Emily: -,25 a week is going in the right direction hon. I think your attitude about it is right on! You are doing so wonderful too. All that swimming. Keep it up.

Sandy: Not gaining in the winter is big. I know that when you are in a cold state it is so easy to gain in the winter. I hope our days of coming out of winter like a reverse hybernating bear with extra fat are O.V.E.R. over! lol. Hugs to you.

Blessings all,
annie

Sandy, EmilyMay, Annie, Kymberly, Katherine, Heather and Jane- Thank each and every one of you for your good thoughts! I know that it'll be okay. I'm back on track today and more determined than ever! Just starts ROYALLY stinking some time! It isn't like it's a big goal after all...it's less than two lousy pounds!

Catherine: I loved that you kicked a fat-clothes dummy! TOO funny! But when I read your part about your great-grandfather to my DH, before I even got out the last sentance he said "She probably pushed him!"

Sandy - I can't WAIT for warm, sunny weather! I SO am looking forward to it!!!

Annie - You'll be getting that 2nd charm in no time!!! I agree, I think a gold star would be a good one for you! You are just doing so well. WTG!

Kymberly - Congrats on the loss!

Jane: I have an office mate who does the local little theater. He was recently one of the leads in "The Full Monty" - it was - shall we say - enlightening! I love going to plays! Have fun, break a leg and all that!

I have to run ladies! But you all hang in there!!!!

Good morning!

I just wanted to take this opportunity to say my hellos, I just recently signed up for the forum and instantly gravitated right towards the 300+ club.. It's nice to know there are people out there who might possibly be in the same exact boat I'm in.. and everyone seems wonderful and very supportive!

I'm brand new so I'm off to read the old posts to try to catch up. ^_^

- Vamp

Hi, Vamp, love your handle, though I take it you're neither a tart or a bloodsucker, lol! Read your blog (via your personal details, it isn't working on your post) I know how you feel, there are lots of us here sick of 'existing' rather than living, watching rather than taking part and our bodies not being able to do what our mind/soul wants to do. WELCOME & feel free to ask any questions about almost anything.xxxxxxx
Annie you should be getting a little package, though it has taken 3 weeks to get it posted!! LOL so ignore the note, it was when you were gaining rather than losing!! I'm afraid the little pressie won't be much use either, but the thought was there, honestly, even if it took ages to post, illness, holidays & stupid PO being shut. Great on the JOBSxxxxxxx
Valerie, how are you? Hope everything is good.xxxxxx
I am still waiting for TOM, Sandy, I'm 42 and since having my middle son at 36 my TOMs have been getting worse and less regular. Now it's at least 15 days late, thank God Steve had the snip, even then I did a test as I'd hate to not know, taking meds you have to be so careful. What did your Dr. suggest for irregular TOMs? Did you & hubby ever get to Red lobster ( or whatever it was called) with the vouchers/couypons you got for bad service?xxxxxxxx
I have to go but even though I don't respond to everyone's posts I do read them & think of you all.xxxxx
Emilymay, thanks I have to go to the Dr's next week for a smear as I has a colposcopy last year to remove some 'bad' cells, whether TOM arrives or not so the Dr said she'll 'look into' my irregular TOM. How is it not having them? I look forward to it BUT I'm scared of the other changes, libido, weight, dryness ( skin, hair and the other sort, lol) and hot flushes/mood swings, which I already get anyway. Do you have to take HRT or anything else & if so does it help? I won't be able to as my mum had breast cancer caused/exacerbated by HRT. WTG on LOSING weight whilst pregnant, lol, wish I did!!!xxxxxx
bye all,
xxxxsharon

good morning everyone. i am glad to say the scales have finally started going down in the right direction... first time since christmas!

How's you knee now Patti? Great on the scales mine were UP this morning! Grr.
xxxsharon

hi voodoo my knee is doing much much better thank you and everyone for asking. i am back on my treadmill for the time being and loving it . still need to exercise but i will get around to it sometime today. sorry voodoo sscales were up but i am sure they will go back down soon hang in there!
Annie i love your charm bracelet idea that was a great idea!

Thank you for the big welcome voodoo! I'm actually finally seeing a downward trend in my weight and I've gone from totally bummed to motivated and happy. I hope to post often and get to know everyone here, I love how wonderful y'all are to each other. Oh and I fixed the blog link in my signature, I had it typed in all mixed up.

Annie-the only problem with the dummy, is that it is so big, and so cushy, my husband might want to start napping on it. You also have to make sure you are visualizing the fat, and not yourself. We beat ourselves up enough.

Sandy-I’m feeling so much better. I think I was going through some hormonal stuff on top of everything else. I’ve gone up a cup size in the last week, and now I waking up and throwing up every morning. When you are nauseous all the time, it is so much easier to stay OP. And yes, my husband is dragging me to the doctor. I’m fairly sure it is all his fault anyway.

Lillion-After he went out of the hay loft, he walked with a cane, and I just remember seeing him sitting down. My mom said he was an invalid, but when he went to the nursing home at the age of 90, they made my great-grandmother come “visit” twice a week or he’d get out of hand. I think I remember that the “accident” happened after the 6th or 7th kid, not the last. At least she tried.

Vamp-Welcome, and if you try to read all the old posts your head will fall off.

Sharon-when my former roommate had surgery and went into menopause immediately, she began taking Black Cohosh. It completely took care of hot flashes, and seemed to make her less moody too. It’s an herb that mimics estrogen.

Now I’m going to go see if I can keep some oatmeal down.

Go Grandpa!!!


Hope you start feeling better soon Catherine!!!

Hi everyone. I can’t believe it is Thursday already and I haven’t posted. I don’t think I have time for personals today, but I did want to ask for some feedback.

Have any of you found that certain things that before in your life you closed the door on, open up again? I think I may have found the root of my relationship issue and wanted to see if anyone had feedback. When I was at my highest weight I had basically reconciled myself to the fact that I would never be thin. I had tried over and over to diet and failed miserably at it. In the course of doing this I had made myself completely miserable as well. I couldn’t stand to live in that world of misery, guilt and self-abuse any longer so I decided I needed to learn how to just accept the fact I was going to be fat forever. I actually did a pretty good job of it, and was finally able to find some peace in my life. However, in order to do this, I closed many doors in my life. I gave up hope in many areas. Was anyone else like this? Did you shut yourself down to be able to live with yourself (if that makes any sense)?

A little while later I decided that if I wasn’t ever going to lose any weight then I better find a boyfriend who liked me the way I was. So I went on the hunt, mostly using the internet, and found my current BF. He was nice, decently stable, had a good job, had similar interests (mostly), was smart, cute, funny and most of all he liked me. I think that was the biggest thing – here was a man who accepted me for who I was. Well, at least the me that was living in the closed off part of myself. He had his problems too, but I figured I was so lucky just to find someone who liked me that I could overlook a few things.

Fast-forward several years, and my weight is starting to become a real handicap. I am having trouble making it up the stairs of my apartment. If I sit on hard chairs or ones with arms I feel like I am cutting off my own circulation. I am in pain all the time – even when I am lying in bed. So I finally start to do something because I no longer have a choice. When it actually works, and I start to lose weight, I start to wonder what was behind those doors that I had closed off from before. I realize those doors are to things like dancing and movement, outdoor camping, wandering around museums, exploring new places on foot, and so much more. I start to open those doors (and I see there are many still that are closed, but I feel their promise) and suddenly in this larger space and with the feeling of not needing to compromise I see my BF in a different light. He is still a good guy, but I realize that I chose the relationship, not from the whole of me, but from the part of me that had resigned to just do the best with what I had. I do care about him, and he has been good to me and for me in some ways, but there is just something missing that I don’t think can ever be there.

Does that make any sense or am I full of it?

Hi everyone!
Sorry I have been in and out this week. I have been doing great on this diet plan that I started. Definately the best thing I have ever tried. Only problem is I am eating SO much more food than I used to! I am mainly exercising everyday and most days it is the treadmill. I havent been to the pool in forever since it has been so beepin cold out!

Tomorrow is my first weigh day at the centre so wish me luck! I'll be around in the afternoon to let you know how things went

Patti~ WTG on the scales!
Catherine ~ Feel better!

Sorry I am out of time.
Time for exercise now before I start getting the meals ready for tonights dinner. Talk to you all soon.

Brenda

Brenda - Fingers are crossed!!!

Patti - Good for you! Glad it's going down!

Nancy - I do understand what you are saying. I may be off base a bit in my analogy here, but it sounds like you "settled" for a lot of things. You settled for being fat. You settled for a life of limitations. You settled on a nice guy who accepted those things because you didn't think you'd find anyone "better" or "different" who did. Not that he's not a good guy, but you had him and you didn't keep looking because he was a good fit at the time. But now that you've lost weight and realized how much you have missed, and that you don't have to settle for limitations and he isn't the "fit" he once was.

I did the same thing in many ways over the years. It isn't abnormal, really. I actually married my first husband because he asked. That was about the only reason, really. I didn't think anyone else would ever love me. At least you have come to this realization that your life may have moved on from him before you married and had children. And perhaps he can learn to "fit", but it will really be up to him.

Just wanted to report that I went to the gym again tonite, gosh it was such hard work, it really was, but I am loving the exercise and already can feel myself becoming fitter and firmer, its a great buzz! BUT its hard, can't pretend its easy!!

Nancy - yes I do know what u mean, I think that lots of things can change in life that change your perspective, like losing weight/ being seriously ill/ having kids etc and that then your partner can seem either redundant or not who u thought he/she was. However, I have also ended long term relationships for all the right reasons, but never completely sure on reflection that it was the right thing to do because after all EVERY relationship, even the good ones go thro periods of change and doubt and strain. So what I am trying to say is that yes he might have been the wrong one, but not necessarily and sometimes I think that moving on might actually be easier than staying put and working - not that I am saying u have not tried becos I know u have been thro a lot of soul searching and counselling. But as I get older I realise the answers are not simple and sometimes after time has elapsed you can lose things u wish you had kept.

I wish u all the luck in the world going through this period of upheaval and hope that it all turns out well.

Em xx

Nancy-I was exactly there. I had begun to dream about being in the wheelchair. I knew that I would never been different. I had completely accepted my life just the way it was. I had no friends who weren’t toxic. I estranged myself from everyone who had ever been important to me. Then one day, I just woke up with hope. I not only thought things could be different, I knew if would be. That finally allowed me to start getting healthy. I also found a man who didn’t care what I looked like and would love me no matter what, but the difference is that he also wants me to be a healthy as I can be. You have to find someone who wants you to be as healthy and happy as you are capable of being.