The MakeMeThinner Support Forum

[DogMa]

128.8, and the new treadmill ROCKS! I think I'd be lower if it weren't for my normal, recurring sandbox issues. Sigh. How someone can eat this much fiber and still have trouble is beyond me, although I guess I'm also still not eating all that much so there might not be much left after what I've burned.

So I was considering making this a free day because I made a cake for someone's birthday. But I was hoping to be a bit lower, so I think I'll hold off for a while.

That said, food will be pretty much identical to yesterday's, unless I cave and have pizza for dinner. I'm guessing the extra calories and fat would actually help in the sandbox, so we'll see.

[DogMa]

OK, so today turned out to be free day, after all. I had a burger and fries from my favorite place downtown (thought about pizza because there's a good place next door, but didn't feel like it for some reason) and some of the cake I brought for my friend's birthday. So that's it till I break the Yom Kippur fast on Monday night.

I'm thinking some sort of sweet thing because it's traditional, and then either pizza or some little Hebrew National hot dogs in blankets I have waiting in my freezer.

Tomorrow's the regular plan. And gym day (my arms are already hurting in anticipation because it's arm/chest day). And maybe some time on the treadmill because it was so awesome today.

[Sarya]

My friends break fast with something sweet as well, followed by a pizza party. heh. Every year they do it, and every year I have managed to miss it for some reason. Well, for the last few years it's because I'm in Ohio and they are in MA. But I just thought I'd share

[DogMa]

well, heck, maybe i should do it, too, if it's a tradition. we always had bagels and lox and tuna and egg salad and stuff like that, but i'm having trouble finding a good bagel place here. i asked someone at work, and they suggested panera. which ... good bread, but not a real bagel place.

[Sarya]

yeah panera isn't a good bagel place. Einstein's and Bruegger's make decent bagels if you have those there, but I'm in full support of a pizza and sweet things party!

I'm thinking a nice slice of challah with some drizzled honey or flourless chocolate cake with raspberries! and then pizza

I do love lox and bagels though.

[DogMa]

Arlington and Fort Worth aren't really good places for bagels. I think there's one Einstein's somewhere, but that's about it. Sigh. There USED to be a place called Bubba's Bagels near me that sounded promising, but apparently it's long gone.

I think I'm going with pizza. A small piece of chocolate for the sweet (or maybe even just a piece of fruit), and then pizza from a place I've been wanting to try.

And of course now I wish I'd saved my free day for today instead of yesterday. The restaurants near the gym smelled really good, and I've been off on my meals today, so I'm hungry. Too bad.

[DogMa]

130.8, not bad two days after free day and one day after weights. Did the treadmill today, and actually JOGGED on it. I don't think I've ever jogged in my entire life (granted, it wasn't for very long - just a minute for my 10 effort on BFL). After warm-up, I did 2 minutes at 3.5 mph and 1 incline for my level 6, then 2 incline for 7, 3 incline for 8, 4 incline for 9, back down to 6 for two minutes, then one minute at 7, then 8, then 9, then down to 6 for two, then up again, with 4 mph and incline 4 for my level 10, then back down to 6 for two minutes, then a short cool-down. (I realize this isn't going to make sense to most people. It's more for my own records.)

Standard food today.

[Jen]

Robin,

In regards to the treadmill, there is a "hill" program on my treadmill at the gym that I like which sounds similar to your BFL system. Depending on intensity, elevation changes from a baseline in increasing then decreasing levels for the duration I specify. I find it is a great cardio workout and burns more calories (according to the semi-accurate read-out) than a steady treadmill pace.

I too would love to work up to jog/run longer than a couple of minutes.

Congratulations on your continued success in maintenance.

[DogMa]

Thanks, Jen. BFL just mandates that you increase intensity/effort in a certain pattern. It can be speed, but since I'm not used to the whole jogging thing, I mostly increase intensity by increasing incline, at least for now. At some point, I'll have to increase speed instead (or in addition).

Of course, the first step was finding a sports bra that would actually keep the girls still. I finally found one, although I don't love it. But it sure holds them in place. I figure I'll wear the comfier ones on weightlifting days and use the boob girdle, as I think of it, on the treadmill.

[DogMa]

Had to take a job candidate (my friend, actually) to dinner, so my plan changed a bit. I did pretty well, though. Since it's not a free day, I had grilled tilapia, veggies and a little salad (we were at kind of an upscale Mexican place). No chips, no tortillas, not even guacamole. I thought about it, and ALMOST treated it like a free-day meal, but decided it wasn't worth it.

So probably a bit more fat than I would have had otherwise, but other than that, I did very well. And in three hours I get to eat again. I mixed things up a little today, so no BFL bar. I was going to have two RTDs and a low-fat string cheese at 4:30, then dinner, then some Glenny's soy crisps, then pudding. But since I had dinner so early, it kinda messed up my schedule (and my appetite). I'm thinking I'll have the soy crisps in a little while, then at least an RTD later on (or both, if I'm hungry, and skip the cheese, since dinner probably had more fat and calories than I would have had otherwise). And then still pudding when I get home.

It's funny. I used to hate planning my meals when I was on Weight Watchers or other programs. Now I hate when I'm forced to deviate from my plan.

[Serendipity]

I'll wear the comfier ones on weightlifting days and use the boob girdle, as I think of it, on the treadmill.

Do they make a full body girdle?

[DogMa]

LOL

Not that I know of, but you should SEE this thing. I ordered the size they said on the chart, and when I got it, it seemed about six sizes too small. Then I went online to recheck the chart, and the first thing it said was "when you get your Enelle bra, you'll think it's the wrong size but it's not." Or something along those lines. You have to close like 10 hook-and-eye closures in the front, then reach in and move your breasts "up and to the sides."

But when I was jogging, they didn't budge, so I guess that's good.


Anyway, 129.8 today. I seem to be dropping more quickly after free day and weights. Although I'm not as sore as I normally am, either.

I'm off to hit the treadmill. And food will be what I planned for yesterday, I think. (Oh, wound up having a small bag of Glenny's a few hours after dinner. Then an RTD and a string cheese. Then a pudding.)

[DogMa]

Whoa. My 10 effort was 4.5 mph at a 4 incline. And I still don't think it was really a 10. I'm going to stay at that level a few more days, then try to step it up.

[Serendipity]

Robin, Just wondering.....what is your typical free day calorie/quantity?

[DogMa]

Well, I've only had a few, so it's hard to say. And I usually just skip FitDay that day. But I did look at it on the last one and try to calculate. I think I got up to around 1600 or 1700 because I had cake.

I'm actually a little concerned that my metabolism may have slowed even more since going on Medifast. I knew it was a risk with the lower calorie count (I was only averaging around 1,000 BEFORE the plan), but I was hoping the frequent meals and the exercise would help mitigate that.

Right now I'm not sure what to do, since I still want to lose a bit more. Seems like I only lose if I keep my calories at around 920, but if I go up to even 950, my weight levels off or even goes up a bit.