Thanks for that information Pam ! my hip has been pretty bad today.

Sorry to hear about the pound gain, but that's nothing really, in the great scheme of things I'm sure you're going in the right direction. I'm sure my weight fluctuates by a few pounds every day.

I have a good list somewhere about how to judge portion sizes, I must see if I can find it !

Hi, I'm a new member and just found this forum. Looks like the right place for me! I started working out with Wii around New Year's, but wasn't having much success (or just very slow progress) with weight loss, so about 2-3 weeks ago I started a low carb diet in addition to the new exercise regimen. Overall, I've lost 11 pounds since Jan 1, with stop-and-start progress.

My diet so far has been pretty easy. I am eating mostly grilled meats (mostly lean steak, chicken breast, and hamburger patties), and lots of green veggies including loads of leafy greens, broccoli, asparagus, green beans. Tonight I had grilled chicken and buttered brussels sprouts for supper. I snack on nuts, cheese, or occasionally a little beef jerky. For a late night snack, I have just a few whole wheat Triscuit crackers with cheese. When my sweet tooth strikes, I have a low-carb ice cream treat that I found at my grocery recently. I have had very little hunger.

Pam, it's funny you mentioned poker party. My husband also had a poker party this week. My daughter and I went to a movie just to get out, but when we got home, the party was still in full swing. Each guy brings something to eat to the party. This time, when we came in, there was pizza, wings, chips and dip, all kinds of goodies. Someone had brought a package of gourmet chocolate cookies. I managed to resist the cookies (though I did succumb to a small slice of pizza) -- but later that night I acutally dreamed about eating one of them, and my dream was so explicit -- that cookie was just dripping with melted chocolate chunks!!

And I'm exercising like crazy, doing up to 2 hours on my days off, and trying to do at least half an hour on work days. I work 12 hour night shifts and sleep during the day, so on work days it can be hard to schedule exercise. I'm trying to do at least a little cycling and obstacle course when I get home from work, and then some yoga to stretch and unwind.

It's been slow going, but I keep plugging away and I'm making a bit of progress.

Hi Becky,

Sounds like you're doing very well indeed. 11 pounds is a really substantial amount.
I think a diet high in protein does tend to keep the hunger pangs at bay. I think finding what works for you as an individual is the secret to weight loss.
It sounds like you're managing to fit in exercise despite a busy work life.
Good luck and continued success.

I've had two days without any Wii fit, I do tend to find it easier to do Wii fit during the week though, so 5 out of 7 is okay. My diet was pretty good on Saturday but I confess I went off the rails yesterday and ate a lot of the wrong foods ! Still, back on track now.

Did 40 mins Wii fit plus this morning, ten minutes free cycling, 12 minutes muscle training, some skateboarding, segway and snowballing, my 11 year old son and I have an ongoing battle to beat each others total in the snowballing ! Foodwise, I'm doing well today, did a big supermarket shop yesterday and stocked up on healthy items.

My BMI was up slightly this morning but I'm used to a small fluctuation after the weekend. Sun is shining for the first time in a while so will be able to hopefully get more walking done, only did 15,000 and 19,000 at the weekend.

Hi Becky,

11 pounds in two months is great! Way to go! That's not slow going at all!

I've been doing this since December 1, and have only lost 9 lbs so far. I reached a certain point and now I keep gaining and losing the same pound over and over. Having trouble getting over this plateau. I am seriously bumping up my exercise now, so hopefully that will help.

That IS funny that we both had a poker party to deal with this week, and we both chose a movie instead. What did you see? I saw Blind Side. Great movie. Even with the slice of pizza, I'm sure you ate far less than you would have if you'd stayed home. Good for you!

Alexa,

You're doing great! Don't beat yourself up over the occasional eating "slip". We have to live our lives and these things will happen from time to time. It's not about being "perfect" all the time. The important thing is getting right back on track as soon as possible, which you are clearly doing. The overall trend is what matters.

I did Island Cycling to warm up this morning, did some stretching and then took Ari, my dog, for a 40 minute walk. It's cold out, but I was sweaty when I got home. Yay!

I'm commited to a four week challenge with The Biggest Loser game now. I chose the beginner level, which is appropriate for my level of fitness (or lack thereof). It's only having me work out every other day, so I'm walking Ari on the alternate days. I like this mix. It gives me some variation so I don't get bored, and I get myself moving at least some every day.

I talked to a bunch of people about my weight gain and they ALL suggested trying more dairy in my diet, so I'm giving that a try this week. I got some Weight Watchers smoothie mix. If you blend it up with a cup of skim milk it's 3 points and counts for 2 dairy. Not sure how I feel about spending 3 points on diary yet. We'll see how it goes.

That's interesting Pam about the dairy. I have read several articles which say that calcium added to the diet helps with weight loss.
Thanks for your support. I now subscribe to an 80:20 rule, I try to eat well, sensibly, for at least 80% of the time, and I can let my hair down now and again, whether it be for a big meal out or a few glasses of wine, it helps me to get straight back on track, I never beat myself up about it. Life's too short !

Sounds like Ari is benefiting from your routine too ! what kind of dog is he ?

Ari is an American Hairless Terrier. They're sort of like rat terriers, but completely without fur. We call him the rubber dog. lol. He weighs about 15 lbs. When it's cold we have to keep him in fleece PJs, which he loves.

He LOVES going for walks. I even say the word "walk" and he goes nuts. He knows right where I keep the leash too. lol.

Here's a link to a photo:
http://pameast.net/gallery/pets

Thanks Alexa and Pam for the warm welcome and encouragement! Pam, your pets are so cute! Alexa, I like your 80/20 rule. We can't be perfect all the time. Last night, we went to a Willie Nelson concert. We arrived downtown early, so went to a nearby restaurant for a cocktail before the show, and snacked on some chips and salsa -- definitely NOT allowed on my low-carb diet. But I figure I've been good at least 80% of the time, and a few tortilla chips aren't going to kill me. (Willie was awesome, by the way!!) We have to allow ourselves a little leeway, IMO, because if we expect perfection, we are just setting ourselves up for failure.
Pam, I know what you mean about gaining and losing the same pound over and over. I keep doing that too. I'll have a few days with small but steady dips in my weight, and then just when I think I'm doing great, I'll go back up again. The strange thing is, it seems to have no relation to my amount of exercise. For example, last week I was trending down with small baby steps. Then on the weekend, I exercised a ton. On Saturday, we went on a one hour hike at a wildnerness park near here, a strenuous walk on hilly, rough terrain. Then I exercised another hour on Wii Fit that day. And on Sunday I did another hour on Wii Fit. At the same time, my weight has tipped back up again. I know that one small slice of pizza on Friday night can't account for a 2 pound weight gain. I'm trying not to worry about it and just stick with the program. I think that is the key: just keep on plugging away at it and hopefully my long-term weight pattern will keep trending down. It sounds like you have a great program going, with walking Ari, doing Biggest Loser and Wii. I think it will all add up and overall and you'll be more fit, more flexible, and the weight loss will continue.
Another thing I'm going to try to do is add more little exercise "moments" into my day -- such as parking far away from the store entrance, taking the stairs more often at work, etc. Instead of looking for shortcuts, I want to try looking for ways to add a bit more activity.