Yet another year is here and I am starting yet another journal. I am not going to focus on all of the negativity that surrounded me last year because it's not going to help me build a positive outlook for this year - I know that.

However, there were some things that I tried last year that did not work for me and I need to make an effort to avoid them so I don't get caught up in the same pitfalls again.

I get frustrated by plateaus and that is something that hit me hard last year. Actually, I find that after 25 pounds my body just decides to stop losing. Last year it seemed like I was at a brick wall and couldn't get around it. After two months in this phase, I just quit and never really went back to giving it my "all".

Trying to convince myself that I could be full from a salad at lunch was another source of frustration. Yet, I had this mindset that if I wasn't ONLY eating a salad at lunch I would go over my caloric limit would leave me hungry a half hour after I put my fork down.

Another thing that did not work for me last year was my snacking and "tastes" of things. I tried splitting desserts with people, but then it became a daily thing rather than a once-in-a-while treat. I would find myself snacking in the middle of the day on whatever was available rather than preparing for the hunger.

There were quite a few things that DID work for me, believe it or not I was losing weight for a while until I hit the plateau from hell.

One thing was that I was a big soda drinker. I lost the majority of my weight by replacing it with water. However, I can't drink plain water - I feel like I'm drowning. So...I started mixing a slight amount of cranberry juice to my water and I was up to over 100 oz. per day.

Another thing that really helped me was dividing my plate into sections and using smaller plates. Rather than sitting down to dinner with a dinner plate, I'd use the smaller salad plate. Then I'd divide it out and fill half with veggies, one-fourth with protein and the last one-fourth with carbs.

Eating a full breakfast before I got to work helped me throughout the entire day. I was eating FiberOne for breakfast every morning and I'd find that not only did that help me avoid my mid-morning munchies, but at lunch I wasn't necessarily as hungry.

There was a lot happening in my life last year (especially the last quarter) that put my life changes on the back burner. September was a very hard month for me, as it was the first anniversary of my uncle's death, and in that month, my husband told me he wanted a separation.

The last few months of the year were wrought with trying to improve my job performance so I wouldn't get laid off (I didn't), struggling through a tough school semester, and helping my husband find and set up his own place upstate.

Now, it's a new year, and he moved out on New Year's Day. We're trying to make this work, but we're both adjusting to living on our own.

One thing I find strange is having to cook for myself. I find myself missing a lot of meals because I don't have the energy to cook and I feel like who do I need to impress? It's only me here now. I've stocked my freezer with Weight Watchers meals so that I don't get sucked into the fast food cycle of just picking the greasy stuff up on my way home.

I don't have to worry about snacks being around the house now because I'm alone. I am no longer tempted by my husband's buttery popcorn, chocolate, oreos and ice cream because I just refuse to buy them. If he wants them when he comes here, he has to bring them and he has to take them with him when he leaves.

I had fallen back off the Pepsi wagon and was drinking a lot of it around the holidays. One of the women on one of the mailing lists I'm on suggested Diet Rite as a good alternative as it's not made with aspartame. I picked some up and it will take some getting used to but at least I don't get sick like I did with other diet sodas. Now all I have in my fridge is water, juice and diet soda.

I am just getting over the flu, so I'm just getting my appetite back. But I've tried to be reasonable. This morning I had a nutrigrain bar (140 cal) and a big glass of water. For lunch I made myself a tuna fish sandwich on light wheat bread with mayo and relish (250 cal). I had a stack of carrots and a TBsp of light Thousand Island dressing (100 cal ?) with another glass of water.

I am planning on eating dinner before I go to school tonight, so it will be an early one. I am going to make one serving of pastina (220 cal) and I'll put a dab of butter on it (100 cal). I will probably bring a granola bar or carrots to eat in class, since I'm sure I'll get hungry and I don't want to wait until I get home and end up eating something high calorie just before I go to bed.

I haven't been doing exercise in the mornings because I haven't felt well...but for the last few weeks (mainly to get adjusted to living on one income) I've been walking to/from the train rather than taking a car service. This ends up being almost a mile a day.

I'm trying to make changes that aren't too difficult because I know that the more I deprive myself, the less likely I am to stick to anything.

I am happy to report that this weekend was not a free-for-all. While I didn't stress about what I was putting in my mouth, I also didn't go overboard. In fact, my family was surprised when I said I was full since to them it didn't seem like I had eaten very much.

But I was stuffed, actually, full to the point of pain. I overate, but it didn't look like a lot of food on my plate tonight at dinner. I had 3 oz. of roasted chicken, 1/2 c stuffing, 1/2 sweet potato, and 1/2 c broccoli. I also had 12 oz. water with it. I am trying this plate method I'd read about where you fill half of your plate with veggies, 1/4 with protein and 1/4 with starch.

Today we were discussing how many more foods I seem to be willing to try since I've been trying to eat healthy. I used to only eat peas and carrots as far as veggies were concerned, but now I eat just about anything except brussel sprouts, asparagus, onions, zucchini and okra. I have this newfound love for spinach.

I've also been willing to try a wider array of fruit lately. I've gone from apples and banannas to starfruit, cactus pears, and lichee. I suppose that the logic behind it is that I don't want to get bored with eating healthy, so I'm trying to keep it interesting.

Tomorrow I have to dig out the measuring tape and make a starting point. I haven't decided what I'm going to do about my actual 'weight'. I'm thinking of buying a really good DIGITAL scale since I don't like my regular one - I can't see the numbers :0(

Wanted to say hello and welcome back. Its good to see you again. Looks like you have been thru alot of stuff and are really focusing on getting the good healthy stuff in. That's cool. Take care and have a great evening. :x

Hello Arisa, and welcome back ~

I'm sorry about the turmoil in your life, but I hope you manage to adjust well and soon, and move on with your life.

I'm glad you decided to come back and pick up your fight against weight gain. You sound very determined and commited. Staying focused and positive will help a lot in getting you where you intend to go.

Have a good week now and good for you for sticking to it.

Keep smiling....... :)
Sandie

I don't know what is happening to me. It's like there is a change occuring that penetrates so deep that I don't even realize what's happening, but somehow everyone else is seeing it. I am not wearing anything different than I normally wear today. My hair is up, same as always. I'm still feeling a little sick from the bad flu I caught just after the new year, so it's not like I'm walking around with an ear-to-ear grin...I can barely muster a frown!

So what's the difference? I can't put my finger on it, but people are telling me that I generally look happier and healthier this year.

I find that I'm not as hungry as I used to be, but honestly I think that is due to depression. I am not having as many sleeping problems as I used to, though I still can't get myself out of bed early enough to get some decent amount of exercise in. It hasn't helped that I've been bogged down with the flu.

Today I've managed to keep a handle on cravings and I haven't gone overboard. I had a Nutrigrain bar for breakfast (140 cal). For lunch I had a panini (which is basically a sandwich that gets toasted and crushed so the bread gets flat). I am guessing it had about 6 oz. of turkey on it, but I asked them to hold the cheese and make it plain. It came with a big mesclin salad with a lemon-poppy herb viniagrette dressing. I am working on finishing the Pepsi I had with lunch (150 cal).

I bought a side order of bulgar wheat to have around 4 p.m. as my dinner before I run out to class. It looks like it might be 2 cups and it has chopped veggies in it. I also have a granola bar with me that I will save for class if I get hungry later.

Hello and welcome back.

I am sorry to hear about the sadness in your life but things always work themselves out and moving on with your own life is very good.
I follow ww and i enjoy the plan as i can eat what i want as long as i dont go over my points.

you seem to be doing well with the foods and as far as depression well that would be only normal and time does heal the heart. beleive me i know.
I hope you and your hubby will manage to work things out but if not then you always have you and therefore are never truly alone.
take care and have a great day and nice to meet you.

This morning has been very hectic, but I think I've kept a good handle on the stress. The girl who was supposed to help my coworker for the event this afternoon called in sick, so I have to go fill in.

This means that I'll have to head all the way up to Gracie Mansion and stand in the cold to do check in. Since this is last minute for me I'll have to cancel my lunch plans. I don't like being rushed because then I tend to make bad choices about what I do eat. I also won't be able to get something to eat before my class tonight, so I may end up eating late. However, I do have a granola bar with me to help tide me over.

The good news is that I just received notice that my Foodmover is going into the mail today, so I should have it by the end of the week!

****************************************************

It's 9:30 p.m. and although it's early I'm contemplating going to bed. I'm starting to feel like that flu is coming back and I don't want a full blown relapse.

I managed to do well today, foodwise. I had my Nutrigrain bar for breakfast, half a can of Pepsi, a Cuban sandwich (no cheese) with a salad for lunch, 4 Snackwell cookies for a snack, and a Lean Cuisine spaghetti and meatball frozen dinner when I got home from school.

I have a feeling that I'm not eating enough calories, which scares me because I don't want to put my body in starvation mode again. Been there, done that, have the t-shirt. I guess I'll wait until I read the stuff that comes with the Foodmover to see where I ought to be calorie-wise.

Hello and glad your foodmover is on its way to you.

your breakfast has me a bit thrown off cuz i think its under in calories. you should eat a bigger breakfast and you wont feel so hungry when lunch rolls around and i would skip the soda and try diet or water or even iced tea.

Do you like oatmeal? i eat the flavored and reg and its close to same calories as a cereal bar and probably more filling too.
i try to get things lower in cal but that will be filling for a longer stretch. Hope your not offended but thought maybe i could help.

your doing so well and one other thing is be careful with the frozen dinners as they have major sodium in them. i used to eat the smart ones from ww until i read the sodium content and it floored me.
so now i opt for lower sodium items. Just a thought. again i hope im not being offensive just trying to help.

take care.

Hi Minnie,

Well, I do understand where you're coming from and I know you're right about breakfast and cutting back on sodium. I'm not offended, but here is where I'm coming from...

I work full time and go to school full time and now I'm on my own, so any help I was getting from my husband isn't the case anymore. I'm having to maintain the whole place by myself, which is difficult considering my schedule.

The fact that I end up going to bed late because of various responsibilities added to the fact that I've been sick all year (yes, all year already!) has contributed to my not getting up on time. So, I rarely have time to eat a full breakfast in the morning. And it's too much money to stop and get something on the way. I've been eating Nutrigrain bars and they fill me up until lunch, but right at noon I'm hungry. So I'm starting to listen to the signals my body is giving me.

For lunch I've been trying to have sandwiches without things like mayo and mustard because they add calories. And since I'm not making the sandwich myself I can't control how much of the "extras" are put on it. So I choose plain things and for the most part I am full after lunch. Because of school I try to get something else at lunch time that I can save to eat around 4 p.m. as a dinner. Then around 8 I'll have a granola bar or low cal snack to tide me over since I don't normally get home until at least 10-11 p.m.

I've gone from drinking ONLY Pepsi (no water, no juice, no tea, no anything other than soda) to drinking one 12 oz. can per day. Yesterday I didn't even drink the one can. I cannot drink diet sodas because of the aspartame, and I've tried Diet Rite (made with Splenda) and I found that although the headache I had from it was delayed, it still occured. I don't keep soda in the house anymore because I will drink it if it's there. When my husband comes to visit he has to bring his own soda with him and take it when he leaves.

At any rate, I am not trying to be defensive. I know you're trying to help and you're well on your way to reaching your goal - so I always appreciate the advice from people who have had success. However, I'm also working with a lot of other factors here that most people don't have. I'd love to come home at a decent time and be able to fix a healthy meal, but I can't. I'd love to have enough time in the morning to have oatmeal or eggs or even an English muffin, but I just don't have the time.

I'm sick of the stress. I can't stop it from happening, but I really do need to find another way to deal with it. I'm running down to the medical office at a quarter to 4 today to see what the doc here thinks is wrong with me, but I'm sure this is stress-induced.

I forgot to grab a Nutrigrain bar this morning, but I had a granola bar in my bag from yesterday, so I had that for breakfast. I had 8 oz. of water mixed with juice to sort of soothe my throat and help keep me hydrated. A 10 a.m. meeting got pushed back to 11 a.m. which I knew would be a problem because it would infringe on my regularly scheduled lunch time. At 12:30 I finally got out of the meeting and got to sit down to lunch at a quarter to 1.

I had a BBQ chicken sandwich on a wrap. And I had another 8 oz. of water mixed with juice. It's hard to keep drinking but I know that the more fluids I have, the sooner this will be washed out of my system. I just hate being sick!!!

I have no idea what I'll have for dinner. It's DH's birthday today and I told him I'd take him out wherever he wanted to go. Hopefully he will pick a place that has something healthy on the menu.

The doc suggested I take Benedryl at night, but I'm not feeling any better today. I was rushed this morning because I had an 8 a.m. appt. with a new doctor, so I didn't get to grab my usual for breakfast.

I ended up having a bagel (about 500 cal) and 8 oz. of water/juice. I'm working on my next 8 oz. and will update after lunch (which I am headed to shortly).
****************************************************

I didn't get the panini which I love because it would have just been plain chicken with nothing else on it. Instead, I settled for baked ziti. Now this was a disaster because I'm allergic to cheese, but of course I eat it anyway. They gave me a small portion (small for them, but about what I *should* have eaten), but afterwards I was still hungry. I drank a 20 oz. Gatorade since I know I am dehydrated from being sick. Unfortunately this translated into a lot of calories I didn't need.

I continued to drink my water/juice concoction (which I make from "light" Ocean Spray juices that are only 40 cal. per 8 oz. serving). I didn't get something else to eat for dinner, but when I was on my way to class I picked up granola bars (180 cal total).

By the time I got home last night I was famished! It was after 10 p.m. and I didn't want to stay up but I had to have something to eat. I had a Lean Cuisine meal (350 cal) and planned on getting online for a little while. The phone rang before I could get the system up and running and it was my friend B, who I'm spending the weekend with.

We talked for close to an hour, but as we talked I realized I was still hungry. I went on to eat 2 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches on light wheat (200 cal each) and an apple (80 cal) with 2 TBsp of homemade caramel (??? cal)

I think I ate close to 2,000 calories today. And it was completely unnecessary. Had I had the foresight to pick up something to eat before class (dinner, like I normally do) I wouldn't have "binged" the way I did when I finally got home. *sigh*

Okay, I need to make sure that this does NOT become a pattern.

I decided to stop avoiding the scale. I had wanted to take my measurements to use as a frame of reference but I can't find my measuring tape.

When I weighed myself at the post-Xmas gift exchange at my mom's (12/29) I was 226. I wanted to cry.

This morning, I stepped up onto it and watched the needle as it taunted me 219...221....218...223...

finally, it stopped.

And it said:

220

The last few weeks have been really hectic. The doctors don't know what is wrong. They say that I don't have allergies, yet I exhibit the symptoms. Tomorrow I have to go for a CT scan. In a way I'm tired of hearing that things are 'normal' cause I don't feel like myself...I'd like some sort of explanation for the way I've been feeling.

I haven't been as strict with myself as far as my eating habits are concerned, but I did manage to lose another pound. Of course, I have to weigh myself again tomorrow. So who knows, it may change by then!

I stepped on the scale this morning and it said I was down another pound.

This brings me to 218!

I'm excited, but I wonder when all of my 'not watching' moments will creep up on me. Hopefully they won't.

I threw on a shirt that I haven't worn in a while because it's been cold, and this is short sleeved. It has a v-neck and is sort of gathered at the bust and then is sort of a-line. It's a cute shirt, but I realized something today...

I was in a rush and didn't bother to check the mirror before I left. To my horror, when I got to the office, I saw that the shirt is so big in the bust that unless I keep tugging at the back of the shirt, it tips forward and you can see my bra. How embarassing!

Why is it that the last place we *want* to lose the weight from is always the first place to make a difference?

I would have liked to see my stomach start to shrink, maybe lose some flab under my arms, maybe have less love handles around my waist and back...but no...for some reason the higher power has seen fit to take my only advantage away!

*grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr*

Don't you HATE that???????????? i went around screaming one day because my boobs were the first place i shrank - seriously have lost 6 inches from my ribcage and boobs since i started losing weight and it is so infuriating! i like my chestal area, thank-you-very-much, and sure, they can shrink when the rest of me does, but not until then, okay? Sheesh, i don't wanna have huge ones when the rest of me isn't, but leave em until i've got other advantages, ya know?

Congrats on the losses!

Have you gotten allergy tested yet? Where they poke you and do all sorts of tests to see how your body reacts to different allergy-causing substances? My brother finally did, and now he gets allergy shots once a month or something and his quality of life is MUCH improved since he started with that. You might also want to get blood work done for mono....just a thought...

Don't worry, the rest of your body will catch up with the breasteses....my losing there slowed way down after a bit and now they're proportionally great again :)

morgayne

Actually I just saw an allergist and had the blood tests done. He says I am not allergic to anything on the panel. But I think I am going to request the multi-pin prick thing cause I hear it's more accurate.

I dunno...I wish we could pick where we lose the weight from, ya know? I know we can't - obviously - but this just bites...

Okay, I got this is an email this morning just as I popped the top of my Coke open. *sip...sip....Coke splattered all over my monitor*

This is scary!
******************************************************

This is really an eye opener!

We all know that water is important but I've never seen it written down like this before.

WATER

1. 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated. (Likely applies to half world population.)

2. In 37% of Americans, the thirst mechanism is so weak that it is often mistaken for hunger.

3. Even MILD dehydration will slow down one's metabolism as much as 3%.

4. One glass of water will shut down midnight hunger pangs for almost 100% of the dieters studied in a University of Washington study.

5. Lack of water, the #1 trigger of daytime fatigue.

6. Preliminary research indicates that 8-10 glasses of water a day could significantly ease back and joint pain for up to 80% of sufferers.

7. A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on the computer screen or on a printed page.

8. Drinking 5 glasses of water daily decreases the risk of colon cancer by 45%, plus it can slash the risk of breast cancer by 79%, and one is 50%less likely to develop bladder cancer. Are you drinking the amount of water you should every day?


COKE

1. In many states (in the USA) the highway patrol carries two gallons of Coke in the trunk to remove blood from the highway after a car accident.

2. You can put a T-bone steak in a bowl of coke and it will be gone in two days.

3. To clean a toilet: Pour a can of Coca-Cola into the toilet bowl and let the "real thing" sit for one hour, then flush clean. The citric acid in Coke removes stains from vitreous china.

4. To remove rust spots from chrome car bumpers: Rub the bumper with a rumpled-up piece of Reynolds Wrap aluminum foil dipped in Coca-Cola.

5. To clean corrosion from car battery terminals: Pour a can of Coca-Cola over the terminals to bubble away the corrosion.

6. To loosen a rusted bolt: Apply a cloth soaked in Coca-Cola to the rusted bolt for several minutes.

7. To bake a moist ham: Empty a can of Coca-Cola into the baking pan, wrap the ham in aluminum foil, and bake. Thirty minutes before the ham is finished, remove the foil, allowing the drippings to mix with the Coke for sumptuous brown gravy.

8. To remove grease from clothes: Empty a can of coke into a load of greasy clothes, add detergent, and run through a regular cycle. The Coca-Cola will help loosen grease stains. It will also clean road haze from your windshield.


FOR YOUR INFORMATION:
1. The active ingredient in Coke is phosphoric acid. Its pH is 2.8. It will dissolve a nail in about four days. Phosphoric acid also leaches calcium from bones and is a major contributor to the rising increase in osteoporosis.

2. To carry Coca-Cola syrup (the concentrate) the commercial truck must use the Hazardous Material place cards reserved for highly corrosive materials.

3. The distributors of coke have been using it to clean the engines of their trucks for about 20 years!

Now the question is, would YOU like a glass of water or coke?

Yeah, and if you put a tooth in a glass of coke overnight, it will dissolve completely....ick....who wants to do that to their mouth? i like my teeth very much, thank you!

Hey you've got an allergy to artificial sweeteners, right? My mom was just telling me about some herbal sweetener thing that's totally different from aspartame and nutra sweet and all that stuff...i'll find the name out from her and let you know - perhaps that wouldn't give you a headache? In the meantime, keep drinking your water/juice combo...maybe think about using lemon juice or lime juice or a spritz from an orange to cut down on the calories and still give you flavor in your water....do you like bubbly water? Because that still counts towards water - as does herbal tea and anything that doesn't have sugar or caffeine in it....


morgayne, the water queen (i drink 6 litres a day)

Yes, I get *sick* from aspartame! I've tried drinks with Splenda and although Splenda doesn't affect me in something baked or cooked, it bothers me as a sweetener substitute in soda.

The water/juice combo is great because I use Ocean Spray's Lite juices which are only 40 calories for 8 oz. I'll drag that 8 oz. out into 64 or more oz. of water. Much better usage than to get one of the pre-bottled flavored waters!

Well I fell off the wagon this weekend. Friday night I was out with friends and I had about 6 oz. of wine. Not too bad. However, last night was a complete free for all. I bought a bunch of stuff and had some friends over to play cards. By the time the night was done, I'd had 5 Malibu Breezes. Now, in all actuality, I did the calorie breakdown for the drink and it's not so bad - in moderation. However, I wasted about 500 calories last night. How very stupid of me.

At any rate...I did the weight calculation that someone sent me, which was your weight x 11 and then deduct 500 cal per day to lose 1 lb/wk, or 1000 cal per day to lose 2 lb/wk. I did the math and I should be able to lose 1 lb per week by eating around 1900 calories. I am usually around 1700 so I'm not going to fret over the drinks I had this weekend. I was still well under 1900 calories yesterday.

I picked up my new scale today (it arrived on Friday at my grandparents' house). I set the machine and then stepped on, even though it isn't my actual weigh-in yet. It said 218.2..so my old scale was sorta accurate, this one is just much better. The thing I didn't like was my body fat percentage. I really need to work on that. I know the best way to beat that is to exercise and sweat the fat off...*grrr* just have to start getting to bed at a decent hour so I can get up and exercise in the morning.

I love my new scale. Maybe because it's telling me things that I *so* want to hear (like, for instance, that I am losing weight and that my goal is just under 100 pounds away!).

Monday is my official weigh in day (at least now that I have a scale I can actually read). I find that if I weigh myself on a Friday, I binge over the weekend with the thought that I can make up for it all week. Mondays are harder for me to fake and help to keep me consistent even over the weekend.

So, this morning...I stepped on and it blinked:

215.8/46%

I'm not happy about the 46% body fat, but I can only change that through serious exercise. The rower is out and calling to me every morning, but I've been ignoring it. I am going to HAVE to start exercising to lower that percentage!

Congrats on the loss! You're smart about the weighing in on Mondays thing - i weigh in on Saturdays and let me tell you, it seriously only encourages the cheating thing...it's like the weekend doesn't count cause i already lost the weight, ya know? Perhaps i will find a nighttime meeting to go weigh-in at...but i really like my leader *shrug* i dunno...

But anyhow, congrats! i wish i knew my BMI when i started and what it is now, that'd be interesting to track...


morgayne

I think you can take your BMI by comparing your waist measurement to your hip measurement. It's never too late to start tracking it!

Hmmm...maybe i'll look up the formula...but i think the pinchers are supposed to be more accurate....how're things going, girly?


morgayne

This past week I have been completely off program. I haven't been watching what I've been eating, nor have I been tracking it. And it shows.

Today, the scale read: 216.8

The good news is that I think the weight gain is actually muscle. What leads me to this conclusion you ask? The fact that my body fat reading went down to: 45.

I have been doing a lot more walking than I normally do, and I've been able to increase the speed. Until we got hit with this blizzard, I was getting to the train (almost a half mile) in about 6 minutes.

Hello,

muslce does weigh more than fat so thats probably what it is since the body fat went down.

when i dont watch what i eat the weight comes right back on.

where did you get a scale to track your body fat? i would love to own one too.

well take care.

Hey Minnie,

I actually got mine online through drugstore.com. It's a Tanita scale that measures weight and body fat and will store two profiles. I paid $60 for it and they don't charge shipping.

I absolutely love this scale (of course, it's cooperating with me right now!)

I've been in a sorta funky down mood the last few days. I went for a pedicure today, which lifted the mood for a little bit because it reminded me that vacation is only a few days away (Saturday to be precise).

But today when I left work, I just wanted to be alone. So, I started walking. Before I knew it, I'd gone about 2 miles. I hopped on the train and then walked another 0.5 mile to get home. I was feeling the energy and a generically "good" mood, but that's changing again.

Maybe it's just because I haven't had enough sleep. Four hours last night left me very grumpy today.

Okay, I got sucked into a diet black hole. I had planned a trip to FL, which was only supposed to be for 4 days. I ended up staying for 8 and I was being extremely unhealthy while I was there. When I came back, I was sick for 2 weeks and I'm still not really back to "myself" yet. I lost about 6-8 pounds in that time and I've been yo-yoing so that I can't really tell what I weigh right now. I've decided that tomorrow morning I am going to weigh myself and try getting back on track as far as weekly weigh-ins.

In the meantime I haven't been journaling what I eat, or even logging the calories. So, I have to get back to that. No time like the present, right? I was shocked to realize that my breakfast this morning (a Coke and a bagel with cream cheese) actually consumed half of my daily calories. And I'm hungry again, damnit!

Today is a low self-esteem day. The weather is getting warmer and I don’t feel like I’ve made any progress. I feel as fat today as I was before I started dieting, which I know isn’t true, but it just feels that way. I have not been putting any effort in and therefore haven’t been getting any results, but I am still frustrated with myself.

Hello Ariisa!

I just read your last post and I can relate to you about not feeling the progress. I am almost to my 50 lb mark, and I can't really tell the difference. I guess when you weigh as much as I did you have to lose A LOT before it really starts to show. Oh well, at some point something has to give, so we just need to keep trucking. :)

You will do this! Don't get too frustrated with yourself. We all slip up. :D Just concentrate on getting back on track. Good luck with your weigh in tomorrow and I hope you are feeling better!


-Lindsey

Ariisa~

Hi There! I just went back and read all the posts in your journal. Your latest one I can really relate to. You and I have very similar stats. I am in a serious funk, but I'm sure it will pass. You have to give yourself some props for what you have done up until...you have been doing so well. Just get back on track and you will feel better soon. You have so many things to be thankful for, just remember that it could ALWAYS be worse. I have faith in you, but only faith in yourself will really get you motivated. Believe in yourself....you can do this, and I'm behind you 100%:D

Thank you both SO much for your encouragement! I really needed it today! :0)

Ariisa~

You're welcome....Keep up the good work girly!!! Keep thinking about how happy you will be with the end results....:D I'm pulling for you!!

Well, with trepidation I stepped on my scale this morning. It was a last ditch effort, really, I was all dressed and ready to go and then I remembered that I needed to mark my progress. So, I undid all my hard work and stepped on.

*taunt taunt taunt*

I've gained some weight back, but my body fat percentage is down. So...the good news is that I AM indeed building muscles which will in turn burn more fat!

I'm considering adding measurement-taking to my list of things to do on a monthly basis...

So, here are the current stats:

Beginning Weight (1/1/03): 228 (48%)

Previous Weight (3/10/03): 213.6 (46%)

Current Weight (3/19/03): 215.2 (42%)

Current Change: +1.6 (-4%)

Total Change: -12.8 (-6%)

Look at that, muscle-woman!

Happy to have you back, sweetie :)

i should start measuring my body fat %....hrm....


Be well!

morgayne

Ariisa~

Congrats on the loss in body fat %! That's wonderful. Keep up the good attitude!! :D

Thanks ladies!

Today I'm doing okay, I suppose. I have started bringing in my breakfast from home so I can have more control over what I am eating. I've been bringing in small Lenders bagels with 1 oz. of cream cheese.

As much as I start thinking about cutting out the cream cheese, I realize that 400 calories for breakfast is about right (a little under 1/3 of my daily allotment). And the fat from the cream cheese has staved off my usual mid-morning snack cravings.

Today I'm having Japanese for lunch, but I don't know what I am going to order. The rice has so many calories! I guess what I can try to do is just make sure I get something like a teriyaki rather than a tempura, so it's not fried.

Ariisa~

Japanese sounds so good to me right now...I'M starving! :( But I think you have the right idea about what you order. ENJOY!

Ariisa~ your thoughts about breakfast are indeed correct - the fact will help keep you satisfied...i find i like light cream cheese as well....hate the non fat stuff, but the light stuff works for me :)

Keep up the good work!

morgayne

I don't normally even eat cream cheese, but I had a bunch of it in my fridge because I was going to do some baking. So, rather than throw it away I've been using it. But...I will definately be switching over the 'light' stuff when this is gone! Too many wasted calories!

I know I haven't updated in a while. I haven't been focused on my weight loss. I've been sort of depressed so I've just let things get out of hand. I haven't been journaling, watching what I eat or staying very active, but I did manage to lose a slight amount of weight, 0.2 lb. Not bad considering I'm not even trying.

I've rearranged my living room to accomodate all of the exercise equipment, but I can't put it out until the landlord fixes a leak in that area.

Here's to hopping back on the bandwagon *biting a crunchy carrot*

Okay, it's been a while since I've posted anything. My weight has remained stable, which considering what I've been eating is a miracle.

Yesterday I found out that I have PCOS and am insulin resistant, though not diabetic. I have to watch my carbs and sugar and apparently this is the reason I keep stopping after every 20 pound loss.

I posted a note in the 100+ forum for some information on low carb diets other than Atkins, so we'll see what I can find out.