Morning everyone -- I wish I could be as good as Lara but here goes.

I had a great Sunday -- kept my calories around the 1800 mark but got in about 90 minutes of gardening and power-washing so pretty good with my net calories for the day. Egg-beaters make a great faux omelette with a very small calorie hit.

Carrie -- Curves is great. I started there a few years ago and it is a wonderful wonderful way to get moving. Just be prepared to add something in a few months. I actually quit going and started using the gym here at work. I do the strength training classes with lots of weight use and I find it wonderful but something I would have never done without the fabulous kick-start at Curves.

Littlered -- a great low cal high protien dip is to blend down low(zero) fat cottage cheese with some low cal dressing -- blend to smooth dip consistency and make sure you measure out a 1/4 -- amazing taste with very little calorie hit.

Lara -- thanks for the welcome

Just -- you look fabulous and I hope you leave the pics up for us to be inspired by. I should do some before and almost mids LOL but I don't see much of a change and I am still packing a lot of weight. My goal for this year is to fit into a size 14 -- I am a 16 right now.

Rockinrobin -- I would give anything to see your before and during pics. You are a wonderful inspiration and it was something you said a couple of days ago about allowing yourself to have small treats and then move on that made me want to joing this group. I want to be you when I grow up (LOL I am 51 and still not sure when I will grow up)

Jayjay ~ Thanks for the compliment but I have just been doing this so long I have it down to an art. HAHHAHAHA! Some day I want to grow and be like Rockinrobin also and I really enjoy learning from her. Always remember, some of the most interesting people don't know what they want to be when they grown up, whether they be 20 or 60 they are always dreaming.

Awww, Lara and Jayjay - thank you both. That's really sweet of you. Every single day that I log onto 3FC I learn something new. It's a great place to meet and "talk" to like minded people, all with the same goals. I too am not so sure what I'd like to be when I grow up. I'm 43. This has definitely been a kind of re-birth for me. I would really, really like to do SOMETHING with this enthusiasim for healthy eating and losing weight. It was a looong time in coming for me. I am throroughly enjoying the whole experience. Oh and Jayjay, those pics are definitely coming - just not sure when. I don't know if I will wait for the big day (when I hit goal) or not. I am getting a bit anxious to post them.

Justme, you look great! I love those size 10s :)

I've been snapping a pic every 4 weeks showing my massive weight gain (and preggo belly) and now I'm continuing with the monthly pics to show my weight loss. I just took my first post-partum pic this last weekend and its on my blog (for all the world to see, lol).

Here's the weight gain link.
and here's the first of the weight loss link.

CoolMom75: I JUST LOVE that last pregnancy pic...My SIS in law is 38 weeks right now, and THAT look is the look she has just about every morning when I see her at the bus stop with her daughter!!

Thanks everyone for their kind words......About half way there but been feeling un motivated lately...BUT OP

That last pic, I was actually in early labor and had the baby 24 hours later. LOL yep, the look says it all. enough already! haha!

Hello all! Welcome to all the new people. Things sure have been hopping around here.

I have been within range all weekend and today and I've been keeping up on walking. I'll step on the scale tomorrow and see what happens. *crossing fingers*

Just me - those are great pics. You look good.

Coolmom - Love the pics. You're little one is so cute. I avoided pictures when I was pregnant because I thought I looked awful and only have about three pictures. Now, I wish I hadn't done that.

Hi gang,

Robin -- Yea! 120 pounds... how GREAT does that feel?! You are rolling along sooo consistently. I think it's your ever present determination and consistency that is so inspiring to us all.

Just me -- I want to check out your pics, but I haven't had a chance, so don't take them down just yet!

Coolmom -- Gorgeous pics... I especially love the one of you and baby. So sweet.

On a darker note, not sure if any of you have been affected by the Virginia Tech tragedy today. I certainly hope not. I'm a Virginian and a high school teacher at that, so today was a bleak day for us. I have had tons of friends and students who have gone to Tech and are there now. One of my friends who I teach with has a son who is a freshman at Tech. One of his best buds was MIA most of this morning. When he finally made it back to the dorm, it turned out he had been in that classroom where the professor and most of the students were shot and killed. He was one of a handful who weren't shot in that room. I teach in a school of 2,000 (rural, but still it's a huge high school), and it always makes me wonder if something crazy could happen at our school. We have great kids but plenty of dysfunctional ones too. Anyway... sorry to be morbid, I think I just needed to express my grief on what happened today.

P.S. To any and all of you who have had diabetes scares... do whatever it takes to avoid getting this disease. My heart goes out to Grammy for all the suffering her family has suffered. My husband has has type 1 diabetes since he was 7 yrs old, so almost 30 years now. He is a pump user and controls it the best he can, but list Grammy reeled off is the stuff of my darkest nightmares. Honestly, I could barely read it -- the side effects are just heinous. So for what it's worth, I do know from experience (as I know many of you do) that diabetes is to be taken very seriously and to be feared.

Sorry to be so dark and dreary tonight... I'll try to be brighter tomorrow.

Hey everyone. I was right on with calories today. I am also about to exercise not for as long as I want but at least it will be for a little bit.

Congrats to RockinRobin...120 lbs gone forever!!! You are awesome!!

Hello to everyone else. I just kinda picked threw and read a little since I am running short on time tonight. I will be back on tomorrow hopefully with more time.

Claire
Don't apologize. :hug:

Today, like many others has affected the whole USA. Even though we don't know these people, It is not difficult to feel their pain from these events.
I too was watching the TV as walking. I did not finish my 2 miles. I was watching it be announced while walking.
I was in tears over it. I am grateful no one you knew was on the list.
These are the kind of things that keeps me from watching much of the TV.

:grouphug:


My Son and his wife are having a very hard time, excepting the change in their lives... Find out this January, that the baby has Cerebral Palsy.

I keep mentioning Counseling to them.
Even Though we all are trying to be the best grandparents possible, We aren't informed enough to give them enough help.
Mostly Just hugs and a good ear. (and a babysitter when they will let her out of their view :) ) .
Ds is stubborn, Wants to make it on their own.

I told him tonight thats what family is for. To help and share the things that are difficult as one.
Anyway... I guess I just needed to cry on a shoulder. I feel at a loss for them sometimes.
Now I am done. No more tears! really!

back on other subjects...

Robin,
You have been told this alot, but you are our inspiration! keep up the good work. and CONGRATULATIONS!

Justme.
You look great in your pics.
I can't wait to not be ashamed to have my Pics taken, let alone put out to the public. Hate my pics taken.

Today
Calories 1630
fiber 50
water 10 glasses
16 0z tea -no sugar.

Went to curves and walked almost 1.5 miles.

getting back to it, checking in
 

Hello all!
I'm kind of new to the site, but have done quite a bit of calorie counting the past year. :)

Zoe - those pregnancy pictures are so beautiful! And your new little one is adorable! Do you have a photo studio or something?

Jayjay - congratulation on 120 pounds lost! What an inspiration!

I'm at 1440 calories right now, but still have some snacks lined up. Just waiting to get hungry and then I have about 300 planned. Not sure if I'm going to get all that in, but it's still within my 1500 to 1800 limit. :) I wanted to exercise today, but I'm getting over a cold and still pretty congested and coughing. I'll see how I feel tomorrow morning and hopefully go for a 30 minute walk and do some weight lifting. I've only had about 1.5 liters of the 3 I want to, so I'm getting busy with my nalgene tonight. :D

I look forward to getting to know all you folks!

Theresa

Claire - I say, let it out! It's pretty close to home for you. :( I've been listening to NPR about it today and it's just so terrible. Those poor students and their families, so sad.

Oopss! I meant congrats to ROBIN in my last post. Kind of confused here. :o

I just got back from TOPS and down a half pound this week (after 5.5 last week). I'm plugging away and staying in my calorie range, so no worries.

Robin, 120? That's incredible!

Theresa, thank you! yes, I have my own photography studio in my downstairs family room. :)

Claire...the whole thing is just awful. Unbelievable. :(

Good morning!

Claire - I'm also a Virginian too, and I USED to be a high school (bio) teacher. (Now I'm a SAHM.) My brother-in-law is a web designer at Tech and his building was right next to the one where all the students and teachers were killed. He was locked down until about 3pm. I haven't talked to him yet, because his phone line is so busy, but I know he is okay. We love Blacksburg - go there to visit BIL, hang out at bars (not anymore!), and I used to party at Tech when I was in college. Lots of my students went to Tech, and I'm trying to find out if they are all okay. Blacksburg is in our TV viewing area, so it's on the TV all the time.

It looks like everyone else is doing so well. Still reading, but wanted to give a :hug: to a fellow Virginian.

Yesterday, April 16th
Calories: 1893
Fat: 72g 36%
Carbs: 193g 38%
Fiber: 21
Protein: 115 26%
30 minutes at Curves, worked really hard

Does that sound okay? I know my calories were a little low for me, but I'm having trouble getting enough when they're not cookies and fattening sweets. My fat was higher too....want to shoot for 50g....had ham on my salad for protein and fat was the trade-off. Would have done something leaner but nothing in the house.

Good morning everyone. What a somber day this is. I was just watching Good Morning America. They were speaking with some family members of people who were murdered yesterday in the tragic Virginia Tech shooting. So, so hard to watch. I simply can not imagine what those poor people are going through. There really are no words to express the amount of sorrow we are all feeling. My thoughts and prayers go out to them all.

Coolmom, your pics were really nice. I enjoyed looking at them.

Littlered, I hope your son and wife will eventually consider counseling. I don't know of anyone who couldn't benefit from it. And they will have a more difficult situation then most to deal with. They are sooo very lucky to have you. I'm sure you make their lives so much easier.

Thank you to all on your congratulatory words. It means a lot to me. Walkingtolose, without a doubt - consistiency is the key. But keep in mind I don't think any of you here had as much to lose as me. So therefore that kinda made me more determined.

Hello to the rest of the gang!!!!

Monday's calories - I had a nibbling kind of a day, so I only ate 1/2 my usual dinner and came in at about 1200 calories. Got in a decent amount of INDOOR exercise, due to the horrendous weather. I really miss my walks.

Have a great on plan and SAFE day everyone. Be well.