TexasFire

SWEETY - Hooray! You made it to your goal! I knew you would! I wanted to root you on when you said you might not make it, but feared it would make you feel "under the gun". I'm so glad you did it! ALL - Congrats to everyone here for participating! Whether you made goal or not, the point is that you got moving! Hats off! And here comes October! Whew! Kind of feels like the movie "Groundhog Day", doesn't it? LOL Thanks to MM for keeping up with us crazy folks!

Well I went vacation clothes shopping today. I saw so many cute things, but refrained from buying anything for myself just yet. Vacation is five weeks away and I have hopes of being at least more one size down by then. I'm really starting to get excited about the trip! I did get a lot for hubby, though. He is just about finished except for one more dress shirt and some t-shirts. I have the hardest time finding t-shirts in "long". He is too tall to wear regular t-shirts and have them stay tucked under his shirts. Does anyone have any suggestions as to where to find them?

Holli and MJ...WOW! 70 pounds gone! That is amazing! :clap2:

I know what you mean. I have taken to cooking with that tiny little skillet that always comes with a set. It had never been used before I had surgery! I wish, wish, wish I could eat scrambled eggs! No matter how much I chew, no matter how small the bite, they always get stuck on the first bite. And I LOVE scrambled eggs. Fried go down fine.

Name...Challenge Start Wt...Current Wt...Challenge Goal...To Go Huntersmom...... 174........... 172....... 159............ 13 SWEETY.......... 202........... 198....... 180............ 18 MJsafari........ 268........... 260....... 238............ 22 captdanbo....... 211........... 211....... 185............ 26 PaulaD.......... 216........... 216....... 199............ 17 Stefanie42467... 206........... 201....... 175............ 26 Suzzzie......... 349........... 341....... 320............ 21 glindab......... 277........... 269....... 250............ 19 MM.............. 242........... 231.4..... 218...........13.4 finallythin..... 254........... 254....... 225............ 29 BeckieT......... 259........... 259....... 239............ 20 Miscontext...... 303........... 303....... 275............ 28 ja9va........... 207........... 199....... 182............ 20 wombat712....... 180........... 174....... 165............ 9 Texasmom5573.... 252........... 252....... 230............ 22 Waters.......... 214........... 213....... 190............ 24 lessnless....... 206........... 195....... 179............ 16 MissDarlene..... 223........... 223....... 195............ 28 o2bthin..........238............233........215 ............18 insubordination..300............296.5......283.... .......13.5 I'm almost there with you two! My gosh it seems like I've been so close for so long...that month-long plateau really kicked my butt! But I'm rolling now!

Thank you, SUZZZIE! That is a fantastic tool you gave there...I couldn't find a decent one to save my life. And it does so many different conversions, too. P.S. HA! TWO-terville! That one had me laughing out loud and I scared the dogs out of their naps! Never heard that one before!

quote=insubordination: I'm no expert. Just one of those distrustful-of-the-government conspiracy-theorists. Probably the majority of people would disagree with me. Naw, INSUB...I don't think you are conspiracy theorist at all! First of all, discussion and differences make life interesting...how boring would life be if we all droned through life with the same thoughts and opinions? And second of all...and most importantly...you research and think for yourself, forming your own opinions, which is AWESOME! More people should be that way. Unfortunately, that is why we have the government that we have in the US...few people inform themselves and get involved to make their voices heard. So we end up with a government supporting big business and private interests with deep pockets. Keep rockin' INSUB!

Oh my goodness, JA9VA! You are hitting ONE-derland for the first time?!?!? I'm so jealous of you! We are celebrating WITH you! It's Party Time! (This is the ZOO known as June 07 Bandsters! LOL)

Quote: Originally Posted by joeygirl Stefanie, I tried to figure it out also, but am more confused now than when I started. I ended up with a coversion chart that showed we needed over 1000 grams of protien a day. I hope to god that isn't right. ME, TOO! LOL That would surely cause kidney failure at those levels!

INSUB - Your post got me thinking, and I went to researching again. I certainly don't want to make poor decisions with my body, nor perpetuate them to others. I really struggle to get my protein in, and would prefer not to if my current info is incorrect. I found this on the World Health Organization website, but I don't know the conversion ratios from kilograms to pounds. Do you know what 1 gram per kilogram of weight would convert to in pounds? I looked for a good converter on the net, but didn't see one. It is evident that the recommended allowance for protein (NPU 0.8) for adult men and women is 1 g per kg body weight per person per day, which is in line with the first internationally recommended allowance for protein needs of human adults proposed by the League of Nations in 1936.

Monthly Total = 2495 Minutes 60 minutes weight lifting upper body/back/abs 35 minutes recumbent bike interval hill trainer level 10

Juleeann - You are most welcome! Another thing about the balance of calories you consume...with the amount of excercise you are getting, you need TONS of protein. Otherwise, your body will start looking to muscle to burn instead of fat. The USDA website cites 91 grams of protein a day as the minimum. (Which is why I can't understand all these docs saying "don't worry about protein", or recommend 40-60 grams. It's not enough! When you lose weight, you will be losing lean tissue instead of adipose tissue (fat)!) For someone who is working out five or more days a week, they recommend increasing that by 50%. That is TOUGH! Thank goodness I can tolerate protein drinks. (Those recommendations are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, of course, which I don't get anywhere near.) If you are restricting calories, then it is recommended that you consume 50% protein at a minimum, 30% fat at a maximum, and 20% carbs at a maximum. If you don't consume enough protein and work out that hard, you are going to lose lean tissue and be wasting your efforts, or at least minimizing them. P.S. So much for "calming down", huh?

I went back and looked at my post...I didn't realize just how long it was! Sorry...I really don't want to be annoying, but sometimes I succeed at being annoying anyhow if I'm really enthusiastic about something! (And I say "really" too much!) If it helps one person, though, it is worth it to me! I've always been an avid reader and learner, and tend to go gangbusters with whatever I set my mind to...but my heart is in the right place, trust me! I do understand, however, that everyone has their own path to walk and will not be in the same "place" in that walk as anyone else. I just wish to encourage. Love y'all, and I'll try to "calm down"!

A RESOUNDING "YES"! I believe I can tell you why. Now, mind you, I don't know what your workouts consist of, but I faced the same thing. Then I started measuring my body fat percentage. If I were to guess, I would say you are probably losing a lot of weight. It just won't start showing on the scale for several weeks. When you excercise like you are, you are losing fantastic amounts of body fat and replacing it with muscle. Muscle weighs more than fat. As you add more muscle, it starts to speed up your metabolism. THEN you will start seeing the scale move. If you aren't lifting weights already, I would make that suggestion. (As long as you are physically able, that is. Don't hurt yourself!) I have researched this a LOT, and it's paying off. I realized I was doing way more cardio than I needed and I needed to start lifting weights. About two weeks after I started lifting, muscle tone has gone through the roof and my body fat percentage is dropping like crazy. Now I am losing about three pounds a week and getting very toned. Please do your own research and let me know what you discover. What I have learned is that 30 minutes of cardio (with an additional 5 minute cool down of the same excercise) is all you need. If it gets easy, increase resistance without increasing time. And alternate your cardio about every three weeks so your body doesn't settle into it and cause a plateau. As an example, do cycling for three weeks, then switch to elliptical for three weeks, then go back to cycling if you want or try something else new. There are so many options. I also learned that lifting weights is the best way to speed up your metabolism, since it takes more energy to maintain muscle than it does fat. And never work the same muscle group two days in a row because muscle doesn't grow on the day you work out, it grows on the following rest day. What I do is lower body one day and upper body the next, with back and abs every day. Your back and abs can "take it" and need it for core strength. (Be very careful with your back, though.) I work out six days a week, so upper and lower body get worked three times every week. It sounds like you are really serious about fitness...that is wonderful! I know I droned on here, but that really is just the tip of the iceberg! If you want more info, PM me and I'll give you my email address. I can send you tons of info. For that matter, you can get tons of great info on www.about.com in the "Healthy Living" section. I get lots of great ideas there to change up my workouts. As far as calories go, I'm an extremist, and most people freak out when I tell them about my diet. So I may not be a good one to ask on that. (But it does work!) The thing is to not over do it, of course, and to mainly know what balance of calorie types you are putting in your body, and that it is the proper balance. Stick with it! It will start paying off very soon! Congrats!

SNOWBALLS You know...those pink coconutty marshmallow things from Hostess that 99% of the population thinks is disgusting? I LOVE THEM! Saturdays are my "cheat days" to keep my metabolism guessing so I don't plateau again, and I bought some SNOWBALLS! I cannot wait till tomorrow! How sad it that? LOL :help:

Welcome, Mellie! I understand about how hard it is to find time for excercise. Been there, done that. But I can't stress enough how it will transform your life and your entire family's life for the better! I have never been athletic, or weight conscious, or really anything that would ever make me sweat. (Well, maybe just ONE activity! LOL ) I started working out diligently sometime around the end of July or so (can't recall) and absolutely DESPISED it, but now I love it and feel so much better as a result. I wish you the BEST of luck in your journey and look forward to getting to know you here!

Monthly Total = 2400 Minutes 40 minutes weight lifting lower body/back/abs 35 minutes recumbent bike interval hill trainer level 10 Today was a great workout! I couldn't get to two of the weight machines I use because it was so busy, so that part was a little shorter. However, I got right back on track with my cardio after tanking in the middle of it yesterday. I was really disappointed in myself, I must say. I am really starting to feel very strong, and that is an amazing feeling! And my shoulders are looking FANTASTIC! LOL No more pudgy roundness to them...getting very toned. (Those evening gowns are going to look amazing when I go to Vegas in November!) This is starting to pay off and it makes me want to work even harder, so I am going to double my weight lifting workout. I'm up to the optimal time for cardio, so it is just a matter of gradually increasing the resistance to build up. Folks, I cannot tell you how glad I am that I pushed through those first few weeks of HATING working out. It's true what they say...push through that and one day you will wake up and NEED to go...it's addicting. I love it! I never would have done it without you guys and this challenge...THANK YOU!

Monthly Total = 2325 Minutes 45 minutes weight lifting upper body/abs 20 minutes recumbent bike interval hill trainer level 10 I just couldn't get through my workout today, and quit my cardio right in the middle. I don't know why I am so tired today. Probably kid stress...teenagers, ugh...making me crazy!

That doesn't sound good at all, Suzzzie. The Water is what worries me...you HAVE to drink lots of water. As far as the food goes, keep taking teeny bites and if it's tolerable, as the weight comes off, it should loosen up as I understand it. If it hurts to drink water, though, you likely need a tad removed. I know what you mean about wanting to stick it out...I stuck it out before, and it did loosen up. But I didn't have any trouble with water. That part is worrisome. Let us know what you decide. Have you called your doc?

Wow, Suzzie! Eight pounds gone! That is great! Hey, your penguin thing reminded me. Here's a pic you can save to your computer and use as your avatar, if you want. I always loved this one! Then there is this one...cute, too! .

That's okay, Toni! I don't know if anyone at all got it! :biggrin1: Everyone here is awesome whether they "get" my stuff or not...I'm just silly most of the time! I just thought it was the coolest thing when I saw that pic and it "kind of" went along with me saying I wanted her secret. You are about my age...remember the show "Secret Squirrel"? LOL With his sidekick, Morocco Mole? It just "took me back", is all. Here is a video clip that might jog your memory: Secret Squirrel TV Show .

Monthly Total = 2260 Minutes 50 minutes weight lifting lower body/abs 35 minutes recumbent bike interval hill trainer level 10

Quote: Originally Posted by joeygirl Stef, that slideshow was great. What a wonderful family. I got to say, Robbie has a kind of Bruce Willis thing going on. You are all so cute together. Thank you, JoeyGirl! They ARE a wonderful family, aren't they?!?!? And trust me when I tell you that the show is named appropriately...we really are a bunch of goofballs...every one of us! Bruce Willis, huh? Thank you! I think Bruce is a hottie!

Quote: Originally Posted by ja9va stef I understand your thoughts on the fills, are you at 5.1cc, if I added correctly? I am at 5.75cc. I am hoping to just get a tweak on 10/8. I don't want to get to much, but I feel this week it has been loser if that makes sense. I am right behind you with Onderlandddd....! I am hoping that I get there by my doctor appointment, 3lbs. I have not been there in 3 years or more. Every time I joined wieght watches I would get to 190 something and stop with discouragement, so I am getting excited. Your slide show is great thanks for sharing! Thanks on the slide show...they are fun to put together! Yes, I am at 5.1 CC's now, which is more than I was remembering before I verified with the office this week. Still, I don't think it's enough. Especially since I am paying for it myself! I want my money's worth! We will see how it goes. I know you and I are neck and neck for ONE-derland! That is fantastic! I'm excited, too! It has been about 15 years or so since I was in the one hundreds, so I think this is awesome! I hope to be at 185 by vacation, but that may be a rather lofty goal. Here's trying, though!

I "tweaked" one of my slide shows. Have I shared it here before? I can't recall. Here's my goofy family: Goofy Family by robbieandstef