weebles - That sounds like a really wonderful recipe. I'll try it out this week! I might add blackberries, too.
twinklebug - I'm thinking I might spring for a Foreman grill, or maybe ask for it for XMas. The Mrs Dash is a great idea. I've got some Cajun blackening at home too, which is nice and healthy if you don't use butter
Havisham - I haven't heard of Swiss Chalet but I'll see if there are any around here. Thanks for the tip!
dragon - You're absolutely right about the catch-22. It's bad, but sometimes I can't help it. I can never tell when I'll be motivated by happy-when-skinny-thoughts or depressed by them, so I let myself think that way as long as I don't get too down.
For example, I see people here who are in the 120s and trying to get down to 115 or 110 or whatever and I just think, wow, good for you guys. If I were in the 120s I'd be so happy I wouldn't even care about food. I'd be too busy being thin! I don't know what on earth possessed me to think I was fat when I weighed 110! What the **** was I thinking?!?!?
This kind of thought is pretty destructive, IMO, because I'm looking backwards with regret.
On the other hand, sometimes I think, hey, you know, it would be great to not care about fitting into this old shirt or that old pair of jeans. I bought a gorgeous pair of UK size 10 black skinny jeans from Mango when I was in Spain with my hubs and they've NEVER BEEN WORN. I can't even get them on one leg! When I think about that, I don't feel guilty, just excited.
I think, "Oh man, I am going to look so hot in these jeans, better get cracking."
Your advice really hit the nail on the head for me. Just hang on, through thick and thin (hah, puns).
My dad was naturally slim and my mum is really quite skinny, so I don't have genetics getting in my way. I just treated myself like crap for a handful of years and it's time to grow up and be happy.
Onederchick and
jrmohr - Thanks for the hugs and encouragement! You've made me feel really welcome here.
Rainbow - Cheers for the guidelines. You're right, if I know what goes into a salad I'll make better and healthier choices. After wading through a lot of dieting literature and lurking at a lot of dieting forums I've picked up on the whole "weight fluctuations" thing, which I never really had a problem with until I got heavier. Doesn't mean I'm used to them emotionally, though! Thanks for the support.