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Re: Bridal Bootcamp anyone?

I just maintained this week. After everything happened with the job, I will admit it, I drank lots of alcohol and decided to just have fun with my friends. I definitely did, twice in fact haha. This week I am going to try to work out a little more to help me get back on track to lose weight. I have applied for four new positions that just opened up, so I'm hoping something comes of them!

Unlucky, I crossing my fingers for you right now since you are taking it right now. I'm sure you will do so well!!
 
Re: Bridal Bootcamp anyone?

Katey, AHH!!!! Congrats SO MUCH on finishing grad school!! How do you feel?? :appl: :D

MayFlowers, best of luck on those poisitions you applied for!! When will you find out about them?

Thanks to both of you on the well wishes for my exam. I admit I spent the first 30 minutes of the 24 hours crying and panicking (after months of studying I finally broke down, just, you know, not at the greatest moment), but it turns out perhaps I didn't need to. I got through it--exhausted, but I did it--so hopefully in a couple weeks I will find out I passed it unconditionally. I didn't have many dreams about the exam before the exam, but now I'm having dreams that I did something wrong or didn't turn it in on time, stuff like that. I will be really relieved to finally get the grade (at least, I hope I will). Will let y'all know when I get it.

So, I did not weigh myself today (or all of this week, really). I ate almost an entire batch of red velvet whoopie pies during the exam and have generally eaten like crap the rest of the week, including having red velvet pancakes for about 4 of this week's meals to use up the remaining cream cheese icing from the whoopie pies. I also was exhausted from (studying on-end for) that exam, PLUS school started the morning after I finished the exam, so I've not worked out at all this week. My cycle is due, too, so I can tell I'm a little bloated. (Aren't I just fabulous?) And, to top it all off, after wearing just cotton bottoms and shorts and stuff all summer, I finally put jeans on this week to go to class, and I can tell they are a wee bit snug. I just can't face whatever the number on the scale would be today. I'm trying to stay positive as I watch myself self-destruct (weight-wise only, of course), reminding myself that whatever I've gained, I CAN lose. And there's hope! Since the semester has started again, the gym classes have resumed! I'm not sure which ones I'll go to yet. I want to get in plenty of cardio, but I'd like to do strength training more than just once a week like I did last semester since I saw such great results just from the one class. Also thinking of adding in some yoga cause, well, Jennifer Aniston is hot, haha.

I just wanna say thanks again to both of you for hanging out in this thread. I've really enjoyed checking in here every week, even on the off weeks. Katey, thanks especially to you for hanging out with us even though you're in maintenance now! :)
 
Re: Bridal Bootcamp anyone?

I'm sure you did great on the exam Unlucky!

I wasn't planning on posting my weight this week. I honestly have no idea what the heck happened this past week and how I gained weight. But this morning I weighed in at 154.5 :oops: :( I exercised a few times (okay twice) and I didn't really eat *that* bad last week. The number makes me want to cry, but what makes me want to cry even more is that I feel like all the weight has been in my stomach/midsection. I feel disgusting. I'm ready for the weight to just be gone already!

This weekend was a rough one at BF's sister's house. His dad and stepmom were in town and came to visit, which was great. But, BF's other sister (blood related) and her DH also came. BF's sister, let's call her L, the one who was engaged to BF's brother, hasn't exactly had the greatest relationship with BF's real sister. Basically his sister said some very hurtful things to both L and BF's brother. Then once everything happened with BF's brother, the relationship between them seemed to get worse. BF's sister is trying to make an effort to get to know L's daughters, but she honestly hasn't seen them in well over a year. So, this weekend was extremely awkward at times, especially when BF's sister showed up at the house 4 hours before everyone was supposed to get there and she had never even contacted L to let her know they were coming. So, me and L broke out the beer and I tried to help make the hours pass by until BF's dad and stepmom, who L and I are both close with, finally showed up. I just don't understand how I could have gained that much though! Even taking into account the not so great week and the fact that my cycle is also coming up this week.

The job hunt is depressing. I don't understand why no one is calling me for interviews. It doesn't make any sense. L offered to pay me to watch the girls because L has finally found a job and she is worried about putting them in daycare. I'm not sure I could take any money from her though. Two of the jobs I applied for last week have been filled already and I won't get an interview for another one because I know they have already started interviewing people. I applied again at a preschool and I hope they will call me. It's the same preschool I interviewed at earlier in the summer but told them not to consider me because I wanted a lead teaching position. Well now they have a lead position open, so I hope they won't hold the earlier interview against me. Other than that, there are no new leads.

Well, this was supposed to be a quick post so that I can go work out because the weigh in this week really motivated me to do something about it. So, I will talk to you all later!
 
Re: Bridal Bootcamp anyone?

Meant to add before, thanks to you too Unlucky, for hanging out in this thread! I really enjoy coming and reading your updates as well.

I've been pretty good this week and have already worked out 3 days! I'm feeling pretty good and I'm beginning to be able to get through 30DS without stopping! If it cools down next week since it's still so hot here, I might start back up on Couch to 5K. I really want to start running again. But, I hate doing it outside when it's so hot. I always feel like I'm going to melt! :lol:

Hope everyone else is having a good week too!
 
Re: Bridal Bootcamp anyone?

Checking in after vacation! I can't believe I'm done grad school. I feel like I need a hobby to occupy my time now. I got all my grades and it looks like I graduated with a 4.0 GPA! Very proud of myself for that considering I worked full time as well.

I haven't weighed myself yet since coming home from vacation, haha. I did much better than I thought I would but since I couldn't control what I was eating necessarily I did the best I could. We'll see.

My vacation was unfortunately cut short due to the hurricane. I was in the Outer Banks last week and Wednesday night around 10pm we got a phone call at the house telling us of a mandatory evacuation starting at 8am the next day. Well instead of dealing with the traffic the next day some of the group including myself decided to pack it up and leave then. Really bummed that my long awaited vacation was cut short but at least we're all safe and it was fun while it lasted. Back home in PA we lost our power for a little while but it appears to be back on. That was definitely a rough storm for our area!

I did join a new gym over the weekend. It is a CrossFit gym and so far I'm enjoying it. It's like one on one training and they tailor the workout to your skill level. It's a little on the expensive side but you get a lot of tips and support.

Oh, and while on vacation I got engaged!!! I'm still going to hangout in this thread though of course! :bigsmile:
 
Re: Bridal Bootcamp anyone?

Kateydid, I'm sorry your vacation was cut short by the hurricane. But, it sounds like everything else has been going great despite that! I'm so happy for your engagement! I can't wait to hear the story and see pics of course! I'm sure between that and graduating grad school, with a 4.0, you are just over the moon with happiness. I know I would be! I can't wait to hear more!

Checking in this week at 152.2. So a 2.2lb loss. I'm pretty proud of myself and stayed motivated throughout the week. I also have already worked out today and I think, no I know, I can keep it going this time!
 
Re: Bridal Bootcamp anyone?

So many updates since I've last read this thread!

MayFlowers, I'm sorry to hear you've had a rough time with weight/job stuff. I'm sending good thoughts out into the universe that things pick up for you. Try to keep counting your blessings--which I know can be hard. ((hugs))

PS I don't mean blessings in a religiousy way. :)

(ETA: Before I could post this, MayFlowers, you updated to say you'd lost 2.2 lbs this week! Congrats!!)

Katey, congrats on the engagement!! I love how you wrote it in as almost an afterthought. ;) I'm SO happy for you--it must feel great to be done with grad school, be in shape, go on vacation, and get engaged all in such a short period of time! (And PS you know you need to post a thread with pictures!) I'm super glad you will keep hanging out here. Sorry about your vacation. I live in NC and know the OBX got slammed. I'm glad you got out of there before things got rough even though it meant you had to quit vacation early.

Well... I did not weigh myself yesterday. Which means it's been at least two weeks since I've weighed. It's weird to not know the number and to only be going off clothing sizes, mirror reflections, and how I feel. I don't know if it's true, but I'm imagining that I'm steadily gaining. I'm avoiding the scale out of fear that that's actually what's happening, but perhaps I would get on it and see that I'm still the same as I was 2 weeks ago, who knows. I went to the gym 2-3 times this week (at least 2, but I can't remember if I went last Monday, so maybe 3) but did not pay attention to eating well. And actually I'm going through a bit of an existential crisis of sorts, just related to health/weight, not my whole existence, haha. I'll try and talk about it here because I'd love y'all's opinions, but feel free to skip this since it might get long. I should point out that this week it's back to normal with the group fitness classes at my gym--which I fear will majorly kick my butt all over again.

So, the crisis. It's clear to me that I am much better at losing weight than maintaining. I lost weight fairly easily in Weight Watchers in high school but then gained all the weight back (and more) over the next several years. Then last year I lost weight fairly easily--not totally easily, but fairly--and felt awesome in May. My weight was down to something like 121, I was toned, I felt tiny and bought a skirt in a size 4, which I hadn't been probably since junior high. But now the weight is creeping back on and even though I can see it and don't want that, I'm still not motivated enough to truly track every calorie, to tell myself it's not worth it to eat a bunch of chocolate, and to get myself to the gym for a good workout. It's hard for me to maintain my weight over the summer especially, because my gym doesn't have the group fitness classes (that force me into a 1-hour workout instead of just 20-30 minutes), I get a little lazier in general, I travel which disrupts my normal eating and exercise, and particularly this summer I had that huge exam so for a while I just stayed in the apartment 24/7 cramming and did not get out or stay active. So my first conundrum is realizing that it's hard to make a "lifestyle" change to good dieting and exercise when other parts of my lifestyle--like always being tired and stressed from school--don't change at the same time. And I know we hear people talk all the time about how at the end of a long day of work they just don't want to put in that 30 Day Shred video and cook a big healthy meal. So it's becoming clear to me that we need structural changes at the societal level if we want to do a better job of supporting healthy lifestyles and not just temporary diets. We need more time off work and better social support, like many countries in Europe.

Secondly, I've started wondering about health in general. When I first started losing weight last year, I had gotten sick of looking in the mirror, looking at pictures, trying on clothes. I could tell I had "let myself go" and I felt like I had failed at...I don't even know what, but something important. I felt like, if I could get skinny and fit, I would be healthy, things would be easier, and I would increase my chances of living a longer life. But the thing is, I was only about 20 pounds overweight for my height, and I probably was NOT at an increased risk for heart disease, diabetes, etc. Why was I treating myself like I was on the verge of morbid obesity and like I was going to die 15 years earlier than necessary if I didn't start dieting? I think that, in general, scientific knowledge of health is either withheld from laypeople outside the scientific community, or it's often put into scientific jargon that the public has a hard time understanding. Where do we get out ideas about what is healthy? How do we imagine healthy people to look, and where do those images come from? I think more often than not we are taught by the diet industry--rather than health scientists--what is healthy or who looks healthy. Now I can sit here and say that I try to find reputable information that makes sense to me and doesn't change with each new fad, but the truth is, I'm also still influenced by pictures of women in commercials or magazines who are paid to represent a certain diet or workout regime. And while it may be healthier to be trim and toned, is it really UNHEALTHY to be 20 pounds overweight? Was I really at an increased risk for medical problems then, or would I not really have been at any additional risk until I was 30 or 40 pounds overweight? So in addition to structural changes and lifestyle changes, lately I've been interested in where we get our ideas about health and images of health.

Third, I've been thinking a lot about my motivations to lose weight. I always thought it was just "to be healthy," but now I'm wondering if it wasn't "to look good." Sure, I felt crummy when I had to do strenuous activities, but if I didn't like what I saw in the mirror and in pictures, isn't that more about looks than about what my body can accomplish? On top of that, I don't particularly like to be active. I don't like most of the exercise I have done, save for pilates which to me has always been more of a mental retreat than an activity that raises my heart rate. I don't like to run or play sports. I don't like to hike, or bike, or do many things outside. So why did I make it a goal to be fit enough to have an active lifestyle? What I really want to do is come home, put on pajamas, watch TV, read books, and browse the internet. It's possible if I weren't so tired from school I wouldn't be so inclined to be a couch potato (back to those structural changes), but why did I trick myself into thinking that I wanted to be fit for an active lifestyle? I think it's because, as a feminist, I repressed a desire to look good and my brain conjured up the more (only?) acceptable motivation in the feminist community--to be healthy. So another interest lately is feminist discourse about diets and exercise. How many of us feminists talk about health when really we want beauty? How many of us feel guilty when we realize we want conventionally-defined beauty? How often do we rail against oppressive/unhealthy standards for women while still secretly comparing ourselves to the airbrushed models we are supposed to stand in opposition to? How do we overcome this indoctrination and get the courage to oppose what we have been socialized into? How do we handle not just being "not conventionally beautiful" but the fat oppression and discrimination that overweight people really do face? Do we have a moral obligation to not be overweight? If so, where does the obligation come from? Our body is a temple? Keeping health care premiums down? Living longer for our dependents?

So, if the only "acceptable" motivation is to be healthy, then we are back to this question: what is healthy? I've been reading about the Fat Acceptance movement as well as the organization/movement called Health at Every Size (HAES). The emphasis in HAES is on eating what feels good (taste- and portion-wise) and moving in a way that feels joyous, and to stop weighing oneself and just focus on how one's body feels. These things allegedly will lead your body to settle at its set point (the weight it wants to maintain) while you are mentally and emotionally healthier without having to worry about confining yourself to a strict regime of exercise you hate and deprivation from enjoyable foods and looking in the mirror/getting on the scale each day in a ritual of self-hatred. I have two problems with this plan. 1. The foods that feel good to me are things like cake and brownies, and if I only moved in a way that felt joyous, I'd only go to that pilates class (which is only once or twice a week depending on what they offer each semester). So I think I'd balloon up in no time. Would my body really find a "set point" if I continued to feed it calories that I did not later burn off? I doubt it. 2. Can you really be healthy at ANY size? Could I be 5'2", 190 pounds, and be "healthy"? If I did yoga three times a week and made sure I got in all my vitamins and nutrients, would I still be "healthy"? Or would my heart still be working hard to deal with the extra 70 pounds or so, overstressing it? And, if I have felt this lost without a scale the last two weeks, am I any healthier mentally if I'm still always wondering what my body is doing? I guess part of this problem is that I really don't feel connected to my body. I don't know very well how to "listen" to it and I'm not really one of those people who "appreciates" what it can do for me. As a graduate student who spends most of my day reading/writing, my relationship with my body is more like brain = useful part, hands are for typing what my brain says to type, and legs are for resting the laptop on them so that I can type what my brain says to type. I rarely think about what any part of my body other than my brain could accomplish.

Whew! So I'm dealing with all sorts of fundamental questions that I probably should have asked myself a year ago. I feel lost in diet world and unsure how to proceed from here. I feel like I need to revisit what the body needs, what I want out of my diet/exercise plan, and politically where I stand on this topic. As I tend to do, I'm making this personal problem academic--I'm in a qualitative methods class this semester so to conduct the necessary data collection I'll be doing fieldwork at Weight Watchers meetings (at least, that is the plan, we will see what the professor says at our class this afternoon). I don't know if I've shared this here before (probably not), but I am also on a research assistantship this year to study the structural factors of obesity, so my interest in health is really peaking right now. Any thoughts y'all have on this stuff (if you've read this far) would be super appreciated. I like things to be black and white (which, yes, is incompatible with all sorts of things like sociology, feminism, qualitative work, etc.) so the sooner I can find my way out of this confusion, the better. :)
 
Re: Bridal Bootcamp anyone?

So I'm hoping to join the club. Not only am I a LIW but I have a wedding where I'm the MOA and I leave in less than 2 weeks! My goal was 10lbs lost in 3 weeks - I had a TON of time to lose weight but was too lazy to motivate myself to do so, but with such a short period of time left, I really need to get in gear. My fear is though, that I'm going to Atlanta for the wedding (never been before) a week early to help the bride, and I'm sure we'll eat our faces off! All I can think about is BBQ and Paula Dean - hugh stereotype, I know, but I have no idea what to expect.

Anyways, I was 154 something last week, and this morning I was 151.6 if I remember right, so I'm kind of on track so far. Unluckytwin - I'm in the boat of losing weight to look good. I assume that being smaller will equate into being more healthy, but that's not my motivation for doing what I do. I'll fully admit it. I've also done "controversial" diets before and I'm willing to put myself through very low calorie days or high intensity workouts without any shame. Personally I think that many of us don't give our bodies enough credit and we're designed to withstand a larger intensity than many are willing to admit to. Getting older I am noticing things "falling apart" much more easily - a tendon in my hip and my knees currently are barking back due to my c25k training, but I just feel the need to push through it for the next couple of weeks.

Oh, and if my body would allow me, I would eat wine, beer, cheese and crackers on a daily basis. Unfortunetly those will likely be off the list for the next few weeks. :(
 
Re: Bridal Bootcamp anyone?

Seattle, thanks for weighing in (ha ha!) with your input and your honesty. Just curious--do you identify as a feminist? When I made that post I was speaking mostly to feminist's reasons for dieting, though now that I think about it I suppose that even among women who don't identify as feminist I don't hear a lot of "I just diet to look good."

Seattle, I do have concerns, though, about practices of unhealthy dieting. You're right, our bodies can tolerate more than we know, and pushing it for a short period of time may not be all that awful (though I think it's still bad), but if the dieting extremes, short as they may be, happen several times, your body may not respond well. I don't know anything scientifically so I won't do a lecture here (plus I don't think you came here for lectures), but please do take care of yourself and remember that your health is more important than a dress. We'd hate for any negative side effects to happen to you.
 
Re: Bridal Bootcamp anyone?

Ok, Unlucky, here is my response. I will preface by saying that I do not identify myself as a feminist. I actually tend to favor the more traditional gender roles.

Now, first I absolutely get what you are saying about making a "lifestyle change" when the rest of your lifestyle remains the same. I think that is why I had such a hard time losing weight and maintaining it while I was in school. It is very difficult to go to school, then to work and then try to come home and fit in a workout and a healthy dinner. Some people can manage it, and maybe I'm just lazy for not being able to, but I honestly don't know how they do it.

Secondly, I don't know the scientific facts of how overweight you have to be before you have an increased risk of diseases. At my height, I believe I am about 10 pounds overweight, but I feel much heavier and much unhealthier than that. I doubt that I really have that much of an increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, etc. But, I have convinced myself that I AM unhealthy and that I HAVE to lose weight so that I won't be burdened with these diseases. In my head, I will not be "healthy" until I am in at least the mid range of normal for my height. I do not want to be near the overweight mark. Mostly this is because I don't feel like I look good near the overweight mark. I am truly motivated by how I look. Yes I would like to be healthy and be able to run a 5K or a mini-marathon. But, my primary motivator is how I look, or how I perceive that I look.

Also, with respect to what you said about being emotionally and mentally healthy, I don't think that this would ever work for me. Like you, I have a tendency to be a couch potato. If I could sit on the couch all day and watch TV, browse the internet, etc. I would. I know that if I did this, I would continue to gain weight without stopping. This would also be caused by my tendency to eat brownies, chocolate, burgers, and generally unhealthy food. I really don't think that you could be "healthy" at ANY size. Mostly because of the amount of fat that would have to be in your body in order to get to that size. Like the example you used, a person at 5'2" and 190 lb is unhealthy. Even if this person did have some "movement" and exercise like yoga and got all the nutrients he or she needed, the amount of fat that is in that person is an unhealthy amount. Their heart WOULD be working much harder to deal with the extra fat/weight and I'm sure their resting heart rate would reflect that. I think that being "healthy" isn't just about the food and exercise that one gets, but also things like blood pressure, heart rate, and stress. If you keep these factors at a "healthy" rate, then the size of your body will follow.

I have also gone through controversial dieting and I don't recommend it. During high school I went through a phase where I am lucky that I didn't become a full blown anorexic. I joined an online group of other anorexics and that is how it began. I followed them and posted things on my own too. I hardly ate anything and exercised at least 1.5 hours a day. I lost weight, but was still flabby and unhappy with the way I looked. It was awful. I only did this for about 2 months and then slowly started eating again, but was still very careful with my portions. Eventually I got back into sports and started eating normally and running. Then I got into really great shape and looked and felt the best I had ever felt. This is partly why I want to start running again. It's just hard to start.
 
Re: Bridal Bootcamp anyone?

I'd like to get in on this! I just got engaged on August 19th, and while the wedding is at least a year off (probably a bit longer) I want to start slimming down as much as I can. I have to weigh myself at the fiancee's house as my scale broke :( but I'll have a number by Sunday. While I do yoga 3-4 times a week, it just hasn't helped me slim down. I have fabulous muscle tone but I not the slimming effect it has had on my sister (we started together). So because of that for the past three weeks I have been going to my brother and sister in laws house to zumba about 3 days a week on average with her since she wants to loose weight too because she will be one of my bridesmaids. Excited to have a group of ladies to help me motivate myself and I hope to help as well!
 
Re: Bridal Bootcamp anyone?

Hi Unlucky! I kind of laughed when you asked if I might have been a feminist - I'd definately have to say no. Not that I don't believe in equality, but I do understand the benefits and downsides to both genders :)

*lecture alert* :)
I do find it funny how many people remark about "unhealthy dieting" though. Is monitoring calories to where you're having much less calories going in vs going out (burning) that unhealthy? If you're only consuming 500 daily calories of skittles, then yes, probably. However there's a huge population in America that are on a 24/7 unhealthy diet - studies have shown over 60% of American's are overweight or obese. Whatever "diet" many of us are all on, is potentially killing us...but if I were to tell a group of people who were all 15-20lbs overweight (not necessarily obese, since I'd imagine that there's less denial about the situation) that cutting back to 800-1000 calories/day to jumpstart weight loss would be good for them, I would normally get attacked. Why is this? People are so willing to attack others on what they consider drastic weight loss techniques than to call someone out on stuffing themselves with KFC.
*all done*

So originally my goal was to get into the normal BMI range which I have finally acheived and I'm hoping to soon get into the normal BMI range for Japan (yes, other countries are actually lower). I'll admit, it's definately a challenge but for me, it starts with food. In a half hour of run/walk I only burn 200 calories. That's only a handful or so of some high end chocolates or a good beer. I can maintain fairly well but losing has always been the challenge so right now I pay attention to everything I eat and try to make sure I don't put myself in a situation where I'll be lazy and grab junk food. I do have the tendency to eat whatever is around me, so chips/candy in the house is a no-no. I'm scared of this weekend though, since starting tonight I have a happy hour with friends (which I plan to run to get there), bbq tomorrow, bday dinner on sunday, and who knows what on Monday. Do I plan on losing any lbs this weekend? No, but I'll be happy if I don't go up at least.

When it comes to exercise, I do find that it helps if you announce that you're going to do something. Just thinking "oh I'm going to the gym tomorrow" doesn't work as well as announcing on FB "spin class is going to come early tomorrow at 830 on a Sat." You feel a lot more obligated to actually going if you tell the world - at least I do! Which enough of my blabber, does anyone have a favorite class that they attend at the gym?
 
Re: Bridal Bootcamp anyone?

Okay, lot of stuff posted here since I have been gone! Before I reply, I'll start with weigh-in stuff. So on Thursday morning I knew I was off to Weight Watchers, to join a little for my own sake and mostly to have a field site for my research methods class and to push my academic interests a little. I knew they'd weigh me, so I forced myself to face the scale in the privacy of my own home. It'd been over 2 weeks since I weighed and I was scared I'd gained back a lot of weight. Was pleased to find I was at 129, not much higher than the last time I weighed, and certainly not as bad as the 135 I feared. Also noteworthy: I finally got exercising last week! Monday I did a 30-minute walk and then Tuesday and Wednesday I tried new classes at my school gym to see what I'd want to do all semester. Tuesday was a 45-minute spin class--my first ever (and we biked 10 miles!)--and Wednesday I did a cardio/toning class with weights. I was SO SORE that I didn't do any exercise Thursday and Friday, then Saturday and yesterday I was pretty busy. I think I'll keep the spin class but drop the weight class in favor of doing something like yoga the day after spinning and pushing the weights to a little later in the week to reduce soreness in my muscles.

Katey, so I joined WW and learned all about the new plan. I'm a bit skeptical, and I still don't have a full understanding of what our body needs, what is healthy, and when we get to be at-risk for health concerns, but I do like the new approach to looking at different components of food and getting "free" fruits and vegetables (especially as a vegetarian). If you have any must-do tips to share, please do. :)

Rebecca, welcome to the thread and congratulations on your engagement! It's great that you are already doing so much exercise. When I first started wanting to lose weight, I'd already been going to the gym but was still gaining. I felt like I was working hard, and maybe I was, but I was also still eating more calories than I was burning (perhaps as a "reward" sometimes for a hard workout) so all the exercise did was prevent me from gaining as much as I might have. I didn't start to lose until I changed my eating habits. I don't know if you've done that, but perhaps the Zumba is all you needed and you'll start to see results. :)

Mayflowers, thanks for your input on my thoughts. Let me say first I am so glad you got away from the pro-anorexia stuff! You've got a good head on your shoulders. Regarding the lifestyle changes and being busy with school, did you find it any easier to find time to exercise after you graduated? I know sometimes I think, "After I finish this project I'll have more time to exercise," but then once I finish the thing I thought was keeping me busy, another thing pops up and I'm still just as busy. Anywho, thanks for sharing your thoughts on what motivates you and what you think healthy is. I pretty much agree with you.

SeattleSC, I see what you are saying about people remarking on fad diets but not obesity. My friend consistently overeats and I don't say anything to her, but if she told me tomorrow she was only going to eat 500 calories a day, I definitely would say anything to her. You're right, a large majority of the population is obese and we often don't talk about it. I think there are some important differences though. First, people who overeat or are obese don't really plan it. They may be uninformed about good nutrition, or they eat to cope with an emotional issue, or they may live in a "food desert" where junk food is easy to come by and healthy food isn't. These are all big issues with varying degrees of being under one's control, but I find it more difficult to talk about someone's poor coping habits than I do to talk to someone who is intentionally planning to starve themselves. Secondly, people who overeat/are obese often don't talk about it much. I think it's easier to talk about a starvation diet when someone comes on the internet and specifically posts about their plans to take on such a diet, or tells me over the phone or in person that that's what they are planning to do. I think once people bring up a diet it's easier to talk to them about it, and people are unlikely to bring up whether they are overeating.

With regards to the issue of eating 800-1000 calories daily to "jump start" weight loss--I think people point that out as a problem because so many health professionals warn against eating under 1000 calories. People also talk about weight loss as a slow process if the person losing weight wants to keep it off, and that fast losses are unlikely to be permanent. Weight loss, in other words, does not need to be, and maybe SHOULD not be, "jump started." Reducing to 1500 calories a day will still cause most people to lose weight, but they will do it in a slower, more healthy fashion (since they aren't reducing their bodies to starvation mode) that will last longer (suggesting it's more of a lifestyle change than a "please let me fit into this dress next month" change) than if they had only eaten 800-1000.

I agree that it's good to reduce the amount of junk food you eat, and that it's good to announce to people that you are going to exercise so that you actually do it. Eating healthy and exercising are important. But I do think there's a stopping point. The Japanese BMI? First of all, it's worth pointing out that BMI can be a poor measure since some people weigh more from fat (bad) and others from muscle (good). Secondly, the BMI range the U.S. uses is the international standard--the Japanese (and if there are others like them, then they too) are the exception, not the rule. Also, they have a much shorter range of "normal," and the moment we, on the U.S. chart, hit "overweight," they hit "obese." I think these charts are just guidelines and we need to use critical thinking--are we really willing to label someone who is overweight as "obese?" To what end? What is the point of these definitions? If I am 1 pound overweight in the U.S. and 1 pound "obese" in Japan, what kind of health risks am I facing compared to being in the "normal" range here (which is the "overweight" range in Japan)? These charts should be used to tell us important information, not to get us to starve ourselves for the sake of hitting a certain number.

I hope you don't feel like I am "attacking" you or your ideas, Seattle. I'm glad we can have this polite discussion here in this thread, and I think these are important issues to which there may be no "right" answer (yet). But I do find it hard to encourage or support someone to eat so few calories because, even with my incomplete understanding of health science, I believe it's a bad idea. Please tell me if at any time you want me to stop talking about it, and I will. I'm just willing to engage in this conversation as long as you are and I appreciate the push to learn more (like, I didn't know about the Japanese BMI or that all Japanese workers were subject to health checks and companies with "too many" "overweight" workers are fined).
 
Re: Bridal Bootcamp anyone?

Unlucky, I'm so glad that you didn't gain as much as you thought you had. I didn't think you would have gained that much anyways, which goes to show you how much it is in your head. Also in regards to finding time to exercise, it did change some once I graduated. While I was in school, so much was always going on whether I had projects due or not that I could never find the time to work out. Once I graduated, my hours at work were bumped up and so, basically the time I had been spending in school, was now spent at work. If I wasn't working all day, it was a different kind of busy too. It was more like, well I could spend an hour working out, or I could go shopping and hang out with friends. Or I would make excuses like, "This is my only day I have to relax, that I'm not working all day, etc." Now that I still haven't found a job and school has started, my hours have been cut back dramatically and so I really DO have the time to work out now.

As for this week's weigh in, I weighed in at 151.4 this week, about a 0.8lb loss. I'm actually pretty pleased with the number because I did work out five days last week but I didn't eat the best. I went out to eat with friends twice, and ate some of my favorite pizza and cheese bread with BF. So, all in all, I had a good week. Hope to hear from everyone else soon!
 
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Congrats on the loss, MayFlowers!

I normally don't stop by this thread twice in one day--just stopped in to say I PASSED THAT EXAM! Whew! So one prelim down, one to go, and then all that's left is the dissertation. Next exam is May of 2012 so I'll try to get organized for it this semester, then the heavy studying begins in January.
 
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Katey, so I joined WW and learned all about the new plan. I'm a bit skeptical, and I still don't have a full understanding of what our body needs, what is healthy, and when we get to be at-risk for health concerns, but I do like the new approach to looking at different components of food and getting "free" fruits and vegetables (especially as a vegetarian). If you have any must-do tips to share, please do. :)

Did you sign up for online or going to meetings? I've been hanging with WW for about almost a year now and it's honestly like second nature at this point. My only must-do tips is to absolutely track EVERYTHING. Even if you take a sip of something or a bite or something, mark it as 1 point. Hold yourself accountable. A friend of mine has been on WW since I started with very little success and it's because she doesn't hold herself accountable. She doesn't weigh in, she doesn't track everything, goes out to eat a lot, doesn't exercise enough, and even if she gains weight she rewards herself with a "fat night"...i.e. a meal each week to indulge. I'm all for indulging every so often but in my own head I would not reward myself when I didn't do anything to warrant that. So yeah, track everything. You can find almost anything on the website/app or by calculating it yourself. Once you start getting into it you'll realize that "unhealthy" foods sky rocket the point values quickly so you try to avoid those. I also rarely eat the weekly allowance points unless I'm going to a party or something like that. I don't think of those as "free" points for the week but rather a "just in case" kind of thing.

I really enjoy seeing it all right in front of my face and have been very happy with WW. You get what you put into it and you just have to pay attention. If you have any questions let me know!! :bigsmile:
 
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Weighed in at 129 today. Kind of a disappointment because I have been following WW for 6 days now (today is day 7), plus this week I did a 45-minute spin class (the equivalent of 10.84 miles, according to the monitor on my bike!) and an hour of ultimate frisbee (running/jogging). Oh well. Could be that yesterday I used 33 of the 49 available Weekly points so eating that much food on one day has stuck with my body for the weigh-in. (A friend of mine had back surgery, so I spent the whole day cooking and baking him several dishes, so I had to "count" the bites-licks-tastes, plus by the end of it I was too exhausted to cook for myself and SO didn't really want to cook either so we treated ourselves to a real rarity in our house--a pizza from Papa Johns.)

Katey, thanks for the advice. I remember from doing WW years ago that it's important to count and write down everything, so I have been. My group leader said that even though fruit is "free," she can't eat that many servings of it, because the sugar intake shows on the scales, so you just have to see how much your body will want to process. I have eaten lots of fruit this week, especially bananas, so maybe that's part of the reason for not seeing a loss? I'm not too concerned about it, but I do hope I see a loss next weekend.
 
Re: Bridal Bootcamp anyone?

Sorry I didn't check in this week. I didn't do so well with everything last week and so I didn't weigh myself on Monday. I think the whole holiday weekend threw me off. I'm doing better this week and so I hope to be at the same weight as I was on my last official check in.

Unlucky, Congrats on passing the exam!!! :appl: I bet it feels so good to know that it's over with! Also, at least you haven't gained weight. I'm wondering if maybe 125-130 lb is where your body is most comfortable. I know we have talked a little about "set weights" and that our body just has a natural weight it will tend towards. I may be off here, but it was just something I was thinking about. Oh and I totally know what you mean about feeling like all the food sticks with your body for the weigh in. Weekends are usually when I indulge a little and then I weigh myself on Monday. I always feel like I weigh more than I would have if I had weighed on Friday. Hmm...maybe I should change my weigh in day.
 
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MayFlowers, thanks for the congrats! :)

I would have no concern if my body's set weight was 125-130. My issue is that, it seems like if I am not intentionally counting calories and getting in regular exercise, my body's tendency is to gain weight rather than maintain. Seemingly even if I'm not eating horrible stuff. I wish it would just chill out and hang out at a weight instead of creeping up every time I take my eye off the scale. It's exhausting, though, to imagine that I have to live this way forever, that it's not good enough for me to just keep an eye on nutrition/portion sizes and eat indulgent things in moderation. Boo.

Weighed in at 128.0 today, so it seems like I have lost a tiny bit since last week. Could just be that I didn't drink much water yesterday so my body is a little lighter thanks to dehydration. Come to think of it, I haven't gotten in much water today either. Hm. Tomorrow morning is my next WW meeting. Last week I weighed in there at 130.4 (at home I weigh first thing in the morning on Sundays, but at WW I weigh on Mondays a little later in the morning, after I've moved around a bit and had breakfast). I'm curious to see what the WW scale will say tomorrow. I won't be surprised if it still hovers around 130. But I did go buy more jeans today and was able to still buy a size 6 instead of size 8, so while my pants are a little snug, the 8 is still too loose.
 
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Well I weighed in on Monday at 152.0. A little bit of a gain, but not too bad. Now I just need to work on getting it, and more, off this week.
 
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Oi, I've been gone and off the diet wagon! Friend's wedding is over, and after all the parties and good ol Atlanta food, I only came out about 3lbs up. Which is kind of nuts if you consider I had to have eaten 10k extra worth of calories, but I'm hoping it's also partly due to the carbs that make me bloat up like a balloon!

I will admit, after going on a eating fest for the past week, I have NO desire to work out. How sad is that???
 
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Hey y'all, sorry I missed the Sunday check-in. I was traveling to see 3 Hanson shows. I weighed myself Monday morning and came in at 127.2. That's down almost a full pound from last week, which is fascinating because I ate 20 more WW points than I was supposed to last week because of traveling.

Seattle, there are about 3,500 calories in a pound, so if you ate about 10k extra calories, that comes out to just about 3 pounds. :)
 
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Eek, it's getting lonesome in here!

Well, for being down on Monday, I have steadily gained about 0.2 each day since then! What the heck?! I'm eating according to WW and I biked 10 miles this week and did yoga, so I'm hoping it's not real gain (plus I've been "feeling" thinner), but this will sure make for an unpleasant weigh-in at WW tomorrow.

How is everyone else doing?

I feel like I should add that the weather has turned beautiful here, school is not too stressful right now, things are still FANTASTIC with SO, and Hanson is on tour, so weight issues aside, I am rather enjoying life this October, and I hope everyone else is too!
 
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So sorry I didn't check in last week! I ended up getting offered a job at the same place that turned me down the first time and I decided to accept now! It's only part time for four days a week and then I will sub on Fridays. But, it gives me some experience and stability (as I think we all now substitute teaching is NOT). It doesn't have benefits and any day I don't work I won't get paid. But, I will have the same group of students every day. Some of it is just regular classroom activities with third grade to help ease class sizes and the rest is going to be small intervention groups to help either catch students up to grade level or help challenge advanced students. I'm really looking forward to starting because I became a teacher to help make a difference for students and I think I can really help some of these lower students. :D

In any case, last week has been crazy busy trying to get all the necessary paperwork together, setting up a room, attending orientation, etc. So, I forgot to weigh myself at all last week and I haven't really had time to work out. I really don't know when I will have time again because I am going to keep my job at the daycare I am at now because the hours allow me to. So, I will be working 50 hour weeks for a little while. BF's job is supposed to be getting a group discount at a gym close to us and if they do, I'm going to sign up and I'm going to try to convince BF to join too, that way we can go together. Oh and I will be starting the new job tomorrow! :)

Unlucky, let me know how the weigh in goes tomorrow at WW. I think you will be fine. Plus, it's great that you are feeling thinner! I am also so happy for you that things are still going great for you and your SO! I am really enjoying October already too! I think it will be a good month. It's started to cool off here and today there was a completely cloudless sky ALL day, but it's supposed to warm back up a little. I'm ready for serious fall weather though. I love when the leaves change color and it's perfect jeans and hoodie weather.
 
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I'm still here! Just hanging steady. Been insanely busy with my good friends wedding this past weekend. I have been so busy these last few weeks I barely have time for myself. Sheesh. And between my friends wedding and preliminary planning for my own next year I need a wedding break already! haha. Oh well.

I have been enjoying my new gym a lot and it's different than anything I've ever done. It is also quite hard on my body but I will continue to get used to that.

Anyway sorry for dropping off the face of the earth! I figure if nothing really changes weight/diet/exercise wise I just pop in and out every so often and say hi! :wavey:
 
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May I sheepishly rejoin?

I started going to the gym and restricting calories a bit on Sept. 2 at 162 pounds. I'm currently at 157 and the goal is 140 (I'm 5'3)

One thing about the finally getting into a gym routine is that it makes you think about what you are eating a whole lot more. I've never been a gym goer, and it isn't exactly my favorite thing, so when I have dinner I'm thinking "I DO NOT want to ruin the work I did at the gym" which is probably a good start. At the very least I'm no longer gaining the weight that decided to slowly creep up on me this summer (who gains weight in the summer, seriously?!)

I've been up and down a bit and it's all to do with hormones (blech) I don't think I look any slimmer, but my legs feel stronger and hopefully that translates well in weight soon!
 
Re: Bridal Bootcamp anyone?

Oooh, fun to hear from everyone!

Maebelle, :wavey: I gain weight in the dang summers! It sucks.

So after a month of Weight Watchers, I haven't really lost any weight. I kind of fluctuate over the same pound or two. My group leader suggested that I make my current weight (129) my lifetime goal so I won't have to pay to attend any more meetings, so that's what I did. So I'm supposed to weigh in at their meetings between 127 and 131. Last weekend was fall break so SO and I went out of town and I ate a ton of stuff (we are vegetarians and we went to Asheville where there are lots of all-veg restaurants, so we really indulged in that luxury) so I hope I don't violate the terms of lifetime in my first week on lifetime, haha. Anyway, the question is really, why am I not losing weight? Is my body really stuck here? To be honest I guess I could live with that (though the flab that remains still embarrasses me in a bathing suit, but I only wear those a couple times each summer), but I so enjoyed hanging out at 121 in May and felt like I was in such good shape with the exercise I was doing back then. I think I could get back there if I counted calories again instead of doing WW, but to be honest I just feel so tired and unmotivated these days. Perhaps in January, it'll be a new year, a new semester, a new start, and I can kick the last few pounds, but I haven't decided yet. The biggest thing for me is at LEAST maintaining this weight and not allowing my body to creep back up as it is SO inclined to do the moment I stop keeping track of what I eat.

Whew! I always type out so much more than I planned to say. It's so good to have a place to come and unload!
 
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UT,

I use loseit.com and their app on my iphone to easily track calories/goals/exercise, it tells you straight up how many more calories you can eat that day/week. I know my friend uses the livestrong one which is similar and loves it.

I'm sure weightwatchers has something similar, but I've found just thinking in this "calories in - calories out" way very helpful
 
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Yikes! It's been too long since I've visited this thread! Occupy Raleigh kicked off last week and I've been putting in a LOT of time occupying, so I haven't been home much, let alone getting online for anything other than work.

Still maintaining 129. I'm not sure HOW, since another aspect of Occupy is not eating well (and definitely not cooking much). But I'll take it.

Hope you all are doing well! :wavey:
 
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Ok. I definitely need to start getting back into this thing! BF did get me a membership to a gym. I just have to get up the courage to actually go now. I'm a big scaredy cat and I'm so nervous about what people will think of me while I'm at the gym. I feel like I'm going to make a fool of myself! My goal is to go tomorrow after I get off work because today is going to be way too busy.

I haven't weighed in a while. I will probably do that tomorrow morning to get a more accurate starting weight. I'm starting to feel really badly about myself. I don't feel like I ever look good anymore and I'm really itching to get this weight off me. Gotta run, glad to hear from everyone else though!
 
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