i did not weigh in this morning but i did try on a pair of my fat jeans and they are still to small! i've been at this for almost a month now and i have only lost 5lbs and i'm happy about that but i'm really starting to get discouraged because whenever i do it the wrong unhealthy way by fasting or restricting i can lose 10lbs in about a week and a half. now that i'm doing it the "healthy" way it is going very SLOWWWWWW. i thought i was losing inches until i tried on my jeans. it seems as if when i look in the mirror i can see a difference in my hips and belly but i guess it's all in my head. i have not worked out this week at all but i', going to get my mini tramp tonight and i wiil start that up 2morrow. i'm really excited about that and i hope that it works!! i hope all of you have a good weekend!! tuesday was me and my db's one year annv.!! he works two jobs day and night so we are going out 2morrow night (he will be off of his night job) and i get to eat whatever i want!!!

jusj5571- Hun, just hang in there-you will get there and WHEN you get there the right way it will be that much easier to maintain the loss. Keep doin truckin on.

Let me start off by saying ... you are sooo cute. Nice haircut. Does it flip up all around the back too.

Five pounds in one month without much exercise ... is GREAT! Think what'll happen if you keep doing that and add that minitramp.

Oh and by the way have a great time on you date tomorrow night!!!!!

thank you so much stacy and susan. that picture was taken in april of 2004 and my hair has grown a lot since then but yes it was flipped all the way in the back. i probably can't even fit that shirt anymore (to afraid to try it on) if it does fit i'm sure it will be to tight. thank you ladies, ican always count on you all to put a smile back on my face!!

I just want to point out something I thought was extremely important in what you said. You said something like "whenever you do it the unhealthy way you lose weight fast" - this implies you've had to do it multiple times. It implies that you may lose weight quickly initially, but the weight comes back on. This was also my experience - I could lose weight quickly by eating 1000 calories a day, but I could never keep the weight off.

You have to ask yourself, do you want short term success or long term success? You've experienced the short term success, did it really make you happy?

In July 2004 when I decided to change my life forever, I made a commitment to myself that I was changing how I ate to be HEALTHIER. Don't get me wrong, I loooove losing weight but when the scale didn't move on a certain weigh-in day, I told myself "I am doing great things for my body every day, weight loss is secondary to my ultimate goal of long term health." That change in mindset really helped me stay motivated through the hard times. All four of my grand parents died young - 2 of cancer, one of complications of diabetes and one of complications of alzheimer's. The genetic deck is stacked against me and the way I was eating was putting me on the express train to heart disease, cancer and diabetes.

I finally had to accept (and this was really really hard for me and took me 20 years) that I couldn't just diet for 2 months, lose 30 lbs and then go back to "normal" eating - muffins, full fat lattes, nachos, candy bars. I had to change my "normal." You gotta figure out what is YOUR new normal - what can you stick to (exercise 3 times a week? fewer fried foods? more steamed vegetables?) and what can you not stick to (giving up bread completely, exercising 2 hours every day?). A plan that is unique to you and sustainable over your life. For me, I could give up fast food and soda but not red wine

Congrats on your one year anniversary, I hope you guys go out someplace nice. Stay out of the bread basket, but you are definitely right to celebrate this important day. Figuring out what days were really important and worthy of celebrating (my birthday, Christmas dinner) and what days were not was a very important "maintenance" weight loss lesson for me. I finally figured out that one "off plan" meal did not mean I could have an offplan day or weekend or week - it meant MEAL. I had to get right back to my plan!

I think five lbs is a GREAT success! You are on your way! I like your hair too!

GLORY - i have always been a big bread eater!!! my momma and granny always said "that's why the women in our family have big butts, we are addicted to bread." i really feel like this time it is going to work because i have cut all bread and pasta (i've had a couple of ww sandwiches beacuse that's all that was in the frig.) i thought it would be harder than this but it was fairly easy. i've never had a big sweet tooth so that's not a problem. (btw, my db has the biggest sweet tooth in the world) there are only 2 real challenge's that i'm facing and that's drinking all my water (i've never really liked soda but i love juice) and having the strength to keep going even though i'm not seeing a change. the old jana would have quit weeks ago, but i am determined this time and i will not fail. thank you for all the support!!

Hey

I just wanted to drop in and hopefully give you a little encouragement about the "fat pants." I have a pair of jeans that I have been wearing for the last 25 pounds, and honestly, they still fit well. They are the largest size that I own right now.

So, in my head, I would love it if these jeans of mine would be falling off already, but they're just not. But I HAVE lost inches. I take my measurements and I have lost at least 3 inches off of my waist 3 inches off of my hips, etc. Others of my jeans I can no longer wear.

I think I have a point, so I will get to it. Clothes are a GREAT way to track progress. But don't make it the only way to track. Go ahead and take your measurements. It is SO exciting watching them go down.

Plus, five pounds a month is great! If you can keep doing that, you will be able to be so proud of yourself for having steady, healthy results. I am so proud of you for those five pounds, and you should be, too. Make sure you're being healthy and doing things that will be healthy for life, and you will get results that will be breathtaking! Not only your appearance, but you can be proud of yourself for doing something hard, something not everyone can do!

Take care.

I just wanted to poke in and tell you how great a 5lb weight loss is!! I know it feels slow, I am in the same boat as you... but it is still weight loss nonetheless! Sometimes clothes aren't good indicators of our weight loss, it is a little strange but true.

Don't discourage... keep going and in time you will see another 5 lb loss, and another, and another...

Hang in there

Why is it that five pounds seems like so much when the scale's going the "wrong" way, but so little when we lose it?

jusj5571, hang in there. You're making changes that will have a positive impact on your health for the rest of your life, and that's the important thing! I hope you have a wonderful time at the dinner!

You may be losing more inches than you think. Clothing size changes differently depending on how you are shaped and where you carry the weight.

If you are like me and lose your waist entirely when heavy, but when thin(ner) are extremely curvy, then it takes a LOOOOOOONG time for weight loss to = clothing size. Because the hips dont change and until the hips and booty change, clothes cant shrink. I remember last post baby I had lost 15 or 20 lbs and looked SIGNIFICANTLY different, and still had only gone down 1 size and another mommy had lost 10 lbs and was down 3 sizes.

If you think you look better, then baby, you look better!

oh yea i forgot to add that we are going to play laser tag 2morrow night also!!! great workout!!!! thank you all!!

You think 5 pounds is slow because you're used to the "instant unhealthy way" of losing weight. But remember... that old story... the turtle & the hare? "Slow & easy wins the race."

Just keep in mind... take it off slow, keep it off.... take it off fast, gain it back faster.

I know it's discouraging, but keep reminding yourself that you are a wonderful person who deserves to treat your body with kindness & respect.

And 5 pounds!!! WOO HOO!!!! Celebrate EVERY pound loss! That's great!!!!

I agree with so many of the things already said! That in mind, here's my two cents worth....

Everyone loses at a different pace! Fast or slow doesn't matter, just that you're doing good things for YOU!! Keep it up...you're doing FANTASTIC!!

As for the jeans and sizing, etc., let me just say that the first 20 pounds or so I never changed pants sizes. In the last 10-15 pounds, I've gone down 3 sizes! It will surprise you when it happens! I dropped shirt sizes left and right, but the pants stayed tight for a while....hang in there!

I of course have to put my 1/2 cent in also. If you did exactly what you're doing now that 5 pounds times 12 months would be 60 pounds at the end of a year. 60 Pounds!!!! Hello. 60 pounds. Done the right way. So that you never have to see them again, not that they come back and visit you. Gone for good, finito, finished, adios, good riddance.

Happy anniversary and enjoy your night out.

P.S. And hello, 5 pounds in one month - 60 pounds in 12 months, pretty good numbers.