The MakeMeThinner Support Forum

[sidrah]

Just catching up on your life. You won't stay at that number. All of the sudden, you'll drop a lot in a little time. Especially with summer coming around and all the water you'll be taking in. Patience will get you far. You have done really well, so far, so expect that it will only keep getting better. See, veins are good things!

[dede4wd]

Yay about the gym, boo about the plateau! Those suck, I've had many. You can push through it! You are such a motivation!

[Karli]

Hey Stihl, sounds like you are making great progress !! Keep truckin' !!

[Stihl]

Hey Gang - long time no speak.

I feel bad about not posting on my own journal and especially on others, as I see that there's been a lot more activity since I last posted. I'll try to do a little bit better in the future.

So, first and foremost, the weight loss - I'm down to slightly under 215 pounds now. I've been home from school for about a month and a half, and in that time have lost about 15 pounds. 6 weeks = 15 pounds. Not quite the pace I want, but I'll take it. Partly because of the muscle gains. I'm benching close to 200 now and have been getting much stronger.

I've also started to run and do cardio a lot more. Before I would only do cardio on the eliptical machines because it would hurt my shins to run full sprint on something that wasn't
"low impact." I am pleased to say that I can now do cardio on a treadmill (though not at full hardcore running for long. I can maintain 6 mph for about 4 or 5 minutes, 9 mph for maybe 2)

I've also started to buy a lot of new clothes. Right now a lot of stores are having online sales for a ton of clothes (American eagle, which I usually never shop at becuase its too expensive for the same quality as target, has a 75% off thing at their online store right now. I bought a bunch of new clothes for $8.50 a shirt!)

I've also had to buy new shorts/jeans. I'm down to a very, very, extremely tight 34. 36 fits better, but I can fit into 34 alright.

Oh - and the shirts I bought are no longer XL. I'm down to just being large!

All in all, thus far I have lost about 75 pounds. I started in 44 jeans, down to 34 jeans. I started in XXL shirts (really needed XXXL but wouldn't but) and am now down to L (and even L is getting a little big - I'm starting to buy mediums because I figure in a month I'll need them). I'm able to run and lift weights and do all that good stuff.

And yet.... its not all peaches and cream. When I look into the mirror I see no difference in my body between now and what I was 75 pounds ago. Maybe I was in denial about how big I was then, or have body image issues...

Anyway, back late.r Happy 4th!

[Karli]

Hi Stihl, I understand the whole thing about not feeling like you look any differently, even after dropping a good hunk of weight ! Hang in there, though ! You will recognize it more and more, and congrats on your successes so far . Have fun clothes shopping !! Even though I am not much of a shopper, due to finances first and foremost, it can be pretty fun, especially when you are being able to fit into new (smaller) sizes and fashions !

Cheers !

[Stihl]

Hey Karli - usually I'm not a big shopper either, as finances are tight here as well. But I bought the new clothes for a few reason.

1. I thought I deserved some reward (yeah, the weight loss is reward enough, right? But not really... always nice to have new clothes)

2. Its an emotional hurdle for me. When I was bigger I never bought the clothes I needed because I thought "there's no way in hell I'm going to be big enough to wear these for more than a few weeks, so why buy? I'll just buy when I'm slimmer!" But it would keep going on and on, and I would still need new clothes but put them off because I figured - if im going to get smaller, dont need them. But now its more like - if I get these clothes, that's the first promise that my fat self made to my new self - that I would buy clothes when I got smaller. And even if soon these clothes won't fit (hopefully!), the $100 for a few new shirts (again, lots of places are having crazy holiday sales. Target and Wal-Mart tees for $4) and jeans is worth it, I think.

3. Even when I do reach my smallest, I can't imagine myself being so much smaller than a 34 that I can't wear the 34's at all. I honestly can't imagine being less than a 30 waist (is it even possible for a guy?) so even at 30, I figure if I have belts I'll just have baggy shorts. Or shorts for friends. Plus, with the shirts - even L or M shirts can't be much bigger than I will be when I reach goal. And if they are, there's always a need for pajama shirts/gym shirts. And Goodwill, of course.

4. My other clothes don't fit! I had been buying one pair of new jeans every new jeans size, but then found out I was wearing the same pair of jeans 5 times a week (with washing maybe once or twice a week). Not good! It's like what my huge self was like - I only had a few clothes becuase I didnt want to buy at that size, again because I though I wouldnt be that size long enough. It was always embaressing that I'd only have 3 shirts and 2 pants I could wear, and I would wear the same clothes maybe 3 times a week or so. I'd rather have a wardrobe that I can dress in, even if I won't fit in it soon, so I can be comfortable in my clothes.

5. The other thing is I hadn't bought shorts at all. My smallest pair of shorts was a size 44. I couldn't even put it on. With a belt it looked absolutely ridiculous, so I think I definitely had to do new shorts.

6. I see these as my midway, transition clothes. In the end, I hope to be wearing S-M shirts that fit properly (my current mediums make me look slightly silly, as I'm too fat to pull them off), 30-32 jeans/shorts. If I'm less, then that's great. It kind of blows my mind how at 215 pounds, I'm fitting into clothes that the "average" American fits into. I think that I am still quite large, and I know I am because there's still a lot of fat on my body. Maybe I'm small for my weight, I have no idea. I just know that there's a lot of excess flab still to go!

75 pounds down, 65 pounds more to go. I guess I''m not midway after all...

I'm still hoping to reach 150 pounds or so, and then gain muscle weight back to about 160-170. I will then maintain between 160-170 and not let bad food days get to me - if I give myself a 10 pound window, I think I can gain some sanity over the food and know that if I hit the upper range I need to scale it back, and when I'm at the lower range its okay to have an extra piece of whatever. I don't want to be going overly nutty about my weight when I'm done, so I think a range is the right choice for me.

[Karli]

Well, Stihl, you have definitely convinced me of your right to purchase new clothing !!! Actually, you are very right, you make some excellent points, and I will admit one little thing ... I actually DO love to shop for clothing. However, the circumstances have to be exactly right for me to do that. I have to feel like I look seriously really good in them, and I can be extremely picky about that when it comes to my own clothing. I have to feel like I have money to "burn" and that I have time to burn. I have to feel like I really deserve them, and I actually went clothes shopping when I dropped all the weight my first time around. It was really, really fun . I have a number of very nice things in my closet that have literally never been worn (in public) and those pieces, aside from needing the right occasion, would probably just love an outing as I near and reach my goal !

I am getting my hair cut soon, and I am going to give myself a homemade "spa day" (maybe just a pedicure though ...) ... it IS good to reward ourselves, and it IS good to find clothes that you feel good in. It is not even just a reward, though it can feel that way, but more like a statement that you feel good about taking care of yourself and stuff. When I am feeling fatsy fatsy I tend to stop taking care of myself in other ways, too. I don't get the haircut that I want because I think it would probably look stupid on a bigger, fattier frame ... I dress in frumpy clothes that "hide" my chubbies ... and I have less to wear in general, too, at those points so I start wearing the same things over and over again as well. Everything about how I perceive myself seems to take a downward slope ... and though it's difficult to admit those things to myself at the time, I can see it is so obviously true !

Yeah, I am starting to WANT to feel girly again. Okay, WOMANLY. And, that's a good thing. Well, keep up the good work Stihl ! Post when you can .

[Stihl]

I think the other thing is really just caring about myself more. Before I was a slob-wearing the same clothes more or less every day. It was embaressing living like that

I guess before I figured that it wouldn't matter how I dressed myself up or what idid to myself- I wasn't going to look good no matter what. I'm glad I'm out of that mindset (though I still think it's hard for me to look good)

IT's the same reason I never gotbraces. My teeth are quite good except a little crookedness on the bottom left row. It's noticeable but not too huge a deal. But just this summer I decided to get it fixed because now I can look good. I got the invisalign thing which ill talk more about later, and hopefully soon the problem will be fixed.






I'm just glad that there is this different lifestyle where I can care about myself , my body and my health. And I'm glad that that's where I'm headed towards

weighed in today around 213. 2 more till 80 pounds lost!!!!! If were doing it the biggest loser way , that's almost 28% of my weight.

[DogMa]

It's funny, because I think I'm almost the opposite sometimes. I figure I look better already, so I don't need to try as hard.

[Stihl]

Hmm, thats interesting. I guess different strokes for different folks.

The more I think about it, the more I think I'm doing what I'm doing to break down all the old insecurities I had about myself, especially my physical appearance.

With the weight, that is one obvious thing down.

With the clothes, I'm breaking down the insecurity that I cannot look good in normal fashion. I'm also giving myself enough clothes to not be a slob

With the invisalign braces, I'm eliminating the teeth problem which actually makes me extremely self conscious (I figure people are subtracting IQ points off the bat when they see my teeth.)

Basically all the reasons for why I disliked my appearance and was insecure in my own skin, I'm trying to get worked out.



Okay, now onto talking about the Invisalign..

For anyone who has no idea what it is, basically the orthodontist takes a mold of your teeth, sends it to Invisalign headquarters and they send back clear plastic retainer/braces. They are removeable and clear, the idea being that people are unable to tell you have them on.

For them to work, you're supposed to have them in for about 22.5 hours each day. This actually lends well to my Medifast lifestyle - no snacking (would have to take braces out, eat, brush teeth, brush braces, and put back in), and with the amount of meals I eat and how quickly I eat a bar they are out maybe 5 min each MediMeal.

I think I might want to start some company where I make these kinds of braces but not for orthodontic care, but as a weight loss aide. The idea isn't that you cannot eat snacks and things like that, but more that you recognize how many times a day you are going for bad-for-you snacks and just nibbling here and there, which you cannot do with this set of braces in. And if people snack less on bad stuff and become more aware of their eating habits, I think that's a pretty good diet aide.


I had a lousy workout today (I tired too quickly) but I'm still glad I went (was debating not going because I felt so tired). The gym has become more and more an every day routine for me, and I feel worse if I don't go and run/lift it out.

It also seems like in leading a healthy lifestyle, its less about not eating the wrong things and more about getting adequate exercise. I'll need to do both, but a lot of studies seem to show that diet is important, but a good exercise routine is more important.

[DogMa]

My exercise motto is "Half-assed is better than not at all." Some days are just not going to be stellar, but I think staying consistent and at least doing SOMEthing is important.

[Stihl]

I agree Robin - better to go and move and do something rather than just sit on the couch at home.

So, some clothes came today. The mediums are a bit tight, but will probably fit by the end of the summer/beginning of the fall. The larges fit nicely though.

Weight loss is going well. Weighed 212.5 yesterday, hopefully will have a good drop tomorrow. If/when i hit 211, that will be the 80 lb mark

getting there - slowly. Its annoying that its so slow, but at least its moving. (I can't believe that my metric of speed actually places my pace at "slow", but I think the first few months on Medifast went so well I want to maintain that pace)

By the end of the summer, which for me will be in 6 weeks, at the VERY LEAST i want to be in Onederland. I don't think that that will be difficult at all, actually.

I only need to lose 12 pounds, so 12 pounds in 6 weeks is just 2 pounds a week. I would like to be at 190 in 6 weeks, meaning i need to lose 22 pounds in 6 weeks, or 3.67 pounds per week.

I think the first will be attainable and the second unrealistic - I'll probably end the summer halfway; if I hit 194 that will have been 3 pounds per week (18 pound loss in 6 weeks) which is probably doable.

So minimal is 199, or a loss of 12lb/6 weeks = 2 lbs/week
Realistic is 194, or a loss of 18 lb/6 weeks = 3lb/week
Dream is 190, or a loss of 22 lb/6 weeks = 3.67 lb/week

On my first post in this journal, when I set my original goals I said that at the end of last semester I wanted to be at 225 ( I was 230) and that at the end of this summer I wanted to be at 180 (I'll probably be 195). So I missed the first projection by 5 pounds, and it looks like I'll miss the second one by 15.

So it seems I'm slowing a bit on the weight loss, which is fine with the added muscle mass and that its slower when you get thinner. But I think I need new goals

End of summer (August 24th for me): 195

Thanksgiving (Nov 26th, so 3 months from Aug 24th): I figure that in 1 month I can lose 10 pounds pretty easily (I've never been below that pace) ... so that would be 30 pounds

So Thanksgiving Break: 165

Christmas will be next; It'll be one month after Thanksgiving. So I'll say I should drop another 10

Christmas: 155

I get back to school late January, about 3 weeks after Christmas. By the time I get back to school I want to weigh 145 pounds (Just so I can say I lost half my original weight; my goal is to gain muscle back up to 160-170 and maintain in that weight range, depending on how it all looks).

So bottom line timetable:

End of Summer, August 24th: 195 pounds
Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 26th: 165 pounds
Christmas Day, Decem. 25th: 155 pounds
End of holiday break, Jan 20th: 145 pounds

Where before my goals might have been on the high side, now I think they are perhaps a bit on the low side, making me more accountable to myself to actually meet them, no exceptions. Anything less than meeting those above numbers will be unacceptable to me. And if knowing that means I'll have fewer nibbles and exercise more, all for the better.

Here's to my January 20th, 2010! I know with your help I can get there

[Stihl]

Hey All. So I finally hit the 80# club!!!!

Yesterday I weighed in at 211.9, but today dropped to 210.3. I have no idea what I did to have a 1.6# loss in 1 day, but I'll take it!

I guess I'm just gonna keep on swimming... love the weight loss

[dede4wd]

CONGRATULATIONS ON HITTING THE 80# CLUB!!!!!

[Stihl]

Thanks Dede! It feels great, and maybe even tomorrow I'll get to see the 20x.

Holy crap!!!!!!!!!!!

20x!!!!!!!!!

Let's go tomorrow!!!!!