Good Morning My Special Friends!
It's been a crazy couple weeks, but all is ok here.
I'm slightly past my January goal and there's almost
a full week to January left.
I finally got off processed carbs and I'm finally, finally
in Two Town and out of the 300's for the rest of my life.

I haven't really had time for exercise yet. Work has been
really busy, it's been very cold here. My garage is still
full of my mom's stuff, so I can't get at the exercise
equipment. ANd, I keep forgetting to take my Ipod
to work to walk around the factory at lunch time.
But, I've also been working through most of my lunches
anyway. I'm confident it'll get all worked out though.
Why??? , ;you ask???? Cuz I'm at my losest weight in about
8 years. And, I'm able to say no to naughty foods.
Actually, I'm quite afraid of naughty foods.
Abby had a sleep over Friday night and I DIDN'T have pizza. I had two
wonderful chicken salad wraps with low carb, whole wheat tortillas.
The kids had home made pancakes and I had none.
(i made pancakes at christmas while i was sick, and "lost" my pancakes.)
I had one tiny bite of Abby's pancakes, and they were horribly sweet to
me and that was using "lite syrup." I also didn't have any of the chocolates
I put into the kids' "goody" bags. Those are all major nsv's for me.

So, I have my new goal weight in mind, but I want to look at the
"1 pound past my goal" below my first ticker some more. I think I'll change
the goal at the beginning of the month. (it's all 10 pound incriments.)
Also, I'm finally slighty past my first 50 pounds loss. It may have taken a lot of ups and downs in the last 16 months, but I'm finally there.

Thanks very much to all of you who have helped me, loved me and stood by me during the last turblent 16 months. (blood clot of mine, near loss of my dad, 3 weddings of children and step children, new grand daughter, loss of my mother, two of my own surgeries, and of course regular every day real life hassles.) I love all of you very much.

to all you knew ones. I see someone asked for a one on one buddy. I felt like I needed it in the beginning too. BUT, if you're at least reading every day, and posting when you can, you'll develop relationships that are sometimes closer than your own family.
We are after all, here at this site, part of a very special family with special needs and issues. Very few others in "real life" understand our issues like us. So, work hard, set little baby step goals. It's the only thing that keeps me from getting overwhelmed and the thought of the journey. Remember, with each little success ...like, drinking water, saying no to a treat that will set you on a binge, you'll gain confidence in yourself and thus more respect for yourself. I'm coming off 2 very seccessful weeks in a row, and when I've been tempted, I remind my self how empowering it is to be in control of my body and what I eat. I hate the guilt feeling and love the empowering feeling. I must focus on the empowering feeling. It's wonderful.

Ok, now, I'm gonna try to catch up on the lives of my friends here.
Be back later.

Morning all - notice there is no "good" in that greeting. I've never felt like I wanted to "quit" before. I am working so hard and now 2 weeks with no results on the scale. One week I could handle but this second week just doesn't cut it. I tried to talk to hubby and he really tried his best but is fairly clueless in the encouragement department - he also doesn't handle tears very well. I'm just at that point - yes, I had one bad meal in the last two weeks - I am very results driven in my entire life, not just weight loss.

I am exercising, I am eating right, I am drinking my water - all of these things I love. Part of my love for them is what they "should" do for me - help me shed pounds. It's apparently a very conditional love. I am not typically very emotional - at least not to the point of tears - this means so much to me.

OK - rant over - need tissues since I've told people who understand.

Gotta get showered to go workout. Hopefully I will be in a better place when I'm done working out.

Move your bodies, drink your water and SMILE (now I need to take my own advice).

Thanks for being here,
Carol

Carol,
I know how you're feeling emotionally. I've been there too many times.
Usually mexian food is very salty. So don't dispare. You're probably just retaining water. Nothing will mess you up more than too much salt.
How are you feeling physically? My guess is you're pretty tired cuz you had just a horrible time at work. I can't imagine how difficult that was for you.
Give yourself 2-3 days of being op, drinking your water, etc. You'll see a loss on the scale. If not, think of what could have been if you stayed off program. I hope that will give you the boost you need.
Big, big to you.

BRENDA & ANNIE!!!! Too cool about Two Town.
I'm so proud of both of you!

Julee - You look gorgeous in your wedding photos! I especially love the one of you and you DH.

Carol - Oh boy, do I know how you feel. Hang in there! Also, maybe give us some details on what you are doing. Maybe we can spot something that might help?

I am still quite sore today. I have some laundry to do and I need to get to the grocery store to stock up for the week. I am also supposed to be meeting my dad for dinner (he is driving through the area) - at my favorite Indian buffet. I have been preparing by skipping my Friday night treat (I usually let myself have something sweet like a cookie or cupcake) and keeping my calories low yesterday. It will still be a challenge, but I will do my best.

Sandy -- You kinda snuck it in there, but you're in TWOTOWN and out of the 300's! We need to (without food, however! )

Carol -- Don't despair. This is why we call the scale When you think about it, the scale is a poor tool for measuring our fat loss. It measures ALL of us. And most of us is, after all, water. Sometimes when we first start exercising, our muscles retain more water. TOM will make us retain more. Salt sure will.

So, you very well may have lost fat, but can't see it cause the scale measures ALL of you! Just keep at it, and it will happen!

One more thing... are you either starving yourself OR eating a lot more than you think you are? Either one might affect the scale...

Heather, I'm actually celebrating by feeling the excitment of reaching a goal.
Andy & I each splurged and had a rib eye last night. Neither of us could finish it. And what I did eat, upset my stomach. We've been eating tons of chicken, fish, dried beans & just basically lighter foods. It's scary I used to eat more steak than I had AND A POTATO W/SOUR CREAM AND BUTTER, BREAD AND SALAD WITH NASTY FATTY RANCH SALAD DRESSING.
For me, that's success and I try to keep the feeling of being in control as my celebration.

Hello all. Here I am with my weekly (feeble) attempt to catch up on what is going on with my 3FC pals. The story is the same for me right now...long work hours, going to class, studying. I am doing terrible on the food front. I have not weighed in at WW for several weeks but my scale at home indicates I have gained about 9 pounds. I have to figure out how to deal with the stress and fatigue without eating. The fact of the matter is that every year my job gets like this in January and February. There is no getting around it, it's just a fact. So I have to stop coping with food. But how? Now that is the question.

Just a few personals.....

Sharon - Submit that story, girl! Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Sure, they could say "no" but so what if they do? On the other hand they could say "yes" and then you would be a published and paid author! Go ahead and be brave. Who knows what good things could come of this. If nothing else, it will be your first step towards submitting other works to other publications and who knows where it could all go from there. Do it, do it, do it!

Nancy - I really love your new haircut and it goes without saying that you are looking fabulous is your latest progress pics. As for your friend who backslid, she must really trust you and feel comfortable with you to initiate a social event with you. I know when I have backslid in the past I avoided everyone for fear of being judged. You must be a good friend for her to trust you like that.

Battle - Exciting news on the possible new job. Keep us posted.

Annie - VA-VA-VOOM, chickadee!!!! You are looking smashing in your latest pics. You have come so far! Also, thanks for updating us on Catherine. I was sorry to hear that news and I hope she is feeling better physically and emotionally very soon.

OK, must get some studying done today as well as some chores around the house. I probably won't be around the boards much this week but will try to catch up again next weekend.

Ta!

Hi everyone,

Last night I went to the movies and out to dinner with some friends. As I was standing in the lobby paying for my tickets, I saw Neil Patrick Harris (remember Doogie Houser MD?) lol in the lobby. I think the cashier also noticed it was him.

During dinner, I had a bout of extreme insanity. I say this because the voice of addiction was screaming in my head, and I felt insane. I was sitting at the restaurant thinking of shoving large amounts of chocolate chip cookie dough into my mouth. The insane voice in my head was plotting to buy it on my way home after dinner. There was the denial, too--oh, this one time won't matter, it won't hurt, and I deserve a treat. It took a while to calm myself down, and reassure myself that I didn't have to act on all my thoughts and impulses. It took real effort to bring myself back to the conversation at the table and to notice that I was full and feeling good on the healthy food.

Sandy: congratulations on getting into two-town! I am very, very happy for you. It feels great, doesn't it!

Carol: Be patient. It will happen, just not on your time table. At a certain point, you may well have a nice little whoosh. I have not lost weight in many weeks, as my ticker is back up the 2 lbs it seemed I lost. Even though I have a bad day here and there, and am eating a little more than is best, I am still operating at an overall deficit, and should be losing weight.

Xena: Hugs. Are you packing food for the day?

I am really close to giving in today. I'm just so aggravated. I'm feeling just like Carol. I mean ****, if I'm going to stay fat, I may as well eat what I want... argh
It feels like nothing is working and it's all been for nothing. over 3 weeks and nothing. Argh

Heather_dw You can do it. Hang strong. Make yourself a special drink.
I use hot mint tea sweetened with splenda.
It's soothing, healthy and guilt free.
Hugs

Thanks Battle. I'm proud of you for being yourself down to reality.

We just watched Spiderman 3. The moral of the story is :
"YOU ALWAYS HAVE A CHOICE!"

I honestly have no idea what to do now. I was trying to stay around 1500-1800 calories, then realized that it may be too few and then tried to stay around 2k but still nothing. At the rate this day is going, I'll be around 2200. Of course, if nothing I do helps, I don't think it even matters... blargh

Heatherdw, take a breath for moment. It's not easy some days. First, you only got your new scale in the last couple of days, right? Give it at least a week before you decide nothing is working. I'd really suggest that you pick a number (it doesn't matter what number) and stick with it for a while. 2000 is probably a good one, depending on how much exercise you're getting.

Your new scale gave you 332, so start there. Don't worry about what the old one said. Don't talk about three weeks ago since you admit that the old scale didn't seem to be accurate. We used to have two scales in the house (one in each bathroom) and my (under) 120-lb mother couldn't get the same weight on both. She eventually chucked one (honestly at random) and uses only the one. Even it varies from the doctor's scale.

You seem to be expecting a change from Friday. It doesn't always work that way. Some people hold at one level for days, even weeks, then drop weight. I suspect it has to do with water, but who knows.

I'll give you a personal example on flaky weights. Jan 4th I was at 346.6 - it was my birthday and I had a spectacularly bad day. In the morning I was 351.8. Now even with a spectacularly bad day I could not have gained 5lbs overnight. It was Jan 12th (8 days later) before I was back to 346.4. I didn't worry about it. I went back to my daily plan on the 5th (and have stayed on it since), adding exercise in on the 7th. My overall weight loss is just over 2.5 pounds a week. To do that I'm eating 1800-2000 calories a day, exercising at least 60 minutes a day. And honestly, that's because I'm not currently employed and can find the time (most people can't). I should probably be eating a little more, but I also know that I'm not always perfect about my calories.

Most people aren't. I mean, that apple I had at lunch - was it a medium apple or a large? The difference is about 40 calories. The reality is it's probably somewhere in between. I log it as 81 calories, but it might be closer to the 125 calories. That's why I'm not overly concerned that I might be too low. However, I think that people sometimes have a hard time getting a truly accurate calorie count. How are you tracking what you eat? When I make recipes I tend to weigh ingredients (since what is a medium onion). When I take a piece of fruit from the fridge I guess. I guess what I'm saying is are you sure you know what you're eating?

After a week of making sure that you know what you're eating then step back on the scale. Not two days later, or something like that. In fact, I'd really like to suggest that you take two weeks of watching (and tracking) what you eat. After that two weeks then decide on a plan of action (more/less food, more/less exercise). The constant weighing seems to be giving you tons of stress, and that's not good for you (or your weight loss efforts).

OK - here I am - I am feeling better - I worked out with much intensity this morning although I didn't get an opportunity to talk with my trainer as this was a "free" session - essentially meaning he was there for another client but let me do my own thing - which I did with much gusto.

Then to the grocery store for all OP food. So far so good.

We are splurging with steak tonight - I will weigh and count my calories. I will have a sweet potatoe (weighed) with salt and pepper along with a salad. Doesn't get much better than that does it - I will probably splurge on a glass of wine also. We don't eat steak except on special occasions and my wonderful hubby said this is definetely a special occasion. (Tears are quite a rarity in this house)

Thank you all for your concern - I knew I could pour it all out to understanding and helping friends. I won't say I am completely past it but I feel immensely better than I did this morning. Thank God for being able to go the work out today - I really needed it. It has become such a wonderful outlet for me. I actually turned to exercise over food - talk about a huge NSV.

Later I will post my last several days of eating - yes, everything has been journaled - any help is appreciated. I actually thought I may be drinking too much water but don't think that is the case - about 120 ounces per day - according to my trainer with my weight I could drink 155 ounces per day - what do you think?

Thanks again for listening and understanding.

Hugs,
Carol

Hi All,

It’s Sunday night and this is the first time today I’ve been able to sit down and catch up with you all.

Donna – your daughter is lucky isn’t she, I never win anything! How did the commercial thing go, were you allowed to stay with her. I hope so.

Cyn – I’m glad to hear that you are making the effort to move out of your cubicle more now. Is it helping to lift your spirits a bit?

Hmm it seems that it’s just you, Debbie and me that suffer with moodiness nobody else answered my question. So I guess it’s just us. I still have no idea what causes my moods, but I’ve been fine since the other day so my family are safe for now

Nancy – sounds like you’ve had a really great weekend, and just think how many cals you burned off with all that dancing! That’s great that you got complimented on how much energy you have, it’s NSVs like that which keep the motivation going isn’t it!

Julee – what a fab post you wrote, especially about how when we diet we can’t expect to be 100% perfect etc. I really enjoyed reading it, thank you!

I loved seeing your wedding photos, you looked so beautiful, a gorgeous bride. Jeff looked dashing and you make a lovely couple

Debbie – yes I guess you are right that hormones could be the cause of our moods, I’m sorry that you suffer with them too.

Good on you for not being hard on yourself for eating those pretzels and cookies. Like Nancy reminded us, we shouldn’t expect perfection. We just have to try our best, and if we eat something we shouldn’t then we have to put it behind us and move on

Carol – as I’m catching up on posts I read yesterdays where you were so upbeat and happy after yoga and a foot massage, then today your post was so down. I’m really sorry that you even considered quitting, but I am 100% certain that you won’t! I know, we ALL know how horrendous it is to work your butt of to lose weight, keeping OP, exercising etc, and then we see no loss on the scale, or worse still, we see a gain. It’s a nightmare and as much as we tell ourselves that it’s just a number, that it’s not fat, it can’t be, it’s still soul destroying. You need to focus on the great NSVs you’ve had, on how much healthier you feel after losing some weight, and really try to forget what the stupid scales say. AND you must remember what I just said to you so you can preach it back to me when I come posting that I’ve not lost any weight

Gee, I took so long writing the rest of my post after this that you’ve posted again lol and I am happy to see you are feeling much brighter now and optimistic again. I’ll leave what I wrote before though, it might help others when they get in the same boat I am really pleased that you are feeling much better now, see, I knew you wouldn’t give up

Val – what an amazing moment that was for you, scary too for a bit there, but in the end you took control, Gabe was an angel, AND you got to canter on him. What a day huh!! I love how much you love your boy, it’s always a pleasure to hear you talk about him.

Alison – are you doing the WW diet then? I have a memory like a sieve and I can’t remember. Most places like Pizza Hut, Burger King etc have a nutritional guide, both online and off, so you can work out points in food using that. I love being able to figure out what I can eat because then I don’t mind going to fast food places with the family. They can eat what they want, and I don’t do what I used to do, just sit and watch them eat while I have a diet coke, I can have something to eat too.

Sandy - for being out of the 300s for the rest of your life It is so wonderful to hear you sounding so optimistic and motivated! I’m looking forward to sharing the rest of your journey to your goal weight

Xena – I’m sorry that you’ve gained some weight. Don’t be too hard on yourself though. In time I am sure you’ll find a way to not comfort eat, and when you figure it out can you tell me Seriously though, even if every year January to February you gain some weight because of work being so stressful, you KNOW you will lose it again. Get through this month, and then next month you can give it your all again

BattleAx - well done on getting past that urge to buy some yummy chocolate cookie dough on your way home from your meal out. I have been in the same boat as you many times, telling myself it will be a one off, it won’t hurt, it’s just a small treat etc, in fact I said it so often last year that I gained 33 lbs!!!! So good for you for not talking yourself into it being OK, and for staying true to your diet You should be so proud of yourself

Heather D – I know how you are feeling, it’s heart breaking to see no result on the scales after being 100% OP. I’ve often ended up binging because exactly as you said, what’s the point in dieting if you aren’t going to lose weight, or worse still, if you gain weight. BUT the point is that you know you have done everything you should, and the scales might not show it this week, they might not show it next week, heck they might not show it for 3 weeks, BUT your clothes will show it! So hang in there, ignore those rotten scales and you know sooner rather than later they WILL show great results. As I said to Carol when I gave her a little advice earlier, please do remember what I just said and say it right back to me when I’m down about the stupid scales

OK time for me to get some sleep now, but I’ll ‘see you’ all on the new weekly thread tomorrow.

Hugs,

Ammi