Ok, I'm with you R, I am planning on going 'home' for 2 weeks and have my crazy weight-loss conundrum. I got my mother on board and she will support me (all I had to do is tell her that if I were to gain the 'average' pregnancy weight of 30 lbs, I'd be almost 200 lbs, she was like DONT EAT and EXERCISE, I won't feed you!).



I think you have some options, you could take 2 hour walks (gives you the chance to get away from everyone and focus on you) every day. Also, you can put regular food on small plates. Just fill up 1 small plate. Or, perhaps you can cook a few things for teh table? U dunno, don't derail yourself. Or, just eat turkey or ham and salad. Dessert is my downfall.



I made my weight loss NOT a priority and now I'm stuck in a bind. Don't do this to you.

Reviews look good!! I can keep up anything for 5 weeks.... I used my sauna shorts this morning on the elliptical and I was so sweaty. Maybe I should wear a sweatshirt as well...eew.

I'm being very good, I just keep telling myself a size every 2 weeks, that's not too crazy.



I've made it through the worst part of my day, the period between breakfast and lunch. the next worst is the 3pm snack time...I can do it.



Thanks for your encouragement.



I'm still curious on if the sauna suit will work.

The dress place didn't really mess up, that's the thing. They make you sign a waiver as well--i saw the measurements and they matched the book. The thing was a custom order, took 16 weeks and all the dresses were dyed from the same color swatch, I can't just order a new one.... nor can they make one. I think a size in 3 weeks is more than reasonable..maybe close to 2 sizes in 4 weeks. even if I lost 3/week the healthy way, that would be 12 pounds--enough to make a difference. I'm just going to sweat and drink water like a fish!!! I'll let you know what I weigh at the end of the week!





andy

Hey friends! I've been complaining for a few months about not being able to lose but I journaled my food intake and found what I was doing wrong. (yay). Here's the problem. I'd love to lose the weight correctly...



I just got my bridesmaids dress for my best friend's wedding in 5 weeks. Although I was measured for it and lost 3 pounds in the meantime, I was not measured at my widest point apparently.



The dress is 2 sizes too small. The tailor told me if I could lose about 15 pounds within 4 weeks, she could alter it right before the wedding, but I'd need to drop at least a size and almost 2 sizes.



HELP!



I was on prednisone and I know I have retained a bunch of water weight. Has anyone had success with sauna suits?



My new workout routine for the next at least 4 weeks: 60 minutes cardio daily (With the suit?), lift hard 4X week or kettlebell for 45 minutes in place of lifting and the billy blanks ab workout 5 days/week.



Diet: target 1600 calories, chicken, tuna, pork chops, veggies (cooked and raw) and olive oil. NO salt, NO artificial sweeteners. Black and green tea and water only, no alcohol.



Does anyone have any thoughts? I'm currently 5'4, 163 and need to be about 145 for this dress to fit. Although I sound 'fat', I'm very fit.



Please help. Will the sauna suit help cut weight?



Thx.



andy

I'm with Rachael on the chocolate! (I've been burning the work trail and travel, this is my first downtime in almost 6 weeks!). I am a fan of buying super duper (I mean like ultra expensive, $4 or $5 a piece) fancy chocolate. Instead of a pricey latte, you'll start to savor every single delicious bite of the very nice cholate. Then, when you go to the office and they have the cheap crap, it will taste like a ball of flavored wax to you and it will make you spit it out. Seriously, find your town's chocolatier or if you have to, get the highest quality organic chocolate you can find at whole foods or trader joes. Hit yourself hard in the pocket, not the hips. Suddenly, your small splurges will be ultra meaningful. I also try to stuff myself silly on apples. If I'm hungry, I have been known to eat 3 apples to take the edge off my snacks.



And in my 6 weeks "off", I didn't lose any weight, but I didn't gain any. At least I discovered why I couldn't actually drop a pound despite crazy workouts.



Good luck!



cheers,

andy

Thank you my positive ray of sunshine. I weighed myself today and shouldn't have...maybe it's God's way of telling me not to stray over the weekend. I'm hoping it's just fluid retention. I've been drinking LOTS of water and not eating as much as usual...pffft. I WILL fit into the bridesmaids dress. Found out fitting is Nov 8th. maybe I can drop 4-5 lbs by then. I WILL try. Sounds like you had fun with your friend!!

Ok, I am frantic and going crazy. I skipped my afternoon workout today during lunch because I got a flu shot this morning after my rubber shorts workout (heeheeeheeee). I dind't wanna like exercerbate anything, I know that's dumb but I think I should rest my body after getting shots. Will pick back up tonight. I'll photograph the scale tomorrow morning. I'd like to be more optimistic, I just feel really fat and still have nothing to wear. Tomorrow night is the friday night jeans! Hope you're doing great!



<<andy>>

alright, K...I'm with you. <<ugg>> btw, i wore the rubber shorts again this morning and made lots of rubbery noises on the elliptical!

I totally need to steal your idea! Thanks!

NO WAY!!! Congrats on that. I am contemplating a jaw wiring! *kidding*



I need new willpower. If my college photos weren't enough (not from 18, from when I was 21) to make me feel bad about my current state, I don't know what else could be? I looked at a photo of my mother--at 38, she had a 6 pack and was the most incredible athlete. Where's my stuff!

Could she have better genes? I know she has better jeans, but is it really possible to look like that AFTER kids? What if you got taken by your genetic code? For me, I'm 5'4 (almost) and the shortest female on both sides of my family. I was 5'2 in 5th grade......Nobody is more than a little fluffy in my family either, yet somehow my chubby is clinging on to me!! But, in denial, I must say, my red-headed friend, we can dooo eeet!

Hehehe, yah, we both have about the same to lose. pffft!!!



Did you see the magazine cover with 41 year old faith hill in her bikini? NOT fair, and, after 3 kids? I look like the darn Michelin man and I'm not even 30 (yet!) and a professional desk jockey. I want a refund! This isn't fair. I will get to the grocery store this weekend for more snacky foods, till then, it's emptying the pantry for me.



http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20234406,0 0.html



I want a donut!

andy

no, not tracking yet, but i did lose a bit of weight, so that's a good sign, i don't know how much but i'm closer to the stupid scaley mark at the gym..could be a pound or two. yay!! next step, tracking calories formally *groan*





andy

Hey Karen,

I'm worrying about the insignificant again, I'm so tired of not having clothes to wear and feeling your pain! You may have been the little red haired girl, I was always lollipop head. I had a massive head and a teenie body, I looked like a lollipop--until i was almost 27. I'm still wondering how on earth 33 pounds could totally make me look so different.



I miss my old clothes!!!





here's to health and good fortune!



a

You would both be proud of me, I mustered up the courage to wear the sauna shorts under my shorts to the gym this morning. I made all kinds of interesting 'overheated' sounds but I finally did work up a sweat. I have to spread out my workouts every day over 3 workouts (i only have about 40 minutes at a time to work out) so the next 2 will be without the amazing sweat pants. too bad i ate some candy when i got into the office, but i think i've eaten less this morning snacking than i burned off, so still at a net loss.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!!! no cake..remember, skinny on the lips, skinny on the hips!



The smaller jeans will be a better gift!

Look at you, K!! Yippie ki-yay (or however you spell that). I had my own personal Christmas this morning when I put on an oxford shirt and it fit over my big fat arm. I didn't want to be greedy so I just put a vest on over it and a nice skirt(one of the 2 that fit me) and now I know nobody has beats on my blunders today. No Stacy and Clinton!!





andy

Oh Rachael, we should always close with that, you know..you are right. I guess we vent a lot. We need to add that we have our health as well. Once you have that much, you want it all. I'm only upset I'm in my 'fat girl' clothes because for the majority of my adult life I was so much smaller and I've seen how much the very sudden weight gain has changed me for the worse and how I long to wear my old clothes again, more than anything, because I spent an inordinate amount of money on them and I can't justify buying any (nor can I $$ right now).



Let's try this. I can't wait to lose the weight and not be wasteful by fitting into all my clothes and increasing my health. I'm truly thankful and blessed to be healthy and employed and to have friends (both physical and virtual) who care about me.



Have a great weekend, all! (don't drink your calories, eat them!)

oh, haha, i have my 'friday night' jeans..i still consider them fat girl pants. They are my first 'women's' jeans, they have a higher rise than the AG jeans I wore aout a year and a half ago in a size 27 (the 'fat' ones i got last summer after prednisone are 32s and they don't even fit me). hence, the friday night jeans method. I had to get a pair so that my boyfriends rural southern family wouldn't think i'm a hoity-toity stuck up biotch because I only wore sundresses and Cole Haans at their lake-front summerhouse lol. ("Andy looks too nice to be out at the lake"). Little do they know it's cold and fall and I'm still wearing the sundresses. The jeans, old navy, "sweetheart" and (horror of horror) a 12!!!! I used to wear I guess a 6 or 27 in most jeans...eew, a 4 in pretty much everything else. I can't wait till these ugly a$$, borderline mom jeans are too big. Hit up the workouts, K



(raggedy) Andy

I am going to do a big-time measuring stick dealy-o when I go to pick up the *lovely* bridesmaids dress. they measured me when we ordered the dress, one of these weeks it will come in and I better be WAY thinner. I am going by the fat on the back of my leg, right under my a$$. The smoother it feels, the less fat that is there. That and the amount of my pelvis/bottom part of my abs I can see-- and whether or not my oxford shirts fit over my biceps. I know it's dumb, but if I could just fit into some shirts, it would be a step in the right direction.



ATL city..sounds fun! Living in or next to a huge cultural mecca is so much fun and totally worh the related pain$$$. There's never a dull moment!



Keep it real this weekend, I should be around *working* and posting. You and Rachael and CM are a total inspiration to me! yay for workouts, good luck with all the kid-related activity.

How is that horsie today, sounds good, Karen. I'm out at a client, no morning workout, but I will try to go on an hour fast walk later (you know, that speed walking embarrasing thing). It makes me sore, unlike running.



Hey, even if it's water weight, 2 pounds is 2 pounds. Like we say on the golf course, nobody asks you how...just how many. Sweat, puke, whatever, it's 2 pounds and veeery satisfying! YAY for you, I'm jealous



i think I might look a weencie bit thinner.



don't forget the oh so fun weekend workout <joy>



andy

Johan, you have to do it, especially as a youth leader! You have to show youth that God wants them to take good care of those bodies and be an example! We are with you! You can do it, get it back!

I think this morning I was annoying wipe down everything girl. I wiped down the treadmill like a total freak (And then I channel surfed at my 'mill). No crazy shorts today, I'm saving them for monday!

Karen you cracked me up sooooo much with that!! CM, I think I might just be on that diet starting next week, I have to travel again tomorrow for work but I hope to have enough time this weekend when I return on sat/sun to start getting things in order. I'm def. hot on the workout trail!



andy

I will drop at least 2 pants sizes (making me an 8) by Thanksgiving day whether or not I have to suck it out myself with a straw (oh, and I'll be able to wear my work-appropriate winter coat). I am not above sauna suits, sauna rooms, drinking gallons of water or making my life gym-work-gym-work. I will be at my normal weight by new year's eve. I will NOT bring in the new year feeling anything but excited and thrilled and blessed to be healthy and thriving. Enough of the feeling bad about myself and freezing to death.

CM, i'm on the 6 week plan! Let's do it!

That helps so much! I put on 33 pounds in less than 2 months, I could feel myself swelling up every day! I am going to try one thing at a time, but i'm with you, the stretch marks don't bother me as much as the fat that I am now carrying in my face, arms and heartbreakingly enough in my elephant legs. I want to cry when I see them but I have to remind myself that I should be thankful I am healthy and it could have been a lot worse. My junk in the trunk and my legs make one big fat tree trunk--or an elephant leg. Oh well, it helps to know I'm not alone. Good thing that despite my displeasure of the excessive junk in the trunk, the man has decided that if he had to be a "t" man or an "A" man, he'd rather have the "a" because i can still run without knocking myself out... Men are so practical, I love it!

Good thinkin on the suits...I want to try them on so I at least look professional--we all know how hard it is to fit a suit! Karen, I bet you look stunning with your fair skin and red hair! I got the olive skin and auburn hair, one from each of my parents. The olive skin does not look nice with ugly white stretch marks, some folks say laser surgery works, but it's $$ and sounds like excessive vanity to me. I can't justify spending that on myself when there are people with no food to eat and I have the luxury of worrying about going on a diet.

That said, I have a bit of humor to inject. I am going to have a 'schtick'..i need a thing for the gym! I have vinyl pants, well, they look like wet-suit shorts. I will combine them with some sort of hideous colored under armour sleevless shirt and maybe I can grunt?

We have an anorexic woman who has to be at least 85...she has zero bodyfat and she looks like a gazelle on the elliptical. She must have been a marathon runner (my mother's 75 year old sister still "runs" marathons) and you can see her skeleton and muscles. She likes 80's flourescent shorts and barely there sports bras. She almost looks like one of those hairless dogs with the furry white heads-- or like a reptile or something!

Ok, my workout regimen is pretty simple, I lift hard 4 days a week about 35-45 minutes worth (no rest between sets, i keep my heart rate up). I do an hour of cardio at least 5 days a week, usually running or elliptical (I don't run 2 days in a row). If I have enough time for a 3rd workout, I'll hit up a very hard hills program on the treadmill and walk it for about 30 minutes. Oh, I golf on Saturdays, it's sort of a workout, usually courses that involve a lot of walking around. I count the 4 hours or so as 30 minutes of cardio.



I have 2 "cheap" suits I got at TJ Maxx for when i HAVE to meet a client. They are both black and I have a gorgeous scarf and pin I wear so it covers the fact the clothes aren't as nice as my old ones. The suits are part of my 7 day rotation. I just want my "old" stuff.



Twins? Scary. You are much like me, I was a competitive, elite athlete and never ever thought this could happen to me. 2 summers ago I considered quitting my job to try to race full time, last summer i was packing on the pounds and this summer I tried to lose them.



Sorry to ask personal stuff publicly, but did you experience stretch marks with the sudden weight gain from the twins? I'm trying to figure out (seems like google has many different miracle cures) if I have to live with the consequences of prednisone as a permanent scar or not.



Please keep me posted on your success. We are all in this together.