Samantha, my dh has worked for a major vitamin producer for 24 years. Their products have to pass several tests before they are made and sent out into their stores. They must dissolve within a certain time frame or they are discarded altogether. So, I don't know if that is true or what. They could of just put them in the toilet and maybe had an agenda to make a certain company look bad. Or it just may true but I just know what my dh has told me many times when he has ever heard this. He should know like I said, he has worked in this same plant for 24 years.

Donna

I take a women's multivitamin *with extra iron & folic acid, which you need if you want to have kids!*, plus 2 calcium tablets every day. I take extra calcium because osteoporosis runs in my family, and it helps with my borderline anemia.

I tell ya, chickies, if you take that calcium, it just skyrockets your energy! Aside from that, I have way fewer cravings for junk food if I take my vitamins with a healthy breakfast, and I find it easier to drink my water during the day. Maybe it's just me, but it works!

Donna - wouldn't that be funny - could you see someone purposely flushing vitamans down the toilet!!! If you don't mind, what vitamin producer does your husband work at? I really would like to start taking vitamins now, while I am young, so when I get older I don't have to worry so much about ostioporosis (sp??) and things like that, but I don't know of a GOOD vitamin that isn't loads of money.

Samantha, my dh works for Nutra Mfg. which you may have seen the GNC stores in malls and other areas. Their vitamins are not cheap but they do run good specials from time to time. They have made vitamins under other names for other drug stores but right now I don't know the name of them. We are fortunate we get a good discount since he is an employee. Just yesterday at my WW meeting they were stressing how important it is to take a multi-vitamin each day. I have no excuse but I need to take mine again.

What is your main source of instant motivation (i.e. do you have fat pictures? an upcoming trip? a dress you want to fit into? etc.)?

What is your main source of instant motivation (i.e. do you have fat pictures? an upcoming trip? a dress you want to fit into? etc.)?

I find that people help me get motivated. Photos intimidate me, no upcoming trips and there isn't any dresses that I *want* to fit into. When I'm down about it and some one out of the blue notices I have lost that encourages me to keep on.

Donna

Instant motivation? There's a few things:
1. My daughter...when I think about the things I am teaching her with good eating habits, exercise, etc I remember why I am doing this!
2. I have a collage I made back in Feb when I was feeling "defeated" with pictures of what I want to look like, words and quotes that are inspiring to me. I took them from a fitness magazine! I have it hanging on my fridge to remind me where I want to be and why!
3. I want to hike the Adirondacks (or any mountain range, really) next summer with my sister! I've never hiked/backpacked like that but always dreamt about it. I want to be able to do it without pain or struggle...at 44!!

But what KEEPS me motivated is holding onto these thoughts and staying connected with a great bunch of women who are on the same journey with the same issues, struggling to get to their goal! I would have stopped even trying without this site! Seriously! You all are just awesome!

Does the weather affect your motivation level? How so? What do you do to overcome it?

I honestly don't know the answer to that question because I just started dieting in September, so I haven't experiences anything but milder weather. So far no weather has affected me, but we will see when it starts to snow!!

Sam

Does the weather affect your motivation level? How so? What do you do to overcome it?
My experience from the past (although things change all the time) during cold weather I have found it motivates me more because I find it more of a challenge to not fall into eating too many comfort foods. Now, if I am not exposed to the sun much I do tend to fall into a depression and that does lower my motivation level so it's not so much the weather but the sun!

Donna

Do you have any comfort foods? What are they? Is there any particular reason they are comforting to you (i.e. memory associations, etc)?

Weather: I don't do well in the heat! I can't exercise when it's blasted hot outside! I prefer walking or exercising outdoors to indoors, so I love the cooler weather of the Fall and Spring! So this time of year is great for me to get out and walk!

Comfort Foods: OMG...the list could go on forever! The biggest one is Mac&Cheese! I could eat a whole pan of it and really have to say "NO" when I make it for my daughter because I can't stop! Not sure of the association with it, but I'm sure I ate a lot of it when I was a kid...cheap!
Icecream! Sugar fix...tastes good and as a child, we didn't have it often and was often in conjunction with good times (parties, birthdays, holidays, etc) so perhaps that is why it is so comforting to me!
Those are the two biggies for me! There are so many foods that are trigger foods for me but I do stay away from most of them! These two I can't seem to kick as easily! Great question!

I think chocolate is the best comfort food. When I'm down I want something sweet but substantial. It doesn't feel like it's due to associations, I think sometimes just concentrating on a nice sensation feels like a good solution to problems. Plus doesn't chocolate have endorphins in? Mmm baby bels work well too that's what my best mate got me when I split up with my ex. Although in that sort of a situation I also like gin. Beer is good for cheering me up as well!

LOL dilleight beer does seem to work wonders when you are down, doesn't it??

I don't feel like I have been dieting long enough to know what my "comfort" foods are - I don't know if I have any, actually. I don't think I understand quite yet the feelings associated with certain foods. I don't really consider myself to be an "emotional eater", instead I am definitely an "emotional smoker" which is probably 10 times worse, but maybe good for my dieting.
I guess I should consider myself blessed, because not only do I not consider myself to be an emotional eater, I am also not addicted to sugar. I have always been the kind of person to have seconds on dinner & skip dessert. Chocolate, ice cream, candy...none of these things tempt me as much as pizza, hamburgers, nachos, enchiladas, fried chicken...mmmmm.....and NOW IM HUNGRY
I am more of a "boredom eater", and a "convienence eater", meaning I eat when I am bored, and I eat what is convenient. Not a good thing when I literally live next door to both Burger King & McDonalds (seriously - I can look out my front window and see how long the drive through line is for BOTH restaurants!)

If you could go back in time, what advice would you give yourself?