:wave:

Sorry I'm posting late.. boy things are nuts around here LOL

Have I told you lately how much I love you all :grouphug: I really do.

Have a great evening chickies....

Leenie

Marbear, I completely understand. :yes: There are a couple of people I would avoid seeing ( or them seeing me) at all costs. I do not want these people, wouldn't take them on a silver platter, but the thought of them seeing me looking like this turns my stomach. I actually have nightmares about it. Often. Crazy isn't it. :dizzy: Sorry you are being put in this position. It would freak me out too. Things are usually worse than we imagine them to be however.

Good luck on your new goals. I know you can do it!

Oh good luck Marbear, I do understand. I would rather die than bump into an ex-boyfriend who dumped me years ago for being too fat - when I was way slimmer than now! And I am so glad I never ended up with him, I have a lovely family now. So relax, I reckon it's nothing too unusual.

I would run as fast as I could in the opposite direction if I ever saw him coming down the road towards me!

Do your best to get to your mini-goals and goals. You've done well so far, keep going :)

Morning Ladies...

Hope everyone is doing ok...

hugs

good morning everyone :)

marbear, oh my gosh...wow. I am sorry to hear what a shake-up those new wedding plans are! So it is just assumed that you will be shooting both weddings? and all that driving, and your WL plans given a huge hurry-up...well all I can do is say we have faith in your ability to step up your goals :carrot:

momof4, yay to you and your daughter working out together :) do you have equipment downstairs?

hello to everyone else :hug: today is my Friday, woohoo! and it's already 42 degrees here, s'posed to get to 50-55, so I hope to ride m'cycle to work.

have a great day chicks :)

Turns out I'm more of a Blimp than I realised. :(
 

Good morning, Ladies,
So, I finally got around to going to get my scales...and it turns out I'm waaaay bigger than I'd thought. I guess that's what happens when you guesstimate.
So, to my horror and embarrassment, I am 337.4lbs. That's 157.4lbs to my goal weight.:^:
I'm not going to let this get me down, because that's just an excuse not to do it - I'm going to start with a mini goal of 5%.
Thank you, all, for motivating me to do this - without this place I may never have bought those scales and set this plan in to motion. Without you guys, there would be another morbidly obese woman out there doing nothing about it! So thanks!

Good morning ladies!

Havisham - We will be here for you throughout you journey! MIni goals are good, they help keep things in perspective and prevent things from becoming too overwhelming.You mention a pool... are you a swimmer? Becuase, boy, can I talk your ear off if you are!! :D

Mom - it's great that you and your oldest are working out together. Having someone else around you exercising is always helpful when it comes to keeping yo uon track.

VTmom - yay on UI! I'm glad for you that it was(is) your Friday. I wish it was mine!!!

Leenie - I hope things calm down over there!

Lost - Moving is stinky :( But REALLY good exercise, so it's got a positive light to it too!

Hope, Pure, Bud, Angel and anyone I may have forgotten because I'm a pea brain sometimes - :hug:


I ordered Kathy Smith's Lift Weights to Lose Weight and Jillian Michael's No More Trouble Zones. So... soon I'll have strength training DVD's, and I'll mix that up with cardio and do both at least 5 days a week and I'll be fabulous by January. (Or... better at least!)

My PT gave me their version of C25K last night, so I need to go hit up a treadmill at my college's gym tonight to do it. Then tomorrow I can tell them how I feel and we can proceed from there.

:hug: Thanks to everyone for their support. It's nice to know people are there to cheer you on while you're going insane :D;)

happy tuesday! 3 days till move and counting!
 

Havisham, I am sure that you are as beautiful on the outside as you are on the inside, no matter what your weight. Be healthy and fit when you are ready, we are always here to support you! All though a scale is not the best tool for determining weight loss (I think you should take some measurements too!) it is a helpful tool! Its good to know how far you will have come.

Marbear – know that you are a beautiful person inside and out, no matter what some numbers on the scale are! Just think of it this way, when you reach your goal – you can throw a party where you are the center of attention and not have to share the spotlight with a bride or holiday!

Hope – some days I just read and don't post too – I am always as glad to get support as to give it!

Mom – its good that you have helped (and probably inspired some) your daughter to eat healthier, my DH & DD are working with me too and I really feel like that is a change for the better I can easily see!

VermontMom – keep taking good care of yourself!

Leenie – we love you too!

All – If I die from packing & moving, know that I love you too!

Thanks, Marbear - I have to say I LOVE swimming - it's easily the only exercise I really enjoy doing. I used to swim a mile (64 laps) three times a week as a late teen/early twenty something...and did yoga daily. I was in amazing shape - I fairly bounced. :) I couldn't do anything like that now, but I figure if I can find a decent pool close by, I could start with quarter miles and build it up. So, please, talk away! :)

Lost, thank you so much! I've avoided the scale for years (obviously!) but it's time to hold myself accountable, now. Now, if I cheat, it'll show me exactly what the cost of that is, and I need that.

Either way, it took me years to get here, so now I just start the journey back....fingers crossed for no depression relapses any time soon. :dizzy:

I am absolutely starving but I am finding it hard to find motivation to do anything, even walk down to the kitchen to make something. This weather here is killing my spirits :[

What do you guys do to help make yourself feel more human when you cant go outside to play and exercise?

sometimes I stay in bed and sleep - it gets old fast enough, sometimes I walk somewhere with a treat at the end, sometimes I make a low cal snack (usually popcorn) snack and watch a good sad movie with a dramatic uplifting ending, sometimes I write or call a friend - what ever you like, treat yourself on a day like that

Good idea! Looks like I'm gonna curl up with some carrots and watch Goodwill Hunting!

Ooh, good movie choice! LOVE the bit where Will gives the pompous a** in the bar his speech!
Bonne journee! :D

my weight is bad that my rings wont come off...I realized today I really need to cut salt cause that just retains water..is there anything I can replace salt with that isnt so bad? I did good today until dinner...ugh

I need to go plan school lessons and do dishes before I go to bed...DONT want to but it will put me in a better mood tomorrow..no sense in starting a day off sour when i can help it!!

:) that is so true, I try so hard to pick up the living room before I go to bed so it doesn't look like crap first thing in the morning :dizzy:

Good morning everyone, I have two days off and I don't know where to begin, guess I should start with inside stuff since it's a gray day and supposed to rain, so no leaf raking. Maybe tomorrow.

momof4 - I love salt...there are smart people who can tell us what herbs and spices to replace salt with, but I haven't been smart enough to start to use them yet :dizzy:

Havisham, GOOD attitude about tackling your journey with 5% mini goals! we are here to cheer you on :)

ma petite - is it gloomy weather where you are? Hope you are feeling better .

lost - wishing you the strength to get through the packing and moving, that is a huge strain isn't it.

Leenie - :wave: :)

marbear - you made me laugh about having friends around to help when we're going insane :devil: but that's what this place is all about isn't it :hug: I have to come here because my DH NEVER asks how I am, in regards to depression. Ever. So that's why you're all so important to me. and NO, you don't suck for cutting and pasting :rofl:

Hope everyone has a great day :hug:

just stopped in for a quick good morning and good week to everyone - I'm going to be gone for a couple days, busy moving and then computer and internet will be done for the transfer - eating will probably be a little crazy, so I'll just pick up from where ever next week!

Have a wonderful weekend all!

Good Morning,

Good to see you all chatting away :hug:

Same ol same ol.... working, keeping my head above water, staying out of trouble...yadda yadda yadda ;)

Have a great day Chickies :D

Leenie

hi leenie- thanks for welcoming me to join here.
just wanted to introduce myself to everyone!hi everybody!
i joined 3fc a little while ago and i'm trying and determined to lose the weight i've put on. depression often gets in the way and i'm determined not to let it this time!
hope everyone is havning a good week!

Hey all - it's HUMP day!!

Vermont - thanks for the kind words - always lovely! :D And I hear you on the picking up the night before - NOTHING is as depressing as coming down to a mess in the morning.

Lost - hang in there - I'm an ex-military wife - I've moved more times than I can count - it DOES eventually get done. Promise!

Jiggles - welcome!

Leenie - thanks for checking in. Hope to hear good news on the job front from you soon - we're all rooting for you! Go, Leenie! :carrot:

I'm wondering if I need to re-assess my plan. I've had great success on GI before, but didn't want to take on all that cooking and daily preparation since DH is away all the time now. I've been doing the CAD, but I'm thinking that it's not a lot more work to do GI - and it feels healthier. Going to read through some of the GI books again tonight, and see what I think. The biggest thing on CAD is I miss the fruit - I can only have fruit in my RM, and I feel so much healthier when I eat fruit. On GI, I can eat as much fruit as I like. Anyway, I'm rambling. Hope your day is going well!!

Hey all - it's HUMP day!!

Vermont - thanks for the kind words - always lovely! :D And I hear you on the picking up the night before - NOTHING is as depressing as coming down to a mess in the morning.

Lost - hang in there - I'm an ex-military wife - I've moved more times than I can count - it DOES eventually get done. Promise!

Jiggles - welcome!

Leenie - thanks for checking in. Hope to hear good news on the job front from you soon - we're all rooting for you! Go, Leenie! :carrot:

I'm wondering if I need to re-assess my plan. I've had great success on GI before, but didn't want to take on all that cooking and daily preparation since DH is away all the time now. I've been doing the CAD, but I'm thinking that it's not a lot more work to do GI - and it feels healthier. Going to read through some of the GI books again tonight, and see what I think. The biggest thing on CAD is I miss the fruit - I can only have fruit in my RM, and I feel so much healthier when I eat fruit. On GI, I can eat as much fruit as I like. Anyway, I'm rambling.

Hope you're all having a great day!

Ooops - sorry! Double posted by accident! :o

havish-I am so messed up I thought I went the wrong way and was rereading it...LOL I love fruit when I eat it but I never have an appetite for it...I think its the juice...I love bannanas and love vegs but the thought of fruit just does not appeal to me. I like them dont get me wrong. I cut them for the kids and once in a while I will take a bit and Im like mmm good but thats about all the further it goes...dont know why?

jiggles-def a place to come to lose weight esp. when depressed


Leenie-have a good time working...LOL..

Lost-Def miss you...come back as soon as you can...

Vermont-Yeah it does make a difference just to do it every night and to remember how much better it will be..I can tell I missed a few meds since I was sick cause when I get up its like my bodys still sleeping..i cant get awake and motivated...Hope you got some stuff done today

So yeah I laid down with the middle children to nap cause they were goofing off and my 3 yr old girl curled up next to me and laid her head against my chest so yeah I ended up dosing off...but i had these awful dreams someone was trying to kill me and I managed to run away from.....then I woke up and was like what was that...then dosed back to sleep and went back into it except I went with my dad and someone else to get away from him and he was waiting for me...I managed to plead for my life hoping my dad or someone would kill him....Then I woke up and was scared to death...then I woke up and was like what was that... then my teen was wayyy late and i got freaked out thinking something happened to her...ok gotta go family calls!!

Hey, Mom, I'm sorry to cause confusion. :dizzy:
I confess I have to be in the mood for fruit - but I hate not being able to eat it at all. But, I can always be tempted by a bowl of strawberries. :)

I also wanted to say I hear you on the being sick thing - when I'm sick it takes a good couple of days longer than anyone else to recover because of the mini-withdrawal. I hate the dizziness and nausea - and the worst is the tearyness - maybe it's just me, but I always get major crying jags in those times.

Hang in there! :hug:

:hug:

Not in a "posting" mood, but definetly in a "hug" mood so I thought I'd share :)

Ditto Marbear... :hug:

but Havisham, what is CAD and GI?

Hey even though you two didnt post it still thrills me that you left something to let us know you were here!!!!

past my bedtime..going to sleeep frustrated I can fit my jeans and I WILL NOT go buy bigger ones...Like they fit but part of my stomach hangs over and i absolutely HATE that and i have to be in lose fitting pants or they drive me crazy...but thru all that I STILLLLL eat crap food and drink soda I dont get it...even when I was taking off the tight jeans all I could think was this is sad I am too fat to fit these I need some chocolate and a pepsi...AHHH why cant I get away from it...idk

good morning all, I dont know what CAD or GI is either...well I thought they meant "computed assisted drawing' and 'gastro-intestinal' but I don't think that fits in this context! :)

momof4 that was a scary dream, and then to go back to it, ugh! sweet nap dreams to you from now on!

Morning, Chickies!

Mom - I can SO relate - my response to discovering just how fat I am is that I want chocolate and a coke. You are NOT alone.

This week is especially hard because, having finally got my scales, I can now see that I'm going up - just a bit of a pound a day, but it's not dropping. I'm telling myself it's just TOM, but it's a little discouraging. Hoping I can see some dropping next week once TOM is done. :(

Marbear and Hope - really glad you sent the hug. We all have days we have nothing to give, but the hug is huge!

Hope - CAD is Carbohydrate Addicts Diet and GI is the GI diet. CAD focuses on no carbs at all for two meals a day, and then one, one hour meal a day (Reward Meal) where you can eat what you want. Obviously, it's best to eat a balanced healthy meal, with carbs, but if you want to have something not healthy, you'll still lose the weight.

GI is based on the Glycemic Index and promotes a lifestyle of low fat/high fibre, with lots of food. It stresses that you need three full meals a day and three snacks. The books have some amazing recipes in it, and once you get going on it, it's sooo easy. You're literally never hungry and you feel amazing. When I did it last, before my last major breakdown, I lost 60lbs in six months and felt great. My doctor was thrilled. It's written by a cardiologist who was president of the heart and stroke foundation of Ontario for like ten years. I also like it because he says that this is not a diet, this is life, so he says that you should plan to stick to plan 90% of the time - that 10% of the time we're human. So, if you really crave Pizza, have pizza. When i did it before, that's what I did. I know I don't want to cook on a Friday night, so I plan for that night to be a night off - and we have whatever the kids feel like, really. In all honesty, it's the only 'diet' that's ever worked for me. It also controls my blood sugar and IBS which is a huge plus. It's also relatively easy to follow for eating out, which is nice.

For me the biggest plus on both of them is that you're not counting calories or points, and that it allows for the 'human' factor. You just watch portion control, like a palm size for meat, quarter of your plate for carbs, that kind of stuff. I started on CAD, but I'm now moving to GI as it's so much healthier. The food is easy and tastes great, and I'm literally NEVER hungry. And it works - the weight fell off me last time. So I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it will this time, too.

I'm 40 in a couple of weeks - I need to find what works for me and that I can stick with for life.

Sorry - that was probably more than you wanted to know! :o

Anyway - thanks for all of you for your daily support - it helps more than you will ever know!!

Happy Thursday!

Good morning ladies.

I'm very... antsy today. Fidgety, stressed, and all I want to do is dive head first into a box of wine and a box of chocolate.

If I was given 3 wishes, one of them would definetly be that boxed blush wine tasted the same, had the same effect, but had zero calories. How heavenly would that be?

Today was definetly a stay home and snuggle day. I woke up half way through the night with my brain on warp drive and couldn't fall asleep again until like 30 min before I had to get up. One of my cats came to keep me comapny though. He plopped down on my pillows above my head, and used the top of my head as his pillow. He's so cute. Which is good for him, because he's kind of a pain in the arse too!

Havisham - finding something you can stick to for life is key. I think that's been my downfall int he past. I've been loosing weight for a specific event (the start of college in the fall, my wedding, etc) and once that event was reached it was like I was done. I'll never be "done" and that's something I need to get through my head.

Mom - I'm between sizes too - it's really annoying. What's more annoying is that I bought new running pants a month ago (before I went to physical therapy) because my others fell when I ran. Well I didn't run for the past month but I lost weight, so now they don't fit and I didn't get to run in them!!! Oh well, at least they're comfy!

VT Mom - hope everything is going well with your hubby.

Everyone - :hug:

well atleast im not the only one that wants choc. when they are depressed..but hey it is said to be a drug...so guess thats why I crave it..LOL

I met a girl the other week that used to be 240 lbs and she lost her weight over several months but completely chewing her food until it was mush. because then her brain had time to realize when she was full before the whole meal was inhaled...a lot of people that go the bypass surgery gain weight again because they stretch their stomach out again. I do need to eat slower because I would quit a lot sooner....

I think we can all agree that chocolate is definitely one of the major food groups...the day they say I can never eat chocolate again, I'm going postal! ;)

I also know someone who dropped weight that way - and by only eating when she was actually hungry.

But....she was a money grabbing skank so her motivation may have been different than mine! :)

Marbear - I agree, getting over the idea that this is temporary is key...and also the most depressing. I spoke with a friend of mine earlier who's a recovering alcoholic and he said that it depresses him that this is always going to be a struggle. That he's always going to have to think about it ...and that's kind of how I feel. Like, I'm always going to have to think about every mouthful. It's tough. But I'm telling myself that it's worth it - that once I'm a slim, trim 180, it will be so much easier. I hope.

Hugs to everyone. Tomorrow's Friday - YAY!!!!!

Havisham, thanks for the info and no, it wasn't more than I wanted to know. The GI diet sounds interesting to me, I think I'll read up on it more. The only diet that ever worked for me was Weight Watchers which I like but if I actually didn't need to count points that would be a big bonus. I always thought I would calorie count or do WW again if I happen to get back on track but we'll see.

I'm off tomorrow but I have a test on Saturday that I have to study for all day. My house needs major help as well. That may have to wait till Saturday afternoon though.

I agree that the whole dieting for life or eating well thing is depressing. It's hard enough to do for the time it takes to get a significant amount of weight off. I think it's even harder in the maintenance mode. It's exhausting to think about. I know, I know that's what I need to do to be healthy and I shouldn't ever want to shovel crap into my body regardless of my weight but :p, it's just so satisfying and tempting to do so. :devil:

good morning chicks! That was good information to us, Havisham! The GI stuff sounds so sensible. I wonder if my DH would go for that. I am so glad that he is taking daily walks with the dog now.

About the 'for life' thing, it might seem depressing and overwhelming sometimes but truly once it is ingrained in you it is not in your thoughts all the time. Well at least for me. Or if (like this morning!) as I was pouring coffee I thought 'is there anything that goes better with coffee than a donut?!' but it passed because there isn't a donut within a half mile of here :devil: and it just isn't happening. Or it might happen but once in 3 months.

The chewing of food thoroughly, now that is something I need to embrace!! I do inhale my food. And think I'm still hungry afterwards, but it's only been like 4 minutes :devil:

We have had cloudy, dreary dreary weather. I haven't been on my motorcycle for at least a week now. I really want some sun! but every morning I sit here with my Happy LIght blinding me :cool: trying to trick my brain into 'happy thoughts' :D

well have a great day chicks; today is my Monday because I just had my two days off. I do look forward to wearing some of the new tops I got at Goodwill. Something really bright today, to offset the gray and dreariness.

Ladies -
Happy Friday! WOOHOO!!!
Yeah - for life is evil, but necessary. There are very few things I want to dedicate a lifetime to (thankfully my husband seems to be one of them). I get so bored and feel so restricted when I think of things like that. Hmm...

Hope - good luck on your test.

VTmom- I also inhale food. i think it's a side effect of ALWAYS being in a rush to do everything. I need to slow down in general, let alone while eating.

to all my ladies :hug:

I'll probably be back Monday - as I suck at posting on the weekends.

Hope and Vermont, the GI is amazing. It's quite literally the only diet I've ever done that works. It's simple in that it works on a red, yellow and green light basis. Green light means eat as much as you want - with a few exceptions where a portion is specified - such as whole grain bread, nuts, pasta etc. With those things they stress the portion control, and even then it's things like meat should be about the size of your palm, no measuring or weighing.

It's very straightforward, and the books are easy to read and to follow. Each book (and you really only need one - I'd suggest the "Living the GI Diet" as it's clear and has lots of recipes) has a whole section of 'red-yellow-green' light items, and it's vast, covering everything down to oils and snacks. There's also a little tiny book for shopping and eating out - tells you what you can eat at each fast food restaurant etc., as well as if you want Chinese food, or Indian food, what you should get. Invaluable.

You have to eat six times a day - three meals and three snacks. Being hungry is not possible! :carrot:

The books also have some awesome recipes - the low GI rice pudding is to die for - and is great in the evening as a snack - especially with sugar free jam. Also the garlic shrimp pasta and the Lemon Herb Chicken Thighs. It's very easy to cook and stick to the plan because it tells you which spaghetti sauce to buy, what pasta and how to cook it, and again all veggies and fruit are green light so eat as much as you like.

Lastly, like I said, the Dr who wrote it stresses that we're human so you should expect to cheat 10% of the time. That takes the stress off right away - if you want a Big Mac, have one. I know for me, if I really, really crave something and don't have it, I'm going to end up bingeing. This gives me the green light (no pun intended) to be human for a couple of meals a week - if I want to.

I can tell you honestly, hand on heart, that this diet works. If you read the testimonials in the book, they are all absolutely representative of the way the diet works. If you're committed, this diet is actually 'easy'. Hard to believe, I know, but I lost 60lbs and never once felt deprived...I felt great and the weight fell off.

So why aren't I slim and trim now? The old monster Depression - had a major breakdown and fell right off the wagon....just the idea of cooking a meal was too much. So now I'm getting back on...the dragon is in it's cave, for now, so I'm giving this a shot again.

Happy to share if anyone wants info. :)

happy Friday all!!!

:woohoo: MY TEST IS POSTPONED AND CLASS IS CANCELLED TOMORROW!! :woohoo:

I could not be happier. I'm actually off now for 2 days in a row with nothing to do and I only have to work from 5-8 on Sunday. I actually teared up when I read the email. Sad but true. Now, what to do with myself?...

:wave: Hi everyone.

.

:badbat: Happy Halloween!! :ghost:

Hi everybody, you are out there, right? :witch:

What did everybody do for Halloween? I got lucky, we were supposed to go to a party given by one of dh's friend, but he didn't feel like going. We stayed home and watched a movie. It's not that I don't like this person, I don't really know her well, I just try to avoid most all social situations. I'm sure you know what I mean. I just always think 'I'm too fat to do that'. As soon as someone suggests most anything, I immediately try to figure out how I'm going to get out of it.

I hate this about myself and I know that living with me can't be fun. I don't want to be this person I've become but here I am. I went yesterday shopping for a Halloween costume and looked through all the skinny skank costumes hoping to find some tent shape mumu looking thing that wouldn't be too embarassing to put on. The hospital scrubs option was probably about the best but dh was going to go as a biker (big stretch). I decided just to buy some leather fingerless gloves and a studded choker and be a biker chick. I of course would not be sporting the signature tiny black tank top but the effort was made in case I had to go. The emotional rollercoaster over this party I didn't even attend was enormous and such a waste of life. This is just one small example of the torment I experience so frequently due to my weight. Why then can't I change? :dunno: