Thanks Liz & Arabella. I am still up from last week and DH says I need to chill out about since I am so focused about wanting to see 190 that I am driving him nuts. I told him I have been OP all week so I dunno why I gain after TOM! I will just stay OP diet wise and see what happens Sat!

Arabella- I hope you fell better soon...being sick sucks!

Mel - Staying OP and waiting for the scale to move is pretty much all we can do! Eventually, it will!

Arabella - Sorry you're not feeling well - hope the cold vacates very soon! And I was tempted to buy myself flowers too...lol. We don't do much for Valentine's either but I am so starved for spring flowers would have been nice!

I decided to try a TOPS meeting - I am starting to think a lot about maintenance even while I'm still losing, and I'm wondering if a real life weigh in type scenario might not be good for me, at least for a while. I went yesterday morning and I think the timing was a mistake - the youngest person I think was about 35 years older than me, and most of the conversation centred around ailments they were suffering...lol. Anyways I think I might try an evening meeting, and see if I fit in better there. They were more than welcoming and very nice however! I feel kind of weird joining a group like that when I only have 15 pounds to lose, but oh well!

Hi Ladies: The scales say I will be up tonight at TOPS. Going to be hard to go and face that but I must--for me.

Today is Day 1 for the 21 day plan that I'm exploring from "Made to Crave".
The title says: Day 1: Chocolate is My Comfort and Deliverer. Thought for the day is: Eating in its proper context is not the problem. God gave us food for nourishment, strength and even celebration. But when pleasure becomes unrestrained, there's a problem.

How true...there are a lot of pleasurable things in life but we are a civilized society and we keep them somewhat restrained, if we didn't there would be chaos. Well, when I eat for comfort/pleasure it really is unrestrained and it is shallow. The desire is shallow and it produces shallow efforts. I want to be more than shallow.

Liz: I laughed when I read your remark about TOPS. This was my frist experience with the first TOPS meeting I went to. A lot of TOPS groups have older members because it is the oldest weight-loss organization out there. TOPS is trying to market itself to a new generation--it was really big in our mother's generation. There are a few new TOPS groups that have cropped up in areas around when I live and one is a much younger group and they are on fire! One of their ladies was featured in the Joy Fit Club and on Dr. Oz.

So, in my area there wasn't another group but it was cheap and I was looking for accountabilty. So, I kept going, and I was losing weight (I lost over 70 lbs with TOPS at one time, quit going and I'm back to where I started), and as I lost, those ladies started to loose again. They started to move, we gave life back to each other. There was a lady in our group who was 70. She was in TOPS in the 1960's with my mom. She had at one time been a State Queen for TOPS and at her goal weight. Over the years she gained the weight back. She got busy, and in a year lost 100 lbs! At age 70!! Talk about motivation to others! That was 7 years ago and she has kept it off and is a KOPS--that is what you become when you reach and maintain your goal weight.

You asked me if I had quit counting calories and journaling..yes I had...so I'm back to it. It really is the tool that we must keep isn't it?

Mel: I hope you will see the drop you want. Our bodies have a lot of outside influences sometimes to our plan and TOM is one of them. I always gain weight when I'm on antibodics. I have no idea why, but I even heard Bob on BL mention that as a factor on week when discussing one of the contestants weigh-ins. I thought it was just me, but there was Bob, talking about it.

Arabella: I hope you feel well soon. I think aiming for a 1.5 lb loss a week is healthy and reasonable.

Liz-good luck at the TOPS meeting tonight, hopefully there will be some younger people there.

Susie- I'm glad you are still going to your meeting even if you think you gained. Good luck this week and I am sure you will lose the 1.5lbs!

Still OP here just hoping the scale rewards me lol

Morning Girls...looks like you all are doing well ...just a quick drop by to say I am still around, haha ...i was off the last couple of days and was just doing spring cleaning and getting rid of alot of stuff ...

Hope you all have a great day !!!

Carri

Carri- Hope you had a great couple of days off!

My weigh in was a big fat flop! weighed in at 191.4 again I was under calories everyday so I am confused 190 just does not want to get here!

Arabella- I really hope that you feel better soon!! I try to stay away from the carbs the night before a weigh in but I guess it make no difference this week lol

Auntie- I am sorry to hear about your job but I hope that DH hears good news soon as far as the job goes! I am glad you are checking in with us

Woke up this morning and weighed 190.6 yay! Sorry for the short post I was just excited I feel safe saying I have lost 50 pounds now!

Yay Mel!!

Well I haven't tried another TOPS meeting yet - maybe this coming week. I'm trying to convince my mom to come with me, she's trying to lose some weight and it'd be good to have a buddy to go with!

Arabella - Sorry you're STILL not feeling well!! My BIl was knocked out by a flu for a week or so - the nasty viruses really seem to be going around this year!

auntie g - Wow, when it rains, it pours, huh?? I'm sorry to hear about your company. At least you have a bit of notice - but my goodness. Hope you get some good news about DH soon though!

Carri - I'm on the spring cleaning kick too! I've been organizing everything and throwing out a bunch of junk. I really want to get organized!

Susie - Wow 100 pounds at age 70?? That is very inspiring!! Good for her! You know if I kept going I have no doubt that I would be fine there...I am very active in my church and am used to hanging around *ahem* older ladies, haha....it's great to get all the wisdom from them too! But I think the meeting time won't really work for me long term anyways, so I'll try for an evening one in the next little bit.

Sorry I've been a little MIA, just been busy (as has everybody, no doubt!). It's a nice day today - DS & I were cleaning out the garage a bit while DD was sleeping, but now she's up so I'm inside again. Hope everybody has a great afternoon! Oh, for weigh in yesterday, I was a whole .2 pounds down!! haha

Sorry I've been out of the loop for a few days ladies. I just got busy and didn't take my "me" time. I've got to stop letting that happen!

Not only have I not taken the time to post but I haven't taken the time to journal or read the book I was talking about. I'm off work tomorrow and plan on using some of that time to get me back on track.

I did have a .75 lb gain this week; I though it woud be much worse! I am back to working out this week and journaling and using the 21 day journery of the Made to Crave Book--I want to focus and to accomplish this.

I used to be able to stick to things but I haven't been doing that for the past year and it bothers me as to why I can't/don't.


Auntie G: Still hoping good things for the DH on the job front. Sorry to hear about your place of employment. How long before you are out of a job?

Mel: Glad to see that number come up for you!

Cari: Doesn't it feel good to get things cleaned out?

Liz: You are right to seek out a group where the time and people work for you. Congrats on a loss...it might be small but it is a loss!

Arabella: I hope you are feeling better soon. It's taking me a while to get over my cough and such, but I'm feeling better each day. Just don't over do on things. What movies did you watch and what are you reading? I"m hoping to watch a move tomorrow on my day off.
You are so right about using food to numb us...that is excatly what I do and I'm just tired of living my live numb!

Liz- I know it sounds funny but I enjoy throwing away old stuff and seeing the space I have after. I like having my boys help to when I can too. Hope you have a good time when you go to a TOPS meeting. Congrats on the loss, even if it's 0.4 its still a loss!

Auntie & Carri- HI!

Susie- Don't worry about the small gain I am sure it will fall off this week.

Arabella-Like I said to Liz a loss is a loss and congrats for it!

Thanks for the nice words ladies! I am hoping to hit my original goal this weekend...what a great bday present that would be!