BB Weight Loss Support Group!

[Scarlet_Rose]

Hello everybody!   O.K. the moment you have all been dreading….

It’s time to GET BACK ON THE WAGON EVERYONE!!!  I am rounding y’all up and roping you in and herding you back to the path of weight loss!  LOL  It doesn’t matter if you’ve lost, gained or stayed the same.  The important thing is that you’re ready to climb aboard and help support each other, and encourage, share recipes, express frustration or whatever it is you need to help you get through this.

I also wanted to take a moment and have you express how often you would like to have these discussions.  I know that the BB Weight Loss Support Group has dwindeled in numbers but now is the time to make good with your New Year’s Resolution! 

My report is that I have lost weight over the holidays (please don’t hate me or be discouraged by it).  I work really, really hard, eat right and exercise.  The biggest step to all of this is commiting to change and not straying from the path.  Sometimes we need a little help and we all need that help in different ways so please let us know what it is you need to keep you going.  Hey, maybe there is a fellow Binky Bunnier out there who lives close by and can go to the gym with you or you can round up a work-out buddy.  If you have questions, I’ll be more than happy to help out but by no means am an expert i.e. qualified trainer, dietician/nutritionist, physician etc.,  but I do know what works for me/what has worked and can share that with you too as I am sure others here will as well.

Cheers!

Scarlet

[BinkyBunny]

Yeah!!  I know you have had great success Scarlet and I bet you have great tips to offer to anyone who is interested!

I bet a weekly post would helpful – I vote for Sundays since that is one of your days.

I just got my cholesterol count and it’s HORRIBLE.   Usually women are protected because the estrogen is what helps combat the bad cholesterol, but due to hereditary, and some hormone levels….oh and yea…that little thing called a terrible diet all have contributed to dangerously high cholesterol – so my doctor said get on a low fat diet and exercise NOW!   

Well, now I am doing it for the  heart/stroke factor instead of chub factor and that really seems make the difference…so far. So I know I am ready!

[Deleted User]

I need to start going to the gym again….I just had knee surgery so that has slowed me down….but now NO EXCUSES!!!!

[Princess*Smudge]

Ugh my injury to my ankle put my exercising on stand still over the holidays so that hasn’t been good… but it’s getting better.

I’ll be 100% honest I avoided the last couple BB support posts because I have PUT ON another 5-7 ish lbs since September. I’ve officially gone past my “I’m okay with my body” or “I accept my body but could do better” stages now I feel like crying everytime it’s time to get dressed. I know I’m not extremely overweight or even “heavy” by what most people would consider heavy so I shouldn’t complain and I ALWAYS feel SOOO guilty after I’ve had my cry and chosen my loose hoodie to wear once again because I have a few people in my life constantly telling me what they’d give for my body. It’s just that it’s still not what I want for me… and I know that the only person who can change that is me.

So here is my biggest problem that I am ready to admit… I am a huge emotional eater. I feel upset so I turn to my comfort foods which are cheeseburgers, ketchup chips… you can see where this leads I have no sweet tooth but am a salty snack fiend! So how do all you other emotional eaters deal with this ridiculous evil cycle? I feel gross about myself so I comfort myself with foods that add to the problem and then beat myself up for giving in lol. I’M A MESS! But I’m here for the support because it definetely helps.

Also I have a question.. I’m sitting at about 135-140lbs right now which I know doesn’t seem like alot but on my 5’2″ frame it is. I’d like to go to around 120lbs but I’m unsure of what a reasonable goal is to set for myself? I find I work best if I can say “okay I’d like to get as close as I can to losing 5lbs in this amount of time” and then I work towards that, if I don’t make it exactly that’s okay but the deadline motivates me to keep going. I know it’s hard to predict because everyone is different but I’m just curious if theres a general average like 10lbs/month is healthy and reasonable or can you do more or less? Hahaha anyways thanks for reading through my novel if you got this far!! You are a brave and very supportive soul!!

So to finish my goal for next Sunday: Tuesday go to the gym and get my membership, and go to the gym 3 times before Sunday. Also no more chips this week and eat as healthy as possible for breakfast/lunch/dinner. Wish Me Luck!!

[RabbitPam]

Hi, Scarlett,
You know from my R post that I want to lose weight. Please tell us your tips/regimen that allowed you to lose 25 in only 2 months.

Samantha, I went to Weight Watchers once a couple of years ago, and lost 21 lbs over several months.
They recommended losing 2 lbs a week – which most of us were able to do – as a healthy way to diet and have expectations that were not so hard you got very discouraged and quit. It’s steady and obtainable. Often you can plateau, so may lose only 1 that week, but 3 the next. It depends on how you were eating and how you change, and to what. WATER, water, water and more water will help take it off. It fills you up and flushes the bad stuff out. When you lose, the fat turns to liquid and washes away. (My niece the chemistry major told me that.)

The exercise makes a huge difference in losing. You can start small, like park farther away from the door at work, use the stairs not an elevator, stuff like that.

Remember, one slip is not the end of the diet. You can start over the next day and be very good, and good to yourself. It’s a blip, not a setback or an end to the diet, so just keep moving on with it.

Measure yourself and write down your size on a piece of paper – the usual waist, hips, etc. But also do your arms and legs and neck. Then in 6 months measure again. The reason is that the scale is not the only way to get healthier. You want to look and feel better, so the fat will convert to muscle and you may get a smaller waist but larger biceps with weight lifts. You will NEVER get that high def. look men get, so don’t worry about being a gym rat unless, like Scarlett, you’re shooting for 6-pack abs. It’s harder for women to achieve.

Finally, I am also 5′ 2″, and I think the ideal weight for me in my 40s turned out to be 123 – 125. I weighed 105 for years prior to that, but was not healthy for other reasons and had a tiny appetite. My goal now is 130. It sounds overweight, but actually I look very good at that point, and I got there before.

[Deleted User]

Samantha, I like Rabbitpams advice. i would just like to throw in there, that maybe its better to not set a weight goal, but instead a health goal. Like you will go the gym 3 times a week and track your calories….. or if you go to http://www.dailyplate.com or http://www.sparkpeople.com they help to track your calories based on what you want to lose per week, based on your body type. Its always discouraging to just say, “well i’m just NOT gonna eat that anymore”…. it never works b/c then you just want that thing even more (like the chips). By counting calories, you can still have those chips—but in moderation, and it may mean you have to cut out something else so you can have them. Make sense?

Also, its easier to lose weight if you eat a bunch of small meals rather than 2 big meals. Its easier for your body to work it off.

[Cassi&Charlie]

Samantha, I’m also a huge emotional eater and now, after living on a steady diet of chocolate cookies for 3 weeks, I find myself joining the bandwagon lol. I don’t know how to stop myself from binging on chocolate (I have a sweet jaw!) but my main preventative method at the moment is not having any chocolate in the house, not even cocoa powder.

I’ve also cut back on tea because that’s a trigger – when I’m upset I’ll have a cup of tea to calm me down (thanks Mom) and then I’ll be looking for cookies to go with the tea, to calm me down…and 20 mins later will be trying to hide the evidence (while making myself another cup of tea).

Do you have triggers? Maybe if you could identify what makes you eat. I’ve started keeping a food emotion diary to find out when I feel like binging and why. Certain things make me reach for the chocolate, like when I’m home alone and don’t want to be – so now instead of making myself a cup of tea and reaching for cookies I go for a walk (strategically avoiding all shops because I have ZERO will power!)

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

I need an iBB WLSG ntervention!!! HELP!!

[BookerTRabbit]

This is a great idea! I want to run a half marathon in April !!
I also want to loose a few pounds !

[Deleted User]

C&C…this doesn’t work for everyone, but it does me—try chewing gum instead of reaching for tea and cookies!

[Cassi&Charlie]

Thats a great idea allenj – if I chew gum then I wont eat after cause it’ll taste yuk. I’m off to buy strong spearmint gum

[BinkyBunny]

I too have always been an emotional eater. I think my whole family is. I know that growing up, that if something sad or challenging happened, someone would always suggest going out and getting something good to eat. I remember when my first boyfriend broke up with me, my mom gave me a chocolate bar and grape juice. So, I’ve learned and continued to embrace food as something that comforts and relieves stress, anxiety and just plain boredom.

I had always been lucky enough to have a high metabolism until my mid to late 30’s, and then with some knee injuries from skiing, the weight piled on and now I find myself needing to lose 50 – 60 pounds. I feel like it’s happened all so fast, that everytime I look in the mirror I don’t even recognize myself anymore, but the worst part is not being able to hike, bike and ski like I used to.

I know if i focus on the “fat”, then it only makes me feel down about myself, plus it takes a longer time to see results, so it can be hard, but after the call from my doctor, I have found that I am having more will-power focusing on the “health” – the inside part, and I actually “feel” results faster than I see results.

So for me, imagining what is happening inside of my body with every bite – what’s going through my arteries, I have more will-power in refusing the things I love, like Pizza, red meat and all things bad. Because I can imagine the cholestor sticking and clogging things up and that really prevents me from putting it in my mouth so far.

Another tool that has helped me so far is to imagine my body as something sort of separate that takes care of me. It gets me from one place to another, my heart keeps pumping, my muscles keep moving, my lungs keep breathing – all on their own to keep me alive, and so it has treated me rather well, and I should it with more care – basically baby and nurture it.

I can tell already that it enjoys all the fruit and veggies, and doesn’t feel sluggish as much. We still have a long way to go, but even in the short time of caring for it better, it has repaid me with more energy.

My husband and I have also started taking daily walks. And we try a different path every single time. It’s amazing how many new things, businesses and places we discover with our walks. I got a pedometer and that helps me keep track of how many steps I take, and keeps me motivated towards a goal of certain amount of steps. I will also be going to the gym as I progress.

But this is all still new and I know in a couple of more weeks…well, that will be the real test, as that always seems to be the time to fall off the wagon.

I do know I have to find other “comforting” things or solutions to habit of emotional eating and that will be challenging as that I know is at the core. A new habit of comfort will have to be formed.   Like CC said , I think figuring out my “triggers” will be important.  TV and Reading a Book happens to be two of the biggest ones. At the end of the day, I wind down by either watching my recorded TV shows or reading a book -  I have a habit of snacking big while I do those things.  I always seem to accompany relaxing activities with food,  so I  have to shift that perception.

Well, goodluck to everyone. I know though we can help each other out with great tips, we will have our own rather individual path to find out what works specifically for each of us.   But I know we can support each other in doing that!  

 

[Scarlet_Rose]

Hey y’all!!!    So far I have lost 30 pounds since Nov. 8th.  Both I and my trainer will tell you that these are not typical results.  It honestly just happened that way and I will tell you the safest way that I was told to lose weight and here are some starter tips.  Please excuse the mention of specific name brands, but I thought it would help you to see what products I use that I found that work real well and are good for you.

1. Your goal should be to lose no more than 2 pounds a week. One pound of body fat is 3500 calories and your goal is to burn more calories than you eat.  Design your goal around how many calories to eat based on how much you wish to burn each day. Do NOT be drastic and put yourself on a diet that is less than about 1,600 calories. It is DANGEROUS!  You will put your body in starvation mode.  This means that your body will store everything you eat instead of burning it.
2. Log everything you eat!  Sparkpeople and thedailyplate are good places.  I joined 24 Fitness and bought the BodyBugg – which is AWESOME by the way (but expensive)!  You wear it and it tells you how many calories you have burned.  You also have access to an online program (http://www.myapex.xom) where you log food and it charts your progress.
3. The first week, just count your calories and eat 1/3 less of everything.
4. GET ACTIVE!  Join a gym, go for a walk, enlist your friends, neighbors, co-workers, spouse etc. to work out or go walking with you.  Aim to work out 2-3 times a week and rest your muscles if you do weight training for 48 hours.  Cardio you can do every day.  Read about fitness.  I like Weight Training for Dummies.  It gave me a good overall and comfortable feeling going to the gym and not looking like a complete idiot. 
5. Read food labels, buy a food scale and measure what one portion is so you can see what one portion really looks like and eat only one portion of food and not what you would normally pile on your plate.  If you don’t like the size of the serving, find a better, healthier and more filling alternative. (See below)  Anything that is 210 calories or less is considered a snack, anything over that is considered a meal.
6. Aim to eat at least 70 grams of protein per day.  It will also help curb your appetite.  In the morning I have a protein smoothie.  I mix 1 1/2 scoops of flavored protein powder, whole banana, frozen strawberries and 1 cup of water and blend. YUM!  Low fat and lots of protein to help fuel me and keep me full.
7. Make smarter choices when shopping.  Switch to the “light” and/or sugar free, lower calorie version of foods you love. For , example I used to use I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter and switched to the I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter Light version.  Also I switched out Daisy Sour Cream with Daisy Light Sour Cream.  I no longer eat cheddar cheese and eat just low fat mozzarella
8. Eat snacks and eat more on days you work out!  Have some Activia Fat Free Light Yogurt & Frigo Light String Cheese.  Definately eat a snack before you work out.
9. Make small sacrifices.  Don’t be drastic and throw out all of your food.  Limit yourself to a “treat” like a piece of chocolate once a week rather than every day. For example, I have a Godiva chocolate now and again.
10. Eliminate any unncessary fat from your diet.  Watch labels carefully! ”Fat free” foods are higher calorie and contain a lot more sodium than the sugar free versions. 
11. Opt for whole grain foods, they keep you feeling fuller longer.  Sara Lee 45 calories and delightful bread is AWESOME!  Barilla makes a “plus” version of pasta that is whole grain and lots of protein. Pasta sauce is amazingly low in calories (just watch labels and 2 ounces of pasta (one serving) is a LOT!
12. Take your favorite food and make a healthier version of it.  For instance I just made a healthier version of a hamburger last night.  I used a flame grilled Boca (veggie) burger, lettuce, ketchup, mustard, lettuce & tomato.  I did not have any fries though.  Instead I had some three bean salad. 
13. Taming your hunger – When a hunger pang suddenly comes on, it often means that you are only feeling hungry (stress response) and are not actually really hungry.  Be conscientious when you feel hungry, take a moment to ask yourself if you are really hungry or if it is only stress or emotion.  If it is emotion, take a walk instead!  Drink plenty of water, flavor it if you like – I opted for flavored liquid stevia extract.  Eat lots of protein and whole grains!  Like it was already mentioned, see if you have a “trigger” food.

Well I have lots more to share, but for now I’ll stop.  Another installement will come on Sunday!

 

Think yourself fit!

[BinkyBunny]

Yeah! Those are great tips Scarlet – (The Scarlet Plan!) and congrats to you for your success! That is great!!!

[RabbitPam]

Posted By Scarlet_Rose on 01/08/2009 8:45 PM

Scarlet, this is a GREAT list! May I insert a few tips I learned via from Weight Watchers?

Hey y’all!!!    So far I have lost 30 pounds since Nov. 8th.  Both I and my trainer will tell you that these are not typical results.  It honestly just happened that way and I will tell you the safest way that I was told to lose weight and here are some starter tips.  Please excuse the mention of specific name brands, but I thought it would help you to see what products I use that I found that work real well and are good for you.

1. Your goal should be to lose no more than 2 pounds a week. One pound of body fat is 3500 calories and your goal is to burn more calories than you eat.  Design your goal around how many calories to eat based on how much you wish to burn each day. Do NOT be drastic and put yourself on a diet that is less than about 1,600 calories. It is DANGEROUS!  You will put your body in starvation mode.  This means that your body will store everything you eat instead of burning it.
2. Log everything you eat!  Sparkpeople and thedailyplate are good places.  I joined 24 Fitness and bought the BodyBugg – which is AWESOME by the way (but expensive)!  You wear it and it tells you how many calories you have burned.  You also have access to an online program (http://www.myapex.xom) where you log food and it charts your progress.
3. The first week, just count your calories and eat 1/3 less of everything.
4. GET ACTIVE!  Join a gym, go for a walk, enlist your friends, neighbors, co-workers, spouse etc. to work out or go walking with you.  Aim to work out 2-3 times a week and rest your muscles if you do weight training for 48 hours.  Cardio you can do every day.  Read about fitness.  I like Weight Training for Dummies.  It gave me a good overall and comfortable feeling going to the gym and not looking like a complete idiot. 
5. Read food labels, buy a food scale and measure what one portion is so you can see what one portion really looks like and eat only one portion of food and not what you would normally pile on your plate.  If you don’t like the size of the serving, find a better, healthier and more filling alternative. (See below)  Anything that is 210 calories or less is considered a snack, anything over that is considered a meal. A way to gague a serving when you’re eating out is to judge a portion = approximately the size of your fist. Also, never hesitate to ask them to cut it in half and give you the rest in a take out box before you even start. If you don’t see it, you don’t want to clean your plate.
6. Aim to eat at least 70 grams of protein per day.  It will also help curb your appetite.  In the morning I have a protein smoothie.  I mix 1 1/2 scoops of flavored protein powder, whole banana, frozen strawberries and 1 cup of water and blend. YUM!  Low fat and lots of protein to help fuel me and keep me full.
7. Make smarter choices when shopping.  Switch to the “light” and/or sugar free, lower calorie version of foods you love. For , example I used to use I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter and switched to the I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter Light version.  Also I switched out Daisy Sour Cream with Daisy Light Sour Cream.  I no longer eat cheddar cheese and eat just low fat mozzarella
8. Eat snacks and eat more on days you work out!  Have some Activia Fat Free Light Yogurt & Frigo Light String Cheese.  Definately eat a snack before you work out.
9. Make small sacrifices.  Don’t be drastic and throw out all of your food.  Limit yourself to a “treat” like a piece of chocolate once a week rather than every day. For example, I have a Godiva chocolate now and again. An excellent alternative is getting the sugar free chocolates, usually in the candy aisle of the grocery store. Weight watchers products cost more, but they are made with substitutes so have very few calories and fat. Candy or chocolates for diabetics will cut out the sugar as well. Once you’ve cut back your taste for sweets, a little is much more satisfying and tastes just fine. But no deprivation – crave it, bite it. Just not 20 more bites!
10. Eliminate any unncessary fat from your diet.  Watch labels carefully! ”Fat free” foods are higher calorie and contain a lot more sodium than the sugar free versions. 
11. Opt for whole grain foods, they keep you feeling fuller longer.  Sara Lee 45 calories and delightful bread is AWESOME!  Barilla makes a “plus” version of pasta that is whole grain and lots of protein. Pasta sauce is amazingly low in calories (just watch labels and 2 ounces of pasta (one serving) is a LOT!
12. Take your favorite food and make a healthier version of it.  For instance I just made a healthier version of a hamburger last night.  I used a flame grilled Boca (veggie) burger, lettuce, ketchup, mustard, lettuce & tomato.  I did not have any fries though.  Instead I had some three bean salad. 
13. Taming your hunger – When a hunger pang suddenly comes on, it often means that you are only feeling hungry (stress response) and are not actually really hungry.  Be conscientious when you feel hungry, take a moment to ask yourself if you are really hungry or if it is only stress or emotion.  If it is emotion, take a walk instead!  Drink plenty of water, flavor it if you like – I opted for flavored liquid stevia extract.  Eat lots of protein and whole grains!  Like it was already mentioned, see if you have a “trigger” food.

Well I have lots more to share, but for now I’ll stop.  Another installement will come on Sunday!

 

Think yourself fit!

 

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

Ok Maybe you all can help me, my biggest problem is being broke and on the go!!

**It’s probably poor planning too, but I often find myself going ten or more hours without anything to eat and having to stop at a gas station and grab chips to make it.

**Second big trip up; coming home exhausted, having five-six hours of sleep, sixteen hour day, eating a huge meal (the only one of the day) generally a box of kd, and hitting bed for twelve hours

UGH!! Gross….

[RabbitPam]

I think two things may help: first, put a soft sided lunch cooler in your car. The kind that keeps hot things hot and cold things cold, and stock it with some bottled water and good juice or Gatorade.

Then stock up on breakfast/protein bars. Some are much better than others – I only know wiight watchers, but I think Quaker Oats makes nutritious ones. There’s an assortment at the grocery story. Put a couple in your cooler, one or two in your purse, some in your work desk drawer. Then grab one of those at a mealtime, ie. every 5 hours, if you can’t eat. It will keep you from going into starvation mode, and you need to keep hydrated. Also, put apples around because they can be sitting out for a very long time before they spoil.

[Deleted User]

You say your broke and busy…..buy some Lean Cuisines or something like it when they go on sale. Stock up….then keep them where you can, even if its just at home. That way, after you’ve had your protein bars and apples you can come home to one of those instead of a great big meal. Its so much better to eat a bunch of small meals and bad to eat one big meal, especially if its your last one of the day. Things like Lean Cuisine basically teach portion control.

Good Luck!

[BinkyBunny]

KK, I hear you. Steve and I will work all day and not eat (and we work from home!)and then stuff a bunch of stuff in our faces and then feel very tired. And when you work so much, just the thought of picking up a pan and cooking…by then you just want food you’re so hungry.

One thing that Steve and did that worked is we made our own quick TV dinners. Easy stuff that you can cook a bunch of stuff at once, like pastas, chicken, rice, veggies. We take two hours over the weekend and then put them in little individual pyrex dishes and put them in the freezer. It saved us big money,(I didn’t even realize how much we spent on eating out!) and though yes, finding the time to do something so mundane and boring (I don’t really like to cook) wasn’t a thrill, it was better all around for us.

The other thing I do is get a ton of my favorite fresh veggies, cut them up (like you would if you were going to bring them to a party) and put them in a large tupperware container. I then mix no fat cream cheese with a ranch dip, and when I get a hankering for a crunchy snack, something that will get me to the next meal, I grab a handful of veggies. (though that may not work if you are on the go)

I really like the idea of having healthy snack bars too like Rabbitpam suggested. Having a couple in my purse for snack emergencies! I will use that idea. Thanks Rabbitpam!

[Deleted User]

BB—the cream cheese idea is genius!!! i’m always dipping crackers into no fat cream cheese….duh to mix in veggies!!! sweet!

[BinkyBunny]

One thing about the FF cream cheese thing – I add Hidden Valley Ranch party dip (powder), but if I put the whole package the taste is much too strong and too salty, so for me it only takes half of the package.

[RabbitPam]

I’ve always been a non-cook, and the microwave is your friend. Do you have one where you work? You can get a very small one that’s cheap and it’s amazing how easy it is to pop in a small Healthy Choice or SmartOnes frozen meal, zap it for a minute, and eat a dinner type meal in midday. It’s actually better for you then anyway because you burn off more during your afternoon activities. Plus it’s like filling you gas tank – suddenly you can zoom an hour later. I alos find the fridge at work saves my life, since I toss in a dozen fat free yogurts, applesauce, fruits, and just grab one that’s gone in 5 minutes (I spoon and type at my computer there. I need to take more breaks.) but I’ve been fed.

The nice thing is that since health food became mainstream, and the country became overweight, the frozen dinner folks have invented so many healthy frozen dinners, lunches, snacks, for us to just microwave and eat quickly. Grocery stores’ answer to fast food. Definitely buy in bulk on sale as allenj1 suggested. And You’re welcome BB.   *types while spooning in plain instant oat meal and honey*

[Scarlet_Rose]

That is awesome Pam! Great tips everyone!

Well, as of Saturday, I weigh 175 pounds – which means I have lost 35 pounds now. I am between a size 12 & 10 now. Size 10 is a bit snug so the 12’s it is. I look forward to getting into a size 10 though. *GRIN* It will be a lot of hard work, but well worth it.

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

Definitely great tips!! Thanks

Congrats Scarlet your doing so awesome!!

[Author]

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