:wave: Hi everyone!

This is great, there are so many of us now! All working together, helping each other!

Welcome back, melisa! I hope you and your family had a great time. You must have wanted to throw the bathroom scales out the window; but it will prove to be mostly water weight. Good to know that you're not going to let it deter you!!!

Christine - congrats on keeping under the 1400 range!! Even though you had decided to allow yourself more. That is one good day completed; now for another one today! I'll be trying to send you STRONG thoughts this afternoon, while I am also battling the beckoning unnecessary food...

Thanks for the book suggestions. I will try to find Volumetics. I have a book suggestion for those who need extra help in staying away from fast food - "Fast Food Nation", by Eric Schlossberg (sp?) Not only the sad, brutal, inevitable slaughtering process of cattle described in detail, but the whole concept of fast-food becoming global, and contributing to the world's obesity, devaluing real foods, and their employment practices. It's in paperback now.

And I know the feeling of huge responsibility concerning our children, and trying to help shape their attitudes towards food and health. I am trying so hard to keep my 11-year-old son on healthy eating and more exercise, but he's like me - would rather sit and read a book than get outside and move around. So I've got to make it fun for him. I'm getting our bikes tuned up so we can go out together. I'm sure your daughter just has a healthy curiosity about calories, as she's observed you being careful of them.

Hi, Sprite! We missed you! I like the idea of positive imagery. I will try to practice it.

Nancy - congrats on your status! Hope you have a nice trip to Prince George. I will be holding you in my thoughts, sending powerful suggestions to make healthy choices; and you will feel so virtuous and good when you do!

I also fell off my chair laughing at your description of the doc's rug!! You are so funny. I don't know anything about Zoloft...I have a friend who was on some kind of antidepressent, and she said that she had decreased sexual drive, but that she almost had a numb feeling concerning her sexua body parts. She couldn't describe it any better...but didn't like it so she got off them. That wasn't very helpful, was it?.....:^:

Hi darmah - I'm glad you've had some strong days now. I agree, we feel so good when we are close to our calorie goals; we feel that WE have the control, not the food. That's a great suggestion for eating really slowly. I've been trying to chew each dinner mouthful 35X; because I tend to inhale my food as if I think someone's going to steal my plate. It does really help to eat slowly.

hi Latisia - how are you today? Have you lost all that weight since your husband left? He is going to be so surprised and proud of you!

I think turkey burgers can be a good choice, but as you already saw, some prepared ones have more fat than they should. I would think if you could buy the turkey ground, but check the fat content, and make your own, that should be good. I like rice cakes - are popcorn cakes the same? I have the cheddar cheese rice cakes sometimes as my afternoon snack, with a caffeine-free diet coke, and that's pretty good for me.

Yu've also been dieting since little? I remember my mom giving me carrot sticks in my lunch instead of cookies as my first introduction to weight control at being like 9 years old - - that was a good decision for her to do for me, but I sure felt out-of-place with the other skinny kids eating Hostess cupcakes and Twinkies and ice cream...but I was a plump (HATE that word!!) kid who wanted to read or watch TV instead of run or play on the monkey bars...and being teased (more like tormented) make me even more shy from doing anything athletic. :( bleh!!

Pamela - I sure hope you can get some uninterrupted sleep soon. There is nothing harder than being a mother to little ones!! The moms are always the ones who make the sacrifices of sleep, eating warm food, having "me" time...I sincerely hope you are feeling better soon. Yes, ginger ale is a good drink to help "settle" your stomach.

Kanola - hi ther! Oh, I'm happily jealous of you zipping around on your motorbike...did someone teach you how to operate one, or did you just kinda "pick it up" on your own? How many cc's is it?

Sems hard to believe that someone's going to suggest "more cardio" to you - seounds like you are already incredibly active...That's neat that your husband is active also. Hope his knee isn't in too bad shape.

jacklyn - sorry to hear you were sick with the flu! Has your "vacation water weight" begun to slip away?

hi Teresa - wow, you've lost 17 pounds? That's GREAT! Hope you can hang around with us; we like to meet new people, and the more to help each other, the better!

I peeked at your profile - what kind of gardening do you do? I do flowers, not veggies. Some of my most prized plants are ones I got from my grandmother's farm - I have columbines and lilacs from originals that date back over 50 years, and my most precious are peonies that are from a plant that originally grew over 100 years ago. when they bloom, they smell like the sweetest, most fragrant roses.

Well ladies, my next "official" measuring day is the 24th - tho' I did sneak in a peak at the scales on a day I was feeling SO hungry (and thought I must be like down 50 pounds - ha ha) but am glad that I can say I have FINALLY lost 10 pounds (and it's only taken over 2 MONTHS) - sheesh - but I guess I'll be known as "Slow and Steady Holly" :lol:

HAVE A GREAT, IN-CONTROL DAY, EVERYONE!

Holly

Hello everyone . . .

Just wanted to drop in to say I did NOT eat anything more last night :D And, I'm off to a pretty good start today. . . about 300 calories for breakfast and I'll be having lean ham on lite bread for lunch with some strawberries and plan on a salad for my mid-afternoon snack. No plans for dinner yet but I'll be good ;) And all this while battling some awful cramps.. yucko! Hopefully this slight gain I'm seeing here is all water weight and will drop off when this time o' the month is over with!

Holly, I just wanted to say... 10 pounds in 2 months isn't bad at all! Think of it this way, if you keep up that rate, after a year you'll have lost 60 pounds! That's a helluva lot lighter in only a year's time! And of course, there is always: 'the slower you lose it, the more likely it'll stay off' .. if that's true, I shouldn't have to worry about mine coming back any time soon :lol:

So, I'm off to try to have a productive day... PMS was keeping me lazy and my house is showing the effects! :o

I wish everyone a great day . . . Here's a quote I got in an email today: "Today's duties put off until tomorrow give us a double burden to bear; the best way is to do them in their proper time."
--Ida Scott Taylor

Christine
195/150/130

Hi there.. My husband has been gone a week today, I started eating low fat, around the middle of March. I am so glad I came to the realization to do it!! I was always kinda chubby,, my Mom said when I started walking it went down some, but I remember being heavy in 3rd grade, and from there on .

I am doing good today, elated about Saturday, ( weigh in) It will be a surprise, hopefully.

To everyone, have a great day, stay motivated, and determined..

Latisia:)

Hi everyone. Hope everyone is doing simply wonderful today. Since I've learned to control my portion sizes and all, I now find it difficult to reach 1200 calories. Any suggestions? I'm completely full and satisfied and feel that forcing myself to eat is not the right way to go. Hmmm. Interesting yet ironic!! :dizzy: Christine, that was a wonderful quote that you wrote! it's so true, too. Like when I binged, I'd say that I'd start over the next day but the next day it made it that much more difficult to get back on track. I started a new regimin to walk/run everynight and rolloerblade whenever time allows. I feel so much better knowing that I'm exercising. Even though I hated it so much before, I find myself enjoying the time for myself and reflecting on my goals and life. Anyway, have a great day everyone and I'll talk to you all later~

hello gals . . .

First, t-girl, I know this question was on another thread but I figured I'd just answer it here... I wouldn't do ab exercises EVERY day, I'd go with every other day because you need to give the muscles time to recover. I heard once that the abs were the only area that doesnt need this recovery time but, my sister used to work at a gym and claims that it was only those who gave their muscles the 'rest-period' who showed real improvement in that area!

Darmah, as far as the 1200 calories goes, my opinion would be, if its working for you don't worry about it. I wish I had such problem :lol: If you find the weight won't drop off after a while because of the low calorie levels, I would just stick a higher-fat meal in every so often, like once every few days or something. I know I've probably mentioned it a dozen times before, but when I was consistantly eating low-calorie I sometimes wouldn't see the weight drop until I ate a higher-fat and calorie meal! It was like my body said 'ahha! She's not starving us, we can let go of this fat now!' I've even heard of fitness trainers giving their clients that advice! Of course, I'm no expert, but this is what I've seen from experience :)

I'm a little higher on calories today at this time of day. At 4pm I'm sitting at around 860. That only leaves 540 if I'm to stay under 1400 today. I'll have to try hard to make that work. I know I'll want a snack tonight after dinner so I'll have to keep dinner calories around 400 I guess. We'll see how it all works out. I'll try my bestest! :D

Hope everyone else is having a good day!

Christine
195/150/130

Feeling a bit better today! Emmett is a workout, he's almost 20 months and keeps us hopping! He's a complete sweetheart. I had trouble buttoning my pants today! I'm only 6 weeks pregnant, not quite ready for this, but it's worth it for a munchkin!! Hope everyone is doing well.
In Christ,
Pamela

Well I finally caught up on all that I missed and I see I missed a lot.
Who had some pics posted? I missed them. :(
Welcome to all the new ladies.
Nancy, I'm so glad that your problem is most likely related to your thyroid medication. I'd hold off on the Zoloft until after you've been on the new dosage for a few weeks and see how you feel then. Having a weaker or too strong of a dose of thyroid meds can make you feel lightheaded and dizzy. Also, please remember that all side effects listed are not neccesarily going to happen to you. Each individual reacts differently to medication, but by law, they have to list ALL side effects that happened to evryone in the test group. I know you mentioned weight gain on Paxil, my girlfriend takes it and she didn't gain any weight. I work with pharmacists 8 hrs a day, so if you have any ?'s LMK. ;)
Pamela, :) That tired feeling will pass I'm sure as soon as your body gets used to it's new "condition" As someone else stated, make sure you are taking a good prenatal vitamin. It will really help with much needed energy.
I loved Disney World so much!!!! I can't wait to go back. I did lose 3.5 of the 11 I gained. It must be water weight. Thank goodness. It felt great to go to the gym tonight and get in a good work out. I sweat off a bucket off sweat at least.
That's all for now. Thanks so much for all your motivation and support.
Have a great night!
Melisa

Hi everyone. I'm glad to know that I can sneak in a decent meal everynow and then. I've designated Sunday, my leniency day. I know that for some its like a set-up for failure but after my sickening binge last week, I know that I won't repeat history ever again. It keeps me even more motivated, I think that if I do well until Sunday, I'll have something to look forward to. It's actually hard for me to keep my calories up at 1200, believe it or not. I feel like I'm stuffing myself to get to 1200 cals. It's 9:30 at night and I still have another 230 cals to go. I'll probably have a slim fast milkshake. Those are soo good. Tastes like the real thing. I've lost 5 of the ten pounds that I gained during my fiasco last weekend, thank goodness. My face isn't so puffy either Does that ever happen to you guys where after eating A LOT you just get all puffy and bloated? Maybe its just my imagination. Who knows. Anyway, good luck to everyone on a brand new day tomorrow and I hope everyone is doing well!

Today did not go as well as yesterday. According to fitday I'm at 1225 calories for the day... but that's only because I didn't add the cocoa-crispies treats I had this evening cuz they're homemade and I have no clue of the nutrient breakdown on them to add them into the site. I know they were an insane amount of calories tho.. I probably consumed 600 calories worth :^: Ooops? I cannot wait for this TOM to be over so I quit craving the sweets and carbs so much!! Its like PMS causes me to be sad and depressed and not care what I'm eating or how much and then TOM comes and I'm happier but the cravings are insane! So all together I have well over a week of bad eating. I must get control here!! 1825 isn't a diet-killer amount of calories but its still 400 over my goal! Bad, bad me!! :devil:

So far the Pritikin book is pretty good. The calorie-density theory is insteresting. He talks about the amount of calories in a pound of any given food. According to him, the calorie-density of popcorn is actually higher than that of cheesecake! Of course, both are bad but still.. I always thought popcorn was a good choice but apparently we 'chew' all the air out of the popcorn and compact it so much that its not very filling for the number of calories.. interesting, no? Of course, for the most part the foods he recommends are 'obvious' choices for healthy eating.. fruits and veggies.. natural grains.. a small amount of lean meats.. its similar to many other diets but at the same time, he gives you a new perspective on WHY you should eat these foods. I'm still only on the first chapter but I'll keep ya'll up to date on how I'm liking it as I get further into it. Btw, he tries to teach you to estimate the calorie density of your meals so you won't have to calorie-count forever.. that sounds nice.. plus he says he'll show you how to legally 'cheat' sometimes and still lose weight.. my kinda diet! LOL.. oh, and his main 'seller' of this way of eating is that you won't be hungry all the time.. I definitely find some days I can be starving while eating 1600 calories and other days I feel more than full on 1400 .. I just need to learn why.. what is it that I'm eating thats making me full on fewer calories.. this book will hopefully help me out there! :)

Ok, I'm done babbling for now..
G'nite everyone (or g'morning if you're on the other side o' the earth!)... :D

Christine
195/150/130

I'm sorry you've had such a hard week, Christine, but I'm sure it will get better. Just wait it out and hang in there! I did go over my calorie limit for today but only by a bit. I was doing good, went to sleep too early, ended up waking up and being hungry. I ate a big, huge apple. BUt no real biggie. SO I went over by 150 calories? I'll just deduct from tomorrow's tally. I normally have an apple a day, because let's face it, apples are yummy. I just won't have my apple for tomorrow and even everything out. I'm weird that way in that everything has to stay even unless madness will occur. That book, pritikin, sounds interesting. Is it like a diet book or just a motivational book? I'm looking for a good motivational diet book that doesn't tell you how to eat but why you shouldn't eat some foods and the better choices of food you should be eating. I'll just have to do some reserach I guess. Not like I have enough homework already.. :dizzy: I can feel myself getting stressed out. I hope this doesn't effect my eating later on.. Wish me luck. I'll hang in there. Sorry for babbling but it is now 3 in the am and I'm not tired. Do you think that standing and working and walking for 4 hours straight would be considered exercise? I'm always so tired after work that I can't find the energy to work out. I should really start to exercise before work from now on. I've learned my lesson. I'm gonna go rollerblading tomorrow with a friend. Did you know that rollerblading for an hour burns more calories than swimming for an hour? Weird, huh. Once I get closer to goal, I'll think about getting into a swimming suit, but until then, I'll spare the humiliation. No cannonballs for me anytime soon. Thanks for letting me ramble everyone. God bless you if you made it through my ever-so-long post in one piece. Have a good one everyone!
**Monkey's may fly on ones' bum, but only if you feed them beans**
(again, it's three in the morning... I apologize) :lol:

Hi ladies!

Boy this is an active thread. If I miss one or two days I'm pages behind!

The imagery is working great along with deep breathing every time I feel hungry when I've already eaten my allotment for the day. I imagine the air is filling me up it seems to be helping. The scale will tell tomorrow.

Nancy I would hold off on the Zoloft until you have tried your changed dosage for the thyroid. Thyroid problems can often mimic anxiety so see how you feel once you've been on the correct dosage for your thyroid. Of course I'm no M.D. this is just my personal opinion.

Tomorrow is my ladies shopping trip/sleepover (yes we are pretending we're 16 again ha ha:lol: ) So I will be trying on the tankinis and will let you know how it went.

Hope you all have a great weekend it's sunny here Yee ha!:cool:

Oh no. Things were going so well... To curses on my mother for preparing that hamburger for me!! It is now 6:32 pm and I only have 200 calories left for the day. I keep thinking, I guess its too late now, might as well cheat even more. But that's how the cycle always begins, right? So! Here I am, trying to keep myself occupied, away from the kitchen by rambling on about my problems to you guys. Thank you for enduring my misery. I KNOW that I'll stay under my 1200 cals for the day. I'm not giving myself a choice anymore. Saying that outloud makes it easier to convince myself that I'll make it. I'll just go to bed early. My friend also wants to go out to eat later tonight. I'll just have a water and a diet pop. :smug: I'll make it. Don't worry. WIsh me luck though. My urge to quit has subsided, thanks to you guys. Woo Hoo, Sprite!! Tankinis, huh? Sexy mama. I bought a bikini a few weeks ago and that's my goal. To look good in it. I'll have something to look forward to. I also took off the tags so I wouldn't be tempted to return it and munch on chips and chocolate. Anyway, I'll hang in there. Thanks for listening and I'll tell you of my progress tomorrow! :cool:

Hi everyone -

Hope we're all doing well tonight. Darmah, I have also gone to bed early sometimes as a last resort to keeping away from the kitchen! And once you're settled in bed, it's too comfy to get up just for a snack...I know we can't dive into bed anytime we're hungry, but it works at night :lol:

I was a bad lady tonight - we went to see "The Scorpion King" and husband and I shared a BIG sack of popcorn - my gosh, it tasted so good. So that will be my indulgence like for the WEEK, I think.

Melisa, the pics that were posted were from Nancy; an image of her son, d.i.l. and grandson; and one of her and her husband. Very nice.

Along with doing an exercise tape of some kind, I'm now making myself walk the dog for a two-mile walk each day; that seems far for me now, but I hope to lengthen it more soon.

I'm still doing fine during the day; it's the evening when I want a couple (of dozen) of graham crackers washed down with skim milk; sweet cereal; you know, stuff that isn't terrible but still over my calorie ration. I'm still feeling good though, because I pulled out an old journal from last year, and saw that I was even heavier at this time last year - around 184.

So I'm wishing a good, strong, in-control evening to everyone!

Holly
176/166/160 ist mini goal that I will probably reach in 2003 :D

Hi everybody,, I have had a busy day, chasing the ac man, and getting ready for my company tomorrow!! How is everyone doing?? Darmah, you will succeed, as I said earlier:)

I did go to bed early before to not want to go and pile on the food...It is a good thing to do sometimes. I am going to bed early today, because I know I am going to be busy tomorrow.11pm, is early to me!!LOL.. hmm .

Well, tomorrow is the BIG day for me, Weigh in, and I will let you all know how I have been doing, Havent messed up all week,,,( that is a first) I think it was because I had sat down and tried to figure out what causes me to crave the wrong thing,, it helped..Talk to you all later.. Goodnight

Latisia

:wave:Good Morning everyone! Happy Saturday!

First, anyone else in the New England area feel the mild earthquake this morning? I was still lazily in bed at 6:50 when it occurred; was just aware of a rattling sound; but my husband was up and said the house definitely trembled. I haven't heard of any damage occurring; hope that is true for everyone.

Hello to Sprite, Pamela, Nancy (back from trip?), Christine, Melisa, jacklyn, Latisia, darmah, Kanola, Teresa, and are you back tryin'hard?

I'm wishing everyone a great day! It's sunny and much cooler here today - I'm going to spend it digging outside!

Sincerely, Holly

oh yeah - Hellman's has a new lite mayo - "Just 2 Good" - stilll have to watch your portion amount, but it makes my tuna fish taste alot better than my non-fat Miracle Whip...