Taking it easy today to get ready for a football game tomorrow. Not sure how many they are expecting. The weather is a little cooler, so hopefully the kitchen won't be as hot as last time.

Hello Everyone,

I am not very good at personals but I want to say that I read all the posts and would like to send out good vibes to everybody and say that everyone here is such an inspiration to me and my progress.

My first week at religiously logging every calorie paid off. I lost 2 pounds even though TOM made its visit. I can't deny that I was wishing that I might have lost more with that first week's traditional big loss that often happens with I start a new diet. I still don't have a definite idea of how many calories I should be eating for optimal loss. The online calculators state that my basal resting metabolism is approx. 2100 so I have been eating about 1900 cals daily--maybe too low?

O my! It is so unbelievably HOT here in Tucson that getting all my water in is no problem. AZCYN Whoo, the Phoenix valley is even hotter. What happened to our monsoon? Stay cool!

Blessings to all the sweet chickies
Pennie

Pennie: I dont know where the monsoons went!!!! They really didnt do much this year..maybe we will have a cooler winter..lol..can we call it a winter?? lol
I too drink way more water now that it is HOT!!

Hi All,

Home sick today and it is almost 8 p.m. I have slept most of the day. I have some sort of tummy bug with a fever. Hoping to feel better tomorrow. I did go to work but they sent me home cause Of my fever.

Sorry I have been so mia for so long. Just busy. I do need to come back here though cause it helps me to be accountable and I do miss you guys and love you guys.

Catherine: Thanks for the "kick in the butt" offer. I will think of that if I decided to cheat. I know it is a decision and I am determined to get back on track. I am so darn close to goal now and I just have been getting discouraged. Don't work too hard at the games.

Carol: Your avatar photo is so beautiful!

Sharon: Hi doll

Johnnie: I am praying for you to recover 100 percent soon. Hugs.

Cyn: Happy house hunting. Good luck.

Hugs and smiles to everyone else.

Blessings all,
Annie

Hi weighed in today, lost the gain from last week but that' all. I am a bit fed up as I've followed Atkins to the letter, after 3 weeks of South beach I was 10lbs down, not 5...... I know TOM caused the gain last week but I will give it another week & see, if there's no big losses I think I'll go back on SB. From checking out Atkins forums 14lb losses in the first month; especially at my weight; is pretty much the norm. I checked my friend's horse, tacked him up, picked his hooves & I'm ready for next week. A 'practise' at being a horse owner, I'm sure steve is coming round to letting me get one as soon as I've got a job. It will certainly give me an added incentive to lose weight, stay OP and get a job REALLY SOON!!!
Annie so sorry that you are ill, how is work going? I hope you will be happy there & that you get better VERY soon.xxxxxx
Cyn, I hope you get better soon to, if I were you I'd want to know if there are any underlying causes for all of these things you're getting.xxxxxx
xxxxxxxsharon

Sharon, you absolutely cannot compare your losses with others following Atkins. It just doesn't work that way. I lost 8 or 9 lbs the first month and that was at 330 lbs! Your body has to adapt to eating that way and honestly I recommend taking measurements because I lost more inches than lbs the first couple of months and I was not losing consistently, but in fits and starts.

To be honest with you, if this plan is not something you can follow for a few weeks without getting frustrated, you really should find another plan that you can see yourself following for life. This works for me and many others, but not for everyone. I would give yourself some more time, but that is just me. I started Atkins the week before Thanksgiving (I know...who does that? LOL!) and gave myself until January (including going over holidays) and I found that the combination of inches lost and then lbs was enough to keep me going. I lost more lbs the 2nd two months on the plan than I did on the first. Crazy, but then again weight loss is not linear...it drops when it drops. I really want you to succeed and drop the weight, so I hope you find what fits you....best of luck!

I thought I would add these two pics of me. One is of me at my heaviest of 359 lbs and the other when I was 253 lbs. I am taking pics every 20 lbs or so to remind me of how I am changing. I also still have that ugly brown shirt and jeans and I think I will take my next journey pic wearing them.

morning all..

I am so glad it is friday. I seriously dont think I could spend another day at work. Since we have moved into our new office, I sit near my friend I carpool with. Her and the lady infron tof me listen to talk radio all day!!! Seriously..it is giving me a headache. Their radios are low..but I can still hear. I don't need to to know everything that is going on in the country every minute of the day! I have noticed that I am more grouchy ( it wouldnt let me type the B word lol) when I listen to it. I can only take Glen Becks complaining for so many hours LOL So I am going to buy my own radio..and put it on music during the day and see if that drowns them out.

This weekend..cleaning for me!!! We are 99.9% sure that we are moving in where my brother lives in October. They decided to come downa bit on the rent and my brother is close to getting a job.

Hopefully happier days are ahead for EVERYONE!

Thanks Peggy, Oh I think I can remain on this way of eating for a long time, it's just I'm so IMPATIENT!!!!! If this is normal I can stick with it, it's just USUALLY the first 2-4 weeks are the best losses on a new diet/way of eating. As you know what you're talking about I'm happy to listen, any advice, tellings off, lol!!!! I'm all ears!xxxxxxxx
xxxxxxsharon
PS LOVE the pics, there is a HUGE difference & your pretty face is emerging, soon you'll be fighting guys off, if you're not already!!

Good Morning all,

I' home sick again today. I started my day off vomiting but now, I am praying the bug is past as I am feeling better. I even cleaned my bathroom and bedroom. I dusted th whole house and changed the sheets on my bed and am now doing laundry. I am so happy that I am down from 223.5 on Monday to 217 today. I know that being sick is not the way to do it but I am happy none the less. Maybe being sick is just what I needed to help me get back on track. I have 32 hours of furlough that I need to do before May of 2010 and I can cont these two days that I was sick as furlough days so now I only have 16 more hours to do. lol. Hopefully I can take it an hour here and an hour there instead of an entire two days. I will have sick time starting on my first paycheck which will be on the 7th of August. I will have about 4 hours sick and 4 hours vacation time by them. I get about 8 hours of each per month.

Sharon: I am liking my job okay so far. It is very hard honestly because we have so much policy to learn and so many screens to learn. There must be over 100 screens to go through. lol. Hang in there with the program. You can do it.

Peggy: I saw your after picture before I scrolled down to see your before shot. I honestly didn't recognize you! You look so great. You have always been beautiful but you just glow! Way to go.

Cyn: good luck on the move. I hope it all works out well for you. I know it will be tough. My sister in law is living with us and it has been okay but kind of tough honestly.

Well, I'm off to rest a bit. Thinking about going to get my hair done. I'll see how my oatmeal settles with me first before I venture out.

Blessings,
Annie

The game last night was insane. It was Montreal, not a big rival, so we all figured we'd have an easy evening like at the soccer game. Well, they didn't warn us that they were giving free tickets out at the local Army base. I thought we'd been invaded or something with all the camo fatigues everywhere. Plus, they gave them tickets for free hot dogs. I think it was a great idea, but they should have warned us. When I got there, and saw they wanted me to cook 10 cases of burgers and 4 cases of hot dogs, before the gates were opened, I thought they were nuts. Most the the soldiers were teenagers, and acted like they hadn't eaten in a week. I thought they were going to have to take me out in a wheelbarrow at the end of the game.

Happy Saturday all..

Last night the "waves" came back as I was trying to sleep. I wish I could think of a better way to describe them. People have no idea what I am talking about. And since it cant be measured..people look at me strange.

My Grandma passed away in 2006...some of you may remember. She is the one that rasied me so its like loosing my mother. We lived in the smae house growing up.. I call it the house on Taylor st. Anyhow for the past 2 weeks every night I have had a dream about being at that house with her. The house is still up and I have driven past there a few times. It is just weird that I will have times where I dream about her all the time. Then other times I won't. Hubby says that it is because I am going through something..and when I was akid she was the one that took care of me. Maybe she is doing that. I miss her so much.

Catherine: How do you do all that work!!! I'd be ready to pass out!

Annie: I hope it works out as well. One thing about me since I have gotten sick..is I realize..people are alot more important to me now then ever.

Well my today didn't go exactly as planned lol. I ended up taking a nap for 4 HOURS!!! Yikes!!! But I did make it to the gym and went on the elliptical for 40 mins. Was gonna take the pugs to the dog park BUT got a call from an animal shelter fundraising group I belong to...they sold out of baked goods at their bake sale (well, just about...they only had like 7 banana loafs left). So I had to come home and make some stuff up for tomorrow. So I made confetti square (double batch), rice krispie square (double batch) and chocolate chip cookies (yup, you guessed it*adouble batch*). I'm finally done and great news! NO TASTE TESTING!!!! I wasn't even tempted oddly enough. So tomorrow, if its not raining its off to the dog park for a much needed walk with the pugs!

Hope everyone has a lovely evening! Hugs to all!

Betty, WTG on not 'testing' your baking & getting time on the elliptical.xxxxx
Peggy, YOU ARE SO RIGHT, I forgot to measure myself, I lost TWO INCHES from my hips in ONE WEEK!!!!! & 1/2" from my arms, WOOPEEE!!! (I HATE my arms)xxxxxx
TOM has finally gone, the rain has stopped & sun is shining, I feel SO much better.
xxxxsharon

Stop!!

new week, new thread!!