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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Jill -- I actually find that kind of analysis very helpful. It sounds like you might be on to something. I am learning that a lot of my food issues are control issues on some level -- and there's something about being a "grown up" I am still grappling with with these issues. I keep making analogies to money. Budgets = calorie limits.... have to pay the pills = have to exercise. I have always been very responsible and "grown up" about money, why not food?
One other thing I realized that may be helping to keep my binging down this time around is that in the past I would be on WW or something and constantly "cheat" and go off plan, but not really account for it. I think I was off plan more than op on WW. Something in me wanted to rebel against having my 3 dairies and 5 carbs (or whatever it was back in those days).
This time I finally figured out that I couldn't cheat my body. It's going to know I ate that brownie whether I want to or not. I might as well be "grown up" about it and admit it.
Just to close, I read what other people struggle with and amazed that on some levels our problems with weight stem from such different issues, but on the other hand are often similar at the root....
futurediva my cold is slowly getting better on again off again thanks for asking. i hope everyone has a good day today i have alot of housework to do plus my second set of treadmill! i am sooo ready for the weekend!
In an odd twist, after I lost my job on Tuesday, I got a call Wednesday on a job that I had interviewed for last month. They had it down to me and one other, and when they hired the other, she didnt work out. It pays way less than trucking and is only part time, but it gets me back into payroll and gives me time to re-focus and maybe complete my Masters degree in HR after all. I can also get another part-time job in my off hours - perhaps even teaching at the trucking school which would give me the chance to tune up my backing skills, so that window of opportunity would remain open as well.
In the meantime, while cash flow is a problem, I'm sure my dad will help me, since Bill clearly doesn't plan to. When I don't show up at Bill's mom's place for Turkeyday, or even if I do, he's going to have a bunch of explaining to do. Maybe he'll even come up with some support - I"m not holding my breath though.
I'm still very worried and tense about money and the future. Getting out of bed and moving in a productive way is really difficult. I have a good attitude, but real-world energy is a different thing. Out of the blue yesterday I decided that the most important thing for me to do was fix my girlfriend's rabbit cage. Somehow that was a good project, and at least the bunny is happier and it gave me a chance to DO something, but I didnt really face my situation. And I had a 3-pack of Ho-ho's while I was at it.
This morning has started with some steel-cut oats that Barb cooked before work. I'm already ready to open the fridge again, but at least I made a crockpot of, um, tomato/veggie kinda-sorta chili yesterday. I'd kill for some cornbread to go with it. I better read the calorie content on the box to discourage me from making it tho - that stuff is off the charts bad-for-me! The rain here isn't making me feel any more ambitious, either. Perhaps if I make a list of To-Do's, and then take my pick. I think I'll throw some really basic stuff in, just to give myself an easy head start, like...
Take a shower.
Do laundry.
Move the horse stuff in the basement to the barn.
Sort a box or three of personal stuff in the basement.
Pack some china.
Open the HR books again.
Call the driving school about working for them.
Get on the treadmill.
OH MY - (Where's that Twilight Zone music again?) Clean out the back bedroom.
Organize my business work clothes.
Get the clothes rack out of my car so that I CAN organize my business clothes.
Clean my car.
Make corn bread.
Clean the kitchen.
HEY! Wait a minute! Who put corn bread on the list???
Do my free weights.
Kiss my dogs.
Get dressed. (OK, maybe that one should closer to the top. Gimme a break.)
How is it parts of me can be so at-odds with eachother? I feel like I'm ready to get moving, but just can't do it. And why is making cornbread the thing I feel most inclined to actually do? I don't even especially care for the stuff. It must be that self-destruct button. No problem. Would somebody please just reach over and hit that switch off for me??
I Reeeeeally need to get on my TM. I'll let you know later if/how I did.
Well, whudya know? Monday I was a tanker driver, Friday I'll be a payroll administrator. "Start a new job" wasn't even on the previous list, but I just got a phone call and they want me to start tomorrow! I guess that taking that shower is now a necessity instead of just a good idea.
....so how come the cornbread still sounds good??? Y'all haven't hit the switch for me yet, have ya?
Valerie! STEP AWAY FROM THE CORNBREAD MIX! I just pushed the button!!! Can't you tell? Maybe I should push it again? I'm glad the new job starts right away. That "I feel like I'm ready to get moving, but just can't do it." feeling...perfectly normal somewhat depressed reaction. I think working PT at the driving school is an excellent idea! Now move dressing up to the top of your list! (But after showering, not before)
Valerie, you silly sausage!!!!( it's what I call the kids, not Valerie though, lol) Something turned up and once you get your foot in the door there will be stopping you! I'm sure another p/t job will be around the corner. I have never had corn bread but it saounds lovely, glad it's not readily available over here!!xxxx
Sandy I hope you are feeling better and you blood is 'behaving' itself!xxxx
Well I went to the Dr. this afternoon & he gave me some stronger tablets, he must have had an off day last time, as he was ok today & normally is ok. I will see how things go. I'm not OP or exercising, apart from taking Aiden to nursery, but I know I will get back soon. I feel like a cheat posting on here & I hope no one minds me postring whilst I'm not ready to 'try again', but in the next few days I hope I feel ok enough to start.
I really appreciate you girls & though I don't remember everyone I do READ your posts!
xxsharon
rlandry - The important part is getting something going. Try to make some small changes and work from there. Welcome to the boards!
Lavendel – If you are utterly miserable doing what you are doing, then maybe you are going about things the wrong way. Are you eating enough? If not, your body could be crying out for nourishment. This shouldn’t be torture. Sure, it isn’t always easy, but generally it shouldn’t feel like you are getting your fingernails pulled out. Is there something else in your life that is causing you stress and therefore to reach for food you otherwise wouldn’t go for?
Sandy C– For ice cream stuff I always get the portioned items – not the big cartons. I am not good with portioning out ice cream. I really like the Blue Bunny peanut butter cup bars. The Weight Watchers cookies and cream bars are great too. The way I think about it is that if having ice cream is in your calorie allowance and keeps you satisfied with your diet, then have it! You can slowly try and wean yourself off of them, but allow yourself to make the change gradually in way that you feel happy with. Some people prefer the abstinence method, but that doesn't work well for me. The important thing is finding out what works for you.
Jill – I totally understand the rebellion need. I definitely have it too. I smoked for 10 years because of it. To me it felt rebellious and cool. All of my friends in high school smoked and we hung out at coffee shops late into the night talking about art and smoking. Then at some point later on, it dawned on me that smoking isn’t rebellious at all. In fact, the world I was rebelling against – big, soulless, corporate America – was exactly who I was giving my money to every time I bought a pack of cigarettes. They totally had me – I had bought into their propaganda. The cigarette companies know exactly what they are doing and encourage that culture. When I realized I no longer needed to smoke to feed my rebellion identity I was able to quit.
Real rebellion is choice. When you automatically react in an opposite way to a set of circumstances, you are still being influenced by the circumstances. You have not made a real choice because you are still reacting – whether positively or negatively. Eating at McDonalds may be rebelling against the “women are only worthwhile if they are thin and pretty” thing, but it feeds right into the wallets of McDonalds. Not so rebellious after all. Burger King definitely feeds this with their advertising, especially for men. It is along the lines of “real men don’t eat quiche” or the hungry man ads. Real men don’t need to eat fatty burgers to prove they are men, but to increase Burger King’s bottom line they would like to convince men of that.
I think that being true to yourself no matter what is the greatest form of rebellion, and one that can often be very difficult to do. I don’t always know what is right for me until after I have made the wrong choice, but as long as the intention is there to keep striving towards that I will give myself some slack.
Valerie – I hope this new job ends up being great. In fact, maybe that is why you were fired from the last one. You needed to be available for the new job, so they universe had to conspire to make it happen. If you don’t really want to cornbread, don’t eat the cornbread. Rebel!
Sharon – Never feel bad to post here. That is why we are here. Even when things aren’t great, I always think they could be far worse, and they probably would be if it weren’t for this place. I am glad your doctor was better today.
I was a bit disappointed this morning at my weigh in. I was sure I had lost something (I feel it) but that scale still said 281. Oh well. I feel good and that is what matters.
LOL Ammi, thanks for the kick I needed it Its not that I lost focus really, but Im just so hungry lately. OK, today its evening now and Im doing fine, 100% fine so keep your fingers, toes or whatever crossed the day is not over yet . Kymberly – oh yes PMS the worst time of the month! Unfortunately its not that time now so im guessing I’ll have another week like this, this month…grrrrr Nancy – I was thinking about that yeah, but I was actually eating quite ok lately, so I don’t think that’s it. I’ve been having lack of energy lately and a bit of a cold, stress is there too so yeah I think all this must have caused it. I’ve also kinda got sick of thinking about food all the time, what I can or can not eat. It started to bore me and that must have been a big reason also. But there’s always an UP after every DOWN I guess I only have to stay OP for another 5 hours and I’ll be jumping up and down tomorrow
Chiema - I always somehow manage till 9 or so, but then I get hungry and I never go to bed early, so yeah its sometimes hard not have cravings. I found it very helpful to make my self a fresh juice (1 orange and 1 grapefruit) and drink it at that time. It gives me a sense of fullness and I really don’t have cravings anymore. And we all know C vitamin helps loosing weight I hope you can find something that will help you!
Sorry I cant read/answer everything/everyone, been having a crazy time lately, took my dad to hospital yesterday, they are keeping him there so now there’s visiting, helping my mum, not too mention tones of work in my office, oh well I’’ll manage somehow, Or I’ll get my self some sexy male assistant to help me Well now that’s a thought..hmmmmmm
Remember me? ::::grin:::: It's nice to see some familiar faces. Seems like y'all are doing well. I'm so proud of you!
So, I'm here to read up on y'all and to say hi. I think it's been almost six months since I posted (Oh, goodness, that sounded as bad as "it's been six months since my last confession!" Once a Catholic, always a Catholic! LOL).
I am doing well. My life is radically different than it was 6 months ago. The highlights:
* I now live in San Francisco. Having turned my commute time from 1.5 hours a day to 20 minutes a day is quite the accomplishment.
* I am now the proud owner of my own business. I've been putting all my energies and efforts into my bookkeeping service and I absolutely love it! I have a few steady clients, all of whom I like, and my phone continues to ring. I managed to double my income between Sept. and Oct., which is not bad. November's is going to be the same as Oct's - I'm shooting for doubling October's income in January 2007. Busy season is just around the corner, which means, this should not be a stretch! I love accounting! :-)
* I've been working with my therapist on my eating issues. Last time I was here I was binging on average once a week - I was also severly depressed due to my breakup. Well, we are still broken up, but I'm no longer depressed (Thank You God for welbutrin, my therapist, and a sweet, understanding papa-figure shrink!). And, I have binged twice in the past 5 months. No, really! I am so amazed at myself. I never thought I'd be able to say that. Learning to develop new coping skills has been easy and challenging at the same time. They are serving me well, those skills.
* I have not put on any weight in the last 6 months. I haven't lost any, but the 30 lbs I lost earlier this year are still gone. I feel very happy about that. And, about the fact that my ankle and my knees are healthy. Even that small amount of weight loss made a huge difference.
* The one thing I have not managed to do since coming out of my depression is to get back to the gym. I keep thinking about it...but it's not happening. I need to, though, since sitting at my desk for 12 hours in a row is not good for my body. I'll keep you posted.
So, that's it. I probably won't have a lot of time to come by on a daily basis like i was doing before since I'm working a lot these days. But I promise I won't be such a stranger and keep away for 6 more months.
Hi ladies! Thanks for all the advise on the "dreadful ice cream evenings". Just wanted to let eveyone know (if you didn't already) that I had not been dieting for the past month and half. I started back up this past weekend and it is paying off. I started eating right and exerscising again and this morning when I stepped on the scale I was down 2 lbs.
Valerie, Congrats on the new job...and NO CORN BREAD FOR YOU!!
MARIA LUCIA - WELCOME BACK!! It's wonderful to 'hear' you sounding so cheerful and positive, and things look like they're really coming together for you! I'm so proud of you for doing all you have done in the last few months and still keeping the weight from coming back. That's major! Onward to the gym now!
NANCY, SHARON, HEATHER, LILION, SANDY and everyone else who hit the switch for me - THANKS! I did end up making it... even a double batch cuz the first little bit looked so small in the pan. BUT I used restraint and didn't devour much of it. Once the pan cools, I'm totally safe from temptation. Funny thing about cornbread is I can't stand it unless it's fresh & hot, directly from the oven. Even reheating it is not an option. Now there's a big pan of it left for my housemate - HaHA! She loves the stuff at any temp.
SANDY - CONGRATS on that two more pounds gone! TERRIFIC!
LAVANDEL - I hope you're dad is doing well! I'm sorry he's in the hospital.
You know how funny things happen? Today I got ANOTHER call on a job I applied for weeks ago. This one was driving a handicapped school bus. I would have liked the job, but it starts as a sub, and they can't give me any hours I could count on or work another job around. Oh well. It was still a bright spot in my day to have them call.
The woman who has my Morgan-Arabian horse out on a lease has asked for help. She finally noticed that he's pinning his ears at her. I noticed he hated her last time I was out a month ago. She says he's even trying to buck or something. The poor guy! I wish I could take him back, but I just can't right now. The whole time I had this horse, 6-7 years, he NEVER did anything like pin his ears or make an angry move. Not once. I used him with little kids and he NEVER did anything but dote on them. This woman can barely catch him IN HIS STALL, but he used to come up to me or anyone else even in a huge pasture. She really means well and loves him, but she's totally self-absorbed, doesn't know anything about horses but wants to do things 'her way' even when the horse is angry and in distress. She just isn't 'listening' to him. I hope she's reached a point where she'll listen to me now, or else he's going to hurt her. She may not even be capable of learning. She doesn't 'read' or listen to her own species, so how can I expect her to listen to another one? I'll give it a try, for his sake if not hers.
300+ And Ready To Try Again #1062
Clean out the back bedroom.
Who put corn bread on the list???
I'm glad the new job starts right away. That "I feel like I'm ready to get moving, but just can't do it." feeling...perfectly normal somewhat depressed reaction. I think working PT at the driving school is an excellent idea! Now move dressing up to the top of your list! (But after showering, not before) 
The important part is getting something going. Try to make some small changes and work from there. Welcome to the boards!
Its not that I lost focus really, but Im just so hungry lately. OK, today its evening now and Im doing fine, 100% fine so keep your fingers, toes or whatever crossed 
