TPF Biggest Loser Challenge Thread #2...JOIN US!

[AmourCouture]

Welcome Mree, Emma, Lori, Pinkhearts, Nova, Tal, Dee, Ash, Pursegal, Div, and Tooomz!

Lori, don't worry, that pound will dissapear in no time! Try adding a little more light cardio or extending your dog walks to 30 minutes at a time (at least one 30 min walk/day).

I've been travelling more lately and to avoid the temptation to eat out I have been bringing food with me. I bought this cute tote at Target.com (link below). It is insulated and I bought 3 of freezable bricks to keep things cold. It has worked great (I even brought Mayo-less Chicken salad one day and it was GREAT!)

http://www.target.com/Pink-Ribbon-Lu...s=lunch%20tote


My WI is tomorrow, and my fingers are crossed. I went to the gym and did 1 hr of high intensity aerobics every day. I've been feeling kind of frustrated and bummed out with the impending winter and wanting to lose NOW. In an effort to perk myself up I went to Sephora and picked up some new make-up and I made appointments to tan (spray) and get my hair done. I figure I feel the best about myself when I look healthy...its almost like it makes me feel healthier!

[pursegal]

Originally Posted by nova_girl

Thanks for making this new thread Amour! About me: 26 years old (27 in 10 days!), 5'8", dress size 14, jeans size 14-16 Goal: I'm not really sure to be honest. I think I'd like to get down to a size 8-10 and/or lose another 50 pounds so I can say I lost 100 pounds because I think that would be such an awesome accomplishment. Eating plan: I'm not on a diet but I am watching what I eat. I try not to deny myself anything but if I have a high calorie meal/snack I try to adjust the rest of my food intake for the day or next few days around that. I use Spark People to track my calories and I find that really helpful. They recommend I eat between 1200-1500 calories each day but I'm usually a little under that. Exercise plan: I haven't been very consistent with exercise, which is something I need to work on. I try to run/walk at least 3 miles 3-4 times a week. I've done two 5K races and will be doing another one next month and I find that helps keep me motivated to run. I also do squats, jumping jacks, crunches and lunges in the morning and evening.

Yay Nova, we are both in here....

[pursegal]

ok, so this week's goal is not eating out, period. I have to get back to basics...

DH volunteered to make us sandwiches in the morning, which will help on the days I don't want to take a Lean Cuisine... I will also be taking my dinner for before school, which has been a Chipotle meal lately... yikes, I know...

I hope to be working out again by Tuesday, just getting over being sick and now my lovely monthly visitor is here, so the first day of working out tomorrow will probably be out of question... dang gone it... maybe I can get a weight session in...

Have a great Monday everyone! Good luck this week with your goals...

[surlygirl]

Originally Posted by AmourCouture

In case anyone is shy, I'll go first! I'm 26, 5'6", Athletic/curvy build, dress size 8, jeans size 30 (10), top size M/L, 166 lbs Goal: 125-130 Want to lose: -36 to -41 lbs Weight loss Food routine: Weight Watchers Online and abstaining from alcohol and eating out as much as possible. Weight loss exercise routine: Gym every day for 30-60 min. I run 1-2 miles each say and combine with swimming, high intensity Aerobics (Hi/Lo, Zumba), Yoga, and eliptical/treadmill.

we are very similar size and goal wise, AmourCouture! thanks for starting this thread!

my goal is to lose 40 lbs.

I haven't been on any type of fitness or nutrition plan as of late, but I am starting tomorrow.

diet: no or low carb works best for me. basically, I try to follow a no white foods - bread, potatoes, pasta, rice, dairy, sugar, etc. It seems a lot more strict than it is, because you eat lots of veggies, protein ( fish, chicken, beef, eggs ) and some fruit. lots and lots of water!

exercise: ugh. I have to admit that I usually do not like working out. I will need to stick to the basics which for me are treadmill, elliptical, power/vinyasa yoga and any type of boot camp fitness classes at my gym. I need to go at least 5 days out of the week!

also, I have thyroid issues that cause me to gain weight, so I have to be sure to take my medication on a daily basis. I have been pretty lax, and I think that's part of the problem.

I'm excited to join you all! I'm thinking my weigh in day will be on Tuesday to coincide with the Biggest Loser!

[Mree43]

Originally Posted by AmourCouture

I'm so sorry you are dealing with chronic illness while trying to lose. Don't be discouraged! As long as you are working hard and following your plan you are doing your best! low carb is hard...I bread and it isn't really in my plan either unless it is whole grain. If they are carbs that taste good then I shouldn't eat them LOL! We can do this Mree!

Thanks hun! It is really hard but I'm determined to do it even if takes me years. It's so hard for me because I'm limited in what I can eat. For instance, I can't have any fruit or yogurt. Having you and everyone else really encourages me and I need all the encouragement I can get.

We can all do this.

[Mree43]

We are all off to a good start.

Eatting out is the hardest for me. I work six days a week and care for my grandmother. Whenever I have free time, it's usually meeting friends for dinner. It kills me. Now I stick a basic salad with grilled chicken, no dressing. But that gets so boring. Any tips for eatting out would be greatly appreciated.

After weekend of poor eatting, I'm back on track. I will have to say that I do feel better when I eat healthy foods and stay on my diet. I bring my breakfast, lunch and snacks with me to work.

I weighed in today and haven't lost any weight but I haven't gained either.

We can all do this!! Go us!

[NagaJolokia]

I'm in too! I'm so glad that I've found this thread when it's still really new and when I'm just starting to buckle down to lose weight because usually, when I find these weight loss support threads, they've already been opened weeks or months ago!

I thought that just maybe I could lose the weight and tone up discretely, but hell, my grossly underpaying and overly stressful job isn't doing me any good. My body is apparently still trying to conserve energy when I'm under this much stress, so I don't think I've really lost anything. It's time that I take extra measures! Here I speak up!

I'm 23.
I'm 5'2" and I fluctuate between 136-139 lbs.
My body type: Fine-boned, carries weight equally throughout, hourglass.
My goal is 105 lbs. So, that's 30 plus pounds to lose. I'd like to lose at a rate of 1.5 pounds per week. I may lose 2 pounds a week for the first few weeks as it almost always starts out faster then slows down as my body adapts.

Oh, may I add that as much as I don't want to blame my SO, he's a big restaurant eater. I hate how much he loves to go out and eat anything out, almost never anything in! It's not only a huge money-sucker, but it's a health and fitness sucker as well. We don't live together, at least not yet, but his habit of doing so has rubbed off on me quite a lot, so even when we're not together, I do still eat out, just not nearly as much as when I'm with him. What should I do when he goes out to eat? Should I just sit across from him and have just a drink? Appetizers can be huge.

[Divyaangana]

So my weigh-in day was today. And I hopped on the scale and didn't lose anything.

I know it's not that big of a deal because I also did not gain anything, but still, it would have been nice to lose just a little something. Oh well. Guess there is nothing I can do about it now.

[ilovepinkhearts]

good morning all :)

i weighed myself at my sisters house saturday, it said i was 182...which is good, last time it said 188.5. i have to buy a new scale!! although mine says i weigh 150...maybe i will stick w/ that one

background: i had my baby girl 5 mths ago [yesterday], while pregnant my weight got up to 238. at my 6wk check up i was 212...so from then to now [3.5mths] i have lost 30lbs so far... YAY!!

i just have to keep it up and stick to my plan. im not denying myself any foods, but i really need to stay away from the bad carbs...i can't help it though...they are so tasty :( damn you brownies and cookies and the like!! im planning to really hit the gym this week, aunt flo was here the last week so i felt blah and not up to really working out, so i only went 3 times.

good luck to all!! have a great monday! :)

[AmourCouture]

I just had my WI!

I need to correct my first post, since 1/2 pounds and 1/4 lbs, and even 1/8 pounds do make a difference now! My weight was 166.9 last Monday (-33.1 lbs total).


My WI today was at 165.8, so I am -1.1 lbs (-34.2 lbs total)
Now I have -35.8 to go!

What I did well last week:

• I went to the gym each day for a minimum of 30 minutes and did cardio and strength training.
• I went to the gym on Saturday morning and did a 1 hr aerobics class and a 1 hr yoga class even though I wanted to do NOTHING.
• I went to the gym on Sunday and did a Hi/Lo class that was lower level and pretty easy but better than sitting at home.
• I stuck to my eating plan and saved my weekly points for a dinner out on Friday night and only had 1 Martini and 1 mojito. Saturday I stayed in and made dinner.

What I need to work on for next week:

• Cutting back on Coffee. A latte is not a meal, nor is it a snack.
• Cutting back on salt and getting in my healthy oils so I can avoid painful bloat and retension gain.
• Not beating myself up when the scale shows a gain mid-week.
• Working on my self image and knowing I am doing the best thing for me and things will get better. Workout classes in front of the mirror have been hard on my self esteem.

[Divyaangana]

Originally Posted by AmourCouture

I just had my WI! What I need to work on for next week: Cutting back on Coffee. A latte is not a meal, nor is it a snack. Cutting back on salt and getting in my healthy oils so I can avoid painful bloat and retension gain. Not beating myself up when the scale shows a gain mid-week. Working on my self image and knowing I am doing the best thing for me and things will get better. Workout classes in front of the mirror have been hard on my self esteem.

I need to work both of those things myself. Particularly the coffee.

[AmourCouture]

Mree- The Daily Plate is a great website for tracking meals when you eat out. Sometimes those salads can be packed with just as many calories, so watch out! When I go out I avoid fried food, request no oil/butter, and get veggies instead of starches. I also just order what I want but control my portions.

IE: Say I went out to an American Cuisine place on a Friday night. I ordered a 6 oz Filet Mignon with no butter, a side of grilled asparagus, and a baked potato (with 1 tiny square of whipped butter). I got a side salad (no cheese, egg, or croutons) with their house vinegrette on the side. Then I ate 1/2 of everything and avoided the bread basket. The best part was eating the rest for dinner the next night!

Hi Surly! I'm so glad to have buddies here! Best of luck to you!

Naga- be honest with your SO. Tell him how his eating out so much all the time has effected you negatively. Offer to cook for/with him or ask him to pick more diet friendly places. Or, just know his fav places and go online and figure out what you can have from those places. IMO the most successful WL plans don't make you abstain...they just ask you to moderate. So, if he orders mozzarella sticks and you eat 1 serving, then that is 1/3 of the calories you should consume in a day. Have grilled chicken and veggies, and 1 mozzarella stick. You both just have to find a compromise.

Div- Don't be discouraged! What did you do differently this week than other weeks when you lost more? Did you have more salt (water weight retension)? How can you kick your diet into high gear? I think it would be a good idea to look at your week in retrospect and see if there is anything that you can change for the better. You can do it!

PinkHearts: I would definitely invest in a new scale! Scale fluxuations can be really discouraging so you want one that can give you some encouragement. Plus if you can't weigh yourself it is much harder to guage what you are doing right and what you are doing wrong. I hear you on the naughty carbs!

I use Wii Fit Plus and I have to say it is so great for tracking my progress. I weigh myself almost every day and it gives me my BMI and my weight, a progress chart, ect. It lets me choose my goals and enter in measurements and activities. It has been very accurate! We already had a Wii but the fit plus bundle is $100 and well worth it in my opinion.

[ilovepinkhearts]

great job AC!!

and i need to cut back on the sugar!!

goals for this week-

• work out 5 times [includes cardio, weights and abs]
• eat only when hungry...no snacking out of boredom!!
• eat smaller portions
• count my calories!!

[Divyaangana]

My goals for this week:

No soda. (I was bad last week and blasted through 2 two liters of Diet Dr. Pepper. Oops)
Watching my bread/pasta/starchy foods intake (Difficult considering I also work at an Italian restaurant, but still doable.)

I know these are both food related goals, but I know with myself if I try and set both exercising goals and food goals for the same week then I end up falling off the wagon even harder. My game plan is to get the food intake much more controlled and then really start picking back up on the exercise portion.

[Jeneen]

Everyone is doing great! Keep up the great work and motivation