Hi, My name is Mary (m)
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Hi, My name is Mary (m)
| Wed, 02-16-2005 - 1:50pm |
and I am coming from the Shape Up board. One of the cl's on the Shape Up board asked me if I would come and share my story. (Actually she was asked from Senior Community Moderator Joyce) I have just recently lost 100 lbs. It took me 1 year and 4 months to do it. It was a long hard journey. In May of 2000 I stumbled across the Shape Up program. This was after I got on the scale and found out that I weighed 298 pounds!!! The Shape Up program taught me a lot. I struggled with it for a long time - about 4 years. It was the only program out there that made sense to me. Before finding Shape-Up I was basically a junk food junky. I would eat a lot of McDonalds, fried foods, ice-cream by the pint. I would buy a box of pasta and cook the whole box and eat it - once a week at least. I would eat a small whole pizza once a week also. So when I saw the scale at 298 I knew I had to do something. Shape Up helped me eat a heck of a lot better. I even lost some weight. Then in October of 2004 I found the most wonderful personal trainer. 2004 was also the year I turned 50!!! (Another wake-up call for me. My mother died from breast cancer and my father from a heart attack.) I also have high blood pressure. (Even after all the weight I lost my doctor is still keeping me on the meds.) Anyway when my personal trainer weighed me in October I weighed 300 pounds. I told him it had to be wrong because I had lost weight on Shape Up and my clothes still fit the same. Anyway with his help I was able to start losing the weight. We had our share of disagreements because his ideas and Shape Ups were a little different. At first I was slipping up now and then. He never gave up on me. He always encouraged me and believed in me. He had even told me to call him when I was going to slip up. (I didn't because I don't have a cell phone and most of the times there was no phone near by) He has me on a program where I am allowed 1800 calories a day, 135 grams of protein, 225 grams of carbs, and 40 grams of fat. The things that helped me the most - things I learned from Shape Up also- are that I write down everything I eat including cal., prot., fat, and carbs. It helps keep me on track. You need to write down EVERYTHING!! I think you also need a good reason to lose the weight in the first place. Don't do it just because you want to lose a certain amount of pounds for a special event. It is also a life time committment. A whole lifestyle change. If you fall off the wagon pick yourself up and get right back on track the next day or the next meal. Don't beat yourself up if you do go off track. And don't compare yourself to others. Everyone is different and what works for you may not for someone else. I am not really doing SU anymore but I have found that keeping to these calories etc. is working for me. I don't really miss all the junk and when I do slip I get right back on track. I wish you all the best. NEVER NEVER GIVE UP!!!! find a program that works for you and stick with it. And if you can afford a trainer get one. And keep coming to this board for help and support!! YOU ALL CAN DO THIS!!! Love, Mary

Hi pickle puss,
Both calories and fat are important. I write down the food I eat, the amount of calories in it, protein grams, fat grams, and carb. grams. You will have to start reading labels to get all the info. You can total each of the above as you go along after each meal and keep a running total. It is a little hard at first. But after you do it a number of times you get to know. You just have to make the numbers fit. It is a little tedious but I find it a great help. I have the same breakfast every day - 2 scoops of whey protein powder mixed with 8 ounces of orange juice. I also have a 1/2 cup of slow cook oatmeal (not the instant) and mix it with 1 tbsp. of natural peanut butter. That right there is 540 calories. You just have to find the right mix. I also try to have some sort of protein with each meal. Don't forget to drink lots of water!!!. If you want I can give you a sample menu of what I eat. Good Luck, Mary
LOL Yeah, my breakfast does sound weird. Whey is just another form of protein. It is a powder and comes in different flavors. It is really good. I use Bally's brand now. You can buy whey powder in most any drugstore. I only have limited time on the computer so I will try to post as much of my menu as possible.
Breakfast - 2 scoops whey protein, 8 oz. orange juice, 1/2 cup dry old fashioned oatmeal, 1 tbsp. natural reduced fat peanut butter. Nuke in microwave. Follow directions on oatmeal box.
Snack - 6 oz. yoplait carb. options yogurt, Carbwell high protein cereal bar
Lunch - 1/2 cup chicken breast (I buy the Perdue short cuts), 2 tbsp. light mayo, 2 slices 9 grain bread
Snack - low fat cottage cheese with peach topping (Breakstone Cottage doubles)
Dinner - Weight Watchers Lasagna with meat sauce, 2 rice cakes, Weight Watchers double fudge cake. 8 oz. light cranberry juice
Total Cal - 1795, Total prot. - 124 grams (roughly) Total carb - 227 grams, Total fat - 40 grams I was a little bit over on carbs. My goals are 1800 cal., 135 prot, 225 carb., and 40 fat.
I don't recommend that everyone try this. It was based on my weight, RMR (resting metabolic rate). If you are doing Weight Watchers and it is working for you stick with it. Depending on your weight you may need more calories, fat, protein and carbs. Good Luck
Mary