Wendy, just read your cholesterol ?, will pulse
the CDC, where my sis is senior research librarian..r/wes

wendy, fyi:

Looks like the consensus is that it's bad if you are overweight already, and not if you are not overweight---here are 2 articles, supporting each point of view.

Asked you in a private msg to send me your email so I could forward the articles to you.

r/wes

Ooh - the eggplant dish sounds yummy!! Wish you were my personal cook :)

Cyndi

Ladies (and gentlemen), I am here to tell you that it CAN be done - losing weight that is. I've lost 60 pounds since June 2003. I didn't use Atkins, South Beach, Weight Watchers, or any "organized" program. I just did what worked for me. In all honesty, though, having a gallbladder attack this past August and trying to avoid surgery, has made it very easy for me to not cheat. If I don't want surgery, I must severely limit the amount of fat in my diet and avoid anything fried.

I have never been a breakfast person and still am not. Its always been normal for me to have just coffee in the am and then have lunch around 1pm. So, for lunch I either had a Boca burger (meatless) with mustard on a small hamburger bun along with a diet soda and a piece of fruit. Afternoon snacks were either Healthy Choice popcorn, fruit, or sugar-free jello. For dinner I have a huge salad of mesclun mix, one chopped hardboiled egg, and a small amount of good quality Parmesan cheese shredded. With my salad I have one dinner roll with the margine made with yogurt. I also have a glass of skim milk with my salad. I use Naturally Fresh low-fat ranch dressing or Balsamic vinegrette. After dinner, I have coffee and around 8:30-9:00pm I have a prepackaged small container of fat-free pudding or more sugar-free jello.

Once in a while I bake boneless, skinless chicken breasts and have one each night with my salad. If I go out to dinner, I eat salad and steamed veggies.

Forgot to mention that sometimes I will have low-fat cottage cheese or fat-free light yogurt for lunch.........

Since I realize that this is not the most "nutritionally sound" way to eat, I do take a multivitamin every day and I was already taking calcium supplements. I refuse to do any kind of exercise regimen so in order for me to lose the weight I had to really restrict my caloric intake.

I still eat pretty much this way-even when I travel. In fact, I was on Seabourn over Christmas/new Years, ate a little more than usual-but still nothing high in fat-and managed to lose four more pounds, much to my surprise.

This is the first time I have EVER revealed my weight to anyone other than my doctors, but I started out at 224 and when I was at the docs on Thursday, I weighed in at 164. One thing in my favor, though, is that I am about 5'11". I would still like to lose another 15-20 pounds, but if I don't I will be very happy to stay where I am.

Besides bragging a little, the point of all this is that if I can do it, so can all of you!!!

I will be applauding and cheering you on each pound lost!!!!!!!

Must admit, though, that I haven't quit smoking........................

Claudia

Wow Claudia,

That is so impressive! And no more gall bladder attacks? I had one about age 40 and truly thought I was dying!! Had the surgery about 2 months later, the old-fashioned kind, which was pretty painful for a few days.

Don't know h ow you kept the discipline on your cruise; I don't eat a lot of red meat, but do crave it now and then and definitely ate a month's supply on the Navigator!

Keep up the good work but don't go overboard! I'm tall like you (5'10')- I would think 20 more would be too much!

Claudia, that is amazing. Good for you!!! I'm a little on the tall side (5-08), nothing like you, but I do know that 160ish for 5-11 is downright approaching thin!!! 20 more lbs and you would be a twig. I'm like you, I cannot follow the organized diets, I used to just cut out things like chocolate or soft drinks and would lose the few pounds I needed. But, in the past 4-5 years my weight has steadily crept up. You are an inspiration and should definitely be proud of yourself, that's quite a feat! Congrats.

Thanks Kathy and Kimmi! It is wonderful to be able to buy clothes in smaller sizes........

No Kathy, haven't had another attack. I was advised by surgeon to avoid the surgery if at all possible because due to some other health issues, any surgery is risky for me. I really don't want to have surgery, so every time I am tempted by chocolate, danish, criossants, pizza, and all the other yummy things, I just remember the pain of that gallbladder attack!!! Works wonders for me!

I wouldn't call myself thin yet, but I know if I would exercise my middle section would be a lot smaller!

I just know all of you can reach your weight goals, too! :app:

Claudia

Claudia,

Thanks for the inspiration. So far, down 6 lbs in 8 days.

Thanks Claudia, you are inspiring, and remind us that we have to know our own bodies and metabolisms and do what's best for us.

I know that I need protein, and I crave vegetables. That't the upside. The downside are treats like bread and pasta, and alcohol--that can be a killer when you are trying to lose weight. I also happen to need lots and lots of fibre, it too is a requirement for other health problems. I love eggs, but I have to limit them somewhat for the same reason.

I have been eating very well, exercising, and feel good right now, but I have still not lost a single ounce! But I have learned to just keep plugging--it will come off.

ChatKat - Great job!!! Thats a lot to lose in 8 days!!!! :app: :app:

Claudia

Wendy - It WILL come off.....Keep up the good work!

Claudia

Wow, Kathy, look at you!! I am now officially participating in this thread in a support position only. I have to get my act together. But, I will cheer you all on!

Kimmi,

Thanks, appreciate all the help I can get. As they say somewhere, "Take what you like, and leave the rest"

Claudia - Thanks so much for sharing your AMAZING success story! CONGRATULATIONS :app: :app: You are an inspiration to all of us. I think one of the keys is to find out what works for you, just like you did. I agree with gf that at your height your current weight sounds really good!!!!

Kathy - Way to go!!!!! A SUPER start - especially with how busy you've been. :nw:

Kimmi - Thanks for sticking here with us in your support. I can't tell you how much it helps. I was looking thru the LCT photos and saw a couple of you. You certainly don't look like you need to be concerned about your figure. You looked great to me. So just help us get there too. Thanks!!

I finally got off the 5 lbs I gained since Christmas. The only problem - those are the same lbs I lost BEFORE Christmas. So back at square one. But, this is the first time in a LONG time that I've stuck to my diet/exercise so close to the first of the year. It usually takes me a few weeks to get into it. It helps knowing PIP is getting closer all the time.

Wendy - hang in there. With all your exercise it could be you're adding muscle which weighs more than fat.

Cyndi

Cyndi - 5 pounds lost is 5 pounds lost so congratulate yourself!!!! :app:

Claudia

Whoo-hoo Claudia! What a great accomplishment. You've inspired me for the day.

Wendy - "I feel good right now" - those are the key words. You are eating right and exercising. The weight loss is sure to follow.

Kathy and Cyndi - you guys are doing great.

I can't say that I've lost any but haven't gained either. I'm back to eating healthy with smaller portions. Exercise has improved but still struggle with finding the time. My biggest accomplishment is getting "back on track" after loosing my discipline over the holidays.

Kimmi, love the support.

Diet thought for today. Once I committed to changing how I look and feel, I knew that was only half the battle. I have to now KEEP IT OFF! Knowing myself, I realized that besides changing how I think about (and eat!) food I absolutely MUST weigh myself every day. I know how incredibly easy it used to be for me to slip back to the old ways. I figure I'm about 3 meals away from being fat again! So I've totally committed (which for me means, among other things, telling you and everyone!)to weighing myself every morning. Every morning. I sometimes grit my teeth as I get on the scale, but for me I absolutely must confront reality daily! I know many people weight themselves weekly, but this is what works for me!

An aside....be careful if you change scales. As I reminded Marcie, when we were on the Navigator, the scale in the gym fluctuated with every wave and swell!!! :ohmy: :ohmy:

Claudia - Thanks for the congrats - I'll take whatever success I can get!!! Weighed in today and another 1/2 Yeah!!

Donna - You are so right about feeling good. After exercising for 9 days out of 10 I can actually feel the muscle under the fat. I haven't felt that in a long time. And I can move better and have more energy.

Bonnie - I'm with you - I weigh myself every day (when I'm sticking to my diet). It helps keep me focused. Plus, there have been many a time that I actually gained a lb or 2 even when I was being really good on my diet. If that happended on the only day I weighed myself I would be so depressed.

Cyndi

Wow, Claudia! You should be writing a weight loss newsletter!
So far, so good this morning. I had an orange and a container of yogurt. This thread is giving me a good push even with a little backsliding.

Cyndi - Good for you!! :app:

Loon - Keep up the good work, it will pay off!

Bonnie - I weight about 3 times per week. And you are absolutely correct about using different scales..........

Claudia

Good for you all you guys! I still haven't lost an ounce :rolleyes:

Got on the scales this am and I'm down another pound!

Claudia

Wendy - Like someone said previously, you are building muscle and that is heavier. You will start losing shortly!

Claudia

Somebody needs to come live with me and hold a gun to my head.

fyi..report in yesterday's USA Today says 60 min of exercise a day is recommended to sustain weight, and 60-90 min/day to lose weight..whatever, you do, make it fun..r/wes

A gun to our heads would be good! Then maybe the guy could just march us around alot!

Must be one of those guys who works from 9-5 with an hour for lunch.

O.K. The good news is that I did lose a net l lb. this week. The bad news is I need to lose 2 per week to get where I want to be. Alright, alright, I'll be patient. I'm telling myself the same thing I told Wendy - it is the muscle that I'm building!!

I ate more that I should have today but I PROMISE I'll be good this weekend. Where IS that guy with the gun? Is he for hire???

Cyndi

Chip, You've been quiet. How has it been going?

Cyndi

Oh this darn weight loss thread - I have a dish of chocolate ice cream as I am reading LCT and stumbled onto the wrong subject - Joanna

Joanna - too funny!!! Just keep eating the ice cream, it's more fun.

Cyndi

Cyndi: It was delicious - I will move on to another thread but you guys are doing so well - keep it up - Joana

JoAnna,

My MD and Nutritionist both say to "cheat" but to plan it so that you stick with it. If you follow the plan 80% you can do it.

Cyndi - A loss is a loss! Doesn't matter how big or how small - its a loss!!!! :app:

Claudia

Started off the year, really upset with myself. I realized that I had a food allergy. It seemed that too much of it would make me swell up! lol Well actually too many carbs. I had been doing so good, but I put it back on. Now I have 4 months till we go on the Silver Whisper and I am back on track. I started having problems with my knees and the Doctor says that I have arthrosis in both kness and that I need to shed the pounds now. So I now have double motivation. Since the New Years, well actually the day after, I have misplaced 18 lbs. !!! <img border="0" alt="[vhappy]" title="" src="graemlins/icon_vhappy.gif" /> I figure that at least half of that is water weight, but you know what, it is like Claudia said, a loss is a loss, and I't take it.

Don,
18 lbs????? We girls are happy with 5!!! Wow! That is phenominal! Keep going!

Don - Who cares it it was partially water weight??? Wonderful!!!!! :app: :app:

Claudia

Don - 18 lbs!!! Yippee!!! That is so good. I think you gave me a few of them <img border="0" alt="[vhappy]" title="" src="graemlins/icon_vhappy.gif" /> I put back on 2 lbs over the weekend. I made the HUGE, HUGE mistake of having wine with lunch on Sunday. After the second glass the munchies set it and it was all over. But I'm back on track today. No more wine allowed in the house until after PIP.

Claudia - Thanks for the encouragement for all of us who are trying to meet our goals as you did!!

Cyndi

My friend sent me this for a little diet humor

ITALIAN PASTA DIET
IT REALLY WORKS !!
1) You walka pasta da bakery.
2) You walka pasta da candy store.
3) You walka pasta da Ice Creama shopeh.
4) You walka pasta da table and fridge

Cute, Kat!!!!

Betty