Well, I am down 4 lbs from mid-January, so I will take it. It is s-l-o-w, but at least it's in a downward trend. I bought the WeightWatchers ActiveLink activity monitor, so I am working on increasing my overall daily physical activity in addition to my regular workouts which I am good about getting in. I would love, love, love a treadmill desk, but we have to really have to totally revamp the home office. That just can't happen until summer. I have no time to do that. It is all I can do to cook dinner, workout, and get whatever cleaning/laundry that needs to be done. Yes, DH does help around the house with cooking, cleaning, and laundry.

Still working way too much, and I'm really getting burnt out. I've been working all morning updating my courses and assignments for the week. I had to take over a class from a colleague who was hospitalized and will probably not come back for the rest of the semester. I have a large accreditation report due, so I will be finishing that over my spring break.

OTOH, we had some snow this morning, so that was nice to look at. At least I'm home vs. stuck in it.

Here is a link that might be useful: Treadmill Desk video

I'm at a plateau but not giving up.

I'm planning on doing a cleanse, no processed foods, caffeine, alcohol or dairy for 2 weeks. Just all organic greens, fruits and lean meats or fish. I've already started prepping for it, and drastically changed my diet. The only reason I won't commit to the 2 week cleanse at the moment is because my DH's birthday was last week and next week we are going to a St. Patricks party and I don't want to cheat. I want to commit 100% to it when I do it. I've been coffee free for almost 2 weeks, and drinking green smoothies daily. I feel so much better, and the body sculpt boot camp class I take at the gym is almost bearable! I have the energy for it and my mood is better.

As for weight, I have not lost any more lbs. which is frustrating but I'm keeping at it. I really should weigh ideally 130 and I weigh 160, I'm 5'2". I was 170 when I started 2 months ago, so small victory, because yes I'm down, but Feb I haven't lost anymore. It is so frustrating how slow the weight comes off, but I'll keep at it. It's also so unfair how my sister and I are from the same gene pool, she wears a size 4, eats junk all the time and has never stepped foot inside of a gym in her entire life. I have been a regular exerciser since high school, always watch what I eat, and can't seem to get the scale below 160. UGH!! (I do have a wicked sweet tooth, I will admit to that, but I've barely indulged in a thing since January 1st!!) After each pregnancy I couldn't lose the last 10lbs, and 3 kids later I'm up 30. I want it gone!!!

So all the encouragement or success stories I hear from the imaginary friends will keep me going. Thanks for posting this hhireno!!

I have been sick with bronchitis going on a month now. Had to have an inhaler and steroid injection. The worst is over, but I just don't have the energy to exercise. All I want to do after work is come home and rest, which is what I am doing. Hoping to get back on track soon. This is my first bout with bronchitis, and I hope my last! Horrible.

18 months ago I changed my exercise routine and my eating habits. I have lost 25 pounds and feel great! Yesterday at my annual physical my doctor told me my EKG is looking really good because my heart rate is low (due to the exercise). My HDL's are way up over 60-which is where they really should be to get the most heart-health benefit. For years, when I was going to the gym my HDL's were 40-40-ish. My cholesterol is way down. Never had BP issues but that is even lower than it used to be.

The "diet" started out as South Beach but has morphed into a "no white and no junk carb" lifestyle. My husband does all the cooking and really plans our meals carefully.

We do love wine and I will not give that up. We drink it nightly with our meals. My doc said to try to keep it to one glass and I told her that will happen when I retire, not working as hard as I do now!

Exercise-Leslie Sansone's Walk Away the Pounds, almost daily-even at work! I ramped up the workouts to the 3 mile walk with weights and dropped another 2 lbs. this month. I also walk outside, when possible to get a dose of sunshine.

My goal is more about the way I look in clothing, but I would like to lose another 2 lbs and then stabilize. The good thing about this plan is that during the entire 18 months I have not yo-yoed at all. It's been a steady, slow decline and I do not feel deprived.

Keep up the good work everyone!

Ah yes, another month rolls in !! I've been away this week visiting the grands and kids, I worked out only twice because of pain and also a.m. appointments, I'm returning home tomorrow and am looking forward to getting back in my routine, I think I've maintained my weight though.

I love hearing what everyone is doing.

Another who is on a plateau or maintaining. I'm still walking and still fighting those sweet cravings!!! I think it may be a hormonal thing.

I had a physical this past week with my internist and am pleased that I was down 2 lbs. which thrilled me since I was on weeks of prednisone before and after my sinus surgery. Also, my internist is very proactive regarding bp, cholesterol, blood sugar, etc. My cholesterol is not high, but I think it could be better. Especially since high cholesterol runs in my family. My internist informed me my good cholesterol had increased by about 20 points. I said "how did that happen"???? The walking has to have made a difference. Also we have drastically cut down on cheese, and increased fiber. The bad thing is my bp was up (also runs in my family - this on BOTH sides). So, I go back in 6 weeks and am taking my bp until then. The doctor is hopeful it is a side effect from the prednisone. In the meantime, I'm going to take a look at the DASH diet and see if I can get some pointers.

tina

Well, I lost the 3-4 lbs I gained during the holiday season and, big news, I didn't gain any weight on vacation a couple of weeks ago. That NEVER happens. Now I need to get back on the "almost no sugar" program I was on prior to our trip, and nudge the scale down.

While we were on vacation, DH happened to take a photo that included a back view of me. In shorts. Horrifying. I should hang it on the fridge.

Just came back and read the responses as I didn't earlier.

Bonnie - that is great! I really believe the way you are eating works - and especially how good it makes you feel. Definitely more energy! There are good carbs and bad carbs.

Sue - LOL!!

tina

Jean, thanks for the reminder! Well, kind of. :)

I'm not exercising and eating whatever seems to come my way. I have managed to break the candy cycle that I was in a month or so ago, so that is good. I'm up a few pounds, just to the point where I am uncomfortable in my clothes.

We are still working in NH on weekends and for the last two weeks we were open for the school vacations. Ski season will start to wind down now, we only have about another month. Then we'll have until Mother's Day before the Cape Cod season starts to pick up. I'm going to only work at my sister's breakfast place this year and DH will continue his insane bartending career at two different restaurants.

DH and I are going to commit to some kind of plan in the next week or so and start really watching what we eat. The biggest problem is trying to decide which way to go. In the past we have had good luck with a low carb way of eating. I also liked Weight Watchers. I do find that with WW I end up eating way too much "white stuff". We're also going to get back to the gym. DH and DS (16) both want to join Crossfit eventually, but they both want a month to get stronger before they do. (men) I'm pretty sure I will go back there, if not a gym down the street has remodeled and has all new nice equipment.

I really can't wait to get outside and walk. The snow has finally melted on the Cape so I'm hoping next week to get a couple of walks outside. The sun and fresh air make a huge difference!

Beth P.

I started the week doing the Paleo diet but switched to Primal. I like going Primal better because it's more forgiving (eat well 80% of the time), allows for (raw) dairy and isn't so stringent regarding certain grains and starches. So basically, I'm eating lean meat & fish, nuts & seeds, lots of veggies and some fruit. Occasionally I have a sweet potato and honey. No sugar besides the honey. Nothing even remotely processed. I've also been dairy free but I'm adding the raw stuff in next week. If I don't feel as well as this past week, I'm cutting the dairy back out.

Also, I'm not killing myself with exercise. I normally go to the gym 6 days a week, sometimes twice a day. Now, I'm committing to doing 30 minutes of intense cardio three times a week, yoga & strength twice a week. That probably still sounds like a lot but it's half as much as I was doing.

My results after a week? Pretty incredible.

- I'm sleeping through the night. I haven't done that in I can't remember when. More soundly too so I wake up totally refreshed.

- I normally have great skin but for a few months now I've had weird red bumps (I think related to a supplement I was taking that didn't agree with me). My skin has totally cleared up this past week. DH said I have a nice glow!

- I'm super regular and no gas. No indigestion or stomach upset.

- I have a sense of feeling "lighter" mentally and physically. I'm also having fun eating like this, kind of an adventure!

- I probably feel lighter because I am, I've lost 9 pounds in a week. Mostly water weight, but I didn't know I was holding on to that much.

I know, on to the next fad but it spoke to me, and you never know until you try it.

It's nice to pop in here this morning and see all the updates.

More magazine asked 13 chefs and wellness experts to name the 13 healthiest foods. How many of them are you eating?

For my dinner tonight (which was planned before I saw the list of superfoods), I'm making a warm farro salad with chickpeas, feta, and spicy dressing (the recipe is from the orangette blog). For breakfast, I had chia seeds in my oatmeal granola and tea. That's 5 of the 13. Maybe I'll buy some pineapple for dessert so I'll eat 6 superfoods in one day.

Keep up the dedicated efforts everyone. It does pay off in better health, stronger muscles, and longer endurance. And if you're a pants size down, that's a great bonus.

edit:
kellyeng was posting at the same time and when I read her post it reminded me of something I wanted to share.

I read many health & fitness magazines and they're all mentioning a recent study. Naturally, I can't find it to quote exactly but generally:
People who only worked out 1/2 an hour lost more weight than people who worked out for over an hour. The conclusion seemed to be that the people who worked out less had more energy after their exercise session and added more movement into their day. Also the longer exercisers tended to eat more since they felt they had burned more calories.

One key to weight loss was the Non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT) activities, which is the energy expanded for everything we do that is not eating, sleeping, or sports-like exercise.

The point is to add as much additional movement into your day as you can. You know the drill - take the stairs, park in the back of the lot, pace while talking on the phone - any little extra movement does add up.

I'll look for one of the magazines that mention the study so I can quote it and correct anything I have wrong above.

This post was edited by hhireno on Sun, Mar 3, 13 at 9:34

Kellyeng- What is primal? I never heard of it. The cleanse I'm doing promotes eating clean 80% of the time and then 20% you can eat what you want after you do the cleanse. Primal sounds similar.

I honestly cannot believe how much better I feel after cutting out the processed foods and caffeine. I don't know if I will forever give up on caffeine since I love coffee, but I will definitely give up the sugar and milk in it and switch to almond milk and cinnamon.

And I love the idea of only 30 minute work outs! Thanks for sharing.

Polly, below is a link to the Primal Blueprint. It is similar to what you are doing. The one thing that the PB promotes that I'm not on board with is saturated fat. They say that SF isn't the big heart disease/killer it's been made out to be. There are some seriously compelling theories but I don't think enough studies have been done to support their theories. So I'm sticking to the lean stuff as much as possible (which is more Paleo). I am eating a bunch of saturated fat in the form of avocados, coconut oil and nuts/seeds.

Regarding exercise, Hhireno, kind of funny because that's pretty much why I'm slowing down. I notice when I'm exercising constantly, all I do is go to the gym and come home, sit at my desk and work all day, go back to the gym, come home, shower, make dinner and get in bed to watch TV.

When I feel physically good and exercise less, I do other things as well. I work on house projects (painting right now), clean/organize more and take random (non exercise) walks/bike rides. I tend to take more breaks from work and just "roam" around. Also, I'm getting really fed up with exercise injuries. I'm done with having a trainer with a mind-set that injuries are just part of the game. No Thanks!

Here is a link that might be useful: Primal Blueprint 101

Thanks, Kelly. I am definitely going to look into this.

If anyone is interested in reading about saturated fat and cholesterol not being the demons they have been made out to be for several decades, pick up a copy of The Great Cholesterol Myth. Very interesting and a lot of what the authors say makes sense. I'm still reading the book, but I think I'm a believer.

Also, good work everyone. You are inspirational! I have gained 15 pounds in the last few years and want to drop them in order to get to where I'm more comfortable. Most of my weight is in my mid-section and it just feels terrible - pants are tight and the flab hurts. Used to be I could just cut out the junk and pounds would drop off. I'm in my mid 40's and it jst isn't that easy anymore! ;) I've started wearing a Fitbit and have gotten back into walking (difficult to do over the winter where I live).

Nothing new with me - 15th month since my epiphany and the start of disciplined eating, regular exercise, and logging all of it in my iPhone app. I can't believe it's been this long. I'm not overly preoccupied with what I eat but more how much I eat. just try to eat lots of fruit, veggies and whole grains and everything in small enough quantities to maintain my 12 lb weight loss. I treat myself to limited quantities of totally unhealthy things I enjoy. I think this is important if you are going to adopt a way of eating for life. Yesterday I made White Russian Tiramisu that had 180 calories per serving and was to die for. Low cal but not low sugar if you are into avoiding that - I'm not.

Duplicate post for some reason - removed.

This post was edited by gibby3000 on Sun, Mar 3, 13 at 23:07

On January 7 as I was working, I idly listened to an interview with the pediatric endocrinologist/author Robert Lustig about his new book, "Fat Chance: Beating the Odds Against Sugar." For some reason, it really got my attention, so I then watched his on-line lecture "Sugar: The Bitter Truth." I have read NYT articles about his lecture (originally given in 2009) but was only mildly intrigued. This time, I paid attention, and as of that day, stopped eating refined sugars (including honey, brown sugar, syrup, agave syrup, etc.).

I'm not someone who embraces diets or fads; I've always felt that moderation in all things was the way to go. But I just have not felt tip-top these last couple of years--foggy, often tired, irregular, difficulty sleeping. But since cutting sugar from my diet, I feel remarkably better. I have no food cravings, feel sated after smaller meals, have more energy, sleep soundly, and have also lost some weight (that was not my goal, but it's a happy outcome). Because our daughter was anorexic, we do not have a scale in the house, so I'm not sure how much I have lost--but my clothing is definitely loose.

I have always cooked healthy meals (no fast foods, no take-out, etc.) but I often enjoyed some small sweet treat as well--usually homemade. I started that years ago (again, when our daughter was anorexic) because her dietician urged me to serve desserts at every meal--and she would only eat them if I did. Now that she's well (and no longer lives at home), I certainly don't need the treats! And just that small adjustment in my diet has paid off. It really has been a revelation to me.

I had lost 24 lbs since starting checking in, but had acute bronchitis in January and did nothing for a month but lie on my back. And eat comfort foods. So combined with Christmas, I'm almost back to where I've started : (

My energy level is still so low after being sick, but in the last couple of days I have been back on track with the meal planning. I'm finally going to start my hot yoga class next week.

kkay, did you happen to see this article from last week in the Huffington Post? Interesting to read the comments, too. So many doubters!

Here is a link that might be useful: Still Believe a Calorie is a Calorie?

Thank you for that link, Kimberly. I think that the low-fat approach is so ingrained in our understanding of a healthy diet that the sugar message seems to fly in the face of everything we have been told (and certainly of how foods are marketed to us). For my part, I'm convinced.

Bonnieann,
I posted about this before but I wanted to mention it again in case you weren't reading these posts then.

After reading Brian Wansink's book Mindless Eating, I cut back my daily calories by 100-200 calories, just by taking slightly smaller portions not by precise measuring or calculating, and I lost 2 pounds in a week or so. His theory is that small change can help you lose 10 pounds a year without feeling deprived. I mention it (yet again some people are thinking) because you wrote you'd like to drop 2 more pounds. Maybe you could try just cutting back ever so slightly in your portions? I hate to say it but the wine would be some of the easiest calories to trim. I know I definitely get a weight fluctuation after drinking wine. I don't suggest cutting it completely out, if it brings you pleasure you should enjoy it. I cut back on the amount of granola in my morning parfait and the amount of peanut butter I eat with my apple, so I still get to eat the things I love but just a little less and not enough less to feel deprived.

Thank you for the book suggestion. I will check it out and see what I can do to cut back a bit--whining about your suggestion to cut back on wine. That would probably be the best way to go. Since my physical last week, I have been walking more and using higher weights/more weight workouts. Maybe that will kick my metabolism up a bit.
Many thanks!

Oh, I hear ya about the disappointment in cutting back on the wine. Sadly, I have become one of those old people who can't drink more than one glass a night. Two glasses disrupt my sleep and show up on the scale. More than one glass of wine makes me wake up - WIDE AWAKE - at 3 am.

I'm stalling before starting my house cleaning chores. Anyone have anything else they want to chat about so I can stall a little longer? I think I'll wear my heart rate monitor while I clean to see how many calories I burn and if I'm ever in the cardiac zone.

My exercise plan has been going very well - running combined with TRX strength training. Thank God for friends that keep me accountable as there have been a few days when I didn't feel much like running but knew someone was counting on me to meet up with her. And one day, I was feeling totally lazy, knew none of my running friends were going to be there, so I was going to take the day off. Dh couldn't take the kids to school, which meant I needed to get dressed and take them (and I usually meet my running friends at the Starbucks by their school). On a whim, I put on my running gear, thinking I just might run into someone else, and took the kids to school. Went over to Starbucks, waited about 10 minutes in my warm car, thought about heading home, but knew I really needed to fit in that run to keep up with my training plan (I have a race coming up). I figured I'd just do about 4 miles, but I ended up at every turning point, choosing to go farther and ended up running 8 miles. I was so proud of myself that I battled my "blow it off" nature sometimes to stay on target with my plan.

Now eating is another story. I had lost 5.5 pounds pretty quickly (several were holiday pounds) just from watching my carbs and sugar intake. I also gave up alcohol for Lent. I'm not a big drinker but I do enjoy a glass of red wine several nights a week with dinner. Then, I fell off the wagon (food) - two of my kids and my husband have birthdays in a 2 week period. I couldn't resist the cakes, pizza, etc. So while I'm back to my normal pre-holiday weight, I did gain a couple pounds back and going back to my low carb/low sugar meals.

On the bright side, my pants are definitely fitting better and I have started to firm up and regain some toning in my trouble spots, but I have a way to go on my inner thighs and mid section! Weight wise-I don't really have much to lose, about 5-7lbs would be ideal, it's the keeping it off that I struggle with! Oh, I did go (belatedly) for my gyn exam and my blood pressure is still very good (105/70) but I need to get a physical and have some bloodwork done to check my cholesterol and to see if I might be anemic. I don't think so but she was concerned about some blood loss due to heavy periods I've been having.

BTW, did anyone happen to catch that guy on The View yesterday? He had some interesting things to say about sugar in our foods. Forget his name - Lindsay something.