Hello Ladies! Well, as I said on the Exercise Thread I'm starting the New Year off slow. I'm going for the "slow and steady wins the race" angle. My weight goal for the first 4 months of 2007 is to lose 24 pounds - where I usually wouldv'e said an extra 2lbs each month, so, slower this time. I need to remember that I'm still 300+ pounds and that I don't have to do everything at once, I want to "master" some things, then work into bigger accomplishments. Overall for 2007 I'd be happy to reach 250 pounds. I'm sure they're be alot of ups and downs on the way, but that's my goal, doing everything in moderation and taking it one step at a time. :) Hope all of you are well.

Stay OP chickies!
Melissa

Melissa

mechelle i get those looks too and it is very hurtful. i have learned to just hold my head up and overlook ignorance.. it makes up the better people cuz we dont hold those judgements against people.

Hi everyone, and Happy New Year! Just checking in to say hello.

:wave: Here I am... and thanks to those who missed me. :)

Blessings
Sue

:hug: :hug: :newyear: Everyone.

Catherine: I'm very sorry to hear about your Godmother. :hug: I hope you didn't get too hurt from your spill at chruch! I have to ask you... what's up with the black eyed peas? Are they really good or is there a New Year's wish with them? LOL :D

Sharon: You can do it sweetie. Get your exercise gear ready. I know you can. ;)

Brenda: I love the new:whoo: picture of you and your hubby.

Flawlesscube: Wow. 1/2 an hour on the Gazelle. :running: I'm so impressed with all of you Gazelle Girls! I can't wait to join you.

Xena: Great Resolutions. I know you can keep them. Come on Deb. :cheer: You can do it!

heather: :hug: 3 pounds is okay. You can do it. You will get it off in no time at all!

Jilly: :welcome2: back from your Christmas trip!

Lilion: I'm so impressed. It gives me :D hope because I'm at that 3 minutes stage on the elliptical and I have a bit of hope that someday I can get to 20 like you!

Ammi: Well, we knew your scale would go up a bit but you enjoyed your Holidays with no worries and that is what matters most. You can shrug that 9 off in no time at all! Come on Ammi :cp: you can do it.

Mechele: :hug: Sorry you are having some depression. Hang in there. Before you know it you will be shopping at the Mall in Spokane and enjoying your new life here!

Melissa: Good thinking to go slower on your weight loss. It :dance: will happen. You are such a go getter.

Sue: Hi. Glad you are doing well and back with us. How was Christmas and New Years:tree: in Seattle? Are you guys getting any of this lovely snow over there? lol.

Well, My dear hubby and I took his sister to the Spokane Airport for her to fly back to California. We had a nice New Years and lots and lots of fun last night playing board games. I got a new game for Christmas called, "Apples to Apples". It was so much fun. I highly recommned it to anyone. ;) I have continued my exercising streak thank the Lord. I certainly don't want to break it now. I am excited that I am starting a new year and everything looks fresh, hopeful and new.

I resolve, promise myself actually that I won't be here on January 31, 2007 sad and upset that I have wasted all of the month saying "maybe I'll start tomorrow". By the end of January I promise to myself and all of you lovely friends of mine that I will have done every possible thing that I know how to do to get closer to my goal of being healthy! Should you remember this promise and I hope you do, and there comes a time in January where I say waaa waaaa this is too hard for me, please give me a big :kickbutt: and remind me about how hard it is for me to go to the dentist and I can't sit in the waiting room because my butt won't fit into the chairs and I have to stand there and just pretend to read the posters and flyers while I wait for my name to be called. I would appreciate it if you would be the friends to me that I really need right now! I will be honered to do the same for anyone of you!

God bless you all and may 2007 be the year that we all get closer if not at our goals of good health.
:love: annie

annie. you know we are all here for you!

Morning everyone
Just dropping in to get inspired and wish everyone a good day. I am on my way to the shower and back to work. I fought with the elliptical machine this morning. It won so here I go licking my wounds and sweaty :lol: I hate that machine!

Havea great day!!
Brenda :wave:

:lol: Brenda and Annie I know JUST what you mean! On the Old Hen's board you'll see me refer to the I.M. It stands for the Infernal :devil: Machine, which is my fond nickname for my eliptical. That thing just KILLS! I didn't want mine, I wanted a treadmill because I'd tried the elipticals at the Y and didn't like them. They were too hard and too awkward. But DH wanted an eliptical so that's what we got. First time I got on it I did three minutes. Then I did five. Then I did 10! Then I did 15. Then I stopped and didn't do it for months. But now I'm back and up to 20 minutes...I even added a teeny smidge of resistance today! I'm coordinated enough I can keep going while I fiddle with the radio dial or roll up my shirt or whatever. DH asked today if I still wished we'd gotten a treadmill and I had to say "No."

But I still hate that machine.:p

good morning everyone and Annie great for you on the exercise! Ammi i know those holiday pounds will fly off in no time as mine will too.! guess i better go change my ticker too lol! i was up 8 pounds .

Good morning everyone!

I am still trying to deal with cravings and all, but like the idea of a bit more of a routine. I have an appt with the trainer this morning. That should help!

Michelle -- :hug: oh honey, I know what you mean about others looking at you. The awful thing is, they may not even think about you at all, but you interpret their looks as negative because you feel bad about yourself too (I hope that came out right. I'm trying to say that we ourselves sometimes add to the problem). You are not your weight!!! It doesn't define you!

Annie -- WTG on the attitude! Keep rocking it!

Lilion -- That's great progress on the elliptical!!!

anyone got suggestions for exercise with a Gamey leg? i did do my treadmill this morning but not sure how long i can do it . so much pain. i have been having trouble walking with my right leg since i got back from my trip. i want to keep on with my treadmill i just need a back up plan!

O! M! G!
Catherine is back!!!!
Missed ya, HippyVanLady! I hope they're treating you right and life is good up yonder in the Great White North!

Ladies, I'll have to catch up later. My hard drive has been replaced, but I've been traveling (and yes, eating) thru the holidays. Time to get back on track. C-YA LATER!!!

I have recovered from my fall, thanks everyone for being worried. The funniest thing is I ended up with two black eyes. I must have whopped my face with the board on the way to the floor. It doesn’t hurt at all, but this morning after morning mass my husband asked the priest why I came home from church Sunday with two black eyes. He’s a very young priest, in fact the first time I’ve had a pastor younger than I am, wow that just made me feel old. I think that he likes to embarrass me like that because he knows I’m prone to blushing. I think he asked the priest (rather loudly) just so that people seeing me, and not knowing that I’d fallen, wouldn’t think he’d caused the black eyes. He’s such a big guy that he scares people, but is actually afraid of his own shadow. I just remind people that I have 5 older brothers. If himself ever got out of hand with me, I’d just have him hospitalized as soon as he regained consciousness.

Flawless-I also have been amazed at the number of fruits and vegetables that I never knew I liked before now. My mother knew nothing about nutrition apparently. Her basic food groups were meat, potatoes and cheese all cooked with bacon grease of course.

Mechell-Boy do I understand about those looks. It’s like there is a scale. At a certain size I got weird looks. Bigger I got nasty looks, then bigger, I started getting ignored. Once I got to my heaviest, people actually acted like I was contagious and were afraid to come near me, doctors included. Now I pretty much get treated like everyone else. The strange thing is that the last time I was this size, I was still in the nasty looks zone. I guess since everyone is getting bigger, what is acceptable has changed. Kids used to bother me the most. Being in a wheelchair at the time, I was basically at their level, so I could see and hear them clearly. I started staring them down without blinking. That took care of them really quickly. If you look crazy enough, people tend to be less rude.

Annie-Black-eyed peas on New Years Day is a Southern superstition. My grandmother freaked out if she didn’t get hers. It is supposed to give you good luck for the following year. I don’t believe in superstitions, but I guess there’s no harm in playing it safe. I remember well what it is like to not be able to sit in waiting rooms. The wheelchair certainly took care of that problem. Once I didn’t need it anymore, I had to deal with waiting rooms again. I can be obnoxious when I need to be. I am usually very reserved like I hate to ask for help in a store or directions, but for some reason certain things get me hot under the collar. Doctor’s office waiting rooms were one. I actually made my doctor’s receptionist bring me a rolling desk chair from the back that didn’t have arms when I came in. Within 3 months, they had new chairs in the waiting room. So did my dentist. I would actually go behind the desk and sit in her chair. I think I might have actually broken it once. I tell myself I am embarrassing myself for someone else who might not have the strength to do so, or even worst will avoid the doctor or dentist because of it. And lastly, just like I had to find out again, we both have lots of friends here, we just have to let them be friends.

Lilion-I don’t think I’m coordinated enough to try some kind of medieval torture device. I still have to remind my feet not to zigzag when walking.

Tofatforu-Well, I think water aerobics are a Godsend for the overweight, aged, and infirm. I think I fall into all three categories today. When my back or leg hurts too much, I have been known to sit in front of my exercise bike, and spin the wheels with my arms. It is a great upper body workout, and surprisingly aerobic. I have also done aerobics tapes while sitting on an ottoman. I just do the upper body movements and some of the leg movements as I can. I remember doing it lying in bed too. Plus, if all else fails just pick up two soup cans a million times.

Hey, Valerie, Yes the reports of my demise were greatly exaggerated.

I get to go back to the high-risk OB/Gyn tomorrow. Himself practically has to sedate me and throw me on the bus to get me there. If I get pregnant again quickly, he’s threatened to write about me in medical journal. I told him that my mom had me at 40, my grandmother had her last at 45, and my great grandmother had her 12th at the age of 48. He said that he usually deals with 40 somethings who can’t get pregnant. So I get to find out what other weird experiments they want to run on me. Well, my doctor in St. Pete said I was like a science experiment.

thanks for the tips catherine

Lilion: Good for you that you are enjoying and continuing the elliptical!

Patty: Hang in there. You will loose that 8 pounds in no time.

Val: Hello, where have you been. You have been so missed.

Catherine: Thank you for telling me about the peas. My stepmom is rom Misissippi and she always fixes them for New Years Day and I didn't know why and always forgot to ask. I thought I may just be a tradition like trukey on Thanksgiving or something. LOL. Thank you fore reminding me that you know how I feel. I will be paying for your visit to the Dr.

Well, today is the 2nd and I have done 2 days of exercise again so far! LOL.

Blessings everyone,
annie

:( dogpal where in mississippi is your step mom from?
somebody please take away this pain in my leg please !!