86 Responses to “… even if it means me taking a chubby, I will suck it up”

1. Rysk on February 27th, 2007 4:00 pm

   Good luck with the cleaning lady (and btw should you hire one…you will definitely be motivated to pre-clean EVERY single time they are scheduled to show up, it’s an illness).

   Seriously, try http://www.calorie-count.com the web site is pretty sweet and the eat meter toolbar is fab for umm….well geeks like me that sit in front of the computer all day…

2. Rumblelizard on February 27th, 2007 4:05 pm

   I have lost 35 pounds since October on a miracle diet that really, really works. It REALLY works. It consists of the following: eating less and exercising more. A lot less, and a lot more. You may kill me now. No, really. Please.

3. angela on February 27th, 2007 4:05 pm

   I have two friends who LOVE Arrested Development, and refer to my BF as Bob Loblaw (his name is Bob). Neither of us have seen it, but I understand where the reference comes from. But no one memo’d Bob about this, and they call him Bob Loblaw to his face all the time, and he is always genuinely perplexed. I haven’t communicated this to either parties, I just prefer to sit back and watch the clusterfuck.

   Friends: Bob Loblaw!
   Bob: …?
   Friends: How are you?
   Bob: Me? Who? You’re talking to me?
   Friends: Yeah, DUH, Bob Loblaw!
   Bob: What?
   Friends: You!
   Bob: Me?
   Friends: Bob Loblaw!
   Bob: Uh…?
   Me: Hee!

4. robyn on February 27th, 2007 4:09 pm

   I joined weight watchers back in January - and I lost 7.4 pounds in the first two weeks. The program works if you do it…and the counting part of it appeals to my anal side. PLUS, you can eat pretty much whatever you want as long as you plan for it - it’s the portions that are key.
   It’s not easy…and to be honest, I’ve taken time off the plan because of restaurant eating or special occasions where I’ve just completely blown it. But I think it’s made me more aware of what I eat and how much I eat because even on the weeks off…the most I’ve gained is 1 pound. So far, I like it pretty well!

5. Mare on February 27th, 2007 4:09 pm

   Weight Watchers. I won’t go on and on, you’ve heard it all before. The main thing is that they’re sensible, and they advocate a slow weight loss, so you don’t feel pressure to race against some weird idea. They teach you to set small goals, and they’re very supportive. Oh. Well, it seems I did go on and on after all.

6. victoria on February 27th, 2007 4:10 pm

   Not eating (like, at all) works pretty well because it (bizarrely, yet oh so effectively) causes you to lose your appetite. You get so you need to eat only once every 6 days or so. Plus you really, really enjoy food on that 6th day. But you have to watch your potassium, especially if you’re exercising, so you keep your electrolytes in balance. Yes, come to me for all your “sensible eating plan” recommendations. I lost like 30 pounds in 6 weeks.

7. victoria on February 27th, 2007 4:15 pm

   And weight watchers? NIGHTMARE TORTURE CENTRAL. Those teensy tiny portions? Jesus, just skip the WW plan and send me to Guantanamo Bay and waterboard me right now because I cannot stand the agony of being forced to eat TEENSY TINY MINIATURE little portions of “all the foods you love” and then being forced to STOP after two bites. Stop? After TWO FUCKING BITES? When I’ve just been reminded how much I LIKE that particular food? AAAAAARGH. I swear to god, I’ve tried ‘em both, and the “not eating at all” plan is so, so, SOOOO much easier than Weight Watchers torture and misery. OK, my starvation plan is not “sustainable” and will not lead to “enduring weight loss” or “lifestyle changes” but it is so much easier than WW. In fact it was WW that drove me to the starvation diet.

8. lisa on February 27th, 2007 4:37 pm

   I have sort of been doing the Bob Greene best life plan and it is great, it is basically gradual changes that amounts to eat fewer calories, exercise more, but the gradual thing works well for me because then I don’t feel all guilty about what I eat, but it really motivates me to work on it.

9. emily on February 27th, 2007 4:37 pm

   If running after Riley isn’t doing it, I recommend hooking up with the Rat City Rollergirls and skating it off; I lost 15 pounds in 3 months and continue to eat everything I want.

   I’m pretty sure it could help with both the weight *and* any lingering annoyances you feel due to the home or office life!

10. Pete on February 27th, 2007 4:40 pm

    Motivation. We had a ‘fat’ contest at work. Twelve of us put in $100 and the one who lost the most weight (percentage of body weight) in 6 weeks won the money. Since I had just divorced and knew I wouldn’t have any ‘fun’ money for a long time (2 years) I was highly motivated to win. I lost 32 pounds is 6 weeks and won. That paid for my scuba lessons and used equipment (if you go off the beach it was only $1 a dive, cheap entertainment). I also learned that a pint of blood weighs one pound (donated on the last day) and at 600 calories a day your brain develops a really long reaction time. My suggestion would be to find something that will motivate you. But with work, a toddler, trying to get pregnant, and more house construction, my guess is that’s going to be hard to do.
    BTW, My wife wants a housekeeper, I want sex with Nicole Kidman. Guess were stuck with a messy house and internet p0rn. ;-)

11. Jennifer on February 27th, 2007 4:48 pm

    As always, great video. You are so right - Riley’s HUGE compared to just 4 months ago.

    And - “grandpa” in the video? Is that JB’s dad? Well, whoever he is, he’s a good looking man, and you can tell him I said so.

12. laughing mommy on February 27th, 2007 4:58 pm

    I agree with Robyn. Weight Watchers works if you do it. Before my last pregnancy I lost 33 pounds on Weight Watchers. But then I had another baby, and well, now I need to lose even MORE than 33 pounds. I joined Weight Watchers at the start of the year and I’ve lost 11 pounds so far. But again, it only works if you do it. *sigh*

    I love that on Weight Watchers you can eat whatever you want. If I want to spend 25 points on pizza, then I can. Of course, then I can’t eat the rest of the day and I’m starving… so it forces me to make wise choices so I don’t starve.

13. Swistle on February 27th, 2007 5:07 pm

    My favorite is the “I’m Pregnant So Screw It” diet.

    When I’m not pregnant, I like to alternate between: a bootlegged Weight Watchers Core plan, a bootlegged Weight Watchers Points plan, and a It’s Not A Diet, It’s A Sensible-Eating Lifestyle Change plan.

    I think it’s more fun to hear about dieting failures. Dieting successes can be inspirational, but in an “I suppose this means I have to get my ass off the couch now, too,” way, which is non-fun. Failures mean, “Yay, let’s go out for brownie sundaes together!”

14. fellowmom on February 27th, 2007 5:14 pm

    I have lost 45 pounds in the last 5 months. This is my 3rd time on Weight Watchers, but the first time it’s worked, probably because I switched to the Core Plan from the Flex Plan. In other words, WW didn’t work for me until I changed the kind of food I was eating, not just the amount. (I was less hungry on the Core Plan, for one.)

    I like WW online, because the meetings just don’t do it for me. They take a lot of time, and all the “sharing” makes me feel squeamish. Since I am on the computer a lot, it’s really easy to track my points. After about 2.5 mos., I stopped religiously counting points, because I generally know what to eat now. If I stop losing weight, I will go back to the rigorous counting, which can be kind of onerous. I also really liked You: On a Diet, because it gave me some insight into why the type of food you eat makes a difference in terms of weight loss.

    Glad you are pursuing the cleaning help. Sort of related: Have you ever read Nickel and Dimed?

15. jenn on February 27th, 2007 5:20 pm

    I lost about 50 lbs. on WW last year (before I got pregnant and subsequently gained back 40 of it, and still have another 6 weeks to go before I deliver!) HOWEVER… I did it using their Core Plan. There’s no counting points as with their Flex Plan, which never worked for me for more than a few weeks. (I don’t do well being told I can eat whatever I want as long as I keep the portions in check, and also I found it to just be a big pain in the ass trying to figure out how much of something I ate and how many points it was for a serving and a half, etc.)

    The Core Plan consists of eating however much you want of healthy foods like grilled chicken, fish, lean red meats, non-starchy vegetables (although if I recall correctly, you can have a potato or brown rice or whole grain pasta once a day.) You don’t worry about portion sizes. And you still get like 35 points a week that you can eat whatever you want. I usually tried to use those points for butter or cheese or something that made the healthy foods a little more appetizing… I found that if I ate some junk food or sweets, I just wanted MORE. Once I go a week or so without eating ANY sugar, I don’t crave it anymore. If I’m allowing myself two cookies for five points, that just makes me want two more cookies for five more points, and it’s a really slippery slope from there. It works much better for me to think of sugar as something that’s just off limits for me.

    Oh, and I actually loved the meetings, and I’m not normally a “joiner”. I think it helps to find a leader that you relate to… mine was about my age with two little kids. Meetings are great for getting tips and recipes, and I really looked forward to celebrating my successes and those of everyone else who was “in it” with me. Good luck to you!

16. Mary O on February 27th, 2007 5:24 pm

    I just lost 18 pounds of post-baby (yeah, let’s just say it all came from the baby) weight on Weight Watchers. It worked for me because it taught me how to eat right, when I had gotten very far off track. It might sound dumb, but I kind of enjoyed the counting points and writing everything down. It made me feel very organized about eating, and made me learn how not to just go around mindlessly snacking. Also, it helps to have to go somewhere to weigh in each week to keep you accountable!

    Also, my sister lost about 25 pounds on LA Weight Loss and has kept it off for about a year now. They are more expensive than WW but give you one-on-one counseling, which would probably be helpful.

17. sundry on February 27th, 2007 5:24 pm
    fellowmom: Yes, I read Nickel and Dimed. Why, are you trying to make me feel bad, or something? ; ) One thing I like about this cleaning service is that it’s owned by one person, rather than a chain corporation, and I’m hoping her employees benefit from that.

    And congratulations on losing 45-damn-pounds, that’s awesome!

18. jenn on February 27th, 2007 5:24 pm

    PS… Riley is a cute little stinker! Sounds like he and my 2.5 year old son are cut out of the same cloth.

19. Alex on February 27th, 2007 5:28 pm

    I’m with the others who say Weight Watchers. I did it a handful of years ago and it works. Godspeed.

20. girl in greenwood on February 27th, 2007 5:30 pm

    The 20/10 Plan at the Corporate Gym I’m Sure You Belong To is amazing. My husband did 20/20 2 years ago and lost 50 pounds in 5 months. I played along at home and lost 35 pounds. I kept it off for about 6 months… I’ve since gained about 25 of it back, but I’m blaming nursing school. The good thing about the 20/X0 plans is that they beat you up in the gym (but supportively!) AND tell you what to eat, so you attack the problem on both levels.

    I’ve also done WW online and liked it, but it caused conflict at home because my husband wasn’t on board with the WW Way. And I do not have the willpower to eat a salad with nonfat dressing and cook a different meal that has bacon or butter or, you know, anything that tastes good and then not eat it. But it does work if you do it.

21. Anonymous on February 27th, 2007 5:37 pm

    I lost a fair amount of weight by eating the same old stuff but using a smaller dinner plate.

22. jen on February 27th, 2007 5:47 pm

    i love his giggle fits. seriously adorable!

23. sweetney on February 27th, 2007 5:57 pm

    DUDE. i am fully back in ye olde obsessive calorie counting mode after trying to do the EAT HEALTHY! IN MODERATON! thing for two months and gaining 5 MORE pounds.

    that’s it. dieting? this time, its personal.

24. H on February 27th, 2007 6:08 pm

    Weight Watchers worked for me.

    Yup, I think we all clean for the cleaning lady. I hope it goes great for you!

25. Melanie on February 27th, 2007 6:38 pm

    I like when people fall off the diet wagon because it makes me feel better about my not getting on the wagon. But I suppose that’s a nasty, selfish way to be… All this WW stuff makes me think I should really look into it again, but maybe at the non-point-counting plan, because the other one scared the bejeezus out of me. The idea of a little scale and point charts or whatever sounds like another job on top of the rest of my busy-ass life, which I do NOT need right now. Hey, and M. Ward? AWESOME. Though I hate his new album. But Transfiguration was sooooo good. We said for a while that Boyo would say “el-e-copter” from us singing that every time we drove by the helicopters parked at the airport near our house.

26. KT on February 27th, 2007 6:41 pm

    MAN Riley is so CUTE! Such a killer smile. Thanks for that dose of vitamin cute!

27. warcrygirl on February 27th, 2007 6:45 pm

    Weight Watchers works as long as you follow it, which sounds like a total ‘DUH!’ thing to say. You don’t have to go to the meetings but I’ve heard they help. Also: Relacore works, again, when you take it.

    Can you tell I have issues with finishing what I start?

    www.sparkpeople.com have free calorie counting tools as well. Sounds like we’re in the same boat, excuses-wise.

28. Ellie's Mommy on February 27th, 2007 7:10 pm

    I’ve thought about a cleaning service. I don’t really need one all the time though. I’m more in the market for someone to just come in and do a nice deep clean so Daddy Dearest & I have a new starting spot for all the things we’ve slacked off on. Unfortunately, I have that same urge to clean before having it cleaned. I mean we are talking about the things we’ve REALLY slacked off on… GROSS!

    As far as dieting, I’m not b/c my OB keeps telling me that this every enlarging belly is actually a baby (I’m sceptical). However, both of my co-workers are on Weight Watchers and they seem pretty happy about it. They don’t seem to be very obsessive and the point system lets them indulge (like today I wanted pasta, so my co-worker & I ordered out) without having that dieting guilt.

29. ESY on February 27th, 2007 7:56 pm

    eat less. eventually you will even want to eat less.
    don’t eat after 8pm or so.
    stay away from refined sugars. (have something very small to just give you the taste if you need - make a chocolate bar last a week)
    stay away from refined/processed carbs.
    start you day with protien and fruit.
    drink water - lots of water - when you think you are hungry drink water - wait then if you are still hungry have a snack. (veggies or nuts or fruit)

    I lost 9 lbs in a month doing this and my only exercise was walking about 2 miles each day (which was not more than I normally walk)

30. Lesley on February 27th, 2007 8:00 pm

    As sickening as it sounds (and sometimes is), counting calories and exercising is the only thing that works (for me). I find if I stick to specific foods and vary the menu a little I get results. If one’s diet is too varied and filled with different foods all the time, it can become a real chore keeping track. I avoid all things made of refined flour (which is almost every thing that is made with flour, period) and sugar. I eat only lean cuts of organic chicken, turkey, and fish. I do not eat potatoes and other starchy vegetables very often. I eat berries every day. A protein shake in the morning with berries, ground flax seed, and wheatgerm, water and a decent whey protein keeps me full until lunch. Lean Cuisine on lazy days.

    I do not go to the gym (can’t because of soft tissue injuries) but walk at least 30 minutes briskly every day and periodically do my Pilates routines. Usually I get an hour or more of walking in a day.

    I also use an Infrared sauna twice a week (burns 600 calories in 30 minutes). Is also fantastic for the skin and relaxation.

31. Em on February 27th, 2007 8:23 pm

    That is the cutest video yet. I never think I want to have kids someday until I look at your little dude….then I practically squeal with delight, causing the significant other to cringe.

    How is Riley’s relationship with the Roomba?

32. Serror on February 27th, 2007 8:32 pm

    I am all for WW. It didn’t ever give me an “OH!” moment when it came to nutrition, I already knew how to eat healthy food. It just reinforced quantity importance. It just really really helped me realize what calories I was eating. Also, you do not have to go hungry at all, if you make good choices. I eat a lot of lean meat, veggies, beans, yogurt, water and fruit.

    I am not in to the meeting thing, but LOVE the online version. So fun to keep track and honestly Weight Watchers recipes are worth it. Easy, good and good for you.
    Oh, and exercise. That bastard. But even walking works (and yoga!)

33. Leslie on February 27th, 2007 8:48 pm

    My oral fixation means it doesn’t matter so much *what* I eat, I just need to stuff a lot of food in my face. So the key for me turned out to be canned Chinese vegetables, which are, like, 15 calories a can. I rinsed them thoroughly to get rid of the MSG, added a ton of Mrs. Dash to give them flavor, added a half cup of brown rice, and topped it with big chunks of raw tomato. It makes a *huge* meal, and the combo of hot/cold fills you up even more. You can throw in some fish or chicken if you’re in the mood, too.

34. Mrs. Breedorf on February 27th, 2007 8:52 pm

    The Bob Loblaw Law Blog is regularly reminisced about and guffawed over at this household.

35. omuchacha on February 27th, 2007 9:19 pm

    WeightWatchers works for me. I do the points plan online. Since the end of last month, I’ve lost about 56 pounds. I’ve gone from a size 16 to an 11.

36. Erica on February 27th, 2007 9:48 pm

    For the last month or so I have been using sparkpeople.com. Like Weight Watchers, it consists of lots of obsessive online tools, but unlike WW it is free. I have lost 14 pounds so far (maybe more, I weigh in tomorrow!) I did WW, complete with meetings and weighing in front of a room full of people and POINTS all that a few years ago, but it made me WAY to obsessive about food, I mean in a BAD way and then when I stopped being a crazy person, it just stopped working. I’d lost 30 pounds and was still cutting points and adding exercise, but NOTHING. ANYway, like I said, sparkpeople is free so what have you got to lose in trying it? Best of luck!

37. samantha jo campen on February 27th, 2007 10:05 pm

    Buster: I’ve found a new mother, Mother.

    Mother: Then why don’t you marry her?

    Buster: MAYBE I WILL!

    Oh, and:

    Anyong!

38. christen on February 27th, 2007 11:45 pm

    I have lost 12lb on Weight Watchers since Jan. 1. Eating less, exercising more is great in theory, but if there isn’t some structured way I can write it down and have someone else do the calculations for me, I always screw up. I’m a frickin certified personal trainer and I work in a gym and I STILL managed to gain 50lb in two years. It’s not like I’m an idiot… I know how many calories are in things, and all that jazz, but without actually typing in my weight each week, or writing everything down, I always cheat and I always screw up. I go to meetings, but there are plenty of women doing the e-tools or WW online only that have lost tons (literally) of weight. It’s great. I still get beer, I still get fries and fast food if I want it… I just have to be accountable and balance that crap out with other stuff and exercise (which I already did to begin with, I just ate way, way too much to compensate for it “I did a spin class? I’m getting a bucket of KFC! Just for me!). I would be more than happy to tell you all about how great the program is… just email me.

39. Dawna on February 28th, 2007 12:00 am

    The only thing that’s ever worked for me is no refined sugar/no refined flour. Kathleen DesMaisons has some excellent books out about how carb cravings tie into alcoholism and addiction, and the food plan. Highly recommended =)

40. Nicole on February 28th, 2007 2:06 am

    You know, its not a totally bad idea for the house to be clean when the woman comes by- you want her to see how you expect the house to look when she’s done so set the bar high. Also, I know that with our cleaner we tend to prefer that she actually clean so we always put things away before she arrives. Unless you want to spend weeks explaining where to put every single thing in your house (and after her visit, days trying to figure out where she has stashed things), its easier to just straighten up before she arrives.

41. Thursday on February 28th, 2007 2:55 am

    Diet suggestions? Heartache - works every time.

42. Liz in Australia on February 28th, 2007 3:47 am

    I had just started to get serious about watching what I ate and trying to lose some weight, then I got pregnant again, so there goes the low-calorie diet. OTOH, on my previous record that also means I get four months of not being able to keep down anything except Vegemite toast and raw almonds, and lose 20kgs over the course of the pregnancy. Unfortunately I don’t think I can keep talking my husband into more babies every time I let the weight creep back on again…

43. pseudostoops on February 28th, 2007 3:56 am

    Not a “diet” suggestion per se, but I found a class at the gym called “butts and guts” taught by a totally hilarious wackjob and the combination of the name and not wanting him to think I’m a quitter by not going back every week has kept me motivated and has helped me drop some pounds. Also, I drink obsessive amounts of water, so whoever said that I totally agree with because it fills you right up. That and air-popped popcorn. Because I phenomenally suck at organized diets.

44. Graciemay on February 28th, 2007 5:36 am

    About losing weight…….I’ve tried them all includeing Weight Watchers at least 4 times. The best one I’ve found is ediets.com. I need someone to tell me exactly what to eat and ediets does that. It has (at this moment) 23 different meal plans to choose from. So if you don’t like one you can change to another. It gives you menus for a 7 day period. You can switch the meal to something else if you don’t like what it picked for you. It gives you recipes for each meal and a shopping list so you know what to buy to make the meals. It does everything but buy and cook the food for you. It also has fitness plans and on-line support. I think it’s comparable (and maybe even cheaper) than on-line Weight Watchers. Check it out.

45. Graciemay on February 28th, 2007 5:40 am

    I really do know how to spell “including” — no e.

    Another thing about ediets I forgot to tell you. The best I ever did on ediets was when I joined a “Challenge” support group. There were several teams and you got points each week for sticking to the plan, for doing so much exercies, etc., and after totaling the points for the week one team was deemed the winner. It was fun motivation.

46. Graciemay on February 28th, 2007 5:42 am

    Crap, now I mispelled exercise. I quit.

47. biodtl on February 28th, 2007 6:30 am

    Weight Watchers works for me. I lost 40 pounds a some years back and recently lost 35. Of course, I lost my mind and gained some back, but I;m back on the program. Of course the eat less/exercise more thing works, too, but I need the extra motivation of having to get my fat ass on a scale every week. I can lie to myself, but not the WW lady (not that she’s not nice and supportive, because she is). And the online tools are great, too.

48. ang on February 28th, 2007 7:02 am

    I HATE the word diet. What I did to lose 35 pounds, was to survey my shopping cart before I checked out at the grocery store: Fruits-check! Veggies-Check!! Yarnell’s Death by Chocolate Ice cream! yeah, put that back. I figure if I didn’t bring it home, I wouldn’t eat it. Also, I started doing Taebo about three times per week. Restaurant calories totally don’t count unless you eat out more than once a week!!

49. Betsy on February 28th, 2007 7:16 am

    I’ll throw in for Weight Watchers, too. Lost 25 pounds and have kept it off. And the online tracker stuff totally appealed to my nerdy side.

50. Ang on February 28th, 2007 7:31 am

    Oh man, I’d be screwed it they had to “evaluate” my house before agreeing to clean it!

51. JennB on February 28th, 2007 7:47 am

    I have a great way for you to lose the weight, and also shamlessly plug The Employer! I work for a food magazine called EatingWell and we’ve just published a diet book. Not diet like “I can never have dessert or bread or red meat or chocolate again”, diet like: this is a lifestyle change, here’s how I can do it, it means only writing down my goals, writing down what I eat and if/when I exercise every day, and keeping track of things. It’s a mind-change rather than just denying yourself delicious carbohydrates.

    And our diet cookbook is FANTASTIC. the food is FOOD. Not rice cakes and non-fat yogurt. It tastes delicious!

    To learn more, go to www.eatingwell.com and click on the “diet” button

    It’s great. I think it works, because you’re not depriving yourself. Check it out!!

52. Pam on February 28th, 2007 8:20 am

    Yet another vote for Weight Watchers! I lost 60 pounds over about a year using Weight Watchers Online and walking on a treadmill.

    Two things helped especially - I got my own treadmill, and I found that I can read while walking on it (apparently some unlucky folks get nauseous?). So I walked my way through half my local library’s trashy novel section. Having that treadmill right downstairs was the key, because if I had to plan a trip to the gym (at off-peak hours so that a treadmill was available to use), I would never have bothered.

53. Christina on February 28th, 2007 9:54 am

    I cannot remember if I’ve commented before, or if I’m de-lurking… but either way, I love your site! You’re hilarious, and your son is so cute I kinda want to eat him!

    On to the weight loss jazz… I am totally with the ladies who are WW fans. I am the worst dieter on earth - I can rationalize any food, I will lie to myself and cheat and “forget” to work out and yada yada yada. And then, like magic, I gain 5 pounds! I wonder why.

    I joined WW a little over a week ago, and I LOVE it. Love, love, love. I’m on the plan where you count points (which completely appeals to my nerdy “Let’s make lists!” side) and for some reason, I really love being able to look at my points for the day, deciding what can fit into those points, and feeling good about it. If I want to eat 3 slices of pizza and some beer for dinner, I can! I just have to fill up on veggies and other low-point foods during the day. Honestly, I don’t find it that hard or irritating to find out points for things - at least you know that if you stay within your points, you WILL lose weight. I have about 30 pounds to lose, and I lost 4 this week - by staying within my points, drinking lots of water, and using up all of my flex points (I went out to dinner three times, and each time ate the things I love to eat - just with slightly more control than usual - and never went over my flex points). I highly recommend the program. It’s the least restrictive of any diet I’ve seen… I mean, if I want fries, I want FRIES - not carrot sticks.

    So, that’s my two (or four) cents. Best of luck!

54. Anne Glamore on February 28th, 2007 10:18 am

    Yep, you TOTALLY have to clean for the cleaning lady or she may think you live like a pig. Worse, she may take pre-cleaning photos and try to blackmail you.

55. heather on February 28th, 2007 10:20 am

    self.com has the self challenge 2007 - it’s pretty much awesome. good luck!

56. SJ on February 28th, 2007 10:41 am

    I am a firm believer in The South Beach Diet. I’ve been on it for a little over a year (off and on to boot) and I’ve lost about 90 pounds. I’m really close to my goal weight as we speak. I’ve also had luck in the past with Weight Watchers. Good luck with whatever you try!

    And I envy you and your house cleaning lady visit. Your most recent post about your house and your disgust with cleaning could have be written by me. I relate 100%. So good luck! And then send her my way :)

57. emily on February 28th, 2007 10:57 am

    “Would anyone like a banger in the mouth? Oh, I’m sorry, here in the ‘colonies,’ you call it a sausage in the mouth.”

    “Actually, we just call it a sausage.”

58. M.A. on February 28th, 2007 11:07 am

    L — while on medical leave I watched all three seasons of Arrested Development (waiting the appropriate amount of time post-surgery so as not to rip stitches laughing) and I just have to say that although it is probably unfair (and I think I may even be quoting you) I’ve decided that this — whether one finds this show gut bustingly funny — is my new barometer for friends. “HI — do you like Arrested Development? Never heard of it, you say…? Good God lookie here — there’s my husband double dipping his shrimp — must run! Lovely to meet you!” etc.) My GOD I could watch it over and over again (and, on painkillers, often did — and each time found something I missed). I still curse whomever/whatever decided this was not worth continuing… One of my favorite scenes (I believe you may be coming up on it): their flashback on an aborted attempt to do an intervention with Lucille 1. See Jason Bateman in background wearing puppet wig…. bwwwaaaahhhhaaaaaaaa. I’m going to watch them all again. Every. single. one.

59. Trina on February 28th, 2007 11:15 am

    South Beach worked really well for me. I lost 30 pounds after baby. But, you really have to follow it. I have fallen off the wagon a few times and it is really easy to get back on. You don’t have the support group like WW but you don’t have to weigh yourself in front of people.

    I want to know more about the cleaning people. I am sure you will keep us posted, but if not, I want more info. I can’t keep up with the mess either.

    That video of Riley is super cute. My daughter turned 2 on Sunday and I almost started crying when I watched your video. It made me think of how quickly they grow up.

60. M.A. on February 28th, 2007 11:16 am

    P.S. I’ve been very successful on WW twice — once lost 47 pounds and then again about 25. First 47 pound loss took me about 10 years to put back on, pluse said 25. Said 25 lb loss down to 7. I am quite sure I have put several leaders’ children (and their children) through Ivy League schools. Not knocking it — plan to go back — but here’s the thingie I’ve learned: (1) you have to FOLLOW THE PLAN; (2) you HAVE to write everything down; and (3) (my personal favorite) you pretty much have to do it FOREVER or (4) (if you have kids you want to go to Ivy League schools because trust me, I will help) become a LEADER. I don’t mean to be negative — I love it, too. I like the little pamphlets you write everything down in — boxes to check, slide rules, etc. But I just can’t get the “forever” part down. I feel firmly like there should be an END to a diet and that one can immediately resume dipping bread in balsamic vinagrette and olive oil whilst waiting for one’s Carbonara.

61. M.A. on February 28th, 2007 11:24 am

    P.P.S Don’t you hate comment hoggers?

    But I just had to add this: nevermind Arrested D. — I’ll just watch the Riley video over and over again (finally buffered all the way). LOVE the little slide-and smile when he’s in his chair eating. SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

62. Quiana on February 28th, 2007 11:27 am

    Stroller Strides. It’s what all the cool mommies are doing. My friend lost a huge ammount of weight.

63. kaitlyn on February 28th, 2007 11:40 am

    Holy comments. Anyway, I’ll join the bandwagon and say Weight Watchers. I started about a month ago to loose the stragglers of my baby pounds, and I’ve already lost over six pounds. It’s also nice to track your success every week because you leave the place feeling like “Yay for me!!”
    Good luck

64. fat bridesmaid on February 28th, 2007 11:55 am

    I’ve done tons of diets but the only one that works for me is South Beach. I have a severe sugar/carb addiction so eating healthy stuff is a big struggle for me. So far South Beach has been terrific - I’ve lost 6lbs in less than three weeks and I feel AWESOME. I’ve never done WW because I don’t like the idea of going to meetings (or have time for them).

    Good luck!

65. Amy M. on February 28th, 2007 12:09 pm

    Hope the cleaning service works out for you!

    And good luck with the weight. I don’t believe in diets, never been on one. I second the skip the snack aisle in the supermarket suggestion. If I don’t buy it, I’m too lazy to go out for it. That doesn’t stop the vending machine at work, though. :)

    I’m actually lighter than before I get pregnant (my son’s around 13 m.o.) & I credit running with my black lab 3-6 miles 5x a week. And I live in Wisconsin. So I get to run in the snow, unless it’s below 0. Yippee. That dog is a maniac when he’s not exercised, so it benefits everyone, including my toddler who doesn’t get run down by an 85-pound lurching ball of fur.

66. AmyW on February 28th, 2007 12:27 pm

    Maybe look into the carb addict’s diet—it could be right for you!

    My mother-in-law has lost a lot of weight. I haven’t asked her of course, but up-wards of 30lbs!

    Best of luck.

67. angela on February 28th, 2007 12:32 pm

    I cut out ALL fast food from my diet (this was a while ago) and I lost 30 pounds. I weighed 160 at the time, down to 130.

68. AmyW on February 28th, 2007 12:34 pm

    To clarify, my MIL lost the weight with the carb addict’s diet. She said it’s really easy to follow and compatible with her lifestyle.

69. Jen on February 28th, 2007 2:00 pm

    What do you need a cleaning lady for when you’ve got a Roomba and a baby with a Swiffer? All you need to do now is attach a duster to Dog and Cat’s tails and you’ll practically be able to start your own cleaning company!

70. a. on February 28th, 2007 2:10 pm

    I inexplicably gained approximately 50lbs over the past year and a half
    (if you call having: a tyrannical boss, 11 hour work days, and a 2 week long cruise thrown in there inexplicable)
    Reached max capacity and an aversion to cameras and finally just went for it.
    Found an integrative medicine center and started with hypno therapy, regular therapy, a nutritionalist and a nurse practitioner. Then for christmas I got an in-home trainer from my husband. I have great insurance that pays for most all of the integrative medicine stuff so I know this is not an option for everyone (like I said, I was at my wits end and just COULDN’T stick to any regimen, so I called in the big guns)
    so in lieu of all that, here are my key takeaways:
    -working out isn’t ever going to be fun for me, but I know my body needs it and I feel better afterwards so I make it be about giving the dog exercise for a 20-30 min jog/walk 3 days a week.
    -made a goal of running a 10k with my husband
    -was told not to eat a few things that my body was reacting badly to so we customized a diet for my chemistry…bottom line is only 3 servings of carbs a day (whole wheat, a piece of fruit, etc) and no sugar. hard at first, but easy after trying straight up southbeach diet.
    -roll the film foward, every time I go to put the handful of m&ms in my mouth (I HAVE SMALL HANDS!) I force myself to roll the film foward to what life is like without those m&ms, the truth: not that bad! life is OK with out them. how about just one if I’m really jonesing.
    -everyone says this and I’ve never been able to do it, but now I do: A FOOD DIARY. I have one that looks like a notebook and I update it during tedius meetings. Knowing that I have to record “1 french fry, catsup” makes you think twice about reallly needing it.
    -ok, i have to admit, hypno therapy works really well too, just went to a couple of sessions and I have them recorded and on my ipod now so I can transcend in peace at home (and worry daily that my husband will find them and play them as a HYSTERICAL form of entertainment at one of our parties)

    lengthy and potentially totally unhelpful….just know what you’re going through, have battled all my life and it always USED to be just 15lbs, and now it’s 50lbs! instead of giving up and saying “sure size 16 jeans, that’s cool” I stopped. Make it be about you, it’s OK to be about you. It’s not selfish to only put the best fuel in your body, it’s what it wants.

    OH and go read: The Omnivour’s Dilemma, very interesting book about americans & food.

    ok, I’ll stop now. good day.

71. Dawn on February 28th, 2007 2:55 pm

    You could START with the 3rd phase of the South Beach Diet - that phase gives you carbs, so you don’t go completely crazy, like I did on phase 1 (you lose weight fast on Phase 1, but it’s just water weight, plus then you’re all cuckoopants from lack of carbs, so I say skip straight to Phase 3).

    The reason I mention South Beach is because I’m doing the Lifestyle Change thing, too, and the upshot of it all is more veggies/salads with meals, more whole grains (Far East makes some yummy whole grain sides), and smaller portions of lean meat. So basically: South Beach, Phase 3. I also count calories from time to time, to stay on track, at Fitday.com, which is free. Now that I’m in the swing of things, it’s getting easier and easier - if I remember to thaw something, I can have dinner prepped, cooked, and on the table in about 30 minutes. Just buy frozen veggies and dump part of a bag into a bowl as a side dish.

    You also have to get out and move your butt some, too, as much as I hate to do it. I’m hitting the gym a few mornings a week (with some coworkers, so they NOTICE if I’m not there), and taking the baby for a 3-mile jog about 4X a week in the afternoons. I started the exercise thing this week full-on, and have already lost about 3 pounds since combining it with the healthy/smaller portions, woo! I also eat off smaller plates at dinner time, which helps psychologically.

    Whatever you do, DON’T skip meals. You need at LEAST 1200 calories a day; if you go below this, your metabolism slows down, and then you’re doubly fucked, which is how I started to put the weight ON in the first place. It’s best to try to spread your meals throughout the day; and I promise, after about two weeks of eating like this, you should feel pretty satisfied and never STARVING or anything. Good luck!

72. robyn on February 28th, 2007 3:01 pm

    I think it should be clarified that at WW, you don’t weigh in front of the crowd. Nobody sees your weight or knows whether you lost or gained except for you and the lady reading the numbers. In fact, at ours - they have 3 scales set up so several people can weigh at a time - and most often, I don’t even know what my weight is until I sit down and look at my membership book. I was totally paranoid about weighing in front of everyone - so I was pleasantly surprised when I finally sucked it up and went.

73. T-Mom on February 28th, 2007 3:51 pm

    The Zone worked great fro me. I only read an intro-book (’Week in the Zone?) and took the main points and applied them. It’s basically portion control based on balance.
    I hated Zone food (too processes, too much Splenda) but it was easy to keep track of.
    I lost over fifty pounds oner a year: slow and steady.

74. Gena on February 28th, 2007 5:43 pm

    Wow, Riley is so adorable. Just wait until he is 21 and out of the house and you’re watching these movies - the tears will flow, believe me.

    As for the diet, I am always successful with the low-fat thing. I had to have my gallbladder removed a few years ago and I couldn’t eat ANY fat. I lost about 20 pounds in a month. Obviously the pain that occurred after eating anything with fat in it was a great motivator, but still…. Now, I just use the stress diet. I have a lot of stress, I don’t eat.

    Good luck on the housekeeper. I had one when my first two were babies and we had the house on the market. I LOVED her. She would even change my sheets for me. How great is that?

75. fendel on February 28th, 2007 6:31 pm

    Low-carb. When I stick to it, I invariably lose weight, as much as 30 lb. My problem is that I am a little food-obsessed and low on willpower, so usually I slide down the slippery slope at some point into eating carby junk and start regaining. But when I stick to it, my health is better in every measurable way. My blood pressure goes down. My fasting blood sugar went from prediabetic to normal after a few months on low-carb. My cholesterol improved (good cholesterol went up, bad went down). People think it’s unhealthy — they’re wrong and I have the numbers to prove it.

    I seriously believe in it, but at the moment I’m having an affair with Haagen-Dazs…

    Personally, if I have to diet, I’d rather be able to eat steak and butter and skip the potato than vice versa. :)

76. JMH on February 28th, 2007 6:53 pm

    “They are still there, the fifteen pounds. In fact, they may have invited some friends over, which, frankly, I thought was quite rude. ”

    So that is what happened to my butt…their friends invaded…HOW RUDE :)
    Well, I don’t know what to tell you about your “butt friends” but I GAINED some on Weight Watchers. Too many options for me and I know that if I eat a little of a favorite food (pizza, chocolate, etc) I CAN”T STOP. So, what helped me the most in the past was lots o’ exercise and try not to snack at night (no food after dinner)

    Good luck!

77. amanda on February 28th, 2007 8:02 pm

    I am a huge proponent of snacking and no sugar. However I think different things work for different people. Parenting a little one makes rigid dieting tough. Maybe try to slowly eliminate some things, ie sugar, and see if that starts taming those hated fifteen. Boring and uninspired, I know. Sorry. Good luck.

78. Eviedee on February 28th, 2007 9:05 pm

    I lost 30 pounds within 6 months by doing Krav Maga. (http://www.kravmagaetc.com/) I really enjoy the workout, I am learning some cool self defense techniques and I am building tons of muscle. Losing weight by building muscle is great because you can still eat quite a bit and weight loss tends to be more permanent. I was sick for an entire month in December, ate whatever I wanted, did not exercise and I only gained back 2 pounds. Good luck to you whatever you may decide!

79. Jessie on March 1st, 2007 7:09 am

    I don’t know why, probably because Riley looks like he’s at a really fun age, but that video just made my ovaries scream “I want one!”. Weird, huh? Seriously, it was audible to others in the room (if, in fact, there had been others in the room).

    As for dieting, the only thing that has made any really difference for me is writing down everything I eat along with the calories of each item and stopping eating around 1500 calories. I do this for about a month (and am completely obsessed with the whole process for that whole month) and I usually lose quite a bit. I’ve done this twice and it has worked. Then, if my weight starts creeping up I do this again for a few days. It works better if I plan out everything I eat ahead of time. It’s kind of time consuming, but it works.

80. erin on March 1st, 2007 7:47 am

    From my experience, WW works well while you are on it, but as soon as you go off, the weight packs back on. And who wants to be on WW for the rest of enternity? My recommendation: Sign up for a 10K, then go to runnersworld’s website and pick a beginner training program. The deadline will motivate you to stick with the training and running melts the weight off. And when I’m training for something I tend to eat more healthily by default. Plus, it’s easier to keep the weight off because you build muscle and increase your metabolism at the same time.

81. Jenny on March 1st, 2007 7:53 am

    I lost all my baby weight, and then some, by just counting calories. Like really writing them down on a little tablet of paper and tallying them up. Since when I started I weighed about 160, I tried to keep it under 1500 calories, when I dropped to 140 I kept it to 1300 or less calories, etc. I also started making little changes one by one. Bought fat free cheese instead of the real thing, fat free beans, whole wheat tortillas instead of flour (love me some burritos). I also bought the weight watchers meals since they were usually about 350 calories or less, but they left me too hungry. I felt more satisfied buying the healthier versions of my good ol’ comfort food. Also, I finally cut out sugar. No sweets, but I did buy the sugar free cookies, by Pillsbury I think? Quite yummy. Total success story, I was smaller than I had ever been. I looked good . . . in clothes. Unfortuantely dieting can’t rid a person of the middle belly extra skin stretchmarked flab.

82. Maureen on March 1st, 2007 9:55 am

    I admire people who can be successful on Weight Watchers, because it does work. It backfired with me, because the counting of points made me obsessed by food. That is all I thought about, how to get as much food for as few points. Also I got into this weird weekly eating cycle of being off program after weigh in, then the 3 days before my meeting, eating very minimally. Certainly not WW’s fault, my own failings.

    I tried South Beach on the recommendation of a friend, and I swear it felt like magic after WW. No counting, plenty of food, and I still lost weight. More importantly, I felt like a million bucks, no blood sugar crashes. I also felt much more even keeled, emotionally. Funny, I didn’t want to try the diet because the name really put me off, but as far as a doable lifestyle, it is a winner for me.

83. Alexandra on March 1st, 2007 10:14 am

    I also was in a similar position to you … 33 years old; tried exercising like a madman and eating whatever I wanted … didn’t work. Tried eating really well and not exercising … didn’t work. Tried both together … only worked because I also went to Weight Watchers and the threat of public humiliation of weighing in each week. I went from 168 on 6/1/2005 to 143 on 8/24/2005. Since then I have been trapped in the same 5lb. weight range … now I have added more weight training than cardio and I am still waiting for it to work … WW really did work for me though. I have willpower when I get direction! GOOD LUCK!

84. Niki on March 1st, 2007 12:13 pm

    I think all these posts show that different things work for different people… Have you struggled with your weight for years, or is this a first-time gain that sort of got away from you? Do you like to think through your meals or have them sort of pulled together for you? Do you want to have a mental conception of the physiological processes involved, or just be told which things are good for which purposes?

    My best friend has struggled with her weight for years. I’ve watched her have some success with WW, but never huge success, and never anything that sticks. I, on the other hand, didn’t struggle with my weight as a teenager or in my early 20s. In my late 20s I started putting on weight, and when my friend suggested we do a diet together, I decided to suck it up and do a “diet.” We used the Schwarzbein Principle (I think that’s what it’s called; we always called it the Schwarzenegger dieat). The book could use some editing, but I found it transformational because it answered many questions I’d had about the way the body breaks down carbs, fats, and proteins, and had suggestions for how to eat in a way that optimized the body’s use of food.

    I usually refer to this as a “moderate carb” diet. she was a diabetes doctor who observed that the old high-carb diet for diabetes wasn’t working well for her patients, and set out to devise something new. Anyhoo, I’ve always avoided no-carb situations because she points out that if your carb level gets too low, you can start to feel depressed. What you do is gauge your activity level, and then limit your carb intake based on how much your body will be able to use.

    Other than that, you eat lots of veggies (and fiber, in general, because it helps your metabolism fire up, if I’m remembering correctly) and avoid processed foods as much as possible, especially refined flour and sugar.

    Personally, I have found that I can only get my body to begin burning fat when I a) stop my sugar intake, b) stop my caffeine intake (both a and b mess with your body’s natural cues as to what it needs), c) increased raw vegetable consumption, and d) exercised first thing in the morning to get my metabolism going.

    I lost 30 pounds this way; my friend lost maybe 15, but it was always a much bigger struggle for her. We have different relationships with food, and we have different experience with weight gain and weight loss. All I can do is suggest that when you do find a weight loss program, you look at how it will help you change your eating habits post-diet.

    Hm, I should add in one more: e) this was easiest when I was sharing the food burden with my roommate (aforementioned best friend). We each only had to devise 3 dinners apiece, instead of 6 (7th day was eating out). We checked in with each other, and encouraged and commiserated with each other. Again, this might be something you will find helpful, or it might be irrelevant for your case.

85. laura on March 1st, 2007 1:25 pm

    Sorry to hear that your diet is no longer. I’m so right there with you.

    I’m deeply jealous of your cleaning person acquisition. If I have to thanklessly vacuum one more time this week, I may go off the deep end.

86. fellowmom on March 1st, 2007 4:48 pm

    Not trying to make you feel guilty, Sundry! Though I will admit that I kind of pressured my mom to switch from Merry Maids to a sole proprietor. I don’t know why, but I suspected you’d already read N&D.

    One WW clarification–I eat core foods, but tracked points at first, because I was used to the flexplan and had, shall we say, a portion issue.

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