When Did I Get Voted Off of Skinny Island & Why is This Fat Shadow Stalking Me?

[ancestry]

-2.5 pounds lost this week. 5 pounds total lost to date!

 

[Mndisneygirl]

-4 for the week!!! YAY!

All that walking must have helped! As far as I can tell, that was the main difference, plus maybe drinking more water. I have just been eating healthier choices and smaller amounts of food generally. I wanted to track at least what I was eating, but haven't counted calories. I'm a bit too lazy for that. I knew that I had to up the exercise because I didn't do much of anything previously.

I'll PM you Dawn. Hope all your packing etc. goes smoothly for a great trip!

 

[TB'sWidow]

Well I'm down another -1 slow going which is best I guess. have a good trip Dawn and thanks again. Mary

 

[Dizneydawn]

Duchie and everybody - here si a great article on water and how much and why from an article I found:

Why You Need to Drink Water
Your body is estimated to be about 60 to 70 percent water. Blood is mostly water, and your muscles, lungs, and brain all contain a lot of water. Your body needs water to regulate body temperature and to provide the means for nutrients to travel to all your organs. Water also transports oxygen to your cells, removes waste, and protects your joints and organs.
Signs of Dehydration
You lose water through urination, respiration, and by sweating. If you are very active, you lose more water than if you are sedentary. Diuretics such as caffeine pills and alcohol result in the need to drink more water because they trick your body into thinking you have more water than we need.
Symptoms of mild dehydration include chronic pains in joints and muscles,lower back pain, headaches and constipation. A strong odor to your urine, along with a yellow or amber color indicates that you may not be getting enough water. Note that riboflavin, a B Vitamin, will make your urine bright yellow. Thirst is an obvious sign of dehydration and in fact, you need water long before you feel thirsty.

How Much Water do You Need to Drink?
A good estimate is to take your body weight in pounds and divide that number in half. That gives you the number of ounces of water per day that you need to drink. For example, if you weigh 160 pounds, you should drink at least 80 ounces of water per day. If you exercise you should drink another eight ounce glass of water for every 20 minutes you are active. If you drink alcohol, you should drink at least an equal amount of water. When you are traveling on an airplane, it is good to drink eight ounces of water for every hour you are on board the plane. If you live in an arid climate, you should add another two servings per day. As you can see, your daily need for water can add up to quite a lot.
Twenty percent of your water need will come from the foods you eat. The rest of your water need should come from the beverages you drink. Water is the best choice. Sodas have a lot of sugar in them, so if you drink sodas, you may take in more calories than you need. Herbal teas that aren't diuretic are fine. Sports drinks contain electrolytes and may be beneficial, just look out for added sugar and calories that you don't need. Juices are good because they have vitamins and nutrients.

Caffeinated beverages will also add to your daily water need. Even though caffeine is a diuretic, if you regularly consume caffeine, your body will regulate itself to that diuretic effect.

Drink Enough Water
It may be difficult to drink enough water on a busy day. Be sure you have water handy at all times by keeping a bottle for water with you when you are working, traveling, or exercising. If you get bored with plain water, add a bit of lemon or lime for a touch of flavor. There are some brands of flavored water available, but watch for extra calories.

 

[Dizneydawn]

Here is a link to a CBS post about diet soda and why their experts feel it attributes to weigh gain and cravings:
www.cbsnews.com/stories/.../earlyshow/.../main2330142.shtml

I also fgound that most people minus the chemicals in Crystal Light say that it can be even exchanged for water - most sources said dillute it much more than the directions.

The big issue is water is not altered. Anytime we put things into our bodies that have chemicals - it is never as good for you as the original. That being said, we all have to take steps with what we can handle and for some - this is better than a 24 pack of coke a week.

 

[njtinkmom]

Hi guys - congrats to all who have lost, maintained or at least tried to lose and maybe weren't as successful as they hoped to be. Be happy knowing that you are making a conscious decision to change your way of life - that enough is a huge step! Remember you did not gain that extra 10, 20, etc.... pounds overnight, and you are not going to lose it overnight as well!

So I did brave the scale this morning and I lost a big 1.5 pounds. Now I did not get that brave last week, so I am not sure when that came off, and now kind of wished I had followed thru last Monday. So lesson learned - no matter how scary it may be I need to be truthful to myself and not skip a week!!

Have a great trip Dawn and thanks for everything.

Keep up the good work everyone!

I do have 1 question - any suggestions on good snacks for hypoglycemics? When my sugar crashes (which is when I am not paying attention to my body telling me to eat!) I then binge on sugar/salty/carbs because I am craving them. I saw the idea about some almonds - I can't believe 8 little nuts would do the trick, but I will check it out. Hey I have 8 nuts in my house but that does not seem to help with my wieghtloss!!

 

[MulanUSAF]

-1 this week

As long as I keep up this trend, I should be good with both my weight and blood glucose level at my next check up in 10 weeks. I am definitely eating a lot better than before, but had a lapse yesterday when I gave in to my cravings and had a Five Guys burger. Oh well, at least I got a single, not a double. I did do an extra half hour of exercise, and it made me feel like eating that burger is just not worth it. Hopefully, this will keep me away from it next time.

As far as my diet goes, I am cutting out sugar except for natural sugars like those in milk and fruits. I am told I should keep my total sugar intake under 15g per day, and so far I've kept it under 10g per day for the past week. I am not eating white bread or rice, but instead, I'm eating whole grain wraps and porridge made with grains. Steel cut oatmeal is my new favorite, I like it a lot better than the Quaker oats. My nutritionist urged me to try some grains I never had before, like quinoa and barley. I guess I need to head to Whole Foods to find them. Basically, whole grains cooked in their unprocessed form are lower in glycemic index and so they're the better carbohydrates to eat because they don't jack up your blood sugar rapidly.

Good job to everyone who are working on their weight management and winning! Even if you don't have a minus sign in front of your number this week, don't give up and eventually you'll be doing the happy dance.

 

[MulanUSAF]

Since this is a DISNEY forum, I'll share this Pixar inspired recipe that I made over the weekend. It was delicious with some whole grain pasta.

Ratatouille

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp. (30mL) Mrs. Dash® Tomato Basil Garlic Seasoning Blend (I used regular Mrs Dash but added some chopped basil and garlic to the dish)
2 Tbsp. (30mL) olive oil
1 cup (240mL) sliced onion
1 cup (240mL) sliced green bell pepper
1 cup (240mL) sliced red bell pepper
2 cups (480mL) sliced zucchini
2 cups (480mL) peeled, cubed eggplant
14.5 Oz. (406g) can diced tomatoes, undrained

Directions:
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet.
Add onion, peppers, zucchini, and eggplant.
Cook over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender.
Sprinkle with Mrs. Dash® Tomato Basil Garlic.
Stir in tomatoes and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes or until heated thoroughly.

Makes 6 servings; 90 calories each serving with 10g of carbs, 3g of fiber, 2g of protein, 120mg of sodium and 5g of fat

 

[luvsJack]

I am up 3 lbs!!!!

Remember the hormones I mentioned last week? Between a few extra calories and some water retention------

This is my last week before our spring break (oh, the joys of working in education!!) and then I am taking off the next week--no vacation, just spring cleaning and getting the garden started (plus play time with my grandbaby!). I have given myself a goal of losing as much as possible in the next 3 weeks. So I am vamping up the exercise routine (I plan to exercise twice a day during those two weeks off) and being strict with my calories. I am just looking at the 3 weeks because its a short amount of time and I figure I can do anything for 3 weeks! Then I will set another goal after that.

 

[Dizneydawn]

Keep the actual weights coming in via PM!!! We are down 38.8 so far and have a lot more entries to still get to!!!!

 

[Leash]

Well not so good +2 for the week. I know part of it is that DH and I went to see Alice in Wonderland on Saturday so popcorn, an ICEE and cherry Coke added up. However I also think my darling Aunt Flo may be to blame, it has been less than a week since her last visit and she is back in town again and I can feel that I am having some side effects from that, such as I could barely button my jeans this morning. Ugh! So I will just concentrate on not giving in to temptation this week since I let some cravings get the better of me over the weekend (oh blue ICEE how I love thee) and drink plenty of water and hopefully that will make a difference.

Congrats to everyone for sticking with it!

 

[Duchie]

Duchie and everybody - here si a great article on water and how much and why from an article I found:

Why You Need to Drink Water
Your body is estimated to be about 60 to 70 percent water. Blood is mostly water, and your muscles, lungs, and brain all contain a lot of water. Your body needs water to regulate body temperature and to provide the means for nutrients to travel to all your organs. Water also transports oxygen to your cells, removes waste, and protects your joints and organs.
Signs of Dehydration
You lose water through urination, respiration, and by sweating. If you are very active, you lose more water than if you are sedentary. Diuretics such as caffeine pills and alcohol result in the need to drink more water because they trick your body into thinking you have more water than we need.
Symptoms of mild dehydration include chronic pains in joints and muscles,lower back pain, headaches and constipation. A strong odor to your urine, along with a yellow or amber color indicates that you may not be getting enough water. Note that riboflavin, a B Vitamin, will make your urine bright yellow. Thirst is an obvious sign of dehydration and in fact, you need water long before you feel thirsty.

How Much Water do You Need to Drink?
A good estimate is to take your body weight in pounds and divide that number in half. That gives you the number of ounces of water per day that you need to drink. For example, if you weigh 160 pounds, you should drink at least 80 ounces of water per day. If you exercise you should drink another eight ounce glass of water for every 20 minutes you are active. If you drink alcohol, you should drink at least an equal amount of water. When you are traveling on an airplane, it is good to drink eight ounces of water for every hour you are on board the plane. If you live in an arid climate, you should add another two servings per day. As you can see, your daily need for water can add up to quite a lot.
Twenty percent of your water need will come from the foods you eat. The rest of your water need should come from the beverages you drink. Water is the best choice. Sodas have a lot of sugar in them, so if you drink sodas, you may take in more calories than you need. Herbal teas that aren't diuretic are fine. Sports drinks contain electrolytes and may be beneficial, just look out for added sugar and calories that you don't need. Juices are good because they have vitamins and nutrients.

Caffeinated beverages will also add to your daily water need. Even though caffeine is a diuretic, if you regularly consume caffeine, your body will regulate itself to that diuretic effect.

Drink Enough Water
It may be difficult to drink enough water on a busy day. Be sure you have water handy at all times by keeping a bottle for water with you when you are working, traveling, or exercising. If you get bored with plain water, add a bit of lemon or lime for a touch of flavor. There are some brands of flavored water available, but watch for extra calories.

This is really helpful - thanks. I'm drinking lots of water, but not THAT much I might just float away if I drank all that. The link to the CBS article didn't work for me, though. It said the article could not be found. I'll have to see if I can find it because Diet Coke is my nemesis. I don't drink coffee or tea and avoid all drinks w/added sugar (no regular sodas, no Kool-Aid, etc.). But I love me some Diet Coke! And right now I've given up pretty much everything yummy (cakes, cookies, ice cream, sweets, etc.) so I'm just not ready to give up my Diet Coke yet.

 

[Stacybaeasm]

This is really helpful - thanks. I'm drinking lots of water, but not THAT much I might just float away if I drank all that. The link to the CBS article didn't work for me, though. It said the article could not be found. I'll have to see if I can find it because Diet Coke is my nemesis. I don't drink coffee or tea and avoid all drinks w/added sugar (no regular sodas, no Kool-Aid, etc.). But I love me some Diet Coke! And right now I've given up pretty much everything yummy (cakes, cookies, ice cream, sweets, etc.) so I'm just not ready to give up my Diet Coke yet.

Oh how I understand you! I used to be a diet coke addict - 2 plus liters a day easily. I loved it and couldn't imagine living without. Then, I got sick this summer and found out that I can't handle caffiene any more. I lived on caffeine. But, I found out that I can live without it easier than I can live with throwing up every time I drank a diet coke. So, I quit cold turkey. I still have an occassional non-caffinated soda, but I have cut back a LOT. Indulge in one for me. I miss it still!!!

 

[littlepeppers]

- 0.2lbs

Does that even count. I wasn't good this week. So I guess the fact that I didn't gain is good.

 

[Duchie]

Oh how I understand you! I used to be a diet coke addict - 2 plus liters a day easily. I loved it and couldn't imagine living without. Then, I got sick this summer and found out that I can't handle caffiene any more. I lived on caffeine. But, I found out that I can live without it easier than I can live with throwing up every time I drank a diet coke. So, I quit cold turkey. I still have an occassional non-caffinated soda, but I have cut back a LOT. Indulge in one for me. I miss it still!!!

I usually drink 2 12 oz cans a day. It's my only source of caffeine! If I'm feeling droopy I'll sometimes have another one in the afternoon, but I usually try to avoid it after 4:00 so it doesn't keep me up at night.

 

[PixiePlanner]

Well, I am very disappointed in myself. I am +1.
I am not mad that I gained, I am mad that I ate, and I ate and I ate those wonderful golden Oreos until they were all gone. An entire package. I didn't share with my kids, I just wolfed them down myself. I was ticked at DH so, I went to the pantry and then the frig! I must say...I went grocery shopping this weekend and walked right by the Oreo display. I didn't care if they were free, I wasn't taking them home with me. I am realizing that I can't buy treats for DH & DS.

 

[eliz991]

I am down 4.4 this week - I am still up a little from where I started but most of the vacation and post-vacation weight is gone! I just need to track better on the weekends, I have been a little lax in that area. I'm eating okay, but I need to get to the computer and actually write it down.

DH and I did wii fit yesterday and the lunges really made my knee flare up. My trainer thinks it is tendonitis maybe. My next appointment with him isn't until Thursday so I may have to take a low exercise week to let it get better. Normally I would at least do some cardio every day but we'll see. If nothing else I can do upper body exercises.

 

[gellybean]

Duchie and everybody - here si a great article on water and how much and why from an article I found:

Why You Need to Drink Water

Fabulous article Dawn!!!

I just wanted to add what a dietician told me way back when, regarding water intake.

She told us (our entire weight loss group) that if you burn fat, the fat doesn't actually melt into nothing, it just detaches and floats in your system. You can't actually get rid of the fat until you flush it out of your system by drinking water. If you don't drink enough water, eventually the fat has no choice but to reattach!! So you can't really get rid of fat, until you drink enough water to flush it out!

I thought it was interesting!

Since this is a DISNEY forum, I'll share this Pixar inspired recipe that I made over the weekend. It was delicious with some whole grain pasta.

Ratatouille

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp. (30mL) Mrs. Dash® Tomato Basil Garlic Seasoning Blend (I used regular Mrs Dash but added some chopped basil and garlic to the dish)
2 Tbsp. (30mL) olive oil
1 cup (240mL) sliced onion
1 cup (240mL) sliced green bell pepper
1 cup (240mL) sliced red bell pepper
2 cups (480mL) sliced zucchini
2 cups (480mL) peeled, cubed eggplant
14.5 Oz. (406g) can diced tomatoes, undrained

Directions:
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet.
Add onion, peppers, zucchini, and eggplant.
Cook over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender.
Sprinkle with Mrs. Dash® Tomato Basil Garlic.
Stir in tomatoes and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes or until heated thoroughly.

Makes 6 servings; 90 calories each serving with 10g of carbs, 3g of fiber, 2g of protein, 120mg of sodium and 5g of fat

Thank you so much for the great recipe!!!! You're doing so awesome with all the necessary changes to your diet for the diabetes!!

Keep the actual weights coming in via PM!!! We are down 38.8 so far and have a lot more entries to still get to!!!!

WTG everyone!! Can't wait to see the final total after everyone checks in!





Hang in there everyone that's struggling. I posted a gain the first week, too. Sometimes your body just has to take some time to figure out what's going on. I did a lot of research on cals in v. cals out. It sounds so simple and it can be, but figuring out accurately how much you burn in exercise and whether to eat those cals back or not was giving me a headache.

I found an interesting article. There's no sourcing for it, but I thought it made some sense. I especially like the little blurb at the end about the Twinkies.

http://www.missico.com/personal/tidbits/health/lose_weight_safely.htm

The link on there to the dietician's website is a good one to figure out how many cals you burn just living, like Dawn said the BMR or RMR (Basal or Resting Metabolic Rate) and then the site gives you advice on how to figure cals for losing 2 lbs a week. The general consensus on the LiveStrong message boards is that LiveStrong is very generous with their cals for daily intake and for burning via exercise. So I'll be tweaking mine some this week. I actually think I wasn't eating enough. I hate to risk a whole week and possibly gain weight playing around with my cals, but I need to find that sweet spot.

That being said I did lose -1.4 this week, so maybe I've already hit my sweet spot.

I do want to refine some things though. I'm deficiting way to much on days I'm working out if I believe the cals burned on Daily Plate. I'm gonna try to net 1800 cals a day, which will entail eating more on days I work out.

It can all get really confusing!!

So proud of everyone for sticking with it lose, gain or maintain!


Jasperann and Dawn!!!!! I'm gonna miss y'all!!! Have a fabulous vacation!!!!!!!!!!!

My sister has a stomach bug. She doesn't get sick for years and gets sick twice in the 4 wks we've been working out. But I'm going up there anyway BY MYSELF! The time drags, but I can't let her not being able to go derail me!


See you guys on the If you get there before I do, save me a beach chair and order me one of those no cal pina coladas!!

 

[GaRain]

Is it too late to join in?

 

[Dizneydawn]

Dis Name ... Name ... Total Loss
Dizneydawn ... Dawn ... -2.2
Grumpyyoungguy ... Dan ... up 5.8
Stitchfan23 ... Heather ... -5.4
Jasperann ... Amy ... ... -6.6
Stacybaeasm ... Stacy -4.3
MulanUSAF ... Leen -7
gellybean ... Aimee ...-2.8
Leash ... Alicia ... -2
gbanshee ... Gina ... 0
MNdisneygirl ... Sheree ... -3.5
dislvr74 ... Meghan ... at Disney!
lonnieroonie ... Erean ...
luvsJack ... Sharon ... 0
TB'sWidow ... Mary ... -4
tiggerplus5 ... Linda ... -5.6
njtinkmom ... Gina ... -5
littlepeppers ... Jennifer...-1.2
PixiePlanner ... Jessica ... -2
acejka ... Anna ...
Shellabell ... Michelle ... -2.9
o2cre8 ... 0
ski_mom ... Becky -6.5 ...
eliz 991 ... Elizabeth ... up 1.8
ancestry ... -5
Hauntedmansionmommna ... -2
Duchie ... -0.5
Anna114 ...
Total Lost =68.5
This was a ton easier this week - if I am off for anyone - please correct me now. - I did not have a few peoples weight - Hauntedmansionmomma, Anna14, acejka, loonieroonie and I think that is it minus a few who stopped posting a long time ago. If someone would volunteer to send those ladies a hello and let them know we miss them here, I would totally appreciate it.

I have been making food all day for the trip, packing, paying bills and just last minute laundry etc.

Found a pet sitter!

I will stop by here before we go. I will have internet access while gone and will send a tally list next week still. Other than that - no promises!!!!