Silk Naturals

Ghost, you can do it! Bread is my enemy (not in terms of weight, but it just makes me feel like crap as I am a little gluten intolerant) so I make up a big batch of brown rice and freeze individual portions sizes, and top with tuna for a super quick meal (I get the thai red curry or satay flavours, which are nice and fatty, lol, but I am sure they make lower calorie versions!)

I am still gymming my butt off (went 5 times this week) and absolutely loving it, in fact I have decided to train as a personal trainer. I am so excited! I don't know exactly what course I will be doing or anything yet though. Today I did a jam (funky dance) class, it was so fun, just like going to a nightclub and shaking my booty (which I don't get to do very often these days with two little ones!) My gym even does disco lighting for the classes, lol.

It is time for a report from me..... I am down 20 lbs since Sept. 1. I definitely feel better, and I really don't feel that deprived this time around.

I have yet to start an exercise plan, but am doing well otherwise. I know in the past I have tried to do too much at once and set myself up for failure. I have made some small changes to try to get a little more physical activity in, and plan to tackle that full on once the Holidays are over.

I have been tracking everything that I eat at http://www.livestrong.com using their MyPlate which is free. There have been a few days that I was over my calorie goal for the day, but there have been many more days that I was under. It has been very eye-opening to see the actual number of calories attached to foods and how that has made a difference for me (I failed at WW points..too many things affected how the points worked out like fiber and fat...and then I would get hung up on half points). I guess I really needed it put into a simply quantifiable format to get it. The information that you need about a 3500 calorie deficit in a week to lose a pound in a week really helped. I also know the calculating of calorie amounts is imperfect, so I try not to get super hung up on it. And one thing the tracking showed me: the days where I felt like I totally blew it really weren't that far off the ideal.....so I did not lose my 1/7 of pound for that day...big deal, because tomorrow is another day. The scale is also an imperfect measure of fat lost, even though it gives a pretty good ballpark figure if used over time.

The dessert type flavored tea has really helped with my sweet cravings (thank you for all the recommendations!). Right now my house is full of Halloween candy. I just put it somewhere that I don't see it. I have not had any except the one serving of candy corn that I ate (and counted) on Halloween. That is major for me.

That is where I have been in the last few months...and my observations. Onto the next big task.....surviving the holidays!

JenW wrote:It is time for a report from me..... I am down 20 lbs since Sept. 1. I definitely feel better, and I really don't feel that deprived this time around.

All hail the slimming Queen

Well done Jen that is amazing congratulations I can't belive you've done 20lbs since sept, I'm just flabbergasted you keep it up!!!!

Well it's my weigh day and I can't belive it but I've lost 7lbs in a week!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OMG All I did was give up bread and stop snacking while cooking me tea (who doesn't do this, well Jen obviously lol )

I just hope that it's good news next week, wish me luck

Woot, woot!!
Holy Moly....all you guys are freaking awesome! Every single one of you. Hopefully soon; very soon; I will grab that big ole bull by the horns and do this thing like you guys.
I'm scared though. When you are over 100 pounds overweight, it's easy to be sort of invisible. Nobody really expects much from you. That way, I don't have to expect much from myself.

I completely agree with Laurie- just amazing all the way around! Way to go!!!!!!!!!

Laurie- you rock my world. You're an amazing, amazing woman who's beautiful inside and out- and you deserve the best that life has to offer. I've been really thin, and pretty big- the expectations are about the same. BUT being able to climb the stairs without being out of breath, or having energy to do more things, avoiding health complications (my parents are diabetic- and that's just not fun), or just feeling better, more comfortable in my own skin- those are all really great things. You deserve that- every woman deserves that. It's not easy to lose weight, but neither are the 1000 other things you do every day. You can do it!!!!!

Well done everyone you're doing soooo incredibly well!! Karen you're so so right - its easy to feel that once you reach a certain point it just doesn't matter, but just losing a few pounds can make the world of difference. We don't need to be skinny to be happy or slim to be beautiful, but if we want to keep living long healthy lives we have to be healthy just little changes can make a massive difference to your body, and weight loss can just be an added bonus, just as dieting to lose weight can make you feel healthier! Keep it up girlies!!!

Laurie: Don't look at the total amount, rather focus on the the "baby steps" it takes to get there. I'm like Karen, I have been so thin that I actuallly had people telling me to eat, and I have been big . I'm still overweight for my height, but 30 pounds has made a world of difference in the quality of my live, plus decreased my health risks. My mother was a severe diabetic from the age of 16 and my father became one later in life, so even a small loss helps to decrease that risk.

Remember you don't have to lose 100, set your goals for 6-10 pounds a month, and take in increments. And yes you are amazing and talented and can do anything you set your mind to do.

I absolutely agree with tizzylou. Baby steps and small changes make a huge difference in the long run. I am really taking it a day at a time this go around. And for me, it was a health wakeup call. I also have a family history of type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Last winter, my labs all came back in the warning range...not that I am full blown into any of those medical issues, but I am close...my doc said I had five years or less on my current path before I had high blood pressure and diabetes. Also, recent pics kind of shocked me. As women and the caregivers of our families and other people, it is easy to put our own care on the back burner. I also think you have to be in a place where you are mentally ready for it.

Hi all,

Huge congratulations to Jen and Ghost, you're amazing!

Laurie, what about just making healthy lifestyle changes, without setting weight goals? Saying 'I need to lose 100 pounds' sounds super intimidating, but if you just say 'I want to take care of my health so I feel better' maybe that will be easier to get started with? Then as you begin to feel better, look better and see results on the scales that goal may seem less out of reach

I can't remember whether I have said on here, but since I have been back into the gym I have loved it so much that I have decided to become a personal trainer! I have an appointment with the head of personal training in my gym next week to discuss options, and I am starting a course really soon (as soon as the loan to cover fees comes thorough ) I am so excited!

In terms of my exercise regime, I am up to doing 4-6 classes a week at the gym now, I am aiming to do 2 balance (yoga-ish) classes, 2 pump (weights) classes and 2 cardio type classes. I am sooo loving it, and feeling so much healthier, craving healthy foods, feeling much better about myself in general and seeing huge changes in my stamina, flexibility, and also increased tone in my arms and abs and generally all over. I am soooo glad that stupid comments from a few people about looking pregnant got me back to the gym, it was a bad reason to start, but really, has changed my life. I definitely think that as a mother it is so easy to put your own health and wellbeing on the back burner, but you so shouldn't!

Yay us! We are awesome