# Can we talk about other weight loss efforts here?



## Sandie_Zitkus

I would like to be able to talk with others who are losing weight and to share my thoughts on what I am doing. Is that OK?? 

Sandie Z


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## Miss Vickie

(((((Sandie)))))

I can't speak for anyone else (but I try! *wink*) but I think you should be able to talk about whatever you like here. I'll do whatever I can to support your efforts to live a happier, more fulfilled life.


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## Theatrmuse/Kara

Sandie boo............I am sending you a email! Keep an eye out!
Hugs, Kara:shocked:


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## Tracyarts

I am pretty sure I have done it before and nobody particularly had an issue with it. Why not?

Tracy


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## Dibaby35

Go for it Sandie...i think we are all pretty easy going here


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## LoveBHMS

That also means accepting and embracing a size change that is on the downswing. To me, SA is all about encouraging others and yourself to be healthy and happy and satisfied with yourself, and do whatever it takes to get to the right weight for you.

This is why I get mad when thin people are derided for having eating disorders [sometimes, but not always] or why a desire to be thin is sometimes put off as being brainwashed by society. also, as much as we talk about societal pressure to be thin, you shouldn't feel "board societal pressure" to be fat if you don't want to be or if you feel your body wants to be smaller.

Is weight loss just something you're thinking about or are you taking action?


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## MoonGoddess

_Sandie, you must do what is needed to be healthy. Damn it girl...we want you around for some time to come. Do what you need to do. Those of us who truly care about you are backing you up 100%!_


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## love dubh

To mimic LovesBHMs, yes, it is imperative to your mental *and* physical health to get to a weight that *YOU* want to be at. Fuck society, from under whose rules you've excepted yourself by being heavier, and fuck those who tell you that you need to be *x* pounds to be accepted here or in any other aspect of the SA movement. It's NOT about some "community" or some "demographic", most of whom you'll never meet. It's like being American. Yes, you share citizenship with a certain amount of people. Should you be obliged to think like them, or feel kinship with them? No. No, not if it is detrimental to you, or goes against your way of thinking.

In this instance, be as "selfish" as you want. Because, really, it's your life and well-being that are on the line. So, seriously, you GO girls when it comes to doing what's right for your HEALTH and SANITY at this time.


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## LoveBHMS

And also, SA can be a dynamic thing, it's not like you have to pick one size and stick to it and be happy with it forever. There may have been a point in your life where you wanted to be bigger out of curiousity or having a FA partner or being turned on by being big and wanting to experience it or even just not worrying about your weight b/c you were focused on other things and it crept up. Maybe now you want to try being smaller, maybe you've had health concerns, maybe you've looked at thing people and thought "hey, i want to try that" or maybe you just want to be smaller for convenience sake.

Whatever the reasons, you can still be a part of the SA community at any size even if the size is changing or you want it to change. If you want to talk weight loss, talk about it or ask others what they have done or are doing.


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## rainyday

I've decided to host a chat in the private chat rooms to discuss this topic. Here's where you'll find more info: 
http://www.dimensionsmagazine.com/forums/showthread.php?p=246890


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## 1300 Class

I think the board should be renamed to a "health and body" board. Its more general, and might get more activity.


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## SamanthaNY

Nice idea, AL!


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## Denial

I'm currently trying to lose weight, not to be thin, but to be healthier. I've always been on SA and said to others that I am who I am, and I love myself even if I'm fat. Now I feel kinda like a traitor.
I still want to be big, but I can't be as big as I am now.


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## Webmaster

Denial said:


> I'm currently trying to lose weight, not to be thin, but to be healthier. I've always been on SA and said to others that I am who I am, and I love myself even if I'm fat. Now I feel kinda like a traitor.
> I still want to be big, but I can't be as big as I am now.



Don't feel like a traitor, by all means!!! Yes, Dimensions is size-positive and we celebrate the large figure and lifestyle, but that does NOT mean there are requirements. Quite obviously, Dimensions is not the place for fat people who hate themselves and see losing weight as their life's sole goal and purpose. But there is a huge difference between that and realizing there are limits to what one's body can reasonably handle and where things simply become unmanageable. I never felt that organized size acceptance's "Accept yourself no matter what" was a conclusive answer, nor a particularly good one. Some people are running out of reasonable options, and they need to get find answers that work for them. I should hope the goals are health and quality of life rather than fitting into a size whatever, but I know that mysery and pain can come in many ways. 

See, this is what I've been struggling with in respect to adding a health forum. I don't want for it to be just another diet forum; there are more than enough of those and each has plenty of cheerleaders. Rather, I want a place where people who totally get the concept of size acceptance can discuss their personal issues and what can be done about them in productive ways to address health matters, mobility, emotional impact and so on.


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## Wagimawr

Webmaster said:


> See, this is what I've been struggling with in respect to adding a health forum. I don't want for it to be just another diet forum; there are more than enough of those and each has plenty of cheerleaders. Rather, I want a place where people who totally get the concept of size acceptance can discuss their personal issues and what can be done about them in productive ways to address health matters, mobility, emotional impact and so on.


Then why not use some of the members who've called loudest for it as moderators? (SamanthaNY comes to mind.)


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## rainyday

Webmaster said:


> Rather, I want a place where people who totally get the concept of size acceptance can discuss their personal issues and what can be done about them in productive ways to address health matters, mobility, emotional impact and so on.


These are all things that have come up in the bi-weekly private room chats we've been having. One comment I've seen repeatedly is that the chatters--we're all women--are willing to share these things specifically because the chat is private (we also have a confidentiality agreement). It doesn't seem like the kind of dialog we've had would take place as readily in a public space. So, when you do make a health space here, there may be a need for at least a part of it to be somewhat private so posters feel safe sharing more intimate and emotional things.



webmaster said:


> Some people are running out of reasonable options, and they need to get find answers that work for them. I should hope the goals are health and quality of life rather than fitting into a size whatever. . . .


On a side note, it's been personally gratifying to me that in the chats this has been the outlook of almost every one of us. None of us seems to be attempting to become thin, just to find our bodies a still fat but more comfortable size to be. Traditional weight loss venues just don't get that mindset.


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## Miss Vickie

rainyday said:


> On a side note, it's been personally gratifying to me that in the chats this has been the outlook of almost every one of us. None of us seems to be attempting to become thin, just to find our bodies a still fat but more comfortable size to be. Traditional weight loss venues just don't get that mindset.



Agreed. And I've only been involved in a couple of the chats since I often work Friday nights, but I appreciate how we have such different experiences and approaches to health and/or weight management and yet we're very respectful of each other's journeys toward health.

It's a wonder to behold, and I believe it's a taste of what a health board could -- and should -- be.


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## missaf

Conrad and the moderators are dilligently discussing the Health Board. It's in the works, and will be coming to a forum near you as soon as the kinks are worked out.

Just an update


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## Miss Vickie

missaf said:


> Conrad and the moderators are dilligently discussing the Health Board. It's in the works, and will be coming to a forum near you as soon as the kinks are worked out.



But... but... but... what if we *like* kinks?

Oh, and thanks for the update.


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## TheSadeianLinguist

Sandie, sometimes part of being healthy means losing weight, and I think you have every right to talk about losing weight in a healthy way.


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## CuteyChubb

Anxiously awaiting the discussion....

Let me say I am gaining weight, on 5 new prescriptions and have no energy. Any advice on getting my mind on the right track so my body will follow will be apreciated.

Thanks for starting the thread Sandie.


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## William

Hi 

I have 2.75 mini semesters to go and I can get back to walking more which will and stablize my weight.

William




CuteyChubb said:


> Anxiously awaiting the discussion....
> 
> Let me say I am gaining weight, on 5 new prescriptions and have no energy. Any advice on getting my mind on the right track so my body will follow will be apreciated.
> 
> Thanks for starting the thread Sandie.


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## merseylass

I've just happened upon this thread and am interested to read about health issues relating to being fat. I have no desire to diet rigidly...my goodness, experience tells me that just is a waste of effort!!

What I would like to live by is the way a lot of people handle food....and I think this is the important distinction for me personally. I don't want to be controlled by food! I comfort eat and am also influenced by the power of suggestion (i.e. smell, appearance of food; tv commercials for tasty food etc.). I eat when I'm not hungry iyswim. I would like to be able to enjoy food without the guilt...without the urgency to secretly eat (and quickly) so I won't be discovered. Does anyone tally with what I'm saying?

I have never participated in chat on dimensions forum...the time difference between UK/USA might mean I won't be online at favourable times to the rest of you. It sure would be great to be able to talk about health/mobility/food issues with others. I hope it happens here....soon.

I'll be watching and waiting to see this up and running.....


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## SamanthaNY

If I'm not mistaken, the OP said (perhaps in another thread?) that she was not going to share details of her efforts with the board after all. So, those of you mentioning that you're waiting for a discussion to start would do just as well to start one yourselves, either here, or on another thread.


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## TheSadeianLinguist

SamanthaNY said:


> If I'm not mistaken, the OP said (perhaps in another thread?) that she was not going to share details of her efforts with the board after all. So, those of you mentioning that you're waiting for a discussion to start would do just as well to start one yourselves, either here, or on another thread.



Sam, weight, and controlling and owning it, is a very socio-political and psychological issue. It's awfully hard NOT to want support if your weight's causing you grief, even if you got pissed about something on the boards a few months ago and made some hyperbolic statement.

It's also incredibly hard to discuss for some people, especially if you have an eating disorder, whether it's COE, anorexia nervosa, orthorexia, whatever. Being HONEST about weight fluctuations and eating habits becomes terrifying. 

The tone of your post hit me as really snarky, and while sometimes I think snarkiness is warranted, it just isn't this time. If it was too hard for Sandie to really start discussing her lifestyle changes in depth, or she found out she's not ready to make them, that doesn't mean it should be implied people shouldn't still be interested in offering support.


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## SamanthaNY

Hold on just a darn minute - 

The ONLY point of my post (and the only thing I _said_) was that if people were waiting for Sandie to start a discussion (as mentioned here and here), she likely isn't going to - so they shouldn't wait to begin their own discussions. I SUPPORT people talking about these issues, and always have - which is why I made this post to begin with - to help those WAITING for a discussion to start.


There WAS no snark in my post. Your reply was completely uncalled for, and if you wanna attack me, do it in PM.


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## TheSadeianLinguist

It was more explanatory than an attack. Sometimes people change their minds. And people were having a discussion. Other than saying your post sounded snarky, I didn't say anything about you. I don't see a reason to "take it to PM" in some dramatic fashion.


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## SamanthaNY

I don't know what the hell it was, except that it was completely off-base in terms of my intentions or motivations. You don't know either.


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## TheSadeianLinguist

SamanthaNY said:


> I don't know what the hell it was, except that it was completely off-base in terms of my intentions or motivations. You don't know either.



At least you're maintaining your tact/dignity.


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## Wagimawr

The return of snark.

"would do just as well to" is a pretty snarky phrase - something like "Well, if you're waiting, YOU make a thread".


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## SamanthaNY

You've both found me out, then. I'm snarky, tactless, undignified. 

So good of you to try and save others from me.


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## Wagimawr

Not usually - you've made a great many posts with completely warranted snark and/or tactful brilliance.

In this case, though, you used language that could be misinterpreted as snark. I didn't see it as terribly snarky, but I see how others could see it that way.

Nobody's saving anybody from anyone, and that sort of statement is nothing but drama-stirring hyperbole. If you're having a bad day, that's fine, but don't take it out on the board.


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## TheSadeianLinguist

SamanthaNY said:


> You've both found me out, then. I'm snarky, tactless, undignified.
> 
> So good of you to try and save others from me.



Jesus Christ, Samantha. I LIKE a lot of your other posts. I just disagree with what you said and think what you said was kind of shitty. It's nothing personal. All ills forgiven on both sides, and an agreement to move on?


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## CuteyChubb

So as I said, I am gaining weight and not happy about it. I started seeing a new Dr. a month ago who started me back on my diabetes pills, a highblood pressure pill, a heart pill and an antidepressant. At first, I was very tired on these meds. Now, I can function but my energy level is low. I worry about the affect these drugs will have on my weight because I cannot afford to gain anymore. I'll go from CuteyChubb to UglySlug. Ha-lil joke there. Anyway, I am terrified of gaining and mobility problems. I have to start doing something. I just can't seem to get motivated.


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## TheSadeianLinguist

CuteyChubb said:


> So as I said, I am gaining weight and not happy about it. I started seeing a new Dr. a month ago who started me back on my diabetes pills, a highblood pressure pill, a heart pill and an antidepressant. At first, I was very tired on these meds. Now, I can function but my energy level is low. I worry about the affect these drugs will have on my weight because I cannot afford to gain anymore. I'll go from CuteyChubb to UglySlug. Ha-lil joke there. Anyway, I am terrified of gaining and mobility problems. I have to start doing something. I just can't seem to get motivated.



Question: I was taking anti-depressants some odd years ago, and found on Effexor-XR, my appetite was horrible. No urge to eat at all. While I think it was grossly inefficient for me, it might aid in relieving your depression symptoms while not triggering hunger. It did make me tired though. On Lexapro, I was less tired, had a slightly better appetite, but it did not cause weight gain. From what you're taking, it sounds like a lot of what you have may be water weight, and that can be helped by drinking normally. (About 36 oz. of fluid a day will do.)


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## Sandie_Zitkus

Susan Powter said:

"Motivation comes in the doing"

I find that to be very true.



CuteyChubb said:


> So as I said, I am gaining weight and not happy about it. I started seeing a new Dr. a month ago who started me back on my diabetes pills, a highblood pressure pill, a heart pill and an antidepressant. At first, I was very tired on these meds. Now, I can function but my energy level is low. I worry about the affect these drugs will have on my weight because I cannot afford to gain anymore. I'll go from CuteyChubb to UglySlug. Ha-lil joke there. Anyway, I am terrified of gaining and mobility problems. I have to start doing something. I just can't seem to get motivated.


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## Sandie_Zitkus

So people seem to want to know why I started this thread and didn't follow through. It's complicated. 

I have decided I give out too much information here at Dimensions and I need to pull back a bit on posting personal information. Why would I do that? People like to send me nasty PM's telling me I should keep some things to myself.

Losing weight is never easy. I wish it was. And it seems no matter what I do I do the wrong thing - in some peoples eyes. When I posted about seeing my Doctor and getting info from her about what I wanted to do I got PM's asking me what that info was. I could only tell them to see a Doctor of their own and I got nasty responses for that. 

So I decided posting about what I was doing and why I was doing it was too much information.

But I will say this. My weight issues are complex. I am seeing a therapist to help me unravel all this cap. I am an addictive personality - which makes it so much harder to lose weight. Do I think losing weight is the answer. No. I think unraveling all this complex and intense emotional issues I have wrapped around food is the answer. I'm just not sure how long it's gonna take me to get it all straight - if I ever can.

I hope that makes sense.


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## CuteyChubb

TheSadeianLinguist said:


> Question: I was taking anti-depressants some odd years ago, and found on Effexor-XR, my appetite was horrible. No urge to eat at all. While I think it was grossly inefficient for me, it might aid in relieving your depression symptoms while not triggering hunger. It did make me tired though. On Lexapro, I was less tired, had a slightly better appetite, but it did not cause weight gain. From what you're taking, it sounds like a lot of what you have may be water weight, and that can be helped by drinking normally. (About 36 oz. of fluid a day will do.)



The name of the antidepressant I'm on is fluoxetine which is generic prozac. I do think it is caused my appetite to decrease but the other meds may by countering that effect. I'm not used to being on meds at all. I do know that I've always been lazy, now I really don't have energy and it sucks. I'm just plumping up. I will start drinking more water though.


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## CuteyChubb

Thanks Sandie. I see now that you posted this thread then did another one after where you decided not to discuss. Sorry you got nasty PM's.


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## SamanthaNY

Cutey - I assume you've spoken to your doctor about your reactions to the medications. S/he should be working with you to make adjustments so you're more comfortable and not energy-sapped all day, so make sure to give feedback. Remember that your doctors work for _you_. 

In terms of motivations, I've gone through cycles where I have zero interest in eating healthy and getting exercise. Sometimes it's helped me to keep a journal - even if I'm not ready to improve my habits. The mechanism of writing everything down and keeping track of it seems to often facilitate the motivation I need. One site I really like is www.fitday.com. It offers functions for tracking what you eat, and the resulting caloric and nutritional info. It also tracks exercise and can compare calorie intake vs. output. It can spit out all sorts of fun reports too. (I hope I can give that website as a resource here - if not, and it gets deleted, then please PM me and I'll pass it along). While that site is technically for dieting, it doesn't have to be used exactly in that manner. For many of us - it's not about dieting (meaning - sudden and temporary intake changes), but about maintaining a lifestyle that's healthier. Personally, I know I can't do that without checking myself - via Fitday - periodically. I still haven't figured out how to *make *myself _want _to exercise regularly :doh:, but Fitday helps. 

Btw, Cutey - I believe you _are _motivated. I can see it in your postings here. Perhaps all you need are some tools and resources to help you, and the support of others - the last part you certainly have here. 

And Sandie - thanks for the post. It makes perfect sense. I'm sorry that people caused you to feel the need to become more private here, but I respect it, and hope that you'll share the results of your efforts, if not the methods. In any case though, I wish you - and all of us here - much success.


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## rainyday

CuteyChubb said:


> The name of the antidepressant I'm on is fluoxetine which is generic prozac.


About 100 lbs of what I'm carrying around today was packed one while I was on Prozac in the late 90's. As soon as I stopped taking it, the weight gain I'd been experiencing also stopped.

There are other antidepressants that aren't as prone to causing weight gain. If you google "weight gain" and "antidepressants" you should find lots of info. Here's one article I just found that discusses the weight gain effect (or non-effect) of several choices.

http://www.netnutritionist.com/fa12.htm

There's a lot more scholarly info out there though if you look.


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## CuteyChubb

Thanks for your help. The only way I can afford to take any meds is if it's off the $4.00 generic list at Wal-mart. That kind of limits me. The fluoxetine seems to really be working so I am aprehensive about giving it up. Maybe my body just needs to get used to all these new drugs and level off or something. 

Samantha, the comment you made about you thinking I am already motivated maybe true. My plan is to go to my neighborhood track and walk just one lap for starters. Once upon a time I used to walk 3 miles every day=12 laps. Don't know when but soon.


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## tinkerbell

Cuteychubb - what time are you taking the antidepressants? I had taken both effexor xr and paxil (not at the same time ) and noticed that they both had made me really tired - I would take my pill in the morning. I started taking them at night, and my energy really went up. Maybe try changing the time of day that you take it (if you can - check with your Dr first)

While I was taking Effexor I too had a loss of appetite and lost weight too. But it was raising my blood pressure, so he switched me to Paxil. I'm no longer taking either one of them, but my Dr had said that Paxil can cause you to gain weight. 

Anyway, I'd also like to talk about loosing weight - I've just been struggling and cant seem to get motivated. I really need to start exercising, but cant seem to 'make' myself do it.


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## CuteyChubb

Tinkerbell, I take the antidepressant in the A.M. b/c that's what the instructions say to do. I could ask the Dr. if it would be ok to take it at night. I am feeling a little more energy everyday which makes me think maybe my body is adjusting.


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## fatkid420

I lost 200+ pounds since March or so of this year. Its really not hard, dont eat so much and excersize more. I didnt do anything other then that. I can tell you I like being a large guy, but I also like to be mobile. At 450 pounds I wasnt, it started to effect my general well being of everyday life. Now that I took the weight off I am maintaing at 240 and eating normally again. I am all for what ever makes people happy. Every moment is a gift, do not waste them on negativity.


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## moonvine

fatkid420 said:


> I lost 200+ pounds since March or so of this year. Its really not hard, dont eat so much and excersize more.



Oh my God! Eat less and exercise more. I can't imagine why, in my 40 years on this earth, no one has EVER mentioned that to me. Man, what a great relevation! Has anyone else ever heard this? I bet not, or there would be no fat people anywhere!


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## DeniseW

Losing weight is one of the hardest things I've ever had to do in my life but after being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, I realize the time had come and I no longer had a "choice". It's taken me a long time but I've lost about 130 pounds. I still have my bad days when I want to eat everything in sight, I don't know if there will ever come a time when food is not an issue with me or I will be able to easily pass up things that I love but I try every day. Right now I am doing the weight watchers core program because that seems to be easist to do in every day life. I also walk and when I lose a bit more will join Curves to add some diversity to my exercise program. I still have to give myself a pep talk to get myself out the door, I haven't yet become addicted to it. ....lol. My biggest fear in life was becoming immobile and as I got older, the fear intensified. Every day is a struggle and I imagine it will be for the rest of my life but I'm taking one day at a time. I'd love to talk to others that are trying to lose some weight even if it's just to compare notes or offer each other support.


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## William

Hi Denise 

Thanks for you sharing 

One of the things I do not like about Fat Acceptance is the attitude toward weight lose. If want to try to stay under 300 lbs then that is part of my "fat" life, I have no fantasies of being under the mid 200s again 

William



DeniseW said:


> Losing weight is one of the hardest things I've ever had to do in my life but after being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, I realize the time had come and I no longer had a "choice". It's taken me a long time but I've lost about 130 pounds. I still have my bad days when I want to eat everything in sight, I don't know if there will ever come a time when food is not an issue with me or I will be able to easily pass up things that I love but I try every day. Right now I am doing the weight watchers core program because that seems to be easist to do in every day life. I also walk and when I lose a bit more will join Curves to add some diversity to my exercise program. I still have to give myself a pep talk to get myself out the door, I haven't yet become addicted to it. ....lol. My biggest fear in life was becoming immobile and as I got older, the fear intensified. Every day is a struggle and I imagine it will be for the rest of my life but I'm taking one day at a time. I'd love to talk to others that are trying to lose some weight even if it's just to compare notes or offer each other support.


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## Michelle

fatkid420 said:


> I lost 200+ pounds since March or so of this year. Its really not hard, dont eat so much and excersize more. I didnt do anything other then that. I can tell you I like being a large guy, but I also like to be mobile. At 450 pounds I wasnt, it started to effect my general well being of everyday life. Now that I took the weight off I am maintaing at 240 and eating normally again. I am all for what ever makes people happy. Every moment is a gift, do not waste them on negativity.


 
I'm confused by this post. You started dieting in March at 450 and have maintained at 240? You need about three months to say you've maintained which would equate to you losing a total of 210 in six months. That's 35 pounds a month. That's losing at a rate of a WLS patient or more. What sort of diet and exercise program were you following?


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## TheSadeianLinguist

moonvine said:


> Oh my God! Eat less and exercise more. I can't imagine why, in my 40 years on this earth, no one has EVER mentioned that to me. Man, what a great relevation! Has anyone else ever heard this? I bet not, or there would be no fat people anywhere!



No. I've been butter fasting (like a juice fast, but with butter) the past few months. Eat less/exercise more? Never heard of it.


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## Wagimawr

Michelle said:


> I'm confused by this post. You started dieting in March at 450 and have maintained at 240? You need about three months to say you've maintained which would equate to you losing a total of 210 in six months. That's 35 pounds a month. That's losing at a rate of a WLS patient or more. What sort of diet and exercise program were you following?


http://www.dimensionsmagazine.com/forums/showpost.php?p=218086&postcount=8


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## TheSadeianLinguist

Not to shitstart (but to shitstart), if you ate 500 calories everyday since March, the average person would die from:

1) Malnutrition

2) Kidney failure

When I weighed 87 lbs. at 5' 4", I was eating more than 500 calories a day. 

Why am I bothering to write this, fatkid420?

I don't fucking like people who lie and give advice to others that could KILL them. The sort of lies you're writing is what could convince someone who is so desparate to lose weight that they'd ignore the obvious dangers and end up dead. 

What you're writing is no better than what these stupid "pro ana" chicks write on other sites: Eat cotton instead of food! Cram an inanimate object down your throat to throw up! Anyone who actually DOES behavior like self-starvation knows that it's grossly ineffective and dangerous. 

Oh yeah, and "maintaining" weight loss means doing it for more than a couple weeks. 

Note to everyone thinking about crash dieting:

Yes, starvation is an easy way to lose weight.

Yes, fasting is the quickest way to lose weight.

However, the second you start eating at anything, lettuce, chicken breast, etc., you will gain weight. Think you're "overweight" now? Think about doubling your weight. Look around at recovered anorectics. Notice something? A good number are fat. 

Starving FUCKS your metabolism. Don't believe me? My weight's doubled before. To regain mobility, whether that causes weight loss, just eat 1500 or so calories a day and exercise for 30 minutes four days a week, in five or ten minutes spurts if you have to. Your general shape is what it is. Losing weight for mobility is a good goal. Overcoming COE is a great goal. Following some starvation diet is stupid.


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## fatkid420

TheSadeianLinguist said:


> Not to shitstart (but to shitstart), if you ate 500 calories everyday since March, the average person would die from:
> 
> 1) Malnutrition
> 
> 2) Kidney failure
> 
> When I weighed 87 lbs. at 5' 4", I was eating more than 500 calories a day.
> 
> Why am I bothering to write this, fatkid420?
> 
> I don't fucking like people who lie and give advice to others that could KILL them. The sort of lies you're writing is what could convince someone who is so desparate to lose weight that they'd ignore the obvious dangers and end up dead.
> 
> What you're writing is no better than what these stupid "pro ana" chicks write on other sites: Eat cotton instead of food! Cram an inanimate object down your throat to throw up! Anyone who actually DOES behavior like self-starvation knows that it's grossly ineffective and dangerous.
> 
> Oh yeah, and "maintaining" weight loss means doing it for more than a couple weeks.
> 
> Note to everyone thinking about crash dieting:
> 
> Yes, starvation is an easy way to lose weight.
> 
> Yes, fasting is the quickest way to lose weight.
> 
> However, the second you start eating at anything, lettuce, chicken breast, etc., you will gain weight. Think you're "overweight" now? Think about doubling your weight. Look around at recovered anorectics. Notice something? A good number are fat.
> 
> Starving FUCKS your metabolism. Don't believe me? My weight's doubled before. To regain mobility, whether that causes weight loss, just eat 1500 or so calories a day and exercise for 30 minutes four days a week, in five or ten minutes spurts if you have to. Your general shape is what it is. Losing weight for mobility is a good goal. Overcoming COE is a great goal. Following some starvation diet is stupid.




Your right it was all a lie made up to try and kill everyone who reads this website lol. My photos of progression were all digitally doctored and I am really now 500 pounds and immobile. :doh:   

I just posted what I did, feel free to ask anyone in my family who lived with me during the period I lost my weight. Im sure a normal person would die from my diet, but a 400 pound person is hardly normal, we have fat to burn up for energy. 

As far as my weight being out of control and going heywire its rather under control, today I had two taco's and a soft serve ice cream oh and my vitamin's. I still weigh 244 lol.

Now my next step is to wait another 4 months and have surgery to remove the excess skin. I have been increasing my weight workouts to build muscle in my arms and chest befor I go in for surgery.

You can doubt me all you want and call me a liar, it really doesnt bother me. Anyone who knows me in person or in more depth them my posts on this board knows my progress and my reality. It is far from the picture you try to paint for me here. I have never once ate cotton or anything other then healthy foods, I never forced myself to throw up or go hungry, my body didnt want to eat anymore so I stopped feeding it. I learned to embrace the way of the muslims when it comes to our stomach and hunger. Our stomach is there to serve us, we are not here to serve our stomach.


----------



## Tina

Fatkid, I won't doubt you, and I won't call you a liar, but I will tell you that if you want to talk about and promote this, repeatedly, as almost all you ever talk about here, your username will be decommissioned, if you know what I mean.

This board was not put here for the purpose for which you are using it. Consider this your first and last warning.


----------



## fatkid420

Tina said:


> Fatkid, I won't doubt you, and I won't call you a liar, but I will tell you that if you want to talk about and promote this, repeatedly, as almost all you ever talk about here, your username will be decommissioned, if you know what I mean.
> 
> This board was not put here for the purpose for which you are using it. Consider this your first and last warning.



I came to this board back whenever it was I decided to start posting as a place for support and encouragement. I don't promote what I do nor do I ever tell anyone else to do what I did. I simply put it out there as a choice and another angle for anyone who might be in a similar situation to the one I was in. Feel free to read my back posts, they are hardly aimed at anything other then myself. I guess im not allowed to speak about my life experiences or struggles with weight that everyone on this board can relate to. Sorry I speak of something other then what is deemed to be the correct or best corse of action. You don't have to ban me, I will save you the time and energy it takes to do so by voluntarily stoping coming to this sight. It seems I have overstayed my welcome.


----------



## Tina

I would say you have if this is an example of the kinds of things you intend to post. I _have_ read your other posts, and not only do they read as a sort of promotion to me, but your methods are unhealthy as hell, and should not be out there for an example for _any_one to follow. I believe your posts are an example of just _one_ of the kinds of things that was never intended to be here.


----------



## fatkid420

Tina said:


> I would say you have if this is an example of the kinds of things you intend to post. I _have_ read your other posts, and not only do they read as a sort of promotion to me, but your methods are unhealthy as hell, and should not be out there for an example for _any_one to follow. I believe your posts are an example of just _one_ of the kinds of things that was never intended to be here.



I don't intend to post anything other then my life experiences. I can tell you I am healthy as an Ox, tho im sure you will find faults in whatever evidence I bother to post. The reality you paint for me is quite different then the one I live. 

You can make a general statement like, "what you did is unhealthy" and I will only respond by saying it worked for me (truth).

The reality is that everyone is different, bodies, metabolisims, excersize routines, ect everything you do to your self is going to effect the end result. I just min/maxed things to burn calories at a faster rate then someone who doesn't. Kinda like how I use Endothil when I work out.


----------



## SamanthaNY

She just told you not to do it. 



> I just min/maxed things to burn calories at a faster rate then someone who doesn't. Kinda like how I use Endothil when I work out.



You're doing it again.


----------



## fatkid420

SamanthaNY said:


> She just told you not to do it.
> 
> 
> 
> You're doing it again.



Responding to a post to further explane myself is hardly encouraging what I do, lol


----------



## Miss Vickie

Fatkid, I thought you were so proud of yourself that you lost weight "all by yourself". Using a performance enhancing steroid like compound is hardly going it alone, wouldn't you agree?


----------



## TheSadeianLinguist

Okay, come on. You're not that thin. I have a good idea what 6' 2" and 250 looks like, and I'm not buying it. You're talking to someone weight-obsessed. That aside...

I don't know your family, so let's not be stupid, okay? 400 lb. people have the same nutritional needs as anyone else. ANYONE can die from malnutrition. ANYONE can die from kidney failure. "Fat to burn" will not save anyone from the ill effects of starvation. Most people who die from starvation still have body fat on them.

I could go on about this, but what's the point?



fatkid420 said:


> Your right it was all a lie made up to try and kill everyone who reads this website lol. My photos of progression were all digitally doctored and I am really now 500 pounds and immobile. :doh:
> 
> I just posted what I did, feel free to ask anyone in my family who lived with me during the period I lost my weight. Im sure a normal person would die from my diet, but a 400 pound person is hardly normal, we have fat to burn up for energy.
> 
> As far as my weight being out of control and going heywire its rather under control, today I had two taco's and a soft serve ice cream oh and my vitamin's. I still weigh 244 lol.
> 
> Now my next step is to wait another 4 months and have surgery to remove the excess skin. I have been increasing my weight workouts to build muscle in my arms and chest befor I go in for surgery.
> 
> You can doubt me all you want and call me a liar, it really doesnt bother me. Anyone who knows me in person or in more depth them my posts on this board knows my progress and my reality. It is far from the picture you try to paint for me here. I have never once ate cotton or anything other then healthy foods, I never forced myself to throw up or go hungry, my body didnt want to eat anymore so I stopped feeding it. I learned to embrace the way of the muslims when it comes to our stomach and hunger. Our stomach is there to serve us, we are not here to serve our stomach.


----------



## fatkid420

Miss Vickie said:


> Fatkid, I thought you were so proud of yourself that you lost weight "all by yourself". Using a performance enhancing steroid like compound is hardly going it alone, wouldn't you agree?



I didn't start taking this product until recently when it was recommended to me by a friend of mine. It is simply an extract from a cactus. Read up on it, wonderful stuff. Does nothing for weight loss


----------



## fatkid420

TheSadeianLinguist said:


> Okay, come on. You're not that thin. I have a good idea what 6' 2" and 250 looks like, and I'm not buying it. You're talking to someone weight-obsessed. That aside...
> 
> I don't know your family, so let's not be stupid, okay? 400 lb. people have the same nutritional needs as anyone else. ANYONE can die from malnutrition. ANYONE can die from kidney failure. "Fat to burn" will not save anyone from the ill effects of starvation. Most people who die from starvation still have body fat on them.
> 
> I could go on about this, but what's the point?



lol your right im not that thin lol, you have me figured out, is that why im buying pants that are 42 waist? I guess the doctor I saw at kiser hospital musta been lieing when he weight me and it read 248, lol. :doh: 

We really should meet sometime for lunch or something, you are supposedly in california you can meet me in person and see for yourself


----------



## Tina

You want to talk about this grossly unhealthy dieting, do it on your MySpace page, not here.


----------



## Miss Vickie

fatkid420 said:


> I didn't start taking this product until recently when it was recommended to me by a friend of mine. It is simply an extract from a cactus. Read up on it, wonderful stuff. Does nothing for weight loss



I did read up on it and it increases lean muscle mass so it DOES cause fat loss. Learn biology, kiddo. Then maybe you'll make healthier decisions for your body.

Edited to add for clarification that just because something is natural doesn't mean it's safe. Belladonna? Natural. And can kill you. Anything in the wrong concentration (particularly if you're taking enough of it to have a pharmaceutical effect -- which is what you're doing) can cause harm, even the most natural substances on the planet. So the fact that it's natural holds no sway with me, because I've studied herbal medicines for 18 years and I know what they can and can't do and how much harm they can cause. In general, they are safer than man-made drugs but that doesn't make them safe.

Does that make sense?


----------



## TheSadeianLinguist

Wrong again, Miss Vickie. Arsenic is a naturally occurring substance and it's totally safe. 



Miss Vickie said:


> I did read up on it and it increases lean muscle mass so it DOES cause fat loss. Learn biology, kiddo. Then maybe you'll make healthier decisions for your body.
> 
> Edited to add for clarification that just because something is natural doesn't mean it's safe. Belladonna? Natural. And can kill you. Anything in the wrong concentration (particularly if you're taking enough of it to have a pharmaceutical effect -- which is what you're doing) can cause harm, even the most natural substances on the planet. So the fact that it's natural holds no sway with me, because I've studied herbal medicines for 18 years and I know what they can and can't do and how much harm they can cause. In general, they are safer than man-made drugs but that doesn't make them safe.
> 
> Does that make sense?


----------



## Sandie_Zitkus

TheSadeianLinguist said:


> Wrong again, Miss Vickie. Arsenic is a naturally occurring substance and it's totally safe.



In small untracable doses.


----------



## Miss Vickie

Sandie_Zitkus said:


> In small untracable doses.



On powdered doughnuts (anyone else get creeped out by Flowers in the Attic when they were a kid?)


----------



## Sandie_Zitkus

OMG - I was!! What a horrible horrible way to try to kill someone. 




Miss Vickie said:


> On powdered doughnuts (anyone else get creeped out by Flowers in the Attic when they were a kid?)


----------



## SleepyNow

Since someone mentioned fitday.com I thought I'd mention sparkspeople.com which is a great site with nutrition tracking. (I used it to make sure I'm getting enough calcium, and potassium, although it does calories and other nutrients as well.)

They also have great recipes and health and fitness articles.


----------



## MLadyJ

Sandie_Zitkus said:


> OMG - I was!! What a horrible horrible way to try to kill someone.



EEEWWW..I heartily agree..it put me off powdered sugar doughnuts for..well at least a week or 2.

P.S. Congrats on tryiung to do something healthy for yourself. I am contemplating weight issues also.


----------



## HottiMegan

Is anyone trying the Eat to Live lifestyle? I am on day 4 and going through serious sugar withdrawals.. http://www.drfuhrman.com/ I'm doing it to shed a few pounds to get pregnant and to help my hubby get healthier (he has high bp). It's a strict, tough diet but he claims as soon as you get over the addiction to processed food you will do better. I'm still not eating enough.. the goal is 1lb of raw veggies a day and 1lb of cooked veggies a day + at least 4 fruits a day. I am about half of all that but am not hungry at all. My brain says it needs mac n cheese though  My brother and his family is doing this lifestyle and they are hardly ever sick and have all gotten really fit and healthy.. i'm jealous so i thought i'd give it a shot. I dont want to be skinny but i want to be healthy so it's a choice for a longer life.


----------



## TheSadeianLinguist

That's terrific, Megan. For a brief period in my life I was eating only natural and organic goods, and I felt very clean and healthy.

I think some people are just damned to be fat or thin. We CHOOSE to be healthy though, and sometimes that means losing or gaining weight if it's gotten "out of control" (tm).

P.S. Sprouts and shredded carrot is good on top of almost anything.


----------



## LoveBHMS

You and your husband should be really proud of yourselves for focusing on your health this way. And this looks like a great "life plan" [never say diet!!!] based on sound nutrional advice and conventional wisdom.

I've read several places that it takes about 21 days for new habits to "take" or become ingrained, and after that, you are just accustomed to eating that way. Not that you won't have an occaisional treat, but once you are accustomed to feeding your bodies *real food* and not processed junk, it will become your preference. I'm not saying you'll start craving carrots, but your body will come to think that mac and cheese is just not what it wants, and your mind will probably follow. You'll get to where you think "Do I really want to put that junk into a body that I've been taking such good care of?"

Are you two exercising as well?


----------



## HottiMegan

TheSadeianLinguist said:


> That's terrific, Megan. For a brief period in my life I was eating only natural and organic goods, and I felt very clean and healthy.
> 
> I think some people are just damned to be fat or thin. We CHOOSE to be healthy though, and sometimes that means losing or gaining weight if it's gotten "out of control" (tm).
> 
> P.S. Sprouts and shredded carrot is good on top of almost anything.



I am not going organic as i cannot afford it. One thing about where i live that is nice, i live in the farm belt of California so i can find lots of fresh home grown produce at various farms within 20 minutes of my house. Summer's going to be really fun with this diet since the variety of herbs, fruit and veggies grows so much.

My pediatrician said the same thing about people being destined to be fat or thin. I loved that when she told me that I am just not meant to be thin (since i never have been thin, at least after age 6 or 7) I would love to drop enough weight to be a 22/24 or so.. right now i'm a 28-34 (depending on who makes it)


----------



## HottiMegan

LoveBHMS said:


> You and your husband should be really proud of yourselves for focusing on your health this way. And this looks like a great "life plan" [never say diet!!!] based on sound nutrional advice and conventional wisdom.
> 
> I've read several places that it takes about 21 days for new habits to "take" or become ingrained, and after that, you are just accustomed to eating that way. Not that you won't have an occaisional treat, but once you are accustomed to feeding your bodies *real food* and not processed junk, it will become your preference. I'm not saying you'll start craving carrots, but your body will come to think that mac and cheese is just not what it wants, and your mind will probably follow. You'll get to where you think "Do I really want to put that junk into a body that I've been taking such good care of?"
> 
> Are you two exercising as well?



Exercise isn't happening at the moment but it is going to happen as soon as I'm well again. I'm recovering from a kidney and bladder infection. So once the pain and fatigue is gone, I'm going to do walks after i send my son off to school on the bus in the morning. My husband and I have a goal to be able to do a strenuous 7 mile hike to see Feather Falls by the spring. We also have the second largest municipal park in our town that has great hiking. So we have plans for that. I have a bike that i'll start riding in a month or two (when the rains stop). For now, when I'm better, i'm going to walk around the neighborhood in the mornings. If i can keep up the exercise I'll probably join a gym in 4-5 months. I want to make sure i'll keep everything up before i put such a monetary investment into it. 

I have already started to transition to enjoying the healthy food. I am noticing when there's too much salt in something (trying to cut as much salt as possible too) So my taste buds are changing. After the cleansing part of the diet we can have 10% of the crap we'd like to eat. So we're going to go out to dinner twice a month or have a treat twice a month. We're hoping not to crave pizza and burritos after the cleansing though. I am getting more acclimated to eating salad for lunch and veggies for dinner. I don't miss having spaghetti or pasta as much and it's only day 5  I do have to make sure i eat enough, i had a low blood sugar yesterday. I only had a bowl of fruit at that point and went out running errands so it was my bad not eating enough 

so far i lost 2lbs.. i haven't weighed in today.


----------



## Jeannie

HottiMegan said:


> Exercise isn't happening at the moment but it is going to happen as soon as I'm well again. I'm recovering from a kidney and bladder infection. So once the pain and fatigue is gone, I'm going to do walks after i send my son off to school on the bus in the morning. My husband and I have a goal to be able to do a strenuous 7 mile hike to see Feather Falls by the spring. We also have the second largest municipal park in our town that has great hiking. So we have plans for that. I have a bike that i'll start riding in a month or two (when the rains stop). For now, when I'm better, i'm going to walk around the neighborhood in the mornings. If i can keep up the exercise I'll probably join a gym in 4-5 months. I want to make sure i'll keep everything up before i put such a monetary investment into it.
> 
> I have already started to transition to enjoying the healthy food. I am noticing when there's too much salt in something (trying to cut as much salt as possible too) So my taste buds are changing. After the cleansing part of the diet we can have 10% of the crap we'd like to eat. So we're going to go out to dinner twice a month or have a treat twice a month. We're hoping not to crave pizza and burritos after the cleansing though. I am getting more acclimated to eating salad for lunch and veggies for dinner. I don't miss having spaghetti or pasta as much and it's only day 5  I do have to make sure i eat enough, i had a low blood sugar yesterday. I only had a bowl of fruit at that point and went out running errands so it was my bad not eating enough
> 
> so far i lost 2lbs.. i haven't weighed in today.



Make sure you're eating at least a cup of beans a day! It really helps in sticking with the ETL plan. I've done ETL and had great success. It's exciting for me to see people starting the Eat to Live plan! It's an extremely healthy way to eat/live. It isn't easy, especially if you have standard american diet eaters living with you, even harder when you're their cook, but it is possible. I'm a compulsive overeater and that is one reason why ETL works for me. I cannot eat everything that is recommended in a day. It is a huge amount of food. Unfortunately it isn't a huge amount of potatoes, bread, pasta, cheese, cake and pies! Those are the foods compulsive food addicts tend to gavitate towards right? Very few people I've heard of get stressed, or depressed, hormonal or whatever triggers the compulsion to overeat and says mmmmmmm salad! (Especially if that salad can have *zero *fat/sugar in the dressing _and_ you eat it day after day!) And that is where the food plan fails me. BUT, Eat to Live *will *help you control the everyday cravings for carbs. If you stick to the plan you will not want them, _until you have them_. :doh: That is why you have such a great opportunity for it to work for you. My family refuses to _only_ have Eat to Live foods in the house. Since you have the support you do, you will have a great chance at being able to stick to such a strict eating plan. When I needed to eat for comfort, off-limit foods were available in my frig and pantry. The first 3 months I was able to just take a bite here and there but after 3 months doing ETL, I lost the ability to do that and started eating carbs in a enough quanity that I fell off the plan. One thing that is really great though, if you do manage to eat according to plan long enough to lose even 10% of your body weight, you will feel so *GOOD*. I never felt better in my life on ETL. Why I choose to eat crap and feel like crap is the big mystery of life. I know how good I can feel and how much energy I have on ETL. It will knock your socks off. This is where the emotional complusivity comes into play. The loaf of french bread and butter is comforting while eating it and then makes me feel like crap afterwards. ETL never makes you feel like crap (except maybe the first week for some people). If I had the answer to what drives me to eat unhealthy foods compulsively and _feel_ bad, when I have seen and felt for myself the difference eating the ETL way, then I guess I would be able solve a lot of my problems.

At any rate, I'm all for people living in the healthiest way they can, therefore, I'm a firm believer in Eat to Live. It is the healthiest and most effective way to lose weight I have ever come across. If you can live the rest of your life eating like that, then that's awesome! Even if you can't, whatever you can do will benefit you in some way. I'm not on the plan now and haven't been for a long time but I have been able to maintain my loss by just being aware of eating the ETL way and getting as close to it as I can manage. I would really love to get committed to doing it again, but haven't been able to make the psychologal leap it takes for me. Right now I'm exercising (breaking a good sweat) 30-60 minutes a day and I'm loving it. I'm still having some food issues though and quite possibly always will. But I know at least I'm doing something to improve my state of being and that reflects in all areas of my life. 

By the way, most people reading this post won't really know who I am. I've been around Dim for nine or ten yrs. mostly on the BHM boards. I have not been a participant for over a yr though so if you don't know who the hell I am, please don't think I'm just some troll telling fat people to go on a diet and exercise more! I know first hand what a crock of shit that is for the masses. Weight and dealing with more than you want to carry on your frame is way more complicated than that. I'm a BBW _(and_ FA) for life, BUT I hate feeling like a slug physically and mentally and at over 300 pounds, that is how I was feeling. I had no energy and lived in a mental fog (carb coma).

I was going to make this brief  and haven't proofed it because the bank is closing SOON so I must run (I hope it isn't too full of typos!). I could talk about ETL with you all day so please feel free to ask me any questions, or get recipe ideas or whatever is on your mind. PM me if you'd like. I wish you much success.  And of course *everyone *else too! :wubu:


----------



## rainyday

HottiMegan said:


> I am not going organic as i cannot afford it.



A company here buys organic produce (as much of it local as possible) and delivers boxes of it weekly at prices lower than organic produce in stores. The box size I get every other week is $30, and I estimate it would cost me $40-$45 to buy the same items at the store. It's great quality too. Maybe there's a similar kind of enterprise near you?

Also, Safeway stores have changed their business plan to stock a huge variety of organic goods at prices competitive with non-organic goods. All the items I've tried so far have been good quality, especially their refrigerated soy milk.


----------



## Green Eyed Fairy

Miss Vickie said:


> On powdered doughnuts (anyone else get creeped out by Flowers in the Attic when they were a kid?)




Lol- yeah I remember that- didn't creep me out though
Just gave me an addiction to V.C. Andrews novels.....


----------



## LoveBHMS

Planning to train for a beautiful strenuous hike sounds like a lot of fun, and it's wonderful that your husband is doing it with you.

I belong to a gym and I find one of the benefits is that it offers tons of variety to make sure I don't get bored, and it's also weatherproof! I try to do a different thing every day, usually combinations of different cardio programs. I love having all the different machines and things available like that so i'm not limited to just what I can do on my own.


----------



## tinkerbell

Thats great Megan! It sounds like you and your husband have a great plan to get to your goals! Good Luck!!

I've been doing better than I thought I would. I've actually started exercising this week. I also went grocery shopping and did not buy ANY junk food, but that was also because I didnt have the extra $$ anyway to spend on junk - so it kind of worked out. 

I dont really have any set goals right now - but I do eventually just want to fit in some of my favorite clothes, most of which are a size 16. I'm currently around a size 22/24. I also just want to be more active and not be soo tired all the time.


----------



## HottiMegan

Jeannie said:


> Make sure you're eating at least a cup of beans a day! It really helps in sticking with the ETL plan. I've done ETL and had great success. It's exciting for me to see people starting the Eat to Live plan! It's an extremely healthy way to eat/live. It isn't easy, especially if you have standard american diet eaters living with you, even harder when you're their cook, but it is possible. I'm a compulsive overeater and that is one reason why ETL works for me. I cannot eat everything that is recommended in a day. It is a huge amount of food. Unfortunately it isn't a huge amount of potatoes, bread, pasta, cheese, cake and pies! Those are the foods compulsive food addicts tend to gavitate towards right? Very few people I've heard of get stressed, or depressed, hormonal or whatever triggers the compulsion to overeat and says mmmmmmm salad! (Especially if that salad can have *zero *fat/sugar in the dressing _and_ you eat it day after day!) And that is where the food plan fails me. BUT, Eat to Live *will *help you control the everyday cravings for carbs. If you stick to the plan you will not want them, _until you have them_. :doh: That is why you have such a great opportunity for it to work for you. My family refuses to _only_ have Eat to Live foods in the house. Since you have the support you do, you will have a great chance at being able to stick to such a strict eating plan. When I needed to eat for comfort, off-limit foods were available in my frig and pantry. The first 3 months I was able to just take a bite here and there but after 3 months doing ETL, I lost the ability to do that and started eating carbs in a enough quanity that I fell off the plan. One thing that is really great though, if you do manage to eat according to plan long enough to lose even 10% of your body weight, you will feel so *GOOD*. I never felt better in my life on ETL. Why I choose to eat crap and feel like crap is the big mystery of life. I know how good I can feel and how much energy I have on ETL. It will knock your socks off. This is where the emotional complusivity comes into play. The loaf of french bread and butter is comforting while eating it and then makes me feel like crap afterwards. ETL never makes you feel like crap (except maybe the first week for some people). If I had the answer to what drives me to eat unhealthy foods compulsively and _feel_ bad, when I have seen and felt for myself the difference eating the ETL way, then I guess I would be able solve a lot of my problems.
> 
> At any rate, I'm all for people living in the healthiest way they can, therefore, I'm a firm believer in Eat to Live. It is the healthiest and most effective way to lose weight I have ever come across. If you can live the rest of your life eating like that, then that's awesome! Even if you can't, whatever you can do will benefit you in some way. I'm not on the plan now and haven't been for a long time but I have been able to maintain my loss by just being aware of eating the ETL way and getting as close to it as I can manage. I would really love to get committed to doing it again, but haven't been able to make the psychologal leap it takes for me. Right now I'm exercising (breaking a good sweat) 30-60 minutes a day and I'm loving it. I'm still having some food issues though and quite possibly always will. But I know at least I'm doing something to improve my state of being and that reflects in all areas of my life.
> 
> By the way, most people reading this post won't really know who I am. I've been around Dim for nine or ten yrs. mostly on the BHM boards. I have not been a participant for over a yr though so if you don't know who the hell I am, please don't think I'm just some troll telling fat people to go on a diet and exercise more! I know first hand what a crock of shit that is for the masses. Weight and dealing with more than you want to carry on your frame is way more complicated than that. I'm a BBW _(and_ FA) for life, BUT I hate feeling like a slug physically and mentally and at over 300 pounds, that is how I was feeling. I had no energy and lived in a mental fog (carb coma).
> 
> I was going to make this brief  and haven't proofed it because the bank is closing SOON so I must run (I hope it isn't too full of typos!). I could talk about ETL with you all day so please feel free to ask me any questions, or get recipe ideas or whatever is on your mind. PM me if you'd like. I wish you much success.  And of course *everyone *else too! :wubu:



I am for sure eating at least a cup of beans. they help keep the hunger at bay. I am falling in love with my super duper nice pressure cooker my brother bought for my birthday last year. They make a big pot of beans in a jiffy. 

I can see how easy it is to fall of the diet. It is a lot of work. I spent yesterday evening chopping up and cleaning a bunch of veggies for this weeks salads. I'm not having a problem giving up the fat and pasta so much anymore but the salt.. ugh it's hard to have little to no salt in stuff!! I'm past the cravings for cheese anymore. After the 6 weeks I'm sure I'll eat it occasionally. 

I actually have some physical side effects from only 6 days on the diet that are positive. I am no longer stuffed up in the morning (i always thought i was allergic to Chico) and my moods tend to be higher and less hot and cold like i used to be. My energy isn't up yet thanks to detoxing.

I have already lost 9lbs and haven't felt hungry all week. Now i just need to buy a Vita-mix so i can blend some of those greens to get my 2lbs in  

If you ever want to go back on it, check out these places. I have found a lot of support and recipes:
http://www.fatfreevegan.com
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Eat-2-Live/

I'm hoping to be down to a 22/24 by summer so i can wear my clothes that i held on to from high school. (that way i don't have to buy new stuff) Thankfully i never wore very trendy stuff, so i wont look like I'm wearing 10 year old stuff lol


----------



## HottiMegan

rainyday said:


> A company here buys organic produce (as much of it local as possible) and delivers boxes of it weekly at prices lower than organic produce in stores. The box size I get every other week is $30, and I estimate it would cost me $40-$45 to buy the same items at the store. It's great quality too. Maybe there's a similar kind of enterprise near you?
> 
> Also, Safeway stores have changed their business plan to stock a huge variety of organic goods at prices competitive with non-organic goods. All the items I've tried so far have been good quality, especially their refrigerated soy milk.




I'll see what they have. As soon as spring hits, I'll have access to all sorts of great organic produce at the farmers market. I live in the farm belt of northern California and there are tons of great resources from spring to fall for produce. For now, i buy what i can that is organic and do the rest regular produce. Costco has a pretty good selection of organic stuff, but it's a changing selection all the time. 

That's awesome about Safeway. I should check them out. I usually go to the bag your own stuff grocery store down the street because its convenient. Safeways are across town.


----------



## HottiMegan

LoveBHMS said:


> Planning to train for a beautiful strenuous hike sounds like a lot of fun, and it's wonderful that your husband is doing it with you.
> 
> I belong to a gym and I find one of the benefits is that it offers tons of variety to make sure I don't get bored, and it's also weatherproof! I try to do a different thing every day, usually combinations of different cardio programs. I love having all the different machines and things available like that so i'm not limited to just what I can do on my own.



i have a weight bench and a stationary exercise contraption that i can use at home but also a beautiful park to walk in. Walking is going to be my thing until we move into a bigger place where we can have a spare bedroom for my weight bench. I have tons of free weights (former body builder here) and love to weight train. If i don't move in the next 6 months, I'm going to take a portion of my son's playroom for a home gym (the play room is our dining room so there should be room for my stuff too  )


----------



## HottiMegan

tinkerbell said:


> Thats great Megan! It sounds like you and your husband have a great plan to get to your goals! Good Luck!!
> 
> I've been doing better than I thought I would. I've actually started exercising this week. I also went grocery shopping and did not buy ANY junk food, but that was also because I didnt have the extra $$ anyway to spend on junk - so it kind of worked out.
> 
> I dont really have any set goals right now - but I do eventually just want to fit in some of my favorite clothes, most of which are a size 16. I'm currently around a size 22/24. I also just want to be more active and not be soo tired all the time.



Thanks tinkerbell  I havent seen a size 16 since i was 11! I would look so tall if i were that small. (i'm 5'11") I'm hoping to be 22/24 by summer. I was 40lbs lighter than i am when i was a 22/24 so that's not an unachievable goal.

I hurt my back this morning loading a HUGE box of produce into the car from Costco so i have to take it easy for a couple of days to let me heal. So exercise will be put off AGAIN  I have lost 9 lbs though so I'm thrilled. I hope i lose another 9 this week


----------



## Jeannie

You will love your Vitamix!! Even though I'm not on ETL I still make a lot of smoothies and use mine regularly. If you haven't tried it yet, you will be amazed that you can add 8-10 oz of fresh spinach (my preference) to fruit smoothies and not taste it a bit. A touch of lemon is very helpful when adding the greens. The easiest way to get the 1 lb of fresh veggies a day for me was one big salad and a smoothie with the spinach added. The lb of cooked was a much bigger challenge and I doubt I ever managed a lb of cooked and a lb of fresh in one day. Vegetable soups with lots of tomato were my answer to the cooked portions. 

The lack of salt is a big adjustment at first but I promise you in no time you will be very put off by the taste of salt. My mother's cooking was once delicious to my palate and after ETL, I realized just how much salt she uses and find it awful to taste now. Even though I'm not on ETL, my taste for salt has not returned. I never salt anything while cooking or from the table. The once very dull tasting low sodium canned products are now just fine. Giving up salt is such a healthy thing to do. Another reason why ETL rocks!

I still read the Yahoo group and all the other ETL associated websites at least once a month. My foot will never be completely out the door. I may not live 100% ETL now but I know I'll be back to it someday soon and I still try to keep as close to it as I can. Bread is my big weakness.

Before ETL I was extremely addicted to cheese. I never thought I'd be ok with giving it up. I probably ate it daily. After a couple of weeks on ETL I lost my desire for it completely. And now, even though I eat it occasionally, it doesn't hold anywhere near the appeal for me. That is one really cool aspect of ETL. You can drop from the 100-90% range of the plan and still not go back to your old way of eating because this plan really changes your palate and addictions.

If anyone else is looking for a healthier way of eating, you might want to follow all the links Megan posted. Even if you can't commit to 100% ETL, getting as close to the plan as you can manage will be of great benefit. And if you are put off by paying to join Fuhrman's group/website, I never did join and was able to get all the info/support I needed without ever spending a dime, except for on the book, which you will need to read. It's educational and motivating, but it's in paperback and not expensive. I do know people who love being a member of the website though and feel the cost is worth it. The Yahoo group is quite active and extremely helpful. I recommend starting there to get a feel for the plan.

This is the eating plan in a nutshell. Furhman recommends staying on the 6 weeks plan until you have lost all the weight you care to lose and then to maintain the loss, do the plan 90% of the time, for the rest of your life. The 90% gets tricky because you really have to be careful not to trigger those cravings that will cause you to go back to unhealthy eating habits. For me, too many carbs and I was a goner. I stayed very close to 100% for 3 months and felt incredible while losing weight steadily. I stayed at 90% for a while and then lost track of it, but other than a few pounds, I've been able to maintain my loss. 

*Eat to Live 6-Week Plan*

UNLIMITED (eat as much as you want): 

all raw vegetables, including raw carrots (goal: 1 lb. daily) 
cooked green vegetables (goal 1 lb. daily) 
beans, legumes, bean sprouts, or *tofu (minimum 1 cup daily in total of these) 
fresh fruit (at least 4 daily). 
eggplant, mushrooms, peppers, onions, tomato and other non-starchy vegetables, cooked and raw (unlimited) 
*Beans should be eaten daily; tofu should be eaten less frequently.

LIMITED (not more than one serving): 

cooked starchy vegetables OR whole grains--Maximum 1 cup per day (butternut or acorn squash, corn, sweet potato, brown rice, cooked carrots, whole grain breads*, whole grain cereals*) 
raw nuts and seeds (1 oz. or 28.5 grams a day) or 2 ounces avocado 
ground flaxseed (1 tablespoon a day) 
soymilk, low-sugar preferred--Maximum 1 cup a day

*avoid breads and cereals as much as possible 
OFF-LIMITS: 

dairy products 
animal products 
between meal snacks 
fruit juice, dried fruits 
salt, sugar 
NUTS and RAW SEEDS, but not ground flax, are optional for obese or overweight persons while they follow this weight loss plan. People who have difficulty losing weight may also eliminate the starchy vegetable/grain.


For exercise - I dance. I put on Ricky Martin CDs (great music to move to) and I dance my butt off (literally). I dance 30 minutes at a time and if I don't do it twice a day, I stationary bike or walk for the other 30 min. I do miss some days, and some days I only do 30 minutes, but I_ try _to get an hour of working up a sweat in daily. But like Megan, during the first part of ETL, maybe be even the first half that I was on the plan, I did not exercise much at all and the weight still fell off.

Congrats on the 9 pounds Megan and while another 9 pounds off this coming week might be an ambitious goal (but hey, maybe not!), you can pretty much count of feeling fantastic by then and that to me is way more important than what any scale says, and is the best part of ETL.


----------



## rainyday

Just seconding the Vitamix comments. I love mine. My favorite thing to use it for (when I actually get around to baking) is grinding wheat kernels into flour. OMG--it makes the freshest tasting bread you've ever made when you grind the flour yourself with it.


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## LoveBHMS

That looks like a really good eating plan.

I typically can never even consider these commercial plans because I'm a vegetarian and they nearly always call for lean chicken breast and steamed fish and the like, so they're typically out for me, but I'd never seen this one. It actually looks perfect for a vegetarian! I may look into it.

You also inspired me to start getting more serious about integrating weights and resistance exercise into my own workout. My main goal right now is overall fat loss, so I've been focusing on cardio. I put the incline up on the treadmill and do the stairmaster and stationary bike at increasing levels of resistance to help not only with calorie burning but also building muscle. However I *know* I have to add in some weight training. I've actually been feeling pretty guilty the past few days about it, particularly since my mother has scoliosis that onset when she was an adult, and I need to get very serious about core/abdominal exercises and not just kid myself that a few crunches here and there are going to build up the muscles I need. I also know I need the weights/resistance to ensure that I maintain bone mass.


----------



## fatkid420

LoveBHMS said:


> You also inspired me to start getting more serious about integrating weights and resistance exercise into my own workout. My main goal right now is overall fat loss, so I've been focusing on cardio. I put the incline up on the treadmill and do the stairmaster and stationary bike at increasing levels of resistance to help not only with calorie burning but also building muscle. However I *know* I have to add in some weight training. I've actually been feeling pretty guilty the past few days about it, particularly since my mother has scoliosis that onset when she was an adult, and I need to get very serious about core/abdominal exercises and not just kid myself that a few crunches here and there are going to build up the muscles I need. I also know I need the weights/resistance to ensure that I maintain bone mass.



dive weights work great on the ankles for resistance training, not that i know anything about excersize or grammer.


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## moonvine

> My family refuses to only have Eat to Live foods in the house.



And having looked at the list, I would refuse as well.


----------



## HottiMegan

Jeannie said:


> You will love your Vitamix!! Even though I'm not on ETL I still make a lot of smoothies and use mine regularly. If you haven't tried it yet, you will be amazed that you can add 8-10 oz of fresh spinach (my preference) to fruit smoothies and not taste it a bit. A touch of lemon is very helpful when adding the greens. The easiest way to get the 1 lb of fresh veggies a day for me was one big salad and a smoothie with the spinach added. The lb of cooked was a much bigger challenge and I doubt I ever managed a lb of cooked and a lb of fresh in one day. Vegetable soups with lots of tomato were my answer to the cooked portions.



I am so looking forward to buying one. I am nearly there as having the extra cash together. Thanks to not eating out every other night we're saving gobs of money. I should be able to buy on on Ebay by next week.



Jeannie said:


> The lack of salt is a big adjustment at first but I promise you in no time you will be very put off by the taste of salt. My mother's cooking was once delicious to my palate and after ETL, I realized just how much salt she uses and find it awful to taste now. Even though I'm not on ETL, my taste for salt has not returned. I never salt anything while cooking or from the table. The once very dull tasting low sodium canned products are now just fine. Giving up salt is such a healthy thing to do. Another reason why ETL rocks!



I'm still lowering our salt intake. I probably take in more like 1500mgs instead of the recommended 1000mgs So I'm not too far off. I am noticing how salty stuff is these days, so i am changing.




Jeannie said:


> Before ETL I was extremely addicted to cheese. I never thought I'd be ok with giving it up. I probably ate it daily. After a couple of weeks on ETL I lost my desire for it completely. And now, even though I eat it occasionally, it doesn't hold anywhere near the appeal for me. That is one really cool aspect of ETL. You can drop from the 100-90% range of the plan and still not go back to your old way of eating because this plan really changes your palate and addictions.



oh man cheese is SOOOO my weekness.. then pasta. I haven't had ANY cheese in over a week and it's amazing i am not wanting it. I am tempted by it but not enough to actually do it. I will probably eat it on my 10% treats  something like ooey gooey pizza 




Jeannie said:


> Congrats on the 9 pounds Megan and while another 9 pounds off this coming week might be an ambitious goal (but hey, maybe not!), you can pretty much count of feeling fantastic by then and that to me is way more important than what any scale says, and is the best part of ETL.



I'm hoping to lose about 60lbs by July. That's like less than 10lbs a month. I'm trying to keep my wishes about this diet from being too ambitious so i don't get disappointed. I too am a compulsive over eater and know if i get too down about weight loss, I'll fall off the wagon. Both of my brothers, who have lost a ton of weight on this diet, say I'll probably lose 100lbs by July but i don't want to get my hopes up too much. I'm also thinking of doing a fast for three days once to twice a month just to make it come off quicker. I am going to buy Dr Fuhrman's fasting book probably next month. This month i got Disease proof your kids. I can only have so many books on my reading list  My desire for rapid weight loss is mainly in conjunction with my healthy desire to get pregnant again


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## HottiMegan

rainyday said:


> Just seconding the Vitamix comments. I love mine. My favorite thing to use it for (when I actually get around to baking) is grinding wheat kernels into flour. OMG--it makes the freshest tasting bread you've ever made when you grind the flour yourself with it.



I spent a week with my family at Thanksgiving and they had a vitamix with them and that thing is the best! I think i'm going to use it a ton more than i use my food processor. Especially to help me on this diet to get my greens liquefied to make sure i get the 2lbs in. I am very excited that i can afford to buy one so quickly  (hopefully in the next week or so)


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## HottiMegan

LoveBHMS said:


> That looks like a really good eating plan.
> 
> I typically can never even consider these commercial plans because I'm a vegetarian and they nearly always call for lean chicken breast and steamed fish and the like, so they're typically out for me, but I'd never seen this one. It actually looks perfect for a vegetarian! I may look into it.
> 
> You also inspired me to start getting more serious about integrating weights and resistance exercise into my own workout. My main goal right now is overall fat loss, so I've been focusing on cardio. I put the incline up on the treadmill and do the stairmaster and stationary bike at increasing levels of resistance to help not only with calorie burning but also building muscle. However I *know* I have to add in some weight training. I've actually been feeling pretty guilty the past few days about it, particularly since my mother has scoliosis that onset when she was an adult, and I need to get very serious about core/abdominal exercises and not just kid myself that a few crunches here and there are going to build up the muscles I need. I also know I need the weights/resistance to ensure that I maintain bone mass.




I too always felt the same way about diets being a vegetarian too. I have been a vegetarian my whole life and have no plans to and refuse to eat meat. It's a hardcore way of eating but i am feeling so much better. I am sure that most days, without feeling hungry, i eat less than 1000 calories a day. I used to eat like 1000 calories in one sitting! (cheese and pasta and sauces)

I lost a lot of weight in highschool by doing mostly weight training and ab work outs. I did walk on a treadmill twice a week for 45 minutes too. I would just lay a mat out on the floor in my bedroom and watch The Simpsons while i did an ab routine. It distracted me from the fact that i was exercising and i was entertained. I did a lot of crunches, butt lift type stuff. All the moves i had learned in an ab work out video. I lost 60lbs and 3 sizes that spring in was doing that. (of course i went off to college and gained it back plus 40lbs lol) It is hard to get started and making it a routine. I have yet to start the exercise.. I'm doing my first walk tomorrow. I think I'll be getting a mat this week sometime to start the ab stuff.


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## LoveBHMS

I was finishing my cardio and said to myself "L., no more putting this off" and when I was done I went right over to the weight area and got started on some barbell bench presses and crunches followed by ab work with weights to work the obliques. I felt so much better for having done it, and I think tomorrow I'm going to try working with one of the weighted medicine balls.

So yeah you for helping kick me in the ass!

You know what I hate is when you tell somebody you're a vegetarian and the first thing they ask is "Do you eat fish?" I'm always like, "Since when is a fish a vegetable?"


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## tinkerbell

HottiMegan said:


> Thanks tinkerbell  I havent seen a size 16 since i was 11! I would look so tall if i were that small. (i'm 5'11") I'm hoping to be 22/24 by summer. I was 40lbs lighter than i am when i was a 22/24 so that's not an unachievable goal.
> 
> I hurt my back this morning loading a HUGE box of produce into the car from Costco so i have to take it easy for a couple of days to let me heal. So exercise will be put off AGAIN  I have lost 9 lbs though so I'm thrilled. I hope i lose another 9 this week



Good luck again - I hope that you are able to achieve your goal! But I am sorry to hear about your back - I hope that you feel better soon!

I was last a size 16 when I was....20? 21? something like that (I am now 25). I'm 5'7", so not quite as tall as you  Even a size 18 would be great - one of my favorite pair of pants is an 18 :smitten: 

I've been doing ok - I feel better not eating all that junk food. I dont know if I've actually lost anything - but just exercising has made me feel sooooo much better.


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## HottiMegan

So far i have lost 13.6 pounds and even slipped and had a couple of bites of my sons mac n cheese.. i didnt like it so i think i'm over that mac n cheese need. 

I ordered a vita mix from ebay yesterday. I'm super excited to get that in my house.

Exercise starts tomorrow with a walk in the park with the family. I just thought i'd put in a little update


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## Jeannie

HottiMegan said:


> So far i have lost 13.6 pounds and even slipped and had a couple of bites of my sons mac n cheese.. i didnt like it so i think i'm over that mac n cheese need.
> 
> I ordered a vita mix from ebay yesterday. I'm super excited to get that in my house.
> 
> Exercise starts tomorrow with a walk in the park with the family. I just thought i'd put in a little update




Awesome! Get ready for those green smoothies! I love making them with a Tbl. of freshly ground flax seed (I use a coffee grinder), a couple of large oranges, an apple, a frozen banana, 8-10 oz of fresh spinach, sliver of lemon, like maybe 1/8 inch, peel and all, sometimes frozen blueberries or cherries and a little unsweetened plain soy milk to make it wet enough to spin. Add ice as needed. I find with the green smoothies, the colder I get them the better I like them. Sometimes I use a spoonful of splenda if the banana doesn't sweeten it enough even though that is discouraged. This makes an entire vitamix full so have someone to share it with! 

You're going to love that thing! :eat2: 

Congrats on your progress!


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## HottiMegan

i put splenda in my smoothies. I know it's not on the diet but i need something to take the tang out of the berries in my smoothies. I am so looking forward to just using an orange peel and all. I also am not doing spinach in my smoothies until i get the vita mix.

*edited to add: I don't like bananas so i omit them from my smoothies.. Hubby's slightly allergic to them too so only our son eats bananas*

OH and i'm down 17.3lbs total!


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## Jeannie

HottiMegan said:


> i put splenda in my smoothies. I know it's not on the diet but i need something to take the tang out of the berries in my smoothies. I am so looking forward to just using an orange peel and all. I also am not doing spinach in my smoothies until i get the vita mix.
> 
> *edited to add: I don't like bananas so i omit them from my smoothies.. Hubby's slightly allergic to them too so only our son eats bananas*
> 
> OH and i'm down 17.3lbs total!




I've never made them with the orange peel and i've never seen anyone else say they do that. Very interesting! Have you seen that somewhere? When I use citrus peel, I only use a tiny bit of the lemon. Please let me know how it turns out. It sounds very sour/bitter to me!

I thought of you when I was eating dinner last night. I was having one of my favorite ETL recipes. Do you like somewhat spicy food? This is so easy. I rinse and drain 2 cans of black beans and add them to a sauce pan with a can of rotel tomatoes (original) and heat through. You can eat them like that or if you haven't had your grain/starch for the day, put them over a cup of cooked brown rice. That's the way I had them last night. It's yummy and filling!

You are dropping so much weight it is making me want to go back to ETL full time!! What an inspiration! :bow:


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## HottiMegan

My brothers use the whole orange in their smoothies. One even uses and apple, core and all too. Both of my brothers are hardcore vitamixers  I'll probably turn to them a lot for pointers when the sucker actually arrives


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## LoveBHMS

Megan- Congrats on the ETL! It sounds like it's going really well, and I especially love that the little bites of Mac. and cheese didn't appeal....I told you you'd lose a taste for that processed stuff!

Anyway, re: the smoothies, have you thought about adding a tablespoon or so of raw honey? I find it to be a great sweetener if you are trying to lessen your consumption of artificial stuff. It has tons of trace minerals such as copper which is great for your skin and gives you a good energy boost. I made a cranberry/blueberry smoothie recently for an older friend who suffers from UTI's and added some raw honey and it definitely took away the tartness of the cranberries.

Oh, and thanks again for the ass kicking on the weight/ab training. I've been increasing both my ab work and my lifting thanks to you. You really inspired me to get moving on that.


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## HottiMegan

LoveBHMS said:


> Megan- Congrats on the ETL! It sounds like it's going really well, and I especially love that the little bites of Mac. and cheese didn't appeal....I told you you'd lose a taste for that processed stuff!
> 
> Anyway, re: the smoothies, have you thought about adding a tablespoon or so of raw honey? I find it to be a great sweetener if you are trying to lessen your consumption of artificial stuff. It has tons of trace minerals such as copper which is great for your skin and gives you a good energy boost. I made a cranberry/blueberry smoothie recently for an older friend who suffers from UTI's and added some raw honey and it definitely took away the tartness of the cranberries.
> 
> Oh, and thanks again for the ass kicking on the weight/ab training. I've been increasing both my ab work and my lifting thanks to you. You really inspired me to get moving on that.



I really think i can do this diet for the rest of my life. I made a super yummy mushroom barley soup yesterday in the crock pot that i will definitely make again. I am also starting to experiment more with spices and stuff. Salt is my hardest thing to give up. I am craving salt big time these days. 

I'll have to try a little honey when we get the vitamix in our smoothies. I was told today that it's been shipped (woohoo!!) 

I went for a walk yesterday but my back started hurting pretty bad afterwards so i think i might need to take it easy for a few more days. I'm going to do some ice packs and massage to see if i can get those pulled muscles to heal. It probably doesn't help that for a third of the walk i was running with my son. He thought it was fun to run with mommy. I'm going to try again in a couple of days. If i cant do walks, I'm going to throw my yoga dvd in and try that.


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## Jeannie

HottiMegan said:


> I made a super yummy mushroom barley soup yesterday in the crock pot that i will definitely make again.




Would you mind posting the recipe? I'm always interested in good ETL recipes, especially those that can be done in the crock pot!

Sorry about your back. I hope it feels better soon!


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## HottiMegan

I got the recipe out of this book: 125 best vegetarian slow cooker recipes

Sophisticated Mushroom Barley Soup

1 c boiling water
1 package of dried mushrooms (i used porcini)
2 tbsp veggie oil (i didn't use it)
3 onions, finely chopped
6 cloves of garlic minced (i threw in some whole extra ones for a good bitey taste)
1 tsp salt (i didn't add it)
1 tsp black pepper (i forgot to add it)
1 1/2 pounds sliced button mushrooms
2/3 cup pearl barley
7 cups veggie stock (i made my own on Sunday)
1 bay leaf
1/4 c soy sauce (i left this out and added a little shake in my bowl instead)

1. in a heatproof bowl add the boiling water and mushrooms together and let it sit for 30 minutes. Strain the mushroom sand keep the liquid. Chop these mushrooms finely and set aside. ( i threw the mushrooms out because their texture was yucky to me, i kept the liquid for a mushroomy broth though)

2. In a skillet over medium heat cook onions until soft. Ad garlic salt and pepper and cook for 1 more minute. Transfer mixture to slow cooker. In the same pan cook the mushrooms over medium high heat until they are just about to lose their liquid. Ad dried mushroom sand toss to combine and cook for 1 minute. Move the mixture to the slow cooker. Add barley, reserved mushroom liquid, stock, bay leaf and soy sauce.

3. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours. Discard bay leaf and serve.

It was really good. I added a little extra garlic because we're garlic heads. I also added some chopped celery to add bulk to the dish. I think next time, I'll add some frozen chopped spinach to it.


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## Jeannie

HottiMegan said:


> I got the recipe out of this book: 125 best vegetarian slow cooker recipes
> 
> Sophisticated Mushroom Barley Soup
> 
> 1 c boiling water
> 1 package of dried mushrooms (i used porcini)
> 2 tbsp veggie oil (i didn't use it)
> 3 onions, finely chopped
> 6 cloves of garlic minced (i threw in some whole extra ones for a good bitey taste)
> 1 tsp salt (i didn't add it)
> 1 tsp black pepper (i forgot to add it)
> 1 1/2 pounds sliced button mushrooms
> 2/3 cup pearl barley
> 7 cups veggie stock (i made my own on Sunday)
> 1 bay leaf
> 1/4 c soy sauce (i left this out and added a little shake in my bowl instead)
> 
> 1. in a heatproof bowl add the boiling water and mushrooms together and let it sit for 30 minutes. Strain the mushroom sand keep the liquid. Chop these mushrooms finely and set aside. ( i threw the mushrooms out because their texture was yucky to me, i kept the liquid for a mushroomy broth though)
> 
> 2. In a skillet over medium heat cook onions until soft. Ad garlic salt and pepper and cook for 1 more minute. Transfer mixture to slow cooker. In the same pan cook the mushrooms over medium high heat until they are just about to lose their liquid. Ad dried mushroom sand toss to combine and cook for 1 minute. Move the mixture to the slow cooker. Add barley, reserved mushroom liquid, stock, bay leaf and soy sauce.
> 
> 3. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours. Discard bay leaf and serve.
> 
> It was really good. I added a little extra garlic because we're garlic heads. I also added some chopped celery to add bulk to the dish. I think next time, I'll add some frozen chopped spinach to it.




Thanks Megan. I'm going to try this!


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## HottiMegan

it was very tasty and hubby ate three HUGE bowls full so i know it was a hit with him.. he's eating such huge volumes of the dinner i make that i never have leftovers (like i wish we did!)

Tonight i made creamy pesto veggies and rice:

put 1 package of silken tofu in a food processor
add 1 package of frozen spinach
3-4 cloves of garlic
1 package of frozen broccoli
1 cup soy milk
lots of basil (to taste)


process that up and toss it in with one onion chopped up and sauteed. Then add a can of artichoke hearts and heat until bubbly. Serve over rice. (I mix TVP and brown rice to feel like i'm getting more food) 

I accidentally put WAY too much garlic in (like 10 cloves) and it was too spicey for me to eat. So next time i'm going to put 3-4 and it should be great. IT felt VERY sinful and tasty before i over did it on the garlic lol.


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## Jeannie

HottiMegan said:


> it was very tasty and hubby ate three HUGE bowls full so i know it was a hit with him.. he's eating such huge volumes of the dinner i make that i never have leftovers (like i wish we did!)
> 
> Tonight i made creamy pesto veggies and rice:
> 
> put 1 package of silken tofu in a food processor
> add 1 package of frozen spinach
> 3-4 cloves of garlic
> 1 package of frozen broccoli
> 1 cup soy milk
> lots of basil (to taste)
> 
> 
> process that up and toss it in with one onion chopped up and sauteed. Then add a can of artichoke hearts and heat until bubbly. Serve over rice. (I mix TVP and brown rice to feel like i'm getting more food)
> 
> I accidentally put WAY too much garlic in (like 10 cloves) and it was too spicey for me to eat. So next time i'm going to put 3-4 and it should be great. IT felt VERY sinful and tasty before i over did it on the garlic lol.



That sounds so good! On the frozen spinach, do you thaw and drain first?


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## HottiMegan

nope, i threw it in frozen. it made the sauce a littel thinner once it cooked a little and that was a good consistancy.


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## tinkerbell

I'm not doing this diet, but the recipes you guys have posted sound really good 

I've actually been doing ok - I've lost a total of 4 lbs so far, and its not like I've changed that much - I've just started exercising a couple of days a week, and have just been watching what I'm eating, and my portions. I'll gradually work up to counting points/calories and working out 5 to 6 times a week.

Congrats, Megan, on your success so far!


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## HottiMegan

That's great Tinkerbell. I think any action towards better health, if you want to or need to is a good thing. I am starting to slow in weight loss this week. (only 4.9 lbs this week) I think i have had too many tofu dogs this week. (they're only 45 calories and fat free but high in sodium) I have been on the run a lot without the time to sit for an hour and eat a big salad. (i eat slowly)

I'll be sure to pass along any good recipes I come across when i play with cooking. I love to cook and i have to get creative with this diet


----------



## HottiMegan

I wanted to post another good recipe i invented recently. I also wantd to say that i'm down a total of about 24lbs (not totally sure anymore, my scale keeps screwing up.. one hour i'm down 26lbs the next i gained 2lbs.. so who knows for sure  )
This casserole is yummy and quick to make:

Enchiladas Eat to Lice Style

sauce:
2 small salt free tomato sauce cans
1 regular tomato sauce can (i need SOME salt)
1/3 cup of chili powder
1/4 cup of onions
garlic to taste

Insides:
2 1/2-3 cups pintos (i use freshly pressure cooked beans)
2-3 cups of TVP (textured vegetable protein)
3/4lb fresh spinach
2 onions, chopped and sauteed
2 zucchini chopped and sauteed
1 1/2 c chopped carrots sauteed
1 bunch of cilantro
several handfulls of mushroom chopped up small

6-8 corn tortillas (depending on size of pan)

In a HUGE bowl combine the beans and veggies and greens (basically all but the sauce and tortillas)
Mix up that sauce and spread generously on the bottom of the pan. Put three to four tortillas in one layer on the bottom of the pan. I break them up to fit the best possibly. 
Put a thick layer of the casserole stuffing on top of the tortillas, filling the pan halfway. Put the remaining tortillas on top and spread more sauce on top. Spread the remaining mixture on top. Spread remaning sauce on top to make things moist. If you want, you could add another layer of tortillas but i didnt because they get kind of hard after a few hours without cheese on top.

Throw the pan in the oven at 350 and bake for 45 minutes.

I also garnished it with some guacamole using pico de gallo and 1 avocado and a few sprigs of cilantro.

Hubby loved it and ate huge amounts of it.


----------



## Sandie_Zitkus

OK so since I started this thread I thought I'd finally talk about what I am doing.

Medifast.

Now it's not the Medifast you remember. There are still the shakes of which you have 2 a day and they now also have you eating 5 small snack meals a day and I moderate protein and veggie meal at night.

It's been relatively easy and I am doing well. I am losing weight (slowly) and I am not going crazy from hunger. 

The shakes are OK. Their packaged soups and oatmeal and protein bars are pretty good. So I am doing the regimented program during the week and One night a week, on the weekends, we go out to dinner and I eat what I want. 

It is becoming easier and easier as time goes on and eating out is not a license to overeat for me anymore. One hurdle overcome. 

The important thing for me is I feel more in control and I feel I can adapt this eating regimen to not using the Medifast meals and doing my own things with fresh veggies and lean proteins. This has gone a long way to helping me get my portions under control.

I feel great. I can exercise more and I am pretty sure I can do this for a long time (with some tweeking to the eating plan here and there).

MY doctor is very supportive and is willing to help me get through the hard parts. I love her.:wubu: 

So there it is folks. My steps to getting my life back.


----------



## Jeannie

HottiMegan said:


> I wanted to post another good recipe i invented recently. I also wantd to say that i'm down a total of about 24lbs (not totally sure anymore, my scale keeps screwing up.. one hour i'm down 26lbs the next i gained 2lbs.. so who knows for sure  )
> This casserole is yummy and quick to make:
> 
> Enchiladas Eat to Lice Style
> 
> sauce:
> 2 small salt free tomato sauce cans
> 1 regular tomato sauce can (i need SOME salt)
> 1/3 cup of chili powder
> 1/4 cup of onions
> garlic to taste
> 
> Insides:
> 2 1/2-3 cups pintos (i use freshly pressure cooked beans)
> 2-3 cups of TVP (textured vegetable protein)
> 3/4lb fresh spinach
> 2 onions, chopped and sauteed
> 2 zucchini chopped and sauteed
> 1 1/2 c chopped carrots sauteed
> 1 bunch of cilantro
> several handfulls of mushroom chopped up small
> 
> 6-8 corn tortillas (depending on size of pan)
> 
> In a HUGE bowl combine the beans and veggies and greens (basically all but the sauce and tortillas)
> Mix up that sauce and spread generously on the bottom of the pan. Put three to four tortillas in one layer on the bottom of the pan. I break them up to fit the best possibly.
> Put a thick layer of the casserole stuffing on top of the tortillas, filling the pan halfway. Put the remaining tortillas on top and spread more sauce on top. Spread the remaining mixture on top. Spread remaning sauce on top to make things moist. If you want, you could add another layer of tortillas but i didnt because they get kind of hard after a few hours without cheese on top.
> 
> Throw the pan in the oven at 350 and bake for 45 minutes.
> 
> I also garnished it with some guacamole using pico de gallo and 1 avocado and a few sprigs of cilantro.
> 
> Hubby loved it and ate huge amounts of it.




Sounds good Megan, thanks! Is it really called Lice style?   
Oh... normally I just add fresh spinach to my smoothies but today I threw in a couple of carrots too and I really liked it. I'll definitely do that again. They sure do help with reaching that 1 pound mark. 

Good luck with your program Sandie!


----------



## HottiMegan

Jeannie said:


> Sounds good Megan, thanks! Is it really called Lice style?
> Oh... normally I just add fresh spinach to my smoothies but today I threw in a couple of carrots too and I really liked it. I'll definitely do that again. They sure do help with reaching that 1 pound mark.
> 
> Good luck with your program Sandie!



lol oops, i meant eat to liVe style  c and v are too close together i guess


----------



## Jeannie

HottiMegan said:


> lol oops, i meant eat to liVe style  c and v are too close together i guess



I knew what you meant! It was a funny typo.


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## HottiMegan

you wouldnt believe the typos i do when i'm not watching what i write.. I type over 80 words a minute and i watch tv at the same time so it can make for some odd typos


----------



## Jeannie

HottiMegan said:


> you wouldnt believe the typos i do when i'm not watching what i write.. I type over 80 words a minute and i watch tv at the same time so it can make for some odd typos



Damn, that's fast! And now that you mention it, I had to read the mushroom soup recipe 3 times before I realized that what I was trying to figure out was a typo. I kept trying to figure out what mushroom sand was and what the heck I was supposed to do with it!  Because it happened twice in the same recipe, I thought surely you meant it as mushroom sand! :huh: Ok. so I'm a little slow, but it finally dawned on me it was mushrooms and, typo'd twice. :doh: 

Your typos are just another fun part of your posts for me!


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## HottiMegan

lol i didnt even notice that! I usually proof read stuff but lately i've been pretty bad 

Oh and I weighed in three times this morning to make sure it was correct and all three weights said that i have lost 29.6lbs and today marks the beginning of week three  
Last night was really hard to do because i desparately wanted pizza. Hubby was no help cuz he was willing to get pizza.. i told him i have to be strong so i made whole wheat noodles with veggie rich sauce. I ate only 1 official serving of the pasta so it wasnt any worse calorie wise than a cup of rice. I felt like i was sinning so it helped me over the craving hump.


----------



## HottiMegan

Sandie_Zitkus said:


> OK so since I started this thread I thought I'd finally talk about what I am doing.
> 
> Medifast.
> 
> Now it's not the Medifast you remember. There are still the shakes of which you have 2 a day and they now also have you eating 5 small snack meals a day and I moderate protein and veggie meal at night.
> 
> It's been relatively easy and I am doing well. I am losing weight (slowly) and I am not going crazy from hunger.
> 
> The shakes are OK. Their packaged soups and oatmeal and protein bars are pretty good. So I am doing the regimented program during the week and One night a week, on the weekends, we go out to dinner and I eat what I want.
> 
> It is becoming easier and easier as time goes on and eating out is not a license to overeat for me anymore. One hurdle overcome.
> 
> The important thing for me is I feel more in control and I feel I can adapt this eating regimen to not using the Medifast meals and doing my own things with fresh veggies and lean proteins. This has gone a long way to helping me get my portions under control.
> 
> I feel great. I can exercise more and I am pretty sure I can do this for a long time (with some tweeking to the eating plan here and there).
> 
> MY doctor is very supportive and is willing to help me get through the hard parts. I love her.:wubu:
> 
> So there it is folks. My steps to getting my life back.



That's great that you're doing well on your plan. My mom has tried fasting type diets over the years but i think that she didnt have any real food with them and fell off the diets quickly. It's good that you can eat some real food with it so you get some textural variety. 

It's wonderful that you have a supportive doctor. I had one of those once upon a time, then i moved 200 miles away. I am half tempted to start seeing her again and just make the trip.

On Medifast, is it one of those kinds of diets that you're on for life or do you go off it when the weight is gone? Im wholly unfamiliar with the diet


----------



## Sandie_Zitkus

This is not a lifelong thing for me. I am using this as a tool to get me to the point where I can exercise enough to eat more. My Doctor and I discussed this and she is all for this being temporary - a tool to help me be more active and the goal being exercise. Being so inactive and having back issues and with the weight I am carrying now - exercise is impossible. But as I go on my mobility is getting better and walking is getting easier. Hopefully later this year I can join the wellness center that Wayne has access to through his job - then I can work with a trainer and nutritionist to continue to lose weight.

I'm not sure you can stay on a program like this forever. It's not easy - and eating small snack meal during the day was tough at first. Now It's just my routine.

The shakes themselves are OK and while not filling - adequate. 

And since this is a temporary thing it's easier knowing eventually I will be eating a bit more food and exercising more. 







HottiMegan said:


> That's great that you're doing well on your plan. My mom has tried fasting type diets over the years but i think that she didnt have any real food with them and fell off the diets quickly. It's good that you can eat some real food with it so you get some textural variety.
> 
> It's wonderful that you have a supportive doctor. I had one of those once upon a time, then i moved 200 miles away. I am half tempted to start seeing her again and just make the trip.
> 
> On Medifast, is it one of those kinds of diets that you're on for life or do you go off it when the weight is gone? Im wholly unfamiliar with the diet


----------



## Miss Vickie

Sandie_Zitkus said:


> This is not a lifelong thing for me. I am using this as a tool to get me to the point where I can exercise enough to eat more. My Doctor and I discussed this and she is all for this being temporary - a tool to help me be more active and the goal being exercise. Being so inactive and having back issues and with the weight I am carrying now - exercise is impossible. But as I go on my mobility is getting better and walking is getting easier. Hopefully later this year I can join the wellness center that Wayne has access to through his job - then I can work with a trainer and nutritionist to continue to lose weight.
> 
> I'm not sure you can stay on a program like this forever. It's not easy - and eating small snack meal during the day was tough at first. Now It's just my routine.
> 
> The shakes themselves are OK and while not filling - adequate.
> 
> And since this is a temporary thing it's easier knowing eventually I will be eating a bit more food and exercising more.



Sandie, I think that's a very realistic, reasonable goal. And you're right, with the weight loss should come increased mobility so you can exercise more. With that will come more weight loss. I did things differently, obviously, I used WLS as that tool, but it was basically the same thing -- it allowed me to get to the point where I could exercise, and since then things have been much better.

I wish you lots of luck. I know you're determined, and so I have no worries that you can do this.


----------



## tinkerbell

HottiMegan said:


> I wanted to post another good recipe i invented recently. I also wantd to say that i'm down a total of about 24lbs (not totally sure anymore, my scale keeps screwing up.. one hour i'm down 26lbs the next i gained 2lbs.. so who knows for sure  )




Thats why its better to weigh yourself at the same time, everyday. They usually recommend to weigh yourself once a week, on the same day, same time, wearing the same clothes - because your weight will fluctuate through out the day. I'll step on the scale usually everyday in the morning, but when tracking how much I've lost, I just do it on a weekly basis.

And wow, 29 lbs is great!

Anyway, I've lost about 5 lbs so far - not too much, but then I've been crappy about exercising this week :doh:


----------



## LoveBHMS

I'm serious..."Vegan with Megan" or something equally goofy. Maybe you could sell it through your website. "And she cooks too!" with a shot of you in some sexy lingerie in a kitchen.

I love how you're keeping this new health plan interesting by inventing and sharing recipes. That shows an awesome sense of creativity.

I updated my iPod with a bunch of new songs last night and had a great workout today.


----------



## HottiMegan

Sandie_Zitkus said:


> This is not a lifelong thing for me. I am using this as a tool to get me to the point where I can exercise enough to eat more. My Doctor and I discussed this and she is all for this being temporary - a tool to help me be more active and the goal being exercise. Being so inactive and having back issues and with the weight I am carrying now - exercise is impossible. But as I go on my mobility is getting better and walking is getting easier. Hopefully later this year I can join the wellness center that Wayne has access to through his job - then I can work with a trainer and nutritionist to continue to lose weight.
> 
> I'm not sure you can stay on a program like this forever. It's not easy - and eating small snack meal during the day was tough at first. Now It's just my routine.
> 
> The shakes themselves are OK and while not filling - adequate.
> 
> And since this is a temporary thing it's easier knowing eventually I will be eating a bit more food and exercising more.



I totally know how your feeling about mobility. That is one reason i decided to lose weight. i am still mobile but things are hurting more and more as i get older. I wanted to do something before i lose it to back and foot pain. I lost a little weight before starting my diet/lifestyle change so i have lost a total of about 40lbs which feels pretty darned good. Now i just need to break my lazy lazy habits and get exercising 

I wish you all the luck in renewing your mobility and weight loss


----------



## HottiMegan

tinkerbell said:


> Thats why its better to weigh yourself at the same time, everyday. They usually recommend to weigh yourself once a week, on the same day, same time, wearing the same clothes - because your weight will fluctuate through out the day. I'll step on the scale usually everyday in the morning, but when tracking how much I've lost, I just do it on a weekly basis.
> 
> And wow, 29 lbs is great!
> 
> Anyway, I've lost about 5 lbs so far - not too much, but then I've been crappy about exercising this week :doh:




Yeah, i do get the screwy results when i do weigh in at different times. 11am ish is good for me. By that time, i haven't eaten for like 15 hours. I usually have more regular results at that time.. I think i weigh in every day because there is usually some kind of loss every day and it's fun to see. I do think i should stop doing so for a few days at a time.

I have been bad about exercise. I have horrid motivation to get off the couch  I have been walking a few times since Friday which is WAY better than i normally do. My shins were hurting after a brisk walk in the park. I think it helped me walk off Friday's meal out. We went to a salad restaurant but i had 2 bowls of pasta. (i have no self control!) Normally i would have had a teeny salad and many bowls of pasta so i was better than old Megan  And i paid for it for days. i felt icky after eating it, physically not mentally. So i learned how things have changed for me


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## HottiMegan

LoveBHMS said:


> I'm serious..."Vegan with Megan" or something equally goofy. Maybe you could sell it through your website. "And she cooks too!" with a shot of you in some sexy lingerie in a kitchen.
> 
> I love how you're keeping this new health plan interesting by inventing and sharing recipes. That shows an awesome sense of creativity.
> 
> I updated my iPod with a bunch of new songs last night and had a great workout today.



lol sounds like a funny set. Unfortunately i have a teeny apartment kitchen. barely room for me  

I have to keep things fun and interesting to make me stay motivated. I am making a curried veggie soup tonight with a carrot juice base. I haven't made a recipe up yet but will figure things out 

Awesome about the work out. I am still lacking much motivation on that


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## Sandie_Zitkus

Thank you Vickie and thank you Megan and everyone else.

:wubu:


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## LoveBHMS

HottiMegan said:


> Yeah, i do get the screwy results when i do weigh in at different times. 11am ish is good for me. By that time, i haven't eaten for like 15 hours. I usually have more regular results at that time.. I think i weigh in every day because there is usually some kind of loss every day and it's fun to see. I do think i should stop doing so for a few days at a time.
> 
> I have been bad about exercise. I have horrid motivation to get off the couch  I have been walking a few times since Friday which is WAY better than i normally do. My shins were hurting after a brisk walk in the park. I think it helped me walk off Friday's meal out. We went to a salad restaurant but i had 2 bowls of pasta. (i have no self control!) Normally i would have had a teeny salad and many bowls of pasta so i was better than old Megan  And i paid for it for days. i felt icky after eating it, physically not mentally. So i learned how things have changed for me



Have you talked to your doctor about whether walking is the right exercise for you? I find it gets put out there so much as something "anyone can do" but the fact is it's still an impact exercise and maybe not right for you at this time. I was running for a while and got horrible tendonitis, so I switched to walking the same distances, but the tendonitis stuck. My doctor [I guess they teach you this stuff in med school] pointed out that if I was still pounding my leg against the pavement for seven miles, it was still going to hurt. Now I switch around with stairmaster and stationary bike and do interval workouts on the treadmill [I like the all out running sometimes and don't want to give up it completely] just a few times per week.

I find staying creative about exercise keeps me motivated the same way creativity about cooking keeps you motivated about ETL. I do different workouts each day, buy bargain priced workout clothes so I sometimes have something new to wear, mix up my iPod so I can look forward to hearing certain songs, buy magazines to read on the stairmaster and bike, and even like to throw different soaps or shower gels into my gym bag to have something different to look forward to when i'm showering afterwards. Anything that keeps me "interested" and avoids any rut.


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## HottiMegan

It wasnt something i'm too concerned about. The pain lasted only the next day for part of the day. I went for a walk again and it went away. It's just from the fact that i spend most of my life on the couch with my laptop and tv on.. an inactive body tends to hurt a little when you push it. 

i'm totally fine now though. We went for a half hour walk yesterday and no pain today. I'm really looking forward to summer. I'm going to swim laps while the kiddo is at summer school.

edited to say as well: When i was body building muscle pain was part of the routine when you switch to higher weights or more reps.. the pain was nothing more than sore muscles from working them more than they're used to


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## DeniseW

Has anyone here tried or heard of the Johnson Up day down day diet? It's basically where you eat very little calories for one day(usually in the forms of shakes in the beginning) and then the next day you eat normally. The web site is johnsonupdaydowndaydiet.com. It looks interesting to me, I have some stubborn weight that refuses to budge.


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## HottiMegan

I havent heard about this diet. If you do it, let us know how it goes! i'm going to check it out right now


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## HottiMegan

Today marks 5 weeks in and thought i'd check in. I had a couple of days that i had 1 meal off the eat to live because i didnt feel like cooking. But i am still managing to lose weight. As of this morning, i have lost a total of 34lbs since Jan 2nd. About 45lbs total (i started watching what i ate after thanksgiving). It's unfortunate, you cant tell that i lost weight. I did buy a pair of pants that were too tight for me about 4 months ago and i noticed that i was having to hike them up all the time yesterday. So I must be a bit smaller. I also found a GREAT vegan indian restaurant in town. I havent eaten there yet but i bought a tub of their aloo gobi (potatoes and cauliflower curry dish) and an artichoke potato dish. Both were super yummy. We plan on eating out there on Valentines weekend. I never would have thought i could stick to something so restrictive for so long. I am quite proud of myself. Aside from the period in high school that i was borderline anorexic, i havent stuck to a diet this long EVER! That's a big thing for me. I know that the weight loss is slowing down but i am thinking of stepping it up with a 3 day fast. I'm never hungry on this diet, so i know that i'm doing something right. okay enough babbling  I have to get back to work. I wanted to share a recipe from the weekend though:

Veggie soup

1 quart of carrot juice
1 box of low sodium veggie broth (i didnt have time to make my own)
1 whole bunch of celery chopped up and sauteed (i use veggie broth for sauteeing)
2 cups of chopped carrots sauteed
2 onions chopped onions sauteed
3/4 cp pearl barley
2 tbsp curry powder
4 cloves of garlic minced and sauteed with the veggies
1 can low sodium chopped tomatoes with liquid
2 bayleaves


Once the veggies are sauteed, dump all ingredients in the crock pot and cook on low for 6 hours. We ate half the soup on Saturday and i doctored it up on Sunday with a pound of chopped frozen spinach and some ginger miso broth and more curry and garlic and it was pretty darned good! I blended my sunday soup which made it yummy and creamy textured 

Oh i got my Vitamix on Thursday!!


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## LoveBHMS

This is great news Megan. You must be so proud of yourself. I'd guess the reason you're sticking with this plan is because you're eating so healthfully that your body likely feels satisfied and healthy. Other restrictive eating plans tend to limit certain food groups and leave you with cravings, what you seem to be eating with ETL is keeping your body healthy and providing it with all the nutrition it needs. Also, you're using your sense of creativity and enjoyment of cooking so you're having fun with it.

Plus you and your husband are doing it as a team and for two good reasons; his health and a sibling for your son! 

Yeah for the Vitamix! I'm guessing we'll be hearing about some great smoothie and juice combo recipes before too long. Did you use it to make the carrot juice for your soup or did you use commercial carrot juice?

I *love* carrots but for some reason I could never enjoy carrot juice. I know it's really good for you, but the taste has just never agreed with me. Is there anything you mix it with or do you just drink it straight?


----------



## HottiMegan

i just bought carrot juice from Trader Joes. I never drank it before. I just used it in the soup. It made it kind of creamy tasting. I am not sure any way to doctor up carrot juice though. I havent tried juicing in the vitamix. Hubby's the smoothie master lately which is nice since i dont have to prepare all our food  

One thing i have problems with this diet is staying warm. I'm cold nearly all the time. I used to hang out in shorts and tank tops during the winter and now i cant keep it warm enough in here. 

I am proud of myself though


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## DeniseW

that soup sounds really good, I am just getting into using my crockpot a lot so I'll have to give it a try, congratulations on losing the weight and feeling better, I know it can be hard so I wish you all the luck in the world, you are doing GREAT!!!!!!!!


----------



## HottiMegan

DeniseW said:


> that soup sounds really good, I am just getting into using my crockpot a lot so I'll have to give it a try, congratulations on losing the weight and feeling better, I know it can be hard so I wish you all the luck in the world, you are doing GREAT!!!!!!!!



The crockpot for me has been a godsend. Especially on the weekend so we can go out and have fun and come back nice and hungry then eat a yummy meal. I also use it during the week as much as i can because I'm always tired by the time dinner rolls around and don't want to cook. (most evenings )


----------



## Jeannie

I'm starting ETL 100% in the morning. I've been out of control lately and really need to get handle on my cravings and binges. I've been gaining so much my pants are *very* uncomfortable. I do not want to go buy a bigger size and it's getting to that point. Time to get myself together and start feeling in control and energetic again! 

Keep those recipes coming Megan! Anything that works well in the crockpot will be much appreciated. 

Congrats on your success! I'm looking forward to following in your footsteps!


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## HottiMegan

Good luck Jeannie. It is so hard to start this diet. I have been bad the last two days cuz i caught my son's sinus infection and only want something quick to eat. So i ate a thing of easy mac for lunch today and a hot dog so i had about 300 calories that werent very nutritious. I'm going to do fajitas for dinner so i'll be better for dinner. I'll probalby have a salad too. Tomorrow, if i'm up to it, i'm doing nthing but salad. Sort of a recleanse. I was certainly hoping to not get sick anymore but i think i set myself up by not getting enough sleep lately.

In any case, i wish you all the luck and determination! I will certainly keep up the recipes. I'm going to try and make eggplant lasagna in the next couple of days. I made it before but this time it's going to be tofu, veggies, spinach and eggplant. I also got some vegan mozzerella shreds to put on the top.


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## Jeannie

Thanks!

I'm going to go really simple to start. Oatmeal, soymilk and fruit for breakfast. Salad and beans for lunch. Cooked veggies and beans for dinner. Fruit and green smoothies for snacks. After a couple (or a few) days of that I'll start making up some recipes. I'm feeling sick of food today (eating pasta, garlic bread & 1/2 a box of ice cream sandwiches in a night tends to do that  ) and don't even want to think about preparing things that are time consuming. 

I've been gearing up mentally for a few days for a start date of Feb. 1.
Boy, you really know you're a compulsive over-eater when you plan binges the day before starting a diet!  

Good luck with the recleansing! Getting off track can really derail the whole plan if you aren't careful! Here's to healthier days ahead!


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## HottiMegan

I am going back to my diet full force today. I'm feeling a lot better today. Still sneezy due to sinus problems but I have enough energy to have life go on like it was. I'm going to have a big asian salad today and veggie spaghetti tonight with whole wheat noodles. I made fajitas with mini portabellas, red peppers and onions. i sauteed the onions in balsamic vinegar. It added a little tang to the dish. I also sprinkled lime juice over the top of it and seved it in these super high fiber low calorie tortillas (80cals and 16grams of fiber and like 9grams of protein)

Today is a recleanse of mostly salad for me. I'm going to do salad tomorrow and eggplant lasagna tomorrow. I might make whole wheat blueberry waffles this weekend if i'm feeling feisty in the kitchen. Either that or scrambled tofu. I havent had scrambled tofu in ages. I love that stuff! 

doing simple to start is a great idea. I mostly ate salad the first week. I didnt eat much at all the first week because i was on an antibiotic that made me nauseous.

The splurges (other than the mac n cheese) this week weren't wholly un etl. They were 2 burrito bols at Chipolte.(over two nights. One of those nights, all i ate during the day was an orange and a small handful of nuts) I got them without the sauteed veggies with extra beans and no sour cream or cheese with extra lettuce.. I could only eat like 2/3 of that dish because i got so full. Hubby gladly ate the last of my dinner  

At my weigh in today i have lost a total of 42.6lbs and i'm nearing the end of week 5 of the diet.


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## Jeannie

You are doing fantastic!

Speaking of eggplant I think this dish looks really good. Once I start getting into making recipes, I plan on using Susanv's site for ideas. Her food looks so good! 

http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2006/09/vegan-eggplant-parmesan.html

Another Vegan Blog i've been enjoying...

http://soulveggie.blogs.com/my_weblog/


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## HottiMegan

i love fat free vegan  I printed up a ton of E2L recipes from there. I mostly ue recipes for inspiration over actually following them. I'm going to check out the other blog too  

I bought Vegan with a Vengance and Vegan Planet. They both have some good recipes that would be easily converted into E2L but i havent been that hardcore in the kitchen yet. I am mostly after fast and easy or cook in the morning/early afternoon and throw it in the crock pot  I am really into hot soup type dishes right now because i'm ALWAYS cold. Our power bill can attest to how much i have the heat on lately. It's nearly double what it was this time last year  I'm alwasy frozen after my salad so I usually curl up with my slippers and a blanket on the couch after i eat lol


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## HereticFA

HottiMegan said:


> At my weigh in today i have lost a total of 42.6lbs and i'm nearing the end of week 5 of the diet.


I hope you are accepting this as a lifelong change in your diet and aren't looking at it as just a classic "Diet" to lose some weight.


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## HottiMegan

of course it's a life long change. i can eat like this forever. I enjoy what i'm eating and its not hard to do anymore. I should cut my salt down a little more but am working on that part slowly. I have cut it dramatically. Most days i consume about 900-1200 calories and i'm hardly ever hungry. It's not a diet, and it shouldnt be considered a diet. I'm pretty sure i'd gain the weight back if i started eating regular food. I can eat huge volumes of food and consume very little calories on this way of eating. plus the physical and emotional benefits of this way of eating are awesome.


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## tonynyc

Congrats on your exercise and nutritional efforts...
Regarding the joint pain- I thought I might share some ideas of what you 
could do from the standpoint of nutrition...

Following supplements can help injuries heal

1. Dessicated Liver Tablets - as directed on label - Aids in building healthy blood cells.

2. Multivitamin Mineral Complex - as directed on label - Promotes good health, nutritional balance, tissue repair.

3. Potassium - 99mg daily - vital for tissue repair

4. Vitamin B Complex - 100mg daily - important for stressful situations.

There are others-but, did not want to make a huge list... Also, confer with your doctor to see which supplements would be good for you


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## HottiMegan

Checking in. Yesterday marked the beginning of week 6 on this way of eating. I weighed in today and have lost 48.2lbs. My husband thinks i will be able to lose over 100lbs by spring but i doubt it. I'm really hoping to lose another 50 by july. That in itself would be awesome.
I am still experimenting with dishes. Last night i made taco salad. I mixed up home made black beans and TVP with a can of tomatoes and some mexican seasoning. I baked some high fiber low calorie tortillas for the taco part. and had a HUGE salad over it with some salsa for the dressing. It was yummers. 
I know it's not totally Eat to Live but I have had a few dishes of those tofu noodles with home made spaghetti sauce over it to curb my noodle needs. They're only 40 calories for a whole bowl of noodles so with sauce and some tvp it's pretty low in calories for a sinful treat.
We're going to be put to the test this weekend. We're going away for the night on Friday and will have to find food that we can eat. For dinner on Friday we're doing Fresh Choice (salad restaurant). Stuff will be salty but we can fill up on the things we already eat. We might share a bowl of oatmeal and fruit for breakfast at the hotel diner. Or just take a pile of oranges with us  But i just wanted to check in and say i'm still doing pretty well. I had a few days last week that we ate burrito bols at chipotle because i was sick with a bad cold and didnt feel like cooking.


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## LoveBHMS

Megan you should be so proud! Depends on what hubby means by "spring". If you're thinking end of April, then I don't think it would be impossible given your current success.

I think Chipotle is great for vegan/vegetarians because you can get the stuff made exactly to order and watch them make it so they don't screw up. Lots of places you have to worry if they accidentally add some chicken or if the put in on by mistake and then scrape it off. Not acceptable to me!

I also love that they steam the burritos so if you're watching calories you know you're not getting anything fried or oily. I also think their salsas are great for commercial salsa.

My mom does a ton of cooking with TVP. She puts it in spaghetti sauce, soups, stews, stuffed cabbage and lasagna.


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## HottiMegan

I am totally proud. This diet/lifestyle is second nature now. It's not AS hard. His idea is spring like next month! Our son's birthday is March 18th and he thought i'd be able to lose another 50 in a month and a half. He thinks this since i have already lost so much in 37 days on the diet but i'm not losing over a pound a day anymore so i KNOW it wont happen. If i start exercising, maybe  I love using TVP because it adds a good texture and gives me the protein that EVERY doctor i talk to gets worried about. There's 12grams of protein in every 1/4 cup of dried tvp.
I'm really hoping for a total of 100 by my vacation in June. I'd be thrilled with like 130 or so. We're leaving for Tahoe June 9th. I'd love to be able to buy a swimsuit off the rack for that vacation. I bought a tankini last year (nearly 60lbs ago) and the top kept creeping up my belly and the bottoms were a bit snug. Of course the tankini was a 22/24 and i was a 30/32 so that mighta been the problem  I'm going to dig out these walking tapes my mom gave me. They're like walk away the pounds or something. I'm going to try doing them 3x a week since the rain has come to northern california again. I'm also going to try yoga since i'm double jointed, it wont be so hard for the flexibility stuff


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## tinkerbell

Wow! You are doing great Megan!! A friend of mine loved the Walk away the pounds - she thought it was fairly easy and fun and lost a lot of weight doing it.

I've lost another 1 lb or so, so I'm not doing horribly. I'm still eating WAY better than I was, and I just need to work out:doh: :doh:


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## HottiMegan

I went to the California Railroad Museum today with my family and was just going through the pictures. After realizing that my size 28 pants that i couldnt shut about a month and a half ago are starting to fall down on me all the time i thought i'd dig up some old pictures of me at the train museum. Well the pictures really finally drilled it home that my 52lb weight loss actually does show. I've been kind of bummed that i dont look smaller to me but it's pretty obvious that i do look thinner. My size 30 shirts are hanging off of me now too. I sooooo dont want to buy any clothes until march or april so i can get shorts and short sleeve shirts and stuff. so i'm going to be swimming in my clothes for a while. But here's the pic. It is very motivating to finally SEE the difference. The old pics are about 10 months old. I'm just proud to share  

View attachment traincompare.jpg


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## LoveBHMS

Megan you look great!! You should be super extra proud.

And [I PM'd you about this] it is not just your size. Your skin and hair look amazing...super healthy and shiney and you are just glowing!

Don't worry so much about clothes, with the seasons changing everything will be out of whack anyway, so you can always wait till the end of April/beginning of May to get new stuff.

You are walking testimony to ETL! They should put you on their website.


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## TheSadeianLinguist

You do look fabulous, Megan. You look so damned vivacious and foxy!


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## HottiMegan

LoveBHMS said:


> Megan you look great!! You should be super extra proud.
> 
> And [I PM'd you about this] it is not just your size. Your skin and hair look amazing...super healthy and shiney and you are just glowing!
> 
> Don't worry so much about clothes, with the seasons changing everything will be out of whack anyway, so you can always wait till the end of April/beginning of May to get new stuff.
> 
> You are walking testimony to ETL! They should put you on their website.



Thank you  I am finally happy to actually see the difference. i noticed my soft shiny hair after a week or two and the softer clearer skin but i didnt see a size difference on me. I am swimming in all my clothes right now but i dug out a few pairs of pants and some shirts i wore in highschool. I probably have another 15-20 lbs to wear most of the stuff but some of it fit me just fine. So i have a stash of smaller clothes. I am planning on buying some new stuff in May for my June vacation in Tahoe. I might buy things a little snug just to be able to wear them for a while.

I FULLY plan on shouting the benefits of this diet to the world. I think it is the best thing that has happened to me.


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## HottiMegan

TheSadeianLinguist said:


> You do look fabulous, Megan. You look so damned vivacious and foxy!



Why thank you  i feel so much better now that i'm eating whole foods and healthy stuff


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## LoveBHMS

For the benefits of a vegan lifestyle.

Increased health, beauty, and overall vivasciousness.

Your body is rewarding you tenfold for taking such good care of it. It would also be great to know about other less visible health benefits. Do you get regular blood workups or pressure checks where you can see the numbers changing?

Is your husband still following ETL as well? I remember you posting about some health issues he had (I think HBP). How is he doing?


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## HottiMegan

i have always been within normal ranges. the only time i have high bp is when i'm at the doctors office (fear of docs) They usually check me after the exam and it's always normal to low. I had a barrage of tests before losing my insurance and didnt get any negative results but i didnt get any numbers either, they just said it was normal.. i didnt ask because i like to cut my visits as short as possible.

My mom borrowed my blood pressure cuff and never returned it, so i am not sure about my husband's bp but he is now under 200lbs and looks so thin. He is swimming in his 36 waist pants but doesnt want to buy new clothes either until he stabalizes.

I am just excited to see myself back in a 22/24 size  I'm hoping by my birthday in July it'll happen.


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## HottiMegan

Just checking in to say i'm still doing eat to live. I just have hit a plateau over the last week. No weight loss whatsoever. It's discouraging and maddening but i'm sticking to it. I'm hoping to start up an exercise routine now that my son is going back to school tomorrow. He had a last minute winter break last week and it is hard to do ANYTHING with him around 24-7 lol

I'm going to break out those walk away the pounds tapes (if they're not in storage) and use them. If i cant find them, i'll probably just walk around in my neighborhood. I think the exercise will help me overcome this plateau. My husband keeps marveling at my size difference. I wore a teeshirt yesterday that was an XXL that i havent been able to wear since i was 16. IT wasnt as loose as it was at 16 but it wasnt tight either. I also put on a pair of short overalls and they were HUGE on me. They used to be sort of snug. So things are still changing


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## calauria

I want to try Michael Thurmond's 6 Week Body Makeover. I've heard from many people that it actually works and has a maintenance plan to help you keep the weight off. I don't feel comfortable at my current weight. But, that's just me, everybody else can do what they wanna do. It's all good!!


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## Jeannie

I'm still doing it too. I love it! I had a bad week last week though because I absolutely cannot control my cravings when I'm hormonal. I seriously eat like a fiend and fruits and veggies don't cut it. It really bothers me that the urges are more powerful than what I can handle. I think I need to get to a point where I say okay, 1 week out of the month I'm free to eat anything and everything I want and not get distraught or distracted by it. I've been back on track for 3 days now and have no desire to binge or eat anything off of ETL. It really is amazing to me how much my hormones drive my hunger. Also, I'd probably be amazed at the number of calories I consummed last week. We're talking Olympic carb consumption! :eat1: x millions! It's obsessive, compulsive and I very nearly feel desperate to eat carbs. And now that feeling is *completely* gone and it will be until three weeks from now.  

Exercise is going pretty well for me. I'm dancing even though it's bothering my knee a little. I'm trying to keep the impact less on my left leg. As soon as I get paid I'm going to get the yoga tape Samatha mentioned. 

Megan, I think if you start walking and moving more you will see the scale start to move again soon. More importantly than the number though is that is will be good for your mental and physical health in general.  I'm not paying too close attention to the scale. It can really mess with your mind. My goal is to feel energetic and good. As long as that happens, I don't care what the numbers say!


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## HottiMegan

calauria said:


> I want to try Michael Thurmond's 6 Week Body Makeover. I've heard from many people that it actually works and has a maintenance plan to help you keep the weight off. I don't feel comfortable at my current weight. But, that's just me, everybody else can do what they wanna do. It's all good!!



I haven't heard of this diet but i wish you all the luck!


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## HottiMegan

Jeannie said:


> I'm still doing it too. I love it! I had a bad week last week though because I absolutely cannot control my cravings when I'm hormonal. I seriously eat like a fiend and fruits and veggies don't cut it. It really bothers me that the urges are more powerful than what I can handle. I think I need to get to a point where I say okay, 1 week out of the month I'm free to eat anything and everything I want and not get distraught or distracted by it. I've been back on track for 3 days now and have no desire to binge or eat anything off of ETL. It really is amazing to me how much my hormones drive my hunger. Also, I'd probably be amazed at the number of calories I consummed last week. We're talking Olympic carb consumption! :eat1: x millions! It's obsessive, compulsive and I very nearly feel desperate to eat carbs. And now that feeling is *completely* gone and it will be until three weeks from now.



Oh man i know how you're feeling! I was all bummed out on Valentines day because my husbands bosses sent him on a road trip for the day and i didnt expect him to do anything nice for me or even to be home until late so i ate some frozen mac n cheese for lunch.. it was a slip but i moved on. 
I am pmsing right now and am constantly hungry. I haven't gone off eat to live with the need to eat but i'm eating like 4 times a day now. I seriously want a big bowl of pasta. I'm thinking of having some of those tofu noodles that i get at safeway. They're like 40 calories for a bowlful of noodles and are like no carbs. I eat them occasionally to kill the urge for pasta.



> Exercise is going pretty well for me. I'm dancing even though it's bothering my knee a little. I'm trying to keep the impact less on my left leg. As soon as I get paid I'm going to get the yoga tape Samatha mentioned.
> 
> Megan, I think if you start walking and moving more you will see the scale start to move again soon. More importantly than the number though is that is will be good for your mental and physical health in general.  I'm not paying too close attention to the scale. It can really mess with your mind. My goal is to feel energetic and good. As long as that happens, I don't care what the numbers say!



Tomorrow is the start of my walking. I'm hoping to do two walks a day. One in the morning after i send my son off to school and one in the evening when my husband comes home. We'll see if I'll do both in the beginning. I'm also going to start weight training again when we get the space worked out for it. Ugh, i hate cleaning out the apartment to make room.. i never know where to start..


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## Jon Blaze

I agree that you should be able to talk about it here. I know some people claim that weight loss goes against size acceptance, but I can't agree with that at all. As long as you do it in a healthy manner, I think you should go for it. I hope you are making progress.


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## HottiMegan

I wholy agree with you Jon  I think wanting to get to a healthy size is a good way to accept who you are. Size acceptance is to make you feel comfortable in your own size and skin. I was most comfy in my body when i was a size 20/22. I want to be active and feel lighter. I also want to be smaller to get pregnant and be treated like a walking disease just cuz i'm fat and pregnant. (i hated that part of my last pregnancy) 
I'm happy with the progress i'm making. I cant wait to see where it goes  My biggest thing lately is that i can wrap my towel around me. I know that sounds like a little thing but it's something i have always envied the smaller people aobut


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## LoveBHMS

It sounds like ETL just rocks.

I also think that size acceptance mean supporting anyone who wants to be a particular size that makes them feel healthy and attractive. I know just what you mean about the "little victories" too. I was getting dressed for a meeting yesterday and didn't realize that a particular button down shirt that hadn't fit for years would button all the way down. (Sadly, it's a white shirt and the only clean bra I had was black, so I couldn't display my triumph to the world....oh well...I was proud of me!)


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## Jon Blaze

HottiMegan said:


> I wholy agree with you Jon  I think wanting to get to a healthy size is a good way to accept who you are. Size acceptance is to make you feel comfortable in your own size and skin. I was most comfy in my body when i was a size 20/22. I want to be active and feel lighter. I also want to be smaller to get pregnant and be treated like a walking disease just cuz i'm fat and pregnant. (i hated that part of my last pregnancy)
> I'm happy with the progress i'm making. I cant wait to see where it goes  My biggest thing lately is that i can wrap my towel around me. I know that sounds like a little thing but it's something i have always envied the smaller people aobut



Good outlook on the whole situation! Good Luck!


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## HottiMegan

Jon Blaze said:


> Good outlook on the whole situation! Good Luck!



Thank you  I think i'm doing well at it. When i want a splurge, i do it out of the house so i keep the temptations out of the kitchen. I'm enjoying my diet and have lost another 1.5 inches off my upper belly.. so officially it's smaller than my hips for the first time in my memory


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## HottiMegan

Another update to me. I'm still doing eat to live. i revamped my eating a little to be more restrictive. I was going out to eat, eating non eat to live for one meal a week for a couple of weeks and decided the weight wasnt coming off enough. I am officially 61.5lbs down since Jan 2nd. About 77lbs total (i lost some before this diet) 
Here are measured losses too: 
Thigh =(i use my right one) 3.5 inch loss 
Boobs= 8 Inch loss. It isnt the boobs either, it's the girth under my boobs cuz i fill out the bra just as much as always. 
Waist= 8 inches lost (woohoo on that!) and 
Hips= 6.5 inches lost. 
I got myself a swimsuit today in a size 3x (so i wont have to buy a new one or make one mid season, it'll be small in the beginning). I havent tried it on but i'm sure it'll fit. I need one for three weeks from now cuz i'm staying in a hotel for the weekend and promised my son we'd go swimming. (it's a heated pool at the hotel) 
I'm really quite proud of myself even though i slipped here and there. I even went shopping yesterday to buy a pair of new pants that i can wear without having to hike them up. I am also buying lots of fabric to make some cute shirts and dresses for the spring. (it'll save me big money making it myself instead of buying it) Anyhoo, i just wanted to check in


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## LoveBHMS

This is so great! 77 pounds is amazing.

You should be so proud of yourself. You sound like you're doing really well, and even when you veer a bit off ETL, you are not beating yourself up, you're just going right back to it. It must be super exciting to be buying all those new clothes in sizes you're excited about and it's great to hear how your increased health is having a positive impact on your life. I'll bet your son is going to be thrilled to be swimming with a healthier mom and I would guess you'll look and feel _terrific_ in your new suit.

I've said this before about your pics but your hair and skin continue to look fantastic.

Are you going to change your sig. line? Or at least insert the word "smaller"?


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## HottiMegan

I'll be the belly queen until it stops being my most prominant featuer.. then maybe i'll be the incredibly shrinking ssbbw 

Here's a sign that we've changed our ways. Last week we were invited out to dinner with our friends and we were very hesitant because they wanted to go to Round Table. We went since they had a salad bar (not a bad one other than choices of dressing) so we got all you can eat salad and a personal pizza to share between the three of us (hubby, son and myself) My son ate half the pizza and we each had 1/4. I didnt want to get more, just that one little piece was satsifying. So pizza, string cheese and doritos are still very yummy for me


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## tinkerbell

You're doing awesome Megan!!

LoveBHMS - Its a great feeling when you're able to do little things like that. 

I've been doing ok - I didn't work out for a couple of weeks, but have since started back up working out again. I did the 'boot camp' part of my DVD today for the first time, and it was hard, but great  

Mr Tinkerbell really wants to start eating better, and we are going grocery shopping later today and getting good fresh foods. He's not even close to being fat, but he's got a little 'beer gut' that he isn't happy with, so we're going to try and help each other. And we're planning on buying a treadmill in the near future.


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## HottiMegan

tinkerbell said:


> You're doing awesome Megan!!
> 
> LoveBHMS - Its a great feeling when you're able to do little things like that.
> 
> I've been doing ok - I didn't work out for a couple of weeks, but have since started back up working out again. I did the 'boot camp' part of my DVD today for the first time, and it was hard, but great
> 
> Mr Tinkerbell really wants to start eating better, and we are going grocery shopping later today and getting good fresh foods. He's not even close to being fat, but he's got a little 'beer gut' that he isn't happy with, so we're going to try and help each other. And we're planning on buying a treadmill in the near future.




that's great about starting to getting healthier food. I sooo want a treadmill but we live on the second floor and i know first hand how loud they are to the floor below. So it's waiting until we buy a place most likely  I still haven't started exercising but i'm still losing. I have lost a 78lbs on eat to live since Jan 2nd with an additional about 14lbs pre Eat to live. I am still tempted to look into joining a gym. There's one like 4 blocks from my apartment that has free childcare for members. That would be awesome for me to take my little boy for an hour a day to work out. I'm just afraid of the price tag!

My husband has lost about 23lbs and i have never seen him so skinny! I want to get a before and after picture of him too. He has always been about 230's since we got married 9 years ago and when he quit sugary soda about 6 months ago he went down to between 210 and 215 (he's 5'7) and he kept that off. Now he's about 188 or so. he's happy about being thinner and more motivated than ever to have this diet for life


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## LoveBHMS

Megan- If you're self employed (don't know if you have another job besides web modeling) you may be able to write off the costs of the gym. Maybe try checking with an accountant. I'm actually going to look into this myself.

Also, as far as the kiddie care goes, it may be a good incentive to keep going if your son likes the child care center. The one at my gym looks awesome (if I were 4) and I'd bet if he liked it he'd be bugging you to take him there, so it might be a really good way to make sure you get to do your workouts. I've seen a lot of parents working out at the same time, so I'd be surprised if the kids didn't wind up being pals---and you know how kids are when they want to see a particular friend or play with a *favorite* child care worker.

Congrats on the continued shrinkage. Bet you and hubby are having lotsa fun with the new bods . And anyway....if you're planning on another kiddo, it won't hurt to start practicing.


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## HottiMegan

LoveBHMS said:


> Megan- If you're self employed (don't know if you have another job besides web modeling) you may be able to write off the costs of the gym. Maybe try checking with an accountant. I'm actually going to look into this myself.



I am self employed doing webmastering and modeling and web design. My husband and I are in the process of building up our own business of website building and computer/tech support. As of right now, it's only a meager earning but we're working on building it. We're looking forward to writing off two new laptops this year for the business. 



> Also, as far as the kiddie care goes, it may be a good incentive to keep going if your son likes the child care center. The one at my gym looks awesome (if I were 4) and I'd bet if he liked it he'd be bugging you to take him there, so it might be a really good way to make sure you get to do your workouts. I've seen a lot of parents working out at the same time, so I'd be surprised if the kids didn't wind up being pals---and you know how kids are when they want to see a particular friend or play with a *favorite* child care worker.



My son will love daycare. I was looking around the website of this particular gym and they have some classes i KNOW he'll love. One is a toddler tumbling class that has gymnastics and dancing (both he would adore). They also have swim classes which would be a plus for him. The day care part will be no problem either (if they let him in.. he has a feeding tube that might preclude him.. long story on the feeding tube) He goes to preschool five days a week and enjoys it to no end. (i enjoy the me time too) I'm going to make a call to see how much of a monthly monetary commitment it will be for me and my husband to join. I'd like to school him on some body building to build up his arms (I'm an arm girl) I have a good five years of serious muscle building under my belt and want to use that knowledge again.



> Congrats on the continued shrinkage. Bet you and hubby are having lotsa fun with the new bods . And anyway....if you're planning on another kiddo, it won't hurt to start practicing.



We are having fun with our smaller bods. He loves to grab my smaller belly now. He also likes that I'm wearing my overalls that were previously too tight. He loves overalls. I'm having a hard time waiting until this summer/fall to trying to conceive. We just found out some friends of ours are expecting and it makes that clock tick a bit louder! I still want to go under 300 lbs more like 275 or so before trying. I'm currently 321 now so it's not much more weight!


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## LoveBHMS

That sounds great, at the rate you're going it shouldn't be too long, and with your eating plan you should be super healthy for when you start really trying. I imagine it can be hard to wait when it's something you really want, but you're working on making sure your body as healthy as possible for child carrying, so it's a great goal. Not to mention that you are looking marvelous and your newly increased health will help you to meet the energy demands of two kids.

In the meantime you can have a lot of fun praticing, not to mention...you know...sex can be a little workout all its own. LOL!


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## HottiMegan

I am SOOO excited to get pregnant again. (well not so much the pregnancy but having another kid) I had a horrid pregnancy, i was sick the whole time and had a bad doctor. the second time around will be different hopefully


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## HottiMegan

I wanted to check in and show you a before and after of my husband (with his permission of course) He has lost about 50lbs total. The first 30 was just from cutting sugary sodas out and the second 22 or so was from eating eat to live. He still drinks his beer and eats way more than me but he's still losing. He's finding that he is much more able to do things like bend over to tie his shoes without struggle. It's cool to see his weight gone but i do miss his belly a little  

View attachment dforafter.jpg


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## Tracyarts

I have gotten to a point where I have had to seriously re-address my need to lose more weight. The initial weight loss I have maintained got me mobile again, and got my blood sugar under control, but new problems with my back and a foot injury have put me back at square one as far as mobility is concerned

I am in a catch-22 regarding exercise. I need to exercise in order to help lose weight so that there is less pressure on my back and foot and I will have less pain and heal more quickly. But, as I am in so much pain because of the complications my weight is causing my back and foot injuries, it is near impossible to exercise. 

I will be able to start going back to a therapy pool again soon, but I have to make some serious changes in diet and drop some weight in the meanwhile so that I can realistically manage the walking and standing needed to just get to and from the pool and shower/changing area without it being so painful and difficult that it makes me not want to do it. I am in so much unmanaged pain that my mobility level has slacked off. 

So, I am not the type who goes for diet plans or the like. I decided that the best thing I can do is to eat much less calorie-dense food and cut portion size enough to see results but not so much as to feel deprived.

So, I have been eating a lot more vegetable based meals. And a lot more lighter cuisine. Especially Mediterranean cuisine and some Asian cuisine. I could live on Mediterranean food and be a very happy camper. And, lighter meals just feel good now that the weather is warming back up. 

Mobility loss is a MAJOR complication when you are trying to lose weight. It is very frustrating. 

Tracy


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## SamanthaNY

Tracy, perhaps this might help? 







It's called The Resistance Chair, and is designed for seniors, or anyone recovering from a major illness/injury, or those unable to do traditional exercises. I found it because I'd like to have a home exercise bicycle - but found after some research that most good exercise bikes with a weight rating over 250 pounds go for over $1,000. This chair has a weight rating of 400 pounds, and comes with the accessories shown here. You can also get a short-stroke mini bike pedaler which fits with the chair (though is sold separately)




and there are other pedalers for people with different fitness ranges.

I think it sounds like a good deal - for about $320, you can get an exercise bike and the ability to do a lot of strength training exercises. Plus - added bonus, the chair folks up for easy storage - something that can't be said for a $1000 bike. 

Just a thought, for those interested. The resistance chair is also sold through Amazon and Overstock.com ($200 there!), and many other outlets. Just google "resistance chair".


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## TheSadeianLinguist

That's actually really cool, Sam.


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## Jes

HottiMegan said:


> There's one like 4 blocks from my apartment that has free childcare for members. That would be awesome for me to take my little boy for an hour a day to work out. I'm just afraid of the price tag!


i am SO jealous of you! not b/c i have kids but b/c some of the people at my gym have them and they run allover on the machines while i'm trying to use them. talk about a liability. insane.

and how handy is a gym just a 10 min. walk away! Mine's close too. If it wasn't, I would never, ever, ever go. Let me say ever again!


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## LoveBHMS

Megan-

Your husband looks terrific, and he should be really proud of himself .

The smaller belly is a sacrifice, sure. But there are many, many other advantages to a thinner partner, some of which might get banned if i tried to outline them on a PG-13 rated board.

Suffice to say, he look awesome and I hope the two of you are having a lot of fun with your new bodies! There is always the fun of finding out "Hey....we could not do this 20 pounds ago, but now......"


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## tinkerbell

He looks great Megan!

I'm still going at it - I'm still working out, just finished a little bit ago, and I feel great  

I had a bad couple of days this weekend with my eating (my period started out of the blue and I was away from home) so I know I still need to work on that. Usually after a bad couple of days, I tend to just give up on working out, but didn't today.


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## Waxwing

Tinkerbell, I think that's awesome. If you can still work out through the bad days you will feel so great. YAY!


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## HottiMegan

Jes said:


> i am SO jealous of you! not b/c i have kids but b/c some of the people at my gym have them and they run allover on the machines while i'm trying to use them. talk about a liability. insane.
> 
> and how handy is a gym just a 10 min. walk away! Mine's close too. If it wasn't, I would never, ever, ever go. Let me say ever again!



oh man as a parent, i wouldn't allow my kids to do that. My husband and i would work out in shifts if needed. Some parents these days.. they let their kids run wild and don't parent at all.. stepping off my soap box and backing away...


----------



## HottiMegan

LoveBHMS said:


> Megan-
> 
> Your husband looks terrific, and he should be really proud of himself .
> 
> The smaller belly is a sacrifice, sure. But there are many, many other advantages to a thinner partner, some of which might get banned if i tried to outline them on a PG-13 rated board.
> 
> Suffice to say, he look awesome and I hope the two of you are having a lot of fun with your new bodies! There is always the fun of finding out "Hey....we could not do this 20 pounds ago, but now......"



Things aren't drastically different except we both need to drain our checking account for new clothes lol We are more affectionate too though.


----------



## HottiMegan

tinkerbell said:


> He looks great Megan!
> 
> I'm still going at it - I'm still working out, just finished a little bit ago, and I feel great
> 
> I had a bad couple of days this weekend with my eating (my period started out of the blue and I was away from home) so I know I still need to work on that. Usually after a bad couple of days, I tend to just give up on working out, but didn't today.




I have never seen him so thin in the 11 years we've known each other. He's super happy with this diet and his new body. I just wish i could talk him into buying some pants that actually fit now lol. He looks like a saggy pants teenager with his fat jeans lol

I know how you feel about having bad days around the period. I think that's why women cant lose weight as easily, we have some powerful hormones working against us! For three to five days a month I feel like i have to eat everything in the house. I just try to stick to my food that's legal


----------



## LoveBHMS

HottiMegan said:


> oh man as a parent, i wouldn't allow my kids to do that. My husband and i would work out in shifts if needed. Some parents these days.. they let their kids run wild and don't parent at all.. stepping off my soap box and backing away...



Big signs all around that say nobody under 16...rule seems to be enforced and I'm the type to be very very vocal if i tripped over a runaway kiddo on my way to the stairmaster.


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## crazygrad

Hi, Tracy,
Have you thought about seated exercise? That chair looked cool, but 250 isn't a very high weight tolerance. You can get a few resistance bands or cords at Target for a few bucks, or some free weights at a sporting goods store for 50 cents to a buck a pound. You can do cardio in a chair by putting on music you like and move your arms and legs while seated to the music. Alternatively, you can use an exercise video and follow along while seated. Then use the bands or weights for some upper body moves.
Just make sure you use a sturdy, firm seated chair with a narrow back and no arms.

Another option is a simcycle (check out www.eloton.com for a nice model). A symcycle is a pedaler and you use it on your own chair so you don't have to worry about weight limits. It can take some finagling to find the right distance from the chair to the pedaler or to get the pedaler in the right place but once you do, its a pretty comfortable ride. Some people who have knees that don't like biking like this because you have almost infinite options in situating the pedaler in relation to your body. I bought one when I started having problems exercising because of my size. It was really essential in keeping me exercising when I felt too big for my other equipment and tired or had back or knee pains from standing workouts. (If it helps, I was 312 when I started having back and knee trouble, and was too heavy for our NordicTrack.)

Hope this helps!


----------



## SamanthaNY

crazygrad said:


> Hi, Tracy,
> Have you thought about seated exercise? That chair looked cool, but 250 isn't a very high weight tolerance.
> 
> ...a pedaler and you use it on your own chair so you don't have to worry about weight limits.


If you're referring to the post I made, the Resistance Chair I posted about has a 400 lb capacity, not 250. 

I also mentioned pedalers, and the links I gave have some relatively inexpensive options for them.


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## crazygrad

My mistake, Sam. I must have misread something listing 250 as a limit. That chair looks pretty sweet.

I made some mentions that, well, are just cheaper for people who don't want to, or can't, spend a $100 on an exercise gadget.


----------



## SamanthaNY

crazygrad said:


> My mistake, Sam. I must have misread something listing 250 as a limit. That chair looks pretty sweet.
> 
> I made some mentions that, well, are just cheaper for people who don't want to, or can't, spend a $100 on an exercise gadget.



The 250 was in regards to the weight limits on most inexpensive home exercise bikes. I was frustrated in looking for something reasonably priced, but sturdy enough for a fat person (that's where the 250 limit was) - that's how I came across that chair. 

I like the idea of free weights, bands and cords... I'm sure there's other great resources like that. It might not be a bad idea to have a separate thread for exercise equipment and ideas like that. I wonder if they'd let that stay on the Main Board....


----------



## crazygrad

when I went back and read your post again, I realized where I mixed it up.

I LOVE using bands and cords. I supplement free weight exercises with bands, I travel with bands (so easy to pack), and they work with some cardio exercises too.

Bands are bitchin'!


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## SamanthaNY

I've only seen bands in conjunction with recuperative therapy (my physical terrorist had them in his office when he was helping me recover from a broken leg) - can you give us some examples of how you use them? Are there websites for this? Pictures would be helpful - there must be something online, no?


----------



## crazygrad

Let me start a thread... but yes, bands are very popular and common in physical therapy of various types but the fitness world has really caught onto them for their affordability, versatility and portability.

Let me get some goodies together anf I'll make a new thread.


----------



## HottiMegan

LoveBHMS said:


> Big signs all around that say nobody under 16...rule seems to be enforced and I'm the type to be very very vocal if i tripped over a runaway kiddo on my way to the stairmaster.



I probably wouldn't say anything but I'd certainly shoot the parents a nasty look. I hate when people cant keep kids where they belong. (ie not a gym or movie theater <-- big pet peeve on that one)


----------



## Tracyarts

Well, I think I am going to be doing my best to get back to the water exercises once I get well. I figured out why my energy level and stamina level was so low, I got diagnosed with pneumonia yesterday, so for at least the next ten days I am to take it easy and not overexert myself.

Once I get well and have enough stamina to do any kind of exercise, I'll look into seated versus in the water exercise.

Tracy


----------



## HottiMegan

Water would be pretty good for ya i bet. I do a lot of water exercise and swimming in the summer. It is always envigorating to be less heavy (in the water). I hope your pneumonia clears up quickly. That is not fun to have.


----------



## Tracyarts

Yeah, I always loved water exercise, I could do an hour workout and not feel at all fatigued or over exerted. It was very refreshing and comfortable. I got tremendous benefits, the water resistance helps build up your muscle mass and strength. And never, ever any pain in my back or hips. 

But yeah... right now walking from one room to the other makes me have to sit and rest. But, my doctor says I should have this kicked in a couple weeks and then need a couple weeks longer to get back up to my usual activity level.

Tracy


----------



## HottiMegan

i have had pneumonia a number of times and it does kick you hard. I wish you all the best in recovery. take it easy. 

I do water walking when i'm in the pool. I walk from one end to the other (the pool i go to is only open june to sept though but it's HUGE) Then i do laps. I always feel so accomplished when i do it. I seriously need to exercise. I have a lot of weight gone now so exercise is the next step for me.


----------



## HottiMegan

I dont have a before pic per say but this was taken on Friday. The pants i'm wearing were so tight last year that i couldn't breath while wearing them.. now they're falling off. So i had to buy a belt recently  This is me at the Sacramento Zoo. I'm posting here as to not hijack the other thread  

View attachment 100lbs.jpg


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## LoveBHMS

Megan you look fantastic! 

You should be super proud of yourself. You are simply _glowing!_


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## SamanthaNY

how cute are you with the rolled up jeans and hightops! Love it.


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## HottiMegan

LoveBHMS said:


> Megan you look fantastic!
> 
> You should be super proud of yourself. You are simply _glowing!_



I am proud, i just wish my mom could see me.. she's all the way in Chicago and i probably wont see here this year. She needs the inspiration/motivation.. she falls off the diet wagon after 3-4 days.


----------



## HottiMegan

SamanthaNY said:


> how cute are you with the rolled up jeans and hightops! Love it.



Thanks  that's my typical every day look, a pair of jeans and a teeshirt.. and my tennies are a staple in my wardrobe


----------



## Tracyarts

I had a MAJOR reality check regarding my weight and how it is impacting my life (and not in a positive way). 

My mobility is still too sketchy to undertake any kind of serious fitness program. I am hoping to be able to return to water exercise sometime before the end of Spring, but for now, very short walks and seated stretching exercises are about all I can manage.

So, I am having to be *extremely* careful about my food intake until I get fully over being sick and have lost enough weight to improve my mobility just enough to jump-start a new fitness program. 

I have probably let the situation go much farther than I should have, but I have to do something NOW or else I will end up losing my mobility again and have my blood glucose and blood pressure levels spiral out of control again. Right now, it is a comfort/mobility/life quality issue, not so much a health issue. So, I am best addressing it now before it gets worse.

Tracy


----------



## Tina

I'm sorry to hear this, Tracy. I remember being inspired by reading about your underwater workouts and your eating program and weightloss. I lost almost 120 lbs, but have gained back probably almost 10 in the last year - year and a half, back and forth, as I've been plateauing and have had a hard time making further progress. I understand your desire not to get back to where you were; it's the thing that most brings me back in line when I stray. I will not live the life I used to; it was too miserable.

I hope you are able to get back to where you want to be. The best to you.

Megan, you do look very cute.


----------



## TheSadeianLinguist

Tracyarts said:


> I had a MAJOR reality check regarding my weight and how it is impacting my life (and not in a positive way).
> 
> My mobility is still too sketchy to undertake any kind of serious fitness program. I am hoping to be able to return to water exercise sometime before the end of Spring, but for now, very short walks and seated stretching exercises are about all I can manage.
> 
> So, I am having to be *extremely* careful about my food intake until I get fully over being sick and have lost enough weight to improve my mobility just enough to jump-start a new fitness program.
> 
> I have probably let the situation go much farther than I should have, but I have to do something NOW or else I will end up losing my mobility again and have my blood glucose and blood pressure levels spiral out of control again. Right now, it is a comfort/mobility/life quality issue, not so much a health issue. So, I am best addressing it now before it gets worse.
> 
> Tracy



I realize I am crazed for Richard Simmons like no one else (I just have a thing for insanely empathetic, outgoing people), but have you looked at his seated videos? I actually used his other videos on a regular basis; they're awesome.


----------



## TheSadeianLinguist

HottiMegan said:


> Thanks  that's my typical every day look, a pair of jeans and a teeshirt.. and my tennies are a staple in my wardrobe



Finally, someone with good (read: MY) fashion sense. 

You do look just stunning though.


----------



## HottiMegan

Tracyarts said:


> I had a MAJOR reality check regarding my weight and how it is impacting my life (and not in a positive way).
> 
> My mobility is still too sketchy to undertake any kind of serious fitness program. I am hoping to be able to return to water exercise sometime before the end of Spring, but for now, very short walks and seated stretching exercises are about all I can manage.
> 
> So, I am having to be *extremely* careful about my food intake until I get fully over being sick and have lost enough weight to improve my mobility just enough to jump-start a new fitness program.
> 
> I have probably let the situation go much farther than I should have, but I have to do something NOW or else I will end up losing my mobility again and have my blood glucose and blood pressure levels spiral out of control again. Right now, it is a comfort/mobility/life quality issue, not so much a health issue. So, I am best addressing it now before it gets worse.
> 
> Tracy



I am so sorry that you're having such a wake up call. It's always tough to face mobility issues. I am losing weight so that i don't have to face that. I was starting to get chronic back pain with the way i carry all my weight in my belly and that's why I'm dieting. I am not exercising much other than playing in the park a few times a week. I hope you find a path to help you out with your quality of life


----------



## HottiMegan

TheSadeianLinguist said:


> Finally, someone with good (read: MY) fashion sense.
> 
> You do look just stunning though.



Thank you  i will ALWAYS be a teeshirt and jeans with tennies or flip flops kind of girl. I hardly ever wear dresses or prints. Now I'm on a quest for jean shorts that fit and are not like daisy dukes.


----------



## Tina

Megan, check the Goddess jeans thread on the Fashion board.


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## Damon

As far as "fat" loss goes (not just weight) I think weight bearing excercises work the best. Machine Pull-downs, Push ups on your knees, body weight squats, bicep curls, tri-cep extensions, and dead- lifts are simple excercises that can be done at home and really don't require a whole lot of talent to be able to do. I think I've posted this before but here's a simple workout that is very effective and all you need for it is a 45 lb bar. If you can't get one for whatever reason you could use a big rock ( yes I've done it before) 2 small hand weights or what ever. Starting small and progressing is the key, you can't expect instant gains/gratification. I hope this helps http://www.t-nation.com/findArticle.do?article=04-046-training

I realize the "fat loss in four minutes" sounds to good to be true, but when you try it you'll see why.


----------



## Tina

Problem with that, Damon, is that I cannot do those moves. Carrying around this weight for so long has destroyed my knees. I also have bone spurs on the ends of my shoulder bones, so I have to be careful or I carve up my shoulder muscles. It's a real challenge some times. I'd love to have a Bowflex, or something like it, though they are expensive. Wish I had the ability to do these, though; they look like they'd be very effective.


----------



## crazygrad

Hey, Tina and Tracy and anyone else,

check out the seated videos at www.collagevideo.com they sell exclusively exercise videos and have a selection of seated ones. including fall prevention and recovery.

TSL, I love RS too- he kills me! His seated workout, Sit Tight, is out of print. But you CAN take any of his workouts and do it in a chair. Just use the arm movements and move your legs around. March while seated, touch your toes to the sides or in front, do little kicks in front of you. As you build strength, you can do some of the workout standing, and eventually try to do the whole thing standing. Some people really like Leslie Sansoe. She annoys me, though and if you want to do something seated, she uses very little arm work to get your heart rate up. Her workoouts are easier when you want to do more standing exercise though.

I'm working on a thread for balls and bands- just have to scan more stuff in and figure out how to upload it.

PM me with questions or if you Richard suggestions. I have most of his videos.


----------



## Damon

Tina said:


> Problem with that, Damon, is that I cannot do those moves. Carrying around this weight for so long has destroyed my knees. I also have bone spurs on the ends of my shoulder bones, so I have to be careful or I carve up my shoulder muscles. It's a real challenge some times. I'd love to have a Bowflex, or something like it, though they are expensive. Wish I had the ability to do these, though; they look like they'd be very effective.



Those movements a effective but if you can't do them it's all good. I think a bowflex or soloflex would be good for you and you can get a used on on EBAY or a playitagain sports store. I'll keep your situation in mind when i think about working out and see if I can think of any stuff you can do.


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## Tina

Thanks, Damon, thats nice of you and I appreciate it.  I think we might have a Play it Again, too, now that you mention it. Didn't realize they sold used stuff, but then just from the name... yeah, it seems obvious. 

Crazygrad, I do have some exercises that I do seated, but I do try to not only do those. If those are all I do then those are all I will be able to do, but I do know how to listen to my body after all these years, and I start out small and slow and work my way up. I do have some walking poles for ski walkingthat I used for a while and need to get back to after I heal from this surgery. The good thing about them is they take some of the load off of your lower joints, while you still are walking, and it also gives a bit more of a cardio, as you're using your arms, too. Again, I have to start slowly and build up, but really, at this point my biggest obstacle is myself.


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## crazygrad

The poles look like fun, but most of my exercise walking is with the dog and I think poles + dog = disaster.

It can be soooo hard to stay motivated, especially when you have special considerations to contend with. And yeah, excess weight alone can make it so hard to enjoy exercise and make finding one you can do really hard. Anytime you're trying to exercise within a sort of set of limitations from an injury or other concern, it can be really hard to walk the line of pushing yourself and working within the limitations. Good luck! And how are you feeling?


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## Tina

Yes, I can definitely agree that the poles+dog would = disaster! Not good.  And I agree about the difficulty of keeping motivation going when there are health obstacles. 

Thanks for asking, grad. Having a rough few days and nights since the surgery, and I think I've been throwing myself my own, little pity party. I'm hoping things improve this week, thank you. In any case, I have a wedding and a move to plan, so one way or the other, things _will_ improve, because I don't have time for pity parties.


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## Sandie_Zitkus

I'm going to suggest this again - as one who uses these tapes and loves them I find it to be a great workout and one that will strengthen your legs. I recommend the "Chairdancing Around the World" tape or CD.

www.chairdancing.com

You're all invited over as soon as we get the poll up - which I intend to use mostly for exercise.


----------



## James

LoveBHMS said:


> That also means accepting and embracing a size change that is on the downswing. To me, SA is all about encouraging others and yourself to be healthy and happy and satisfied with yourself, and do whatever it takes to get to the right weight for you.



I repped you for this - I agree... 100%


----------



## James

Tina said:


> Yes, I can definitely agree that the poles+dog would = disaster! Not good. And I agree about the difficulty of keeping motivation going when there are health obstacles.
> 
> Thanks for asking, grad. Having a rough few days and nights since the surgery, and I think I've been throwing myself my own, little pity party. I'm hoping things improve this week, thank you. In any case, I have a wedding and a move to plan, so one way or the other, things will improve, because I don't have time for pity parties.






Sandie_Zitkus said:


> I'm going to suggest this again - as one who uses these tapes and loves them I find it to be a great workout and one that will strengthen your legs. I recommend the "Chairdancing Around the World" tape or CD.
> 
> www.chairdancing.com
> 
> You're all invited over as soon as we get the poll up - which I intend to use mostly for exercise.



perhaps a nice pot of tea also? You cant go wrong with that and a chair boogie! 

get well Tina - it sounds like you are on the home straight now


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## SamanthaNY

For anyone with knee issues that still wants a chance to get some cardio exercise, I again suggest the resistance chair and a magnetic pedaler. It's made a tremendous difference in my life.


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## crazygrad

Sam, that chair looks great! How often do you use it, and are you pleased with the variety of exercises? I cut off my gym membership when life got so hectic I had no time for exercise. When I did exercise, I grabbed it at home in short 10-15 bursts a few times a day. Now, I need something that will give me more options for weight training. You can do a lot with free weights but there are just some things free weights can't replicate and I find I really miss heavy weight training.

Sandie, collage has the chair dancing series, as well as some other seated options from other imprints. I had the around the world video to help recover from a serious leg injury and thought it was fun. For me, I found one thing that (helps) keeps me motivated is having a range of workouts, especially for cardio, that I like so I can mix them up, rotate them, do half of one, half of another, and so on. I like having lots of different activities and exercises, so one of the reasons I suggest taking a workout and do it seated comes from my own approach- there just aren't enough seated workouts for me to do my crazy rotation and splits.


----------



## SamanthaNY

Hiya, CG - I *love *the chair, and the magnetic pedaler. I use them at least every other day, if not every day. Not only does it keep me limber, but I find that it helps me with balance, and feeling so much stronger, even with a weak knee. The combination of doing arm and leg exercises simultaneously really does a tremendous amount, and it's something that going to my local gym couldn't offer without me moving from machine to machine. Also - I just found it hard to keep up the motivation to go to my local gym. This way, I'm at home - watching TV or listening to music, while getting a much better workout.... without hurting myself and without feeling pain. 

I'm a little surprised that the chair hasn't caught on in the fat community - it's sturdy, comfortable home gym that offers a range of exercises that can be done easily and safely for a very reasonable price. I think one of the biggest problems facing the fat community is that we just don't _move _enough - mainly because it causes us so much discomfort. The chair and pedaler fix that problem. It's also ideal for anyone recovering from illness, injury or surgery since it keeps major muscle groups working, but doesn't overstress joints. And the seated position eliminates or reduces the risks of falls, yet allows the user to keep blood circulation up, lessening the risks of blood clots. 

I also have an Urban Rebounder (stupid name for a mini-trampoline) which I don't use for a big length of time (mostly because of the knee), but it's nice to use in conjunction with the pedaler. I bounce for a few minutes, warming up the leg muscles before sitting on the resistance chair, or bounce after pedaling to stretch the muscles back out. It's a good combination, I find.


----------



## MissMirandaRae

So, Ive started doing stuff to get healthier as well.. (about a month and a half now)

Im currently flutuating between 360-365.... 

I need to start doing stuff because im in constant pain..(neck usualy) and I just need to be healthier

Ive cut out drinking regular soda (If I have some its diet) and Ive cut out fried foods for the most part.

I am still trying to eat better but its hard, because of the job I have now I work anywhere from 8-14 hours a day...

I dont usuly have the time or energry to go home and cook food every day.. 

If I go out to eat now I try to choose food that isnt greesy or fried and has lots of vegies.

On a positive note, Ive signed my boyfriend and myself up for ballys since its a block from my work and when I get off at night I can go.

My usual gym visit is... 15-30 on the bike, 10-20 on the eliptical machine, 20-30 on the tred mill, 4-8 laps in the pool, and on every other visit I do some weight training..

I do the longer times on my days off and shorter when ive worked that day.

Im not looking for fast results... Im just trying to feel healthier.


----------



## Tina

I think that reducing pain and living a more enjoyable life is a good goal. It's easy to get hung up on numbers.


----------



## MissMirandaRae

yeah, im trying to do stuff because I have headaches and nech aches...


----------



## tinkerbell

That does sound like a good goal MissMirandaRae.

I'm still doing ok - I've been bad though and haven't worked out in about 2 weeks now, and I can definitely tell the difference. I am more tired and just feel more 'blah' than I did when I was working out. :doh: I'm planning on getting up early tomorrow and doing at least 20 mins. So, hopefully I will.

I'm still eating ok - with the exception of the easter candy I bought this weekend.  I've been maintaining my weight loss of aprox 10 lbs though, so I'm happy about that.


----------



## Tracyarts

I had only regained a small portion of the weight I had lost. But, between the new pain in my knees, ankles, and feet compounding the chronic pain I have in my lower back and hips; and the ongoing lung and throat infections and related breathing problems I have been battling, my stamina and mobility has cratered.

I am still better off than I was about four years ago. But I have a LONG way to go in order to get to a place where I can live a healthy and happy life. 

My current priority is overcoming the recurring lung and throat infections and figuring out what the cause of them is. My doctor seems to think it may be a reflux-based problem and I am being scheduled for some tests to investigate that angle.

Once I get that under control and can breathe better and have more stamina, I can start working on exercise again. Even seated exercise is hard right now because I get out of breath so easily or start having severe coughing fits with exertion. So, right now all I can realistically control is my food intake.

So, I have been eating very healthy and moderate meals, planning them out ahead of time to make sure I don't go over my daily calorie limit. Unfortunately because my mobility is so poor at this time, I have to be very mindful of not overeating because there is no way to really burn it off if I do. I have been eating mostly fresh produce, lean protein, some dairy and whole grains. Small treats here and there. Mostly wholesome home cooked or whole foods. Not so little as to feel deprived. But only enough to properly nourish and satiate me. No more.

And for now, until other things related to breathing issues, infection concerns, and pain management are under control, that is the best I can do.

Tracy


----------



## crazygrad

TRacy, I'm so sorry to hear your recovery has been so slow going, but pneumonia can be so hard to clear up.

I hope you're feeling better soon.


----------



## tinkerbell

I hope that you are feeling better soon, Tracy. It sounds like you are doing well on how you are eating. I know that I feel better when I eat more whole or fresh foods. 

I actually worked out this week, and after 2 weeks of not doing it, I was sore! I was also bad and didn't stretch out at all after (I was running late for work as usual), but I felt better that day, and I'm glad that I did work out, because it was the day from hell at work, and it helped that I was awake and feeling good that day. I've been eating a little better too, and have lost another 2 lbs, so I'm technically down about 12 or 13 lbs now. Something like that anyway.


----------



## HottiMegan

Tracyarts said:


> I had only regained a small portion of the weight I had lost. But, between the new pain in my knees, ankles, and feet compounding the chronic pain I have in my lower back and hips; and the ongoing lung and throat infections and related breathing problems I have been battling, my stamina and mobility has cratered.
> 
> I am still better off than I was about four years ago. But I have a LONG way to go in order to get to a place where I can live a healthy and happy life.
> 
> My current priority is overcoming the recurring lung and throat infections and figuring out what the cause of them is. My doctor seems to think it may be a reflux-based problem and I am being scheduled for some tests to investigate that angle.
> 
> Once I get that under control and can breathe better and have more stamina, I can start working on exercise again. Even seated exercise is hard right now because I get out of breath so easily or start having severe coughing fits with exertion. So, right now all I can realistically control is my food intake.
> 
> So, I have been eating very healthy and moderate meals, planning them out ahead of time to make sure I don't go over my daily calorie limit. Unfortunately because my mobility is so poor at this time, I have to be very mindful of not overeating because there is no way to really burn it off if I do. I have been eating mostly fresh produce, lean protein, some dairy and whole grains. Small treats here and there. Mostly wholesome home cooked or whole foods. Not so little as to feel deprived. But only enough to properly nourish and satiate me. No more.
> 
> And for now, until other things related to breathing issues, infection concerns, and pain management are under control, that is the best I can do.
> 
> Tracy



I am so sorry you're going through this. I had some breathing/bronchitis/sinus stuff a year ago that lasted close to three months. It was such a great relief when i finally got over it. I really hope you find an avenue for treatment and ridding yourself of the disease. I am sending well thought waves your way!


----------



## HottiMegan

tinkerbell said:


> I hope that you are feeling better soon, Tracy. It sounds like you are doing well on how you are eating. I know that I feel better when I eat more whole or fresh foods.
> 
> I actually worked out this week, and after 2 weeks of not doing it, I was sore! I was also bad and didn't stretch out at all after (I was running late for work as usual), but I felt better that day, and I'm glad that I did work out, because it was the day from hell at work, and it helped that I was awake and feeling good that day. I've been eating a little better too, and have lost another 2 lbs, so I'm technically down about 12 or 13 lbs now. Something like that anyway.



It's good to hear you keeping to it and redoing exercise. I'm still bad, only doing the diet and not exercising. I am down a total of 114 lbs since November and 100lbs since Jan 2nd.


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## TheSadeianLinguist

Megan, this is totally not appropriate for the paysite board so I'll say it here: Your skin, glow and texture-wise, is even looking great on your ASS. It just looks stunning.


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## tinkerbell

HottiMegan said:


> It's good to hear you keeping to it and redoing exercise. I'm still bad, only doing the diet and not exercising. I am down a total of 114 lbs since November and 100lbs since Jan 2nd.




Wow! Thats great!


----------



## HottiMegan

TheSadeianLinguist said:


> Megan, this is totally not appropriate for the paysite board so I'll say it here: Your skin, glow and texture-wise, is even looking great on your ASS. It just looks stunning.



Thank you  I have notices a lot less blemishes. It really cuts down my editing of pics anymore  I also love how soft my skin and hair have been


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## HottiMegan

tinkerbell said:


> Wow! Thats great!



Thanks. we were going to go for a hike this weekend but got rained out. I'm hoping to talk hubby into doing it after work on Tuesday since I'll be cooped up all day waiting for Fed Ex to deliver medication for my son. A hike will be fun  I also bought my first pair of high heels in i don't know how long. They're wedge style sandles but i haven't worn heels out and about in ages. I can actually walk in them. My legs and feet hurt after an afternoon outing in them but i think my body has to get used to them. My poor husband was WAY shorter than me too. I'm 5'11 and he's 5'7


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## HottiMegan

I finally got on a hike today. After getting rained out a lot lately we went out knowing the forcast calls for rain the next five days. It was beautiful. We went hiking by a creek in between the buttes (i live in Butte county so you can imagine, they're plentiful) It was nice and now i'm sore everywhere  I want to commit to two to three at leas 1 hour long hikes a week. We're also going on Friday to see about prices of the gym down the street. I broke the 300lbs mark! I am now 296.2lbs.. down from originally about 414 

Oh and i was walking up the stairs to my apartment today with a drink in one hand and my son's gameboy case and my shorts started falling down. Ugh more shopping is in my future for shorts that stay up  It's quite a panic when you feel both your underwear and shorts falling down with both hands filled with stuff lol


----------



## DeniseW

Tina said:


> Thanks, Damon, thats nice of you and I appreciate it.  I think we might have a Play it Again, too, now that you mention it. Didn't realize they sold used stuff, but then just from the name... yeah, it seems obvious.
> 
> Crazygrad, I do have some exercises that I do seated, but I do try to not only do those. If those are all I do then those are all I will be able to do, but I do know how to listen to my body after all these years, and I start out small and slow and work my way up. I do have some walking poles for ski walkingthat I used for a while and need to get back to after I heal from this surgery. The good thing about them is they take some of the load off of your lower joints, while you still are walking, and it also gives a bit more of a cardio, as you're using your arms, too. Again, I have to start slowly and build up, but really, at this point my biggest obstacle is myself.



I second the walking poles, I love mine, I can walk much further with them and my lower back and legs don't seem to hurt as much. I have a few links where to buy them if anyone is interested in getting some.


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## HottiMegan

ooh walking sticks.. that is a great idea! I went hiking today on a scary trail and was afraid i was going to slip and fall often. I should get my walking stick out for the next hike.


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## HottiMegan

so this week has been absolutely gorgeous weather wise (with some rain here and there) so we started hiking. Today i took a 2 mile hike along some lava fields about 10 minutes from home. I lived here nine years and never knew they were there! The hike was scary at times but it was fun. I just wanted to share the latest picture of me. I am now 296.2lbs and have lost: 12 inches in my chest 10.5 in my biggest part of my belly, about 7 in my hips about 5 in my right thigh and 5 in my right calf (I only measure one) Total loss about 118 lbs (15 of those are from before eat to live) I just wanted to share a latest picture of me. Those shorts I'm wearing kept falling down along the trail so i think its time for new shorts lol (they're 26/28's so i need 22/24's woohoo!) 

View attachment thinmeghike.jpg


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## LoveBHMS

You look awesome. Thank you for sharing your journey with us. I remember back when you were still planning this hike.

Congrats on your continued increasing health and well being. And BTW, a "diet" is something you go on and off of. When you have a Taco Bell meal one time, it's just enjoying a splurge. It in no way undoes all the work you've done or negates any of the incredible changes in your bod. You look incredible and we know you feel even better. Keep it up!!!!

P.S. Buy a belt or a safety pin silly girl...you can't go having your clothes just literally falling off of you!!!!


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## Waxwing

Megan, you look fantastic! That's a great picture, too, and makes me want to go hiking. And as usual LBHMS is right about the splurging. You have to let yourself have those things every once in a while! It keeps you from going nuts. 

YAY for you feeling healthy and happy!!


----------



## tinkerbell

Great picture Megan! You look great!! Hmmm, I think there are some hiking trails around here, I should talk Mr Tink into going sometime. 

I finally got 3 workouts in this week - just finished my 3rd a few minutes ago. Its supposed to be nice the next week, we're going to try and get some walks in too, in the evening. I used to walk almost a mile on my lunch break a few years ago, I should start doing that again, since its so beautiful out. 

Have fun shopping for new clothes, Megan!!


----------



## Tracyarts

Well, I am still trying to kick the lung infections I have been dealing with. Some more detailed lab work came back to my doctor late this past week and showed an uncommon type of bacteria in my lungs, so I am on a higher dose and longer course of antibiotics to see if it will knock out the infection once and for all. If not, then I will need IV antibiotics. But, my doctor consulted with both a lung specialist and an infectious disease specialist and they both think that this last round of treatment I am on will knock it all out since it was caught before it had a chance to become pneumonia again.

Hopefully so. My breathing capacity and stamina/energy level are still very low, but not as low as they were when I was diagnosed with pneumonia. I am able to make it from room to room in my house just fine and can make it out to my car. As far as being able to leave my house? Well, if I am going somewhere that I would need to just walk from my car to a seat, then I am fine. So, I have been able to get out and enjoy the sunshine and fresh air. (Spring is in FULL swing where I live). 

Right now, I am focusing on eating very healthy moderately portioned meals. Lots of fresh produce, lean high quality sources of protein, some dairy like yogurt, whole grains, etc... I enjoy my treats here and there too, but I am limiting less healthy choices quite a bit. 

Tracy


----------



## HottiMegan

LoveBHMS said:


> You look awesome. Thank you for sharing your journey with us. I remember back when you were still planning this hike.
> 
> Congrats on your continued increasing health and well being. And BTW, a "diet" is something you go on and off of. When you have a Taco Bell meal one time, it's just enjoying a splurge. It in no way undoes all the work you've done or negates any of the incredible changes in your bod. You look incredible and we know you feel even better. Keep it up!!!!
> 
> P.S. Buy a belt or a safety pin silly girl...you can't go having your clothes just literally falling off of you!!!!



I'm not beating myself up about it. I had one and that was good enough for me. I followed up by a salad for dinner and a smoothie. I also made up for it today by going shopping and only buying produce and on the diet stuff  It was sure good splurging though 

I'm still really sore from the hike. It got treacherous at times while in the lava fields. It was awesome though. my arms and abs and feet and ankles hurt. It started raining hard today so no hiking for a few days (or at least until it stops raining) 

I'm going to get my sewing maching out this weekend and make some new clothes and maybe take in the elastic or create a drawstring on my shorts. I also got myself some 22/24 jean shorts today. Well not totally jean. they're denim shorts with an elastic waist band and pockets. I'm going to be sewing as much as i can over the next couple of weeks so i have new clothes. (i have a HUGE stash of fabric in my closet waiting for me)


----------



## HottiMegan

Waxwing said:


> Megan, you look fantastic! That's a great picture, too, and makes me want to go hiking. And as usual LBHMS is right about the splurging. You have to let yourself have those things every once in a while! It keeps you from going nuts.
> 
> YAY for you feeling healthy and happy!!



it was so beautiful yesterday. I want to do that hike again. And when it gets warmer out, I'm soo going swimming in the water at the lava beds. I was so tempted to get in yesterday but i would have frozen walking back to the car wet  





I'm thinking in another month, if i keep this up i can hike to feather falls. We go camping near by there and have wanted to do the hike since last may. (when we found the trail) I'm very fortunate to have a ton of beautiful natural resources within an afternoon's drive


----------



## HottiMegan

tinkerbell said:


> Great picture Megan! You look great!! Hmmm, I think there are some hiking trails around here, I should talk Mr Tink into going sometime.
> 
> I finally got 3 workouts in this week - just finished my 3rd a few minutes ago. Its supposed to be nice the next week, we're going to try and get some walks in too, in the evening. I used to walk almost a mile on my lunch break a few years ago, I should start doing that again, since its so beautiful out.
> 
> Have fun shopping for new clothes, Megan!!



Sounds like you're doing well too  I bought myself an mp3 player and i really hope that the financial investment will get me off my butt and walking while my kid's at school. I want the rain to go away so i can go out and hike again lol We were all dressed and ready to hike and look outside to see impending rain. so we went to the farmers market instead.


----------



## HottiMegan

Tracyarts said:


> Well, I am still trying to kick the lung infections I have been dealing with. Some more detailed lab work came back to my doctor late this past week and showed an uncommon type of bacteria in my lungs, so I am on a higher dose and longer course of antibiotics to see if it will knock out the infection once and for all. If not, then I will need IV antibiotics. But, my doctor consulted with both a lung specialist and an infectious disease specialist and they both think that this last round of treatment I am on will knock it all out since it was caught before it had a chance to become pneumonia again.
> 
> Hopefully so. My breathing capacity and stamina/energy level are still very low, but not as low as they were when I was diagnosed with pneumonia. I am able to make it from room to room in my house just fine and can make it out to my car. As far as being able to leave my house? Well, if I am going somewhere that I would need to just walk from my car to a seat, then I am fine. So, I have been able to get out and enjoy the sunshine and fresh air. (Spring is in FULL swing where I live).
> 
> Right now, I am focusing on eating very healthy moderately portioned meals. Lots of fresh produce, lean high quality sources of protein, some dairy like yogurt, whole grains, etc... I enjoy my treats here and there too, but I am limiting less healthy choices quite a bit.
> 
> Tracy



It's good that they found the actual bacteria to fight. It's always a tough one. We had 2 months of ear infections with my son because the antibiotics only fight certain groups at a time. It seems like a hit and miss sort of system for bacteria. I hope the antibiotics do work better for you. I had a lung infection over a year ago and it took me months to get my breathing capacity back. I used to just have to stop and take deep breaths for a minute or two just to feel oxygenated.

I really hope your recovery goes smoothly. You've been battling this a long time. Sounds like your eating choices are good. It's extra hard to eat healthy when you're sick. The convenience foods tend to be the poor food choices.


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## Waxwing

HottiMegan said:


> it was so beautiful yesterday. I want to do that hike again. And when it gets warmer out, I'm soo going swimming in the water at the lava beds. I was so tempted to get in yesterday but i would have frozen walking back to the car wet
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I'm thinking in another month, if i keep this up i can hike to feather falls. We go camping near by there and have wanted to do the hike since last may. (when we found the trail) I'm very fortunate to have a ton of beautiful natural resources within an afternoon's drive



That is just beautiful! I love being outside and hiking, and I always forget how healthy and joyous it makes me feel. When you go swim in the lava beds you have to take pictures so that I can be all jealous


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## HottiMegan

i will be buying a waterproof camera for that adventure  (safety first when it comes to my digital cameras  ) I am so excited for the heat to set on so we can go swimming in that creek  I am wanting to go hiking again but we got rained out over the weekend and i'm afraid the mud might be annoying for a couple of days. From the picture, you cant tell but the water looks to be 12-15 feet deep there. It was COLD though


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## Tina

Megan, these are walking poles, like ski poles. You can see and read about them here.

Aren't they great, Denise. I really want to get back to mine. After three surgeries almost back to back, I haven't used them in a while, but they definitely help a _lot_.


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## HottiMegan

I saw poles like that at the sporting/campng department of some local store (cant remember) I have a really cool walking stick i bought at a local ranger station that has a compass and i havent used it yet. I could have used it yesterday when i was on a steep grade hill hiking and slipping on gravel here and there  I should have my husband get it out of storage and use it next hike. (i'm hoping to do a lone hike tomorrow to the top of the butte since i only made it 3/4 of teh way up before getting too tired)


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## DeniseW

Megan, you are doing so great and look so good too, doesn't it feel good? 10 years ago I never thought I'd be able to do what I do today but losing weight really helped me out a lot. 

Tina, yes, they are great, I love love love my walking poles. I think I got mine at exerstrider.com. I might get another pair of them, I've had these for a long time though and they still are pretty good.


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## HottiMegan

DeniseW said:


> Megan, you are doing so great and look so good too, doesn't it feel good? 10 years ago I never thought I'd be able to do what I do today but losing weight really helped me out a lot.
> 
> Tina, yes, they are great, I love love love my walking poles. I think I got mine at exerstrider.com. I might get another pair of them, I've had these for a long time though and they still are pretty good.



It does feel so good. I have so much energy now. I am looking forward to stepping up the exercise this summer and swimming at least 3 times a week as well as hiking.

I'm going to see if my hiking pole works well for now before i lay any more money out. I did like the idea of poles though. The trail i went on Monday had lots of steep inclines and lose dirt and gravel which was kinda scary. I nearly fell on my butt numerous times and a pole might help


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## Miss Vickie

Megan I noticed that when I started working out more, especially doing weight training, that my skin started shrinking back on its own. I'm not sure if it's just a timing thing -- that it took awhile for my body to remake the skin so it could snap back -- or if it's the working out. But I did notice a big difference once I started working out more.

My arms and belly are a wreck, but even my arms are better and my legs and back look pretty darn good for an old lady.


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## HottiMegan

i'm hoping that the handfuls of butt skin i have right now are goign to snap back with hiking. I didnt have much of a butt to begin with and i happened to lose the most there lol. My legs have never been terribly large so they're starting to shape up nicely. I found some muscles showing in my legs the other day and i havent seen these muscles for ages  It's really fun to watch my body change.


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## Jes

hahaha. I kind of feel like the only person who gets fatter as she keeps going to the gym. 

could be that I get overheated and then come home and eat ice cream, though.


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## Miss Vickie

Jes, you're not the only one. I'm working out like a fiend and am not really losing anything right now. Of course, it would help if I didn't push the limits of what I can eat, and make better choices. But that myth of exercising making you less hungry? Total and utter bullcrap, at least in my case. If anything, it makes me hungrier.


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## Jes

oh no, i definitely don't think it makes anyone less hungry. the first time i worked out at that gym i was there a good 2 hours, trying different things, testing my body. etc. I wasn't at any max cardio speed or anything but i was moving and kept moving the whole time. 

and g-damnit, if i didn't want a giant cheeseburger about halfway through and then all the way home. I'm notmuch into red meat and all i could think was: BEEEEEF. BEEEEEEEEEF.

For me, I think the weight thing is 2-fold. I'm active in the gym, but not in any target zone/range. I'm not doing anything THAT serious.

AND I seem to be fairly muscle-y. Not that you'd notice it from the outside at all, but I can tense a leg just slightly, and it turns very hard. I'm short and stocky and while I do have a big belly, boobs, a butt, hanging fat on my upper arms and all of that, I have a LOT of muscle. So I think I build muscle and don't lose much fat and it's the 'it's not the heat, it's the humidity/fat weighs less than muscle' thing for me. I've had people say to me: wow, you look much thinner! when I GAIN weight, which makes me think i'm just shifting it all around and gaining some muscle, too.


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## tinkerbell

I've worked out once this week. For some reason my back has just been killing me. I have no clue what I did to it, but its kind of giving me an excuse to not work out  lol but I did yesterday, just didn't push myself really hard, and made sure it didn't hurt.

I'm not loosing much right now, but then, as others have said, I've just been eating badly, so its not helping. I am looking more toned, so I do like that . 

Exercise doesn't necessarily make me less or more hungry, I just tend to not want to over eat after I've exercised, more of a mental thing though. I guess I don't want it to be 'wasted'... if that makes sense 

Jes - I don't know how true it is, but I've heard many times in the past that sometimes if you are craving a certain kind of food, then it means your body is lacking the nutrients it contains. So, craving red meat might mean that you are low in iron?? Though, like I said, I don't know if its really true


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## Jes

tinkerbell said:


> Jes - I don't know how true it is, but I've heard many times in the past that sometimes if you are craving a certain kind of food, then it means your body is lacking the nutrients it contains. So, craving red meat might mean that you are low in iron?? Though, like I said, I don't know if its really true


makes sense to me. i'm sorry to say i often crave mcdonald's, and while we certainly all get more than enough salt in our lives, i always feel like what i'm really craving there is salt--that food is all kinds of salty.
and i believe i've just talked myself into fine scottish fare for dinner tonight, when i'm out and about for a mani/pedi!


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## Miss Vickie

Jes said:


> oh no, i definitely don't think it makes anyone less hungry. the first time i worked out at that gym i was there a good 2 hours, trying different things, testing my body. etc. I wasn't at any max cardio speed or anything but i was moving and kept moving the whole time.
> 
> and g-damnit, if i didn't want a giant cheeseburger about halfway through and then all the way home. I'm notmuch into red meat and all i could think was: BEEEEEF. BEEEEEEEEEF.



I know, it's the same for me. It definitely increases my appetite, which is different than what "they" tell us.  



> AND I seem to be fairly muscle-y. Not that you'd notice it from the outside at all, but I can tense a leg just slightly, and it turns very hard. I'm short and stocky and while I do have a big belly, boobs, a butt, hanging fat on my upper arms and all of that, I have a LOT of muscle. So I think I build muscle and don't lose much fat and it's the 'it's not the heat, it's the humidity/fat weighs less than muscle' thing for me. I've had people say to me: wow, you look much thinner! when I GAIN weight, which makes me think i'm just shifting it all around and gaining some muscle, too.



I'm the same way, Jes. I build up muscle quickly, and I have heavily muscled legs. The fitness folks at the gym are always amazed at how much weight I lift, particularly in my upper body, since that's where women are notoriously weak. I tell them, "Honey, have you ever tried carrying a 300 pound body?" (Because clearly they haven't). In order to support and move a big body you need a LOT of muscle. And muscle weighs more than fat, so that also explains why some people gain when they do weight training.


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## Jes

hmmn. And here i was, assuming it was just like that b/c i was so darned sexy...



 so, tell me about your weightlifting routine, if you would. Free or circuit machines? and what do you lift, man? *grunt*


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## Tracyarts

Exercise always makes me ravenously hungry. Even when I have a nice healthy snack beforehand. Which is why I always tried to exercise early in the morning, so that way I would be ready for a good hearty healthy breakfast to hold me over the rest of the morning.

Well, I have two days left of antibiotics and am hoping, really hoping that this is the last course of them. I am still having a very hard time with stamina and mobility but it is getting better. I was able to walk about 50 yards at one stretch yesterday before absolutely hitting my wall and having to sit and catch my breath. Which, seems like so little, but for weeks it was a challenge to walk fifty feet at a stretch. 

I have really been keeping my food choices in the healthy range too. I don't follow a terribly strict diet, but try to eat mostly healthy whole foods in moderation. And it's working well. I used to eat a lot of fast food and less healthy takeaway and restaurant food because my husband and I spent so much time on the road with his job. But, now we know how and where to make healthier choices and only do the burgers and fries thing once a week or so and have a big restaurant meal or takeaway once or twice every payday (two weeks). Not just for health reasons, but for budget reasons. I worked over the household budget and shamefully realized that I could make my monthly car note on what we spent on restaurant and takeaway meals alone! So, a lot more home cooking from staple ingredients and whole foods. 

Exercise is pretty minimal, I am still not up to much. But, one of my best girlfriends is going to join the wellness center I go to and may be doing water aerobics with me over the summer. I am also looking into the water aerobics classes at my town's community pool. They should be starting up in May or June. 

So, while I may have not made much progress yet, I have laid the groundwork and am getting into patterns of what I need to do and keep doing in order to make a significant difference.

Tracy


----------



## Miss Vickie

Jes said:


> hmmn. And here i was, assuming it was just like that b/c i was so darned sexy...



Well, there is that..... 



> so, tell me about your weightlifting routine, if you would. Free or circuit machines? and what do you lift, man? *grunt*



We have circuit machines (Nautilus), and they have them set up in a circle, so that we go around to all the machines, in about 30 minutes, and get an overall toning workout. When I tell people this they think it's like curves but it's not. Each machine is set up for us based on size, how much weight we can do, etc. By the end of it we have gotten an overall muscle building workout. As for how much I lift (obligatory grunt), it depends on the machine. I do 95 pounds on the quadraceps machine, 90 on the hamstring, and anywhere from 70-90 on the rowing, chest fly, lat pulls, preacher curl, tricep press, etc. The only machines I can't do are the abdominal and low back because they make my hernia worse.

For cardio, I use the treadmill and get in a minimum of 20-30 minutes (when I've worked a full 12-13 hour shift and have to come back the next night), and a maximum of 50-55 minutes. 

Anyhow, that's my regime, more or less. I do weights every other day, cardio most days, and try not to take more than one day a week off. I seem to be the type of person who, if she misses even one day, gets off her groove and can't get back into it. So it's easier for me to just go, even if I just do 20 minutes and soak in the tub.


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## missaf

My son and I made our own walking sticks out of oak poles at Home Depot. We added:


A hook at the top, screwed into the staff
heavy duty rubber band at the top of staff, doubled over a few times
90 degree peep hole with lanyard/whistle/compass/film canister with firestarter/matches threaded through
30 feet of paracord as the handgrip with a 30 gallon trashbag wrapped under as emergency shelter
Brass tacks at each foot marking
fishing line wrapped around staff with 2 band-aid sandwiching 2 fishing hooks under the line
Pretty much a surivival kit on a stick. It's not too heavy, and it lets us keep supplies handy


----------



## tinkerbell

Tracyarts said:


> Exercise always makes me ravenously hungry. Even when I have a nice healthy snack beforehand. Which is why I always tried to exercise early in the morning, so that way I would be ready for a good hearty healthy breakfast to hold me over the rest of the morning.
> 
> Well, I have two days left of antibiotics and am hoping, really hoping that this is the last course of them. I am still having a very hard time with stamina and mobility but it is getting better. I was able to walk about 50 yards at one stretch yesterday before absolutely hitting my wall and having to sit and catch my breath. Which, seems like so little, but for weeks it was a challenge to walk fifty feet at a stretch.
> 
> I have really been keeping my food choices in the healthy range too. I don't follow a terribly strict diet, but try to eat mostly healthy whole foods in moderation. And it's working well. I used to eat a lot of fast food and less healthy takeaway and restaurant food because my husband and I spent so much time on the road with his job. But, now we know how and where to make healthier choices and only do the burgers and fries thing once a week or so and have a big restaurant meal or takeaway once or twice every payday (two weeks). Not just for health reasons, but for budget reasons. I worked over the household budget and shamefully realized that I could make my monthly car note on what we spent on restaurant and takeaway meals alone! So, a lot more home cooking from staple ingredients and whole foods.
> 
> Exercise is pretty minimal, I am still not up to much. But, one of my best girlfriends is going to join the wellness center I go to and may be doing water aerobics with me over the summer. I am also looking into the water aerobics classes at my town's community pool. They should be starting up in May or June.
> 
> So, while I may have not made much progress yet, I have laid the groundwork and am getting into patterns of what I need to do and keep doing in order to make a significant difference.
> 
> Tracy




I hope that you start to feel better, and that you are done with the antibiotics! 

I try to exercise in the morning too - I like doing it then, I feel more awake, and for me, it tends to keep me from eating crap the rest of the day, but I hate to get up early!

The wellness center sounds like a really good idea - as do the water aerobics. And its always fun to exercise with a friend. 

We've stopped eating out too - it just gets too expensive.


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## Brenda

After reading about Meghan's impressive results with fat free vegan I decided to try the 12 day diet. My plan is to do that to get myself back on track. I have lost quite a bit of weight in the last two years but since December I have not been watching what I eat for the most part. 

In five days on the program I lost 6lbs. I have been surprised that it is no where near as difficult to follow as it seems. After this is over I plan to resume a more liberal diet plan but this breaking me of Starbuck's, Ben and Jerry's and dining out is just what I needed to make a fresh start.

Brenda


----------



## Tina

missaf said:


> My son and I made our own walking sticks out of oak poles at Home Depot. We added:
> 
> 
> A hook at the top, screwed into the staff
> heavy duty rubber band at the top of staff, doubled over a few times
> 90 degree peep hole with lanyard/whistle/compass/film canister with firestarter/matches threaded through
> 30 feet of paracord as the handgrip with a 30 gallon trashbag wrapped under as emergency shelter
> Brass tacks at each foot marking
> fishing line wrapped around staff with 2 band-aid sandwiching 2 fishing hooks under the line
> Pretty much a surivival kit on a stick. It's not too heavy, and it lets us keep supplies handy



Wonderful idea! You know, Missa, with your inventiveness and initiative, you really are the perfect Den Mother.


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## Miss Vickie

I know, Tina. It makes me want to be a boyscout so Missaf can be my den mother.


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## HottiMegan

missaf said:


> My son and I made our own walking sticks out of oak poles at Home Depot. We added:
> 
> 
> A hook at the top, screwed into the staff
> heavy duty rubber band at the top of staff, doubled over a few times
> 90 degree peep hole with lanyard/whistle/compass/film canister with firestarter/matches threaded through
> 30 feet of paracord as the handgrip with a 30 gallon trashbag wrapped under as emergency shelter
> Brass tacks at each foot marking
> fishing line wrapped around staff with 2 band-aid sandwiching 2 fishing hooks under the line
> Pretty much a surivival kit on a stick. It's not too heavy, and it lets us keep supplies handy



I think we're going to have to try this! My son disparately wants a walking stick like his mommy. This might be a project for us this weekend. his might not be so elaborate since he's only 4. On our last hike i had my stick and he kept picking up little twigs trying to use them like my stick  My stick came in handy when walking on some parts of the trail that looked like creek bed with boulders and rocks that were ready to slip under my feet.


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## HottiMegan

I thought it was time to show off another before and after picture. I am officially 125lbs lighter. I am not totally sure if it's more since i got error on my scale a lot before i got the 414 weight on it. So it took me a good month of watching what i ate before i got the 414 weigh in.
To date i have lost:
12 inches off my chest
11 inches off my upper/bigest part of my belly
8 inches off my hips
6 inches off each thigh
5 inches off each calf

I exercise at least 5 times a week now for 1-2 hours at a time. I plan on incorporating weight training and yoga for something to do from home. The pool in the park opens memorial day weekend and i'll start doing laps there in the mornings when it's open to add some non/low impact cardio work. Plus, i love swimming


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## Brenda

Congrats on your loss and getting back to exercise.


Brenda


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## ashmamma84

HottiMegan said:


> I thought it was time to show off another before and after picture. I am officially 125lbs lighter. I am not totally sure if it's more since i got error on my scale a lot before i got the 414 weight on it. So it took me a good month of watching what i ate before i got the 414 weigh in.
> To date i have lost:
> 12 inches off my chest
> 11 inches off my upper/bigest part of my belly
> 8 inches off my hips
> 6 inches off each thigh
> 5 inches off each calf
> 
> I exercise at least 5 times a week now for 1-2 hours at a time. I plan on incorporating weight training and yoga for something to do from home. The pool in the park opens memorial day weekend and i'll start doing laps there in the mornings when it's open to add some non/low impact cardio work. Plus, i love swimming



WOW! Congrats! You look positively radiant!


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## HottiMegan

ashmamma84 said:


> WOW! Congrats! You look positively radiant!



Thank you  My skin and hair are much better since going vegan


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## amyintx

i am 5'7" and have hald steady at around 235 for about 10 years. I look and feel good for being 40. I walk every day for an hour and swim when i can. I hardly ever eat meat, just a personal choice based on humane concerns. I eat fried foods maybe 5 times a year and if I eat fastfood it is somewhere like _taco cabana_ and I get a black bean and rice burrito or the like. I am by no means a health fanatic and love chocolate. I just try to eat veggies and go to salad buffet places or ethnic. I love Indian food as well as Ethiopian. I will always be a binge eater but the stuff i binge on aint that bad for me. I will always be fat but I can also be healthy. It is all about daily choices. Fast food is as deadly as crystal meth. 
PS
One of the plus factors of not eating animals is that I have no body odor.

PPS
ALL DIETS ARE A WASTE OF TIME AND EFFORT!!! DONT DIET!!!


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## Damon

amyintx said:


> i am 5'7" and have hald steady at around 235 for about 10 years. I look and feel good for being 40. I walk every day for an hour and swim when i can. I hardly ever eat meat, just a personal choice based on humane concerns. I eat fried foods maybe 5 times a year and if I eat fastfood it is somewhere like _taco cabana_ and I get a black bean and rice burrito or the like. I am by no means a health fanatic and love chocolate. I just try to eat veggies and go to salad buffet places or ethnic. I love Indian food as well as Ethiopian. I will always be a binge eater but the stuff i binge on aint that bad for me. I will always be fat but I can also be healthy. It is all about daily choices. Fast food is as deadly as crystal meth.
> PS
> One of the plus factors of not eating animals is that I have no body odor.
> 
> PPS
> ALL DIETS ARE A WASTE OF TIME AND EFFORT!!! DONT DIET!!!



A while ago I made some suggestions and I pissed off a few of the other members of the forum. However I wanted to ask if you had ever tried any type of high intensity interval training?


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## SamanthaNY

I think we all like the idea of sharing exercise ideas, Damon - perhaps just some care could be taken in how things are worded.

Personally, I'd love to see a separate thread solely for exercise-related posts (separate from weight loss stuff), where people could share what they do or what they think might work for fat people, post pics of how-to's, give links to good equipment, etc. 

Anybody else think that might be useful?


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## Damon

SamanthaNY said:


> I think we all like the idea of sharing exercise ideas, Damon - perhaps just some care could be taken in how things are worded.
> 
> Personally, I'd love to see a separate thread solely for exercise-related posts (separate from weight loss stuff), where people could share what they do or what they think might work for fat people, post pics of how-to's, give links to good equipment, etc.
> 
> Anybody else think that might be useful?



I think they(the moderators) are gonna make a tread for that. For now I guess we are stuck here.

Ok I try and word this a little better this time. Then again forget that I'll just link to this article and let yall read it for yourselves. You dont have to do thrusters when you do this but I'll go into more detail later I think. Enjoy! http://www.t-nation.com/findArticle.do?article=04-046-training


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## tinkerbell

Wow Megan!! You look great! And congrats for being able to get on a regular exercise program! Thats where my downfall is :doh: 

I've lost another couple of pounds, so I'm down 15 lbs or so. Its going, just going slowly. I guess it also helps that we have no extra money, so we really don't have junk food around the house anymore.


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## HottiMegan

tinkerbell said:


> Wow Megan!! You look great! And congrats for being able to get on a regular exercise program! Thats where my downfall is :doh:
> 
> I've lost another couple of pounds, so I'm down 15 lbs or so. Its going, just going slowly. I guess it also helps that we have no extra money, so we really don't have junk food around the house anymore.



Thank you  i fell off the wagon both in exercise and food this week. I have had a stomach bug and haven't felt like eating right or up to cooking much. So we had a lot of take out. I did find a shirt that my mom sent me 2 years ago that i couldnt fit in for those two years that fit now. We took pictures. I also bought my first pair of size 26 pants for the first time in over 10 years. They're too big on me unfortunately, so i have to put some elastic in the waist to have them stay up.


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## tinkerbell

That shirt looks great on you! The color looks great with your hair and skin tone  Its so cute!


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## William

Hi Meagan

Looks like you are ready for a Summer's night out on the town!

You look great!

William





tinkerbell said:


> That shirt looks great on you! The color looks great with your hair and skin tone  Its so cute!


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## tinkerbell

So I did one of my DVDs that I haven't done in a while - a Denise Austin one. It was sooo hard to do it, after not doing it in over a year, and because I haven't worked out at all in 2 weeks. But I forgot how annoyingly perky Denise Austin was :doh: My butt, arms and abs are sore!

I will say that, comparing this DVD (Denise Austin - Shrink your Female Fat Zones ) to first Biggest Loser work out DVD - the work outs on the BL dvd are definitely more 'fat friendly'.

I also found a site to track the calories that I'm eating. I'm just trying to watch my portions and measure out what I'm eating. Not really 'dieting' because I did have some vanilla ice cream last night (and mixed in some Cinnamon. it was sooooo soooo good!!).


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## Tracyarts

Well, things seem to finally be looking up for me. I realized that I have gained over forty pounds since October, and that was when I started taking Avandamet instead of Metformin for PCOS/insulin resistance. My family doctor was very concerned about edema and congestive heart failure when I had gained 6 pounds in two weeks on a normal healthy diet (not under or over eating). 

I went back to my endocrinologist and we decided that the complications from the Avandamet were just unliveable. Not only serious edema, but it was making me very fatigued and achey and unmotivated and just feeling down all the time too. (And I never could kick the lung infections either...) So, they put me back on Metformin. Metformin doesn't stabilize my blood sugar quite as well as Avandamet does, so I will have to be more conscious about my diet until I can get to a point where I am active again and exercise can pick up some of the slack with my glucose control. 

But that's no big deal. 

In less than a week of being off Avandamet, I am starting to get both my ankles and my energy back. So, it doesn't look like any permanant damage was done. Congestive Heart Failure was ruled out, so I dodged a bullet there as well.

I had assumed that I felt so crappy because of being sick with the lung infections but it turns out that the Avandamet had at least something to do with how rough the past several months have been. I had thought that I regained that weight because of inactivity, but it seems like a good part of it is edema weight. 

So, now that I'm off of the Avandamet, we'll see just what happens. My goal is to get enough stamina and mobility back to resume water aerobics three times a week by the end of the month. It's a fairly big goal, but given how much better I feel just five days on a different medication, it's definately within the realm of doable.

Tracy


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## HottiMegan

Tracyarts said:


> Well, things seem to finally be looking up for me. I realized that I have gained over forty pounds since October, and that was when I started taking Avandamet instead of Metformin for PCOS/insulin resistance. My family doctor was very concerned about edema and congestive heart failure when I had gained 6 pounds in two weeks on a normal healthy diet (not under or over eating).
> 
> I went back to my endocrinologist and we decided that the complications from the Avandamet were just unliveable. Not only serious edema, but it was making me very fatigued and achey and unmotivated and just feeling down all the time too. (And I never could kick the lung infections either...) So, they put me back on Metformin. Metformin doesn't stabilize my blood sugar quite as well as Avandamet does, so I will have to be more conscious about my diet until I can get to a point where I am active again and exercise can pick up some of the slack with my glucose control.
> 
> But that's no big deal.
> 
> In less than a week of being off Avandamet, I am starting to get both my ankles and my energy back. So, it doesn't look like any permanant damage was done. Congestive Heart Failure was ruled out, so I dodged a bullet there as well.
> 
> I had assumed that I felt so crappy because of being sick with the lung infections but it turns out that the Avandamet had at least something to do with how rough the past several months have been. I had thought that I regained that weight because of inactivity, but it seems like a good part of it is edema weight.
> 
> So, now that I'm off of the Avandamet, we'll see just what happens. My goal is to get enough stamina and mobility back to resume water aerobics three times a week by the end of the month. It's a fairly big goal, but given how much better I feel just five days on a different medication, it's definately within the realm of doable.
> 
> Tracy



I'm so glad to hear that you're finally healing. It's a bummer that so much time was wasted being on that medication that made things worse.


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## TCUBOB

And I owe it all to towel.

One of the things that I have been bummed out about is the fact that I felt that I wasn't making any progress (scale-wise) on losing weight. The scale in my gym isn't perfect, and it's got about a 10 lb swing in it. Or something. So I knew that I was in the 310-320 range.

And I know, you're supposed to look at a lot of factors -- how your clothes fit, things like that. But again, it's hard to see or feel these things on a daily basis. Or even a weekly basis sometimes.

This morning, though, for whatever reason, I wrapped a bath towel around my waist. And it actually FIT! With like two inches to spare!!! Do you know how long it's been since I could wrap a towel around my waist? (Hint: a long time...probably at least five years)

So even though I'm still wearing the same clothes (which I'm now guessing may have been a little too small) and I may or may not be losing weight, I'm losing inches from SOMEWHERE. Thanks, towel.


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## tinkerbell

Thats great TCUBOB!  I know for me, little things like that keep me motivated, more so, sometimes than the scale moving.

I've lost a couple more lbs, so I'm down a total of 18.


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## HottiMegan

That's awesome tcubob  I got all excited when i could wrap my towel around me couple of months ago. It is little things like that that really keeps ya motivated. 

Today I took my son to the doctor's office and the nurse pulled me aside and asked me how much weight i lost. I just love it when people notice. My weight loss has slowed thanks to a lot of cheating while on the road. But i have been exercising more so i'm not losing weight but i'm losing inches. I'm officially down 127lbs in 6 months  I have also stopped weighing myself every few days. I do it every 2 weeks or so now. I also do measurements on my chest, upper belly, hips, thighs and calves.


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## TheSadeianLinguist

Megan, you're looking just terrific. Question: Have you noticed how HOURGLASSY you've become? It looks fabulous, but you've really developed this very pretty, classic figure with the working out, or you really know how to dress!


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## ashmamma84

Megan, I must not be keeping up with this thread like I should be (I blame it on the fashion board...lol), but that new pic of you is absolutely gorgeous! You look wonderful and I'm sure you feel it too!


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## Missy9579

I started Weight watchers a few weeks ago...Im only down 5.2 pounds, but, its a start!!!


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## ashmamma84

BigCutieViolet said:


> I started Weight watchers a few weeks ago...Im only down 5.2 pounds, but, its a start!!!



Hooray for you! Good luck on reaching your goal.


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## HottiMegan

TheSadeianLinguist said:


> Megan, you're looking just terrific. Question: Have you noticed how HOURGLASSY you've become? It looks fabulous, but you've really developed this very pretty, classic figure with the working out, or you really know how to dress!



Why thank you  I am starting to get hips on me. My waist is narrowing but my upper belly is still very protruding. I think it'll be the last to go! This is the first time in my life that I'm starting to get a waist and hips. It's fun and exciting to see the morphing of my body


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## HottiMegan

ashmamma84 said:


> Megan, I must not be keeping up with this thread like I should be (I blame it on the fashion board...lol), but that new pic of you is absolutely gorgeous! You look wonderful and I'm sure you feel it too!



I do feel so much better. I am loving it that now i can bike longer than i used to without having spaghetti legs afterwards. I love it that i crave activity and dislike the taste of unhealthy food. It's all really a cool turn in my life


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## HottiMegan

BigCutieViolet said:


> I started Weight watchers a few weeks ago...Im only down 5.2 pounds, but, its a start!!!



Congrats Violet! Good luck with the program! My mom has been on and off with Weight Watchers for years, and when she sticks to it, she is always successful.


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## LoveBHMS

BigCutieViolet said:


> I started Weight watchers a few weeks ago...Im only down 5.2 pounds, but, its a start!!!



I know "commercial programs" get a bad rap sometimes, but what I know of WW, it sounds good and seems to promote the right things like eating real food and attending support groups to talk with others facing the same challenges you are.

Congrats on the initial success!

And Megan..TSL said just what I was thinking. Your shape is getting really defined, you can see it the most on that picture taken from behind, it really shows off your fantastic new figure. You should be really proud of yourself.


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## Stormy

Weight loss is not really what I come to this board to discuss, but due to a lifetime of eating disorders, researching nutrition and trying various diets/eating plans can share some information on it.

I have a huge appetite and am not satisfied until I am very full. Id rather not eat at all than have a snack. I cannot stick with any diet involving limited quantities of everything. Fortunately, while my favorite foods are mostly high in fat, sugar and/or calories and low in fiber, I also like many low fat, low sugar, high fiber things and often stuff myself with them. It has been my experience that more fiber allows me to consume more calories with less weight gain, probably at least partly related to the fiber making food pass through the intestines faster. Besides eating lots of foods high in fiber, I also drink a liter of water with two tablespoons of psyllium husk fiber in it every morning, which is known to have other health benefits besides supplying fiber. Its nice to never be constipated, in and out of the bathroom in a couple of minutes too.  I also drink lots of water, 1-2 gallons per day, never anything else except on the rare occasions I want to get drunk. This also helps keep things moving and makes me feel better and fuller, and allows more of my calories to come from food, which is much more pleasurable to consume than drink. When I do indulge in calorie-dense foods, I usually eat some other stuff before or with it so I have less room. Like, Ill eat a few apples before pizza, or a couple cans of green beans with fried chicken and mashed potatoes. Or Ill eat a large meal of low fat/sugar, high fiber foods, telling myself Ill have a big bowl of ice cream afterwards, when I may not even end up being able to.

One of my favorite meals  tacos!! :eat2: I use ground turkey instead of beef (for almost everything, not just tacos) season it and add about an equal amount of pinto beans. Beans are great  high in protein and fiber, very low in fat and sugar-free, plus cheap. I buy them in 20 pound bags, cook a big pot and then freeze in smaller quantities, but if thats too much trouble you can buy them canned, either whole beans or fat-free refried beans, and sometimes I mash up the whole ones so theyre sort of like refried beans. Then I only put lettuce, always leaf because it has more fiber and nutrients than head plus I like it better, and tomato in the tacos besides the meat/bean mixture, and if theyre soft tacos use whole grain tortillas, whichever kind is highest in fiber and lowest in fat, which at my local Wal-Mart is a multi-grain variety advertised as low carb although I dont limit my unrefined carbohydrate consumption. Hard corn shells also have some fiber, and I usually eat some of both. I can eat plate after plate of these, a few times per week without getting tired of them. :eat1:

Obviously exercise helps a lot too. I walk/run several miles most days. I realize many here are mobility-impaired and cannot do this. I couldnt either at my heaviest, ~300 pounds, but started off just walking a little ways, gradually increasing it, then doing the same with running. Starting off with swimming may be better for some. Whatever the exercise is it should be something you enjoy though. Ive had gym memberships before, hated going there and never stuck with it. I walk and run on forest trails with my dogs and we have a great time; its so beautiful out there. If I skip too many days I feel guilty not just for me but because they really miss it.

None of this actually makes me lose weight, but significantly slows the gain compared to if I just ate, drank and did whatever I wanted. I fast to lose but this allows me to eat more often and fast less. People without such an extreme desire to stuff themselves could lose weight on it though.

I hope some of this helps at least someone, and good luck with whatever you all decide to do with your bodies.


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## fatkid420

So its been over a year now since I have lost the bulk of my weight. I just had surgery on my stomach to remove excess skin on the 18th of July. They removed 14.5 pounds of skin. I dont know what my waist size is, it was 42 befor I had the surgery. I have a girdle on and swelling so I wont know my waist size till they are both gone. I will post pics of the stitches and new pics once im healed. If anyone wants to know more about the surgery itself feel free to ask.

a few new pics of me and a few with my girlfriend. 

View attachment menew.jpg


View attachment menew2.jpg


View attachment menew3.jpg


View attachment menew4.jpg


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## SamanthaNY

Aww, you look happy, fatkid... and you and your girlfriend look like a great couple (the third pic is great!). 

Glad to hear the surgery went well.


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## Tracyarts

Well, it looks like I'm making progress.

I went to the doctor today for a followup. I had lost three pounds in June, but lost 14 pounds since the beginning of July. So a little less than three pounds a week, right where my doctor wanted me.

So far I'm not feeling much of a difference. I have been a little more mobile, but just a little more. Still, it is progress. In a few months, at this rate, I will start to notice it more.

Tracy


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## Miss Vickie

Tracy, I'm glad you're moving in the right direction. I know it can be slow going, but you should be very proud of your hard work!


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## Tracyarts

Miss Vickie said:


> Tracy, I'm glad you're moving in the right direction. I know it can be slow going, but you should be very proud of your hard work!



I am starting to notice little changes. Like I can stand up and get moving easier and faster and without as much pain in my knees and hips. Which is something for sure!

It really hasn't been work though. I'm just eating less and more healthy stuff, but I also went on Wellbutrin at the beginning of July to help with the really bad mood swings I was having around my period. The doctor who treats me for PCOS reccomended it because my hormone levels were all being controlled and there was nothing more that could be done from that angle to make them less severe and traumatic. So I talked to my GP about it and he had no problem letting me try it for a month on the lower dose and seeing what happened. He said I might also lose a little weight but not to consider it a weight loss drug. 

Well, it *did* really take care of the mood swings, very effectively without any negative side effects. But it also really decreased my appetite. I still get hungry and I still eat plenty to be properly nourished, but I don't need as much to feel full and satisfied. Which is good because I am one of those people with a metabolism that doesn't give much wiggle room between enough and too much. I had tried just eating healthier and in smaller quantities, and lost three pounds in the course of a month. Which was good, and I was happy with that. But for whatever reason, the Wellbutrin dulled my appetite enough to be able to eat a lot less and not feel deprived. 

Maybe it'll keep up that way? Maybe not? But, it hasn't made me *gain* weight and that was really all I was concerned about. 

My initial goal is to get enough weight off to take some of the pressure off of my knees and hips so I can be more active again. And once that happens, I will re-evaluate what I'm doing, and move on from there.

Tracy


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