Today I hit the 10lb goal

Congratulations!

Thank you !

EXCELLENT Neetsiepie!!!

Congrats Neetsiepie and Jterri!

I am doing well, but I know not to get on the scale because it is TOM and that always adds water. My Dr. has a scale that estimates water weight and I think mine does too, but I've never tried mine. I don't really understand water weight; I know it is better to lose fat but doesn't water also make one physically larger? I also know you need water and if you mess with it your body just retains more.

In the meantime I keep buying clothes every time someone here goes shopping, and I am down another size so, YAY.

Those spring rolls are gorgeous, yum. Now that is has been warmer we are grilling more, which adds flavor and make it easy. I had balsamic chicken tonight, and an apple and romaine salad with vinaigrette.

Mtn, I'm up a pound from yesterday so technically as of today I have not reached the 10 lb goal yet. I'll call it a pound of water lol.

I'm having a heck of a time finding a certain kind of shoe for my trip. Might need everyones help. Then, everyone can start buying shoes hehe.

I'm discouraged with my lack of willpower and weight loss but I'm going to try keeping track of calories as a tool. Son's wedding in a week and a half, so I don't expect to hit my goal of losing 5 pounds. I had a choice of two dresses to wear, but after trying them on yesterday, I'll be wearing the looser of the two!

Congrats Neetsie and Lynn! Impressive weight losses!

And congrats too to everyone else who is focused and moving forward. It can be frustrating -- especially if you have stresses (like a wedding!) or slow metabolism or a mate who can eat whatever they want-- but this work is not just for appearance, it's for health and our healthy views of ourselves. ALL changes in the right direction make a difference.

I really didn't eat sweets or all that many starches so not much change there -- but I did cut out the diet sodas (pre this challenge) and I am working to keep the fridge stocked (one of my bigger challenges). I have quickly discovered that I can't count on others to prepare my meals with as few calories as I can. This bites in a lot of ways because I rarely want to come home and prep/chop let alone cook.. but I need to find shortcuts to make it work for me. I am in this for the long haul.

(I did not make the summer rolls for my gathering as we moved the time way up in the day-- I will make them soon though, if not this weekend!)

I was a little naughty but not horribly bad tonight. I had half a beef burger over a salad (no dressing) one French fry, 1/4 piece of a onion ring and lots of dark chocolate covered acai & blueberry pieces. I probably ate 340 calories in just the chocolate fruit.

Tomorrow is another day. I'll be back on track.

IMHO I think being a bit "naughty" prevents being very naughty when, after weeks of narrower food choices, you start to feel deprived. It has its place.

I haven't weighed myself, but I'm pretty sure I haven't lost any weight. It's been a long couple of weeks for me. But, out of general frustrations, I've been going to the gym more and more. I'm averaging 4 to 5 times a week and I can feel myself getting stronger. That counts for something, doesn't it?

I've been following along. Lots of good ideas. I don't have time to go to the gym much so just walk and watch my portion control. I would like to lose about 5 lbs. It's nice to know its not easy for most people, I have two sisters that don't seem to have trouble losing weight, but then neither of them has a desk job so I think that helps. I swear I look like I'm 4 months pregnant, its all in my stomach and back fat, elsewhere I am an average weight. I just don't get it. I eat a very healthy diet, I do eat some sugar, but usually just one small cookie after dinner and then a treat on the weekends, it keeps me from feeling deprived.

I gain the same way Katrina. It's just how we roll. Some gain in their butts and hips, some in their legs arms and face...

My belly has gone down a lot since starting this challenge. To me though even when I have been in top physical condition I never felt my belly was small enough or flat enough. Part of this is due to my shape, I'm short in the torso and long in the leg.

Justerrilynn, that's how I am built, short waisted with longer legs. Makes sense. Darn its hard to get rid of! Guess I will have to settle for minimizing it somewhat, just started some core exercises, they're good to do anyways.

Down 2.8 lbs. I'm pleased, hope i can get closer in the next 10 days.

I'm having company for lunch tomorrow (my sister and her DH are coming up to see one of my kids' concerts) and planning a light menu. They are both healthy eaters.

I'm going to make a low-fat cream of mushroom soup (it's rainy and chilly today and will be tomorrow am) and a salad. I will also have some sliced cold grilled proteins. The salad is something I just had a few days ago and want to replicate. It was a bed of fresh watercress and grilled peaches. Then, a small burrata, a ribbon of proscuitto, and drizzled with aged balsamics. Yum. For dessert I will have fresh mango and berries, and for each a tiny square of the world's best toffee.

I said I was going to try but I didn't do anything! I'm in a terrible rut, eating very unhealthy food and eating out way too often. I was running again but my schedule got messed up and I haven't gone the last two weeks. I need to do a complete turnaround.

Congrats to all who are making the smart choice and seeing progress!

Lego, forgive yourself! Start anew tomorrow.

Katrina, I feel your pain. Until I hit forty, all weight went to my hips. Now I have a belly and back fat no matter what I do. You can see every bone in my chest, but my tummy is hanging in!

Congrats to everyone who is seeing results! I've lost a couple more pounds, but it's soooooo slow.

Susan, this happened later for me too. Fat used to settle mostly in my thighs, then after menopause it settled in my stomach. I could always diet and exercise it away in my thighs, but now I can't seem to. I used to do callenetics, the exercises in the video that justerrilynn linked to and it did wonders, but I haven't done that since my body changed. Thinking of giving it another try. I also think if you have had kids it makes a difference, I have two sisters who never had children and their stomachs are pretty flat.

Ugh, good point about the kids. I'll check out callenetics - thanks to you and JT!

I'm going to scale back on the fasting. It is working and I am losing weight, but I might scale back to one or at most two days a week. I have been getting 'fasting headaches' and yesterday decided to break the fast day and have an omelet with veggies for dinner.

I've continued the low carb/keto though and have tomatoes and peppers from my garden to incorporate into salads, so I'm eating much healthier.

The chilled water bottles I now have on hand (with a slice of lemon) are definitely helping.

Lucille, did you try salt for the headaches?

I did but that is a great idea and one that those altering their intake should be aware of. And I am getting enough potassium/magnesium, and I am well hydrated. Apparently it is a common fasting complaint and the reasons for it are not well understood.

I find if I have several non fasting days sandwiched in between the fasting days the headaches either don't occur or are brief and minimal.

Two fasting days a week separated by a couple non fasting days are pretty easy to do and amount to a little over a pound a week loss, and that is an acceptable rate of loss to me.

Times up. Well??? How did everyone do? I teetered between 9 lbs and 10 lbs towards the end. I would like to lose another five. One of my recent bad habits is flavored nuts and my lack of portion control. I have improved but have a ways to go.

5 pounds. It's been such a stressful month here it was hard to pay attention to my diet, too. DH and I did walk 2 miles most days, and since I didn't have time to go grocery shopping we didn't have much in the way of sweets (once I polished them all off).

I didn't start til later, but I lost a big 2 lbs., but I started doing some upper and lower body workouts and some core exercises as well, so I noticed a slight difference in the fit of my pants. I am going to continue, I wanted to lose 5 lbs. and I am not stopping until I do. Its a slow process but I have reduced my portions and my sugar intake so my appetite is adjusting to it. My sister just recently visited and she stays slim, so I really noticed her eating habits when she was here and she does it through portion control, she really watches it and eats very little sugar or overly processed carbs like bread.

I am down about 4.4 lbs. Considering I am PMSing, it is ok I guess but I really wanted to lose 5+.

I find WL so much more frustrating than it used to be. I keep to under 1000 cal a day pretty faithfully, and I have a little spreadsheet that forecasts what i should lose. (I know, I'm weird, but I started back in Jan and wanted to shoot for a goal for vacation mid July).

So i used these:

http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/harris-benedict-equation/

http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/bmr-formula.php

Some people say "oh you need to eat more you are stalling your metabolism". Some people say "calories in calories out".

The truth is that modern medicine does not really fully understand weight management, if you ask me

I am down 6 lb. I was also disappointed this morning but I too am bloated (just discovered it was pms for me too .. *surprise!*).

10lb or 5 or 2 .. It all takes work. Well done to all!

I lost 14-15, I know some was water. Loss is slowing because I'm doing only 2 fast days/week and of course there is no extra water to lose any more.

Go Lucille! YAA

I tell ya the whole water subject confounds me. People say it's only water in the beginning, but, given how much of our body is water, you need to lose that too? And doesn't less water make one physically smaller (that is what one wants, no?).

I lost 8 total, which is less than my goal, but I'll take it. I'm going to keep going but ramp up my fasting to 3 or 4 days per week. I only did 2 days weekly. I will do 18:6 most of the time, with a 24 hour fast or two thrown in there. The 24s are surprisingly easy, once you get beyond wanting food just because it's restricted. If I don't think about it and keep busy, it's not usually too bad at all.

I don't think my loss was water. I do think I have a bit of water weight now though due to being a delinquent with eating those delicious Emerald flavored cashews that have something like 150mg of sodium per 1/4 cup. The salty dill ones are hard to stop eating before reaching the 3rd portion. I bought a bunch of flavors and also love the salted jalapeño . I must get control of myself.

I have no idea when I will be able to get to someone's house who has a scale, so I have no idea on what my number is. One of my major goals was when I finished my whole30 diet challenge on 05/20, that I continue to maintain a healthier, cleaner diet. So far, mission accomplished. My carb intake is significantly decreased from before, I am still using homemade almond milk in my coffee and no sweetener (a major accomplishment) and my kids are eating less carbs, too. (though there is still work to do on that front). We will likely continue with a more paleo-ish diet but with different treats and cheats along the way but mostly when it is truly good versus just there.

Even though I do not know my number, I do like what I am seeing in the mirror. There is still work to do but I also definitely see progress. My next step is figuring out an exercise regime that works with my life right now to increase my muscle tone.

Mtn,

I have read that those who eat a high carb diet retain more water. It has something to do with sodium and storing glycogen, I don't remember the precise explanation. But my carbs presently only amount to 15-20 a day, a bit more if I eat an avocado which I love, in my salad for lunch.

If anything, I'm drinking more water every day since I started keeping cold water and lemon juice in a fridge, but my body doesn't hold onto it. I also make sure I am getting enough electrolytes, but again the body only hangs onto what it needs, and it apparently needs less water with fewer carbs.

I think most people who try to reduce cut out carbs, if only to make calories go farther.

I do understand that drinking more water makes you retain less water, funny as it may sound. I have always been a water drinker, since childhood really. I don't drink milk or juice or coffee or alcohol. I do drink homemade decaf iced tea in the summer, but mostly just water, all day. Of course, now some experts have debunked that too and say if you drink when you are thirsty, that is all you need. Go figure!

I'm telling you, the experts are only guessing half the time.

Every diet will work if you honestly commit to it. I think they don't if you can't manage to commit to it. Different rules, fasting not fast etc. etc. If you can't follow the rules then, of course, it will not work.

That said if you have nothing to lose trying. You will quickly see what you can or can not do.

I'm a WW lifetime member. Basically, healthy eating is encouraged and really nothing is off limits. Portions are the key. And, being honest that yes that was not 1/2 cup of ice cream but 1.

Actually, I think that maintenance is the hardest!

I think you are right Eld, because people get used to the idea of being "rewarded" for "dieting" (usually deprivation).

If your only strategy was deprivation, you won't be willing to do it when you get to maintenance and there is no more reward (ie, further weight loss). You are then left adrift.

Just this morning I was talking with my DH about my commitment to health and that I'm having to dig through my closet to find clothes that will fit. I am fitting in to jeans I haven't worn in several years! Today I had to hook my bra down a notch!

I've tried things before, I've lost and gained several people over the years, but I think that for the first time in my life I have finally gotten it. It's very emotional, the attachment we have to food.

I had to change my way of thinking to be successful. I had to admit that it's hard to eat healthy and make better choices. And to try not to succumb to cravings, boy that is tough. Yesterday I was running around and didn't have time to eat something, so I stopped at a fast food place. I made a conscious choice to get the healthiest item I could find on the menu. I chose those with the most vegetables and least fat. As I was ordering my body wanted the cinnamon dessert they sell, but I resisted. I ate my food slowly-drinking a lot of water between bites. I was full and didn't finish it all. I still craved sweets-I would have killed for a donut. I mean, I felt physical cravings for a donut. But I continued to resist and by the time I got home I'd gotten over that craving.

I did realize that if I had stopped and gotten a donut, I would not have said 'oh, this is bad, I will only eat salads tomorrow'. Because I'm trying to rid myself of the negative self talk-it wasn't bad to eat a donut. It wasn't bad to want to eat a donut. It just wasn't a choice that fits in with my new lifestyle. And I couldn't honestly say to myself that I would only eat salad tomorrow, because I don't know that I would be able to do that.

Instead I'm learning to say to myself 'ok, you ate a donut. You are allowed to have pleasure. It's not the end of the world. The scale is probably going to show that you ate a donut, and do you want the scale to read up? No? So what are you going to do about it? How will you get pleasure the next time a craving comes up?'

And I do allow myself to feel sorry for myself. I'm not punishing myself by not eating sweets, I'm instead patting myself on the back for making a better choice. And knowing that I fell off the wagon-I just need to get back on. But as I said, it's hard. I think unless you've never been a fan of sweets or indulged in high calorie foods, you're going to miss those. They taste good. They feel good. They comfort you in a way that all the celery in the world never will! No one grew up with a birthday salad. Thanksgiving wasn't a bowl of broth and a bunch of carrots. We have such an association with sweets and good times. So I am working hard to replace those feelings of comfort from food with feelings of accomplishment.

Ever since menopause started slapping me around 6 months ago (surgical menopause is especially evil) the scale has been climbing. It is so discouraging, esp since I was already needing to lose weight. Usually, I'm up or down 2-3 lbs and that's bad enough but now I am up at least 5 lbs -- doesn't sound like a ton of weight, but I am only 5'2" and not only does every pound show, but now all my clothes are tight. I think to lose 10 lbs. in a month, I would have to be very, very sick!

My goal is to lose 8-10 lbs by the end of the summer. I am trying to quit sugar, white flour -- all the white stuff. And I really need to limit even the "good" carbs like whole wheat bread. I have done this before and lost several pounds fairly painlessly, but now that my metabolism has slowed to a crawl, it's not working as well as it has in the past. And sometimes my craving for sugar is practically overwhelming! Sometimes a cup of fruity herbal tea helps...or a few dark chocolate chips.

Yesterday I made something I found on Cooking Light. Combine melted dark chocolate chips with peanut butter (add a little bit of coconut oil to make the PB more fluid) in mini muffin tins (maybe 1/2 full) and swirl the chocolate and PB a bit with a toothpick. Freeze for 30 minutes and store in the fridge. It's a good blast of "sweet" without a lot of extra junk.

Today I'm trying another recipe I found online -- I don't have it handy right now but it involves blending frozen pineapple, a frozen banana, and unsweetened coconut milk. Could be a nice summery treat...if we ever see summer here in New England! Today it's 50 and raining. Blech!

I lost 20 lbs in a month a couple years ago from being sick, I don't recommend it lol, but I only gained back 10. I don't have any weight loss tricks, for me its always been about portion control. I used to think if I did a lot of aerobic activity it would help me lose. I think it helped me maintain and feel healthier but it didn't help me lose weight, it seems at least for me its a painful process of adjusting my portion control and the types of food I eat to lose anything, and then its slow. I don't actually diet, I just eat healthy and try to control my cravings - for me that's the hard part as I eat sometimes out of boredom and also to be comforted so I think finding other ways to do that that are not about food would help, food is just easy and available.

I ended up losing eight pounds, which I was happy with. I enjoyed the challenge and reading everyone's ideas and stories. Fun group!

Congratulations! We'll all have some experiences that are shared and some that are different but I will say it again, we're all winners in that we're confronting our demons, eating healthier, being more conscious and hopefully losing some weight. :)

I do want to eat healthier. But maybe my confession today will help us talk about the fact that some of us like me are not so perfect. I have been longing for some fresh bread, and I'm going to bake some.

I don't want to fall off the wagon, so I'm thinking that maybe for me, eating a few more carbs than I do might help this be more sustainable. Or am I deluding myself?

I don't want to fall off the wagon, so I'm thinking that maybe for me, eating a few more carbs than I do might help this be more sustainable.

Balance.

One, if you make yourself feel truly deprived, yeah, that is probably going to backfire. Sheer willpower is fine for the short run but it is not a long term strategy and eating as healthfully as you can is a long term commitment.

Home baked bread? Less frequently, of course. But banish it? I think that'd be a shame! Enjoy.

PS as an adaptation, I might freeze half of it.

neetsiepie - The attitude that you wrote about is the one I adopted when I lost 42 lbs in 2009 (Kept it off) and I still adopt that attitude. Just because you eat a doughnut doesn't make you a failure.

mtn - there is an article in the June 5 edition of Time called The Weight Loss Trap. You might find it an interesting read.

I now live on 1600 calories a day but with the amount of running and strength work that I do I couldn't exist on less than that.

Eat healthy - yea!

Yeah, even in Fung's book his assistant has an essay in which she says she tells all the patients who come to his office in SF that they should try a Ghirardelli sundae while they are in town, then just go back to fasting/low carb the next day.

The bread was delicious. I sliced and buttered the rest and the dogs ate it. Everyone is happy, and there are no little bread voices calling from the freezer :)

I've been lurking this thread since it was started and following along. I love reading all of the posts and even revisit a few now and then.

Like some others, I have a lot of work to do to get where I want to be. I'm confident I will get there eventually though because I really want it.

I started my "new habits" back towards the end of January. I didn't tell a soul because my family has a way of taking over the process and making it even harder than it already is. I selfishly just wanted to do it with and for myself and it's really made a difference. No guilt trips, no cravings and it's been easy to just say, no thank you when something is offered. I didn't make a plan or find a diet, I just stopped eating anything that could be remotely described as "junk". No fast food, no sugar, no snacking. I stopped cooking in the evenings; I only eat if I'm hungry and I only eat enough to feel comfortable regardless of the portion on my plate. I started buying ready made salad from our farmer's market because I buy veggies but never get around to slicing and dicing. It's a chore I just hate to do and I procrastinate till they rot. Freshly made on site is expensive, but it's so worth it! I eat some carbs even white, but instead of counting every calorie, I use the points assigned to foods in WW as a guide to balance out my intake. So far, I'm down 19.5 lbs and one pant size. Three weeks or so into my new size and now they're starting to feel a tad baggy. Next challenge, more exercise!

Great thread JTL, it's nice to see the support between every one and some of the tips here are really awesome! Thanks for starting it!

Congratulations latest losers!!!

I think the only way to live happily is to have cheat days once in a while. If being thin means giving up all that is glorious for the rest of my life I'm sure I would not do it.

Yesterday I did an eight mile bike ride and near the end stopped for a fabulous lunch/brunch of ham & brie stuffed crepes with two eggs on top. Omg, I simply could not go through life without eating that. But it's really all about finding a balance isn't it? Mixing exercise with a majority of low cal healthy eating days with occasional yummies.

Tomorrow I'll make another roasted vegetable egg white soufflé. For me it's best to have prepared food ready so I'm not as tempted with fattening choices.

@lukki - I did the same when I decided I needed to lose weight in that I didn't tell anyone. My family wouldn't have taken over but my friends would have. It was my own journey just as yours is.