Cindy Let me know how the next couple of weeks go as it gets closer to you going to the gym. And congratulations on the 44 lbs lost. Amazing. Very interesting to see the start of my journey follows someone else's who has been on the path for awhile. :)

Sam I need to confess. While doing my research on looking for a support forum, you are the reason I joined. When reading through threads as a "guest", you have limited visibility and can not see much member info. All I saw was your little icon picture showing your dramatic weight loss. And that's when I thought "these are real people that will understand what I am going through and what I want". For someone who is just starting out on their journey and where goals seem so far away, its hard to really capture that the words on this forum are from real people. So thank you. Thank you for posting that little picture and making it real for me.

All - I have not eaten out in the last two weeks, a little worried and concerned about going out and falling off the wagon due to lack of options. And I am also worried about family functions coming up... I seem to be able to control what I am eating and how many calories I am consuming when I am eating at home or packing my lunches. Definitely nervous about going out but I think I may have to cross that bridge pretty soon as my partner has hinted at eating out this weekend. Yikes. Thoughts?

Atkins Induction Day 113
 

The scale rewarded me today with another 2 pound loss. This makes 61 pounds in 113 days :D:carrot::D

One month ago I was wearing 3X shirts, today 2X is too large and I will have to buy some XL shirts. A month ago 48 waist pants were hard to get into. Now I look like a clown with baggy pants. Will have to buy some 44 waist pants. :D:D

Have I ever mentioned that "I LOVE ATKINS"

Sam, that's awesome that DH went to the gym with you, even though you didn't get in the workout you wanted to because of it. I hear you about family get-togethers always involving food. I'm sure you made a good choice.

Sassyfluff, Sam is an inspiration to many of us. I don't plan on going to the gym when I start exercising. I'm going to start out working out at home. I found some beginning exercises and also some that use resistance bands, so I'm going to start with those to gain some strength and stamina. And I will be getting a treadmill later this year. You can do this too. We all have to start somewhere. I just started a little over 5 months ago and really never thought I would be where I am now.

Larry, congratulations! Amazing how far you've come in such a short time. DW must be so proud of you. You are so close to being halfway to your goal.

I'm posting early tonight while dinner cooks. (yes, when you get home at 6, this is early). DH is outside grilling some chicken and I have yellow squash and garlic sautéing on the stove. I also have a tomato salad chilling in the fridge. I can't wait to eat!

Another 4 day work week is behind me and it's looking like another nice weekend. It is supposed to be more humid though so we will see how that pans out for outdoor plans. In the morning I will be going to the farmstand and to the supermarket. Then we are planning to go fishing and have a picnic at this great park we found by the river. Hudson River, that is. And Saturday we're going for a sightseeing cruise on a steamboat on a nearby lake. Sunday we will be home, cleaning, laundry, and food prep for the week.

I hope you all have a good day tomorrow. I will check in again over the weekend.

Checking in. Had a bad day yesterday with family will talk more about it when I have more time. Still sticking to plan although I would love more than anything to eat my emotions away.

Stay well my friends.

Sassyfluff ~ Welcome to the thread and the forum

Hey all.

Glad to hear you are all on plan and getting in some activity.

I'm back from my course and am glad to be back to the normal routine. Overall the course was fantastic. I definitely struggled outside of the course though. Here's the surprising part: I genuinely thought the struggle was going to be with food, and that turned out to be the easy part for me.

The activity component...not so easy. I felt really uncomfortable attempting exercise in a resort jam-packed with people everywhere and all of the resort attractions were geared toward fit people and had weight limits that I exceeded. I felt out of place for a few days. Thankfully, I did eventually break through the barrier (as I outlined in my blog post). This week it really hit home just how much environment and mentality plays a role in success.

Have a great weekend.

Yesterdays food

Lunch
Bacon, 1 Slice
Sunny Meadow - Large Grade A Eggs, 3 egg
Kroger - Deluxe American Cheese Slice, 2 slice
Mushrooms, canned, drained solids, 0.25 cup
Boneless - Ham Steak, 1.5 oz

Dinner
French's - Yellow Mustard, 1 tsp
Ground Beef - 80/20, 6 oz
Kroger - Deluxe American Cheese Slice, 1 slice

Snacks
Price Chopper - Vermont Sharp Cheddar Cheese, 3 oz

TOTAL: 1,314 Calories, 11g Carbs, 98g Fat, 96g Protein

Emily- I'm glad your course went well and you get to be back to your routine. It makes it a lot harder when you're away from home. I can imagine how discouraging it must have been when you tried to get some activity in at the resort and there were weightn limits. Stay strong my friend you can do this!! IMO there shouldn't be weight limits on exercise things. How can heavy people ever improve if they can't use the machines? Maybe if you ever have to go back you can pack some resistance bands with you and do some stuff inside your hotel room, maybe back a workout dvd or two so you can do it in the comfort of your own room. Great job with sticking with your eating plan!!

I have been staying on plan for the most part. Things are going good with that and exercise. DH is beginning to work out with me more and more which makes me happy. I just haven't felt myself since I had to go to dinner with my grandmother and cousin earlier this week...here's why:

When I got to my grandma's house I sat down to chat with her and my cousin for a bit before we went to dinner. They decided to eat out instead of cook because what they were going to make I told them I didn't eat and that I would make myself a salad since that's something simple. Somehow that got portrayed by my cousin as all I eat are salads and nothing else and she told my grandma that she thought I wasn't eating enough calories a day, ie: I must have an eating disorder. (Side note: my cousin is just about to earn her master's degree in psychology). My grandma asked if I was eating enough and I told her I was and the look of disbelief on both of their faces agitated me to where I felt like I had to tell them what I had eaten up to that point in order to get the point across that I am fine. All they could say was oh ok. My cousin said she thought because I chose to eat a salad for dinner with them that that is all I ever eat, after I haf already explained that it is hard for me to find food that I can eat at a restaurant so I don't usually eat out. We then go to this sandwich, soup and salad restaurant and I was of course going to order a salad. My cousin looks dead at me and says she would feel bad ordering a salad. My grandmother was paying for dinner so I guess maybe that was her way of trying to tell me don't make her waste money on a salad that could have been made at home....uh, hello!?!? I told her what I was going to eat before the discussion of eating out at a restaurant and did not want to make it a big deal that I was fine just coming for a visit instead but she insisted we go out. The salad I ordered ended up having a ton of cheese and bacon on it that I didn't know because of all the salads that one did not have a description. I only ate half the salad and I'm sure she was "analyzing" my every move. We get back from the restaurant and she and I were talking and I get told that I shouldn't stop eating bread and grains because that supports brain function...In my mind I'm thinking, ok she's a nutritionist all of the sudden? I bit my tongue the whole night because I didn't want confrontation. If I had said anything it would have been taken as I'm over reacting by everyone and that she's just "concerned". My cousin had always been the favorite one in my family so I knew it wouldn't matter what I say. The more and more I thought about the **** I went through that night the more upset I got and cried on my way home from the grocery store on Thursday. It's like I can't win for losing with my family. My whole life I've been told how fat I am and how worried they are about my health...now I finally do something about it and do it the right way that its so unbelievable that I could actually lose this much weight unless I had an eating disorder. I'm over it all now but that was confirmation that I need to keep my family at a distance and basically not tell them anything going on in my life and live for myself and not give two f*cks what anyone thinks.
Those of you that know me here know how hard I have worked for this so to have someone chalk it up as an eating disorder is just a stab in the back. Today is a new day and I'm moving on. She's going back to Dallas today and I won't have to see her again for awhile.

I weighed in today at 225.8. Not
too bad and I'm getting closer to my ticker weight. I gained some weight when my in laws were in town last week and this week is my TOM so I'm bloating a bit too. I'm working hard to get this weight off and will continue to do so until I am healthy and happy.

DH and I just had breakfast. I'm finishing some coffee before we head to the gym, then may hit up Goodwill to see what kind of finds we can discover today.

Hope everyone is having a great weekend! Stay well my friends and THANK YOU for being here!!

Good Evening Guys and Gals,

I hope your evening is going good. Mine is going well. I'm home until Tuesday and then Wed. and Thursday I have school and then I wont get out of the house again until Sunday when we go do our weekly shopping. I have a doctor's appointment on Tuesday. I'm not sure why I schedule it now, I scheduled it so long ago but I'm keeping it so I can have a weight management check up. I hope I've lost weight, Last time I weighed myself which will be a week ago tomorrow I was 298 so I really hope I've lost weight. We'll see. Take Care Everyone!!!

Hi everyone.
I am suffering from "I will start tomorrow syndrome."
Sam stay strong. I am proud of you. Your cousin proves that there is a fine line between some patients and their doctors.
Have a peaceful day everyone.

Emily, welcome back. So sorry you weren't able to find exercise equipment you could use. I only realized recently in my search for a treadmill that there are weight limits on some of this stuff. Glad you are back with us and back to your routine.

Sam, we are all proud of you and how well you have done. I would love to say don't let them get you down but I know that's easier said than done. I come from a thin family who love me for who I am, but that doesn't stop their "well-meaning" opinions and advice on how or why I should lose weight. So I understand the "I can't win" feeling. You just keep doing what you're doing. You're an adult and you know better than anyone what you're doing.

Terra, good luck with your weigh-in and doctor's appointment.

I'm making myself post tonight after a weekend of eating horribly. I'm trying not to hate myself for it, because it's over and there's nothing I can do about it now. Today I am back on track and have everything pretty well planned for the rest of the week. I just need to get a grip on this. There is a part of me that is saying why bother to do this - why bother to try, when you're just going to go on another binge and gain it all back again. This voice is evil and right now it's strong but I'm fighting it and I know after a few days back on track I will be fine again, until next time. And the time after that.

I'm not giving up but I'm not very happy with myself right now.

I hope you all have a good day tomorrow. I will check in again soon.

Hey guys.

The weight limits at the resort were for good reason -- most of the activities involve harnesses and heights, so it's not exactly safe for a 400+ pound person. By Tuesday I was out and about exploring/walking some of the quieter areas, so that was nice.

It's definitely nice to be back home though. We have so many awesome trails in my city. I've lived here since 2006 off and on (while in university) and then permanently since 2010, and it wasn't until this summer that I started exploring the trails that are available.

Here's a picture from my walk tonight:

http://emilyfit.com/wp-content/uploa...50817_walk.jpg

Sam - Sorry to hear you had a tough weekend. As shitty as it was, in the end it's an experience that will make you that much stronger. You know what you want and have a great attitude -- don't let anyone else stand in your way. You got this. :)

Terra - Good luck with your doctor appointment tomorrow.

Ubee - Philosophical question for you: Why do you want to start tomorrow, and not today? Think about that one for a bit. It will help you break through the barrier. For example, if your plan for tomorrow strives for perfection and/or restriction, then it's quite possible tomorrow will never come. Nobody wants to start something that they know is going to inevitably involve suffering in some fashion. Small steps -- maybe there is some decision you could make today, that would be healthier than yesterday, without causing a corresponding decrease in your overall level of happiness? You ultimately have to enjoy the foods you're eating/activities you're doing to be able to do it every day!

Cindy -- I don't actually use any exercise equipment. Just my body weight and legs. No gym membership...maybe someday, but really I am quite happy just walking, wogging, and generally enjoying the natural sunlight while it's still warm outside.

Sorry to hear that you had a bad weekend. Don't hate yourself for it. It happens. Think about this: Isn't it kind of ironic that we serial dieters strive for perfection, when in most other situations, we can recognize that perfection isn't exactly the most ideal goal? Then when we don't achieve perfection in our diet, we ignore the success we've had to date and contemplate throwing in the towel on the whole thing simply because we feel like failures for not meeting an unobtainable standard we set for ourselves?

The reality is that a few days of higher intake here or there isn't going to undo the other success you've achieved to date. In fact, it just emphasizes that we are all human, and some days we will need more food than others. Just have to learn to consistently live on and be happier with less food, but allowing flexibility to have some days that will naturally involve more food than others.

Ubee Thanks. I knew I could count on people here to understand where I am coming from and be here for comfort. It's been hard to let this roll of my back but I'm getting there. I'm not going to let someone's hurtful words change my outlook on life and what I've worked so hard to achieve. Keep posting, you know it will help.

Cindy Thank you. I'm glad I'm not alone on this. Some people just can't be happy for you it seems. I know all too well about that voice...It's beaten me on more occasion that one....if you fall just get up and keep going. I think you're doing great and you can and will do this!!! Always here for you lovely!

Emily Thanks for the love. You are right...I can and will do this and I shouldn't let anyone stand in my way...and I'm not going to. I guess it just hurt a lot coming from her because we used to be so close and I thought she would genuinely be happy for me....she even portrayed herself in the past that she was happy for me but for those words to come out of her mouth it was a definite stab in the back. I'm over it and going to move on, I have better things to do then sit around and cry about something that doesn't even matter. What matters is that I keep going and doing what I know is working for me, and I know I don't have an eating disorder and that's all that matters too.

I'm actually feeling great this week. I've stuck to plan and went to the gym yesterday even though I was exhausted. Did cardio and worked my legs. DH needed to rest because of our workout on Sunday he pushed himself a little harder and was very sore. He's planning on going with me tonight after work. I'm so proud of him. His eating isn't exactly where it should be but he's getting better and he's taking baby steps. I think he'll do fine if he keeps exercising and just cuts back on some of the junk. Knowing him he'll lose the weight in no time and surpass me lol...

I'm at work but wanted to check in since I forgot yesterday. I was so tired after the gym that I didn't do much. Hope everyone is doing well and sticking to plan...Missing Betsy and Fi....Where are you guys? Have a healthy day :)

Hi everyone.
I am slowly getting my mind and environment back on track.
Have a peaceful day.

Cindy & Emily ~ My doctor's appt. went good, Even though I wasnt happy about my weigh in, I've gained 11 pounds in 2 months :(

Emily ~ Its nice put a name with a face, Great picture

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Good Evening Everybody,

I'm heading to bed in 2 hours, Its been a long day and I have to get up at 5:00 a.m. in the morning but I'll be able to take a nap tomorrow so I dont mind having to get up at 5 tomorrow morning. I'm not going anywhere until Sunday when we go do our weekly shopping. Monday is the first week I'll start going to school 3 days a week instead of but its only until Oct. 19th then I'll go back to going 2 days a week. I hope everyone has a great weekend.