300+ Club - 300+ And Ready to Try Again Weekly Thread #1099

WELCOME!!!

We are a group of individuals who weigh or have weighed 300+, or near there. This group was formed to provide a place for others like us to find support and hope. We are aware of the distinct problems that come with weighing over 300 lbs.

We want to invite everyone (roosters as well as chicks!) to join us in our journey. We share laughter and tears, heartaches and fears ... joys and celebrations. We also share what works for us and what doesn't.

We know the thread can move very quickly, and that people often make "personal" remarks and keep a number of conversations going. Please feel free to contribute even if you can't make personal comments all the time.

Finally, we also have several extra threads going on simutaneously such as Monthly Challenges, Weekly Weigh-ins, Recipes, Bios, Photos, Exercise, Info for Getting Started and more. Many of these threads are stickied at the top of the page. Please feel free to check them all out.

We have found this thread to be more than just a support group... we have found it to become a home. We invite you to join us.



I know you'll all agree that we are really thankful for the free services here at 3FC. The sisters offer all of this support and information with no charges to us. There are a couple of ways though that we can help out.

If you are thinking about buying anything at Amazon, why not help out 3FC at the same time? You can do this by clicking on the button for the Amazon "store" in the upper right hand corner of the screen on the PURPLE tool bar. A portion of your purchase price will be given to 3FC by Amazon. It doesn't increase your price at all, but it does help out 3FC. You can use any of the Amazon.com links that you see on the site in order to help contribute to the site.

Also, BTW, in case you didn't know it, you can view the message boards "ad free" for a minimal charge. I think it's $15 for 6 months. A very small investment to be rid of the annoying ads and make your pages load quicker.

There have been some concerns expressed by the powers that be about copyright infringement. So please, if you are directly quoting someone else or printing an article in whole or in part, please give credit where credit is due!!!!

Just a quickie, Erica, my plan is The Cambridge Diet, in the UK it's a totally liquid diet ( with bars but no 'proper food, except for every fifth week where you have a tiny portion of fish/chicken & veg for a week), in the US I think it's used with one 'normal' meal, check it out on the web, I know they have versions worldwide. You get a person you visit, or who visits you, talks to you, weighs & measures you AND he/she has had to have lost weight using the plan. Therefore they know the ups & downs there are & can offer tips & advice on any problems you might have. Hope Amanda's surgery goes well & you have some GOOD LUCK, I think you're both OVERDUE some!!xxxxxx
xxxxxsharon

Good Morning Ladies!:coffee:

Just a quickie to say Hi:wave:. I had a good day yesterday, thanks to your help and I was feelin the love:love:. We are getting ready for our trip to see my parents, so I will probably be lurking for a while...I should be able to post once we get there(Thurs~Weds) and have some down time~there is a computer at the hotel, my Dad's and if my husbands longevity check comes in, we will be looking for a newlaptop:comp:.

Luan: Your "boy" is SOOOO cute! Don't worry about the age thing, be happy! My niece married a boy 10 yrs younger last July (she's 31) and is having her first baby in May.:preg: It was weird at first, but he is a good guy.

Nightkat: WOW! You are a busy girl!! :goodluck: with your new shop!

LKPabst: Sorry about your ankle, but at least your daughter was there to help out. I hope you feel better soon:hug:

Brenda: What a great guy you have! That was so sweet of him to buy you that ring! You totally deserved it!!;)

Ammi: Thanks about my friend...she was 39 and her boys were 11 and 9. So sad! I have tried to be in more photos, but usually I am hiding behind my kids or only "neck up"! The thing I am really looking foward to is a new driver's liscense photo...I look like a ballon in my present one which is 2 yrs old!:rofl:

That's it for now as I must get ready for work...
Have a Great OP Day!:cheer2:

Donna

Good morning/afternoon/evening!

Well, I'm off to a slow start this morning (I am NOT an early person) so I haven't even had my coffee yet. :tired:

But my good news is that the scale finally moved and so I'm down 2.3 pounds this week. I'm thinking about just getting on there once a week so I don't freak out over every little fluctuation on a daily basis, but we'll see.

Ammi and Donna, thanks very much for your kindness and words of encouragement. I'm not going to let a couple of jerks stop me, of course, and have decided to just try and forget about the incident.

Well, I'm off to eat some breakfast (oatmeal) and then go walking and to the grocery store. See you ladies later!

Hope everyone has a great day!

Hi All,

Just a quicky because I have a busy week this week and have to do most of my 'chores' including taking up some hems on my jeans today. I just wanted to let you all know that my scale SUCKS :rofl: Ok so I had some treats on Saturday, let's see, a danish, some mayo on my subway club, a packet of sweets and a pizza. I don't think that deserved a 4 lb gain :yikes: Yep you read it right, a 4 lb gain. I only gained 7 lbs after pigging out and I mean pigging out for nearly 2 weeks over Christmas!! It's crazy. But don't worry I am not letting it get me down, no time for that nonsense. I shall just be a WW angel this week, with no treats and hopefully come next Monday some of those 4 lbs will be gone. I am not changing my ticker, never like to see the thing going UP.

I will try to post some personals later, just wanted to let you all know my WI results. Bye for now,

Hugs,

Ammi

Morning chickies!! I hope you all are feeling well. Spring has finally sprung here in New England. YEAH!! :carrot:

Ammi...don't worry..its all water weight. Get right back on track today and it will be long gone next week. In the grand scheme of things, its really just a speedbump! :hug:

Litchick - Way ta go on the loss!! That is GREAT!! :carrot:

Donna - Good for you for staying OP!! I am sure you are looking forward to your visit with your parents.

Sharon - You are doing so well with your plan. Good for you!! Keep up the good work!

As for me, I lost 5 lbs this week in spite of TOM. I was determined not to let how horrible it makes me feel keep me from staying OP. I did eat out twice, but made what I thought were good choices. It is also getting nice out and I am thinking about walking outside some in addition to my stationary bike, but I must say that I really enjoyed walking inside at the mall yesterday. Oh well, any walking is good walking I s'pose.

I must get to work, but will pop in later. Have a wonderful OP day chickies!! :hug:

i agree Ammi its only water. i love your positive attitude though lol!

Greetings chick-a-dees:D ! Hope everyone has smiled this morning.:goodvibes

Well, not much to tell yet.:flow1: I have been so on plan and proud of it! :high: I saw an endocronalogist a few weeks ago for my old diabetes. I have been on 3 meds and insulin for some years now and just not happy:tantrum: with my BSL not changing with my diet changes. She is the most awesome lady. She is from India decent and has such a soft, :bubbles: mellow manorism. She changed my meds and cut my carbs to almost nothing and ordered labs. She has had me :write: journaling my food too. I go see her tomorrow. I feel great, ( as well as 400lbs:stars: feels great) but I still won't weigh until TOM has long gone. Its due today so next Monday I will prob. weigh. My waist is down almost 6 inches, so I like that!:cheer:

So far this month we have had :frypan: 7 birthday parties and one more to go before its done. I have had a total of..:yay: .....2 bites of filling...:yay: . thats it!!!! No cake ,no ice cream, no candy bags, no chips. I did have 2 slices of Chuck E cheese :jeno: cheese pizza. I wont do that again:kickbutt:

AMMI, pizza makes me swell before I can get home:dizzy: and it stays for about 2-3 days. I dont know why it is sooo hard on me but maybe it is on you too. My rings that spin on my finger are too tight to move before I get home. I only had cheese so its not the adding of the extra salty meats like I use to think:crazy: . I will NOT be eating that again. :rollpin: Any way, this was to be a short one and on and on I go.


Hello dear:cheer: new ladies. :wel3fc: I am sorry it has taken me soooo long to welcome you, but I am so happy your hear.:welcome2:

LANNE: Please keep us posted on your progress. I went to a lecture on the WLS last week. I have wanted it soooo bad for so long but dumb insurance would rather pay for meds for years. I hope to find a way soon. I am doing really well on my own right now, but I know the day will come when I'm tired and thats when I'll need the band to keep me going. I am the last of my fat friends. 5 have had the Lap band and my cousin had the bi-pass. ALL LOOK AND FEEL GREAT. They are all almost to their goals. :goodluck: You will do awesome I just know it. Enjoy the freedom you will soon have.:getwell:


:sunny: :sunny: :sunny: Ok I'm out of here for now. :hug: :hug: :hug: :hug:Love and strength to you my sisters.:dust:

Hey everyone-

Well I found out something cool. We have comcast cable and they have the on demand menu. Well on there they have a ton of free fitness videos! Well I have been wanting to try the walk away the pounds tape for a while now. So I did the basic one mile walk and was I out of breath! I have been doing good with the food lately. But not with exercise. I need to keep up the routine of working out so I can build stamina. It does get better right?:lol: I didn't finish the whole session but I did 20 minutes! Which is great for me. I figure if I do that a few times a week I will build up to being able to do the whole thing. The only problem is I get so out of breath and I start wheezing a little bit. I have been checked for asthma. But I think its just because I am so heavy. Hopefully in time that will go away! I will ask my primary care Dr. about that wheezing though. Its not really bad just a little bit. So yeah I thought that was cool that I have a ton of fitness videos I can try out. Guess no more excuses to not work out!;)

Ok I am sooooo behind on personals but let me get a few in...

CATHERINE~Happy belated Birthday!:woo:

KATT~Good to see you post! :)

DONNA~Hope you have fun visiting your parents.

LESLEY~WTG on losing 2.3 pounds!:cheer2: And great pictures you posted. You are so pretty!

AMMI~Sorry you had a gain! I hate that! I can eat one bad meal and it seems the salt alone will make me gain 10 pounds!:lol: You will get those 4 pounds off in no time.:cheer2:

PEGGY~Wow losing 5 pounds on tom! That is awesome! I seem to gain so much water weight during tom. I see you have almost lost 40 pounds! Keep up the good work!:cheer:

SHADIE~Sorry you are having a hard time with your meds. I hope they get it all figured out. 6 inches off the waist is great!:bravo:

SANDY~ I haven't seen you post in a while. Hope you are doing alright. :hug:

Well I hope you all are having a good day. I have a mountain of laundry to tackle!

SHARON~I saw you mentioned in the last thread I should post a picture of my cats. I posted a pic of Alex and Allie on the picture page.:)

mechell--wow, workouts on OnDemand?! I never woul dhave even thought to look there! We have Comcast OnDemand also, so I'll have to check and see if we've got workouts available on this coast.

Well, Jeff and I did it--we ordered and put down a deposit on my engagement ring setting. We'll get the diamond from his friend's jeweler (he'll be able to get us a better quality diamond for the same carat weight and price as Jared), and the setting will be in 9 days from when we ordered (Saturday), so should be early next week. I am SO excited :D

hi all!
Glad to see everyone is doing well, for the most part.

i did pretty good all week until yesterday. my grandma asked me to go shopping with her and every time we go shopping we always eat lunch at pizza hut because when we go shopping with other people we never get to go there so its our little tradition. anyway, thats really the only splurge i had all week and it wasn't even that bad i had 2 pieces of pizza and 2 breadsticks and brought the rest home for my dad and sister. but ive decided not to feel guilty when i eat something "not so great" cause i figure if i don't indulge now and then i'd go crazy. thats where i think i went wrong all the other times i tried to lose weight. i didn't give myself any margin for error, and when i did eat something bad i totally gave up (which sounds ridiculous, but im sure you all know where i am coming from, right?) anyway, inspite of my pizza hut experience i still was down 2 pounds this morning, even though i am happy about that i was hoping for three to make it an even 10 pounds lost. oh well.

LitChick: i get on the scale almost everyday too, but i think it's more because i don't like surprises. id rather see the everyday fluctuations than get on the scale after a week of thinking i did really good to see i maintained or even worse: gained! so in a weird way i think checking everyday keeps me more sane lol.

Peggy: way to go on the loss! i think our mall has a walking program, come to think of it, i think there is a nighttime walking club that walks around the high school a couple times a week too, anyway, what im looking forward to is walking around the flea markets in a month or two!

well, i just got off the treadmill so i need to take a shower and get cleaned up before i start making dinner for my sister then we are running over to walmart! see ya all later!

Just to say I stayed the same this week, not that suprised as have had a bit of choccy this week and a few take away meals, nothing over the top but not little enough to lose. Am doing good with my exercise, not far off my 900 min goal for the month. Went to the gym tonite.

Em x

Real Quick guys. Just want to let you know I am alive. I am really sick. I have Joel's cold/flu bug worse than I did before. I am feverish and coughing etc. So, I just don't feel like posting for now. Head hurts. Just wanted you all to know that I gained 1.2 pounds at ww on Saturday. I don't understand it but that is my life for now. No cheats, work hard on the exercise and gain. Oh well. I haven't been able to exercise since Saturday. Just too sick.

Hope you are all doing well. Haven't read the posts yet but I will when I'm better.

Blessings to you all,
Annie

I had a really nice weekend with my family, although I ate absolutely horribly. I really need to spend some time devising strategies for dealing with my triggers there. It is just so tough for me to say no to certain things, like bagels and lox (which of course means cream cheese). However, if I want to spend time with them and not go completely off plan every time, I really need to figure this out.

My parents’ new place is really nice, and we spent many hours talking about how they can fit all of their current stuff in the new place. We then spent time with my stepmother’s family who are all grieving trying to deal with the loss of her father. I am going back next weekend to attend the wake on Friday and the funeral on Saturday. Since I missed a few days in the beginning of the month it is going to be tough to meet my March exercise goal – but I am determined to do it! Being away will make it that much tougher, but I will try and find a way.

I still haven’t sent in the check for the new apartment. For all I know it could be gone by now. While I have some small reservations about the place itself, I think the biggest thing is that once I send that check it means this is all really happening. Even though that is what I want to happen, it is still tough to make that actual step. I also keep thinking about what if there was something else even better. That is such a dangerous things though, since I am sure there will always be something else around the corner. Is it really going to be that much better? Probably not. It is all what you make of it.

dogpal hope you feel better soon!

Hiya Gals,

Also just a quicky this morning, I have my passport interview soon so can't stay to do personals. Yesterday I walked the Sydney Harbour Bridge again but this time by choice. I don't know how, but i injured my knee and am limping!! :( Actually I hurt it well before the beginning of the bridge, but I still did it :D When I got home last time I lost a belt size, but this time I gained one :?: who knows what goes on inside that tum of mine. Anyway, have been OP yesterday which I'm very proud of, no carbs for dinner too... I made this awesome grilled chicken with sauteed eggplant and cherry tomato. Its all we had in the fridge! OK not sure how I'm going to work out today but I'll find a way!! Any suggestions would be welcome...

Love to you all

dogpal: I'm sorry you're not feeling well, I hope you feel better soon!

lkpabst: Thanks for the welcome. I'm sorry to hear about your ankle. I sprained my foot pretty bad a little over 3 weeks ago. It hurt so bad, I thought it was broken. The doctor told me it should be well within 2-3 weeks, but it's been 3 weeks and 2 days today and it is still not healed. :cry: I think it's time to take another trip to the doctor. Sad to say, I haven't been getting any exercise since then because even walking exacerbates my injury! How to get through life without walking, I wonder?

On the other hand, I did take an anti-inflammatory and a muscle relaxant last night. Slept like a baby (fitfully, but well) for about 12 hours and woke up to no pain in my foot. Swelling had gone down, too. I'm doing my best to stay on my butt today, but it's difficult. I've been staying on my butt as much as possible for the last 3 weeks, I'm really tired of it. Of course, I think that's how I exacerbated it in the first place, trying to do too much.

I live in Austin, so I went to SXSW a little over a week ago. The map gave me an inaccurate view of where this place was, so I ended up hiking about a mile on my gimpy foot. Then, this last weekend I went to a show produced by some friends of ours and the drummer for one of the bands pulled the fire alarm, so we had to evacuate and wait for the fire marshall. The gent who had been performing came outside and continued to perform on the sidewalk, but there I was, putting all my nearly 300 pounds on my gimpy foot for about 20 minutes. Ouch!

Anyway, I'm looking forward to a much more peaceful week of R&R and maybe I'll get myself into the doc to get my foot looked at again.

Andrea

LitChik - When I went on my diet, I got rid of my scale. If I had the scale in my house over the last two weeks, I wouldn't be on my diet now because I would have been disappointed with any fluctuation upward, even if temporary. I would suggest getting rid of it and weighing once a week. That way you don't have to worry about water weight fluctuations.

Annie - So sorry you're sick. The weight gain is probably due to the cold you have. Your body isn't metabolizing like it normally would because it is trying to fight off your cold. Hang in there and take care of yourself.

Lisa

Hey chicks:)
Just a quick post to say hi. unfortunately, i am in the middle of a busy week, so i have no time for personals tonight.
i am doing well with excersise and food. my "diet" contest is over wednesday, and for right now, my team is still in third. i will definetly take 3rd, there are 50 teams:) my work is not over, i am going to continue to eat healthy and exersise:)
welcome to all the new posters i havent said hi too, you will love it here:)
ANNIE: i just wanted to say, you are doing so well, is it possible that the stupid scale is not accurate, or possibly like lisa said, maybe you are retaining water from your cold? seriously, thats why i hate the scale!! i find it more satisfying to measure my sucesses by dropping a clothing size or the way i feel.
i hope everyone has a great day tommorrow:)

hi guys

Just a quick note. Been a busy couple of days. I was so tired yesterday that I passed out on the couch, sitting up! before I went to work.

We bought a new car today. Going to take a couple of days I think before we can get it home. Bank needs papers, than the lot needs time to get it ready. Pain in the butt cause I am excited and want it now!!

Its 3am. The dog wanted out. I finally found time to say hello. Now I think I will head back to bed :)

See you in the am..
Brenda :wave:

Dreasam, who's the guy in your avatar? He's GORGEOUS!!! & WELCOME!!!! I sprained my ankle, it hurt as much as when I broke it the year before! It's ok Drs saying rest it, but I have two little boys!!!lol What's SXSW? Being a Brit I have no idea. Cool about the band, still before long the'll be less of you & be ing on your feet (& ankles) won't be a problem at all & you can dance all night, if you want!xxxx
I still get on the scales every day, most days it drops or stays the same, according to my scales I'm the lightest I've been for about TEN YEARS!!!! Another 10 pounds & I'll be the weight I was when I met Steve! Weirdly though my arms & tummy are LOADS bigger than they were before! WHY?????? It does worry me how my body will look in another -30lbs, stil better baggy & saggy than fat, at least I can look good in clothes! lol
Annie, I hope you feel better soon, I'm so sorry the weight isn't shifting. Has the Dr. said anything about tests to see WHY you're not losing when you're exercising AND following a diet? I would be so sad in your place, WELL DONE FOR STAYING WITH IT!!!!!xxxxxxxxx
Ammi, don't get down about the gain, it will be gone before Monday AND a few more pounds too!!!xxxxxx
Nancy, get that deposit sent off!!! You know that place is just right, even I do!!! I hope you get it! Glad the family visit went well, WOW lox, I ALWAYS wondered what it was, lol! ( I thought it was fish roe or some fish insides!!!ooops, couldn't have been more wrong!!!) I certainly couldn't have resisted it either!!! You would have to be made from tempered steel to say no!!xxxxxxx
Gotta go & tidy up & get Aiden ready for school/nursery.
xxxxsharon

Hey everyone! Just a quick post as I'm about to leave and go home!

Amanda's dr says there is no hernia and she doesn't need sugery!! YAAY!!!!!!

I'll be back later to post more!~

Thanks for the info voodoo!!

Hello ladies!

It's near the end of the month, so you may know why I'm here! I've posted the April exercise thread and it's time to set your goals!

For those of you who don't know, we are trying to get in the habit of regular exercise, so we set goals in MINUTES of exercise we hope to do for the month. I recommend you start LOW if you're just getting started, and don't worry about comparing your minutes to anyone else.

The part that makes it more fun is that we track our group minutes and are working on a goal of 200,000 minutes this year (we were really close last year!). We need all the help we can get, so your minutes WILL help.

You can start at whatever level you're at, and as long as it's intentional exercise, there's lots of things you can count!!!!!

If you have any questions, please pm me, but I encourage everyone who's ready to head over to the April exercise thread.

good morning everyone. it is a great day.. yes i snuck a peek at the scales Ammi and i am now officially in the 270s! only 29 more pounds til i hit the big 100 pound mark!

Good morning! :cool:

Ammi, that darn scale can be so temperamental! I hope your next weigh-in gives better results.

Peggy, congrats on your loss - 5lbs is awesome!

Shadie, sounds like your doctor will be a real partner in working with you to get your health on track. And kudos to you for abstaining from all those birthday treats!

Michelle, thanks for posting about Comcast! I have it too but never thought to look for fitness shows, but we have them, too. Now to choose which one to start with! And thanks for the compliment - I don't feel that pretty, especially when I look at pictures of myself. But we're always harder on ourselves, aren't we? Your kitties are adorable - I love the expression on Allie's face as she looks up at you.

Jill, how exciting! Be sure to post some pictures once you get the ring.

LeeAnn, good for you for staying in control while still enjoying your tradition with your grandma.

Emily, at least the scale didn't go up! And kudos to you for getting closer to your exercise goal - and you still have a few days left!

Annie, sorry to hear you're not feeling well. Perhaps being sick is wreaking havoc on your weight. :hug:

Nancy, I've never had lox - perhaps it's a good thing that I don't know what I'm missing! I have sometimes fallen into that 'grass is greener' trap and it's never worked out - if you think you'll be happy in that apartment, send in that check!

chimi, I hope your ankle is back to normal soon. And wow, I'm so impressed that you walked the bridge - how long is it?

Andrea, I hope your foot heals up so you can get back to walking OK.

Kymberly, 3rd out of 50 is great! Congrats!

Brenda, what kind of car did you get?

Sharon, being the lightest you've been in 10 years has to be an amazing feeling!

Me, I'm doing OK. Nothing much going on so far this week. We had temps this past weekend into the 90s, so we turned on the AC, only to find out it's not working! It was 85 degrees in our house and hubby hates to be the least bit warm, so we've called in a repairman who'll be here tomorrow. Hopefully it's a quick fix.

thanks for the sweet words about my cute boy. i really do like him :)

Hey everyone~

I am so excited! I did the whole fitness video! It was 25 minutes and I also did my arm lifts with the five pounds weights. I am really happy that is two days in a row of working out! I did about 18 minutes yesterday. So I was happy that I could finish the whole work out. Its been a good day so far. I worked out and ate breakfast! :D

JILL~I bet they will have them. They really have a decent selection on there! That is so great about your ring! You will have to take a pictures of it and post it. :)

EMILY~WTG on working out!

ANNIE~Get well soon hun.:hug:

NANCY~Glad you had a good time at your parents. Sorry you had a tough time with the food. I always tend to pig out when I go see my family. It is a big step you are taking so its understandable you would be a little nervous. I hope you find the apartment you want.

CHIMI~That is great your walked the bridge again! I am sorry you hurt your knee though! Maybe take a day off of working out. You don't want to hurt it again. Yay for being OP! That dinner sounds good you must be a good cook.:)

ANDREA~I just wanted to say welcome back!:) And I hope your ankle gets better soon. And btw that is cool you live in Austin. My MIL lives there and its really pretty.

BRENDA~That is cool you guys got a new car! What type of car did you get?

ERIKA~That is great that Amanda doesn't have to get surgery!

PATTI~WTG on your loss! :cheer2:

LESLEY~I thought it was so nice that comcast had that. The other day I was just bored and thought I would look through it. And I clicked on it and I was shocked at how many free videos they have! Its also nice they also just offer regular movies for free. Allie is so cute! And she just meows all of the time like she is trying to actually talk to us. I swear my two cats act so human sometimes...its a little scary. :lol: I hope you get your AC fixed soon. I lived in Louisiana my whole life up until we moved to Alaska. So I know how hot it can get down there in the south.

Well I need to go finish up some stuff. To anyone I missed hope you are all well. Have a good rest of the day everyone.:hug:

Hi guys
Man it is quiet on the boards today. Been a bad week food wise. I seem like I am just not trying... I dont know if it was the fact of reaching the goal or what it was... I think also that I know that it is TOM week and I am not expecting a loss on Friday. I have even sucked at getting in my water. I need someone to smack me :)

regarding our car, well, we are still waiting on the bank. We decided to see if we could borrow enough to cover all our credit card debt as well so I have been waiting for her phone call all day. I am stressing to the max this week and with work and TOM have had some real issues *L*

For those that asked, it is a Subaru Outback wagon. We camp a lot and have the dog so a wagon makes sense.

Off to work now. As much as I am dreading it.

Brenda :wave:

hey girls Im nearly at my 900 minute exercise goal this month only 70 more to go and should do 60 of that at the gym tomorrow. This is officially the most exercise I have done in years and years! went clothes shopping the other day and was buying 24-26 instead of 26-28! Its great news and I feel so so much fitter. Also in the weeks that I don't lose I think the exercise is still a positive outcome so I feel less bothered. Just did 35 lengths swimming and am doing lots of fast crawl lengths as well as slower strokes so am getting my heart rate up....

Yay!!

Well done to all those who have lost - Sharon, wow u are going great guns girl!!

Annie - poo to the scales, mine do the same hun, but we'll carry on regardless eh??

ack! so i had this long post to everyone, and it got eaten... lol

so basically, things are good. still working on the superhero show, so thats awesome. and i prob will for the 3 weeks that they actually shoot the show. so im excited about that. im in the office more so that keeps me from buying food i cant afford and shouldnt be eating anyway.

Hello Everybody and :welcome3: all the new ones I haven’t met yet.

Let me first say, Happy Birthday Catherine. I’m sorry I missed it.

Zelma~ I love your new haircut! It looks saucy!

Ammi~ After the thousands of times you’ve told me not to sweat a little gain after a bit of a splurge, RIGHT BACK AT YA, SWEETIE!
I too am sure it’s only water. And I think you’ll punish your gazelle for the little gain. You’ve come too far my dear friend. So, keep on pushin’ ahead.

Mechelle~ I jumped back on to this thread instead of trying to catch up. Your note about made me cry. I literally have NOT be on line but to check email since my past post and didn’t even check it daily …just ask Erica. I saw the pics of your kitties. They are so cute.

Erica~ Glad to hear Amanda doesn’t need surgery after all. That’s just wonderful news! I hope you are doing well. I still suck. I only have a few more days to get to my exercise goal for the month, I don’t know if I can make it.

Jill~ Congrats! Your ring all picked out already! Be sure to post a pic when you can. I can’t wait to see it.

Annie, My poor baby girl. I am so sorry you’re feeling poorly. If I lived closer I’d make you chicken soup. You’ll have to get Joel to pick up some low sodium soup from the store. :hug: to you.

Patti~ Way to go on your loss! That’s awesome. How’s your knee holding out?

Em~ Way to go! Meeting your exercise goal for this month is awesome! I don’t know if I’ll make mine.

Brenda~ You’ll love your new Outback. My Andy sells cars, new and used. His fav are Toyota and Honda’s are first and then Subaru. If we could afford a new car, I’d get the Toyota Prius Hybrid in a second! I just love it. My girl friend says it looks like a space ship. But, when you look at it from the front, it looks like It’s smiling at you. It’s mostly just Abby and I in the car anyway, but it’s real spacious inside. But, we don’t have $26000 lying around, nor can we afford a payment for that amount either.

I too have had an impossible time making good food choices. I did go back to work half days last wed – fri. I worked all day yesterday …… and am home today. I am so upset with myself about how I crumble to the stupid pressure I usually do so well in. My dr is in Florida on spring break. But his associate did fax a note into my employer today. I finally found my old counselor. I have a call into him to set up an appointment. I am so happy to have found him, cuz I don’t think I could handle “breaking in” a new one.
I’ve gained 2 pounds in the last couple weeks. I’m not freaked out about it, (and am NOT changing my ticker til next weigh in which may be Saturday.) but I am depressed about it. It’s like, how can I keep “falling off the good food wagon.” I mean, I’ve even gone to the trouble to go OUT of my way to make naughty stuff like a cake. It’s just stupid.
Before I forget, Nomer’s friend’s baby did get to go home the other day. He spent 10 days in the hospital and 8 of it in the nicu.
They really believe he had the seizures cuz he came out too fast and that made his little brain swell or something like that. I know he’s been seizure free for about 4 days now and they don’t expect there to be any permanent damage. My evil sd is at her mom’s til LATE Sunday night. :woohoo: It has helped my depression, it’s just the stress from work now. I feel really mad at myself for feeling emotionally weak. I’m hoping it passes and I hope to sleep well tonight so I can tackle tomorrow. Hope all of you continue to do well and keep on fighting in our journey. Til later, and I hope that means tomorrow evening.

sANDY MY KNEE IS DOING GREAT I SLACKED UP SOME OF THE EXERCISE AND I REST WHEN I NEED TO AND THAT SEEMS TO HAVE DONE THE TRICK!

Hey gals,
Just a few personals... today has already been bad-- Ice cream for breakfast?? OMG!!!! somebody please tell my body to shut the **** up. :lol:
Have a good day chiquitas.

mechelle- thank you i try :o Actually its already wednesday here and I didn't work out yesterday cause I was in so much pain... Today I will for sure though!! What fitness video is it that your doing?

going to loose 200- I pull out my white glove and *smack-smack*!! Turn that frown upside-down!!! Hang in there girl, its tough on all us women folk! I can relate now... don't worry this is a small hurdle you will be past it soon!! :) Tough love bebe tough love....

looking for hope - great news!! Huzzah!!!

Voodoo - wassup how you doing? :) By the looks of things pretty good! Congrats on your 10year time travel! :lol: I'm at about 2 years myself.heheh

LitChick- sounds hot and steamy!! My summer is over in sydney, thank goodness, it was a real biatch this summer. lol

toofatforu - congrats on the loss! only 29 tiny little pounds left!! I'll be waiting with my hurrahs!!

Lesley: Thanks for the well wishes on my foot! Read any good books lately? ;) I'm on a trek to reread many of my favorites from when I was a child. I reread Bridge to Terabithia the other day, it still makes me cry. I'm planning on Phantom Tollbooth next. I'm getting my kids to read it and of course, they love it and it makes them feel good about being readers and being smart (same as it did for me)...I'm looking forward to that trip down memory lane. I'm also rereading the Harry Potter books because I love them so much. :book2: I hope your AC gets fixed quick, without a lot of $$.

Michelle: Thanks for the welcome back. I hope my foot gets better soon, too. I took the stairs at work today with relative little pain, but I was out of breath, I really need to get moving again!

Brenda: I'll keep my fingers crossed for your loan, the Outback Wagon is a cool vehicle, I'm sure you'll love it. Plus, with the camping, plenty of exercise.

Sharon: Thanks for the welcome. Yes, he is gorgeous, isn't he? I wish I could say he's my husband, but alas, I have to admit that he's none other than Gerard Butler, the actor. He's a Scot and did a lot of work there in the U.K. before coming to the U.S. He was recently seen in such hits as Phantom of the Opera (title character) and 300, where he was King Leonidas. If my husband ever leaves me, I'll be beating down Gerard's door. :D

SXSW is short for South By South West. It's a music festival they hold every year here in Austin. We are the self-proclaimed Live Music Capital of the World and you better believe there is a ton of live music here! We also have a little film festival that has attracted the likes of Gerard Butler, Angelina Jolie, Matthew McConaughey (sp?), Tommy Lee Jones, and many many others. The thing I love most about Austin is how it is the perfect mix of nature and city. With all the celebrities, live music, etc, you would think it's a big city, but it's not uncommon to cross a deer while driving at 3am and have them run into a small copse of trees nearby. This area is largely undeveloped and that's what makes it so beautiful. There are some folks out to develop it now, but Austinites are strongly fighting it.

As for my foot, it seems like it may be getting better now. I had the time to sleep in yesterday, so I took a painkiller/anti-inflammatory and muscle relaxant, slept 13 hours and while I was still in a good bit of pain yesterday, I climbed the stairs at work today with little pain (I was very out of breath, though!).

I have about 50-60 lbs to go before I am the weight I was when I met my husband, I can't wait until then. It's funny, you know, how back then I used to lament that I wore a 20 or 22, now I'd give anything to fit in something that small again. Ultimately, I'd be happy if I fit in a 12, because I haven't since I was about 14. I'm hoping I don't get baggy and saggy as I lose. That's one of the reasons I'm so desperate to get the weight off now, I'm still in my late 20's and have a good deal of elasticity so I'd like to get it off while the going is good. :bike:

I'm having a pretty good day eat-wise today. I had Schlotzky's for breakfast, but I was very restrained, I had half a small sandwich, a small soda, and a cookie. I was very pleased with myself for being so restrained. The soda's not healthy, but I'm trying to break the caffeine habit and they have less caffeine and cost a lot less than energy drinks.

For lunch, I had the other half of my sandwich and a quarter of an apple with some peanut butter. Water to drink this time. I'll probably have leftover ziti and garlic bread with a salad for dinner. Maybe a glass of wine if I can remember to bring it out to let it breathe. All-in-all, I'm impressed with my day! :carrot:

i love that austin's slogan is "keep austin weird"

brenda -- hang in there! Making a big goal seems to affect many of us in a weird way, but just keep doing what got you here and you'll get back on track!

Dreasam - My brother and his family live in Austin. I lived there in the late 1980s, but only for a year. My brother loves it. I don't think we'll ever get him back!

Things are going well for me today. I am excited because I splurged and bought season tickets to the Houston Texans' professional football games. I am an avid Texans fan. I am particularly excited because my seats are on the Club level where they have private bars, lots of food, waiters that serve you in your seats, comfy chairs and great views. The season starts in September, so I am hoping that I have lost my weight by then so that I can enjoy some of the food.

Hunger has gotten better - haven't really wanted to eat today, which is really good. I still crave solid food though, and would love to be at McDonald's right now. It's only been 3 weeks since I've been on liquids and I'm hoping the cravings will get better, but I just don't know. It may be something I'll have to live with forever because I can never go back to eating like I did or I will gain everything back.

Hope everyone is doing well!

Take care!

Lisa

I was having a kind of bad day. It became apparent to me today that if my family was going to acknowledge my birthday, it would have happened by now. I keep thinking they will eventually forgive me for moving to Canada, and start talking to me again. Anyway, when things seem darkest, the sun shines (well in between snow flakes we got today). Immigration Canada decided to approve me for permanent residency today. My MIL can't do anything now to get me deported unless I commit murder. It will take me about 6 weeks to get all the paperwork finished, and get my PR card, but with that, I get to start water aerobics, and get to go on my husband's insurance which means new glasses, clean teeth, and my meds paid for.

Now I'm waiting for him to come home to tell him. I would have called him, but the phone decided to go out today. I'll have to surprise him instead. I just wanted to thank everyone who has been praying for us. I don't think I realized how hard this had been on me until the relief hit. If I had been deported, we would have lost our condo, and he would probably have ended up in the hospital. With my family disowning me, I wouldn't even have had a place to stay while waiting for my resubmitted application to go through the embassy in Buffalo. We were actually making plans for me to live at the big homeless shelter in Oklahoma City, so that we could keep up the mortgage. I don't understand where all the bitterness in my family and in his comes from. Isn't life hard enough without trying to make everyone around us miserable. Well, there will be some celebrating going on here tonight.

Catherine -- That's the best gift in many ways (though some acknowledgement from your family would have been nice!!). I am so so so happy for you!!!!!!!!!!!! :carrot:

I hope we get your minutes in the exercise thread when you get that card! :D

Catherine, CONGRATS!!! woohoo!!!! Have a happy birthday!!!! :hug:

Catherine, GREAT NEWS!!!!! I forgot to wish u a happy birthday, BUT it looks like you got a GREAT PRESENT!!! Families??? I often wonder why some people have kids, they either hang on for dear liufe & never want to let them go or don't care about them at all!!! I see little kids 5-7 wandering around near busy roads with no parents or adults watching them, why they don't just get a cat or dog instead I don't know. ANYWAY.... I hope hubby is happy & you have a great time celebrating!!!xxxxxxx
Mechelle, your kitties are SO CUTE, I bet they needed those furry beds in Alaska!! How did they cope with the cold & snow? I know a lot of cats hate getting their paws wet & there they were in danger of getting their paws FROZEN to the pavement!!xxxxxxx
Well I caved yesterday & ate a 'fun sized' bar of chocolate I 'found' in a bag at home!! Ok it was 2" long but I felt so STUPID!!!! I didn't really enjoy it!!! 5 minutes later I had another mouthful of chocolate, but SPAT IT OUT!! I really need to stop being so silly AND greedy.
Chimichanga-ICE CREAM for BREAKFAST???!!!!! lol. WTG on walking the bridge though!!! As it's Summer there I'll let you off, lol! Have you thought of making a low fat smoothie with low fat yoghurt or milk & whatever fruit you like & adding lots of ice instead of icecream, they're really nice!!!xxxxx
Kymberly WTG on being third!!! I hope you get something nice for the prize/prize money.xxxxx
Erica, BRILLIANT that Amanda doesn't need an op. WTG on the exercise front too!!!xxxxx
Lesley, in the UK we don't have air con in homes as we get 3-4 weeks a YEAR where it's above 80 degrees, though I envy you the heat I don't envy the cost of runing & repairing it!!! I hope it's something small & inexpensive which has broken.xxxxxxx
Emilymay, WTG on the exercise, though I bet all those 12 hour shifts must help, your poor feet must feel like they've been BEATEN!!!! I bet they feel better for you losing weight though!xxxxxxx
Lisa, Mc. D's??? ICK!!! But I really want to eat too, I think it's more emotional eating than a physical craving, it does go..apparently, lol. Are thee any support sites for your diet? People there might be able to offer more detailed & pertinent advice (Though don't leave us!!!) Just think by July you could be 30+ or more pounds down!!!! That's whats keeping me going....except for the chocolate yesterday, butit's a new day today!!!! Keep it up,,WE CAN DO IT!!xxxxx
Ammi, have you weighed yet to see if the 'pizza weight' has gone yet? I KNOW you will see a good loss next Monday!!xxxxxxx
xxxxsharon

I've done it!! Met my exercise goal - and I went to the gym today for a 6 week check up thing and have lost a lot of inches! Funnily enough the only measurement that stayed the same was my hips, but everything else had gone down by 1-2 inches! So thats great! BUt she made my programme harder...doing 10 mins treadmill with incline of 6%, then 20 mins bike at level 9, then 10 min treadmill and lots of weights and squatting in between, its really hard work, oh and also 3 mins on the cross trainer!! well we shall see what my next assessment in 6 weeks says....

Good NSV tho!!

Good Morning Everyone!
Well I finally got my oldest (21) to check out this site, she loves it and is hanging out on alternachicks. I am so happy for her, she has really committed to fitday too which makes me happy. Of course becoming a fatty I brought my husband and all four of my daughters with me. The ones still at home I can help, but the older one is having to do it on her own just like me. Well, at least they love themselves and are happy girls! I really did lose seven pounds last week, I waited until Tuesday to report it on my WI just to make sure it was real! Anyway, I am a happy happy lady.

Hello and welcome to those I have not met.

Catherine-Happy birthday! And WOW you must be on cloud nine with your new immigration status!!!:balloons: :woo: And don't even get me started on families, my mom has the sort of family, like you it sounds, that maybe it is just a blessing that they don't acknowledge you at all. Some people create and live in their own nightmare and cannot see the joy of this life. You do not get to choose your birth family, but you can make a choice for chosen family. Like you have here. So, screw em', Congratulations to you a thousand times.

Sharon-I love that you spit out the chocolate, that is hilarious and great for you!

Emilymay-Right on for you! You rock!

To everyone else, I hope you are having a great week. I am doing great, I found a new workout buddy, I lost weight. So, if you are having a bad week take some of my happy dust, I have lots right now!!!!!!:D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D

I'm still in a state of shock. I don't think I realized how upsetting the whole "mil trying to get me deported" thing was affecting me until it was lifted from my shoulders. I think I'm going to go for a walk today to clear my head.

Oh Catherine I am SO happy for you!!! :yay: This must be such a wonderful relief and what a wonderful birthday gift! Happy Birthday by the way! It's sad that you and your husband both have come from such awful families, but what a blessing that you found each other! Also, always keep in mind that you are part of OUR family here! :hug:

I'm still in a state of shock. I don't think I realized how upsetting the whole "mil trying to get me deported" thing was affecting me until it was lifted from my shoulders. I think I'm going to go for a walk today to clear my head.

:hug: :hug: Just because I think you need one today!

hello everyone i am late posting today... had a good dr. report i dont go back for 6 months now plus thie morning i was down to 278!

princesspuffypants: I remember when I first moved to Austin and I thought that was so cool, "Keep Austin Weird." Now that I know the meaning behind it, I love it even more. The purpose of the slogan is to encourage folks to support local businesses. One of the things that makes Austin so unique is that we have a lot of local businesses still going strong and it makes us, well, weird. I love this city and while I still want to see Europe and maybe live there someday, I will always have my heart in Austin, TX.

Lisa: I don't think you will get your brother back, either. :D I grew up in San Antonio and enjoyed it, a lot. I then went to Oregon and got exposed to the more natural side of life. From there, I moved here to Austin because I wanted to attend the LBJ Law School at UT. I've since changed my mind about law school, but I couldn't imagine ever permanently leaving Austin. If I win the lottery, I'll always have a house here to spend a good portion of the year.

Catherine: :cp: Congratulations and Happy Birthday! :bday2you: I'm sorry your families are so negative. It's hard to make it through life without a supportive family, I know. My husband and I both have families that suck. Fortunately, my mother is coming around in her old age. I just have to break every change in my life to her gradually, or she wigs and doesn't speak to me for awhile. Sometimes, I break it to her so slowly, I forget the change has occurred before I tell her that I'm going to do it. ;)

EmilyMay: Congratulations on your inches lost! I look forward to those accomplishments. :dancer:

DJCJRun: Congratulations on your weight lost. :bravo: Isn't it good to lose something and be glad it's gone? I do have to say that teaching my children healthy eating habits is my main motivation right now. I've always wanted to weigh less, but with the kids here, it's so much more important to me. I would hate to have them grow up to be like me. That's what happened to me with my mom, she stayed thin forever because she was in the Army, but as soon as she was injured and relieved from doing PT (Physical Training), she gained about 40 pounds and suddenly it wasn't just me anymore. She made me go on every fad diet with her as a teen, which was terrible. Fortunatley, I've since figured out that healthy eating is the key so I won't torture my own kids. :)

I didn't have as good of a dinner last night as I had hoped. My husband and kids talked me into getting Taco Bell. :nono: I was pretty restrained in my eating, though. We usually get the Grande Meal with the Nachos BellGrande and the Mexican Pizza. My husband eats the MP and I eat the Nachos, then everyone gets two tacos (or whatever). Last night, I ate only a few nachos, but then I did eat two tacos, which was way too much food. I was actually getting pretty full after the few nachos.

Oh well, today's another day. I had a piece of chicken and a biscuit for breakfast. Felt a little overfull, but not too bad. I'm going strong on having the ziti for lunch today. I'm crackin' down on the fam, for us all to have more will power.

Andrea

Wow I am so proud of all you ladies... getting PR, losing weight, and looking and feeling better. Everyone, give yourselves a big pat on the back for me!!!!

I am also posting today cause I forgot to tell you about something I meant to... There is this chick at my work (the only other chick besides me in 40 ppl) who was the one who pushed me to even start on this journey, and I owe her alot. I make jewellery in my spare time, so for her birthday I wanted her to remember how she effected my life, so I cut my leather belt into a chunk of about 5inches, sanded it down, and in every belt notch (that I went down and never have to see again) I hammered in a snap stud button and made her a leather cuff bracelet. It actually turned out so cool I made one for myself too- I wear it every day as a reminder of the hard work I've done and I never want to need those belt holes again! She has worn it every day since I gave it to her! :)

Have a great Day today gals, talk to you all very soon :hug:

I will firstly apologise if my posts are still messy. I just can’t work out what the problem is. Other than not being able to format my posts, I have also realized that I don’t get the ads anymore. I haven’t paid for this, and I don’t know why they have stopped, but I don’t get pop-ups or ads at this site anymore. Heather, perhaps you have some idea what I can do to fix this.??? YES!! Thank you for passing my message on Heather. I followed some of Catherine's instructions and I can now fix my posts. YIPPEE!!!

Things haven’t been so great since I went back to work. I was actually REALLY looking forward to seeing the kids again, as they make me happy most of the time. Well, they have only made me sad these last couple of days. I’m not sure at all what the problem is, but I think it could be a mix of things. One problem is that they had a few relief (sub) teachers in the room while I was off and that made them a little unsettled I think. Another problem is that they didn’t have the structure that I provide/expect when I am with them, which means that they kinda got out of a few good habits while I was away. It hasn’t taken me long to get them back to where they were in the classroom, although the state of the room when I returned almost (seriously) made me cry. The problem at the moment is their behaviour in the playground. Some of the girls are being REALLY awful to each other and most of the boys seem to be either fighting or swearing. I am trying to deal with it as best I can, but nothing seems to be working, and it is making me really frustrated/angry/sad/depressed/fed up… etc… etc… Other teachers are saying that their kids are doing similar things, so it could just be ‘end-of-term’ behaviour. It is just SO disappointing, as every time I walk in the room I get the whining and dobbing. Honestly, it is constant and more than a few kids each time. It is really wearing me down. I have 5 school days to get through, before a day of professional development, then two weeks’ holidays. I’m hoping to be able to get through them, but yesterday I had a good cry two times and I actually thought that I may just go to the doctor and ask to be medicated. I have NEVER considered that before, but I just don’t see the end of this tunnel and my talks with the clinical psych don’t seem to be doing a whole lot. I have my third appointment with her this afternoon and I should book to see the doctor tomorrow, as she wanted to see me again. I will see how I am feeling by the weekend. Fingers crossed that things will settle at school.Oh well… that is enough complaining from me.

Catherine – CONGRATULATIONS on getting your permanent residency!!!!!!!! I know (from the spouse’s view) what an incredible relief that is, and I hope you found some way to celebrate.
I’m really sorry that your family didn’t acknowledge your birthday. That must really hurt, but it sounds as though it is out of your hands, so I just hope that hubby spoilt you rotten and took a little of that pain away.

Lisa – It sounds as though you got perfect tickets to the games. I am not a sports person at all, but I understand how important this sort of thing is to a sports fan.
I’m glad that the hunger is easing for you. It is totally understandable that you would still love something to ‘eat’, but your time will come. Do you get to have times where you incorporate ‘food’ with your drinks, like Sharon, or is your program drinks the whole way until you reach target? Sorry, you may have mentioned this before, but I have a memory like a sieve.

Andrea – I’m glad your foot pain is easing. I know how frustrated I get when I WANT to exercise and some kind of pain or illness is stopping me.
I will keep my fingers crossed for you that your skin returns to ‘normal’ after you lose your weight. I wasn’t so lucky, but I am almost 20 years older than you and I was obese for a LONG time. Still, I would rather be smaller, fitter and healthier and flabby, than the size I was and have tight skin.

Chimichanga – I am just hearing on the news about the accident on the river over there. It sounds horrific. It would be great if they found the 14 year old girl alive, but it doesn’t sound as though they are holding out much hope.
How are you after your bridge walk? It sounds as though you probably shouldn’t have attempted it if you were sore to begin with, but I know that when I have my mind set on something, very little can deter me from it. We can be our own worst enemy at times huh?
Oh… and I LOVE my icecream, and have it almost every day for afternoon tea (low fat kind) but I don’t think I have EVER had icecream for breakfast. At the moment, something like that would not be appealing at all, we had our lowest minimum on record the other day, then the second lowest on record the following day. Today is a LITTLE warmer, but not by a great deal. I’m not sure I’m ready for winter weather yet.The gift for your friend (and yourself) sounds like a wonderful idea. What a great way to remind yourself of your strength and determination.

Oops… that will have to do for this time. I had better head off to work and see how my students are going today. They are usually so beautiful, supportive and simply adorable, and I hope to see that again soon.
Take care all,
Zelma

Catherine, I’m so sorry your family and inlaws are so, …… mean. However, I’m very happy for you and your permanent papers. HA HA to your mil. Remember, you have true friends here and a wonderful dh that really loves you. I happily accept you as part of my family.

Today was better than the past several days, but not great. I’m off to be actually, cuz I’m just not feeling well.

Zelma, I’m very sorry your kids have been naughty. I’ll bet it’s cuz it’s almost holiday time. Our kids get that way here too. Especially before spring break. And home work! It becomes a major event to get Abby to settle down and do hers. Please, feel better honey.

I just posted my beginning photos (kinda...I took them after 15 lbs lost.) in the photos section. I can't believe I posted them! Yikes! :o

hi ladies
just wanted to quickly post and share my good news. i lost 3 lbs:) the contest is over, and they arent announcing the winners til next week, but i am pretty sure my team will remain in third:) at the final lab screening my cholesteral, blood sugar, etc was great. i lost a total of 41 lbs during this challenge but still have more to go. im sorry to ramble on, its just that i am so excited. i am so close to 200, somewhere i havent been in a long, long time i am both excited and scared.
congratulations to all the losers, to anyone struggling, heres a hug, i know the feeling.
i will post some personals tommorrow. have a wonderful evening;)
Happy Belated birthday, Catherine:)

Michelle, way to go on finishing that workout. It feels so satisfying to do the exercise, doesn't it? I'm starting to see how people can say they enjoy it. I like how On Demand will show a lot of old movies for free and other ones that Blockbuster wouldn't normally carry.

Brenda, it's probably a combination of reaching that goal and TOM. Maybe your mind is thinking you've worked hard so long and reached this point, now you deserve a break. But what you really need is to keep going! Here's a :kickbutt: from me to you. ;)

Emily, congrats on completing your exercise challenge and losing all those inches! I bet it feels amazing! Your new regimen sounds hard but you can do it!

Sandy, glad to hear you found your old counselor. And here's a :hug: for you, hoping you get back on the 'good food wagon' real soon. Stress can make us do crazy things, and it sounds like you've got a lot going on.

Andrea, I have read a few good books lately, actually! My biggest dilemma now is choosing what to read next - I have 7 unread library books on my nightstand. Austin seems like such a cool city to me - I saw a bit of it when I watched 'Rollergirls' (LOVED that show - gotta love girls who kickass). Glad to hear your foot's feeling a bit better. I totally relate to wishing I was back in a size 22! We'll both be there again, though - and better!

Lisa, good for you for treating yourself to season tickets! It's good to reward ourselves with things other than food.

Catherine, congratulations on getting your permanent residency! I am so happy for you! I remember the day I got mine, and the relief is just beyond words, and I had family supporting me (on both sides), so I can't imagine the stress you've been under - your MIL can go stick it. What a wonderful birthday gift!

Sharon, at least it was only the mini size chocolate, and not an entire bar! And kudos to you for spitting out the third piece, that made me smile. I grew up in Canada and so I never had AC either til I moved to the States a few years ago. But man, down here in the South we definitely need it!

DJCJ, how great that your daughter joined 3FC! I hope she gets as much out of it as we all do. And good news on finding a workout buddy - that will help a lot, I'm sure. And congrats on losing!

toofatforu, congrats on the loss! :cp:

chimi, you continue to amaze me with your thoughtfulness and creativity. You should post a pic of your bracelet.

Kymberly, 41 pounds is awesome! :woohoo: When did the contest start?


Me, I had a really good day. I walked 3 loops around the lake in the park (a mile and a half total) this morning and then I went and bought some of those outdoor pathway lights for our house. We've been wanting to put them in since our house is so far off the street and it looks so dark up here; we wanted a 'friendlier' vibe. Plus DH leaves in the morning when it's still dark and he wanted some lights to see his way to the car. So I bought some and then my SIL and I spent the afternoon putting them in. He was very pleasantly surprised when he came home and they look so pretty! We did a damn fine job, if I do say so myself.

The AC guy came today and checked out our unit. Turns out we need a new compressor and fan (uh, OK, whatever - just fix it!) so he fixed it temporarily so we could get some cool air and then will be back later this week when the new parts come in. Hubby is very happy to be sleeping in a cool room and not sweating through the night!

I have to say, as much as I love the sunshine, I really wish it would rain. It's been weeks since it rained here and none is in the forecast. It would help wash away some of this pollen that's covering everything, too. It's amazing to see all that greenish-yellow powder covering everything. Thank god it's not humid at least! You know, I never understood that expression 'it's not the heat, it's the humidity' until I moved here! Growing up on the East Coast of Canada, we never really had humidity. But boy, we have it in droves down here, especially come summer!

Anyway, after spending all afternoon sweating and toiling in the garden (as well as getting a touch of sunburn), I was bone tired and in no mood to cook a supper from scratch. And since DH can't even fry an egg, we decided to order a pizza. Now normally, this would be an example of our old habits. We ate out A LOT and for pizza, we'd typically order a large (or even extra large) pepperoni and eat it between us in one sitting. Tonight, we ordered a medium veggie pizza on thin crust and a chef salad. I ate two pieces of pizza and a bowl of salad; hubby ate 3 pieces and salad. And we still have enough left over for both of us to have lunch tomorrow. I'm pretty impressed with ourselves and don't feel guilty - such a refreshing change from our prior behavior!

Zelma -- I've asked the other mods about your posting problem. I'm leaving the post as is for now, so they can see it. Hopefully someone will have some answers!

I'm so sorry things are so hard at school. :hug:

LitChick -- WTG on the pizza, it's all about making better choices most of the time, isn't it? We dont' order pizza often, but have really changed how much we order too.

Hi ladies! Just wanted to drop in and send 'get well soon' vibes to those of you who are ill or injured. Welcome back to those of you returning, and welcome to the new ladies! We're glad to have you!

Congrats to all the losers (inches AND pounds!), and to those of you who have been able to keep at it! Congrats especially to BRENDA for losing over 100lbs! That's absolutely fantastic!

Catherine, I'm so happy to read that your immigration paperwork is finally going through. Happy belated birthday as well! I can't think of anyone more deserving of such a 'gift' than you!

Zelma, I hope your kids get back into a groove for you. I know it's hard coming back after taking time off, and I'm sure it's frustrating since things didn't go as you'd planned. Just remember to take time to take care of yourself, even though you're back at work!

Ammi, you're looking absolutely lovely! I'm sure you'll lose those 4lbs in no time. You've done an outstanding job so far, and I have no doubt you'll continue losing!

Not much to say on my end. I exercised a bit, and I've eaten less the last few days, so here's hoping I will see some sort of result on Sunday. If not, I'd like to run over the scale, but since I weigh at work, I'm sure the hospital would frown on it. Maybe kicking it down a few flights of stairs might make me feel better :)

Hi everyone .. firstly the personals.....

ANNIE - Get well soon hun!

ERICA - Great positive news about Amanda, Im sure that is a worry off your minds for sure :)

AMMI - Glad you are keeping positive, gees you havent treated yourself anywhere near as wildly as me lol .. April is my new beginning :)

HEATHER - Will get to the exercise thread and post something on there asap lol

LESLEY - Hope your AC gets fixed soon and doesnt cost an arm and a leg (although that is one way to lose extra weight I suppose rofl)

MECHELLE - WTG hun on doing your exercise vid so well! Isnt it a great feeling??!!

BRENDA - Good luck on your financing - I know how frustrating it is waiting for the just a word when you want to go forward and do things, so dont be hard on yourself hunny .. as annoying as it is to hear ... good things really are worth waiting for lol.

EMILYMAY - Well done on achieving your exercise goal, that is a great NSV for sure :)

LUAN - Good to hear you are doing well and its great the positive vibes you let loose :)

CATHERINE - Firstly .. HAPPY BIRTHDAY from a member of your extended family :) GREAT GREAT GREAT news about your residency, I know how much work it takes (thanks to a couple of friends going through the long and drawn out process!), Im sure that is definitely a weight off your mind .... as for family ... its true you cant choose em .. but you CAN choose to accept them as they are and just go on with your life as it best for YOU. Even after my nephews death I still havent talked to my brother .. its not that I dont want to .. I just know that he still has a lot of anger towards me, so at this time I choose to wait, but I hope you will be able to accept thats just the way they are .. and you are a better person that can overcome any negativity they feel it their right to dish out :) Huggies hun.

ZELMA - Great new "do!" Sorry to hear things are like that at your school, I do have to wonder sometimes where this aggression comes from, I dont remember anything like this when I went to school, but I see it a lot over here too ... grrrrr.

SANDY - Just want to give you a big hug hun, you know you can msg me whenever you need to vent it out hun :) xxx

CHIMI - Oops on the ice cream lol .. still .. if you have to listen to your body talkin dirty rofl .. could have been worse lol.

PEGGY - Lovely pics .. thank you for sharing :) The beginning ones are always interesting to look back on :)

KYMBERLY - WTG on your loss!!! That is just fantastic :)



Okee ... well ... I dont know where yesterday went to .. and here it is almost another day over and I have only just picked up the laptop to catch up!

We had new incense arrive today so I had to get them all priced (arrgggh), tomorrow I should have more bears and angels arriving to price .. its good they are coming this week because I know I have a big shipment coming on the day that we open!! I have been checking everything off my list, signage is all go .. confirmed the business card design (never had a "real" business card .. just home made ones lol) ... went and bought a small microwave, bar fridge, electric jug and toastie sandwich machine today ... this way I wont be tempted to go round the corner to McDonalds, Subway or over the road to the Fried Chicken shop for lunch ... Im gonna take my meals etc and prepare them there :)

So hopefully tomorrow will be a little slower so I can fit in some exercise .. if you want a sneak peek at some of the things we will have in our store .. let me know in a msg and I will send you the link :)

Positives today ...

I got the incense all priced and boxed up ready to go ...

I got some lovely new bedding for our bed .. its all black! lol .. I have always wanted black bedding and I saw it today on special so I grabbed a set :)

LOVE HUGS AND LAUGHTER EVERYONE!!

This week must be our lucky week!

I am VERY glad that Amanda doesn't have to have surgery, but she is still having stomach issues. Hoping that we can get those resolved soon!

Wanna hear my other good news? Ya sure you can handle it?!

She got a JOB! She is delivering news papers on a route at night. It's working about 20 hours a week ( 7 days a week) and makes like $400.

Other than that I really don't have much information to share. I need to buy a scale and will be looking for one soon!

Hey there
Glad to see everyone is here on a positive note this morning. I only have a min for an update but I wanted to let you all know that my new car is in the yard. Finally! Stress has been lifted and I can finally move on. Feels amazing to only have one payment and all the credit stuff is off my mind as well. We can finally plan a trip to visit friends of ours and we have been promising them for.... about 3 years we were coming! YEA!

Eating wasnt too bad yesterday. It wasnt the "best" but certainly no guilt there. I am puffy puffy puffy so I took a pill for that and the grand ole mentsral migraine is looming and since I am on my way to work at the store I dont think I can take one of my "super" pills till 2 this afternoon. I will just take a tylenol or something. Maybe if I eat too it might help.

Time is ticking and if I want to go to work then I had better eat and do my hair. Its kinda stormy today here. I'll get to try out my all-wheel-drive. Since Steve hasnt even let me drive it yet LOL

Brenda :wave:

Hello! I'm new here and I think I'm just supposed to jump into this massive thread. :) I hope I'm not making a faux pas here!

Anyway... I'll be reading quite a bit to get the lay of the land around here, but I do look forward to making some friends and getting support on my weight loss journey - which I desperately need!

brandnewme your new picture looks great! i just wanted to say good morning i have some heavy duty housework to do today so i will be doing that this morning instead of treadmill... i have avoided it as long as i could stand it!

:welcome: Melperimeter! We're a friendly bunch, so jump right in!

Zelma I can't help with the formatting problem, but I don't get pop-ups or banner ads either and it's because of my anti-spam/pop up blocking software. If you haven't bought new antivirus/anti-spam protection lately, it might have been an automatic update. That will also sometimes make the connection to load in the first place slower.

Hey everyone-

Well I was going to weigh in today. But Tom started yesterday and I easily gain 10 pounds during TOM. So I guess I will just wait. I finally get to see the ENT about my ear Monday. I have been having really bad ear pain for a while and my primary doctor didn't know what was wrong. So I will be really happy to get it figured it out. And I am starting to get nervous. Alex (cat) for sure is going to have his surgery Friday. They did all of the pre-anesthesia work up so I am sure things will go fine. Oh and they did find out he had no thyroid problems. So he is actually in really good health except for the infection in his mouth. So hopefully I will have good news to report tomorrow.

SANDY~I am so glad to see you post! I am sorry you gained 2 pounds. I for sure understand about saying no to the food. I REALLY struggle with that. I will have a whole good day and then I will ruin the whole day by eating fast food. I guess the thing that matters most is we don't give up. I am glad some of stress has gone away. I hope you continue to feel better hun. :hug:

CHIMI~Well I hope your knee is better! The fitness video I have been doing is the walk away the pounds 1 mile by Leslie Sansone. Its pretty low impact and I am hoping it will help build some stamina. :)

DREASAM~Good to hear your foot is better.

LISA~Glad things are going well for you. That is cool you bought season tickets. Those seats sound really nice!

CATHERINE~I hope you had a good Birthday. I am so sorry your family doesn't acknowledge you on your birthday. :hug: That is wonderful you have been approved! I bet you can't wait to start water aerobics!

SHARON~Thanks! Well they never went outside so we didn't have to worry about them getting stuck to the pavement! lol But it did get really cold inside and they would just curl up and sleep a lot. Ever since we moved they seem a lot more active. And I hear you about the chocolate. I found a piece and started to eat it. I stopped and was like what am I doing! WTG on throwing the other piece away! :)

EMILY~WTG on meeting your exercise goal! That is great you losing inches.:cheer2:

DJCJ~That is awesome about your daughter joining the site!

PATTI~That is wonderful you had good Dr. report. And YAY on being down another pound!:congrat:

CHIMI~What a great idea about making jewelry with your belt! You are so creative!

PEGGY~Great pics you can see a difference! You are so pretty and your outfit in the second pic is cute!

KYMBERLY~WTG on losing 3 more pounds! Third place is still awesome. And that is so great your blood tests came back good. congrats on the 41 pounds lost! :woohoo:

LESLEY~That is great you got that walking in. Those lights sounds nice! Glad you got your AC fixed. WTG on the pizza choice. That is great you are seeing behavior changes. :)

KATT~Thanks! It does feel good to get some exercise. Your store sounds great! I love all that type of stuff.

BRENDA~Sounds like a nice car! Glad it all worked out for you guys.

MELPERIMETER~:welcome3: So glad you jumped in! Look forward to seeing you post.

PATTI~Good luck with all of the cleaning.

Sorry if I missed anyone. I hope you all are having a good day! :hug:

Catherine – That is so fantastic about your immigration status! It is so amazing how we can be under these incredible stresses that we don’t really realize are so destructive until they lift.

Patti – Congratulations on the good report at the doctors!

Zelma – I love the new haircut! It is really cute yet classy.

Peggy – Here is a :kickbutt: . Stop getting down on yourself (by saying yikes!) about how you look! I think you are very pretty and you can definitely tell you have lost weight.

Kymberly – WOW! You have done amazingly during the challenge! It would be great if your team won, but whatever happens you have already won the most important victory.

Lesley – I love how you handled the pizza. That (in my opinion) is exactly the way to handle it. You can still have the things you love, just slightly modified and in moderation.

Katt – I am so glad you are back and it sounds like the store is going well.

Erika – Congratulations to Amanda on her recent good news – no surgery and a job – that is fantastic! That must be a relief for you not to be the only wage earner.

Brenda – I hope you enjoy your new car!

Mel – Yes – just jump right in!

Michelle – I am glad that you are finally getting to the ENT doctor. Also your kitties are so cute! I love their little beds, although I am amazed they use them. I have never had a pet that has used a bed I have gotten for it – they all want mine instead!


I know I missed a bunch of people – sorry!

It is another weekend at my families and it is going to be a rough one. I am leaving tonight after work and gym, so at least I shouldn’t hit much traffic. The drive is about 3 and a half hours, so I will get in really late. The weekend is packed with a house inspection Friday morning, my step-grandfather’s wake Friday afternoon/evening and then the funeral on Saturday morning. I am sure there will be much food around and very little opportunity for exercise.

I am now mad with myself for not being able to go the gym on Tuesday (I got stuck at work with a service tech working on one of our servers) and then having to do errands. However, I could have hopped on the gazelle when I got home and I didn’t. I now need to exercise 70 minutes for the next 3 days if I am going to make my March goal. My only hope is to be able to sneak out for a couple of walks on Friday and Saturday. I really want to make my goal because I haven’t made it in months. I used to be so consistent about exercise and it has been so difficult to get back there. I have also decided that when I get back I will start really planning my dinners. That has been my downfall recently, since I am good about planning everything else.

On another note, I have decided not to take the apartment I was looking at. I really don’t want to pay double rent – I would much rather buy a really nice TV. There were also a few things that kept irking me (like having a view of a car lot and such a small kitchen) so I am going to try and relax and wait until the time is right. I still think this last one has been a good exercise for me as it has gotten me thinking about how to be very creative with a small amount of space. I don’t want to jump into the wrong decision because it is easy and there, even if it means setting myself adrift in uncertainty for awhile (a place I am not at all comfortable being).

Finally, I got my new glasses and OMG!!!!! I don’t know if people who don’t wear glasses can comprehend the feeling that comes when all of a sudden you can SEE! I really hadn’t realized to what level of detail I was missing. I have been walking around the last few days in a weird daze staring at things. The progressives are also taking some getting used to since they are somewhat weird. There are spots in my vision that are blurry depending on what angle I hold my head. But, with the improvement, I am not complaining. It is just strange. I was warned about steps appearing taller than they are, and it is true – progressive lenses can mess with your depth perception. I am sure I will get used to it soon enough. I will try and get some new pics taken soon.

OK, I lied, one last thing. I was reading another post and someone mentioned large print books while doing cardio. I had tried to read regular print books before and I couldn’t do it. But the large print – total success! It makes staying on the elliptical so much easier for me! I get so wrapped up in the book that I barely notice the time. The only issue is making sure I don’t drift too far into the story and let my exertion drop too low, but since I use a heart rate monitor I can check my bpm to keep myself in line.

Well, today has been exactly one week since I had my lap band surgery, and with walking and everything else being done to the letter since then, today was the first official weigh in.

I still feel great with absolutely no pain at all, and not even hungry that much, though I am craving a grilled chicken salad like no tomorrow. LOL.

Anyway....this week's official total is *drum roll*.....

:goodscale 23 pounds gone!

Of course, things will slow down once I begin the soft diet stage; I have my first post-op doctor's appointment next Thursday. But what a running start and great motivation!:carrot:

:goodscale 23 pounds gone!


Holy Moly girlfriend!!! That is AWESOME!!!

Wyllenn-I posted my exercise this month. I had done more than I realized. I guess writing everything down is actually worth the trouble.

Sharon-Thanks, himself ordered pizza to celebrate. Way too much pizza. I am going to have to do about 10,000 situps to make up for it.

Emily-WTG on hitting your exercise goal. In the beginning, you’ll lose more inches than pounds probably because of the exercise you’re doing. I’ve lost a total of 20 inches off my hips, and I love being able to go through doors without having to turn sidewards. Your hips will catch up.

DJCJ-How many times I have wished that my mother had done different things with me food-wise. Believe me, it’s better late than never. Even if my mom had started after I left home it would have helped me. I doubt that my mother has ever experienced real joy. She had a really hard life, but lots of people do and don’t make everyone miserable. Of all the things that happened to her—failed marriages, illness, etc., I think what may have had the most profound effect on her life is that she had female circumcision in the ‘20’s. I was aghast to learn they did that to some girls in North America until the 1950’s. It is like it gutted her ability to feel any kind of pleasure. Understanding why she is the way she is, doesn’t change my not wanting to subject myself to her toxins.

Lilion-I do feel truly blessed to have found him. I never thought I would ever find anyone who accepted me for who I am, but at the same time wants me to be as healthy as I am capable of becoming. We should have both been dead many times by now, so we look on each day as a gift.

Peggy-I’ll take all the hugs I can get. My mom never touched me growing up, so I am down a few at this point. My before pictures are so horrific, that I will post them, and then erase them. I think I’ve done that a couple of times now.

Toofat-Aren’t doctor’s appointments so much nicer when you’ve lost weight. They actually acted happy to see me, and were so relived that they didn’t have to go into the whole “you need to lose weight” speech.

Andrea-My mom’s 85, so if she is going to change, she’d better hurry. She has had her right kidney, lung and breast removed, so kind of lists to that side, and falls pretty routinely. She’s never broken her hip because overweight women don’t get osteoporosis, plus I think she has eaten ice cream pretty much every day of her adult life, so she’s had lots of calcium. You were smart to pass on law school. It’s a truly unpleasant place to be, especially if you don’t want to be there.

Chimi-the bracelet sounded so cool. I’ve lost 20 inches in my waist, so that would have made too big of a bracelet, but might have made a handle for a purse. Of course I didn’t wear belts at my largest, and still don’t, but it is such a neat idea. I saw a show where a woman had lost a lot of weight, and kept her watch the same size. With it flopping around on her wrist, she was constantly reminded of how far she had come, so as not to get complacent.

Zelma-It really sounds like you are chemically depressed. Sometimes our bodies react that way after a major shock to the system. The medications they have now can really help, just be careful which one you take. Half of them will put weight on you fast, and the other half will actually cause you to lose weight sometimes. School is much different now than when we went through. Our bullies couldn’t text message everyone in school with the push of a button. I guess you guys still have playgrounds there. In the US, they kids rarely see a playground anymore. The schools will say it is because they need the time for extra class work, but it is actually that they don’t have the personnel to properly supervise anymore, and are afraid of lawsuits.

Sandy-I actually wanted to call the MIL and say just exactly that, HA HA.

Kymberly-I remember the last time I was near 200. I had so much energy I rarely sat down. I can’t wait to be there again.

Leslie-I am so relieved. The one positive that I have on our families is that I don’t have to share my joy with them. They are missing out on some great stuff. I’m familiar with the humidity that you speak of. The difference from St. Pete to here in Edmonton, is huge. It is so dry here. Well there is also a slight temperature change as well. I used to have to put ice in the dog’s water bowl in Florida because the tap water was too hot to drink.

Brandnewme-I wouldn’t recommend kicking the scale. I did that once, and broke a toe. I like your quote about living rather than pretending. I spent half my life telling myself that I would start living just as soon as I lost weight.

Nightkatt-There’s probably nothing you could say to your brother right now anyway. The hurt is too fresh and intense.

Erika-Having a job of any kind is such a boost to the self esteem. That alone will probably help Amanda start feeling better.

Brenda-I vaguely remember that whole “new car” thing. I’ve gone 14 months now without a car, and really thought I’d have more trouble with it. I’m not sorry I didn’t have to drive on the ice though.

Melperimeter-Welcome, just jump right in. If I got kicked out of here for every faux pas I made, I’d be gone at least once a week.

Michelle-I already have had my bathing suit down to see if it still fits, it does, and I’ve got my bag ready to go. I even bought a travel sized blow dryer. In Florida, leaving the YMCA with wet hair just made the trip home in an un-airconditioned van easier. If I leave the gym here with wet hair, I’ll be in intensive care.

Nancy-You are probably making the right decision about the apartment. You don’t want to jump into something in a hurry, just to regret it, have to live with it for a year, and be back right where you started next year trying to find a decent place. Do I ever understand about new glasses. When I got my first pair at 15, after failing the eye exam to get my learner’s permit, the doctor said he had never had anyone before getting their first pair with worse eyesight. I think I was about 175/20, at that point. When I first put them one, it was nothing short of a miracle. I just assumed that no one could see the chalk board from the back of the room. I’ve had these now for about 3 years, and getting PR means I can get new glasses. I was supposed to get some new ones right before I moved up here, but they couldn’t get the lenses I needed in on time. I’m at 500/20 in one eye, and 300/20 in the other. At least I was 3 years ago. That’s definitely my first stop.

Now I am off to get some work done. I have let things slide the last week or so, and man can stuff pile up quickly.

catherine you are so right? it was so good to be able to say i worked hard to lose this weight... . he always asks any unexplainable weight loss and i say nope its all explainable lol

Sorry, guys...I've been a big ol' 3FC slacker lately. I guess I don't post much when I don't have much good news to share. Not that things are going well in life for me, just that I fell of the weight loss wagon a few miles back and don't even have the energy or motivation to try to run to catch up :p

Anyway, I've gained back some weight--about 10 pounds. Last I weighed was yesterday morning at 293.5. I have highlighted May 28 on my calendar, exactly 2 months from yesterday. That is the next time I will weigh myself. The scale stays on the top shelf of the linen closet until then. Out of sight, out of mind, right? :dizzy:

Anyway, I still ate horribly yet again today. But, nothing I can do but dust off and get going again. I need to get back into the zone I was in in December when I was doing SO incredibly well and was so disciplined, even through the holidays. I thin kit's time to stop thinking about it and just suck it up and DO it--jumping in head first.

I'm sorry that this was a completely selfish and unhelpful-to-anyone-else sort of post, so thanks for letting me take up some space to get it off my chest :^:

Hi all ! I am new here and have lots to lose I am not sure of my current weight ,I think around 400 pounds and that bites! My goal is to be 180 /170 .Can anyone tell me is there a scale that I can buy that goes that high?

Lesley: I know the feeling of having several good books unread and trying to decide which to read. I'm constantly in that bind. I have a tendency to read at least 2 books at once and some times, I get so caught up in one, I have to start another over because I've forgotten what I read. With the kids in the house, I've started a new habit as well, which is every time I excuse myself to the bathroom (in the master bedroom), I stop for a few minutes and read a few pages/chapter, depending on how much time I want to take. It works well, because they don't miss me for the 5-15 minutes, but I get reading done. I usually have one book I'm reading for "sneak-off" time and then one I read whenever we're all sitting down to read. It's fun. Austin is an awesome city!

brandnewme: thanks for the welcome back. I remember you from when I was on the list the last time. You and I joined about the same time. Are you still following the Diets Don't Work, or trying? Did it help you long term at all?

Brenda: Congratulations on your new car. I understand the feeling of relief.

MelPerimeter: :welcome2: to this little group! I'm sure you'll find lots of support and probably friendship, too. We're all in the same boat, varying places on our journey across the ocean.

Nancy: I wouldn't stress yourself out too much if you don't make your exercise goal for the month. While it's nice to do, just do what you can and don't add extra stress to your life, it sounds like you have enough already and that's one of the things preventing you from reaching your goal. Congrats on the new glasses, I don't have to wear progressives, but I know what it's like to suddenly realize that there was so much you couldn't see before. I loved my new glasses when I got them.

LAnneCarrington: Congratulations on the weight loss! I'm new to the group, but I hope the surgery helps you achieve your weight loss goals.

Catherine: At 85, she probably won't change, sadly. I'm lucky in that my mom hit late middle age and suddenly decided to be more accepting of things. I'm not sure what changed or why, but she's doing it. My father will probably never change, he'll just keep calling me once every year or two and telling me how terrible of a father he is. Some people can change, some people can't. I feel very lucky that my mother can. It helps to have someone who can support me occasionally that's older and wiser than myself.

Jill: It wasn't unhelpful to anyone, it was helpful to you. We're all here for the same thing, to get support when we need it and give support when we can. We don't always do both at the same time. :hug:

motherof3angels: :welcome3: to the group! At 400 pounds, I wouldn't be too concerned with what a scale says. When I topped out at just over 300, I did not weigh myself at all for awhile because it depressed me so. I just changed my eating habits and felt my clothes (looser, tighter?). I haven't lost much weight and I'm recently back on the wagon, but I'm still far less concerned with weighing myself than changing what got me here in the first place. I hope we can give you what you need.


In the end, I had a good day yesterday. I didn't overeat and I didn't eat any junk (well, the chinese was probably a bit junky). I ended the day feeling good about myself. I went to Barnes & Noble and bought The Secret. I'll let you all know how it goes. So far, I like it.

Have a pleasant day all!

Andrea

jill - its always helpful to see that other people are struggeling. i know it is for me. i ge frustrated with myself when everyone is doing well and im slacking. its nice to see that everyone goes through that

Hi Everyone!

Just wanted to pop in and report my Thursday weigh in results. I lost 4.0 pounds this last week, bringing my 3 week total to 14.9! I'm really excited! I'll jump back on later and respond to all the personals! Hope everyone is doing well.

Lisa

Hi Ladies
Hope everyone is having a good day.I managed to get off early and do some much needed laundry and housecleaning. its amazing how things pile up when you are working alot!
SANDY: i hope you are feeling better. How is the weather where you live? it went from the 80's to the 50's here!
MELPERIMETER: welcome, you will love it here. hope to see you posting alot:)
PATTI: congrats on the wt loss, your doing great! did you say your leg is better? i hope so.
LESLEY: my "biggest loser" contest started at work 1/7/07, and ended yesterday. i had lost a few lbs prior to that, but i have lost the 41 lbs since january. i have a ways to go to meet the goal i set for myself, but i am hopeful and greatful i have come this far. i spent most of my adult life severly overwt, and i dont know how i will act weighing under 200lbs:)
BRANDNEWME: i hope things are getting better for you, i like your new pix:)
LILLION: how did you celebrate losing your 100lb?
AMMI: your new pix are adorable, you look like a kid:)
BRENDA: congrats on the new car and continued wt loss:)
ZELMA: your new pix are beautiful!! you are a very lovely lady:) hope you are feeling better, too
MECHELLE: i hope your cat stays well, and i hope you get some relief with your ear.
NANCY: have a safe trip. take your time finding an apartment. dont be too hard on yourself about excersise, just do the best you can:)
ERIKA: glad to hear things are looking up. thats great that amanda doesnt need surgery and got a job!
LEEANNC: wow, 23 lbs is awesome!! i know you will do great!
TORRISTER: hope you are doing well:)
CHIMI: how are you?
CATHERINE: the pizza sounds good:) im happy your birthday was nice:)
JILL: glad to see you posting. im sure you will get back on track when you are ready. you still have done well
MOTHEROF3ANGELS: welcome to the board! i think someone said they have a scale at Bed, bath and beyond that weighs higher than 300. please post often:)
DREASM: welcome to the board. i like your avatar pix:)
LUAN: sounds like you've been busy, hows your friend?
LISA: you are doing awesome! im so happy for you:)
ANNIE: how are you? i hope you are doing well.
as for me, i am doing good. some of my friends and co-workers who want to lose wt, have decided we will continue the wt loss contest among ourselves. im happy about that, they have all been supportive and encouraging. im doing good food and excersise wise, all of my team mates and people on the challenge had a "cheat dinner" last night. because i know how easily distracted i get, i decided against that, but its ok, i will live:)
have a good night:)

futurediva yes my leg is back to normal i am proud to say!

Jill-I stopped posting for a long time because I didn’t feel like I had anything to positive to add. I also put away my scales, big mistake. I out of sight, out of minded myself into about 80 pounds. There is a story about a man who stopped to help a little old lady with a flat tire. When he came back from taking it to the service station to get it fixed, and put it back on for her, she tried to pay him. He wouldn’t take the money, saying that she couldn’t buy back how nice he was feeling about himself. My point is that we also help each other by allowing ourselves to receive help when we need it. I’ve needed it a lot lately.

Motherof3angels-The scale I have is rated to 380 but registers upto about 390. When I was above 400 on up, I used 2-3 scales with a piece of plywood across. It wasn’t as accurate, but did the job until I was smaller, and it was a lot cheaper than buying an expensive hospital model.

Welcome Melperimeter Everyone is pretty friendly here. There is so much going on in this weekly thread, it's easy to find a place.

Jill I am glad you started posting again though. Maybe that will be a little inspiration for you. I am sending all my willpower to you with plenty to spare for myself right now. So, you can have some and return the favor at some later date! I am sure I will need it. ;)

Hello to everyone new and I wish I could spend more time reading and writing. But things are going so well. The girls are all on spring break, so we went downtown with my oldest daughter and her family, my grandson namely. It was fun, her husband is the head of the green party here in our county and just inherited this ridiculously messy office. So we went in to help him clean up. That was pretty fun. Then my daughter and I went shopping for wedding dress pattern stuff. I get to sew the dress. SO EXCITING! Anyway, I am almost silly happy right now. So I love ya'll and am sending all my sunshine and love to each and every one of you.

I made it over my March minutes with two days to go!

Carolyn

when you guys talk about making it a certian amount of minutes a month what does that mean and how does it work ?

motherof3angels -- We're talking about the monthly exercise goals some of us set. Basically, it started for me as a way to keep myself accountable for my exercise. I figured I was counting what I ate... how about how much I moved? Now many of us set monthly goals and report them to the group. We also keep track of how many minutes we exercise as a group! That's fun! This month we're over 16,000 minutes and are shooting for 200,000 minutes for the year!!!!

Take a look at the March Exercise Thread stickied at the top of the 300+ page. We're also setting goals for April and there's another thread for that, though it's not stickied yet. Everyone is welcome to join. Just figure out how much you want to do and join us!!

Melperimeter -- Welcome! This is a such a great place and you did perfect just jumping in!

Jill -- :hug: You were doing so great! I hope you can get back on track!

You guys are the greatest :hug: I really think hiding the scales for a while (and knowing that I have a specific date on which I will take them back out) will be a good thing for me. I'm going to focus on eating healthy foods, sensible portions, and just making healthier choices overall. This past week has basically been a giant binge, and I'mnot sure what set me off. Yesterday, I went to 7-11 on my way to work. I got 2 cheese danishes, 2 Reese's Fast Break candy bars, 2 giant Reese's white chocolate peanut butter cups, and a berries and cheese croissant. And I ate it ALL as soon as I got to work. My stomach was fine with it, but after a while, my head was spinning. I could barely keep my eyes open/head up, and I just couldn't focus on ANYTHING. I started telling myself I was just tired and hadn't slept well the night before, but then the lightning bolt struck--duh, it's because of all that CRAP I just put into my body! It's funny how easily we can mask those realizations and truths when we don't want to face them.

Anyway, the binge didn't stop there--I proceeed to have a Chipotle burrito for lunch (which isn't horrible in and of itself, but in addition to what I'd already had that morning, there were an infinite number of better choices I could have made). After that, I felt like I had a rock in my stomach that was growing and trying to break free. That's the only way I can emplain the pain--not a sharp pain, but not feeling like I was going to be sick, either. And yet, I ignored it. Jeff and I went to P.F. Chang's for dinner, where we shared chicken lettuce wraps and then I had ginger chicken and broccoli with brown rice. It was a great choice for a meal if you look at it alone, but when added to everything I'd had that day...not good.

My stomach hurt all night. I never got sick or anything--it just HURT. It was an odd pain--not like stabbing or queasy or anything. But I hope I've learned my lesson for now. How is it I am able to ignore PAIN in my stomach and just continue to eat? It boggles my mind.

But on to today--I had my lower sugar oatmeal for breakfast and have a Lean Cuisine in the freezer for later. I'll probably go to the grocery store at lunch time to get a box of croutons to have with the soup in my cubicle drawer and maybe make a salad from their salad bar there. For dinner tonight, I already have some chicken breast tenders thawed and some Trader Joe's frozen brown rice (cooks in 3 minutes!), so no excuses today. Everything else in my life is falling neatly into place--I'm newly engaged, we're getting the diamond for the ring tomorrow, I finally have a job I don't hate, we're not in a horribly tight financial crisis--so now it's time to get my health in the right place, and no better way to do that then to have a healthy diet!

running through, just letting you iknow about my weigh in... not bad all things considered. Had a pretty crap week with food and water and TOM. I was still -1lb so I will certainly take it!! I am ALWAYS up during TOM... weird!

Off to work.. i'm home tonight so we'll catch up then :)

Brenda.... :wave:

Hey everybody!

Jilly, You aren't any more a slacker than many of us! I've had a hard time getting on my various boards and posting too. I'm also having a hard time getting focused again. While my binge hasn't been quite as extreme as what you've posted, I've certainly been eating more than my share of stuff I shouldn't. Chocolates (darn Easter :mad: ) and a donut (wanted more but only bought 1) and nuts and just FOOD that I know I shouldn't have, gyro meat and pita bread and fried stuff and pizza - you get the idea! I like to blame the fact that we're so busy, renovating the house and helping a friend move and etc., etc. but I find time to sit on my butt and watch TV for an hour or two a night so I suspect busy isn't the culprit. :hug: and :kickbutt: and lets get back on track you and me! :D

Kymberly - I didn't do a darn thing to celebrate the 100 except stop eating as well as I should! :( I had all these plans, but we're spending so much $$$ on our new bathroom and there's so much stuff I want to do, just didn't feel right to spend on myself. :shrug:

Going back along the lines of what I was saying to Jilly, I've been so scattered lately. I get that way - so much to do my brain just freezes and I don't do anything. My DH, bless him, tries to keep me on track - "One project at a time!" he'll say. I went to a seminar yesterday about "dealing with angry customers" - total waste of time since I've been conducting hearings for 12 years and I probably have had to "deal" with more angry people than the trainer ever will. But part of it was quite interesting, they did a "social style" quiz which told you whether you were an analytical, driver, amiable or expressive personality. I was expressive. DH was analytical. It was right on target really - with me all over the place and tossing out ideas and him trying to reign me in. I'm there right now, wanting to do the house and the yard and garden and get OP and help my friend and get the garage organized and I'm so unfocused I'm not accomplishing any of my goals, including being OP and coming here like I ought for support and accountablity.

I haven't totally lost it and gained too much...but I still am having trouble with motivation. Hopefully that will get better soon and I'll get my focus back where it needs to be!

If anyone has any desire to find out their "social style" and read about it, here's links to a test and a paper on line I found, although the paper goes into handwriting styles that not what I studied yesterday.

http://www.swonlibraries.org/files/ce-2006-11-09.pdf
http://www.keithrosario.com/images/NewSocialStylesWeb.pdf

Oh and Torrister- I see a big difference in your photos! You're looking good!

Hi my chickies!

I am sorry to hear some of you are struggling this week. I am with you on that front!! Yesterday I just did NOT want to get on my bike and exercise. So I didn't. I did still park further out in the parking lot, etc., but no regular exercise. I ate more than normal, but all OP stuff and not out of control. I just was *tired* yesterday. I didn't journal...except in my head and I was OK. I feel better today and got on my bike before work. I only work until noon today then it is off to get my hair cut/highlighted. That will perk me up I think!

Thanks everyone who commented on my pics. It took alot to put those up there...like Catherine, I erased them at least once! This is the only place I feel "OK" about posting them. You all are the best!! I mean it.

We can do this. Lets make today a great OP day. :hug: :hug:

I have absolutely nothing to say just now. It's just that this morning I was .2 pounds under 335, which means I now officially have LESS than 200 pounds to lose. Okay, so it's only .2 pounds less, but still!

You can ignore this, I just wanna see my ticker say I only (lol) have have 199(199.8 really) pounds to lose.

:)

Hello girls...just stopping by to say a big HELLO :)

DJCJ-I sewed my own gown, and enjoyed the experience. I did a whole Lord of the Rings type gown. The only problem was the outer sleeve was so long and drapey, that I kept sitting on it by accident.

Jill-just reading the junk you ate made me sick, so I can just imagine what you went through. Once our bodies get used to the good stuff, it really rebels about going back to the bad stuff.

Lillion-If Jill’s post made me sick, yours just made me very tired. My brain would freeze too.

[COLOR="DarkOrchid"]Hi my chickies!

Thanks everyone who commented on my pics. It took alot to put those up there...like Catherine, I erased them at least once! This is the only place I feel "OK" about posting them. You all are the best!! I mean it.

[COLOR]

Torister, I just checked out your pics. For a woman over 300 pounds you look surprisingly good in jeans! I carry so much of my weight in my lower belly and in the thighs topping my somewhat short legs that jeans (or any pants for that matter) are a total eye gouging nightmare until I'm about 220 pounds.

Just think of how great you'll look in jeans when you're closer to your goal. God- jeans! I can't wait. Except I have to. :)

Lisa: Congratulations on the weight loss! That's awesome, I hope to be joining you there soon.

Kymberly: Thanks for the welcome. I have to have something pretty to look at while I'm at my computer and GB fits the bill! :D

Jill: Way to have positive thinking! Congratulations on your engagement. That's the biggest thing for me, is remembering that no matter what I ate yesterday, or for my last meal, this meal (or this day) is a different one and I have the choice for this meal, too. Just 'cause I had a bad breakfast doesn't mean lunch has to suck, too. Easier said than done, of course. :)

Brenda: That's great that you didn't go up. What I love is when I weigh during TOM and find I'm the same or slightly less, then weigh after to see I really lost 5 pounds, but TOM made it seem more. :)

Lillion: I don't have time to take the personality quiz right now, but I suspect I'll come out much like you. I have a tendency to overload myself with so much stuff that I can't accomplish the simplest of tasks. That's how I end up eating nasty convenience foods or fast food. That's my number one on my list of weight loss goals, to eat good food no matter what I'm doing with myself.

MetaChick: No need for us to ignore it, we know what it feels like. Congratulations on the loss and being that much closer to your goal!

As for me, I had an okay day yesterday. I didn't overeat at all, but I did end up ordering pizza for dinner. It was raining when I was on my way home, so I didn't feel like stopping at the store and getting groceries for dinner and breakfast today. Shows me right, it's raining harder today and I have to stop and get food. C'est la vie!

Andrea

I must say it is such a blessing to be around other women who are around my weight and tring to lose I have friends who are stick thin..have always been and talkto me about how they need to lose weight ,that reallyhurts! I would love to be in their shape! I am gonna get there !

Andrea - I keep meaning to ask - who is the dreamy guy on your avatar?

metachick ~ i know exactly what you mean! i haven't worn jeans since i was a size 24-26 ish. i still have all of them and can't wait unti i can fit into them again! right now my wardrobe consists of comfy/workout clothes and dressy clothes...there is no middle ground!

i went to the gym again today, 3rd time this week, go me! we (me and my workout buddy) have been averaging about 45 minutes but we keep adding more and more biking at the end so it would probably be up to an hour before long. my only concern right now is that i don't really sweat well except for the biking at the beginning and end, but doing the free weights and the machines i don't really sweat by my arms feel like noodles when im done...can anyone tell me if this is normal?
i have also discovered that i don't want anyone to know that im going to the gym and im not sure why. but everytime someone asks me where im going i avoid the question or am very vague about it. maybe it's cause i don't want the pressure. i find that i wish i could just lose weight and not have anyone comment on it. i don't want people telling me how great i look and blah blah blah...i just wanna do it an get over it, so to speak. does anyone else feel like that? i know most people i talk to love the comments and the compliments, but i really dont want them, i don't want to feel like ive been "wrong" all my life and now suddenly im "right" ya know? i believe that being fat my whole life taught be to be a stronger, tougher, more accepting and open-minded person. ok, im done babbling for now lol! sorry!

Okay, another newbie here!

My name is Shar, I'm 25 years old and I'm currently 339 down from 360ish last month. My doctor's scale only goes up to 350, so I don't know for sure. I did a big happy dance when my weight finally registered!

This thread moves so fast, I'm hoping I keep up.

I bought a Gazelle from a co-worker today and I will pick it up on Monday. My only problem is that this one only goes up to 300 pounds, and I'm 39 pounds higher than that.

Is there going to be a problem if I begin using it now? I would hate to snap a cable and then not be able to use it again, but I'm so excited, I want to try it out! I've been doing WATP, but my knees are not too happy with me lately, so I wanted to get something that would give them a break every other day. I also walk the dog, but she's a Mini Schnauzer, still under a year, and she can't go much longer than 15 minutes without getting exhausted.

You ladies (and men?) are amazing, I love how supportive you all are of each other!

Welcome Shar! I'm a newbie too, and another Ontario girl. Congrats on your success so far!

I don't know from a gazelle, so I'll leave that for somebody else.

:)

i believe that being fat my whole life taught be to be a stronger, tougher, more accepting and open-minded person. ok, im done babbling for now lol! sorry!

Amen to this. I want, *need*, to succeed in this weight loss effort. But when I do, I hope I remember the fat with some gratitude for the strong, compassionate, observant and wiser person it had more than a little to do with shaping.

hey shar I also have a gazelle and it holds me up!!!

Another liquid day here lol; protein shakes and the like, and tried something called vitamin water. It wasn't too bad I guess, but it isn't something I'll have too often since it contains 13g of sugar. Besides, I can basically get the same thing out of a multivitamin, calcium chew and my own bottled water.

I also had to celebrate the initial weight loss from my banding somehow and I needed some new spring clothes anyway, so I took a little shopping trip to Fashion Bug this afternoon! What an ego boost to get a smaller size--and this is just the beginning! and they asked me if I wanted to model in the fashion show tomorrow, but I had to pass since I had the surgery--I may do the summer or fall shows though.

Plus I stopped and got my hair trimmed while I was out. I can't believe how fast it grew already! Must be all the vitamins I am taking.

Hey everyone

I am having a lazy night. I invited a few people over to scrapbook but no one wanted to play so I decided that I would just tidy up my craft area and relax. I know I have to cook some chicken tonight so I am going to do that in a few minutes. I like cooking 12-14 chicken breasts up at a time and slicing it all for salads. That way all I have to do is grab, weigh and eat. I wasnt as prepared last week as I should have been so I need to work on that this week. Some weeks are better than others but overall, most are ok as long as I make an effort to have my chicken ready. Thankfully I like it alot cause I pretty much eat it one way or another twice a day.

Anyhow, I sat and did some thinking earlier on what my next big goal should be. Once I hit the 100 mark I kinda thought about taking a break. At least for a moment. I was unsure what my next step was. We are taking a trip to Ontario in August and I think I would like to have lost about....140. That means another 36lbs. 4 months and 40 lbs. I almost think that is do-able. I have lost 26 in 7 weeks.

Anyhow, chicken is in the oven and I think maybe I will try and find something interesting on tv. Maybe a movie...

Brenda :wave:

Hi everyone-

Thanks to all of you for the well wishes for my DH and Alex. Alex my cat came out fine. They did a bunch of dental work and fixed up his infection. He should be fine. MY DH had a mole biopsy for melanoma (skin cancer). It came back as possibly melanoma. So they will go next Friday to do the wide biopsy to get a lot of the surrounding skin/tissues to try to stage the melanoma. As some of you know we have a had a ton of medical issues these last few months. So the news of this just seems to be a low blow. I am sure things will turn out just fine. Right now I am just trying to not be seriously depressed. But I just wanted to update everyone and say thank you so much for your prayers/well wishes. It really means a lot to me. I am going to try to stay OP through this stressful time but I also don't have much energy to focus on losing weight. Maybe at least I can maintain. Sorry no personals don't really feel like posting much. I hope you all are well and have a good weekend.:hug:

Well hellllloooo everyone .. last day of March here in NZ and it was my last "Splurge" day .. April 1 sees me back on track again .. I Hope lol ...

It was a good day today .. we went and did the stock take with the old owner and so now we just have to wait until Monday to get the keys!

Tonight we (Scoot and I) went out for dinner to celebrate the new beginning of our shop .. and a heck of a lot more organised this time round compared to our first effort lol .. and I didnt once think of my calorie counting at all lol .. I know I probably should have behaved a little bit at least .. but we were celebrating the first positive we have had this year so I wasnt gonna think of anything else (could have been a good time to learn I suppose .. ah well lol) .. So if you dont want to have a watering mouth .. skip the rest of this paragraph rofl ... our starter was Herb & Parmesan loaf (Scoot had 3/4 of it tho lol) .. then I had Chicken Cordon Bleu with salad and fries (but I only had about 8 fries) .. and then dessert .. oh well .. couldnt pass the hot fudge cake .. and I didnt leave any of it rofl .. although Scoot had a couple of bites of it .. and I had a Lemon/Lime/Bitters and a Baileys & Milk .. soooo THOUSANDS of calories Im sure sigh ... but it was such a wonderfully relaxed evening, I didnt think of anything other than listening to the Irish music that was playing, enjoying every mouthful ... and being with my hunny :)

Okee .. so that is my naughty night .. tomorrow I get out the WATP and will do the 3 mile I think lol ... have to clean the sleepout tomorrow .. and omg . if its as hot again tomorrow as it was today I will be drippin with sweat by mid afternoon out there lol ..

Would love to also welcome the newbies .. congrats on taking the plunge ... for those that have celebrated losses .. WOOO HOOOO .. and for those celebrating any other occasion .. congrats to you and hope you have had a lovely day :) To those that have added to your figures ... tomorrow is another day .. put the scale in the cupboard and bring it out again in a few weeks lol.

To everyone else .. LOVE AND HUGS .. hope you have a lovely weekend .. I know that I am definitely feeling a lot more positive .. and now the mushy part .. just want to let everyone know how much I love my hunny .. most of the time he doesnt know the right things to say or do .. but when he does *sigh*... I really feel thankful :) SO that is my positive for today :)

BYEEE

PS - Heather I know .. Im just going to put my minutes in before I forget again lol....

MetaChick Thanks! I figured there were more canadian girls up here.


motherof3angels I'm glad to hear your gazelle works for you. Maybe I don't need to be worried afterall.

LAnneCarrington Wow. Liquid diets must be so hard. But it must be nice to kind of get rid of the whole food thing while in this process. How long have you been doing it for? Is it a special program?

Everyone else, you have no idea how inspired you have made me. To see women of my size who are doing this and having such success makes me think I can actually do it this time!

My reasons for starting again is that I was diagnosed with Type II diabetes a month ago, I think it scared the fat out of me! I have it under very good control right now, but I really want to get off the medication for my high blood pressure and the diabetes. Plus, I'm scared of having to take insulin. I have piercings and tattoos, but the thought of sticking myself with a needle really freaks me out. :)

My doctor seems to think that if I can get under 200, I'll be able to get rid of all the medication. I'm certainly going to try and see!

Wow, it sounds like most of us are getting into a great frame of mind. Even those of us (myself included) who haven't been doing very well lately seem to be thinking things through and getting back into gear. Go us! :carrot:

As for me, I didn't eat perfectly yesterday, but it was certainly a huge improvement over how I'd been eating these past few weeks, and that's a success in my book. I also drank a LOT of water--I'd downed 2 liters by about noon :dizzy: I stepped on the scale this morning for one last peek before hiding it, mostly because I figured it would have been HIGHER (not only had I had that HUGE binge day after I had last weighed myself, but I also weighed myself AFTER breakfast this morning), so I wanted to know what my real "starting point" was for this go-round. It actually said 292, which is 1.5 less than earlier in the week. I guess all that water yesterday helped to flush out some retention for me. As soon as I stepped off the scale, I picked it up and placed it on the back corner of the top shelf in the hall closet. No more scale till May 28 :)

:welcome: :wel3fc: :welcome3:

Hellos to all the newcomers. That was me a month ago and I am already down 20 pounds and have enjoyed the really great support here.

So this week has been great. It was lovely weather so I gardened like there was no tomorrow. I planted onions, lettuce, kale, spinach, chard, carrots, a few herbs and even some sweet pea flowers. Oh yeah, beans and peas too!

I haven't lost any weight this past week, but I am PMSing, so I am going to stay away from that scale at all costs!

We are going on our spring break road trip today. The girls decided on Pendleton. It's only a few hours drive but it will be fun. They have a whole underground city that was dug by the Chinese in the pioneer days that you can take tours of, so that should be fun. We had to take the kids somewhere since they had two weeks off from school!

Well, I have to go get ready, oh yeah, Brenda, I totally bake chicken every week to cut up and put in the fridge for the week. It makes snacking totally easy. Great idea.
Have a great day ladies. I am off to lift weights.
Carolyn

Lillion: That dreamy guy is none other than Gerard Butler, scottish actor. He was recently in Phantom of the Opera and 300. I think he has one of the most beautfiul physiques on the face of the planet. I love dark hair and light eyes (even though I married a blond/blue) and this man just has an almighty presence. To boot, he's a fantastic actor, I had seen him in about 4 different movies before I finally picked out that I was seeing somebody I had seen before (I have an amazing memory for faces/voices and know when I'm seeing a bit actor for three seconds that I saw in another bit part five years ago). I've read that he's also just a down-to-earth human being and always takes a moment for his fans, apologizes when he genuinely can't (like dashing to catch a plane ready for take-off). Sigh!

Sharvanne: Welcome!! I bought a Gazelle when I weighed well over 300 pounds (not sure how much since the scale I had at the time didn't go that high). I used it faithfully until I was about 300 pounds. Never had a problem.

Michelle: I'm glad to hear about your kitty and sorry about your husband. I will keep you all in my thoughts that it turns out better than you hope. If I were in your position, I wouldn't be too focused on weight loss, either.

I'm teetering on the verge of doing well and doing what I've always done. I did decent for breakfast yesterday, had a slice of leftover pizza. Same for lunch, which I thought was awesome, because it means we had enough leftover for all five of us to make three meals of it. Usually, we all overeat when we get pizza and there's not enough for everyone to have a second meal, let alone a third. I saw it as a good sign, too, because noone asked for a second slice on the first night we ordered it. It means we're all getting used to smaller portions.

As for the jeans discussion, I can't wear anything else. I feel like anything other than jeans makes me look fat (not like I'm not). I finally realized that the reason I've been holding onto wearing jeans (to the point that I pay $50 per pair, which I don't pay for any other single article of clothing) is that they sort of hold in my bulges just right. I mean someone here will understand what I'm saying when I hate stretch/casual pants, because they always show off every single bulge in my legs, where the jeans hold my skin uniformly (for the most part), so that it's obvious I'm fat, but not how grotesque it is. Yes, I realize I have some esteem issues lurking in there.

Well, I've got to toddle off, we're supposed to be leaving on vacation this Friday, so the kids want to celebrate Easter early. We always have gift certificates as part of the prizes in our Easter egg hunt and I need to get this year's printed and over to Kinko's for laminating, I want them to last throughout the entire year this time!--they usually die by October because they're just slips of paper.

Everyone have a great OP day!!

--Andrea

Andrea--that is too funny...you feel the EXACT OPPOSITE as I do about jeans :dizzy: I hate wearing them because it seems they are always more stiff and unforgiving as compared to casual pants. I prefer straight-leg business-type pants, even on the weekends. I can always find them in a nice flowy fabric from places like Lane Bryant. I almost never wear jeans because they just aren't comfortable to me, and I think they give me way more "hangover" (you know, that stomach roll that hangs over the waist of the pants :p ) than casual poly/cotton pants. It's amazing how we women can have such differing body shapes. Jeans are ALWAYS too baggy on my butt even if they are actually tight in the waist. Maybe jeans would work better for me if I were more proportionate :p

So, big news for me--I got my ring! In its entirety--diamond and all! Here's a not-so-great picture, but hopefully you'll get the idea. It's white gold and has a round diamond in a 4-prong setting in the center with a square-cut (but tilted, so more like diamond-shaped) blue sapphire on each side, and 5 additional tiny round diamonds set in the band on each side beyond the sapphire. I LOVE it!

aww its beautiful !!congratts!

LAnneCarrington Wow. Liquid diets must be so hard. But it must be nice to kind of get rid of the whole food thing while in this process. How long have you been doing it for? Is it a special program?


Well, at the moment, I have no choice in the matter since I had lap band surgery a little over ten days ago. I'm doing full liquids still, but will be going on a diet consisting of soft food beginning this coming Thursday, so it will become a bit easier, though I still have to make careful choices.

my ticker finally moved back down!! i lost 1.6 this week. all that walking all over the lot!!

Hello Everyone!

I am a newbie and just posted my bio in the bio section :)

I am really glad I found this board. It is hard to find people who fully understand what it is like to be 300+ pounds. I am currently 451.5 and looking for a new buddy who might want to team up as a buddy system who is around or close to my weight range. I know support is very key in a successful journey so I am really looking forward in getting to know everyone out here.

I am from Canada, 38 years old and on a waiting list for WLS. I am currently following the Weight Watchers program. Not really sure what else to write about so just a hello to everyone out here.

:)

Carrie

Congratulations Luan for your loss!!! WOO HOO on making that ticker move too!

Carrie

Carrie - :welcome: We do have some ladies in our group who started at over 400 pounds. I'll let them introduce themselves next time they post. I hope you will feel comfortable posting here. It's a very welcoming group. :) Look forward to getting to know you.

Jilly - :congrat: on your engagement! Your ring is beatiful. I have always loved the look of diamonds and sapphires together.

Michelle - Glad the kitty is OK. Sorry to hear they need to check your hubby further. My fingers are crossed for you.

Not much to report here. We've had beautful weather this weekend after several days of pouring rain. The grass and the trees are so green and the flowers are blooming. Makes me feel so happy. Nothing too much planned for today. I am fixing some lunch right now and then plan to go get a pedicure and read a book. I also want to go to The Avenue and pick up a pair of beaded capris I passed up yesterday. I hate paying alot for clothes that I (hopefully) won't be able to wear much longer. But after I got home I found a 25% off coupon I didn't realize I had so I will be getting them afterall. That's good, my wardrobe is in dire need of a boost. I just hate buying clothes at this size because it's not like anything really looks all that good on a body this size.

Struggled this weekend but am not beating myself up over it. Have been batting around the idea of switching from Flex to Core so I can quit counting points. Haven't totally decided yet.

Anyway, that's about it. Have a fabulous Sunday everyone!

Hi there everyone

Hope you are all having a good weekend. I am just stopping in to read before you all get too ahead of me. Maybe tonight when I get home I can post more. We spent today cleaning, building our new bed (platform type with 6 drawers in its base) and now its time to get supper and go to class. I am not sure if I posted this or not yet but... I'm taking bellydancing :) Tonight is the first class. Should be super funny :)

Anyhow, Jilly, your ring is Beautiful! More posts later....
Brenda :wave:

Ammi where are you?

Sharvanne-I’m also in Canada, but not yet a Canadian, although I do pay taxes here. It is possible to change your health with diet and exercise. I have been able to cut my HBP medicine 6 times since I’ve been losing weight. My former roommate was putting off protein in her urine, having kidney issues, and was one appointment away from going on some type of diabetes medicine. She went on my diet, lost a hundred pounds, her kidneys and blood sugar are fine now, and she’s kept the weight off for almost 2 years now. There is hope.

Jill-The ring is beautiful. How many people have had it flashed under their noses so far? Enjoy it.

Carrie-Welcome, I hope you find what you need here.

Annie-Where did you run off to?

Hi Everyone!

It's been a boring weekend. I spent Saturday sleeping on the couch on an off throughout the day. I was really tired. Today, I got up and went to church with my aunt, then to the plant store, and then to a movie. That was all before 1:00 and I ran out of things to do, so now I'm bored. I'm doing well on the liquids, but this is week four and I'm really getting tired of them. Oh well! I have to get past it because I have at least 6 more months to go. Next Sunday is Easter and there will be a bunch of food at my aunt's house. My plan allows me to have an "emergency meal" but it has to be chicken and greens only. So, my aunt is gonna make that for me so at least I can eat real food with the rest of the folks. At this point, lettuce with salt or vineger on it sounds gourmet!

Hope everyone is doing well. Take care!

Lisa

Jill: :congrat: Your ring is absolutely beautiful. Do you have a specific reason for sapphire? I see your b-day is in Feb, so it's not your birthstone. I love the color blue, so if I ever get a real ring (We've always worn plain silver bands due to $$), it would probably have sapphires. I do have to say that I am fortunate in that I'm proportionate. Except for my head, my forearms/hands, and my feet, the rest of me is pretty evenly fat. I don't have saggy butt problems, cause I have a huge butt. In fact, I wear a size 28 jean, even though my waist is not proportionate because of my butt. Also, because of the aforementioned, I do not get belly rollover on my jeans. It all fits neatly into the waist part. My jeans come up over my bellybutton and I just fit most of my tummy in there. :)

Luan: Yay!! I forgot to weigh myself this a.m, will have to do it tomorrow.

Carrie: Welcome to the board. I would love to buddy, but I don't meet your weight requirements. I am fortunate in that I don't think I was ever over 330-350 (never had a good scale until I was down to 304). I like buddies, though if you don't find someone else in your weight range.

Xena2005: I've heard from most people that core is alot easier, especially when you have a family, you just put the right foods in the house and then everyone eats together. I have a friend who wasn't very overweight (never went over 200 and she was 5'10"), but she lost all her weight on core and still eats like that now.

I'm doing pretty well. Still eating out a good amount, but I've been eating mostly at healthy/organic places and keeping my portions reasonable. I forgot to weigh myself this a.m, will have to do it tomorrow.

We celebrated Easter today since we're supposed to be leaving on vacation this Friday and will be on the road on Easter. I did spectacularly well. I only ate about 15 pieces of candy. This may sound bad, but it is a huge improvement over entire bags of the crap. I let my husband make himself sick. Did the hunt with the kids, they went wild for it.

:easter2:

Instead of buying a bunch of candy, we put pennies in the plastic eggs with 1piece of candy (they can hold about 3-4 pieces) and then we make our own gift certificates that the kids can trade their pennies in for. This year, we gave them the option of turning in 3 pennies for $1, they liked that, too. The gift certificates are cheap to make (print them on our PC, take to Kinko's to laminate) and we can tailor the offerings to our kids. We homeschool, so we have some that give them a day off of schoolwork, some for quality time with either one of us, etc. The kids think they're better than the candy. We think next year we may not do candy in the eggs at all (just in the baskets), then put just money and tokens for gift certificates in. I meant to do something like that this year, but it snuck up on me because we celebrated early and I didn't have enough time to get rolls of coins, so I compensated with bags of candy. :(

Anyway, hope you all had a pleasant weekend, see you on the next thread!

Andrea

Awww, thanks everyone for the welcome messages!!! And I am open to any buddies out here!!! I just thought it would be neat to find someone in my weight range but heck...I am not picky, hehe..Whether we have 5 pounds or 1000 to lose, it is all hard work!!!

I am looking forward in getting to know everyone!!!

:)

Hugs,
Carrie

Andrea I homeschool also ,this yr is my first to try it,do u have any good tips? Carrie I would love to buddy with you ,I am around 400 pounds
Catherine:what diet do you follow?

STOP!
Follow us to the new weekly thread...
300+ And Ready to Try Again #1100

Just a quick one... Oh, and my formatting problems are back, so it won't be a very 'exciting' looking post.

Peggy - I just looked at your pics and I can DEFINITELY notice a difference. Your face/neck is showing more defined features. It is hard to tell with the jacket on, but I am sure that you look smaller all over as well. And I LOVE your hair style the way it is in the latest photos. It really suits you.

Jill - Your ring is BEAUTIFUL! Very special design, and I love the mix of stones.
I'm glad your weight is doing the right thing. It is lovely when we get pleasant surprises, instead of the shocks that we are expecting.

Andrea - Your ideas for Easter sound great. It is good to see things OTHER than chocolate being given. I haven't decided what I want for Easter yet, because I don't eat chocolate and hubby doesn't eat much now either. We'll have to think of something different. I have only just worked out what I want for my birthday (Thursday) so my mind is kinda drained for ideas.

Lisa - It sounds as though you had a busy Sunday morning. I love days like that. I am a morning person, so I don't mind getting all my things out of the way in the morning and then resting in the afternoon.
How often do you get to have an 'emergency' meal? I am glad you are able to do something like that for Easter. I am afraid that I would see EVERY occasion as a need for an emergency meal. I just love my food too much. I can't believe how quickly the time is flying by though. It is amazing that you are already into week 4 of your program.

Brenda - The new bed sounds lovely. I hope it is comfortable. There is nothing worse than having to break in a new bed. My back isn't that keen on new beds.
The bellydancing sounds like a wonderful idea! I wish I was more into 'group' types of things, as I think bellydancing would be fun. I may look into getting a DVD on it to try it out. It is supposed to be great exercise.

Xena - It is amazing how some good weather can make you feel so much better. We are looking forward to a lovely warmer week here and I already feel better than I did last week when it was cool and damp.
I am glad you were able to get the capris. I loved buying clothes when I was losing weight, even if I didn't get to wear them for long, because it always made me feel better to wear a smaller size and people commented more when I wore something that was more fitted, instead of being baggy.

Carolyn - Your efforts in the garden sound fantastic. I wish I had more room for a vegetable patch. We have quite a small back yard and it is mostly paved. I have been thinking for a while that I may try to grow some things in very large pots, but I'm not sure how that would work. I love going to my mum's and having freshly grown tomatoes and oranges. I eat SO many vegetables, that I would imagine it would have to be cheaper in the long run, but I would need a LOT of pots to keep me in enough veggies.
I hope you had a lovely time in Pendleton. I love going to places with an interesting history like that. Western Australia is so 'young' that we don't really have too many places with much of a history.

Katt - You must be getting SO excited about the opening of your shop. It sounds like you will have a lovely assortment of goodies. I will have to send you a PM so I can look at your stocks. I would imagine it would be hard work setting everything up, but I am SO envious of you for being able to work for yourself. I am not really game enough to do something like that. I have been thinking lately that I would LOVE to work in a bookstore, particularly in the children's section, but I don't think I would ever be game enough to actually own my own store.

Michelle - I am glad Alex came out of his ordeal fine. I am sorry that DH is still awaiting results, but I still think that it is better that it is caught early, as there is a MUCH greater chance that they get it all. I know that I was scared silly when I was told that I had cancer, but the fact that the doctor could cut it all out was such a relief. Yes, there is the chance that it could grow back again (mine was a 'rare' type that does this) but she still says that she will be able to cut it out if it does grow back, so I am not as worried as I was at first. I truly hope that your hubby's results are great and you have your minds eased.

Oops... I'm not sure what happened to my 'quick' post. I just tend to get a little carried away.
Things were a little better at school towards the end of last week (after I did a LOT of crying on Wednesday afternoon/evening) and I had a good weekend (birthday shopping), but today the whinging started again. Still... only 2 more days with the kids, then one day of Professional Development, then just over two weeks off. Mum wants me to go and visit, but I'm not sure what I'll do about that yet, because I think I want a TOTAL break, but I know that she is lonely at the moment. I'll have to decide some time I suppose.

Sorry that I missed a lot of people, and WELCOME to all of the new people. I hope those who have been a little quiet (like me) are just too busy to post at the moment. I also hope that you all have a wonderful week.

Take care,

Zelma

STOP!!!!

It's a new week, so we shall have a new thread! Please join us at 300+ And Ready to Try Again #1100!