Globetrotter

Fiddle - fat and muscle weigh the same, and why is the fat staying? At this rate I will be all muscle and all fat ........

Today I officially accomplished my December fitness challenge!! My original goal was to do Insanity at least 15 times in the month of Dec and today was day 15!! I am a lot stronger than I was when I started, my squats are 100% better than they were at the beginning but the weekly pics I take of myself from the front back and side sadly show almost no difference, the only change has been a subtle shaping of my butt. Today marks the end of the first week of me eating about 1000-1200 a day, instead of the 650 i was doing. my reward? I'm up 2 lbs ....... FTS!

SQUIRREL!

Fiddle - absolutely yes, ice baths work, but only immediately after the muscle has been worked. Also, epsom poultices work absolute magic - if I did poultice wraps immediately when I got home at 3am from 8 hours straight of tango and drank plenty of water and potassium the following day, I hardly felt a thing. As for my weight, I never even got close to goal, even when I was so crazy intense in my exercise, and at that time I was eating 800 cals a day, I never got lower than about 168 lbs. Tomorrow (Friday) marks the end of week 3 of Insanity + weights. It is a 60 day program. What do you think about my calories being upward of 1000 now and the result being I'm up 2 lbs? It goes without saying that my food is clean - there is more at stake than just weight loss, for me...

M2G - which hotel? The Brown Palace? I went to DU and my family came from Denver. I am hoping to go back to school for my PsyD to become a clinician.

PS - I ate 4 Oreos last night and the price was not worth the indulgence - I felt like I was crawling out of my skin, like I was on some psycho drug, it was miserable.

I am a Leo, this means that I push myself and am harder on myself than anyone else, yet I live for praise, praise me and I stretch and purr under your hand, head butting your face . Of course, as a Leo, it would never occur to me that the praise is undeserved Thank you for the compliments to my portrait, Sheila it is watercolor over pencil sketch. I will experiment this weekend with a new set of paints, acrylics in tubes, I'm nervous. Your art is beautiful, you could sell it! That textile, is that weaving? I bought a hand knotted carpet here, it is awe-inspiring. It was Dee who was flooded? Dee, what's the status on that? Dee and Cathy I really empathize with your upheavals and uncertainties of living situations, hugs ladies. Kim - Since you are the professional artiste of our group that's a pretty huge compliment, plus Michelangelo was one of my father's heros, along with Rodin and Picasso and Remington. It wasn't till I was finished that it occurred to me that my positioning and headwrap were reminiscent of Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring. Laura - you make collages? pics, pics! SherylJane - It DOES sound hormonal, not all hormones are linked back to our woman parts; your body has undergone a massive upheaval very recently and it is having to reshuffle everything, for example, many women who are peri or post discover they suddenly have their period again after getting sleeved, if only for a little while. You have admitted what a complete mindfluck this whole plastics journey has been so it stands to reason that your head chemicals are readjusting too. I am taking Sertraline (zoloft) to even out those troughs and peaks while I get a psychological grip on what has happened to me. At one point I was taking 2 pills a day, I am now down to 1. I'm eating more now, purposefully, on Insanity days, and I am sick of it! Eating is such a chore!! I can't wait to fast on Sat/Sun. I ate 1200 cals yesterday!! I have gone over 1000 on purpose for 4 days now - and I am UP 2 pounds!!!!!!!! BAH, HUMBUG!! :angry:

BUT I WANNA LOSE WEEEEEEEEIIIIGHTTTT! (said in whiniest voice possible). I'm up to 1000 cals a day now BTW, and I am also *up* 2 lbs >:[

The painting embedded in the above post is a self portrait, I am ashe blonde now, that's why my eyebrows are light, and I'm wearing a headband tube.

Sarah - My team leader knows and one of my social scientists knows, but that's it. I don't want people treating me differently and I don't want to give anyone an excuse to get rid of me. SherylJane - I'm in week 3 of Insanity and I take weekly photos and the only thing that has changed is my butt, from the insane amount of deep squats we do. So, if you would like a toned bubble butt, I recommend squats, a f*** ton of them Coops - Those gals sound like frenemies to me, the kind of people who are only mollified when they feel they are dominant and feel threatened by other's improvements ... Can't wait to see your sketches, I will try to post a painting of mine. Does anyone know how to set up a PayPal account? If my extension doesn't go through I only have about 7 weeks left before redeployment and homelessness/unemployment/no insurance. Holy shitballs. the Insanity has been good for me mentally, but that effing scale hasn't budged an ounce in 3 weeks and my measurements haven't changed. Nothing has changed except my strength (mild improvement) and my butt shape. Cathy - were you the one who's place flooded? How's that going? Stay strong against the tide of cookies everyone, I'm lucky to not be around that stuff but our Combat Stress got a ton of goodies in and among them were gingerbread M&Ms!! 3 of them found their way into my mouth .....

Hey Georgia, what is it you eat and do exactly, that is giving you such awesome results? I do Insanity 5x a week and the scale has not budged an ounce since I started - going on 3 wks now

Day 13 Insanity: I am 2 days away from my Insanity goal for the month - do it at least 15x, and although I have yet to see any benefits on the scale, in my clothes fitting, in my measurements (jeez!!) BUT I am noticing improvements in my ability. When I started Insanity I was just smoked afterward, Jello legs and sucking Water. Now, I'm tired for sure but it is an earned exhaustion. So, yay. I do have to say though that I am really peeved that the scale has not moved, that my clothes aren't fitting any better, hmpph.

Trying to eat today but cannot find enough clean foods to fill out my calories so I'll only have 650 cals today and I did Insanity plus weights.

The picture of that poor woman's results had me covering my mouth with my hands and gasping, it's that bad. Ragged is the right word for it Sheryl, it looks like the sewing efforts of a jr high home ec class, I hope hope that is just the swelling.. Dee - what does FWIM mean? Sheryl - I do think the storylines are better developed in Survivors, I was so disappointed there were only like 2 seasons. I totally agree about Sookie, I watch the show for Erik Northman, yumm in every way, sigh. If I could triangulate the characters Erik Northman (TrueBlood), Ben (Parks&Rec), and Channing Tatum's character from Dear John, that would be my perfect fella . Let's not forget to add Cheri to the name list, in the hopes she returns. Sheila - the medical care I can receive here and at the Army hospital in Germany is as good and better than whatever I could scrape up in the States. And as for talking it over with people in my life - you're it. This is where I am putting it, to people who understand all the intricate strands of the issue and who, in the knowing, won't endanger my job. Sue - I would love to see some more of your sketches... I'm changing up my 5:2 routine - I am now going to fast on Sat/Sun, since I do Insanity Mon-Fri I need to fuel up on those days and because of logistics here it is easier to not eat on the "weekend" since that would mean trekking in the cold and the bother of the difac.

And that is where I feel so helpless, nothing I have done has ever worked! I ate at TDEE while excercising vigorously - nothing. I dropped back to a post-op diet without exercising - nothing. With exercising - nothing. 5:2 with ex - nothing. Without - nothing. My body refuses to lose weight and there is just no effing way that at 5'3" 170 pounds is "right". As far as participating in the Insanity goes, I'm only doing it now out of pride, not quitting. I frankly do not feel any better than when I started, in any way, and the only thing that is changing is the shape of my butt from all the squats, which I could do without the Insanity. I would prefer to just lift and do yoga, if given my druthers.

pretty much! Even with industrial strength shapewear I have a hanging gut

Thanks Hoosier! @ Fiddle - I absolutely agree with you! The flood of endocannabinoids after I lift cannot be replicated in a pill. I have begun week 3 of Insanity and we just completed a fit test and I haven't improved all that much. People are fond of saying that ultimately weight loss comes down to calories in, calories out, meaning thaf if your burn exceeds your intake for long enough, you will shed weight. I am living proof that this is not the case, as I average about 650 cals a day and do Insanity + weights 5x a week. My eating is very very clean because I must follow a pretty strict eating plan for autoimmune issues. Day 12 Insanity: frustrated but haven't given up, working hard enough to have sweat drip freely off my face. Am interested in opinions regarding weights, before or after Insanity. I am currently doing them after.

And don't forget Pilates! It was invented for injured ballerinas and although it is gentle (no jarring or joint strain etc) don't be fooled, you will be pouring in sweat!

Fiddleman, what do you think - weights before or after Insanity? If I did them before I wouldn't be able to give 110% at Insanity. @ Gamergirl - nope, I have no way to measure fat, I have just been going by how my clothes fit and I take weekly photos in the same outfit to track my shape change and on both counts, nothin'!!

The only two benefits to staying are 1) saving that much more money and 2) free medical care. Those are gigantic benefits in my book but is it what is best for my health .... I just don't know. I'm having a good day, feeling good, so it is easy to negate the seriousness ....

^ agreed re def of non posters, not to be too grim but there are times when our internet is cut off for reasons and I just have to wait it out. Somehow in my novella of a post I forgot to add my name! Yes, my name is Florinda, happy to meetcha . I am originally from Northern California, the "Lost Coast", and have been in AFG since spring. Ms. Skinny - I'm not sure what you mean by affected by the moving? It is a drag and a pain in the ass, and at the same time I get restless and love a new place, love the "do over" aspect of it, actually it is probably a bit of an enabler, just up stakes and run away .... Georgia - that sweater is pretty but at least 2 sizes too big and definitely 8 inches too long! Chimera - thanks so much for the neighborhood names, I have been to CL daily looking for places and have written to 6 or 8 that sounded good and have not heard back. If I must live in a houseshare then I really really would like my own bathroom but nothing is coming up at all, at least not in my price range, I think if I am having to share a house/apt. then I shouldn't have to pay more than $800. Thank you all for you sympathies, this time is incredibly difficult, and as for stress cortisol, you betcha! I think I just have naturally high cortisol levels 550 cals yesterday and I am UP .8 of a pound today wtf. Jane - those heels were very pretty, electric blue! In my mind when you talk about Pipefitter (heh heh) I have inserted the image of Alcide Herveaux from True Blood Did I mention the possibility that I may get an extension for 6 months and that I am conflicted about it? Yeah...

I ate 550 cals yesterday and am UP a pound today, what the eff. I do Insanity 5x a week and have completely stalled out on my weight loss since starting, what the EFF. Insanity is pure cardio so, am I just shooting myself in the foot? I lift weights afterward.

Considering how much effort you put into exercise Fiddle, I would say go for zone. I would also mention that you might want to consider your history (those who do not are doomed to repeat it). I have no idea what your situation was before surgery, what your triggers were, etc. But if you can handle yourself around carbs and not go whooshing down that slippery slope (as I would), then go for it. I ate 550 cals yesterday and am UP .8 lb today, wtf.

cheesecake and chocolate, what does that taste like? I'm not a fan of cheesecake.

Yes I agree with all the above ^ a hard bracelet (not stretchy) or maybe a leather belt, something that was sifficult to size before and highlights her successes.