We are a group of individuals who weigh or have weighed 300+, or near there. This group was formed to provide a place for others like us to find support and hope. We are aware of the distinct problems that come with weighing over 300 lbs.
We want to invite everyone (roosters as well as chicks!) to join us in our journey. We share laughter and tears, heartaches and fears ... joys and celebrations. We also share what works for us and what doesn't.
We know the thread can move very quickly, and that people often make "personal" remarks and keep a number of conversations going. Please feel free to contribute even if you can't make personal comments all the time.
Finally, we also have several extra threads going on simutaneously such as Monthly Challenges, Weekly Weigh-ins, Recipes, Bios, Photos, Exercise, Info for Getting Started and more. Many of these threads are stickied at the top of the page. Please feel free to check them all out.
We have found this thread to be more than just a support group... we have found it to become a home. We invite you to join us.
I know you'll all agree that we are really thankful for the free services here at 3FC. The sisters offer all of this support and information with no charges to us. There are a couple of ways though that we can help out.
If you are thinking about buying anything at Amazon, why not help out 3FC at the same time? You can do this by clicking on the button for the Amazon "store" in the upper right hand corner of the screen on the PURPLE tool bar. A portion of your purchase price will be given to 3FC by Amazon. It doesn't increase your price at all, but it does help out 3FC. You can use any of the Amazon.com links that you see on the site in order to help contribute to the site.
Also, BTW, in case you didn't know it, you can view the message boards "ad free" for a minimal charge. I think it's $15 for 6 months. A very small investment to be rid of the annoying ads and make your pages load quicker.
There have been some concerns expressed by the powers that be about copyright infringement. So please, if you are directly quoting someone else or printing an article in whole or in part, please give credit where credit is due!!!!
Hello ladies - well just to report I lost 0.25 of a pound!! lol WAHOO!! After a week of vigorous exercise etc! So was dissapointed but also had eaten a salty meal yesterday so we shall see how it goes by next week. I am not weighing again now, am packing scales away so no temptation to hop on them. Really enjoying the exercise I am doing but do find it hard to cut down on food cos I like just being relaxed about eating....
Good morning ladies, and no I haven’t been to the doctor yet. It’s a provincial holiday today, so doctor isn’t in. Today is the day that my husband’s Order of Canada is supposed to be released to the press. If he brings anymore reporters into this house, I’m going to short sheet his half of the bed. He’s 6’5”, so that would actually be quite funny. He once gave me two hours notice before bringing in national CBC (Canadian CNN) cameras into our living room. They stayed for 3 hours. I literally had to insist that they leave. It was the reporters last day before holiday, and I think he was avoiding the office for fear they’d assign him something else to do. I had my apron on, and went into the living room and in my best Scarlet O’Hara voice told them that they were interfering with my house work and to skedaddle. It was the middle of summer, actually quite hot here what with global warming and all, and it’s not like we have air conditioning in our igloo, so those lights were really heating the house up. Himself is pacing and nervous and excited all at the same time. I’m keeping my rhino tranq gun handy incase he gets too worked up.
I found a great little article in Check Up magazine. It got my attention because it started with an intro of, “STAGGERING… For me there is no other word to describe the overwhelming failure rate of people endeavoring to shed pounds. For many, it has been a repeated journey of frustration and feelings of guilt, with an often irreparable blow to the self-esteem. It doesn’t have to be this way. This is where I used to break into a well-intentioned ‘how-to’ lecture about the virtues of regular exercise, and reasonably reducing empty calories whilst eating vegetables, whole grains, fruits, beans, seeds, and nuts, and drinking plenty of water. I have since learned that although that information is important, it is infinitely more important to teach people how to mindfully act on the information given. Carrying out healthy behaviours is dependant on adopting and maintaining the right mindset.” I thought this guy really gets it, so I’m going to be posting from his article this week on An INSIDE-OUT approach to Health and Fat Loss, by Mike Howard.
First is Inside-Out vs. Outside-In thinking. When “we focus exclusively on outcomes; we place a great deal of importance on aesthetics; we are overly reliant on outside means to accomplish goals; and we are influenced largely by standards set by people other than ourselves. ‘Outside-In’ thinking uses extrinsic motivation as the driving force behind actions….driven by outcomes – weight loss would be a good example of an extrinsic reward. While this ‘dangling carrot’ approach may work in the short-term, it will almost assuredly fail people in the long run, as evidenced by the high drop-out rates….joy and innate passion for the process are lost, and consequently, so are opportunities to grow as individuals. ‘Inside-Out’ thinking, by comparison takes a deeper, more internally-based approach that allows us to tap into our most profound emotions and core values. Intrinsic motivation entails doing something for its own sake – for the enjoyment you derive from it. ‘Inside-Out’ thinkers tend to view life through a different set of goggles. They see life not as a function of their circumstances, but rather as a function of how they deal with the circumstances they are dealt. Adopting and cultivating ‘inside-out’ thinking patterns takes time, effort and persistence; and involves finding your inner athlete, discovering ‘flow’, reframing success, and merging healthy habits into all aspects of your life.” Tomorrow we will discuss, “Finding Your Inner Athlete.”
Emily.... a quarter pound is still a move in the right direction! And I know what you mean about putting the scales away. I put them infront of the TV because I tend to snack while watching the TV, but I tend to hop on them all the time, and the fluctuations in weight make me crazy! I have planned on weighing on Monday AM only, so I will see if I can control myself!
Catherine....I like what you said about "mindfully acting"...I plow through this new way of eating sometimes with out thinking being mindful of my actions, thoughts, and deeds.....thanks for the post!
I survived opening weekend of my play....and it was a great success! Lots of parties, lots of food, but I stayed on track! We have one more weekend of this play and then I go into rehearsals for another. I was just asked to direct yet another, so I will be crazy busy! No time to eat! DH isn't a theater person, so he accepts it, but resents it, a little stressful, but it has been my passion since I was a teenager, so it was part of the package when he married me (as was his poker games when I married him!), so with my DH, 2 kids, part time job, and the small business I own (I make cheesecakes!!!) I am going to have a busy year! Who has time to eat????!!!!LOL!!!!!
I am going to a dinner party tonight and she is making pasta. I sure hope there is salad! I don't eat carbs, I don't want to be rude, so here's hoping for a successful night!
Just did another hour in the gym!! it was tiring but I feel happy its another day done, and also I finished one of my essays so thats good news - happy monday to y'all
Just thought I'd quickly post that I'm doing the 20lb down by Easter challenge in the Chicks on a Challenge forum, in case anyone else was interested. That leaves us with 46 days (i think) to do that, and I know we can all do it!!!
Is anyone giving anything up for lent? I think I'm giving up cheese
BTW its excellent to hear about everyone's progress, keep up the excellent work everyone.
*slinks in* so i have been TOTALLY MIA. for that i am sorry. my computer crashed and i have been waiting for my new one to arrive. i have not been to weigh in. i havent been doing much of anything.
*sigh* so i think im gonna get a gazelle and cancel my gym membership, any thoughts?
chimichanga-I'm not giving up something for Lent, I'm adding something. I'm going to use the bike everyday even if only for 10 minutes. By the end of Lent, I will be ready for the Tour de France.
Hey Girl!! I'm sorry i didn't reply to your last personal, been insanely busy and also not knowing what else to say..... anyway... sorry homie.
HAHA you are a funny girl. Maybe we can do the tour de france together??! That is a great lent idea, maybe I should add 10min on the bike everyday too!! Still have a day to think about it / pike out of doing it
princess puffy pants- glad ur back! I personally would not recommend doing that, as the gym provides like a huge range of different body motions (that you should alternate between) rather that the gazelle which pretty much only goes a certain way, eh. Also I get bored pretty fast on one piece of equipment, but if you can do it, hey go for it.
Emily: Way to go on all the exercise! Congrats on loosing .25. Way better than gaining .25! Good job.
Catherine: I can't wait to see what you will put about finding your inner athlete. I kind of feel like I am refinding the part of me that enjoys moving my body and being athletic. Have fun with the biking you will be adding. When I started it back on December 4th I could only do 5 minutes so I am all for starting slow and building up. It has really helped me to not dispise my bike riding.
Jane: Glad the play was a success along with your eating during it. Way to go. Have fun with the next one too.
Chimichonga: When I was growing up I was Catholic and when my mom used to ask us what we are giving up for lent I always thought I should give up veggies. Sigh, I wasn't allowed to give up veggies. lol. I am not Catholic now but still a Christian. What a wonderful thing to do once again, giving something up for lent. I may just pray about it and see if there is something that the Lord moves on my heart to give up.
Luan: Soooo happy to see you back. I think any exercise you will do is what you should do. If you aren't using your gym membership why waste the money. Put it towards something that you will do! JMO. lol. Glad to see you sweetie.
Hey all! I know I've been scarce this weekend. I was busy buying, rearranging my house to fit and assembling my new Bowflex! I'm very happy to announce that it is in one piece, with none left over, and ready to use. In fact, it saw a bit of use last night, but I think the assembly was part of the work-out! It took DH and myself about 2 - 2 1/2 hours to get it together. Then we played on it a bit. I think I'm going to really like it.
Luan, good to see you! The secret to home exercise equipment is to use it. IF you use it, not a bad idea. We paid $43.00 per month for the Y for years and almost never went. When we did go we had to stand around waiting for the treadmills, waiting for the ellipticals, waiting for the weight machines. We bought the elliptical and it sat unused for several months, until I finally buckled down and started using it. Now I use it six days a week and actually wish I'd bought a higher-quality/more expensive one. That's also why we bought the Bowflex. I need to add strength-training and after a lot of research decided it was what we needed. It was expensive. We could go to the gym for 18 months for the price of the stupid thing...but if we actually USE it, we think it's money well spent. I know some people just don't work out at home. They watch TV or have a hundred other distractions and for them going to the gym is best. A Gazelle is way less expensive than what we bought, so the investment isn't so much of a risk. But it's going to boil down to whether you use it just the same.
Sorry for no more replies ladies! I'm at work and got nothing office-related done over the weekend so I better skedaddle!
Glad you got your bowflex and it is all put together. Tell me how you like it. I really want one. I am going to have to do some serious re-arranging in my house lol. I want to add strength training too.
Part Two of Mike Howard’s “An INSIDE-OUT Approach to Health and Fat Loss” from Check Up magazine.
“Finding Your Inner Athlete. As human beings, we are hard-wired for physical activity. Despite how far removed you may feel from this truth, it is fundamental to understand that moving regularly brings you closer to who you are meant to be….Exercise vision is both seeing yourself as an exerciser, and knowing how you want exercise to make you feel….if you don’t have a strong vision of the self you want to be, your behaviour will not change….Increased Awareness + Clarity of how you want to feel = More frequent exercise….Using Imagery to Tap into Your ‘Inner Athlete’
1. First thing in the Morning: Think about the possibilities for movement and healthy eating. Mentally plan when, where and how you are going to accomplish this. Think about how good it will fell when you get to do it.
2. During Exercise: Connect a sense of joy to the activity. Think about how your abilities are developing, and picture the stress melting away with the sweat. Observe your environment – what aspects of it invoke positive emotions.
3. After Exercise: Reflect on the session and bask in the feeling of accomplishment. What went well? How did it feel? Did you reach your goal? How can you improve upon your experience in the next session?
4. Before Bed: A time for reflection and preparation. Observe (without judgment) how your day went. If you didn’t fulfill your daily activity goal – it’s okay. Think about what you can do the next day to follow through with your plan. Prepare your mind for the following day and think of the world of opportunities that awaits you.”
Tomorrow will be on achieving flow in your exercise habits.
300+ and Ready to Try Again Weekly Thread (#1094)
It took DH and myself about 2 - 2 1/2 hours to get it together. Then we played on it a bit. I think I'm going to really like it. 
