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!!!

Well, I have no idea how to open a thread, but I hope this will do.

NOTE: I read that we've lost everything from May 23rd, so I hope you ladies have better memories than I do!

Hi Everyone,

I'm glad you all liked my "Book Tour" idea. Well... MOST of you liked it. We still have time to convince Catherine that it is the best idea since sliced bread. (By the way, what was the best idea BEFORE sliced bread was invented?)

I hope you are all having a wonderful week and are looking forward to the weekend. It is Friday afternoon here (just a note to say I wrote this yesterday afternoon, but it’s Saturday morning now as 3FC was down last night) and I am all finished work for the week, which is wonderful. It was actually a short week, as we had a public holiday on Monday, which is my full teaching day, so I shouldn’t really be tired.

I have been pondering changing my hairstyle lately... just going through that ‘don’t know what I want to look like’ phase again. I have enjoyed having it longer and over to the side, but it had started to get in my way to much so I thought I wanted to get a fringe (bangs) again. Last night I got so bad that I was going to cut it myself, but I refrained. I spoke to a teacher this morning to ask for a parent’s number who I know is a hairdresser and the teacher told me that one of our Education Assistants is a qualified hairdresser, so after checking with her I took her my comb and scissors and she cut me a fringe then and there. I came home from school and trimmed a little more off as I wanted it a little thicker and she said that I could do it myself know if I wanted as I already had the line to work with. I posted a photo of it in the pics section. It isn’t really sitting properly, as I had already dried it over to the side, and the colour isn’t even as the streaks weren’t put in to cater for a fringe, but I still really like it. Some of the kids couldn’t work out what I had done. They knew I looked different all of a sudden, but weren’t too sure why. It was a spur of the moment decision, but I like it.

Annie – I truly hope that these people aren’t messing you around like your old company. They sounded so good when you first talked about them. Good luck with hearing from them soon.

Catherine – I certainly agree with you about the tiny portions in fancy restaurants. I have never eaten in one, because I like my food too much and there is NO way I could feel satisfied with what I’ve seen pics of in magazines of so-called ‘meals’ served in those places. I’ve been reading travel books for our trip later in the year and when I see that a restaurant charges over $60 or $80 per person I figure it is just a little too posh for me and I would end up with a pea on a plate – tastefully decorated of course, but a pea is still just a pea!

Sharon – Isn’t it hard when we have to try to make ourselves look wonderful on paper. I have never been good at that sort of thing. I’ve found it easier to ask other people to help, as they always think of things that I never think are ‘special’ because I do them every day, but they are actually unusual for some people to do. I am glad you were able to express on paper all of your great qualities.

Anne – I’ve been enviously reading about all of those gorgeous veggies you have been planting. I would love to have a veggie patch, but we don’t really have much of a ‘garden’. We have narrow garden beds that we mostly have filled with roses, but other than that we don’t really have much. I have often thought of seeing what veggies we could plant in some very large pots we have in the shed. I may have to look into that another time.

Julee – I am very sorry to hear about your hubby. My mother is diabetic and injects herself twice a day. Our family pretty much has adult-onset (Type II) diabetes on both sides, but Mum’s side is much more severe. That was one of the reasons I wanted to lose weight, because I figured I was pretty much a time-bomb just waiting to go off in that department. I hope you can find a way for him to control it with lifestyle changes (which I know you have already been doing) and that his next results are MUCH better.
When are you off to Las Vegas? I can’t wait to hear about what you do while you are there. I want lots of good ideas for our visit. From what I’ve heard you could easily spend a couple of days just checking out all of the casinos. We are staying on the strip, in a fairly central location, so it should be easy to get around hopefully.

Luan – You said you worked at Disneyland. We went there a few years ago, but only had one night (well, a couple of hours) and the next day. I felt as though we were rushing around all the time, trying to fit everything in. This time we are planning at least two days so we can relax a little. Do you have any suggestions that may not be ‘front and centre’ in touristy books for what we shouldn’t miss while we are there? We aren’t really into daredevil rides as hubby gets terrible motion sickness. Last time we had a lovely ride on the paddle steamer and we went on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride and one jungle one (can’t remember its name). I also had my photo taken with Winnie the Pooh and Mickey Mouse. I’m pathetic huh? We rushed through a couple of areas with stores that I think I would like to spend more time in. Are there any shows that you would recommend us seeing? Sorry to be picking your brains, but it is great to ‘talk’ to someone with an insider’s knowledge. I’m trying to organise things really early so I can work out when I’ll need hire cars etc.

DMPLS – I have my fingers crossed that you will get that job you interviewed for. They would be MAD not to want you, but I suppose we can’t guarantee the sanity of the people on the interview panel, so we’ll just have to wait and see how intelligent they are in making the right decision. I know that you are doing a wonderful job as an Education Assistant (I’m not sure what you are called over there), but I also know what a hard job it is, and you are DEFINITELY not paid enough for the job you do. Our school would fall apart completely without our EAs. In my teaching block we have a number of Special Needs EAs and I wouldn’t have their job if you paid me double my current salary. You must have the patience of a saint! I think the whole job is different now too. It used to be fairly basic, where you just followed someone else’s program and created resources as needed, but now our EAs seem to be almost designing specific learning programs for the student’s in their care. You almost need a teaching degree to be an EA now. In fact, over here they have just started to realise that I think. There is a new degree that has just been set up at a local University that allows EAs to get a teaching degree in one year. It is pretty full on, and they are still working full time while they get the degree, but we have three EAs at our school in the program at the moment. It is great that their previous education and experience counts for so much towards their teaching degree.

Kayley – I hope you had a wonderful birthday and you got spoilt, either with gifts or with people doing nice things for you.

Penny – I hope you get your home gym set up OK. I have my treadmill right in my lounge room, over to the side, but in front of the TV still, so I can watch TV while I walk. It doesn’t exactly look great, but we have very few visitors and those people who do visit know I have changed my lifestyle to include regular exercise, so they don’t even comment on it.

Well, I know I’ve missed people, but I want to get this up while 3FC is still working. I don’t like it when it goes down. I've also had to base my responses from memory, which is really not that good.

Take care all,

Zelma

Hey guys, I'm back, hope everyone else is soon. I got to go to the pool today finally. They practically had to evict me after class. I didn't want to leave. I stayed and did 500 crunches, and they thought I was going to drown. Book is still going good. We've gone over 800, and haven't even had the big book launch yet. I'm still getting strange comments. Strange from the perspective that I can't process them. The response has been unlike anything I thought would be possible, and it is overwhelming.

Hey - here we are!

Don't forget to update your ticker and 300 Biggest Loser numbers.

It has been strange to not see what's happening with everyone today.

Catherine - 800 - that is great! What are the projected sales numbers?

Hope you've spent the day - moving your bodies, drinking your water and SMILING.

Hugs,
Carol

Catherine - Congratulations on selling over 800 books already! And before the official launch. I can't wait to get it. I haven't ordered it yet because I simply haven't got my act together. I'll have to work out how much postage will be as well won't I? I'll have to read your message again. I really do have a hopeless memory!

Zelma

Hi All,

I was so weirded out when I logged on. lol. I had no idea what happened.

I started my job today!!! Finally. I am so glad to be working and I am thrilled that my hours will be 8-4 or 8-4:30 depending on if I want to take a lunch break or not. I choose the not because I can eat/drink etc. at my desk if I so choose. I love getting off work earlier rather than later. So far it seems okay. I think that I will do okay with it. Everyone has their own training methods and the trainer/boss that I have is, well, different. She knows I have never done collections/billing before but she has just thrown me right in. Maybe that will be the best way to do it. She had to leave early so I got to sit at my new desk/cubby area at the end of the day and read the employee manual. Mostly fluff off for about an hour or so until 4 p.m. came. You are not allowed to have over time so you have to clock out right at 4 p.m. which is cool with me.

I have to get back into the swing of going to bed early enough to wake up early enough to exercise before work. Planning, planning and more planning.

Well, It is a shame we lost everything but it is okay, we can pick up. I hope I didn't forget anything that I should be asking about.

Carol: Thank you for reminding me to post on biggest winner thing. What happened to everyone that was on there. I noticed that people weren't posting on there prior to the crash. Oh well, I guess people get excited to do things then kind of loose interest. lol.

Well, take care everyone.

Blessings,
Annie

Annie - I am THRILLED that you started your job already! I hope it continues to be great for you and you will be able to settle into a routine that balances out your work/home/exercise. I often work through my recess and lunch breaks, so I can understand you preferring to get off earlier. I just nibble and drink while I am working at those times anyway, so I would love to just miss them and finish an hour earlier, but I wouldn't imagine the kids would be too keen on that idea. LOL

Zelma

Wow, no 3fc all day!

We did, indeed, lose everything from the past 2 weeks with the huge server crash. But I decided that we will honor our missing week and there will forever be a "missing" week 1160.

I finished grading, finally. Tomorrow is graduation, but I'm already trying to get myself back on track. Today I had 2 events to attend and managed to avoid the "treat" foods at both. I don't need the temptation right now!

Annie -- Yay on the new job. I lost track -- which job is it??

Hey gals,

I'm just dropping in to say that I'm taking a little break. Not from the diet and exercise, but from posting (and probably reading). I can't quite pin it down, but I'm just feeling a little 'too much' lately with the diet stuff. I've got to find a balance somewhere, and I don't think sitting at the computer reading and writing about it all day is helping. With an always on connection I'm finding myself at the computer far too much recently. With the summer here I'm going to make an effort to stay away for a while. To try and get myself into doing other things, instead of just tying myself to the computer.

So, it's a self imposed break, maybe until the end of the month. I may or may not last that long, but we'll see. In the meantime I'll likely keep logging my daily food/exercise in my blog. The plan though is to not read or post for a bit. I will miss you ladies a lot, and I definitely will be back. Please do take care and keep up the great work.

One personal before I go - Annie - sounds like the new job started well. Best of luck with it!

wow I sure missed everyone today!!
I was kinda lost at times but i sure got alot of housework done.
Anne_ please take care and know you are missed .
catherine_ wow 800 books awesome!!
carol_ glad i had your email.LOL
annie_ congrads on starting the new job.
zelma- HI
heather_ glad school is over for you..
daughter is home from college for the night..so im going to go and enjoy my time with her!!
debi

WOW a whole day without 3FC! glad you all made it!

Zelma-your post almost made me cry! We do everything the teacher does....however it is her last call on lessons we create.....but I have initiated quite a few lessons for her and she uses them yearly. I wish they would do that here with the year course! I have looked into it, it is still a 4yr course......as well as 6mths of that being student teaching where I would not be able to work at the same time.

I still have yet to hear about the record clerk position and I would venture to say I may not get it. I am ok with that........just want to know so I can get on with life.
The teacher I work with has planned to stay in the classroom for the next two years while she is getting her masters and then she wants to move on.....something more into training teachers how to deal with special needs behaviors etc.....so I will stay in her classroom till she is done and then start looking again.

did really well with eating today.......need to get back into exercise......that is why I didn't lose last week and I'm a little worried about not losing this week as well!

Hope everyone has a good night
Bernice

Carol-I have no idea what the money totals are since I'm not receiving any of it. I think there are a bunch out that have been invoiced but not paid for yet. I know one of the checks that came in today was from the Legislative Assembly. Kind of like the Library of Congress for Alberta. An MLA, like a state senator bought one, and apparently the Assembly pays for it. Weird. The head of the Archdiocese office of family life came over today. He just finished reading it, and was raving about it. He's the one who is going to introduce me at the book launch here. I never really knew how this stuff worked before, and I'm starting to get really uncomfortable with the whole thing. I've got 100 books sitting here waiting for me to sign at the launch. I feel just on the edge of falling into a hole. I don't know what I expected, but I didn't expect this.

So I feel like I lost a week as well....boo.

Dgramie...all our convos are gone

Catherine...did I mention how much it meant to me that you signed the book?

Nothing major here...had a simply fabulous nail appointment with a spa pedi today. I was trying out a new place and I love it. Closer to my house, less money and better service. Now I have to break up with my old nail tech.

We have a good friend who is trying to help DH find a job. She is making a call for him this weekend and hopefully we can get some good results there. He needs a new setting so desperately. If we could afford for him to not work right now it would happen.

I'm doing some funky face mask and my face is now so tight I cannot move my mouth. Maybe it's time to take it off.

Goodnight ladies...