BB Weight Loss Support Group!

[Scarlet_Rose]

Hello everybunny!

This is the next weekly installment of the BB Weight Loss Support Group!   I am going to leave this discussion as an open forum to whatever you would like to hear more about!

Currently I’ve past my weight loss stage and am now breaching into muscle-building so I am doing less cardio and more challenging free weight exercises.  When I first started out, I was doing 1 hour of free weights (my trainer set up the program) and 1 hour on the elliptical and met with my trainer once a week.  It’s been three months on Feb. 8th and I’m doing 1 hour of intense muscle building and 20 minutes of cardio.  The reason this has changed is because I am not so much about weight loss now.  I reached my goal at 175 pounds and am working on building some serious muscle so that I can burn more calories and spend less time at the gym and enjoy my new active skinny life.

If you are really wanting to lose weight, focus on discipline and making yourself go to the gym and not making excuses but also be aware that you don’t push yourself so hard you burn yourself out, then you quit.  I was able to do it because I could keep it up, because only I know myself best and what will push me to burn out.  I will admit that having a personal trainer really helped and I did this without a work-out buddy or friend.  You really need to find whatever drives you, whatever it is, setting a small goal for yourself, entinering a marathon, fund raiser, taking up a sport or striving to get into shape to take up a sport or even fitting into those “skinny” jeans again.  I’m not into humliation like happens at some weight loss places but if that is what holds you accountable, do it.  Now is the time to stop procrastinating.

So, what motivates you?

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

…nothing UGH I have terrible motivation…I read a bunch of articles on motivation and am trying to *find* something to motivate me. Dave’s being helpful as usual-eating everything deep fried since he got a deep fryer for xmas Terrible!!

It’s hard to get motivated because I’ve fallen so far from what I was that it’s impossible to fathem getting back there! It happened over six months, and I think it was a combo of quitting smoking and that I’d had a hard summer job with lots of physical activity then went back to school and did nothing. But the weight gain happened so quickly that I would not fit into something a week after buying it. I used to be so thin peoplecalled me anorexic behind my back all the time. Now I’m not even going to tell you what I weigh!! But it’s hard to get motivated to start such a mountain of work!!

It’s also hard to do something like put an old picture up on the fridge because living with Dave I’d find that embarassing…OK So I’m open to suggestions!! But haven’t found my motivation yet!

[RabbitPam]

Scarlet, if you’re thin at 175, you must be wicked tall!!! I’m only barely 5′ 2″ and gain weight now if I blink. I used to be quite thin.

I have fallen off after I lost those first 3-5 lbs. It’s creeping back a wee bit. I am exercising very much at work as part of my day, but unlike in the past, it’s not dropping off. Now I’m just too exhausted from the job to add on formal exercise, though I used to go to a gym 2-3 x a week. I like weight training on a circuit, but it’s too expensive around here. My last time was at the YMCA, beautiful fascility a block away from where I live, and they wanted as much as the local clubs (ie. LA Fitness, Gold’s Gym, etc.) The apartment complex has a workout room, but it’s a universal gym machine, no instructions, and with a broken TV, blah blah. Just not comfortable there.

And I’m so hungry! That’s really the problem. I haven’t reduced my appetite.
I have all the great Weight Watchers advice firmly memorized – I just don’t follow it.

What motivates me? A nap…shopping…wishing the cute 30-something didn’t think I was his mother’s age…

[BUNNYFOOFOO823]

Hi everyone! I’m so glad this blog is here! The last week of December 2008 I decided I had to make a change! I have gained about 20lbs since I got married and hate how I look, I am very self conscious and my weight has made me depressed and i’ve stopped socializing and going out because I feel everyone judges me.

Well I got tired of feeling that way and knew 2009 was my year! So I joined Sparkpages.com and I set it as my homepage so everytime I go to use the net I’m reminded to eat better and excercise, I have since lost almost 6lbs and definitely gained some serious muscle, I workout every single day 30 – 40 minutes in the morning and then 30 – 40 minutes in the evening, I now love going to the gym and love seeing my old clothes start to fit and I’ve only lost 5.7 lbs!

It was the motivation I needed, Sparkpages also makes customized menu’s for you based on what kind of calorie intake you need and any food allergies or preferences you choose.

Give it a try! My screenname is BunnyFooFoo823

[LittlePuffyTail]

It’s hard to get motivated because I’ve fallen so far from what I was that it’s impossible to fathem getting back there!

Ditto, Ditto, Ditto

I also have really terrible willpower (with everything!!) I really am trying to get on the weight loss ball though. All of my clothes either don’t fit me or look terrible on me and I’m not willing to replace my whole wardrobe…I’ll fit back into them I keep telling myself.

My bf has made a gym out of a spare room in the basement and has started exercising too so that helps motivate me. We have a treadmill, a weight center thing, a tv and dvd and we bought a bunch of aerobic and yoga dvds.

BunnyFooFoo: I’m gonna check out that site for sure. Thanks

I’m gonna go ahead and set a goal: 15 pounds before Easter!!! That’s like my 3 buns plus about 3 pounds

[BUNNYFOOFOO823]

Oh by the way! I accidentally typed Sparkpages it is SPARKPEOPLE.com sorry!

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

^^AAAH that’s what I thought!! Someone (maybe you?) pointed me to that site before, because I’ll count calories but no way am I dragging a book around. It’s a superb site!!

[Lily]

Same, my motivation sucks. I bet ill end up some crazy bunny lady XD

[BinkyBunny]

Continued congrats Scarlet! That’s so great, and to hear changes happening in you is also part of what motivates me.

Well, I can say that I have been doing really well with my newer healthy diet – well, i shouldn’t call it a diet because it’s something I will have to do for the rest of my life. My motivation has been my recent report of terrible cholesterol – I also was very low on vit D.

The other motivation is I  see how my folks are aging, and i don’t want that. Heart Disease, High Blood Pressure, High Cholesterol, Alzheimers – it’s a terribly restrictive life later on after the damage has been done. (alzheimers can happen to anyone, but they also are beginning to attribute it to fatty diet, high cholesterol)  

So right now, what happens when a craving starts is I use the imagery to see all that  crap collect into my arteries and that really has helped me with will-power. It screams louder than the cravings… and they have been screaming.

I have to say…so far the third week was the roughest. My fat cells were really having major temper tantrums and screaming for fat, sugars and other comfort foods.

But the other motivation has been how my energy level has improved. I was more crabby  with the cravings, but that is beginning to subside. Before it was difficult, because  weight does not fall off of me very easy I have found out, so it takes time and I would usually give up after about two weeks. But this time I am seeing immediate change in my energy because of the foods I am choosing.

I really have done a hard cut on sugars, red meats and fatty foods, and I have felt the difference even if I can’t see the difference. I’ve only lost a few pounds in one month.

So that really brings me to the biggest challenge still – exercise. Steve and I have been walking and I have my pedometer, but I know my body, I have to work much harder than this. I was fine before because I needed to gradually work up my muscles etc, since I have had two knee surgeries due to skiing, and so I know just jumping into can cause injury, but my body is ready for the harder stuff, and I am really not wanting to.

I hear myself making excuses and I am not as strict with myself on that one. I just hate to exercise for sake of exercise. I used to mountain bike and ski and stuff that was fun, but I am not ready for that harder stuff, and the rest is terribly boring to me. (except Steve and I walks – I enjoy those) but it’s just time to kick it up a notch and I am being a big cry baby about it. I don’t know how to make myself make myself do it. I just have to. It sure is hard being your own body boss when you are also the worst body employee!  I need a trainer I think because right now, I shouldn’t be in charge of  my exercise schedule.  I should be fired.

BUNNYFOOFOO – I hear ya! I understand that feeling of how weight can also weigh down on your self-image and social self-esteem. I’m going to check out the sparkpeople.com

[LittlePuffyTail]

I feel ya, BinkyBunny! I hate exercising too, it’s just such a huge chore. Really hard to motivate myself to do something I hate everyday! Especially if I can only make time for working out in the evening, I tend to dread it all day, making it all the more difficult.

[Scarlet_Rose]

Thanks Pam! Actually I’m 5’6″ and now weigh in at 171. My poor wardrobe…I need to do some serious altering. LOL Anyone one here a seamstress?

[BinkyBunny]

LittlePuffyTail – I know!!! So what in the world is the answer?! My best friend said she would join me and my neighbor as well was working out with me, but I started to be able to find excuses, but now that my best friend is in the mix, she can actually kick me in the arse to get me motivating, and so maybe that’ll work. I hope so…

If you all exercise….how do you make yourself make yourself do it ? (double phrase intended)

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

I do eat pretty healthy for the most part, no red meat to cut out because I don’t eat meat at all; And I’m not really a sweets person either. BUT I’m a huge carb craver-if I don’t get enough carbs I get raging hungry later.

I decided the best thing to do for me is to try just adding healthy things to my daily intake, rather then trying to decrease anything; If you fill up on fruits and veggies then less likely to pig out on mac n’ cheese later right? Hopefully LOL So I have to have veggies in anything I eat now and I’m trying to eat two peices of fruit a day. It’s hard for me to eat fruit because I just a) don’t like them and b) I hate that ‘full of water’ feeling you get after eating one. But I should right? So I’m eating two of either an apple banana or orange a day as snacks. Hopefully getting some fibre and nutrients LOL

Also adding veggies to every meal no matter what. One thing I just love that I’ve eaten three days in a row is mushrooms/tufu/broccoli stir fry. I just throw them in the pan with soya sauce ( I know high in salt but that doesn’t make you fat so I’ll let that slip) it’s filling b/c of the tofu and hopefully healthy because I really like it

I’m the same as you BB I just can’t stick to somthing. Its basically constant you think about it and work at it, and no results for weeks? Yeah, that’s not very reinforcing Bleh!

Exercise…The only time I have to do this is in the morning. I can’t even exercise in front of the TV because I never get to watch shows! If I watch a movie, it’s generally while on here and doing shelter emails so, mornings…BLEH My friend is dragging me to the gym in my apartment building three times a week (well we’re trying to go that often!) but sometimes I’m just up so late at the shelter,not home in bed until two, sogetting up at six is really impossible for me.

So that’s my goal right now, I’ve been eating healthier but I just have to get to the gym; I’ve gotten over the anxiety about going to the gym(I’m shy by nature-no one can really tell-I’ve done Toastmasters and stuff, and I’m pretty good at not acting anxious, but anyways going to new places or meeting new people makes me ANXIOUS!! lol) , and I really like lifting weights and feeling it the next day….But the time I need to find!!

[Scarlet_Rose]

BB – I don’t think of exercise as a “chore” or something I “must” or “ought” to do. This is a monumental thing to overcome. You just go as if it is a regular appointment you have to get a manicure or pedicure at a salon, only you are going there to work on all those jiggly parts of your body and give yourself a makeover and after all the sweaty work, treat yourself to a soak in the hot tub, your skin a nice treatment in the steam room or detox in the sauna. You really do feel better after you work out and once you’ve been doing it long enough you get a high from it and it becomes natural for you to want to go.  Also, a trainer really helps in this aspect because you do have appointments that you really need to keep, you have to be there at a certain time, you are paying for it (it’s not cheap but it is an investment in yourself) and you have to report to them.  Weight Loss groups can also help with this aspect but they aren’t focusing on you actually GETTING to the gym.  I find mine totally invaluable and who the heck really has time to come up with a new routine to keep your muscles confused and continue to build them so you burn more calories at rest?  I sure don’t.  I sing mine praises.  I’ve gone clothes shopping today and I am now a EEEEK! size 10!!!!   I weighed in this morning at 168 too!!!   I am now the same size as my niece who is 20. LOL This is a HAPPY day for me!  Anyone looking for nice, tasteful, inexpensive designer clothes, try Gordmans. 

As for diet, protein, protein, protein!!!! Do not cut meat out of the picture if you can (if your are a vegetarian be sure to eat more tofu), cut the fat and cholesterol. Use lean cuts like fish, buffalo, elk, chicken, mussels etc. You can still do ground beef, but use the really lean stuff. You should be getting 80-90 grams of protein per day. Read tons of labels too. You will also find that protein helps to fill you up and if it doesn’t, munch on those veggies or an apple for the fiber. Integrate snacks into your day and eat smaller portions for regular meals. DO NOT skip meals or snacks and have a huge blow-out for one seating. Your body needs to know that it is going to have a constant source of fuel available and it does not need to store those calories for later. If your body knows, hey, I’m getting a snack later, so lets burn this fuel now, you WILL lose weight. If your body doesn’t know, it will store everything (especially if your schedule is whacky), so be sure to eat at certain times of the day and DO NOT go without it. Carry around low-cal protein bars like the Kashi Go-Lean ones or even low-cal granola bars (again KASHI Go-Lean is what I use – I like the honey almond flax). Be sure to drink plenty of water and focus on getting those much-needed nutrients by adding a multi-vitamin to your regimen. Sometimes your body can store excess calories not because of the fuel, but because it contains a nutrient your body is lacking or gets an erratic supply of.

 

[MimzMum]

Congrats Scarlet! ^_^ I applaud those of us who are making the effort to get in shape, whatever your motivation, and who are successful at it. For those of us who are not as full of ‘get up and go’ (I am definitely a member there) I will give you serious pokes and I expect pokes back when I get frustrated or just plain lazy about my routine. ^_^

For me, the last few weeks have taken their toll on me physically and emotionally, but at the same time, having a convalescent dog who needs to go outdoors to walk several times a day and a good deal of the night is VERY motivating. I either walk him or clean up the floor, one way or the other I will burn SOMETHING I am sure!

I think that’s the only thing that’s really frustrating about the bunnies…I wouldn’t feel safe in any way, shape or form putting them on a leash and running out the door with my track shoes on, calling, “Let’s go!” ^_^ Bunnies are more sedentary animals and therefore do not inspire exercise (although I prefer their kind of diet) …however, if you have ever owned a dog with any malamute or husky in him, you know he’s GOT to be walked or run several times during the week. I wish I had done more with Shadow, as now that he is in his golden years, you can see where a lack of movement has cost him. He is gimpy and his endurance is much less than he would be at this age if he had been run every day, or at least more often than we did.

So you see how it is with any warm-blooded creature. We weren’t put on this earth to sit on our fannies and watch telly. And taking that tack, I have to say, it’s more my spiritual leanings that tend to get me going than anything, plus having had cancer revises your outlook on life. You don’t want to just sit around…you feel the need to move. The bible says the body is a temple…so I am trying my best to treat it like one and keep it clean and proper.

lolz…I even bought this recipe book called “What Would Jesus Eat?” It helps you follow the kind of lifestyle and food choices from back in biblical times…perhaps a good way to get off the fast food track and onto something more like what the body was originally designed to consume.

Anyway…just my two Lincolns. I finally dropped back down to 135 and I hope I can keep going! I must say, however, no matter how much *I* move, it is distressing to see how little my two children go outdoors and get their backsides off the couch. (I can’t seem to inspire them much at all.) My son is a videogame junkie and my daughter mostly writes or draws on her computer. Can you imagine how this generation is going to be at 30? It’s going to be a whole new health care crisis by then!

[Author]

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