I dropped my son off at work at 8. Then, since I was already up and dressed, I took a half hour walk… and NOT a leisurely one. It was delightful, though I must admit I did work up a sweat.
I’ll try for one a few times a week. One of the perks to being a teacher: I have the time right now to deal with this!
Best of luck to all of you.
If you have been on this “train” many times, you know your history and pattern. Maybe time to seek help from a professional - like a nutritionist or trainer who can help you design a plan for success. That’s what you want, success, right?
If you pay $$$ for other services (hairdresser, manicurist, get your car detailed, etc.) - then find a little $$$ to find a professional partner to guide you.
At the very least, make yourself accountable. Pick three things to work on for the week. Something like:
No excuses! Once you’ve mastered these tasks into your daily routine, add another component like drinking more water, reducing soda intake to 3 drinks a week, divide your exercise into cardio/strength training. Master those tasks…add one more.
The feeling of some success is what will move you forward. Don’t baby yourself! If you slip, own up to it and move on.
OP, ditch the pop tarts. Those simple carbs are not good for anything besides being ushered right into the fat cells. Cut down on all simple carbs to start with. It’s not just about calories in/calories out.
Yeah, I know. I didn’t decide to be good till after breakfast yesterday 
Also, stress contributes to weight gain in that it stimulates cortisol. Chronically high cortisol levels have been strongly implicated in the deposition of belly fat.
Yeah, I know. How to avoid stress could be a thread in its own right. Exercise helps.
I am in!
I lost about 15 lbs. 2 years ago when my weight had slowly crept up to my highest ever. I was at the point where I would have had to replace all my clothes and I just felt really bad about myself. I kept the weight off for more than a year but my father passed away this past winter and I went on a comfort food binge and gained it all back. So I’m back to wanting to lose 15- 20 lbs. could go 25- 30 but realistically that’s not likely to happen.
I lost the weight before by cutting out all refined carbs- no sugar, pasta, rice, bread or white potatoes. The trick to that for me is that I had tried that before but failed because it is not enough to cut those things out but I had to have a definite plan for what would replace them, what would I actually be eating. Breakfast is oatmeal with a cut up apple or some kind of eggs, hard boiled or scrambled and some fruit. Sometimes will soft boil some eggs and eat them over half a mashed avocado. Lunch is protein- 2 sauteed chicken strips, a small piece of poached salmon, tuna or canned salmon and a salad. Dinner is whatever I make for myself and my H minus the carbs for me. I also try to limit portions, no seconds except for salad or vegetables.
Challenges- BREAD!! last night I made a yummy homemade tomato soup and I couldn’t bring myself to pass up the bread I had for my H. Pasta- many of my go to meals include pasta, some of which are hard to eat without the pasta like spaghetti. So while I’m doing this I have to exclude those meals. That’s easier to do in the summer though so I think I can stick to that. Ice cream- my H eats ice cream every evening. He’s very slim and exercises a lot so he can get away with it. I just have to say no! Vacation, I will have to give myself somewhat of a pass on our annual family vacation because my family members are all foodies and we have a lot of food traditions. I can still stick to it for breakfast and lunch and limit portions at dinner. I am getting so tired of what I can eat for breakfast!
Benefits- by eliminating pasta and bread I found that I ate a lot less butter and cheese and I’m sure that helped.
This worked for me before so I know I can do it, this thread just helps with the motivation to see it through.
I’m motivated by D’s August wedding. Have lost 20lbs. since she became engaged. Would like to lose that last 5-10 in the next 40 days. Things that I’ve changed and feel contributed to loss:
Diet:
Exercise:
and keeping the dress I’m trying to squeeze into for the wedding hanging where I have to see it everyday is a
big motivator! Also motivated by the thought of wedding pictures and the MOG is teeny tiny, so I don’t want to
look like a whale in those pictures…
Good luck to all…
@gosmom - congrats on the 20 lbs., you have made great habit changes! (And I have been told by both my yoga instructor and my strength class instructor that planks are the best thing you can do for fitness and bone health!) Now you need a new short-term plan for the next 40 days so you feel great in that dress. Can you move to slightly heavier weights? Add some jogging intervals into your daily walk? Do some evening jumping jacks to keep the metabolism up? Adding some more intensity to your regular exercise will help you cross that finish line!!
@cellomom2 In terms of breakfast variety, you can find Paleo pancake/waffle/muffin mix(es) on Amazon or your local healthier grocery store, like a Whole Foods. I buy a brand that also has whey protein, which when you an egg or two, makes for a high protein Paleo pancake/waffle.
Also, I vary or rotate the ingredients in my omelettes in the morning with various vegetables, chicken apple sausage (the organic type with just chicken, apples and spices) or smoked salmon.
Thanks for the suggestions @sushiritto What do you eat with the healthy pancake/waffles? Fresh fruit? I do like omelettes with smoked salmon and various vegetables so I will add that in to the mix.
@cellomom2 So, you may find that I’m peculiar, but I throw chia seed, hemp seed, wheat germ, and flax seed on top (for vitamins, fiber and Omega 3’s and 6’s) along with various berries and banana. And while I like walnuts, I usually have to eat them separately, I know folks who add them to their pancakes on the griddle.
Also, to go along with your eggs, instead of using potatoes, yams and sweet potatoes offer complex carbs that go great with eggs. Those have to pre-cooked though, if you’re in a hurry in the morning like I am.
The other thing that I do, usually just for lunches, is I order pre-cooked Paleo meals. There are a few of these companies here in CA and NV area (they deliver everywhere), although I’m sure there are others around the country. I found 1 or 2 in my region that deliver them frozen. The upside is they’re filling and taste great, the downside is that they’re expensive. But I typically wait for a 20% off sale. Right now they have a 17.76% off sale for the July 4th holiday.
The last three posts highlight to me why I have such a hard time with this. I hate cooking. I mean I really hate cooking. And I’m really bad at it. Any diet that involves cooking more than dinner just won’t happen. At my house pancakes are a twice a year really big deal. I can’t imagine making pancakes for breakfast on a regular basis, both from the perspective of the time it takes to cook and clean up on a work day, plus, as I’ve said before, I really hate cooking. I need to find ideas for healthy meals that don’t involve cooking. I am the queen of prepared foods and the microwave. I know I need to change this some, but cooking at breakfast is a non-starter for me. My typical breakfast is a bowl of cereal. That fits my skill set.
@me29034, I cut bagels in half and freeze the halves. Defrost and toast in the toaster, cut a third or quarter of an avocado and mash it on (add lemon juice), halve and flatten/juice round hydroponic (Campari) tomatoes, salt lightly. Cut in wedges.
Or quick oatmeal with frozen blueberries or mango cubes, made with 1 percent milk. Microwave in a big bowl so it doesn’t splatter–2 minutes on high, stir, another 2 minutes, add some cold milk and eat.
@me29034 I’m not a chef by any stretch of the imagination and I’m not a huge fan of mass preparation and cleanup either, but eggs and pancakes are relatively easy to make. The omelettes are simple. Throw some spinach and mushrooms into a pan, heat for a minute or two, then the eggs (usually egg whites, but not always) and then some chicken apple sausage or smoked salmon or even cooked chicken. Throw some hot sauce on it.
Also, I make the Paleo pancakes on Sunday, a make a whole bunch of them, and then stick them into Tupperware for the week. Then various mornings, I just pop them into the microwave.
While I don’t know the cereal you’re eating, the typical cereal is loaded with sugar and/or preservatives. Cereal is typically empty carbs and not a good way to lose weight. But this is just one person’s opinion.
As I mentioned in my earlier post, the pre-made Paleo meal service also has a breakfast pizza. No cheese and I think it’s either cauliflower or zucchini instead of bread. As just one example for a simple quick healthy breakfast.
Two of my “on-the-run, no-cook/no clean-up” breakfast options are a banana with natural peanut butter, or a low-fat mozzarella cheese stick and a baggie of almonds. Apple and peanut butter is a good choice too, although if you want to dunk the apple you have to cut it, which does require a little bit of clean-up!
If I may add one or two more items for consideration to those who would like to lose weight.
There’s a simple exercise that you can do at home and even add a kettlebell to it for more strength and core training. It’s called the “Turkish Get Up.” Essentially, it’s just getting up off the floor in a specific set of simple moves. And holding a small weight up above, like a kettlebell or dumbbell overhead will strengthen your core and also help your body’s stability, balance, and coordination. A wonderfully simple exercise.
Also, buy a $10 or $20 large exercise ball. And you can do sit-ups with it or even better roll out with it to where you tippy toes are still on the ball and your hands are in a push-up position. So you’re fully extended. And then roll back on top of the ball. Do that back and forth for as long as you can do it. Add push-ups if you can. And if you have two small dumbbells or kettlebells, you can lay your back on the ball and “bench press” the weights overhead.
This is exciting.
I am beginning a new post where those of us who want to
post our specific information from the day before can easily do so.
This is not to stop this wonderful and helpful discussion but to
be a specific place to keep track of our progress.
Weight Loss Buddy Check In
My biggest downfall is company. Especially when D or S visit.
Also, I have a poultry intolerance and cannot eat whole eggs or
chicken or turkey. That really makes it tough. I have to remind myself that
I was vegetarian for 35 years and managed to keep my weight down–although
younger it was a lot of carbs and dairy back then.
I will need to check in, too. In my dreams, I’d like to lose 20 pounds, but I’m never going to make the commitment needed for that, so I’d be happy to lost 10 (which is what I’ve gained in the past year). I also want to focus on being fit. I did a boot camp class for the first time today and holy wow! Definitely motivating.
@bjkmom I’m a teacher, too. I start summer school next week, so that’ll be eh. I also have a hard time with the water. My kids start coming in at 7:20, and on days where I don’t have planning I have no break until lunch, which is 12:15. And I don’t think my schedule will change this upcoming year. So boo.
I also find my school SO STRESSFUL, so my big goal for this upcoming year is to focus on what I can do to make it less stressful for myself, because I know that is impacting me in a major way. I tried to get a transfer this past year, and I recently found out I got blocked from at least one job (that would have cut my commute from 30 miles to 3, and it’s just much better all around). So, boo again.
@bjkmom - I’m in as well and I think my situation is similar to yours. I’m 57 and 25-30 pounds overweight. If I could lose 20 lbs I would be back down to my wedding weight of almost 30 years ago and even that was ten pounds over where I started when I first moved to California. I’m going to start with a goal of 20 lbs for now. Stress eating, sugar, too many carbs have always been my downfall. I did just have a recent physical and while all my numbers (a1c, cholesterol, blood pressure, etc.) are good, I am carrying too much weight around the middle.
My S has been out of the house and self-supporting for two years now and my D just graduated and moved to NYC to start her new job. Now that it’s just H and me, there are no more excuses! I need to do this.
Unfortunately for many of us—cutting carbs is not the answer to losing weight especially if you are active. Processed foods — that’s the enemy.