300+ And Ready to Try Again....#879
 

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 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!

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wyllenn - you look AMAZING!!!

Ronnie! welcome!! you will find a lot of inspiration here. please feel free to jump right on in. tell us about yourself!!

nothing really exciting going on here. im still on a high from yesterdays WW meeting. i love meeting new people!

have a great week. i might not be on much because i have to work 730-430 then school from 6-10... its only for 2 weeks, but still...

Hey everyone I haven't posted in awhile. My computer decided to go crazy and not work. lol I really haven't been doing to good on the weight loss. I still weigh 330. And its so strange because I see weight loss on my body. And my husband constantly randomly says you look like you have lost weight. So I can see it...and sort of see it in my clothes. But the scale says nothing. So I am not sure whats going on with that. I have a digital scale and it goes to 340. Maybe I weigh to close to the max weight? I dunno I am not trying to be obssesed with the scale lol. I have been doing good with not drinking soft drinks and so on. But I am having a major problem with not eating enough and not eating balanced meals. I got into the bad mindset of not eating much through out the day and then eat to much at dinner. That is horrible! And its so hard to make myself eat during the day because I am so used to not eating. I know that sounds strange...but its really hard for me to make a point to eat. And also its hard to tell myself that I need 2000 calories at least. I get that stupid 1200 or less stuck in my head. And finally I am having a very hard time finding physical activity to do. Its so hard for me to do the work out tapes I have. I have been using some 5lb weights so my arms feel better. But what about the rest of my body? I just can not wait until we get a treadmill! Well another good thing I started doing was journaling . And I wanted to share with you guys what I wrote down to work on. Please if you have any suggestions or opinions please share them.
1) try to get 10-30 min of physical activity.
2) watch my carb intake. ( in love with carbs lol)
3)No soft drinks
4)watch portion control
5)Drink at least 64oz of water
6) eat breakfast,lunch,dinner and snacks in between.

Thanks for letting me share/vent. I hope you girls have a good day!

michelle

Wyllen, YOU LOOK 10 YEARS younger!!!! :carrot: :carrot: :carrot: as well as slimmer & sexier!!!!;)
Nothing much to add except that DOGPAL WHERE ARE YOU ?!!!!(In a Shaggy/Scooby Dooo voice;) )I haven't 'seen' Ammi on msn, I've sent her offline messages but nothing yet, I hope she & Dogpal are ok & everyone else who's missing.
Ronnie,:welcome3: make yourself at home here:hug: , about the gym is there someone else who's 'larger' than average you can go with or a time when the gym isn't as busy? You could always just smile, take a big breath and say 'I know I'm big, that's why I'm here, to do something about it' to anyone who looks at you, what can they say? It should stop them staring & make them feel guilty about upsetting you!
Well I had an ok day yesterday, the boys are off school and Steve's on nights so we're off to the library and for a walk after my exercises, they are so noisy they are bound to wake him up if we don't go out.
xxxxsharon

***whoosh*** watches as the threads fly by...:dizzy:

Alright, I'm back (again). This past weekend, I took Jeff to Philadelphia for his birthday (his birthday falls on Easter this year), so my diet consisted of McDonald's, Dunkin Donuts, Subway (not horrible, but still very high in sodium), and a few poor convenience store snacks for the ride. At least I ended the weekend on a good note with whole-wheat pasta with homemade sauce last night for dinner, and we did lots of walking during our trip, so maybe that will help to balance it out slightly.

Anyway, it was a fun trip. We went to see the Body Worlds exhibit at the Franklin Institute in Philly and then yesterday went to the Adventure Aquarium in Camden, NJ (just across the river from Philly). A very relaxing and enjoyable time (except for all the traffic we hit driving up on Saturday morning in the rain!).

But, now back to work and back to sensible eating!

Hello!

Hope everyone had a great week end! We were at home and had nice peacefull weekend... watched icehockkey on tv and watched movies... nice and romantic...

surprise was HUGE when I saw the numbers on scale this morning 316lbs... down 4lbs. :hyper: first time in long time I feel like I can do this... really! Thanks for the support all:hug:

Wyllen~Wow, what a change! And the good feeling shines from your eyes too! you must feel great!!!!

This weeks promise I made to myself is that I post more often! This site has helped me a lot and I feel that it's time for me to start being active too!

Well done Krisikka on the loss:cp: and GREAT for feeling better.:dancer: You said the name means cherry, oddly enough a friend from Uni had Cherry as her middle name and she was embarssed, but her first name was Susan, I know which I would have used!!! I think Cherry is a lovely name. I'm so pleased that you are out of the dark place you have recently been in.:cheer:
gotta go,
xxsharon:carrot:

Just wanted to jump in real quick and say :welcome: Ronnie

Good morning everyone!

Welcome to Ronnie and Sandi.... I hope that is all I missed!

Wyellnn ~ Your pics look great! What a difference a year can make :) You look wonderful!

Kirsikka ~ Way to go on your loss this week! Keep up the great work!

Jilly ~ good for you on enjoying your weekend. We have to "let loose" once in a while......now get back to work!:D

Hello to everyone else...hope all is well in your lives!

Things are OK here. I DID end up sampling some of my baking on the weekend. Evil stuff that it is. But I accepted what I was doing and did it anyway. I will be happy when all this is out of my house. Thursday can't come soon enough!

Well I am off for now. Think I will do my nails and bum around the house today. I DO NOT feel like doing anything except crawling back in to bed. Trying to not allow myself to do this but it looks very appealing. hmmm......
ok I must go do something!!!!! Have a great day all!

brenda :wave:

Blood work results
 

Good Morning Ladies,

I'm still here. I have been very sick with strep throat. I didn't make it to ww yet. I have a Dr. appointment on Thursday and she is my new Dr. the nurse told me she offers some kind of weight loss classes so I will check into those first before deciding about joining ww or not. Besides being sick with fever, I have been doing really well on the food stuff. I stopped stuffing myself with sweets and anything I could get my hands on and started being more conscience about my eating only when hungry and I am down 12 pounds as of last Friday. I fixed my tracker immediately!

Welcome to all the new ladies and to everyone doing well! Excellent. To those who are struggling, take it from me, it will pass. I have been having lovely support here and from some pms from some of you ladies which I thank you for so much all of the love and support. I know that I wouldn't be the same person without having 3fc for support and encouragment from all of you.

Blessings to you all,
Dogpal

Luan - So glad that you found some people that will make this journey easier....this board is SO helpful, but sometimes that face to face contact is helpful, too! :) I wish you much success hon...and CONGRATS on getting those pounds off this week! :)

Michelle - Welcome back! Those sound like very achievable goals! I wish you much luck.

Sharon - Did you have a good walk with the boys?

Jill - Sounds like a fun weekend! Glad you had a good time. :)

Kirsikka - :bravo: on your loss this week! :D

Tracey - So glad that the teababy is alright. And I know how you feel about something not fitting, and you thinking it would...but just remember that all brands are different, and fabrics make a difference, too. I wear a size 22/24 in jeans, yet a pair of shorts I have size 28, and they are snug!

Ammi - I'm glad all came back normal with your tests....but did he say anything about why you weren't losing the weight when you were VERY actively trying?

Dogpal - You are ROCKIN'! That elliptical is doing it's wonders! :D

I'm in a bit of a better mood today. Last night, Andrew & I took a nice walk down by the river for about 40 minutes...very peaceful and enjoyable. I also weighed myself while I was there, as I haven't weighed in about 2 weeks, I think...and it showed me at 295, and that was with jeans/t-shirt on, and after I had eaten all day...so here's to hoping for a loss when I weigh in next. It's a nice day out, and Mom's out working in the garden. I haven't decided what I'm going to do yet.

Long-winded answer
 

Hi Michelle,

Well, my experience is that the scale is nothing but a tool, a barometer. Sometimes that is the tool you want to use to measure your progress, other times it is not. There are a few reasons why the scale may not be moving.

1. It's broken.

2. The battery needs to be replaced (if it's digital)

3. It is not rated for more than 300 lbs. Most bathroom scales are not!!

4. You are losing fat, not water or lean muscle mass. Fat loss is a slow process - 4/10 of a pound loss a week is not unlikely. If at the same time you are putting on muscle, your scale may not reflect it. Since mucle weighs more than fat, cubic inch by cubic inch, but takes up less space, you see the fat loss physically but not on the scale.

What I suggest is that you measure yourself, NOW. Measure your neck, chest, waist, hips, and your right (if your right-handed, L if left-handed) thigh and calf. If you have wide hips like I do, a regular 60-inch tape won't cover your hips. Get yourself to a quilting/sewing store and buy a quilting tape measure (up to 120 inches) or, if not available in your town, go online and have it mailed to you. Keep the measurements safe and revisit them in a month. I measure myself once a month on the 17th. Even when the scales doesn't move very much, I see progress with my tape measure.

Also, when I first started, I keep a journal for a week of how I felt physically. It was very basic. I had three times I was logging: 8 am, 3 pm and 8 pm. I used two or three words for each time: lethargic, energized, tired but not dead, too heavy to move. I do this once a month and then AFTER updating it, I compare it on how I felt the previous month, or the month before that. I suggest you do this too. It is really amazing what even ONE month's worth of better habits will help you feel better physically.

I also keep an exercise journal. Every time I exercise I write down the time and the distance (or the steps using a pedometer). When I am feeling down, all I have to do is look at my journal from last year (or last month) and see how much faster I can bike and/or walk, and how much more frequently I can exercise now withouth my body giving into massive pain and suffering.

If you absolutely HAVE to have a scale, make sure to buy one that is rated up to 350lbs or 400 lbs. They are out there. I bought mine online (400lb one since I weighed 360 lbs when I started) and it's pretty dead on. I'd be a hypocrite if I told you that I don't LIKE it when I show a loss, but I keep it in perspective. My advice is that you make sure you don't focus so much on the needle moving that you get discouraged if the needle is moving too slowly.

I used to have an "official weigh in" once a week. I've moved it to once a month. I step on the scale every day, but it doesn't drive me crazy like it does some other people. I have an eating disorder, and for me a good day is the day when I resist binging through a hard emotional time. And a small victory is when I make myself exercise despite the arthritis in my knees. I have my mind set straight on the weighing myself stuff, so a small gain, or a painfully slow loss do not affect my mood as much as they once did. I know that what I am doing is right - the food, the exercise, getting enough sleep, etc. so the weight will come off.

As far as your plan, it looks sensible enough. When I started I gave up both soft-drinks and every other kind of drink that was not water (sometimes I used to have an entire half-gallon of lemonade a day!!! can you imagine all that sugar?!?). Now, any kind of fruit juice is a treat (and I only allow myself one glass!) and I only do it once in a while . It's amazing what happens when you stop drinking your calories!

In terms of carbs, I try my best to not eat anything that is not super-healthy carbs. I buy bread, tortillas, pita bread, english muffins, and pasta - but only whole wheat. I make pizza at home - without cheese and using a whole-wheat crust. I buy ravioli, and tortellini, but only whole wheat (monterrey pasta company has a delicious line) and only those varieties that have less than 20% calories from fat. And, I don't eat any of those every day. I eat carbs every day, but usually in the form of brown rice, or millet, or quinoa or bulgur (if you want recipes, girl, I've got recipes!!!). Pasta and bread and such I eat mabye twice or three times a week. The rest of the time, it's grains and veggies for carbs.

It's taken some time to get used to this stuff - I mean, a year ago my g/f would have to force me to eat brown rice (as in, she doesn't keep any other kind in the house so if i wanted rice while at her house, I had to eat brown rice) and I hated it. But, it has become an acquired taste. I am loathe to admit it, but now I prefer brown rice to regular white. Who knew!?!

I think you're doing a great job. Staying on plan, especially at the beginning when all you're saying to yourself is "No, you cannot have that" is really, really hard. At least it was for me. But someone on these boards set me straight. She said "think of all the things you are saying "yes" to." For me that is better health, a slimmer body, the ability to move without pain. So, giving up processed foods, fast food, conviniece food, greasy restaurant food, etc. just gets easier and easier.

OK, I've certainly talked enough. Keep at it girl! You're seeing results. YAY for you!

Just dropping in. Now that TOM is ending, I'm feeling better and the funk is starting to lift. I think I finally have an outfit for this formal. I am going to wear the dress that I ordered from sizeappeal (once again, thanks Julee) and I bought this nice orangy coral sheer jacket that also has sparkles on it. I tried it on together and it looked really nice. With my hair done and the accessories, it should be a smash.

Hey all you chickies. I am still around, and Still on plan, I went out with friends this weekend from my old prison job, had a blast eating was fine stayed all op,, However I drank beer, and that is a no no on south beach,, but alas, i am not guilty just staying op still, didnt spark any cravings, Had a blast though... think i am down 2 more lbs. but my official weigh in will be on Sunday, due to the drinking this past weekend,, first wagon fall off trip,, very glad the wagon was slow enough for me to jump my fat *** right back on... take care all

Jill, I hope you made sure that your check was not cashed at the bank. If it is indeed "missing" then I would also make sure I put a stop payment on it if you're writing a new one. I know that's a pain in the butt AND expensive, but what's to stop someone from cashing it later and really screwing up your bank account. I don't mean to be a further downer, but I also want you to CYA! BTW, doesn't even $90 seem awfully exorbitant? Do you have a copy of the lease? That should spell out what the right late fees would be and under what circumstances they are assessed. Also, don't you get some credit for the rent being 1/2 paid? :hug: [[[Hugs]]], kiddo. Hope you can figure something out.

My computer is being weird and won't let me access part of the last thread so I missed a few things...my apologies. This weekend was a whoosh but it was sooooooo tiring. Friday I was supposed to go to the office for an hour..which became 3. Then I went home and cooked dinner for Jason...tried a few new things which were yummy...I made salmon that I marinated. The sauce was sort of asian-esque...soy sauce, OJ, honey, peanut butter (I used the TJ's Better than Peanut Butter), ketchup, garlic and ginger. It was soooo good and I had the leftovers for lunch today. I also made some spicy broccoli and a quinoa pilaf with mushrooms and onions and a mock apple crisp with an oatmeal topping.

Saturday I was lazy but for good reason. We had a dance on Saturday night that my HS youth group went to and right after, at midnight, we had an all-night program...which of course meant staying awake the whole time. We went a bunch of places, including the all-night grocery store...and I was so good! The kids were buying cookies and frosting and crap and I bought a banana, some raspberries, a WW yogurt and water. When we took them to breakfast at Denny's, instead of having what they had (2 eggs, hashbrowns and 2 pancakes) I orderd an eggbeaters veggie omelete.

So I finally got home at 11am...I'm now been awake about 25 hours... checked some email and took a short nap (about 1 1/2 hours) and showered and got dressed to go to lunch and an Eagle Scout ceremony and reception. Jason and I got home at 6 and crawled into bed. We woke up at 9 so hungry...and were back asleep by 11.

What did I learn from this experience? That although 3 grande soy lattes will keep me awake they will also tear up my tummy something fierce.

My WI on Wednesday was up 2 lbs..but with TOM on the way..I expected it to be up more so I have no complaints. I've also started pulling my hair up into a ponytail lately which has gotten some nice compliments. I guess I look really different.

Luan: I LOVE LOVE LOVE my WW meeting...both the people and the leader. I was asked at work if I could change a major program from Mondays to Wednesdays and I burst into tears...because I do WW on Wednesdays and I cannot give that up..no way.

Jilly: landlord troubles suck. I went to go to the bathroom this morning when I woke up and it wouldn't flush. The water had been turned off again. There was a guy tehre fixing a pipe but NOBODY bothered to tell any of us that it was being turned off. The landlord wasn't even around. But this is not the first time either. He'll come to my door and say we're turning it off now...and I can usually buy 15 minutes to grab my shower..but I thought they were required to give us at least 24 hours notice of a water outage. They always do at Jason's place.

UGH..his roomie STILL has not found a place!!! We told her in FEBRUARY that we needed her out May 1..and she shows no signs of moving. We are so stressed and now have absolutely no idea when I can move or when we'll be able to get the place cleaned. I have to be able to give 30 days here and it's not happening....grrrrrrrrr.

Wyellen..you new picture is STUNNING!!

Ok..off and running...I have a meeting and a program tonight. We're serving the kids baked ziti and garlic bread as sort of a last chance to get in all their bread and stuff before Passover starts Wednesday night. I will be getting myself a salad...my halo needs polishing.

Hey, ladies, I need a favor. Does anyone have WW smoothies at home? The kind you make in a blender? If so, could you PM me the nutritional info from the box? I had one last night and have not been able to put it into Fitday because I threw my box out when I bought the smoothies and the info isn't on the individual packets. Thanks to anyone who can help! :)

kayley - My thoughts continue to be with you during this tough time. I am so proud of you that you are staying the course with your eating and exercise through it all. :hug:

Mel - Yeah, I can laugh about it now. I told a couple people at work about it and we had a laugh. What a disaster!!! Like many others, I can relate to your desire to eat everything in sight. I like those No Pudge brownies. I think there is a way to make them one serving at a time....in case you are like me and can't be trusted with the whole pan. ;) I can't remember it off-hand, but I think it might actually be on the box.

Nancy and Wyllen - Look at you two hotsy totsies with your beautiful new pictures. Makes me want to have a hotsy totsy picture of my own. :lol:. And congratulations, Nancy, on your leg-shaving NSV! I bet that felt awesome. Leg-shaving is bit of a trick at this size. Even in the bathtub I tend to have trouble. I'm not so flexible at this weight! Anyway, congrats! And, Wyllen, congratulations to you on not letting the food be in charge and getting yourself to the gym instead of eating. You give me hope that I will be where you are someday!

Ronnie - :wel3fc: I am so glad you have decided to join us. You are so young and I think it's great you are trying to get control of this now. I can empathize with your feeling uncomfortable at the gym. The best thing is if you can just forget about those other people and what they may or may not be thinking about you and get in there and exercise. But, sometimes things are easier said than done. Could you try some workout videos at home? I really like the Walk Away the Pounds DVD's by Leslie Sansone. They come in different lengths (1 mi, 2 mi, 3 mi, etc) so you can easily tailor it to your fitness. Maybe if you did some exercise at home first you could build your confidence to go to the gym. Whatever you decide to do, we are glad you are here. Look forward to getting to know you!

dogpal - I hope you are feeling better soon. And a big :bravo: on being down 12 pounds!

Tracey - I am glad you have found an outfit you will feel fabulous in! Have fun at the event you get to wear it to!

Julee - That was quite a weekend. I think I'd still be in bed recovering from it if it were me! :lol:




As for me, I didn't get my painting done on Sunday like I had intended. I got so tired around mid-afternoon that I just could not keep my eyes open and ended up taking a 3 hour nap! Once I was up again I tried to convince myself to paint but just could not do it. I decided to treat myself to a completely leisurely Sunday and spent the rest of the day vegged out in front of the TV and also reading. By the way, I highly recommend "The Life of Pi" for anyone who likes to read. What a fabulous story!

Today was my first day back to work since taking last week off. It was a bit stressful since first quarter is upon us and there is lots and lots of work to do. Also, they have shuffled us around in the building so I am trying to get my work done and unpack all my stuff. AND they don't have our phones working yet. It's just craziness. Poor planning to say the least.

That's it for me. Have a great evening, everyone!

One more thing...

Nancy, I didn't realize you were close to NYC. That is my dream destination. I have such an incredible desire to visit NYC. I think I've seen too many Sex and the City's and am romanticizing it. ;) Even if I am , I still really want to go!!!!!

Sorry Chickies, for not much of a post today. I've become incredibly busy at work and I was TIRED today from the weekend. Saturday was my anniversary and, other than a seriously STUPID husband who failed to get me anything - it was okay. Busy though, as we spent a good portion of the day trying to get a rental property we have repaired. I HATE being a landlord! This is a mobile home we can't manage to sell for anything...not my idea to be in the rental business. We can't even rent the darn thing for the amount we pay every month! :mad: Anyway, we knocked off at a reasonable hour, got dressed up and hit a wonderful, romantic restaurant and then a casino. Lost..but had fun doing it! Then we went window shopping at an "adult" store! OMG :eek: the things they have in those places! :o It was so fun to wander thru with hubby! Anyway, got home super late and to bed about 3 a.m. Sunday was "Easter" at the in-laws. Again, a long day. So Monday was beat at work.

I've done pretty badly on food. Sunday especially, I ate and ate and ate and ate.....you get the idea. I HATE going to my in-laws. DH comes from a family of fat ladies and they COOK! Well, his sisters are all fat...his mom is tiny! I don't know where the kids get it! :no: Even today, when I was trying to be good...I ended up eating a 300 calorie bag of almonds a minute ago. :( Do you ever have those cravings you try to ignore and you end up eating everything in sight because you're trying to be good? I so didn't need the almonds...but they were EXACTLY what I was craving! So I gave in...figured I best just get it over with so I didn't eat the house down tonight!

Jilly: Sorry you are having landlord problems. I think they are being WAY unreasonable! Do you have check carbons? I never write a check without one...Otherwise I forget to write them down. Unless your lease says something though..you sound pretty stuck. :hug:

Wyllen, Nancy - You ladies look GREAT! WTG!

Catherine! Where are you????

I hope all you ladies are doing well. Sorry, I really don't have time for more replies!

Well, playing hookey tomorrow in order to finish the repairs to the rental...Did I mention I HATE being a landlord? Then Wednesday we have dog obedience then Thursday the kids taekwondo then Friday we have an SCA medieval event then Saturday the same then Sunday I REALLY need to go to the office! :faint:

I may not be around much the next few days chickies...try to muddle thru without me! ;)

Jilly.... I'm angry FOR you just reading your post. Perhaps you ARE backed into a corner and maybe they have the "letter of the law" on their side... but it does seem to me that this is a very bad way to treat you, especially if you have a history of doing the two checks and they would know that. It seems to me that they are letting "well business is business" get in the way of humane and reasonable treatment of loyal renters... and that attitude always makes me so angry. I would DEFINITELY check to see if those checks were cashed. SOmething is weird here.....

Xena... the brownies DO have the way to make individual brownies on the box. I think that is SO cool. Of course... I made the whole pan!! lol ... but.... and this is HUGE for me.. I only ate ONE. wow.... I SOOOO badly wanted to scarf down about a half dozen heh heh... I was so proud of myself for my restraint...it wasn't easy. THey are sooo yummy! p.s. I LOVE NYC! try to get there at least once a year... if you ever do get the chance to visit---you won't regret it. Let me know and I'll give you all my favorite spots :)

Wyllen -- GREAT new pic!!!! (nice pics on the picture thread, too). Way to go!!!! You look wonderful!!

Yikes, Julee.... -- what a whirlwind of activity for you!! wtg on being able to stick to good snacks, too!

Hi to everyone -- sorry can't post more right now... will check in again soon.

Mel

Zelma--I will post pics if I ever get it done LOL. And yes, Anja's hair is much more manageable now I am VERY glad to say. And Kaitlyn does look like a little doll with hers cute short too.

Xena--Trying to complete a collection was what drew me to e-bay lol I was trying to get all of the Buffy seasons on DVD. I am now glad to say I have them all. But I buy a LOT of stuff from e-bay, car parts for my brothers restoration project, paint, pepper spray, clothes, mary kay...I am about to venture into selling on e-bay. (I hope that's okay to say, it's not an advertisement, just a statement.) But yeah, I'm completely addicted to e-bay.

Nancy--TELL ME ABOUT IT!!! That's exactly how I feel. sheesh if I could get the time and money thing all in synch I would have no worries LOL.

Ammi--I'm glad the test results came back showing everything was normal, although I can understand your frustration at having no answers. Big hugs.
______
As for me, Ny weekend was pretty normal, with a lot of exercise added into the mix LOL. My grandmother sent me an email Sat night saying that her choir at church would be singing a song that my mother sang a lot as a special at church and that she had a really hard time practicing it all week (FYI my mother died when I was 24 so I guess that would make it seven years ago now.) Anyway, since we never see her for Easter and she needed a little extra support yesterday, we decided to take the girls to her church rather than go to ours. She was very surprised and enjoyed the time with the girls. And they looked so cute...Dressed it Easter-esque attire and all.

I haven't updated my tracker or my exercise mins yet, but if I can trust my whacked out scale I'm down 2 lbs. Measurements still the same though. But NSV, I tried on a dress that I wore in a friends wedding a few years ago and it's HUGE on me. I was delighted.

And now I am looking for something to wear for Easter...I hate dresses, with a passion. I own a sum total of 1 dress(besides the afore mentioned formal) and three skirts of which I only ever wear one LOL. And I hate trying on clothes...I love shopping LOL I just hate the whole process of trying on clothes. I wonder if a nice pantsuit can be okay for Easter.... Probably not, but I'll keep my eye out for one tomorrow LOL.

I have just realised I am completely spastic in my postings at times LOL. My mind jumps from one subject to the next and my fingers follow LOL. Okay, I'm going to go now. I still need to update stuff and post to the exercise thread.

I hope everyone has a wonderful day tomorrow.

Jilly so sorry for your rent probs.:hug: :mad: If its not too awkward I would hand the cheques in in person in future and WATCH them open your envelope & mark PAID on your rent book or whatever you have.
Dogpal, wow!!!! :carrot: :carrot: :carrot: I'm so pleased that you are back and doing so well. Good that your new Doc. has a weightloss clinic it will save you a few bucks if it is any good, I will keep my fingers crossed.
Crockett, how do you drink beer & not pig out?:lol: If I ever go out & drink I HAVE to eat something when I get back and I don't mean a w/w yoghurt either!!! a block of cheese, a kebab, anything fattening and fatty!!! good job I rarely get out at night. Great to see you posting again.
Ammi, glad you are ok, :hug: I was worried about you. :crossed: that everything is ok when you see the Doc.
Krisikka, thanks, I never feel that positive, glad you are feeling better & sleeping well, you are right, it is SO important to get enough and good quality sleep.
I forgot what else I wanted to post but I was REALLY good yesterday:angel: , a walk and exercise dvd, and totally OP, the boys were going crazy in the park but we had to cut it short as it was lunch time and I needed the loo, sadly they are closed at the park as vandals wreck them and anything else they can get their hands on:mad: . They even throw glass bottles in the paddling pool! :( and we don't even live in a rough area. When I was a teen we drank booze in the park but always threw our bottles in the bins, why hurt a child or baby, its not even a bit funny or 'cool'? What I would do to those teens if I got my hands on them!!!:rollpin:
Gotta go & exercise,
xxsharon:carrot:

just a fly by post at 5 am...

I am back from visiting Carolyn. Totally off program, even had beer last night. Going to climb back on the treadmill today. NOT looking forward to weigh in at ALL.

Wish me luck...all I have done is eat out for every meal and I only remember one salad in the bunch...very bad. One good day of exercise walking on the beach but other than that just shopping. I will be lucky if I did not gain back a ton...drat me!

I hope you all are doing much better than I and all is well with each of you!

Take care,

I did check my lease. It says late fees are "up to 15%" of the monthly rent--not just the amount due, but the whole rent. We pay $1206 a month, so 15% of that is acually $180.90, so they probably think they're being nice by only charging us 15% on the missing amount :dizzy:

Anyway, after I calmed down for a minute, I wrote a letter describing what had happened and explaining that I understood that it was an accident and that I was not trying to get out of paying my rent, but that I was not going to be responsible for a late fee that I did not legitimately incur. I even enclosed a check for the amount of rent owed (and will watch my bank account like a hawk to make sure they don't end up finding the other one and cashing BOTH checks!) because I didn't want her to come back in 2 days and say that we now owed legal fees, even though she was the one who told me to wait a few more days--after our encounter, I wasn't taking that chance. I also printed a copy of my letter, a photocopy of my check, and a photocopy of my late notice (with the words "Delinquent amounts only" highlighted) to send to the corporate office. I placed everything for the manager in an envelope and walked downstairs and into her office and handed it directly to her (no boxes, no assistants, no excuses!).

About 5 minutes after I got back up to my apartment, she called and asked me to come down so we could talk. Jeff came with me, not only as moral support, but also because his name is on the lease, too. We sat in her office and listened to her explain how 2 people check the envelopes another 7 times and how she can't just let anyone who claims they submitted a check NOT pay the late fee because then everyone would be saying that all the time even if they really just didn't pay their rent. I kept saying I understood, but that we had never been so much as a day late before, had never caused any problems, had never complained about anything, etc., and that I was NOT trying to get out of paying. She kept giving us the runaround, and I was trying so hard not to cry in my frustration--biting my tongue, pinching my hand--but the tears spilled over, and then all of a sudden she was like, "oh, I see from your account that you're good tenants, and I'll go ahead and waive that late fee for you. I was going to do it all along, but I wanted to talk to you about it first." Yeah, total BS, since she just spent a good 20 minutes telling us we still owed the fee. I hated that I cried, but I guess it worked :p

The whole reason we put our checks in an envelopes is to make sure they get credited to the same account to avoid conusion. The manager actually said that envelopes cause more problems than loose checks. I said maybe someone should tell the tenants that, and she just said that she can't tell people how to submit their rent :?:

When we drop off the rent, there is always someone at the front desk. If you hand it to them, they just put it in the rent box. Otherwise, I just drop it in there myself i's a locked metal box on the front desk). They don't process the checks until the 5th of the month (even though rent is due on the 1st), so all the checks just sit in that box until then. I told the manager that from now on, I would be walking into the office, not just the front desk, and handing my checks to an actual corporate member, not just a front desk part-timer. I do not have carbon copy checks (funny thing, I USED to, but then switched because they were more expensive for fewer checks, and I never needed the copies for anything :dizzy: ), but I do have a printer with a scanner/photocopier, so I will be keeping scanned copies of all submitted checks from now on (I'll even copy Jeff's, too).

So, now that that ordeal is over, thank you everyone for letting me throw my little hissy fit :hug:

Welcome back, garnet!

Sharon--ugh, don't you hate it when the few (vandals) ruin things for everyone?! Don't people have better things to do with their time?

honi--I think a nice pantsuit would be fine for Easter! Anything that is dressed above plain pants and a plain shirt is enough effort in my book ;) I totally agree about dressing up, too. I only own one dress, and it's just the one I have to wear for my sister's wedding in a couple weeks. Other than that, I think I have 2 skirts that fit, and that's it! I don't get along well with pantyhose :p

Mel--I've been checking my bank account online every day since we got the late notice. My suspicion is that they either threw the check out in the envelope or accidentally ripped it in half when ripping the envelope open (she showed me how they tear the envelopes apart to make sure there's nothing inside). I will keep checking the account, and the manager said she will still wait a few more days to be sure all checks have cleared before she processes my new one.

Lilion--wow, you CRAVED almonds?! They are SO good for you! At least is you had to eat too much, it was almonds and not chocolate or cake or cookies or...:devil: Also, smack your hubby around for me for ignoring the aninversary! My boyfriend didn't even acknowledge our 2-year anniversary last month (granted we're only dating, not married, but he mentioned it a few days earlier, so I knew he remembered, and 2 years is a long time when dating!), and I sure let him know that I was disappointed in not having received so much as a cheap grocery store bouquet of flowers :p

Xena--have you tried searching online for the WW smoothie nutritional info? When in doubt, Google is my best friend! :cool:

Julee--"my halo needs polishing"...AMEN! Can you polish mine, too? ;)

Crock--good to see you back and to hear you're still doing wonderfully on SB :hug:

Tracey--lifting funk is always a good thing! I'm sure you'll look great all done up with the new dress--be sure to share pics if you have them!!

ThisGirlsLosing--wow, you should be a counselor--so much good advice you gave!

kirsikka--you're aboslutely right...sleep DOES make a difference! They have done studies to prove that we can lose weight much more efficiently when we get plenty of sleep than when we're trying to run red-eyed on naps all the time :dizzy: Congrats on the 4 pounds!!!

Kayley--ooh, a walk by the river sonds nice. The only rivers we have here are cement :p

Dogpal--way to ROCK the 12 pounds so quickly :carrot: I hope your throat feels better soon :hug:

Ammi--did you have a full thyroid test done? I know there is the one they usually do first that just shows that the thyroid is excreting what it's supposed to, and sometimes that can come back normal and the doctor will do no more about it. However, I've heard that sometimes even if that is normal, there is further testing that can be done to see if your body is properly absorbing what your thyroid puts out. Just want to make sure all bases are covered :hug:

Brenda--I SO hear you on crawling back into bed. Afer Philly for the weekend, work was the last place I wanted to be yesterday! :devil:

As for me, even though I was super-stressed by the rent thing last night, I managed to eat only 1633 calories worth of food, and NONE of it was really JUNK food! I definitely didn't feel like cooking, so dinner for me was 2 bowls of granola and almond cereal with sliced bananas and skim milk. There was probably added sugar in the cereal, but I'm going to consider it healthy anyway ;)

augh..... i ate WAY off plan last night...

I brought some fruit to work which was good then opened the almonds. I knew I should have only taken my regular measured portion (1/8th of a cup).... nope, ate the BAG! I'm SO swelled up from the salt today that typing is a chore and now I have to go and bake. I KNOW I will gain this week. Even if I don't eat ANYTHING *L* I ate about a whole days worth of calories last night in that bag of nuts alone!!!! (if not more!)

grrrrr I hate it when I lose control like that

Jilly ~ happy for you that they at least dropped the late fees. Boy you and jeff pay big $ for rent! I have a 3 bedroom townhouse heated for 600$ per month! At least it is big dollars for around here....just thinking.... that is US dollars too *L*

Sharon ~ good for you for stepping things up!!! You are on fire girl!

sorry but I have to run. Bake sale is creeping up and I need to get some stuff finished. I will be happy when June 10th is here and the Relay is over and I hope to be finished work. I can concentrate on myself then!!!

Brenda :wave:

wow amazing!! Sometimes I am happy i live on my little sheltered island! *L*

yea Kayley!!!! Great job!!!

It has been really busy at work and last night I didn't get a chance to post either. We watched an interesting documentary called Mondovino about the world of wine making – more to do with the business end and how several large conglomerates and a couple of individuals have really taken over the wine world.

Wyllen - You look fabulous. Congrats on fitting into your special dress!

Dogpal – Way to go on the 12 pounds! That is fantasic!

Jill - I am glad they bent on the fee and everything worked out. It really gets me when people assume you are lying and trying to cheat, especially when you have no history of it.

Kayley - Way to go on the loss. Glad to hear you are feeling better.

Ammi – Perhaps you could see a dietician? Maybe some one-on-one help could clear up this conundrum.

I know I missed a bunch of people, but I have to run. I have to finish my March month end report today. Hopefully I will get some computer time tonight after American Idol.

Thisgirlslosing....what am awesome post. Thank you for that. You moved me girl!

Kayley and Brenda, and anyone else eating South Beach,,, I just whipped up a good food.. WW noodles, one lb of extra lean beef, one jar of Ragu sugar free spaghetti sauce, and 1/2 a green pepper, VERY Good, Cheap, and filling,,