Time: Oh dear... Here's to hoping that you don't get the sewage flood... Or any for that matter. We're lucky. We live on the top of a slightly sloping ground, so that's not likely. Thanks for reminding me that I should check my homeowner's insurance. Glad that your mom's surgery went well.

Bllondy: I don't know of anyone who hasn't told themselves lies at one point or another. I've always been big, but I'm really bad at figuring out where my body is in relation to wall corners. I clip my side on the corner when I walk by. Ouch. That is part of me lying to myself about how big I am. I avoid looking in mirrors. I can't remember the last time I looked in a full sized mirror.

Betsy: You'll get there. Just keep trying. I am so so on the food planning. There have been days when I was more than slightly under and then others where I was trying to convince myself that having an overage or two is justification to eat junk. I find myself wondering more often than not why I just can't be normal. Thin...not giving a second thought about food. Food consumes my thoughts. Kind of funny in a way... "consumes my thoughts." Lol

Institches: Nice to see that you're alive and ticking.

Wicked: I often wonder what attracts women to *******s. Personally, I would prefer to be alone. These feeder guys seem to be bad news. I've had a couple hit on me in the past. I chose my spouse because he seemed to have his life in order, has a good job, treated me well, to the point that he's willing to wake up at 5 AM to make sure that I got to college, he's always there when I'm in the hospital with a concerned look on his face, and he encourages me to try things that I think are above my intelligence level. He treats our kids well. That's the main thing that I worried about when choosing a mate... How he would treat the kids? If he was an *** to me, what's to stop him from being an *** to our kids? How can ladies not think of that?

Terra: Wow, you are doing well in the weight loss department.

Kind of annoyed with myself. I do digital forensics and pen testing challenges for fun. I approach them kind of like one would approach puzzles. I forgot to turn one in before the deadline because I was depressed. I had a chance to win a $5,000 course from SANS for free if I answered 4 of 6 questions correct. Which, I'm fairly certain that I had 5 of 6 correct. The only one that I didn't get was analyzing network traffic for malware. I was supposed to find a substring and an offset for a malware beacon. I have no idea what those are. The only training in computer security that I have is Google. That's why I'd like to win classes. I can't afford $5,000 a class. They are the best classes in computer security, though. My spouses's work pays for his. It's more of a hobby anyway... Not that I expect to actually get a job out of it.

Good day everyone!
tootsie, wicked and bllondy I'm glad to find someone who watches the 600 pound show that gets what I am talking about. I do see bits of myself and it is very uncomfortable. However with the pain comes growth. I appreciate how much I have learned about myself and my toxic behaviors. My husband will now tell me that he is not going to be my enabler and I love him for that!
Betsy I am with you on being that hot chick! Sometimes when I walk past the mirror I have to do a double take at my mom looking back at me. Then I just realize that I am a hot old chick and I move on strutting my stuff.
Hi Sue. What is new?
Melissa yuck on the raw sewage! Enjoy your trip. Many of us wish we could go with you. Though I am not sure the world is ready for Betsy and I in the same city.
Terra what did you buy for healthy food choices yesterday?
Fi sending warm thoughts your way.
Sam what have you been up to? I'm getting concerned about you.

My computer was down again but now decided to work again. I sure get a lot done when it is not cooperating with me. I'm kinda confused about my eating. I have been eating off plan more then usual but have cut down on my intake and it feels weird. Tomorrow is weigh in day so as always I will let that damn scale be my guide.
Have a peaceful day.

Oh dear God... My 11 year old thinks that he is so smart. He is smart, but not as smart as he thinks that he is. He decided to play games because he thought that he could get away with it because mom was busy. Then he threw a fit because I took the game away from him. He kept yelling that he was checking to see if the cart (on the game) would crash. I told him that I'm not stupid and I knew that he was playing the game because he thought that he could get away with it. He started kicking his brother and sister's toys around. I did about the only thing in my arsenal, which was to put him in the corner to chill him out. I refuse to smack him or anything. He's threatened to call the cops on me before because I raised my voice to him and told him to knock the attitude off. Kids these days seem to think that threatening their parents with abuse calls will get moms and dads to back down with discipline. I witnessed his friend threaten the exact same thing. So, gee, wonder where he got that idea... Needless to say, that friend is not in the list of friends that he's allowed to see. Seriously makes me wonder how many are false reports. I just expect him to abide by certain rules. I'm so horrendously evil because I don't want him to play games on a school day, I want him to do his homework, and for him to do well in school. I'm so bad for wanting to make sure that he can get a good job and take care of himself after I die. I hate to imagine what he will be like as a teenager. For those wondering, he has Asperger's Syndrome. He's not a bad kid. He just makes bad choices sometimes.

I just made a new collage that I think y'all are going to like. It's called "a journey of light". It was inspired by something my Qigong instructor said: "We are all beings of light."

Quick post today.. sorry. All day yesterday I was feeling so stressed out because of a headache I battled all day and because the 8 month old baby I babysit was SO crabby. It was one of those days where nothing went right in his little world and I was about ready to sell him to the circus.. except he's not mine..
Anyway, when his mom brought him this morning she said they had all gotten maybe 3 hours of sleep last night because he was crying and throwing up.. So, we'll see what today brings.. I'm worn out already.
It's funny... I have no energy because I don't exercise regularly. It just seems like it shouldn't work that way.. does that make sense? A person needs to exercise and work hard in order to have energy.. Seems like you should sit around all day and relax in order to have energy. In reality, I actually enjoy working out.. but it's such a chore to get there. I don't really like doing videos; I would rather go outside and walk or walk on a treadmill or ride a bike.. I also LOVE lifting weights.. I love the pain from working out my muscles in that way.
Anyway, just a lot of rambling and random thoughts today.. Hope you all have a wonderful day!!!

Bllondy: Good luck with the sick baby. I remember those days well.

Feeling a little nauseated today. Must be close to TOM. Even with the not awesomely great eating, and no exercising, I managed to lose some weight.

Hi Everyone!
tootsie good job with the loss.
Bllondy good luck with the little one. I find those days to be constant eating without even being aware of it.
Fi I really like that collage. It makes me think of how sometimes our light shines brighter then other times.
Hope everyone is OK.? Sure is super quiet.
The scale stayed the same this week which means I will have to try harder. Do any of you have to fight back the thought that maybe this is as much as you will lose, like we've reached our peak? Like it is going to be a struggle just to maintain this high of a weight? What would it be like to maintain a healthy weight? Guess I'd have to make it all the way down to a healthy weight...
Have a peaceful day.

Good morning all. We're forecast to get a Pineapple Express roll through here over the next 2-3 days, and the winds have already started. Toby went outside, did his business, and was back inside within about 30 seconds. He's currently barking crazily at the trees blowing. Going to be a long weekend!

Tootsie -- I'm really impressed by your hobby and getting trained in computer security is a door to a very well paying job down the road if that's what you want. I worked in all areas of IT for over 20 years at one of the top 4 banks in the country. I managed the Info Security group for awhile, and while I understood the basics, I have to admit that those poor guys probably spent way too much time explaining what they thought we needed to do. Never had a breach, so my respect and admiration for the people who do this is very, very high. Hope your boy is doing better with the attitude today. And my list of personal bad choices is very, very long at this stage of life!

Ubee -- You haven't been eating off plan, you've been using portion control. Hope the scale shows a reward for lessening the helpings because supposedly we can all eat "normally" and still lose weight. As usual, normal is then defined as eating from every food group with an emphasis on fruit and veggies. Hope your computer gets over whatever is ailing it. And I beg to differ.....I think London would be sufficiently large to handle the two of us there at one time. Actually, I'm sure that we'd be very well behaved since we've got those Midwest upbringings to rely upon. Glad to know that your mother is inhabiting your body as well. Sent a picture to a high school friend the other day, and the person wanted to kno why I was sending a picture of my mom to her!

Fi -- I think I need to study your collage more as I have a bad habit of looking at your collages and wondering where each piece comes into play. Takes me awhile to look at the composite. I agree with your instructor although here in the Northwest it's a journey of gray for 9 months of the year.

Bllondy -- It's official. You are to be recommended for sainthood. You are truly the only person I know who will babysit sick little ones. And, yes, I agree that it makes absolutely no sense that we have more energy when we exercise, although I'm sure if I could remember any of my high school physics there would be an explanation. Which reminds me......time for the gym.

I was going to start on my taxes, but I have received all of my 1099-R statements yet. Ggggrrrr. I groomed Toby yesterday, so today I'll spend half an hour trimming up the places where I missed. He looks ok, and he definitely looks just fine since I saved about $100 in grooming expenses. Hope everyone has a great day.

Betsy ~ Yeah my Chinese food had alot of veggies in it. Thanks on commenting on my weight loss but sadly I've gained, I'm now 287 instead of 279 , Oh well I'll get down there again.

Tootsie ~ Thanks on commenting on my weight loss but sadly I've gained, I'm now 287 instead of 279 , Oh well I'll get down there again.

Ubee ~ I bought alot of Lean Cusine's and a bag of salad

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Woke up at 4:30 this morning, Its now almost 7 a.m. and I took a shower already. I'm gonna do my 40 min. chair exercises at 11:00 a.m. and then at 1:00 p.m. I'll go for an hour walk outside or at least 30 mins. and then at 6:00 p.m. tonight I'll do my 20 min. 1 mile to my walking dvd. Between exercising I need to clean the bathroom.

Hi Everyone...

Betsy Sounds like you've been really busy.I wish I had your motivation sometimes...I can make sure I get to work every day and to the gym on my planned days, but it seems like anything other than that is just so much work for me LOL...Hope you're doing well and I'm sure Toby looks great

Fi I like your last collage...it's so enchanting even in black and white Hope you are doing well and no bad days recently. I can't wait for your birthday!!! You are one of my favorite people and love reading your posts

Terra Great job on the weight loss girly!! Looks like you are being consistent with your exercising! Keep it up!

Tootsie I know how you feel with your hubby. Mine has never said he wasn't attracted to me but when I was at my heaviest I just didn't feel pretty...He never wanted to be intimate and I found out later it was because it was too hard on him being as big as he is, and as big as I was to do the deed. How embarassing that time was for me, I'm glad I've lost a good amount of weight, I just hope this year I meet my goal weight..if not I'll just keep pushing. I'm sure you are a lovely person and your hubbs loves you dearly. Sometimes the voices in our heads tell us we aren't as worthy or good enough and it makes it hard to believe otherwise. <3

Time Glad you checked in! Hate to hear about your friend's apartment..Sounds terrible! Check in when you can and have a great time in London! Sounds so exciting!

Bllondy You are amazing! I don't know how I would be able to watch someone elses kid and they're sick on top of that....What a great babysitter!!

Wicked & Wannabehealthy Welcome ladies! Hope you'll stay awhile!

Ubee I'm here...No need to worry about me, I'm doing alright. I'm just in a weird place right now so that has made me not want to post here...I guess because I'm not 100% back to where I should be with my eating, it is embarassing to me to post and not be doing exactly what I should be :\...I'm sorry I've made you worry.

Hope I haven't forgotten anyone, and if I did I'm sorry...I really hope everyone is doing well...I'm doing ok. I'm back to my regular exercising schedule. I still have the rash from where I had an allergic reaction to Icy Hot...But it's getting better. My boss brought me some Gold Bond lotion to put on it and it's helped me a lot, especially with the itching. DH finally go the garbage disposal in and working so my goal this weekend is to focus on getting my house back to normal, getting some groceries in the house and prepping some meals to get back on track. I have about 80-85 lbs still to lose until my goal weight and I'm going to do it this year!!! Right now I have a little goal in my head to be under 200 lbs by the end of summer and I think if I can get back on track 100% I can do it. My eating has not been the greatest since my situation at home sucked. I've gotten to where I don't like eating out at all. I am proud though that the choices I've made for the most part have not been completely off plan but if it weren't for my consistent exercising I would probably have gained. I didn't weigh myself last week so I might have gained, but I'm hoping this week I'm ok, maybe not a loss, but no gain.

I was talking with a friend last night who specializes in nutrtion and told her I've kind of hit a plateau but I'm sure it's because of the eating not being 100%. I told her the stuff I was eating and she said I might not be taking in enough calories...I haven't been eating near as much or as often since I haven't been able to cook my meals at home so she suggested to increase my healthy fats and see if increasing my caloric intake then shocking it back down doesn't jump start it. I think once I get back to eating 100% I'll be better. It just so happens to be my friend's baby shower on Sunday so I'll be going to that, the rest of the week I'll be inside working on my house. I may even skip the gym this weekend to get everything done or just get up extra early on Saturday to get the gym out of the way...which sounds like it could be the better idea.

I will try to start posting more regularly again..I just haven't been in the best of moods. Not a bad mood, or good mood, just kind of meh. I've been lazy after work and the gym and just end up laying down and watching TV until I fall asleep. I need something to kick start this mood and my weight loss and I think being back on track will help that. I'm sorry if I made anyone worry about me...It was not my intention at all...I love this group so much you all have helped me tremendously. I just have kind of felt like I wasn't good enough to post here since I haven't been following my plan....and now that I've typed it out instead of just thinking about it I realize how stupid that was to think that way. This group is all about the journey, the ups and the downs, so I shouldn't have felt ashamed or embarassed to post when things aren't going like they should...

Anyway, I gotta get back to work but wanted to check in while I could. Hope everyone has a great day!

Hi everyone,

I have been on the forums a little over a month now and began my diet journey about 2 months ago. If you read my post on this forum, you will know that I have not really told my friends and family that I am on a diet.. So I was hoping to join your group to have others on a similar journey to talk to about my day/week etc!

I am 38, have a great husband, 10 year old son, I am stay at home mom. I do a lot of volunteer work centered around my son for his activities (scouts, school etc).

I am on a mission this time because of blood test results showing me on the high side of prediabetes and its just not healthy anymore to do what I have been doing. My husband loves me no matter WHAT size I am, and I have been ALL sizes with him over the 14 years we have been together (well not all sizes, but like a range of like 150lbs). So he is supportive if i lose weight or i dont lose weight, he just wants me to be happy.. Of course when the easy thing to do is not lose weight and slowly gain weight, guess what happens! lol

I am on a full liquid diet, it is doctor supervised, and I can proudly say that I have not cheated ONCE since I started December 11th. This has to be a diet record for me. I do not feel in danger of cheating either, I feel very strong and empowered!

Today I woke up and I have a pair of size 26 jeans I ordered because I knew my size 28s would start to get too loose soon. Today they actually fit without riding up my rear end! So I have gone from a Size 30/tight 28s.. to loose 28s and snug 26s but not so tight that they arent wearable!

I just wanted to share that with the group, as I know you guys would understand that feeling of the first time you dropped a pant size.. I have been going between 28-30 for 10 years now..

I look forward to getting to know everyone!

Betsy— You don't "need to study" my collages, nor is any way of looking at a collage "a bad habit." What I mean is, there is no wrong or right way to look at a work of art. I really appreciate it that some of y'all are interested enough in my collages to look at them and give me comments from time to time. Some artists make their work entirely for themselves, but not me: I'm a sucker for feedback. And I like it very much when my collages give people pleasure!

Ubee— I've been on a plateau for several months, so I definitely have to fight the thought that I'm stuck at this weight, that this is going to be my set point. But back in 2007-2008 I lost down to 225 on Jenny Craig, so I know I can go lower. And I weighed 140 during my 30s, before I became bipolar and had to take psych meds that jazz my craving for sweets. So I think it's just a matter of having confidence in yourself and focusing on diet and exercise, not the number on the scale. You can lose more weight, Ubee! You've already proved you're capable of losing a lot! And thanks for your comment on my collage. I definitely agree that we vary in how much light we have: that's what being bipolar is all about—ups and downs, light and darkness.

Bllondy— When I was in med school (I'm a retired physician) I earned a bit of money working as a baby nurse, taking care of "low risk" infants who were basically healthy but had some reason (e.g., jaundice) for needing to stay in the hospital a few days before going home. I definitely know what you were going through with that crabby baby, but on the other hand, there were always babies crying in the unit where I worked, so I learned how to tune it out and just do my job. The important thing is not to take it personally: they're crying because they're crying, and it has nothing to do with what you're doing or not doing. I hope you get some peaceful baby days to make up for that bad day! As for your comment on not exercising and having no energy, I always think of the saying "If you want to get something done, ask a busy person." I think our minds and our bodies are capable of adjusting to whatever level of performance we demand of them, so the more we ask them to do, the more they'll be capable of doing.

Tootsie— You sound like you're a good mother for your boy who's at a difficult age to manage, even if he didn't have Asperger's. I am of the opinion that video games and computer games are as bad for a growing mind as sugary treats are for a growing body. Your son is at an age where he needs external discipline to keep him away from those games. But some day he will become more internally motivated, and be able to see how the games undermine his achieving longterm goals. I know it's hard to be the bad guy, but you're doing the right, the loving thing for him, so stick it out! We are supporting you! Meanwhile, I hope you get to turn your talent for computer security into a job some day: that's a great talent to have, in this day and age.

Melissa— It's so nice to see you posting again! I miss you when you're gone. That's a tremendous thing you've done, giving up pop! (I assume you meant sugary pop. I gave up aspartame pop in the fall of 2013, and that was very hard to do. Sometimes these days I indulge myself by buying Diet Mountain Dew, even though I know that aspartame is associated with insulin resistance, thus making it harder to lose weight.) Any sugar you can cut out of your life, go for it! And give yourself credit for the achievement, Melissa: don't turn right around and start ragging on yourself about eating chocolate. One step at a time is how we do these things, with a pause in between steps to feel good about ourselves.

Institches, wicked, Wannabehealthy— I look forward to reading more about you and your weight loss journey!

Today (Friday) is the day of my afternoon and evening with my 15-year-old great niece Grace, so soon I need to get busy and clean up my studio. I hope she'll do some sorting of clippings for me, because I have a lot of clippings that are in the way of where my 60th birthday present is going to live. (More on that later: my birthday isn't until the 22nd.) I enjoy writing postings for this thread, especially when I have time to do personals, so I've been soaking up the pleasure: it helps me to be in a good mood when Grace is here. Thanks for bein' there, y'all!

Sam— Take it from someone who knows the signs & symptoms very well: you've dipped down into a bit of depression. Not only the low energy and "meh" mood and watching TV, but the messages you're giving yourself: that you are embarrassed and "not good enough" to post here when your eating behavior isn't 100% what you want it to be. When I hear messages like those in my head, I try very hard to say, "That's not true: that's just my depression talking." Please take a moment to think about how Ubee, Betsy, me, and most of the others do admit to when we're going through phases when our eating isn't what we want it to be. This is a place where you can say anything, Sam. Just because we're all very impressed with your dedication to losing weight and getting in shape, doesn't mean you're not allowed to have periods when you plateau or even gain a little: we all do. And we love you the way you are, not the way you think you're supposed to be! =warm smile=

Sam: We all are human. We all make mistakes. You have no reason to be embarrassed for eating less than stellar. We all have that same problem, otherwise, we wouldn't be here.

Good morning all. It's a quiet day here -- have taken my INR reading, Toby is taking his morning nap in preparation for his afternoon nap (it's a rough life, but then all of my dogs have been a tad bit spoiled), and in spite of being retired for 10 years I am looking forward to the weekend.

Terra -- If you're like me, I always put on some water weight after having Chinese food. Hopefully you'll have a nice whoosh -- as inconvenient as the constant trips to the bathroom are, a whoosh does show pleasing results on the scale.

Sam -- Ditto what Fi said so very well and eloquently! Even if you're maintaining, you're way ahead of me. I'm really struggling and can't get my mind back in the game at all. You've got this, Sam. You're looking at goals and thinking ahead and Ubee and I will put on our cheerleading outfits if it will help or if you need a good laugh.

JC -- Welcome to our little group. It sounds as though you're making great progress. You mentioned you haven't told anyone -- after losing 46 pounds, I imagine they have noticed some changes. Thanks for sharing some background about yourself.

Fi -- But I love studying your collages! They absolutely fascinate me. Not only the art work, but with your science background to also have a mind that can be so creative is really cool. Have a great time with Grace tonight.

I did my taxes last night, and while I know it's always better to owe money so long as you stay out of the penalty for underpayment zone, emotionally it's a lot more fun to be getting a refund. But, I will have a payment to make in April and definitely need to up my estimated taxes this year as I'll be going on my own Social Security in October. Since the taxes are done, I'm going to clean out the filing cabinets as I realized I never got around to doing it last year. The new bedding for the boys' room arrived, so I'll be running that through the washer and beginning switching out Elmo for the Seahawks.

On the dieting front.....guess I have to address the topic. I am totally out of control. Every morning I get up with the best of intentions that today will be the day that I stay 100% on plan. And I can't even remember when my last on plan day was. Don't know what's causing this -- I do tend to eat badly when I'm "stressed" but honestly while I've had a lot of stuff done on the house, I'm not sure anyone who is happily retired can be considered stressed. I definitely need to be more aware of what is going into my mouth. I've slipped back into that very bad habit or mindless eating. So, please send me good vibes to get me back on track.

Off to the gym and then back home. With these storms, I just don't want to be outside any more than is absolutely necessary. Have a great day.