[thinchickie]

Hi everybody I am back! I have been so busy with school. I just saw a site called SparkPeople. Has anyone ever used them? I haven't had time to look at them in depth.

Here is what I am doing, I have had to make a choice now. I have survived cancer and I can feel my health really being affected by my weight. I am now UP to 347!! I am not happy about that at all. But I have stressed ate my way through a term and a half of school and I see now I have got to make a choice.

I am switching my online weight watchers to actual meetings. I signed up with a personal trainer at the gym, I NEVER go to, but belonged to for a year. I made an appointment with an acupuncturist.

My motivation? I have got to live to see my 40s. I am 39 and will be 40 in december, and the plan has always been to go to Africa to cage dive with sharks. We are now setting things in motion for that trip. But there is NO way I am going this heavy. (besides looking like an egg with legs in a wet suit)

We went to Egypt, Israel and Jordan, plus Germany, we were gone a month, that was in May of last year. I have to say the worst thing was the plane seats. It was HORRIBLE. I was 20 pounds lighter then. I am now just sick of this on and off thing. I am going all out for this one. If not now, then when? Rehab after a stroke? Or another bout with cancer... which was caused by being fat...

I am back and I hope to be on here at least once a night. I need support where ever I can get and the chickies here have always been great. I am so torn about the weight watchers. I see the online stuff for free, but I think for now, I better find a meeting and become accountable, because what I am doing now is not working.

Thanks chickies for being here!

[kelly315]

thinchickie- I'm glad you came back, and hopefully you'll feel healthier in no time! I've used sparkpeople, and it's really a good resource. Personally, however, I'm not online enough during the day so I prefer just to keep a diet journal handy. I've been counting calories for a while now, so I'm pretty comfortable with just using a journal, but sparkpeople is great if you're new or returning to cc.

Good luck with your goals!

[kaplods]

I don't use SparkPeople's food journal very often, though I am a member of several of the groups, I just don't visit them nearly as often as I do here.
3FC just was my first weight loss site, and I'm more comfy here, I guess.

[Redflame]

I love love love Sparks. It provides me with an easy way to track foods, and I can see full reports of nutrition for the week, etc. You can even spit the reports out and share them with someone (WW meeting, doctor, accountability friend etc)

I understand that Daily Plate offers the same reports and history and all as Sparks does.......on their paid version! thats a shame. these online sites are paid for by sponsors, I would think they could pay for the reports as well!

[Missy09]

Welcome Back! I'm new to the site and on my third week of Weight Watchers. I decided to lose weight sort of for the the same reasons you did. I haven't had cancer, but I know that my risk for it as well as other health problems is greater and it's time to get things under control.

Going to the WW meetings is great because it keeps you accountable and you have lots of support. I was self conscious about going at first, but I have started looking forward to them every week. Good luck!

[thinchickie]

Thanks for all the chickies who gave me a hello.

Missy: congrats on going to WW. I went today for the first time, in years, (if you don't' count the years online!) and it turned out to be a lot better than I thought. I think it will make a difference in how I approach eating. I found myself feeling accountable when i was making dinner and I didn't just start grabbing things and eating while cooking.

I eat pretty clean already and water is my main source of fluid, so that's not the hard part. It is the stress eating and eating something that was clean, like an avocado turned into guacamole, I just smash mine with minced onion. ON a good day, I can eat that with veggie stix, on a bad day the chips come out and the entire avocado is gone. That is where the pounds come on.

I liked my trainer I hired today. She has battled weight too and she isn't a size 2, so, I think she'll understand where I am coming from. I meet her tomorrow after school to do my circuit workout. I am going heavy on strength training three days a week and then cardio the other days.

So, that's how my day went

Good luck to all chickies here. I will be back and thanks for the info about sparkpeople. I will have to go and check them out a little further. I am drowning under homework, so I have to really distract myself from eating. Yes, that's what is going on right this minute. I am going to jump back onto that homework load, but glad to be back. I finally have a good feeling about this. I hope it lasts. I have to keep my eye on the prize: a healthy me!

[Rosie]

I use spark a bit... it's nice, but a little confusing as a newbie. I feel like there are lots of links and resources, but I haven't had time to go through them all. Maybe we should start a chicks group--oh wait, we're already here! lol