I drink between 100-120 ounces a day. One of the best gifts I've ever gotten was a 64 ounce water bottle from a coworker at the very start of my weight loss journey. It really got me into the habit of drinking only water throughout the day (plus one coffee in the AM) and made it easy to keep track of how much I was drinking (on weight watchers, they make you count your glasses of water).

I was actually worried at one point that I was drinking too much, but my doctor told me that the recommended max is usually half your body weight in ounces, which for me would be about 175, sheesh!

I wish I could say drinking water is some magical cure-all...it hasn't been for me! I mean, I don't have diabetes or high BP or any cholesterol issues, so I can't complain at my size, but whenever someone I know starts drinking so much as a glass or two a day of water, they start saying how it's ~made their complexion better~ and ~totally decreased their appetite~ and ~helped them focus~ and etc etc. It had no such amazing effects on me!

Hi Everyone!
Making my daily post. Will be back tomorrow and my old chatty self.

Ok so I've been so lousy with posting lately. I was doing so well doing once a day but since we've been in the new office I have been so freakin busy I don't have much time to take a chill out minute and type anything.

Welcome to all of the new members of this wonderful group! Stick with us because everyone in here are good motivators, even if you can't post every day!! I love everyone in here like they're my little family and don't know what I would do without everyone. I think someone asked about the water intake...I usually make sure I drink 4 or 5 32 oz glasses a day, sometimes I do more, sometimes I do less. I have a big mason jar that I drink my water out of lol..(hey I'm from the south!) and it really helps me keep track. As for my eating plan in case anyone was wondering, I follow a clean eating, whole food diet. It has definitely been a lifestyle change for me, and I have been doing very well with it. I don't feel like I am dieting at all, I don't ever starve, most of the time I get really full. In corporation with the clean eating, I have cut out gluten and dairy and watch my sugar intake. The only sweeteners I use are honey, pure stevia, and have thought about trying coconut sugar, but I really keep my sugar at a minimum and for me to do that is a HUGE step. Sweets are my weakness but in the almost month and a half that I have been on this journey I almost never eat sweets or intake too much sugar. I may have some honey in my oatmeal in the morning, but that is just about it for me. Also a big help for me is to take one day a week, for me it's Sundays, to meal prep my breakfast and lunch for the whole work week. I work Monday-Friday so in the mornings all I have to do is open my veggie crisper, pull out today's breakfast and lunch, and stick it in my lunch bag and out the door I go. That way when I'm hungry I don't have to try and figure out something the night before and get lazy and end up going and getting something out, and I'm controlling what I put in my mouth and how much. Snacks are big thing too. Apples are my best friend and are usually what I snack on if I need something between meals, or almonds that don't contain any added oils or sugars, salt, etc...Ok ok I'll stop blabbing LOL

I'm having another great week. My happiness level keeps increasing! I don't know if I have ever mentioned this but I have bipolar disorder and take medication for it. I have become quite dependent on the medication and get really nervous if I have to go even a day without it, but I am hoping that with this weight loss journey I may be able to wean myself off the medication if it is not needed. In the mean time I am just going to keep doing what I do.

Fi I am sooo happy to hear everything went well with the stress test!! Great job love!!!

Ubee You have been such a great motivator for everyone here, you're like my own little cheerleader and that has helped me more than you know.

Larry So glad to hear that the water weight went away and you have no more swelling. Good to have those water pills for when you REALLY need them.

Dean Every time I see your posts I am loving those pups! I am so in love with chihuahuas that I almost got one for myself, but I have 3 cats and I don't think my tiny apartment can handle anymore animals...between the cats, my DH and my BIL this place looks like a zoo LOL

DH and I have been looking to buy a brand new mattress for our bed. We have never had a new mattress ever in our lives and thought it would be a good thing for us to buy with our tax return. Last night we went looking at a few different stores and holy moly we were shocked by the prices of a mattress nowadays. The only one we were able to afford was going to be a POS so we ended up finding a really nice gel memory foam mattress topper at Sam's Club and bought it tonight. Its in the bedroom expanding while DH is at band practice and I'm out here in the living room.

I'm hoping for a good loss this week. DH and I did go to a Lebanese cafe last night and I got a gyro plate. It came with the gyro meat, a piece of pita, some hummus, and some tabbouleh. I don't like tabbouleh so I only ate a few bites of it, the hummus was delish, and I totally pigged out and ate everything on my plate lol....It is totally off my plan but I haven't had a meal that was off plan in probably a month, so I'm not sweating it.

I haven't blown up my balance ball I got yet, but maybe that's something I can do tonight. I've been slacking this week with the exercise. Time has been getting the best of me, and the pollen here is already out. I can barely breathe out my nose so I've been having breathe out my mouth mostly. It hasn't been very pleasant so I haven't been too motivated at night, plus the shopping I've done in the past two days has kept me busy.

Anyway, I hope our missing members are doing well. Chris my Canadian friend I'm looking for you!! Hope the hospital isn't keeping you too busy!! I'm going to try and post more often because you all have really helped me out on this journey so far. Big love to everyone! Have a great night!

betsy ~ Im glad to hear your BIL is doing so good. Its also nice to hear from you again.

silent ~ Thats awesome that you bought a membership to your new fitness center

Ubee,Sam & Beatrice ~ H~E~L~L~O * TO * YOU * ALL *

Amber ~ Welcome 2 The Thread, To answer your question I drink 2-24oz glasses of water a day and I dont like plain water so thats really big for me.

I walked after we got home from dinner but I still have 21 mins left to do which I will do before bed. I'll be sure to walk 2 times Friday when Im homefor the day if not 3 times that day but my younger brother and his girlfriend and their child are moving in tomorrow so Im not sure how many walks I can get in because my younger brother and his girlfriend like watching t.v but maybe they'll be able to get t.v downstairs where they will be staying so that way I can still walk when I need too. Im not saying they have to always stay down stairs but that's where they're stuff is gonna be at but if they spend most of their time upstairs thats okay too, It is gonna start getting nicer outside so I'll just go outside more and walk, That way I can still do my walks no matter what.

Sam, I am sooo jealous... Love lebanese, mediterranean, and most stuff that we just can't get in eastern TN. If its available where you are, you find a decent place, and you can afford to consume the sugar, then well-made turkish coffee is a DELIGHT. Smooth, dark, and sweet. Mmmmmm...

Got to take the doggies for a brisk few laps around the neighborhood yesterday afternoon. They'll go as long as we'd like(although a lap or two in, they PREFER to be carried, LOL). And yes, we are those weirdos with a stroller AND a papoose for the pups(when we had puppy mill fosters, it helped to give them security while we got them out to experience the world). However, you've gotta be secure in your manhood to be the guy wearing a papoose/pushing a stroller with two tiny chihuahuas!

Terra-Good luck with the family... I love both mine and hers, but too much time together can be "difficult", LOL.

I do pretty well with water throughout the day, but I've gotta have a couple of cups of coffee in the morning. THAT will be something I can't give up, even if its black.

Starting the day with some oatmeal with a tiny bit of butter and honey(emphasis on the tiny) and a bit of PB2 for protein(looove this stuff in moderation-who wouldn't like dehydrated peanut butter). Oh, and coconut coffee. Mmmmm.

take care of yourselves today,

Dean

Sam - We all get busy good to hear from you though. And even gladder to hear that things are going well and you are feeling HAPPY. That's pretty amazing. I think we need to enjoy life so an offplan meal once in a while as long as it doesn't take you off plan in general is acceptable in my books. It might not be conducive to 'extreme' results/

Terra - I haven't bought the membership yet but I plan on doingso on saturday. I really hope lots of people do, the guys put in a lot of work (volonteers) to get this going. So I hope that it lots of people sign up and its successful. Of course its kinda pricey and I'm going to have to figure out WHEN I'm going to workout and make use of the gym with my already busy schedule lol.

bubbly - I drink a lot of fluids too and well I simply stay hydrated. I always have/do though. I think maybe for people who are chronically dehydrated water seems like a magical cure. Then again I looked on a hydration calculator and supposedly at my weight (not even at my weight I entered 300 lbs) and climate {extreme cold/dry) I'm supposedly suppose to drink 5 liters on days where I DON'T workout. Which seems extreme to me.



dean - hope that was a yummy breakfast. PB2 sounds intriguing but I love regular peanutbutter I think I'll probably stick to that.


I indulged last night, I am not even sure how much I ate. I didn't measure. I had sweet and sour turkey meat balls with brown basmati rice, n sweet and sour sauce and pineapple. And carrots and hummus as an appetizer. I know not nearly enough 'greens' or whatever it was an indulgent day. I was just ravenous. And i have the rice and meatballs for supper again as leftovers for several meals. I did bring my Quinoa concotion for lunch today along with the rest of the carots and the redpepper roasted hummus to try and keep my eating during the day {Lunch/snacks} healthy.

Promised I'd go workout tonight, I'm skipping tomorrow though so I can do dinner with an old friend who I rarely see.

Good Morning!
Warning I've had a lot of coffee today!
Terra you are my new hero! I will think of you everytime I don't want to take my walk. Please do not mention snow. It is a 4 letter word! So, the house is going to get a little tighter. How do you feel about your brother & family moving in?
Silent you are going to Cuba! I am so excited for you! Belly dancing and kango shoes! (Yes, I had to google them...) Silent you have such an interesting life!
Amberp! we talk about everything and nothing on here! I drink at least 64 ounces of water a day just because it comes naturaly for me.
Betsy I missed you! Glad BIL is doing well. You are a good nurse! Glad your weight stayed the same. I am curious about you giving volumetrics a try. I hope it is as good to you as it has been to Larry.
Bea I drink my water because I am thirsty and it is good for my overall health. It is not a magic trick for me with weight loss either. It does not help me if I am hungry or have a craving. Coffee and tea are much more satisfying.
Sam glad you are doing so well. I love the diet high! My mood improves so much when everything is smooth sailing. I know you are busy BUT do you mind if I ask what you make for your lunches. I struggle packing my girls lunches for school. I always give them fruit, nuts, and then I struggle with the main part of their meal. Thanks!
Dean you are the man! What a good doggie daddy you are.
Larry there are a lot of lurkers on here. I wonder how many have started volumetrics because of you.

Dean~ Yeah you can need up getting on each other nerves if your around each other too much, I totally understand that but Im glad their moving back in, We all get along pretty well, I say pretty well because we are brother and sister after all LOL.

silent ~ Oh,okay I thought you bought the membership already but thats cool that your gonna buy it Saturday, I hope alot of people sign up too so it will be successful.

Ubee ~ Awww thats sweet that Im your new hero and that your gonna think of me every time you dont fee like walking. Sorry I mentioned the 4 letter word LOL. Im okay with my brother and his family moving in again, Like I said earlier we all get along well, It will be nice to see them more then just every Sunday.

I'll only get one walk in today and that will be this evening but I'll be sure to walk 2 times tomorrow when Im home for the day if not 3 times that day

Terra I just noticed your ticker moved down again! Way to go!
How old is your niece/nephew?

Ubee - I am try. I am super stubborn and trying to live up to my assertions that being morbidly obese doesn't have to mean a bad quality of life. As a extremely single and childness 30something I think its important to keep active and try new things. If nothing else they seem to provide a modicum of entertainment for you hearing about them

Terra - Enjoy your walk today And walks tomorrow.

Off to a meeting. So its going to be a rush to make it to the my workout class, my meeting is further away from the gymnasium its held at than my workplace. :-| ah well.

Ubee ~ I wish I could say you were right but my ticker hasnt moved in quite awhile, Its still at 292 but thanks for "thinking" it moved LOL. My nephew is 4 months old.

Silent ~ Thanks for telling me to enjoy my walks. I will be sure to do that.

What a quiet day on here.
Silent thanks for being you. I so enjoy hearing about your life. You make such an important point about having a good quality of life at any size.
Terra oh how nice a little baby to hold! You will get so attached to him. Even more then you already are. Also he is going to need someone to take him for walks when the weather is nicer.
I did not have enough water today so now I have a little headache. So much for me telling Amber I get enough...

I'm still super busy with the tail end of the Month of Letters challenge, but I wanted to check in briefly. Especially because I have good news about my Belgian friend, Robine: she sent me a lovely birthday present that arrived a few days late, with a sweet note to the effect that she still wants to be my friend. It looks as though now that our email correspondence is over, we will still be in contact by mail. I'm looking forward to writing my first paper-and-ink letter to her, some time in the next week.

I'm reading everyone's postings and appreciating all of it. Have a great weekend, y'all!

Hi everyone! Been a very busy few days getting ready for rare disease day! Still working hard on eating right and trying to stay warm! Been feeling really good though. They are airing my daughter's interview today on the news. I am so nervous, but yet so excited! I have a page set up that talks about her and her PKU if anyone is interested just LMK. Im not sure if it would be ok to post here so I would PM you the link so I dont break any rules! I need this place to much to get t he boot! lol
Any way hope everyone is having a great week and doing super!!

Good Morning!
Feeling blah today so I will focus on not using food as a comfort.
Fi good to hear you are doing well. So glad you and Robine will still be having contact.
Erin I had been wondering about you. Glad to hear all is well. Good luck on your big day!
How is everyone doing?