The countdown is on... want to help?

Mega13 · 11-20-2004, 09:56 PM

I have been part lurker/part participator for the past year now. I have especially been interested in the weight loss board, as yes... I have weight to lose. I did try South Beach Diet for two weeks, and it worked wonderfully. I lost ten pounds on it! That was back in September. And as of now I have gained two of those pounds back. I currently weigh 176. Why did I stop doing the SBD you ask? Well, several reasons, I guess. One of my best friends (whom I also work with and sit next to for 8 hours a day) was 130 lbs and she decided to do it with me. She is now about 122. Losing the eight lbs for her was much more noticable than my ten lb. loss, and EVERYONE at work has been commenting on how skinny she looks. She is still obsessing over the last 4 lbs to lose. I'm truly happy for her, and I am proud of what she accomplished. And she's a great supporter for me, too. But I was just so tired of hearing about how "fat" she was. And I just wanted to stomp up and down and say, "Hey! I lost weight, too!" It just made me depressed. And, too, I would always go for vigorous late-night walks in the late summer/early fall, even getting into a pathetic jog sometimes. But now, snow is on the way and it's been dark, cold and drizzly in the evenings. So, hence, I fell of the wagon. Not too badly, but enough where I stopped losing and gained a couple back.

Also, my b/f (who is one of those skinny people who can eat four bowls of Count Chocula for breakfast, a huge QDoba burrito for lunch, and an entire pizza for dinner and not gain an ounce) has been very supportive as well. He bought me a very expensive gym membership for my birthday back in October. Guess how many times I have gone in these past 2 months? 4 times. That's it.

So here's the deal... we have a big annual work meeting in beautiful sunny Florida this January 3-7. All of us at work (including my size 4 best friend) will be going down there. My boyfriend will then be flying down a week later, so we can vacation there. So I will be in Florida for a total of 15 days, and I am SO unhappy with how I look.

We do have a formal banquet, and all of us girls are discussing what dresses we'll be wearing at this function down there. I have a fabulous dress, but I am just a little too bloaty and flabby to pull it off (I bought it four years ago when I was much thinner). Rather than buy a new one, I am going to attempt to slim down a bit. I am not expecting miracles, but another 6-8 lbs would make me happy. Also, I need to lose the "pasty-white bloat" look.

I'm hoping to get some great advice and support from you folks. I've got about five weeks (including those damn holidays!), and I don't know where to begin other than to drink lots of water, cut out all the bad carbs, and keep the portion sizes low. Exercising is almost impossible, because I am at work by 8:00am and I don't get home until after 7:00pm. Any time before and /or afterward is just too much - I'm too tired and it's too cold and dark where we live to attempt anything outside. I will try to do some weight lifting, but I'm afraid I just don't know how/when to squeeze in cardio.

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PLEASE feel free to comment, question or advise in any way. I'll be here if you'll be here - the countdown begins!!

43 DAYS LEFT AND COUNTING DOWN... =)

InToronto · 11-21-2004, 10:52 PM

Hello Mega,
With 5 weeks to go.....a 10 pound weight goal seems reasonable. 15 days in Florida is great motivation to get you going on a nutrition and fitness plan. Using a journal to document your food intake and daily exercise is a good strategy to use. It makes you accountable for what you eat. Exercise is an important component of any weight loss effort and you should try to get some in. I know the outdoors isn't that inviting this time of year but half an hour each day walking will burn calories and rev up your metabolism.
Good-Luck!

sbboyceut · 11-22-2004, 03:59 AM

Mega13, you can do it! I say that your two first steps are good ones, lots of water and no refined carbs. But remeber it's also a mind thing also. Remind yourself everday that you want to feel good and are doing this for yourself and you will be fine.

needhelp2 · 11-22-2004, 01:09 PM

Hello Mega,
I'm currently on a weight loss plan and my target is to be done on January 15th so we're sort of in the same boat here. I'm sure that you've heard that your diet is 60% of your results when trying to lose weight, but the exercise is very important too. By conditioning your body, you will not only lose weight a little easier but you will have an easier time keeping it off. I would try hard to make exercise a priority in your life. I work a lot too and also have a family that I like to rush home too as soon as possible so I thought it would be impossible to find time to work out. You need to convince yourself of how important it is. I actually get up super early and work out before work now. I'm at the gym at 6:00 and at work by 8:00. It sucks to wake up that early but it feels so good when I'm done working out. I really feel like I accomplished something for myself. Given that you have a gym membership, that may be something that you want to think about. If that's not an option, here's some other suggestions. Get a tape. TaeBo tapes are only 30 minutes and they're a lot of fun. You can do that at night and indoors. If that's not your cup of tea, you can try to squeeze in little blurts of exercise throughout the day. Try parking further away from your destinations. I park 5 blocks from work which adds about 10 minutes to my commute but gives me that little bit of exercise twice a day. At the grocery store, I park at the back of the lot for that extra 2 minutes there. Studies have shown that those little bits of exercise are just as beneficial as as a steady 30 minutes. Whatever you do, stay positive. You can and will accomplish your goal!!!