Steph's Journey

LaMaria said:
Would you consider the thrifting? Bring them some of the now-baggy but still quality stuff you don´t like anymore, give them money for someone else´s cast-offs, and bring them back once those no longer give you joy. I will admit that the scent of thriftstores makes me run a mile at lightning speed but I´m not everyone. And it´s probably the best thing for the environment. (The best thing for people who depend upon the thriftstore to find something to wear for work would of course be you buying new and donating it in two months, hardly worn.) Wanting to feel good in your clothes is a legitimate desire even if you don´t have a customer-facing job but when you do have one it really isn´t a luxury.
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Ive considered thrift stores. Ive donated to them lots in the years. I was talking to my coworker today when we were shifting the day(we never work with other people always solo in shifts) and she put me on to cheap stretchy yoga pants. They are only like 5-7 dollars each sometimes cheaper at walmart. Im thinking im going to have to sport tunic shirts and yoga pants/leggings for awhile
Ill probably end up doing some online shopping soon...in store would be better but...covid. Im pretty sure the christmas themed leggings i have from last year are going to be too big...they were really cute too.
I guess this is a good problem to have lol
 
Definitely a good problem to have and if you feel good in tunics and leggings it's a quick and cute way to bridge the gap.
 
That is a good problem to have :)
My sister lives in leggings & always looks good. She says they are incredibly comfortable. Thrift stores here are very much like normal clothing stores. It’s time I had another look.
 
So i am a bit disheartened with todays weigh in.
329.6 lbs

This week was so weird. Between the low calorie days(there were two) and just losing focus with everything else going on. I blame the time change lol joking.
Ive been trying hard to hit the protein macros as i have been doing a poor job of it.
As far as non scale things, clothes,as already mentioned, are being problematic and i find that im having less pain and muscle cramps...actually i havent had any muscle cramps after going into an almost jog several times this week. I still have a lot of energy most days.

Ive read that if you have too little calories that you can actually put weight on...but i dont know the validity of that.
I will be paying attention more to my calorie intake this week, no more super low days.
 
Steph2825 said:
Ive read that if you have too little calories that you can actually put weight on...but i dont know the validity of that.
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It's a half-truth as far as I can see: if you lower your calories either for a long time or to a very low level your body is going to lower your resting calorie expenditure (you'll fidget less, be more cold, and of course in the long run you'll lose muscle mass) and that "slow metabolism" can stay with you for a long time (until your body is back at the weight it wants to be or a little over), meaning you'll be likely to retain or even gain weight at a calorie intake most people would lose weight at. There is however a limit to how much energy the body can conserve. So short-term you won't ever gain weight by eating too little but long-term you may be making your life harder.
A pound a week is generally considered a healthy rate of loss so it looks to me like you're doing well on all fronts. Which is more than most people can say after this weird week.
 
Hey Steph, you should feel good about the 329.6, in the 320s and if I figure it right you are down about 10 lbs since you started here, less than a month ago. That is a very impressive loss! Short term you should take success as being on track, weight loss is always going to be an up and down thing in the short term, stay on track and it will be a consistent downward trend!

I understand the problems with clothes, as I was losing weight I went through a lot of sizes, from 62 down to 32 pants. That makes it hard to want to invest a lot in clothes, I had to give away a lot of clothes that only fit me for a short time. The thrift store idea is a good one, my wife's church (Presbyterian) has one, and their prices are very low, below most. I have had a lot of clothes from them, and given a lot back. Now that I am more stabilized I have started buying better things, still no suit but in this era I have little need for a suit.

LaMa gave you some good advice on low calorie eating, I ate low calorie for about a year and 3 months, lost about 160 lbs in 15 months. Now I believe I am suffering with the impact that had on my metabolism. Losing at half that rate might have been a better thing, I don't know.

Keep up the good work, you are doing great!
 
You guys are always awesome! Im so new to this still, but you guys have the perspective of being there before. I was disheartened this morning..but seeing the trends of 3 pounds a week down to one...it made me feel like i didnt work hard enough. On the plus side, i am seeing more muscle definition in my calves.

I feel good that im still losing and actually making strides in the confidence department. I ended up posting a full body pic on that dating app(that was nerve wracking)...and well...i was pleasantly surprised. I cant say im not enjoying the attention and ego boost. There have been some awkward conversations but not nearly as many as i would have thought.

Even with everything going on, the most important thing is i continue my own self care. I take my walks uninterrupted..the world can wait. Im still keeping up on planning and tracking my meals.

Also, i have been taking my fasting glucose in the mornings..so far it hasnt been above 96. NORMAL RANGE!!!! Sorry thats super exciting to me. I could have avoided so much frustration if i had done this sooner. But i am so happy to be maintaining normal glucose levels without medication.
 
Also, here's this weeks calories. That Tuesday is still freaking me out lol
 

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Steph2825 said:
I was disheartened this morning..but seeing the trends of 3 pounds a week down to one...it made me feel like i didnt work hard enough.
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That is not surprising, weigh loss is never even, however if you stay on track fat loss is. As I said I lost about 160 lbs in 15 months, an average of 10.67 lbs/month, but not all months were the same. I lost as much as 7 lbs some weeks and none some, it all averaged out in the end, and I am sure you will too!
Steph2825 said:
On the plus side, i am seeing more muscle definition in my calves.
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That is a real plus, and means more than your short term weight losses, good for you!

I looked at your calories last week, and it looks pretty good to me. The 1,460 average is what matters, you will always have higher and lower days, Tuesday does not look bad to me, not so long as it's just your occasional high.

Good news on the glucose thing!
 
That's great about the fasting glucose levels! Don't apologize for being excited: health is one of the most precious things anyone can have.
 
Thanks guys and gals! I have to get in and give my doc some blood so he can test my A1C. I was supposed to do it last month but i havent yet. I have to see if i can swing a day off during the week to just to go. It has to be a fasting blood draw and im not trying to be up from 5am till 3pm with nothing to eat so i can go give blood. Lol
Id probably fall off the rails hard if i did that.
 
So its been a few days since i had anything to post. I have been posting my weight everyday and feeling ok with it. Ive gotten over the anxiety of weighing daily.
Things have been good on the calorie front so far this week. Im getting better about hitting my protein macro.
The changing of the season is starting to effect me. With it getting dark so early (5pm) im finding it harder to be motivated to get in exercise. I have only gotten out for a walk or on the bike twice this week.
Work has been weird. Its been so busy as of late and i think because of covid surging people are starting to freak out a bit. Im pretty worried about it myself. I dont know what the holidays will bring, but i hope people have more sense about the spread.
The hospitals here are getting almost to the point of being overwhelmed.

All the gloom and doom aside, ive been feeling pretty good. Im hoping this weekend to try a stuffed butternut squash recipe i found. Ive been keeping busy and trying to prepare for the eventual winter coming. Winterizing the house and making sure the car is in good order. I have noticed small things in my energy levels and sleep. I have been sleeping more soundly, waking easier and generally feeling more energized throughout the day. I dont feel like i need a bucket of coffee to get me through the day. Haha
 
Steph2825 said:
I dont feel like i need a bucket of coffee to get me through the day.
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That part sounds good to me! Also stuffed squash; delicious. I expect the people who are covid-careful now to stay that way over the holidays while the others... will probably gift us with an infection rate surge. We'll see how it goes though.
 
I struggle every year transitioning into Winter too. Glad you’re feeling better. Stay safe, Steph.
 
Just a small update. Weight is down to 322 lbs today. I spent the day yesterday gathering up clothes that will be too difficult to alter (denim and such)and prepared them for donation.
On the dating front:
I found that if i am up front about the lifestyle changes ive made and am continuing, it whittles down the men who are interested in dating me. Thats not an issue to me because im not going to be with someone that cant accept the things im doing for me. There is one man in particular who i have been talking to who is genuinely supportive of everything and is very encouraging, but accepts me for who i am right now. It is quite nice.:)
 
Steph2825 said:
I found that if i am up front about the lifestyle changes ive made and am continuing, it whittles down the men who are interested in dating me.
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True about anything that gives you any kind of personality. As long as you´re a blank canvas people can project their dreams onto you. Saves a lot of time not having to find out basic things over multiple conversations, even if it seems to reduce your choices. I say you´re doing well and yay for supportive dude!
 
So just a short update. Things have been good overall...until yesterday. My monthly came yesterday and then i developed hives last night..no idea of the cause. Then today i had to have my car towed to my mechanic only to find out that the frame is broken. (Theres a lot more stress related to the way that happened and the fallout of it i just dont want to go into it now)
Then my furnace stopped working today.
I have absolutely fallen off the rails. Between trying to quit smoking and the fact that i eat junk when im stressed...
Well i had a bag of chips that clocked almost 300 calories and a peppermint bark square that was 70 calories. I really want to say screw the calories today for dinner because of everything going on and how upset i am right now. I just want to eat pizza and french fries.
 
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