dgramie~ I'm hoping spring finds us here in Maine soon too and stays. It's poked it's head in a few days but then quickly runs away.

radiojane~ It's ok to be whiny now and again. You should be so proud of yourself for the 100 lbs you have lost. You know what works good for me when I start getting down. Go out to a store and try lifting a 100 lb bag of anything. You have done a lot!!! Try caring that around the store for a while. Keep up the good work.

mnem~ Way to go on the shoe buys!! Hooray for the NSV of the size 18s you slipped on. Now you really want to laugh...back to the Walmart discussion. I have to drive about 30 miles to even find the Interstate. Thanks for the tip on the FF half and half. The soup was yummy the way I made it, chicken would be an ok add with it I think if you wanted to add the meat, if not cheese would be a good add.

My day went well at work today, I stayed on plan...I shared my loss with a few friends that I have lunch with...(9lbs) for this week. I think letting go of the salt shaker and no fast food morning stops...helped with the big loss for the week. I wish all weeks did that...but will take what I can get.

Tonight I made pork cutlets cooked in a pan with veggie spray and then seasoned with garlic and pepper..had to add a little water to the pan when I wanted to really brown them up. Mixed mashed white/sweet potato and broccoli and a half of a cucumber sliced.

My sugars are staying in the zone!

Mnem and Ramie, congrats on your size 18 pants. That is so awesome. I can't wait to say I fit into that size. Aww.. Just thinking about it makes me giddy..

Jane, I'm so sorry that you feel that way. Reading what you wrote makes me so sad because you've come a long way and can't see it. Don't give up because your doing so awesome and you look awesome. Have you thought of scrapbook or keeping a smash book? It really helps me to see the numbers and pics that I think show the difference. And you can journal in it as well. Just an idea to keep your head in the game and it's fun too.. hehe..

Sandy those recipes look so good. Did you happen to figure out the calories for the cake? I'm just curious. I might want to make that one this week. Sounds so yummy.

I'm ashamed to say and haven't said anything but my knee has been hurting since a few days after I jump roped. I feel like such a dope because who was I thinking I could do that at my size? I have allot of pain anyway with my feet and my back so adding the knee pain was such a downer. It got really bad the last day we were vacationing I'm sure from all the walking but then Friday it felt fine. Well, first day back at work I was kneeling down cleaning and came up and just felt and heard it pop and it started throbbing and hurting so bad I thought I was gonna have to go home. Yesterday I iced it all day and sat around keeping my weight off of it and it feels better today. I still feel the pain a little but really just an ego blow because I wanted to teach my son to jump rope. I think he would love that. I'm going to wait another 25 pounds or so and try again.

awww, RadioJane - I hate that for you with your scale. I keep using the same scale as it is what I have always used, and the other scale I have is HIGHER. I realize I could just wait and readjust, but don't want to, so I keep the same one even though it eats batteries (and turns itself on when you walk in the bathroom - probably the reason for battery-eating!)

Anyway, I don't think you're whiny. I totally get how tough it can be, because you are LIVING in your body. You don't see change in it the way other people do. That makes it easy to gain weight because you have a skinnier mental image of yourself. Plus so easy to be critical of photographs, which catch us from every bad angle. I felt the same way when trying on swimsuits last night: I was very UGH about the process. But goodness, what did I look like 70 lbs ago?

I am glad that you had a good weekend with the wedding party and Easter Bunny. It sounds like fun!

dgramie - aww, that's awesome, then. It would be tough to take it back and hope they have the same thing one size smaller. And you DO want to be comfortable rather than feeling too confined at the wedding. I'm envious that you have nice spring things in a smaller size to look forward to!

sandy - oh, yes. the cheese is the key to soups like that! I like cheese, and I think you are right, no reason to throw in chicken when you've got the protein from the cheese (and, really, the milk!) Glad the soup turned out well, though. And congrats on your NINE POUND LOSS, that is amazing. Dropping early morning fast food goes a long way, doesn't it?

sassyangies - I am really sorry about your knee. Try not to stress it too much this week! That is always a setback, but I totally understand you wanting to share jump rope with your sun. You still have to take care of you. Heh, I still modifying my evening workouts to spend less time on my knees than the video does. I am really improving, though.

If you go back to work this weekend, you might consider using a knee sleeve to give yourself a bit of support and keep it stable! oh, and Ibuprofen, which helps with inflammation AND pain.

man, it is snowing here again today. Not heavily like in the mountains, but just cold and blah and gray. Spring can show up any time.

Thanks guys. Sassy I haven't actually kept a book per say, but I take my picture ALOT now. I'm like one of those teen aged girls who's constantly posing in the bathroom mirror. And I go through my pictures on Facebook constantly now. It's just all so wonky to me. I can see differences in some pictures - none in others. The numbers work - I am down from when I was in college, but I swear I was wearing smaller clothes (My expanded pannus probably accounts for that). Blah. It's just been an obsessive week.

BUT: I reminded myself that I'm wearing a 2X coat. And A 2X girdle. And looking back at my facebook pix, I just gave away clothes I've had for 7 years. So I must be making progress!

I'm not feeling so hot - I had a full on cheat weekend; it was just easier due to my schedule, and while usually I temper my cheats, I had everything I wanted this weekend, and most of it was wheat. Well, guess who can't handle it anymore? Everything aches. It's just now getting better. I remember thinking maybe I had fibro when I at my heaviest - I think it was wheat gut. Oh well, back on the wagon now!

Mnem I'd kill for spring too. There is SO MUCH SNOW HERE!!!!!!!!!!! It's been one heck of a winter, and it isn't letting up.

Oh, back to the boob thing:

Another thread reminded me of this, but I noticed last night that my boobs are rounding out nicely and actually look better than they ever have. I attributed this at the beginning solely to the weight loss, but I couldn't figure out why they'd never looked this good, even when I was smaller. My friend told me it was becaus I wasn't cramming them into the wrong size bra anymore, causing the tissue to warp. True or not, I've finally, after nearly 20 years with these things, got a nice set!

Mnem I think you may be bang on. Out of control about sums it up.

Jane! LOL! Cramming them in... I feel you!

sassyangies: I put it through on fitnesspal recipe builder and if you make it in to 12 servings (I cooked it in a 9x12) I made it 12 servings and it came to 163 Calories, 38 carbs, 3 protein, 323 sodium and 28g of sugar. It was a very sweet treat. Hope your knee is feeling better today.

Jane: Thanks for the morning laugh about "cramming them in" I think in my twenties before kids I had nice boobs...but I was also about 220 lbs. Two kids and 100 lbs later...gravity seems to have taken over and they headed south years ago and need the over the shoulder bolder holders to keep them up.

I had Kale lastnight for the first time. I like it. I sauteed an onion and some garlic then added the Kale and some chicken stock and water and cooked it down....it was pretty good. More of a chew texture than spinach, or maybe I didn't cook it long enough? Either way, it was pretty good and it will now become a staple in my fridge. I do want to try making Kale chips too. I tried making sweet potato ones and it just didn't work so well for me.

Jane- LOL about the cramming them in. I'm so afraid that as I lose, that I will lose it from there and I already feel small. I am so happy that you feel positive about them!

Sassy- I would not try to jump rope now, too much jiggling. Bravo for trying and boo for the knees. Maybe try the motion in the pool if you are able?

dgramie- Congrats on the Jeans- 18 is a size I hope to see eventually!

mnem- Congrats on your 18 as well! I am sure it feels good to get out of the twos.

Went to see the doc today, my family has a history of Hypothyroid, (2 aunts and my sister) and I was borderline last year, so she said if I am borderline this year combined with some symptoms (mostly feeling cold all the time) we might try treatment.

Other than that it is my TOM week, so I am craving chocolate and red meat, not good with all the easter candy around. I have resisted temptation so far. The sun has come out in Ohio, so I am heading out to get some good old Vitamin D!

March. yeah I won't be doing that for a long while again. Can't believe I tried to do it to begin with. I guess my younger thinner days were coming back. haha.. Hey good for you getting out in the sun. Theres plently here to go around and for some reason I do not want to go out.. I need to though.

Sandy thanks for the info. I might just try that this weekend. Hey if you use myfitnesspal and would like another buddy you can add me. I'm sassyangies there too. Also glad you liked kale. I love kale and try and sneak it in all my soups, my chili, anything I can. I love the kale chips too so when you have time make them I'm sure you'll love them.

Jane, as long as you have something to remind you of where your coming from and how far you come I think it's important to keep us on track when we feel like giving up. Glad your boobs are looking good too... I swear mine are disappearing with every pound.. lol...

Mnem, thanks for the tip. I'm actually going to see what I can find so I'm prepared at work. I have been really careful this whole week not to hurt it. It's been good other than at the end of the day I start to feel a little sore. I was gonna hit the gym this morning, but decided against it just in case. I really can't afford to miss any work.

Well ladies, I'm not sure why but I totally went off plan last night and I can't figure out why I keep doing it. There was plenty of stuff at my friends I could of ate that was healthy, but no no no I went for the brownies, donuts, candy and chips instead. So annoying.. Not to mention we went to eat at a buffet before I left for scrap booking. I need to get this under control and stop sabotaging myself. I'm over it and moving on..

Sandy I have a crisping tray I bought from epicure that's saved my sweet potato chip attempts. Before they always came out soggy

Melody I freaked a little about losing the girls, but then I looked at the pictures and realized that they look bigger now that they aren't competing with my belly!

New here just wanted to jump in and say hi!

Hi there Ragsmomma...

Dinner: Yummers...I cooked spaghetti squash and mixed it with some left over Kale...then put my spaghetti sauce made with little hamburger, green pepper, mushroom and onion over the top. What a savings in carbs.

Went to the dentist today, gums are a tad tender and sore tonight because I build tarter so fast and she had to once again dig. She told me to invest in an electric tooth brush, not a battery one...an electric one. So, that is next on the list. I have good teeth...I want to keep them.

Welcome Ragsmomma and Liliann

Liliann, we have similar starting weights and similar calorie goals. It's tough at first but your body adapts quickly. Good luck!!