WELCOME !!!

We are a group of individuals who weigh or have weighed 300+, or near there. This group was formed to provide a place for others like us to find support and hope. We are aware of the distinct problems that come with weighing over 300 lbs.

We want to invite everyone to join us in our journey.
We share laughter and tears.
We share what works for us and what doesn't.
We often use a "Topic of the Day" for discussion.

Motivational Monday
Tuesday Tips
Wednesday Wish List .. and What you are doing to obtain it.
Thankful Thursday
FUN Friday ... don't wait until you lose your weight.
Sit-up Saturdays - any physical activity
Share your Success Sunday

These are not required topics ...just ideas to share. We often find them very helpful. We also share heartaches and fears ... joys and celebrations.

We have several extra threads going on simutaneously such as Monthly Challenges, Weekly Weigh-ins, Recipes, Bios, and more. Please feel free to check them all out.

We have found this thread to be more than just a support group...
we have found it to become a home. We invite you to join us.

WELCOME!

I know you'll all agree that we are really thankful for the free services here at 3FC. The sisters offer all of this support and information with no charges to us. There are a couple of ways though that we can help out.

If you are thinking about buying anything at Amazon, why not help out 3FC at the same time? You can do this by clicking on the button for Amazon on any page in the forum, or by clicking on the button on the main 3FC page at www.3fatchicks.com . A portion of your purchase price will be given to 3FC by Amazon. It doesn't increase your price at all, but it does help out 3FC. You can use any of the Amazon.com links that you see on the site in order to help contribute to the site.

Also, BTW, in case you didn't know it, you can view the message boards "ad free" for a minimal charge. I think it's like $15 for 6 months. A very small investment to be rid of the annoying ads and make your pages load quicker.

There have been some concerns expressed by the powers that be about copyright infringement. So please, if you are directly quoting someone else or printing an article in whole or in part, please give credit where credit is due!!

Crock: Wowie Zowie! You sure can tell the difference in your photos. Good job. You look amazing.

Waterchicklet: You have such a darling baby!

Kayley: Hope the job hunt goes better this next week!

Zelma: Big hug to you. Hang in there. I know you will be feeling better soon. Try to get some good rest.

Azcyn: Congrats on the raise!

Kaplods: sounds like you are making your exercise fun.

All the other ladies, Blessings to you all,
Dogpal/Annie

First of all, thank you all for your well wishes. It is lovely to know that you are thinking of me.

Valerie – You asked how I discovered the skin cancer. Well, I have had this ‘dry’ patch on my back for YEARS. Hubby and I have always kept an eye on it to check for any changes, as that is what you are told to do. It didn’t change in all that time, but recently I had noticed that my exercise bra rubbed on it and made it ‘weep’ and it even bled one day. I did wonder whether it could be anything ‘bad’, but mainly wanted to get it checked out because it had become a pain to have to cover it some way when I exercised. The doctor said that ‘friction’ was one thing that could set off the change to make it cancerous. She said that the genetics had always been there, but needed something to trigger it off. So the friction of my bra actually caused the transformation. I’m not sure whether it was just the increase in the exercise that caused it to change, or whether it had already started to change and the increase in exercise just made it more noticeable. I’m just really glad that I thought to get it looked at and didn’t just keep thinking that it was just being rubbed too much.
Thanks for the comment about the Triple B Day. I am SO looking forward to it. I just always figure that kids can never do too much reading, or be read to too much, so this is a great opportunity to ‘drown’ them in reading, while having lots of fun at the same time. Problem is that every time I go out now I seem to be buying new books. I just LOVE some of the new kids’ books I have found lately.
Oh… I am SOOOO sorry that, with everything I had going on this week, I missed wishing you a happy birthday! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!! I hope it was a wonderful one! I’m not sure if you posted that your ‘sister’ had the baby on your birthday or not. It would be lovely if she did, but I just hope that all went well and she and the baby are healthy.

Ammi – Great to see that you are still feeling SO awake! I hope to join you with that feeling soon. These B12 shots should kick in after 3 times I think. I hope…
I LOVE your new avatar! You two look simply adorable. I would love to see a bigger one. I still haven’t got my “Identity wall” of pics of you 300+ celebrities yet, but it is still in the planning. I want to print off everyone’s pics and put them on the wall in front of me so I can see who I am talking to. I kinda know all the faces, but I need visuals as a reminder.
You never did mention if shutting the window ‘loudly’ gave your own personal hillbilly the hint to stop. I actually don’t mind the sound of a banjo, but I like to decide when and where I listen to it, and it wouldn’t be for very long at a time.
Oh – I LOVE shepherds pie! Could you please post the recipe, or give a link to it?

Lori – I don’t envy you the school break at all. I have to admit that I LOVE when the holidays start, but I do feel for the parents who have a few kids at home to keep occupied all the time. I know many parents love the extra time with their kids, and like not having such a strict routine to keep, but I know that a houseful of kids would be VERY difficult, so I take my hat off to you. I hope that things work out with the two kids at a time thing you have set up. Is this a regular thing you do, or is it something new you are trying out? It sounds like a great idea.
You guys certainly have a LONG break! We get a total of 11 weeks off throughout the year normally, but things have changed just this past year and another week has been added to our summer break. The teachers were supposed to work that week that the kids got off, but we were allowed to work it off during the year. None of us could see what we could do for a whole week at the END of the year when we were exhausted and didn’t really want to plan for the following year. Obviously some govt official thought it sounded good at the time. This year we will be getting two weeks off between terms (so three sets of 2 weeks off) and then 6 weeks off at the end of the year. I think that is right anyway. The end of the year seems so far away that I haven’t worked it out yet.
I hope you had a lovely day in the country with your friend. It sounds as though it would be a perfect ‘getaway’ for you. Just what you need before the holidays.

Annie – I have my fingers crossed that the B12 shots work just like they did with your sister. The doctor said that this should be all I need to ‘top me up’, so I have my fingers crossed that she is right. She thinks that it is just because of losing so much weight that my body is having trouble absorbing B12. I’m not sure how that works, but I’ll just have to take her word for it.
Well done on the latest loss!!! All your hard work is paying off!

Lilion – I certainly wouldn’t feel at all bad about not being able to get on the elliptical, after all of that yard work. I have a feeling that you probably burnt off more doing that than you would in a regular workout anyway. Yard work can be back breaking!
Well done on having to get a new dress form! That must feel great! I wish I could sew. I would love to have a skill like that. When I was bigger I couldn’t buy any pants to fit me and I had to make my own, but could only sew stretch fabric, so that was all I made. I had one basic pattern and would have a few pairs of pants in different colours. Not very exciting, but I didn’t have a lot of choice. It has been so wonderful this year to be able to actually go out and BUY my pants. It has only just occurred to me that I actually didn’t have to make any pants last year either, but I didn’t even think about it. EVERY year, twice a year (summer and winter) I would be making those new pants, as I had work out the other ones between the legs where they rubbed. Wow… fancy not realizing until now that I haven’t had to make any for almost two years now.
You heard right about Australia being bad for skin cancers. The main reason for that is sun exposure I think. Australians spend a LOT of time in the sun. I am constantly surprised to still see people everywhere trying to get the bronzed look, when it can be SO damaging to your skin. I spent a lot of time in the sun as a kid, but know better now. I have a feeling that damage can occur when you are younger though, so I should get regular checks, even though I have been covering up for years.

Sharon – I hope you really enjoy the exercise bike. I love mine. It has been great to have the variety lately, as I haven’t been able to go on the treadmill (all the jiggling isn’t good for my stitches) so I’ve been able to go on the bike. I was worried for a while, because I was going on the bike in the afternoons and I didn’t seem to be able to go very fast, but now I’ve been doing it in the mornings I’ve been totally fine. I can even do brief intervals at close to 30mph. So it was obviously that I was simply too tired after a day of work or whatever, it wasn’t that I was just too unfit to go any faster.

SueMarie – It must be a relief to have finished your observations. Now we just sit and see whether you post more often, or are missing because you are taking every opportunity to get some work done. I know which one I’d be doing. I was a HOPELESS student! I would find every excuse under the sun not to study until the last minute. Sad for a teacher to admit to that huh?
How is the treadmill going? You mentioned that you were picking it up Thursday. Have you had a chance to try it out yet? I LOVE my treadmill.

MsCrockett – I hope Kado’s date is successful and you have lots of little Kados running around the place in the future. Can’t wait to see pics.
I am envious that you LOST weight with Aunt Margaret’s visit! I always dread that time because I gain WAY too much weight for my liking.
How did the doctor’s visit go about the knee/leg? I hope he was able to either let you know that it could be fixed easily, or at least give you something to make you more comfortable.

Julee – I can understand how excited you must be about getting your wedding dress! I don’t know how you can stand not trying it on. I am seriously thinking of repeating our vows, just so I can wear a lovely wedding dress. I just wore a plain dress and a lacy cover-up when I got married and now I’ve lost weight I would love to be a ‘beautiful bride’. I am SO looking forward to seeing your pics.
You certainly have more patience with people than I would have. I am sure I would have told this bridesmaid from ‘you know where’ to just take a hike by now. She is causing you more stress than it is worth. You mentioned a bad headache earlier in the week and I would imagine that SHE is contributing greatly to that. I hope you sort her out, one way or another, very soon.

Heather – First off… HI! I don’t think I’ve welcomed you yet. I know you will love it here. You would have to search a long time to find a group of more caring and considerate people.
Aidan is simply adorable!!! I love the pics of him.
I can understand your feeling of not needing to lose weight because you already have your man, and he is happy. I got into that trap as well, and was comfortable there for a LONG time. I finally realised that it had nothing to do with my relationship, and it had EVERYTHING to do with my health. That was the trigger for me I think.
Good luck on your journey.

Kayley – I must apoligise that I did have a little chuckle at your expense when I read about you being stiff and sore from doing the exercise DVDs. I just remember doing that myself and thinking later that I would not do that again… yeah right! It is so easy to forget these things and repeat them at a later date. I hope you aren’t as ‘forgetful’ as I am.
It sounds as though you have been having a good time with your mom lately. It is wonderful that you get along so well. I wish I had that sort of relationship with my mother, but I’m not sure either of us can change that now. Your veggie patch sounds fantastic! Lots of fresh produce for you guys in the future. We have such a tiny backyard that I’m not sure what we could grow, but we do have lots of big pots that we should be able to put something into. I’m just too lazy to do anything like that I think. May have to think seriously about it with the way prices are going up lately.
I still have my fingers crossed that you will have some success on the job front soon. If not, it won’t be for lack of trying anyway.

Xena – I hope that you are not still recovering from those ‘meatballs’. It did sound as though you were not too sure about them. It would be good if you at least got a little choice of meals when they provided something at work. So many people are more health-conscious now that you would think that healthier food would be on offer at most events/functions.

Maria Lucia – Thank you SO much for the compliment about our ‘aerobics’ session. I totally relate to you about being the odd one out at most sporting events throughout school. That has made me SO much more conscious about what I expect the kids to do now. I still definitely encourage them to keep moving, but I try not to push them past their limits, and give a little ‘leeway’ when needed. We simply had such a good time on Monday that I don’t think there was even any time for nerves or self-consciousness. We all raced around like wild things and we were all making mistakes here and there, but nobody noticed. Everyone got a good sweat up and it would have been a terrific workout, but I don’t think the kids even felt as though they were exercising. They were just having fun! I will definitely be doing that more often.
Congrats on your NSV! It must be nice to know that the ex is still noticing the improvements in you, but that she can “look but not touch”. Well, that is what I would be thinking anyway, but I am NOT a nice person.

Vicki – Sorry to hear about your plateau. I know how frustrating it can be, because I have been sitting around the same place for a while now. I know it is easier for me really, because at least I am close to my goal, but it is still frustrating to be doing everything right, but not seeing any results. Although I am still seeing small changes in the fit of clothes, so perhaps there is still something going on there. I can also relate to the ‘jealousy’ thing. I get on here and read all about these wonderful people losing weight and I just WISH that it were me! I suppose that it isn’t really jealousy, just… well, I’m not sure. I am REALLY happy that they are losing weight, and I just want to join them. I’m not sure what to call that.
How have you gone with restarting your low carb diet and getting to the gym? Don’t forget that you don’t have to do it all at once. Maybe you should just focus either on the eating OR the exercise, and once you have one sorted out you can start working on the other one. Perhaps you are just looking at the ‘big’ picture and it is simply TOO big.
Good luck with getting back on the wagon.

Nancy – I am glad that your holiday is going well so far. It sounds as though you have been getting in some beautiful walks. I love it when there are lots of new places to wander. The area you are in sounds delightful – relaxing and scenic. My kind of place.
I am looking forward to pics. I LOVE photos!

Bryttani – Well done on the NSV! It is great when people start noticing. I hope you get many more comments like that as you progress. They really do help to keep you focused and wanting to do even better.

Flady – I hope your week has gone OK, even though things have been on the ‘tight’ side financially. I’ve been thinking of you today as it is Friday here. You must be hanging out to go shopping. There have been so many times when we have been simply going from pay to pay and I know how that feels. You know that things will be fine until the next pay, but it still doesn’t feel that great.
I can relate to you about the bathroom visits with drinking more. I know that I don’t drink anywhere NEAR enough, but it is because I get so tired of seeing toilet walls all the time. Restroom breaks really get in the way of shopping sprees too.

Tracey – It was great to see you check in. I have missed your posts… and your smiling face.
I am truly sorry that you are feeling so bad. I can totally relate to that and I wish there was something I could say to make you feel better, but I know that when I have been in my ‘funks’ there wasn’t anything that people could say to make me come out of it. I just needed time to think and to evaluate where I was at. I hope you come out of this with a clearer perspective of things and the strength to continue on your journey to a healthier and happier you. You know you can do it, but don’t forget that you can take ‘baby steps’ to get you there. Just little things at a time, or the whole thing just becomes too daunting. Good luck!

Heather – Well done on your first “I didn’t recognize you”!!! You will get many more of them and you will love every one of them! I never tire of hearing it! I actually go out of my way to see people I haven’t seen in a while, just to surprise them. The look on their face is always such a blast!
I haven’t mentioned before, but I do like your 5 Cs of healthy living. What a good idea.

Mel – Your tips for the newbies were great. In fact, I found some of them useful myself. I really should write down notes as I read, as it is a huge job catching up otherwise. In fact, I’m just going to grab a notebook and pen now, just for the 300+ thread. Back in a second…
OK… I’m back. With notebook (purple) and pen (purple – can we see a pattern here?) by my side, ready to go. I have often said that I will just have a Word document open at all times, to write notes in, as I write my long posts up in Word anyway, so I don’t lose them halfway through and so that I have a copy of them. I just always forget to have Word open, so I think I’ll try the trusted notebook and pen for a while.
You mentioned the stitches giving me fits. Well, this lot are VERY itchy at times. I know it will hurt to scratch them, but it gets a little frustrating. They also pull a little and now and then they ‘sting’, but all in all they are doing fine I think. The doc looked at them on Wednesday and said they looked good. I have had a couple of people at work give me hugs and accidentally knock them, which doesn’t ‘tickle’, but I know that they don’t mean to, so I try not to wince too much.

Misti – Isn’t it great to see a drop on the scale after it has been sitting in one place for a while? I hope you see many more of them.
Well done on getting into the smaller pants!! I had a surprise today when I just felt like trying on some jeans that had been handed down to me that were too tight a few weeks ago. Today they were still ‘firm’, but definitely wearable, so I wore them out and felt really good. They are 12s!! That is about an 8/10 in the US I think. They are also ‘normal’ jeans, not larger fitting ones, or stretchy ones. I could even breath when I sat down! That is always a bonus.
You must be getting just so excited about the cruise! I am getting excited FOR you! I can’t remember if you’ve said how long you will be gone for. Will you be able to post and tell us how things are going while you are away, or will we have to wait till you get back?

Jill – You’ve certainly been earning your money at your work lately! I’m glad you found the time to come in here and touch base with us though. At least we know you are still alive and kickin’.
Sorry the scales are up a little, but with things being so hectic, it can be hard to stick to routine. Hopefully you will be able to get at least one foot back on the wagon when things settle down for you. I hope you have a lovely weekend at your parents’.

Brandnewme – Thank you for the lovely offer. At the moment there is nothing I need, except a lot of prayers and crossed fingers that Wednesday’s results show that all of the cancer was removed.
Work can definitely get in the way of a healthy lifestyle can’t it? I find I get really frustrated when I have to work instead of working out. I am glad you will be back to a normal working week soon, so you can get some more time for yourself.
I bet you can’t wait to go swimming now that you know you have something that fits so well. Well done!! What a great feeling you get when that happens. I find that I even carry myself differently (sometimes almost ‘swagger’) when something fits just right.

Someone asked about our weather here, but I can’t remember who it was, sorry. (Oh… just found it. It was Ammi) We are in Autumn (Fall) now. Our Autumn goes from March 1st to May 31st, so really we are at the tail end of the season and almost into Winter, which goes from June 1st to August 31st. We have had some cooler weather, but we are also having some VERY nice weather. Our days are very similar to some of the warmer days you guys are mentioning. We have a very cool start to the day, but then end up with temps in the mid 80s. This is still a little cool for me, but quite nice in general really. We actually need the rain, so I hope that winter brings some rainfall with it. Last winter was fairly mild, and we got most of our rain in summer, which is VERY unusual for us.

Hubby and I went for a very leisurely stroll today, as I just had to get out of the house. I went to a book store and bought some more Sea books. I just love books!!!! I’m sure I’ve mentioned that before… once, or 100 times. Now I’m just about ready for a nap. I am looking forward to the days when I don’t need naps anymore. Roll on another couple of B12 shots! This would be the first time I have actually been looking forward to having a needle.

Well, I think I should finish off here. I have certainly had a lot to catch up on. Sorry this is such a LONG post.

Sorry if I missed anyone, but I had a LOT to catch up on. I hope you are all having a wonderful week.

Take care,

Zelma

Good Morning All,

Just got time for a bit of a catch up before I have to head off to the shops. Running out of low fat snacks and fresh veges, can't have that, so it's time to shop.

Julee - I bet you are so excited now that you have got your wedding dress at home. Have you still held off trying it on because you don't have all the bits you need, or did you give in and try it on without them. I know I would have lol.

Good for you for giving Sarah the push, she has had enough opportunity to get in touch with you. She doesn't deserve to be a bridesmaid.

That so called 'friend' of Jason's sounds like a real trouble maker. He's the type that would arrange a stripper for a batchelor party and make sure she would be willing to do a bit more for the groom to be if you know what I mean. Men like that suck. I pity any woman he is with or gets with, she will never be able to trust him with an attitude like that.

Kayley - oh boy that must have been a shocker hearing about that body being found where you used to pier jump. I am glad it stopped you from doing it, it was obviously pretty dangerous. As for Beth well I am counting on her rebellious phase going, and hopefully getting back to being close like we used to be.

Have you heard anything about those interviews yet for the assistant chef's job and the data entry job?

Zelma - I am so sorry although not altogether surprised that it hit you like it did about the skin cancer. It's quite a shock to they system, especially the way you found out about it. I hope your time off school will be beneficial to you and that you will be feeling much better soon. It makes me sad to think of you being so upset that you were nearly in tears in school

If you PM me your email address I can send you the normal size picture of the Avatar photo, and the recipe for that Shepherds pie. I promise I won't litter your inbox with any junk mail or forwards and the such

Nope slamming my window shut never shuts the hillbilly up, he just plays for longer, he's that kind of guy. Problem is that even with the window shut it's still loud and we have to put our TV volume up to try to hear it. He is soooo inconsiderate! Like you, I don't mind listening to banjo music, but not when I am trying to watch a TV program and certainly not when it means I have to close my window and melt because it's a hot day!

I have to laugh when you say you can't wait for your B12 shots and how you are looking forward to not needing naps anymore. I tend to regularly nap from 12 - 2 pm and then get up for my lunch. I am such an old woman lol. But still it's so much better than I was before when I slept nearly all day every day.

Cyn - I hope that even though you haven't been exercising as much that you will still see a loss when you weigh. You might be pleasently surprised

As for AI, I finally get to see the show tonight where Elliott sings his last songs, and then gets voted off. I hope I don't cry, lol, I am terrible when it comes to things like that.

Colleen - I didn't even know you could get bigger seats for bikes. I am glad you got one though and that you enjoyed going for your bike ride with your husband. I think it must be so much nicer to actually cycle somewhere then to use a stationary exercise bike. Well while the weather is good anyway

Annie - I keep forgetting to tell you, but I love the picture of your doggies for your Avatar. One day soon you will have to be brave and post a picture of yourself

Ok better go get myself ready to go out now. Take care all, and happy weigh ins to those that weigh today, I think that includes Sharon and Patti, good luck

Hugs,

Ammi

I just remembered the list at the top (on the very first post for each thread) for the days of the week. I thought I'd try to fill in my days:

Motivational Monday - Well, after having been diagnosed with skin cancer, and having it removed, I have been more motivated than ever to make good use of my healthier lifestyle. A scare like that is enough to motivate anybody I would imagine.

Tuesday Tips - Well, Tuesday was when I kinda had my 'meltdown', so my tip would be to pay attention to your feelings and not cover them up. I used to 'disguise' them with food, and now I just try to put on a positive front. I need to express my feelings more, and understand that people will be supportive.

Wednesday Wish List .. and What you are doing to obtain it. - My wish is for continued good health. I intend to obtain this good health by continuing to eat well and exercise, thus looking after this body of mine. I had my first B12 injection on Wednesday, so my wish is for those to work soon and to be feeling more awake.

Thankful Thursday - This Thursday I was thankful for good friends and colleagues. They have been very supportive during my 'needy' week. I am also always thankful for my wonderful hubby, who has been a tower of strength these past couple of weeks and has been looking after me with tender hands and a heart of gold.

FUN Friday ... don't wait until you lose your weight. - Well, I couldn't have TOO much fun, as I am supposed to be resting, but some of my favourite things to do are spending time with hubby, walking and shopping (either for books or clothes). I got to do all of these things. I didn't 'buy' any new clothes, but I wore ones I can now fit into, so they are still 'new'. Hubby and I went for a lovely relaxing walk and I bought some beautiful books. That all adds up to a very fun day for me.

[COLOR="purple"]Sit-up Saturdays [/COLOR]- any physical activity - Well, I won't be able to do TOO much physical activity tomorrow, as per doctor's orders, but I plan to start the day with some time on the exercise bike, and we will do quite a bit of walking as we shop.

Share your Success Sunday - On Sunday I will let you know how successful I've been with not exercising too much on the weekend. I find that the hardest, as I have SO much time to work out.
I am also hoping to put my story of my journey on the new "Goal" forum. So I suppose that will be "Sharing my Success". I should try to do that on Sunday I suppose.

So... that is my week. I hope you have all had Motivating Mondays, and Thankful Thursdays etc.

Take care,

Zelma

Hi, Well Zelma it looks like you must be a fantastic teacher if you raising your voice startled the girls, good teachers rarely shout. I hope you feel a bit happier soon, I know the news must have been shocking even if it took a while to sink in, if finances allow why don't you book a manicure or pedicure; massage will be out coz of the stitches; to 'treat' yourself, a little pampering can really make you feel good. It's a shame I don't live closer, I'd do you a manicure/pedicure for free.
Heather my 'babies' are 19 (years!!! ) 5 and nearly 3 so really they aren't babies any more!!! I miss the feeding & hugging of a baby but three boys are enough for me!!! Though if I were younger I might have tried for a girl one more time, though I never make my boys feel that one of them should have been a girl.
Julee, I don't know how you can wait, I would have had to at least try it on once, even without the undergarments. It's a shame that his friend is so vile, I think there's a lot of men out there who are really jealous of happy relationships or who just hate women. As for your ex-bridesmaid s*d her, it's her problem not yours! If she is so sad as to want ALL of the attention leave her alone, for good!!!
Crock, well done, there's a big difference now in your photos! The only way people can tell I've lost weight is if I had taken naked before & during photos and NNOOOO I will never have any nude photos done!!!!!!
I can't remember what else to put, DOGPAL when are we going to see your face as an avatar??????
I have to go & get breakfast, then do my walk, it looks like I've lost 7lbs so far, official WI is tomorrow, so fingers crossed, it looks like I will have got to the lowest weight in 4-ish years. When I was breastfeeding Gareth I went down to 17 st 7lbs (240lbs, I think) but then I got really depressed coz my mum had breast cancer & I started eating like a pig and as Gareth wasn't needing much milk then my weight shot up to 280 and stayed there til it went up four years ago when I was expecting Aiden.
Oh well I'm rambling, so bye for now, 'speak' to you Ammi on msn later if you're 'FREE'
xxsharon

Good Mornin' Ladies!

Well I won't be online this weekend as we're taking my mom out for her bday, which is Tuesday, but we're celebrating on the weekend. So this week is a short week at work. Just one more night to go. (tonight) and thats it for us. (we work nights/weekends).

So I hope you all have a Wonderful Weekend!

*Flady*

good morning everyone. my official weighin this morning when i got up was i was down 3 pounds!

Zelma,
This must be a hard week for you--but I wanted to say you have told such a really really important story!! It made me conscious of my whole body. It made me make sure to monitor everything and be as cautious and as watchful as you hae been with yourself. Thank goodness you caught it when you did! Also, since I am still a newbie here, and I don't know anyone so well yet, I am still discovering. I looked at your before and after pictures. YOU ARE AMAZING!! You are an inspiration in more than one way!

Thank you for sharing and coming out with your emotions. I am really impressed and really just happy to have found such a wonderful place full of wonderful, supportive people.

~Dusty

Good morning everyone! Just rushing through at 4:47 AM today yikes... I have to be at work 30 minutes early as I want to leave a bit early to pick up my niece at the airport. Hats off to everyone for the good work you are all doing!!! I read through both the threads... LOL this moves FAST...

toofatforu -- Wow you are heading toward TwoDerville very soon now! I know you are excited. I am happy for you!!!

Ammi... how about sharing that great recipe for Shepherd's Pie? Sounds great.

Julee.... glad you got your wedding dress... exciting things ahead for you!!! Yay!

Kaylee... keep up that job hunting. That does get OLD and I hope you get something great quickly.

Zelma -- you hang in there! You have done GREAT and unfortunately life is just full of bumps in the road which can be so discouraging. I care!!! It's neat that you were able to get into the little bitty pants LOL.

Vacation officially starts today at 3 PM when I leave work!! Head to the airport to pick up my niece. Tomorrow we and two friends of mine are going to the art glass museum in Tacoma... lots of wonderful Dale Chihuly stuff including a huge "Bridge of Glass." Can't wait to see it. We leave Sunday morning on the cruise and arrive back the next Sunday, 5/29. There is an Internet cafe on the ship but I don't know yet how much it costs. Knowing me I will sneak in a little bit of time on it but I don't want to spend a lot of $$$ on that either.

Oh... the pants I bought that were too tight across the stomach... they are stretch and I wore a pair yesterday to work with a long top. But by the time I got to work the tummy had stretched enough that they were plenty big! Yay! I even had to tie up the drawstring waistband!!!

And this morning I woke up and was lying in bed without thinking and was lying on my side with my arm up over my shoulder... when it hit me... I can't DO this and put my arm anywhere NEAR this far over LOL. So I guess there IS a bit less of me!! I am going to have my niece take some progress pictures when she gets here. I have one before picture and some that were taken at 273 pounds. I hope I can see a difference in this next one.

To Everyone... have a happy Friday and a great weekend!!! You are all in my thoughts and prayers!!!

Hugs
Misti

HI guys
Just have a minute as I am up to my ears in housecleaning. We are having company tonight and we are having a big garage sale tomorrow for a fundraiser and my living room is FULL of boxes *L*

Nothing new to report. Found out that I have to stay at work another week. EW! *L* But once that is over than it is over!

I finally feel better. What a BAD cold/flu I had. Unfortunately the only thing that made me feel better was eating. And man, did I ever!! Anything and everything tasted better than BOOGERS!

Crock ~ Your new pic looks awesome! SO proud of you!!!

DogPal ~ Good going on your loss as well!!!!

I have to run... floors need scrubbing! EW! *L* I'll get my exercise today! I have been slacking off witht he curves workout this week because I was so sick... Back to it on Monday!!!!!

I'll be back!
Brenda

Ammi – Thank you so much for your support. You are right, it shouldn’t have been a surprise that it all hit me at once. I have a feeling that I didn’t realise just how much I had on my plate until it began to ‘run over’. I also think I needed the doctor to ‘give me permission’ to have a mini meltdown. I didn’t feel quite as weak then.
I sent you my email address. I can’t wait for the pic and recipe. I will have to look around for Turkey mince. I’m not sure I’ve seen it in our regular grocery stores here. I can probably ask a butcher to put me some together though.
I may be a little optimistic about not wanting naps after the B12 kicks in. I have had naps for SO long now that they are a very well established habit now. I went to have a nap earlier, then realized that I really didn’t feel as tired as I thought I did. So I did a little knitting, but I still felt like dozing off at around 5:00pm, so maybe I was more tired than I thought. I suppose I am still recovering from the week’s events too. I thought that my naps used to be because of my size, but now I think that maybe I just ‘enjoy’ them. We’ll have to see after these shots.

Sharon – A manicure sounds lovely. I have only ever had one that I can remember and that was YEARS ago. I have quite nice nails and usually just do my own, if I do anything with them at all. I don’t think I could have a pedicure because I have VERY ticklish feet and would probably end up kicking the person. I don’t really like my feet either, so I’m not sure I would want someone touching them. I may seriously think about a manicure though. I know that sometimes girls in my class like to give me massages and they often like to massage hand cream into my hands, and it feels WONDERFUL! To have a professional do that would be divine I would imagine. Good suggestion!
Thank you for the comment about me being a good teacher. I truly didn’t feel like one after growling at the girls. I still believe that they deserved to be told off, but I do have to wonder how I would have handled it if I hadn’t been so ‘fragile’. I try not to shout very often, as I try to discipline in a more positive manner, and as you said, when I shout, they know I’m serious.
It must be great to be getting so close to your lowest weight in 4 years. I am at my lowest weight in my adult life, so probably getting close to 30 years! I never weighed myself as a teenager, so don’t know when I last weighed 161lbs.

Dusty – Thank you SO much for the lovely comments. I really like showing off my ‘before’ and ‘after’ photos, as much for vanity I think, as for inspiration for other people. My aim is to motivate others, so I am glad that the pics help.
Yep! This was certainly a wake-up call to keep an eye on your body and look for anything suspicious. I have to be honest and admit that I almost didn’t even get this checked out. When I think there is a problem, I tend to not want to see a doctor in case it is bad news. I know that this is TOTALLY wrong, because it is best if caught early, but I am a chicken! I am just SO glad that something made me ask the doctor about it. I will certainly be more willing to get other things checked out now.
I don’t think I have welcomed you to 300+ yet either. It is great to have you here and I know you will enjoy being around such wonderful people. I feel as though I am meeting with old, dear friends when I come in here. I don’t post as often as I should, but I read at least twice a day to see how everyone is going. I look forward to seeing many more posts from you.

Misty – I am SOOOO excited for you! Only two days to go!! I saw some advertisements for cruises in travel agents’ windows today and thought of you. One whole week on a cruise ship, being pampered and simply relaxing. Bliss! Do you have any stopovers? I truly wish I didn’t get so seasick, because I think I would LOVE a cruise.
I really hope that you find some time to post while you are on the cruise, as I am selfish and would love to read about how much fun you were having.
That is wonderful about the pants! Every little change just give you such a buzz, doesn’t it? I hope you have lots of cute outfits to show off in on the cruise.
I look forward to seeing ‘current’ pics – maybe lounging on the deck of the cruise ship.

Brenda – Are you fundraising again? Weren’t you doing that a little while back? Or is this more of the same fundraising? You are a truly wonderful person to be doing all of this for a charity, or whoever the recipients are. It must take a lot of your personal time. I hope your efforts are appreciated.
You said that once the week is over, then work is over. Does that mean you are leaving work for good, or just having a vacation? I have probably missed you talking about that in another post.
I am really glad that you are feeling better. You must have had a good dose of whatever it was, because it sounds as though it knocked you out for quite a while.
I’m sure that scrubbing the floors will be a pretty good workout on its own, let alone you having to do anything else on top of that. This is when I am happy that most of the house is carpeted. Vacuuming still gives a pretty good workout, but I don’t have to get down on my knees to do it. I’m still not good at getting on my knees. I am even WORSE at getting back up again!

As for me… I am feeling better I think. I had a call from one of the teachers at school this evening. Tracey was my student teacher at the end of last year and she is now teaching grade 1 just across from my classroom. She had missed me and was concerned. We had a lovely talk and it felt really good to have someone so worried about me. I am truly thankful for my friends, in real life and in here, and for my caring hubby. Support is not only essential during the journey to a healthier lifestyle I am realizing. It is also really important in everyday life, even though we like to think that we can make it alone. It is OK to lean on people now and then.

Thank you all for letting me ‘lean on you’.

Take care,

Zelma

I just realised that I put messages to both "Heather"s in my long post. I hope that Wyllen and Waterchiklet can work out whose is whose. Oops! I'll try and be more specific next time.

Zelma

Zelma~ The doctor sings the same ole song,, that my maniscus is torn and I will need surgery on my left knee,, but the right leg swelling from the knee to the ankle after I am on it for about 45 minutes is the same ole thing as well.. NOBODY can give me a diagnosis,, Leg specialist , 2 of them and 3 Doctors.. I had am MRI done and my Syotic nerve is pinched a little...and they seem to think that is the problem with the right leg.. but all and all NO answers just suffering and finding ways to live life adapting to the problem......

Zelma ~ same ole fundraising thing! I am fundraising for cancer research. It is quite rewrding but it does take all my personal time. June 9th we make our donation then do our relay. After that we are taking 2 months off and starting a new team for next year. We will have raised well over 5000.00 by the 9th and hope to try for 10000.00 for next year. As far as work, I am a contract Federal government employee. Which means I never really know when I will be working and when I am not. ALTHOUGH, I have been very fortunate to have 10 months per year for the past couple and know that I will be going back to work in August so I am looking forward to having some time to spend on redecorating and losing more weight.