thanks Debbie.. hope things can be resolved soon with your son..

Hello All,

I just wanted to de-lurk and tell you what a wonderful support community this board is to me as I struggle with weight loss. It's great to find other folk who know what it is like to be heavy in such an often hateful society.
I am motivated but also somewhat depressed because I have plateaued for months just above the 300 mark. I don't know if I have a physical or psychological block. I am thinking of hiding the scale in the closet because it has left me so demoralized along with the idea that a watched pot never boils.
I have just started weight lifting to build some muscle mass to burn up those calories. I am wondering if my traumatized muscles are holding on to a lot water right now and I won't see fat losses for a while?
Thanks for reading,
Keri

Hello,

Just wanted to stop by and check out the posts. I don't have time to post to everyone but I did read all the posts.

I am doing good with exercise. I walk at least 30 minutes a day when the weather is nice. Now that winter is almost here I will use the walk away the pounds videos I have. Now I just need to stop eating junk and eating health.

Have a great week and I will check in when I can.

He got home in one piece, and I survived the separation, barely. He fared about the same. Got my flu shot today. After seeing how sick I got just from a regular cold, he insisted. The last two times I've had the flu, I've ended up in the hospital, so it's not worth messing around with. I still haven't completely gotten my wind/strength back. I did get my shawl done. Now I'm all ready for the trip except the ironing and packing. I'd wait and iron everything after we get there on Thursday, but we got right from the airport to a press conference. He'll have to put his suit on in the airport, so I might not get the chance to iron everything after we get there. There's also a press conference here on Wednesday before we leave. On the plane from Ottawa to Toronto, he sat next to someone who heard his speech, and made arrangements for us to speak at his organization's conference in Niagara Falls. This time they will pay for me to go too. I do soooo love to travel. I've never been to Niagara, so that's kind of cool. One of the messages he had waiting for him when he got back is for a seminar for the chaplains at the Alberta Hospital. They want me too at that one. At least that's in town. He's threatening to get us on the Dr. Phil show. I told him that would be grounds for divorce. I just wanted a quiet simple life, and am married to a freaking press agent.

oh keri boy i can relate i have plateau and gained back a few pounds in the past two months. we just have to try to ride it out !

Val: Yeah to getting back on track. I can't wait to hear how your riding goes with Gabe. I am so happy for you. Hugs.

Peggy: Good girl "Just saying NO to Pizza". Hugs.

Patti: Feel better real soon.

Debbie: I hope your son will be kind and loving to you. Stay strong sweetie and don't let anything change the direction you are going with your weight loss.

Keri: Welcome. Sorry you are experiencing a plateau. Please don't give up. Maybe you should shake up your body a bit by giving it more food, more water, I don't know hun just give it a shake. Hugs.

Jessie: Good for you walking 30 minutes a day. Do you report it on the exercise thread. It is real easy. You just have to add your total to the old total. It is kind of fun to see how much you can help. I add my minutes on Sundays for the week. I don't report daily. Some people report daily. It would be great if you decide to add your minutes.

Catherine: Glad your DH is home. I think is is lovely that you get to go on so many trips. I'm sorry that you don't enjoy them. Someday soon I hope things settle down for you. Hugs.

Blessings all,
Annie

Catherine - i think i missed out. how come your DH is doing all this speaking?

Hi All - once again I can't wait for Tuesday. This was a good week and I even added 107 minutes of exercise. Somehow I even have hubby looking forward to Monday night "lite" dinners of fish and steamed veggies.

Annie - I am such a rut dweller that any little change upsets my routine. I admire you for having your dad visit - I am sure I take for granted that my parents live just down the street and I can see them whenever. They are both in their 80s so I try to see them often. Good luck on the job search this week. You are such a kind soul - I love reading your kind words. Thank you.

Nancy - maybe it's the weather - I had one of those weekends too - today someone asked what I did for the weekend - I honestly couldn't remember. I wonder if we all want to dance someday - I know I do - as I sit here watching Dancing with the Stars. I tried the bellydance workout - somehow my head doesn't even move like it should. Each time I have lost this weight I have always struggled for months when I get close to the 100 lb lost number. Please harness your magic to share with me when I get there. Hopefully it won't be too dusty.

Battle - good job on cleaning the cleaning and walk. Would chilli powder help the soup? Somehow the whole sweet potatoe and chilli is a nice mix. Once again I agree with you about the seasons change - winter always brings such a slow down for me - I can't let that happen!

Valerie - I so agree with the inside/every night proposal. Sounds great!

Peggy - glad to hear of your good weekend - I'll ask the same of you that I did of Nancy - can you bottle your magic to break the 100 lb loss and save it for me - I know it's a long way off but I hope to be there before you know it.

Heather - GO REDSOX

Debbie - you are so wise to handle the situation with your son as you are. We had a very unfortunate situation several years ago with my stepson. We had a major difference of opinion in dealing with returned checks. We put our foot down and said no more - he didn't speak to us for 4 years - during which time he got married, grew up, etc. The relationship has been rebuilding for several years and there are times when it seems to be just under the surface. Just remember you have given him all the tools to handle things. He is growing in to a good man. You are so close to the 50 lb mark I bet you breeze right past it this week. You go girl.

Keri - welcome - this is a great group of people who help me more than they will ever know.

Jessie - way to go with the exercise. I don't seem to be able to get in to it for very long at a time. I keep on plugging though.

Catherine - so glad Himself is back home with you safely. Sounds like you are going to be very busy. I don't know how you keep it all straight.

Everyone have a good night - see less of you tomorrow!

Hugs,
Carol

Meta: You must be over the moon excited to be almost out of morbid obesity. You’ve come so far. I’m happy that you’re not in a plateau as you feared.

Annie: It’s great that your dad was able to visit for a while. I’m glad you enjoyed the visit. I used to love when my parents came to visit. My mom can’t visit any more. It’s up to me now to make the trip.

Nancy: I think you’re on to a good idea in finding reasons to get up and out on the weekends. I know if I don’t have any pressing reason to rise and shine, I can waste an entire weekend doing nothing, and end up feeling like I threw away precious time. Rest is good, and I need a lot of alone time, but it’s the kind of laying about thinking I should be doing something more relaxing and enjoyable that gets me into the wrong space.

The dance idea could be fun and interesting. Keep us posted.

Valerie: it is wonderful to feel the sense of productive accomplishment after tackling the big tasks. Glad you got exercise and some jobs done.

It will be great for you to ride Gabe in the winter. I hope you're able to manage it.

Peggy: Great job in staying OP this weekend. You’re doing fabulously. I loved Freddie Mercury and Queen, too.

Heather: Have fun celebrating!

Toofat: Feel better soon.

Debbie: I am sad every time I read about your son. I pray that he will come around sooner rather than later.

Let’s make this week your big 50 week! I am cheering you on and ready to raise a toast to the 50 lb. loser! You’ll be over the line into two town in no time.

Keri: Hi. Sometimes I hide my scale in my car. That is the only place I can’t get to without a lot of effort. If hiding the scale will help, do it. I’m with the others in suggesting you shake it up somehow. Eat a little more, eat a little less, change your exercise—do something different. It helps me.

Jessie: Good job on your exercise. I like to walk outside, and use the WATP when the weather isn’t nice.

Catherine: It’s ironic that you want to stay hidden in the background, and your life with hubby demands just the opposite. Funny how circumstances conspire to help us grow, eh?

Luan: Hi!

Carol: You’re doing amazingly well. Mmm fish and vegetables. I had that for dinner, too.

Ayah: Hi!

so i weighed in today and i was up .2, which is fine because i was SO bad this week. i went to oktoberfest and ate my weight in strudel and german potato salad, and beer. lol plus, im retaining water.

this pic is from Griffith Observatory yesterday. the smoke is from the Malibu and the Agua Dulce fires. it sucks where i am because basically every fire surrounds where i live. if you have been getting the news about it, i live near Long Beach, which is where the little penninslua is in southern california, so basically we are a bowl for all the smoke. it was hard to go outside today. no bike riding tomorrow...

http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?se...cal&id=5720745

that is a link to a picture of where the fires are. you will see Long Beach in the middle of all of it. there are actually 14-15 fires, more than the 9 they have shown on this map. 5 or 6 areas have been declared state of emergencies. its pretty scary, even tho the closest one is about an hour away.

Luan-He's receiving the Order of Canada on Friday. That's the highest civilian award the Canadian government gives, equivalent to the Presidential Medal of Freedom in the US. He's being recognized for his advocacy for the disabled especially the mentally ill. He is tireless in trying to get positive media coverage of the mentally ill instead of there only being coverage when someone goes off their medicine and starts hacking the neighbors with a pickax. He gives speeches trying to dispel the stigma to high schoolers, nursing students, chaplains, police cadets, anyone who will listen. His mom was diagnosed with schizophrenia when he was 5 years old. He's on so many boards that I can't keep track of them all. The big one builds permanent dormitory type housing for the homeless mentally ill. He's raised 3 million dollars in the last year for that one. This ceremony is the Canadian equivalent of being knighted by the Queen. Until 1967, that's exactly what it meant, but they started their own separate order. The dinner and ball later will be like going to dinner at the White House. It is so far removed from what I have ever done before, that I can't grasp it. I knew he was important when I married him. He's the first Canadian to have gotten within 100 miles of the southpole. I saw the pictures of him giving Pope John Paul the papal flag he took to the southpole with him. I knew he had written 50 books, and been printed in Science and Nature, but I just didn't comprehend what all that stuff was going to mean to me until CBC (Canadian CNN) cameras showed up in my living room. All I really knew was that he was serious science nerd who stored books in his non-working oven, and didn't own a decent suit. It's hard for me to correlate the public persona with the absent minded professor who didn't know for 6 months that I was ironing his dress shirts until someone mentioned how nice he looked, the guy who likes to wear skateboarders shoes with suits, and has stuffed penguins all over the house. Don't get me wrong, I never for a second regret marrying him, but all of this stuff can take your breath away. I keep thinking that it will slow down soon, and then the next thing pops up. I spent most of my life doing the "I'll start doing this or that as soon as I lose weight" thing. Instead, life is now in my face to live whether I'm ready or not.

Just checking in before I have to run and get ready for work. I was sooooo tired yesterday mid-afternoon!! These late night play-off games are tough on an old broad!

Well, I fell asleep EARLY last night (about 9:30) and woke up at 5:00 AM. I did 20 minutes on my exercise bike. I just took my lunch out of the oven...a whole bunch of roasted green beans and zucchini with a touch of coarse salt and pepper and some garlic. YUM!

Keeping everyone in the fire zone of California in my prayers. My friend and her husband had to evacuate their home. They had moved their animals to a friend in a safer area, so they would not have to worry if one of them panicked and bolted in a speedy evacuation. How scarey! I hope that they get some RAIN or that the winds at least die down a bit so they can get them under control.

I must dash...hope everyone has a good OP day!

Catherine - that is amazing. its funny how life makes you live it whether you like it or not sometimes, huh? well congrats on catching such a good man! and all the events! wow!

Just a note on the fires... no real end in sight for san diego, and lake arrowhead. some of the northern fires are looking to be dying down, but its still really scary. even tho im not in an a evacuation area, my sister is on base at camp pendelton, near san diego, and there is a fire at thier south gate. they havent been evacuated yet, but are on high alert.

Carol: Awww gee. You make me blush. Hugs.

Battle: Sorry that your mom can't come visit anymore but, at least you can still go see her.

Luan: Please stay safe. Drink lots of water and limit your outdoor activities for the sake of breathing sweetie. My sister and her family live in Cypress not too far from you. Scary stuff. Hugs.

Storey: Yipee to being under 350! I am so happy that your new weight loss tool is working great. I have to cook everything for Thanksgiving too. We are having two of my hubby's sisters over from CA. I was considering going out to dinner but everyone loves leftovers. lol. I know I won't be able to eat much but maybe some turkey would be good to have around a bit.

Catherine: I looked at your hubby's website and WOW! He is so accomplished. I didn't realize what a celebrity you were married too. Hugs to you sweetie. I think it is wonderful that you are so busy with life and functions and speaches etc. What a lucky man you DH is to have you and you are also lucky to have him. Cheers to him for all the wonderful work he has done and is continuing to do.

Peggy: Hi doll. Have a super great day. Your veggies for lunch sound yummy!

Well, I never made it to the gym yesterday. I am going to go right now though. I have an appointment with the personal trainer this morning then I am going straight to the gym after that. Everyone have a great op and safe day.

Blessings,
Annie