Let's Take It All Off Together !

Now that I have your attention

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

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! 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.

Anyone?

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

Does brand #2 have a name?

I'll pick my own wine though.

This is the brand. [ame]http://www.amazon.com/Biotivia-Transmax-Resveratrol-Supplement-Capsules/dp/B002ZNJNNA/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=hpc&qid=1272146211&sr=1-3[/ame]
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.)

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.

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!!

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.

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.

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.

VeraBlue said:

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.

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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.

SilverSage said:

I'd like to see that the only actual rule is that we all be supportive of each other.

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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!

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


good luck everyone!

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

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.

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

Fisher's Mom said:

every slip is just that - a slip.

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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!!!

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!

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.

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

VeraBlue said:

I have to be so damned disciplined all day long.

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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.

The more the merrier, Andy!

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.

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 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!

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.

VeraBlue said:

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.

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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.

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.

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/we...rted/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.

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! And 3 or 4 glasses of wine in the evening. 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.

How are you doing?

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.

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!