[Kristikins]

Originally Posted by spaghetticat

Oh man I am really excited, i signed up to be a soldiers angel! It has been forever since I made a care package (NOT COMPLAINING!!) just excited XD

Where can you do that at??? I'd love to angel a soldier!!

[spaghetticat]

http://soldiersangels.com/

Here are all the things they have openings for, though i think a few of them require you to be an angel for 6 months just because of what they are:

Adopt a Soldier - Give individualized support throughout deployment
Angel Bakers - Bake homemade treats for the deployed
Blankets of Belief - Make blankets for deployed troops to tell them, "We believe in you!"
Blankets of Gratitude - Make blankets for hospitalized veterans
Blankets of Hope - Make blankets for the wounded
Cards Plus Team - Send extra TLC to soldiers & families
Chaplain Support Team - Help chaplains support the troops
Cooking with the Wounded - Chef-created meals & culinary career ed/mentoring
Community Team Leaders (CTLs) - Represent Soldiers' Angels at home
Eagle Cane Project - Help ship handmade canes for the wounded
First Response Backpacks - Collect supplies for wounded in-country
Hero Packs - Send care packages to "Any Soldier"
Ladies of Liberty - Send extra TLC for deployed females
Letter Writing Team - Write letters to the deployed
Living Legends - Remember and honor the fallen and their families
Operation Birthday Cake - Help ship gourmet birthday cakes to deployed troops
Operation Outreach - Support families waiting at home
Operation Phone Home - Donate calling cards
Operation Top Knot - Create handmade gifts & virtual baby showers
Scarves - Sew sand scarves and cool scarves
SA Germany - Send items for wounded at Landstuhl in Germany
S.A.V.E. - Support the employment of veterans at the Angel warehouse
SOS:Kids - Help deployed soldiers help local kids
Tank Support - Donate to help veterans travel to medical appointments
Valour-IT - Donate adaptive laptops for the wounded
VA Crochet & Craft - Create handmade items to increase comfort & dignity of hospitalized Vets
Veterans Support - Gather items for "Vet Packs"
Wounded TLC - Send letters and care packages for the wounded

They are also on Facebook. There is also another really cool program ( i found on FB as well) A cup of joe for a joe- you can buy a cup of coffee for $2.00 for a deployed troop and include your own message. Pretty cool XD

ETA also they will give you an address once you are verified to send a one time care package to a random soldier/sailor etc or whatever in case a letter a week and 1-2 care packages a month is too much of a commitment.

[annieann77]

WOW - it's been busy on here! It's hard to keep up with everything! Just wanted to let you know that I had my weigh in today ... no change ... no loss, no gain which I suppose is ok - could have been worse!? Hope everyone has a good day!

[spaghetticat]

Originally Posted by annieann77

WOW - it's been busy on here! It's hard to keep up with everything! Just wanted to let you know that I had my weigh in today ... no change ... no loss, no gain which I suppose is ok - could have been worse!? Hope everyone has a good day!

Keep with it, the numbers will go down! Have an awesome day!

[LizR]

Originally Posted by spaghetticat

One more question lol, sorry, is this a plan they gave to you or you just made up??

The plan is from the New Lifestyle Diet program which uses the same shakes as WS. They say that if you want a liquid only diet you should have at least 9 shakes a day. I replaced some of the shakes with bars for variety and taste.

[spaghetticat]

Ahhhh! Cool I love hearing how everyone works the plans to make them work for you.. especially since your numbers are fairly close to mine!

[Kristikins]

That's cool! I sent some cards out a long time ago thru a stamping site I frequent - and even got a thank you from one of them! I'll have to check into that...sounds like something our church group could do!! Thanks for the info!!

Hang in there Annie...staying the same is the same as a loss - as it's not a gain!!

[spaghetticat]

NP They LOVE LOVE LOVE getting letters and cards!

[LisaElevated]

Do you ladies workout?

I guess what I am trying to get at, is how do you plan to tackle maintenance?
I am trying to prepare myself for maintenance by making healthy choices when I go out etc but it is hard. Even though I KNOW that carbs and french fries and cheesy fried things are not good for me, no amount of weight gain will keep me from ordering it if that is what I REALLY want. I do well with portion size, especially when I eat these not so good things, but there is a reason I am big in the first place, and that reason is will power!
I am trying (not very hard at the moment) to become a runner, using the couch to 5k program. I have this scenario in my mind that if I can just train myself to run now, while I am still heavy, the habit will be there to help me when maintenance time comes around.
It's nice to know that I can always fall back on the shakes if my weight creeps back up, but I need to figure out a way to be "shake free" once I lose the weight! I don't want to finally lose all this weight and then be lost when it comes time to not use the shakes. I mean yeah, I can just try to add to my lean and greens but I guess I am just nervous, even though it is so far away!

So what do you ladies do?

[spaghetticat]

I go for walks and I have an elliptical I avoid. I started the C25K around 200 pounds and lasted a few weeks, but then my knees started hurting and I quit. I want to start it up again as I have a 5k I basically HAVE to run in this September.

Honestly before i went on this eating plan i was kicking my ellipticals ***. But then I went to Canada, started medifast and they said wait 3 weeks and I have not gotten back into it.

I KNOW i am going to have to exercise if I want to maintain. 85% or something like that people who maintain do so because they exercise. Its something I am not doing great at but have to work at.

Do I plan on running? Maybe not, but I did buy my own elliptical and our new apartment has a nice gym with the machines having built in mini tvs SO that will help (we don't have TV and I used to workout to it blahblah excuses right haha)

for right now I go for walks everynight with my husband

[spaghetticat]

BTW we are going to need a new thread soon XD

[Kristikins]

I go to Curves 3X's a week and I use our stationery bike in the evenings. A friend of mine who has lost well over 100 pounds and looks like dyno-mite - works out all the time. She says there is no secret to loosing or maintaining - its simple, eat less and expend more..duh...makes since to me - it's just getting to the point where I say "ok, stupid if you eat that you have to work out this much longer to stay where you are"...And she says that she uses that talk before eating stuff she shouldn't. She's kept her weight off for several years now..maybe like 5 or so cause our kids were in middle school and now are seniors...

[Kristikins]

Originally Posted by spaghetticat

BTW we are going to need a new thread soon XD

**We rock huh!!!

[jyoyo78]

WOW....you ladies are on FIRE!!! I so love that this thread is so active. Nothing worse than finding good convo and support, then it all peeters out. lol

So far so good on the Liz plan...lol Haven't been hungry and am over halfway with the water consumption...better get on that a bit more! Hopefully tomorrow's weigh in is okay...if not...I might defer to a Saturday weigh in...lol

[spaghetticat]

I think I am going to do the Liz plan tomorrow and possibly saturday. My girlfriend doesn't get in until late on Saturday. Then I will go back to eating 1
meal so I can eat with her while she is here

I love that you guys are around so much XD I am learning and feeling motivated by all of you !!