Hi Raven & Angel, everyone here is great, supporting and offering advice. I realy don't have time for personals, I read & forget, sorry.
Angel, love your avatar & sorry about your health problems, there are ladies here who have survived cancer, numerous operations & traumas so don't feel alone.
I am feeling fed up again, not feeling like doing anything, apart from playing solitaire on the pc. I have forced myself to tidy & do laundry though & of course to care for my two boys & get them off to school & nursery. I thought I ought to let you all know I'm still hanging in here, even if I'm not posting much; I don't want to be a downer on everyone.
Luan, I have no idea how you cope with your mum, all I can offer is my sympathy & heartfelt wishes things get much better soon for you.xxxxx
Misti, I will check your pics out soon, though I KNOW you'll look good.xxxx
Ammi, I'l try & catch you on MSN.xxxxxx
xxxsharon

hello ladies!



First I have to say I loved all the halloween pics you posted.

Misti you look nice! And the second pic you're absolutely thinner and that smile really adds to the pic nicely

Katt no it was not healthy food at all…pancakes, one, then two, then one more, and kind of so on I fed my body nicely
yaaay on the –2 lb

Jill it really sucks when your energy falls, doesnt it. I usually make my self a strong vitamin drink…like oranges, grapefruit, and any fruit that comes in my hand and drink it…its fresh and really gets you going or I just lay around the whole day The weekend is here soon and it'd do you good Im sure

OMG Jill, you actually read everything that was posted in the last month????? WOW!!! That must have been some work hehehe.

wezi – WTG with your exercises, I could never get up in the morning and do exercise there is NO WAY I could get that motivated. EVER! I just love sleeping late and 5 in the morning is in the middle of the night for me. So really good work for you!

dazzleberry & raven & fallen angel welcome…have a great time on here and hopefully we can help you on your way to thiner, healthier selves

Michelle yes it was nice. Eating, uf, I can beat my self about it or just let it go and start again the next day. I decided to let it go. At least my body won't fall into a starvation mode, I fed it plenty
Girl you lost 20lb!!!! That proves you’re on the right track, doing something really good. So who cares what the highest number was, I don’t even wanna think what mine was, cos I got into a shock just seeing it (lost it pretty quick though)…anyway what matters is what the lowest number gonna be, right

Angie loosing inches is all whats it about isnt it ok besides jadidadida health stuff…but what gives you a boost is seeing smaller numbers hehe. WTG!

sharon Im sorry you’re not feeling very positive at the moment hope its gonna change soon!

Luan So sorry to hear about having a rough month. But its good to hear you’re still trying to stay on plan. Its really dificult to have such problems at home so don’t feel bad about letting go on your plan. I know its not what you wanted but noone can deal with too many problems at once. Hang in there and hopefully things will get better



I had quite an ok day today, ok wasn’t like 100% OP, but was close enough Im almost done here at work, been here since 8 in the morning and now its 7..its dark out side and windy and freezing I guess winter is here Was hopping of taking a walk before going home but its too windy so indoor exercise it is.

Last night my sister in law asked me if I had new jeans, and I said they were in my closet for a year I just couldn’t get them on lol, now they are getting too big…talk about waste of money hehehe.



Ok, everyone have a great day, take the best out of it cos afterall it could be worse

Hello Everyone,

I rarely post on this thread but read it everyday. I am constantly amazed and inspired by all of you. I feel like this time is so different because there is so many of you supporting our goal. My husband never complains about my weight but sometimes I catch him looking at me and it might just be my imagination but I think he is a little disappointed in the way I have treated myself. I see that he is happy that I am exercising but I also know that he thinks that I will not keep it up (story of my life) I always start with a lot of enthusiasm but never keep it up. I know I can do it this time though.

I am happy to say that I have lost 3 more pounds and considering that we had company and that I love to cook I think that is pretty good. I am understanding that even if I indulge in something or "forget" that I am trying to change my eating habits...its really not a life and death situation....I just have to keep on trying until I get it right...in the past I would give up after one slip up and that would be an excuse to eat even more..leading to more weight gain.

I have been very good about drinking my water (at least 8 glasses a day) and you all here give me the motivation to get off my butt and exercise.

Angel - I read your story and am very proud of your weight loss so far. I am pretty new but WELCOME.

Raven - You really have found a great place...even if you do not post (which I hope you will) you will find great comfort in knowing that there are people that are or have been where you are now.

Andie - Oh my gosh (as my daughter would say) your little girl is so cute. You are right she is just perfect.

Jill - Congratulations on your very grown up weekend. I think that it is great that you still love to watch cartoons and all the other kids stuff it will keep you forever young...don't change.

JILLY - Woo hoo .. lovel the grown up thing of a new bank account lol .. Well done on staying OP and your incredible time for exercise (I still shake my head thinking about it rofl) ... As for your tiredness .. have you been getting enough iron in your diet?? Are you having anything caffinated within say 4-5 hours of going to bed?? Or anything with sugar?? I find that if I have anything sweet in the evening I have a restless sleep cos I have that sugar rush to burn off .. hence the joy of doing my exercises at night lol .. at least that way I will wear off any sweet treat and sugar before bed .. at least it seems to work lately Hope you arent coming down with anything. Stay healthy! I have those days where I read everything I can in here lol .. just to fill time .. and then I start feeling guilty thinking I could be doing some form of exercise (which I am gonna have to get doing again soon lol). Definitely know what you mean tho hun about honesty verses telling them what they want to hear .. its a case of them wanting and not accepting what they need Ive never been a thin adult either lol .. wonder what it will be like .. actually .. if I think real hard about it .. I dont think I have been under a size 20 in ummm ... over 15 years!!! And that was an 18 rofl.

LORI - Good job on the starting of a new thread .. easy when you do it once Hope you are having a lovely day REALLY BIG WTG on getting up so early to exercise hun .. Im so proud of you! Especially not letting work give you an excuse to not exercise!! That is just great news

RAVEN - WELCOME!! This is definitely the space for support! One of our lovely lasses calls this place her non-cal chocolate fix (or something like that lol) .. and it really is .. I have looked on a lot of other support groups for weight loss and this one beats the pants off em! There are such a diverse group of women on here all with varying issues to face and cope with that Im sure that no matter what the problem is that someone on here will know exactly the right thing to say to you. Never fear writing if you have gone off plan .. or you havent done something you should have .. we wont judge you hun .. and most of us have done that on the journey anyway ... but look on every "guilty pleasure" as a learning experience to grow and continue your travel down this new healthy pathway. As for exercise .. it comes in varying forms .. but it is definitely a necessity on this journey .. even if you start off small .. 10 minutes a day .. 5 minutes even .. just dance to a couple of songs in your lounge its great exercise (ask Zenya ... she dances all the time!) ... but set it as a challenge to yourself .. there is an exercise thread on here where we set ourself a challenge of minutes to do and its a great thing to put yourself up for because you have a little more public accountability for what you do or dont do .. but its really your choice and you are the one that has to live with them Big huggies and look forward to seeing you on the boards more and more Just out of curiosity .. I see you have a major goal by your 21st .. when is that?? ah so young!!hum .. nope . wouldnt want to relive it rofl.

MISTI - The pics are fab! And great NSV on gettin those pants on ... I felt the same way as you when the bottoms of an outfit fit but the top was still not going over the protrusion at the front lol .. ah well .. its only the beginning of my journey so I know I will get there eventually .. although I am SURE that the top is a really small 3XL cos all my other ones fit really nicely! Grrrr wish the darn manufacturers would all agree on a size!!

ANGEL - Not willing to call you fallen cos I think Angel sounds just right for you. My real name is Sarah .. but only my mother and siblings call me that .. fortunately I dont hear it often then lol .. Youre right .. your story sounds familiar .. but only parts .. and like everyone else on here while it may not be a perfect match we can all see where you are coming from. I was a thin kid .. never really thought about that much .. until about the age of 9/10 when I started developing and loading on the pounds ... my mum put me on WW when I was 12 (I was classed as barely overweight but that was enough for my mother lol), I did get within 5kg (10lb) of my ideal weight and looked like a walking coathanger so many bones stickin out ... I can honestly say I am big boned and I hate bones sticking out. My older sis lost a lot of weight and her sense of humour and fun seemed to go with the fat .. so that was a subconscious reason for me to not want to be thin .. I like my humour and having fun when I feel the urge .. my sis is not the happiest woman in the world .. but she is slender and fit rofl ... so I look at my 20s as my time of developing me on the inside .. I let the outside go a little too far tho lol .. and I quit smoking 5 years ago next month, cold turkey .. and probably added the 100 pounds Im trying to initially lose. So I hope to see you on the board heaps .. its a great support network .. hope you will join in the exercise challenge too .. its a great reminder to get your body moving rofl. Huggies Thank you for your story and great work on your journey so far .. you must be doing something right

MICHELLE - Thankies .. Im surprised at how easy it feels like this journey is .. I know in a way its not really, I still have the urge to binge and purge ... but when that happens I get in here or find something else to do to distract me long enough for the urge to go Wanna see a piccy of you in your new shoes when they get there too!! As for your starting weight .. look at it this way .. its not something you are ever gonna see again is it?? Sooo while you didnt know it at the time .. its not something you are ever gonna have to know And look .. you have lost so much more now rofl

ANGIE - Great to see you again! WOW .. 4.5 on the thighs?? They will be lil sticks at the rate youre goin Great job ... and I hope the "evil one" doesnt make it too bad for you with the FFM

SHARON - Hun Im sorry you arent feeling in sync .. but PLEASE dont stop posting .. we are here for supporting when you are feeling great AND for when you are having a bad time too .... thats what friends and family are for isnt it?? Big hugs and dont be a stranger

LAVANDEL - Well .. as long as the pancakes were an enjoyed experience lol .. ohh ... that has me wanting one now .. humm .. might think on that for dinner maybe ... I will have to see the calories rofl. Thankies for the boogie on my loss .. as expected TOM is starting to mess with it .. so as long as TOM only messes with that 2 pounds I will be happy lol ... if it makes me go over 285 I will be having a big arguement either with the scales or my body lol. Great work on the jeans .. is a little annoying tho when you dont get a chance to wear out an item of clothing lol.

MELISSA - Good luck on your goals .. I know you can do it

POCHITA - Lovely to see you posting hun .. and really well done on your 3 pounds!!! Trust me ... every mili pound counts on this journey .. so even if its .5 pounds its a great day or week cos it means you are going in the right direction .. and even if it does go up sometimes .. that doesnt necessarily mean you have done something wrong .. on the journey the body will have to adjust .. its been living a certain way for a while .. so even a couple of years on this journey wont be the end of it. Good on you drinking your water too .. that is Sooooo important .. as is the exercise And (you can tell me to keep out now lol .. ) maybe instead of thinking you see something in your hubbies eyes when he looks at you .. tell him what you think you see .. women have an incredible ability to put different words in someones eyes, maybe it would help if you know exactly where he stands with your new lifestyle .. you sound like such a lovely person .. Im sure your hubby must be a goodun too

KATY - Im never sure what to say to someone who has lost someone .. sorry and condolences seem to be so not enough. To lose one through natural causes is one thing .. but losing someone in wartime is to me such a waste of potential. As you may be able to tell I am so antiwar its rediculous .. if I was around in the 60s I would have been one of those flower children I think. The worst part about it is that the powers that make the decisions .. arent the ones with their lives on the line. I wish you a loving spirit to help in your goodbye and I am sure that wherever he is, he will be watching over his family .. as extended as they are. Big Hugs hun.

Also Hiiii to AMMI, HEATHER, ZELMA, ZENYA, KIM, NANCY, PATTI, ANNIE ... omg .. I know I am forgetting a few .. so sorry ... But huggies and hi and hope you are all having a lovely day

Its a beautiful Spring/Summer day here .. dad is busy putting on the bamboo screening for one of the fences .. and we are going down shortly to get the new outdoor seating and BBQ (which dad is gonna take with him cos its a surprise for my hunny for Xmas - we have a 4 burner one but he keeps complaining its not big enough for when we have more than him, Ash & I - so I am getting him a 6 burner hooded one for Xmas) .. wow .. I think that is everyones pressies then .. omg .. gotta remember to wrap up mums X stitch and get it in the post next week or she wont get it in time for her birthday rofl .. not that I am really talking to her .. but its her birthday after all

Gotta go get dressed properly to go into town .. got a load of washing to put on too .. just finished hanging Ashleighs out .. I wish she would learn to check her pockets BEFORE she puts them in the wash rofl .. now there are little pieces of tissue over everything .. and I KNOW she will blame me for that .. even tho she was the one that put the washing on rofl .. ah life as we know it

Oh nugget .. havent had breakfast yet either .. oops .. will be a late meal day all day now rofl.

Will catch up more later!

Love and Laughter!

HI... just rushing through as I left work early and am going to crawl into bed and read and watch TV and eat my Mongolian grill... LOL break night!

But wanted to say to Raven and Angel!!!

Hi All! good day so far, not much to report.

Angel: Sounds like you have had a rough time. You will fit in nicely here, we all have a story & we all are dealing with issues. This is a great place.

Michelle: Here's to getting back on schedule. DH works the night shift always & it sucks. I can't get on his schedule though because I work during the day & have DD.
I definately think shoes will help. I don't do much barefooted. I wear tennis shoes to do housework even because my back & feet last much longer. I imagine you have been in pain if you have been exercising in your socks.

Angie: Big congrats on losing those inches! Thats alot!

Sharon: Sorry you are feeling down. Hang in there.

Lavendel: Love your new avatar pic.
Congrats on getting a compliment on your new old jeans.

Melissa: Good luck on starting over. A clean slate is nice. You will be at 299 in no time. Stay away from that evil chinese food!

Pochita: Nice to see you post, I see you in the exercise thread all the time. My DH is kinda the same way. He doesn't think I will stick to it so its all sort of a joke to him. I just ignore him & do what I gotta do. Hopefully sooner or later he will get on the band wagon.
Congrats on your loss! Thats great!

Katt: Don't you hate when they leave stuff in their pockets??? My teenage brother & my DH do that. I can't tell you how much crap I have to pull out of the washer & dryer because of them. I nag them constantly about that. Then they get upset with me for washing something important! I'm sorry I thought that the fact that they were crumbled in a ball on the floor of the laundry room meant you wanted them washed.... DUH! The upside of it all is that I keep whatever money I find in the wash!

Misti: Have a great night relaxing. Sounds like the perfect evening!

Hello everyone...thanks for all the nice thoughts. I'm feeling a LOT better than I have for a few days. I think the tonsilitis is almost gone!

Not much time for posting right now...but glad to see that Valerie's first day at work went so well!!!

KATT, the only thing they re-test over here is eyesight, and I’ve personally seen them PASS people who failed the eye test and just tell them to see a doctor about it. Gee, do ya s’pose they will?

MISTI, Congrats on the NSV – You HAVE lost a bunch of weight AND toned up! ** Yes, overtime can be tiresome but it’s wonderful come payday! I’m looking forward to my first check, especially since I put in almost 14 hours today.

LUAN I’m sorry about your mom. My sis isn’t that bad, but she has issues with both violence and truth, oh, and with money, and I’ve had to sever ties. At least she stays away from me now, but it gives me a bit of insight into what you’re facing. My heart goes out to you.

WELCOME RAVEN! Glad you’re here! This is a unique and wonderful group and I’m glad you’re now part of it!

HaHa, KATY – I hear you on the “No Sympathy” for 45 degrees. If it makes you feel any better, it was actually snowing while I was trying to finish up delivering a load of fuel today. I get to stand out in the snow and watch it – brrrrrr.

WELCOME ANGEL! You’ve been through the ringer with your weight! It’s been very rough I think, but you DO have inside yourself what it takes to conquer this once and for all! It sounds like you’ve found the key to starting your journey already. I hope we can be of help and support to you. These ladies are all angels to me, they’ve helped me so much.

SHARON, You are never a downer! I’ve had my share of blue days, and I’m so grateful for the support I’ve received here! That’s what we’re here for – to help each other through even when things aren’t going perfectly. Even when we’re feeling blah, or challenged, or defeated. What you’re feeling isn’t good, but it’s ok to feel that way, and I hope you know that it won’t always feel that way. A better day is coming! Close your eyes and take a ride in your mind. Fly over a fence or ten. Just take a deep breath and cut yourself some slack. You’ve come so far already, and we’ll keep on traveling together!

SHARON & AMMI, I don’t think I’ve said how Ultra-Cool it is to see the pictures of you 2 together! SO neat!

POCHITA, AWESOME that you not only lost weight, but did it while you had company!

KAYLEY, I’m so glad you’re finally feeling better!

LADIES, I’ve missed many of my dear friends (you) that I ‘d love to speak to, but I put in almost 14 hours today and have to get up in 6 ½ and do it again. It went great again – I drove today, loaded the truck at the fuel depots, unloaded at a couple of gas stations and am feeling far more comfortable now that I’ve actually been behind the wheel again.

OH! And the scale was even polite this morning! It was very encouraging, and helped me to pack a good lunch for my day, so I ate pretty well. More bread than I usually like to have – I even grabbed a Subway on the way home – but at the moment I’m so busy all day that I’m handling it well and not even having any cravings, in spite of that Halloween candy boo-boo.

LUV U ALL!

Hi everybody

Valerie, wow that is a lot of time you work!! But glad to hear it is going so well! I've only been working 9.5 hours but have about an hour commute each day. Today I left at 2:30 as I had my 8 hours in and I was not feeling very well; just exhausted I think.

Thanks to all for the encouragement on the photos. LOL I posted my before picture once a long time ago but have never had courage to do it again... but I suppose it is probably still there somewhere.

Kayley glad you are feeling better!

BTW I think others here are doing the presidential challenge thing??? But I can't keep it all straight with the way the threads fly around. Maybe we could start a separate thread on that in this section. Anyone else interested?

Hugs to all

in Seattle

hi everyone! just hopped on to keep myself out of the kitchen and waste some time until gray's anatomy comes on. is anyone else addicted to that show? i never watched it until this summer--then i had to rent seasons one and two and get caught up before this season started. it's about the only show on tv this year that i make sure i watch--that and biggest loser.

anyway, just wanted to do some quick personals:

angel-- i'm glad you found us. i just started a couple of weeks ago, and am on here all the time now. it's a great way to avoid temptation for me (like when the candy was calling on halloween!). i started gaining all my weight in college and didn't really know what to do about it since weight had never been an issue for me (5'8 or 9, around 150 in high school, size 12--i was happy with that). i am an emotional eater and a lot of stuff happens when you move out on your own for the first time, as i'm sure you know. anyway, now it's 14 years later and i'm finally figuring things out.....well, better late then never, right? hope to see you post often!

mechell--i just got new shoes too! they are comfortable and great for exercise, etc., but mostly i just like them cuz they're pretty!

pochita--way to go on the weight loss even with company! what will power!! keep it up!

lavandel--jeans that are too big? what a great nsv! i'm still waiting for that to happen!

jilly--yep, same dvd! how funny! i'm going to try to do the 45 minute 3 mile one tomorrow morning--i ate a really big, carb loaded lunch today! i'll see how long this get up early thing lasts, but it really wasn't as bad as i thought once i got out of bed. anyway, once i'm up, the dog gets up and then she has to go out and when that cold breeze hits, i'm pretty much awake! btw, not to insult you at all, our dog's name is jill, but when i got her, she was so tiny and when she curled up to sleep, she looked like the shape of a bean, so we call her jillybean, bean for short. she's a great dog--a jack russell terrier, very cute and full of energy, so i'm sure it's an appropriate name for you both! hope you're not offended that i compared you to our dog--she is like our child, definitly part of the family!

katt--tissue in the laundry!!??!! is anything more annoying? i do the laundry for the boys i nanny and one of them has a horrible habit of sticking EVERYTHING in his pockets. it seems like i always miss something. the worst was when i missed an orange crayon and it went through the dryer with the whites!

well ladies--gotta run and get my mcdreamy fix for the week! see you tomorrow! lori

Welcome Angel!!

Girls, this has been the most stressful week!! ( But this month is only going to get even more stressful!!)

WE ARE MOVING!! That is the biggest pain in the rear in the world! I'm worried, excited, scared, happy, elated, sick at the tought, and everything else!!

I hope that you girls are having a great day ( and week for that matter!!)

I'm doing my best with my walking and my calories.. Still feel like I am sucking at both.

For the past little bit, I've had the problem of my weight went from 293 - 289 - 293 and this morning it was 292!! That means that it's going back down! Slowly but surely!!

Thanks for reading!!

Hope that you girls are having luck!!

Been off-plan since I got sick, but I don't feel too guilty about it, as noodles/oatmeal are about the only thing that I was able to get down. I'm hoping to hop right back on plan either tomorrow, or Saturday...as soon as I'm feeling 100% back to myself! I'll tell ya, chicken noodle soup never tasted so good! Heh.

I am going to try and do my yoga at least 3 times a week again. I'm trying to finish a couple of my courses early, so I have a little more ME time. Now that Andrew's back at work again, we aren't spending as much time together, so I have a little more, but not enough.

I'll be around for a while. Here's some personals! (Crazy, I know!)

BTW, has anyone heard from garnetfairy, crock, or catherine?!?!

Val - Workin hard for the money! 14 hours is a LONG time. I remember back when I worked at McDonalds when I was in High School, and put in a 14 hour shift. That was no picnic, I'll tell ya! Glad you are liking it so much!!!

Misti - I haven't even really heard about the Presidential Challenge. Probably not something I could really do, as I'm never online anymore.

Wezi - A couple of my girlfriends are obsessed with that show, but I've never seen it myself. I'm more of a Law & Order girl...although, I'll admit, I'm addicted to Scrubs!

Lookingforhope - (Sorry, I don't know your name!) Good luck with the move! I've never had to really move out. Hopefully, I'll be moving out with my fiance at the end of the year, and I have so much CRAP, I know it'll just be a pain! Heh.

Kayle, the name is Erika Leigh ( don't worry....I'm bad with remembering names!!)
I will give you my peice of advice....start cleaning out and throwing away NOW!!

Me and Amanda have started. We started last night and got two garbage bags gone thrown out!! We have accumlated alot of junk in 5 months in that apartment.
Thanks for the GL wish on the move. It's gonna be rough.

How old are you Kayle?

I also wanted to say WELCOME TO RAVEN!! I forgot to mention that in my last post (I'm very scatter brained as you will soon learn!!) I'm new in posting around this area and these ladies are VERY NICE!! They are also very motivational and I strive to be like them. I hope that one day someone will say that *I* gave them some motivation!

GL girls on the plans!