Well, I'm back, after falling off the wagon, hard. For like a month. It started with spring break, and then there was a funeral... and then it was just like before I started losing, where every day was another excuse to say "Oh, I'll get on track tomorrow".

But then my skinny pants didn't fit and I finally decided enough was enough -- that was about a week and a half ago, and I'm back down to within a few pounds of my low point. I definitely flirted with the 160s for several days, though never on my weekly weigh ins. Since I'd already taken a break from 3fc for work/time reasons, I decided I wanted to have made some progress before I posted again, and that really helped motivate me. So thanks for being here! Even if just in my head!

In a way, I'm grateful for this slip up, because it's taught me some things that don't work for me. AND it's shown me that I know what I need to do to lose, I just have to do it. It's not magic. That's really comforting because I think my entire adult life I've had this nagging worry that when I have kids I'm going to have a hard time losing weight afterwards. And I'm not saying that it will be easy, but now I feel like I have the tools I need, when the time comes. (Hopefully in the next few years!)


Gaia -- welcome! Glad to have new folks, always!

Zenor -- I wouldn't worry too much about it, especially if you're planning to quit that job anyway. I mean, tact is good and everything, but it sounds like he needed to hear it. (And come on, he ASKED.)

Aw, thank you, Lara! It's nice to feel missed. I missed you guys too!!

I've been catching up on the chats that I missed -- I'm sorry to hear about your troubles, but I'm glad you're keeping your chin up and trying to learn from all of it. That's totally inspiring.

Cold
Hello, nice to see you around again.


Gammy
I have been to a dozen stores and still can't find an egg separator. Mine broke lol. I would be happy to have one that works half the time lol. Going to go to a kitchen store this weekend and see if I can find one. I bet it will cost 20 dollars. Heck, I got mine free a million years ago by sending in package tops to some company lol.

Coldbrightday ~ I have to keep my chin up because life goes on whether you have problems or not. Lets say life has not been kind to me so I have learned to keep my chin up most of the time.

Shy ~ Now this is going to sound silly but you might want to call your local dollar store. I always find they sell some of the oddest things there and that sounds like something they would have. I should get one myself because I only eat the whites.

DH has to work tomorrow so its just GS and I because the Maple Syrup Festival is running and YDD isn't going to be home. So I bought him one of those special coloring books and markers that only mark on the book itself and more bubbles if the weather allows. Sunday, hopefully DH feels like going to the parade, if not its not a biggy to me. I don't care for crowds but sure do like parades.

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend filled full of fun and happy memories.

Well I am off.

I am curious about the reference for an egg separator.I have separated many an egg in my lifetime and have never had to have any special equipment to do it.

So I e-mailed the director of the gallery apologizing for possibly sounding too harsh (not for what I said, but how I said it.) I thought if I was somewhat humble about it that it might help smooth things over. Man the e-mail I got back was fascinating! Apparently, it is all my fault and his excrement doesn't stink (sorry for being so graphic!) I need to talk it over with DH, but I'm seriously thinking of giving my notice when I go in tomorrow. I knew talking things over with him wouldn't change things, but I was hoping to hang on until we knew where we are going. Oh well...

Grammy~Yep, May 5th we'll know about DH's job here.

Gotta go. Have a great Friday everyone!

EDIT: I spoke with one of my co-workers briefly today. I think I may have her mediate the meeting with the director. She believes I had every right to say what I did and that I've been treated poorly. Honestly, I think I've been seconding guessing myself a lot and thinking that maybe it is me and not him. It was good to talk to her and hear that it's not only me. I'm tired of being a doormat. It's time I stood up for myself regardless of the out come.

Thanks for the welcome, everyone. I hope that I can be an encourager to all of you and that what I say and do can be to the benefit of this thread!

Zenor, which is better--to be a doormat and be ticked off at yourself for not standing up--or standing up and having the director be ticked off? Personally, I'd go for the latter...but MAKE him fire you so that you can get unemployment--don't just leave because you pointed out HIS flaws--I'm sure he's pointed out yours to you many times, and he may be the director, but really, what is he is your life? Nada.

Coldbrightday--sorry you life has taken a bad turn recently, but you are doing the right thing by picking yourself up and trying again! And remember--with out the hard times, we'd never appreciate the good.

Grammy L, congratulations on the weight loss! That's fantastic! I'm 56, so I know what you mean about the riding--but when I was young, my horse reared and flipped over on me; dumped me in a ditch; slung me off into a tree; threw me on a small hill, I slid, my head went in a box and hit a garbage can; slip in mud and I went over her head and hit the ground (she was young and I was training her--she was also high-strung and everything scared her) ... so been there and done all that....LOL Anyway, I don't have a horse right now, but a nice pony to pull a cart would be great! So I may take that road instead. The only animals I have right now are cat--8 of them--and I take care of a couple of feral cats.

Shy, my diet is pretty similar to yours except I try to "literally" have my carbs, proteins and fats be 1/3 each. I figure that's about as "balanced" as a person can be. Since Fitday shows a little "pie chart" it's really easy to see what I need more or less of.

My calorie retrictions are between 1800-2000 per day since I’m very large. However, as I lose, I’ll have to drop the intake in order to continue to lose. Last time I was on a calorie retricted diet, I started too low–1200 cals per day. My body thought it was starving since it wasn’t getting enough to run its size and by the third month, I had lost 35lbs and had stopped losing. Eventually I was down to 1000 calories a day and didn’t lose but 1 pound in 6 weeks….so I got depressed, started eating whatever and however much I wanted and gained a lot of that back…(sound familiar anyone? lol)

So this time, I’m starting much higher. I’ll be around 500-800 calories a day less than my body needs, it won’t freak out and think it’s starving, and I should lose between 1-2 pounds a week. When I don’t lose weight, I’ll cut back 100 pounds per day, per week until I do.

So far, to me that’s a LOT of calories and I haven’t been miserable or hungry at all. I’ve even had pickled pig’s feet….okay, I know that grosses some people out, but I love them…but suprisingly, there’s only 320 calories per bottle of them–and I usually make about 5 snacks from them. You can eat anything you want on calorie counting as long as its in moderation.

So how much have I lost so far? 12 pounds in 12 days!! Ta DA!! Of course you always lose fast at first, so I’m not expecting to lose that all the time, but 2 pounds a week will be phenomenal!

To give an idea of how I eat, here’s yesterday’s menu:

BREAKFAST: Left over stir-fried lean pork chop and wild rice in a whole wheat Peta pocket, with Fat Free sour cream and low fat cheddar cheese 360

SNACK: Old London Sesame Crackers with Fat free cream cheese 130

LUNCH: Arby Junior Roast Beef–no sauce 360, baked “fries” 155

SNACK: 2 ounces pork rinds 155

DINNER: Two whole wheat cheese toast (low fat cheddar-1/2 cup) 313: 1 cup fat free buttermilk. 90

SNACK: 2 ounces pickled pig’s feet 80

So that was only 1643 calories, but I ate food I LIKED, I was satiated, satisfied, a happy tummy! LOL Anyway, I needed to eat a little more, so I had a few more sesame crackers…100 cals and still didn’t get up to 1800 cals…hmmm eating that many calories while I cook low fat may be difficult…maybe today I’ll have some mac and cheese (I’ll stay low fat on the cheese, but the Macaroni pasta has some calories in it.)

Well, I have lost 2 more lbs! That's 14 pounds in 13 days!! I'm a happy camper.

So far today:
Breakfast: Lean Pockets sausage and egg 280
FF buttermilk 90
S: None
Dinner: Southbeach Pepperoni Pizza for one + cheese 386


(The Pizza is NOT worth the calories. In fact, some regular Pizzas that really taste good are LESS in calories than the Southbeach. Live and learn. LOL)

I'm planning on having some mac and cheese for dinner with baked chicken and some veggies. That will be about 300,200, 60 respectively. Still won't get up to 2000 today! geez! Hmmm.....maybe some low fat ice cream. I know! I'll get some "fixings" for a lowfat milkshake! BTW, I'm also taking ALLY, so I feel that's it's really important to keep my cal count up, because the ALLY is pulling out even more calories--at least a hundred or so a day.

Oh man am I out of shape! I normally walk for exercise, but I just got a bike. I rode a fairly short distance (to the store, went in for one thing, rode home=20 mins.) I was so tired when I got back home and um, very wobbly when I got off the bike. I guess this will be good exercise for me.

Grammy & gaia~ Congrats on the losses!

gaia & coldbright~You guys are so right! In the scheme of things, all this nonsense doesn't really matter! I'm just stressed in general. It all has to happen all at once, right?

I'm better now. Thanks for all the support. You chicks rock!

I use an egg separator when I make meringue. One bit of yoke and it is trash.

hey all...well I gained 4 lbs over my canadian idol weekend I kept losing 2 then gaining it back for a week so I didn't weight myself after last wednesday when the scale said 176. I weighed myself yesterday at back down to 173!! so I am where I was the friday before CI. I sent in my video for CI on friday if it gets posted on the webpage I promise I will send you all the link...not all get posted. On the weekend was my grandpas 89 birthday he is my favourite person in my family :P the problem with the weekedn was my uncle, aunt and 2 cousins were coming. my one cousin is about 25 and he is super nice as well as my aunt but my uncle and my 22 year old female cousin are...MEAN. when I was younger my female cousin would say she wishes she could give me her hand me downs because my mom coulnd't afford brand name but I was so fat I would never fit in them....and more stuff like that about me being poor (which we weren't just not rich) or me being fat. We got to the dinner and my male cousin commented on how good I looked and how much I have lost. My aunt made a nice comment later in the night. my uncle and cousin who are so quick to comment about weight gain said nothing of the lose which I didn't expect them to anyways...but the good thing they had NOTHING negative to say to me. Also I went to the Mandarin (not sure if yo have those in the states) its a GIGANTIC chinese buffet. That was where the birthday was. I ate sushi, a small piece of chicken and a TINY piece of cheesecake for dessert...tiny tiny. I was SOOO proud of myself. and also found out I LOVE sushi. I weighed myself the day after and that was when I was 173. so I am proud of myself. its going to be a long day for me today because my DH works a double so he is gone now until midnight. but my mom and sis are staying the night so that should be fun.

I am a little behind on posts so....
grammy: We are the same weight still lol we are losing together :P

Z: I never stand up for myself when I was working. The problem with that is the mix between low self esteem and depression problems if I got yelled at, put down or treated badly at work instead of standing up for myself I would withdraw and either get fired or end up quitting. The problem with that was not only was I jobless but I still hadn't told them how I felt. So I felt even more worthless and my self esteem was even lower. So stand up for yourself no matter the consequences!!!

CBD: welcome back we missed you. I have been off track for a bit now I am back on track too!!

GAIA: YAY on the weightloss!!!!!!

Irishfairy, next time your mean relatives say ANYTHING negative to you, say this, "I've worked very hard to become a better person, but I see that you haven't achieved anything--you're still just as hateful as you were when you were a child." LOL (I have a VERY smart mouth. lol )

I may have been fat all my life, but I don't take crap from ANYONE. There was only one perfect person--Jesus--and no one else has the "right" to criticize me! Now if they are trying help and doing it kindly or with my best interest in mind, fine--but when I KNOW they are saying things to show their superiority, when I get through with them they feel like a worm.... I'm so bad....LOL

I didn't have the Mac and Cheese as I had planned--I just didn't WANT it...instead I had a baked potato, broiled chicken, and a spring salad. And I had some pickled pigs feet for a snack later....STILL didn't make it to 1800 calories. But I guess that's a good thing...my body is telling me, "hey, I'm fine with 1600-1700 cals a day--don't push it. LOL

So this morning I had
Breakfast: Lean Pocket Sausage breakfast Pockets-140,
a small Sunny D 80,
coffee with 1 sugar, 15, and coffee mate 20

Snack: banana 110

Lunch is a Lean Gourmet: 230

Snack: Popcorn 100

Haven't decided on Dinner, but I probably need to think about it because I've found that if I don't "plan" I could end up eating more than I want or should eat.

I don't exercise. "Lazy" is my middle name. But I got it "honest". LOL My Great Grandmother was the niece of Ulysses Grant. The "Grant" women were all lazy, spoilt and were used to being waited on hand and foot. Sadly when my Great grandmother died, she died poor, but still had her children/grands and great grands waiting on her. I used to brush her hair while she told me stories of the Civil War, Uncle Ulysses and moving to the south from Illinois. She was a very sweet woman, just had a total adversion to work...

I'm not NEARLY as bad as she was--I have been independent all my life. I even change my own oil. LOL I clean house, take care of animals--and of course exercise doing something I "enjoy" isn't exercise. For example, I enjoy walking in grave yards and reading the headstones, going to flea markets, walking in the woods, etc. But anything "extra" like "exercise" for the sake of exercise is awful to me. Quite frankly, I think it's the sweat. I hate sweating. lol Just call me lazy butt...

Zenor ~ I know how you feel. When I started working in this department I worked for the meanest old lady you have ever met. She had a problem letting me have sick days, vacation days or even giving me opportunities for improvement besides she was right and I was wrong. I am so glad those days are behind me and I am now in her position, which she didn't think I would be able to do but I get compliments all the time on how much better things are now. Now, I don't have problems at work its my personal life, can't figure out which is worse.

Irish ~ At least you were able to get a compliment out of your biggest critic. I had preppy cousins that I always got hand me downs from but eventually I gained weight also and didn't get anymore. I was always felt like the outsider because I wasn't as pretty and tiny as all of my cousins. It is such a bad feeling.

Gaia ~ Don't feral cats have to be kept away from others? I was watching Animal Cops once and they had a house full of feral cats and were having a hard time placing them because the are very territorial and don't get along with most other domestic animals. Cats are easier than horses to say the least. So I am not alone with the crazy horses. LOL! DH used to always question whether it was the horses or me. I only do older horses now, I don't do young and crazy. The cart ponies are tons of fun. Mine is an ex-show pony and is trained to a T and is a great pleasure to work with 95% of the time, yet to meet a 100% of the time horse.

Thanks for the congrats on the loss. I didn't lose anything more over the weekend but I am fine with that. Irish, I think we are playing tag. LOL!



Irish and Gaia