300+ Club - 300+ And Ready to Try Again Weekly Thread #1131

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.

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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!!!

AMMI -- :hug:

Sounds like lots of people are in good "head" places for weight loss. Let's keep it up through the holidays!

Anyone else up early today? I would have slept late, but my silly dogs can't tell time.

This is just a quickie flyby ... Ammi, I'm sending trans-atlantic healing prayers to you!!! :hug:

Going to finish my tea and head to work. BBL

Luv,
Rat

Just popping in again, I don't get a chance to get online much during the weekend. I'm too busy with the kids its easier at work :blush:

I ordered medifast so that is the plan I'm going with I'm very excited about it!

Good morning!! :coffee:

Holy :moo:, miss a couple of days and it will take me weeks to catch up!!

I have been MIA because of the family drama...which has worked itself out. I don't know if it was TOM, my brother's GF being ridiculously paranoid, or my mistake of bringing my dad's opinion into it (which opened up a whole can of worms!!) but at least there is civility once again.

We did take a day trip to Connecticut on Saturday to the Christmas Tree Shop...which of course included a stop at one of my fav's...Crackerbarrel!!!!
Foodwise I surprised myself and did well, but shoppingwise, oh boy!!! It was fun, and so what if we have to eat soup until the next paycheck!! :eek:

I am feeling less stressed, Slammy has helped me emensly(sp?)...and doesn't talk back no matter how hard I hit him!!!:rofl:

I am also doing the happy dance :cb:, because this Christmas, for the first time in 16 years, I will just have the 5 of us here!!!! Since I had the kids, everyone would come here. Yes, the Jewish girl in the family would cook the Christmas dinner! :lol3: I will still cook the turkey and everything else, but on my terms and timetable, and in my SWEATPANTS!!! I am also NOT going to clean the bathroom!! I am such a happy girl just thinking about it!! :D


Have a Great Day!!:cheer2:

PS-Ammi: I am so happy Alton Towers went well. I hope your skin improves quickly!!:hug:

Sandy: I love glittermaker!! I am glad you figured it out...it is a little difficult!! ;)

Geekgirl: I hope medifast is the plan for you. Good luck hun.

Donna: cool that you got to go on a trip. I'm glad that you had a good time.

My dogs must have been too warm because they just kept wagging their tails right against the dresser so it kind of sounded like a bass drum. lol. I put them out and decided to jump on here real quick before I go spend some quiet time with God. Hope you all have a wonderful op, water drinking, exercise filled day.

Blessings,
Annie

just wanting to say hi to everyone. finally got rid of my bronchitus. i am spending much of today trying to clean my house it was sadly neglected while i was sick. also trying to find all my christmas knick knacks which i misplace every year. i will be back on the treadmill on tuesday though dont know how long my right knee and leg is getting worse and worse every day
.anyways hugs to everybody today!:hug:

Donna - Enjoy anticipating your lazy Christmas! My aunt, who almost always hosts, feels precisely the same way. I'm goin' anyway though! He he

Val - Glad you feel like TOPS might give you what you need right now. Proud of you for reaching out for something. In many ways it's easier to surrender - I know this from painful and fruitless experience of my own. So way to go, and good luck with TOPS!

Rat - YAY for size 18's!!!! I have a pair of 12 year old size 18 jeans that I just wiggled into recently. They are obscenely and ridiculously tight. Completely unwearable. Probably for the best, as they actually have stirrups in the feet. Ahhh, the 90's. It's funny though...I tried them a few weeks ago, and there were INCHES between the button and the button hole even with all the torque I could manage. About 2 pounds later in the middle of my yo-yoing and scale stalls I suprised the heck out of myself because I did them straight up. So it seems it's true that things are still going on during seeming plateaus. Anyway, congrats again on being in "the teens"!

Battle - Great job giving away the too big clothes. A vote of confidence in yourself that you deserve. :)

Deb - I was a former big clothes keeper too. Until this go at it, I always kept everything. Now I donate them immediately...I don't even wait to have a bag full. It feels good, and right, and I highly reccommend it.

Sandy - So glad you're feeling more in control. Those little steps lead to good things. Hope you have a great week.

Well, I've had 3 days of falling numbers below 243.8 so I'm calling it: I weigh 241.3 pounds, and I am NO LONGER MORBIDLY OBESE! I once looked down at my scale and saw "404.0" and now I am no longer morbidly obese. It feels good.

Now I'm just "severely obese" (BMI 35 - 39.9). LOL. Rather endless, no? :)

I'm off to skate. Everybody have a great day!

Thanks Catherine. I NEEDED an excuse to eat pumpkin pie. :D

Hi all. Sneaking in a few minutes on my lunch break. I think my eating is already better now that I've decided to cut myself a couple days of slack until I join TOPS later this week. I also quit my chiropractor for the moment because the time was killing me and I truly can't afford it - another reason for stress.

Get well Ammi! I haven't been able to keep up with all the goings-on on the list, but saw someone else concerned about you. I second it! You've worked so hard, done so well, inspired so many and given so much, I hope you feel MUCH better soon!

Have a great day everyone!

Carol – I actually joined my gym at close to my highest weight. I am lucky to have a gym in my office building that is very small and friendly. I would have had a harder time joining a main stream gym at first. They really aren’t as scary as they seem. Most people are just there for themselves and don’t pay too much attention to others. Having access to an elliptical has helped me a lot because I can get a great cardio workout that doesn’t stress my knees and feet. That was especially true at my highest and is still true now.

Battle – With all the bad stuff recently about microwave popcorn I have been thinking about buying something like this: http://www.amazon.com/NordicWare-Microwave-Popcorn-Popper-3-qt/dp/B0000DE2T7/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-3336394-9172851?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1194287891&sr=8-1. Maybe that would be a better way for you to get your popcorn than the bagged stuff?

Ammi - :hug: I am so sorry that you are feeling worse. I hope those doctors can help you out soon. This sounds totally miserable.

It was a pretty depressing weekend for me. After waiting around for my landlord to call on Saturday, he finally called me at around 4pm and said he was sorry but he couldn’t make it today, but would come on Sunday at 11am. Well – he never showed. So I spent most of the weekend stuck at home. I should have called him to check where he was, but I was so angry that I was afraid I would say something rash. My friend Jonathon was also supposed to call me Saturday afternoon and we would get together and watch a movie or something, and he never called either.

It did give me a lot of time to think however. I think my issues recently go much deeper than weight loss. It is a general all around malaise of not feeling like I know where my life is headed. I feel really disconnected from any type of personal purpose and things seem rather meaningless. Don’t worry – I am not THAT depressed. I just feel like I need something stronger in my life that gives everything I do a backbone. I wish I had some hobby/passion that really thrilled me and got me so excited that I get totally absorbed and forget everything else. Something creative that I can pour my heart and soul into. I have never found anything like that and I so envy people who do.

I need to spend some more time journaling about this and try to figure out how to move forward from here. What a journey this is.

Hello again my Peeps!

Well, about the new pants.. I lied.. the 18s are too big!! My friends told me I don't know how to shop for clothes hehe.. my friend dragged (drug?) me to Dress Barn today and I was protesting as I tried on the 16W.. they fit! hehe.. I'm so excited! I think the 16W are a more generous cut around da booty area. My friend said she'd buy the 18s I was wearing today (after a good washing, of course) hehe.

Geekgirl, I'm wishing you the best with your new program! The great thing about this group is that it doesn't matter what path you chose, just start going forward :) We love each and every success!

Yay Donna for a quiet Xmas!! I had that once. It was so nice. I stayed in TX and relaxed without family. Keep on slamming Slammy! I love hearing about how you beat him and he doesn't talk back.

Oh yeah Annie, I have 2 dogs whose tails could knock small trees down. They don't seem to notice when they are wagging them across the hot fireplace window! Silly things. I have a protective screen up now so I don't have to smell burning golden fur.

TTFU, yay, FINALLY!! you can breathe. I'm glad you are back. My house needs cleaning too, but I don't have the excuse that I've been deathly ill.

Meta.. 12 yr old size 18s?? hehe wow! I don't think I have any clothes that old, except for some old Tshirts. Bahahahahaha, I had to laugh at the stirrups.. omg.. I had eliminated that visual from my head until you brought it up. Yay for the late 80s and 90s!

Val, I got rid of my chiropracter too. Geesh, sounds like I "did him in" or something.. hehe. He was nice, but not helping anything (including the wallet). Come to find out that a little gym work was what I needed to strengthen and stretch.

Special *hugs* to you Nancy. The journey demands some direction at times, or at least some deeper thoughts about issues I've been neglecting in my life (hidden with food and fat). I've gotten into so many hobbies, it would make your head spin! hehe..(knitting, crocheting, painting, drawing, guitar, flute, violin, needlepoint, embroidering, home repair, yard sculpting, dogs, cats, horses, birds). As much as I have enjoyed each and every one of them (and love my animals), it doesn't address the issues in my head that have me searching for "something" in the first place. As for what that "something" is, well, I've been searching too. I sometimes get answers in the strangest places, or feel somewhat better when I know I'm not alone while looking for the answers. Hang in there chickie, we are in this together!

Hugs and Luv,
Ratkitten

geekgirl, I hope the medifast works for you. Do whatever you have to do to get you losing. Let us know how it goes!!

Donna, how fun to go the the Christmas Tree shop!!! I hope you bought all kinds of goodies!!! I betcha slammy would be a good stress relief..hmmm...might have to check into getting one of those...where did you get it?
:woohoo: on just the 5 of you for Christmas and you can cook in sweats!!!! That's even better. Ours will be very quiet this year too. My Mom and Dad, hubby and myself and all the animals of course...heck, they have to have a stocking filled with goodies too!!!

TFFU, glad your feeling so much better!!

Rat, Yippeee for the 16's!!! That is so monumental in weight loss...gosh...your so close!!!!!

Meta, HOORAY!!! on the weight loss and almost having those 18's fit. You'll be wearing them in no time. Yep...gonna give them clothes away this Friday when we go into town. Have fun skating!!

Nancy, nothing worse than waiting around for someone who never shows. Hopefully you will get the things you need fixed, fixed. Shame on your friend Johnathan too, but maybe he has a good excuse for not showing up. It does sound like you have a lot of soul searching to do. I don't know how old you are, but I just went thru something similar. I just wonder what my purpose in life was/is. I sitll don't really know. But I guess sooner or later it will come to me. My passion is my crafts. Have you tried something like that? Hopefully you will figure it out soon. Good luck to you.

My Mom called David to tell him about Daisy,our dog, and then I got on the phone to talk to him and we both ended up saying I love you. I feel better about us now, even though he still won't come over, but I think its because of his wife.
I did another 20 minutes of exercise...WOW...three days in a row now. We've been cutting wood for more banks, now I just have to get them all sanded and then painted. I can't wait to see them all done.
Have a great day and stay OP!!
Debbie

Debbie, hugs to you about your sweet doggie, Daisy. I'm glad you talked to DS!! WTG on the exercise!

Luv,
Rat

Just a super-quick drive through to say hi and hugs to everyone, and to announce that I made it to 50 lbs. lost! Yipppee!!

MamaB - Sounds like you have an enjoyable and low pressure Christmas ahead of you. I don't know what I'd do if I ever had to cook for a house full of people!!!! I shudder to think about it.

Patti - Glad you are starting to feel better.

Meta - Wow, you have come so far. You are the intuitive eating poster girl! :carrot:

Nancy - I think I understand how you are feeling. I was feeling that way too before I started school. Not that school is my passion, but I think it's keeping me busy for now, gives me a non-weight-related goal to strive for, fills my need for achievement, and keeps my mind off the greater picture. In that way, maybe it's avoidance. But what I wanted to say is it's funny how we perceive ourselves differently than others perceive us. You say you don't have a hobby or passion and yet when I think of you, I see you as someone with several interests. I know that you love to read, particularly sci-fi stuff. I know that you are really into exercise and seem to be brave, open, and adventurous enough to try out new things (yoga and your new dance class come to mind). I also know you also are a very soul-searching person. I admire the way you strive to get to the bottom of your issues and things that come up for you as you lose weight. If you feel some other outlet for your creativity is missing, I have no doubt that you will find something to fill that void if for no other reason that you are in-tune enough with how you are feeling to recognize the void plus you have shown that you are brave enough to try new things. If you want more in your life, I know you will have it in time.

Ratkitty - Wow, even the 18's are too big. :carrot: That's funny your friends said you don't know how to shop. I do think as we get smaller it's hard for us to see ourselves as we are. Maybe that is why you chose too big clothes. Anyway, glad you have some good and honest friends willing to help you out!

Debbie - I hope the "I love you's" are just the beginning the mending of your relationship. And I am so sorry about little Daisy. I am a the owner of a older dog too and I can all too well imagine how you must be feeling. They become such a part of our families, especially after such a long time. :hug:

BattleAx - WOOHOO on 50 pounds gone!!!! :carrot:

As for me, I need to get started studying for my Stats test tomorrow. I haven't done as well on the last 2 as I would have liked so am hoping to pull my grade up a bit on this next one. I am also trying not to stress about our group presentation that is on Wed. There are still lose ends that need to be tied up that others are responsible for and it just doesn't seem to be happening. This is why I HATE group projects. It always seems to end up where 1 or 2 people do the majority of the work and the others just come along for the ride and the grade. Totally sucks.

BATTLE - BRAAAAAAVVOOOOOOO!!! Huge Congrats on the FIVE-OH!!

DEBBIE - So glad to see that things are improving with DS! I hope as time goes on, things go even more smoothly and you get to see him.

RAT - My chiro definately did me some good. Ever since the first adjustment I've been able to reach down and put palms on the floor, which I haven't been able to do in YEARS. My lower back pain is pretty much gone, too. But I feel like they're way too hard sell there, and that they want me there far more often than necessary. It was financially killing me.

NANCY, you need a horse. :D

I keep surfing the kitchen and fridge. Nothing in there I want. It's all too healthy and I'm looking for sin. I'm settling for baking the one and only acorn squash I managed to grow in my garden... because I can put a little brown s***r on it (pardon my too-sweet talk.) It's a lesser evil than I would like, but that's a good thing.

XENA - you snuck in! Good luck on your test tomorrow!

Hello Chicks (and Rooster too). Starting to have quite a chill in the air - and it's dark - UGH to both. I don't like coming home in the dark. Not much of a fan of the cold either.

Ammi - miss you - hope you're doing well. If well wishes could make you feel better you would be better faaaaaast.

Heather - I know what you mean about the dogs - we don't even set an alarm any more. And with the time change it means 4 a.m. instead of 5 a.m. I hope she adjust to the time change faster than I usually do.

Geekgirl - good luck with the Medifast - support is here for you!

Donna - what a nice little trip you must have had. I love Christmas but have to restrain myself from buying more and more. I think I was set up - I have a birthday near Christmas - with "Carol" for a name - always the Christmas carol. Good for you on a quiet holiday - I always think I would enjoy that but then when it comes to fruition I always want the big crowd.

Annie - laughing about the bass drum. Our tails can clear a coffee table quicker than anything. Any job new update from the weekend?

TFFU - glad you are starting to feel better - as for the housework - take care of yourself first

Meta - WTG on the new BMI - same time I'm laughing about the stirrup pants.

Seems to be a lot of talk about ridding ourselves of big clothes - I've never thought about it before - I've just always held on to them. NOT ANYMORE - after reading the discussion I will immediately get rid of things that are too big. I wish there was some type of clothing exchange - although someone mentioned the local women's shelter - I have a lot of nice clothes that will need to be put to good use.

Valerie - you seem happy with the TOPS decision - I've heard good things.

Nancy - I'm thinking of doing a trial run at our local community center to get a feel for the appearance factor. Also to try some of the equipment - specifically a recumbent bike and elliptical to see if we want to buy for home. I also need to talk with our local hospital fitness center - they also offer personal training services. Apparently your landlord doesn't think your time has value - leaving you waiting for two days. Same for Jonathan.

RK - sounds like a good friend who took you back to Dress Barn. To think you bought them too big. I so agree with you about dealing with "issues" by getting involved in other things - only to have the issues rear their ugly head (even when you don't know that's what they are). I think I've buried them for so long I would know them if they hit me in the head. I try to uncover a little every day.

Debbie - made my heart warm to hear about the conversation with your son. Isn't it interesting how the animal connection did at least a little reconnection. We lost our 17 year old lab - the memory of her loss came back as I read about your Daisy. Thinking of you.

Battle - 50 pounds - YEEEEEEEEEEEEHAWWWWWW.

Lots of great things happening for everyone here - it's exciting to be a part of it. Hope to be able to contibute with good weight loss news tomorrow.

Hugs everybody,
Carol

Debbie: Yay on fitting into the size 24s! I am looking forward to you reporting that you got rid of your big clothes. And then I am going to look forward to hearing of your shopping trip to the stores to buy your outfit. Don't be discouraged if you go to one store and they don't have a lot. I spent some time shopping over the weekend and found that different locations of the same stores carry wildly varying merchandise. Some had only a tiny plus size section, while others had larger ones.

I am happy to hear about your conversation with your son. Hopefully there will be more steps in the right direction soon.

Poor little doggie, I don't know what to say except here is a hug.

Heather: I was looking for the same boost as you to get going early for DST, but this year the hour has been swallowed up. Don't know why, but it's better than Spring Ahead any day!

Ratykitty: You are making me laugh. You are the accidental shopper! Funny how we work things sometimes. I used to wear clothes that were too snug because if I could shoehorn myself into them, it must mean that I fit into that size. Hehe I'm over that now, and am more likely to err on the side of too loose, like you.

Geek: good luck with your Medifast.

Donna: Good job on making better choices at Cracker Barrel. At a restaurant like that, it's hard to not overdo it.

I like your plan for Christmas. I like the Jewish Christmas: Chinese food and movies. This year I have parties on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day so will not do the tradition. Do you also make latkes for Chanukah? I usually invite a group of people over for latkes.

TFFU, glad you're feeling better. Now let's get your knees going in the same direction.

Valerie: I think TOPS is a great idea. Support is so important, at least for me, and if you find a good group it will be wonderful.

Nancy: Interesting popcorn contraption. I'll keep it in mind. First I am going to try a plain brown bag with corn in the microwave. I read that you can make popcorn this way.

Sorry you had a crappy weekend. I wonder if there is a lesson in your disappointments?

I know what you mean about floundering around without direction. I find that I always need a big goal to be working toward, something that I find consuming. For several years it has been starting my business. Now I'm seeing that there is an opening for something else. Dating comes to mind and I may just be near ready to try that out.

Perhaps you are at the point in your life where there is now room for another consuming activity besides the weight loss, or moving from a stalled relationship, and are naturally feeling the space. This doesn't have to be a bad thing. But, it may take a while to figure out what to do next. In the meantime, you can fill your time with pleasant activities and try to enjoy the moment.

Meta: big congrats on moving past morbid obesity. Only we can understand what this means. I am so very happy for you. I'm 3 lbs. away from the same milestone and am looking forward to it.

Annie: Hi!

Catherine: Can't wait for you to have a break in your work. I love reading your posts.

Xena: Good luck on your test tomorrow!

Gggirls: I hope you have a good weigh in.

just saying good night everybody... planning on doing some form of exercise tomorrow if all goes well and it better go well !

Annie-do not smear the pumpkin on your skin, it will stain. There are recipes for pumpkin bread. I have made pancakes with the canned stuff, not the pie filling, but the regular canned pumpkin. Sometimes, I just mix it with some cinnamon, fresh grated nutmeg, and some equal/splenda. It’s like the pie without the crust.

Ammi-Get well soon.

Debbie-I’m so glad you got to talk to your son.

Valerie-Step away from the pie.

Nancy-Finding your passion is hard, but worthwhile. Spending some time journaling never hurts.

Went to the funeral. He was 95 years old, and feisty and working until he hurt his ankle, and quickly went downhill. He had been my husband’s childhood pastor, so he was asked to read at the service. I got high on the incense. I don’t know why I have always had trouble with incense. It doesn’t make me sick or have asthma; it makes me light headed and goofy. We had to get there early, and I sat in the back reading a text book. It was so cold in there. It’s a big basilica, so takes awhile to heat up. Plus we didn’t get above zero today. I’m sitting with a heating pad trying to get my core temperature up. It is officially time to start wearing two pairs of pants again. He got a package from his mom. A really nice set of gloves and hat, wool with thinsulate, and they were supposed to be for him. She never actually sends stuff to me, but these had snowflakes on them, and were a men’s small. His head is so big, he can’t even wear a regular baseball hat, so I got to claim them. She actually sent him a sippy cup last year for Christmas. That got returned for store credit. I think she thinks he is about 8 years old.

So after that we went to the downtown library. He had a meeting, and I did school work. The number of homeless coming in to get warm saddened me. Half of them had their hard hats and work boots on top of their rolling duffels after working on a job site all day. They were waiting until it was late enough for the shelters to open. They figure we may have 6000 homeless here in the wealthiest province in one of the wealthiest nations on earth. About half are totally homeless, actually sleeping outside. I just don’t know how they survive when it gets to -20 or even -40 out. Something is very wrong with this picture. I just want to take them all home with me, but know I can’t.

WOW there is alot going on here on the board.

Ammi....hope you get better soon!

We went to my grandfathers birthday party last night at a "our country buffett" BAD PLACE IF YOU ASK ME!! but all my realatives were there. I had one plate of food. 2 enchiladas...mashed potatoes..and a roll and pop UGH BUT no 2nds or 3rds or 4ths...and no desert!! I was so proud of me.

Oh Wow! so after all the damage i did in Louisiana, in 2 weeks i only gained 1 lb. i can live with that ;)

Hi Everyone! Boy - It's been a long time since I popped in. Things have been going well. I'm continuing to lose weight (about 68 lbs now), but things are moving slower. I am still on 3 liquids a day, but I can also have one regular meal a day now (basically just meat and veggies). Helps break up the monotony (sp?). Things are finally slowing down at work and now it's time for clean up. I hate that kind of stuff. Really boring, but it's gotta be done. Hope everyone is doing well. Take care!

Lisa

Good Morning!!:coffee:

No work or school today...YAY!! :yay: (for Election Day) Too bad it's pouring out :rain:, but at least I have a day to do anything I want. I still haven't decided what I will be doing, but internet shopping is calling big time!!! But there will definately be the "removing" of the gray hairs going on without a doubt!!
I am very traumatized by the vet visit for Jack yesterday. He was there for a simple rabies shot that turned into a nightmare. The Vet first went through his skin and out the other side. Then the Tech had him down on the table and he wiggled and the Vet stuck himself with the needle. The 3rd time was the "charm"...but the scream that came out of this little 6lb baby was horrifying. Poor little guy. The scene kept replaying in my head all night long. :tired: This time I can't even blame Doug for keeping me up last night...he was working!!



Debbie: I am so happy about your call from David!:hug: But then again, so sad to hear about Daisy.:hug:

Battle: :congrat: on 50lbs gone!!! You go Girl!! Yep, I do make Latkes and Matzo Ball soup for Channukah. As one of the only 2 Jewish families growing up (until I moved in high school) I always yearned for Christmas...careful what you wish for!!! So I married Doug and I got to do both. It is nice to have all the family...really stressful...but nice. It's just now that my neice has the baby and is in Virginia, my in-laws are going there. Doug has to work Chrismas Eve and I really don't want to be doing a 4/5 hr drive on Christmas Day. So turkey and sweatpants it is!!!

RK: Size 18!!!:whoo: Um, I believe you were the one with the saggy-butt jeans just a week ago??:rofl: I too have a pair of RED
stirrup pants...what the heck am I saving them for?????????????

Patti: I am glad you are feeling better!

Carol: When I was younger I always thought that a person who has a birthday around Christmas time was sorta cheated on getting presents another time during the year. Of course as I got older, I realized it's not always about the presents!

Catherine: A SIPPY CUP?????? :rofl: Please tell me that was a joke. Maybe she really meant the hat and gloves for you, that's why they had snowflakes?? Sounds like an interesting woman.
I too always wonder how the homeless can stay alive during the winter. But it really boggles the mind when you read the statistics, and how most don't want any help. So sad.

Lisa::wave: Glad to see you posting!

Annie: How are the interviews going? I am sure someone will grab you up soon!:hug:

Xena: Good Luck on your test!:goodluck:

Have a Great Day!:cheer2:

:dizzy::wave: Good Morning all,

Patti: I am glad that you are feeling better but so sorry about your knee. I hope you are back to health soon. :getwell:

Meta: :carrot: Wohoo girl. No longer Morbidly Obese! I am so happy for you.

Val: :hug:

Nancy: :hug:

Ratkitten: :whoo:Size 16! Wow girl. Good for you.

Debbie: :hug:to you about Daisy. I am sooooo :D that David talked to you and told you he loves you.

Battle: :broc:Congrats on reaching 50 pounds gone FOREVER!

Xena: :crossed: Good luck on the tests.

Carol: I have 2 interviews this week. One today and one Thursday. I am trying not to get too discouraged. Thaks for asking. ;)

Catherine: 1st) I am so glad that I came on here and read not to put pumpkin on my skin before I went and sat in the tub this morning giving myself a pumpkin body mask. :D I seriously had that on my to do list for today before my job interview. LOL. 2nd) I am :rofl: about the sippy cup and snowflake gloves and hat that your MIL sent to your DH. :dizzy: I hope I think about that a lot today so I can keep a smile going. Hugs to your poor DH about that. 3rd) My heart is aching about the homeless that you see daily. I am so far removed from them here in this city. I will add them to my prayers.

Cyn: :p Great job at the buffet! You should be proud for not overeating.

Luan: Sorry that you had a +1 but, it seems that you are not worried about it and therefore, me either. ;)

Lisa: :welcome: Back! Glad to see you. I'm happy that things are going so well for you and :congrat: on loosing 68 pounds. How is your ankle doing?

Donna: :o Poor baby. Jack too. I hate it when my furbabies are in pain. I'm sorry that you had to go through that. I hope next time you go to the vet Jack won't be fearful. :hug:

Well, I'm off to start my day. I hope you are all doing well and having wonderful op days. I am sure missing Ammi, Sharon, Brandnewme, Lilion, Heather, John, All you gals that I didn't mention by name. I hope you are all doing wonderfully well.

Blessings,
Annie

so i suppose i should write about this show i just did....

last friday i got to take an awesome trip. i was flown to Louisiana to do a pilot tv show called Big Dish with Jen Kober.

We got in Saturday and spent the day lounging around the house. Mom Stephanie and Grandma DeeDee made us an amazing dinner. Later that evening when Jen's sister Laura got home she got the grand idea to take us to the "frosty factory". let me just tell you that the first thing that is great about louisiana state law is that if the container is masking taped shut, its not an open container. drink up. so we got our drinks and hung out at the house. we stayed at the Microtel hotel in Lake Charles. an experiance in and of itsself. mirrored walls. nuffsaid

on Sunday we checked out of the hotel and moved to the Isle of Capri, which might have the most comfortable beds ive slept in. (dont be dirty). and other than the bright color scheme, was a pretty nice place. anywhere with a jacuzzi tub is alright by me. We shot the "slumber party" episode on saturday also. sadly, i am in this ep. i am not an actor, but i had fun just the same.

on Monday we went to LSU baton rouge for Jen to perform her standup. and altho the crowd size left a little to be desired, the show was awesome, and i hurt from laughter after. the mushroom story is ****ing awesome. this was also the evening i ate alligator for the first time.

on Tuesday we shot at Spains, which is the cutest specialty store i have ever seen. Stephanie (they only have 3 names in Louisiana - Stephanie, Kim, and Jennifer). this is where we met MaryLouise Butters (shes from Texas). check out buttersbrownies.com for AWESOME brownies. seriously. you will be hooked.

on Wednesday we shot at Jennifer (the neighbor)'s outdoor kitchen. we roasted a full pig. a cultural experiance to say the least. it was delicious tho. we also made Meat Cake. its totally not as gross as it sounds. We also opened up the 710 Downtown club. a very nice establishment, if you are ever in Lake Charles, i suggest you stop in. Tell Josh that Los Angeles says hello. it makes him laugh.

on thursday we wrapped up with some pickup shots and sent the rest of the crew on thier way. my flight left at 5 am on friday, and i was very sad to go.

the Kober family is definately one of the friendliest groups of people i have ever met. even the ones that have married in. all the friends and neighbors that came out to support Jen and the show were amazing. I never once felt homesick. in fact, i felt totally at home. If you ever get the chance to visit Lake Charles, make sure you visit Spains on W. College St., Make sure you have some Abita Beer and Alligator in Baton Rouge, and make sure you make a friend. :)

Thank you so much for the concern for my Daisy. She is still hangin' in there. We upped her meds and it seems to be helping her to where she can get up pretty well on her own. I'm still watching her to see if she's in any pain though, because I don't want her to suffer.

Thanks Ratkity, I hope it was an opening between him and I to talking in the future. But for now, I'm just going to leave him alone. We made the first move, it's up to him now.

Battle, Hurray on the BIG 50
Thanks on the info about shopping in the stores. I can use all the help I can get :lol: I did end up going and buying a pair of jeans in gray, a really pretty shirt with a tank under it, and a nightgown on Lane Bryant catalog. And I bought them all in 1x now!! That will probably be my last shopping trip online. The shirt and tank is for my husband's party. The shirt has pretty butterflies on it and I got it in bosenberry. The tank matches the color. I hope it will be nice enough. People don't really dress up that much except for the bosses. So I think it will be ok. And YES, the clothes will be gone on Friday for sure!!!

Xena, Daisy is still hangin' in there. Since we started giving her more of the doggie pills, she's been up on her own and moving around. So we're hoping she will be with us a while longer, but if it looks like she's suffering, I think we will have to put her to sleep.
How's it going on the studying for the STATS test? I hope you ace it!!!

Valerie, how was the squash??
I was looking at the website for TOPS and it has a link to tools, I went there and they have a 28 day calender menus. I think I'm going to print it out since I can't seem to figure out what to eat anymore. There were all kinds of interesting things there. I also might join to have a place with a reliable scale since mine jumps around so much. Thanks for the great idea!!


Carol, sorry that your sweet doggie isn't with you any more....just think of the good times that you had together. It's so hard to let go.

Catherine, that is so funny she sent him a sippy cup!!! It's just unbelievable..:rofl: It really is so hard to see so many homeless. It saddens me to know that we here in the US are so blessed, but our government don't help the poor as much as they should be helped. I don't see how they make it thru the winters especially up where you are...brrrrrr.....it gets that cold??? I'll take Washington weather any ol time!!

Cyn, good for you on not overdoing at the buffet!

Luan, I would say that's great!!!!

Hi Lisa, long time no see! Congrats on the 68lbs!!!

Donna, oooo our puppies are just like our babies!!! I remember when DS was little and having to get him a shot...I feel the same way about our animals. I can tell you feel the same way. Just know it's in their best interest that these things have to be done...doesn't make it any easier but what else can we do?

Annie, good luck on your interviews!!! Don't these people know what their missing when they don't give you the job? Sheesh!!!!

Hi Donna, Heather, Nancy, John, Ammi, and to all the others. Miss you!

I plan on going outside today and walking around our loop of a road. 10 times around and it equals 1.5 miles. Today is the last day of sun for awhile so I thought I would get out there and get some fresh air...even though it's only 39. It will be a brisk walk :rofl:..hee hee...get it...brisk...39 degrees...ha!
Have a good one
Debbie

Hi all! Thanks for the hugs and encouragement and kudos and all that for me making it out of morbid obesity. Means a lot to me. :)

Nancy - What a crappy weekend! That kind of thing can set a pall over things well past the offending days, so be kind to yourself. I am *terrible* for leaping to thoughts about the shape and size of my body when contemplating the reasons I have been treated disrespectfully. It's a lousy mindset, because I end up taking on responsibility for the failings of others in a very psychologically painful way. I wish I could ditch it, but it's pretty entrenched. All this to say that I'm sorry you were treated disrespectfully, and you didn't deserve it. Hope you'll find a way to set your boundaries with these folks in a way that doesn't leave you feeling drained and askew, and that it doesn't happen again.

Also, I think you're wise to focus on purpose and contentment in other aspects of your life other than weight loss. While we might know intellectually that weight loss is not the magic bullet for everything, I think we can tend to neglect focus and development in other areas, setting ourselves up for disappointment and more work down the road. I hope you'll find something you can get excited about soon.

Rat - Based on previous evidence, I'm shocked - SHOCKED! that you might have purchased pants too big for your own a$$. Not so much really. :) Kidding aside, it's FANTASTIC that you've fit into 16s! Way to go, and I bet you look great.

Battle - A big YAY! on 50 pounds lost. That is a fantastic milestone, and I venture to guess a huge difference on a woman of your height. Are people commenting yet? Congrats, and will look forward to celebrating your non-morbid obesity very soon. :)

Carol - Yes, yes, yes! Give away the big clothes! You don't need them, and if giving them away contributes even a bit to not ever needing them again then I say you're worth the gamble.

Catherine - All I know about the homeless sitation in Edmonton is what I read in the Globe and Mail, but it's truly disheartening. My understanding is that in addition to all the 'regular' homelessness (mental illness, addiction etc.) there are working individuals, spouses and families who simply cannot afford housing costs in a market that has literally exploded with the oilsands boom, and one that simply has not been able to catch up to demand. That working families should need to seek public shelter is truly sad, and an indicator that sometimes the almighty market cannot be left the arbitor of everything. I live in a city with one of the lowest vacancy rates in Canada at 1.1% in 2006, but my sense is that people here of sound mind and body are underhoused (and overpaying) as opposed to homeless. Anyway, homeless breaks my heart and I hate that any people are forgotten by most for whatever reason.

Xena - Hope your test went well. Thanks for my dancing carrot! :)

Lisa - Nice to hear from you! Great to see you're still losing. 68 pounds is a great accomplishment.

Donna & Debbie - So sorry to hear of your pets suffering. Hugs to you, and to them. Keep us posted.

I just came back from making myself go for a 20 minute walk in a COLD, WET, wildly WINDY mess with a DRESS on. It's rained for a day and a half straight, and for a few minutes this morning some of that rain turned into the first flakes I've seen this season. We probably won't have permanent snow until December (well into January last year, weirdly) but it's still a passage of sorts.

Everybody have a great day.

Meta: No one has said a word about my weight loss. I thought for sure my hair stylist would say something this past weekend, as I haven't been there in several months. I've noticed that the fat on the back of my neck (ew) has reduced significantly, and she'd probably notice at least a difference in my neck. Not a word.

I suspect that the comments may start coming after I begin wearing my new size 22 clothes. To my eye, I look a lot smaller in them. They should fit nicely very soon. I'm not hazarding any guesses as to when, because my guess about when I'd fit into size 24 was way off.

All I can say is that I am glad I am here and read of members' experiences with losing large amounts of weight without others noticing. It helped me know what to expect and to put it into perspective (on most days). It's still hard to wrap my brain around the idea that 50 lbs. is barely noticeable.

Good job on exercising in adverse conditions in a dress. If that's not commitment, I don't know what is.

Hiya Peeps!

I'm still reeling about wearing new sized pants. I know all you folks understand. It's a milestone when you reach a number you haven't seen in years.

More good news is that I got an award at work for some stuff I did on an interagency team. I'm happy to have been recognized. There was veggie trays, fruit trays and cookies and cupcakes. I ate about 10 points worth of stuff, but stayed well within my daily points. I even saved some grapes for later! Fruit and veggies are hard for me to eat on a regular basis. I don't dislike fruit like I do veggies. I just forget to eat it and it goes bad so fast.

Val, wow, your chiroDoc did good stuff for you. I got some relief, but not a lot. I had been cruising the frig yesterday. It's TOM's fault! hehe. When I don't feel good, I know I want comfort stuff. I made some SF FF hot choc and that helped (along with midol.. hehe)

GGG, I swear, I'm like a big bear. I just wanna hibernate when it gets dark out. I even feel like growling a lot! hehe. I once had bear feet claw slippers as a teenager and my parents would make comments like "here comes The Bear". I need to go look for another pair.

Battle, omgosh!! The big Five-Oh (minus poundage, that is.. hehe)! I am so happy for you! I feel giddy for each milestone that everyone hits.. just like it's one of my own! It's still hard to wrap my brain around the concept of losing 50lbs. Just the 30 I've lost since Feb is difficult, but then I bring in a 30lb bag of dog food in the house, I get to think to myself "wow, I have taken that much weight off of me". That puts it all into perspective.

TTFU, did you exercise today? I'm glad you are feeling better.

Catherine, what a crazy MIL that you have! Odd gifts too. I'm sorry that your husband's childhood pastor passed away. Ya know, that incense stuff gives me a major headache. Just the stuff at the Catholic churches, not the stuff I use at home.. hrm.. a sign? hehe.. jk. The homeless here in DC are an interesting bunch. Many refuse any help, but they have advocates (whether the homeless like it or not) that drive around on very cold nights to make sure they have enough blankets or something warm to drink and eat.

Cyn, oh, I know the Country Buffet place. Very hard not to over-do it there. Good deal on moderation!

Luan, wow, from the cool things you described that you did in LA, only 1 lb gain is nada! The shoots and stuff you wrote about sounded so neat!

Lisa, I've missed you. I'm glad to know you are doing fabulous!

Donna, size 16! w00h00.. I can't believe it. I haven't seen a size 16 in over 17 years. I'm so sorry about Jack and his tramatic visit. I'm sure he got lotsa treats and hugs and kisses from you after you got him home.

Annie, are you still feeling tired or is your energy coming back? Keep up the great work! *hugs*

Debbie, I'm glad to hear about Daisy. It's hard to watch our furbabies get old. I hope you had a great "brisk" walk!

Meta, you are rockin' girl! Out of Morbid Obesity w00h00! hehehe about your shocked expression for me buying too big pants. I'm still on cloud 9 for getting into a size I haven't seen in decades. I hope you got warmed up quickly after your 20 min walk outside.. in a dress no less! burrrrrrrrr.

Hugs to Nancy and Heather and Ammi, and all the folks that lurk!

Luv,
Ratkity

Hi!
Just a quick update on Daisy!! We took her to the vet today to see if there was something we could do to help her or if it was best for her to go for a long sleep. The vet walked her around, checked her heartbeat, and said she is doing pretty good for an old gal. He told us to try Rimidyl which is a med for her arthritis. He said he expects great results in 10 days!!! So she is home with us again, where she belongs, and she WILL get to feeling better soon.
Thank you ladies so much for understanding how hard it is when our furbies get old and need us to decide what is best for them. Thanks for your encouragement and concern.
:hug: to you all
Debbie

Hello everyone!

Wow! It's been a long time since I've popped my head in here... I've read this week's posts, but unfortunately don't have time for personals because of a paper that's due tomorrow. Things are still going really well with the boyfriend, whose head is in my new avatar picture... haha. That picture was taken during a really lovely drive we took along the C & O Canal byway. I'm just a few lbs away from reaching my 100lbs lost mark and I'm not going to get there by eating the way I did this weekend... but that's okay, Halloween candy is out of sight and eating has been great the past two days... I just need to work on resisting restaurant food and instead opting to stay in. It's just so hard with so many tasty restaurants in the D.C. area!

I'm excited about going to Boston.. just two weeks away! Time really flies... we're doing dinner with some family friends of his parents' because they apparently have a big to-do with their bunches of kids and their significant others (and other friends) so that should be fun. The people have known my boyfriend for years and the husband was actually his principal at his day school in elementary! Haha.

Hopefully things will be a lot calmer after this paper is done. I don't have many other large assignments left for this semester, thank goodness! I hope everyone's doing well and keeping OP!

Hi!
He told us to try Rimidyl which is a med for her arthritis. He said he expects great results in 10 days!!! So she is home with us again, where she belongs, and she WILL get to feeling better soon.

Debbie

Debbie - we gave our Goldie the people drug Mobic - our vet was concerned with the extra expense involved in canine pharmaceuticals - we saw a change immediately - she actually wanted to open birthday presents - at 16 years old - which is ancient for a lab. Thought I would mention it - I know we will spare no expense for our beloved pets. Hug Daisy for me.

Just a quick note - I'm on the road in the morning so need to get packed. Will catch up on up personals tomorrow in the hotel. I fixed a wonderful Asian Pork and Vegetable Stir Fry tonight - yummyyyyy.

Hope everyone is doing great - still having difficulty with the transition to fall and early darkness.

Hugs to all,
Carol

Ratkity – I hate the fact that misery loves company, but it does help to hear that other people have the same issues. I guess in a way I should be happy that I am not 100% content in my life because it keeps me moving forward and growing as a person. Congrats on getting an award at work. Very cool!

Debbie – I am so glad Daisy is ok! Since you asked - I am 34. I think I spent a lot of time eating in order to suppress the feelings I am having right now. That was my best hobby! Of course it was very self destructive. I have been thinking about some form of needlepoint, which my mother was really into. . .

Battle - :woohoo: :cheer: 50 POUNDS :cheer: :woohoo: What a fantastic milestone! I have thought about dating again, but that just scares the crap out of me. I guess maybe I should try and figure out why it scares me so much.

Deb – School did it for me for a very long time. When I was busy with classes at night I didn’t have that much time to think about it. I know that I should start studying for my CPA and move forward in my career, but I just can’t seem to find the motivation for that. Ugh! I have been out of school nearly 2 years now. If I don’t do something soon I am afraid I might not at all.

Valerie – I think you are right! But somehow I don’t think a horse would fit very well in my apartment. :D

Carol – Testing out equipment to see if you like it is a great idea. I never would have known how much I like the elliptical if I hadn’t joined a gym. I really don’t like bikes and I might have gotten one, which I probably wouldn’t have stuck to anywhere near as long.

Patty – Glad things are going well

Catherine – I definitely need to do some more journaling. That is so funny about the gifts your husband gets from his mother. I think sometimes people don’t want to recognize how old their children are because it makes them feel old. Heck – I am starting to meet people my age with teenage children and that absolutely scares me.

Cyn – Congrats on stopping at one plate at the buffet!

Lisa – It is good to hear from you. You are doing great! I hope you are fully recovered from your accident.

Donna – I am so sorry to hear your vet visit went badly for your baby. I hope he is feeing better today.

Annie – Thanks for the :hug:

Luan – It sounds like you had a fabulous time. No pimping of brownies allowed!

Meta – It is funny, but I never thought for a moment that it had anything to do with my size. You know, it may have, but I have built up this level of denial that I don’t even want to know size discrimination is there. So I totally ignore it. Ok – most of the time. What were you doing out walking in a dress on such a miserable day? You sound just like me. :)

Lindsey – What a cute picture of you and your new BF! Restaurant eating is so tough. I hope your paper writing goes well.


I am feeling a little better today. It is funny that one of the things I often write in posts to new people is about not expecting weight loss to just happen because you decide one day to do it. It is a skill that needs to be grown over a period of time because for so many of us when we start it really is something totally different from what we have been doing so far in our lives. It may be that some people learn this skill when they are young, but it is still a skill. I think the same can be said for almost anything. I need to teach myself how to grow something passionate in my life. It isn’t just going to happen if I stumble around in the dark looking for it. It is something that I need to work on and grow. I know I can find it and move forward. I know that I can move forward even if I don’t find “it” because it might not be quite so linear.

I know there are so many things so say, but I can only do a few...

BattleAx -- YAY! On 50 pounds lost! I think after 50 pounds the only people who really noticed were the ones who knew I was losing weight. Be patient. After a while you'll be tired of people telling you they don't even recognize you!!!! And the new clothes really help...

Debbie -- Our 7 yo pug has arthritis in the hip and was having lots of trouble moving (not as much as your pup, tho). We put him on rimadyl (that's the same as carprofen, right?) and the change after just a few days was noticable! Then we added glucosamine and now he dances around like when he was a pup!

I way overate today. I was trying to get a million things done all morning and kept just reaching for food. I'm a stress eater for SURE. I'm eating even as I type this! :(

Tomorrow is a new day, however. One day isn't gonna kill me (Repeat until it sinks in or I collapse!) :)

Donna-the sippy cup was for real. It had his name on it in big block letters made out of crayons. He thought about using it as a coffee cup, but it wasn’t even microwaveable. She had paid $15 dollars for it at the Bay, so I got a giftcard that we could also use at Zellers, and spent it on cheap DVD’s. If I know anything, it’s that nothing she sends is for me. She would actually get angry if she knew I was wearing them. They were men’s, but I can’t imagine any real Canadian man wearing a touque with snowflakes. Maybe that is why they were on sale. She has schizophrenia and borderline, and refuses to be properly medicated. She actually leaves screaming messages on the voicemail. We call block her occasionally, and then she just goes to pay phones. They live about an 8 hour drive away, Thank God.

Annie-Were you planning of going to your interview dressed as the Great Pumpkin. I’m visualizing the woman George Costanza dated on Seinfeld who was a weird orange color. The way I’m shaped, I’d look like a very big football. With my luck someone would try to kick me, and I’d have to punish them with extreme prejudice. Hubby doesn’t mind me getting the gloves, he prefers mittens, and he constantly worries about me staying warm. He has this fear that I’ll get too cold, and run away to some place warmer.

Debbie-yes it gets that cold here. And before you think that is just in Celsius, at -40, Celsius and Fahrenheit intersect. At 10 below, I wear 2 pairs of pants, and at 30 below I wear 3 pairs. Good thing I have a stash of pants that are way too big. Comes in handy while shoveling snow. I used to live two blocks from the beach in St. Pete with a back yard full of oranges. Let’s see why did I move here? Oh yeah, I fell in love with a polar bear. The coldest I’ve been is -46 at Ft. McMurray. I had a dog who had to take Rimidyl, and it worked great. I hope you have the same luck with it.

Meta-We had a group of four brothers from the Maritimes about a month ago who came looking for work, and ended up living under a bridge. One of them got killed when they had too much to drink and started horseplaying, and he fell. They closed down the tent city, but are spending millions on a new animal shelter, and many millions on art gallery renovations. I’m funny, I don’t think we have the right to spend a dime on art while there are people living on the street. We live a block away from a closed hotel. The city could buy that and use it for a shelter. I know that the boom caught them completely off guard. Who knew oil was going to increase in price, Right. The city is fixing to spend a quarter of a billion (yes, with a B) dollars on one intersection on the south side of town because of big box stores and urban sprawl. Those traffic light had better be gold plated for that price. See, this is why I’m not a politician. I’d say such naughty things.

Battle-happy birthday. If you’re still celebrating those nasty things.

Rat-I’d love it if they used regular household stuff in church, you know maybe some sandlewood, but no, they use the good stuff, Frankincense, about $3/oz..

Nancy-Wait until your friends start showing you their grandkids. That will seriously mess with your head.

Heather-wow, you’re an emotional eater. I never knew we had any of those around here.

I’ve got to get up early in the morning. He’s being interviewed on NPR out of Ohio, and God forbid he could set the alarm clock himself, and get up by himself. At least he isn’t dragging me with him to Ohio, they can do it over the phone. I did a bunch of school work today. Anything to get out of doing housework.

sorry about the pimping of brownies. that was pasted from my myspace. lol but they really are a fabulous endulgence.

Catherine -- I manage to not eat from other emotions or for other reasons (I want to, but can stop myself.... make myself exercise), but when I'm under work stress - BAM! I'll be sitting at my desk, trying to juggle 340,203 tasks and my brain turns off.

I'm bringing some tea to work today. Calms me and keeps me from snacking. And any extra vegetables I can find. I seem to crave ANYTHING in these situations at least, so if there's something at hand...

It's all about figuring out how to deal with all of this, isn't it?

Luan: Is the "Big Dish" on Food Tv and when? I want to see our Luan on TV. lol. Glad you had such a nice time.

Debbie: How was your walk? I am thrilled for you that Daisy is going to be feeling better very soon.

Battle: just remember 50 pounds may not be noticed by people but, your insides, heart, lungs, liver, kidney they are all rejoicing!

Ratkitty: Congrats on the award! Great job eating well too. My energy is coming up slowly. I know I still need my CPAP machine and I haven't been using it. I got it titrated down so I don't have any excuse. I need to clean it really good today and hook it up.

Lindsey: I'm glad that you seem so happy with your Boyfriend. I hope you have a blast meeting his friends and family.

Carol: Have a safe trip.

Nancy: I'm glad that you are feeling a bit better. Hugs and hang in there.

Catherine: Ya, I guess I was going to go looking like a pumpkin. lol. I did have a wonderful interview though.

Well, my interview yesterday was so great. There is a series of 3 interviews and I made and impression enough she told me to warrant a 2nd interview. Hopefull sometime this week I will have that 2nd interview. The 2nd interview is with 2 of the top dogs for the company. If I make it to the 3rd interview that is with the whole staff at this location. They are hoping to hire someone and have them start working by the end of next week. I am so hopeful about getting this position because it is all about helping other people. People on Welfare and social services are sent there for gaining skills to seek jobs. Not always schooling, sometimes it is hygene related or they don't have reliable transportation etc. I would be teaching classes to about 15 people occasionally. I just really am trying not to get too attached to the idea of working there yet. lol. I tend to do that. Claim the position in my head.

I hope you are all doing amazing and staying op with lots of exercise.
Blessings all,
Annie

Heather – stress is such a killer. I hope today is going better for you.

Catherine – One of the things I love that I found in Canada are convertible gloves/mittens. They are kind of the best of both worlds. I hope this winter is easier for you now that you have had more time to adjust.

Luan – I should have put a smiley since I was half teasing. In fact, if you are going to spend your calories on something you want to make sure you are getting the absolutely best specimen to provide the greatest bang for the buck.

Annie – I am really glad to hear that your interview went so well! My fingers are crossed for you. Working to help other people seems such an ideal job for you since you are such an amazingly giving and caring person.

It feels so weird that the sun is setting so early now, and I know that it will only get worse. It feels like it’s time to leave work already and it is only 4:30. Since I have finished everything I had to get done today I would rather go, but I need to stay until 5:30. Oh well.

I have decided to mix up my workouts by doing shorter, higher intensity cardio and starting to do weights more often by splitting up arms and legs and alternating days. We’ll see how that goes in helping both my fitness and my interest level. I have been finding my regular routine has gotten so boring and I am terrified that one day I will wake up and feel like the idea of going to the gym is intolerable. I know there are other ways to workout (walking outside, dvds, etc.) but going to the gym really helps me with consistency. Once I am home it is really hard to get me moving. That also may be something I need to work on. If my home were more conducive to action than to curling up and nesting. . . anyone have any little tricks for that?

Lindsay, hey girl!! glad to see you back and it looks like looooooooooove for you and your guy!! Wow, meeting the parents is a BIG step. Have a great time!!!

Carol, Daisy loved the hug!!! Thanks! Have a safe trip!

Nancy, needlepoint is fun and so intricate. I hope you do give it a try. It will really occupy your mind. I didn't start thinking the way you are til I hit my 50 mark and probably because DS was dating and I didn't feel he needed me anymore. I don't know if it has to do with where you are in life or age, no matter what it sucks.I hope you can figure things out soon.

Valerie, WOOOHOOOO on TROTTING!!!!!:carrot::bravo::cb::hat:

Heather, isn't it great to see our dogs doing better. I'm so glad your pug is acting like a puppy again!
I hope you can control your stress eating soon. I would hate to think of you gaining when you've worked so hard to get to where you are. You, my dear, are one of my role models. You lost so much weight, and are enjoying life now, don't let it creep up on you again....please.

Catherine...all I can say is BRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!

Annie, the walk was fine. I went around 4 times and then I was like a frozen popscicle. Two of our dogs went with me so it was sorta fun to get outside.
I'm so glad the interview went well for you....hopefully the 2nd will go just as well. Good luck!!

I still have to do my exercise for today but I figure I will get busy with that after DH goes to work. I'll have to do a DVD since it is raining and cold outside.
Friday we have to take our youngest (Marilyn, my son's dog....they named her after Marilyn Monroe...go figure)to go get spayed. It's just one thing after another with these furry people. :lol: Hopefully it will settle her down some.
There are a couple of craft shows we will be going to this weekend too. I love going to them and hopefully next year we will be in them as sellers!
Doing good OP wise...staying within my 1400 calories a day. I've copied some of the TOPS menus and I'm going to get the ingredients this friday. I'm so weird. It seems that I've forgotten/don't wanna remember what the right foods are that I should be eating. When I first started this journey, I did really well and lost at least 10 lbs a month. I want to get back to that again or at least 8 a month. The fattening stuff started sneaking back into my life to where I can't differenate between fattening and healthy...does that make any sense?
:hug:
Debbie

Hi everyone,

I had a bad day today and it led to a binge. It started off with the scale up more than 4 lbs. for no reason. My eating has been OP. I told myself it's the usual fluctuations, but then when the day immediately went in the wrong direction from there, I latched on to the gain and "awfulized" it, and saw it as the first of today's indications that my life is going down the tubes. I know this isn't rational, but there you have it. A downward spiral.

I went to the store and purposefully bought the items to binge on. It could have been worse. I had my hands on a bag of cookies as a finale to the event, but I put them back. I still ate probably 3000+ calories. All I can say is I'm back in it again as of now.

--------
Lindsey: good to hear from you. I take it that meeting the parents went ok. What did you end up bringing them?

Debbie: Thank goodness your furbaby is feeling better. It's so sad when they are feeling bad and we don't know what to do.

Good for you for getting your eating back in line. I'd find 1400 calories hard to stick to on most days, but if it works for you, I'm here to support you.

Gggirls: I hate this darkness all the time. It's hard to wake up in the dark and go home from work in the dark. It's throwing off my exercise schedule, too.

Nancy: Glad you're in a better frame of mind today. When you are ready to go for the CPA exam, I'll be here to cheer you on.

Ratkitty: Congratulations on your award. It is nice to be recognized. You must have done something spectacular.

Heather: From one stress eater to another, let's have a better day tomorrow.

Catherine: The sippy cup story is hilarious. The snowflake mittens are funny too. At least it's funny being an outsider. I can see where this would not feel good at all to the recipient of the gifts, even if he can laugh about it. A lifetime of not being seen can be difficult to overcome.

Annie: I am happy your interview went well. Good luck with the next round.

Valerie: Is trotting a good thing? :)

THANKS DEBBIE!
Yes BATTLE - Trotting is a WONDERFUL thing. In this case it was a 20 year long dream come true. To repeat what I wrote on the Old Hens list:
:flow2:I TROTTED! :flow2:
:dancer:I TROTTED!!:dancer:
:hyper:I TROTTED!!!!!!! :cb:
It was a moment I've waited almost 20 years for, but more recently I've been terrified to face. It was heavenly. It was better than chocolate. Better than sex. Better than chocolate sex! It was so awesome that I wanted to scream... NOT a good idea on a rather flakey horse, so I just started crying instead.
Sorry to repeat myself for those that read the other list, but there's no other way to put it. The dream of having a friesian horse was the number one reason I gave up my home and job, started driving a semi, and then started this journey and lost the first 60-70 pounds.

Finally I own him, but now that I'm older and rounder, and he's turned out to be so much more horse than I realized, I've been fearing that if I ever did get to do more than a walk, it would at least be next spring. I was wallowing in the fear of failure lately, and in turn making failure happen. I've been WAY over the edge of a cliff diet-wise for the last several days. I guess I've been indulging in self-pity and hopelessness, and I've eaten everything that wasn't nailed down. One of the kitchen table legs is even missing. (OK, that was an exageration, but you know what I mean.)

Anyway, as brief as that trot was, it was a heavenly start, and a new beginning for hope that I'd just about lost. Part of me is happy in my new job, glad to be off the road, happy to be spending time with family, friends and critters. Part of me was ready to give up the dream I've held on to for literally 20 years. I was afraid.

Today I've been OP. I even tried to go to a TOPS meeting, but the business where the meeting was held has closed. There are other meetings, but tomorrow night I can't go to one. Tomorrow night I'm going to go live the dream again.

Cross your fingers that he doesn't toss me. That would kinda stink.:o

Anyway, BATTLE, hang in there! One bad day, a lousy 3k calories, is not the end of the world. You've been doing great. Nobody noticed my weight loss until I'd lost around 50 pounds. You have success written all over you! * And that goes for the rest of you!!!

LINDSEY, Cool that your sweetie has turned out to really be such a sweetie! This is the guy you met on-line, isn't it??

NANCY, I totally understand what you mean about going to the gym because working out at home is just harder to stick with. I hope you find a way to shake up your routine.

Have a good THursday everybody!

Hello everyone!

Well, I started and finished my paper this morning before class in about an hour and a half. I was all worried over it and turns out it was no big deal... it just sounded intimidating. I was supposed to evaluate the presentation of nature vs. nurture in two different psychology textbooks of my choosing. Turns out I can go on for days criticizing people for their simplistic ideas... haha. I only have a few more big assignments left for the semester, which is nice. The end is in sight!

Jed and I have been having tons of fun on the weekends. He goes out of his way to try and find entertaining things for us to do... concerts, plays, restaurants, etc. This weekend we're going to see Rain, which is a Beatles tribute band. We're also going to see Avenue Q at the end of the month... I'm so excited! But while all of the activities are fun, I honestly think I prefer the quiet time we spend just the two of us... like last weekend when we spent both Saturday and Sunday driving around the countryside. It was absolutely gorgeous with all of the leaves turning colors.

I have firmly set in place a rule of only eating out once a weekend and have informed Jed of this... it's just too difficult for me to eat out all the time like that. Even though we've been doing better about picking places that make the nutritional data available, it still doesn't mean that it's easy to eat healthy, especially for a vegetarian... most vegetarian dishes are pasta in nature at regular chain restaurants like that. Most of the reason we eat out for all of our meals is his unwillingness to have a stocked fridge. I told him that he's 25 and should know how to go grocery shopping and keep food in the house... haha. We're going to practice that this weekend... hope it goes according to plan!

Now for some personals...

Carol, I'm having a big problem adjusting to it being pitch black dark at 5:30 in the evening! I always love the fall, but it does take some getting used to...

Catherine, I can't imagine wearing multiple pairs of pants... you must really love that man to put up with cold like that! Haha.

Annie, I hope you get that job!

Debbie, I can't remember the last time I went to a craft show. I always used to go to the one my school held with my aunt when I lived in Louisiana and had the best time... maybe I should look into ones in my area.

Battle, I always find that when the scale isn't being nice to me that I find it easier to get into that depressed downward spiral... thankfully I usually catch myself before it gets to anything other than maintaining for a few weeks. Best of luck with that. I still haven't met Jed's parents... when I posted before I was talking about the upcoming Thanksgiving visit! Haha I guess I'm just a worrier... now I'm really not sure what I'm going to get them. One of these days I'm going to kidnap Jed and force him to go shopping with me so that I can get an idea of what they like... haha.

Valerie, congrats on trotting! I remember you talking about how long you had waited to do that... I'm so happy for you!

Valerie – I think you are right! But somehow I don’t think a horse would fit very well in my apartment. :D


Might get your landlord over. ;)

Nancy: I hope tweaking your workout a bit will help you get excited about it again. I wish we lived closer then we could workout together.

Debbie: Hey, any walking is good. Sorry you got so cold. Good job being op. I went to a bunch of stores today that are handmade items for sale. I love them. I bought some taper candles that are hooked together by the wick and a couple of wrot iron pounded stars made into hooks for them plus a couple of garlands with stars and a small wooden plaque that says," the simple life" to hand beside my diving pig picture. I have to take my furbabies to the vet tomorrow evening too. Time for their annual shots.

Battle: Hugs. Sorry you had such a bad day. Tomorrow will be better.

Val: Giddy up! I am so thrilled for you. Such heart warming news for me to hear you so happy. Kiss Gabe on the nose for me.

Lindsey: Sounds like your young man is a keeper.

Well, I did some shopping as I mentioned to Debbie at some lovely stores today then I tried to find a slip. I had to go to Spokane to find one. I really needed one for a couple of dresses. I don't want to be showing everyone my "goods". lol Not that anyone would want to see that but heck, I am very modest about that type thing. lol.

Hope you are all doing wonderfully well, op, water filled and lots of exercise in your lives right now.
Blessings,
Annie

Hi All~

Whew... I seemed to have disappeared for a week and a half here.


Not much is going on here. I aggravated the muscle in the right side of my back (I blame my boyfriend for not going shopping with me and having to lift some heavy stuff :mad: ), so yet again, I was sidelined from getting out and walking and being frustrated all along the way as well. I am to the point right now that I am going to have to do something, in pain or not because I am feeling funky and I need to exercise. :/


Hopefully I can catch up with everyone soon. :)


As always, I hope everyone is doing well, and if not, you are in my prayers. :hug:


~Story

Val, I am so thrilled for you. I didn't realize everything you have gone thru to get your horse. Wow, you wanted him bad!!!

And don't worry about getting bucked off....when I used to ride, my saddle slide to the side, the horse tried to pry me off by rubbing up against a fence, I was bucked off, gone backwards down a hill, galloped all the way back to the stables, bitten, nipped, almost been kicked, reared up on, and galloped so fast I thought I would fall off.....not all in one day of course. :rofl:

But thru it all, if I had the chance, and if I didn't weigh so much, I would be right back up there again. The freedom of galloping in an open field, or playing hide and seek on a horse late at night....you just can't beat that feeling. It's like being in your own world with one of God's greatest creatures. You're one lucky lady!!

Good morning everyone! I need to be getting ready for work but I just had to come out here and report that I FINALLY broke the 25 pound mark at my weigh-in yesterday! And I did it with authority....I am at -27.2 now! WOO HOO!!!! That 25 pound milestone has been the point where I sabotage myself and gain a bunch back. For the past, well...year almost, I'd get as close as -24.8 and then blow it. I am so happy to have finally broken through. WHEW!

This is just such a good week for me first with the news on the scale. As far as school, I got through my stats test, we presented our project last night, and I found out I got a 92 on the test I took last week. The rest of the semester will be downhill from here. No more projects and only 2 test left, neigher of which is comprehensive. Yes, life is good! :)

Debbie, it’s not the bucking, it’s the spook and bolt thing that scares me. I’ve hit the dirt my share of times, too, and like you, haven’t got the good sense to keep my feet on solid ground! ;) At least with bucking you have a fighting chance of adjusting their attitude, but with panicking like Gabe has done, well, there’s no controlling that. Thanks for your encouragement!

XENA! WTG! Congrats on breaking that 25 barrier AND the 92 on your test!

I was rewarded for my first day OP with a 4 pound drop on the scale. Now, we all know that I didn’t burn 14,000 more calories than I took in in only one day, but just quitting the salt and pushing those veggies thru has an immediate effect. Too bad the reward isn’t that great every day!

Another day OP…

Val~ I'm thrilled for you and Gabe both! Congrats!!
Nothing new here. More stress at work and at home with sd.
But tomorrow is Friday and she'll be at her mom's and I'll have
2 days off from work.
Hope to get lots of work done.
Hope are well.

Storey: I hope your back gets better very soon.

Xena: Woohoo! Congrats on -27.2 pounds gone FOREVER! Great job on your Stats test too.

Val: Yippee to you on -4 more pounds. You are doing so fantastic. Riding Gabe is the best weight loss program ever it seems. Hugs.

Sandy: Hugs to you. I hope things get better for you soon.

Well, I had my interview with the county today for the Justice Department. Their job discription is WRONG! It was supposed to be a clerical position with lots of customer service and typing. It turns out it is mostly climbing a ladder to reach files for the upcoming week and putting the day's files back up. I didn't act like it wasn't my cup of tea because I want to think it over more and honestly I don't have any other job offer, not that the county offered me a job. lol I just want to do what is best.

A great NSV happened for me today. I was getting ready for my job interview and I decided to try on a size 24 skirt that I have brand new hanging in my closet. I pretty much figured it wouldn't even zip up but, it did and easily too. I was so happy. It wasn't tight or anything. So, I immediately think it must be mis marked on the size. I don't know why I have such a hard time celebrating and taking things for what they are. I am happy about it though now that I have thought about it and looked the tags over again. LOL.

I hope you are all doing well. I have to take my furbabies to the vet when DH gets off work tonight at 5:45. Hopefully it will not be raining when we take them.

Blessings all,
Annie

Heather-I had been under so much stress, that I finally decided that I didn’t need the added stress of beating myself up over eating what I shouldn’t. It’s funny once I relax, one of two things happens, I go ape and put on 20 lbs. or I actually get back OP quicker. This time I went ape for about a week, and now am back OP, mostly because my digestive system rebelled. I am an emotional eater. When my mom was upset when I was a kid, she’d get pastries. I was trained from an early age to act this way, and I have tried just about every different kind of coping mechanism, to no avail. I think I am just accepting that there are times when I am going to have trouble. There is a study out that smokers who start before the age of 14 while their brains are still developing have almost no chance of quitting because their brains finish developing around the nicotine, and their brains need it to function in the same way ours need glucose or thyroid. They have to treat them with low doses of nicotine for the rest of their lives. I sometimes wonder if my brain just developed around the need for certain higher levels or sugar or fat when I release stress hormones. I do know that here is al lot of this stuff that we just don’t understand well yet.

Annie-at least if you get a 2nd interview that means that they are not automatically dismissing you because of your size. That’s always a good feeling.

Nancy-I do seem to be adjusting. It hasn’t been above freezing all week, and I’m just running around in one pair of pants, and a hoodie. As long as the wind isn’t blowing. I get coldest in my hands, feet and face. As long as those are warm, I’m much happier.
I also hated the idea that I would get tired of an exercise, and just quit all together.

Debbie-just remember that you’ve been doing this long enough now that your fat is starting to figure out that you are trying to kill it. It will fight back. Fat is like another organ. It actually creates and excretes all sorts of chemicals and hormones. It is probably cutting off the glucose to the part of your brain where you store the memories of what kinds of foods you are supposed to be eating. Your brain burns a lot of calories, and it is natural that when you have restricted your caloric intake that you are going to have periods when it doesn’t seem to think the way it should.

Battle-I actually think that my husband would like it if his mom forgot he was alive and ignored him. When we have the call block on and it is too cold for her to go to a phone booth, he is so calm.

Valerie-Ride with the wind in your hair girl!!

Lindsey-Yeah, you’d better believe it. I’m nuts about him.

Xena-I know what you mean about feeling that it is all down hill from here. I finally feel caught up to the point that I feel like I’m actually going to finish.

I am off to do some school work.

Xena, :woohoo: on breaking the 25 lb mark and I see you are displaying it proudly as your avatar. Good for you!!

Valerie,ooo ok, I see where you're coming from now. No, it's no fun when they bolt. Is he pretty skittish when it comes to things in the road or trail? All you can do is hang on for dear life!!
Congrats on the -4lbs!!!

Annie, can you maybe take that job if it's offered just to get your foot in the county door? And maybe it would lead to bigger and better things. That's wonderful that you can zip that skirt right up. You're doing amazingly well!!! Also you're alot braver than me...:rofl:, these legs havent seen daylilght for years!!!
Hope all went well for your furbabies at the vet.

Catherine, I didn't know that about fat being it's own little being. No wonder its been such a pain. I've written down a whole mess of healthy foods to go buy tomorrow. I need to restock the house with good things instead of the crap DH brings home. He just brought home a whole case of potato chips. UGH!!!!

Tonight we have to give Marilyn the dog a bath so she will be nice and clean for her spaying tomorrow. I hate leaving them, they act like they will never see us again. Daisy is doing pretty good. She's getting up easier now so hopefully with each day she will do better.
Tomorrow is my WI, I hope I lose something!
Debbie

HOME SWEET HOME. THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME. I could go on and on about how I feel about being home - get the idea. I don't know how I traveled on business for weeks on end. Now one night is enough for me. My eating normally goes out the window while I'm gone - this time I held my own pretty well. I had forgot that Applebee's has a friendly menu.

I am starving for protein - can anybody help with this? I haven't completely caved but really struggling - too much meat, a slice of cheese, etc.

It seems there's alot of us in the same struggling boat. I had a long talk with myself on the drive home - a "Back to Basics" chat. Steamed veggies, grilled meats - lots of fish - fresh fruit. I love my water - at least that hasn't changed.

Nancy - when you started on the elliptical how long did you try? Do you think it's easy on the knees? The doc thinks the yoga I have been doing is causing part of the problem - walk/swim/bike are the options he gave. Right now my treadmill is the most boring friend I have. Hope you're having a good week. The mixing up the workouts sounds great.

Heather - are there certain kinds of stress that cause you to eat? Mine seems to be personal stress - I usually can handle work stress and organizational issues. But when something upsets my world personally it can make the fridge talk. I'm trying to learn to hear these signals - but I'm a slow learner on this front.

Catherine - first of all I'm still laughing at the sippy cup - I had to weigh in on that one. Secondly - I cannot possibly imagine being that cold. It's gotta be love. It would also send me to feel like an old bear - I would hibernate all winter - and be as ready as a mama bear to hibernate. I admire your fortitude - and to think of sitting in an vast, cold basillica.

Annie - glad to hear the interview when well. Up and down a ladder wouldn't work for me. Still thinking of you going to the interview with a nice shade of pumpkin toned skin. Did you wear the skirt to the interview?

Debbie - great job on the exercise - the description of you as a frozen popsicle made me laugh. Your outfit for the party sounds nice - be sure to post pics for us. So what types of crafts do you do - are they for your own use and gifts or do you sell them?

Battle - your comment about purposefully buying binge foods - to be aware of exactly what was going on is something I would not have had to insight to realize - nor would I have put the cookies back in that state of mind. They are my favorite food group. Is today better for you? I love your "awfulized" word.

Valerie - way to go - I feel your excitement! That is so awesome for you to have trotted. The hard work is rewarding you! 20 years in the making - I am so proud for you - not to mention the 4 lb loss.

Lindsey - sounds like life is good for you. Jed sounds like a good guy. I love your plan to find out social outlets beside restaurant eating. We are learning the same lesson - after 20 years. It's a hard one for us. Keep me posted with ideas.

Story - nice to see you.

Xena - 25 pounds - YESSSS - and on the test results too. You are having a great week - keep it going!

Sandy - one more day and you'll have the weekend.

Hi to anyone I may have missed. Hope all are OP - I gotta kick myself into exercise gear.

Hugs,
Carol

Big Dish is not ON tv yet. we shot 4 pilot episodes, and with the writers now on strike, we have a VERY good chance of selling the show. so it may happen sooner rather than later. lol i will only be on one episode as of right now. im not an actor, im a behind the scenes person :)

Debbie-I’ve got a great article on how many chemicals and hormones that our fat produces that I’ll dig out tomorrow and post. It’s scary. And tell him to quit bringing stuff like that in the house, or you’ll stand him in the corner. A case of potato chips, please!

Carol-Oh I understand that feeling of wanting to be home. My diet goes to kerflux when I’m traveling too. When I need a protein boost, I try low fat yogurt, egg white omelets, red kidney beans, and vegetarian burgers.

I JUST SPENT 20 MINS WRITING A POST AND THE STUPID COMPUTER BOOTED ME OFF!!! FRICK!!!

I will try again later if I don't throw it out the window!!!

G'morning my Peeps!

Lindsey, first, I love your new avatar!! You are so close to -100! go girl! I can feel the energy in your post. Keep up the great work and good job on finding new ways to eat instead of the huge restaurant fair.

Nancy, I had to laugh when you said finding "it" might not be a linear process. All I could imagine was me flying around like a crazy bumble bee, sometimes upside down and sometimes running into things. There's nothing linear about my journey!

Heather, I am stress eating at the time change and the changes happening at work. In my head, these are minor things, but something in my unconscious must think I need comfort. I keep trying to turn to SF hot choc, but a few times I overate with items people put out at work (cookies, cake, etc). Unfortunately, when I overeat, things get stuck in my tummy scar tissue and it comes up. I've had that happen at least once a day this past week. Very unacceptable. Eating fast does it as well. I'm trying to eat calmly and slowly. Odd that stress has me eating fast as well as making poor choices!

Luan, those pilot episodes sound so cool! What's your next project?

Annie, did you clean your cpap machine and use it? I hate mine, I really do. I feel crappy if I don't use it, though. I thought that after losing over 100 lbs that I would be able to fling it out the window.. bah, no dice. I was titrated down as well, but that's it (and not dialed down very far). Thinking about growing up, I probably have had sleep apnea all my life. I'm keeping my appendages crossed for you to get the right job! I know it'll happen. With all the effort you are putting into interviews, I know it'll be soon.

Deb, hugs to little Marilyn the pup! I hate that procedure, but all my animals are spayed or neutered. The only exception is the parrot, hehe. I've been doing well writing things down this week. I thought TOM had me up 2 lbs, but I don't officially WI until Sat and the scale says only 0.9 up this week. The stress eating with poor food choices and eating too fast have me unnerved, but I'm aware of it. I'm counting all the foods eaten. I can do this! You are doing so well staying OP!!

Battle *hugs* on your binge day. I've had those type of days. I'm hoping that whatever trigger started it has been recognized.

*wavies to a Meta flyby* ~~~~ I am reading up on IE. I believe that I am ready to listen to what my body wants while also doing WW points. In my ideal world, I would be able to pinpoint what foods will satisfy me nutritionally and also provide marginal comfort during stressful times while I try to use other tools to deal with stress. I'm not sure if that makes sense or is even attainable! In my head, it's a balance while I practice other methods dealing with stress.

Hi Story! Long time no see. I'm sorry you pulled a muscle. It's hard to exercise while in pain, but I felt the same way this summer. Now I'm not in pain and the time change has me feeling funky and not wanting to exercise. I'm going to try and change that today.

Yay Xena on -25!!! Go girl! Oh and major congoratz on the great grade for your test. Soon, you'll have a nice winter break, right?

Val, I can envision your sweetie Gabe and you about a year or so from now.. No more spooking and you both are relaxed with each other despite him bursting with energy and wanting to be worked and ridden every evening. :) I also can see all the jealous people on the sidelines watching you both! (cuz I'd be one of them). Just keep up the good work!

Hi Sandy. Sorry about the stress of SD and work. Hang in there, the weekend is here!

GGG, I hate traveling too. I have to make lists and lists of lists to feel ok. I have a week long travel during Tday week for the family beach trip at the Outer Banks. Even getting ready for a fun trip like that is stressful. I'm glad you are HOME!! Have you tried some protein bars? Or are you craving a specific type of protein? eggs, steak? meatloaf? My take would to be just to eat it in moderation. I rarely eat eggs, but sometimes just get some because of a craving. I really like the veggie burgers. Boca makes a pizza flavored one .. while it doesn't remind me of pizza, it has got a nice flavor.

Hugs and Luv to all!
Ratkity

just wanting to say hello to everyone. as you can guess by my staying off this site things are not going well. i am trying to get refocused on my weight loss. my exercise has been down the drain because of my leg.. some days its all i can do to even walk! i am scared to go to dr. cuz i am scared she will say knee replacement lol! anyways i want to wish all our UK friends to be safe from that wall of water! Ammie hope to hear from you soon!

Catherine: Sorry you are under lots of stress right now. That stinks. I hope things get better for your stress level soon.

Debbie: LOL. My legs don't exactly see "daylight" either. I wear long skirts with HIGH boots. lol. I hope you have a great WI. Good luck. have fun giving Marilyn a bath. lol. My furbabies did just fine. Pepper has gained a bit of weight so we need to remedy that ASAP. She has a bad hip. So glad to hear that your little Daisy is doing better.

Carol: Welcome home! I didn't wear the skirt just because I needed to iron it and well, I was too lazy. lol.

Luan: Hey, you never know. Lots of people are "discovered" when they least expect it.

Ratkitten: No, I really spaced it but, I am going to do it right now when I get off this computer. Thanks for reminding me. I thought I would be able to get off my CPAP machine too but I know I really need it. I am just so tired all the time again. I'm a dummy. LOL.

Well, I have a CPAP machine to wash today along with tons of other chores and workout with the personal trainer. Everyone take care and hugs to you all.
Blessings,
Annie

Patti: Hugs sweetie. I didn't see you sneak in. Please don't wait to go to a Dr. My Step mom had both of her knees replaced at the same time and she is so happy that she did it. She doesn't have anymore pain at all! She is 70 years old too so If it is something that is necessary, you can do it hun.
Blessings,
Annie

ANNIE – LOVE! Your new avatar! WTG on the skirt AND the interview. Isn’t it just awesome to fit into things like that?! I hope the furbabies are well. I hope you get your CPAP going, too!

CATHERINE – I’m right with you on beating yourself up or relaxing. Sometimes taking the pressure off is such a relief that getting back OP is easier. Interesting what you said about the smokers.

DEBBIE, Gabriel is pretty reactive about a lot of things. Mostly the bolting problem came from someone jumping up on him without so much as a how-de-do one of the first few times he was ever ridden. After he bolted that time and she came off, it was a major challenge to teach him to have confidence in the rider. He startles at little things, but normally relaxes again in just a second. But if he startled and then the rider reacted reflexively, it scared him more and you had a frightened freight train at full steam ahead. That’s why I had to break down and send him out to Ken. NOTHING rattles this guy, and he doesn’t rush a horse or ever give it reason to lose confidence. He’s been riding him outside, by the road and everything, and describes him as “pretty much bombproof.” I’m not quite buying that yet, but he was as relaxed and lazy last night as I could ever hope for. I was trotting all over the indoor arena which is the only place I’ve really ridden him myself. Our confidence in each other is growing by leaps and bounds, but certainly isn’t complete yet. We’re still ‘dating’ if you know what I mean. Besides, I still weigh darn near three(mumble-mumble) and he’s learning to carry that weight while it’s wobbling and jostling around up there, as well as the fact that my queues aren’t exactly like Ken’s. I’m so excited about bringing him home next week that I could flip.

CAROL, I’m rediscovering water right now. Like you, I drink it by choice, but lately had been doing too much coffee & SF hot chocolate. As for the protein, how about beans? A good chili would have a different flavor and texture, and the beans and meat combined might do the trick?

QUICK, LUAN! Send me your autograph now, before stardom goes to your head! Ahhh, I knew you back when… ( I hope it airs and is an immediate hit!)

DONNA – Darn it! I know it was a good post, too! (I’m writing in Word right now, cuz I’ve lost post like that too.)

Ahhh, RATKITY, That’s so sweet of you! I really appreciate the vote of confidence. After the ride last night going so smoothly, I’m starting to believe it myself. I know he’ll have moments where I continue to be vividly aware of the potential danger, but it’s no longer an incessant, overwhelming fear. I had the sad experience this morning of catching sight of my whole self in the mirror this morning. I looked at the sight (briefly) and thought ‘You want THAT to be a dressage rider?? – You can do better than that. You can BE better than that’ It might have been a depressing and horrifying moment, but I’m off to another good day today, and it didn’t bother me because I KNOW WHERE I AM GOING. Direction is what counts, not location.

PATTI, I’m glad you’re popping in! Sorry your leg is giving you so much grief. If it’s any comfort, I knew a guy once, about 60?, and when he had his replaced he was thrilled. He said he could finally dance with his wife again after 15 years of not being able to. My MIL has been really happy with her hip replacement, too. I hope you feel better, and keep up the good fight!

Last night was so much better riding Gabe than I would have believed, even a few days ago. I know it won’t always go that quietly, but it will also get better most days. The fear is fading, and isn’t ever-present any more. I trotted all over the place – when I could keep him going! It was just lovely, except that because of my weight I know I was thumping his back too much on the ‘sit’ part of my post, and I lean forward too far to compensate for my weight as well. Practice, confidence & losing weight will all help – him as well as me.

Off to another day on the journey to where I’d rather be…

Donna-I know that is irritating. I had it happen once. Since then I have used Word, and then cut and paste so that I don’t lose it.

Rat-I love the Outer Banks. The last time I was there was in the summer of 1982. Wow, that’s 25 years ago. That just made me feel old.

Toofat-I know that I will have to have my knee replaced at some time in the future, but I’m trying to forestall it. My former roommate had it done, and it turned out okay. She had tried everything before that, including having a gel injected in there to replace the cartilage. She said it felt like having worms in there.

Annie-I’m starting to get caught up, and therefore out from under the self induced stress. A lot of this stuff is good stress, like traveling, but it’s still stress. We just found out that we get a limo from Calgary to Banff. We are taking a special fancy bus from Edmonton to Calgary, instead of flying, and it confused the travel agency handling the arrangements for the group that he’s giving the speech for. We are supposed to leave on Sunday morning, and we still didn’t have our tickets, and the sponsoring group became kind of embarrassed by it, so they arranged for the limo so we don’t have to worry about the connections. I preferred the luxury coach, because by the time we take a 45 minute taxi drive to the airport, get there as early as they want, stand in line to check our bags, then stand in line for security, and wait for the plane and then wait at the other end for our bags, it is just as quick to take this bus. It even has a full sized bathroom and internet access. It’s like traveling like a rock star, but the travel agent doesn’t get a commission off it, so they drug their feet. Plus, my fear of flying doesn’t make me miserable.

I was just talking yesterday about emotional eaters, and today I saw a report on the internet on emotional eating and losing weight. It was a report on Reuters, about a study at Brown University funded by the National Institutes of Health. People who eat because of internal reasons (like being lonely or as a reward) rather than external ones (like overeating at parties or working around food), loss less weight, and had a harder time keeping off what they lost. Now that they have this, it said that they would “need to pay more attention to eating triggered by emotions or thoughts as they clearly play a significant role in weight loss.” Well Duh! Any woman on this part of the forum could have told them that. My question is if there are any obese people at all doing research on this stuff, or is it all skinny people who have never had a weight problem, and can’t even visualize what it is like, or how hard it is.

RK- im doing a feature film called Broken Hearts Club in december, then who knows what 2008 will bring.

Annie - lol ive done some extra work. im not looking to be discovered. there are plenty of people that are WAY more talented than i am to take those roles. lol

Hi All~


dogpal ~ Thank you. Me too. :) It's been a little over a month now since I initially strained my back. It's getting better, but so awfully slowly. :/


Ratkitten ~ The time change did me in for a few days, but I think I have adjusted to it. I am just hoping that my back gets better before the weather gets cold here. We are enjoying a nice Indian Summer right now. Not too cool, not too hot. :)


Well, I did make an attempt to go for a short walk yesterday and I was sorry with every step I took. The muscle in my back tightened up and started burning. So much for that. I'm just about to the point where I am going to give my doctor a call and go see if they have any suggestions on what to do. Hot and cold packs didn't/don't help. Stretching doesn't really do much as the muscle if fairly loose already. :/

In other news, my doctor has yet again had to change the dosage of my Synthroid. So, now, I am going from 150mcg to 175mcg. I say this everytime I bring it up, I am so frustrated with this whole situation. :lol:

Anyway, I gained a couple pounds with Halloween candy around here last month (the Reese's Peanut Butter Cups & Kit Kats were calling my name), but I have managed to take them off and I am holding steady right now until I get my new meds. :)


I hope everyone has a great weekend. :D




~Story

Morning Peeps

I'm officially frustrated on the exercise front. After having stayed off the treadmill since Monday I took the pups to the park yesterday. I couldn't make it a half mile before I had to retreat to the car because of the knee. Unfortunately, the doc said walking was what he wanted me to do (or biking or swimming). My instant reaction was - OK - something is wrong here so food will make it better. I didn't cave but was so happy when it was time to go to bed - funny - all those voices went to bed too - I hope I don't hear them for some time.

I guess I will do stretching exercises - the yoga was a problem for the knee too.

Seems like I'm talking an awful lot about a knee that has nothing wrong with it.

Thanks for listening - have a great day.

Hugs,
Carol

Hey all!

Just popping in real quick to say a big hello to everyone! I'm in Bethesda right now at Jed's, but since he's checking emails right now I figured it would be a good opportunity to stop by. I managed to eat 100% OP yesterday and resisted temptations of wanting to eat out, simply because of time reasons. We got back from the grocery store later than expected and were going to be late for the concert if I ate before... but he kept reassuring me that it was fine and that he was "inspired and impressed" by what I'm doing, so we quickly scarfed down some veggie burgers and asparagus and headed off... we only missed 10 minutes of the show (it was a Beatles tribute band), and we got to see the best parts anyway, at least according to me since I'm a much bigger fan of their studio stuff. It's so nice that Jed understands and supports me so much in my weight loss efforts even though he's only been with me for such a short time.

No time for personals right now, but I might have a chance a bit later... I never really know what I'll be doing later when I'm over here.. haha

Hope everyone is having a great weekend! And to those of you who aren't, a big :hug: to you.

Val: I think my avatar is so cute. That is "Muffin". We met at the pumpkin farm. I had never in my life seen a minature horse not on TV. I was so facinated by them. I fully expected them to look just like ponies but they were built just like.... well, a tiny little horse. lol. Muffin had a baby there too. She was only 2 months old and was trying to nibble on hay, also on my DH Joel's jacket and fingers. lol. I'm so glad that you are enjoying Gabe so much. As I said before, what a super great incentive to continue to loose weight! Hugs.

Catherine: Wow, that sounds like sooo much fun. I want to go on a trip just like that. lol. I hope you really feel like a "Rock Star" my friend. You certainly deserve to be treated like a princess in my opinion.

Luan: okay, I'll not try to pawn you off on acting anymore. lol.

Storey: I wish with all my heart you could give swimming at a physical therapy place a try. I tell you that is they ONLY thing that helped my back and continues to help it now. You can usually wear shorts and a tee shirt if you don't want to wear a suit and most of the people going there are in bad physically and mental shape so it isn't like a regular pool. Hugs sweetie.

Carol: Ouch. Maybe you could try swimming too. I went to the physical therapy pool until I felt comfortable enough to swim at a regular gym. It may just help your knee. Hugs to you too.

Well, I got my 2nd interview with the company that helps Welfare people. She told me that at the end of the day on Monday I will know one way or the other if I got the job. My interview is at 10 a.m.! I am so excited and hopeful. The county is very interested in me too. I honestly would rather have the SL Start position though. I know that God has everything in control. At least things are looking up. I finally am having TOM so hopefully in a day or two the scale will move down some. Tonight is our big company night. I have the enchiladas all made and ready to be heated in the oven, the beans are also ready to go into the oven. I need to make the Salsa, ranch dressing and salad. Joel, my DH put the leaf in the dining room table last night and put all the chairs around it. I made my special brownies and lemon squares for their dessert so I"m pretty much ready to go. I love it that I don't have to stress out before the get together. I can take my time doing the other chores. I do need to run the vacuum one more time because one of my dogs is shedding like crazy. lol.

Well, I hope you are all doing well and staying op. Have a great day.
Blessings,
Annie

Lindsey: Have a fantastic time at the concert. I am so pleased that Jed is so supportive and caring. What a great catch you got. Hugs.
Blessings to you,
Annie

I am almost done packing, and am off to do some last minute sewing before the trip. We are off to Banff early in the morning. I've got all my books packed. I hope to get a bunch done on the trip.

Hello everyone,

The good news is that I only gained 0.5 lbs from TOM. I know it could've been very bad (as it has been in the past). I am making cranberries with splenda instead of sugar right now. They are cooling off and then I'll put them in the frig. It's an experiment before Tday.

Hugs and Luv to all!
Ratkity

Hi all,

I haven't posted too much lately, but just have been super busy. The good news...I committed to eating well (and sneaking in a little exercise) this week and I lost 4 pounds!! The same 4 pounds I have lost a few times, but this time...they are gone. I am hopeful that tomorrow morning I will see a 359.something. Yahoo!!

DH and I also have not been out to eat in several weeks. Saving morning and calories, which is always good.

Don't have time for personals tonight, as we are putting up Christmas decorations!! Early, I know. But we love it.

Take care and be well.
Angie

Hello everyone!

Turns out that I do have time to stay a while this evening! Jed is having tummy troubles tonight, so we're staying in, at least until he's feeling confident enough to leave the apartment. He's not used to eating vegetables or whole grains, so I think the shock of fiber with him eating what I eat has gotten to him. I asked him what he usually eats during the week when I'm not here, and he said "potatoes, rice, pasta with sauce". I asked him how many times a week he eats vegetables and his reply was "once or twice." Whole grains? "Never.".... Poor guy. If I had known, I would have told him to eat his food for maybe 2/3 of our meals so that he can slowly build up...

Other than that, not much else going on. We went to the mall today and did some shopping. JCPenney was having great sales today, so I bought 3 lovely sweaters for about $50. I was so pleased with myself... haha.

Now for some personals!

Annie, congrats on fitting into that skirt! Sounds like you've been quite busy preparing for company! I hope you have fun!

Story, I'm sorry that your back has been bothering you. I hope that your recovery speeds up!

Debbie, I'm happy to hear that Daisy is doing better. I take it the new medicine is working well?

Xena, congrats on making it past the 25 lbs mark and the good grade on your test!

Valerie, I always love to hear about your horseback riding experiences. It always makes the country girl come out in me and I suddenly have the urge to go riding... haha. I hope that Gabe continues to do well with not being spooked.

Catherine, it seems like they do a lot of studies on things that seem blatantly obvious... now I'm wondering if they have all of the skinny people doing the research on obesity. That would certainly explain a lot. I hope that you have a nice trip tomorrow!

Carol, as far as protein goes, how about egg whites (or Eggbeaters), beans, tofu, tempeh, nonfat/lowfat yogurt or cottage cheese? I know some people don't like beans, but there are some applications, like purees (fat free refried beans or hummus) that are appealing... which reminds me of veggie burgers (or other veggie products, like fake chick'n patties, veggie dogs, etc.)! I get a lot of protein in the form of those... some people are sensitive to soy, though. If walking is too much for your knee, I'd definitely recommend swimming if you have access to a pool. It's very low impact and my absolute favorite form of exercise.

Luan, sounds like this new show is a lot of fun... I hope it sells so that I can watch it!

Donna, I'm sorry that your post got erased. I feel your pain.. although it hasn't happened to me on this website, it's happened to me on others... Like others have said, I now always use Wordpad...

Ratkity, I think my favorite thing about Thanksgiving is probably the cranberries. Let me know how they turn out...

Toofatforu, I hope that your knee feels better, but if you do need a knee replacement, I would think that it would be best to get it over with rather than suffering in pain forever!

Angie, I've been fighting the urge to put up Christmas decorations this early! Congrats on losing 4 lbs!

It's very quiet in here - I'm hoping everyone is very busy and doing great OP.

Yesterday I accomplished nothing - not a single thing - have to make up for it today. I need to feel like I've been productive each day - so off I go.

Have a great day,
Carol

Carol - Sounds like we were on the same wavelength yesterday. I had grand plans for all that I was going to get done yesterday so I could have a lazy, restful Sunday but I ended up doing almost none of it. So now I get to do it today!

One things I did get done yesterday was buy some awesome tickets to the Bon Jovi concert which is coming to Dallas in April. Our seats are going to be very near the stage. Jon Bon Jovi.......:love:

Hello all. I wanted to do personals but I am just too simultaneously exhausted and excited. Yesterday was a huge NSV for me. I went to my Nia (dance) class in the morning and then decided to stay for the yoga class the same teacher does right afterwards. It is an hour dance class and a one and a half hour yoga class, so I was in classes for two and a half hours! But my day was far from over since I finally decided I wanted a specific bed from IKEA and I headed there in the afternoon. I went alone and not only did I walk all over the whole store (which is huge) I bought a bed, mattress, bookcase and several other items. I got them loaded onto my cart by myself and also loaded into my car, again by myself. I came home beyond exhausted and fell into bed shortly after, but I did it! I remember when just going to IKEA would tire me out so badly I could hardly stand by the end. This time I was tired but it was a good tired, not a painful tired. Now I just have to get the stuff out of my car and into the house!

Then this morning I dragged myself out of bed at 7am and headed over to Target by 8am to pick up a Wii. I was back and forth about it even as of this morning, but I have been talking about that being my 100 pounds lost reward for some time and I decided to do it. I am going to order DDR from Amazon as I have several gift certificates there, and I am really excited about it. I will no longer play games that don’t involve action, and getting in that extra bit of movement on a regular basis should help me push forward in my fitness and weight loss.

My big dilemma though for the morning is whether or not to assemble my bed. I realized that I probably should have done this in a different order since I am painting my bedroom. I would hate to set up my bed and then have to worry about getting paint on it. At the same time, I haven’t slept in a real bed since I moved here.

Argh! My landlord just called and he is actually on his way over. I better run and do a few things before he gets here.

[COLOR="Magenta"]
One things I did get done yesterday was buy some awesome tickets to the Bon Jovi concert which is coming to Dallas in April. Our seats are going to be very near the stage. Jon Bon Jovi.......:love:

How exciting - Bon Jovi is coming to KC too - tickets go on sale on Monday - we're hoping he will do more than one show since the new arena has been selling out quickly. We're in the middle of the nine shows Garth Brooks is doing here now - the city has been on fire. The arena opened a few weeks ago with Elton John - Billy Joel is in a few weeks. I hope the entertainment line up stays as good as it has started.

Carol - My friend from KC who is coming down for the concert mentioned they are playing there later the same week.

Nancy - Wowza on the 2.5 hours of exercise class! How are far you have come. And clearly it is translating to functional fitness as evidenced by your trip to IKEA. And that's what all this weight-loss biz is about, making our lives better on a daily basis. As for your bed, I'd put it together. When it's time to paint, slide it to the middle of the room, cover it, and you'll be fine. You deserve to be sleeping in a real bed starting now!

OK, need to quit goofing off online and get to doing something productive! :^:

Okay, I have to pop in and say hi. I've been reading but it's too busy for me to post. I'm actually working all day today!

Anywho... I've been doing better with stress eating (for those who asked, I seem to NOT stress eat for personal, emotional reasons so much, but when I get overwhelmed with work. I have realized I need to a) try not to get to that point and b) if I do, have food strategies in mind, like bring lots of veggies to eat and tea to sip on)...

Anyway, I miss you all and will be more chatty soon!

We made it to Banff in one piece. The trip was boring just like I like them. Just took this picture out of our window.

just wanted to drop in and say hi. Hope everyone is doing okay and staying on track.

Xena & Ggg ~ I too had great plans to get lots done yesterday and not one thing got done. Today however has been very productive. ......until
sd got home, It's just been one argument and back talk after another.
On top of it, I think I'm pmsing. My cycle hasn't been normal since my mom died in August. And I"m so edgy and she's so argumentative. And, I can't even let myself think of work. What a nightmare there. I've started researching other employment. Maybe I'll find something, I would like to make it til February to collect all 3 weeks of my vacation time. But, I do know I have to start the process now. Everything takes longer during the holidays.


Annie~ I wish you the most success in your job hunting too. That in itself is stressful isn't it. How is Ammi. Would you mind instant messaging me her email address? I thought I had it in my address book at home, but it's not.


Nancy~ What a wonderful NSV! I"m so proud of you. It is truly a
tremendous victory to be as active as you've been this weekend and not be sore or be worn out.


Heather~ Way to go on having strategy on keeping stress in check.


Catherine~ You do indeed live in a beautiful area.


I went into this week so confident with a food plan. All I can say is I only maintained this week. Better than gaining I guess. I can't seem to keep cravings from taking over. I have no plans for this week. Except oatmeal in the mornings with yogurt and soup for lunch. We have lots of healthy things in the freezer for dinner, so the trick will be remembering to pull something out of the freezer in the morning.


Hope all of you are well. I'll check in later. :hug:

Carol, glad to hear you got home safely, and yes, it does feel good to get home after a trip.
I do all kinds of crafts. Just dabble really. We did have a ceramics business for a while in California though. We did everything. The pouring, cleaning, painting, all of it. Then when we moved we sold it all and I started selling clay beads on ebay. I think I've tried almost everything once. Now I'm doing the wood banks. I think I like painting wood the best.

Catherine, I look forward to seeing that article. It sounds interesting. I know, when he brought home those chips I could of strangled him. I tell him to get stuff that I don't like so I'm not tempted....but apparently it didn't work this time.
Glad you made it to Banff. The picture is beautiful...what a view!!

Ratkity, Marilyn did fine on getting spayed. I've never had a dog that actually cried though after an operation. She is so spoiled, she just laid in my lap on the way home and wimpered. She's back to normal now though.
Good for you on counting all your foods. I hope you saw a weight loss on Saturday.
How did the cranberries turn out?

TooFat, my Mom had her knees replaced and is doing so much better. I know it is a long recovery period, but so worth it!

Annie, glad to hear the furbabies fared well at the vet. Daisy is doing soooooooo much better with these meds. She actually ran today!!!
Did you get your cpap cleaned up?
Muffin is so darn cute!!!!
I can't wait for you to tell us on Monday you got the job!! I'm keeping my finners crossed.
How did your company night go? All the goodies sounded so good!!

Valerie, how cute...dating your horse! That's a good way to put it since you both have to get to know each other and bond.I'm sure you guys will be riding as one very soon. Give Gabe a big hug for me!

Story, hope you back is on the mend. Nothing worse than having your back on the fritz. How's the meds going after he upped it?

Lindsay, I'm so glad you found a guy who is supporting you so well! That's hard to find. You two look so cute together!
Poor Jed!! Who would of thought his poor bod would of gone thru a health shock? Hope he's feeling better.

Angie, congrats on the -4 lbs!!!!

Nancy, sounds like you had a lot of fun out there spending money!!! A new bed and Wii....that's one extreme to the other. :rofl:
I can't wait to get ours at Christmas...and the DDR!!

Hi Midnight, Heather, Ammi, John, Peggy, Sandy, and whoever else I didn't mention!

I started eating from the TOPs menu plan that they have on the site. It's not alot of meat, only 2 oz. at a meal but lots of veggies and fruit. So I will see how this goes for the next couple of weeks. It's also increasing my caloric intake my 100. Maybe it will make a difference. It seems like alot of food to me. I've been in one of my pissing moods again and poor hubby doesn't know if he's coming or going. He's the sweetest guy I know to put up with me. I hope the "change" hurries up and leaves me alone :(
Have a good evening all!
Debbie

Hi Peeps

Much more productive day today. Sounds like the same for a number of us here.

Catherine - what a beautiful view - helps make up for the cold - seems everything is a trade off isn't it. Enjoy the trip.

Nancy - wow - what a great weekend you have had - 2 1/2 hours of exercise - a new bed - a Wii - bookcase and fresh paint. You have some kind of energy. Great job Nancy.

Midnight - HI - nice to see you.

Sandy - sounds like you've got all the tools in your toolbox - just need to pull out the right one (the freezer in the morning). Maintaining while you have all that stress is quite an accomplishment. I've been have some trouble with cravings too - I mixed up my menu a bit and so far it's helping with the cravings.

Debbie - you are one busy and talented lady. We are the same height and right about the same starting weight - I see how far you've come and it makes it more real for me. I also have a chip fiend in my DH - fortunately his favorite is the one kind of chip I don't particularly like (believe that). I buy him 2 big bags a week usually - except this week - we'll see if he misses them.

Annie - can't wait to hear your news tomorrow - sending thoughts to you that you get the job you really want - is it one of these?

Heather - hope you got a lot done today and feel better.

Xena - did you get anything done today?

Hugs to all,
Carol

Hi everyone,

My friend took a bunch of pics of me in her studio. I told her to take some full body shots with no flattering angles, no photoshop or glamorizing the pics. I want an accurate representation of what I really look like. I'll post some body shots of 50# lost as soon as I can find a "before" pic. I'm still a little shocked at the size of my body even with the 50 lbs. gone.

Battle.....YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL!!!

:sunny: Thank you!

Battle - I'm with Debbie - you are beautiful - you may just have given me the courage to post my pic - haven't had the intestinal fortitude for the full body shots.

Okay, peeps, it's time to move on to the next thread! Let's all tell Battle how GREAT she looks there! (I agree with the others!)

See you all at Weekly thread #1132!