WELCOME!!

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, inspiration, 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 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 moved my last post from November so no one would miss it:

Hi everyone! Week two of atkins saw a 3.8lb loss which I am so happy with considering I was showing a gain for the first half of the week. Then I got that whoosh you had all been telling me about. It also helped that I didn't have a real Thanksgiving here in China. My plan this week is to stick to an extended induction but I am also going to try to incorporate some official exercise in this week. I have lots of exercise DVD's so I am just going to set the goal of two videos this week. If I do more, great, but at least I won't feel pressure to do so. Hope everyone had a great weekend, and if I'm correct we are moving into a December thread very soon. Betsy, my Christmas goal is to lose 6.9 more lbs but the rate I'm going I hope to hit that and lose more! Let's do it!!!

Happy December!
A new week and a new month. Time to make a good start and end the month with a good finish.
Betsy I am with you and will lose 10 pounds this month! I have given my notice that there will be no Christmas treats made at our house this year.
Fi you are such a good kitty mama to some very good kitties. Keep up the good work and glad you are getting some sleep.
shan I am so happy to hear you are sticking with it and finally seeing a good loss. I think it is a good idea to not push yourself too far with the exercise at first. It can be too easy to crash and burn.
Terra I saw your eating once a day thread. Why are you thinking of eating once a day?
Sam so glad you are in a happy place in life. Good job on the pound down. Did you get any fun clothes/shoes when you went shopping?
Tami you really have me thinking about how I can like myself but not take care of myself. I have to learn that if food is love to me then it must be healthy food.
Bllondy, Donna, Silent, Jane, Dean,... please pop in and let us know you are warm and safe. We miss you.

I have had 5 days of eating off plan and the scales are back up. I am hoping to use this lesson to keep me on plan through the holidays. I can not have any off plan foods in my home. I also ordered some new clothes. Sadly they are back up a size but I need to feel good when I look in the mirror. Looking like a sausage wasn't helping.
Have a peaceful day!

Ubee ~ I'm thinking about trying to eat once a day so I dont run out of food for FFS nights like I did at the end of Nov. but then again I dont know if I'll be able to do it cause I hate the hungry feeling and when my stomach makes noises cause I'm hungry.

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I slept in this morning, I didnt wake up until 8 this morning, It's now 9:01 right now. I just got done eating breakfast. Clyde is still sleeping but I will let him outside when he wakes up. I already gave him fresh food and he has fresh water. I still have my blister so I wont be able to get any miles in today but I hope it goes away soon especially since I have to go shopping on Friday and I have alot to get so I'll be walking on my foot for awhile that day. Mom and I went shopping yesterday and we were only in there an hour and my foot was hurting so bad after we got back in the car so I can only imagine how its gonna feel if its not healed by Friday when I go shopping for an hour and 1/2 or longer. Anyway Have a good day everyone

HAPPY DECEMBER EVERYONE ... I FREAKIN' LOVE this time of the year!!

The music, family & friends, snow, christmas lights, snuggling with my little girl late at night watching holiday movies and yes even all the sweet treats that I will avoid this holiday.

Not too sure if Thanksgiving had any impact on my journey as my weigh in is not until this afternoon but either way I have been strictly adhering to my diet guidlines everyday since and I'm feeling good.

I think I would like to set a mini goal for December of 8 to 12 lbs .... I figure there are 4 more Mondays to weigh in for December and I'm going to shoot for 2 to 3 lbs a week as a loss.

GGGGGrrrrrr -- Just lost my post due to supposedly not being signed in (in spite of it saying logged in as betsy2013) and having to go all the way out and back in. Coupled with having difficulty accepting that it's December already, it's not a good way to start the day.

Ubee -- Glad you're joining me on this effort to lose 10 pounds. Glad you bought some new clothes, but sorry about the one size up. I bought some new underwear a couple of months ago in a smaller size right before the weight gain. I'm telling you, walking around in too tight underwear is motivation to stay on plan. That could be a money maker for us -- The Too Tight Panty Diet.

Terra -- One meal a day would lead me down the road to disaster since I would get too hungry and end up eating more. Maybe smaller portions to make things last? For your blister problem, have you tried using a piece of moleskin? Hikers always carry moleskin in their packs. You cut a hole in a piece the size of your blister, peel of the backing and put it on so the blister is in the hole. It definitely enables you to keep on walking without further rubbing the blister spot.

Fi -- You and Bob are great kitty parents. Sounds like you're slowly but surely winning the ringworm and respiratory battles. And eventually you'll be able to get totally back on plan with the eating. It's hard to stay on plan and exercise like you'd like to when there's so much going on.

Shan -- Woohoo!!!! Great news on the end-of-the-week weight loss. Atkins is funny that way, but you've done really well these first two weeks. Keep it up and inspire Ubee and me to lose our 10 pounds.

TOgden -- It really is a magical time of year -- glad you get such enjoyment out of it. Sounds like you've got the mental part of being committed to the weight loss journey under control.

Donna, Jane, Silent, Dean (I know I've forgotten someone -- sorry) -- hope you all are doing well.

Totally back on plan today -- even feel excited about it. What's up with that. Is this some new mind game my body is playing on me to be excited about eaating healthy foods? I'm going to make up some turkey salad from the leftover turkey. I need to order a bunch of equipment that I need for some home repairs that need to be done and should start on getting organized for Christmas shopping. Plenty to do although there will be free time without having to make all of the cookies and candy this year. Hope everyone has a great day.

Good morning all you wonderful people!!
I can't believe how long it's been already since I last posted.. If I don't commit to doing this every morning the days just fly by. Well, Thanksgiving was so wonderful! It was our first Thanksgiving just me and my hubby. Again, not that I don't enjoy spending time with other family or friends, but it's also nice for us to be able to celebrate the holidays on our own. We slept in (830 before I woke up!!) and then I made cinnamon rolls. YUM.. We didn't get the turkey in the oven until a little after 11 so we ended up having our meal around 5pm. We had turkey, stuffing, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, corn and cranberry sauce.. and gravy. Yummy.. it was all so delicious.. I'm glad I have 1 more week til I have to weigh myself.. HAHA..
We have been packing most of the long weekend (slowly though) and one of our back bedrooms has been designated as "the box room".. lol.. One of the things we did when we had to move for the first time was invest in loads of plastic totes.. SO nice to pack those instead of cardboard boxes. The house looks a little sad, walls all bare.. but my hubby keeps reminding me we'll be putting our things back up soon in our new home.. SO EXCITED! We hit a few bumps in the paperwork process but God has shown us a way out of this and provided what we needed. He's good.

Terra, hope your feet get better very soon and that you are able to figure out what is causing the blisters. Personally, I would go barefoot all day long, everywhere, if I could.. It's a little chilly for winter though and businesses tend to frown on bare feet.
Ubee, I feel your pain/frustration over how you ate during this season.. I was a pig too. The important thing is that you've made the decision to work hard on liking yourself more and feeling good about yourself where you are. Let me know how it works. And let me know what you do! I have a very hard time liking myself.. I go into self-destruct many times. On a side note, whenever you mention WI, I start craving string cheese and cheese curds (or cheese turds as my niece called them accidentally once.. haha) My husband loves the aged cheddar.. he got some 13 yr old cheddar last time (I think) we were there.. that was so good! I think it's probably good I don't live there.. I'd go into a cheese coma or go broke.. whichever came first.. hahahaha.. Also, I laughed out loud when I read your comment about turkey smoothies.. yuck!!! LOL.. Maybe when I'm old and have no teeth left..
Tami, welcome (I'm a little late, I know) to the group! I've only just joined in the last month but am loving it! All the ladies on here will encourage you and will also motivate you. I also love the Thanksgiving and Christmas season... I love decorating for Christmas.. I have to wait this year though because we are in the process of moving into our first home! Yay! We're very excited. (We is my husband and myself.)
Fi, how far along are you into your month of deep cleaning for operation ringworm? If I remember correctly you're about halfway through or more, huh? Hope the last half goes quickly! We are going to have to do something with our 2 cats.. one of them (the trouble maker) goes outside at night (not very often now that it's frigid outside) and now he's got fleas.. yuck. We also have a hard time keeping his fur from matting.. he is very soft but his fur is sticky (almost like a spiderweb) down toward the roots.. Not sure how to keep it untangled and unmatted.. any ideas are very welcome!
Donna, how's everything going in your corner of the world? How's your hubby coming along with the hobby thing? And how's your little man? Hope he's feeling 100% better.

To all the others I missed, I'm sorry! I've got kiddos here that I need to babysit.. Hope everyone has a lovely day!

I just made a collage I think y'all will like, because it's funny—or at least it tickles my own funny bone. It's called "things for sale on black friday". (As usual, click on the image if you want to see a larger version.)

I know: I should've gotten it up a few days ago. Better late than never! =grin=

Betsy ~ Yeah I dont think eating once a day is going to work for me. Thanks for telling me about moleskin, My sister in law told me about something at her work that works really well to heal blisters so I'm gonna try that for now but if some reason it doesnt work I'll try the moleskin.

Bllondy ~ Yeah I hope we can figure out what is causing my blisters.

Here's a recent picture of my toddlers. That's Nénu on the top, Oscar on the bottom. I like this photo because it shows the funny little spots in two rows on Oscar's belly. Bob and I get such a kick out of those spots! =smile= In case you missed my latest November posting, we call them toddlers because at seven and a half months of age, they're big enough to cause a lot of havoc, but too young to have learned all the rules. And they're a lot of work to keep up with! =laugh=

Hello ladies, sorry not to have posted for a few days.....it's a bit of a long story ...I will share another time.
Have totally fallen off the wagon and my chest is totally rubbish so exercise is out of the question.
On the upside, we received a modest unexpected financial boost and have actually been able to buy a few Christmas presents.
I find being short of money brings out my inner martyr and I feel guilty spending any money on myself to go to the gym etc. I just feel low, grumpy and fed up with myself....sorry about that guys!

Take care lovely ladies.

Another crystal clear, cold day here in the Pacific Northwest. Mt. Rainier is out in all of her glory -- completely covered in snow and you can see her at night with the moonlight bouncing off all of that snow. I'm so spoiled living in this slice of paradise.

Donna -- Sorry you're down in the dumps. Being sick doesn't help things, and this is just an overall expensive time of the year with the holidays and food prices jumping since so much fresh produce is no longer in season. The inner martyr feeling is what so many women seem to experience -- if sacrifices are needed, we tend to be the ones to make them even if they are detrimental to our overall health. Hope that things brighten for you soon. In the meantime, -- you know (I hope) that we care about you.

Fi -- Your toddlers are definitely getting bigger and have grown into their ears. They look very healthy and happy so you and Bob are doing something right in treating them. Chuckled at your collage -- am always in awe of how your mind works to be so creative.

Terra - Glad you've decided not to go with the once-a-day eating plan. Hope your SIL's suggestion for healing your blister works. The other thing that sometimes causes blisters isn't even the shoes, it's the type of sock that you're wearing. It's got to be getting old at this point to still be having problems -- hope you can get them cleared up soon.

Bllondy -- It is wonderful to sometimes just get to have a holiday with the other half, isn't it. It sounds as though you had a great meal and as long as you've gone right back on track, it shouldn't do that much damage weight wise. Glad that the paperwork snafu got worked out -- paperwork for a mortgage these days is just crazy. Your packing sounds like it's coming along well......don't envy you that.

Hope the rest of the gang is doing well and staying on plan. I ate totally on plan yesterday and managed to gain .8 of a pound. Oh well, I imagine it's my body getting back on Atkins after the Thanksgiving eating. It seems to take awhile for our bodies to adjust to eating differently.

Not a lot exciting going on here. I have to pick up some pictures I had framed this afternoon, I just noticed that Toby drug in and deposited lots of dirt so I need to vacuum, and then I'm working on getting pictures framed and hung that I've had lying around here for the last 8 years. Off to the gym. Have a great day.

Good Afternoon!
I decided to play elf today and boy is that time consuming!
Food is on plan and I am getting 10 pounds off by Christmas!
Betsy only 8 years for your pictures? What is the rush? Now you know my pictures have been around for decades so I can only tease so much. Glad you had a good first day back on Atkins. I am dealing with the sugar cravings but weighing daily and being accountable on the lose 5 pounds first thread does help. (Though you couldn't tell by my recent behavior!)
Donna I just put in a prayer request for some extra cash myself. I'll let you know if it works. Hang in there and keep posting. Remember Christmas does not come from a store.
Fi that is the best picture yet! I love kitty bellies and paws. Your collages always send my brain into weird places. You have way too much depth for this chick.
Terra I too like Betsy's moleskin idea. Please keep it in mind if the latest does not work. Your meal dilemma has me thinking. Eggs are healthy, inexpensive, last a long time and can be made into a variety of meals. If you eat them with out bread/toast they are very filling.
Bllondy we use Revolution flea treatments from the vet for our cat. Is it safe to assume yours is a long hair? Some people have them shaved to deal with the matting fur. I just cut the chunks out on our cat. He is big and scruffy so he rocks that look. Do you have a move in date yet?
Tami between you and Betsy I am getting into the Christmas spirit. Which is fine as long as I stay in the diet spirit as well. How did weigh in go?
Have a peaceful day!

Ubee - - Suprisingly it went well ... I was down a solid 4lbs and so my two week total is 11 pounds exactly (maybe 11.2). On to week 3!!!!

Betsy ~ Yeah I hope what my SIL got me works too. Yeah it is getting old not knowing the cause of my blisters.

Ubee ~ Thanks for the advice on eggs and that they are inexpensive and you can make many meals with them.

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My alarm went off at 5:00 a.m. this morning but I turned it off and went back to sleep and the next time I woke up it was 6 a.m. so I thought I needed to go ahead and get up cause my bus would be here to get me at 7:00 a.m. so I went ahead and got up and got ready to go to my appt. and then I went to my appt and then I got home at 10:30 and I've been home ever since. Although I'm sleepy right now at 6:00 p.m. I'm not gonna go to bed for another hour or two. I still need to do my chair exercises before bed. Good night everyone.