October Chat!!!
 

Hey, girls! :wave: (and guys... or whatever)

What's new with everyone? Any big plans for October, other than getting buff and healthy? :D

Tomorrow I'm joining the gym again. I've got one week left of my mental health program, and then it's all about The New Me!! :hat:

It was a beautiful fall day here in Ottawa. Sunny and warm enough to sit outside with a book and a cup of coffee. :coffee:

Ellis - hello!! We miss you at the beach!! I'm glad you're having a great day...check out the new avatar of Kloe!!

Darling, I miss you, too! :grouphug:
I LOVE the pic of Kloe! She's such a sweetie... I hope you're doing well, hon. :)

October is going to be FABULOUS! I love fall! :love:

The half marathon training is going well. By the end of the month I will be running 8 miles! :eek:

The weight isn't going as well, but I had a feeling endurance training would screw me up some. I am debating moving my calories up to 1400 a day to try to keep from binging. I don't think the eating is due to my exercise schedule, but you never know. I think it is because my schedule got all thrown off and I suck at dealing with that! :o

Got up and got to the gym this morning, did 35 minutes of running and about 15 minutes of upper body strength training.

Wow, Melissa, 8 miles!! That's fantastic, hon! :hat:
I think increasing your calories a bit is a great idea. Sometimes we just NEED to do that, otherwise we're setting ourselves up for failure. :shrug:

Fall is my favourite time of year, too, but it's darned HOT up here today! 31C (86F with the humidex) Phew!!

Sorry, but it's Rambling Rose
 

Ah, October. The weather has warmed but not too warm (yet). The light has changed with a slight amber tinge. I am feeling Fall Fever for the first time in years. According to my Zen garden calendar, the Japanese call this time of year "Little Spring." It's making me restless, especially at work where I have a lot of papers to shuffle.
Well, I fell off the wagon this weekend, both days. I weighed myself Saturday morning and the scale hadn't changed since Tuesday weigh-in and there has really been no significant change in my status, e.g., not down a clothing size, etc. Then I had to go to the mall across town to exchange a defective tupperware shaker. I had wanted to do this since I've been on the fast (I use it for my meal shakes) but I was afraid of the food court which contains my favorite chopped Cobb salad. I decided that since I hadn't lost anymore weight anyway, I should maybe up my calories a little to get my metabolism moving again (this theory is all over this forum). Therefore, I would have the salad. I ordered a small instead of the usual large and I was actually full after eating only half, but did I stop ----noooo. Then I told myself I would walk it off shopping. But there are no shops of interest to me anymore so I left. Oh - and the ironic thing is that the tupperware shop isn't there anymore so I didn't even accomplish my mission. Then I went back across town in time to go grocery shopping for a stuffed chicken breast and a half bottle of wine and some alpine lace cheese. Why not, I'd already broken the fast. I also bought a piece of apple pie, which I did not eat that night. The next day I decided to use my free movie popcorn coupon which had been burning a whole in my pocket for the last month. And as long as I was eating the popcorn and had the pie leftover, might as well have dinner. More wine, tuna salad on a roll, mozzarella/tomato salad and of course, the pie.
I tried to analyze my emotions during this time, but it's difficult. I felt defiant, rebellious. Also, I realized the fantasies about the food were much better than the reality and that I need to focus on my long range goal, which is to get down to a healthy weight and try to maintain it. So I'm ready to get back on the wagon and committed to seeing this thing through. I think I've set myself back a week or so, but I can live with that. I don't think I feel guilty - just annoyed.
I went to my doctor today. He was happy with my lower blood pressure without meds and lower cholesterol as well as a good blood sugar reading (without most of the meds I was on). Although he encouraged me in the program he also said something really annoying, which amounted to that if this doesn't work, I can always try bariatric surgery. He's mentioned the surgery repeatedly. I read the forums here and have done research and besides the high mortality rate and the potential for major complications, the surgery does not prevent you form putting on weight if you don't change your habits. I just wish he'd been encouraging without bringing up the subject. (I don't mean to criticize anyone who's done it, it's an individual decision.)
Well, I have certainly blathered on. :rolleyes: Sorry.

Good morning ladies! :coffee:


Rosetta, it happens to everyone. As long as you jump right back on the wagon you'll be okay. It is not that you fell down that is bad, it is if you stay down! I also had a bad weekend. I think something was in the air. :s:

I am not sure male doctors know exactly how to deal with overweight women. My doctor is very impressed with my weight loss, but actually asked me last time I was in "Are you sure you're not puking your food back up or anything?" OOOOOkay? Where did that come from? This is the healthiest I have ever been and he decides I might be bulimic. :mad:

Hang tough! Ultimately, how you lose the weight is up to you.

Rosetta - I sympathize and understand. I pretty much did the same thing sunday night. I got called into the office sunday, and decided to get a sandwich and a cookie for lunch (i hadn't eaten breakfast). So i get home, and have leftover steak and mushrooms from saturday. and a glass of wine. and then a chocolate bar. and then I had a pork pupusa.

I knew i *shouldn't* be eating all of this late at night, but part of my mind just went - I don't care, i'm hungry and i'm going to eat whatever i want.

I did better yesterday, even though once again i got so busy at work all i had was a v-8 during the day. so that means the remaining 1500 calories i ate yesterday were all between 6:30 and 8:30 p.m. I am realy trying to do better today. I ate breakfast at least!

Ahh, FishWoman - you have got to eat! :nono: I wouldn't worry about the late calories though. If you were within your calories for the day it doesn't hurt anything to eat late in the day. Your body doesn't know what time it is! :D

I am feeling awesome this week. :dance:

Instead of getting down on myself about screwing up I figured I would try a different approach and reward myself for how far I have come. I bought some new makeup, had my eyebrows waxed and got a new fabulous pair of jeans ($10 on clearance!). I plan on getting that pedicure I owe myself at lunch. I do much better when I feel good about myself, so I just decided to fake it. It's working and I feel much better. :lol:

Hey all! Sorry I haven't been around, work & school catching up to me!

I'm going on a retreat in St. Louis next Thursday!!! WOO HOO! I'm so excited I can't WAIT!

I have been steadily losing, I'm down to 150 right now. I'm HOPING I will make my October goal of 149, but we'll see. ;)

I want to be 140 by the end of the year. Can I do it? Only God knows!

Hi. Well, I weighed in at the clinic last night and surprise - I had lost a lb. Whopee. All is not lost. So I'm back on the straight and narrow.
Fishwoman - Melissa is right. The time you eat isn't important (I eat my last meal at 9:30 or 10), but it's all about the calories. Just don't let yourself get too hungry because that's what throws things off. Keeping V8 juice around is a good idea. It supplies instant energy and is much better than sugary drinks.
Melissa - You have a good attitude. This will help you drop the lbs.
Rachel - I'm sure you can lose the 10lbs. by the end of the year. It just requires some vigilance on your part not to use the holidays as an excuse to overdo it.

Yesterday and so far today I have been able to eat properly! Breakfast, snack (today), and lunch. I had a yummy dinner last night and plan to have a bagel and lox for dinner tonight.

Yay Rosetta! One pound at a time is the way to go!

Rachel - I think 10 pounds by the end of the year is very reasonable. I am hoping to lose 15 pounds by Jan. 8th, and think that if i can keep on track, it is doable.

A HUGE hi and hugs to everyone! :wave: :grouphug:

I'm so sorry it seemed like I fell off the planet. :sorry: It wasn't intentional, I assure you! :no: As it happens, all those "IBS" attacks I was having... the pain, the vomiting, etc. Well ladies, it turns out that it was my GALLBLADDER! :fr: Can you believe that one? And here's the kicker.. :kickcan: for the last 10 years I've been diagnosed over here and in England with IBS... the whole time it's been my gallbladder and no one ever suspected or tested it! :rollpin: So, I had emergency gallbladder surgery just over two weeks ago after a 4 day attack from eating two eggs and three bites of whole grain pancakes with sugar free syrup. :stars: Is that a kick in pants or what? The surgeon told my mother that he'd never seen anything like it. Apparently my gallbladder was a mess worse than he'd ever seen and the stone ... THE ONE stone... was the size of a small grade A egg! (I have it at home!) I mean holy crow, right?? :sp:

So, I'm back on track and back to work now as of this past Monday. I've missed two weeks of work (which means no pay for 2 weeks! :tantrum: ) and for those of you that remember... I have no insurance. Ahhhh! :stress: What to do with a $30,000 hospital bill eh? I'm being put forward as a (this cracks me up) CHARITY CASE :rofl: to see if I can get my bill paid. How humbling.. but please do cross your fingers for me... I need it! :crossed:

On the bright side, the amazing, supernatural and mighty fine looking surgeon I had :T was able to get the monstrosity out of my body laproscopically! :cb: It took him a LOT of time and patience, but he did it. I'm so grateful. :angel: I thought to lose all this weight and then have some shark bite looking scar... I'd jump out of the hospital window! :lol:

I'm also pleased to say that I've managed anywhere between a 3 and 7 lb loss during my episode. I say between 3 and 7 because the scale has been as low as 213 and as high as 217. The latter is probably more accurate, at least for the time being. :shrug: I couldn't and didn't eat very much for days after surgery because I felt nauseous and didn't want to risk being sick. My insides couldn't handle a hiccup, let alone a sneeze or vomiting. :nono: So, I have a feeling that the supplements I've eaten recently have stuck to my body like glue. But, that's okay. :yes: I can deal with it. The doctor and the surgeon both gave me their seal of approval to carry on with my diet so I'm very happy. :D I'm also thinking very seriously of becoming a certified Health Advisor for Medifast so I can sell their products. Normally I couldn't sell time to a dying man but I believe in this program so much that I'm sure I could make something of it. :dunno: There's not much profit to be made, but if I knew I could help just one person or keep someone from having gastric banding or bypass surgery, that alone would be worth it. :)

Other than that, everything else is (thankfully) same-o same-o. :yawn: I'm sorry I can't respond to everyone individually as normal but I'm thinking of you and did read all the posts. (It's my memory you see... like a sieve!) :lol:

Um... Ellis - Miss you and so glad to see that you're doing well. :cp: The weight will go.. just have faith and hang in there. Good luck on the remainder of your class too!
Fishwoman - Hi and welcome! The more the merrier :woo:
Rosetta - Aren't you doing fantastic as always? You go girl. :high:
Melissa - You amaze me with your ability to run. Your doctor is crazy. :dizzy: Tell him to get his head out of his backside and praise you properly because you've worked damn hard. If not, rap him upside the head with his stethoscope! :crazy:

Big hugs to everyone and I'll be around more often now that the "bear" is gone and I feel better! :sunny:

All the very best!

Alisha :hat:

Hourglasslass -- Hope you can get the whole mess figured out!!! Glad you got it out though -- that must have really been painful!

Alisha - good grief :eek: How could all those doctors misdiagnose that?! I had gallstones for 10 years before I finally let them at it, which they did six years ago, also laprascopically. It was a relief when it was finally done. If I ate the wrong foods I'd pay for it. Anyway, I'm glad you're doing well. But my goodness -- $30k! I'll keep my fingers crossed that you get that charity designation. That's a big burden to carry.
Fishwoman - Hope you're still on the path.

I feel so helpless. I have been off track all week. First a fried chicken salad, then a piece of pie, then cookies, then jello, then a rice krispie treat and today a patty melt with fries. I can't do this diet stuff anymore. I can't even do this. I feel so panicked because I feel every single ounce that I'm slowly ganing this week. And I don't know what to do!!! I've only worked out 3x this week because I have been so damn tired and worn out.

I'm just so panicked because I feel like I'm going to freak out if I gain anything.

Rachel, we all know what you're going through, hon. Stop the negative talk in your head... you CAN do this! You've done really well to date, and you can continue to do well.
It sounds as though you're a bit run down. Take some time for yourself, catch up on your sleep, and pick up some healthy foods that you love. You can stop this cycle, Rachel. You're a strong woman... you're just having "a moment" because you're out of energy. Hang in there, girl.
Sending you big hugs... :grouphug:

Alisha, you poor darling! :yikes: What a nightmare! I do hope that you can get your bill paid for you... take the charity! $30 000 is CRAZY!!!! Particularly when you've been misdiagnosed! (can you sue someone? ;) )

Rosetta, I thought I'd commented on the remark that doctor made... WHAT A JERK!! :mad: I'm sorry you had to hear that, hon. You're doing so well on your own. :grouphug:

Today is my last at day hospital. I've got mixed emotions. I feel that I've made a lot of progress, and learned some great coping skills. I just hope I can stick to the life plans I've developed over the last six weeks. And I'm always afraid that the depression will keep coming back. Well, I KNOW it will, because it always does, but it just scares me. :( I'm so out of control when it hits.
Anyhow, I'd better put on my "positive shoes"! :lol:

Love and hugs to all... have a wonderful day, and be good to yourselves!! :grouphug:

Rachel - I'm sorry you were on a binge, but it happens to all of us. When I went off plan last weekend, I still felt in control. The reason is that I've learned how to track my calories and exercise and predict somewhat how much I will gain or lose. For instance, I added up all the calories I had eaten that week and then estimated the calories I took in that weekend. I subtracted the total from the amount of calories I needed to maintain my present weight (weight x 10% x 7 days). The amount I took in was still a lot less than the amount I needed to maintain my weight so chances were that I wouldn't gain weight. I took a calculated risk. I didn't exercise, but in your case you could also calculate the number of calories you burned during the week and subtract that from the calories you ate. These figures won't be precise but they'll give you an approximate picture of what's going on and take some of the emotion out of it. If you plan your calorie intake, you can afford to splurge once in awhile and you won't feel so guilty. Hope this helps.
Ellis - I've suffered from lifelong low grade depression which flares into full blown status once in awhile so I know how awful and scary it feels. You are doing something to make it less scary and more manageable and I'm sure you will have many more good days than bad. Just try to work through it and remember we're here for you when you need to vent. :goodvibes

I was feeling really overly emotional last night but I'm fine now. I learned it's okay to have a cheating food. It wasnt all in one day, it was over a week. But you know what? It's okay because I'm still losing! ;)

Hi everyone, I hope you all are having a good day/evening. :wave:

I'm hanging in there, although trying VERY hard to get back on track. :drill: I mean I haven't really fallen completely off the wagon or anything but I'm hanging on by a toe ya know? When I was in recovery I didn't eat my supplements but did stick to things like a bit of chicken noodle soup, grilled chicken, that sort of thing. But now that I'm better, I'm finding it hard to get back on program. :( I've been doing things like having a grilled chicken sesame salad for dinner instead of my supplement and one day I even broke down and bought hotdogs and macaroni salad! :yikes: The hotdogs were Healthy Choice and the macaroni salad was low fat but still... those things most certainly are NOT on my program. Someone please give me a kick in the arse. :kickcan: I need it. I've lost over 40lbs and I have a long way to go. I just can't afford this to-ing and fro-ing. :nono: Especially because my supplements take up my budget for food! :eek:

Rachel - As you can see, sweetie, I'm in the same canoe as you are. :yes: We all go through this stuff, which is why we're on here I guess. :) Just hang in there and remember that tomorrow is another day. I have to keep telling myself that in order to prevent a huge guilt trip. It does work. I also find that going back to things that made me want to lose the weight in the first place helps. For example, look at some clothes in a store that you'd like to wear when you get the weight off, make a list of things :write: that you'd like to do once you reach goal, start a savings account for things like a spa treatment, a manicure, pedicure or clothes so you can buy them once you reach goal.. that kind of stuff. I need to do that too - my inspiration is running on empty right now. :sorry: But, we can do it and that's all there is to it. :flow1:

Hi Ellis dear. :grouphug: Thanks for the well wishes. Believe you me, I will certainly accept anything they're willing to donate towards that bill. :D I keep getting them in the mail too. I thought it was just the Gastroenterologist and the surgeon plus the hospital. But no.... now it's the anaesthesiologist and the ultrasound people and today... the damn haemotology lab! :tantrum: Why in the world they don't just put them all on one bill and be done with it I don't know. :dunno: The charity thing is for the hospital itself, so now I just have to figure out the rest of the bills! But, it will get there. Even $1,000 is better than $30,000! But anyway, I'm proud of you for attending your classes and how hard you've worked. :cp: It will be SO worth it. I've been on anti-depressants so many times I've lost count. The problem in England (when I was there) is that they give you pills but the waiting list for councelling is like 14 months! :fr: I figure what good are the pills if you weren't gaining any tools to help yourself? :shrug: You are doing the smart thing and I KNOW you can get through this. I think a lot of us understand what you've gone through so please allow us to help you where and when we can okay? Much love. xo

Rosetta - It sure sounds like you've done your homework! I'm always very proud of people who can watch their calorie intake like that. :cb: I was never able to do it. Sure for a week or two but then I'd get so sick of it I just couldn't handle it anymore. I think it's awesome how far you've come and I'm so happy for you. You may see it as a calculated risk, but I tend to think of it as being responsible. I'm very proud of you. :high:

JTHagans - welcome! It's great to have you here and it sounds like you sure are on the right track! What diet are you doing or are you just counting cals? If so, I applaud you! How empowering that you were able to have two bites of pie and let it go. I guess that's how it will be when we all get to goal. :flow2: We'll have found the tools and skills to have a little and be satisfied instead of eating the whole pie, let alone a piece! I do feel good in myself when I'm able to do that. I'm on a meal replacement program so I'm not allowed any at all, but that's fine. I just have to keep reminding myself that it's not forever. :no: The food isn't going anywhere. I think that's become my new mantra! And tell hubby that eating donuts in front of you is mean! :censored: The shame of it. It's a good thing I live alone because it would be a riot zone in my house! Thankfully the cats' kibbles don't appeal to me (yet!) :barf:

Anyway, take care all and hang in there! We're getting there! :grouphug:

Alisha :hat:

Tam - Welcome to the thread. You seem to be doing things right. Calorie counting and portion control are essential to weight loss. As you change your habits it will get easier. In the meantime, keep reminding DH not to tantilize you with those krispy cremes. As far as recipes go, I'm not a cook and don't have much imagination when it comes to varying low calorie meals. That's why I finally went on a medically supervised fast. No choices. Makes it easier for me.
Alsiha - You're playing mind games. Get back on those supplements, girl. No messing around. :nono: You know you can do it. I am learning about calorie counts and weight loss and portion control. Every week we get a lecture by a behaviourist after checking in with the doc and the weigh-in. He does warn us, however, not to break the fast, because, as you know, it's hard to get back on it. I was okay last week, but on the weekend I was very tempted to cheat again. But then I would be paying all this money to tread water. I have a lot of weight to lose and need to get on with it. I'm still about 20 lbs away from getting into my winter jackets. So pass the supplements, please. :lol:

Alisha, you get back on track, girl! :drill: You know you can do this... you've done so well so far, sweetie. :grouphug:
Thanks for your support regarding the program. :) It was a wonderful course, and the final day was so good. I had so many positive "goodbyes" from the group, and the psychiatrist, who doesn't hold his punches but tells it like it is, said some lovely things about me.
As well as making encouraging remarks regarding the work I did, he said that he was sorry I was leaving because I was good for the group, and that he would miss me. !! It was a memorable day.

Tam, your post reminded me of something... :lol: My husband and I were in the car one day, and he was driving and eating a brownie. He offered me a bite, and held it for me while I took a bite. I accidentally almost bit his finger off! :lol3: He had a bruise on it for weeks afterwards. :rofl:

I've got a terrible hacking cough... I had to get up because I thought the top of my head was going to blow off. :rolleyes: I'm a little weary of sleeping sitting bolt-upright. I wonder if I dare try lying down again...
:wave:

Hope everyone is well... love and hugs...:grouphug:

Awww, Ellis - I hope you feel better. :goodvibes:

Rachel, You can do it. You are so close to your goal. Sometimes I think getting off track is required to keep us interested and motivated. You can chose to continue as you were going or jump back in and re-commit. Good luck! :)

Alisha, I can't believe your surgery story! My goodness, what a nightmare. I am glad they finally figured it out for you. I think this is a really stressful time for everyone. I have noticied even on the Maintainer board lots of people are off plan. I think once we make it through the summer it takes more effort to get back into the swing of things for fall. Get yourself back on track now though, or the holidays will be even tougher! :D

Tam, Welcome.

I have been doing well. The weight isn't really moving the way I want it to, but I am staying committed. This morning at the gym this buff guy at the gym that has been running next to me on the treadmill for about two weeks asks "So have you been running a long time?". I laughed and told him I just started about 3 months ago for the marathon training. He asked something else and I told him "Honestly, I wasn't doing much before, a year ago I was 250 pounds."

I exaggerated a little, it was 14 months ago I was 245lbs but still. I little light bulb went off in my head. :idea: I was almost 250lbs about a year ago. I have done a great job. I didn't hit my goal weight by my goal date. I wanted to be 130 by 10/21 (my 10 year anniversay) but I did well and came really close. I'll get there. My new goal date will be my daughter's birthday in March. :crossed:

Me again. Where is everyone!

My daughter is sick. I have been up with her the last two nights. She has been running a fever as high as 101.7 and coughing a lot. I've got her fever down with Tylenol and I hope she gets better today instead of worse. I am most proud though, that I haven't eaten a bunch of crap even though I am sleep deprived and feeling yucky! I've had to skip exercise today, but I may be able to make it up tomorrow. We'll see!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Hi, Melissa. I've been around but haven't had the urge to post. I'm so sorry that your daughter is ill. That's so worrisome. Hopefully, her fever won't spike again and she'll get well fast. I can sympthathize with you on sleep deprivation and the urge to eat. I never get a restful night's sleep because I have serious sleep problems. I have a CPAP machine but it doesn't help much. By Friday I'm usually wiped out. Today was worse than usual and I wasn't satisfied with my usual venti tea. So I went out and got a large chai (loads of sugar) and a biscotti to go with it! The chai tasted sooo good. So I felt satisfied but guilty. I know it's about 250 extra calories max, but .... Now I don't want my midday protein shake. I'm doing well on my program. Dropped 5 lbs last week. Still feel deprived though. Melissa - you've lost 78 lbs! Don't worry about it not being on your timetable. Just take it in increments. You really don't have that far to go. I'm sure you'll make great progress in time for your daughter's birthday.
Ellis - I'm not at all surprised that the psychiatrist gave you complements. I can tell from your posts that you are a warm caring person and an asset to this forum.
Boss just came back from a trip all hyped up. Better go. :goodvibes

Melissa, I'm so sorry your daughter is sick. :( That's worrying, isn't it.
Good for you for not giving in to the food because you're tired! Hugs and prayers for you and your daughter... :grouphug:

Rosetta, you're a sweetheart. :grouphug: I hope you get a good sleep in tonight, hon.
Congratulations on the 5 pounds!! :cheer:

My eating has been right out the window, but I know it's because I'm so sick with this cough. I've been sleeping a lot. Well, TRYING to sleep! :lol: The coughing is keeping me awake...
I had more energy today, and I think I'm starting to mend. I'm looking forward to starting back with the exercise next week... keeping my fingers crossed!!

DH is taking DS to a hockey game tonight, and DD is out with friends, so I've got the house to myself!! What a DREAM!!! :D

I hope everyone else is well... :wave:

Good morning ladies! Thanks for all the well wishes. My daughter is feeling much better. The fever wouldn't even be so bad, but she hates medicine. :( She is back to sleeping through the night, so that's good. ;)

I love my gym. :D It may not have a pool and it is kind of small, but everyone is so nice. I was having kind of a fat day this morning. Watching yourself eliptical and stair step in a giant mirror just shows all the jiggling. I know I have come far, but I still have a ways to go. One of the ladies actually came up to me on the stepper and said I was looking so good. Then, in the locker room, two other ladies were chatting with me about how great I look. Yay! I feel much better about myself now.

Hey JT, sounds like you are having a rough time. I took a water pill for about 3 years to help control blood pressure. It was prescribed by my doctor and I had to take it every day. Taking only 1 or 2 a week concerns me, because if I did that I would balloon up with excess water on the days I didn't take a pill. In fact, when my doctor finally took my off them it took about two weeks of constant water drinking to get my body back to getting rid of water by itself.

Also, having the chinese food doesn't have to be a bad thing. It is better if you plan ahead for it so you can count the calories. When I crave that type of food I usually try to find a Panda Express because their nutritional information is online so I have a better idea of what I am eating. Though, if they have you on a water pill the sodium in the chinese might really mess with your water retention.

:grouphug: Good luck, hang in there. It is a long, long road we are on. Sometimes I find myself desperate to make it to my maintenance weight, then I remind myself that I will be doing this for the rest of my life so I just need to take it slow.

Hi, everyone. Ellis, I hope you're getting over your cold. It's hard to stay on plan when you're sick. How was your evening on your own?
Melissa - what a great compliment you got at the gym. Sometimes when we're obsessing we don't see the whole picture.
TG - congratulations on your 17 lbs! That's quite an achievement. A note on Chinese food. Order the simplest dishes - like chicken or shrimp and vegs and stay away from the rice - that's where the calories come in.
I'm doing okay. Down another 4 lbs this week. If I stay on this track I should meet my phase 1 goal by the end of November.

Hey Tam, that is a great weight loss for the month. :D I hear you on the not eating a lot of different foods. This last year, though, I have been making myself eat a lot of things that are good for me whether I like them or not. I was reading a fictional book about weight loss that had the main character complaining to her nutritionist about some food tasting like dog food to her. The doctor went into a long explanation about how it is weird that people expect that they have to love how a food tastes to eat it. Sometimes, you have to eat something just because it is good for you. If I stuck to only the foods I "like" well, I would be back to 244lbs! :p

In the past year I have started eating cottage cheese (yuck!), fish, strawberries, blueberries, sweet potatoes and I am sure there are more. I do what I can to make them taste better, but I eat them because I should. :soap:

I have had a great week! I started out up a little at 165, which I am sure is because I had alcohol and a bunch of nuts over the weekend. Both of them bloat me like crazy. Every day I lost weight, to weigh in at 158.5 today! I know I didn't really lose 6.5lbs this week, but I'll take it. Today is my 10 year wedding anniversary. That loss will help keep me in check over the weekend because I am so close to my next mini-goal of 156, I won't want to screw it up!

I did a 6 mile run before I got to work at 7am! I ran it in 78:42 which is 5 minutes better than two weeks ago.

Have a great weekend y'all! :flow1:

Good morning, girls! :wave:
It's the weekend!! :dance:

Melissa, I'm so glad your daughter is feeling better. :)
Isn't it wonderful when people comment on your weight loss, and the fact that you're looking good!? We all need affirmation at times.
I love what you said about eating things just because they're good for us. I've been eating a lot of carbs this week, because I'm feeling "weak" from being sick. :rolleyes: Yesterday I thought, "Maybe bread isn't enough. Maybe I should eat a vegetable today." :lol3: I didn't, but you've made me think about what I'm putting into my body... it NEEDS fruits and veg! Thanks for the reminder, hon. :)
Happy Anniversary, Melissa!!! :balloons: :gift:

Tam, congratulations on the weight loss! :cheer: I'm so glad you're feeling supported here, hon. :grouphug:
Have you tried Vietnamese food? I don't know if you have any V. restaurants in your area, but the food is REALLY good, and it's much healthier than the "North American Chinese food". Lots of fresh veggies without deeping frying, and noodles and rice, too! ;)

Rosetta, I'm finally on the mend... thanks, hon. :) I actually started getting worse on Monday, and saw my doctor this week. I'm on major drugs now, and the cough is definitely starting to clear up! PHEW!!!
It seems as though every time I start (or am ready to start) a new "diet" or exercise program, I get some darned cough/cold. :rolleyes:
My dear, you are SO close to goal!! :cheer: I'm so very happy for you, hon. :grouphug:

This weekend... I've got major stuff to do around the house, and I'm contemplating getting on the treadmill for a wee bit. :D
A friend of ours gave us some venison (ugh), and DH is going to cook it tomorrow. I don't think I can stomach it.
Is anyone here a vegetarian? We were for about a year, and every now and then I think I might go back to it...

I received a gorgeous plantinum anniversary band from the hubby to commemorate 10 years together. We went to the city, had dinner at Gibson's (Brian Urlacher sat behind me!), saw Wicked (Wonderful!) and spent the night at a hotel. It was a great anniversay. He loved his compass and GPS system, from me, we used both last night.

I ate some wonderful last night and this morning. But what sticks with me most is that I knew when I got home I would be drinking a ton of wate rto flush out the alcohol and would have something healthy for dinner. In the past, this could be the start of a huge binge that would last for days or more. Once I was "off plan" I was OFF and couldn't get back on. Hubby and I were discussing the fact that we both weigh less than we did when we got married 10 years ago and are probably in better shape too! Not a lot of people can say that.

I actually can't wait to get up and go to the gym in the morning. :dizzy:

Melissa - Happy Anniversary. :) Sounds like you had a wonderful time. And you got home feeling good about yourself! It's important for us to learn that we can treat ourselves once in awhile without turning it into a binge.
Ellis - glad you're finally making some progress on the creeping crud. I, too, turn to carbs when I'm feeling poorly or tired. In fact, that's what I did last weekend. I'm always tired because I have sleep problems and never get enough restful sleep (plus I have a bad neighbor). Saturday, a friend came over and I had some brandy (2 glasses) and cheese (Laughing Cow) in the evening before my usual dinner. Woke up at 3, dehydrated, queasy and with my blood pressure way up. What stupidity! Sunday, I was extra tired but I had to go downtown so I treated myself to a turkey sandwich for lunch. Then I had popcorn at the movie. Okay, it wasn't all that bad and I paid for my indiscretion with the brandy. But when I weighed on Saturday I had been down another 2 lbs. - only 8 lbs from my initial goal! So why did I sabotage myself? :shrug:

Do you guys mind if I join in on your chat? This is one of the few forums I feel the most comfortable at because I know you guys understand how bad it feels to fall off the bandwagon and have to get back on. So I'm on my way again. I've tossed around the idea of joining OA but I'm not too sure about it because they believe in abstinence and I just have this feeling that I will become resentful and angry, which will cause me to binge out of rebellion.

Lately, I have been trying to figure out what triggers me to fall off the weight loss train and I'm not sure. Part of my problem is I don't like cooking. I've tried to convince myself I like it but I don't so I've stopped trying to do that. I know that when I was down to a good weight in mid-August, I was a size 9/10. I was happy with that and I felt good. I remember conciously thinking to myself, "Ok..I can have a few snacks, I've worked my tail off!" But THEN, I can't stop! I will literally step on the scale every day and if I'm not gaining it back, I'll just keep eating. But I give myself a limit, if my weight gets to XYZ, I'll need to diet. I can't let my weight get above that. It's just ugly ya know...does anyone else do this?

Ok...I just needed to vent...thanks for listenin' :o

Oh, of course you can join us, girl!! :wave:
I hear ya re: cooking. :rolleyes: I don't mind doing it when I can cook something wickedly delicious ie high cal/high fat. I'm good at those kind of meals. :D
It's when I have to cook healthy meals for my family, and no one likes them... !!!
One thing I HAVE to do is have good healthy snacks in the house. If I don't, I'm off to the corner store to pick up heart-attack food.
I can relate to what you said about there being a "maximum" weight before you diet. :yes: You're smart to stay on top of it. I used to do that, but somehow I lost control. Mostly due to depression. :(

Melissa, I'm so glad you had a good anniversary! :hat:

Rosetta... why did you sabotage yourself... If we only knew the answer to that one, hon. :(
I've continued to do the same thing all week. We've got to find something else to take the place of those carbs when we have cravings. (can we, like, inject ourselves with serotonin or something?)
Hang in there, hon. We're not giving up... :grouphug:
btw, are we the only two NOT exercising right now?!

I've got a meeting here tonight, which forced me to clean my darned stainless steel appliances. I don't recommend them if you've got kids. Why they can't use the handle of the refridgerator instead of splaying their hands across the front of it... :dizzy:

Well, the weigh-in last night was ok. I held on to the 2-lb loss I had through Saturday, which probably would have been more if I hadn't strayed. Oh, well, back on the wagon. I learned something very interesting at class last night. Another reason for drinking water: Your body has to burn more calories to heat it up. :carrot: So, ladies, keep chugging.

Yes, Ellis, I guess you and I are the non-exercisers in the group. I weigh so much that I can lose weight without it. However, I am finding it easier to move around now that I've lost enough weight so I might start doing some walking. :) :) :) :lol: :lol: :lol: (love these pumpkins)

I'd like to join in here too. I've been around 3FC for a couple of years, but I'm definately in need of a group that can support me with my ED recovery... which isn't going too great right now! My life is so much better when I'm in control, and I need to get back there. Today, my goals are to exercise and be in control of my food.

Hi, I hope you don't mind me joining as well! I think I'll need the support because even though I feel extremely motivated right now, I know in the past I am always getting on & off the wagon and if I get off for a breather, I don't want to feel judged and by reading all the previous posts, it's so obvious you girls don't judge!
Anyways, I will get caught up here and keep reading more of your posts *hugs*

Jen and Kelli, welcome! :wave: Jump right in with the rest of us... :grouphug:

Rosetta, good for you for maintaining! :hat:
So, are you drinking ice-cold water now? :D

I just posted something on another thread (for you, Kelli, but really for me. ;) )
that I think may give me a motivational boost today.
In fact, I think I'll call my sister and see if she's home, and if so, I'll walk over to visit my beautiful little nephew, and then pick up some healthy foods on the way home...

I hope everyone is well!! :wave:

:welcome: Jen and Kelli. I look forward to your posts.

Ellis - the funny thing is I don't really like ice cold water and I drink less of it at work because our bottled water is chilled. However, I mix my supplements with that water and seem to drink them all right and I drink chilled diet pepsi. :shrug: I hope you had a good day with your sis and nephew and that you eat healthy all weekend. I'm really stressed today. Had a busy morning at work, then found an error in a schedule I'd made and had to re-do it. When when I finally got around to having my first shake of the day, I was interrupted by an obnoxious telemarketer who wouldn't take no for an answer so I had to hang up on him. The jerk called back twice! :censored:
Have a great weekend -- and stay away from the Halloween candy! :lol: