Weight loss

[bono_212]

Congrats! And that's a good idea on the third pair

Part of me wishes I kept my size 14 jeans to remind myself how far I've come. I should hang my smallest fitting jeans outside of my closet to motivate me more.

Thanks . I'm actually wearing one of the few pairs of size 14 pants I ever did purchase (Like I said, I was really unwilling to admit that I had got up that high) because they're stupidly comfy and I can't bare to part with them yet, and it's kind of crazy to see just how big they are on me (belt required situation here).


I bought an elliptical on Tuesday, so all of this weight loss has been without any kind of exercise. Imagine the possibilities now

 

[the tourist]

Yeah, I haven't been exercising either. Kinda wondering how different things would be if I even walked for an hour on the treadmill once a week from August 12th to now....

 

[bonocomet]

You might stop dropping weight for a while and even gain, but it wouldn't be a bad thing at all. Muscle is heavier than fat. Years ago I did a pretty intense aerobic and weight workout for one hour every day for 3 months. I gained a few pounds in all, but I looked fantastic.

 

[anitram]

Depends on what kind of exercise you do and how much. Walking once a week for an hour really wouldn't do much for your muscles. You need to do a lot more cardio than that and you really need to do weight training.

I now do weight training 2 or 3 days per week and while my weight loss has stalled, my body fat % has significantly decreased. Which is more important to me because your body will really not look "tight" until you start with resistance training. I've done several different weight loss programs over the years and as clear as "calories in calories out" is, so is muscle toning.

 

[the tourist]

Yeah. We'll see when the weather starts warming up and I start working out. Seeing as we got our first snow of the 2012/2013 fall/winter/spring yesterday it might be a month or two. But as of today, I've lost 80 lbs in 32 weeks. My BMI went from 35 to 24.4. My total cholesterol is 109, with the good cholesterol clocking in at 47, and my blood pressure is 108/62. I am 6'2" and 190 lbs. I feel crazy healthy, but still have a bit of lower belly, chest, and love handle fat I wanna cut. So I'll just keep up the eating habits for now!

 

[Pearl]

I'm down to 185. Not bad.

I need to exercise more to speed up the process, and also to make me feel better. I'm sure everyone feels refreshed and energized after a good work-out.

I'm looking for a new bikini top too. I may be crazy to actually consider getting a two piece swimsuit, but I guess I'm being overly optimistic. A tankini would be better because I doubt I will lose my 20 pounds by June. I could lose 10, but not 20 altogether.

 

[Pearl]

Bad news...

Feeling very stressed. I noticed I ate more today and last night than usual. This was how I gained weight in the first place. I certainly don't want to reverse all that I lost. If anyone eats out of stress, any advice will be great!

 

[bono_212]

Man, I wish I could offer you some advice, but I'm just as bad about that. The whole reason I lost as much weight as I did in this time period is because I gave up all unhealthy food for Lent. So, even when I was really stressed and wanted to eat, I couldn't. Part of the fight though is that you're aware you're doing it. Next time you realize you're eating out of stress, try and do some exercise. Or maybe just do anything else, read a book, or something. That's the advice I'm always given.


I won't be able to weight myself again until Monday, but when I weighed myself yesterday I was down to 158.5.

When Lent began I weighed around 170. Not bad in 45 days. The problem now is whether I can keep it off. Buying that elliptical is sure to help.

 

[Pearl]

Thanks bono_212. I'm also worried that my stress hormones will hurt me too. I'm calming down now but it's still something to keep an eye on.

 

[anitram]

I'm holding steady with my weight but my body fat continues to drop dramatically. So pumped! Going to the gym 4x per week, doing crazy intense weights 2-3x per week and cardio 4x per week. Absolutely loving the way my body looks, the muscle tone is really emerging even after just about 4-5 weeks of gym time.

Pearl, I also tend to eat when I'm stressed. It's not that I overeat in terms of portions but it's more that I tend to snack on things (and not healthy ones) during the day. The only way for me to control that is not to have stuff like that around. So in my office, I don't keep any cookies or chocolate bars or crackers anymore - I take one or two fruits with me per day so that if I really need a snack, those are my only option. And at home, the sorts of snacks that we keep are rice cakes (low in calories and pretty satisfying) or multi-grain pretzels (mostly b/c I find pretzels to be so dry that I really don't want to have that many of them).

 

[bono_212]

HAH YES! Pretzels. I feel the exact same way. My work used to have a tray of snack foods out on this table, but now we only have a jar of pretzels and every time I walk by them I think, "Well, I could have some of those" and then I consider for a moment and am like, "No...no...they're just...way too dry."

 

[LemonMelon]

Pretzels make you thirsty.

 

[the tourist]

And then you can fill yourself up on water.

 

[Rachel D.]

I started taking green coffee bean extract today, but only one tablet instead of the recommended two a day. It's supposed to speed up your metabolism and doesn't have very much caffeine in it, so no jitters. I haven't been exercising and the wedding I'm supposed to be in is less than two weeks away, so I'm experimenting.

Also, I think I may have a slight gluten intolerance, so I've been eating gluten-free bread. I no longer feel like I swallowed a swollen sponge after I eat it, unlike with normal bread. Hopefully this will help me lose some weight, too. Although, at $5 for a tiny loaf, I think I will try making my own gluten-free bread instead of buying it.

 

[the tourist]

Down 81 lbs in 34 weeks. Definitely slowing down, but I'm still pushing! I want to be at least 10 lbs less than I am now by July 1st.

 

[the tourist]

And I just realized that I've lost exactly 30% of my starting body weight.

 

[Pearl]

Great, the tourist!

Got a question for everyone: how do you know that your scale is reliable? I use an analog scale and it seems accurate, based on how I weigh when I go to the doctor's. But I have doubts because if my feet are off in the slightest way, my weight goes either up or down - from 187 or 181. So what's going on? Know of any good scales out there that are not pricey?

 

[the tourist]

My digital ones are great and pretty accurate. I've been to the doctor twice in the last 6 months and weighed myself the morning beforehand each time, and I weighed 3 lbs more at the doctor's office each time. I attribute that 3 lbs to clothes, keys, wallet, water weight, etc. as when I weigh myself at home it's first thing in the morning and without any clothes on.

As to whether or not accurate scales matter is another question altogether. If the numbers are going down, they're going down, and who cares about the exact weight? The trend and how you feel about how you look, at the end of the day, are the important things.

 

[Pearl]

My digital ones are great and pretty accurate. I've been to the doctor twice in the last 6 months and weighed myself the morning beforehand each time, and I weighed 3 lbs more at the doctor's office each time. I attribute that 3 lbs to clothes, keys, wallet, water weight, etc. as when I weigh myself at home it's first thing in the morning and without any clothes on.

As to whether or not accurate scales matter is another question altogether. If the numbers are going down, they're going down, and who cares about the exact weight? The trend and how you feel about how you look, at the end of the day, are the important things.

Well I don't want to get too excited. And if I lean ever so slightly to one side, I gain 2 pounds.

Also, my stomach and thigh measurements haven't changed so I wonder if I have lost any weight lately. My scale registered at 183 this morning, but my measurements haven't changed in a while. I know there are other areas that I could be slimming down, but those parts usually change along with my weight.

 

[Rachel D.]

We have a really old retro scale that is about three pounds too low. It says Ritz on it, so maybe it was made by the cracker company and they want people to keep eating crackers and not realize they're getting fat.

 

[bonocomet]

I have the same problem with my digital scale, Pearl. I can step on and off 3 times in a row and get different readings ranging from 1 to 4 lbs, so it's annoying! I usually do this about 4-5 times and record an average. I agree though that as long as the numbers go down I'm happy. But i still wouldn't mind learning of a proven really good scale.

 

[the tourist]

Probably the best one if you want super accurate it one of the ones using the weights and sliders. For digital, a lot of things can effect the weight from what the scale is sitting on (hard wood, carpet, tile, grooves in tile, etc.) to if you're leaning forward or backward. I've discovered if I lean backward on my scale, I usually weigh a pound or two more than if I lean forward. Ideally, if you want accurate readings, you should do weigh yourself at the exact same time in the exact same conditions with the exact same posture to get the most accurate readings.

 

[bonocomet]

Probably the best one if you want super accurate it one of the ones using the weights and sliders. For digital, a lot of things can effect the weight from what the scale is sitting on (hard wood, carpet, tile, grooves in tile, etc.) to if you're leaning forward or backward. I've discovered if I lean backward on my scale, I usually weigh a pound or two more than if I lean forward. Ideally, if you want accurate readings, you should do weigh yourself at the exact same time in the exact same conditions with the exact same posture to get the most accurate readings.

Yeah, mine sits on a laminate floor, which has some spring, or "give" to it because of the soft layer under it. If I move the scale even an inch or so the reading will change even though the surface seems to be exactly the same. Maybe I should tape out marks on the floor to be sure it's in the same spot every day.

 

[deep]

I have a Taylor digital scale, reads out at .2 pound increments.

just used it

1. 165.8 standing on it facing front - normal
2. 169.8 standing on it backwards, with my hands laced behind my head
3. 164.4 standing on it sideways facing left


when I track my weight, I always try and do it first thing in the morning, after using the bathroom, showering.
That is my lowest weight of the day. I can go up 2-3 pounds more depending on what I eat and drink.
So for consistent tracking, this works best for me. Also, my scale is on a slab floor.

 

[bonocomet]

1. 165.8 standing on it facing front - normal
2. 169.8 standing on it backwards, with my hands laced behind my head
3. 164.4 standing on it sideways facing left

Yeah exactly! See, that's what drives me nuts too. Oh well, like already said, as long as a steady drop over time is there, that's all that matters I guess.

 

[deep]

that is why for tracking I only do number 1, at the same time each day.

I am down about 6 - 7 pounds. i'd like to do 10 more. At best I may do 5-7.

Only time, and daily weigh-ins will tell. (without weigh-ins, i can gain 10 pounds in 3 months)

 

[Pearl]

I usually weigh on Sundays, at around 9 when I first get up and use the bathroom because that's supposed to be your actual weight.

Today I weighed because I missed Sunday and it was 6:30am.

Oh, and my floor is aluminum over wood, and I always weigh with au natural for more accuracy. I also hold my breath in

So, yeah it's frustrating not knowing the exact weight. But tonight I'll be trying on my old pants to see how far along I've gone. I'll keep everyone posted.

 

[the tourist]

Good luck! I'm at a point where for the first time in years, every piece of clothing I own either fits or is too big. If I keep losing, I'll move into uncharted territory. Do they make size Small Tall shirts for men? Guess I'll have to find out!

 

[Pearl]

So I tried my old pants on, and still not there yet. However, one pair I was able to zip, button and buckle! Too bad it was too tight for me to wear yet, but in a few weeks I definitely could

I'm down to 181 pounds, btw.

 

[bonocomet]

I've slipped back a bit lately on being able to track calories. Things going on in life making it not so easy at the moment, and also making me say the hell with it and eat some things I know better than... Gotta get back on it!