SARAH-- and other brides who want to loose weight.

[Gypsy]

Harleigh, everyone is welcome. Always.

I could have written that part about Sunny''s post too, now that I really think about. I know that some of you who have watched me plan this wedding like a general waging a war will probably raise an eyebrow or two... but I lack follow through and lose motivation really easily. Interesting posts. I think this is going to be a very helpful thread. The other thread in Family and Home, everyone is wonderful... but it doesn''t work for me. Maybe this support thread will.

 

[Harleigh]

You''re going to do great, Sarah! You have so much spunk and heart that you show us all here on PS, so carry that thought along with lots of PS fairy dust to your exam.

Try not to stress...we''ll all be rooting for you, hun!

{{HUGS!}}

 

[Harleigh]

Thanks, Gypsy...I didn''t feel like I fit in on that other thread, either, but have always been envious of the support they have for one another.

Here''s to the BWW Workout thread!!!

 

[SarahLovesJS]

Date: 5/1/2008 1:24:53 AM
Author: Harleigh
You''re going to do great, Sarah! You have so much spunk and heart that you show us all here on PS, so carry that thought along with lots of PS fairy dust to your exam.


Try not to stress...we''ll all be rooting for you, hun!


{{HUGS!}}

Just wanted to say thank you and yaaay BWW Workout thread!

 

[Gypsy]

Date: 5/1/2008 1:24:53 AM
Author: Harleigh
You''re going to do great, Sarah! You have so much spunk and heart that you show us all here on PS, so carry that thought along with lots of PS fairy dust to your exam.

Try not to stress...we''ll all be rooting for you, hun!

{{HUGS!}}

*DUST* *DUST *DUST*


Ditto!


Harleigh, I''m glad I''m not alone about not feeling like I belong.

 

[SarahLovesJS]

Date: 5/1/2008 1:31:17 AM
Author: Gypsy

Date: 5/1/2008 1:24:53 AM

Author: Harleigh

You''re going to do great, Sarah! You have so much spunk and heart that you show us all here on PS, so carry that thought along with lots of PS fairy dust to your exam.


Try not to stress...we''ll all be rooting for you, hun!


{{HUGS!}}

*DUST* *DUST *DUST*



Ditto!



Harleigh, I''m glad I''m not alone about not feeling like I belong.

I am trying, but I think I might lack the motivation most of the people on the thread have. They are definitely very motivated! I will keep trying to be motivated though. This thread will definitely help as well. Ahhh back to Rousseau...I am so done with college.

So tired of worrying about keeping my GPA at what it is so I can apply to law school. Rargh.

 

[FrekeChild]

Ugh. I'm hoping you guys let me join in even if I'm not a BIW.

I'm totally ashamed of my body as it is right now. I'm only 5'2 and carrying around way too much weight. I would probably look best at a size 4-6, but I'm shooting for an 8 ATM. I actually have a really tiny frame, but I have health issues that would prevent me from being smaller than that.

I had anorexic tendencies when I was 12/13 and didn't eat hardly anything for a month. In that month I lost 20 lbs. Why? Because I was the only 8th grade girl that had D cups-I hardly fit into my XL volleyball uniform-but it was because of my chest-not my stomach or anything else.

I was a size 3 in high school, when I was playing tennis 2 hours a day and running/walking another hour. I should have been muscular, but I never got there. I steadily gained weight through a mentally and psychologically abusive boyfriend, and the day of graduation I wore a short dress (that I still have and love!) and my ex best friend (from middle school!-Who has always been heavy.) yelled out to me, "Nice cellulite!". Nice right?

Then I went to Culinary school. Where you have to taste everything. And the food you're given for meals are made will real butter, cream and everything fattening and wonderful. And you're lucky when the food isn't fried (although we're not talking french fries or anything like that). I had a class where the homework was to "taste" 30-40 different kinds of cookies-and write about it. Every night.

And I worked at Bennigans. Where the free food for staff consists of fries, and buffalo wings.

And don't get me started on Cold Stone. Although with that place, I really couldn't eat ice cream for a couple of years afterwards-and even now only eat it once in a while.

My problem? I HATE that my mom calls me up to tell me I need to exercise. I was incredibly moody earlier and I almost told her off. Speaking of her though-for the past couple of months-I've been eating whatever I want, whenever I want because of her health. That's not good either. For a while I had a walking/workout buddy, but she got married abruptly and bowed out on me. I want to lose weight and gain a whole bunch of the muscle I've lost.

I should also mention that two years ago I found out I have hypothyroidism-one huge symptom is weight gain and a diminished metabolism. Oh blah. It depresses me to talk about it. Here's some general info if you're interested. So that's why I wasn't super muscular when I was young and skinny.

Another reason I stopped walking (besides flaky I-don't-believe-in-marriage-but-I'm-getting-married-in-a-month friend) is that the dang pollen count for Mulberry went up to 4,000+ and I have allergy-induced asthma, and start wheezing pretty quickly. I hate that!

So tomorrow...I'm not going to eat any fast food. And I'm going to drink 8 glasses of water. (I also have a tendency to dehydrate myself pretty much everyday.)

And if I'm being completely honest with myself I'd say I eat because it makes me happy-just the same as shopping does at the moment...

 

[Harleigh]

Date: 5/1/2008 1:31:17 AM
Author: Gypsy

Date: 5/1/2008 1:24:53 AM
Author: Harleigh
You''re going to do great, Sarah! You have so much spunk and heart that you show us all here on PS, so carry that thought along with lots of PS fairy dust to your exam.

Try not to stress...we''ll all be rooting for you, hun!

{{HUGS!}}

*DUST* *DUST *DUST*


Ditto!


Harleigh, I''m glad I''m not alone about not feeling like I belong.

Not at all...thanks for being so welcoming to all of us here!

So, does this mean you''re our team captain?

Sarah...get your butt to studying already!

We''ll all be here tomorrow to see how you did!

 

[Gypsy]

FREKE HONEY WELCOME. Of course you can join. Food makes me happy too. Well work on it honey. And water is a HUGE challenge for me. HUGE. Hate water. It''s so... bland.

Harleigh. Um. Team leader? Gulp. Sarah motivated me. So, no. Why don''t we just say that we are all equals and will motivate each other as we have motivation, and will seek motivation from others when we lack it. No team leaders. We''re all responsible. Okay? I''ll post updates, you guys post updates. When when we are concerned about someone because they haven''t posted in a while, we''ll ask (without pressuring or judging) for updates.

 

[Harleigh]

Sounds good to me, hun...I was just teasing you anyways!

We''ll ALL be in charge for once...what a new concept!

Now I''m off to get some sleep, because I would stay up and play on PS all night rather than get anything else done!

 

[swimmer]

So often weight issues are about control, I see that with the high school girls I coach and of course myself and my friends. I''ve been away for two weeks in Asia, (a great weight loss technique), and its just under 4 weeks till my wedding so this thread might be too late for me, but I wanted to chime in about PCOS while the jetlag has me sleeping different hours than FI.

Gypsy, for two years I refused to take Metformin because of the side effects and mostly my issues with control. But since starting it up a year ago, my sugar headaches have diminished (I still eat icing and tasty stuff, but my body less adamantly lets me know it was a bad idea). I started out taking BCPs (Yasmin) and that helped so much, plus the facial hair started to disappear. I think of PCOS as the disease that makes you ugly. I HATE it and wanted to deny it, but I''m so classic (and the uncomfy ultrasound...) but let me tell you that I dropped 7 pounds when starting Metformin, and then 7 again when my perscription was doubled again. My eating didn''t change and I always work out 5xs a week minimum for mental health, so nothing changed but the chemistry related to insulin resistance and my body let me burn fat instead of storing it like I was going to get pregnant.

My MD is cute and points out that my ancestors survived famines because of PCOS, and he is very clear that once you drop the abdominal weight and go on Clomid (sp?), it is pretty easy to get pregnant. Just putting that out there as a friend is unexpectedly preggers b/c she thought PCOS would forever keep her from having kids, but then she dropped about 60lbs and didn''t use a condom, voila...pregnant. Do you have any books on PCOS? I have some, so hard to read, but the suggestions about food are so good if you are serious about loosing weight. If you have PCOS, the normal things that will take off weight are not quite what you need to do. A lot of info is online, even a website called soulcysters that has articles plus a support message board. But it is hard, we all acknowledge that and are here for support. Everyone''s body differently responds to treatment, but knowledge is power when it comes to tackling a difficult challenge.

 

[oobiecoo]

Date: 5/1/2008 1:42:54 AM
Author: FrekeChild
Ugh. I''m hoping you guys let me join in even if I''m not a BIW.

I''m totally ashamed of my body as it is right now. I''m only 5''2 and carrying around way too much weight. I would probably look best at a size 4-6, but I''m shooting for an 8 ATM. I actually have a really tiny frame, but I have health issues that would prevent me from being smaller than that.

I had anorexic tendencies when I was 12/13 and didn''t eat hardly anything for a month. In that month I lost 20 lbs. Why? Because I was the only 8th grade girl that had D cups-I hardly fit into my XL volleyball uniform-but it was because of my chest-not my stomach or anything else.

I was a size 3 in high school, when I was playing tennis 2 hours a day and running/walking another hour. I should have been muscular, but I never got there. I steadily gained weight through a mentally and psychologically abusive boyfriend, and the day of graduation I wore a short dress (that I still have and love!) and my ex best friend (from middle school!-Who has always been heavy.) yelled out to me, ''Nice cellulite!''. Nice right?

Then I went to Culinary school. Where you have to taste everything. And the food you''re given for meals are made will real butter, cream and everything fattening and wonderful. And you''re lucky when the food isn''t fried (although we''re not talking french fries or anything like that). I had a class where the homework was to ''taste'' 30-40 different kinds of cookies-and write about it. Every night.

And I worked at Bennigans. Where the free food for staff consists of fries, and buffalo wings.

And don''t get me started on Cold Stone. Although with that place, I really couldn''t eat ice cream for a couple of years afterwards-and even now only eat it once in a while.

My problem? I HATE that my mom calls me up to tell me I need to exercise. I was incredibly moody earlier and I almost told her off. Speaking of her though-for the past couple of months-I''ve been eating whatever I want, whenever I want because of her health. That''s not good either. For a while I had a walking/workout buddy, but she got married abruptly and bowed out on me. I want to lose weight and gain a whole bunch of the muscle I''ve lost.

I should also mention that two years ago I found out I have hypothyroidism-one huge symptom is weight gain and a diminished metabolism. Oh blah. It depresses me to talk about it. Here''s some general info if you''re interested. So that''s why I wasn''t super muscular when I was young and skinny.

Another reason I stopped walking (besides flaky I-don''t-believe-in-marriage-but-I''m-getting-married-in-a-month friend) is that the dang pollen count for Mulberry went up to 4,000+ and I have allergy-induced asthma, and start wheezing pretty quickly. I hate that!

So tomorrow...I''m not going to eat any fast food. And I''m going to drink 8 glasses of water. (I also have a tendency to dehydrate myself pretty much everyday.)

And if I''m being completely honest with myself I''d say I eat because it makes me happy-just the same as shopping does at the moment...

I eat because it makes me happy also... and I think I have a shopping addiction. If I''m not out shopping, I''m online doing it... and I seriously think it interferes with my studying and other activities. Not cool at all.

 

[Pandora II]

FI and I decided to lose some weight together last autumn. We were both the biggest we have ever been. I''d gone from a usual size 4 US to nearly a size 10 US - I can carry it without looking hugely different as I''m tall, but I have never liked feeling over my normal weight.

I picked my normal diet - cut out eating between meals, NO bread, biscuits, cakes of any kind. Ice cream maximum twice a month. Eating out - only japanese.

For me cutting carbs works really well - I do still eat a lot of rice, pasta and potatoes - it''s more bread, cake etc that does for me.

FI decided to work out more and eat less.

After 6 months, I have lost just over 26 pounds and he has put on 3.

I made him keep a food diary for a week and added up his calories for him - he was on nearly 3,000 a day. I have been trying to convince him that when you start cutting down portion sizes you will feel hungry for a couple of days until your stomach shrinks and your brain and body get used to having less, but then it''s easy. He also won''t believe me about the bread.

Best of luck to all of you.

 

[zoebartlett]

Ahhh, this thread is already moving too fast!

Has anyone been on the other side of things, going the complete opposite way from binging/purging? I have food issues, for sure, but never anorexic tendancies. I will say that on occasion, after eating something I shouldn''t or eating too much of a good thing, I''ll wish I could get rid of it. I''ve never done anything about that but the thoughts have definitely been there. My doctor has mentioned a few weight loss programs, everything from WW to a medically supervised (liquid?) program run through their affiliated hospital. She''s also mentioned surgery -- the lap band, specifically. She doesn''t recommend surgery usually to her patients but I think it would be a last resort. I''d do the hospital program but a) it''s SOOOO expensive, and b) I have no will power. I hate that it''s so expensive to lose weight. That probably sounds stupid but it''s true. Also, I have such a hard time saying no.

The biggest reason that I want to lose weight (yes, aside from my overall health) is that we want to start trying to have kids soon after the wedding, which is 2 months away. My doctor has pretty much told me that she strongly disagrees with me trying to have kids until some of the weight comes off. I''m under 5'' and I have a lot to lose. Lots.

One reason why I''m finding it so hard is that my FI is also overweight. He''s 6'' tall, so I think he hides some of it well, but he''s definitely gained a lot of weight over the past couple years. He has terrible eating habits and while I KNOW my eating habits are MUCH better than his, being together has also caused me to gain weight myself. "Caused" might not be the right word, but I think you know what I mean. We''ve been together almost 5 years and I know I''ve ballooned since we started dating.

 

[alli_esq]

First of all, I REEEALLY want to lose weight--even though my wedding isn''t coming up anytime soon--I would love a buddy (or several) to help motivate!!

Date: 4/30/2008 11:07:45 PM
Author: Gypsy

Date: 4/30/2008 10:52:38 PM

Author: luckystar112

Thanks Gypsy. Just need a gyno now. I''ve been going to planned parenthood. Thank goodness for insurance kicking in after the wedding!!!



Anyway...my wedding is about 2 months away. Hopefully I can at LEAST lose 7-8 lbs by then. I heard that 2lbs a week is the norm if you actually eat right/exercise.

Yes. one to two pounds is average. But if you SO have PCOS, insulin resistant apparently means-- you''re not average and your body stores fat at a higher rate than it can lose. If you see you aren''t losing weight, don''t get discouraged... your body''s chemistry might be off, and it''s not YOU. It''s hard not to feel discouraged or loose confidence when you are doing the right things, and nothings happening. So if you can''t get to a GYNO till after the wedding, just keep in that in mind.

Secondly, I have PCOS, but no one ever told me that I was insulin resistant--is it possible to have PCOS and not be insulin resistant? I definitely have developed a ring of fat around my midsection (though I thought that was really just more because I''m lazy and haven''t exercised and been eating crappy food)...

I have terrrrrrible student insurance, but I should go to the gyno anyway, I guess.

But yes, I am on the losing weight bandwagon, if you''ll have me!! I don''t really know how many pounds I am, but I know what size I want to be, and I''m a ways off

 

[MaggieB]

Date: 4/30/2008 10:27:55 PM
Author:Gypsy
Okay. Okay. So lets do this together.

We both feel we need to lose weight. I have done NOTHING toward that goal to date. So I agree, that a buddy is a great idea.

I start tonight by doing one thing toward that goal. I will start taking my pills for my polycystic ovaries tonight, even though they give me digestive issues. SO that my body is actually CAPABLE of processing sugar properly and losing weight. And tomorrow I will do another. I will start eating a healthy breakfast of either Kashi cereal or oatmeal.

By the end of the week I may be willing to give up most sweets OR alternately, actually stepping foot in the gym I am paying for membership to. But we''ll work toward that. I''m not there yet.

And I''ll talk a bit with you about why I''m trying to stay fat, and we''ll see if we can work through the psychology of it all together...

You game??? If so... let''s put it in writing, what do you feel up to doing tonight or tomorrow toward your goal?

Hi Gypsy, just wanted to tell you that I have a lot of experience with PCOS. I''ve had one ovary removed and I went through five years of in vitro to have my son. Anyway, I would like to give you an extra little bit of encouragement to lose weight. Exercising and eating better will help you so much with your symptoms. You can really get the disease to almost "go away," in the same manner that you can get type 2 diabetes to go away. Good luck!

 

[zoebartlett]

I wish I could say that it''s one type of food that does it for me, but I''m not a picky eater. I love carbs -- pasta, rice, potatoes, pretzels, etc. I also love sweets (although I do stick to Skinny Cow brand or WW ice cream treats, or 100 calorie pack desserts). I don''t eat a lot of red meat, but I''ll have it occasionally.

I forgot something in my last post...

When I was a freshman in college, I wasn''t eating much for a period of time. It wasn''t an intentional thing and I''m not sure why, but maybe being homesick had something to do with it. This will sound icky but I''m being honest... whenever I''d go to the dining hall to eat, I (unintentionally) began to picture crisco (or some other yucky substance) on top of my food. Weird, I know. Anyway, it stopped me from eating, right then and there. I''d have something in my mouth and it took everything I had to get it down. I never lost weight and like I said, it wasn''t something I was trying to do. I ended up fainting in the dining hall once, and my roommate was actually mad at me for not taking care of myself. That didn''t really help but I didn''t really pay attention -- we weren''t really friends.

At times, in order to turn down food, I''ll (intentionally) picture something like crisco on my food. It doesn''t work as well as it used to though.

I know, I know, this is very strange. Now, I have a very hard time turing down food (whether it''s the chance to get take out or go out to eat, or just eat too much at home).

 

[Courtneylub]

lliang_chi - YES...please help me out with some swim workouts!! The thing is, I go during lunch and I try not to get my hair wet, which is why I do the breast stroke and legs kicks using the kickboard. I need to change it up, so whatever you can help me with I would greatly appreciate.

Gyspy - I''m with you on the thread in the family forum. It was overwhelming and I couldn''t keep up with it. Not my style.

So...how is this going to work? What''s the plan for us to help each other stay on track?

 

[bee*]

I''m so in! I have quite a bit to lose before the wedding next year. I''ve lost 16.5 lbs so far since the end of february and I''m doing WW. Thanks to everyone for sharing their stories! The reason that I''m overweight is quite simply, I love food, especially the bad kind.

 

[Laurenj915]

Date: 5/1/2008 9:04:08 AM
Author: Courtneylub
lliang_chi - YES...please help me out with some swim workouts!! The thing is, I go during lunch and I try not to get my hair wet, which is why I do the breast stroke and legs kicks using the kickboard. I need to change it up, so whatever you can help me with I would greatly appreciate.


Gyspy - I''m with you on the thread in the family forum. It was overwhelming and I couldn''t keep up with it. Not my style.


So...how is this going to work? What''s the plan for us to help each other stay on track?

Good question Courtney.

I''m in by the way. I need to lose about 7 in the next 7 weeks before my wedding. The slip I ordered won''t zip but. I have had alot less time to workout and eat healthy since I have been doing wedding stuff like crazy after work.


Maybe there should be a bridal workout thread each day where people post their workout, maybe some healthy food they ate and that worked well to curb cravings and general support. I know I could use some new ideas.

 

[October2008bride]

I''m in too girls! (if you''ll have me!)

First, I''d like to say that I myself haven''t had any firsthand experience with eating disorders etc, but one of my best friends has and it all came out last summer, and it is amazing how some of your stories match up almost perfectly with hers. Sexual assault, control issues, intimacy issues, and then food issues. Having spent so much time with my friend who was going through that made some of your stories really hit home. I hope that this ''get healthy'' group will help us all work on our bodies AND our minds. I think it is an important step that some of you have taken in realizing where some of the issues come from - because that will definitely help you make changes! (I hope that didn''t come off as preachy - I just mean to be supportive as I have experienced some very similar situations with my friend).

Second, great idea for the group, Gypsy!!! I am 5 months out from my wedding, and have been putting off the ''getting fit'' part of my wedding prep for too long! I am not hell bent on losing tonnes of weight, but I do really want to get fit and have exercise become more a part of my life. I am off work for the summer (3 months) so I have been using that as an excuse ("I''ll do it in the summer!"), but I should really get started!!

I''m like Gypsy - gained weight over law school and now that I''m at a firm, I am a total desk-jockey. I sit here for 10-15 hours a day. Not good for the body! (or mind

Anyways - long story to say THANKS for being so honest and open, that I will be as supportive as I can, and that I can''t wait to get BUSY!

 

[ringster]

Date: 5/1/2008 9:47:45 AM
Author: Lauren1116

Date: 5/1/2008 9:04:08 AM

Author: Courtneylub

lliang_chi - YES...please help me out with some swim workouts!! The thing is, I go during lunch and I try not to get my hair wet, which is why I do the breast stroke and legs kicks using the kickboard. I need to change it up, so whatever you can help me with I would greatly appreciate.



Gyspy - I''m with you on the thread in the family forum. It was overwhelming and I couldn''t keep up with it. Not my style.



So...how is this going to work? What''s the plan for us to help each other stay on track?

Good question Courtney.


I''m in by the way. I need to lose about 7 in the next 7 weeks before my wedding. The slip I ordered won''t zip but. I have had alot less time to workout and eat healthy since I have been doing wedding stuff like crazy after work.



Maybe there should be a bridal workout thread each day where people post their workout, maybe some healthy food they ate and that worked well to curb cravings and general support. I know I could use some new ideas.

i''m in too! i have two weeks to my wedding but it would help me to keep track of my exercising and food in this last stretch. i don''t want to gain anything these last two weeks as my dress does not have much wiggle room

what about if we post?

I exercised today : (what we did exercise wise)
I ate today : (what we ate)
How I feel today :

 

[zoebartlett]

That''s a good idea, Ringster! I happen to be home on vacation this week, so I have more time than I usually do. I usually can''t log on until I return home from school. I guess posting that info. in the evening would work for me.

So far so good. I had 1 cup of Cheerios, 1 small banana, and about 3/4 cup or so of skim milk. We got Chinese take out last night, and I was planning on having miso soup and some chicken fried rice for lunch. I might switch the fried rice for something healthier. If I don''t though, I''ll go for a long walk this afternoon. At the moment, I''m putting together my invitations in front of the TV, but I need to go out later today, and then I''ll get moving more.

 

[mimzy]

ah! this is moving so fast!

anyways, I''M IN!!

I''ve pretty much been on a diet since i was 11, but it''s only been the last 5 years that i''ve been able to lose any weight. even then it''s taken me 5 years to lose about 20 pounds (talk about slow!).

i''d like to lose at least 10 pounds before our wedding in december, if not 15. whatever it takes to be able to wear a bikini for once in my life! I find that i do best when i eat little healthy snack-y type meals every few hours and don''t eat past like 7pm. my big downfalls are eating out and chocolate craving(particularly frostys!

)


so yeah! how are we going to do this

?

 

[Krissie]

This is perfect timing!! I have been wanting to trim up since I found my dress in February, but have only recently started to get serious about it. We joined a gym 2 weeks ago and have thus far had 6 great workouts. Luckily D is in it with me - he''s a string bean, but wants to bulk up his upper body. So we do weights together, then he carries on doing weights while I do 30 mins of cardio (usually, 20 mins on the elliptical trainer and 10 minutes on the treadmill at an incline).

I have body con issues that go back a long way and a pretty skewed idea of what I should look like. I too have a history of abuse, which contributes to that. So I''m trying to take it slow and not focus on losing weight, so much as just getting stronger.

When I moved to London almost 2 yrs ago, I gained about 15 lbs of belly weight. My legs stayed the same, but my belly got very jiggly and my torso just increased in girth. I was kind of in denial about it until I started trying on wedding dresses last fall, and it was kind of traumatic. I have an hourglass figure naturally, and now at my higher weight I am finding it hard to find flattering clothes. With summer upon us, and my wedding in October, I decided that I needed to do whatever it takes to get healthy again.

Our gym is pretty cool - it''s in a hotel, so it''s rarely crowded, and it has an indoor pool. I reward myself after a tough workout by using the sauna or the hot tub. I am just building this into my routine now, which is the hardest part, because I''m usually so exhausted by the time I get home from work.

We are off to Florida for 5 days tomorrow, where we will eat like piggies, but I will also make sure that we get in a lot of walking and swimming. I''m not wearing shorts for the first time, because I seriously don''t like the way I look in them lately. But I figure that by the time the honeymoon rolls around, I''ll be able to wear them again without feeling ashamed!!

 

[Stephanie]

Wow, this got moving quickly! And of course, I want in as well! I tried to keep up with WWT in the other forum, but just couldn''t do it daily. My BMs and I have started this too. Since March, I''ve lost about 8 pounds. Only about 20 to go with six months until the wedding. My next goal is to be toned up and down 10 more pounds by my boudior pictures at the end of August. Nothing like being half naked to get you motivated, right? And what is just so difficult is that FI is totally fit and can still eat and eat. So what do I do with him? Eat and eat.

What I''ve changed thus far - I take a soy protein (because the whey protein is more for men from what I understand), no more heavy lunches (I pack a Lean Cuisine and a Fiber One bar for lunch), and since I work a second job at night, I''ll eat a sandwhich and some fruit for dinner. All in all about 1200-1500 calories a day. Also, I have started going to the gym four days a week. Two days cardio, two days lifting - don''t want any jiggling arms in the dress.

The biggest thing that I''ve decided to do is to learn about ingredients! For example, anything with aspartame is terrible for you ( some diet sodas have it, gum, artifical sweetners, etc.) It can cause headaches and even increase hunger.

Everyone''s stories, ideas and goals are very motivating for me to be more healthy. So keep them coming...

 

[Haven]

I just want to send big hugs and props to all of the ladies who shared their story in this thread. I've never had overt issues with food or weight myself, but I see the tragic effects that image and eating disorders have on my students. I think you're all so brave and strong to share your stories, and I thank you because your insight might help me guide a student in the right direction one day.

Has anyone read Dr. Mary Pipher's books? They're fabulous.

I'm also really excited about this thread. I also joined the thread in Family and Home for a while but I just didn't feel like I fit in there, so I bowed out.

That being said--are you going to kick me out because I just drank a coffee and ate a bagel and cream cheese? We had a late arrival today so two of my boys drove through Dunkin Donuts and brought me breakfast--how could I refuse? It was the sweetest thing ever and they were very proud of themselves.

I will not eat potato chips today, though. I'm sticking to the goals I set for myself on this thread last night. I promise. I'm not sure I can give up Chipotle like Sunnygirl, though, those bols are a serious staple in my diet. (By the way, Sunny--could we have ANY MORE in common? Seriously--same e-rings, same wedding dresses, and a love for Chipotle? Uncanny.)

Ladies--I'm so happy to be a part of this group. You're all so wonderful.

 

[lliang_chi]

Cortney, GROAN! That''s a tall order: a swim workout without getting your hair wet! Hm, the only thing I can think of is aggressive kick sets. You''re not getting the "total body workout" that swimming is so good for, but it''s still something. And you''ll have shapely legs so it''s definitely still good. Tell me how much time you have for you work out.

Here''s a kick set assuming you only have a hr for lunch:

Warm up: 200 yds choice kick
1st set: 4 x 100 yds kick free medium intensity. Rest 30s between 100s
2nd set: 6 x 50 yds medium-high intensitiy, Rest 10-15s between <-- you want to get your heart rate up.
3rd set: 8 x 25 yds kick sprints. At the end jump out and do 5 push ups or 15 squats. rest 25 secs
Happy set: 100 yds doing whatever you want
Cool down: 200 yds choice kick.

That 3rd set are pop-ups. We all learned to hate them, but they''re really good as a main set for a short workout. And you don''t need to do 5 push ups/15 squats. You can do less or more, just as long as you''re pushing yourself.

Some tips to "keep things interesting." Keep yourself on a time. Example you figure out you can kick a 50 in 1m. Give yourself 1m15s between 50s. That way you have to stay on the same intensity, but you have time to recover a little. Then you can challenge yourself to go faster.

Change the numbers in the set to whatever you have time for.

 

[Courtneylub]

Date: 5/1/2008 11:12:32 AM
Author: lliang_chi
Cortney, GROAN! That''s a tall order: a swim workout without getting your hair wet! Hm, the only thing I can think of is aggressive kick sets. You''re not getting the ''total body workout'' that swimming is so good for, but it''s still something. And you''ll have shapely legs so it''s definitely still good. Tell me how much time you have for you work out.

Here''s a kick set assuming you only have a hr for lunch:

Warm up: 200 yds choice kick
1st set: 4 x 100 yds kick free medium intensity. Rest 30s between 100s
2nd set: 6 x 50 yds medium-high intensitiy, Rest 10-15s between <-- you want to get your heart rate up.
3rd set: 8 x 25 yds kick sprints. At the end jump out and do 5 push ups or 15 squats. rest 25 secs
Happy set: 100 yds doing whatever you want
Cool down: 200 yds choice kick.

That 3rd set are pop-ups. We all learned to hate them, but they''re really good as a main set for a short workout. And you don''t need to do 5 push ups/15 squats. You can do less or more, just as long as you''re pushing yourself.

Some tips to ''keep things interesting.'' Keep yourself on a time. Example you figure out you can kick a 50 in 1m. Give yourself 1m15s between 50s. That way you have to stay on the same intensity, but you have time to recover a little. Then you can challenge yourself to go faster.

Change the numbers in the set to whatever you have time for.

Thanks so much! But you''re not speaking my laugauge! lol I''m not an advanced swimmer at all! I have about 30 minutes to swim and I rotate between breast stroke and kicks. I''m not sure how long the length of the pool is or what the standard is. I know that my heartrate is WAY up there during most of the workout because I check it. I guess I will have to suck it up and get my hair wet and wear it in a bun for the afternoon? I don''t have much time to blow dry it.

When you say "6 x 50 yds medium-high intensitiy, Rest 10-15s between" do you mean 6 reps of 50 yds?

 

[ringster]

I exercised today :

I wont' be able to exercise today because we are meeting up with our friend in san francisco who will be the officiant at our wedding. we are doing a run through of the ceremony! I will try and get to the gym tomorrow after work for at least 30min on the elliptical. i need to do some side kicks and abdominal exercises as well as that is the area that gives me the most trouble

I ate today :

so far only had a fruit leather type of thingy. i'm going to go to the cafeteria at work and either get oatmeal or an egg white omlette.

How I feel today :

great!

ETA : ok , so i went with the oatmeal w/ skim milk, cranberries and raisins. i found that i ate less during the day and felt better if i ate something for breakfast so have been trying to eat breakfast everyday. alot of the times i just drink the stonyfield organic yogurt drink that i get from trader joes.

i am concerned about our dinner tonight cause i easily give into temptation. esp since the place we are going to has a nice steak and i love steak