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suenos
Moderator
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Posted: 21 February 2006 06:19 pm |
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At last, I finally had my measurements taken. Ouch.
upper arm: 13, shoulders: 45 1/2, chest: 41
waist: 35, hip: 43, thigh: 25
weight: 176
Joined a new gym this am. I love my old gym, and especially love that its's free but the weight room is just too small and limited to do what I really want to do at this point so I figured I had to cough up the money to get what I need.
Met with personal trainer at new gym, went over the plan I've already detailed for the month and felt really great because she thought it was a good schedule and if I stick to it, I should meet my goal of reducing to a size 8 in the next 30 days. We had a talk about muscle weight vs. fat weight. She suggested that I not weigh myself for the next six weeks. Okay, I can go four weeks, I think, maybe, but nope, not quite that disciplined.
Got the requisite lecture about my smoking. I know, I know alread. Let me just light this cigarette while I figure out how I'm gonna quit.
Absolutely nothing to write about food today. I pretty much eat the same thing every day, just in different combinations, seven days a week. Just not having any issues since last weeks popcorn fixation...how boring.
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sweatslady
New Member
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Posted: 21 February 2006 07:45 pm |
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Suenos,
You were saying something about quitting smoking. I see that you seem to enjoy support boards. I have a GREAT support board for quitting smoking. It is through Yahoo groups. The address is: groups.yahoo.com/group/quitsmoking/
I have found some absolutely wonderful support here for quitting smoking. (I haven't actually quit yet but my quit date is soon.) The people on that list are absoluetly wonderful. If you want to quit and feel the need for support that you can't find anywhere try us out. You are trying to make your body healthy by losing weight and you seem to be doing great at it. Maybe quitting smoking is the next step.
By the way, I did not create the group or anything and I don't get anything for referring people I just thought you may be interested. Just a little info from a newbi.
Sandi
-- Edited to comply with Terms of Use
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sheltiemom
Distinguished Member
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Posted: 21 February 2006 08:02 pm |
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| My husband used the Nicorette patch when he quit. It's available OTC now. Is that an option? Also, a girlfriend of mine got a presciption from her doctor. I forget the name, but it was normally used as an anti-depressant. It helped her to quit.
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sweatslady
New Member
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Posted: 21 February 2006 08:33 pm |
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The name of the medication could be either Zyban or Welbutrin. They are the same thing. There is also the Nicotrol Inhaler (by prescription) that can be used. There are lots of methods to quit but I will be going cold turkey. It's best for me.
I just wanted to let her know of a support group for quitting. It is such a great help. I know that I will be using them a lot when I finally do quit. (March 17th is my quit date but may do it sooner).
Sandi:D
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suenos
Moderator
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Posted: 21 February 2006 10:19 pm |
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Txs. for the non-smoking tips shieltiemom and sweatslady. Other than having a target date of my vacation next month, I'm really clueless as to how this is going to happen. No plan, No plan at all. My mind is jumping from accupuncter to hypnosis to taking a class I saw advertised. I was seriously considering the patch but one of my co-workers recently got it and now she will take it off and bum a smoke from me, and put it back on again. Which is kinda funny but also not funny at all.
Unlike my decision to loose weight, which for some reason I felt compelled to announce to every human being within the sound of my voice, I don't really want anyone to know I'm quitting smoking. I just want to go away on vacation and return a non-smoker.
edited to add: I just read the journal entry from sweatslady where "praying for strength" was included as a step in her plan and a little light suddenly clicked on. As my mother would say, I'm going to just "let go and let God"!!!!!!Last edited on 21 February 2006 10:36 pm by suenos
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sweatslady
New Member
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Posted: 21 February 2006 10:32 pm |
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You are very welcome. If you really have no plan then I really think that the link I gave you can help greatly. They have all been through it and done it all. They can give you great advise and help you develope and plan. The people there are as great as the people here are. It's a start anyway.
Sandi
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suenos
Moderator
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Posted: 22 February 2006 07:47 pm |
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Super, super morning. I woke up feeling energetic and happy at the crack of dawn, sat on my back porch and watched the wild chickens strut around, noticed a blooming rose bush I've never seen before, played with the neighbor's cat and literally counted my blessings.
Had a great workout. Went to old gym since this am was primarily a cardio workout. Went to steam room with work-out partner. Usually we only have time to sweat and run but we had extra time today so we sat and talked and bonded over skin brushing (I've gotten her addicted to it).
Normally I weight myself as soon as I walk into the gym on M/W/F. Today tried to ignore the big scale but I was helpless and gave in to the call of the numbers in about 60 seconds. Naturally it was confusing. I'm going to write the numbers down and try to make sense of it.
Week one I lost 4 lbs, weeks two and three I lost 2 lbs each week, week four I gained one pound, and this week (five) I lost one lb. Does that mean I've lost roughly 2 lbs water, 7 lbs fat and gained 1 lb muscle? Common sense and good advice from a trainer have told me to back away from the scale at this point. Since it's not gonna happen, maybe I'll just record the numbers and not attach any significance to them for a couple of weeks.
Still working towards sloooowly increasing carbs/reducing fats with an eye towards arriving at a hassle free lifetime eating plan. It's such a slow process, it's really kinda boring to both do and write about but anyway........
Plan this week was to increase another 5 carbs and reintroduce fruit while reducing fat by replacing ground beef with turkey. The meat swap was a no biggie since I don't really like ground beef and turkey is a lot more versatile to cook with. The fruit think is a wee bit more problematic because the sugar is so concentrated I'm scared of causing a spike in my blood sugar level. Sooo.....I started with eating two rasberries on Monday, four on Tuesday and today I will have eight (whoo hoo) - but not all in one meal. So by end of week I'll be eating 5 grams of carbs a day in fruit. Sounds tedious, and it is, but I just want to pay really close attention to how my body responds to specific foods, in specific combinations and amounts so that once I know, that's how I can eat without having to worry about it everyday.
I started this program with no other thought in mind but to get skinny again. Somehow in the process, as my fitness level improves and my energy increases I find that my focus has shifted to building a strong, healthy body, not just a skinny one. A couple of weeks ago I felt like "I just want a hot body", today it's more like "I want to be healthy so I can live longer in a hot body".:yumm:
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suenos
Moderator
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Posted: 23 February 2006 05:52 pm |
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Ay yi yi - it's only 9:30 and this day already sucks. Went to gym early this a.m. and out of all the dozens and dozens of weight machines, the only other girl there was apparently doing the same circuit. It was pouring rain when I left so by the time I get to my car I have nasty soggy clothes and wet hair. Then my car hydroplanes and I'm all over the road on a five lane highway. I'm frantically trying to remember "is it clutch in or release, is it turn with or turn against". Somehow I ended up facing the right direction in the right lane. The weird thing is this is a busy, busy street, day and night, but for those 15 seconds or so, by the grace of God, there was not one other single car on the road. Finally I get home, pull my clothes out of the dryer and my favorite ring watch tumbles out. I'm scared to go to work this afternoon and see what other goodies the universe has in store for me.
I'm in such a foul mood I've decided to just as many positive things I can think of, go back to bed and wake-up pretending I'm just starting this day.
1. Did not weigh myself at the gym.
2. Bought a cup of cappacinno, only drank about 1/4 (or less), realized that sabatoging my entire day's diet with a cup of liquid sugar was only going to make me feel worse in the long run and poured it out.
3. My house is clean, my bills are paid, my laundry is done and I have plenty of food in the fridge.
4. I'm working with my favorite crew tonight.
5. I had a good, focused work-out and my entire body is looking really toned and firm.
6. I did not injure or kill myself, I did not wreck my car.
7. My watch is still ticking.
8. I can go back to bed and start over.
9. I am alive to whine about my sucky morning!!!!!!!
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snussster
Distinguished Member
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Posted: 23 February 2006 06:23 pm |
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hey Suenos, about the smoking thing -- well, first I have to say that everybody's different, and we all smoke for different reasons and have different patterns and lives, bla bla bla (I'm saying this for myself so I don't get preachy and start sounding like "I alone have found the golden key to stop smoking"), but --
Nicotine Replacement Therapy, in my opinion and from experience, isn't the best way to go. I've been chewing the gum for, oh... about 7 years now. I chew it all day at work and now the sound of typing on a computer keyboard is Pavlovian for me, and I have to have that evil wonderful gum in my mouth at all times. So now I'm doubly-addicted. Tried the patch and it gave me wild, manic dreams and a big rash that didn't go away for 2 weeks, and itched and burned -- but that's me.
I decided what I really need is to get that Nicotine monster out of my system, and all the NRT does is keep the dependence on nicotine coursing through my body. I'm tired of having to have some sort of fix. I'm an addict, pure and simple. I want to be free from depending on a substance all day, every day of my life. The only reason we smoke is out of fear and brainwashing. before we smoked, we didn't need cigarettes. Now we think we need them to concentrate, relax, get pepped up, cope with stress. Those things are only true because now we're addicts so we have to have our fix to feel "normal" again. Nonsmokers don't need a cigarette to feel "normal." And every cigarette, every nicorette, every patch just reinforces our addiction and feeds the nicotine monster inside us.
I read somewhere that it's a battle between you and the cigarette, and one of you is going to die in order for the battle to be won.
I'm reading 2 great books to help me this time, and got some hypnosis CDs too, and I'm looking forward to not smoking ever again. It helps, too, that my mother moved in with me last July -- she has COPD (emphysema and chronic bronchitis), has to be on oxygen and takes lots of medications all day, coughs and coughs and can't do much physical activity at all-- and still smokes and will probably never quit. COPD can't be reversed; that damage is permanent, so she's made her choice and I'll be with her through the end. But that's not the life I want for myself. I can't save her, no matter how much I wish, wish, wish I could. but I better save myself.
Ok, I'll shut up now -- shame on me, I wrote instead of exercising this morning!!!
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GreenEater
Member
| Joined: | 9 February 2006 |
| Location: | Midwest, USA |
| Posts: | 48 |
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Posted: 23 February 2006 11:27 pm |
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| It's a good day! You are still with us! Sending blessings your way....
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suenos
Moderator
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Posted: 24 February 2006 07:29 am |
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Some days you eat the bear and some days the bear eats you. Today the bear chewed on me and went yum yum.
Not a good food day. I'm not going to whine about it, just record it so I can look back later and figure out how to prevent it from happening again.
breakfast: nothing, nada, zilch. Normally my post work out breakfast is my heaviest, best balanced meal of the day. I was just too shaky to cook and eat this am. Went back to bed instead.
mid morning snack: 1/4 avacado, 12 pecans
lunch: again, nothing, nada, zilch. Left home early so I wouldn't have to cook and could treat myself to lunch at the restaurant. Instead, some crazy old lady with out of state plates sideswiped my car while I was parked at a red light 2 blocks from my restaurant.
afternoon snack: same as lunch and breakfast. By this time my stomach was just coiled into a great big stress knot too big to allow food.
dinner: protein bar. Too shorthanded and busy to even think about sitting down to eat.
bad, bad thing: 1/4 cup cappacino
I'm super tired but I plan to stay up till midnight just so I can officially see this day come to an end.
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suenos
Moderator
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Posted: 24 February 2006 07:58 pm |
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No gym for me this am. Instead spent the whole morning in the shop waiting for my "baby" to get fixed. I've already had three good workouts this week and will go in the morning so a day of "rest", especially following a day of insufficient food is really better than if I had gone.
Right now I feel soooooo good. Yesterday was one of the worst days I've had in a long time but ..... as I spent the day careening from mishap to mishap (many more than I've even bothered to write about) I did not reach out for food. And it would have been so easy. But, except for the quarter cup of "whoops cappacino", the thought did not even cross my mind that eating this or that would make anything feel all better. Any thoughts I had about food were centered around not being able to get what I needed to fuel my body, not what I wanted to make me feel better. Last night I was thinking "I hope it slows down enough so I can scarf some broccoli and chicken", not "I can't wait to go home and get some ice cream".
Yesterday I had problems, some little, some big, and I dealt with them - without making food part of the problem or the solution. And I can't even beat myself up for not really eating because it wasn't a choice, or lack of preparation. I did what I could under the circumstances, got up this morning and went right back to my planned meals for the day.
This is so huge for me. I really believe that all the thinking, talking, reading, writing and posting about what/why I eat have finally broken, or at least seriously damaged, the crazy emotional connection I had with food.
I'm seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. I really do believe that this time I'll not just be able to reach my weight/size goal, but continue to maintain it.
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Mountain Mike
Distinguished Member
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Posted: 24 February 2006 08:09 pm |
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Good for you, Suenos!!! It sounds like you are really growing as a person. That's what this journey is all about.
It is really good that after a bad day you were able to pick up the pieces and move forward from there....thanks for sharing.
Mike
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snussster
Distinguished Member
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Posted: 25 February 2006 01:48 am |
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Wow.
I think so too, Suenos. I think you've got it going now. If yesterday didn't do it to you, you've definitely got it. I'm so glad you feel good today, after all that! You could be feeling like garbage, but nope, you chose not to let that happen -- well, all the choices you've made lately have brought you to a place where it's not even so much a choice anymore, but the way you live and see life.
makes me wonder why you chose "Suenos" as your name -- because it's not just dreams for you anymore -- it's reality now!!!!!!
Happy, happy Friday to you.
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Mountain Mike
Distinguished Member
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Posted: 25 February 2006 03:05 am |
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Yes...I think "Suenos" has awakened!!! TGIF!
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Snow
Distinguished Member
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Posted: 25 February 2006 08:00 pm |
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Suenos, I know exactly how you feel. This forum seriously kept me from going on a binge/purge or starve and punish myself kick this week. Without the forum I know I would have done it, I have done it for years and am really good at hiding it from people. I finally feel that I have the tools to reach my goals in a healthy way. And that even if I stumble, there are people who will encourage me and guide me. I  Peter for making this site!
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suenos
Moderator
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Posted: 25 February 2006 08:23 pm |
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Good work-out this am. Today was supposed to be my weights only (thighs/abs) day but just felt the need to jump on the tread mill and run till I was a sweaty little rag doll. Did 60 mins. between warm-up/cool-down instead of my usual 40 and felt so incredibly great at the end. I'm trying to listen to my body and for some reason this morning it was saying "run" - so I ran.
Since it's my last gym day until Monday, and I still had this weird surplus of energy I really, really wanted to do go ahead and some light weights. But, by the time I left the cardio room the the rather stuffy plate load weight room (which is the one I like) was just filled with guys. My pretty little floral scented deodorant had completly failed and I swear I was just reeking. Vanity triumped over common sense and I could not make myself go in there. I'm sitting here laughing at myself now, but I will be buying a new deodorant this afternoon.
Weight was 172 which is crazy 'cause I know I have not lost 4 lbs this week. So now I'm thinking, o.k., I only lost 1 lb last week instead of my usual 2, so maybe I was holding on to some water and the scale is just now reflecting it cause if I average the two weeks it does come out to 2 lbs a week. I gotta, gotta, gotta stay off the scale. Just say "no" to the numbers!!!
Anyway, came across an interesting theory from a girl who's very into weights. I've been going under the premise that I can strengthen but not gain significant muscle while loosing a significant amount of fat. But apparently (at least according to her) there is a period when you first start dieting that the body is able to do both. So now I'm gonna research that, but, even if it's true, I may be out of the "first start dieting" window.
Finally figured out how I'm gonna stop smoking. Just gonna divide it up into segments like I did my weight loss program. Week One, no smoking 3 hours before or after working out. Week Two, no smoking 6 hours before or after working out. Week Three, no smoking on work out days. By Week Four, I should be able to not smoke at all. Might or might not work, but I think tying it into my work-outs will make it easier physically and mentally.
susan wrote: "I'm so glad you feel good today, after all that! You could be feeling like garbage" and "makes me wonder why you chose "Suenos" as your name"
I've just become a disgustingly cheerful person the last few weeks. Seriously, everyone I know is ready to strangle me. I walk around smiling and peppy and annoyingly optomistic. I'm like the little kid who gets a pile of $$$$$ for his birthday and says "Wow, there must be a pony nearby":) All issues of weight loss aside, eliminating refined sugar and getting regular exercise just makes me feel good.
And "suenos" is just a silly, affectionate nickname used by family and close friends. Sorta like calling a redhead "Red". No significance to my weight loss goals. Rooted in being the only girl in a family of seriously big, seriously overprotective males. As soon as I hit adolescence they made it quite clear, as often as possible, to every male in a 30 mile radius that I was to be considered "la chica de sus suenos" only.
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snussster
Distinguished Member
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Posted: 25 February 2006 08:50 pm |
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I love the way you see things -- the pony around the corner, the bear chewing on you.
Ain't it great to just be happy and feel good??!! Just to be, and feel good??!!
I think it was Krinkala who wrote somewhere that eating right can even out a person's moods. Of course I knew that somewhere in my head -- always knew it about exercise -- but why didn't I try it until recently? Wonder why we choose misery which leads to more misery, when the solutions can be so easy, once we get going with it.
And I did the very same thing today -- was supposed to do weights but I felt too energetic to do that, so ran and walked and did the elliptical instead, and then didn't want to go into the weight room because I looked like I was wearing pajamas today. We can always go later today, right?
Very cute about your name, too! And right on about the 4 lbs -- yahoo to you!!!!
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suenos
Moderator
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Posted: 26 February 2006 09:13 pm |
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It's so crazy to me that I'm sitting here writing out my seven week plan. Just crazy and cool and almost surreal. I don't know why I'm attaching so much significance to the number seven, but for some reason it just floors me that I'm still doing this. This week's workout routine:
Mon/Wen/Fri: cardio days: 40 min. interval on treadmill, 20 min. light circuit on weights
Tues/Thurs/Sat: weights only: chest/back,abs.... butt/abs....thighs/abs
I'm changing it a little from last week. My arms and shoulders seem to be loving the weights just a little too much. Definition and tone is great but looking like a little line backer just isn't one of my goals. I'm going to push a little heavier on the abs in hopes that when the tummy flab (which will be the last to go) finally does depart, there will be a nice surprise underneath (a girl can dream).
This week's diet:
Chedder and jack cheeses, eggs, cauliflower, Portabello Mushrooms, spinach, broccoli, bok choy, avocados, cabbage, rasberries, grapefruit, almonds, pecans, chicken, fish, 2 steaks, turkey, shrimp, 2 meal replacement bars, 3 protein shakes, red bull, green tea, olive oil,
Good results from adding rasberries last week, but had problem figuring out exactly what to do with them. They sort of look at me and say "please bake me into a pie!". Going to use as a snack with almonds 2 or 3 days a week and add 1/4 grapefruit to breakfast the other days. This coming week increasing carbs by another 5 grams by adding cauliflower. I've already completely eliminated transfats and made good substitutions to lower my saturated fats so I'm comfortable not adjusting that part of my diet this week. I'm almost (2 more weeks maybe?) ready to start adding grains but I really have to figure out what's going to give me the most bang for my buck. Realized when I was making my list that I have not actually cooked any of my food (except meat) in a couple of weeks. I have no idea what, if anything, that means - but it's an interesting development as my eating habits slowly change.
This week's highlights:
No cravings, no eating, or even wanting to eat for any reason except being hungry at meal time, portion control still coming pretty automatically, good work-outs, finally had my measurements done, lots of energy. Figured out my quit smoking plan (starting tommorrow). This week's lows:
Quarter cup of cappacino----ahhhh, pure refined sugar, fat and caffine in hot  liquid form. Only managed one gym day without jumping on the scale - which just confused me. One really bad food day.
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suenos
Moderator
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Posted: 27 February 2006 02:39 pm |
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My body is a sneaky, willful little beast. It woke me up, with out benefit of alarm clock, 15 mins early this a.m. and whispered "you've got just enough time to get in a cigarette before before your first 6 hour non-smoking ban begins."
Since I've got tons and tons of stuff to do today between post work-out and going to work I figured I'd go ahead and do my diary first. I actually have a date  tommorrow night. Don't know how that happened. So one of the things I have to do today is find a store called "clothes that will show off your assests while artfully concealing those parts still under construction".
Saw an eye-opening show on Discovery Health last night. Going to write down the gist of it now before I forget and revisit later when I have time and my brain is fully awake.
Showed scan of three brains: 1) cocaine addict, 2) alchol. addict, 3)obese person who had been deprived of food under clinical conditions. All three looked alike in that levels of dopamine were seriously low when compared to average weight, non-addicts. When obese person was fed small portions of certian foods (choc. cake was one) dopamine level returned to normal. Dx doing study made key points:
1. food craving not biologically based in body's need for food but brain's drive to increase dopamine levels
2. the process of overeating itself causes dopamine stores to become depleated which in turn fuels cravings to continue to eat to raise them again --- and you have the viscious cycle of uncontrollable binging.
3. doing anything the individual finds pleasurable ESPECIALLY EXERSICE increases and sustains these levels.
Another segment on same show, actually this dx. was a dogmatic jerk whose solution to everything seemed to be "staple it shut" but said one thing I have to remember if or when the time comes I think I am disciplined enough to indulge in "just one" slice of pizza, piece of cake, scoop of ice cream. He basically said a true food addict is no different than any other kind of addict and the only real recovery was total abst. "Would you consider a herion addict successful at recovery if he only had to shoot up once in a while?" That's me - food addict, will always have to face it and deal with it no matter how much I weigh. Sucks, but there's worse things in the world.
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personsmom
Distinguished Member
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Posted: 27 February 2006 08:25 pm |
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I saw the same show!! Sending some "happy juice" your way.:D
Lee
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suenos
Moderator
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Posted: 28 February 2006 05:01 pm |
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I'm not sure what happened this week but here's the numbers: (2/21)(2/28)
upper arm: 13 shoulders: 45 1/2 chest: 41
upper arm: 12.5 shoulders: 43 3/4 chest: 40 1/2
waist: 35 ab: 40 hip: 43 thigh: 25 calves: 16
waist: 33 1/2 ab: 37 1/2 hip: 42 thigh: 24 calves: 16 3/4
weight: 176
weight: 172
That's a total of -8 inches and -4 lbs.
From the waist up I've got super good definition (almost a liitle more than I like in the upper arms and shouders) and my calves have actually increased nearly an inch and look like I'm flexing them even when I'm not so I'm pretty comfortable that the 4 lbs represents fat not muscle tissue lost - but still I can't figure out why it's so accelerated this week.
Looking over my meal plan this week my protein intake has stayed pretty steady (31%), I lowered fat by swapping out ground beef for turkey and increased carbs by adding rasberries and cauliflower. 6 days out of 7 I replaced coffee with green tea. I have no idea what these changes did to my daily caloric intake cause I'm trying to learn to eat by portion size, nutrition and meal balance. I know that probably sounds backasswards but it just seems to work better for my individual personality and body make-up.
Exercise-wise my cardio has stayed the basically the same (40-60 mins 3 days a week), but I did add three days of weight training only.
I'm not starving myself, at least 5 days out of 7 this week I've eaten 5-6 times a day, I have a surplus of energy, I'm not having any cravings, I sleep like a rock and am pretty much always in a good mood. I guess if it ain't broke, I should'nt be sitting here wondering how/if I should fix it. But, as Cowboy Bob would say, "This ain't my first time at the rodeo" and I've never had a week like this in terms of the amount of inches and lbs lost so it's freaking me out a little. Okay, it's freaking me out a lot.
I've got a ton of stuff to do today but I already know I'm gonna spend the next hour on the computer tapping away trying to figure out what's going on with my metabolism.
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sheltiemom
Distinguished Member
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Posted: 28 February 2006 05:45 pm |
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I'm so proud of you! Your determination and willpower are an inspiration. Remember, I'm applauding you!
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Mountain Mike
Distinguished Member
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Posted: 28 February 2006 07:41 pm |
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| Wow....Suenos, good for you, little dreamer!!!!! Keep it up!!! I guess I don't want to "race" you for 35 lb. after all!!!!
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suenos
Moderator
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Posted: 28 February 2006 08:15 pm |
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shieltiemom: I really truly do not have much willpower over food. I just respond well to structure, discipline and routine - innate parts of my character/upbringing for which I can't take any credit for. Seriously, if I had good willpower and self-control I could say "I need to consume x number of calories a day to lose weight and x number to maintain that weight" and then I could just do it, despite cravings, etc. etc. I get green with envy when I read posts of people who can have "lapse days" where they get to eat small amounts of "naughty" favorite foods. Believe me - if I could, I would. But thank you for the support.
So... instead of doing any of the things I am supposed to do on Tuesday mornings (my day off) I looked up tons and tons of stuff, leaning towards published studies, involving metabolism.
Without realizing it, every single carb I've reintroduced into my diet and now consume on a daily basis (berries, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, garlic and spinach) are so-called "fat burning foods" which the body has to work a little harder to use; the amount of protein I am consuming is almost exactly at the ratios found to "increase diet-induced thermogenesis to increase energy expenditure in balance with energy intake" and, finally, the increase sessions and intensity of my weight training has added three days a week when my body has the potential to increase fat burning for up to 39 hours post work-out.
This is all stuff I didn't realize was going on with body. In addition there's the stuff that was consciously doing: i.e. eating lots of small meals, drinking tons and tons of water, etc. Basically, my body just did exactly what I was telling it to do last week. The human body is such an amazing thing.
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personsmom
Distinguished Member
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Posted: 28 February 2006 08:40 pm |
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YEAH!!!! Congratulations!!! I agree with Sheltiemom. You may question your willpower but many look up to you for what you have done. Keep up the good work. Yes it is work to not only do all the things we'd rather not but you're also becomming more educated as you find answers to your curiousity about what is happening with your body. Great accomplishment!
Lee
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snussster
Distinguished Member
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Posted: 1 March 2006 02:45 am |
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| Yeah, let's take that last post of yours and put it on the front page of the forum!!! I'm so glad I found this forum when I did, so I could watch you go through these changes and learn from you, Suenos.
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suenos
Moderator
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Posted: 1 March 2006 07:25 pm |
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Today is the first day of my vacation -- NOT. We are so understaffed right now I "volunteered" to postpone it a month until we are in a little better shape staff/training wise. Oh well. Date last night was booooring. Can't believe I missed first show of The Amazing Race for that - ya know it's bad when you're thinking "I'd rather be home watching t.v." hee hee.
Anyway, good work-out this am. 50 min treadmill intervals (incline only) followed by 20 min circuits at "old gym". I love that place. It's a little bitty slightly rundown facility on a naval base (I get in courtesy of my work-out partner). It's impossible to slack off in the midst of all those seriously determined, seriously buff bodies.
So, I'm reading posts from sheltiemom, personmom and snusster and I'm thinking about inspiration. I stumbled across this web site when I first started gathering information about food and nutrition. I guess things happen for a reason because this forum has become one of the biggest sources of insight, motivation and continued inspiration for me.
As crazy as it sounds considering that I was consuming close to 3800 calories in one sitting, at least 2-3 days a week for the last year, the concept of "binge eating" never crossed my mind. I knew I was overeating, I knew I had a problem controlling my appitite, I knew it was getting worse and had to stop somehow - but I never had a word to put to what I was doing, or why I was doing it to my body.
I was so embarrassed by the amount of food that I was scarfing down, almost against my will, that I never admitted to a single person, no matter how close, exactly what I was doing. It took this site to:
1) open my eyes to the fact that there are other people out there with the same problem - just in varying degrees
2) allow me to finally admit to myself and others what I doing and not being judged
3) put a name to my behavior and thus give me a starting point to learn about it and deal with it.
I really believe that if I had not stumbled across this site I would never have recognized and started to deal with being a compulsive binge eater. Losing lbs and inches is fun and nice and yeh, it does represent hard work - but the daily dose of inspiration I get from this forum is priceless.
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GreenEater
Member
| Joined: | 9 February 2006 |
| Location: | Midwest, USA |
| Posts: | 48 |
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Posted: 1 March 2006 09:07 pm |
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| Thanks for sharing your insight over the past couple of days. You are an inspiration, girl!
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personsmom
Distinguished Member
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Posted: 1 March 2006 09:13 pm |
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It's great that you have shared your personal revelation. Maybe someone else will "stumble across" this website and read it then start a new chapter in their life. I have enjoyed your journal as you write about the thought process as well as the food. Seems as though you're getting a handle on what makes YOU tick. Glad to be part of this forum too. I get warm fuzzies as well as information.
Lee
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nevd
Distinguished Member
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Posted: 1 March 2006 09:27 pm |
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Wow! Great post, suenos...
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suenos
Moderator
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Posted: 2 March 2006 06:27 pm |
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| Weight training at "new" gym this am. Wonder how long I'm going to mentally divide my gyms into "old" and "new". Really good work-out but somewhere in my hurried running around between gym, bank, store, laundry and home I managed to lose a bank envelope containing $350. Ouch. What is it about Thursdays?
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personsmom
Distinguished Member
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Posted: 3 March 2006 08:05 am |
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I'm hoping for you that an honest person found your $$ envelope and turned it in at the desk. That would be SOOOO nice. Hugs to you
Lee
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suenos
Moderator
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Posted: 3 March 2006 08:18 am |
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| I've had this lovely fantasy all day that some poor single mom who was down to her last dollar, about to have her lights turned off and didn't know what she was going to do happened upon my money, paid her light bill, fed her kids and had her faith in God restored. THAT'S MY FANTASY AND I'M STICKING TO IT!
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personsmom
Distinguished Member
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Posted: 3 March 2006 04:17 pm |
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What a wonderfull way to look at it. :D There is a woman in our town that found a purse, turned it in and she was in the situation you described. The purse she found belonged to a police officer. She was publicly thanked and the overwhelming response of the community to help her was amazing. Her story was told in Womens World.
May all your dreams come true. HUGS
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suenos
Moderator
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Posted: 3 March 2006 06:14 pm |
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No gym for me this am!!! I'm sooo feeling the effects of the stepped-up cardio and weights this week. Not exactly sore but my body is just feeling like it's been pushed exactly to its limits so today I'm just gonna do a really good streaaaaach routine, forgo my red bull in favor of more water and throw in an extra mimi-meal - maybe a spinach omlet before work.
Last night I was hanging out after work with a guy friend who is about 50 lbs overweight, maybe more cause it's hard for me to tell with guys. He has the same super stressful, time-consuming, life-blood sucking, soul draining job I had until I quit two years ago. He was talking about how hard it is to control his diet and find time to exercise while working a 60+ hour work week and often having just enough energy and motivation to eat and sleep on his days off. He kept telling me "I'm just so jealous of what you're doing."
Earlier in the day I had been feeling a little guilty because I'd convinced myself that I'm just waaaay to self-obsessed and focused on my body right now. But after talking to Jay last night I have such a different perspective. I think I'm lucky, lucky, lucky to be in a space where I can devote the time and resources to focus on improving and learning how to care for the body that I'm going to be occupying for the rest of life.
I wish Jay could do it. He's got two fantastic little boys that need him to do it. So now I'm thinking that, since I've totally walked in his shoes, maybe I'll poke my head up from contemplating my own navel for a while and try to help him map out some dietary and exercise changes that he can live (longer) with.
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Krystin
Distinguished Member
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Posted: 3 March 2006 07:02 pm |
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So when is your first novel coming out? You are a superb writer. I've only had a chance to catch the 1st and last page of this diary, but I am looking forward to reading the rest.
Have a great day! ~Krystin
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suenos
Moderator
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Posted: 4 March 2006 06:44 am |
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Krystin: Now that you mention it.....I am soooo going to write a big fat juicy tell-all about the employees and patrons of a corporate owned "super stressful, time-consuming, life-blood sucking, soul draining" restaurant. Two days after it hits the stands it will become a bestseller, ensuing a rash of divorce filings, law suits and paternity testing all over North Florida. Of course it will be "fictional" so when I get hit with the libel suits I can sit back and giggle.
You stuck that idea in my head and I laughed to myself about it all night at work.
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suenos
Moderator
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Posted: 4 March 2006 07:24 pm |
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The good news is my weigh-in was 170 lbs! I'm on the treadmill thinking "170 pounds - can you dig it baby? - I knew you could!" Then I drove myself nuts trying to recall what movie it was from. So, unless I fall into a vat of butter pecan ice cream in the next few days, I can reasonably expect to be in the 160's pretty soon.
Interesting work-out this a.m. Did cardio and crunches instead of weights. I think my body has adjusted to the incline intervals, it just didn't feel like I was having to work as hard to meet the peaks. Next week I'll go back to speed intervals and hopefully keep it guessing cause I think I smell a plateu coming.
I asked one of the trainers about getting my body fat % done and she said it cost $20!!! I think my face said "are you insane?" cause she then said she could do it for $10. When I asked if she knew where I could get a set of calipers so I could just do it myself she actually said "Oh, you can't do it yourself!" Apparently they use some "6 point system" to get the numbers that they then call into to some place that tells them the body fat %. ARE YOU KIDDING ME???? So, I still don't know my body fat % but I will invest the time this week to find a pair of calipers.
Got a really good suggestion for some reading material about fats from a forum member. It was a loooong read but super helpful and cleared up a lot of questions I had been struggling with in trying to plan my next week's meal plan.
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tucki
New Member
| Joined: | 3 March 2006 |
| Location: | |
| Posts: | 14 |
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Posted: 4 March 2006 11:57 pm |
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"Earlier in the day I had been feeling a little guilty because I'd convinced myself that I'm just waaaay to self-obsessed and focused on my body right now."
Suenos, it's all about the focus. It is difficult to improve your body image if you don't focus. Nothing to feel guilty about at all! How can you help others if you don't first help yourself?
Also, you might be interested to note that at my gym they have scales which measure body fat percentage. Not quite sure the technology behind the scales, but they certainly don't charge for it!
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suenos
Moderator
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Posted: 6 March 2006 02:41 am |
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Today was a quasi-bad nutrition day. Pretty much every Sunday I work has the potential to be a day where I just literally don't have time to eat from the time I get to work (before most people are awake) until I get home. Depending on how busy and/or short staffed we are, I can arrive home as early as 1pm or as late as 9 or 10 pm. Sunday's are the reason I keep meal replacement bars in my purse. I did bring home everything needed to make an amazing stir-fry for dinner. But, somehow I've nibbled my way through most of the ingredients before I got around to actually cooking them. It sounds kinda silly, but I was really, really looking forward to sitting on my porch, watching the sun set and eating that stir-fry.
So instead, here I am, writing out my 8 week's meal/exercise plan.
This week's workout routine:
Mon/Wen/Fri: cardio days: 40 min. interval on treadmill, 20 min. light circuit on weights.
Tues/Thurs/Sat: weights only: chest/back,abs.... butt/abs....thighs/abs
I really like the results from last week so I'm only making minor changes this week doing speed rather than incline intervals and increasing the weights and reps a little but staying at 3 sets each. This week's diet:
Chedder, mozz. and feta cheeses, eggs, cauliflower, #%@&!ake mushrooms, garlic, spinach, broccoli, romaine lettuce, avocados, cabbage, bueberries, grapefruit, almonds, pecans, chicken, salmon, tuna, orange roughy, Koren sliced beef, turkey, shrimp, 2 meal replacement bars, 3 protein shakes, red bull, green tea, olive oil, jello, Whole-wheat flakes and faxseed.
I plan on using the feta in really small amounts, more as an occassional "spice" than as part of an actual meal. I read so much about the great properties of blueberries I'm replacing the rasberries with them. The mozzerella is a "just because" substitution. It probably won't get used cause for some reason I end up eating everything raw except meat. I pretty much hate the taste of salmon but , like blueberries, it's got too many great properties for me to NOT eat at least a couple days a week so I'm going to mix it with tuna fish and see if that improves the taste. Spent a loooooong morning reading everything I could find (and some of it was eye-opening) about dietary fat and am comfortable not making any substitutions at this point. This coming week increasing carbs by another 10 grams by adding grain. That's actually my biggest dietary adjustment to date. I found something called "Uncle Sam's Toasted whole-wheat flakes & flaxseed. It is preservative free and a quarter cup serving has 10 grams carbs, 2.5 grams protein and 1.6 grams fat. It has less than 1 gram sugar, 45 mg sodium. I'm going to use it on salads like croutons. It has a nice taste and I'll mix it with salads like croutons and/or sprinkle it on blueberries, and/or make dressing out of it for mushrooms (if I ever get around to actually cooking them). This week's highlights:
Still no cravings. Still not being hungry or thinking about being hungry except at mealtimes. Still no being tempted to eat beyond first feelings of "fullness". I think I've finally learned to trust that when my body signals hunger it's valid. I'm actually enjoying eating again cause every meal is not fraught with anxiety: am I eating too much, too little, for the wrong reasons, and on and on. Lost another 2 lbs. Not smoking 3 hour pre and post workouts was a no-brainer but kinda anxious about increasing ban to 6 hours (starting tommorrow). This week's lows: I really can't think of any - at least food or exercise-wise. Work is simply what it is, some days I get to sit down and chow on what I want, when I want. Other days I have to steal a couple of mins. to scarf a meal replacement bar. Life isn't going to adjust itself to suit my dietery preferences. Actually, now that I think about it, this could be a highlight cause I've stopped using these kind of days to justify stuffing my face at night.
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suenos
Moderator
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Posted: 6 March 2006 08:00 pm |
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I started doing this weight loss thing on January 23, exactly 43 days ago. In the grand scheme of life that is such a tiny period. But it seems like such a looooong time ago somehow.
I have, and hope to always have, a very vivid memory of the night before I knew I was going to start. It was a Sunday night, I was exhausted as usual. I had already decided what approach I was going to try and knew it meant basically no refined sugar and severely limited carbs for the next 14 days. I gave myself permission to eat as much as I wanted of the one thing I thought I would miss the most. For whatever bizzare reason I came up with bread and sryup. Of all the food in the world (ice cream, pasta, candy, pizza, cake), I hit on bread and sryup for a "last" carb loaded meal. So I ate nearly a loaf of toasted white bread slathered with melted margarine and dripping with Karo dark syrup.
That should be really funny, but somehow it makes me sad for "that girl". So I'm sitting here, post workout but still in my gym clothes cause I'm lazy today, thinking about how far it feels I've come in that little space of time. There are a dozen things I could say that all start off with "for the first time in my life......"
The most significant thing, for me, is knowledge. For the first time in my life I have knowledge, and therefore control, of my body and how it works, knowledge of what I am putting into it and why. When I first started it seems I was bombarded with advice from every family member, friend and co-worker. While it was irritating and distracting it did propel me into seriously seeking and gaining knowledge on my own.
At this point I pretty much know the properties of every single item of food that goes into my mouth. If it's on my food list I have read multiple articles and full studies and abstracts about it. At some point I started to see that much of the "conventional" wisdom I had been so certain of all my life was not the firm foundation it appeared to be.
Every week I learn something new, try a little something new, and my body rewards the effort. So, today is another chance to learn, another chance to practice what I learned, another chance to be happy with my choices.
Today is a good day.
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Krystin
Distinguished Member
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Posted: 7 March 2006 05:28 pm |
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| Such profound words :)
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suenos
Moderator
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Posted: 7 March 2006 07:58 pm |
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Totally don't have time to write my post work-out entry this a.m. cause I spent the morning doing something else. But I read this last night in Skirt magazine, totally loved it and thought I'd copy it so I can throw the magazine away:
"Kick your dreams into high gear instead of just coasting along.
Take steps to leave a lousy job behind.
Jump into a danger zone. Speak truth to power.
Jump over obstacles: say "yes" instead of "yes, but"
Don't hesitate to act because your efforts might fall short.
Stop setting limits on what you can accomplish
Look at life through the eyes of someone who's hurting
Jump for joy: choose enthusasm
Jump in with both feet: help a friend without waiting to be asked
Finish something you've been avoiding and get it over with.
Take a flying leap and find out how far you can go."
How cool would it be to go through life with that attitude!!!!
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suenos
Moderator
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Posted: 7 March 2006 10:09 pm |
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So, the trainer at my gym just called with the results of my body fat analysis (yes, I caved in this am and forked over actual money for it.)
Present weight is exactly 170.2 lbs, 110 lean muscle tissue and 59 lbs fat. (Don't know why that does not total to 170.2) 35% body fat
Suggested initial ideal goal to shoot for should be 135 lbs, 110 lean muscle tissue and 34 lbs fat. 25% body fat
Under optimal conditions it will take 17 weeks to reach that target. She stressed that I won't meet it exactly but, if nothing significantly changes in diet or work-out routine, I should be fairly close.
I'm a little unhappy about the 17 weeks part but happy I finally have a definitive goal (in terms of numbers.)
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sheltiemom
Distinguished Member
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Posted: 8 March 2006 06:17 pm |
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| I've always been told that the way to a healthy body is through focus and attitude. You've got both, girlfriend. You are such an inspiration. Congrats!
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suenos
Moderator
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Posted: 8 March 2006 07:27 pm |
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YUCK! JUST YUCK! I am soooo not having one of my better days. I KNOW it's just PMS, but knowing it does not help iin the slightest. I'm sitting here feeling like a bloated beached whale with a bottle of water, a can of Red Bull and my protein drink all open in front of me cause I just can't seem to commit to a single drink.
I woke up at 3 a.m. last night just wanting something. It was so strange. I wasn't exactly craving anything but my body was going "gimmie, gimmie, gimmie now". Did I want a cigarette? - too bad, none in the house! Was it my monthly chocolate monster waking up - definitely none in the house!!!.
Thank goodness today was a cardio day which means my work-out partner comes and picks me up for the gym cause I would not have gotten up under my own steam. I was seriously hoping she would call and cancel but no such "luck". My first ten mins. on the treadmill I kept thinking how much I just wanted to stop. Only the fact that Em was plugging away beside me kept me going until my body finally took over from my mind and got 'er done. Thank you body for going into "auto-pilot" mode.
Today is my last day off (tue & wens. are my "week-end") and I really have too much stuff to do to feel like this.
On a more positive note, yesterday was a really great day. I bought a very cute pair of size 10 jeans. I'm looking in the mirror thinking "wow, I look really good" hee hee. Then I'm wondering how I can be so fat (170.2 pounds!) but not look fat. I decided that all the weight training has made me look like Miss Piggy. I mean, she is this short, overweight little piggy, but her designer has proportioned her in such a way that she is still sexy. Sounds weird, but I guess at this point the fat on my body is distributed in such a "Miss Piggy" way that I give the illusion of being slimmer than I actually am. Hey, I'll take the illusion for the next 17 weeks!!!!!
My "boring date" guy is turning out to be kinda cool after all. We went to play pool late yesterday afternoon and it was the most fun I've had in a year.
Hmmmm, either the post work-out endorphines have just kicked in or thinking and writing about the good stuff from yesterday has helped cause I'm not feeling the "yuck" anymore. On with the day!
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personsmom
Distinguished Member
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Posted: 8 March 2006 08:40 pm |
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suenos wrote: I decided that all the weight training has made me look like Miss Piggy. I mean, she is this short, overweight little piggy, but her designer has proportioned her in such a way that she is still sexy.
Sexy .... it's not just the look it's that "Aire about you" that makes you sexy. Accentuate the positive. And those that don't have it are just jealous!!! Congrats on those new Sexy jeans.
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on*a*mission
New Member
| Joined: | 3 March 2006 |
| Location: | Hawaii USA |
| Posts: | 39 |
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Posted: 9 March 2006 01:27 am |
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| congrats on those sexy jeans!!!!!!
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Snow
Distinguished Member
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Posted: 9 March 2006 03:41 am |
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I love reading your diary.  You are making such great choices and have a great attitude too . I agree with the knowledge is power idea. I work every day with Dr's, nurses and medics who should know better, but have all tried trendy diets or just eat whatever they want (and it shows). I wanted to make a lifestyle change, something I can live with even after I reach my goal weight.
Since my divorce I have had so many terrible dates. Friends fix me up with guys they think are 'perfect for me', and then when I meet the guys I feel like they don't know me at all cause they are NOT perfect for me. I don't know why, but even with all my extra weight, I still attract male attention. Granted, it's mostly married men, but STILL. Problem is with all my flab, I belong to the don't look, don't touch school of dating. So, I will date someone for about six weeks, find all their flaws, then break up with them before it gets that far. I'm so pathetic.
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