Here is my motivation for this week only because it's the way I feel, I am learning to sail my own ship.




"I don't worry about the storms, I am learning to sail my own ship." – Louisa May Alcott

Well I just got home from the airport. It is soooo sad to send my "baby" off into the BIG WORLD. With all the security at airports you can't sit and wait for the plane with them to the very end. I had to leave her alone to wait for most of time. I keep telling myself that I had been married for 2 years by her age and if she is old enough to go to England without me she is old enough to sit in an airport without me. I just feel like crying sending her off alone.

Monday Motivation. I don't know what I want to offer here.
I just keep my focus on "DETERMINATION".
I am determined to stay on program.
I am determined to drink that water.
I am determined to make it work as a "way of life" ...not as a diet that I can cheat on.
DETERMINATION is my motivation.

Well... I think I will get my day started. I am sooo thankful that I didn't screw up my daughters trip by losing her passport.
I would NEVER been able to forgive myself .... and I know SHE NEVER would have forgiven me. And her dad ....Oh I don't even want to think about that.
ALLS WELL THAT ENDS WELL .

I think I need a Hug ... this has been a "stressful" 24hours.
And since none of you are here to hug me... I guess I will just have to hug myself.

Hi there - I'm new to these forums and I don't have a recipe today but wanted to say that I have enjoyed reading your thread and will be visiting this support group regularly. When I have something to offer, I will. Today's the first day (again) for me but I'm at my heaviest

I'm not a part of any particular weight loss group. I know the WW program and am seeing my doctor and my trainer so I'm going to try that first as I find WW a bit expensive. If I have trouble or need more support, I will likely join TOPS as I just found out they have a meeting near me. I really would like to do this on my own. When I set my mind to it, I can do anything I want!

Take care everyone.

I am psyched this morning! I am going back to WW tonight...they have a special running so I don't have an excuse to wait! I am rearing to go! I need to learn that I don't need food...only a small amount for fuel. In the past I lived to eat...now I am going to eat to live! Eat healthy so my son will learn the same healthy habits as he grows up! I am sick and tired of being sick and tired! I did this once before and I know I can do it again!

Its great to see so many newbies on the block! This is a great group...they are fun, supportive and compassionate! I have so much fun reading the posts every day! I am going to make every effort I can to post here every single day! More than once if I can!

I need to get some work done right now so I will be back!!

In the meantime have a great day!
Michelle

Welcome typerk. This group is wonderful they have really helped me. check in often


Afternoon all I had to take the son to the denist to have a tooth pulled today. Men are such babies And they finally called him to come back to work. He has been laid off since Thanksgiving.

Food is ok today.

What motivates me.

I am motivated to lose this weight by the new clothes I will be able to get when I lose it.

My DH motivates me by telling me how proud he is of me, and that he loves me.

I wore a pair of pantyhose yesterday for the first time in for ever. They were hard to get over my hips but I did finally. That really motivated me.

Well I'll go for now. More later

Hey everyone

Ok, I'm back and ready to work. Sometimes my head gets screwed around backwards and I can barely seem to get myself out of bed.

I'm setting up my journalling program on the computer again and have already exercised and eaten decently today. I've caught up on reading all the posts here. I need to drink a few more glasses of water before the end of the night, but I'm not behind for the day. It feels good to be pointed the right direction!

Andria

Michelle I need to learn that I don't need food...only a small amount for fuel. You took the thoughts right out of my head!!!! Good luck at WW and let us know how it goes.

Welcome typerk....this is a great thread!

Andria How do you do your journaling? It is one of my down falls and am trying to find a way that will make it fun, if that's possible.

2Cute Your daughter is sooooo lucky... I would have gone with her to take care of her, all you had to do is ask.


Here is one from me to you!!!!

Ladybug... thanks for that big hug. It felt good.
My daughter's flight out of Dallas was at 4:30pm and it is a 9 hour flight... so she still isn't in London yet. She won't get there till about 1am our time, and I think it is 6am London time. I will feel much better when I know she has landed safe and sound. Then I can start worrying about her being alone in a strange place. LOL.
Actually I feel pretty confident in her abilities to take care of herself. She has a pretty good head on her shoulders. I am just putting her in the hands of my guardian angel until she gets home.
The problem with that is... Who is going to take care of me.
I guess all of my guardian angels in here.

Hi Andria... good to see you so up and positive again. We are going to accomplish miracles this year. We are going to become NEW in 2002.

Mary... congrats on the panty hose. It is neat when something that used to be too small fits again. I LOVE THAT FEELING !!!
I know exactly about grown men being big babies. LOL LOL

Michelle... sounds like you are getting back to positive thinking again. Don't you just miss it when it is gone. Welcome Back.
How is the babysitting idea going? Did you get any kids?
WW is a wonderful program. It will set a great example for your son.

Typerk... WELCOME TO OUR GROUP !!! I think you will love it here. I sure do. Don't worry about the recipe ...like we said in the introduction... those are just ideas to write on when you don't have anything special to say. You NEVER have to follow those ...they are only suggestions... not requirements.
I hope we can be of support to you.

Ladies... I have been one busy little gal today. CLEAN ING, cleaning and cleaning some more. ALL in my bedroom. Yes, my bedroom was THAT BAD !!!! I still am not done.
I am cleaning out tons of clothes. I threw away at least 3 large boxes of junk and 2 large boxes of garage sale stuff to sell. I may just donate..I really want it out of the house.

I never could get so much accomplished without the help of my oldest daughter. She is my legs for me. The walking kills me and there is so much to carry outside and to put up. I just don't know how I could do so much without her. She definitely is a guardian angel.
I have so much more to do tomorrow. Plus babysit my grandchild. I don't think I will get it all done. You may ask what got me so motivated.... LOL .... I found a new bedroom furniture I like A LOT !!! That will get you off your duff.

Well... My food was great AGAIN !!!!! I am so happy.
I have to warn everyone though. NO ONE likes my sprouts as a substitue for pasta... so you may not want to try it. Well.. unless like me, you really want to lose this weight BAD!!!!! LOL
I guess you could try bugs .... they are sugar free, fat free, carb free... and here just plain $$ FREE, LOL

Hi everyone,

Monday, monday.

2Cute, your daughter is fortunate to have the opportunity to live in London. Is she going to school or will be working? I wish I had an ounce of her courage to ace this weight thing. I purchased a new tape. Kathy Smith's March to Fitness. It's 30 minutes. I hope to use it between longer sessions every other day.

Andria, journalling is a great idea. I need to make major changes in my eating patterns.

I still have the "cough". Funny, it acts up at work. Allergic to work. What to do??? Everything is new. Paint, carpet....time will tell.

Day 1.
Keep on moving,
Malia

Here is my Tuesday Tip.

Make a plan
Would you ever get on a plane without knowing your destination?
No. Of course you wouldn't!
Dieting is no different.
We need a destination.
We need a target to aim for.
We need to be able to measure our progress.
So before dieting, decide what weight you want to be in:
2 weeks time
4 weeks time
6 weeks time
8 weeks time
And so on.
And then go for it!

Journaling...planning...WHY can't I enjoy it????? Does anyone have a tip for that?

Hey everyone

Don't you hate how sometimes there are so many things spinning through your head that you can't manage to stay asleep? I decided to get up and do something about it instead of lying there analyzing everything to death. So, I'm here and getting my day started off on a positive note. Next I'm going to pull up DietPower and post my plans for breaky and lunch. That way I can see where I'm headed instead of where I've been. Sounds good so far! Thanks LLB for the reminder there.

LLB, you asked about what I do for journalling. Since I don't spend money on WW or anything else, I searched around for a while and bought a program called DietPower. There are a whole lot of free programs out there as well, but this is the first one I found that fit me. I'm a total number junkie, so logging my foods and watching the nutritional analysis stack up for the day becomes a fun obsession of sorts. When we rebuilt our computer I didn't put the program back on, thinking I didn't need it anymore. Wrong thinking, trust me. I need the visual aid.

Prism, I have that March to Fitness tape. It used to be fun on rainy days. Haven't dusted it off in a long time, though. Let us know what you think of it. Was also thinking you might want to take an antihistamine before heading to work for the next bit. Sometimes all that remodeling kicks up dust and molds, or it can just be the new stuff irritating your nasal passages and lungs. How annoying for you. But the antihistamine now might help head off bigger problems later.

2cute, you just need some huge *HUGS* for being such a sweet and loving mother. The new airport rules are so hard to live with when you are seeing someone off, even if you know it is for their own safety. Also, you are right. This is going to be a good year for all of us. I can feel it! Last year was a good one for groundwork. Now is time to put it all into action and blast this fat off once and for all. I'm still going to try the sprouts for pasta thing here since my little one can't have the wheat pasta. The rice and corn ones are sooooo expensive!

Mary, I've recently had a war with a pair of pantyhose... boogery things took nearly 5 minutes to get on, and I sure didn't dare breathe until they were off again! So, huge congrats to you on wearing yours. I'm laughing at myself, remembering how I didn't dare drink anything the whole evening because I didn't dare need a bathroom stop.

Michelle, You go girl! Food = Fuel! And you are right. The way we eat and exercise, the very way we live our lives, is a constant example to our children. It is so gratifying watching my 11 year old not caving in to her gf's who are already dieting. She tells them she has a healthy body shape for her age and she isn't going to start damaging her health now. I like to think what we are all doing here and in our personal lives is helping to break a chain of dieting and heartache for our children.

Typerk, Great attitude! Welcome to our group

That is about all I have time for right now, folks. Sincere apologies to everyone for not getting all the replies done. I miss having that kind of time. But my day is starting with a vengeance, and I'm not going to let it spin out of control!!!

Andria

Good Tuesday morning you all!

I did it! I went out in the rain, sleet and snow and joined WW again! I didn't stay for the meeting because the weather was getting bad. THere were soooo many people joining last night! I am going to plan to stay at my meetings each week! When I lost the 97 lbs I stayed for every meeting...it was my night out!

My Tuesday tip for this week:

Journal, Journal, Journal....it keeps you honest and it makes you more aware of how much you are actually putting in your mouth that day! Sometimes we forget that we ate something more than we should....also...drink that water! I know you all know this stuff...but it does work! If we follow the plan it works! We want instant gratification when it comes to weight loss...but just keep aware of your eating and before you know it...the weight will melt off!

Well I better get back to work today...we are moving part of our office downstairs so there is packing to be done! THe scary part is there is no storage space! Where will we put all this crap!??

Have a great OP day!

Michelle

Hey everyone!! Wow! Thread #119. I've really been gone a while. LOTS of new names here too.
Well, I guess maybe you have to hit the bottom before you can get yourself going again. I had just given up and was completely back to my old habits. I knew it just had to stop when I had 4 Zingers and leftover pizza for breakfast. UGH! I have been eating myself SICK over the past several weeks.

I have gained back 12 pounds now. My pants are VERY uncomfortably tight. I am still going through a very stressful time, and have been suffering insomnia and have been using the food to compensate for sleep. Whenever I would get sleepy again, I would eat and eat to get a temporary "rush". I absolutely have to start again.

I don't have any clothes over size 18 anymore. I had bagged them all up and put them in the garage. My MIL had been storing some stuff out there and when she moved it to her new house, my clothes went too. She showed up over here wearing my clothes!! I'm going to let it go though, cuz (and I hate to say this, it is evil of me) I'm happy to see her wearing them. 7 years ago she had her stomach stapled. She had been over 300 pounds. The next time we saw her, she was a size 5!!! All of a sudden she must have forgotten what is was like to be fat cuz she would make me so mad. She'd start handing me clothes saying things like, "I WAY too small for this. It's huge!! It should fit you though." and other rude fat comments. Well..... Now SHE is wearing my fat clothes!!! HAHAHAHAHA . She may have gotten her stomach stapled and lost a lot of weight, but she NEVER changed her eating and it's all coming back. I made no rude comments. I just smiled inside when my old clothes fit her. I suppose that's mean, but she really hurt me back then.

SO ANYHOO.....Here I am again. The stress in my life should calm a bit at the end of the week. I will have my bankruptcy hearing over with Friday (whew) and best of all, Saturday will be my last day at Pizza Hut. HOORAY!! That place has been one of my biggest problems. I LOVE pizza and breaksticks and garlic cheese bread and bring it home every night. It would be easier to say no if it wasn't FREE. Getting out of there will be a huge help. In the meantime, I am busy packing. My DH ships out to boot camp Feb. 27th and we have SO much preparation.

I won't try to catch up with everyone, but I wanted to say to 2CUTE: Congrats to you!! You sound like you have been doing great. Hope everything goes well for your daughter.
TT: Sounds like we're still in kind of the same boat. We just have to NOT GIVE UP. Cuz when we give up, we do dumb things like eating zingers for breakfast and gaining 12 pounds . Anyhoo, we can do it!!

Now I know I've said this a zillion times before, but I really will try to keep up with posting. I still may be a little flakey until the end of the week, but I will try. I will also make a point of:
Drinking enough water!!
Writing in my journal!!
Watching my portions!!

Now that I have written a small book, I will wish everyone a good day and will check back later.
Jen

Howdy!

Good news/ bad news at my weigh-in this AM...The bad news is I gained a pound ...the good news is: I ONLY gained one pound since my last weigh in, 12/18! I can deal with a one lb gain over the holidays ...Hee hee, my sister gained 6! (She's got a LOT less to lose than I do, so let me enjoy the moment!) Sibling rivalry and all that...(I love her dearly!)

Here's my tip for Tuesday...Fitday.com has (for free) a site where you can keep track of your food intake, with nutrional breakdown, and you can journal there! Check it out...

I have to make this a quick post, I'm falling asleep at my keyboard here...worked last night, came home , got kids off to school, myself off to WW and now I must crash. Tonight is Cub Scouts (I'm the den leader) plus my daughter has dance class and DH is working, leaving me as sole cabby! Then back to work for me at 11:00...

I'll check in later if a get a chance. If not, have a great day, gang!

Hi all,

I am back. Saturday's w-i was good even though I gained 1 pound. I was so happy to only gain 1 pound. I am determined to get that off plus some. I am still exercising every day, and today I got up early at 4:45am and did 20 minutes on my bike, and plan to do 30 more minutes tonight.

I am journaling and banked 9 points yesterday. I am planning to bank tonight too.

I want my 45 pound star on Saturday, and plan to get it!

I am also trying to mix up my meal choices. Yesterday I tried corn torillas, with pizza sauce, low fat mozzarella, and mushrooms. It wasn't great, but it wasn't terrible. I think I need more veggies.

Today I had garden burgers. I am so tired of the same stuff over and over again, and still being hungry.

Well, lunch is almost over and I still have emails to go through.