Word problem: You arrive with your mate at an all-you-can-eat buffet at 6pm on Thursday. The waiter explains that the buffet cost is $24.00 per person and tells you to head up whenever you are ready. You (alone) consume one small salad, a cup of soup, a garlic biscuit, 3 tacos, 1/2 slab of meatloaf, 2 helpings of mashed potatoes and corn slathered with gravy, one ham steak, 2 green beans, a slice of pepperoni pizza, more mashed potatoes but this time with butter, a slice of chocolate cream pie, a soup bowl FILLED with soft serve ice cream topped with hot fudge and caramel and peanuts and three diet sodas.
How many calories have you consumed and how much weight will you have to lose before your 20th class reunion the next day?
Many of you jumped right on the TEAM-WEIGHT-LOSS idea last week when I posted that I would like to lose a lump of weight before my class reunion in September. So, I decided that I would rally the troops and we could all get skinny (or healthy) together.
Having been on every diet known to man (and losing more weight than 10 men) in my 26 year dieting career - yes, this yo-yo started when I was 12 - I think I have a wealth of knowledge to share. I am an ACE at losing weight - that's why I am willing to SHOW YOU and have us in this together! My faulty gain-every-ounce-back method of maintenance should not affect those of you who are just struggling to GET IT OFF and I figure many of you may be MAINTENANCE gurus so you will come in handy to me when I drop to my goal weight! Not to mention, it is one thing to slowly put weight back on, it is another to look like a BIG DOOF across the globe.
So, here it is...Tuesdays will be our day to chit chat about our stumbling blocks, successes, failures, etc. Each week we will advertise our weekly weight loss and I will tally it up. We will keep a running tally to see how many TONS we can lose! There were an awful lot of you who responded and I am wondering if those of you who normally lurk would join the fun, we could make the record books! LOL!
So, here's what you will spend this week doing! FORGET EXERCISE - that will come. We are just going to get a hold of what we consume on a daily basis and then start making changes! I want those of you interested to go out and get yourself a calorie book, this is my favorite b/c it is cheap and it fits in every purse I own. Calorie King has a load of great resources, check it out! If you spend a lot of time online you can check out GOOGLE to help you until you get your book of choice.
Now, I want you to get yourself a small memo book that will also fit in your purse so you can keep track of everything that goes in your mouth. Sound like too much work? OK, never mind then, we will get skinny without you! Is it really too much work if it means better health, being on this planet longer and being ONE HOT MAMA?!
Use your memo book to jot down what you eat and the calorie content of everything that goes in your mouth. 9 baby carrots - 35 cals, Tootsie Pop - 60 cals, Potato - 110 cals, McDs small fries - 230 cals, Big Mac - 540 cals, Babyback ribs & Chicken @ Chili's - 1460 cals! Do this until Friday. Yes, we are starting TODAY! Why not? If you don't start today, you WON'T DO IT! Now, get crackin'! Have plans this weekend and don't know how to get nutritionals from the restaurant you will be eating at? Try dietfacts.com - there's barely a place not listed!
Pay attention (and highlight in your memo book) to when you eat out of emotional stimuli. Boredom, anger, depression, frustration, are triggers for me and unless I am prepared with something good for me (as much as I want a BLIZZARD from DQ!), I will fail in losing the weight!
On Friday evening, tally up your previous days' calories and divide by 3 (for 3 days) to get your average caloric intake. Then, look at that number - that number is making you fat! HATE that number, choose to make a life style change!
Decide on your goal weight. Be reasonable. Not the weight you were when you got your first kiss. Not the weight you were on your wedding day. A weight that was healthy for you and easy to maintain. Never been at that weight? Check out Health A to Z to find out what numbers look good on you! Add a zero to the end of your goal weight and that is the number of calories you will need to stick to to get to that goal! Easy, huh? Nope. It won't be. But with hundreds of you supporting each other - it will be easier than going it alone!
Start planning your meals based on your goal calories on Saturday - we will check in on Tuesday with some exciting news!!!!
Now, are we in this together? If that was a resounding YEEHAA I just heard, then sign in in the comments section - email this link to all your wish-i-were-skinny friends or post a link on your blog and let's see how many we can have join us. I will add little "tidbits" at the end of each post reminding you to stay on track, inspirational quotes, etc. And I would love to highlight those of you who are KICKIN' BUTT as we trod along together, celery stick in hand!
This does NOT mean that my blog will now REVOLVE around weight loss - I will dedicate Tuesdays to that subject but the rest of MY SEMBLANCE will remain the same!
Now - we need a NAME, to solidify our commitment to ourselves, each other, etc. I will make a "button" for each of you to use on your blog as a daily reminder that we are all counting on each other to be successful!
Got it?
Sign up, give me your NAME ideas, and start counting those calories! We've got a lot of work to do!
15 comments:
Hi Michelle...
I have never left a comment on your blog b4, I'm just kind of a lurker occasionally. Anyhow, I found an awesome book and I feel it is too good to not share. It is called THE F-FACTOR DIET by Tanya Zuckerbrot. It talks about how fad diets rarely work because they always eliminate foods, so when you get to your goal weight, you start eating the eliminated foods again and gain all your weight back. Well, this diet does not eliminate foods, instead, it adds foods to your diet. And you stay on it forever...but once you get used to it, it's not even like a being on a diet. This book totally makes sense and I highly recommend it...I got mine from my local library, but I think I will probably buy it eventually to have something to reference. FYI...I plan on starting this diet on Monday since we are going out of town this weekend and the first 2 weeks of the diet are a little restrictive. And if you want to know what the "F" in F-Factor is, you'll have to get the book. HA
GOOD LUCK TO ALL ON YOUR DIETS!
~Andi
I have always been a big believer in "you can't gripe about it if you aren't willing to try to change it". That's why I never dieted before. It didn't bug me enough to gripe about and I never had the gumption to change it anyway. Well, now I'm griping so it's time to change. I'm with ya! Well, I'll try my hardest at least.
I would like to lose 45 pounds (which OMG sound like a lot!!!). Let's get started!
Alright, I'm in! I HATE counting, so I definitely need the motivation to keep it up. I am a believer in you can eat whatever you want as long as it is in moderation. Unfortunately when I become pregnant and/or become upset I ignore fruits and vegetables!
Hmmmmmm, let me get back to you on this (I am so noncommittal, aren't I!) And I just don't know if I can do it "your way" with counting and stuff. But maybe I'll see what I can do to dump a couple pounds to up your ton-age.
All I have to say is, sure, we couldn't have done this 3 weeks ago before MY re-union! (Actually, I didn't care.) Have you been to one of your re-unions yet? I found it to be very much like a costume party. Some people were more difficult than others to figure out.
Hope you enjoy yourself.
btw, I think you look great.
Once again, our great minds are thinking alike simultaneously...
...even on our comments, haha.
I am so In! This is where I'm going wrong- I put stuff in my mouth by osmosis. You could use you over on the diet divas blog!
I ate some of Daniel's nasty cheese crackers yesterday. And they were nasty but I ate what was left in his bowl.
My goal is 15. That's huge. I haven't lost more than 5 pounds since 2002. But gained it back.
Fitday.com is a great free site to use as a food journal.
Going to eat my oatmeal now. Great! I want a cinn-crunchy from Panera.
Love T
Seriously check out sparkpeople.com . It is free and you can plug in your daily food and water in take and it spits out the calories, fat, carbs, etc. So easy! You can also log your exercise, weigh ins, and there is a messageboard section. You should create a team and have everyone go there. It is great!
Hmm, it isn't about cuonting calories for me. It's about my carb intake and emotional eating. I will however link back to your post for this and get as many readers interested as possible!
Good luck Michelle!
Ok, I'm in. I want to lose 15-20 lbs which is a totally attainable goal for me. Thanks for the push! I will add a link to my blog too and make Tuesday's the day! Let's go Team yet to be named.
Oh, so are we supposed to be watching what we eat yet? I promise, I'll be a good team member, after I finish this candy bar...
Hmmmmmmmmm. Acountability. Just what I need. I really need it!
I got the exercise part going pretty well....it is that food thing that is an issue. I must confess I am a blabber but talking about losing weight (I don't have tons to lose- 15 pounds) tends to make me a bit queasy. Writing it on my blog is a big challenge for me. So....(gulp) I think I must be a part of this.
I'm in! My goal is to lose 44 pounds--yikes! Evertime I lose some weight I gain it back plus some! Maybe this will help me keep it off and NOT put it all back on! BTW, I recently took a health class at a local college, and our professor had us use fitday.com. You can look up foods to find the calories and nutrition, you can also customize a food yourself if you can't find it on the site, and you can enter what you ate and it adds up all the calories and things for you. It has other cool features also like showing you which vitamins you are lacking or have too much of, etc.
I'm in too. Mabunny is my best friend and I found your link from her blog. I had already decided to lose weight, but this will be even more incentive. Thanks for the club! See you next week!
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