Legion World Forums LEGION COMPANION The Anywhere Machine Dieters Support Thread

Congrats Ronda! I know it is harder for women to lose weight, Caroline's having the same experience. But I only encourage her. I hope Sean is helping you too.

Has anyone ever used Calorie-Count.com ? When I decided to start tracking my calories on top of the carbs I found this site to be a great help. I just plug in what I've had during the day and it tracks everything, including the sodium which is high on my watch list. And if what you eat isn't already on the site they include an easy to use form to enter the needed information. I like the fact that they "grade" your food intake to make it easier to see how well you are eating. Since I started tracking I'm averaging a B+. But I'm also not eating anywhere near the calories I'm supposed to, averaging just 1,080 a day when they suggest 3,650 to reach my goal. Supposedly a man my age, size and weight should be able to go on 1,500 good calories a day. I've been a little too strict in my cutting back but its the way I have to do it in order to feel like I'm going to make this a life long change.

Weigh in is tomorrow. I'll post the results if I get time before heading to my DnD group with a big platter of fresh veggies (instead of the usual candy, soda and chips).

Of all the threads on Legion World, this is the one thread I never, ever, thought I'd participate in.

Thyroid disease is easily treatable nowadays Jorge. Caroline's dad always had to deal with it and she has to make sure to be regularly checked for it too. It sounds like you already take care of yourself. Adding whatever needed medication to keep you healthy and around for many more years is the way to go.

Hey Scott: I've never tried the website you mention, but I think any form of tracking is important to success. WW also advocates journalling, and it's supposed to be one of the most effective tools for weight loss. It's too easy to not pay attention or delude yourself!

Make sure you don't eat too little! As I'm sure you know, inadequate calorie intake will just slow your metabolism and sabotage your efforts.

I do find "dieting" so much easier in the summer months. So much great produce is available. But I find myself spending a ton of money on groceries.

This morning was a milestone. I tipped the scales at 199 pounds! That initial digit being a one is significant for me. I've been in the 200s off and on since my teens, so being under it feels so much better.

I have a way to go before my target weight, but this is a big step.


The really rewarding thing is the number of people who tell me that I've inspired them. I have to credit my inspiration to a friend who lost over 100 pounds last year. He's 20 years older than I and I didn't want to have to be his age and still have this to conquer.

So I'm kind of happy today!

Oh, and Scott, I never thought I'd be posting here either!

That's really great John! Good job! I'm not aiming that low, not yet. I'd settle for 250 but I've always been a big guy and I don't think any lower would be that much better. But that figure is a long way off so I'm taking it in steps.

I did lose another 2 pounds last week so I'm working on it. 89 more pounds to reach my first goal. I'm trying to hit that by SDCC next year.

Every time I think its too much time to track I just make myself do it. I think seeing the actual (or as close as possible) calorie and other counts helps, at least mentally.

And I keep telling Caroline we need to hit the organic market to open up the selection of foods available. I did get some good deals last night at the regular grocery store on apples, artichokes and some fresh snap green beans. They make great snacks.

Congrats on your loss! Two pounds is a healthy amount of weight loss in a week. It sounds like you have realistic goals in mind and are using sensible and healthy means to achieve them! Keep up the good work!

OMG! I don't know if I should be excited or a little bit afraid. I lost 8 pounds this week! I was thinking that I had already hit my plateau and was down to the 1 to 2 pounds a week if I was lucky. I added up my calories for last week and it was only 5,031. The week before I had 7,812. But I was also put on a new med this last Monday for my blood pressure (started it Tuesday) that includes a diuretic. So I'm thinking a lot of that weight has to be from water loss.

WOW-- Rocky, Scott, Mechana... you guys are truly an inspiration!


I've been majorly avoiding this thread for months as my weight has creeped back up. I now weigh more than I have in well over a decade.

But last Monday I quit fooling myself and started following my weight watchers plan again (the one from early 2006 I did so well on).

So I'll be checking in regualrly for awhile.

You guys keep it up!

Thanks Lash! Just keep checking in. You know we are here for you.

I'm up to 29 pounds lost in 32 days. I know I can't keep that up forever but it makes me feel a lot better and I've noticed some physical changes already. Like my pants nearly falling off my a$$ walking down the hallway at work. Caroline and some people at work have even told me my face looks leaner.

Scott, your success is mind boggling!

And yes, diuretics can have a dramatic effect when you first start taking them! I stopped taking mine for a while ( I'm terrible with pills) and when I started again, I lost 11 pounds that week!

Yay, Scott!

The buying new clothes part is always great!

And, Lash, congrats on getting back with WW. Are you doing it online or are you going to meetings?

I'm sort-of cheating, No meetings-- just following the exact plan I did from Jan-April of 2006. But that worked really well for me, I dropped from 207 to 176, iirc.

As of Thursday, I was at 213, WAY too much for someone 5'10" tall. I'm just gonna stick with it and weigh myself every week or so as I did before.

(after only 6 days I can already tell an increase in energy and some decrease in my belly)

Scott-- I *LOVE* that whole pants-falling-off part of dieting. This is awesome and you're doing yourself a world of good by taking the weight off!

I'm so back on the wagon with you guys! Hey, we're the Fantastic 4 Dieters!

I guess that makes me Ben. I'm easily the one closest to his size.

Well, my name's John, so I guess that makes me the Human Torch. I'm a flamer anyway.

So as the token girl I guess that makes me Sue? I impatiently await the day I wake up looking like Jessica Alba!

Just don't re-color your hair. Red heads are more fun.

Hmmm... FF fill-inner Meuda was a red-head!

Medusa AND Crystal...

So question for those of you who count/track the carbs/calories/sodium etc. Do you keep doing it the whole time or do you, once you get comfortable with what you are eating daily, stop?

I'm still using Calorie-Count to track my progress (can't get up to 1,500 calories per day :mad) but some days I just don't feel like doing it. I'm making myself do it but wonder if, after some point, it doesn't matter. Or do you find if you don't some bad habits sneaking back in?

Thanks in no small part to the inspiration of leading Legion World citizens whom I admire and respect, I started Weight Watchers online 2 weeks ago today. I've lost 5 pounds so far. My initial goal is to lose 30 pounds, ultimate goal 100 pounds.

I'm doing the Weight Watchers Online for Men. I have to say I really like it. Unfortunately, I'm just not much of a joiner, so going to meetings is a big hurdle for me. I like the online program because it has a really great food points database. It's easy to find just about anything, and it's easy to add foods that come with nutritional info on the container. Since I do numbers for a living and store lots of other pieces of info in my head, tracking points obsessively on the computer is actually fun for me.

WW also has a lot of great exercise vids on their site too. I really don't like exercising, so that's a real hurdle for me, too. But the tips on incorporating exercise into your daily habits has been useful. I'm down about 15 pounds since I bottomed out last March, and I already feel more energetic and active. I also notice that, on days when I am less active, my appetite is less, too, which is a very encouraging sign.

My problem has long been that I just eat too much, as I really enjoy food, cooking, dining out, etc. I eat pretty nutritious stuff, but I eat too much of it, and as Captain Kirk once said, too much of anything, even lowfat cottage cheese, ins't necessarily good. WW has been very helpful already in helping me learn about portion control and avoiding combinations of things that put me over my daily caloric target. (I am really, really missing cheese, but I hope ultimately to get to a point where an occasional cheese tasting meal that fits within my target AND fills me up enough that I don't need to eat lots of other things to feel full.)

Part of my Weight Watchers ultimate goal is to set aside the "Doublechinner" persona and come up with something else. So, if any of you have suggestions that would inspire me, let me know!

So after 3 incredibly frustrating weeks of no losses, despite my best efforts, I am finally down 3 lbs this week! Yay! I don't think my morale could have taken much more.

Scott: WW journalling is a bit different because they assign a point value to foods based on their calorie, fat and fibre content, and you just have to track the points (though I also like to keep an eye on sodium levels).

I do think it's very easy to underestimate what you are consuming if you stop tracking, weighing and measuring your food. But if you tend to eat the same things every day, then I guess maybe you wouldn't have to be so diligent. I have taken to keeping track of everything, even when I royally screw up and overindulge. It keeps me accountable, and seeing the cold hard facts laid out can stop a potential binge in it's tracks!

If you wanted to simplify things, maybe you could just check off basic food groups each day, ie. 2-3 servings of dairy, 5+ fruits and vegetables, however many whole grains and proteins are recommended, 2 litres of water, etc.

Doublechinner: how about Chisled Jaw

Thanks Ronda. I just have to make myself stick with tracking. I don't think I'd start eating bad if I didn't but I don't want to let old habits creep back in.

Been sick since Sunday night and decided to do an early weigh-in. Been only three days since my last one. And I've lost another four pounds. That's got to be due to being sick though plus the fact I haven't eaten much since Sunday.

Welcome aboard, Doublechinner. I've had good luck with WW so far. There are some independent Web sites that have Points values for various foods. This one lists Points values for foods at various restaurant chains and this one lists generic food values.

I like the online version of WW also. My life is already hectic enough without trying to fit another weekly commitment into it for a meeting. Besides, all the meetings held anywhere that's convenient for me are at times when I have another commitment. The online version space-rawks!

As for a new name, I like Mechana's suggestion, although you may find another you like better. If it helps to motivate you, perhaps you might want to say when you lose a certain number of pounds, you'll change your displayed name to whatever it is you choose.

As for me, today is my weigh-in day and I lost another pound. So it's 39 down and 28 to go!

Yay, D'Chinner! Welcome! I *love* WW, it works so good-- and when I'm craving Mexican and Italian-- my 2 weaknesses, covered in cheese-- there's WW's SMART ONES entrees that really help me through! (I find it fun keeping up with the numbers, too!)

As for a new name... I always liked your "DC" initials since I (and you, I think) am a big DC fan... how's about "Johnny DC"?

Mechana-- your patience paid off, HOORAY for you!

Go Rocky, GO!!!

Scott, like Mechana said WW mainly focuses on calorie, fat and fiber content but I do try to watch the sodium. I need to drink more water!

As for me... weighed today at 210, down 3 lbs. Still A *LONG* way to go... (I'm still 3 lbs. heavier than when I started WW in Jan, 2006) but I **WILL** get there!

And Scott-- you are dropping weight like a MOFO!!! That so rawks!

Thanks for the encouragement, guys! I should have done this a long time ago, but better late than never, and the online tool really is materially better for me.

Scott, you are really a star! I sure hope you are feeling better all the way around.