Good Morning!
It feels so good to be back. What a busy weekend. For the newbies you may have wondered about my "Just posting" comments. I've made a comittment to post everyday and some days that is all I do when life is crazy.
sugar2go none of us are lazy or dumb including you. We struggle and have challenges. Once you spend more time with us you will not feel so alone. I too was afraid to go to the gym but decided what the heck and went. Even the skinny minnies were so supportive. Everyone no matter their size or age is just trying to be healthy. We bought our own treadmill when the gym cost doubled but it did teach me to just do it and not worry about the other guy. Post often and soon you will have a whole group of friends from around the world!
Terra I can not comprehend how warm it is by you! My furnace is still running! Today I was reading an inspiration email about the tortoise and the hare and I thought of you quietly and slowly BUT steadily dropping the pounds. I need you to keep posting to remind me this is not a race but a journey and to just keep putting one foot in front of the other. Thank you!
Restless I bet Killer loves your mink blanket! I too am an all or nothing girl. I gotta work on moderation.
Larry I've got you and your wife in my prayers. Thanks for taking the time to post.
Fi please take care of yourself during this stressful time. I am so glad you are still posting. I will miss you on the tough love thread. You brought wisdom and kindness. I know that as you work On BERP the weight will come off. As we shed our too much of anything it ends up shedding our too much weight.
Sam that PCOS sure gives you a lot to think about! I'm glad you are such a strong and smart young lady! Plus your positive attitude will always help. Good luck. Yipee on the weight loss!
Betsy I got a good chuckle out of your menu. All the classic comfort foods. You are such a good auntie-mom. I was just thinking the same exact thought about family style meals today. I just can not stop. It is like holding my breath for an hour. I can not do it YET.
Atalanta there is a calorie counters section on the main page? of 3 Fat Chicks. They have a lot going on over there. But, please stick with us also. One can never have too much support.
Silent thabk you for having some nerdy fun! Betsy and I are so in on that! I live in a small town also. I heard we were out dancing too! As for your cilantro, when it is in season I grind it up and freeeze it in lime juice or olive oil depending on what recipes I may want. You can make it in ice cube trays and then put in a freezer bag and take out how much you need.
Dany try to make your weightloss about committment not motivation.
As for me, my weight stayed the same this week. My house is looking well not so good. Time to get my butt in gear.
Silent just saw your post. Hang in there and post often that is when you do your best. What is going on with the snacking? Social time, bored, tired???

Betsy & silent— Have either of you tried that slow belly-breathing exercise I described? It really works! And there's solid evidence, based on brain scans, that it activates the "executive control" portion of your brain (right behind your forehead), the part in charge of willpower. If you're anticipating a meal, an evening, whatever, where you may be tempted to overeat or eat unhealthy things, take 10-15 minutes beforehand to do that exercise. If you (or anyone else) need me to describe it again, I'd be happy to do so.

sugar2go— I love the explanation of your name: that's sweet. I adore women who are big-mouthed, strong, & self-confident, especially when they're large! I hope you'll join us in posting every single day. That's the best thing you can do right now to keep yourself on track and feel less lonely on your weight-loss journey. If you think you don't have anything to say, write about what's going on in your life, your past, your background, your history of emotional eating, anything at all. I have another question for you, if you don't mind: are you German, or did you move to Germany from somewhere else? If the latter, where are you from?

I'm busy with the BERP today! Weeks of this yet ahead of me....

Good morning all. I'm in a can-do mood/attitude today which is great -- love it when I feel this way and have to admit that it's happening more frequently......I know it's tied in with the days getting longer.

Fi Yes, I've tried the belly breathing exercise, but it's almost impossible to take 15 minutes right before eating when one is the cook and trying to get a meal on the table. Also, I fell asleep the last time I did it. :o I need to work on awareness and I'm getting there. Good luck with BERP today. Just read your post about your mother -- so sorry that your family is going through this. Alzheimer's is such a devastating disease, but it sounds as though she's getting excellent care. Glad you and your sister made up, too.
Ubee Had a duh moment this morning and realized that I do much better when I dish everything up and take my plate to the table. So, I've decided that even if I am serving family style which is whenever the boys and their families are here that I'll do my plate and that's it! I watch Bill limit his portions because a) he's diabetic and has to and b) has the will power that I covet. We can do this. Actually, I'd like to put up a screen on the table with me sectioned off so I can talk to everyone but can't reach the food. We should go into business making them!
SilentArctic We all go up and down. Do you do a graph that shows your weight loss over a period of time. I remember reading on another thread that it's a very up and down line if looking at just a few days, but if looking at the trend over months that it's usually a steady downward trend. I'm big on visuals so maybe I need to start graphing.
Sugar2Go One of the best things about 3FC is that you'll find that you're not alone in what you're feeling. Everyone who has weight challenges share a lot of the same problems. And knowing that I'm not alone in being an emotional eater, too, or having trouble with portion control or lacking in will power has actually led to liking myself a whole lot more. And that has helped with eating better and sticking with this even if I've been maintaining for almost a year. Stick with us and like Ubee said, you'll soon have friends all over the world.
Terra Weather on the western side of the Cascades is very, very moderate with a temperature range of between 40-80 most of the time. Summers here are absolutely glorious and there are not very many bugs. The rest of the year it rains. Still gorgeous country, but it's taken me about 5 years to adapt to the short days and rain. Hope you get your walks in before it gets too hot.
Restless Just plunge in and let us know how your day is going. Pretty soon you'll get to know all of us and feel like you've been here forever. So glad you joined this thread.
Larry You are going through so much right now and to have your body temperature go that low is definitely something to be concerned about. Thank you so much for taking the time to post and please do let us know how things are going for you. We care about each other here.
Sam Sounds like a busy, but fun weekend for you. It's so neat that you do your meal planning/prep for the week on Sunday -- that would definitely help with staying on plan for those who are still working. Shopping is always fun, and Goodwill has some great buys.

I'd better get it in gear. I've got my lettuces soaking in a vinegar wash, and I need to go rinse and spin them so I'll have salad fixings for the week. My BIL is coming over for left overs tonight as I'm taking him to the airport in the morning at some ungodly hour -- we have to leave at 5:15 or so. I'll have his dog Becky for the next month so I'll just give up on having clean floors for awhile. Got my food laid out for today and my mind is in a better place. Have a great day everyone.

Ubee ~ Yeah it is another very hot day here in Kansas. I will be sure to keep posting.

Betsy ~ I got one walk in early this morning before it got hot and Im gonna walk again as the sun is going down, It shouldnt be as hot at that time as it is during the day.

Evenin everyone,

Had a feel good kind of day today....I felt really nice in my work outfit today instead of a blob in clothes...I guess the subtle changes are starting to appear for me now. Everyone can see it but me I guess...But now I'm really starting to notice and feel the difference the 43.8 lbs feels. Most of my clothes are falling off me and I've kinda steered away from wearing a few things because they look so baggy on me now. Luckily I got quite a few shirts from my friend who has gained weight. She is going to start eating like me soon...I told her to take the plunge and see what happens, but only she can decide for herself when the time is right.

I finally made it to Lowe's to get some goop glue to patch my balance ball. I found a how-to on trying to patch your ball if it gets a hole in it before you go out and buy a new one. I'm going to work on it tonight and if it doesn't work my grandma said I could have hers because she doesn't use it. I've really been missing that ball since it popped lol...I also took a quick trip to Wal-Mart to get some vitamins and shampoo for DH and I. I ended up buying a new pair of leggings..just simple black ones so it'll go with anything. I really like wearing leggings to work out in...and because I work out at home I don't have to feel awkward in them since I'm by myself...I was really happy when I tried them on at home...I took a chance and got a 1X (16)....and they fit!!! They're stretchy so I'm sure that's why they fit...I wanted to get them a little smaller so I could have them for awhile while losing weight since my other pair and my favorite (in galaxy print) are getting so big they are beginning to look VERY loose around the ankles haha!

Just did some cardio tonight and right now I'm making spaghetti squash and red sauce for dinner. Maybe I'll have a salad on the side too. It's one of my go to meals because I love pasta so much that this is a good alternative for me...I don't even really miss the spaghetti!

This week I'm going to focus more on my water intake. I was drinking about a gallon a day at one point and now I just kinda fizzled out. I might drink 2 liters a day. Still not bad, but I know I need more than that to be hydrated and help flush me out. Today I've had about a gallon so I feel pretty good.

I won't do personals tonight but I just wanted everyone to know that I read the posts and I'm thinking of all of you and cheering you on!! WE WILL DO THIS!!!!! Let's get it this week ladies and gents!!!!

It feels good to be here:)
And for starting a new habit I try to post daily - or at least often, as recommended. (apart from the next two weeks where I'll be away on holiday -finally and much needed)
Today is a good day - it started with cake (:) - I love calorie counting, when there are enough for cake and fruits in the moring), and finally the headache because of menstruation faded and I'm not craving for tons of salty and fat food anymore. I hope my scale will not be too upset on saturday.
There is a lot of running around today as I have to see my doctor because of my appointment with the University Clinic tomorrow (nothing dangerous, just the dermatologists) and need to get a new pair of sport shoes:)

Fiona - yes, I was born and raised and spoiled in Germany. :) [ I hope that is nothing that speaks against me?]
And would you please explain the breathing trick again?!
I love the BERP Idea - hope you have a great day with it.

Ubee - I'm not afraid to go to the gym, I actually really like my gym and the people there - at least I did that when I was there at the beginning of last year. It's just that for the first time at being overweight I have health and breathing problems because of the weight, no condition (?) and I just feel the need to start with normal slow steps before I go there...
I have to walk before I can start to run again.

Sam - I really liked the 1x - congratulations. Was there any success in repairing the ballance ball?


Restless - when you finally figured everything out - could you please give me a short summary?:)

I wish us all a good and healthy day and lot of inner strengh when needed.

Back from the graduation!

Had a wonderful time, saw family, many events revolved around food, but I tried to moderate my eating...

I've got blueberry coffee brewing this morning!

Have a great day!

Dean

Good Morning!
Fi the BERP sounds like weight loss, maybe you should take before and after pictures for yourself.
Betsy, Bill is going away for a month!!! I hope he is going on a fun vacation. Becky and Toby will have you trim in no time. As for food, I bought smaller plates now I need smaller bowls. Maybe we should just live in a screen suit and the mouth part only opens for certain foods and only so much. This overeating is getting old and I just want it to stop.
Terra when I went for my walk yesterday I had on a t-shirt, flannel shirt and a heavier spring jacket. I'll take that anyday instead of your heat. Be safe.
Sam I am so happy you felt good in your clothes. I think this is important. I need to work on that. When I stalled I started dressing like a frump again. I know when I get my water in my food is so much better. Good job catching yourself on that!
Sugar2go whoops sorry I misunderstood about the gym. Enjoy your holiday! Care to share something about it? I don't get out much so I like to hear about others adventures.
Dean you get a gold star for being around family and food and using moderation. Blueberry coffee sounds like the best yet.
Today is kinda full. Errands, a meeting at my daughters school, and a dish to pass for a funeral of a neighbor/friend. She was older and had cancer so it was peaceful.
I am struggling with the fear of "Can I do this." I just feel so powerless over food.
Thanks for being here.

The BERP goes on, progressing very slowly. I've been scissoring images out of magazines & junk mail, what I call "clipping," for three weeks now, and thus have cleared about 10 square feet of floor in the living room. 'Doesn't seem like much for several hours of hard labor a day, six days a week. Maybe a square foot every two days? But I am working on the most difficult part of the project first, the harvesting of my raw material for collage.

I'm thinking about hiring my 13-yr-old grand-niece to help me with sorting the thick piles of clippings into the 18 big low boxes I have in the bookshelves in my collage studio. But the clippings don't have to get sorted before the fur-kids arrive.

The reason I'm focusing on the piles in the living room first is that Bob would like to build a wooden "cat condo" of sorts, so they can climb and hang out up high...sort of like a cat tree, but more modernistic in design. Living as we do, in the best of circumstances, in an environment filled with lots of visual stimulation (books, art, colorful Mexican rugs), it's nice, whenever possible, to have some objects with very clean, modern lines. Anyway, the piles have to go before he can measure the space for the cat furniture and design the project.

sugar2go— It's terrific that you're German—born, raised, & spoiled! =grin= I have a friend originally from South Africa who lives in Regensburg. And I used to have a German friend—kinda out of touch with her now—who moved to the U.S. Not only that, but my best friend, who lives in Minnesota, is a self-employed German-to-English translator. OK, here's the slow belly breathing that's been shown to activate the part of the brain involved in willpower: what you do is, lie down comfortably on your side or your back, and start by totally relaxing your belly muscles. Then imagine that your belly is a balloon that you slooooowly inflate when you breathe in. Hold it completely inflated for a count of 3, then slooooowly allow it to deflate. If it's deflating too fast, try exhaling through pursed lips. It may take a dozen breaths or so before you get the hang of it. Your aim is to get your breathing rate down to 4 breaths a minute, or 15 seconds a breath, but even if you don't achieve that, slowing your breathing rate way down will still work. Do the exercise for about 10-15 minutes. The best time to do this is shortly before you're going to be facing a willpower challenge: before dinner, for example, or before your tempted-to-nibble time in the evening. But Betsy, it doesn't have to be right before the meal: a few hours before is OK, I think.

Sam— I'm amazed that you're into size 16 leggings! Congrats! When I get down to size 16 pants, I'll be only 2 sizes away from my goal weight. What I've been very impressed with, in hanging out on this group, is how differently shaped we all are, not to mention our wide range of heights. I'm sort of a cross between a pear shape and an hourglass—or as I've been known to put it, "an hourglass where it's pretty late in the day." My waist is always 12"-13" smaller than my hips, no matter where I am in my weight range. Elastic waists are a godsend for me: I can get pants & skirts that fit my hips, and then the elastic waist contracts down to fit my waist. As for your galaxy leggings that are getting loose around the ankles, can't you just move them into the stretchy pants category? That's what I do when I have leggings that are too big: I just wear them as pants—until the baggy waist becomes impossible, of course.

That's all I have time to write today. Warm greetings to everyone else!

Hey Everyone,

Just a quick check in...

Today was OK, I've been having really bad lower abdominal pain for 2 days now....It goes from dull pain near my left ovary to really sharp at times...I think it might be a bladder infection but I'm not sure because I've never had one before...the sharp pain will start near my ovary and then move up and across my belly...Who knows maybe it's just bad gas lol but I've never felt anything like this before..I bought some cranberry/pomegranate juice just in case and have been sipping on that a bit this evening...Wasn't going to work out but I did anyway...Just did 20 mins of HIIT and then lifted weights for about 45 minutes...still a good work out..

Thanks everyone for all the kind words as always! Love you guys!

Have a great night!

Ubee ~ Yeah I hate hot weather and cold weather, I love spring and fall when the temp is not too hot or too cold.

I got two walks in today and my eating has been going good too.

Started the day with hazelnut coffee. Mmmm...

CRAZY day yesterday with work, repairs to the house, and a landscaper planting a flowering crabapple and a crepe myrtle(sp?) for us... Trying to juggle a bunch of different priorities makes for a wild day.

Hope everyone can get out and enjoy the weather today, even if its after work.

Have a great day!

Dean

I just want to complain that Bob is a colossal grump when he's sick. He's had a bad cold, both nose & chest, for a couple of weeks now. Every time I try to interact with him about something urgent, he ends up chewing my head off. I'm sympathetic, of course, with the fact that he feels so bad, but he's really getting on my nerves. And I could use his help with moving things around for the BERP, too, but of course he can't do anything physical. =big sigh=

I should be counting my blessings, though: at least it's evident by now that I'm not going to catch it from him. I had a sore throat one night, but I gargled with salt water and that was the end of that.

Another blessing: I got an email from my breeder saying the kittens are doing really well. She didn't have time to send new photos—because she's a special ed teacher, and the upcoming end of the school year means lots of paperwork to do—but she'll be more in touch with me soon. =smile=

Good morning all. We're on a roll here -- two days in a row without rain, rain, rain. I realize that many would welcome some rain, but we had already had the normal rainfall for the entire month by the 3rd of May. I may even be able to get the grass cut today! Sorry I missed yesterday -- took my BIL to the airport and left here at 5:15 AM, then went grocery, Home Depot (plant stuff), and Costco shopping as long as I was in town.

Fi Hope Bob feels better soon. It's been decades since I had a sick husband to contend with, but I do remember that he, too, was a poor patient. Glad you're making progress on the BERP and the cat tower sounds really neat. Thanks for the update on the breathing exercise timing. A couple of hours in advance I can handle.
Dean Congrats on leaping the graduation hurdles and your blueberry coffee sounds yummy. Sounds like you've got a lot going on -- wish that crepe myrtles did well out here as I miss them.
Terra What part of Kansas do you hail from? (what a horribly constructed sentence!) We lived in Lawrence for a year while my husband was in grad school and absolutely loved it. Good for you to keep walking in all the heat you're having -- hope this isn't how your entire summer is going to be.
Sam Congrats on the leggings -- you are definitely rockin' it. Hope that abdominal pain goes away. Definitely go see a doctor if it doesn't.
Restless If there's an expert who says that 2 hours of sleep is enough, I think I would question his/her credentials. Sounds like a bad night. Hope your blood sugar is stabilizing -- not something to mess with as you well know (didn't mean that to sound like I was preaching to the choir).
Ubee I had another disaster eating day yesterday so I think the screen suit idea is a sound one. Bill is going to the bi-annual sibling reunion and on his annual fishing trip with his buddies from grade school. They're been fishing together for 68 years! I've decided I need to focus on doing fun things more and on all the work to keep this place going less.....maybe that will get my mind where it needs to be.
Sugar Sounds like you've got this calorie counting thing working well for you. I am in awe of how easily you communicate in English including the idioms. Learning a second language (except for Fi) is one of the great shortcomings of our education system here in the US.

Eating plans for the day are all mapped out, going to the gym and then to cut the grass and get some trimming done. Later I've got to go to the Co-op and see if I can get the cash register to communicate with the laptop. Have a great day everyone!

Good Afternoon!
Betsy did I hear you mention co-op??? Thanks for the Bill update. I feel like I know him. I think we both need to work on doing more fun things. I went to a funeral taday and it was a nice time. Yikes!
Fi can not wait for new pictures. Hope Bob is better soon.
Dean good job on getting so much done. When I see you and your coffee post it makes the world seem a little more under control.
Terra I LOVE fall and spring but they are always so short.
Sam take care and don't be shy about going to the doctor.
Restless I am such a sleep baby. If I don't get 8 hours I feel very sick. I like cashews too much and struggle with portion control.
My scale is up and I am really over eating. It is like if I think if I get enough to eat I will stop. Like that has worked in the past.

Howdy folks! I have two new pictures of the kittens: one and two. They will be three weeks old on Friday. If you happen to notice that their ears look rather too large for their heads, well, that's because they're entering what I call "the bat stage." Oriental shorthairs have large ears as adults: those ears develop way faster than their heads, so orientals go through a phase where they have these little faces and huge ears, making them look like bats. One person who saw our last pair said, "They're space aliens!" Whatever....it all comes together eventually, and they end up, as adults, looking very much like the cats in ancient Egyptian statues. That's because they're descended more directly from the North African desert cats that the ancient Egyptians domesticated, than are the domestic or American shorthairs most people have as pets.

And if that's not enough of the kittens for you, here's a little snatch of video. They're just starting to explore their environment, so the birthing box has been moved into a pen, to keep them out of trouble.

By the way, I think it's very sweet of y'all to be interested in my kittens...=big smile=

Betsy ~ Im from Wichita, Kansas, I hope the temps we are getting now isnt what the rest of the summer is gonna be but I will keep up with my walking no matter what

Ubee ~ Thats cool that you like spring and fall too, Yeah I agree about them always being short.

I got my walks in today, I hope to see a nice loss when I get weighed at the doctor's on Tues.

Hi All:wave:

Just a quick check in to let everyone one know that I am still on the green side of the grass. :D I have had a breathing test, urinalysis and extensive blood work this week but I have no results yet. I am waiting, sometimes impatiently for an answer. I even had a podiatrist appointment for a painful left foot.

I have learned recently what my grandfather ment when he used to say that old age was not for cowards. :D:D

Good Evening!
Larry I am so happy to see your post! I just got done praying for you and your wife.
Terra good luck with the weigh in. Will you also be having any bloodwork?
Fi LOVE the kitty video and pictures! They look so curious and playful!
I realized that part of my struggle may be due to a few things. First I am a little sad because I am realizing that my life will not have the opportunities I had hoped for. Life has been busy/odd and I am not getting a good nights sleep lately.
I will just push through with the oddness, try to get a more peaceful sleep and appreciate all my MANY blessings.
On to a better outlook on life!

As I'm laying down to go to sleep I realize that I didn't post today! Still trying to keep my word on posting daily...nothing much going on today. Spent some quality time with my BIL before work...I'm pooped so I'm off to bed...will post more tomorrow.


Night all!

Well...
just a short check in so that you know I didn't leave for good (or bad) or run screaming because of "scale day"(thursday).
The last two days at work we're just horror, stress would be an underestimation - and for the first time in the last 4 weeks I really felt the need to eat - for emotional reasons...
I stood in the supermarket and wanted chips and fries and chilly cheese nuggets and lots of chocolade - all my compfy foods - and I left with a bottle of Coke light and some fat free chocolate pudding.
It was hard...especially as while having "aunt red" around I could eat the whole day - I'm not one of those losing before or after in a tremendous way, not even putting on lots of water - just not losing during that time.
But I am proud - and the scale told me I lost at least a pound till saturday. Normally I would think that sucks - but today I'm just glad I did not gain and stayed on track.

I absolute love the kittens...can I adopt one?

Of course I tell you more about my holidays - although it is nothing really special - I' go to Italy with my parents for our yearly family holiday. But there is the Garda Lake and italian food and lots of time for sleep, walk, fun and laughter. I really need it and I look forward to it.

Now I have to run - without having time to comment on all the other things and people I wanted to comment on - boss is calling (and I don't like him today:)) - so maybe next break.

Untill then - Take care everyone - and have a great and successfull day.

Ubee ~ Im not sure if I'll have bloodwork done or not.

Good Morning!!!
A good nights sleep, a morning walk in the fresh air, and kids in school make for a whole new attitude! I feel like I can do this today! I'll worry about tomorrow well, tomorrow.
Terra let us know how much your bloodwork improves next time you have it drawn. You are doing so well and your blood work should be improving with it. I am going to try to do 2 walks today!!!
Sugar2go great job on not giving into the emotional eating! That is such a hard one. I must inform you going to Italy is a big deal! In case you missed it I went to a funeral yesterday and that was considered a fun social event. (In my little world.) Enjoy your vacation and I will be there with you in spirit! I just googled Garda Lake! Beautiful does not even give it justice. Do you go to some of the old charming villages? WOW!
Restless I'm proud of you for getting rid of the cashews! Sometimes when I get rid of food I eat it so it won't tempt me anymore. Smart, I know.
Sam good job staying true to your commitment.
Have a peaceful day.

Good morning all.

Terra Being from Wichita, you're used to hot summers, but usually not this early in the year. When I lived in the Midwest, spring and fall were my favorite seasons, too. Spring when I lived in the South. And now summer living in the Northwest. Good luck with the weigh in -- you've been so good about your walking that a weight loss should be the result.
Sugar Your family vacation sounds wonderful! And I totally get the problem with having cravings while in the grocery store. Good for you for battling them and winning!
Restless Cashews are a downfall of mine, too (it's a long list!). Throwing them out is the best way to go as having anything on the list in the house is just asking for disaster.
Sam Glad you checked in and hope you got a good night's sleep.
Larry Glad you checked in and hope that you get good results from all of the tests. And your grandfather was right!!!!
Fi Yep, definitely bat ear stage. Cute as the dickens though. Thanks for sharing.
Ubee :hug:

I'm taking the car in today for servicing, hitting the gym, and then going to buy flowers. It's finally time to plant here. I'm also having a serious talk with myself about this seemingly endless round of lose a pound/gain a pound. Enough already!

Well, I was doing really well for several days there, regarding the BERP stress, but yesterday and today I've had all these interruptions. First there were the new kitten pics, which I wanted to put links to in various places, including here, and send to various people, which involved a temporary hassle with not being able to connect to the server for my domain. Then I went to the Co-op pharmacy to pick up a medication I'm out of, only to discover that it hadn't been called in by my shrink. It still hasn't, because I was unable to get through to his secretary today. =sigh= I'm also kind of flustered because the date has arrived when I need to wrap & assemble & write a note (in French, of course) for Robine's birthday present. Inevitably, I have strong feelings about that. As I write these words, I'm feeling pretty overwhelmed!

But again, I'm trying to focus on the up side, the blessings: Robine and I are on pretty good terms these days. She actually wrote to me in email (!) that she's been in therapy for a few months, and that it's going much better than her previous trials of therapy. One result of it is that she isn't Robine any more: she's now, finally, comfortable with the name her parents gave her, which is Ignace (pronounced roughly "eeg-NAHSS"). ("Robine" was a handle she & I invented together during our long intense email correspondence, when I grew frustrated with her not having a name.) It also sounds like she's processing a lot of what happened between her & me with her therapist. That's really good news! And she put up a Flickr account just for me, which is called "un regard dans ma vie" (a look into my life)—lots of photos from her walks around Antwerp, where she lives, plus many of her own drawings and watercolors. That was a lovely gesture, and I've really appreciated the care Ignace took with it, setting it up so that it sort of tells a story, including a few photos of her handwritten to-do lists, open books with poems she wanted me to read, that sort of thing. The messages in the Flickr account are loud & clear: she values our friendship and does want to get together with me in person...some day. I am content to wait until she is ready, however long that takes.

There's also been the minor (HA!) matter of our next-door neighbor conducting an enormous landscaping project in his yard over the past week and a half, involving lots of people talking loudly, lots of heavy machinery hauling and spreading dirt, making tons of noise, driving over & damaging the roots of our beloved old silver maple—all right next to the big window over the couch where I'm sitting every day, clipping images out of magazines & catalogs. I can't move my project to another room, because I need the ample daylight from that window to see the colors of what I'm choosing to clip, so I can do at least some of the sorting as I work. I'm very weary of hearing that "BEEP-BEEP-BEEP..." of trucks and tractors backing up.

I just wish I could concentrate on the BERP to the exclusion of all else, which is dumb, because of course life goes on. I'm looking forward to Sunday, when I've promised myself a proper day of rest, along with making a collage I hope...

No, I haven't gone for a walk yet. Sorry. It drives me nuts to have to leave the BERP for even a short trip to the Co-op. It's like the only way I can deal with all the stress of what needs to be done is to be totally immersed in the project. Yes, I know, walking helps you handle stress much better. =sigh= At least I haven't eaten anything off-plan in quite a while, not even extra helpings of muesli.

Thanks so much, guys, for bein' there to write to!

Good evening everyone!

Just finished working out...boy did I not want to do it today, but Wednesday is my mid-week rest day so I did anyway....I almost gave up in the last 15 minutes of the video and I had to tell myself to finish....I knew I'd feel bad if I didn't finish and today was only cardio anyway so it's not like I did a real long time...I just did a different video today and I wasn't used to all the moves but boy did I sweat all of those 50 minutes!!! Tomorrow I'll be doing a leg video and then probably do some weighted leg lifts and other things I can do with other gear I have at the house. I just recently bought some resistance bands...not the tubing kind with handles...I have those stuffed in my closet somewhere lol :)

Still haven't been able to use my balance ball...that was my favorite item besides my weights....I patched it up but it is still deflating, so either it's not working or there's another hole somewhere that I can't find. My grandmother has a balance ball that she isn't using so I'll probably going to just use hers. DH is going to take a look at my ball tonight and see if he can fix it...:D

Work was just like any other day...I'm just glad tomorrow is Friday...I had one of those weeks where I just really didn't feel like going in..and those pains I have been having really made me not want to be there...Luckily I think the cranberry juice has been helping...I didn't feel any pain today. Still not sure what it was but DH said maybe it was a bladder infection or maybe a kidney infection...not sure if it was because of the ultrasound or not but meh...done and over with :)

As most of you know I have made a special instagram account to help me along with my weight loss journey when I'm not posting here for inspiration...Today I had a lovely troll comment on a picture I posted last night telling me I look as big as a whale.....At first I thought, meh, just another internet troll and it didn't bother me...but during my work out when I wanted to quit it came into my head and it really made me sad because this person doesn't know how far I've come, or how hard I'm working...which made me persevere and kick butt and finish my work out. That troll probably didn't even know that my IG was for fitness and losing weight...Am I still big? **** yeah I am! But I am A LOT smaller than I was before...and people like that should not even bother me and I should not even give them the time of day...so I didn't, and I'm not. DH wanted me to comment back to him but I told him people like that thrive on other people getting offended by a rude comment. More than anything I feel sad for the boy because he has nothing better to do with his time then to troll the internet and being rude to people he doesn't even know or what their story is. So instead of feeling hurt over something that someone I don't even know said, I'm going to push on through and keep moving on my journey...These are the people I want to see with dropped jaws when I succeed in my journey. I'm not doing this for anyone else other than myself and hopefully one day the baby that grows inside my belly. I don't have anything to prove or show anyone other than myself, and I'm going to keep it that way.

Well I'm off to make me a breakfast dinner tonight! Egg bowl with peppers and onions and hot sauce....who knows, maybe I'll throw some mushrooms in there too! Take care my loving weight loss family!!!

Sam— I caught your posting as I was finishing mine, and I just wanted to say that you are right and your husband is wrong: the only way to deal with trolls is to ignore them. They post nasty things like that because they want attention. You should never give them any feedback at all because it just rewards them. So sorry that happened to you! Buck up and move on, you awesome babe! =smile=

Ubee ~ I will be sure to let you guys know when and if I get blood work done, Im sure my blood work is improving too.

Betsy ~ Yeah I am used to hot summers but your right its usually not this hot so soon when summer starts but oh well I guess, Where in the mid-west did you live at? Yeah Im hoping to see a good loss when I get weighed Tues because I have been keeping up with my walking since my doctor put me on the 1200 calorie diet but I was keeping up with it even before that too.

I was sure to get my walks in today and I stayed under my calories

Good Morning!

Hazelnut on this morning.

Been tied up this week taking care of a few things at the house and doing my bosses job for the week. Yesterday I had to go over and take care of some things for the dog rescue group we work with. Busy, busy, busy, but then again, that distracts me from FOOOOOOD, LOL.

Have a great day!

Dean

Good morning!
Dean glad to hear keeping busy is helping keep the food away!
Terra I bet having that doctor appointment every month really helps keep you motivated. I may need to find a place for a weekly weighin.
Sam I'm so sorry you've had this experience. I've been there too and it does sting. Know that you are loved.
Fi your post reminds me of my VCR scenario. I always want to put the world on pause so I can get my stuff done. Sometimes I want to pause it so I can pig out at a buffet and no one will see me. (Sad I know.)
Betsy I know, I just want to click my heels and show another loss ever single week.
Hope to get a lot done today. We are going to a Amish fund raiser dinner tonight and I need to be strong. They also have a bake sale and one of the ladies makes my favorite treat. She always watches for me to buy it.
Have a peaceful day.

Oh darn....I don't want to work on the BERP today... =whine= I don't want to get Ignace's (Robine's) present ready to go in the mail, either. I feel like a little girl saying, "I don't wanna go to school!"

The two must be conected in some way, my feelings about Ignace overlapping into my feelings about the BERP. Maybe it would help to watch the kitten video again a few times. It might kindle the positive emotions that are fueling the BERP.

I know: that was a huge non sequitur for a forum dedicated to weight loss, especially given that I've managed to (mostly) separate my eating behavior from my emotions. Even some of my exercise behavior—my nightly 600 leg lifts—is separated from my emotions. I'm just having a hard time negotiating emotional and other barriers to adding new exercise routines, such as walking, to my repertoire.

Sam, you're so good at being motivated to exercise: I envy you! Is it because you want to have a child? Surely yes...

As for non sequiturs, it's funny: I used to be what some folks call a "topic cop"—someone easily irritated by postings that were off-topic for whatever the setting was. I think it was mostly that I hate "flaming"—people expressing negative emotions toward each other in an Internet discussion. People who are flaming each other are always off-topic, although the converse, of course, is not true. But these days I recognize that all Internet forums are social first and foremost, so if people want to give or solicit support about situations supposedly "unrelated" to the topic at hand, they are not off-topic.

And is anything in our lives really unrelated to the enormous endeavor of losing a lot of weight (or even a little bit of weight)? I don't think so.

OK, I feel better now. I'm ready to orient myself toward the BERP. Thanks, y'all! I oughta just not post this, but I think if I did that, I would start whining again. =laugh=

Good morning all. Another day of rain here, but next week is supposed to be sunny and in the 70s so I can plant! And the dogs can be outside instead of romping in the house. It doesn't take much to make me happy.

Fi Love, love, love your posts yesterday and today. So glad that you and Ignace are rekindling the friendship as I know that her deciding not to visit was a bad time for you. Good luck with BERP today and hopefully the landscaping crews will be a little quieter.
Ubee Amish fund raiser sounds like fun. Since it's a fund raiser, could you "buy" your favorite treat but then either give it to someone else or else donate it back to be sold again? If you find those ruby slippers to click your heels with, let me know if they have them in an 11B! :dizzy:
Dean How cool that you're active in a dog rescue group. I wish Jane were actively posting right now as she'd love that post.
Terra I love how you just casually mention that you got your walks in and stayed under your calories. I'd be shouting it from the rooftops mainly because it's not happening right now. I grew up around Decatur, IL, but also spent 5 years in the St. Louis area and a year in Lawrence. I liked living in the Midwest except for the climate (although as you and Ubee have pointed out, spring and fall were great!).
Sam What a mature attitude to not respond to the troll. You're doing great and often the greatest put down is to not respond.

Didn't get into town yesterday to do the flower shopping because it rained literally the entire day. It's supposed to rain some today as well, but at least we'll have a few sun breaks. I'm off to the gym, then getting my hair cut and then I'll go get the flowers. Have a great day.

Betsy & Terra— Decatur, Illinois?! Seriously? My immediate roots are in Texas, but my deep, deep roots are in the Midwest, because my parents both grew up in central Illinois. When I was growing up much further south, I often visited relatives in Jacksonville, Springfield, Monmouth, out in the country on farms...and my beloved great-uncle—who in age was really more of an uncle, because he was a much younger brother of my grandmother—lived in Decatur all his life. I was closer to his son Steve, who is just my age, than to any of my first cousins, and we're still in touch. In an alternate timeline, if anything had ever happened to my parents, I would've been raised by my great-uncle and his wonderfully loving wife: my parents had it all set up that way in their will. Sometimes I longed for that alternate scenario, I kid you not. And Terra, I lived in Lawrence briefly as a baby, when my parents were making their way south, one state at a time, early in their marriage. Even my accent is more Midwestern than Texan—unless I'm talking to another Texan, of course—because those were the voices I heard when I was small.

Ubee ~ Yeah going to the doctor's every month does keep me motivated

Betsy ~ Yeah, Im still trying to get in the habit of staying under my calories so when I do its really an accomplishment

Fiona ~ Yeah I've always lived in Kansas, I was born in Texas but I was only there until I was 6 months old and then we moved here to Kansas.

I got my walks in today but I went way over my calorie limit today during dinner but tomorrow is another day and I'll do better tomorrow.

Morning Everyone,

Just a quick check in...Sorry I didn't post last night...DH and I ended up having a date that wasn't planned lol..We went to this gaming store and they had a lot of old school arcade games and they were only .25 each to play so we spent $2.25 and played for about an hour then he took me out to dinner..I had grilled chicken tacos...They are still OP for me because they weren't slathered in a lot of bad stuff...

I'm about to go spend the day at my friend's pool...I had to go get a new suit because mine doesn't fit anymore!! It just fits weird so I just took one of my gym tops that looks like a suit and bought some bottoms since I'm kinda short on cash right now lol...I made us a yummy fruit salad to go with lunch today and she's going to make a curried chicken salad for us :)

Today is also my grandmother's 83rd birthday! I'm going to call her on my way to my friend's to wish her a happy birthday and then tomorrow my mom and I are going to take her to lunch and to see a movie! I've got a big weekend planned but will still try and post!

Love ya'll and have a great day!!

PS: Fi You are right and I did ignore the troll...not worth my time, I've got too much awesomeness going on around here!! And yes, I am trying to lose weight to not only feel healthy but I want to have a child and I know with my condition and my weight it is going to be hard, DH also has hormone problems so I'm trying to do everything I can to ready my body. :) <3

Good morning all. They could have filmed Noah out here -- been raining for days now. I know I shouldn't gripe with so much of the country in a severe drought, but I'm so looking forward to next week when the temps go up and the rain goes away -- at least for a few days!

Sam What a great weekend you have planned and you do such a great job of planning your meals so that you can stay on plan and still be out and about. Love the fact that you need a new swimsuit -- actually love the fact that it's warm enough somewhere to be in a pool! :D
Terra It's definitely hard to be on plan day after day, but you do so well. If I'm over calories for the day and it was still healthy food (like I had too much fruit or an extra piece of chicken or fish) I don't get too upset -- but when it's the dangerous 3 (chips, ice cream, or chocolate) then I get made at myself. Good luck with today.
Fi It's a small world! I am very glad that I grew up in the Midwest, and I still think that the tall grass prairie is beautiful -- although one evidently has to have been raised there to think that flat land is pretty. I was actually born in Quincy and my grandparents lived there all their lives so I'm very familiar with the corridor from Decatur to Quincy.

Got my flowers yesterday although why I thought it would be dryer is beyond me. It's not unusual to get a little damp out here for 9 months of the year and you just figure you'll dry off. Yesterday I was so soaked through by the time I got home (this was with wearing water gear) that I just completely changed clothes. BUT it was a great day in terms of getting back on IF, had a major whoosh, and am amazed at how much better I feel about myself for sticking on plan one day! I also joined the May Day May Day Challenge so that I am more accountable for recording weight on a weekly basis.

The other great news in my life is that my younger nephew got offered a full time job yesterday. He worked at Pizza Hut as a manager for years (almost 20 years) and finally got his act together and went back to school to become an IT support specialist (works on both the network and PCs). He had to get an associate's degree, worked an internship where he got hired, volunteered there to keep his skills going, was offered a contract job dependent upon his finishing up two more certifications, and finally got hired yesterday. He's a great young man, but has drifted so much. So glad to see him make this turn around in his life. He's coming out tomorrow for a celebratory dinner. Sorry for the long ramble on this, but his mother (my sister) and I worried about him a lot, and I promised my sister that I would take care of her family for her.

OK. Time to get it in gear. I need to go to the store and get the house straightened up. I turned my back on the dogs this morning and went in to find two towels shredded and a bag of loops that you make hot pads with spread out all over the floor.

Betsy ~ Thanks, I'll be sure to stay under my calorie limit today, I agree though it is hard to stay on plan day after day.