The-Last-10-Pounds Support Thread

[bass chick]

I have a hard-core goal to lose the last 10 pounds within this month. I am going to start a total body cleanse next week and hopefully by the end of May be free of that extra weight.

Anyone else with me?

As of late I have been eating way too much (to the point of being uncomfortable, but still wanting more) and have gained about 4 pounds of weight I have recently lost. I am sitting at a total weight loss of 12 now, but it was 15-16 a couple of weeks ago. :(

So...I'm going hard-core...my jaw is clenched and I'm GOING TO DO THIS, but it would be easier (and more fun) with support. We can share tips, ideas and encouragement, and post our weight loss goals and accomplishments.

I will start.

I want to lose 10 pounds by May 31st, so that gives me 25 days to do it. It will be a lot of work and take a lot of will-power. If anyone wants to encourage me and get some encouragement, please feel free to join me!

[namaste_mom]

Yes, I have been working hard to lose 15 lbs since Jan 1 and have only lost 5 lbs. I still need to loss 10 lbs. In a month, 10 lbs is too hard for me. I would be happy to lose 2 lbs a month. As long it will eventually leave. I'm scared that it will stay forever. So, I'm with you but it is going to take me longer...

[mamaglass]

i'm not sure that i can do 10 lbs by the end of the month, but i'm game to give it a try!!!  if i drop 10, i'll be one happy mama. especially with summer on its way! what is your plan? i've been running through a couple of options the last week or so.  mostly just eating super clean, drinking tons of water, and getting as much exercise as possible (with 2 young kids).  

[bass chick]

Well, I'm starting today with a 7-day cleanse and I will be restricting my food intake as much as possible. From the research I have done, restricting/fasting is beneficial for short periods (a few days at a time) followed by a day of eating normal amounts of fresh, real foods. Having to do it for short periods only helps to keep me on track (I hope).

I also have 2 of the Jillian Michaels dvd's (beginner ones, not the ones that everyone talks about) that I will be doing 4-5 days a week if I have the energy and don't feel too lightheaded.

The cleanse I am doing is a liver / colon cleanse with lots of fiber and lots and lots of water. I also drink a ton of diet coke (I know it's contrary to the whole cleanse thing...but I have a serious addiction to it that I will be addressing this summer). I'm going to be drinking lots of organic teas too. Basically, the whole idea is to really restrict. I find my body weight responds well to that, provided I can get enough sleep. I try not to count calories (it often sets me up for failure), but if I were to guess on my caloric intake for today, tomorrow and Tuesday it would be around 500-ish. Writing that sounds absolutely ridiculous to me, but I'm SERIOUS this attempt.

[CrazyCatLady]

I am with you all. :) I have about ten pounds to lose and some serious toning up to do.  I got offered a modeling contract...so I need to have this all done by June.  Eek!  I joined a small gym that is across the street from me and I am going to go twice a day.  It sounds extreme, but I really want this job, so I am going to try my hardest. 

Diet is hard for me because I am so poor.  I kind of have to eat whatever food is available and that is not always the healthiest or the most protein rich.  But I have a small appetite anyways, so hopefully I can get away with it. 

I am excited to join this support group!

[CrazyCatLady]

Sounds like you are feeling just as serious and hard core about this as I am.  I'm not good with restricting on purpose.  If I don't worry about it, I am not much of an eater.  But if I try and fast...I want to eat all of the time!  So I am taking the work out route for this weight loss and hopefully that will do the trick.  That might be harder for people with less free time though.

Originally Posted by bass chick 

Well, I'm starting today with a 7-day cleanse and I will be restricting my food intake as much as possible. From the research I have done, restricting/fasting is beneficial for short periods (a few days at a time) followed by a day of eating normal amounts of fresh, real foods. Having to do it for short periods only helps to keep me on track (I hope).

I also have 2 of the Jillian Michaels dvd's (beginner ones, not the ones that everyone talks about) that I will be doing 4-5 days a week if I have the energy and don't feel too lightheaded.

The cleanse I am doing is a liver / colon cleanse with lots of fiber and lots and lots of water. I also drink a ton of diet coke (I know it's contrary to the whole cleanse thing...but I have a serious addiction to it that I will be addressing this summer). I'm going to be drinking lots of organic teas too. Basically, the whole idea is to really restrict. I find my body weight responds well to that, provided I can get enough sleep. I try not to count calories (it often sets me up for failure), but if I were to guess on my caloric intake for today, tomorrow and Tuesday it would be around 500-ish. Writing that sounds absolutely ridiculous to me, but I'm SERIOUS this attempt.

[bass chick]

Yes, I am serious. However I don't have much time to work out. I can restrict, but I think about food ALL. THE. TIME. when I do. And it takes everything in me to not gorge myself. The fiber mix in the cleanse feels like it expands in my belly, so I don't feel hungry that way, but I do feel like I need to eat. But it's for a short time, right?
How long do you work out? Twice a day is an amazing feat!!! Good for you!

For me, if I try to drag it out and lose weight more naturally, I end up discouraged. I like things to be quick even if it's painful. And people fast all the time for religious reasons. Heck, Jesus starved himself for 40 days, in the desert of all places. If he can do it for 40 days, I can do it 3 or 4 at a go. I have heard of some people doing a 5/7 diet where they fast for 5 days, eat whatever they want for 2. Psychologically if you are not limited on those 2 days you will probably eat less than if you were on a diet and then blew it. I'm wondering if I could do that? I have never fasted for longer than a day before, and that left me feeling ill the following day.

I love working out. I don't do it often, but the feeling it brings is awesome! I don't really care about how toned I look (well...I do, but my that's not my main motivation for working out). I just really want to be strong.

So far I have lost 1 lb, even though I am retaining water. My hands and feet are very puffy. 9 more to go, but I need encouragement to stay on track.

Tell me about your success (or lack of) so far. Did you make it to the gym twice today? :)

[CrazyCatLady]

Only once today so far.  It was for 90 minutes though and I am already feeling it!  I go the second time after my dd goes to bed.  I am a personal trainer who has let herself get out of shape though, so it's going to be rough for a couple of days (or weeks!).  I need to do this though.  I need that contract and the money it will bring my family.  So I have a huge motivation there.  And like you...I like quick results.  A big quick result is super motivating.  I know a pound or two a week is ideal, but I am not that patient.  I will be brave and admitt that I weigh 126 right now.  That is about 25 pounds over my regular weight.  So I have some work to do.  I'm not worried about the weight as much as I am how toned I look though.  I'm sure I will put on some muscle weight during this next month.

We can do this!  Yay to losing 10 pounds in May. :)

[CrazyCatLady]

Psyching myself up to go again.  I can see that nights are going to be much harder on me than mornings.  I just get so lazy feeling in the evenings!

[tropicana]

i don't know if i have a full 10 pounds to lose, but i do have a good 5, or maybe a few more. 

i recently lost 48 pounds, between november and may. i won two back to back biggest loser challenges amongst friends here in the town i live in.

i had to drop two pounds in a day, and did it. WATCH YOUR SODIUM. drink a ton of water. eat 6 small meals a day (some would call them snacks). eat only high quality foods. here's my short list:

* low sodium turkey

* beans

* oatmeal

* fresh fruit

* fresh veggies with hummus

* strong black coffee

* ice water

* greek yogurt (once in awhile, not every day)

* oranges and grapefruits for metabolism boost and cleanse

also i like Coromega as a supplement. 

i do a lot of walking for exercise. if you can find something to push or pull, it helps. i put both my kids in the double stroller (they are 6 and 2 years old) and pushed. it works up a sweat.

i did lose a lot of weight by stopping eating early in the day. originally it was at 5 pm, but then i ratcheted up to 3 pm, and sometimes earlier. this worked for a long time; i dropped many pounds this way. but eventually it quit working.

now i'm on the 6 meals/snack size meals a day plan, and eat as late as 6 pm or so. it seems to rev my metabolism so that my stomach growls at night. in terms of weight loss, this is a good thing. when i was plateaued for 6 weeks, my stomach quit feeling hungry at night. those nights, i did not lose. (didn't gain either, but didn't lose.)

get comfortable with the feeling of being hungry. 

supposedly you can eat something sweet in the late morning after eating a high protein breakfast.

i'll keep working with you guys on this.

by the way, i'm 5'6 1/2" and i weigh about 140 pounds. i would love to be 135, and if the weight would keep coming off i'd go for another 5 pounds down to 130. 

but i'm not going to start going to the gym. it has to be something i can do within the confines of my normal everyday life. i stay home with my kids and clean my own house. i walk my dogs every day. i'm willing to do some exercises at home, but i don't have time for a class right now.

[CrazyCatLady]

I just got back from the gym and I feel like I am going to die lol.  Hopefully I can keep this up for a month.  Welcome to our little group tropicana.  And congrats on all of your weight loss success. :)

[bass chick]

Thank you for the ideas, Tropicana! Congrats on your accomplishments! WOW!!! I'm trying to figure out how you could lose 48 pounds AND have a 6 week plateau! lol.

CrazyCatLady - YEAH! Yay for going to the gym twice yesterday! Keep it up - you can do it again today!

I did one of Jillian Michaels fat burn dvd's that I picked up at the library. I completed the whole thing but had to modify some moves as I felt like I was going to die. lol. I hated it. I much prefer circuits that are not entirely aerobic. I was down another pound this morning. I continued with my cleanse...the fibre supplement (acacia) makes me feel uncomfortably full, so yesterday I didn't eat any food, just a few gummy vitamins. I have a wicked headache (likely from the cleanse - I'm told to expect this for the week. ugh.) I feel like I have a ton of fibre in my gut and it's making it next to impossible to eat considering I have to drink so. much. water.

Last night my husband commented on my recent weight loss. I stopped bf my youngest son (he was 5 & 1/2 years old when we stopped) and I dropped a few pounds pretty quickly - not on purpose. In total I have lost 12 pounds so far (my goal now is 8 more....so 20 in total). My husband said, "You've lost AT LEAST 30 pounds." I had to step on the scale for him to prove it was only about 10. lol. I felt encouraged.

I might try to do Jillian Michael's 'backside' beginner dvd tonight, but I'm not sure if I will have time. We'll see. My appetite is gone and I feel a little weak.

[CrazyCatLady]

I'm not sure I could ever restrict as well as you seem to be doing.  It definitely encourages me to keep my food intake in check though lol.  All this gym time is making me starving, so I need to watch out for that.  This gym and sweating twice a day is really messing with my make-up and how I look during the day when I go out.  The vain in me doesnt like it.  Probably worth it to be skinny in a month though!

Originally Posted by bass chick 

Thank you for the ideas, Tropicana! Congrats on your accomplishments! WOW!!! I'm trying to figure out how you could lose 48 pounds AND have a 6 week plateau! lol.

CrazyCatLady - YEAH! Yay for going to the gym twice yesterday! Keep it up - you can do it again today!

I did one of Jillian Michaels fat burn dvd's that I picked up at the library. I completed the whole thing but had to modify some moves as I felt like I was going to die. lol. I hated it. I much prefer circuits that are not entirely aerobic. I was down another pound this morning. I continued with my cleanse...the fibre supplement (acacia) makes me feel uncomfortably full, so yesterday I didn't eat any food, just a few gummy vitamins. I have a wicked headache (likely from the cleanse - I'm told to expect this for the week. ugh.) I feel like I have a ton of fibre in my gut and it's making it next to impossible to eat considering I have to drink so. much. water.

Last night my husband commented on my recent weight loss. I stopped bf my youngest son (he was 5 & 1/2 years old when we stopped) and I dropped a few pounds pretty quickly - not on purpose. In total I have lost 12 pounds so far (my goal now is 8 more....so 20 in total). My husband said, "You've lost AT LEAST 30 pounds." I had to step on the scale for him to prove it was only about 10. lol. I felt encouraged.

I might try to do Jillian Michael's 'backside' beginner dvd tonight, but I'm not sure if I will have time. We'll see. My appetite is gone and I feel a little weak.

[bass chick]

I don't wear makeup, so I can't empathize with you there. lol. But the fact that you're sweating so much is awesome!!

I'm sure you know, but writing down every bite that goes into your mouth helps to keep your intake down. I don't do it and sometimes I think to myself, "What did I eat today??" and I totally can't remember. I just know that if I want to lose weight I have to feel hungry and if I want to maintain I just have to pay close attention to my cues (not my emotions - lol)

I still haven't eaten today - 1pm. I'm not very hungry and I know I could go until suppertime and just have a small supper. I'm a little unsure about the eating because I don't want to sabbotage my efforts so far. I so badly want to go for a nice walk. I feel so great when I'm walking. But I'm running a dayhome and homeschooling my kids, so time is limited.

[tropicana]

hmmm. watch out that you don't go into "starvation mode" and stop losing weight. you asked how did i plateau for 6 weeks and still lose 48 pounds? well, i started out at 187, that was very heavy. overweight. the first 8 pounds came off just stopping fast food and pop. then i eliminated most processed foods. pounds were dropping off 2-3 pounds a week. i went from 187 in early november to 156 by the end of january. that was the end of the first contest, which i won. two weeks later the second contest started. i had rebounded 8 pounds. i was back up to 164. i lost 10 pounds in the first 10 days of the contest, down to 154. from there, i kept losing steadily, about 2 pounds a week, until i hit 144. serious plateau. it went on for more than a month. 

during this time and before, i had followed a pattern of eating rather heavily in the morning, followed by a lighter meal at noon, then a final snack in the early afternoon and DONE by 5 pm. eventually i ratcheted up to done by 3 pm, then 2 pm, sometimes (the day before weekly at home weigh ins), i was done by noon. 

when the diet was working, i would get hungry at night. i didn't mind this. by the time i get my kids to bed, all i want to do is sit in my chair and look at my online stuff, maybe watch the weather. i'm tired. i drink ice water, eventually i'm tired enough and go to bed. go right to sleep. i eat again in the morning. 

but the DONE by mid afternoon thing eventually quit working. I STOPPED FEELING HUNGRY AT NIGHT. that was the same time i stopped losing weight. 

my good friend was closing in on me in the contest. i had to do something. in the final days of the contest, i started eating very light meals / snack meals spread out over many times of the day. i now eat as late as 6 pm. but never enough to feel "full." just a little here and there. it's like my metabolism started working again, and more pounds came off. coupled with a stepped up walking program, i was able to drop from 143 on thursday to 141 on friday, and down to 139 on saturday. ALSO AVOIDING ALL SODIUM. so i shed water weight.

----

i am going to take your tip to write down everything i eat. i am now 3 days out from the end of the last contest, which i also won. over the weekend, i let my little kids make a simple boxed cake, with frosting. i have been going at that frosting. the cake is now gone, but i'm sure i set myself back by a pound or more due to the frosting. i am not safe to be around such sweets.

i am going to dig out my food diary book a friend gave me, and start using it tomorrow. 

thanks!!

[CrazyCatLady]

I also need to track my food.  I don't eat much, but being at the gym so much is making me extra hungry...and then I tend to just grab at whatever is around (for better or for worst).  I am going to go to the store tomorrow and load up on some cheap protein foods.

I'm back off to the gym in a few minutes.  I am tired, sore, my throat hurts, and I am on my period.  But I need to stay accountable and keep this momentum going.  Posting here is helping me with that.  So thank you ladies. :)

[bass chick]

You ladies sound like you are doing fantastic! 

Yippee!!

My favorite cheap protein food is eggs.

I'm going to work out tonight as well. The backs of my legs are sore from the last workout I did (not yesterday, but the day before). Today I'm going to do the Jillian Michaels beginner workout, which is more my style since I'm absolutely uncoordinated in every way! I went for a walk last night to the post office, but I was with my kids so a 20 minute walk ended up being a 45 minute walk. Hardly any sort of a workout. lol. Still, its nice to move a little. I ate lots of fresh, raw veggies yesterday and some strawberries. I also ate a lot of rice with melted cheese and ketchup (so much for no sodium! But that's my favorite food.) I was down about a 1/2 pound this morning. It's hard to tell with my scale, but I'm about 7.5 pounds away from my goal. I tell myself this is really good because my muscles are aching and growing, and I still lost a little weight.

:)

Keep it up pretty ladies!!!

[CrazyCatLady]

I have not lost a single pound and I am already frustrated by it.  You'd think I could have lost at least half a pound or something for my efforts by now yk?  I am doing a lot of machines and free weights at the gym though.  So maybe I am toning up and gaining muscle and not realizing it.  But with 10-20 pounds to go still...I'd like to see some progress on that scale! 

[tropicana]

bass chick and CrazyCatLady, can you post your stats, how tall you are, how much you weigh, what you hope to weigh? i have found that in dieting with friends, it is helpful to be as real as possible, gives everyone a more honest picture of what people really weigh and lifts the "veil of secrecy" regarding one's weight.

as for me, 141.8 today, i knew i went up from my cake binge. i am currently fighting the urge to dig into one of the frozen pieces of storebought cake in our deep freezer. posting here to help keep me honest.

i started the food diary today, so far have eaten two servings of fruit salad, a turkey sandwitch (1/2 the bread), one fried egg, three pretzle sticks and a couple cups of black coffee.

*i will not eat cake... i will not eat cake... i will not eat cake...*

going to see my skinny friend today. she did the contest too and went from 148 to 129.

also, have walked about 1.5 miles so far today...

[CrazyCatLady]

I am 5'3 and I weigh 127.  My "usual" weight is around 105.  But my fourth baby and/or the depo shot seems to have messed that all up.  So I am looking for my new normal.  I am not happy where I am, but I don't see me getting down to that low of a weight again anytime soon.