Gidget's progress thread

[Babs]

However, either way, I still don't get the carb thing. Is that a holdover from the Atkins craze?

If you are exercising regularly (esp vigorously), don't you need carbs to convert into energy?

Yes, but Americans tend to consume refined carbs and simple sugars instead of whole-grain complex carbs. That's why you hear about carbs all the time.

Simple carbs are great if you're working out and need energy RIGHT NOW, but the rest of the time they're going to produce a sudden surge of more energy than the body can readily burn, so the body immediately starts finding places to "store" the calories. Obviously, when you're trying to drop weight you're wanting to eliminate what's already stored, not encourage additional deposits. Also, with simple carbs you're likely to suffer a crash when the energy surge is over, and then feel a craving to consume even more starches or sugars to get your energy back up.

Unrefined complex-carbs are likely to have higher nutrient and fiber content; but more importantly they take a lot longer for the body to break down. So your body isn't immediately pushed into storage mode. And because the energy is being derived slowly over a longer time period, you're less likely to find yourself in a cycle of cravings and consumption.

Long story short: when possible stick with unrefined whole-grain carbs.

-

On fish:

I'm an avid piscetarian. Fish naturally has all kinds of health benefits. Unfortunately, we've altered their environment to the point that they pose health risks now, too. Last time I looked it up, the FDA recommends no more than two servings of fish per week, in order to reduce exposure to mercury and PCBs. Some people think it's much ado about nothing, others give up fish together. It's hard to say. But it's something to consider, especially with respect to your kids' diets.

[LA Ute]

Frogot to say that oatmeal is a great carb in terms of its glycemic index. It takes a good long time for your body to absorb it, so does not spike your insulin levels. The less milled the oatmeal, the better, so buy the slower-cooking ones. The best is the steel-cut kind. (Tastes good too.)

Of course, we all want to put sugar and cream and such all over our oatmeal. If you can resist doing that, it's a great food for fitness and diet buffs.

[Babs]

Frogot to say that oatmeal is a great carb in terms of its glycemic index. It takes a good long time for your body to absorb it, so does not spike your insulin levels. The less milled the oatmeal, the better, so buy the slower-cooking ones. The best is the steel-cut kind. (Tastes good too.)

Of course, we all want to put sugar and cream and such all over our oatmeal. If you can resist doing that, it's a great food for fitness and diet buffs.

I love oatmeal! I mix peanut butter in and spread it on toast. yum!

[TripletDaddy]

Thanks everyone. So to make sure I am understanding (gidget, please jump in here and correct me), Gidget wasn't saying that low carb was the key to her weight loss success. She was focusing on the fact that the low carb means lower calories, which leads to greater weight loss.

I just want to make sure I am not wasting my time avoiding eating stuff that I would rather be eating right now.

Fortunately, I have a natural affinity for most of the stuff on LA Ute's list.....I have been eating a load of strawberries, fresh spinach (boiled....yech), oatmeal, tomatoes, edamame, and snap peas, amongst other things.

Why can't pizza, baked potatoes, or freshly baked rolls be more conducive to weight loss?

I get home from the gym this evening and the house smells of my wife's crazy sauce that she makes.....slow cooks it for about 6 or 8 hours. Generally, I would eat about 2 or 3 huge bowls of pasta with a bunch of that sauce, several rolls, salad, and dessert. Tonight I had 2 chicken breasts, a tomato and spinach salad with vinegar, and half a cup of the pasta with a quarter cup of the sauce. Grrr!

On the bright side, I think I am going to ace my cholesterol test next month!

[Babs]

Thanks everyone. So to make sure I am understanding (gidget, please jump in here and correct me), Gidget wasn't saying that low carb was the key to her weight loss success. She was focusing on the fact that the low carb means lower calories, which leads to greater weight loss.

Right. Like you said, it's about caloric intake versus energy expenditure. But consumption of a lot of starchy foods can make it harder to keep your caloric intake down because they're empty calories to begin with, and plus you feel hungry all the time.

[Gidget]

Right. Like you said, it's about caloric intake versus energy expenditure. But consumption of a lot of starchy foods can make it harder to keep your caloric intake down because they're empty calories to begin with, and plus you feel hungry all the time.

Yeah. What she said.

Sorry I am late to my own thread here. . . to clarify: I do avoid a lot of what people call "carbs" ONLY because they help cut out empty calories. But I love bread and grains and pasta and the whole she-bang, so I don't completely cut anything out. When I do eat pasta, I have half as much as I used to. Or when I make a sandwich and don't have good bread I use the same amount of stuff inside and put it all on one slice instead of two. Or in the morning I weigh my cereal so I know I am not really having 3 servings and assuming it's one. I am just careful. Like I said if I avoided these foods all together I would have no energy for my workouts and I would be a cranky "biotch" as well. But I am really being careful because I am in a cutting or losing weight phase. When I am in more of a maintenance phase I will still be careful but not so strict.

Update: From my heaviest I have lost 17 pounds. From when I started working out (3 weeks after I stopped drinking soda) I have lost a total of 12 lbs. I am happy about this. I am so stunned by the weight loss that I now when I get on the scale I don't believe it. Literally. I actually think something is wring with our sale when after a few days I lose another pound. i.e this morning I woke up and with a weight that would mean I have lost 18 pound total. I told Surfah I think the scale is off, and I still do. I never record a new weight into fitday until I have weighed that much for like a full week.

[Gidget]

Update: down a couple more pounds. Feeling good about that. Don't know if I wil hit my goal my Jun 27th (sister's weding day). I have 5 more pounds to lose by then, and they aren't coming off near as quick, considering I was a small person to begin with.

The working out isn't getting harder to do, but the diet is. Especially since my MIL (who is has a horrible diet, and eating habits) has been starting up baking again. I think she is tired of all our healthy meals and no snacking. There is a huge pan of homemade connamon rolls (the secret family recipe) dowstairs, and I can only justify eating them for breakfast since I have all day to work them off then.

I need to get back on track paying attention to my carb/fat/protein ratio. I have really forgotten about it and been paying so much attention to my calorie deficit and trying to eat intuitively that I have ended up eating WAY more carbs, and I mean WAY more than I need, and all but eliminated my protein intake. Someone type me up a post in support of all the great protein rich foods there are so I can feel re-energized about them. Thanks in advance.

If I can even lose 3 more pounds by jun 24th (the day we fly to utah) I would be happy. I need someone to tell me no to things like cinnamon rolls and free cake and ice cream from the neighbors.

On a better note: I have no more shin splints and I am feeling a lot more flexible evryday now. Teenage Dirtbag, your advice and frankness were welcomed and appreciated. It is just what I needed. I am running only 3 or 4times a week and I cut some runs down to 2 or 3 miles last week and feel a lot better. I am not nearly as stiff and sore when I get up after sitting or sleeping.

I think I won't worry about upping my mileage and frequency for another couple of weeks maybe even 3 or 4 weeks. I know I might hit a plateau with wieght, but having sore legs in heels really sucks, and I do feel like conditioning my body is better than losing 2 more pounds. For a total beginner I feel like I am doing great. I have been running now for about 6 or 7 weeks. That is all! And like I said I used to HATE running outside. I think I even posted that here in another thread. Now I love it. I wish I could do it everyday, though I now know pacing myself and my muscles is much more healthy for me. I only get in maybe 12 to 15 miles a week, and that is small change compared to everyone else here, but I am okay with that. I have never run in my life, (I never felt I had to, I was a size 4 until I had our minehune), but now I WANT to run. I have really fallen in love with it. And now seen that just becasue I was/am naturally thin doesn't mean I am in good shape or good health. I have lost almost 15 pounds and feel awesome.

[Pheidippides]

I have been running now for about 6 or 7 weeks. That is all! And like I said I used to HATE running outside. I think I even posted that here in another thread. Now I love it. I wish I could do it everyday, though I now know pacing myself and my muscles is much more healthy for me. I only get in maybe 12 to 15 miles a week, and that is small change compared to everyone else here, but I am okay with that. I have never run in my life, (I never felt I had to, I was a size 4 until I had our minehune), but now I WANT to run. I have really fallen in love with it. And now seen that just becasue I was/am naturally thin doesn't mean I am in good shape or good health. I have lost almost 15 pounds and feel awesome.

Good for you! I know exactly how you feel about running. When I started out it was torture to run a mile on a treadmill. Now my run is the highlight of my day. It is addictive and refreshing, and I was surprised at how fast my cardio improved.

[Teenage Dirtbag]

On a better note: I have no more shin splints and I am feeling a lot more flexible evryday now. Teenage Dirtbag, your advice and frankness were welcomed and appreciated. It is just what I needed. I am running only 3 or 4times a week and I cut some runs down to 2 or 3 miles last week and feel a lot better. I am not nearly as stiff and sore when I get up after sitting or sleeping.

You're welcome. I'm glad it helped. I think you're smart to stay where you're at mileage wise for just a bit. It is really tough on a body to lose weight and run a bunch of miles, not to mention having to chase a toddler around. It's just asking too much.
If you feel good, go ahead and go a mile further than you planned once in a while, and after a couple of weeks, start to add 1-2 miles a week. Just remember you have all the time in the world to build your endurance, there's no rush.

[Surfah]

I couldn't be more proud of my wife. She's beautiful. She's worked so hard and she is inspiring.

[Gidget]

Update: down 15 pounds from the start of my diet and 20 pounds from my heaviest.

But it is getting considerably more difficult to lose. And I get frustrated with the diet more often now. I am 2 or 3 pounds away from my goal, which I am supposed to hit by jun 24. I don't know, it is really getting difficult. Weird thing is though my weight loss has slowed I have dropped sizes quicker in the last few weeks. I can fit into some size 4's. I have no desire to get below a size 4. Really, I don't. But I can still visibly see a few pounds in the mid section and upper thighs that could go, but that is being really nit-picky. Though I would like to shed those pounds to reveal a more toned stomach. It looks flat with clothes on, and it is flat, but it is no where near being toned like I would love to see it. I think I will stick with the diet and workout regime until my goal date and then when we get back from UT I will re-evaluate. I just hope I don't gain a few pounds in the four days I am am there.

I am really starting to crave sugar. Cookies, pie . . . things I really don't care about regularly. But I am allowing myself these treats in only appropriate portions and when my calorie deficit allows me to. But man I want to eat more!!! But I'm trying to be good.

Still running 12 to 15 miles weekly, shin splints are back, so I am back to running only 3 times a week, which is closer to 12 miles. Tomorrow we are going hiking (really trail walking here in Virginia) at the Spotsylvania Courthouse Battlefield trails. I am looking forward to it.

[Babs]

Update: down 15 pounds from the start of my diet and 20 pounds from my heaviest.

But it is getting considerably more difficult to lose. And I get frustrated with the diet more often now. I am 2 or 3 pounds away from my goal, which I am supposed to hit by jun 24. I don't know, it is really getting difficult. Weird thing is though my weight loss has slowed I have dropped sizes quicker in the last few weeks. I can fit into some size 4's. I have no desire to get below a size 4. Really, I don't. But I can still visibly see a few pounds in the mid section and upper thighs that could go, but that is being really nit-picky. Though I would like to shed those pounds to reveal a more toned stomach. It looks flat with clothes on, and it is flat, but it is no where near being toned like I would love to see it. I think I will stick with the diet and workout regime until my goal date and then when we get back from UT I will re-evaluate. I just hope I don't gain a few pounds in the four days I am am there.

I am really starting to crave sugar. Cookies, pie . . . things I really don't care about regularly. But I am allowing myself these treats in only appropriate portions and when my calorie deficit allows me to. But man I want to eat more!!! But I'm trying to be good.

Still running 12 to 15 miles weekly, shin splints are back, so I am back to running only 3 times a week, which is closer to 12 miles. Tomorrow we are going hiking (really trail walking here in Virginia) at the Spotsylvania Courthouse Battlefield trails. I am looking forward to it.

Gidget, you're losing the forest for the trees, here. Don't get lost in the numbers.

It's clear from your description that the reason your weight isn't coming off is because you've switched to redistributing mass instead of eliminating mass. Unless you want to look like Twiggy, this is good. You're taking excess mass at the problem areas and converting it to muscle elsewhere. That's why you're continuing to see the results in the mirror and dressing room, but not on the scale.

This is why you're not at your goal. So now's the time to ask whether it's time to adjust the goal? Is it more important to you to meet your original goal weight? Or to keep up your new track of an all-around stronger fitter gidget? It may be that your ancillary goals of increased strength and stamina will keep you from having the numbers that you originally envisioned. So maybe you should base your progress on how you look or feel instead. Or if you like using a number, pick a different one, like your skirt size. That's a great indication of how far you've come, and everybody will be super impressed.

Also, keep in mind that you want your goal weight to be maintainable. If you have to kill yourself to drop the last three pounds, it might not be easy to keep it off.

As far as your comments about your abs:
Abs are difficult. you've got to get your body fat percentage way down, which for women who might become pregnant is not just super healthy (I don't know what y'all's family plans are, this is an aside). Plus, some of it's just plain genetics. There are some people who can wither away to nothing and still won't have the 4/6 pack they want, because their bodies choose that particular spot to store excess water.

Just focus on maintaining your loss, continuing to build lean muscle mass in your arms and legs and back, and do daily ab exercises. Even if your abs are never like the ones you see on the cover of "anorexic fitness today," you should still see an improvement.

congratulations on all your achievement. you'll really wow them at the wedding!

[beelzebabette]

I am really starting to crave sugar. Cookies, pie . . . things I really don't care about regularly. But I am allowing myself these treats in only appropriate portions and when my calorie deficit allows me to. But man I want to eat more!!! But I'm trying to be good.

You may already have thought of this, but have you tried substituting fruit for the sugary treats when you have that calorie deficit? It usually takes me about two weeks of completely cutting out sugar for the cravings to go away. Once those initial cravings are over, it gets a lot easier for me. In the meantime, I consume a fair bit of applesauce and peaches (separately).

[Gidget]

You may already have thought of this, but have you tried substituting fruit for the sugary treats when you have that calorie deficit? It usually takes me about two weeks of completely cutting out sugar for the cravings to go away. Once those initial cravings are over, it gets a lot easier for me. In the meantime, I consume a fair bit of applesauce and peaches (separately).

I should give 2 weeks without sugar a try. After two weeks of no soda I stopped craving it. It is so hard to rid sugar of my diet in this house though. My MIL in constantly making homemade goodies. A week ago homemade cinnamon rolls (2 doz), yesterday chocolate french silk pie and half is still sitting in the fridge. Sunday it will be some other dessert. If I was in my own house it wouldn't be an issue, cuz I don't make stuff like that, but it is hard to say no when it is around all the time. And does replacing it with fruit really work? I like fruit but I can't see it satisfying a sweet craving. I would want to put sugar on my peaches, caramel on my apples or honey on my pears. Is this just me?

[Gidget]

Gidget, you're losing the forest for the trees, here. Don't get lost in the numbers.

It's clear from your description that the reason your weight isn't coming off is because you've switched to redistributing mass instead of eliminating mass. Unless you want to look like Twiggy, this is good. You're taking excess mass at the problem areas and converting it to muscle elsewhere. That's why you're continuing to see the results in the mirror and dressing room, but not on the scale.

This is why you're not at your goal. So now's the time to ask whether it's time to adjust the goal? Is it more important to you to meet your original goal weight? Or to keep up your new track of an all-around stronger fitter gidget? It may be that your ancillary goals of increased strength and stamina will keep you from having the numbers that you originally envisioned. So maybe you should base your progress on how you look or feel instead. Or if you like using a number, pick a different one, like your skirt size. That's a great indication of how far you've come, and everybody will be super impressed.

Also, keep in mind that you want your goal weight to be maintainable. If you have to kill yourself to drop the last three pounds, it might not be easy to keep it off.

As far as your comments about your abs:
Abs are difficult. you've got to get your body fat percentage way down, which for women who might become pregnant is not just super healthy (I don't know what y'all's family plans are, this is an aside). Plus, some of it's just plain genetics. There are some people who can wither away to nothing and still won't have the 4/6 pack they want, because their bodies choose that particular spot to store excess water.

Just focus on maintaining your loss, continuing to build lean muscle mass in your arms and legs and back, and do daily ab exercises. Even if your abs are never like the ones you see on the cover of "anorexic fitness today," you should still see an improvement.

congratulations on all your achievement. you'll really wow them at the wedding!

I am not dying to lose the last few pounds. If I was I would be a lot more strict, so obviously it doesn't make a huge difference to me. And I am certainly more concerned about being fit Gidget, than about weighing 3 pounds less than I do now. I just wanted to reach this goal. It is my only weight loss goal, and the only one I planned on setting. And to be so close, and yet so far away just sucks. But it isn't killing me. I am proud of what I have done. I am still running at least a 1,000 calorie deficit everyday, so that can only mean progress as far as weight. And I feel A LOT better about my body. I have only been working out like this for 9 weeks. That isn't long enough to really know what is going to happen at all. If I can keep it up for longer and then maintain for some months, I think I will really be able to look back and see what I have done and all the progress I have made.

But these sweet homemade and baked goodies in the house are killing me. I can fit them into my caloric intake but I would love it if they just weren't there all the time. It is almost impossible to say no, can't anyone relate to that??? It is like the Holidays around here ALL year around.