100 pounds to WDW!!! (comments welcome!!)

[lmhall2000]

Your whole family is doing awesome!! You are almost 180s!! I hope to be right behind you! What did you decide on resort? We booked POR after changing 8 times!! Our trip is cheaper at POR than at a Value with our five and DDP...going in September, you should go then! They also offered room only! Hope you can decide easier than I could! Keep up the great work!

Share your eating tips! I am trying different things but trying to keep it under 1200 calories a day...so bad on water though!

[NightAngelX]

Originally Posted by lmhall2000

Your whole family is doing awesome!! You are almost 180s!! I hope to be right behind you! What did you decide on resort? We booked POR after changing 8 times!! Our trip is cheaper at POR than at a Value with our five and DDP...going in September, you should go then! They also offered room only! Hope you can decide easier than I could! Keep up the great work!

Share your eating tips! I am trying different things but trying to keep it under 1200 calories a day...so bad on water though!

Thanks! I've actually been sneaking on the scale daily but the lowest i've seen is 191 even. I don't even remember the last time I saw 180s on a scale!

No decision on a resort yet but December is a must. We went at the end of August last time and got a great deal. We stayed at AKL for $5 more than POR or POFQ (i forget i just remember it was only $5 more!). We want to go at certain times of year now. Christmas is my top priority and the first week in December is the cheapest time to go because that is still 'fall' pricing and usually they do free dining or some big deal at that time. It's after then that prices start to skyrocket. After Christmas we want to do a Star Wars Weekend, then Halloween and the Flower festival if I miss it on the SW trip (i hope to go the last week of the festival and first week of SWW). I am fairly certain Christmas and or spring will be my fave. I am sure there are other times of year we want to try but those are our top choices now.

As for my eating, I wonder if you aren't eating enough. 1200 just doesn't seem like enough especially considering all your exercise that you're doing. I know you've probably heard that before but you have to eat to keep your metabolism going. Your body could be storing everything you eat to make it through your workouts. Before I got under 200 pounds I could eat 2000 calories a day and still lose weight. Now that I am below that I eat roughly 1700 calories a day, usually less and rarely more. Usually DH and I have one cheat meal a week where we eat whatever we want and even with that I can usually stay at calories or maybe a tiny bit over. I think of it like my own version of calorie cycling. lol There are people who purposely do low cal for x days then do a high cal day followed by low cal days and so on. I don't follow such a strict plan but its kind of like what I do. You can google it. calorie cycling or calorie zig zag.

Here is my sample daily menu
breakfast - 1 tbsp peanut butter on 2 slices 100% whole wheat toast (i only toast it so the bread melts the pb and i can get a very thin layer on each slice; I sometimes add plain cinnamon..yum!)
lunch - soup and 5 crackers or spinach salad (see below for whats on it only its bigger) or leftovers from dinner; sometimes with added baby carrots if no veggies in with leftovers
dinner - varies greatly. usually starts with a spinach salad with a few cherry tomatoes, a tiny bit of real bacon bits (teaspoon maybe?), tiny bit of cheese (tablespoon maybe?), strawberries now that its spring (omg its heavenly with just one or two strawberries cut up in the salad, I almost don't need dressing) and light ranch (1-2 tbsp); then 1 or 1.5 servings of whatever we make for dinner this could be chicken alfredo, spaghetti, taco salad (with chicken meat); tacos (with chicken meat then i just add salsa and a tiny bit of cheese nothing else); random caseroles...lol even frozen pizza! plus another serving (or 3) of veggies; most commonly broccoli since its my favorite. Now that its grilling season it will likely convert to grilled meat and veggies possibly with a starchy side.

snacks at work - 1 or 2 dark chocolate kisses per day, if at all, i haven't been hungry for them lately. 5 is my max because that's 100 calories. I only bring 10 at a time to work. But usually just one qualms any hunger. Each kiss is just 20 calories and i like to think dark chocolate is better for me. I prefer milk chocolate but I would eat way more than 1 if it was milk chocolate. lol I also keep a baggy of a serving of raw almonds in my desk too for if I am REALLY hungry. I only keep one baggy at time because they are so good I always want more. lol

snacks at home - popcorn (this is like once a week on a weekend or if my husband makes some I have a handful of his; when I make it for me i eat the whole bag) and/or fruit I guess I sometimes take fruit to work too but not as often as I should.

Not sure its the healthiest plan but it seems to be working and has lots of veggies. I don't eat very many calories during the day and eat most of them at dinner which I know isn't good. I usually have maybe 600-800 calories at most after breakfast and lunch so then I have around 1000 calories left for dinner. The first time I make something I will add up the calories to see how much is in a serving then I remember that or refer to that for next time. Most of our meals are between 300 and 500 calories per serving, so I know if I eat under 2 servings I'm generally good (with the salad). Ideally one serving but sometimes I just want more so I let myself have a half serving then i see if i am still hungry and usually I feel bad for eating that half serving. I think I am 'satisfied' at one serving but I feel the need to make myself 'full'.

That said once I lose more weight I will probably have to go lower caloriewise, but that is why I started my calories so high (at 2000) so I would have somewhere to go when I go lower.

Oh and on weekends I usually only eat 2 meals....brunch and dinner. But usually i will also snack on something bigger like a bag of popcorn or some fruit or maybe even an ice cream.

I should probably mention that I drink at least 64 ounces of water a day. I have one 16 ounce with breakfast and the drive to work, I down it if its not done by the time I get there; I take 48 ounces with me to work and a few more once I get home or water in the form of generic crystal light at home. I also drink 2 12oz cans of Diet Coke each morning (i don't want to hear anything bad about it; I already heard it since I was 8, i don't care).

It helps me to have water that I like. I like bottled spring water. I am sure you have heard bad things about the plastic bottles, as have i, but its good and I recycle the bottles. Because that can get pricey I get my water at Aldi where its 2.79 for 24 bottles. We buy 2-3 cases a week and DH and I could go through more if I bought more. We also have a brita water filter pitcher in the fridge at all times that I try to use if I just need a little water to take a pill or something but it just doesn't taste as good. I also use the generic crystal lights to get more water in but its more tasty. I have a bunch of those little packets that could go in my bottled water but I don't really like those. I prefer my water to be COLD, PLAIN and from a SPRING. It tastes different than the ones that are 'purified' to me even though those are cheaper.

Oh and quick chicken taco meat recipe if I haven't posted it already:

1 bag frozen (or thawed) boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts
1 jar/container of salsa or 2 cans of rotel
1 taco seasoning packet (or your own seasoning blend)

Throw all in the crock pot; put it on low; 8 hours later drain it (it will be soupy especially if they were frozen); shred it and eat it! lol This should be enough for 3 dinners for DH and I. Usually we do tacos, taco salad and taco caserole or stuffed peppers, [enter any recipe that uses taco meat here]

I think that's everything.

I haven't changed my ticker either in case anyone's wondering. I just didn't feel like .6 lbs was worth changing it. I will change it this weekend. hopefully AF will stay away long enough for me to get a weigh in.

Yikes I need to go to bed! I rambled off another novel! Enjoy!!!

[lmhall2000]

Love this! Thanks so much for taking the time to share! I know my perimenopause blip for 2 weeks sabotaged my scale...so I probably should have more calories! Today I was so weak after my workout, your chicken tacos sound amazing! I eat something every two hours but rarely more than 200 calories for meals...so I need to play with that zig zag approach! Thanks a ton!

[NightAngelX]

Originally Posted by lmhall2000

Love this! Thanks so much for taking the time to share! I know my perimenopause blip for 2 weeks sabotaged my scale...so I probably should have more calories! Today I was so weak after my workout, your chicken tacos sound amazing! I eat something every two hours but rarely more than 200 calories for meals...so I need to play with that zig zag approach! Thanks a ton!

No problem. I probably should have went over my food anyway on here. Sorry I am not knowledgeable about perimenopause and weight loss, but could you ask your obgyn or family doc for suggestions? I know back when they first thought I had PCOS (based on bloodwork when they did ultrasounds they found nothing and then 2nd set of bloodwork was normal) they wanted me to go on some medicine that would not only help the PCOS but also help with weight loss. Maybe they have something like that for perimenopause. It's worth asking anyway. I hope eating a little more or trying calorie cycling helps you!!

I like to think doing my exercises first thing in the morning helps too. I know it helps to wake me up so maybe it wakes up my muscles too and I get all day to enjoy the 'afterburn'. I've added side planks too. So now I do 60 seconds reg plank, stretch; 30-45 second reg plank; stretch; 20-30 second side plank on each sides then arm weights exercises that i sometimes do squats and lunges with them. fun fun

I forgot to share that I bought clothes last weekend and guess what? I got size LARGE in all but 2 things and the only reason those are XL is probably just because I didn't try a large on (and they were button downs so with my chest I doubt they would have fit). My larges started out with it being the last one and I really liked it so I thought I'd try it on fully thinking that it wouldn't fit, but it did. I still need a few more things. So I might go shopping this weekend too. Having things fit in a large no less makes shopping easier. Usually there is nothing I really like in my size and I end up just getting something that will be 'okay' and then I have to spend money and overall its just not fun. BUT NOW...cute things FIT! I am actually enjoying shopping! This is probably not a good thing. I only got one pair of shoes. A black pair of wedges. Only about an inch and a half high so they are comfy and I get a bit of height. I should probably get another color too but I am used to wearing black shoes everyday so I don't mind wearing the same thing now.

Meanwhile I probably didn't NEED to shop. People are still pretty casual up there too. Many in jeans and even FLIP FLOPS. BUT I haven't been able to dress up in 5 years and I want to dress up. Also DH thinks I should dress for the job I want not the job I have. Not that even the higher ups dress up... The guy I am replacing is older (obviously he is retiring) but he tends to wear button down short sleeve shirts and dress pants and loafers so its not like I'm over dressed next to him. Just next to the rest of the people, including my boss who always wears jeans and a polo.

I think AF is near...I have been ravenous all day. I say in a post that I don't get hungry for snacks at work anymore and then the next day I eat my almond stash and I only had one hershey kiss left at work (didn't realize that since I haven't eaten any in awhile) so even with my leftovers and baby carrots lunch I was still starving. I am trying to get DH to make dinner on the grill now but he had a big lunch and isn't hungry. :P

[NightAngelX]

189!!!!!!!!!!!
I was so excited this morning when the scale read 189!!! I stepped on again and again to make sure.

Yesterday I didn't eat much though. We went to go see Star Trek at the movies and I haven't been to the movie in forever so I wanted popcorn. It was my brunch. DH then went to his brother's for brothers birthday party and I stayed home and at 7 I still wasn't hungry but thought I should eat *something* so I had some ice cream but not much. Maybe 2 servings tops and again I was full. I was thinking eating a little something would make me hungry then I was planning to make a salad. I guess i should have started with that.... Regardless, that's still a lot less food than usual and I did yard work for a few hours too in the heat (which is probably why I wasn't hungry).

After DH left for the party and I had my ice cream I decided to go shopping at Kohls. I never finished shopping before and needed at least a pair of khakis. Well I was excited when a medium fit me! It was this great cardigan/shrug like thing that was black/white/gray so cute but medium and small were the only sizes but it looked big to me so I thought I would try it on and it fit! So I bought it and my khakis. I know mediums in general wont fit yet but so happy that XL stuff hangs on me now and large generally fits and mediums are even starting to fit. I am also definitely a 14 (i think i said this before). 16s are all too big for me now.

Oh I also did measurements today and while waist has remained the same at 31 inches my hips and bust are down an inch each too! Down to 40.5. Everything else seems to have remained the same. I'm sure I'm losing from places I am not measuring though...

Hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend!

[NightAngelX]

Ooops in my excitement I forgot to update DH's progress. He is down to 308. Only 8 pounds for him to go! Not that he's stopping at 300 but that's his disney goal.

[lmhall2000]

WOO HOOOOOO!!!



Rock it!!! So excited! YOU WILL NEVER see 190s again!!! Way to go!! And so happy for your dear husband!! Awesome job!!

Oh! I just now finished reading, I saw 180s and was too excited to finish reading!! But DO measure more!! You ARE losing it from EVERYWHERE!! I measured waist/chest (over my chest and under my chest ), thighs, calves, hips, waist, arms..and WOW!! You are THINNING OUT!! I think my hips are 46.5 at 194!! You must be taller than me! I'm 5'8 but carry it all in my hips...my waist is much smaller and then my chest is only 34".. I feel like a Jeannie bottle My hips/thighs are mammoth and it narrows out the farther you go up CONGRATS on the Medium!!! Such lovely signs of all the hard work you guys have put into it!!

[NightAngelX]

Originally Posted by lmhall2000

WOO HOOOOOO!!!



Rock it!!! So excited! YOU WILL NEVER see 190s again!!! Way to go!! And so happy for your dear husband!! Awesome job!!

Oh! I just now finished reading, I saw 180s and was too excited to finish reading!! But DO measure more!! You ARE losing it from EVERYWHERE!! I measured waist/chest (over my chest and under my chest ), thighs, calves, hips, waist, arms..and WOW!! You are THINNING OUT!! I think my hips are 46.5 at 194!! You must be taller than me! I'm 5'8 but carry it all in my hips...my waist is much smaller and then my chest is only 34".. I feel like a Jeannie bottle My hips/thighs are mammoth and it narrows out the farther you go up CONGRATS on the Medium!!! Such lovely signs of all the hard work you guys have put into it!!

Thanks!!! LOL at your jeanie bottle! Every body has a different shape that is for sure.

I am an hourglass which has its advantages but means bigger arms and legs too. I'm only 5'4" My arms are pretty big at 13+ inches (13.25ish i think) and my calves are 16", thighs 21.5ish. However I tend to measure...tightly. So if I were buying pants I wouldn't buy a size 31 because that is me, sucking it in and standing up as tall as i can while doing the tape measure as snuggly as I can. I do it that way because if I didn't I would get measurements all over the board and I would wonder 'am i doing it tighter than last week or did i really lose? By doing it as tight as I can each time I think its more accurate from a loss standpoint, but not necessarily a size standpoint. I sometimes measure my neck too and it is down to 13.25" the highest I have currently recorded is 15.5" last in June so I know I'm losing all over. I find it really odd that my arm and neck are the same circumference. That shouldn't be.

Thanks again for the congrats! Here's hoping I never see 190s again!!!

[lmhall2000]

Originally Posted by NightAngelX

Thanks!!! LOL at your jeanie bottle! Every body has a different shape that is for sure.

I am an hourglass which has its advantages but means bigger arms and legs too. I'm only 5'4" My arms are pretty big at 13+ inches (13.25ish i think) and my calves are 16", thighs 21.5ish. However I tend to measure...tightly. So if I were buying pants I wouldn't buy a size 31 because that is me, sucking it in and standing up as tall as i can while doing the tape measure as snuggly as I can. I do it that way because if I didn't I would get measurements all over the board and I would wonder 'am i doing it tighter than last week or did i really lose? By doing it as tight as I can each time I think its more accurate from a loss standpoint, but not necessarily a size standpoint. I sometimes measure my neck too and it is down to 13.25" the highest I have currently recorded is 15.5" last in June so I know I'm losing all over. I find it really odd that my arm and neck are the same circumference. That shouldn't be.

Thanks again for the congrats! Here's hoping I never see 190s again!!!

I totally get what you're saying!! I have so much squishy flabby skin on my arms that if I measure squeezing tight it measures 5 inches less!!! if I measure just regular where it's loose enough to twist around the arm it measures the same length as my calves at 15"!!! But, honestly, squeezing my hips it would just make everything squish over it! HA!! I have big hips! on a good note I fit into a size 12 swimsuit I could not fit into last September even though the scales weighed 6 pounds less than I am now!! I think I've definitely added muscle weight...so thrilled to fit into that suit!