[textjewel]

Good morning, all!

Boy, we are an active group - two pages of posts since yesterday!

I'm glad someone posted about the suppliments, I didn't buy them either since I really have a hard time paying over $125 a month for stuff, when I still have vitamins, etc here.

Amy, thought what you posted was very interesting. I'm thinking that the big thing for me is the accountability, too. But never before has the fraction of a pound seemed so important! What DO you put in your diary?

Hi Fiona, glad to know that someone else will be here until 2006!

One other question - where do you find out the replacements for stuff like wine and beer? Is there a list they're supposed to have given me?

Thanks
Julie

[Tams]

Hey Chicks!

Anyone notice anything new about my post today? YES, I got the 10lb avatar!!!

As of today, my total weight loss is 10.4 lbs in 3 weeks! I'm so happy.

Congrats to everyone this week sticking to the plan. We are a tough bunch of ladies.

[JoyUvette]

Wow!!!

I barely know where to start. Unfortunately, I'm not familiar with everyone yet, so please forgive me for not addressing each person individually. Plus, I don't have time to post everday, so I'll be checking in about once a week.

Tammy - 10.4 pounds in 3 weeks is awesome! I only hope I can do that well. Congratulations.

Dawn - I'm sending you vibes for a successful weekend and MORE than 10 pounds shed by your next weigh-in. You go, girl!

Fiona - I am not taking any of the supplements. If I decide to add any, the health store or GNC will have the same products for much less.

Amy - Wow! I can't wait until I can claim 25 pounds lost! How does it feel? I just can't wait. How long has it taken you so far?

I must say that reading all the messages here are truly inspiring and informational. I'm so excited about having this support group and about saying "Good-Bye" to this extra weight!

Well, I did the Take Off through today, and will start on the GOLD Plan tomorrow. My counselor is a little concerned, because I'm still nursing my daughter part-time. So, I may end up changing plans if I stay hungry during the day. My first time around with LAWL, I gained weight with the Take Off drink. This time, I was at 187.5 for my weigh-in -- down 3.5!!! I can't believe it! I'm so happy, but have a long way to go. Hopefully, I can just stay focused.

I also did a Pilates workout last night, and that was very refreshing. My schedule is VERY hectic, but my goal is to do this 3 times a week.

Enough about me. I want to say congratulations to all of you who are shedding the pounds. I see that some are so close. I was definitely inspired by you, Sammy - a size 6! I am so inspired. Thank you all SOOOO much for that!

One last question - what plan is everyone on (just curious). I'm on the GOLD.

I'll chat with you all soon!

Joy

[Tams]

Hey Joy - I see you are from Raleigh, I live in Clayton and work in Raleigh, how about that!


I am also on the Gold Plan, but I only lost 1.5 lbs on the Take Off. I hear Pilates is great for exercise. I just joined Curves and so far I like it.

I'm sending good vibes your way

[JoyUvette]

Tammy, that is so neat! What a coincidence!

We're not far from one another at all. It's nice to know that someone so close is around for support. Which Centre are you using? I was at N. Raleigh originally, but I'm now at the one in Cary. I like it much more than my last experience, but a lot could have changed since 2002.

I, too, was thinking about Curves. Is it expensive? How does it work?

Thanks for your support, and I'll be sending the same vibes back

By the way, I love your group of smileys!

Joy

[sammyboy]

Joy-Dang! You diet and nurse! You will be nothing but skin and bones before long! When I nursed I could eat whatever I wanted and still lost all my baby weight but the minute I stopped I did not stop eating like I was nursing and I gained it plus some back! I am doing the red plan because I exercise more than 5 hours a week. I started on the gold and did very well then started to exercise and gradually exercised more and more then started to gain and was starving even after eating my breakfast or lunch. So they put me on the red plan. So far I have started loosing again but very slowly. I think I have lost more inches and I know that is the exercise I am doing more than anything. I get measured again on Monday as it has been about three weeks and I can't wait to see what it is from the last time. I was wearing a size 12 and am now wearing a 6 comfortably. I still would like to loose the pounds though I am happy with the progress my body is making. I have not been this thin since high school 14 years and three boys earlier!! Good luck to you and stick with it I know you will be glad you did in the end I wish I would not have waited so long!!!
And anyquestions throw them at us as some of the women on here are experts!!! Take care and keep us posted!!
Sammy

[vibrantecho]

Hi everyone! I was in class all day again today (real estate licensing, for those who don't know or forgot) so I'm just getting caught up now - our group is getting quite large, I love it!

I did better yesterday than last weekend, although still not POP. Overdid on the starches a bit - some of the girls from class and I went to Subway (had a sub when I probably should have had a salad), and then DH and I had dinner at California Pizza Kitchen - OMG new favorite restaurant. I forgot to even look and see if it's in the Fast Tracker, but I think we made an okay choice - split a 12" pizza with lots and lots of veggies and not totally overloaded with cheese - and grilled steak instead of our usual high-sodium cured meats (pepperoni and sausage). This is definitely where we are going to go whenever we feel like a special night out - the food is fantastic and when you're splitting an entree, surprisingly reasonable pricewise.

Anyway - Tammy, super congratulations on your 10 lb avatar! You are working this program! Joy - great job on your start and keep up the good work! Don't be afraid to keep those counselors on their toes with questions about your plan - hopefully you have some really good ones that know their stuff!

Who asked about alcohol? I don't feel like looking that far back, lol! A 3-4 oz. glass of wine (preferably red) counts as a fruit, a 12-oz beer is a starch (a starch and a fruit?), lite beer is a starch, and hard liquor is 1 starch per oz. I think that's how my center told me - they didn't have any printed handout for it or anything.

Well I'm off to bed - another long day of school tomorrow - although by the end of the day I'll be done with Course 1 and 1/3 of the way through the whole licensing program! I'm excited! Have a great night and day, and I'll probably check back in tomorrow night!

Fiona

[vibrantecho]

P.S. Sammy - don't forget that with all that exercising you are building muscle! That is undoubtedly why you have seen such a dramatic change in size without a corresponding loss on the scale. Can't wait to hear your results!

I also need to measure again soon - I have a pair of jeans that had fit snugly before and now fit very comfortably even straight out of the dryer, so I know I've lost an inch or even two in my lower body even though I've only lost about three pounds since my last measuring.

Fiona

[sammyboy]

Fiona-I think that is in the fasttracker for some reason!! Way to go on your choices and staying strong! I was not pop today or yesterday but pretty dang close! I keep buying licorice and having 2 pieces. I love licorice!!! RED VINES are my weakness! Thanks for the muscle reminder that is a hard one to swallow and accept! I can see it in my legs but dang, I don't want to admit it to the scales because they won't let me explain like you guys do!


Also, to all of those I e-mailed the excel chart to thank you for not noticing DH Spelled weight wrong! Or for those of you that noticed not saying anything! We did not proof read obviously! I had him go in tonight and in the next two columns on the "Input" tab I had him calculate the amount lost from each time then in the next column over he calculated the "total" amount. Okay, now who is obsessive! I also sent my information to Hickory Farms for seasonal help! I would love to work there through the holidays has anyone had experience with that??

Tammy-way to go on the avitar I forgot to congratulate you earlier!
Well I am off to study American Government. I hate this subject! I don't even vote so to say that I am taking a political science class is hard to believe!!

Great Sunday tommorrow all! I wanted to fix my family sausage gravy and biscuits which we use to have at least one of the weekend days and refrained as I knew I would not be able to resist the biscuits!! I am embarrased to say I wake up on the days I get 1TBS of PB with all grins and giggles!!!
Sammy

[dawn0301]

Good Morning!
I got to weigh myself on my new scale this morning. I don't know how it compares to the one at LAWL, so I'm not sure how I'm doing. I did not buy the fancy Health-o-meter scale with the BMI index, etc. Decided on a cheaper Health-o-meter model ($24). For those of you that want to get the fancy one, they are less than $35 at Walmart - at least here in Florida.

I was good yesterday even though I went to a stitch-in and they had cookies, candies, and other goodies. I resisted them all and ate my little pita with tuna, celery and light mayo. I hope it pays off! I probably had too much sodium yesterday because I made shrimp with an oriental sauce that had lite soy sauce in it. Have to find a better way to cook it, although that was really good. It's one of the recipes off the LAWL website, but I used shrimp instead of scallops. I think I may buy the cookbook next time I go. I like it because it tells you how many starches, proteins, etc. each meal is. I need some variety here! Does anyone know other places to get recipes that break it down like that. I also like it because it is all single or sometimes double servings. Living by myself, it is hard to make a huge recipe and not overeat.

As for alcohol - the previous listing was correct but you are not supposed to have it more than 3 times a week and only one per day (yeah, right ). Also light beer is a starch and regular beer is a starch and a fruit.

I'm off to write my final paper for this class - only 10 pages and due today. Yikes - I better get busy!

Have great day!

[Tams]

Dawn - I go to the center in Clayton. I think it opened about 9 months ago.

Here is the scoop on Curves. You pay a 1 time membership fee and that is $148.00. My center had 50% off that are it was totally excluded if you could show results from a recent mammogram.
Then it is $29.00 per month for a 1 year contract with a bank draft and you can go to any other Curves. Or, if you want to pay month by month w/no contract it is $39.00.

Yesterday was my first day, and I'm a little sore today, but not too much.

Sammy - could you e-mail me that excel spreadsheet. I would love it!

[aimtastic]

Julie - When I fill in my diary, I try to be as close to what I actually ate as possible without listing anything that would get me yelled at, and then I make stuff up for the extra servings I'm not eating.

Joy - It took me about 9 or 10 weeks to get to 25. It's about 1/4 of the way to my goal weight, so that's exciting. I figured out that if I keep going at the same rate, I can be down 50 by Christmas - that would be fantastic!

Dawn - Don't buy the cookbook at your center - you can get it much cheaper on ebay!

[dawn0301]

Amy- Thanks for the advice on the cookbook. There are none listed on eBay now, but I will keep checking. You are doing great and we are close to the same goal weight - what size is that anyway? It's been so long I don't remember...guess I'll find out when I get there! I can't wait until I hit the 25 lb. mark like you. By the way, my diary is filled out like yours .

[aimtastic]

Dawn - I'm really not sure what size I'll be at my goal weight, since the last time I was 150 I was probably about 12 years old and 6 inches shorter than I am now. I've been thinking though, that I might lower my goal weight when I get closer to it. I'll see how 150 looks and feels and maybe keep going to 140 or 135.

[sammyboy]

Tams-would be more than happy to e-mail you the chart just slip me you e-mail address!!!

Hope everyone has a pop today! So far so good for me! I am doing the weekly house cleaning/laundry catch up day. YUCK! At least DH and kids help a little!

I'll check in later!
Sammy