5-15 Pounders Weekly Check-In for 9/14/10
 

Hello to one and all...what have you lovely ladies got to report this week? Sounds like the weekend was full of food and fun for many of us; maybe we can talk about what we learned in the process! :o

What? Fun and Food? I missed it. That's what happens when I get too busy to check in with the forum this week. Hope everyone had a good week.

This has been a pretty good week for me. Although my weight is stabilizing at 122#, I've been focusing on trying to eat clean and tracking and trying out Turbulance Training (OMG). With the exception of Saturday's cheat meal, I'm pleased with my progress this week.

For a long, long time I've pretty much focused my training on weights every other day and cardio on alternate days. This week I tried out the Bodyweight 500 (as in repetitions) using only body weight and gravity for resistance. I found the program on You Tube. WOW. I wouldn't recommend it for beginners. Pushups, pullups (I have to use resistance tubing on those), jump squats, stability ball jackknives... Much more cardio involved and stabilization of my core. My abs haven't been that sore in a long time. I don't intend to give up my weight training, but it's been nice to challenge my body differently. My husband asked if I should be doing that "at my age". GRRR!

Looking forwarding to reading how everyone's week has gone.

Good morning, ladies! I lost 0.5 lbs this week. But I ate and exercised well, so it was a good week! I wrote a blog post yesterday about these last 10 pounds and how a discussion on FitDay really opened my eyes. If you have a few minutes, please check it out and let me know what you think! Quitting My Day Job: Advice

Beth - Glad to hear that you had a good week. That Bodyweight 500 sounds intense! Good for you for having the courage to try something new and having the motivation to follow through with it! I'm impressed.

As for your husband, remind him that the exercise is what's going to KEEP you young. And if he doesn't have anything nice to say, then he shouldn't say anything at all. =)

Cassie - How was your week?

Have a great day, everyone!

Happy Tuesday Everyone!

Well, my weight hasn't budged due to my "fly off the rails" weekend but the good news is that I didn't gain, either. On a positive note, my head is in a much better place today as far as will power and attitude and for me that's the hardest part. It's all a bit of a mind game, mind over matter and self-discipline, isn't it?

Cassie* I had kind of an "ah ha" moment with something you said a few days ago in that it's not about being perfect all of the time; it's about eating well most of the time. I'm kind of an OCD perfectionist type, so my whole life has been trying to be perfect all of the time and disappointed when I'm not. It finally clicked that eating can't be like that. This new way of looking at things makes it possible to eat well most of the time loooooong term.

Luckily, I built in a few pounds under my goal weight for mess-ups. 115 is a little low for me to maintain. 116-118 might be more realistic. (And my pants don't fall down! lol)

Feels good to be back on the right track again!

quinn

That was a very insightful post on you blog, Fletch. I really believe there is something to that. Aside from the physiology of the old "setpoint" theories, in which your body works to maintain it's preferred weight, I think that it's a mental trade off, finding a point where you are at a healthier weight that you're happy with, without constantly thinking about it and stressing about it. If the latter is the case, then what's your quality of life?

I know when I moved on to maintenance, my body just kept burning more and I eventually settled where I am now, but I think that was something my body did, not so much me trying to get to this weight consciously. And once I got there, I didn't do anything different, but I stayed here. So I have to believe that the old adage, "Listen to your body" is correct. It will tell you what it needs for food, when it wants to move, and where it wants to be. But many of us who have had weight issues have to consciously learn to take the headphones out and listen to it. That was hard for me and I still have to work at it. At any rate, you are doing awesome; congrats on all those pounds and, more importantly, on the crystal-clear thinking.

Hi Quinn...yes, I totally agree with the mind/attitude thing...for me that is the harder battle to fight. Hope you enjoyed your first week of a quiet house! Looks like great minds are thinking alike this morning on the eating thing (coming from a fellow OCD'er)!

Beth, TT, yikes! I looked it up once when another poster mentioned it. Glad you are satisfied with your week; sounds like all is going well, especially since hubby was traveling and that is a danger zone ;). Obviously the man does not realize that you are strong enough to do some serious damage if those kinds of comments keep coming!

I've had a good week, I guess; I should probably stop referring to them as slip-ups and compensating and just look at it as the natural process. One thing I do need to start working on and being accountable for is getting enough sleep. I am usually at about six hours, and I'd like to be getting at least seven, just in the interest of being good to my body and general health. I also need to get back on the water; I was going really good there for a while and then dropped off.

Hope you all have a super day!

Good morning all! Well, after several weeks of not weighing myself, I got on the scale today and I am were I was a few weeks ago, so I guess I have maintenance at this weight down, too bad it isn't the weight I want to be!:p
I haven't logged any food for weeks, and was just listening to my body and my body likes where it is. I decided to get back to logging food today and can hopefully coax my body to get comfortable at a lower weight.

Beth-Your new workout sounds like a killer! Let us know how you like it.

Quinn-Those "aha" moments can often be so helpful in changing how we think and live. I hope it gives you more freedom and less guilt over not being "perfect" in your eating.

Fletch-I really liked your blog. I feel like I am trying to come to terms with my body settling at my current weight and being ok with it. Thanks for sharing it. And, congrat's on having a good eating/exercise week.

Cassie-I hear you about the sleep! Sometimes I try to get in bed earlier only to end up getting caught up in a great book and reading for hours!

Hope you all have a good week. See you over in the 5-15 lb club posts!

Fletch, Kudos to you for taking good care of yourself this past week! Thank you for sharing your blog and hope you write more! I agree, we tend to be very level-headed and compasionate towards others as they strive to improve their bodies (that's a good thing and thank you ladies!) when often we need to take note ourselves. Maybe that's one of the reasons common-interest support groups work so well. As for scale weight goals...I can only speak for myself here...but the numbers are just a guide for me and usually mean next to nothing if I'm eating nutrient-dense food and moving my body. I tend to pay more attention to the scale when I know I've wandered away from good eating habits and need a baseline to measure my progress as I make changes.

Quinn, hey girl! Glad to see you posting. Yeah, the head seems to be 90% of the success equation for me. The other 10% is waiting around for my body to catch up with it:D

Cassie, I always appreciate your calm ability to see the big picture during the behavior fluctuations we all encounter. Sleep...what a precious gift! Since hubby's in Pittsburgh this week, my 16-yr old daughter climbed in bed with me last night at 11 something (she hasn't done that since the 4th grade), upset about some friends on facebook. Argh! I'm ready to lock up that laptop at 9 pm. My maternal instincts kicked in and it took me some time to get to sleep. This too shall pass.

Mambo, well I consider it a success that you maintained without logging. If you're aiming to lose body fat, logging always helps me make informed choices and works for me. Go for it girl!

Hope to stay closer to the forums this week and keep up to date with everyone.

Quinn - Maintaining and getting mentally back on track are both good things. Hope your week continues to go well!

Cassie - I like your listen to your body/headphones analogy a lot! I'll remember that next time I'm not listening! I agree...water and sleep are both good things. Important for helping you feel your best. Maybe try to get 5 more minutes of sleep per night each night until you're where you want to be? Same could go for water. Build back up to it. Best of luck! Have a good week!

mambogirl - Thanks for reading. Glad you liked it! I agree with Beth - I'm impressed that you maintained without logging...I'm not sure I could do that yet! You go, girl!

Beth - Thank you for reading my blog. I typically post everyday, oftentimes about fitness, so I hope you check back often. =) I should adopt your relationship with the scale. That's smart of you!

Have a good one, ladies!

hi all,
wish i had something really cool to report..but maybe that will wait till next week. the WW scale was not a pretty sight today.

i don't know what is going on with me today (or for the past two yrs? heh.) relating to food. i'm lacking in self-discipline. Maybe too large of a part of my brain doesn't want to make the sacrifices and use the self-discipline it takes to lose the weight AND keep it off? I need to work on this--I guess through journaling and talking with you all. 90% is mental like Beth wrote.

besides the eating issues my day has been great. :p

Mambo, the fact that you didnt gain in the X number of weeks you just listened to your body and didn't track is amazing. I feel like that's a huge improvement from where you were say 8 months ago or so. Great job!!

Fletch, great blog post! I read it earlier and really enjoyed it. Thanks! :)

Ok....my eyes are closing as I stare at the screen...long day..till tomorrow friends!

Hello ladies!

Fletch- I just finished reading your blog and that reflected my thoughts exactly. Thanks for sharing. My body is a healthy weight (lowest I have ever been) and I am in the best shape of my life. Instead of being happy, I want to lose 10 more pounds too. I need to do exactly what you said and stop focusing on the fact that I have a tummy that won't go away!

Quin- good work on maintaining. I agree- it is definitely a head game.

Cassie- I have the same goal this week when it comes to water. I did good today and drank a lot. I think I have really been lacking.

Mambo- you too are reflecting my thinking. I haven't logged in a long time and weigh here and there. When I do, my weight is about the same. I think my body is really comfortable here even though I want it to be comfortable lower. I know that I will have to keep better track and cut some if I want to lose more, but I am at least happy that I haven't gained weight while I have been focusing less on my food log.

Built- I agree that body weight exercises can be a real workout. My husband and I are focusing on essential body movements and on our weight day, we do push-ups (a lot), pull-ups (I have to have to do assisted ones), jack-knife presses, tons of squats, and planks. It sure kicks our butts! I think it's great that you were trying that out.

Well, I am feeling a little better this week. I did a sprint interval on the treadmill this morning and that was good. I am trying to focus on stressing less, since I think it is the worst thing I do the body, drinking more water, and of course snacking less. I really need to follow advice on this forum and listen more to my body. That is a missing link for me.

Thanks to all for your posts- they are really encouraging. I hope you have a great week.

Amber

hi all - I don't know what my deal is, but I did post 2 x over the last couple of days and they never appeared. Here's try #3:

Thank you all for your responses and welcomes. What a difference in attitude I have had this week having heard your thoughts and experiences. Fletch, I loved reading your blog and please know, right back at ya! I have been thinking so much about my obsession with my goal weight. Where did I get that number? Well, here it is: there is this woman who goes to all the same classes at my gym - one day she was in front of me on the treadmill, punching in her weight and I saw that she was 110. I had had recently gotten to my goal of 115. I barely paused to celebrate this and immediately decided I should be 110, too. I guess I saw that she was a shorty, too and didn't seem to have the belly that I still have so it seemed to make sense at the time. This week, as I'm thinking about all of this and reading your comments, I see how crazy it is to decide what my goal should be based on someone else's body.

SO I like the idea of using the scale to check in, but maybe accepting where I'm at for once! BMI is 22.73 and mostly I feel good about my body - I would say that my stomach is what still makes me crazy - I am so tired of pulling my shirt away from this area out of self-consciousness (though it is a lot better than 20 lbs ago...). Maybe I just need to need to learn to love that belly because my suspicion is that even if I lost 5 more lbs, it'd still be there!

Okay, I'm hoping this message doesn't just disappear - thank you so much for your inspiration, ladies.

Sophie

Sophie - I really just want to hug you after reading your response!!! I love your idea of using the scale as a tool but still accepting yourself. So powerful. Yay for you, and thanks for making me smile this morning!!! =)

Thanks for YOUR inspiration!

Fletch, i read your blog and it does make so much sense!!!! i have not reached my goal weight yet, but even before getting there, i adjusted it to a new lower number, since everyone's number was lower than mine!
i got the advice from everyone to let get to my goal weight, see how i feel there and then make adjustments if needs be, i think i should go back, and do exactly that!
now, i know better than to let the scale set my mood. i see the number, analyze it based on the food and exercise data that i have and decide if i should be concerened or not, most time i know it's just a fluctuation and no need to be concerned.
anyway, just wanted to tell you how much i enjoyed reading your post and what i learned from it.

there is something else that i think i should discuss here too, for some reason, i feel intimidated posting in this fourm. i'm trying to find out the reason. i mean you ladies are all so welcoming and supportive and all, so i don't understand why i am so hesitant and lack the self confidence to post here? any thought please let me know. :o

Hi farah, maybe it's just the notion of joining an already-established group? I'm very glad you started posting over here. You have a lot of common sense and I always enjoy reading your posts over on the other threads :).

I second what Cassie said Farah. It can sometimes feel like I'm this high school kid getting ready to sit at an already-established lunch table when I join a new "group". But people float in and out all the time and nobody's any "better" than anyone else. Thanks for being honest about how you feel!

Thank You Cassie and Beth for making me feel better. I do have a lot of respect and admirations for both of you and other ladies of this thread, and i think it's as Beth said, an already established thread, where everybody knows each other and i just feel new and out of place. hopefully i get over this feeling soon, because i really like to be considered a member of this thread as well. :o