a fresh start with the new year here, and talked to DH today about registering for the half in May! He told me to go for it! So once I'm over this cold I can't wait to start exercising again and counting down the days until I can go run outside! It was over 40 degrees here yesterday and today, I so wanted to go out and run but am just too sick...I was so sad that I could not go.

Tomorrow we're having family over for New Years Day and the Rose Bowl (Go Badgers!) and we'll be having quite a bit of junk food...snacky stuff. I'm sure it won't be a good day for eating so I'm telling myself "moderation" - you can have some...just not all!!!

So I usually make New Years Resolutions regarding weight loss and exercise. Last years was to lose 25 pounds. I lost 20 of it but have gained 5 back, so I sort of stuck to last years resolution. This years will be about the same - lose the weight and keep it off. But I also added: Run at least 1 half marathon. Anyone else have a new years resolution?

Hope everyone had a great holiday and is doing well!

 

[bellem04]

MommyMcQueen, I hope you start feeling better soon.


I had to recover fast because the next day after surgery my 5 year old daughter came down with head to toe poison ivy. Thanks to my husband for bringing that home. Got her over that and had to take her to the doctors the following week for croup. She is doing better but, the rest of the house is under the weather. I hope they keep it all to themselves.

Happy New Years All!!!

 

[jodeja]

Hello DISers!

My goal is to lose 10-15 pounds. I really care more about my clothing size and how I look and feel than the pounds, but having said that - the pounds are definitely up to an unacceptable number right now!

I did run my first ever half marathon (at 38 years old) this summer! But, unfortunately, while training for the half I strained my back while moving my washing machine I had to put my training on hold and start physical therapy. I did manage to complete the race and then had a fabulous week at Disneyland right after, but then had to put running on hold for 3 months because my back got worse.
It is so disappointing that after being able to complete the half and getting to a point where I was getting a lot of compliments on my looks and feeling great, only 6 months later and I am up in weight and feeling blobbier than before I started the training. Sorry for the whining

So, hopefully, this is a place where I can find some encouragement & motivation and maybe even help someone else!

A very important goal I have is to get more vegetables and fruit into our diet, and replace a lot of the junk. Since reading Michael Pollan's Food Rules, I have been switching to more natural/less processed foods, but it's a roller coaster of successes and set backs.
Last night I made "rainbow rice" for the boys. I made rice in the rice cooker with some homemade chicken stock and bay leaves for flavor. While that was cooking I sauteed some garlic, onions, leeks, and mushrooms (all very finely chopped) in olive oil. Then I added chopped green peppers, red peppers, and orange peppers. I also added some cajun spice for a little kick. After cooking a couple minutes I added some homemade chicken stock, let it simmer a couple minutes. Then I served the veggies and sauce over the rice. I added cilantro and lime on the plate. It was really pretty and tasted good! It definitely got the boys to eat more vegggies than they normally do. Now, I just need to do things like this a lot more often!

 

[jodeja]

Oh yeah, I forgot to add: my name is Janell and I am a sugar addict!

 

[ohMom]

Janell! your rice sounds delish! i am a sugar-addict too

how is everyone? i'm trying to get back into a regular routine after the holidays. still working on putting my house back together and getting all the decorations packed up too. unfortunately there has been no change in my health over the past month to report, but i did take the plunge and schedule an appt with a endocrinologist who specializes in difficult diagnosing -- in california! my appt is March 1. until then i'm going to take it day by day and focus on getting in exercising and see if I can tone back up the cellulite that is taking over! blech! ugh!

 

[KarenAylwood]

Welcome Janell! That rainbow rice sounds great- maybe DF will eat it if the veggies are cut up small It's a battle somtimes to get him to eat veggies but he's been better since our new years resolution to lose weight!

We've got a little more than 8 months until our wedding!! I can't believe the time has flown by. We were engaged over 5 months ago. Nuts. Wedding planning is going well and now we're working on getting fit!! Both of us are work-out-aholics but over the holidays we slipped and ate way too much. We both love food and DF is a huge fan of sweets so we slipped a lot. I was up 7 lbs from where I was before leaving for Disney in early Sept! I was doing so well!!

DF started the Insanity program on Monday and I'm in full swing of training for the Disney Princess Half Marathon. Since New Years I'm down 3.6lbs. My goal is to lose about 9 more. The wedding is new motivation We're both working out 6 days a week now. Although with all the New Years Resolutioners at the gym I want to SCREAM!! I can't wait for Feb for some of them to start to drop off.

Goodluck everyone in the New Year!!

OhMom~ Goodluck with Cali. I really hope you can find someone to shed some light on your situation!!

 

[MommyMcQueen]

Welcome Janelle!

OhMom-glad to hear you made the appointment with the specialist! I hope he's able to help.

Karen-Hope your half training is going well! The race is coming up fast!

I'm doing okay...hanging in there considering I'm still sick - now on Week 4 of a horrible cold - I just can't seem to get over it- I'm starting to feel a little tiny bit better each day but to look at me I still look and sounds really sick! But I have more energy this last week and have been able to function and not spend all day on the recliner in a blanket...so that is good!

This week dh and I started our diets - been counting my calories again and tracking my food - it's been going suprisingly well and I weighed myself this morning and was down 1.5 from a couple of days ago. I've really noticed a big difference in my food intake, and I can tell I'm hungry at bedtime. But I haven't really been all that hungry during the day (I think it's the cold I have affecting that) but I also have not been exercising at all yet, which I'll start doing as soon as I breathe clearly again and am not completely congested.

I've been seeing people outside running and I can't wait to get back out there! I miss it! Hope everyone has a good weekend!

 

[MommyMcQueen]

I finally worked out today!!! Okay it's the 17th of January...so much for News Years Resolutions! But I did 50 minutes on my elliptical and it wasn't bad...felt good actually. Also finally mostly over my cold - enough that I could go and work out and not cough the entire time and I could breathe clearly. So it was good...a good first step!

Diet has been a yo-yo thus far. Was tracking and doing okay, didn't lose anything but was feeling better, then our weekends were terrible and we went out a few times. So, I need more consistency and to exercise. Started South Beach again today - doing a bit of a modified stage 1 - allowing myself 1 carby item per day - today it was a 1 slice of whole wheat bread. Only 12 carbs and it was whole wheat, so I'm not going to feel too bad about it. Last time I only lasted 1 week on Stage 1 but did lose a couple pounds, so I'm hoping I can jumpstart some weight loss with this diet and exercising. Long ways to go though!

Hope everyone is doing well!!!

 

[MommyMcQueen]

Wow is it quiet in here lately! Hope everyone is doing well and can update soon!

I had a really good week for the first time in about 3 months! I finally got back on the wagon here and am feeling great. I started using my elliptical this week, worked out Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and will today too. I have so much more energy now that I'm exercising again - feels great.

I also started the South Beach diet again this week - and it is going great! The first 2 days I was feeling quite hungry a lot, but the last 2 days have been great - adjusting to the restrictions and really not feeling hungry between meals at all. I have been having a little bit of a hard time getting to 1200 calories each day, most days I've been short, one day I was under 1000 but I ate a lot and wasn't hungry. The headaches I had the first couple days are gone too, so I'm really excited that I've made it this far. Last time I did SB I only made it 4-5 days and I was completely misreable, so I'm hoping this time I can do the full 2 weeks on Stage 1.

So with all of this I'm down 4 pounds this week! That is unheard of for me, I really can't believe it...although I did lose about that last time I did SB too. I still have 6 pounds to lose to get to where I was in August. But I'm headed in the right direcion at least!

This weekend will be a challenge though - tonight we are going out to dinner and I've already studied the nutritional info for the restaurant online so I know what I can get (it will be a salad, not suprisingly), and Sunday we are having family over the the Packer game, so that will be the hardest part of my weekend - not eating all the wrong foods there. Hope everyone has a good weekend!

 

[kolohe_lady]

Hello everybody!

I haven't been checking in too often lately. Work has been crazy crazy busy, so not as much time to play on the web. Busy is good for making my shifts go by faster and bigger paychecks, but not sure how much longer my wrists and hands are gonna hold out at this pace.

I've been doing fairly well on my working out and eating. My next half-marathon is in 2 weeks, ran 8.3 miles today and did my new ab DVD. (Then discovered the water had been shut off for emergency repairs. Yay.) I've been doing a lot more strength training lately and really enjoying the results. I almost have a butt! I've never had one in my entire life before, even when I was super chunky back in the day. Lovehandles, yes. Butt or chest, no. So not fair.

I thought I sailed through the holidays without gaining any weight, but it seems it just took it's time showing up. All of December and the first week of January I stayed pretty stable. Then about a week and a half ago, BOOM, 5 lbs in 2 days. GAAAAHHH!! Frustrating, to say the least. I've been able to get about half of that off. Hope it stays gone this time. Losing and gaining the same 5 lbs over and over and over gets old quick.

Hope you all are having a good year so far!

 

[pixiedust23]

I haven't been back here in months, but I'm still at the same point I was. I'd like to lose about 5 more pounds, and I'm currently using the new weight watchers program to help, but to be honest, it's just not working at all! I work out at least 5 times a week (a combination of jogging, elliptical, bike, and weights). Has anyone found anything that REALLY works well?

 

[kolohe_lady]

I haven't been back here in months, but I'm still at the same point I was. I'd like to lose about 5 more pounds, and I'm currently using the new weight watchers program to help, but to be honest, it's just not working at all! I work out at least 5 times a week (a combination of jogging, elliptical, bike, and weights). Has anyone found anything that REALLY works well?

That's so frustrating!! Have if you tried changing things up a bit? If you've been doing the same kinds of workouts for a few months, perhaps your body has become too accustomed to it. Maybe try throwing in something like kickboxing or Zumba in place of elliptical or bike for a couple weeks, or trying different moves in your weight lifting. Keep trying, you'll figure it out!

Leaving Friday night to head out for the Surf City half on Sunday. Wasn't able to get as many runs in as I'd like due to bad weather, but I think I'll be ok. I did 10 miles the other day, and I figure if I can do 10 miles up here at altitude, I should be able to handle 13.1 at sea level. I'm excited to run along the pacific coast highway, and of course to go to Disneyland while we're so nearby!

It's been so quiet in here! How is everyone doing? What do you have going on?

 

[MommyMcQueen]

Kolohe - good luck this weekend! I've read some race reports about Surf City - it looks like a great event and quite scenic!

Things here have been a roller coaster! After my first great week on South Beach, I completely plateaued - my weight stayed the EXACT SAME for 5 days (I know I shouldn't have weighted myself every single day but I was so sure it would go down one day!). I was doing SB and exercising every day. I got very discouraged and decided to start back with some carbs, I was having a hard time getting to 1200 calories each day and wondered if maybe I wasn't eating enough...as odd as it sounds. So, I haven't weighted myself in over a week now and I'm sure I haven't been losing. Then last week my elliptical broke! Overuse I guess! We have the parts ordered, just needs a couple new washers or something - easy fix but a PITA and now I haven't exercised since it went down on last weekend.

In good news...I registered yesterday for a half marathon in May! I had been waiting and wating, and watching the registration cap quickly approaching. I looked yesterady and it was 95%, so I figured I better do it now or be ready to be disappointed if I can't do it. I really have my doubts (again) that I'll be ready to do one in May, but I think if I would not have registered I'd be really disappointed. I like having a goal to work toward and I have a training plan all set up for starting to run outside again the first week of March. So between now and then I need to start strength training a bit, and hopefully we'll have the elliptical fix by next week. I'm hoping for a good spring and that I can get outside and run again soon!

Hope everyone is doing well!

 

[jodeja]

Thank you so much for all of the Welcomes! This is the most welcomed I have been on a thread.

Although with all the New Years Resolutioners at the gym I want to SCREAM!! I can't wait for Feb for some of them to start to drop off.

That is too funny!

now on Week 4 of a horrible cold - I just can't seem to get over it-

We were also sick on and off for a month. From the end of December to the end of January. My DS10 even got walking pneumonia. Poor little guy. I missed almost two weeks of work during that time, so the exercise and diet were definitely put on the back burner.

Losing and gaining the same 5 lbs over and over and over gets old quick.

You sure hit the nail on the head there!

Considering all of the sickness we went through last month, I am happy with how the month went and where I ended up.
The last 2 weeks of December and first half of January I was exercising 3-4 times per week. I was focusing on just getting back into it and trying to do more intervals instead of focusing on a certain mileage. I started tracking my workouts and my weight on my calendar. I get a green star sticker if I exercise at least 3 times in one week and a red star if I go the whole week with no fast food (this is hard because of our busy schedule). There were 2 times where the kids were asking for McDonald's and I took them because they hadn't eaten much in days due to being sick and I was just so happy they had an appetite for something so I let them get it, but I didn't have anything there. I just waited until I got home and made a yummy veggie stir fry for myself.
I admire those that can do South Beach or Weight Watchers. I have tried WW many times and I always lose weight, but it just feels too restrictive to me and I always quit and gain the weight back. I SO admire those who can stay on it and say "It doesn't even feel like a diet!" It feels like a diet the whole time to me.
My role model has been my best friend who lost 40 pounds over 2 years. Yes, two years. But she looks stunning! And she did it in such a manageable way that it really, truly is not a diet. It is just the way she eats now. I want to take that same approach to losing my 10ish pounds. I have a goal to lose 2-3 pounds a month. That way it (hopefully) won't be an eating plan that I go "on" and then go "off". Make sense?
If I normally would have eaten 2 quesadillas, I just eat one (with a big glass of water) and then if I'm still hungry I eat an apple. If I would normally eat a bowl of pasta, I am trying to eat 2/3 of that amount. I have also stopped eating dessert so often. We used to have dessert almost every night! And guess what? I just stopped serving it and the kids don't even ask for it! So it really was MY sweet tooth that was driving that habit.
I also read the book French Women Don't Get Fat and it was very enjoyable. I am sort of loosely following that philosophy. Eat slowly. Eat just until you're not hungry any more, but not full. Drink lots of water. Eat natural, healthy, good quality food instead of processed. I bought some new items at the store that have really made my cooking more exciting.
So, the results so far are that I am down about 4 pounds for my efforts in January! My bathroom scale is actually the non-digital kind that has the teeny tiny lines and the needle so sometimes it's hard to see the exact line it's on, especially when I'm blurry-eyed first thing in the morning!
Oh, another health-related thing I did recently. I went online and took the Real Age test. I am 38, will be 39 (scary!) in April and my "Real Age" is 39.9 I guess that's not too bad, but I was really hoping that I was younger than my real age.

Oh dear. looks like I wrote a novel here. I'll have to check-in more often so I'm not recapping a month next time