My Reward

I am searching to have a big reward for reaching my goal weight of 110 pounds. That's 90 pounds and I believe I should have a seriously big reward to celebrate that kind of success...I'm just not sure what.

A friend suggested hip piercings. Ehh...I mean, if I have that kind of body I'll be able to pull it off, but piercings make me squeamish,

I was thinking of a tattoo, but one I'm out of ideas and two, I can get a tattoo any time so I don't feel like it's not as big of a reward.

Ideas?

If I were to get hip piercings, I'd do three on each side. The problem is I do not want silver dermals. Not my thing, too boring.

I'd likely get these for my dermals, but smaller

I think if I got a tattoo it would be "You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and stars" or a hummingbird.

Any other ideas that would be a great reward to celebrate my weight loss?

If you like tattoos that is always a nice gift to yourself.

I'm just not sure what it should be. I believe it should be a hip tattoo because one of the reasons I am losing weight is to get my hip bones back. And should it match my other hip tattoo, a butterfly and rose (which is why I'm thinking hummingbird)?

Also, I don't think hip piercings would work because of my tattoo

Maybe something like this and have the cat look like my cat...maybe change the heart to a moon or flowers?

I have discovered monmon cats!

I have decided to go with the monmon cat as a dedication to my cat Evy. I want the designs of both the first and last one. I want the cat stretched out like Evy does, and I have a few pictures of Evy that would be a good start of the pose I want.

I'm going to let my mom design the cat for me. I think it would be really special for her to design it. She's never drew a design for a tattoo before, it will be a very different style than she's used to, but I know I can do it and it'd be all the more special if she designed it. <3

That sounds great. I hope we can see it after you get it done.

That will be a year from now but yes...I will.

Have you ever lost that much weight? It seems like a pretty big deal. When I lose a lot of weight (and I have never lost the amount you describe) I find it is like a big adventure. How do you feel about the journey? When I lose a lot of weight there are highs and lows. I never have a "reward" in mind. Mostly it is because I love clothes, and when I gain weight it bums me out that I can't wear a lot of my favorite clothes. So the reward is always the same...just that I can go back to being a clothes horse! I have a big weight loss goal for the next three months. I want to run a 5K and that is my reward...new running shoes and a 5K which is something I have never done. I love the monmon cats, by the way.

I have never gained or lost this much weight before. This is the first time since my hospitalization (5 years ago) where I've been serious about losing the weight. The part of the journey is also the battle of my illness and I have decided I'm not going to let it control me or my weight.

Hey congratulations on your results! Keep it up.

Any suggestions on losing weight that I could use? I mean, how did you do it? Must have been tough.

The tattoo idea is really nice, and I really liked those cats you posted. I love cats too. (Right now my cat is sleeping on my bed, she's no dumb haha)

I don't really have a plan, mostly goals I strive to achieve.

Such as?

http://forums.psychcentral.com/gener...ight-loss.html

This week has been a bad week for me and I've gained almost everything back by consuming alcohol and pizza, but I am determined to get back on my game plan.

I try to eat a big salad at lunch and dinner and drink 8 big cups of water a day. I also go to the gym frequently and my goal is to exercise for at least 60 minutes.

Overall, I have definitely made some big improvements to weight loss. I eat a big salad with lunch and dinner, breakfast usually includes yogurt, fruit, and a protein shake. When I eat at fast food I only consume 300 calories the whole meal. I work at Arby's so I will have a side salad with light italian dressing and a Jr Roast Beef or a Jr Ham n Cheddar which is 300 calories.

This week has been bad for me, I had two bottles of wine to myself plus half a beer, soda and five slices of pizza. Alcohol and pizza are two big no-nos for me, but if I were more conscious about it I would have had one glass and no pizza. I eat pizza too much so I have decided that pizza, mac n cheese, and soda are all foods I can never have again. Normally, my diet doesn't discriminate any food but to eat it sparingly, but those three foods are something I "abuse" and eating pizza and drinking soda will not help me lose weight.

I am so there with you about the pizza. I love love love pizza. I knew I couldn't limit it so had to cut it out. Maybe not...forever. Forever is such a long time! But definitely while I am dieting to lose excess weight. I ate pizza the last time on New Year's Eve. So...almost 90 days without pizza...and I am surviving!

Same with drinking. I also love love love dark beer and red wine. My favorite beer is Guinness, and with wine it's any inexpensive pinot noir. Problem is I think because I am half Irish I can drink a lot of Guinness, and because I am half Italian I can drink as much red wine as I want. Well, a 6 ounce glass of wine is about 100 calories, give or take. So, if I would drink a whole bottle - easy for anyone who loves wine - that could possibly be 1000 calories of "non-food"! That's almost my entire calorie allowance for one day! Now I prefer to eat my calories. So, booze is completely gone.

Mac n Cheese is also out.

We can't lose weight and eat anything we want. I've also cut out any foods I tend to over-eat, even if they are healthy. I cut out all cheese except parmesian, all fast food, peanut butter, butter, oil, all sweets, chocolate, alcohol, dairy, and red meat. I have been cheating on the sweets and eating marshmellow peeps for Easter...199 calories for 3 large chocolate dipped peeps. But I only have one package of 3 left and I am saving that for Easter - then it is back on track!

My exercise goal is 2.5 hours (two hours cardio, two hour weight lifting) minimum 4 times a week. I haven't yet made that goal but am coming close. It takes dedication and commitment.

I hate plain water so I drink water with fruit in it, or herbal tea. There are a lot of diet teas out there now, and also slimming green teas.

On YouTube my favorite inspiring weight loss person is Lauren Mae, of LoseItLikeLauren Channel. She lost 147 pounds in, I think, about 2 years. She also managed to get loose skin removal surgery by the NHS which is the health care system in the UK. She is funny, and inspiring, and the change in her appearance is very inspiring. She is beautiful and has a fabulous accent. She lost weight naturally, and she includes a lot of tips in her videos.

Good Luck. I hope you check out Lauren on her YouTube channel.

We are so in sync with what we are trying to accomplish!

I wonder if I should have a pizza chart. I have a pocket calendar as well as a google calendar. I'm afraid that if I chart everything then things get confusing or I will forget or be overwhelmed. However, I do have a notepad I dedicate as a food journal and I realize now that since I've been forgetting to chart it and thinking I already know what I eat so therefore no need to use it... I have been going way off the chart with what I've been eating and drinking. I know I should get back to at least journaling what I eat. I also have a chart for water consumption and times I exercise at the gym. I have a reward system where if meet my goal in water consumption or if I meet 60 minutes at the gym, then I put an X. Not sure what the reward will be, but it helps keep me on track...I guess the reward is not necessarily a physical reward but a reward that keeps me motivated to lose weight.

I have an addictive personality so one, I drink to get drunk. I'm not one of those "I'll have one drink and be happy" type of people. Those type of people should stick to Shirley Temples if they want to drink and not feel it! Two, the next day, I want to drink more. Today, I went to my grandparents house and there was a bottle of smirnoff ice that has been there since the last time I spent the night. I drank it because I was thirsty (I know, my parents always says "no one drinks alcohol because they are thirsty"). And then I did some serious yardwork. Spent two hours pulling weeds. Afterwards I was exhausted and I thought "I deserve a drink". My grandparents believe I shouldn't be drinking because of my meds, but my grandma brought out her alcohol and told me I could fix a drink. I went up to take a shower and during the shower I thought about it, realized it would sacrifice my diet if I kept drinking, plus I am having a high-calorie dinner, so I thought better of it and when I came down I told my grandma I decided not to drink. Yay me! It's been hard but I need to stay on track and avoid drinking.



Ick...I've always found peeps to be gross. I've actually cut out a lot of fruit especially dried fruit because I wanted to focus my energy on eating more veggies. I think of myself like a little kid, I'll ignore the veggies if I have fruit on my plate. But I don't cut out fruit entirely. Breakfast is the main meal where I have fruit. I'll have a high protein yogurt, an apple, and a protein shake, sometimes waffles or a spoonful of peanut butter. I am not a big fan of peanut butter unless it's on waffles. I avoid eating bread because I can easily eat half a loaf if I wanted to. I'll have to think up a game plan for tonight's dinner. We are eating poor man stew and I like taking the ends and putting the soup into the bread or buttering up bread and dipping it in the soup. But then I get myself stuffed on bread which is a huge no no. I think tonight I will have only the end pieces. Plus I've already made up my mind that I will start off with a salad to make me feel fuller.

I am starting off slow with only 60 minutes. I am someone who hates to exercise, but I always feel good afterward especially when I meet my goal. I don't do weight lifting, but I do the ab machine and the hip abductor because it's the two areas I really want to get in shape. (flat belly, no muffin top!)

I'll look into it.

I'm with you two all the way! Pizza is too addictive.

Literary, good post you refered me to. I like your goals, they're consistent, useful and inspiring! Keep the hard work.

I just looked it up and a piece of pizza is 140 calories. I guess for those with willpower having one piece would be fine. For me, I would need to have at least two, maybe two and a half, so that is like 350 calories, with no vegetables.

The fact you were planning ahead for dinner, and deciding not to have a drink was excellent. That is the mindset you need. I hate writing down all my food intake and what I drink but I have to or I overeat.

I cut out bread because I love it too much. I used to buy a baguette and eat it with butter for dinner. With a couple glasses of wine! Hmmm. So a dinner of over 1,000 calories and no nutrition!

I need to cut out pasta because I love it too much. I ate two bowls of pasta today, with white chicken. I don't know. Maybe...about 1,000 calories worth of food? I had a green smoothie with kale and berries for breakfast. Then I ate a hard-boiled egg white...it is protein and only 17 calories!!! I am full but I could still eat those marshmellow peeps in the frig! I completely agree that they are kind of disgusting. But I think they have less calories than all the rest of the Easter candy.

After awhile, with all the calorie counting and cutting out of favorite foods...the whole eating thing loses its appeal. I think that's a good thing.

I will tell you seriously, Larkie, that cutting out drinking wasn't easy. I don't drink to get drunk...but it does relax me, and I just love having a couple glasses. Even thinking about it is difficult.

I know that Lauren Mae, the YouTuber who lost 147 pounds did not cut out alcohol. She said she wouldn't because she loves to drink, so she managed to lose the weight without cutting out drinking. Maybe she makes up for it by exercising more the next day. She doesn't really say. I will have to ask her this in the comments section.

Good Luck! You deserve your hipbones!! I don't think I have seen my hipbones since 2012. I guess what I want is my hourglass figure, perfected. I have a perfect hourglass figure that looks great at the right weight. But at 5"4' my figure can't accommodate extra weight.

Don't listen too much to what I am doing. I am being a little extreme because I want to lose a lot of weight in 90 days.

Good idea about writing down water consumption. I absolutely need to do that!!!

I don't believe that it's only 140 calories. That's most likely one sliver of a cheese pizza with no sauce. Let's not get into an argument about it though, let's just say that no matter how big or small of a slice and what type of toppings you put onto it...pizza is NOT healthy for you!

IMHO pizza is a diet ruiner. Because for me, I can easily eat half a pizza, and there have been several times where I have eaten a whole pizza in one sitting. That entails eating 2-4+ servings, waiting a few minutes, and then eating 2 more slices, and then another helping, and then oops! Entire pizza gone. Or you eat a few slices, put it away, and then have it for snacks...or breakfast...or lunch and dinner.

To make a long story short (too late) pizza is bad news if you're dieting. Just...stay away pizza...stay away!

See, I can do it! I cannot lose 90 pounds overnight, but I have several goals to work towards: My precious hip bones, my flat belly, the desirable size 3 jeans, and a new tattoo! I need to keep up this mindset or I will never reach my goal with pizza and alcohol being my main triggers. I also emotional eat and binge eat, but I've been curbing that by simply saying "No!" to emotional eating (doesn't always work but it does make me stop and think) and when I have the munchies I'll eat popcorn or Bare apple crisps where the only ingredient is apples.

I choose not to eat bread if I can help it. I had one end piece of bread at dinner, no butter, that I filled with the stew....and that was all! I also had a big salad at dinner with mushrooms and zucchini with two whole carrots on the side before I even had any stew, which was a small bowl that was more than half the serving of what my grandparents had. I was full before I even finished my stew (I made myself finish the stew out of respect for my grandparents who worked hard to make it and they know it's my all-time favorite recipe.) Now I am eating exactly a 1/2 cup of ice cream and a third of a banana. I'm not a big ice cream person, but when I am craving sweets I'll have a few spoonfuls.

My grandparents are on a diet as well, and they eat a 1/2 cup of ice cream every day and still lose weight. What's great is that now I have a strong support system to talk to my grandparents about losing weight. We are very close. I call them every single day, sometimes 2 or 3 times a day and I visit them as often as I can. I only wish my parents would hop on board the weight loss train. Both my parents are very obese and when I was hospitalized five years ago they stopped dieting and gained all their weight back...but at one point my mom was in super good shape and she said she hadn't been that low since she was in college.

Any ideas on how to get my parents on board with losing weight with me and my grandparents?

Hmmm...not sure if I hope not or hope so...I agree that I am sick of stuffing my face full of food to the point of self-embarrassment...there's been time when I shoveled potato salad straight from the bowl with a spoon as a snack...

The reason of how she can drink and lose weight will be essential...I have to know her trick or else no alcohol at all. It's an addiction not to say I am an alcoholic but that when I drink I like to get drunk which means multiple drinks and shots which is a big no-no for weight loss. Here's the biggie: How do I and what do I reward myself with when I feel like I "deserve" a drink? Such instances along the lines of, working on a project that exerts a lot of time and energy and times where I feel like a deserve a reward on a job well done? Today, I skipped the alcohol and accepted the cash I took when I finished doing yardwork for my grandma.

Thank you!!!

Please don't be insulted, the following statement has nothing to do with you but how I view my own body: IDGAF about my figure per se. I hate the figure I have because the only asset I have gained since weight gain is a HUGE booty. Several people told me they are obsessed with my butt and the reasoning for one guy to hook up with me is because he thought my butt has filled out nicely since high school. Do I want my big butt? No, but I hope people still like my butt when it's smaller. And my breasts? ffffffffffffff they got bigger too in a really ugly way! I want smaller breasts because I don't like wearing bras...ickkkk!!!!

Hell, we all gotta go at our own pace. No sense of competing when we are looking to lose for our own reasons.

Yes, that's actually been really important. It reminds me to drink more water, and I am starting to realize that I set a high standard for the water I intend to drink, but it will make me feel super special when I make that little X of times I met my water goal.

Some comments:

1) Well, I gave up pizza altogether so I looked up the calories only out of curiosity. I agree that 140 a piece seems a really low estimate. I used to love cold pizza for breakfast!

2) I gave up ice cream in 2014. Guess that's my way. I have such a hard time with portioning out favorite foods it is just easier giving them up. I gave up chocolate bars in 2015.

3) I will let you know what Lauren Mae has to say about still drinking alcohol while losing 147 pounds. She also continued to eat bread. I think she worked out a lot.

4) I have family members who are obese. It makes me sad but food addiction is not something you can cure in someone else. Probably the best thing is to inspire by example.

5) Right now I have big everything...big thighs, big butt, big boobs. If I am even one ounce over normal weight I become "the thick girl." Okay, guys like this, right? Until they are your boyfriend or married to you. I know from experience. Did you really wear size 3 jeans? Okay, I never in my life got below a size 4-6 and at that time looked anorexic. I would def be happy with 6 to 8. I really hate the hefty boobs that come with weight gain. As I said I am an hour-glass so I don't completely lose boobs but I don't like it when I feel self-conscious. Is this TMI??? Mainly I hate the thick-girl look and I only get rid of it by getting even a bit underweight. It is do-able. I do like my figure when I am normal weight and it shape and I love clothes. I am a creative dresser but I can't be creative when overweight. I know some do but I don't. Oh well, maybe that's not true. I still get compliments on dressing creatively, but I don't feel good in my body. And that's what's important. But food and eating have to take the back seat. At least while dieting. Exercise has to take the front seat.

About what to do instead of drinking. I go to Target and walk around. Buy some nail polish. Work on projects. Take some valerian or passion flower (herbs) or...exercise. Sometimes I will just go out and drive around or call someone or write in my journal. Mostly I try not to think about it. I am like you. If I drink one day then the next day I want to drink. It is something about the carbs and sugars in alcohol. It's refined sugar. That's how I think of it now. It also kills brain cells. I just don't think of alcohol in a positive light.

I don't think of "substances" as rewards anymore...I used to reward myself with smoking cigarettes, drinking, eating treat food. I just don't reward myself like that anymore. I have gotten out of the "reward" mindset. I try to have even, balanced days. Actually I am fighting coming out of a major depressive episode, so every hour I am just trying to survive, and stay out of depression. My life isn't the best right now but I am really proud of myself that I am not trying to drown out my problems with booze or food or cigarettes. It is kind of a new way of being. Oh, I also have several very inspirational people on YouTube who I visit. I have been developing a new life philosophy I call "Alpha Pure" which means clearing out the clutter physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.

6) I gave up popcorn in 2015. I thought it was a healthy "snack" until I realized I was packing away one huge bowl all by myself almost every night. I gave up all corn products in 2015 because they feed corn to cattle and hogs to make them hugely fat. Need I say more?

7) I will be competitive on the water goal because water is essential for weight loss. Did you know if you don't hydrate enough your body won't release fat???? Starting tomorrow, I will record water.

8) I just ate the last of the peeps. Guess I will have a healthy Easter! Happy Easter, Larks!