Diets...not fun..but gonna be WORTH IT!

[PurpleHonker]

You folks are inspiring! I'm trying to jump on the weight-loss bandwagon too. I had been quite thin my whole life, then a lot of things fell apart on me. Long story short, I've gained 45 lbs in a little over a year, and I'm feeling pretty darn low about it especially because it isn't reversing - I'm just getting bigger, and am quickly needing clothes that fit on a budget that is not increasing like my size is. I feel stuck.

Reading your posts has lifted my spirits some. If nothing else, I know I'm not alone.

I wish you all the best of luck on your weight-loss goals, and hopefully we'll all be healthier, happier, and a bit thinner sooner than later

 

[RedPiggy]

LOL -- yeah, my problem is also watching my few clothes get tighter and tighter. Being unemployed doesn't help matters. Before I moved to Texas, I got the idea to treat exercising like an RPG: make a chart with different exercises designed to do different things (speed, agility, strength, etc) and have several spots next to them, assigned with numbers such as amount of reps or time, so that you could focus on building the skills you need out of life at the moment (whether it's opening that jar of pickles or running around for the entire shift at a job). I used a small poster, but even a sheet of paper would do, or just make a file on the computer (like Excel -- that way you could make graphs and stuff).

 

[PurpleHonker]

That's a great idea, RedPiggy! I'll have to see what I can come up with

I don't weigh myslef very often anymore (it's too depressing), but I just found out I gained 3 more pounds. It seems I just keep growing (out, not up) while my husband is getting more and more fit (he's racing in a 54k Xcountry ski race this weekend, and is training for three more marathons this year). I don't want to be an athlete like that; I just want to feel better about myself and feel like I look good in my clothes (ones that fit).

 

[Vic Romano]

Wow, the RPG idea is so unique and cool. I keep a chart/checklist myself. Everyone who's serious about weight loss will tell you that a journal of some sort is imperative. Tomorrow is my weigh-in and I'm nervous. I had a good week, but last night I let a bad day get to me and I pigged out bad. It sucks hard because I've been sooooo good and have been regularly cutting even more and more sugar and fat out, and exercising even when I feel I just can't, so if I'm not down at least 2 pounds from last week, I'm gonna' be pretty bummed.

 

[Katzi428]

Wow, the RPG idea is so unique and cool. I keep a chart/checklist myself. Everyone who's serious about weight loss will tell you that a journal of some sort is imperative. Tomorrow is my weigh-in and I'm nervous. I had a good week, but last night I let a bad day get to me and I pigged out bad. It sucks hard because I've been sooooo good and have been regularly cutting even more and more sugar and fat out, and exercising even when I feel I just can't, so if I'm not down at least 2 pounds from last week, I'm gonna' be pretty bummed.

Don't beat yourself up about pigging out last night.You had a good week! That's what counts! When I was up North in January (New York & then Pennsylvania) I ate a lot because it was my nephew's baptism.So I didn't think I lost anything.
Purple Honker: my scale is a piece of junk So the last time I was weighed was at my neurologist's office (when I found out I had lost all that weight) I'll be seeing my regular GP in a couple of weeks.At least she has a decent scale!LOL!

 

[RedPiggy]

What I hate is that one hour it'll say I'm 162, then 165 the next hour, even if I haven't eaten anything in between.

If anyone wants to PM me with their needs, I can come up with something. I'd enjoy the mental exercise. What kind of rewards would be included for "leveling up" would also be nice. Now, if you want, say, an Excel chart, I can't attach stuff in PM, but I could at least offer some setup ideas or just make one myself and send it through email. I'm thinking of making a new one for myself. Haven't done it in awhile, but I'm thinking it might be fun to start it up again.

 

[PurpleHonker]

Who knew scales could be as accurate as a TV weatherman and still keep their jobs too? LOL I suppose it would be a hard job to be a scale - getting stepped on all day, then having to deliver bad news to almost everyone who weighs you down. hee hee.

On a more serious note, I have every intention of starting my own chart now to keep me moving and motivated. If I run into any troubles, I might PM you, RedPiggy. Thanks for the offer of help

 

[RedPiggy]

Well, that's why I use hip-to-waist ratio instead. Sources vary, but here's a link. It is a lot easier to deal with overall percentages than absolute numbers.

I would use body fat calipers, but I have none and a little net research says if I want accuracy I'd have to be super specific about where I place them and would have to shell out some dough for "accurate" ones. However, I do have one of those scales that measures body fat through electrical resistance. Another way to measure was something like this.

There is also something called the Body Mass Index, but I find it to be asinine. At 4'10", I should be something like 90lbs. Pssht -- yeah -- if I were 10, maybe. Just hitting puberty makes that unreasonable. It also doesn't take into account fat-vs-muscle, etc. A jock would be obese according to it. So, I'd put it in the same category as the scale: nice but not gospel for assessing health.

I would say, use the Hip-to-Waist Ratio or the Body Fat Percentage (or both, I guess) and also a checklist of everything you feel you want to be able to do. If you want to be able to, say, walk around your house or whatever without feeling winded, set up that as a goal and provide yourself with mini-goals, such as walking a quarter of the way unwinded, etc.

Edit: Using heart rate might be useful. Here is a site regarding target heart rates. I know the chart starts off with a 20 year old, but if you're younger, it is just 220 minus your age is the max heart rate, and you should be going for 50% of that starting off and up to 85% of the max. While someone would most likely try to sell some sort of wrist device or something, you can also just check your pulse yourself or if you have a blood pressure machine, just take it before and after. It's not the greatest solution but it beats having to go buy a bunch of equipment. The fast way to check your pulse is either your wrist (if you drew a line from the middle of your thumb and traced down to the wrist, it'd be somewhere around there) or your neck (that jugular vein has to be good for something, LOL). Count it out for 15 seconds and multiply that by 4. If you happen to have irregular heart beats, you'd have to just wait the full minute.

 

[Xevia]

Well I want to just jump right in this forum and make myself at home so here goes the weight story for me.

I was 170 lbs when I moved in with my hubby, and I'd like to get back there.

I now have type 2 diabetes and I control it with pills, but I would like to eventually control it with diet and this is not possible until I lose some weight.

I am very sick and tired of being sick and tired, and I know that weight loss will help a lot!

I jumped back on the diet train myself this week, and I could use all of the support that I can get because I am a cookie monster!

 

[Katzi428]

Well I want to just jump right in this forum and make myself at home so here goes the weight story for me.

I was 170 lbs when I moved in with my hubby, and I'd like to get back there.

I now have type 2 diabetes and I control it with pills, but I would like to eventually control it with diet and this is not possible until I lose some weight.

I am very sick and tired of being sick and tired, and I know that weight loss will help a lot!

I jumped back on the diet train myself this week, and I could use all of the support that I can get because I am a cookie monster!

Yeeshscrunched up frustrated Kermit face...wrote out a BIG long post before & all of a sudden MC was having problems! Guess I'll need to start over!
Soooo........
Hi Xevia & welcome!(to both MC & the "We wanna lose weight!" club!) Before dieting I was a cookie junkie too! (chocolate chip cookies were my worst downfall) I'm pre-diabetic. And unfortunately I had told everyone that I lost 20 pounds so far. Guess what,gang? There must've been something wrong w/my neurologist's scale (where I was weighed & told I lost 20 lbs.) I went to my regular dr. the other day & found out I only lost 12 pounds! I was SO mad !I wanted to call my neuro's office & tell them that their scale was WAY off. But I didn't. So lately I've started walking a lot. I used to walk only 5 minutes a day. But that wouldn't get me anyplace,right? So yesterday I walked for (I'd say) 20 minutes.My legs were killing me afterwards & I was breathing heavily.But I told myself,"No pain...no gain." Xevia..I mentioned Fruit 2O in one of my previous posts.It's fruit flavored water with NO calories & NO bad stuff.It's great! And REALLY refreshing! Take a look in your grocery stores & see if they have it. (LOL..I sound like a spokeswoman for the stuff!) But I'm serious!Exercise & eating low calorie stuff is what does the trick. Good luck!
Kathy