We are a group of individuals who weigh or have weighed 300+, or near there. This group was formed to provide a place for others like us to find support and hope. We are aware of the distinct problems that come with weighing over 300 lbs.
We want to invite everyone to join us in our journey.
We share laughter and tears.
We share what works for us and what doesn't.
We often use a "Topic of the Day" for discussion.
Motivational Monday
Tuesday Tips
Wednesday Wish List .. and What you are doing to obtain it.
Thankful Thursday
FUN Friday ... don't wait until you lose your weight.
Sit-up Saturdays - any physical activity
Share your Success Sunday
These are not required topics ...just ideas to share. We often find them very helpful. We also share heartaches and fears ... joys and celebrations.
We have several extra threads going on simutaneously such as Monthly Challenges, Weekly Weigh-ins, Recipes, Bios, and more. Please feel free to check them all out.
We have found this thread to be more than just a support group...
we have found it to become a home. We invite you to join us.
WELCOME!
I know you'll all agree that we are really thankful for the free services here at 3FC. The sisters offer all of this support and information with no charges to us. There are a couple of ways though that we can help out.
If you are thinking about buying anything at Amazon, why not help out 3FC at the same time? You can do this by clicking on the button for Amazon on any page in the forum, or by clicking on the button on the main 3FC page at www.3fatchicks.com . A portion of your purchase price will be given to 3FC by Amazon. It doesn't increase your price at all, but it does help out 3FC. You can use any of the Amazon.com links that you see on the site in order to help contribute to the site.
Also, BTW, in case you didn't know it, you can view the message boards "ad free" for a minimal charge. I think it's like $15 for 6 months. A very small investment to be rid of the annoying ads and make your pages load quicker.
There have been some concerns expressed by the powers that be about copyright infringement. So please, if you are directly quoting someone else or printing an article in whole or in part, please give credit where credit is due!!!!
I had my induction at the gym this morning, puff pant... but it was good fun! I so loved going swimming, it's been a long time since I swam in public....
Swimming definitely rocks! I wish my gym had a pool--my old one did There's a pool at my apartment complex, but I'm never there to use it, so I don't bother signing up.
Here's a dieting question: does anyone have the problem that they're just not hungry? I know it is likely the opposite dilemma that got most of us here in the first place, but lately, I have been not wanting to eat. I force myself to even when I'm not hungry or else I know I won't eat enough, which can also be a problem. I think it may have something to do with this new diet I am on, but when I was on South Beach, I still got hungry, and that was mostly protein, too, so I don't get it. As it is, I am pretty much forcing myself to eat 3 meals and a snack each day. I had egg salad for breakfast at like 5:30 this morning (3 eggs, ff mayo, a dab of mustard, and paprika), mixed nuts as a snack around 9, and now I am forcing down my lunch because I'm just not hungry (it's about 12:15 here), and it's only 3 boneless skinless chicken tenderloins with a little diced tomato and broccoli. I also have to eat dinner around 3:30 before my job #2 shift starts, which is some ham w/pineapple, and I have to force that down, too. Then I don't eat again until breakfast tomorrow morning, but I am just never hungry. Who knows
Oh, and definite congrats to the recent losers--especially Mazarin--off to a great start!!
Hey Jill The 'not hungry' issue has plagued me too. Usually when I first begin to 'cut back.' In my other, un-healthy life, I was never hungry in the morning, would grab a bagel when I was STARVING (around 3 pm) and then have a ridiculous dinner because 'I hadn't eaten all day.' I thought this had to do with having a slow metabolism - which can also be caused by bad eating habits and a lack of exercise. When I began the GI Diet properly I'm was not usually hungry, but I ate 3 x a day. Since I started walking an average of 3 miles a day and doing my additional 30+ of exercise (most days), I have been hungry three times a day.
You are such a busy girl, so I won't dare suggest it.. but I think some more activity/exercise might ignite the hunger feeling... (sorry I know you have really stretched your day beyond capacity!!!!) Anyway, definitely keep eating what you should be eating, you don't want to 'undereat' obviously.
Well, chicas, another day bites the dust. It's been a great sunny week here - of course all the British are complaining that it's 'Too Hot' It's hilarius... when it's overcast or raining there are complaints and when its hot and sunny there are complaints. It tickles me. Humans are so funny!!!
Eric and I are biting our nails with anticipation to move, but we can't seem to get that packing ball rolling - just feels like we still need stuff for these next 2 weeks. *sigh* I have a feeling that it's going to be panic central in here on the 29th of July
Diet, water and exercise are swell - however, thus far we are weighing same-o shame-o. I really, really need to post a loss this week or I'm going to dip into panic mode -I'm halfway there. Right now I walk a mile to work (and a mile back). Once we move that will double so I'll get in 4 miles/day plus whatever I do for my 30 min/day. I'm hoping that this might be the thing to get my weight to budge... Does anyone have any advice for 'breaking a plateau' or whatever this personal **** is that I'm experiencing? I don't get it. I've not done HORRIBLY with food and even if I don't get in 30 mins of exercise for my challenge. I'm still walking 3 miles a day on average - and that's huge for me. It was trains, busses and taxis all the way!!!!
OK, girlies, it's off to the shower for me! (to drawn out my sorrows )
Thank you all for the prayers and kind words for my Dad's dog (whiskers). I promise I will let everyone know if he is found. We are doing the flyers and newspapers adds etc. Hopefully someone will see them that has seen him.
Tashabella: I know what you mean about your Dr. I am so lucky to have found the one I have now. I hope that you can get it straightened out soon. I sincerely hope that you are feeling better very soon.
Lilion: Wow girl. Jeans that fit. I swear I have been wearing stretch jeans for sooooo many years if I tried on a pair of regular jeans I wouldn't know what to do with them. I have a fear of getting used to the stretch thing. I do remember the days when comfort wasnt' my first priority to the clothes I wear.
Thinthinker: I just wanted to say hello to you and that I am glad to see you post. I sure hope that you don't leave us like so many of the people who have been around here a long time have. I love the "old timers" I wish they didn't feel like they are no longer a family here. I feel very much like we are a family here who care about and love each other. Again, hope you keep posting. I love to see what you say.
Mazarin: YIPEE good for you on your -6. Keep up the good work.
Jillybean: I am often not hungry. Because of the weight loss program that I am on it is ok to be not hungry. It will allow my body to shed more fat and get rid of some of the stored fat. Maybe that is what is going on with you? I know that my weight loss program is not a popular one but it is working for me.
Well, to everyone else, hugs and blessings. If Doxiemom and Shadiepurple are lurking, come on back and post ladies. I miss your words of encouragement and wisdom.
Hi Ladies...I'm trying to cool down after my morning walk..which I am realizing will need to be even earlier...it's getting too hot at 10:00...and I actually walk outside, not on a treadmill or anything. I have thought about going to a local park and walking there but I don't like going nowhere...I actually like scenery. I'm not so focused on distance...just time and sweat. So I walk 30-45 minutes and write down whatever the pedometer says. I just kind of guess out a route and how far it might be.
So since today is Tuesday Tips..I figured I'd toss in there some of my fave "alternative foods" which are good for snacking and whatnot. I don't think that any of them have more than about 2 points. I'm listing WW points for them.
17 slices of Hormel Turkey Pepperoni (2 pts)
1 Light String Cheese (1 pt)
1 cup Dannon Light & Fit with Fiber Yogurt (apple with a little cinnamon on top) (1 pt)
Kozy Shack Sugar Free Chocolate Pudding (1 pt)
Western Bagel Alternative Bagel (NOT Country White) (1 pt)
La Tortilla Factory Garlic & Herb Tortillas (1 pt)
Trader Joes "Better than Peanut Butter" (1 pt per tablespoon)
Western Bagel "Perfect 10" Bagel (2 points)
Frozen Grapes
Edamame
Sugar Snap Peas
Bags of Mini Carrots
Nabisco 100 Calorie Packs (Graham Crackers...2 points per bag)
Jolly Time Healthy Pop 94% Fat Free
Baked Tofu (Teriyaki Flavor)
Laughing Cow Light Cheese Wedges (1 point per wedge...good flavors)
All of these are things that I try to keep in the house so that when I get a craving I can grab something and go. I also LOVE apples....here are my 2 favorite ways to eat apples...
Cut up an apple, put it in a ziploc bag, sprinkle with Cinnamon and Splenda (or my TOTAL favorite - Brown Sugar Twin). Shake and let it sit...you get a nice apple pie taste.
Baked Apple:
Core an apple, leaving the bottom part intact. Peel off a strip of peel around the center.
Pour in part of a can of Diet Black Cherry Soda
Sprinkle with Cinnamon
Bake at 350 until the apples are soft, or microwave for about 8 minutes.
I have tried this with the following sodas:
Dr Brown's Diet Black Cherry
Diet Cherry Vanilla Dr Pepper
Both were GREAT. I didn't like it as much with the Hansen's Diet Black Cherry, but I am dying to try it with Diet Cream Soda...which I have a hard time finding.
Well, I am hesitantly changing my slider to reflect a 2 lb loss. I am hesitant, because I wasn't going to weigh until Friday, but I did it today and it is showing 275, in a barely, kinda bouncy, way. I'm still going to weigh again on Friday. But since this was the "official scale" and it has been a week since I posted a weight change, I decided to change the slider now. (Funny how I only do that when the "official scale" on the wrong day shows a loss, huh? )
Mazarin: You go girl! Off to a T-riffic start!
Julee: Thanks for the list. Pity I've never heard of most of those brands here in the midwest, but I'm definately going to look for the pepperoni. Wish I could find a peanut butter substitute. I just love peanut butter and used to eat it all the time. It's the one thing I kinda start missing, but the points for even the low-fat just aren't often worth it. The baked apple sounds interesting.
BTW, I tried making the "pop cake" that is just cake mix with diet soda and it's really good! 4 pts, but certainly better than making it with eggs, etc.
Thin: Good to "see" you. Hope you get some time to post soon.
Jillybean: I suppose I have a lot of times that I'm not hungry, but I find that eating more makes me that way. I don't know if that makes sense, but I find that if I skip breakfast, I can pretty much fast all day. But once I eat, then I get hungry later on in the day. I wasn't particularly hungry for lunch, but ate and now, here it is 2 p.m. and I'm really wanting a snack. (Great! Food makes me hungry! Just what I need!)
Biggirl- I have suffered through several plateaus, one 5 months long. That happened right after I began to walk again, and didn't break until I increased my calories from 1200 to 1800. Six tips to "reset" your fat thermostat. 1: Exercise increases your metabolic rate. It burns calories, bolsters your immune system, builds muscle, and tricks your body into believing you have enough fat stores and stop trying to gain more. 2: Think long term. Only cut 100-200 calories a day. It takes longer to lose weight, but doesn't trigger fat memory alarms. 3: No quick fix. Dieting makes our fat memory more ingrained. 4: Banish binges. If you do overindulge, cut back slowly rather than starving and then pigging out. 5: Keep it regular. Never go longer than three hours without eating something. It keeps body from thinking it is in starvation mode and avoids hunger pains. 6: Be patient. Changes you make must be for life. It takes time to reset your body's fat thermostat back to its lower level. I am convinced that my fat is an intelligent life form. I have to trick it into believing that I am not trying to kill it. When I hit a plateau, I also try to vary what I have been eating. I add a new fruit or vegetable that I haven't tried before. Go to an oriental market and try rice noodles or a new wild mushroom. Go to a middle eastern market get some lavash or ajvar. You'll love it, and you will confuse your body. My last plateau, I tried fava bean for the first time. The Syrians use them in a hummus type dish instead of chickpeas. Loved it, and finally lost a pound this week. My next plateau, I'm going to try something Morrocan, but not the pigeon.
Sorry Ladies, I got tied up over the weekend with the engagement party and family. So I didn’t get a chance to come back and reply to everyone this weekend.
Xena – I think all calculus teachers are horrible, cept when I met this current one. He’s actually pretty decent. So far so good! Don’t let your binge get you down… Just remember, you did it once, you can do it again! That’s what keeps me going when I binge. I’ve been in that situation quite a few times. Don’t let it get ya down, you are doing great!
Fluffy Bunny – WELCOME!
Dogpal – I think Sebastian is suffering from old age. Some days he’s peppy and some days he just lays around. He just turned 2 years old this month (sounds silly to know that about a rat huh?) Average lifespan of a rat is 2-3 years. I’m glad your father is doing well and I hope you are able to find his dog. It’s amazing how attached we get! Let us know how the search goes!
Tashabella – Let us know if you get those results (in hand). At least tho the phone call wasn’t bad news….That whole call us back right away message got me worried as well!
Hippievanlady – Hey there, I saw the same thing on the news. They said for people who are overweight, a slow steady walk is much more effective than a brisk walk.
Jill – I’ve had that problem with not being hungry. There are times where I have a hard time reaching my calorie limit. I’ll be down around 500-700 calories and I just don’t want to eat. Those have been few and far between… I try to eat a little something tho, like maybe a few slices of a fruit, just because I’m afraid my body will shut down and go into starvation mode (even if it tells me it’s not hungry).
It’s been a busy weekend, family goes home this Saturday and Sunday so I’m hoping to get back to some “Normalcy” … is there such a thing???? It was great to see them again tho. Anyways, the guy who is coming out to do our driveway this Saturday is going to call us back on a price to have all that dirt hauled out from when he digs down to set the framework for the driveway. Hopefully it won’t cost another arm and leg.
I got some laps in at the pool on Monday. I also found out that they have a water aerobics class that goes on the same time that I am there. It’s free for students so I think I’m going to go check it out on Wednesday.
I’m being stretched thin… and it’s not the thin I would like to be… so I’ve been running around like a chicken with her head cut off. Going to class from 8am to 6pm and trying to get in time with my visiting family. They went to Disneyland today I would have liked to have gone but I have a calculus exam today. They are going to Universal Studios tomorrow but then I have a Physics exam. WAH! Ah well…
Oh hey, I wanted to post to everyone that when I weighed in at the doctors office last week on Tuesday (july 5th) I weighed in at 361... I weighed myself this past sunday at home and I weighed in at 357lbs. 4lbs gone in one week??? And all the while Uncle TOM and Aunt Flo are here? I wonder if theres like a huge descrepancy in my scale and the doctors office. I think I'm going to weigh myself before I go in next time and see what their scale says and compare it to mine.
Anyways.... I think i'm going to stick with my scale numbers, only because that's how I have been weighing myself... so I'm changing my weight trackers back. I was depressed to see 361 at the doctors office, but now I'm feeling somewhat better thinking that there might be a difference in numbers given. Altho I wasn't expecting such a huge gap. We shall see tho... I'll be sure to weigh myself before going into my next appt.
Hi everyone. Thanks to all who encouraged me in regards to my binge. Unfortunately, I still seem to be at it. I get like this. I have alot of reasons why I think I do this, but I won't bore you all with a long and windy post about it. I am trying to work on my binging issues. I just can't seem to find the right way to do it.
It's a rough week at work this week. It's a busy time for us and will be for the next few weeks. I hate that feeling of being pulled in a thousand different directions at once. Aren't there any low-stress high-paying jobs out there? Or the lottery...I'd settle for winning the lottery.
Still trying to catch up on my rest (and hopefully stay that way) so it will be another early night for me.
hippivanlady - I liked your plateau-busting tips. At the risk of sounding stupid, what exactly do you mean by "triggering fat memory alarms"?
Triggering fat memory alarms, okay. Once you become obese, your body chemistry changes drastically. Abdominal fat pumps out at least 10 different hormones that affect the body's metabolism. This research I'm citing came out of University of Michigan and was printed in the August 2001 issue of Nature Medicine. Of these hormones, you've got Leptin which is makes us feel full. When we haven't eaten for a while, fat cells release trigycerides into the blood for energy, and they block the effect of leptin, producing a feeling of hunger. When we gain weight our fat cells become bloated which releases triglycerides even if we don't need the energy, that causes us to feel hungry even when we have had plenty of calories, thus starts the vicious cycle. That also explains why getting your triglyceride levels down is so important. Another of these is Adiponectin which helps muscles burn fat and suppresses inflammation, which is what damages the walls of our arteries. With this one, when we get fat, less is produced, which makes us prone to high blood pressure, elevated glucose and cholesterol levels, and heart disease. Once you start losing weight, fat cells return to a more normal size, and these hormone levels start to act right again. If you drastically reduce your calorie intake, your body goes into a protection mode. This is left over from the cave man days when meals might be many days apart. Even if you eat fewer calories, your metabolism slows down and you burn even fewer. The key to losing weight, and keeping it off long term, is to lose slow enough that your body never gets nervous enough to lower your internal thermostat. I had to learn that the hard way. Anytime you decrease you calorie consumption, or increase the number of calories you burn, you can set off warning bells. I started being able to walk again at about 415 lbs. The number of calories that a 415 lb. woman burns walking a block can be more than a skinny woman burns all day. I set my bells off so loud, that I didn't lose a pound for 5 months. In that time I never ate more than 1300 calories in a single day. I didn't cheat once, and was about to pull my hair out. I saw a show where the same thing happened to a woman, and the nutritionist made her eat more. I had to go up to 1800 before I started losing weight again. I had gotten used to 5 pounds of loss a week in the beginning, and when it settled into that nice pound a week loss that doctors talk about, It also took some time to get used to that. I wanted to reach my goal in a year. Now I have to realize that it will probably take at least another 4. I've been working on this since November 2001. It is a journey, not a destination. In the past whenever I have thought that I had "got there," I thought I didn't have to do "this" anymore. I now know that I will have to do "this" for the rest of my life. There is one thing to hold onto: research printed in the Annual Review of Nutrition shows that if you can keep your weight off for at least 3 years, the odds are you will never regain it. I suspect that weight maintenence gets easier after that time because your internal processes start thinking like a skinny person's again instead of a fat person's. I've had my first 80 pounds off for 3 years now, so I am hoping that they are gone forever to fat heaven.
Biggirl--the strange thing is, I have beendoing more exercise. Whereas I was doing pretty much nothing before, or making half-a$$ed attempts to get to the gym once in a while, I am finally in a routine of going to the gym a minimum of 3 (often 4) days a week (between jobs) and doing 30-40 minutes on the elliptical. On Monday, I even went all out and worked with weight machines, too. Maybe it's just my schedule--I don't have time to be hungry But honestly, I think this new diet has something to do with it, as I have just started notiving this "not hungry" thing, and today is Day 10 of my new diet. Coincidence? I think not
Julee--awesome list of suggestions! I also read on here somewhere that you can do an apple in the microwave: core it, sprinkle cinnamon and Splenda in the center, then microwave it (but you have to keep checking it to make sure it doesn't dry out). I suppose you could do the same with slices instead of a whole apple. I haven't tried it, but it sure sounds good!
Lilion--congrats on the loss (even if it's not on the "official" day)! Because of my schedule, I normally eat breakfast at about 5am, snack at 9, lunch at noon, and dinner around 3:15pm. I don't eat again until breakfast the next morning, but lately, my tummy seems okay with that
SueMarie--it sucks that you couldn't go to Disney! My goal by Halloween is to be able to go to an amusement park and actually fit in the roller coasters I already bought tickets to King's Dominion, so I am financially vested in my goal
Xena--we've all had a lot of reasons for binging, but what they really are are excuses. Until we get over these excuses, we'll have this battle forever. Some are as simple as, "it tastes good, damm!t!," while others are much more serious, deep-rooted emotional issues associated with eating. It's definitely a huge challenge to face the eating/binging issue(s), but we are here for support (oh, and don't ever worry about boring us with "a long and windy post about it"...we're here for you!).
Xena - I So understand where you are coming from. I am in a binge place right now too. And it is driving me crazy. Sometimes I feel like an alien takes over my body and it just happens. I come here, read the posts and my determination is STRONG to make the right choices. Or I say it is strong. All it takes is the arrival of sausage egg and cheese biscuits to make me completely forget. I just shut everything out. And before I know it, I have eaten three.
My skinny brother, who is not supportive, looks at me with disdain and says, "All you have to do is push yourself away from the table." Don't you just want to smack people like that. DUH! I didn't realize that controling my eating would help me lose weight!!!! Idiot.
I guess I am waiting for my "want to" to lose the weight gets bigger than the "want to" to consume enough calories to keep a bear in hibernation...... it helps to read the progress you guys make. It makes ME want so BADLY to come on here and say "Hey!!! I lost 3 pounds this week!!!!!" And I could do that....Just lie like a rug and make up all kinds of "success" stories. Ya'll would never know. But I would know. And I want it to be real.
Hope everyone has a really GOOD day. Gonna sit here and sip my water and try not to think about the biscuits.
300+ And Ready To Try Again...#740
I am so pleased with myself....6 lb off already! 
There's a pool at my apartment complex, but I'm never there to use it, so I don't bother signing up.
(sorry I know you have really stretched your day beyond capacity!!!!) Anyway, definitely keep eating what you should be eating, you don't want to 'undereat' obviously.
'Too Hot' 
It's hilarius... when it's overcast or raining there are complaints and when its hot and sunny there are complaints. It tickles me. Humans are so funny!!!
-I'm halfway there. Right now I walk a mile to work (and a mile back). Once we move that will double so I'll get in 4 miles/day plus whatever I do for my 30 min/day. I'm hoping that this might be the thing to get my weight to budge... Does anyone have any advice for 'breaking a plateau' or whatever this personal **** is that I'm experiencing? I don't get it. I've not done HORRIBLY with food and even if I don't get in 30 mins of exercise for my challenge. I'm still walking 3 miles a day on average - and that's huge for me. It was trains, busses and taxis all the way!!!!
)
)
You go girl! Off to a T-riffic start!
Or the lottery...I'd settle for winning the lottery. 
