[KookySuki]

Hi Everyone!

dlr-I just bought a couple of new bras. Still need to try them on at home with different shirts/dresses to make sure I want to keep them. Enjoy your shopping and hope you find some good ones!

Steph, Lisa, and Slipfree, it's interesting how other people get so fascinated when you've lost a large amount of weight. The simple compliments are great, but the questions and advice can be difficult, to put it nicely. Our culture has such an obsession with weight loss and appearance. People are used to reading in magazines exactly how much weight xyz person lost, exactly how they did it, and how much they weighed before/after. With all of this information available for public consumption, I think some people forget that our bodies are not really any of their business.

I get the questions asking specifically how much more do I plan on losing. Ugh I hate that! I don't know why people care about that or why they think it's appropriate to ask that. Steph and Slipfree, I'd be annoyed with people telling me what to do. I think those comments come from others' insecurities. What's craziest is that this all happens at work for all of us which is so inappropriate!

Slipfree, I'm glad you've settled into the weekend and are enjoying your clean, cozy home! I really empathize with you on how hard work can be utterly thankless. I experience the same feelings in my profession when I work so hard that I come home exhausted most days, but it's just what is expected of me and rarely do I get a thank you or any kind of recognition. I know teaching can be like that too from my mom's experience as a teacher. I'm sorry your students are not trying right now. I can imagine how frustrating that is when you've put so much energy into their education.

[Slipfree]

Hi,

So funny that our bodies are all so different. I have lost only an inch in my chest measurements. I wish both of you happy bra shopping. I am a fan of wacoal bras.

Took a ride to HomeGoods, found a great floor lamp and curtains. Not sure about the curtains yet, need to see them in the daylight. Every year, I find the need to change up my living room after the holidays. Guess that is because with winter in CT, you spend a lot of time inside.

Tomorrow, I am headed on a hike near the beach to see if we can spot a Snowy Owl that has been seen. Will have to dress like an Arctic explorer since I hate feeling cold!

Hope that all of you are having a fantastic OP Sat.

[Slipfree]

Good morning Newbies,

Where are you? Hope that with the long weekend, you are out having fun.

[stephascope]

Slipfree, did you find the owl? I absolutely love owls. I was so fortunate to see a Great Grey Owl in the forest near my brother's house in British Columbia in the fall. We were out hunting and it was just light enough outside to see it fly over head into a tree beside us. It watched us for a minute and then flew away. It was huge and beautiful. Such a special occurrence.

[Slipfree]

Steph, going at 12:00.

[stephascope]

Good luck!

[want2bskinnyagain]

Slipfree, I can't believe your co-worker asked you what your weight was!!! Wow. How was the hike, did you see the Snowy owl?

I too find it funny how all our bodies are different. A couple of days ago I read a post about someone who weighs more then me but fits into a size 16. I JUST got into the 18's this week! I was a little bummed at first that but then I told myself she was VERY tall and I am not! LOL The friend that told me about IP lost 30lbs and weighs 118lbs now. We are the same height and I know there is no way I will weigh that little ever, but I am ok with it. For now I am proud to be in the 18's and in onderland, it has been years since I was here.

On a feel good note, I have had 2 people ask me if I am almost done losing weight or almost at goal yet! When I tell them I am almost at my half way mark they can't believe it. So I guess to them I am looking much better! Makes me feel good about myself and what I have accomplished so far.

[Kawaii1002]

Hey all,

I'm baaaaack... and I realized with not being here for a few days, I started mentally struggling. This is a required part of the weight loss journey for me. I felt like I could "go back to the website when I got around to it"... and realized that here I was starting to feel bad about how long I am going to have to maintain this. My hubby and my MIL (and aunt and uncle) are all at their goals or at maintenance... I'm still looking at at least another year.. well, it didn't go on in a day... I just need to focus on the positive and keep my @$$ moving!

Hope you see your owl Slip! Can't believe that people can be so intrusive sometimes especially about something so personal as your weight.. Most people that know me haven't really said anything, and those that haven't seen me in awhile have said nothing at all. I don't know, and frankly, I don't care... The weight is coming off.. I'm doing this to be healthy, not a model, so if my looks don't change for the foreseeable future, I know that my internal body outlook *IS* changing

Off to spend the day with my mum... we're going to knit, bead, spin, and go for a walk with the dogs... I love my mother in law!!!

Talk with you all again soon..

[KookySuki]

Hi Everyone,

Slipfree, have fun on your outing! Hope you see the owl and stay warm. I've never seen an owl in person and have always wanted to.

Want2be, I'm glad you're not too worried about sizing. We all carry our weight differently and you are doing so well on IP. Also, sizes vary so much between brands. I am around 205 right now (I'm 5'5) and Old Navy size 14 jeans fit, but I am still squeezing into JCrew 16's and a few other brands' 16's are way too tight still. A lot of my weight is in my chest too. I was just able to buy a couple of bras at a normal lingerie store instead of having to order them online.

Hi Kawaii! I'm glad you're back! I get frustrated too about how long P1 could be for me, but I've started using it is a motivator when I think about bending the rules or cheating. I think about cheats extending the time I'm on P1 and it whips me right back into shape. I realized these boards are so helpful too. It's important to check in and give/get support and ideas. Seeing other people succeed is a great motivator too. Also, it keeps me from boring my friends with details about IP. I know they don't want to hear about the cauliflower I eat or that I like the IP orange drink. Lol

Today I think I might go to this place nearby that has all sorts of soaking pools, saunas/steam rooms, and chairs around fire pits. It's adults only and no talking is allowed, so it's so peaceful and the surroundings are beautiful. I could use the quiet time and sun. I also need to get a walk in. I am totally slacking on exercising.

Hope everyone has a great day!

[Slipfree]

Hi y'all,

So nice to see more people, it gets lonely here without you. I do think that the hyper focus on IP can get old, but I need to keep it forefront in my life to stay on course.

My BF/SIL and I hiked 3.5 miles. It was beautiful but so cold and windy at the beach. No owl sighting . Not many birds flying at all except Seagulls. We did see a mockingbird.

Kooky, that sounds like a great place! Did you go?

Want2be, I like your attitude about sizes. I am pretty grateful for my height now, at 245 pounds I was wearing an 18 pant. Hated being taller when I was younger because the women on my mother's side are tiny. I felt like an Amazon.

Maddy, lot's of people have noticed, remember Jane's reaction? The length of this journey is going to be long for all of us- because it is for life. You being on Phase 1 is most likely going to help the rest of your family stick to maintenance.

Steph, I have seen a Great Horned Owl in my yard once. You are right, I was surprised about the wing span too. I love wild birds!

Well headed off to celebrate my niece's 23 rd birthday. IP friendly restaurant, so it should be a breeze. Tuna is on my menu tonight

[Slipfree]

Dinner was delightful! So nice to have someone else cook, Tuna and bok choy, yum.

[want2bskinnyagain]

Slipfree, and everyone else. I don't think we can let our focus on IP get old. I have been reading the maintainers board(for when I get there) and most of them are in agreement that they are on there everyday reading and posting, and that has helped them to maintain. They are also in agreement that maintaining is just as hard(or harder) then losing. Most of the people that are on there that have had to reboot have said they fell off track when they were not focused on it as much and when they stopped posting on here. It was interesting reading and has really made me think about how I will manage to maintain when I am at goal. Clearly losing weight and going back to my old ways hasn't helped me in the past so I must find a different way this time. I have found this time my mind set has changed, I am now confident I will get to goal(I have never thought that before), and I am already thinking about goal and how to maintain. I think these 2 things are huge in my success. Anyone else think about how they will manage at goal, what they will do differently, and has your mind set changed this time, not like other diets? Just curious, some food for thought!

[stephascope]

want2bskinnyagain: I think about maintenance all the time and how hard it's going to be to not fall into old patterns. I will be stepping on that scale every couple days to keep a close eye on my weight. 130 will be my trigger weight - if it gets up to that, back to ph3/2/1 whatever it takes to get back to goal and it will just have to be that way for the rest of my life!

[KookySuki]

Hi everyone...

Slipfree- Yes, I did end up going to the spa and enjoyed it. I felt a lot more confident and comfortable in my bathing suit. It wasn't as warm outside as I thought it would be, so it was nice to sit by the fire pits and enjoy the hot pools and sauna/steam room. Your trip to the beach sounded nice...bummer the owl didn't make an appearance, but it sounds like you've had fun.

Want2Beskinnyagain and Stephascope, I think about maintenance sometimes, but I'm mostly focused on P1 since I'll probably be in it 3-5 more months. I'm excited to get to it to have some more choices for food. I've learned a lot about cooking healthy foods so far and don't plan on going back to eating junk when I hit goal. I too will weigh myself often and plan to make exercise a more important part of my life. I plan to stay away from sugar and refined carbs because I've found my body functions much better without them.

[Slipfree]

Want2be, I think about it all the time. One of the reasons I am trying to find an alternative shake that works, is because I hate breakfast at 6:00 am. Not eating was a huge issue for my metabolism, think I told you that I drank most of my calories in light and sweet coffee and coke. I need to make these IP changes stick in real life. I think a shake in the morning is the way for me to go in maintenance (during the work week). I am never going to drink coke again, the headaches for the first two weeks of IP showed me the effects that it was having on my body. I am enjoying cooking for the most part and I like the freshness of the food. I too, will weigh myself every day. I have also decided to only indulge for joyous reasons not for comfort or stress, I want to continue viewing food as fuel for my body rather than a crutch for my emotions. I am trying to incorporate exercise into my life. I have been on many diets, I never had faith that I would make it to goal, but not this time. I know that I am going to make it, so we have that in common.

I sat at dinner tonight with 5 people eating dessert and drinking wine, and it did not phase me. I know that my life is so much happier because I am letting go of this lifelong struggle. I feel like I have the tools now, both emotionally and nutritionally to chose my health and well being. Every day, we are going to have to make that choice for the rest of our lives.

For me, the connections on this site matter. People do not want to talk about the details of this plan and it is on my mind constantly. I think staying centered here, is a huge part of why this plan works for me. I am grateful to be on this journey with all of you.