Love this part. I am a pro dieter, even though I don't look like it. I am going to go home and make my holiday toffee, fudge and holiday treats. It will be hard, but I find if I can chew some gum and drink water it keeps me from wanting to taste the stuff. I will let my husband sample the goods. Lucky me, I am married to someone who can eat any and everything they want.

Audrey - I'm married to a similar situation. Most days my hubby eats between 2000-3000 calories and he weighs a whopping 165 on a heavy day. It's crazy! So, I let him sample everything too. Enjoy baking tonight! I did some of mine this weekend but have another day of it coming soon.

Exercise!!!! I don't. Motivation? Ain't there. Help. Please.
Um. It's gym or workout tapes for me. It's been below 35 here for weeks. Today it's warm enough to walk but it's raining- life in Dayton. I like to be outside and walk about 3-4 x week during nice weather, but once it gets cold and dark... ugh.
Anyone got a swift kick in the flabby booty for me?

It has been in teens and twenty's here. I have a terrible cold, went out last night for a pre-list appointment. Since Sat been in bed recouperating. I did good yesterday on eating, no comfort food. But haven't felt like going to the gym. errrr

Teri,
Wow! You have such a huge advantage already because you like to go to the gym. Lots of us aren't so fortunate because of our size and all the little skinny bitches (male & female) running around trying to keep their body fat at a single digit. Motivation for me comes from looking in the mirror and seeing something that was once tight on me is no longer. I look at my watch which could stand to have a couple links removed but I don't because the loose fit is a constant reminder that I'm loosing weight and I need to stay on track instead of falling off the wagon (which is so easy to do).

I know how comfortable that bed or sofa can be-trust me. However, we must learn to change. Just like with real estate, I had to learn how to do things and sometimes it wasn't fun. You keep trying and doing and the pay-offs are well worth it. In real estate it's in personal satisfaction and money. In loosing weight it's your health and the way you look but most importantly how you feel about you. You know how you feel now by not doing anything so don't you think you're worth it to feel just as good about yourself? I do- and this is what gets me through those rough times.

I hope this helps. Don't forget my charity of choice is St. Jude's Children's Hospital. That's spell S-t.- J-u-d-e-s...haha.

Good luck,
T

Teri - You CAN do it!!!! Count this as you kick in the BOOTY! Get off that couch (which I know you aren't sitting on) and head to that big ol' gym. It's been nasty weather here in MN too, but it's just gotta be done. You'll feel sooooooooooooooooooooo much better if you do! You can do it... you can do it.... you can. I believe that you are able and gonna do it!

Thanks guys! The weight is coming off, my body feels human again, I just need to decide to set my alarm for 5:30 and do it. I feel soooo much better when I'm moving, so I'm aware of the benefits- it's the getting out of bed early on a cold morning.... Nope. Not going there. I need to do this. I will do this. I will do this....It will give me energy, bone density, aerobic benefits... Yes. I will do this.

I just want to encourage everybody who is not on the weight loss chart to get on the chart. This is something that I did reluctantly. If it was full of people from the Austin community, I'm not sure I would have done it. But it is so LIBERATING. If you cant acknowledge a problem then its hard to do something about it. Its so neat to see everyone elses stats because you see how similar a journey we are all on. I lost 2 pounds the first day. Then I gained 1.5 back. It was good to go onto the chart and see that I wasnt the only only one. Today I broke a huge threshold --- the under 190. Threshold. Oh my God-- it feels great!

I know there is no requirement to post on the weight loss board. But it would be so odd if someone who didnt post on chart won the challenge because of the lack of transparency. It would be kind of like a race car driver winning a race but you didnt know the car was in the race. Part of the experience of watching any race is the ability to cheer the winner across the finish line. And being part of the crowd that cheers that racer on! So dont hide. We want to support you.

I would like some feedback from other group members about this.

It doesn't matter to me if the number is posted. This whole process is the honor system anyway.

Tommy, it's only a number friend! :) Don't let it own you. You're on the right track. You're here right?

I so agree with Dena on committing to the weight loss chart. Even though I'm not recording everyday, the vision of that number is burned in my brain. The shear motivation of knowing I have to post it once a week is enough to keep me going! The number must go down!!! This week has been amazing to me. I'm amazing myself at how easy it is to lose weight when my mind is set to do so. We possess such power!

I took the advice so many here offered and quit drinking diet coke 3 days ago. Lost a significant chunk of weight *must have been retained fluid*. Not sure how much longer I can continue on 800 - 1000 cals / day though - insulin requirements have also dropped big time *duh*

Need a way to handle the sweet tooth after a meal? This is one of my secrets from earlier years of weight watching that I'm dusting off for this.... I eat one square of dark chocolate. Dark chocolate is supposed to be good for you (in small doses). Doesn't sound exciting, but it really does seem to help satisfy my sweet tooth.

Oh good lord! This is why I don't go to a gym yet. I'm the biggest person in this challenge and I'm confident in making that statement without knowing anyone elses number. I'll think about it but oh so embarrassing.
T

Linsey- I find that works too. I'm trying to stay away from that at all because it's the holidays and there are so many temptations around anyway.

I am using something that used to work for me- graham crackers and animal crackers. If you portion those out according to recommended serving size, then you get both a fix for a sweet tooth, and something crunchy to munch.

Dena I found that putting that number out there was an extraordinary thing for me. I would also encourage everyone to do that. And I'm watching other weights drop and it does motivate me to keep on- not so much to win, but because I know we are all facing the same thing, kind of working together, pulling each other along. It's really awesome.

For those of you that recently started back into some exercising, don't forget that with exercise comes the building of new muscles. Those muscles are going to weigh a little something extra, which can be hard to swallow during a weight loss challenge.

During the summer, when my cycling slacks off I'll often maintain a constant weight, even though I'm not fitting into my clothes as well. Then in the fall, when I start back to a more serious cycling routine I usually have a short term weight loss, followed by a weight gain, as I gain muscle faster than I lose fat. Don't fret this if it happens to you. Our muscles are the fat burning centers of our body. More muscle equals a bigger furnace to burn fat. FYI, the body will first burn the quick energy that's right there in the muscles (aka sugar/carbs). Once that's gone is when the fat burning begins. This is where longer aerobic exercise is key, and why I love cycling. I know I can't store enough quick energy for a 2+ hour ride, and that at some point my body must resort to burning fat to keep those muscles happy.

If you are adding exercise to you plan, be sure to add protein intake immediately AFTER exercising. You must provide your body protein to build those new muscles, so that you can burn even more fat on your next workout. REPEAT, REPEAT, REPEAT. Also, exercising earlier in the day is better, if you have a choice, as your metabolism will be higher throughout the day, and even just sitting around you'll burn more calories on a day you exercised in the morning than on a non-exercise day. For me, I can do that on weekends, primarily because I ride with friends who want to start in the morning. And of course, exercising with a friend or group will help everyone keep on track.

Steve - eating protein directly after eating burns more calories? So, in the morning after my hefty tread walk I should be eating eggs instead of oatmeal? Hmmm. Maybe I should make an adjustment and try it. Thanks for the info.

Protein won't burn more calories right then. Protein is needed to build more muscle, which will be used in the next workout to burn more fat. It's not an immediate thing, but in a month, you'll be a much stronger fat burning machine. Carbs are needed pre-workout, but healthy protein is needed right when you finish. Any anaerobic exercise actually tears down muscles, and you want to build them back with something stronger. That's where the immediate need for protein comes in.

FYI, anaerobic exercise is when you get to the point that you have a shortness of breath. That's when it's no longer comfortable to exercise and talk. In a long workout a little bit of anaerobic is good, but the fat burning happens during that aerobic time. So having a long sustained aerobic period is the key to exercise that promotes weight loss.

Good advice Steve, which is why I eat Yo Crunch low fat yogurt after a workout. It has protein than an egg per serving, but yogurt has lots of carbs. I also drink Nesquik choc milk is full of calories, potassium, carbs and has the same amount of protein as yogurt per serving. I swear by them both for speedy recovery.

What do you do if you feel like you need a day off from it all? Do you derail or try to fight through it?

Mental pain? Generally, fight through it. Physical pain? Always take a break.