Happy May Day everyone. This is the place to state your goals, victories, slip-ups and generally encourage each other on our weight loss journey. To the Moderator: Could you please sticky this thread, please. We probably don't need February, March and April still stickied. Thank you.



Today I'm starting with my continuing and updated goals.



Goals for May:

*Continue jogging up to 5K 3x a week, circuit training 2 or 3x a week

*Continue riding my stationary bike building up to 20 minutes

*Portion size

*No junky snacks

*Eat sufficient food not to be hungry and at least 5 fruits and vegetables a day

*Exercise at least 5 days a week

*Lose 2-3 pounds by end of May (super goal: 5 pounds!)



Hopefully, these goals will lead to a healthier lifestyle, toned muscles (and that's saying something considering I'm now closer to 100 than 1!) and of course a slimmer me. So, come on and let's get healthy, happy and slim!

Weighing in on May 1st at 133lbs.



I'm going to actually post my measurements when I can find measuring tape and stop posting my lbs, only because I'm working out every day and can see improvement in my body shape and tone, but definately my scale is staying put or even inching up a bit, but I refuse to let that stop me. (I mean I know people who refuse to work out and get fit because they're afraid of a number going up--how crazy is that!?)



My goal is to get toned and fit.. actual inches goals I don't know. I'd like my thighs to go down, my waist, and my upper arm. I'd like my bust to either go down only a BIT or to stay the same. I'd like my butt to get bigger so I can finally buy underwear in person. (Atm ordering online from VS is the only way I can get my size... and even then some of the stuff I like doesn't come that small. How did I get such disproportionately small hips?!)



I've upped my protein intake, I'm cutting my fat intake, and I'm increasing slightly my carb intake, but making sure its 100% whole wheat. I'm keeping my salt intake as low as possible and trying to remember to drink lots of water.



Here we go!!

A new month and new goals! I had no loss at all in April due to gaining back and losing the same 2 lbs! May will be better. I will increase my exercise and get back to at least the 2 lbs a month I had been doing. I would love to lose 5 lbs a month but I know this will entail a lot more effort on my part. I really have not been trying that hard at all and have lost about 15 pounds. I have 25 to go and must start trying harder!! Happy May Day!!

Great! I was waiting for this thread to show up . I really need some encouragement and support, as I've been trying to get on track with healthy eating since January. I did great the first two months, then started "experimenting" which led me into eating dairy again but now I've been back on track for a few days.



Goals:

- Stay vegan!

- Eat as many whole foods as I can (i.e., no frankenfood, fake veggie burgers, etc.)

- Keep my protein intake at a level that will help me fight cravings, keep carbs whole and grains low (this was what did me in trying to go vegan a few months ago - slipped into the habit of replacing protein with carbs), keep fat intake moderate (I'm not a huge believer in the "fat is evil" dogma)

- Eat every one of my 5 mini meals (my calorie count for the day is 1200-1300, which is probably already to low, so this is important)

- Drink plenty of water!

- Stay away from coffee (this is a toughy, but actually, I'm not a huge fan of coffee with vegan milk subs, like soy milk/creamer, rice milk, etc, so that makes it easier ) and stick with tea, decaf whenever possible

- Keep up with my level of exercise (walking at least an hour a day, moderate pace; alternating pilates routines with pilates band, 20 minutes each morning; 40 minutes yoga when I can fit it in)

- Do not let stress throw me off track and into the binge eating cycle! Unfortunately, I'm at a bit of a stressful time right now, as I'm an online instructor trying to add courses to my schedule, with student loan payments coming up, and the job search is going slow)



And most important...



DO NOT BINGE DO NOT BINGE DO NOT BINGE DO NOT BINGE DO NOT BINGE!!!!!



Tam

Hey Tam! I know you didn't ask for feedback but.. its what I do.



Anyway.. if you have binging problems and your intake is only 1300--they could (very likely) be related.... Mind giving a ballpark range of your current weight and a description of your body type? (ie. chubby (25-27% body fat, average (20-25%), lean.. etc..) Depending on our muscle mass, if you're eating too little your body is going to go into hybernation mode adn you're gonna store like CRAZY!! Not saying starvation diets don't work (as much as I'd like to say don't do it--I lost my weight primarily that way..) just wanna say... be careful, especially if you're prone to binging etc. (I was very good at not straying... )



As for protein--I bought protein powder recently that I put into my smoothies and stuff, its tasteless and kind of creamy! Some have tastes, some don't.. but yeah, might not be a bad idea! Obvi. you know oatmeal is an amazing source of protein, quinoa, beans, tofu, etc.. nuts are ok but in moderation if you're dieting, as you obviously know they're super high fat...



Best of luck!! I love your activity levels--mmm activity <3 So healthful!

Hi Tammay, glad to have you aboard. Ditto on what Earthly Delight said about not starving yourself into a binge. Post as often as you need.

I'm glad I found this thread. I need somewhere to force myself to check in and I've really needed to start working on making some healthier habits, ditching some bad habits, and losing a few pounds won't hurt me at all.



To start, I think I'll work on changing some of my bad habits.



Goals:



-Eat a healthy breakfast every morning--avoid Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts. Part of this is getting to bed earlier. I'm up at 5:30 in the morning during the week, so going to bed at 11 or 12 isn't helping me--I keep hitting the snooze button and I end up skipping breakfast because I have no time or picking up something not so good for me on the way to work.

-Stop skipping lunch at work (yeah, I get busy with my work and lunch gets easily forgotten) .

-Work on eating at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day

-Drink more water

-Go on a 30 min walk at least 4 times a week. Work myself up from there to longer walks.

-2-3 days a week do some strength building exercises--sit-ups, push-ups, etc.

-Lose 3-4 pounds.



My biggest problem is with so often not getting a good breakfast and/or lunch is that I come home and end up snacking all evening long. It's caused me to gain back about 10 pounds that I had lost after I had my daughter. If I eat those two meals and come home and spend part of my evening outside on a walk, I won't be so hungry/bored that all I'll want to do is eat.

I'm not making weight loss goals, I'm just going to live healthy and hope it happens.



This months goals:



Exercise at least 3 days a week.



Eat less unhealthy garbage and more whole (and raw) foods. Eat enough vegetables.



Plan out meals better to avoid unwanted snacking.

What if you pack a breakfast and lunch the night before? Thats what I did when I had to get up for work at 5am last summer. Lol, and I had to bike to work--my napsack was so much lighter on the way home. :P



If that's simply not possible (though I can't imagine why..) buy some higher calorie, healthy granola bars like Lara bars and Luna bars--one or two of those for breakfast can't be bad. Vega is a high protein powder that could help you because its LOADED with protein, gives you a nice boost of calories (but from good sources--mostly protein) and TONS of vitamins and other nutrients (dunkin donuts does not do this for you!)



In the morning, if you pre-cut and froze fruit (or bought frozen fruit) and already had juice or milk (alternative or dairy, whichever) in the fridge, do you think you'd have time to make a smoothie?



If not, really all vega needs is water to blend with--just take a scoop (or two) and blend with a 'milk' or even water.



Other good things to grab on the go for breakfast include fruit, a bagel with peanutbutter (or whatever), etc--these things can't take more than a minute or two to make, and can make a huge difference in your day!



A good packed lunch (I pack my brothers lunches every day... because he just can't seem to remember, sigh..) really only needs a sandwich, a piece or two of fruit, a granola bar of some sort, maybe a small treat, and something to drink (or drink water). I'm sure if you go to the food discussion threads and ask for more suggestions people will FLOOD you with stuff you can bring!!



Good luck!!!!!!!

Hi tearsong. Earthly Delight has given you some great ideas. When I was working I used to make up a bunch of breakfast burritos and freeze them for rushy mornings. I'd make a tofu scramble and stuff the burritos with that. I'd wrap them in and freeze them and when I was in a hurry I'd zap one in the microwave and eat it on the way to work. BTW, great goals. They all seem doable.



Animosity, I think your approach will bring you more measurable "success" this month.



Tomorrow is my weigh in day and I'm eagerly awaiting the results. I've stayed on plan most of the week. The only thing I could have done better is to eat more! But that's one of my goals for May.



We can do this, yes we can.

Let's get movin', let's get fit!!!

Hi Everyone!

Earthly Delight: Thanks for the feedback. I actually wasn't aiming for a starvation diet at all but this is one of my issues - I get hung up in numbers (weight on the scale, percentages of fat/protein/carbs, etc) and I think I loose all proportion. I'm trying to work on listening to my body and what it wants rather than some random number, but it's really tough! However, although that's the calorie range I get when I log in the food I plan out for myself in Fitday, I'm not being too limiting - that is, if I feel like an extra snack or feel hungry, I'll eat more (good stuff, not junk, though).



I weigh around 138 and would love to get to 115-120 at some point but that might be tough, since I'm getting close to 40. I agree with you about the calorie level, especially with the amount of exercise that I do and I'm waiting to see how it goes in terms of hunger. So far, it's been ok, but I've only been on two days. I was a bit ravenous today, but that's because I went out and bought a new phone (really needed one!) and it took a long time in the store, so it messed up my timing with the meals a bit.



I did do some upper and lower body pilates today (20 minutes - intense but short periods of time) and I did get a walk in, so I'm right up there with the exercise. Now to just get in all the calories...



Tam

I just weighed in and lost 1/2 pound this week. Somehow, I just knew this would not be a big loss week. Not that I haven't stayed on plan but I figured I'd start to plateau some after losing 5.5 pounds last month. All I can say is that I'm sticking to my plan.

1/2 pound is still great! Congrats ^_^

I weighed in today, and seem to have hit a plateau. This month's goals for me are:



5 lb weight loss

20-30 mins of exercise 5 times a week (low intensity, like walking)

keeping processed junk out of my diet as much as I can



I did hit my 5 lbs goal last month, but it was all in the first 2 weeks (I lost 7 and then gained back 2). At least my gaining has stopped this week

Thanks Earthly Delight. I guess half pound is significant if you think of 1/2 pound of margarine!!



Nevadabadgirl, that's great about the 5 pound loss last month. Isn't it hard to break habits of a lifetime!



I'm stuffed. I just ate a big dinner with 2 servings of mac and cheese along with everything else. I could eat the whole casserole if I was a non-thinking person. I don't think I ate above my alloted food intake but it was quite a bit for one meal. But it was good. Back on the track again tomorrow.

I'd love to go for a walk through the woods today but that's not happening. My son and his girlfriend are going out for a walk and I'm here with mom and DH who is asleep on the couch and I don't want to go alone...sigh...

Hi everyone,

Not having a great day at all, feeling very off and eating crap. I've been thinking a lot about the point that Earthly Delight made about starvation diets and binge eating. Stupid to say, but I guess since I've been eating such healthy food and not feeling particularly starving, I didn't connect my binges to the possibility that, physiologically, I'm just not getting enough calories and of course I'm going for the junk food. It's obvious I'm missing something!



I mentioned that I started out the year well and just out of curiosity, I dug up an old menu from January and plugged in the food into Fitday. The total calories were somewhere around 1600! I felt great at that time and not hungry at all and I was losing weight (though not weighing myself) even though I was doing less exercise than I do now (didn't have the pilates DVD at that time) and I think I see why now.



So tomorrow is a new day and I'm starting all over again but this time adding some food. I'm getting a good amount of protein (60-70gr/day) and I don't want to add carbs. I've also been doing some reading up on MUFA's (like olives, olive oil, avocados, etc) and some of the benefits, which sound like they make sense. So I'm going to try and add some of these to my diet. Not huge amounts, but just up what I already eat a little and see what happens. I'm looking at getting back up to 1500-1600 calories, which I think is reasonable (certainly better than 1200-1300).



I think I'm just scared of upping my calorie level, but obviously, something is not working and I need to make some changes!



Hope everyone else is having a better day...



Tam

Hi Tammay. I think you've got it figured out pretty good. If you're doing pilates and eating a low calorie diet, no wonder you feel hungry. And I know how you feel about upping the calorie level-that is scary because we are conditioned to eat less to lose. I have trouble with that too. If I don't eat enough during the day, next morning I'm so tired and almost weak from lack of food the day before. About 2 hours after I eat breakfast I can feel a big difference. Let us all know how you feel on the 1500-1600 calories.

Hi Isabella: 0.5 pound is GREAT. A Loss is a Loss is a Loss that brings you closer to your goal!



Hi everyone,

I had a great day today, did a nice moderate hike of ~5 miles, 1500 feet elevation with my dh, and the hiking club that we are members of. Hiking is just an amazing activity. It has a "slow burn" feel to it, but I think you burn quite a bit. Tomorrow I also happen to be doing a 3-mile running race before weigh in (yes, tomorrow is my weigh in, and I'm really excited/curious because I tracked my points this week and ate excellent & did a phenomenal amount of exercise LOL). So I'm really curious to see if I'll get good results



The other reason I'm feeling happy is that I'm seeing more of my ribs and bones in general - I'm just in awe.. wow I can see more ribs LOL. It's just a weird feeling seeing the change..



I took some pics of todays hike but haven't downloaded them yet. (maybe I'll post if you guys are interested?? )



Hope everyone is having a great day, and keep eating well

I'll post tomorrow with my WI results



Wish me Luck

-figgy

Exercise is going to be lacking this week. I have yoga on thursday, But other than that, I'm going to be taking it easy.



My Moms dogs got outside (12lbs) and attacked one of mine (90lbs) and I was having to keep them from geting hurt. In the process, I ended up geting bit (by one of the small ones) on the foot. I have a punture mark, 5 tooth-marked bruses and a scrape. I also got 3 scratchs on my leg.



The cannines are okay. One got a nip on the skin of the neck, One got his leg injured.

My cannine ended up geting a bloody paw.

I've gained weight and am as heavy as when I started april (or maybe march's?) weight challenge--it doesnt bug me though; 3 exams, a 30% assignment, and a few lifeguarding recertification courses tend to stress me out--I'll lose it this summer, I'm nto even concerned.



I'm leaving today to go to a two week field course--I'm half hoping because I'll only get three meals a day (ie no incessant snacking) and ebcause we'll be working outside so much I'll actually lose a few? Anyway, like I said--I can get it of not too worried. That and I look more toned now.. but I dont think I'm gaining muscle weight only.. maybe I am, but i doubt it.

Ohhhhh, weigh in day is always exciting if you've had a good week. And I know what you mean about bones. I'm starting to feel my shoulders again.



I'd love to see your hiking pics.






No wonder you won't be exercising!!! You in the middle of a dog fight! Glad you and the dogs didn't get too much damage done. Those bad, bad, dogs.








You're really busy this semester. It takes quite a bit of energy to lose weight (and I don't mean the energy expended on exercise). Your two week field course may be the very thing to kick start the weight again. And like you said the summer and its activities will do its work on you. Have a great two weeks.

I just got back from my race this morning - I came in 3rd in my age group, and beat my time from last year by 2 minutes! and WI was awesome!



Ok here are my stats!!!

• current weight: 152.0 pounds
  
• since last WI: -1.8 pounds
  
• since beginning WW: -14.8 in 13 weeks.
  
• 1.2 pounds away from my 10% goal
  

here's my updated weight graph





and a couple of hiking pics (with me munching on some veggies)

tracking my points made all the difference in the world!! and of course eating vegan!

I feel like I need to weigh, Just to give me a better idea of what I need to do. What's working/what's not. But i'm a little scared. The last time I weighed was after geting over my ed and I gained 10lbs afterwords. I still haven't gotton comfortably back into my pants from my unhealthy days. Weighing would keep me from messing up, It would probably help me. But on the otherhand, I know that if I don't lose or I gain and it shows, I'll be pushed into something unhealthy and I don't want that. I know I'm heavier than I was then, The problem is, I only weighed once after geting healthier, And I don't know if I gained more after that. I'm going to be devestated if I weigh more now then I did then... I know it needs to be done, I just don't know if I should. I really don't want to go through it all again, I just don't want to be wondering if it's working or not.

Ok, I'm a dork..I was over on the April thread...



My goals...eat vegan and healthy and low to the ground...



Keep working out!



Drink more water!



Get more sleep...unless work interferes...



Cut back or quit drinking coffee...I only have one cup a day, but I would like to quit if possible..



Stay away from the blasted scale! Pay attention to how I feel and how my clothing fits and not the scale so much...working out adds muscle and muscle weighs more than fat.



Stay positive! We can do this!!

You look great and congratulations on the race. Beating your own record rocks!! The hiking trail/park looks like lovely country.








Hi Animosity, How long ago did you suffer from your ED? (If you don't mind me asking. If you're not comfortable discussing this I'll understand.) I know you're curious about your weight. It's more important to eat healthy and in quantities to keep your body in good running order. You're active and young and there are so many more ways to judge your appearance other than weighing yourself. Some people have a particular piece of clothing they use to judge whether the weight is going up or down, some just look at themselves in a full-length mirror and some listen to supportive family members who'll let them know if they are gaining or losing too much. It's our inner peace that promotes the outer glow and that happens regardless of our appearance. You seem to be close to your mom. Why don't you talk this over with her and then make a decision about weighing.






You're not a dork! I wish someone would sticky this thread. Your goals are really good and so doable.





Must get in my exercise for the day as I want to go shopping for a couple of new nightgowns (comfortable, not sexy!!!)

Congratulations!

I am trying to lose 30 lbs in 33 months(roughly 2.5 lbs per week)

Nothing drastic, more raw foods, green tea, extra exercise, etc......

I need something to focus on, and even though I love my plus sized body, I would like to see if some of my pain could be relieved from shedding some extra lbs.

Thanks, I am ok being a dork I guess though...I figure I get called worse at work all the time...



I think we are doing really well as far as realistic goals. We are being a bit kinder to ourselves.



New nightgowns are soo nice to sleep in! Have fun shopping!

It was about 8 months that I would go 3-5 days without anything. When I ate it was less than 190 calories, Keeping it down was another story. I had a fear of 'eating to much bulk' so salads were a no-go and water was far too little. I was walking about 12 miles a day and weighing way too much. I maneged to get myself back to about 500 calories in early December and by late December I had maneged to get myself to 800 but my exercise was still the same. I wasn't completely in the clear until mid January.



With that said, I did weigh this morning. As I expected, I gained an all together total of 18.9lbs back. I am 1% lower in body fat than I was even at my smallest, So I guess at least some of it is muscle.



I guess i'll start weighing again. Weekly.



I'll post if i've lost anything, But i'm not going to make any goals for this month.

Hi Everyone,

Thought I posted here yesterday a nice long one but I guess it didn't go through. The system kicked me out for some reason so I had to log back in when I hit reply and I guess I thought it got posted once I logged in but it didn't.



Feeling crappy again right now but nothing food related. TOM showed up this morning so crampy, etc. I now in a few hours I'll feel fine again because it only lasts for half of the first day but I couldn't do my pilates this morning and although I'd love to take a walk, I know I am still in need of close proximity to a bathroom for a while, so that's out. If I feel better tonight, though, I'll do some yoga.



Yesterday was first day of upping calories a bit and it went well. I think adding the little extra fats really made a difference in satisfaction in terms of food. I also think adding the bean portion to breakfast and lunch instead of splitting it up into another snack did a lot. I felt like they were bulkier meals so more satisfying. We'll see how it goes.



On the job front, I did get back an email from the college that requested the application and have a phone interview scheduled with them for next week. According to the FAQ, after that they review my application materials again and if all goes well, stick me into the next training. It's going to take a while before I actually start teaching classes for them (and the training is not paid, which is a bummer) but hopefully there will be some form of steady work. I'm still not happy with the fact that I'm only finding teaching "pools" going on for online teaching as opposed to permanent employment, but for now it's what suits me best. I'll just keep looking!



Animosity: Wow, it sounds like you had a really tough time and kudos to you for getting through it. It's a lot more than what I've done! But I know that this worked for me in Jan and I'm determined to put in the effort to make it work again. As for the scale, I'm like you - I hate weighing myself and get caught up in the numbers. I haven't weighed myself in a few weeks and have had a few binges since then, so I'm sure I'm up a bit, but one thing I want to do this month is stay away from the numbers, all of them - scale, tape measure, Fitday. I know it has to do with trusting myself and trusting the signals my body is giving me (within reason, of course - if my body is telling me I need junk food, that's obviously not trustworthy ). I never was raised to trust myself and my instincts, so it's really really tough. It's also one reason why I didn't make any weight loss goals for this month.



Figs: Great job with the weight loss. I like how you're putting it all in a graph, as it really makes a difference when you see the progress visually. I'm curious about how you're finding WW as a vegan. Do you go to the meetings or are you doing it online? I'm just curious as to how people at the meetings react to the fact that you're a vegan (if you go).



cowgirrl: Welcome! I'm also taking a stab at cutting out coffee this month. It's weird, because I have no problem giving up dairy foods once I cut them out entirely, but the one thing that makes me miss them is drinking coffee, even if I get the choicest soy latte. I used to LOVE coffee and half-and-half and I guess just drinking coffee any other way is a trigger for me. The crappy thing is that, although I like tea, I also like it sweet and tend to put a lot of Splenda in it. I've tried using other natural sweeteners (like xylitol and stevia) but they never are sweet enough. But if it's a choice between artificial sweetener or animal products, AS wins hands down!



Hope everyone has a good Monday!



Tam