Gary - I couldn't have done it without starting every day with devotions and prayer. It definitely made the difference!

Denise - THANK YOU! I am a bit scared of maintenance, actually. The folk over on the maintenance thread are soooo dedicated and determined. But, I think they are wonderful and will inspire me to stay the course

Jay right back at you! Your inspiration and encouragement have helped me so much along the way. And even more so - your words of wisdom. You just seem to know the right thing to say at the right time. Your leadership around here is so special. We are blessed that you devote so much time to helping all of us!

Matilda - thanks! I am so impressed that you are doing C25K. That is awesome! I bet it is helping you move toward your goals!


shelby - LOL thank you so much for your kind words. I am continuing to post on the team thread. I love sharing the chat thread with my read teammates. You guys ROCK!

purpleorc - thank you! I am so impressed by your progress. 114 lbs. is absolutely astounding. I can't wait to read your goal story

EarthShaker - wow - thanks! Good luck on reaching Deuceland soon! I look forward to your mini-goal post when you do

auntie - thank you! I love your avatar - it is beautiful! I love gardening too. Your avatar would make a beautiful garden stone

Karen - thanks so much for your kind words. What a blessing to share a BL team with you!

Rain Dancer - thanks - congratulations on your recent "mini-goal" How awesome to have kissed that "4" goodbye forever!!!! Way to go!

Lunula - what a beautiful post! Congratulations on reaching Onderland! Awesome!!!


Tomato - thank you!!!! I love your tag line - what a great sense of humor you have

midwife - - thank you for your kind words. You made my day!

Enygirl - thanks! You are almost half-way to your goal. I WILL be reading your story - I'm sure! Keep doing what you are doing - it is working

I have to thank you for your story, it was really motivating. CONGRATULATIONS for achieving your goal. May you be happy brave warrior =)

Wow...what an inspiring story. It sounds so similar to mine (other than I am not at goal!!).
I have tried so many different things. I really was at a point where I didn't want to try anything else. I was sick to death of failing and why start one more time to just gain everything back?
I cried out to God - not that I hadn't before. I came to the realization that I cannot do this and I cannot keep weight off on my own. However, God did give me his Holy Spirit and one of the fruits of the Spirit is self control. So - I continue to pray relying on God's promises. I remind him of his promises (as if he needs reminding!). I remind him that his Word says he will never leave and forsake me (the reminding is obviously for me not him). At any rate, I'm far from goal but I am down 21 pounds. It has been hard but not too hard. I really am trying to take it one day at a time.
Your closing verse is a verse that I read just a few days ago. It touched me when I read it then and it touched me when I re-read it on your post.
Thank you so much for sharing!

How inspiring!!! Way to go!!!

Thank you for sharing I can wait to reach my goal and tell my story! YOu guys came very close to bringing tears to my eyes!!!!!

Already been said but I think it bears repeating - WOW!! You look spectacular! Thanks so much for sharing your story

You look fabulous, too!

Thanks for sharing your story!

CountingDown, that was a very inspiring post. That is definitely one that I will re-read during the tough times.

Epica - thank you so much for your kind words! You are doing well. Keep at it, and I will be reading your goal story soon

shancey - you have definitely hit upon an incredibly important aspect of losing weight (at least for me). I thought I could do it on my own and always wondered why I failed. When I learned that I needed to rely on God, it made all the difference. I used a devotion-study book Faithfully Fit throughout Lent, which really helped me when the weight-loss slowed to a crawl.

Sunshine - thank you! I have really enjoyed reading your posts here on 3FC! You are off to a GREAT start

mseamons - Thank you! Welcome to 3FC. You have found a wonderful support system!

Matilda - <sniff> Thanks! You are doing so great - I bet ONEDERLAND is going to be in your sites very soon! Your upbeat attitude in all of your posts just makes me smile

YoYo - Thank you! Your encouragement along the way has meant so much to me. You are such a wonderful asset to 3FC!

Lori - I am still in awe at how wonderful you look in your avatar - down over 100 lbs. You are an amazing success story!!!

leelily - starting is really hard. Finding the right plan is really hard. But once you do - stick around here for support and advice - you really CAN do this!!! Feel free to PM me if there is anything I can do to help you along the way!

Elizabeth Isabelle - thank you!!!! to 3FC. I am looking forward to reading more posts from you as you get comfortable around here. You WILL find the support and help you need along your journey

Thanks to all for your posts - this place continues to amaze me. We have the BEST community for weight loss and support. Blessings to each and every one of you as you continue on this journey!

Congratulations!!! Your story was very inspiring and you look fantastic! What a long way you have come

Fantastic story... really hits close to home. Thank you so much for sharing that with us.

Wow! You are awesome! Our stats are very, very similar.... approximately how many calories did you have daily?

Tanee - thank you! I love your tag line. Taking it 1 day at a time is so important!

LitaScarlett - thanks! I'm looking forward to reading your story in the future!

BlueAngel - I started with about 1600 calories and adjusted from there. While I didn't officially "calorie cycle". I did allow myself a range every day. Most days in the beginning were 1400-1800 and I tried to stay at the lower end of the range and "average" 1600 per day over the week. The last few months, I averaged around 1200-1300 calories each day. Please remember that I have a sedentary job and I'm over 50 - both factors mean that I can eat less than others who are more active. While I exercise 60 minutes each day, it is moderate exercise.