Fat Tuesday....says it all. I ate today...alot. I am back on the wagon now!!!

Debbie...we have a weight machine. It's gets. And I can definitely feel it in my muscles.

That's it for tonight...I am going to watch some political stuff tonight. Fun fun.

Take care and be well,
Angie

Hi Peeps - where has the day gone today. Seems like Tuesday and Thursday just fly by.

Rainbowsmiles - Welcome - this is a great bunch of people. There is so much support. Keep posting!

Kayley - you be careful out there. Hope you get the route you are interested in.

Thank you all for your encouragement as I continue to work to break this now 3 week plateau. I really think I'm not eating enough - today only 1100 calories - gotta figure this out.

Hey Peggy - great to see you - we miss your smiles.

RK - you too! Where ya been?

Hugs to you all - gotta run,
Carol

Rainbowsmiles, We're so happy to have you here. I read some of your post on the picture thread and now here. You really moved me and I'm just so glad you found your way here. There's alot of great info here. The main thing is to make this about you. It's your journey. We're all here for you. Just keep posting and stay involved here even when you don't feel like it.

Kayley, You're right. I'm sure that it does have alot to do with body types, metabolism, etc but there has to be an overall sorta basic type answer, I would think. Don't you? If I find out, I will definitely share.

Heather, I guess this would be a good question to ask the dietician or nutritionist. It would be interesting to find out.

Carol, I don't know if you watch The Biggest Loser, but the black team wasn't eating enough calories, and they weren't losing the weight. Jillian found out they weren't eating enough food, so they ate more this last week and they had great losses. Maybe you need to up them?

Ok, Im going to go and see if I can find an answer to my question. I'm sure there is something out there to let us all know
Debbie

Howdy all..just doing a quick stop by. I have been reading and will do personals tomorrow! I didn't ahve a great today..and have been out of exercising for a bit..blah blah blah..but was wondering if this has happened to yall..

ONE of my many evils is PLaiN M&M's. Literally they have helped in my weight gain....anyhow..The last say 3 times I have ate them..they literally taste NASTY to me! To the point that I don't even finish eating them!! anyone know what is going on??? Or has this happened to you with a certain "bad food" I keep thinking well maybe from being sick but I am not sick anymore. And this started before I got sick.

Anyone have the answer or idea let me know. While giving up them is not a bad idea..just weird that something can be such a big part of your life for so long..and then one day yucko!!

Nancy: I hope you have so much fun on your date!

CAtherine: Hugs to you on all that you are experiencing about your past my friend.

Kayley: I hope you get the route you are wanting.

Debbie: What an interesting question.

Rainbow: Welcome. I am looking forward to getting to know you much better.

I came home sick today after working for 4 hours. I managed to finish up the other 2 reports and meet with 4 clients. I was just feeling so darn poorly and still am. The flu bug finally hit me hard instead of just peeking in my life. I am pretty sure that I will stay home again tomorrow if I don't wake up feeling much, much better. I know it puts a strain on others in the office but, it surely can't be helped. I don't want to spread this flu around like wild fire nor do I want to continue to have it myself. I guess tomorrow will tell.

I just wanted to bring one other thing up that I heard this morning on the Early Show on CBS and I read it again in my local newspaper tonight. There is a lawmaker in Mississippi, I may be wrong on the state, but, he wrote a bill that is up for vote right now that restaurants can't serve obese people! I was so blown away that it is even being considered. Very interesting and also very telling that indeed being "fat" is truly a very exceptable form of exceptable predjudice. Just wondering if anyone else saw this little tidbit?

Blessings,
Annie

Annie it was on the news here too!!!! I was shocked, they sell cigarettes to people with coughs, which might indicate cancer or Emphasyma(sp?) so what's the difference? We need to eat to live, not smoke to live!!! GRRRR Anyway after I calmed down I thought about it, some people are in denial about their size but who is able to judge them? These people don't know how people get to huge sizes or WHY, sending them away is marginalising them, forcing them 'underground', which is worse! They stay home, ordering in, getting no exercise & getting even bigger. What should be done is SUPPORT Groups,education, menus with calorie/points/fat values shown on them and NO SUPERSIZES unless the customer ASKS!! Right that's my rant of the day done, lol!!!! Annie, I hope you are feeling better soon, those people who you help must love you as your sincerity & warmth (wanting to give them your foodxxxxx) shows through. xxxxxxxx
I go to my parent's house today after dinner, until Sunday, it's my bithday on Friday, I'm getting old, sob....43 I'm sorry I've not been posting or done personals, I read them but at the mo I'm really down, I think meds might be in order. I'm trying a self-help book before resorting to tablets only time will see, my diet has suffered too, weight is up, the 25+lbs I lost lst year are almost all back on...Anyway hugs to you all!!
WELCOME rainbowsmiles, you'll get all the support & hugs you'll ever need here!!xxxxxps thanks for your kind words about the pictures, it made my day!xxxx
xxxxxsharon

Good morning Peeps - hope everyone is doing well this morning. Especially dear Annie - hope you take a little more time to feel better. Hugs my friend.

Sharon - enjoy your time away from home. It's so good to see you - I miss you when you aren't around.

Debbie - I know you are right about adding more calories - I did eat more protein last night with dinner than normal because it seemed I was eating too much of my food in carbs - this is such a weird feeling - needing to eat more when I'm not hungry. My calorie burning calculations were about 550 from exercise yesterday. That in combination with low calories is probably really sending my metabolism into a tailspin.

Time to head out - schools are closed again today due to snow - roads will be a little tricky.

Move your bodies, drink your water and SMILE.

Hugs to everyone,
Carol

Going to try and do personals. It is so friggin cold here this morning. UGH I hate it.

Annie: no I did not hear that one the news!! OMG!! Can they do that? Pass a bill to not serve obese people?? Good grief! Also sorry to hear you are sick!! Get better soon.

Rainbowsmiles: WelcOme to the group! You’re going to love it here. Everyone is so interesting and so inspirational!!!

Debbie: I don’t know the answer to that question but would love to know!! Will keep watching to see if anyone finds out. My guess is it is a lot faster then we think.

Kayley: Be careful wrestling those kids..I remember when my kids were smaller..lots of exercise..maybe that is why I was thinner..hummm

Catherine: Sorry your new reading is boring!

Torister: Glad to see you back posting. I hear you about the sick of winter..lol..although we don’t get snow where I am the cold is making me sick..literaly. I am ready to put my shorts on!!

Tina: Good for standing your ground on the 1 snack. My teens get home about 30 min before hubby does and by the time he gets home the kitchen looks like a tornado went through it. So we have made some adjustments, trying to get them to get a healthy snack and not a full course meal. But they are “starving” by the time they get home as well.

Moosegirl: sorry to hear your grandma is in the hospital. Your in my prayers. WOW you fixed your laptop yourself?? COOL I would just sit at the curb and cry hehe

Well later all, working is calling me. I hate when it does that.

It is VERY true! The guy is an idiot (IMHO). Talk about discrimination! I saw an interview with him and the interviewer said "Do you realize that if this bill cited color rather than weight as a reason to not serve someone at a restaurant, there would be major repurcussions?" Of course I am typing as I remember, but something like that. The man just didn't get it and would not LOOK at the person interviewing him! What a jerk! It will not ever happen.

The LAST thing I want is the GOVERNMENT telling me how and where to eat! Ridiculous. LOL...don't get me going!

Anyway..we had a "Fat Tuesday" potluck here at work and I did have more calories than my typical day, but thats what happens sometimes and in the past (and not so distant past!) I would let the one meal become a week or two weeks or a month! However, I was right back OP at dinner and this AM.

Have a great day everyone!

Sharon: So sorry that you are struggling right now. I hope that you are able to start feeling better really soon. Maybe if you start to exercise more you will start feeling better. I know that when I ramp up my exercises I feel better pretty quickly. Hugs and Happy Birthday if I forget to tell you later.

Carol: have a super great op day!

cyn: have a great day.

Peggy: Good job getting back op.

Well, I'm home sick and getting ready to head out to the Dr. When I called in sick one of my co-workers reminded me that late last week a client came in with strep throat so, I better go to the Dr and get it checked out. I have a fever and white looking stuff on the back of my throat. I hope she is wrong but I can deal with it. I hope you all have a great day and stay op and drink water.

Blessings all,
Annie

Annie - I got the impression it was done to make a point, not a law. One of the sponsors of the bill even admitted that he might not get served if the bill passed (ie. his BMI might be too high). I suspect it was done in response to a report that called Mississippi the fattest state.

There are so many things they could do, but they do this in response.

1) make gym memberships tax deductible, including time with personal trainers. I'm assuming that like Canada, the states collect taxes, as well as federal taxes. So the states could offer a tax break to those joining a gym.

2) standardize nutrition labelling. I'm looking at a couple of different snack items I have here and one labels for 50g, one for 20g, and one for 14g. For people in the US, 14g is half an ounce. Although that specific product is light it makes comparisons harder. The 50g ones are not sold as diet products (although the pita chips are baked, the tostidos are whole wheat). Most are lower in fat %, but not all. The crispers are the closest in fat content and calories, but I seem to be able to eat just an ounce of them. I can't do the same for the chips. However, for those that can measure out and just eat an ounce, the cost of the diet foods might not be worth it. I added the information for an ounce of all from my Fitday as an attachment.

3) have restaurants provide nutrition information, for all items, on their menu. Not hidden away on a website, although this should be a minimum requirement. My calorie allotment for the day is up to 2000, so I might choose the 800 cal entree, instead of the 500 calorie grilled chicken plate. Let me decide what I want, not the restaurant by only providing info on 4 or 5 items. As it happens I tend to chose what I want when I eat out, simply removing the potato/chips/starch.

4) fine manufacturers who play with serving sizes so they call call their products fat free, or calorie free. My canola oil spray is 10 cals per second, but I know that some put a serving size as 1/3 of a second so they can put zero cals on the label. It kind on links in with #2, but slightly different.

5) early education on nutrition and cooking, for both genders

6) free visits to nutritionists (in Canada, doctor visits are free, but nutritionists visits are not).

I remember being really annoyed when a friend of mine visited her doctor and he proclaimed her obese. She was about 5 pounds into the obese range (depending which chart you used, some would say she was not). I know it was meant to shock her into doing something, but no real guidance was offered. She was sent home with a mandate to lose at least 30 lbs. Yes, 30 pounds would take her to the high side of an acceptable BMI. This really bugs me, at 150 she was obese, but at 120 she was okay. (She's 4'11", I remember checking it at the time.)

She was borderline broke (working for us as a temp), not really able to afford the nutritionist visit (which wasn't even suggested). Myself and another coworker helped her evaluate what she was eating (it was truly bad - donuts for breakfast, takeout lunch with fries usually, 2-3 cans of pop, and a sandwich and brownies for dinner). We switched her off pop, added some fruits and vegetables, and found her better breakfast and lunch alternatives. She dropped about 10 pounds in a month without changing her exercise level (working in a job that gave her a fair bit anyway). I don't think she ever finished losing the 30 (I left before she got there), but probably ended up losing 25.

Wow, that was too much ranting about a joke bill. From the looks of the three sponsors, I suspect none of them plan to run for re-election. That's probably a good thing.

Ooops - the attachment wasn't readable, so I added it to my Flickr page. You can view it here: Snack Foods

I finally got some sleep last night. That can sure make your outlook on life different. On my kindergarten report card the teacher wrote, "a very bright child, but tends to worry about things she shouldn't." She was a great teacher, and really hit the nail on the head. I've made a new life for myself here in Canada, and I do not need to live in the past anymore. Writing the book was a catharsis, but publishing it would expose myself to stuff that I don't need to. Just re-reading it for the editor put me into days of flashbacks and nightmares that I didn't need. I think I'm going to let it go, and turn my attention to my schoolwork, and a murder mystery that I've been working on, instead. I think I have decided to give up punishing myself for Lent.

Thank you all for such a kind welcome. I have been reading like crazy the threads of various sites…the 40 something, the 300+ threads…and wow….its like I already have a group of friends to chat with!

Hi Realist…good fro you to get right back on the wagon! We all slip from time to time…it’s the long haul…the steady little by little that one day will add up and get you to your end goal…keep up the good work!

Hi Carol…great pic of you in your avatar. GREAT smile! Congrats on your 31 pounds weight loss. That is fantastic. As far as your plateau goes…I think 1100 calories is not enough to keep your metabolism working at optimum level. I am new to the weight loss effort…but from what I have read, for someone that weights over 200 pounds, we should not eat less than 1300-1400 calories a day. I researched the Mayo Clinic website because I am only interested in losing safely and successfully, no fad diets, or pills, etc. I do know that if you hit a plateau you have to bump up your exercise routine. Not necessarily in the length, but in the intensity. I read that if you increase your intensity in 10 second spurts every 5 mins, you increase the rate of burn. For example, if you jog, or walk, then every 4-5 mins, add a 10 second sprint that jump starts your heart into pumping faster. Makes sense to me. Maybe it can help you. Also, I read that if you drink cold water, your body absorbs it faster, and that if you drink a large ice cold glass of water prior to beginning your morning, that it can lower your body internal temperature and that your body then has to turn up the metabolism in order to warm your body back to normal. Like I said, I am NO expert, these are just a few tidbits I read and have been using. Good luck with getting off your plateau. The main thing is to hang in there. It will happen. YOU CAN DO IT!

Hello Debbie…Thank you for the welcome. I look forward to getting to know you more as well. I think this is an awesome tool for anyone needing to lose weight and wanting to get healthy. It’s funny that you said for me to make this about “me.” I know this will sound crazy but for years, as a parent of 4 children, and a foster parent of 12 years to many others…and spending time volunteering either at schools, or the nursing home, or the rape crisis center, or the children’s shelter…I equated my “worth” with “do-ing.” I never really took time for me. Now, my children are grown, and here I am 350 pounds! You are so right….this time it has to be about me. I used to think that was selfish thinking. I didn’t have the right to think about me when there were so many others to think about. Now…I know it is my own personal journey. No one can get me there except me. However, God has blessed me with knowledge and friendship and now online support that I know will be the key to success. I read here where someone said, I can’t lose 100 pounds…but I can lose 10 pounds 10 times. Well…that is so true. Keeping true to that philosophy…I can’t do this alone. But I can do this with at least one friend…and even better with 10! How blessed I am to have found YOU, my friend. I am so proud of your 54 pound weight loss. Keep it up…I’m coming to catch you!

Hi Cyn….I hear you about the M&M’s. It must be psychological. Maybe when we become committed to the cause, our brains have a way of letting our desires change to accommodate the better food choices. I rarely ate vegetables before I started my Nutritional Take In. I didn’t like many of them and the ones I did love were the starchy ones, like corn and potatoes! So, I just started one day, trying various recipes of veggies I had never even cooked before. Little by little, my tastes changed. Now, veggies are one of my favorite foods. Especially when roasted in the oven. Maybe you are just realizing that eating M&M’s is just not what you want to do anymore. Either way, I cay Congrats on you for your success in not eating them anymore! WTG! Congrats on your weight loss too. Keep going gf, we can do this!

Dear Annie…I am sending you blessings that you might feel better from your flu. It is never easy being sick, however, when you are on a nutritional take in, being sick just makes it more difficult. Not having enough energy zaps even the best efforts. I hope you feel better soon. I am thankful for this site and for the thread you have started. It’s great to have people to talk with. I too was a bit upset about that crazy pending law.

Voodoo… Happy, Happy Birthday to YOU. Woohoo 43 is YOUNG gf! You made some excellent points regarding that crazy Mississippi pending law. Your comments made me really think. Imagine overweight people staying “in” even more because of this. It’s a vicious cycle being overweight is. Feeling like an outcast sometimes has reverse effects. I have always said that change comes in one of three ways. REAL change comes either by Inspiration….Desperation…or a combination of the two. Either as a person in a particular situation, one becomes inspired that someone else achieved a level of success that makes you think, hey, if they can do it, I can do it…or, you just reach your personal “bottom.” Knowing that there is no other way but up. Or, you reach bottom and by the grace of God, you find the inspiration that you need just at the right time and change becomes not only a necessity but a yearning and a sincere desire. That is what happened to me. At 350 pounds, I simply said NO MORE. I was desperate. I knew I had to make a change and I did. But after a short month, was feeling isolated and I just seemed to be running low on motivation. THEN I FOUND ALL OF YOU!! Now…I have the inspiration that I need. YOU all motivate me and if YOU can do it…I will do my best to try as hard as all of you and do it to! Together we CAN. WE WILL.

Moosegirl…I am so impressed that you fixed your computer yourself. That is awesome! I wish I could do things like that. I’m sorry to hear about your grandmother. I pray that healing will come her way. Congrats on your 51 pound weight loss. As I scroll through all these threads and read of all the success that everyone is having, I know it must be attributed to the friendship developed here and the constant 24 hour support. I love this site! Keep up the good work Moosegirl.

Peggy…wow you have lost over 100 pounds. FANTASTIC! You lost over 100 pounds in less than a year! WOW, that does encourage and inspire me tremendously. Please share more of your journey and what worked for you with me. I need all the help I can get.

Hi Anne,
I love all your suggestions regarding what state officials might offer for those needing assistance with weight loss efforts. Why not write a proposal and send it to some of our government officials! They could take some lessons from you. I can’t even fathom a doctor telling someone that weighed 150 pounds that they were even remotely considered obese. I can’t imagine what he would have told me at 350 pounds. Congrats on your 72 pound weight loss. WOW, I just keep reading more and more success stories and feel much stronger now knowing that all of you are here. We can lean on each other. Thanks for posting here.

Catherine…what book?? Tell me more. Are you writing a book about your weight loss? Losing 212 pounds is absolutely astonishing. I am so very proud of you. If your book wasn’t about your personal journey, you should write one. It might be painful for you, but imagine the countless others it would help and inspire. I would be first in line to buy a copy. Tell me more!

Hi Tina, Congrats on your 17 pound weight loss. I know that must make you happy. My children are now grown and I have forgotten how hard it can be when you must divide your time between all the kids and household things, and then trying to focus on yourself and what you are eating and then trying to keep everyone else happy too. WOW…you are like a supermom so keep up the great work. Snack time will come easier. Don’t stop writing down your food items in your journal. In time it should prove to be your salvation! I look back over mine everyday. I can find those good days, and those not so good days and do side by side comparisons and that has made all the difference in the world. Keep journaling!

Hi toofat….thank you for the welcome. Don’t focus on the week you had…instead focus on those amazing 72 pounds you have lost!! WOW that is incredible. GREAT job! Keep it up… YOU can do it!

Hello Kitten….OMG…I just keep seeing more and more successes in this chat thread…118 pounds!! 118 freaking fat pounds you have lost! Now, you have lost more than you need to lose. That must feel awesome. I am very proud of YOU. I can’t wait until I can say hey guess what, I have lost 100 pounds! Yipeeee…it must feel WONDERFUL! Keep up the awesome job.

Hi Nancy…How are you today? Congrats on your weight loss. I can’t imagine how I will feel once I lose 100 pounds. I bet everyday simple things like walking up stairs or fitting into booths or movie seats just feels awesome. I can’t wait to just wear out a pair of jeans in the butt, or the legs or the knees or anywhere except the inner thigh area! I loved your before and after pics…I left you comments in the +300 pic thread. Be sure to let us all know about your trip to the Opera. What are you going to see?
Cheeriooo

Hi Kayley…I hope you are having an awesome day today! I just love technology. Its amazing to be able to sit here and “chat” with people from all over the world! This is a fabulous place to come for encouragement and support.

Thank you all and sorry this was so long. It may take me some time to get to know all of your names…
Peace my friends
rainbowsmiles

yes i heard about that stupid attempt to pass that bill.. wonder what moran thought that up?

The Mississippi bill will never pass. The co-author claims (and yeah he is a moron and no I am not defending him) that he wanted to bring to light the severity of the obseity problem in Mississippi. Let's also remember that Mississippi also has an education problem as well....so many better ways to bring something to light...attemoting to create a law that is a direct violation of people's civil liberties and screams discrimination isn't the way.

Bad foods...When I was doing so well on WW the first time...and had lost about 40 lbs. I ate a bowl of Froot Loops one night. I thought I was going to die from all the sugar and processed carbs. At first they tasted and smelled so heavenly...and then regret set in...hardcore. We all go through changes like that...where we can lose our appetite for certain things and heve them become distasteful to us.

How long does the weight take to show up...Obviously if you weight yourself immediately after eating or drinking you're going to see a spike. I've always been a believer (and this is MY belief) that weighing myself daily was going to drive me mental and was going to lead to me not being able to lose anything. By weighing yourself weekly, you're getting a much truer picture of what you're doing, because what you get is the average of the week at that moment. Some people choose to weight-in daily (and I am NOT knocking them for it) but it's not the most accurate picture unless you do everything the same every day...food, water, excercise, clothing, etc. Toss TOM into the mix and you then get a full week of totally skewed results when you did absolutely nothing wrong. The weather changes and like that...we can go up or down really rapidly.

I am sure that some scientist out there has a formula that can tell you how long it takes for the bagel and cream cheese to appear on your left thigh...based on metabloism, fat, fiber, calories, zodiac sign, magic beans and some other type of voodoo...but bear in mind...if your sole focus is on what you can't have, then you're not seeing the journey, you're just locked into the sadness of the moment.

"2 men looked out of prison bars...one saw mud, the other saw stars."

Where is your focus today? On the process or the product? Weight loss (or any other significant change) that is done for the primary purpose of achieving one singular goal or reaching one event is less likely to be permanent and long-lasting.