checkin in....saw you changed your ticker and lost another 1/2 lb. CONGRATS!!!!

Wooohoo congrats on that 1/2 lb!! Way to go!

Thank you! Yes, miracles do happen. I'm now 137.5. Only 2.5 lbs away from my first mini-goal! I can taste the victory. (or is it my lunch? hmm.... either way, its goooooood.)
I'll be dancing when I see that coveted number. I will be no longer in "overweight zone". I'll be all over this forum posting happy emails, so you will definitely know when I've reached 135!

its coming! anyday now!!!!! we'll be dancin with you!

congrats

hi NTL

I agree about the calories. Mine are like that too. Some days a touch over 1200 some under. What sux is when I blew it the day before, KNOW I should knock off a couple hundred the next day and starve half to death! BUT if I choose the right foods, I find I dont get so hungry at a little lower amount. And SOME days, wow! I am full at say, 1000 and good for the night! Those are usually the times my scale is kind to me.

I dont know a lot about mono except that it can be awfully debilitating. And I hear about how tired it makes you. The only way I can relate to that is when I have my blood pressure meds screw me up. The feeling of tiredness can be overwhelming, kinda like having a bad case of the flu without the fever and runny nose. Just awful.

Hi, SkinnyKate,

Yes, I do the same too - try to eat lighter the next day after I overeat. That seemed to be working, and my body tends to not be too hungry the next day anyway, so that helps. You pretty much exactly right on how mono feels :
The good part is I'm on the verge of getting rid of it completely, and I already do feel much better then in summer/fall (those were the hardests months). Just still have a little more to go. It seems that rest is the answer.

good morning NTL - checkin in - how you feeling? hope all is well. keep up the great work!!

Hi, Skyler! Thanks for checking in. Doing good this morning, feeling better, although mornings aren't my best. I could not wake up today for the life of me.

Well, today is exactly 2 months since I started my weight loss plan, and it is time to tally results. I lost 7.5 lbs in two months(and 4 % fat, if my scale does not lie). Whoo-hoo! This was really way more then I originally expected, so I'm pretty happy about my progress. If I can do the same in the next two month, I'd be totally thrilled! My pants are looser, and I was able to get into jeans I was not able to wear for over a year! Today is my measurement day, I can't wait to get home and measure myself, because I know I got some changes coming. I will post results and let everyone know. I'm really looking forward to a skinny new me. I'm also psyched that I finally have a power over my weight! I've never been able to loose anything for long, and I've never felt like I could control my size(until now), but that knowledge is really empowering! If I can do this, I can do anything!

Ok, I should get off my high horse before it bucked me off. Next thing I'll know I'll be in plato for a few months. (keeping my fingers crossed).

I still have quite a few challenges to tackle, such as exercise and stamina building, but I will take this small step at a time.

Hey girl,
Just wanted to let you know that I read your post in Skyler's diary this morning. I replied but wanted to make sure you saw the reply so here it is.
I just read your diary though and it looks like you're doing great! Keep up the good work and let me know if I can help with anything.

Quote:
Originally Posted by NothinToLose (in Skyler's Diary)
I might have to consider Paula's diet also. What about exercises? Are they working for you? Obviously, they do as you just lost all this weight! I'm thinking of getting Paula's book.

If you really are interested in my diet, here's the link to it: http://weight-loss.fitness.com/showt...?t=2241&page=9
Also, as far as "my book" goes, I haven't written it yet (LOL ) and I'm actually just taking from a book I used in my PT days so... If you are interested in the workout that will work best for your bodytype, PM me or email me and I will get it to you free of charge. My clients had a lot of success with the workouts I gave them from this book. Also, if you just want to buy the book, it's called "Shape Training- The 8-Week Total Body Makeover" by Robert Kennedy and Maggie Greenwood-Robinson but, I would be more than happy to just send you the info that pertains to you.

hey! your attitude is great & congrats on your successes. 7.4 lbs and 4% loss in 2 months is AWESOME. eager to hear about the inches lost! keep that attitude...it will get you wherever you want to be.

Skyler and all - thanks for support. It is 100 times easier to do this weight loss thing when you're able to share your challenges, frustrations and successes with such a supportive group of people! I think part of my success is definitely due to the forum. Will post measurements tonight...

Paula - thanks for the info! I'll definitely check it out.

Ok, here go the inches. Note that I've eaten a lot today, and measured my tummy right after dinner, so I feel that maybe i lost slightly more in the waist then the tape measure shows...

...............Original
...............Measur. .. Today ....inches lost
Neck .....12.75 .....12.50 ...0.25
Bicep ....11.25 .....10.50 ...0.75
Forearm ..10.00 ..... 9.25 ...0.75
Chest ....36.50 .....35.75 ...0.75
Waist ....30.50 .....29.50 ...1.0
Hips .....43.00 .....42.00 ...1.0
Thigh ....26.00 .....25.00 ...1.0
Calf .....14.25 .....14.50 ...-0.25(gained)

Total inches lost since 12/23/2005 (if add it all up) - 5.25!

Interesting to note that I lost 3/4 of an inch from bicep, forarm and chest each! I'm typical "pear" shape, and I did not think that I had that much to loose up there. I am also pleasantly surprized at loosing weight from thigh. I have those "thunder thighs" and reducing those in size would be awesome! I've just always assumed that I'm "stuck" with them no matter what. I have to say, measurements are so cool! They give me truth instead of false perception.

Hi, Paula,

I took a look at the diet. Looks like the point is to eat more lean protein. I also noticed that the dinner is very light. I don’t know if this will be feasible for me, b/c hubby and I do dinner together, and its hard to eat separate meals(or a very small one for me). We do try to cook healthy – don’t use a lot of oil, use lean meats (chicken breast, fish, turkey or ham chunks), frozen veggies and some starches (mashed potatoes, rice, pasta), but not in large quantities. I seem to always need some carbs, and if I eat only veggies with meat, I don’t feel satisfied. My lunches are usually leftovers from previous day’s meal, so lunch and dinner are equivalent in calories (ranging between 300-450). For breakfast I eat instant oatmeal(180 cals), for snack – lowfat cottage cheese with a teaspoon of sugar(can’t eat it otherwise) – 100 cals. I could try substituting some of the starches with more protein, and having that protein powder stuff instead of cottage cheese for a snack. What do you think?

As far as your book - I meant the "Shape Training" one, LOL - I think I may invest in it later, but meanwhile, would love your advice on what types of exercises are best for "pear" shape. I have to say that due to my recent illness, I'm not able to exercise full throttle, but at least I can know in which "direction" I should take baby steps. I don't belong to any gym, and prefer to exercise at home. I Like bike riding(have both stationary and outdoor), LOVE horse back riding, LOVE skiing, like ice scating, although have not done it in years. I have a set of light weights (from 2 to 10 lbs) and I did some strength exercises in january with and without them (situps, squats, pushups, few variations of leg/butt exercises and arm exercises, I don't even know what they are called). Basically, I started exercising in January, very slowly, and built up strength training (not very intense) to about 15 min/day, 5 days/wk and cardio on stationary bike to 30 min/3 days/wk. It felt really good to be able to do this, but then I had relapse of mono, and had to quit all the exercise. I also ride horse 1 hr/week, even during mono. That's the only thing that kept me sane, even if it took 3 days to recover from it. I'm improving from my relapse now and I'm hoping that next week I will be ready to slowly start exercising.

Sorry this is so long, and I don't even know if it is any helpful to you at all. Thank you very much in advance for your help!

NTL- I completely understand the dinner part (I have a fiance and three kids that always get to eat the good stuff LOL!) but if you could even convince yourself to eat what the hubby eats EXCEPT for the starchy carbs, I think you would see a big difference. I swear this works so well for me and when I get on the scale in the morning and I'm a little lighter, it makes giving up the carbs the night before all the more worth it.

However, the key thing to remember with this diet is to ALWAYS have protein with your carbs. This means for breakfast, you really want to add something to the oatmeal like eggs or protein powder, etc. Again, I suggest no starchy carbs for the last two meals but do what works best for you.

As far as the workout goes (I knew which book you meant ), I'm attaching a body type chart. Please take a look at it and let me know which one most resembles you and we can go from there.

Looking forward to hearing from you...

Hi, Paula! Thanks!
I think "A" Shape is what can describe me most closely. I have medium bone structure (I think), hips are wider then shoulders. I do have small waist(relative to hips). Majority of my fat lies below waist, however, last time I gained weight it was not only hips/thighs, but also middle and upper body.

I'll have to think what I can do to adjust my current diet to your recommended one. "No starchy carbs for last two meals" - Does that mean lunch and dinner, or can afternoon snack be counted as a meal?
How much protein is considered to be "enough" to make the meal balanced according to your plan? For example, oatmeal has 4g of protein per serving, and oat bran (which i eat interchangibly with oatmeal) has 7 g of protein. Another cereal that I eat has 13 g of protein. At which point do I need to stop adding protein to my breadfast? Is there a guideline?

Thanks again!