[thinthinker]

WELCOME

We are a group of people who are working together to lose our excess weight.
We are on different plans and are of different sizes.
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 recently started a Topic of the Day.

Monday........Motivation Monday
Tuesday.......Tuesday Tips
Wednesday.....Wednesday Weigh ins
Thursday......Thankful Thursday
Friday........Friday Facials, Fingernails and Fun
Saturday.......Sit-up Saturdays - any physical activity
Sunday.........Soup and Salad Sunday - recipes

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

Please feel free to jump right in with us.
And be sure to check if there is a second page. We don't want anyone to miss any posts

[thinthinker]

Hi you guys! The thread was getting really long again so I decided to start this new one. Please make sure you go back and read the second page. Chickadee4ever and Mary are on it and I don't want you to miss out.

I did much better on food yesterday. I'll be back later to do my regular post. I just came to read a little before I left for work and found we needed the new thread.

See you all later.

[2cute2Bfat]

I am getting in here a little late today. I made a commitment to go swim before I could post and it took me forever to force myself to go. This is another one of those love/hate situations. I LOVE swimming... but I HATE going in front of other people in a swimsuit when I weigh over 300lbs. I know all the pros to swimming and that is why I eventually do go.... but it is HARD.

I feel good about my recovery again. I stayed on program yesterday and so far today I am doing great again. I have started my 4th bottle of water and went shopping for healthy foods for me. I FEEL GOOD !!!!!

chickadee... we always end threads with "do not post here" because in the past newcomers would not know to go to the new threads and would post on old threads and we would miss them. Then they felt like we were avoiding them. Also many do not know that there are more than one page on a thread often. That is why we try to start at new thread after 30 posts. In the past each page held approximately 30posts. With the new format a page now only holds 14 posts but you can program your options to still put 30 posts on one page...which many of us oldtimers have done.

Tuesday Tips....
EAT your veggies.... Your body needs veggies.
DRINK your water... lots of it
BE MERRY !!! ATTITUDE is EVERYTHING !!!!

EAT - DRINK - and be MERRY !!!!!!! That is my Tuesday Tip.

This puts a whole new outlook on this phrase. Many of us have lived by it for years... except we drank pop... we ate junk food ... and we thought being merry meant we could eat and drink all we wanted.

Well as Malia and Ladybug stated... WE HAVE TO CHANGE.
We need to eat more healthy... drink more water .... and be happy with who we are NOW. Become more active. Have a more "positive" attitude.

well friends... I have a goal today to get my kitchen clean and it is not getting done with me on this computer. LOL Hopefully I can get back here later. I sure hope to find more of you here.
Here is a picture of me swimming today.

[2cute2Bfat]

I had to come back in and share with you what I just discovered !!!
This morning after washing my hair I added a new creme rinse type product to my hair. It was to set for several minutes and then rinse out.
It was not the usual gooey stuff and I forgot to rinse it out.
I kept wondering all day why my hair was so sooo "different".
That happened early this morning and I just now figured out what I did.

And the answer to the question you are all wondering....
NO... I am not blonde.

[LuckyLadyBug]

chickadee I have been thinking about this statement all day. Most dieters are not open to change. I believe in general most people don't like change of any kind even though we are constantly changing.

Maybe this is just a light bulb moment for me but I never thought of my resistance to change and weight loss.

This is quite profound for me so I may keep rambling all week about it.

I have a awful cold/sinus thing going on. I haven't been sick in 15 year - (really) - and now the flu and then this.....

[prism]

Hi everyone,

Did really well today. Exercised first thing in the morning to richard's sweat and shout. No soda. 2 fruits for snack, a healthy breakfast and lunch. I was mentally hungry. I'm trying to distract myself. The first couple of days will be tough. I'm going to get a project going.

Thin, I'm going to dress up a small, collapsible hat with ribbon embroidery. Pastel colors will be pretty. I need to sew a valentine's table cloth too. We're into theme tablecloths. I found fabric at walmart for valentines, st patrick's day, and easter. I have more ideas than time. The key is to work on them instead of overeating.

Tuesday tip: keep busy.

[thinthinker]

Hi everyone! Sorry, but I'm only getting back here for a minute tonight. I can barely keep my eyes open. I did much better on food today, about 6 glasses of water and 4 fruits/veggies. So I am improving.

I also wanted to come back and post a quote from one of my favorite WW leaders because it fits with the current conversation going on here.

You all have a good night. Catch ya later.

"If you do what you've always done, you'll get what you always got." - Frank I'm sure this was really said by someone else, but Frank's where I got it from so so be it.

[2cute2Bfat]

Hello again. Thought I would drop in before heading to bed.

CHANGE ...I don't think your talking about nickels, dimes or quarters. LOL

I often feel like I get "short changed" on diets. I do REALLY REALLY good for an ENTIRE WEEK and I only lose 2lbs.
Then after 3 weeks ...I STILL havent reach goal YET !!! LOL
It amazes me how often I feel short changed.

Let me be honest... I didn't want to change.
I like eatting all of my favorite foods... and as much as I want.
I don't like having to exercise.
I wish I could just "WISH" a new body ...but continue to eat whatever I want, whenever I want.
I don't want those things to change.

BUT....CHANGE is a MUST for SUCCESS!!!!!

Physcially I have to change what I eat and the amounts.
I need to change the foods I eat the least (veggies) to the things I eat the most. And the foods I eat the most (fast foods) to the foods I eat the least.
I have to get this body moving. NOT just to lose weight... but because it is necessary for a healthy body and mind.

Mentally I have to change to a POSITIVE ATTITUDE.
Attitude is EVERYTHING !!!! I have to think positive. I have to talk success. I have to read literature that uplifts me and inspires me. I have to quit badmouthing myself. I have to be my own best friend. I cannot hate myself into recovery. I need to take CARE of myself. I need to be gentle with myself. Not so gentle that I love myself to death. Tough love is sometimes needed.

Spiritually I need to change my hate to forgiveness. I need to change my guilt to forgiveness. I need to change my anger to forgiveness.
Forgive YOURSELF...and even a few others too.

Change is sometimes a very difficult thing to deal with.
Change my eatting habits.
Change my activity levels.
Change my attitude.
Change my way of dealing with people...including myself.

Hmmmm.... maybe I want to change my mind about this recovery thing.

No.... I am going to WELCOME change with open arms...
.... even if you have to tie me down to do it.

[2cute2Bfat]

I was reading in another site and found this story. The last paragraph talks about CHANGE. I hope it moves you as much as it moved me.
___________________________________________
I found an old picture of myself today...and I am in shock.
I can't believe I was so huge.
I have lost almost 100 pounds and honestly couldn't see where it went. You know that when you see someone every day you don't notice the 'little' changes. Besides, I have been on this woe for almost 2 years. It's been a slow road.

But I found this picture taken a few months before I started the woe. It's a nice family shot of us kids and our granny. I always picture my older brothers as 'big' brothers. They were althletic-muscular- and tall. (the shortest one is 6ft. 2!)

But in this picture, I am the 'big' one. I weighed at least 319 pounds then. I would guess that my brothers weighed between 185 and 220. I never realized I was 100 pounds heavier then them.

I'm almost in tears thinking back to how I was. I thought I was healthy. I was eating low fat foods. But I don't have a neck or jaw. My cheeks go almost down to my chest. And speaking of my chest, I thought I had a nice set of ta-ta's. But they look like just another fat roll-nothing sexy there!

I also remember my emotional/physical state then, too. I HATED having to get up to go potty at night. My feet and ankles were so stiff and sore that it was almost torture. I would intentionally not drink anything after 7 PM just to avoid having to get up. And first thing in the morning was dreaded. I couldn't jump out of bed to greet the day. It hurt too much.

So where am I today? I feel I am a world away from that woman in the picture. While I'm still 40+ pounds from my goal, I feel more 'normal'. Last week I bought a size one-X large Gap sweater from the thrift shop-for 'someday' when I get thin enough. I was so happy when I got home and put it on!! It fit!!! I almost cried over a sweater!! I felt pretty, confident and ready to be seen in public.

But it's more than the weight loss. At 319 pounds, I couldn't allow myself to dream of having kids. Now I know that when I lose another 21 pounds I'm going in to a fertility doctor. I used to live in fear of hearing another professional tell me to 'just lose weight'. I know that my weight isn't my problem. I have a suspicion that I have PCOS. While I may never be able to have kids, I need to get past my embarassment and get to the bottom of things. I know that by the time I get to 200 pounds I will have the confidence to make that appointment. (But for right now, I'll chase after 3 foster sons!!)

My last words? You can do it!! It's more than a few pounds that you're changing. You're changing your life, your emotional well-being and your outlook on things. And you deserve only the BEST in life! Don't be afraid to grab the golden rings!
_______________________________________

This woman took 2 years to lose her 100lbs... but she stuck with it!!!!
She lost slow... but she stuck with it.
That averages less than one pound a week. But she stuck with it.

If she can stick with it.... SO CAN WE !!!!!!!!

[LuckyLadyBug]

2Cute that was a great story. Thanks for posting it here for us.

I lose weight in spurts also. It seems the weeks I eat "properly" I don't lose at all. I get discouraged and have a not so good week and lose. I know this loss is from the prior weeks so now it's back on the band wagon, feeling bad that I messed up the week before. And so it goes.....UNTIL NOW Permanent Change is my new moto.

[2cute2Bfat]

I hope everyone is having a great day. I am so far.
Ladybug...Permanent change... that is what I want to.
I don't want to ever see my TOP WEIGHT again.

Did anyone watch Oprah yesterday. Dr. Phil was on.
I got sick of him and quit watching every Tuesday because of him but yesterday I didn't change the station. He was pretty good.
One thing he said was that we are always changing. Sometimes for the better and somtimes for the worst ... but we are always changing. The choice was ours which way we change. He said next year at this time you can either weigh more... or you can weigh less... the choice was ours. What decisions we make TODAY will decided what we will weigh tomorrow.
He has written a new book..."SELF MATTERS". I learned a lot watching it.

Well I am going to FORCE myself to go swimming.
They have changed the rules there and now the ONLY time I can swim with minimal people is 7:30-8:30am. They have water aerobic classes fom 9-11 that used to come free with your membership. Now they are going to charge extra for them so many women are meeting at 11-1 to do aerobics on their own during the free swim time. That is when I used to go. I have said this before and I must repeat it to myself everyday.... NO ONE is going to stop me from improving myself. It is embarrassing... but staying fat forever is even more embarassing. If they can't figure out that I am there to get healthy then they have a BIGGER problem than I do.

Take care ladies. I hope those of you who are missing come back soon.

[2cute2Bfat]

I DID IT !!! I forced myself to go swimming.
I am drinking my 4th bottle of water.
I ate a tuna salad for lunch.
I AM DOING IT.... ONE BABY STEP AT A TIME.

[Chickadee4ever]

Hy everybody!
Short one to tell you that I am glad to be gaining ... control over my life, while losing pounds!

[Chickadee4ever]

2cute! I just read your post!
way to go!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
magnificent!
super!
u go girl!

[Grannie39074]

Hi all
Weigh in Wednesday
I'm back down to 210

I had a green salad today with tuna on it. and water.
Great job Cute and Chick Thats all any of us can do Baby steps one step at a time. we didn't gain this weight overnight and we won't lose it overnight.