Let's Take It All Off Together !

[SilverSage]

Now that I have your attention :whistling:

6 years ago I quit smoking - yep - had that habit for 38 years. Put your calculators away, I started in-utero. :lol:

When I quit, I became a much better cook. I learned to better appreciate the nuance of some flavors; to notice the subtle difference between an onion, a shallot, a scallion, and a leek when cooked into a dish; to distinguish between varieties of wine. Doesn't that sound perfect? And I put on 50 pounds! :sad: Heck, I've put on 15 just since last summer.

I am disgusted and DONE! I am going to take it off! Is there anyone else out there that wants to do this with me? It doesn't have to be a large group, just one or two others who want to support each other.

No rules here. Whatever method you want to use - Weight Watchers - South Beach - Jenny Craig - calorie counting - smaller portions - anything. We just come together here to compare notes and share our little successes. Share ideas, trade notes on how we 'slenderized' our favorite dish, celebrate every 10 pounds, or every 5. Cheer each time we break through another '0' number (150, 190, 220, 260, etc). Congratulate each other when we get through a tough day.

No one has to tell their weight or how much they want to lose, or anything. New folks can join in at any time. Let's make it a journey instead of a chore. :respect:

Anyone?

[Fisher's Mom]

What a great idea, SS! Since I have reached that certain age, I discovered I'd put on a few pounds. I'm fairly tall and have always been super thin so this is a new and annoying trend.

I do have something I discovered that y'all might be interested in. A couple of years ago, I was reading about research into Resveratrol, a component in wine (especially red wine). They know that a certain amount of red wine daily is protective against heart disease, but weren't sure why. There is a lot of research that points to resveratrol as being at least one of the reasons.

I finally found some available for purchase about 4 months ago. When reading the reviews, almost everyone mentioned having more energy and losing weight. I didn't put much stock in those claims but I got it anyway for the potential heart benefits. The first brand I bought, I did notice that I had more energy. At least, at the end of the day, I found I had gotten more done than usual. It didn't make me feel any different - not jittery or wired. But I did have more energy.

I ended up getting a different brand 2 months ago and since then, I have lost 11 pounds. 11 pounds isn't all that much and I only needed to lose about 15 (4 more), but the key is: I wasn't trying. I didn't change what I ate at all. But I have noticed I am just not as hungry anymore. I don't snack as much because I don't think about it. And being more active in combination with not snacking must be why I lost weight. It's been pretty much effortless.

I don't know if this will help anyone else but I'm more than a little excited about this. LOL

[buzzard767]

Does brand #2 have a name?

I'll pick my own wine though. :)

[Fisher's Mom]

This is the brand. http://www.amazon.com/Biotivia-Transmax-Resveratrol-Supplement-Capsules/dp/B002ZNJNNA/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=hpc&qid=1272146211&sr=1-3
Of course, I might have been getting ready to start losing weight anyway from the other brand so I can't say for sure this brand is superior to another. (I bought it on Amazon but if you have a GNC or something like that nearby, they probably have resveratrol, too.) I definitely see and feel the difference. (I sure hope it's doing good things for my heart, too.)

[buzzard767]

I see it was down to around $26 Mar 8-13 but it's back up to $34 now. I'll watch it for the next price drop and try it out.

[VeraBlue]

I'm in!! I've lost 33 pounds since Dec. 28th doing Weight Watchers On Line and hitting the cardio for at least 5 hours a week.

I weigh and measure and log everything during the week and usually on the weekends.

This pre menopause shit is for the birds though. Weight kinds likes to hold on to the bones now.


So, are we just offering encouragement or listing what we've eaten? Encouragement is fine, but listing what you've had makes you responsible for what you put in your mouth, ya know..
It tends to look as bad as it is when you have to tell others what you ate.

So far today I've had a weight watchers yogurt with 1/4 cup granola and a small banana.
Lunch was 11 small tortilla chips with peach salsa and about 1/4 c guacamole.
Went for a 14 mile bike ride outside this morning. Kinda breezy so it was probably worth 9 weight watchers points!!

[VeraBlue]

Dinner will be off the chart tonight...no way to justify a 2 pound tbone, baked potato, bruschetta, mushrooms and shrimp cocktail.

Oh yeah...I never count booze. If I did I'd never be able to eat.

[Fisher's Mom]

Damn! A 14 mile bike ride???

I've been up and down the stars about 40 times today carrying laundry etc.

I've had 2 bean and rice soft tacos, a cup of milk and a handful of peanut M&Ms so far. Oh, and about 4 cups of coffee with a little milk in them.

[buzzard767]

Yogurt for breakfast and a sandwich for lunch. I walked out to the mailbox and back. Oooohhhh, almost forgot, I went all the way to Walmart to buy propane so I could smoke the baby backs I'll be having for dinner. And then I had most of one of the two pork chops I smoked, and a couple pieces of beef jerky I just made, 2 Miller Lites, and now I'm doing a large vodka mart as I finish up the ribs. This is me almost daily and I'm 7 or 8 # overweight. I do want to lose it though.

[SilverSage]

I'm in!! I've lost 33 pounds since Dec. 28th doing Weight Watchers....

So, are we just offering encouragement or listing what we've eaten? Encouragement is fine, but listing what you've had makes you responsible for what you put in your mouth, ya know..
It tends to look as bad as it is when you have to tell others what you ate.


I agree with you that writing down what you eat is a big step toward eating less. And WW is a great program. But I think we have some others here using other programs. Someone's on South Beach (Robsan maybe?) At least 2 folks are learning to manage a diabetic diet. I'd like to leave enough leeway here to have room for anyone who wants to participate, no matter what method they use.

Personally, I'm with you for listing what we eat and how we do each day, and that's probably the way I'll do it, but let's not make that a requirement. Everyone gets to come here to celebrate successes, talk about their struggles, offer tips, and detail whatever program they're using.

Success might not be a certain amount of food ar a certain wieght loss. It could be measured in overcoming an obstacle or moving your belt a notch.

I'd like to see that the only actual rule is that we all be supportive of each other. ANY criticism of people in this thread will be reported.

OK? 1 pound or 100 pounds - doesn't matter.

[Fisher's Mom]

I'd like to see that the only actual rule is that we all be supportive of each other. Definitely! Losing weight is hard enough - getting criticized on top of that is just too much. Every pound or inch lost is cause for celebration and every slip is just that - a slip. And each time we exercise or make a healthier choice in food is a good thing - whether or not it results in a weight loss that week. There are always plateaus when losing weight and maybe with this group we can help each other work through them.

Thanks for starting this, SS!

[VeraBlue]

How could anyone possibly criticize someone for trying?? Baffles me.


good luck everyone!

[Fisher's Mom]

You get to be our mascot, Vera. 33 lbs. is a fantastic achievement!!!!

[Sass Muffin]

Well, I've lost 20 lbs now since I had the gall bladder surgery.
It's one helluva way to lose weight (which I didn't want to happen grrrrr)

Congrats Vera on your weight loss,and Sage.. I am looking forward to your journey toward the slim side. ;)

[VeraBlue]

The only way to justify the ravioli with sausage I'm making for dinner is to spend an hour on the cross training elliptical today:neutral:

[smoke king]

every slip is just that - a slip.

I don't even view them as a "slip". If you deny yourself every little thing, you arent going to slip. you are eventually going fall! I've accepted the fact that at my age, my metabolism isnt what it used to be, so rather than try to "diet" I just try to change my eating habits.

I lost between 60-70 lbs in 2007, following Suzanne Somers plan. I jokingly referred to it as "The Chrissie Snow diet", but it worked! Its sort of a variation on Atkins and South Beach (carbohydrate diet) and what was nice about it was that you really never felt hungry. Important to point out too, is that at first, I got no result-Nothing. But about 6 weeks in, the "melt" as she referred to it, began, and it just kept coming-(going?). All total, I lost roughly 67 lbs in about 11 months time.

Sorry to go on and on, but a quick word about the various diet aids etc available.Toward the end, the weight loss started to slow down, and I was obsessed with that "last 10#"-anyone whos ever dieted knows what I'm talking about. I started to try different supplements, and actually found one on a body builders website called "Noxycut". Much to my surprise, it worked as advertised. And all I had to do was to take it-finally after almost 50 years, I discovered the real "magic pill". After a couple of months, I'd reached my goal and beyond. What I didnt realize however, was that the success of this product came with a price. What the good (?) folks at Noxycut didnt mention, is that their product was chock full of testosterone boosters. Great if your a 22 year old weight lifter, but not great for a 50 year old musician. What I didn't notice, but everyone else did, was that I had become angry, aggressive and very dark (mood wise). It was like if I stopped at the circle K for a soda, the soda was secondary-my priority was to see if anyone was looking at me wrong! I became obsessed with guns and weapons etc, and at age 48, found myself identifying with Street gangs, Motorcycle clubs, an anti-governmet Militias!

I'm not exaggerating this at all. This is exactly the way it happened. Shortly after all of this, I completely fell apart. I was homicidal, suicidal and completely out of my mind. When I finally lost it, I was jailed for a laundry list of violent charges, and committed for 30 days, followed by another couple of months of group therapy, 8 hours a day, 5 days a week. The doctors told me that the noxycut had triggered what was essentially the same thing as "roid rage", and what was frightening about it was that I didn't even know it was happening! The ironic part was that after they got me smoothed out (?) a few of the drugs they prescribed for me actually caused me to start gaining weight back. Sheeesh-I hate irony when it happens to me!

I hope I didnt derail this thread-I didnt mean to, but these days I am compelled to warn others about the various supplements out there. If you are really intent on trying them, check with your doctor first.

("clunk clunk"-sound of me stepping down from my soapbox) But I would like to be a part of this as well-I've found that the support of others in a common goal can be the best "supplement" of all! And btw, thanks for starting this SS!!!:applause:

[Fisher's Mom]

That is a really good point, SK. Weight loss products abound on every shelf and all over television. I remember as a kid, docs would hand out diet pills (speed) to all the moms when they put a little weight on. Then when the government started regulating that stuff, there were plenty of desperate moms, including mine! That's when the OTC products really took off. Remember liquid protein? The stuff that shut down kidneys? Ephedra was not that long ago, either. Now the hormone laden products are being pushed, with some serious complications, as SK can testify to.

Just goes to show you how hard it is to lose weight and keep it off and the lengths to which we will go to do it. I think SK is right - having the support of friends is the best supplement ever!

[VeraBlue]

Hanging out in a kitchen all day ain't good for business either, if you know what I mean. It's like letting an alcoholic tend bar. I have to be so damned disciplined all day long.


I agree with Smoke King...you have to be able to eat in order for any 'diet' to work. The minute you start denying yourself this and that, that's the minute you have to resort to cheating to get it. That's what I like about weight watchers so much. You can have anything you want, as long as you do it in moderation.

[Fisher's Mom]

I have always wondered how good cooks manage to maintain their weight, Vera. I know for sure that the reason most of my kids are slim is because I've been a crappy cook. It's edible, but nothing anyone would want seconds on. When I first started to seriously improve my cooking 3 or 4 years ago, we all put on a few at my house. It's probably good that my cooking is still hit or miss. LOL

[Adillo303]

I have to be so damned disciplined all day long. I thought you used to be in that business. LOL

Can I get in on this? I have considerable weight to loose and I need to get about it. A saying that has always served me well, when I was more in shape, was deny yourself nothing, just do it in moderation. I once lost 75# in 4 1/2 months and kept it off for 10 years.

I know I am a stress eater and when stressed, my diet tends to be "If you cannot eat something good, eat a lot bad. I am going to try to get back in the groove.

[Fisher's Mom]

The more the merrier, Andy!

[lilylove]

I'm in..but not going to start until May 17th. Leaving for Mexico on the first. LOL... I will not/can not stop eating that great food that they have there. :) And I think those pina coladas have quite a few pounds packed into them.

But when I get home... I'll join in the fight.

[VeraBlue]

I always think of my weight losses in food terms....currently I've lost more than 6 bags of sugar, or close to two thanksgiving turkeys. Imagine having to carry around two turkeys all day long??

I knew things would be off the chart last night, what with raviolis, meatballs, italian bread...but it's back to the system today.


Got a 4 mile uphill race walking speed walk in yesterday morning, too.

[SilverSage]

I started yesterday - Monday morning. First day, my motivation was pretty strong. Managed to stick to my plan all day, except for a couple little chocolate eggs that someone had brought in from Easter. I had 4 of those puppies in my mouth before I ever realized what I was doing!:pat:

I had the Thai curry for dinner (that I had planned for the night before), and the coconut milk wasn't the best thing, but since the rest of the day was successful, it was still OK.

All in all, a good start for me. Anyone else getting started this week?

My first goal is 5 pounds.

[SilverSage]

I always think of my weight losses in food terms....currently I've lost more than 6 bags of sugar, or close to two thanksgiving turkeys. Imagine having to carry around two turkeys all day long??

I knew things would be off the chart last night, what with raviolis, meatballs, italian bread...but it's back to the system today.


Got a 4 mile uphill race walking speed walk in yesterday morning, too.

I love this idea, especially when you've lost as much as you have. For now, I'm just hoping for a stick of butter at a time.:respect:

[VeraBlue]

That's the thing about absentminded eating....you don't even realize what you're doing; like putting chocolate in your mouth.

small goals are the best, and easiest to achieve.

[CaliforniaCook]

Thought I would offer some links for inspiration.

One of my favorite shows is The Biggest Loser. Some great recipes here:

http://www.prevention.com/health/weight-loss/diets-getting-started/biggest-loser-diet/biggest-loser-recipes

Recipes, tips etc.:

http://www.prevention.com/health/

http://www.prevention.com/400caloriepasta/4.html

Will make these w/ salmon or tuna when I p/u some rice paper:

http://online.prevention.com/entertain/12.html

I use a cooking program (on my compouter) called Mastercook. All my recipes are entered into same. It provides a nutritional breakdown, which I find helpful. I also frequent Cooking Light's website.

[SilverSage]

Yesterday I managed to do so-so. The fajitas were great - all on the grill, just put a small dollop of sour cream on it.

But it was that dish of ice cream in the middle of the day that I just didn't need! :bonk: And 3 or 4 glasses of wine in the evening. :bonk: Every time I have something to drink, I feel guilty over all the empty calories or wasted points! I really have to adopt your rule, Vera, that alcohol doesn't count. :whistle:

How are you doing?

[smoke king]

Yesterday, I skipped breakfast, and lunch because I was busy in the yard. About 4 oclock I was famished and grabbed a handful of Cheetos! Of course guilt and remorse set in immediately afterward and kind bothered me the rest of the night. I only bring this up to illustrate how important it is to eat when you are dieting. It all could have been avoided had I just taken the time to grab a little something healthy while I worked.

I got into the habit a couple of reading the nutrition labels long ago, and its an eye opener. For instance, the puffy style Cheetos contain roughly 1 gram of fat each! (its actually a little under, but for our purposes, I round up). So I try to keep that in mind whenever I catch myself reaching for a snack. Its amazing how those calories etc add up.

[VeraBlue]

Had a busy week here! Since beginning the total weight loss is 33.5 pounds now, and about 14 inches.

Had to do lots of tastings this week - lots of events going on. I insist on trying almost everything before it leaves the kitchen and I generally end up adding 5 points to days like those.

Booze never counts, booze never counts!

[SilverSage]

Yesterday, I skipped breakfast, and lunch because I was busy in the yard. About 4 oclock I was famished and grabbed a handful of Cheetos!


You are so right! On paper, skipping meals sounds like it would help you lose. But in reality, it usually just causes you to make poor choices as soon as you step foot in the kitchen. I tend to grab anything that I can just pop in the mouth, like your Cheetos.

Last weekend I went through the kitchen and pulled out all of those real troublesome foods - gave them to my neighbors. Sleeves of oreo cookies, gallons of super premium ice cream, bars of Ghiradelli chocolate, and anything else that I just grab without preparation. Funny thing, after giving away all the chocolate, I had to buy more when asked to bring in a birthday cake to work.:oops:

[SilverSage]

Booze never counts, booze never counts!

I'm still trying to do the math on this one!

Booze never counts....booze never counts.....booze ne.......

[SilverSage]

Monday morning - week 1 is over. I lost 1 1/2 pounds; was sure hoping for more.

Yesterday didn't help much. We went to a great little place on the water to celebrate a friend's birthday. Cortez is an old fishing village, so of course the restaurant is just a shack on the water. You eat on the patio outside. You know the menu.....fried things on buns. The only 2 veggies on the menu are fried okra and coleslaw. So of course, I had a fried grouper sandwich, onion rings, and a couple beers. Not the best end to my first week, I guess.

Fresh start this morning! Another 3 1/2 pounds to reach my first goal.

How'd everyone else do?

[Fisher's Mom]

Monday morning - week 1 is over. I lost 1 1/2 pounds:applause::applause::applause: Way to go, SS!!! Here's the thing I've found - when women reach a certain age, our metabolism becomes very cranky. It is very hard to get the weight-loss process started. The fact that you lost a pound and a half in the first week is awesome! You're on your way, girlfriend.

[Fisher's Mom]

Oops - I forgot to post my results. I didn't lose anything this last week, but I didn't gain any either. That's amazing because I ate a lot of dessert type foods at my mom's last week. She's on prednisone and it makes her ravenous. (Naturally, I had to eat with her to keep her company. LOL) But I also did a lot of manual labor, too, which probably kept me from gaining any weight.

[smoke king]

Monday morning - week 1 is over. I lost 1 1/2 pounds; was sure hoping for more.

Actually SS, 1-1/2 pounds in a week is excellent! :applause: From a practical standpoint, When you lose large amounts of weight over a short time, it tends to come back, not to mention its likely an unhealthy way to lose it. I think its always important to bear in mind that we didnt put the weight on overnight, so we shouldnt expect to take it off that quickly either!

[smoke king]

You know, I had an interesting experience at a GNC yesterday. I had stopped in to check out a diet supplement I had heard about on the radio, and as I got to talking to the young man that worked there, telling him about my "noxycut" nightmare and subsequent problems associated with it, he spent the next 40 minutes explaining to me the "smart" way to go about weight loss, and he followed it up by saying that there was no way he would sell me any kind of supplement whatsoever!

I'm sure that he probably gets some sort of comission on sales, and I was really impressed by his helpfullness and honesty, especially in a situation where I likely would have bought anything he recomended just on his go!

I reached into their cooler for a bottle of "Redline" (the most powerful energy drink I have ever had, period) on the way out of the store, and he stopped me and said, that "That stuff is no better for you than the supplements" and informed me I wasn't buying that from him either!

I left the store amazed-my faith in people, especially young people, went up a little yesterday!!

[Fisher's Mom]

Isn't that cool, SK? Finding someone who actually cares enough about his customers to pass up a sale - very refreshing to hear about.

[Fisher's Mom]

OK - so how is everyone doing???

[lilylove]

Ok, I joined Weight Watchers online Monday... Doing good so far. I haven't gone over my point allowence. Funny how paying for something makes me try harder. lol

I put my goal at 10 pounds and as soon as I reach that goal I'll
make a new one for another 10. I'll keep doing that until I reach "SKINNY"

[Fisher's Mom]

:clap::clap::clap: Congrats, Trish! That's awesome.

[lilylove]

Thanks!

I've been looking at WW recipes all morning... There are a lot of yummy sounding ones.

[Fisher's Mom]

Ooooh, be sure and point us at the ones that come out great, Trish.

[lilylove]

I shall do that!

[smoke king]

Don't know how I did it, but I managed to lose 4# since last Wednesday! What bothers me is that I have kinda of neglected the diet and should have gained some! (Mind you, I'm not complaining) Made double chocolate chip cookies for Sammy, Lasagna, chinese take out for dinner, etc. You know, a lot of poor choices this week.

Truth be told, I am slightly concerned......

[lilbopeep]

I have been making many meals with little or no carbs, just meat and several veggies mostly. I don't have a scale but I have noticed by the way my clothes fit I have lost inches.

[smoke king]

I don't have a scale but I have noticed by the way my clothes fit I have lost inches.

The only time I ever get weighed on a scale is at the doctors office.(where I've been a lot lately) We have a scale, but I've found that by using it I only obsess about it. I'm with you Peep; I can tell by how my clothes fit.....or don't fit,as to how I'm doing!

[VeraBlue]

missed my weigh in day because I was in New Orleans.. so I weighed myself this morning. It cannot be that I gained three pounds in three days:shock::shock::shock:! I worked out two of those three days, so I felt sorta good, but I am sooo discouraged by the scale this morning!
My plan for the next 5 days is lots of hot water with lemon, salads and fruit. I feel the need to detox, if you know what I mean! I'm sure I'll feel better about things on Friday morning.

[Fisher's Mom]

Don't worry, Vera. Those 3 pounds are just the NOLA humidity still in your hair.

Seriously, I would wait a couple of days to see how much of that is fluid retention. Traveling can do that to you.

[lilylove]

Fm.. that's why I weighed myself 10 hours after I got home from Mexico! lol.

Monday (weigh in day) will be a happy day because I can pretend to myself that I lost more than I really did. It'll be a boost for my ego.

[lilylove]

Ok, first weigh in.. I know most of it was water but I'm down five pounds!!!! :)

It's a good thing.

[lilbopeep]

Ok, first weigh in.. I know most of it was water but I'm down five pounds!!!! :)

It's a good thing.
:applause::clap: THATS FANTASTIC!! WAY TO GO!! :bounce:

[lilylove]

THanks!

[Fisher's Mom]

WooHoo!!! 5 lbs! Good for you, Trish. Is it all due to the Weight Watchers plan?

[SilverSage]

Fabulous!!! :bouncy:

[VeraBlue]

It's very hard for me to stay focused on my weight and what I'm eating these days. I didn't give a rat's ass while I was house shopping in New Orleans, and paid the price at the scale when I got back. I'm sure it's gone by now, but it's a huge wake up call to how quickly I can put it back on.

It doesn't help that I cook 'family meal' when I'm at work either. I make a nice lunch for everyone left on staff and we eat together. I try to keep it 'lite' but it's not easy when you are cooking for all sorts of people. I do manage to keep my portion smaller than others so the destruction is not all that bad.

I need a steady routine for consistency. The only thing that is still a bit steady is my 5 times a week work out. My Gold's membership is canceled as of June 9th. Don't know what I'm going to do until I leave on the 13:unsure:..I'm frightened, aunty em, I'm frightened...

[Adillo303]

Vera, I am quite sure that with the final packing, moving and moving in once you get to NOLA, you will be OK.

Do they have golds gym in NOLA, or is it another name?

[Adillo303]

Congratulations Trish. The initial weight loss gives you the encouragement to go on.

[lilylove]

WooHoo!!! 5 lbs! Good for you, Trish. Is it all due to the Weight Watchers plan?


Weight watchers and getting rid of all that water that I seem to collect when I fly! :)

[VeraBlue]

Vera, I am quite sure that with the final packing, moving and moving in once you get to NOLA, you will be OK.

Do they have golds gym in NOLA, or is it another name?

No, no Gold's down there.. Actually, very little in the way of any kind of gym down there! It's just their style! There is a nice little gym around the corner from the house. Not huge, but has a few cardio pieces, some weights, etc.. Just enough for me to get a work out in and then walk home to shower. I'll be fine once I get a membership there.

[PieSusan]

A very easy way to shed weight is to add two teaspoons of benefiber into your morning beverage (noncarbonated). You won't even know it is there--no grit, flavor and it dissolves easily. Also, coconut water helps when one is exercising a lot. It is low in calories and sugar and helps replenish the body's need for potassium and electrolytes. It also has a mild sweet flavor that goes down easily. It only hints of coconut.

Complex carbs fill you up and help balance one's sugar and insulin levels. Without carbs, you will become depressed and grouchy--the body needs them. It is the kind of carb that counts.

A small handful of almonds are good at curbing hunger and also are incredibly healthy for you.

[CaliforniaCook]

Bumping it up.

So, how has everyone done over the last months? Made any changes, lost any weight?

Since it's the New Year, do you have any New Year cooking resolutions?

[dandiamond]

Bumping it up.

So, how has everyone done over the last months? Made any changes, lost any weight?

Since it's the New Year, do you have any New Year cooking resolutions?
I consider Thanksgiving through Super Bowl, eating Season. Now that it is almost over~
Get on board, and take pounds off. Take them off for you, take them off for your local food bank.
http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTLhqnuQoD6FYThoYibgl7TYV5ZsomNW h7ae_1EFbvSGpc5yysv
http://www.pfpchallenge.com/Partners.aspx?partner=FeedingAmerica