# I'm "that" Mom...



## Wookiemonster (Aug 14, 2011)

Ya know...they one who completely let herself go after having a kid...who spent the next 3 years say..."It's baby fat".

The one who used to do this:







And this:






But now looks like this:

*Never mind...I can't find any current pictures of me...Probably because I don't take any due to looking like a bloated albino cow.




  

Well all that's changing now.  I'm following Stumptuous' "No Fat Chicks" program (free weights 4 days a week and slowly adding in cardio cause lets face it...no one likes to see 250lbs flopping around in Zumba classes), and anal retentively tracking what I eat, to get a real picture of how bad I've let things get.

I've joined not so much looking for advice (at least not yet, don't worry...the questions will soon flow like the waters of the Nile), but more for support...and access to varying opinions, articles etc.  

I've got a long hard row to hoe, but it will be done.

3 month goal:  Analyze eating habits and adjust as needed, hit the gym 4 days a week and work up to 30 minutes of cardio by the end of October.

6 month goal: Have cut all soda, candy, and bread out of my diet completely, 4 days a week at the gym and a full hour of cardio.

1 year goal: Maintain eating habits, cut body fat to 20-25% (currently at 47-50%), reach (if not surpass) prior squat and dead lift maxes (squat=250, dead lift=315).


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## sassy69 (Aug 14, 2011)

Congrats on setting your goals so clearly (and very attainably!) and welcome to IMF!


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## Pittsburgh63 (Aug 14, 2011)

It takes guts to post pics up... it should prove to help become a great motivation tool, and I hope you achieve everything you are looking to accomplish.


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## ovr40 (Aug 14, 2011)

what lies behind us and what lies ahead of us, pale, in comparrisson, to what lies within us!
everyone starts somewhere, welcome aboard!


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## Wookiemonster (Aug 14, 2011)

sassy69 said:


> Congrats on setting your goals so clearly (and very attainably!) and welcome to IMF!



Thanks!!!  I am a lover of lists, plans, charts, basically all things organized. 



Pittsburgh63 said:


> It takes guts to post pics up... it should prove to help become a great motivation tool, and I hope you achieve everything you are looking to accomplish.



Thanks!!!  I need motivation right now...0430 comes much to early these days.



ovr40 said:


> what lies behind us and what lies ahead of us, pale, in comparrisson, to what lies within us!
> everyone starts somewhere, welcome aboard!



Thanks!!!


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## Built (Aug 14, 2011)

Hi there, and welcome. I'm a former fatty myself - you've got a little more to drop than I did, but you're armed with better information from the start, you'll get your body back sooner than you think. 

Glad you found stumptuous - and us. 

Have a peek at homework 1 in my sig. You're already lifting so you can leave that part alone, but there are some basic guidelines for diet you may find helpful.


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## Wookiemonster (Aug 14, 2011)

Built said:


> Have a peek at homework 1 in my sig. You're already lifting so you can leave that part alone, but there are some basic guidelines for diet you may find helpful.



Thanks!!!

Diet has always been my issue...I've never been able to fully look at food as fuel.  It's always been my vice.


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## Kathybird (Aug 14, 2011)

Hi!!  ... and Yay!  another chick 

I'm hearin' your pain.  I'm in the same situation except a few years farther along.  .... um, except for the deadlifting 315 part.  Holy cow.  I've gotten some of the best info from Built, and it's the first thing that worked in YEARS.  Good luck!!


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## anxious1 (Aug 14, 2011)

Great motivation to be found in your own words! 
I wish you the best, you'll be able to surpass your goals while adhering to your drive!


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## Wookiemonster (Aug 14, 2011)

Kathybird said:


> Hi!!  ... and Yay!  another chick
> 
> I'm hearin' your pain.  I'm in the same situation except a few years farther along.  .... um, except for the* deadlifting 315* part.  Holy cow.  I've gotten some of the best info from Built, and it's the first thing that worked in YEARS.  Good luck!!



I so miss that feeling.  It's my legs...I've got thighs for days.



anxious1 said:


> Great motivation to be found in your own words!
> I wish you the best, you'll be able to surpass your goals while adhering to your drive!



Thanks!!!


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## Built (Aug 14, 2011)

wookiemonster - what is your greatest challenge with food? Can you describe how you're trying to eat now?


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## BigBill (Aug 14, 2011)

Welcome to the best place for excellent knowledge, and
awesome support on the net!
Just stick with it and you will be happy!!!


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## Wookiemonster (Aug 14, 2011)

Built said:


> wookiemonster - what is your greatest challenge with food? Can you describe how you're trying to eat now?




I try to focus on chicken, turkey, veggies, fruits and increasing my daily water intake.

My issues come in with quantity.  Even when eating healthy I get caught up on how good my food taste and eat to much.

That combined with coke, bread and chocolate, hence my 6 month goal of cutting those things completely.


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## Built (Aug 14, 2011)

What calories will you try to run on this? How many grams of protein, carb and fat do you think you should be eating daily? Can you describe the meals you eat, and the time you eat these meals over the course of the day? When are you hungriest - what time of day MUST you eat, and when do you find yourself able to manage without eating? How often do you feel you should eat daily?


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## Wookiemonster (Aug 14, 2011)

Built said:


> What calories will you try to run on this? How many grams of protein, carb and fat do you think you should be eating daily? Can you describe the meals you eat, and the time you eat these meals over the course of the day? When are you hungriest - what time of day MUST you eat, and when do you find yourself able to manage without eating? How often do you feel you should eat daily?




As I've just started I'm working on at/around 1700 calories a day.

I have no idea.

Breakfast: 2 turkey sausage patties, 3 scrambled eggs, with either milk, oj or water.

Snack: A packet of SunButter.

Lunch: Salad consisting of spinach, dark leaf lettuce, hard boiled egg, grilled chicken, cous-cous (sp?), carrots and cheese, more water...sometimes a coke.

Snack: A packet of SunButter or some fruit.

Dinner: Varies...everything from fried chicken and mashed potatoes (G-d was good to me...I was born in the South!!!) to another salad.

I eat at roughly 7:15 (I have hypothyroidism so I have to have my meds on a 2 hour empty stomach), 10ish, 12:30-1:30, 3:30ish and 6:00-7:30.

Hunger varies from day to day, as does periods of fasting.

This lack of real knowledge of my own eating habits is why I'm documenting so heavily what, how much and when I eat...but that's only 1 day old...so there aren't any real trends to be seen yet


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## Built (Aug 14, 2011)

I'm hypothyroid, too. What meds do you take, what dose, and at what time(s)?

1700 might be a bit too low for you right now. If you fight too much hunger, try 2000. Ditch all juices btw - they'll just make you hungry and they have the same sugar profile as coca cola. 

What's sunbutter?


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## Wookiemonster (Aug 15, 2011)

Built said:


> I'm hypothyroid, too. What meds do you take, what dose, and at what time(s)?
> 
> 1700 might be a bit too low for you right now. If you fight too much hunger, try 2000. Ditch all juices btw - they'll just make you hungry and they have the same sugar profile as coca cola.
> 
> What's sunbutter?



I take 100mg synthroid once daily in the morning on an empty stomach. 

Ugh...I LOVE orange juice....I'm gonna go pout over this one. 

SunButter is a product the company I work for produces. Think peanut butter but made from Sunflower seeds. It's oh so tasty. You can check out it's nutritional info on sunbutter.com (<----That doesn't break any rules does it?).


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## ANIMALHAUS (Aug 15, 2011)

Welcome to IM, and good luck getting back in shape!!!


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## Gena Marie (Aug 15, 2011)

Welcome to the board.  Good luck with your progress.


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## Built (Aug 15, 2011)

wookie, your synthroid dose is low. I take 100mcg synthroid also, but I also take 90mg of desiccated thyroid and 15 mcg cytomel. Synthroid is ideally dosed several times through the day. If you take it all at once, your free T4 remains elevated for about 9 hours, then falls. This means if you try to take more than your dose all at once in the AM like you do, your heart goes tachy untll mid-afternoon. I take 50mcg first thing in the AM, 25mcg at about 1 PM and 25mcg at bedtime. You might want to try that. 

Is your sunbutter made from roasted sunflower seeds? If so, I'd avoid it - polyunsaturated fats become damaged when they are heated. 

Try ditching all snacks - you'll feel more fed if you eat a large serving of protein - AND calories - at your first meal. If the sunbutter's not made from damaged polys, have it with your breakfast, then don't eat again until lunch. Try to eat only a few meals a day - three or at most four - with no snacks. For me, it's so much more comfortable, I'll never diet any other way. If you can blow off breakfast entirely and start eating later in the day, that works too. I eat my first meal at around 11 AM, then again at about 2 or 3 PM and then dinner, which is often quite late, like at around 9 or 10. I'll sometimes have another meal at around 6 or 7, but not always. Usually if my "lunch" was eaten closer to 2. 

Orange juice is liquid candy. The fructose is going to mess with your appetite and undo the good work you're doing in leaning heavily on protein with your breakfast. If you don't mind being uncomfortably hungry while you diet, by all means drink your oj. Some folks are happier being hungry than giving up favourite foods and it all comes down to what you can live with. 

Me, personally, I'd rather feel fed. 

What was your TSH and your free T4 on your most recent bloodwork? And how long have you been on synthroid? Also, are you on the pill?


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## Wookiemonster (Aug 15, 2011)

I don't know. I'm ashamed to admit I that what I know about hypothyroidism, my meds and my levels could easily be written on a chewing gum wrapper.

Do you have some reading material you could direct me to?

I also don't know about the SunButter...but I've sent out some emails to find out.

I'm going to try the 3 meals heavy on the protein with no snacks...because obvisouly what I'm doing now isn't working. I would skip breakfast...but I work out at 0430 and I get hungry.

I see what you are saying about the OJ...I just hate to give it up...but again obvisouly what I'm doing isn't working.

I'm not on any kind of BC...the pill makes me feel like a bloated pig and the depo shot is what I believe started my thyroid issues (but that's a long story).


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## Built (Aug 15, 2011)

Wookiemonster said:


> I don't know. I'm ashamed to admit I that what I know about hypothyroidism, my meds and my levels could easily be written on a chewing gum wrapper.


No shame there - you're not an endocrinologist and there's no reason why I should know this stuff, either - except I felt lousy and fat and wanted to fix it. Very few doctors - or even endos - know proper management of thyroid replacement. 


Wookiemonster said:


> Do you have some reading material you could direct me to?


Start with Thyroid Mistreatment, Hypothyroidism Scandals, and Thyroid Treatment Problems | Stop The Thyroid Madness


Wookiemonster said:


> I also don't know about the SunButter...but I've sent out some emails to find out.


I read the site, and sunbutter is made from roasted seeds. I'd avoid it personally. 



Wookiemonster said:


> I'm going to try the 3 meals heavy on the protein with no snacks...because obvisouly what I'm doing now isn't working. I would skip breakfast...but I work out at 0430 and I get hungry.


Ah, you're up early! Understood - you'll want to eat in the AM. What time do you go to bed? You may be one who prefers to eat more food earlier in the day. I'm a late-riser, but like the nighttime so I eat most of my calories later in the day. Either works, it's all about comfort. 



Wookiemonster said:


> I see what you are saying about the OJ...I just hate to give it up...but again obvisouly what I'm doing isn't working.


Keep it for the occasional treat, or perhaps have it closer to bedtime. Better yet, eat an orange closer to bedtime. I've never seen anyone sit down and eat six oranges at once, but lots of people drink that in a single sitting. 


Wookiemonster said:


> I'm not on any kind of BC...the pill makes me feel like a bloated pig and the depo shot is what I believe started my thyroid issues (but that's a long story).


Hormonal contraceptives knocked out my thyroid as well, you're not alone. Fucking depo - I never hear anyone wax poetic about that stuff.


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## Kathybird (Aug 15, 2011)

For the OJ, try crystal light.  It's not perfect as a substitute but I had the same addiction to OJ, and I KNOW it makes my psoirasis flare up.  Drank it anyway.

Built kinda started me out with a somewhat Atkins/Palm Beach-ish break in - tons of protein, cut out all sugar.  Had a damn headache for two days.  The first two days I used colonix - a kind of fiber/laxative powder - it helped me with the hunger, gave my intestines/insides ... "something to do" for lack of a better description.  Took my mind off digging out the cookies n cream Ben n Jerry's.


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## Wookiemonster (Aug 15, 2011)

Built said:


> No shame there - you're not an endocrinologist and there's no reason why I should know this stuff, either - except I felt lousy and fat and wanted to fix it. Very few doctors - or even endos - know proper management of thyroid replacement.
> 
> Start with Thyroid Mistreatment, Hypothyroidism Scandals, and Thyroid Treatment Problems | Stop The Thyroid Madness


 
True...the 1st endo I went to 2 months after my 1st (and only) depo shot wanted to nuke my thyroid THAT DAY. He didn't even offer alternative treatments.




> Ah, you're up early! Understood - you'll want to eat in the AM. What time do you go to bed?


 
I usually hit the hay around 10ish.



> Keep it for the occasional treat, or perhaps have it closer to bedtime. Better yet, eat an orange closer to bedtime.


 
This I could live with. 



> Hormonal contraceptives knocked out my thyroid as well, you're not alone. Fucking depo - I never hear anyone wax poetic about that stuff.


 
What pissed me off more than anything was I had NO issues before the deop shot. I take the shot (becuse it's ok for breastfeeding mama's) and suddenly I gain 30lbs, my hair (and I have A LOT of hair) is falling out in clumps and my toes and fingers feel like ice blocks. But according to my OB (I have a new one now) and that Endo I mentioned earlier swore up and down that there was NO WAY the deop shot had anything to do with that.


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## Kathybird (Aug 15, 2011)

Built said:


> I've never seen anyone sit down and eat six oranges at once, but lots of people drink that in a single sitting.



My seven-year-old can.  She LOVES fruit.  I buy grapes, strawberries, blackberries and oranges in bulk.  She demolishes a crate of those tiny oranges (what are they called again?) in two days.


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## Built (Aug 15, 2011)

> What pissed me off more than anything was I had NO issues before the deop shot. I take the shot (becuse it's ok for breastfeeding mama's) and suddenly I gain 30lbs, my hair (and I have A LOT of hair) is falling out in clumps and my toes and fingers feel like ice blocks. But according to my OB (I have a new one now) and that Endo I mentioned earlier swore up and down that there was NO WAY the deop shot had anything to do with that.


Fuckers.


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## Kathybird (Aug 15, 2011)

... have I mentioned lately I'm pushing the DH for a snipping?


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## Wookiemonster (Aug 15, 2011)

Kathybird said:


> My seven-year-old can. She LOVES fruit. I buy grapes, strawberries, blackberries and oranges in bulk. She demolishes a crate of those tiny oranges (what are they called again?) in two days.


 

My 3 year old is the same way with grapes and bananas.  There was a time when she ate 3-4 bananas a day.


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## Wookiemonster (Aug 15, 2011)

Built said:


> Fuckers.


 

You have no idea how badly I wanted to punch both of them.  Espically my OB...she was speaking to me as if I was 2 and didn't know my asshole from my elbow.


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## Built (Aug 15, 2011)

I had no problems with my weight until hormones, either. 

Kathybird, wookiemonster - are your kids a little plump? Fructose makes folks hungry and kids really don't have much room for fructose in their little livers. Get 'em to drink a bit glass of milk (full fat) whenever they seem to be snacking on fruit. It'll fill 'em up.


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## Wookiemonster (Aug 15, 2011)

Built said:


> I had no problems with my weight until hormones, either.
> 
> Kathybird, wookiemonster - are your kids a little plump? Fructose makes folks hungry and kids really don't have much room for fructose in their little livers. Get 'em to drink a bit glass of milk (full fat) whenever they seem to be snacking on fruit. It'll fill 'em up.


 

No. 

Her only issue is she gets pooky belly when she eats...not matter how much or little she has.

She is still in that limited toddlerhood diet and eats mainly eggs, cheese (real...not that kraft crap) fruit, and cheese.  We are working on gettting more veggie in her diet, but as most wiht toddlers know...it takes months to add one new thing.  But we are slowly getting there.


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## Built (Aug 15, 2011)

What's pookie belly?


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## meow (Aug 15, 2011)

Its funny what having kids will do to ya. Even as a dad! I probably gained close to 90lbs from "sympathy" weight after two kids.  You can do it though! Welcome aboard.


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## anxious1 (Aug 15, 2011)

Wookiemonster said:


> You have no idea how badly I wanted to punch both of them.  Espically my OB...she was speaking to me as if I was 2 and didn't know my asshole from my elbow.



My neurologist skipped over the part in my MRI results where it said I had a cyst so he just sent me back to a GP to be treated for sinusitius. Well I told him he was insane! My left eye goes blind so I don't think it has anything to do with my sinus'... He replied I had no formal training and should seek another help... Oh Geeze it was on!   

Now damage has been done from a diving evolution and the doctor has retired and is under investigation! 

Doctors are like everyone else, some are great, some are crap and skatted by in med school. 

I am terribly sorry you've had to go through all of this with your doctors. I hope all goes well for you.


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## Wookiemonster (Aug 15, 2011)

Built said:


> What's pookie belly?


 

Think distended Ethopian belly but on a much smaller scale.

She eats...her belly pooks out for a bit and about 30 minutes laster it's not pooky anymore.


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## Built (Aug 15, 2011)

Have her checked for celiac. Celiac and other autoimmune diseases such as hypothyroid often go together. My sister has celiac and I probably do, too. I got fat though - most with celiac get thin but for some of us, wheat makes us freakishly hungry, AND bloated. I'm one of 'em.


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## Wookiemonster (Aug 15, 2011)

Built said:


> Have her checked for celiac. Celiac and other autoimmune diseases such as hypothyroid often go together. My sister has celiac and I probably do, too. I got fat though - most with celiac get thin but for some of us, wheat makes us freakishly hungry, AND bloated. I'm one of 'em.


 

I'll have to work my google-fu on celiac.  I've not heard of it before.  Thanks for the info.


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## Built (Aug 15, 2011)

Gluten intolerance. Associated with autoimmune diseases such as thyroid, lupus, type I diabetes (insulin-dependent) and rheumatoid arthritis. Also with soft teeth, anemia and skin problems.


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## Wookiemonster (Aug 15, 2011)

Built said:


> Gluten intolerance. Associated with autoimmune diseases such as thyroid, lupus, type I diabetes (insulin-dependent) and rheumatoid arthritis.* Also with soft teeth, anemia and skin problems*.


 


Looks like I need to be tested also.


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## Built (Aug 15, 2011)

Yep. Note - false negatives are common, but false positives are rare. I test negative all the time because I hardly eat any wheat. I probably have it though. I'd have to eat a lot of wheat for a long time in order to test positive - but I already know it would make me feel like crap.


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## Kathybird (Aug 15, 2011)

Hey... I wondering about that... celiac I mean.  Now that I've been following this diet, it's even more apparent when I eat too many or bad carbs... I don't feel right, I break out, my psoriasis kicks in... yeah.

AFA the kid?  Hell no.  She's healthy as a horse.  Not the size of one.  Fruit ain't the only thing she eats.  She's LOVES steak, usually wants meat for dinner.  She will eat the usual chicken nuggets, mac n cheese and hot dogs, but she eats a wide variety, even likes sushi.  But the veggie kind, no dead fish   She's got more energy than average.  I have to have her in at least one activity so she burns off the energy or she drives me nuts.


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## Svt Banshee (Aug 16, 2011)

welcome! i used to be weigh 3 bills lol now im 180, hard work is the best thing in the world! good luck to you!


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## Wookiemonster (Sep 21, 2011)

UPDATE: 09/21/2011

It's been over a month since my intro and I wanted to post an update. I've managed to hit the gym 4 days a week for all but 2 weeks. I feel my strength returning and the little things like hoofing it up and down the stairs (we live on the second floor) are gettign easier and playing with my daughter is more enjoyable. 

I've had my Husband take measurments and track my weight...but I don't know what the results are. I'm keeping it from myself so that when I hit my 3 month mark I can have a nice surprise for myself.

My eating has gotten much better thanks to the advice Built has given me, I've just got to buckle down and stick to it. My results will be all the better for it.

So yeah...Go Me!!!


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## dtrizzle (Sep 21, 2011)

Hi


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## grynch888 (Sep 22, 2011)

you can do it.


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## ted8541 (Sep 22, 2011)

Welcome!


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## Built (Sep 24, 2011)

Wookiemonster said:


> UPDATE: 09/21/2011
> 
> It's been over a month since my intro and I wanted to post an update. I've managed to hit the gym 4 days a week for all but 2 weeks. I feel my strength returning and the little things like hoofing it up and down the stairs (we live on the second floor) are gettign easier and playing with my daughter is more enjoyable.
> 
> ...


You know what you must do. 

Good to hear the update.


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## Little Wing (Sep 24, 2011)

hi there


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## Dzl2010 (Sep 24, 2011)

Good luck getting back to where you want to be!


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