The weekly weight loss check-in and encouragement

[Adabelle]

Lately I've been seeing that quite a few members are working on getting their weight down. I'm in this camp too and am working really hard on it. I think of this as my first transition (pre-transition) from fat to healthy

Anyway, I'm going to check in here each week with my weight (at least once a week). I think it will give me some additional motivation to be posting my progress here.

I'd love it if others who are in their "weight loss transition" to post here and join me. Please post your progress to keep me encouraged!

Okay, so in April of this year I weighed 215. I'm 5'10" (age 33), and have been overweight most of my life. But I just have a "medium" frame. My target is around 145-155 I think (maybe a little lower?). I'd like to hit that before starting HRT.

As of this morning I hit 193.6! My lowest since being a sophomore in college. The progress is slow, but lately I've hit a new burst of energy and commitment to move things along a little faster. I'm just counting calories and it's working great for me. I want the weight loss to be sustainable and not leave me with saggy skin or anything like that - also I want to keep this up for the long term, but I think I can go a bit faster than I have been and still be totally safe.

How about you? Anyone else in a weight loss 'transition' and want to post your progress every once and a while? Or anyone have any encouragement to share?

[MillieB]

Hi Madelyn

I have not really started to confront my weight yet as I have and do consider stopping smoking to be my number one priority (3 months and counting yay!) however, once xmas is out of the way I'm right there with you, so if this thread is still going I'll be right here!

Take care and good luck M x

[Adabelle]

Hey Millie that is so cool that you're been smoke free for 3 months! That's a huge milestone. I've had friends who have smoked through the years and it always seemed like it was the hardest for them in the first few weeks afterward, but as time went on they felt more and more confident. I'm totally cheering you on and hope you can join me in January

[Al James]

I'd like to join you but is losing weight a criteria? At the minute mine seems to be going nowhere but up similar to my smoking habit. Think at the minute i'm 189 pounds and would like to be about 140. Got to get both my weight and smoking sorted by january or at least on the downward slope

[Adabelle]

Oh there's no criteria. For me it's just keeping on the downward slope like you said, but please feel free to share with us what you're working on and your progress. I think it could be helpful for us to support each other with updates and encouragement.

[Adabelle]

Well guys here's my first checkin. I weighed this morning and I'm up to 196.6, so that's about 3lbs more than I was at my lowest last week. It's mainly just because of the disruption in my normal diet around Thanksgiving time. But I'm back on my normal eating schedule so hopefully this weight I just put in will come off quickly.

How did you all do over the holiday?

[Robert Scott]

Can I join?

I only gained a pound of the holidays ... but it was extremely stressful for me.

[Adabelle]

Welcome Rob!

I really hope I didn't gain 3lbs in those three days over the holiday, but I don't think I did. Since 1lb = about 3500 calories I don't think I ate much more than 3500 calories extra over the holiday. Hopefully that means these extra lbs will come off quickly!

[Robert Scott]

Well I weighed 229lbs when I started paying attention to my weight.

I am now down to 216lbs (well 217 after Thanksgiving).  I am trying really hard to loose weight b/c I want to have chest reconstruction surgery and the thinner I am the better success.  I have been at it for about 2 months now.

[Adabelle]

Rob that's awesome. What if your preferred method for losing the weight? Any tips?

[Robert Scott]

I have tried numerous ways ... so I sat down an really thought about what I wanted to achieve.   Saying I am on a diet and avoiding foods does not work for me.

So, in Oct I joined a gym and set a goal of going three times a week --- I am an overachiever and averaged about 4 times a week.  I also set goals of how much cardio and weight lifting I was going to do.

Then in Nov.  I added that I wanted to eat 2 vegetables & 1 fruit a day -- I am horrible about eating vegetables --- but I found by simplying trying to achieve that goal I am eating less since the veggies & fruit fill me up.

So instead of focusig on what  can't eat I focused on what I needed to eat more of....next month my goal is to improve the amount of water I drink and increase my veggies to 3.   

I also have been increasing the amount of times and length Ido cardio and weight training.

The more positive approach seems tobe working for me.  My doctor loves it too...she has been very encouraging and supportive.  I also have diabeties & high cholestrol...and since I have started focusing those have improved greatly.

[Adabelle]

Wow Jennifer that's awesome that you lost a pound through Thanksgiving. That's a real inspiration for me in the upcoming Christmas/New Years holiday. I have family coming to visit for almost a week and so I'm sure there will be lots of good food around, but I need to stay reasonable and try and not overdo it. I'm really glad you gave an update.

[Raven]

I'd like to join in if I may. Last time I checked my weight, I weight it showed 250lbs. Which is an improvement seeing that I use to weigh nearly 300lbs. I have an workout buddy on here, which has brought me much encouragement I'm a whopping 5 foot tall so my goal weight is 130lbs max if 120lbs is not a good weight for my height. I have major depression so when my depression shows its ugly face all I want to do is listen to my music or meditate and I've been known to post how I feel on here at those ugly times. And being a parent myself it's good to play with my kid (also helps as she's very active so that also helps me loose weight). Umm I guess somehow in the long run I've developed some kind of sick obession with thin peeps (working on that). Well I don't know what else to say at the moment other than the best of luck to the each of you!

[Emmanuelle]

I'll pitch in:
Started to reconsider my weight at 250 lbs some 3 months ago (I'm 6'10").
Got to 216 lbs this week and aiming for 205 by New Year. Ultimately, I'm aiming to get in the neighborhood of 180-185 by March (which is the point when I'll start HRT)

Love,
Emma

[Robert Scott]

I know we all can do it!!!! 

[Adabelle]

Emma and Raven welcome!

For me I think Thanksgiving and Christmas have to be the most difficult time of year to eat well. The main problem I have is that normally I feel like I have some control over my intake (though I slip sometimes if we go out to eat or something). But around those holidays we're usually around family, and we love to cook as a family, or go out to eat - that makes it really hard because the foods we eat are usually very calorie dense foods.

I think I'm being more serious about my weight loss now because I consider it a part of transition. I came to the realization that my first goal is to transition from an overweight person (obese actually) to a healthy female weight person. By thinking of it as kind of test for transitions that may be in my future I think I take it more seriously because it's a validation of my true self. It's my old self vs new self I guess. I still sort of slip up here and there, but my weight loss has been slow and steady which is really exciting!

I'm definitely going to keep checking in here and I really look forward to everyone's progress. Even if you go up in weight please post! It's helpful I think to stay engaged.

[JessicaH]

I'll join in! I started the year at 245 lb and I'm 5 foot 11 inches. I had an incredibly busy year due to the BP spill which put me working over 3 months without a single day off and many 16 to 18 hour days. I am down to 199 lbs and now wear 34w jeans very comfortably or size 16 womens.

My immediate goal is to get to where I was in December of 1989 when I left Airborne School at age 19 and I was in incredible shape at 179 lbs and had a 31' waist.  I'll reevaluate after hitting that goal but that's my new goal after passing the 200 mark. I feel wonderful and I can't help but stop and look every time I pass a mirror! It's not that I'm vain but I'm just not used to the reflection yet, lol.

I have been letting my hair grow out and it's driving my wife insane. I didn't look good with longer hair when I was heavier but I think it looks goo on my slimmer face. My mom and her girlfriend told me this weekend that I look soo good with my hair longer and now that I'm closer to my high school weight and hair, people comment that I look SO much younger and that I hardly look like I have changed in 20 years!

It's kind of funny that I run into people from HS who instantly recognize me but I don't have a CLUE who they are. They just don't even resemble the person I know from 22 years ago in HS. I hate my "boy" pics but maybe I'll get brave and post a pic from HS next to a pic from now. It's also funny to see peoples reaction from how different "Stacy" looks compared to the guy I pretend to be, most of the time.

[Al James]

Got weighed at the doctors yesterday and its an official 189 pounds. Which makes me about the same weight as 19 years ago when i was pregnant with my son. Have made myself endless promises to go to the gym but so far havent kept to them. Must give myself a figurative kick up the behind

[Robert Scott]

Got weighed at the doctors yesterday and its an official 189 pounds. Which makes me about the same weight as 19 years ago when i was pregnant with my son. Have made myself endless promises to go to the gym but so far havent kept to them. Must give myself a figurative kick up the behind

Excellent job!!!! Your a motivation to me!  I am working on making better choices with food ... have been working out .. so hopefully soon it will start coming off

[Espenoah]

I'm gonna join in. I'm starting my weight loss today. I'm currently 5'6" and weigh 158 pounds. I'm not horribly overweight or anything, but I want to get rid of this extra fat to get more of the body shape I want. So I'm thinking 125-130 will be my goal.

Today I started to be healthier by drinking the recommended 8 glasses of water and cutting out some of my soda intake, which I think will help me a lot, because then I'll be less caffeine dependent, too. And starting tomorrow, I want to try to brisk walk for 30 minutes a day, or do some sort of exercise that's equivalent or more than that. Maybe I'll play more Dance Dance Revolution since it's cold out now...

So I'm starting small, too, but I think that'll keep me more motivated in the long run, to take baby steps.