Zelma, it's so cool for you to be auditioning for a singing group. I'm cheering you on! One of the things I put off while at my heaviest was playing acoustic guitar and flute (um, not at the same time! hehe). I was always so out of breath and it's hard to do chords on a guitar when your tummy is pushing the fretboard so far away! I know your singing is hard work, but you are SOOOO worth it!!
Wyllenn, oopsie on the toe polish, but what a GREAT NSV discovering a new muscle!! YAY!
Debbie, losing 3lbs is FABBO!! I know you didn't make your -40 goal, but you came so darn close I'm gonna call it done. Losing weight during TOM is phenomenal. Keep up the great work!
Welcome Lindsey! I live in Maryland too, near College Park. I work in one of the many federal gov't buildings sprinkled around the area. You have done WONDERFUL with your loss since the end of January!
Hiya Nancy! Interesting how tender issues bring out the worse coping skills known to mankind. I am the same way.
2FForU, that dang ole lazy no-exercise bug came to my shoulder last night. I flicked it off and rode 9.3 miles anyway. Next time he comes my way, I'm getting a clothes pin and attaching him to my spokes!
Catherine, wow, glad you got your new "old" dresser in place. I've never thought about getting rid of clothes that you invested time into making!! Yet another perspective I had yet to consider. Oh no about the kitty killer up there. Some very sick person is doing it. I hope he/it is caught. OOoooooOOO- I've heard nuns had powers of guilt that exceed a Mom's best attempt at guilt by 100-fold! Good thing I'm not Catholic. I've been tramatized by enough things in my life and I'm running out of therapy funds.. hehe.
Annie, good thoughts and a speedy recovery to you!!
Well, between last night's mini rice cake binge and this mornings going-away party food, I've run out of flex points for the week! I need to make sure to be extra careful today through Saturday morning (WI day) and not fudge at portions. I'll be doing some riding this early evening as well.
Hugs to all and everyone who lurks! (you know who you are..hehe).
hippie - Cat killer eek! how creepy and sad! I'm really sorry to hear that. You hear stories like that but always a shock. Do you live in a small town? I'm in the city I'm sure there are mis-doings like that going on, but I haven't heard of anything that bad... the fact that its "owned" cats is pretty heart wrenching too... Not that strays aren't as bad but I feel bad for people who must be worried sick about their pets. Sounds more like a budding sicko then anything else I doubt ritual type people would take pets, but you never know.
Annie: I’m thinking of you, and wishing for the best.
Ideal: congrats on the -3 loss! Thank goodness there are people like you rescuing animals and trying to give them the best chance possible.
Valerie: glad you’re exercising. It’s neat that you are up to 1000 posts here. It shows that you are paying attention and participating in your journey.
Zelma: good for you for trying the choir. I have always wanted to be able to sing, but it is definitely not a talent that was bestowed upon me.
Heather: Congrats on the new muscle showing up.
I can relate to the pedicure snafu. It seems I am one of those people always walking around with a spot on my blouse or my hair out of control. I envy those perfectly put together types. I don’t think I’ve ever managed to let the polish dry properly and had perfect-looking nails. There is always at least one messed up nail among the bunch.
Debbie: Yay! Lets call it a 40 lb. loss. With me, the scale fluctuates a lot. I see a number, and it goes up 2-3 lbs and back down again….for up to 2 weeks. I don’t change my ticker to reflect the upward fluctuations—I wait it out. If it was there once, and you’re still on plan, it’ll be there again.
Lindsey: welcome! Woo hoo on losing 70+ lbs. already. That is amazing.
Nancy: I love what Catherine said, and couldn’t agree more. There is so much wrapped up in this weight loss journey.
2fat: You go! Yay on exercising even when you didn’t feel like it. That is commitment.
Catherine: Think about the service to others in giving away the still-wearable clothes. Imagine the gift those clothes will be for someone. You put yourself into making them, and soon someone else will be able to appreciate your efforts. Also, you are lightening your load by getting rid of items that no longer serve you.
Ratkity: Hi!
Ammi: Hi!
As for me, I jumped on the scale this morning and saw more weight gone. However, I'm going to wait until official weigh-in to post specifics. Next week is TOM, so it could be a couple of weeks until there is really good news to post, but I can see it on the horizon.
Last night, it struck me that I am not eating much sugar. I never set out specifically to cut out sugar. It just happened as a matter of course, because in staying within my calorie range, and eating when hungry, I usually choose foods that make me feel full and satisfied. Rarely do cake or cookies win out in thinking about what I really want to satisfy myself. So, I was going to post about this today...how easy it has been to avoid rich desserts without even trying.....and last night, when I went to sleep, I dreamed of the most delicious and irresistable sugary and fatty desserts. There was lemon cake, there was whipped cream and dark chocolate and pecan pie. I was literally in pain trying to resist gorging myself on the wonderful desserts. The smell was sending me into fits. The message? Never get overconfident or arrogant about this weight management journey. I will find myself humbled again in the face of another challenge I thought was gone for good.
Hi all just joined the 3FC board and posted on the introduction pages. I noticed that this group is talking my language! I started on South Beach about 4 weeks ago and have lost 21 pounds to date. I need people who can relate to my kind of weight problems. I hope there is room for one more! I think this group is for me!!
I am 54 years old and married, have 2 grown children, who have families of their own, I "retired" from working out of the home a few years ago, stopped smoking and that is when I put on 75 pounds, like I needed any more weight on my 5' 3" small frame, no I am not big boned, hehehe, I wish that were it!! I am a quilter and have a small quilting business. Staying home isn't all it's cracked up to be, but the thought of going to a job and standing on my feet for 8 hours now at this weight, well that's not gonna happen any time soon!! It probably would kill me!
What kind of exercises would any of you suggest for a woman who can hardly walk a block without my hips grinding and hurting?? I really need some kind of exercise but I don't know what to do that won't hurt me! Any suggestions are greatly appreciated!!
ANNIE! WE LOVE YOU! WE'LL MISS YOU! TAKE CARE AND HURRY BACK!!!
ZELMA! Hey, there! My Mom was in Sweet Adelines for a few years when I was in my teens. She used to go around the house practicing. Really loudly. If I never hear the alto part of “Oh, Danny Boy, the pipes, the pipes are calling… from glen to glen, and down the mountainside…” again, then I’ll be thankful. Kidding aside, she loved it, and I hope you will too! I’m glad to see you jumping in!
WYLLENN – Yet another new muscle? Yeah! That’s a much better way to find them then the ‘Oh-my-aching-place-I-never-knew-I-had’ method! CONGRATS!
* And speaking of goals, I was just listening to a program on NPR about goal setting; actually writing them down and speaking them out loud. Apparently there was recently an article about it in the WSJ as well. They were talking about the positive impact on our lives when we voice our dreams and goals, whether we achieve them all or not, and whether they change or not. It made me think of the commitment we so often voice here. It’s safe here, and we’re allowed to see ourselves as we wish to be, whether that’s healthier, sexier or whatever. We’re allowed to put our dreams and goals in print, and encouraged to go for them, and as proof that we can achieve them, we have living, breathing, weight lifting, power-walking, size-shrinking examples all over the place! It’s what makes this such great place and keeps so many of us coming back – and succeeding!
* Oh, gee. Sorry about your smudged toe job. Next time – No Socks!
DEBBIE, Three is great progress! You’re right, hormones and sodium exist purely to confuse us. It’s going to feel great to break that “00” and I’m rooting for you!
Oh LINDSEY, That’s awesome progress! Cool that you lived in the Netherlands. I don’t suppose you’re familiar with their incredible friesian horses, are you? ** It’s great that you’re going to go to Med School – how much longer before you tackle that?
NANCY, Now, step awaaaaaay from the pudding. I’ve watched you, albeit from great distance, go through and overcome some really tough hurdles in life – some that many women never face, much less take on and win. You’ve got so much going for you and you’re a winner. I think from the sound of your dedication to this journey, that you know that. I’m glad. You deserve better than what you’ve had so far, and I have no doubt you’ll find it! And I’ll make you a deal – I’ll throw out the ice cream if you will. Of course, mine’s got that disgusting gooey freezer melt & burn on it, so it’s not much challenge.
Woo-HOO! PATTI – Glad you beat the “don’t exercise bug!” Where’d you get your bug swatter – I need one!
CATHERINE, Well put when you said: “We invest a lot of time and money in our education and training for our careers. It’s worth the time and effort to invest in the rest of our lives.” We’re curing or re-educating something deeply ingrained in us, for whatever reasons. Why shouldn’t it take time and patience to change such behaviour?
RATKITTEN, Just what is it that you’re riding??? Bike? Stationary bike? ….horse?? Sorry, but with a screen name like mine, words like “ride” get my attention.
BATTLEAX, Sugar is the one thing that I simply have to cut out. I have a carb addiction that has destroyed many a good 3-day start. Thankfully, at least I haven’t had nightmares like that one! Good job on the continuing weight loss!!!
BECKY, WELCOME!!! I love South Beach! That’s what got me truly started on this journey, and I learned a lot that I’d never known about how I react to foods, especially processed flours and sugars!! Even tho I’m not religious in sticking too it (mostly because both copies I’ve bought have sprouted legs and run away from home) I still try to stick with some of the principles I learned from it. Your success with it has certainly been outstanding!! I’m glad you’re here! Jump in anytime!! Do personals if you feel like it, and if you don’t, that’s totally fine, too! This is one of the very few times when I’m caught up enough to do them. I post more on the over 40 list because those girls let me keep up with them
Well, Jumping Pumpkins, ladies and gents! I finally made day six… with a little help from my ‘friends’. But noW that I’m getting those nasty, domineering, bossy, pushy, control-freak little carbs out of my system, things should start to get easier. I’ll still keep my guard up, but DAY SIX! With No cheating, no gradual decent back to queen of the late night refrigerator explorers, I do believe I’m back on my weigh… I mean way!
NoLWOHorses.. I ride a road bicycle. I got a brand spanking new bike 2 weeks ago and have been having a blast. I used to ride horses a long time ago in a place far, far away. I loved it!! I also love to hear about your hay burners.
Hello everyone! I hope everyone had a very happy Tuesday...
Wyllenn, since you asked about how I'm doing it, I guess I'll tell everyone, even though it's not anything special. Basically, I eat around 1400 calories a day, most days... more if I happen to be particularly hungry that day, less if I don't want my evening snack. I try and eat fairly naturally to avoid as many overly processed foods as possible. As far as exercise goes, I was all about swimming this summer at my parents' house, but I'm not too keen on using the pool in a public place. I don't know if I'm afraid of looking like a drowning cat or what, but I haven't yet mustered up the courage for that. Right now, walking from the parking lot to the main campus and walking around all day is what I've been doing. I don't really have the time or energy to go do anything more than that, but it is a pretty good workout!
Nancy, I'm really glad you started the thread on issues with sexuality. I think it's great for all of us to face our issues head on in that manner.
Ratkity, are you familiar with the Eastern Shore area? That's where I'm at, just in case Salisbury isn't widely known. I don't really know if it's a big deal or not after having lived here for only two weeks.
Catherine, I don't know what I'd do if there was a cat killer around these parts. I'd probably be paranoid and have someone babysit my cat all day while I'm at school. Currently, she's the only friend I have around here and I don't know what I'd do if something happened to her.
Annie, best of luck to you with your surgery. You'll be in my prayers for a flawless surgery and a speedy recovery.
BattleAx, I know EXACTLY what you mean about being one of the people that seem to always have a stray hair, etc. I often find myself asking "How does she walk around all day and still look perfect when my hair looks like I just went through a wind tunnel?"
Becky, WELCOME! I'm new here as well. As far as exercise goes, are you able to do anything that's low impact, such as swimming? That's my favorite form of exercise.
Valerie, I know that I rode some horses during school trips when I was in 6th and 7th grade, but I don't think they were anything special. As far as med school goes, that's still probably 3 years away... haha. I have backup plans though if for some reason I don't get in.
And as far as I go... today was my second day of classes. I think I'm really going to like my literature class. It's about literature of the 1920's. Our first book is The Great Gatsby, which I've read before so that should be a nice, gentle way to start. All of my classes are fairly small and for the most part discussions are welcome, which is exactly what I was hoping. Going into a lecture hall with 600 students and just listening to a professor for an hour isn't exactly my cup of tea. I feel I do much better in an environment where I can bounce ideas off of others and get to know everyone.
I also had a very welcome surprise today. During my lunch break, I wandered over to the dining satellite that was in the building my class was in, and I discovered that our university provides nutritional information for the food! I was paranoid about eating there, but now I know exactly what I'm getting myself into, I'll be much more at ease.
I'm off to jump into my first assignments for the school year. Hope everyone is having a great OP day!
Lindsey -- I teach at a small school and love to have students who are willing to have a discussion!!!!
1400 calories. Wow. That's lower than I've ever gone! But it sounds like you're being healthy, which is great! As for the exercise, sometimes parking further away and just building more movement into your day is the way to go. That's how I started! It's good to start getting your weight under control when you're young -- I wish I had!
Thanks for the warm welcome! It's nice to talk to ladies who have a bunch of weight to lose like I do, As far as the swimming goes for excercise, I am afraid to get into a pool for fear I can't pull my weight out of it on the ladder I have available to me a health club through my husbands job, but I am too embarrassed to go there because of my size and I can't do much. But I grew up at the Lake and can swim like a fish.....or I used to be able too. Don't know how I would do now? Thanks for the advice though!!! I appreciate it
Rat-Yes, I have many neurology’s involved with nuns. To this day I am terrified of being late to anything. I get to doctor’s appointments an hour early sometimes. The primate I live with is one of those “put his pants on and run out the door at the last minute” kind of guys. I just leave, and let him catch up.
Ideal-Edmonton has over a million people. It is the farthest north city with a million or more people in North America. They had some animal experts from the states interviewed in the paper saying that in other cities it turned out to be wolves or raptors, and not people, but the police responded that the type of damage being done could only be human caused. They aren’t releasing what though. Don’t think I want to know. I’m more of a dog person, but I know that this type of cruelty to animals is often a budding serial killer. We already have one of those preying on prostitutes. I’m not sure who looks more traumatized on the news, the owners looking for their animals, or the person who has found one of them.
Toofat-I hope they catch him soon too. They have made a special task force of Edmonton police with the police from a couple of our suburb towns and I think the Mounties are involved too. Some people wonder what the big deal is, but they are taking it very serious. The oil boom has brought such an influx of people from other provinces and immigrants. The city is just about overwhelmed with the changes. We got down to freezing last night, but we still have a tent city of homeless next to the homeless shelter with about 100 people left in it. It was over 200 about a month ago. The total homeless population last winter was about 5000, and about double that are marginally homeless, meaning they are in a shelter or sleeping on someone’s couch. Drug use and gang activity is on the rise, although there just aren’t as many or the same kind of weapons on the street here that I was used to seeing in Florida. Lots of growing pains, and they aren’t going away anytime soon.
Annie-I take my teaching very seriously. Some people view volunteer positions as somehow less important. I get questions about people’s deepest fears, and I have the potential of damaging people’s basic faith in themselves and in their understanding of God if I give the wrong answers. You know by this time next week you are going to weigh less than me. I am going to forgive you though.
Battle-I do take my pants up, but at a certain point the same thing happens. I end up with pants that fit really good around me, but the crotch hangs to my knees. I look like a sultan. I did walk past the East Indian store down the street today. They have the most beautiful fabrics for making saris and wedding gowns and like belly dancing costumes. I already have a pattern for one, and have promised myself when I get to 250 I’m going to make it and take lessons. My husband can’t wait. I dream about food sometimes. I understand that recovering alcoholics have drinking dreams, so I guess it is natural. When I have an eating dream, I usually have trouble the next day, so I really try to bulk up a breakfast after one to cut it off at the pass.
Becky-Welcome. I’m also not big-boned. I actually am, but if this was all bone, I would be a brontosaurus skeleton. I spent 8 years in a wheelchair unable to walk except a few feet because of a back injury and my size. I started out doing exercises in bed. I did scissor kicks with my feet or flutter kicks lying on my stomach. A minute each to start. Then I progressed to sit ups. The best benefit I got was when I was able to walk far enough to start water aerobics at the YMCA. If you can’t do anything else, lift a can of peas a million times. I have also done aerobics tapes while lying in bed. That keeps the weight off the joints, but will work up a sweat. Any movement is good. I walk everywhere now. I don’t even own a car now, and I do my grocery shopping by hopping on the subway with an expedition sized backpack. It can get better. Just take baby steps.
Valerie-I love that feeling of finally getting back on track. I must because I’ve had to be in that position enough times. This time it really felt so freeing to feel back on track. I hope we both hang onto it for good this time. I just had a email from the people who keep the horse program going at the camp I learned to ride at. They are trying to raise $70,000+ to keep the program going for the next year. How much do those big things eat anyway?
Lindsey-That’s great that your college provides nutritional info. So many kids, me included, gained weight at school. For many, college is the first time that they are making every food choice for themselves. It’s when so many food habits for life are set. I had never eaten a take out pizza before college, but ate many after. I truly believe that education on nutrition is key to beating obesity on a nationwide scale. Most people have no idea how much of what they eat every day. I actually got kind of spoiled in the US with the access to labels. Most people don’t read them, or don’t know how, but up here in Canada only about half the stuff in the stores have labels. I guess they don’t require it.
Well, ladies, I have this sneaking suspicion that something is going on with my body that has nothing to do with weight loss. I was sick this morning, and couldn’t eat until noon, and now I have the desire to eat hot cinnamon candies that I hate with chocolate, and I really want some popcorn with pickle slices on it. I’m 45, so I’m hoping that this time it is just some kind of weird PMS. We’ve been married 19 months, and I’ve had 3 miscarriages. My mom had 8 after I was born when she was 40. My grandmother had her last child at 45, and my Great-grandmother had her 12th at the age of 48. So, I don’t know what to think. I’m going to go put some popcorn in the microwave and then see if I can eat it without going through a whole jar of pickles, and try not to let himself see me do it because he just gets nuts. Everytime I’ve been pregnant, he starts trying to find a night job stocking grocery store shelves or something else weird like that. Plus, it messes my diet up obviously. I have very little chance of ever carrying a child to term because of my health and disabilities, but I guess my body didn’t get that message. Now I want olives on my popcorn.
Is there room for one more?!
Hi all just joined the 3FC board and posted on the introduction pages. I noticed that this group is talking my language! I started on South Beach about 4 weeks ago and have lost 21 pounds to date. I need people who can relate to my kind of weight problems. I hope there is room for one more! I think this group is for me!!
like I needed any more weight on my 5' 3" small frame, no I am not big boned, hehehe, I wish that were it!! I am a quilter and have a small quilting business. Staying home isn't all it's cracked up to be, but the thought of going to a job and standing on my feet for 8 hours now at this weight, well that's not gonna happen any time soon!! It probably would kill me!
I really need some kind of exercise but I don't know what to do that won't hurt me! Any suggestions are greatly appreciated!!
I have available to me a health club through my husbands job, but I am too embarrassed to go there because of my size and I can't do much. But I grew up at the Lake and can swim like a fish.....or I used to be able too. Don't know how I would do now? Thanks for the advice though!!! I appreciate it
