Chiff & Fipple Diet Club

RonKiley · Post by **RonKiley** » Tue Jul 20, 2004 5:31 pm

Jessie anyone with a little one like you have is active. The fact that you don't go to a gym and work out is irrelevant. You lift, carry, lug, tote, and play with the little princess. What a great way to work out.

Congratulations to everyone keep up the good work. BTW play a little tune of joy.

Ron

Chuck_Clark · Post by **Chuck_Clark** » Tue Jul 20, 2004 5:39 pm

I'm preaching here. I know I am. I can't help it. I even hope I'm all wet.

As I read through the last page or two, and without singling out any person or post, I feel I should take the time to remind the participants that the purpose of this thread is mutual support. There seems to be a bit of a movement toward dogmatism, sort of an "if it worked for me, it's best for everyone" undercurrent.

Maybe I'm being a little overreactive, but its not that hard to slip from encouraging others in a non-judgmental way to telling them, 'you just need to be more like me". There are a multitude of diets, many or most of which work if assiduously applied. Similarly, even something as universally beneficial as exercise, of whatever type, needs to be cognizant that different people have a a multitude of physical limitations, exercise tolerances and personal lifestyles that may limit the opportunities for specific forms of exercise.

I guess I'd be happier about what I'm seeing, if it was more in the direction of taking joy in others' accomplishments than in promoting one's own.

OK, preaching mode: OFF

Chuck_Clark · Post by **Chuck_Clark** » Thu Jul 22, 2004 1:56 pm

Weekly weigh-in results:

Week: -1.8 lbs.
Since being told to lose 15 pounds for surgery (7/1) -8.7 lbs.

JessieK · Post by **JessieK** » Thu Jul 22, 2004 2:48 pm

Good, Chuck!

I weighed myself today (stupid, it's only Thursday!) and I have lost only a fifth of a pound since Saturday. Geez!!! I may have to (*gasp*) exercise.

JayMitch · Post by **JayMitch** » Thu Jul 22, 2004 9:57 pm

I've been following this thread and I guess it's time to weigh in.
(Oh, I'm so sorry about that.)

I've been battling weight most of my adult life. At 5'8", I weighed about 160 in college. Twenty years later I was up to about 225 That's when I did the Optifast thing. That's the medically supervised, ultra low cal liquid fast Oprah Winfrey made famous. In 12 weeks I lost about 60 pounds. A miracle, but it didn't last.

I think it was about 6 years later I reached my all time high of 280. I did another liquid diet and lost another 60 pounds or so.

A few months ago, at age 57, I got a wake up call. It was becoming obvious that, at my age, my excess weight was having a far greater impact on the quality of my life and health than when I was younger. This can only get worse. My own father (who was about as overweight as me) become seriously physically handicaped due to his weight by his mid 60s.

This was very depressing, because I was absolutely, totally convinced it was impossible for me to lose or control my weight short of fasting, and I wasn't willing to go through that again. I started thinking about gastric bypass surgery, but decided I had to give dieting one more try before taking such drastic action.

I've been going to weight watchers for 10 weeks now and have lost about 30 pounds. More important than the weight itself is that I now know it is possible for even me to lose weight while eating actual food.

Please understand I'm not promoting a particular diet here. I can't say whether this is working because it's the right diet for me or because my attitude and motivation are better. But I'm contining to lose 2+ pounds per week and I'm in it for the long haul. I haven't decided what my ultimate goal is (except that it's somewhere south of 200); I'm just trying to stick to the program day by day and let nature take it's course.

All the best to all you bulge battlers out there, and congratulations on your successes!

--Jay

Chuck_Clark · Post by **Chuck_Clark** » Thu Jul 22, 2004 10:42 pm

Thanks, Jessie. Don't get discouraged. Losing a fifth of a pound is better than gaining the same. That's what you get for being impatient.

Exercise is fun - if you find the right exercise. It shouldn't be work because its easy to blow off work. Do you like to dance? Or swim? You could also take up the string bass. You play so many instruments already, what's one more? And lugging it around HAS to be exercise.

Jay,

Thirty pounds in ten weeks is GOOD! Way to go! As you've learned, there is probably not just one right diet for anyone. I was driving today and saw a billboard for some low-carb thing. I had to laugh, because right now I'm losing while eating almost nothing but carbs (whole grains and fresh fruit). Glad to have you aboard and keep us posted.

JessieK · Post by **JessieK** » Fri Jul 23, 2004 7:09 am

Chuck_Clark wrote:Exercise is fun - if you find the right exercise. It shouldn't be work because its easy to blow off work. Do you like to dance? Or swim?

Nope, hate dancing and don't feel like travelling to swim. I do like, um, marital activity. Hee hee.

Dan didn't really need to lose weight, but he is doing the diet also to support me. He has lost a couple pounds more than I have. Hmph.

RonKiley · Post by **RonKiley** » Fri Jul 23, 2004 7:24 am

It is very discouraging sometimes. Today I was up to 212. I think I am going to go on a celery only diet for a week or something to try and break this up and down 2 pounds around 210. I don't just want to lose weight I have to lose weight.

I will sit around and play my Q1 and my new Hoover/Oak and eat celery. These two and my Walton's Mellow D are my mainstays right now. I also have been playing my Jubilee practice low D. It is quite a bargain at $18.

Ron

Chuck_Clark · Post by **Chuck_Clark** » Fri Jul 23, 2004 10:20 am

RonKiley wrote:It is very discouraging sometimes. Today I was up to 212. I think I am going to go on a celery only diet for a week or something to try and break this up and down 2 pounds around 210. I don't just want to lose weight I have to lose weight.

Hang in there, Ron. If you stay the course, it WILL come.

RonKiley wrote:I will sit around and play my Q1 and my new Hoover/Oak and eat celery.

Simultaneously? Or all three at once? Now THAT is an act I'd pay to see.

tubafor · Post by **tubafor** » Sun Jul 25, 2004 2:22 pm

I agree, Chuck - it's a dangerous business to adopt the attitude, "It worked for me, thus it should work for all personkind..."

As we all know way too well, it takes something different for each person to find the path to our mutual goal. Unless someone were in my particuar situation, I wouldn't recommend the path I'm on - a 12 week liquid fast is not for the faint of heart!

As for the weigh-in: I've ended the official program at week 17, with a total loss of 91 lbs.

I'll continue to attend classes at the center, get weighed, and stick to it. My calories are set at between 1000 to 1300 as I continue to work toward my goal weight of 250. I'm at 395 right now, and falling.

Whichever path you're walking, keep it up! Here's an Internet Hug from me to you - hang in there, friends!

Cal

anniemcu · Post by **anniemcu** » Sun Jul 25, 2004 3:16 pm

Hi all... I don't think I've checked in on this version of the topic, so here's the skinny... er... well... not so skinny...

I started off at just about exactly 200 lbs, and though I've lost about ten pounds, it shows up looking like I've lost more because I've repositioned a lot of it by converting to muscle.. weighs more, but takes up less space.

I do leg lifts and opposing arm lifts on each side every night. With playing more whistle, I believe, I'm seeing the jowls lessen, and I can move better.

I am not weighing regularly, as it usually serves to depress me, and I don't need that... life's got enough to offer in that vein

I hope all are finding some success and not feeling too depressed about the pace of it...

Hang in there, and may less of us be in the 'hangin' catagory

anniemcu · Post by **anniemcu** » Sun Jul 25, 2004 3:20 pm

RonKiley wrote:It is very discouraging sometimes. Today I was up to 212. I think I am going to go on a celery only diet for a week or something to try and break this up and down 2 pounds around 210. I don't just want to lose weight I have to lose weight.

I will sit around and play my Q1 and my new Hoover/Oak and eat celery. These two and my Walton's Mellow D are my mainstays right now. I also have been playing my Jubilee practice low D. It is quite a bargain at $18.

Ron

Remember... every now and again be sure to look closely to be sure you don't reverse the two... celery doesn't give very good results as a musical instrument, and the metal and plastic of the whistles doesn't digest worth a hoot.

Though I'm sure the fat and cholesterol content are low...

Chuck_Clark · Post by **Chuck_Clark** » Sun Jul 25, 2004 5:15 pm

tubafor wrote:I wouldn't recommend the path I'm on - a 12 week liquid fast is not for the faint of heart!

True enough. The trap, though, if there is one, is that the support and education component of such a fast is actually more important in the long run than is the the fast. I've done these twice, both with huge success, only to backslide and in the end wind up weighing more than when I started.

Like with bariatric surgery, which I've rejected as more dangerous than the obesity itself, lifestyle change following the fast is more important than the primary component if one hopes to attain long-term results.

I wish I could understand why changing eating habits is so much tougher than other lifestyle changes. In everything else, I can be a pillar of strength, but gluttony is the insurmountable obstacle. Quitting smoking was a walk in the park compared to the many, many times I've dieted successfully, only to regress eventually to the deadly behaviors that got me to that point.

By the way, from grim experience I can attest that each time the dieting part gets harder, Not the actual act of dieting, but the results seem to come harder as I grow older or my body adapts to some wierd feast and famine cycle. What's really sad is that even if I'd known that years ago, I really wonder whether it woud've made any difference.

JessieK · Post by **JessieK** » Sun Jul 25, 2004 5:30 pm

Ugh, I feel terrible. Having a baby has really changed my body. Everyone warned me that it would happen, but there are plenty of thin mothers in the world, and I thought I would get back to where I'd been. I just went through a whole week of this diet and lost nothing (the first two weeks were better). I don't want to hear about exercise. I am not an idiot. It's not that I haven't thought of it. I just hate it. I'd rather die sooner than waste time torturing myself. The idea of being brutally beaten and the idea of exercising are about the same in my mind (please, no suggestions about "fun" exercise). I would make any culinary sacrifice if it would work. But it freakin' isn't working. I feel unsexy and old. I look like a soccer mom...I even have a minvan. Why the hell did I cut my hair? That hair was attractive. Ugh. Nothing Dan says gets in...I don't believe him. I just feel gross. It doesn't take much for a man to be interested in you-know-what. I don't think it has anything to do with me. I hope I will feel better tomorrow.

anniemcu · Post by **anniemcu** » Sun Jul 25, 2004 5:59 pm

JessieK wrote:Ugh, I feel terrible. Having a baby has really changed my body. Everyone warned me that it would happen, but there are plenty of thin mothers in the world, and I thought I would get back to where I'd been. I just went through a whole week of this diet and lost nothing (the first two weeks were better). I don't want to hear about exercise. I am not an idiot. It's not that I haven't thought of it. I just hate it. I'd rather die sooner than waste time torturing myself. The idea of being brutally beaten and the idea of exercising are about the same in my mind (please, no suggestions about "fun" exercise). I would make any culinary sacrifice if it would work. But it freakin' isn't working. I feel unsexy and old. I look like a soccer mom...I even have a minvan. Why the hell did I cut my hair? That hair was attractive. Ugh. Nothing Dan says gets in...I don't believe him. I just feel gross. It doesn't take much for a man to be interested in you-know-what. I don't think it has anything to do with me. I hope I will feel better tomorrow.

Hey now little lady (wait, I've got to adjust my glasses so I can look over the tops of them and under my eyebrows for the proper 'mother threat'

)... (this is meant in jset and as a gentle reminder that there's much more to a person than the body shape)

I'm lots older, and have had THREE of those sweet wiggly fast growing things that obliterate stomach muscles, and I can tell you, it's part and parcel to it and you'd better learn to accept the physics honey... LOL... and know that your Dan isn't lying to you... he loves *you* not just the box you come in (you guys shut those comments up right now! You know who I mean!) ... you are setting yourself up for some serious disappointment, and it just plain isn't necessary... you *are* beautiful, and you will still be beautiful when you are 88 and gravity has won even more of the battles...

Quit worrying about the pounds, puffies, bags, wrinkles and the like and get on with enjoying the fact that you are here, right now, healthy, with a loving hubby, a wonderful little child and friends who love you no matter what!! Physical beauty is fleeting and fragile... inner beauty is eternal and monumentally strong... you choose.

The wonderful irony of all this, of course, is that the more you actually relax about it and quit letting it get to you, the more you glow, and the more people see something indescribably attractive about you... pretty cool!

Hey, would somebody come help me down off this soapbox?... Hello?... helloooo!...?... ... Help?