Hi Everyone-
I'm not at goal, but I've been lurking on this site on and off for almost a year. Last year at this time l lost 25 pounds, now I've gained all of that back. So, I decided that I need to get involved and start posting instead of just reading. Maintenance has always been the biggest challenge for me- I've lost (and then gained) a few times now. I'm really ready to start "living maintenace" and have been inspired by so many of you, this time (the last time!) I'm focusing on the rest of my life and maintaing- not just loosing quickly without real change. Hope you don't mind me hanging around and joining in even though I'm not at goal yet.

Michelle

Welcome Michelle! :welcome3: We're so glad you've joined us!

You're very wise to be focusing on maintenance now, from the first day. :) We preach it all the time here because most of us have discovered the hard way that maintenance is the real battle. How much better to lose even a few pounds and keep them off than to lose and regain! I recently read that the average member of the National Weight Loss Registry (a study group of maintainers) has lost an average of something like 585 pounds before finally figuring out how to keep the weight off. See how much ahead of the game you are by working on maintenance from the beginning?

Stick around, we'd love to have you join in. Post away so we can all get to know you better.

And that goes for any other lurkers too!!

Welcome Michele, good to have you join us here to chat.

It took a week, but Lacy finally got her bedroom and bathroom spotlessly cleaned. Her grounding ends today.

Shane broke up with his GF yesterday. She's been calling me and crying. I don't blame him cause she just got fired from her job last week for failing to show up to work. (This made her 5th job since he was home in October!). Military talk , my son says he "wants someone that has their stuff squared away!)

I woke up feeling a little better today and the weather isn't terribly bad, so plan to take each dog separately for a 1 mile walk today. Wish it was warm enough to go play golf!

Michelle, welcome!

Lily - I don't blame your son about wanting someone who has their stuff squared away. That's not romantic, but it really is an important part of a relationship.

We got more snow last night! Probably 5 inches or so. Good cardio shoveling, though LOL!
I'm trying my hand at baking wheat bread today. I have a bread machine, but don't like the shape of the loaves - so I am using the dough cycle and then shaping and rising in a loaf pan to bake in the oven.

Welcome, Michelle! You're so smart to start thinking about maintenance early. You can learn so much from these long-time maintainers--I know I do.

Lily, sounds like your son is getting really smart about the women he wants in his life. Five jobs since October?!? So many people looking for work that it's hard to believe someone is out there losing jobs from their own carelessness. Glad you're feeling better and able to get out for some exercise.

Tonight is my last 3-hour treatment in the ER--yeah! It's hard to read there because the areas are separated by curtains so I learn way more than I want to about the patients rotating in and out of the next curtained cubicle. It appears lots of people who go to the ER know a lot about pain medication and what drugs they want. I'll be happy to get the IV port out of my arm, too--it doesn't feel all that great.

Hope everyone is having a good weekend!

Just saw your post, Fiberlover. Making bread--yum! I love the way bread makes the house smell heavenly. I'm afraid I'd eat a whole loaf of fresh-from-the-oven bread, though, so I will eat bread vicariously through you. :) Tell us how it turned out!