I'm sorry, are you not seven feet tall and seven inches wide? Is that not what "plus size" means?

Good morning ladies,

So hard to do this in December. GRRRRRR. Was doing fine all day Tuesday but yesterday was office party and I resisted a huge array of baking until about 11:00 am and then off I went. And nibbled all through afternoon and then got home and carried on. Rewarded with 288 this morning.

Determined to be on plan to the letter and hopefully by Monday morning some other number will be on the scale.

Hope all is well with everyone.

No hot guys at our office either. And I would be old enough to be their mom too. :D

So, the tights were a little long, but the fit! I was amazed at this clear twisting of the principles of physics.

But I looked cute and I FELT like I looked cute, so I'll take it.

December sucks so, so bad.... Someone decided that graham crackers and frosting were must haves in the department the last couple of days. Left over from the cookies and frosting on Monday. We so enable each other there :(

They're throwing us a swanky Christmas party tomorrow night, with steak dinner and crepe station for desert and god knows what else. Maybe I should just not eat until then... or for a week after. Stupid holidays.

287.2 today. I want to keep losing of course, but I think my main focus right now is to not let that get above 287.6.

Enjoy your grown up parties, ladies. All my parties this year appear to either take place in classrooms or with Girl Scouts. Where did my grown up life go?

Also,I appear to be the only person still IN the actual 290s (292, to be exact) so I better hustle.

Hi Ladies,

Hope all is well out there. Struggling a lot. Too much holiday food, work is just one eat-a-thon after another. Went to the city shopping all day yesterday and that resulted in fast food for lunch and dinner. The result- back up to 289 again and was surprised it was not more.

So today am regrouping again. This week I have Christmas potlucks at work THREE times. I work with a lot of different work groups so am invited to many different holiday celebrations. I need to really hunker down and get through this. So my goals this week are:
1. NO sugar. If I start, I don't stop.
2. Make a menu plan for the week today and chop up the veggies.
3. For the potlucks- am bringing salad to all of them and I plan on eating the healthiest things there. One plate only. Heavy on protein and salads, light on carbs.

Wish me luck, I am going to need it. The problem for me is straying off plan mostly kicks me into off plan eating for days.

Hope whatever needs doing in December at your homes is getting done. Almost finished my shopping! YAY.

Take care :):):)

Take the salad or fruit/veg tray! I started throwing some boiled shrimp in them and suddenly, I'm a legend. I haven't been to anything yet where at least three people didn't say, oh thank goodness, I can not eat one more bite of cheese or chocolate covered anything. You'll be a potluck hero!

Hello lovelies!

Work party was a success, if you count the fact that I had lots of veg and protein and only a few halves of the roasted little fingerling potatoes that I love so, so very much.

And also if you don't count the many glasses of red wine. Open bar and a company that's screwing us. We all did our best to punish them with that combo.

Also crepes. With strawberries in sauce and white chocolate and Bavarian cream and chocolate and apple compote and... yeah. I only had one though, with the cream and chocolate.

I haven't weighed myself since. I think after tonight's gorging myself on nachos and Friday, I'm going to be a sad panda for tomorrow morning's weigh in. I also haven't updated my ticker in forever... I should do that.

Home going next week. Lots of eating things in my future. I was hoping to be further ahead by now :(

CeeJay, you'll do great!! Don't let those carbs tell you what to do. They're not the boss of you.

That's not a thing aaaaand you're not the boss of me... so. Can you see my toner through my jeans?

Just a little something for TSH ;)

Hi all
I just found out that I been eating fortified mashed potatoes at my job! I cant believe noone told me and now wonder its been a struggle to keep this weight off I decided to not eay fast food and eat at work bc there portion s are normal size and its more nutritious now I find this out! My job fortifies everything with gravy and sauces. I dont need those thing anyway but dang thwy could of warned somebody. Oh well I know now and very happy bc I will NOT be eating those things at work anymore.

Tyring hard ti get out if the 290s been in right on the edge for two weeks now it is time to get it off. Implementing aqua zumba on Mon Thur and Saturdays we will see how that helps. I was also thinking abt my next reward goal. I mean. This always help motivate me bc I love spending monwy on myself. My next goal is to be 269 by Valentines Day that is down 23 lbs in 10 weeks. Im sure I can do that! When I do I am rewarding myself a coach purse and wallwt I cant wait just writing 269 feels good. Well enough rambling yall have a good day!

You have a fat heart ShelBl, and that's what matters. Crapes would've made me break my "don't be the fat girl eating seconds at the party" rule. Also, you guys have every right to drink them out of business.

skinnyki, I have never heard of fortified mashed potatoes? Does that just mean stuff is added to them?

Once again, Girl Scouts ate my weekend and I am SO TIRED. Omg, little girls have so much energy. If I weighed this morning, I've forgotten. I have never regretted the lack of Diet Coke as much as I did this morning.

Hi Ladies

TheSecondHalf- LOL re potluck hero. I am bringing a salad! So glad to hear you are still off the diet coke. You did great giving that up.

ShelBl- hurray for a success at the work party. Hope you and your coworkers drank up a big bill for your company.:devil: I did use your "carbs aren't the boss of me" line in my head today to turn my back on pumpkin cake and chocolates in the coffee room.

skinnyki-your plan to do aqua zumba sounds great. Good grief can Valentines Day only be 10 weeks? Best of luck with your goal!

Today I did better than yesterday! Not perfect but I am not giving up! I could just whine all day about trying to resist all this food this month. But I just need to dig deeper and think about how good it will feel to be lighter at the end of the month instead of heavier.

Take Care!

Thesecond half..fortified mashed potatoes does have more stuff in it like whole milk sour ceeam extra butter ect.. Im a nurse so we use it for our patients. I looked it up and it is double the calories of regular instant mashed potatoes..smh

CeeJay...yes Valentines Day is 10 weeks away. Sorry I bypassed the important Holidays like Christmas and New Years I just need to see some hope and have a goal to work towards 269 by Valentines I still cant get over that I mean I been much smaller than thay but not for a long time and it is well over due!! Im excited just thinking abt it. Aqua Zumba was great as always. I tried it before and it definitely tones u up. But I didnt change my eating habits then I cant wai to see the results with a change in my diet plus it is so much fun! I love music and love to dance and love water so it is perfect for me.

.... now I want sinfully fattening mashed potatoes. :(

Lmao....NOOooooO!!! dont do it!!! Im sorry ShelBI..that was not my intention
haha ha this made my day! Too funny.DONT eat them not worth double calories lol.

I give up. I surrender. I am waving the white flag until after the holidays.

Then, my self control and I are going to have a long talk. I will send it to it's room to think about what it's done.

There are no fewer than 14 different kinds of treats here today. All of them delicious. Next week I'll be home and will have Tony's steak sandwich and Ruiz taco and mom's atole rice and chicken tacos and crullers from Tim Horton's until I make myself sick.

I accept this, because otherwise I will drive myself crazy. I'm also considering a diet of nothing but water and cardboard starting the 26th.

Good morning!!!

So happy to see 286 again this morning. Yesterday was a good day and this weekend I have no plans so I am determined to eat very healthy and deal with Monday on Monday. Did fairly well at 3 work parties this week, eating way less sugar than I usually would and sticking to one plate only with the healthiest things available. Also am riding the exercise bike consistently so that is progress.

ShelBl - I know how frustrating this time of year is. Food everywhere. Maybe you don't have to totally give up until the 26th. If you can practice even a few healthy things each day, that is progress and you will still be doing something good for yourself.

skinnyki -yikes re fortified mashed potatoes. I have trained myself to only add skim milk and don't want to think about how good they taste with all that extra fat. How's water Zumba?

Have a good one!

Hello everyone so excited Im finally in 280s and I hope to never see 300s again. I know its a small thing. I only lost 21 lbs but I am estatic!! I feel great and looking forward to achieving my weight loss goals. Its weird bc I really dont feel like I'm on a diet counting calories. I am satisfied which is all that matters. Super geeked to get all of this weight off.

CeeJay yeah I know the fortified mashed potatoes are wickedly good. But off limits now that i know. :)
Hope everyone have a good weekend!

Good morning

285 this morning. :carrot::carrot::carrot:

I am finding that I am coping OK with the sugar the last few days. I am trying to think "nope, not right now" when faced with thoughts of consuming sugar and distract myself with something else. The 285 this morning was hugely reinforcing. My next goal is 281 and it is starting to feel possible again.

skinnyki- losing 21 pounds is huge!!!! Never downplay any weight loss. Just remember how it feels to be on the other side of that 21 pounds. So great that you are in the 280's!! You and me both hoping to never see 300 again. We can do this. I am also basically calorie counting and it seems to work for me too.

Have a great day everyone!

Great Job Ceejay!!! 285:carrot::carrot: thats great!

Woke up this am and I was 288.2 ! I usually go down after drinking alchol has anyone else notice this? Also after tracking my weight daily I usually lose weight on Tuesday s and Saturdays is anyone else like that?

Ceejay? How many calories do u eat a day? I try to stay between 1700-1800 calories day.

Ugh, you guys, I am all over the place. I'm not even eating holiday food, I just have PMS and zero time at home, ever. I mean, I get the concept of making time "for myself" but I don't think I've had my nails done since my daughter was born (SHE IS ALMOST EIGHT) and I have dyed my hair in the middle of the night with box color more than once. I am EXHAUSTED all the time and I'm like 90% certain I have sleep apnea. It's so hard to motivate myself to put on makeup, much less go for a walk. I am not giving up for the holidays, I don't even really ENJOY food anymore, it just tastes like guilt. I just don't make time to actually prepare healthy stuff for myself and you can't get far on water, lean cuisines, and various burritos.

Ok, so, shaking it off!

I feel like I have my head on straight again. I was - brace yourselves- 300.5 a few days ago. I NEARLY DIED. I had myself a little OH HECK NO moment on the bathroom scale (step off and step on all you want, lady, it is what it is) and now I'm back with focus. I've been to GS parties and class parties and all kinds of other parties (too busy to eat, so at least there's that) and people keep taking my picture and I keep smiling as big as I can and thinking, I am going to be half this person this time next year. I am going to make that happen.

My promise to myself is to stop trying to grab things without slowing down. It is ok for me to sit down and EAT A MEAL. I am worth fifteen minutes to eat! I don't have to grab whatever I can eat while driving to the next thing! Also, I'm allowed to go to bed before midnight. No one will die if something doesn't get done or waits till tomorrow morning. It's OK to sleep, for goodness sake! I may not lose weight over the Christmas break and that's ok, but I also won't snack my way through it with mad abandon because I really could wake up at 315 pounds on Jan 1 and no one wants that. I'm checking Cooking Light and Pinterest for lighter, healthier snacks, sides, etc for the holidays. I will take those with me and leave the heavier stuff for other people. I know I'm making fruit and cheese trays for Christmas Eve, as well as some vegetables with hummus or something similar.

I'm giving myself a WW membership for my birthday in Jan.

I feel a little more in control and a lot less hopeless than I did a few days ago. Hope you guys are having a fun holiday season!!!

Well my ticker is correct again, I am at 292. I never thought I'd be so relieved to get back to EXACTLY WHERE I STARTED. Oh well. My goal now is not to gain ANYTHING between now and starting WW.

I spent all day yesterday making candy to give away. I have found out something - stuff you make yourself isn't all that interesting. By the time I was done and it had cooled to edible levels, I was SO OVER CANDY. So now just have to deliver it.

Hope you all are having a great holiday weekend!

Hi Ladies,

Food-- sick to death of food. Sick of thinking about it, obsessing about it, cooking it, looking at it, talking about it, the internal debating about eating it... you all know this headspace.

I have had some good eating days and many not so good. By not so good I mean eating foods full of fat and sugar. So my weight is yo-yoing between 290 and 285. I am frustrated. On one hand this has got to be the hardest time of all to be trying to eat well. But on the other hand, if Christmas was not an excuse, I could find many more.

TheSecondHalf- good for you for getting away from that dreaded 300!!!

skinnyki- have been trying to hit about 1500 calories but lately that has not been doable. When I am eating healthy I eat the same breakfast, lunch and snacks mostly every day so that makes it easier. I am thinking of uping to 1700 to see if that makes it easier to stay on plan.

Take care!!!

CeeJay, this is a hard time of year. The food flood is almost over and we can get back to real life. It will be a relief.

I was 290.5 this morning. I hope this is enough motivation to carry me through Christmas and away from mindless eating.

Hello all just checking in ti see how everyone is doing and t I agree with thesecondhalf..thank God. .the food flood is drying out one more day and this mess is over!! We can do it!
Merry Christmas everyone!

Howdy y'all... I'm a newcomer to this thread. Finally got myself under 300 and now I have a new mini-goal: get down to 280. I hope it doesn't take months & months to do it! My weight loss has been slow this past couple of months.

I was weighing myself only once a month, because I was afraid of obsessing too much over the number, but starting on Monday the 30th, I'm going to step up to once a week in order to do fine-tuning on my diet.

Happy End-of-Holiday-Eating-Days to everyone! =smile=

Hello, Fiona! Great to have you! Congrats on your loss!!!

Hi, skinnyki! We made it to the other side of Christmas. WHEW!

I gained NOTHING. WOOOOOOOT! I'm pretty pleased with myself.

Now I can start counting down till my birthday. Nine days.

Hello folks. After Christmas I weighed myself and found that I'd hit the dreaded 290. I am 10 pounds away from the dreaded 300 and refuse to EVER see that number. I will get this weight off and be a healthy mom for my kids and a healthy wife for my husband! :)

Hi, CourtneyDaisey! Welcome! I'm right there with you.

Thanks! We can do this and get out of this dreaded weight decade! :)

Hi ladies!!

TheSecondHalf- great news that you did not gain anything over the holidays. Something to celebrate for sure.

skinnyki- hello to you! Hope all is well. Like what you said: "we can do it!"

ShelBl- waving hello to you.

Fiona W- welcome and congratulations on your huge weight loss!! 56 pounds is fantastic. Can I ask what you have done to get there?

CourtneyDaisey- welcome! Maybe think about 290 this way: it is NOT 300!!! :):)

For me- I saw 291 this morning and that freaked me out. Some is salt but I think most of it is sugar and fat. Ugg.

I have been thinking that I need to start trying to frame weight loss less in a "loss" framework and more in a "treating myself well" framework. I tend to focus too much on the fact that I can't have food that I crave and that I am deprived. I still automatically see food as the way to soothe all the bumps of life. I see food as my reward for having a stressful job and too much to do. I need to start thinking positive- all the ways my life will improve with less weight. Especially my health.

Anyway, today I did some good things for me: started a new journal about what steps I am doing each day to treat me nice, rode exercise bike, ate a healthy breakfast and lunch and planned a healthy dinner, and did my arm/shoulder weights.

Wanting 2014 to be the year I hurt less at the end than at the beginning.

Let's rock and roll 290er's!!!

:cheer2::cheer2::cheer2:

Let's all try to be out of the 290s by the end of Jan so we can change the title. Deal???

Amen, TheSecondHalf! :carrot:

Thanks for the welcome, CeeJay! :)

Hello lovlies!

I missed you! Vacation was fun... good to go back and see people, and good to get some perspective on what's changed (including in myself) since I left.

I ate too much of the wrong things as expected - I'm up 7 pounds from when I left, between that and the falling back into old habits -.- I need to get back on track and start eating mostly veggies again. I can feel a difference without them, so that's something. But! I fit into the airplane seats without an extension or anything, and on a couple of the planes there was even a bit of space before the seatbelt was maxed! I'm happy with that.

Lots of stress eating and eating my feelings the last couple of days. Christmas morning, our epileptic dog had a seizure that she didn't recover from. Her heart stopped, and she was gone by the time we got her to the car to go to the vet. We have no kids and won't, so our dogs are our little family. It's been hard without her, after almost 7 years.

Welcome to the new girls! I still need to read all the posts while I was gone, but I'm happy that we've gathered a few more for the journey.

Have a wonderful Sunday, ladies. I'm happy to be back :)

ShelBl, I am so sorry! Our little dog is 14 and he is our first baby (he was seven when my daughter was born and they are best friends). I am so so so sorry.

Congrats on your airplane victory!

My husband and child are off for another week. I don't know if I can survive this level of togetherness. Everyone is too meh to get motivated to leave the house, but too antsy to stay home.

ShelBl - *hugs* I am so sorry about the loss of your dog. We have two dogs too and they are definitely like kids to us. :(

I am pleased to say that I weighed this morning and the scale said 288.8. Goodbye 290's! Still, these 280's better not get too comfortable because I don't want them hanging around for too long. ;)

Oh, congratulations! Good on you!!!

I am 290.5. I am SO READY for the 280s.

If anyone is interested, WW seems to be running a special - free sign up and half off the first six months. Can't wait!

I think I'm getting sick :( I slept till 10.30, got up and ate some oatmeal and then went back to sleep. I just woke up and it's almost four. I have a cough and I just feel off and exhausted. Ugh. NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!

Howdy y'all! (I'm from Texas, so that's how I actually talk =laugh=)

ShelBl— I am so sorry to hear about your dear departed dog. My husband and I have chosen to have fur children as well—in our case, they're cats—so I know how devastating it is to lose one of them. Seven years is too short of a time with a friend like that.

TheSecondHalf— Oh no! You take good care of yourself, and get well fast!

CourtneyDaisy— Congrats on being out of the 290s!

CeeJay— I know just what you mean about getting out of the "loss" mindset. I'm trying to think of this journey as a gift I'm giving myself from a place of self-love. As for how I've lost the weight so far, well it was sort of a spastic combination of trying to stay on the Atkins diet with intermittent binges on cookies. But I'm happy to say that the cookie binges are now a thing of the past: about 40 days ago I read Kathryn Hansen's Brain Over Binge, and since then I've been binge free. I'm still doing the low-carb thing, trying to stay under 40 grams a day but not being really compulsive about it.

I haven't weighed myself since the 22nd: gonna see what the scale has to say tomorrow. I'll be happy if I'm still 295, because I did allow myself some joy eating over the holidays. And I'm definitely going to split a bottle of champagne with my husband tomorrow night, so...it is what it is.

Oh boy! I just weighed myself, and I've lost 6 pounds in the past ten days! I don't see how that is even possible, given that I had chocolate on The Winter Solstice, but my digital scale doesn't lie. I'm so excited! I'm out of the 290s!!

Wow! Congratulations!

One bright side of this cold, I should weigh less when I cough this lung up, right?