Hey ladies!

I have not been around on this board much lately, so I wanted to stop in and say hey. My schedule is still insanely crazy (leave the house at 5:30am and get home at 11pm 4 days a week), so I apologize for the major slacking in posts. I'm still hanging in there, thgouh. I'm down another 1/2 pound this week, which brings me to 299.5--BELOW 300!! It's only been 11 pounds total loss since I began in January, but as long as the scale is staying the same or going down (no matter how slowly), I know I am not doing any further harm to myself, only good.

Catherine, as soon as I begin actually dropping dress sizes (and not just fitting into my current clothes a little better), you bet I'll be getting rid of my bigger clothes! There's no need to keep them around. If they are there, then I will always think, hey, it's okay if I gaina few pounds back. I've got clothes that will fit. NOT GOOD! So do it...get rid of the wheelchair! You certainly don't need it anymore, as you just walked 2 miles in your stronger, healthier body. Buh-bye wheelchair, hello independence and confidence!

Hello to all the newcomers (not that I'm really a familiar face around here myself anymore)!

Have an appointment for my hair in a few minutes, so not enough time to really catch up.

I wanted to share in re: Dogpal's story about fitting into seats. One good, one bad. Bad first: My EH and I used to go to a restaurant where the seats were kind of rickety, and I would always tell him I was uncomfortable because I was afraid I would break a chair. He pooh-poohed my worry, but one day it happened, out of nowhere--chair just collapsed under me. Good (and Thankful on Thursday): The weight I lost last summer has let me fit more comfortably into a number of seats that used to be a tight squeeze. Every time I sit in one and find I fit, I get a moment of happy-happy-joy-joy. I use that thought as a motivator now, every time I find myself NOT fitting somewhere else.

Welcome, TwinkledPink, and others!

Jilly! Hi there! I've been wondering about you! Boy, you are busy...but, YEA for you! Welcome to twoterville! Feels good to not see that "3" doesn't it?

Catherine: As always, you are an inspiration! I am sure that two miles felt like 20, but, know what? I'm not at all surprised you made it - you strike me as a very strong and determined woman. to you too! Doesn't sound to me like that wheelchair has any place in your life anymore.

I'm considering your tale the kick in the butt I asked for-Time to get real again. Taking it easy is what got me fat in the first place.

Tashabella: Virtually every person in my family that is dead died of some sort of heart disease. A year and 1/2 ago I was in the hospital for four days when my blood pressure jumped to 210/135 and my heart arrythmia went nuts. At 41 I now take three different blood pressure meds to control hypertension. I've always known that my weight was making things worse. This is no longer something I can ignore. I have found a lot of support and encouragement here and I'm sure you will to. No more sabotage - we can do this!

Freakshow: Welcome!

Look, new smilies! I just had to be the first to use them!!!

On the subject of giving away your fat clothes. I did that last time I lost down to a size 18...gave away, sold or had the most expensive ones altered. I now have a closet full of very nice, too small, clothes. I suppose I'll give away the fat clothes again-but it will be harder this time. At least I won't have to buy new skinny clothes! Funny really, you keep the skinny clothes because you are sure you'll get back in them some day-what are you hoping for if you keep the fat clothes?

Well, back to work - later 'gaters!

I think you just nailed my #1 problem.

I shortened my regular workout a little today at the Y because I had to do the neon blackboard before I could go home. As I was working on it up front, an older gentlemen walked past me on his way out. I see him on the track every day and one of the directors once told me he had joined the Y to improve his health after suffering a stroke. He stopped to give me a wink and tell me not to give up with the track and the "reject room" (the smaller workout area where they keep the old, leftover exercise equipment) because I was bound to see progress. I really appreciated the encouragement; it wasn't something I expected to hear from a stranger. He told me he could barely last ten minutes when he started and now he works out for a full hour. He's lost about the same amount as me, but it's a lot more obvious on him since he was a lot smaller to begin with.

That's another one of my frustrations. It's silly, but 30 pounds used to make a huge difference on me, and now that I've gotten so big, I can't notice much of a change at all. That can get a little discouraging when I've had to work so hard. That's why it's so easy to revert back to those old, bad habits. It's the mindset that why should I give up the things I like when it doesn't seem to make any difference? So I have to remind myself that it will make a difference over time.

Well, I'm gonna hit Aldi's for some groceries tomorrow. How long have they had those new healthier snacks now? Man, I really missed out on some good deals by skipping that place in favor of a store with a larger selection!

Greetings gorgous gang. Today Im thankful for today! So far I have kept up with the my personal changes and an pleased with my self. I find evenings to be a challenge due that being the time the family starts in with food. I have some demented subconscience fear that even if I dont want something at the time that I have to eat some so I get my share before its all gone. This is not a childhood teaching because my mom was very generous but I do remember that still being the feeling I had even then. I dont have to eat much of it, just enough to feel like "they didn"t get it all" I'm doing alot of self talk that I am cheated if I do eat it. I bought snacks and sugar free candies for myself but when a family member eats something "diet" i feel angery. Thats mine and you don't need it. That is still a sick thinking. Any ideas?? I have to cut this thinking out and I know it will push me forward. This is a BIG baby step for me. But I am thankful that I know what Im need to replace to make things better.
Welcome to my friend Twinkled Pink. She is a very close friend and I had to share you great people with her. She is awsome and fighting as hard as I am. We're making babay steps together .
Cathrine: you make me feel like I CAN do this. You describe me almost in every word you write. Thank you for telling OUR story. I also have a wheel chair for ventures out side home. I take my chair that fits with me too. It was my moms chair and I have to get rid of it because I know its not the legasy she wanted to leave me.
Have a powerful day of strength everyone.

Catherine..and here I thought I was the only one watching Celebrity Fit Club. I actually liked what they did because they set reasonable goals for them and they were in 2 week intervals. They had them eating the correct amounts of food as well...and not trying to have them starve themselves on grapefruit and meal replacements. Kudos to you on your walk...it's amazing what we will find ourselves doing when we are left to our own devices.

Last night our WW leader said something interesting about numbers..she said that the number we weigh on the way up seems much larger than it does on the way down. For example...320 seems huge when you are starting there...but suddenly you weigh 315 and wow!

I only posted a .8 loss but I am now down to 275 (and a few tenths) and compared to where I began..and where I feared I was going to end up..I really feel great. I know I still have a ways to go...but I'm geting closer to my driver's license weight..so that's something.

You each have such amazing stories and I am thankful today to have people to help me along in my journey. Last night we talked a little about our "aha monets" when we realized that enough was enough and it was time to make a substantial change in our lives. One woman talked about her husband having a back injury and she had to carry a 50 lb. bag of rock salt...and then she realized that she was carrying that around..and then some...every day of her life. Then I realized that I had about 3 bags of rock salt on me....wow.

It is a very scary concept to lose half your body weight...or more as the case may be. On the days when you get stuck and frustrated...stop thinking about the lopng term goal...baby step it. It will never all happen at once, so thinking that it will cannot possibly help. Take it 5 lbs...or even 1 lb at a time. Keep your goals and your mini-goals, but praise yourself for each step you take towards it. And remember...ANY loss is a loss...losing .1 is better than gaining anything. And on weeks that you do post a gain..ok...so you gained...look back at your week and what happened...own it and fix it..and start the next week with a blank slate. The other thing you have to remember is that your end goal is not going to be the end of your wight loss struggles. Committing to a new lifestyle where you are eating and living better and losing weight is a life-long commitment. Hopefully the good habits we are developing now will stick with us down the road...but don't fool yourself into thinking that when you finally reach goal that then it will be fine for you to go back to eating the way you used to.

I thought about having a burger from Burger King the other day...I looked at the Points values for different things and said to myself "yeah, I can afford the points and I'll just stay totally on core for the other days" but then I also realized that i wasn't sure that if I ate that one burger if I'd be able to stop there...or if I would want another one the week after and so on...so I decided not to. But those are my choices. The more comfortable I get in this process, the more willing I will be to eat those types of foods in moderation..but for now...I'm just not there. And I'm OK with it. And no I really don't feel deprived...I have eaten chocolate, cheese (and not just fat-free), pepperoni, cookies, ice cream cones and lots of other stuff...cause I can assure you...if I had to wholesale cut out those types of foods...I'd just cut off body parts to lose weight that way instead

Ok...that was my afternoon vent...talk to you later!!!

Hello everyone. A special welcome to all the new chickies. You will love it here.

Thankful Thursday has been a good day for me. I went to swim and stayed there quite a while. I always feel so much better after a good swim. I have lots of homework to do and should get to it but I wanted to say a quick hello to everyone. Hope you all have a wonderful night.

Blessings,
Dogpal

Hi chickies,

I keep telling myself I will post more often, but then I read the other posts and let it slide.
Shadiepurple, Dogpal, Tashabella, BIGGIRL27, KecharaEQ, TwinkledPink and anyother newbies, Welcome, Welcome!
I too, tend to sabotage my efforts. Then I have a sit down talk with myself and remind me I can do this. I had a counselor several years ago tell me I used my weight
like armour. I could protect myself when people were mean by thinking they were mean to this fat body not to the real me. But if I change and lose my armour then I will be exposed to the world. I keep reminding myself that I should “Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter, and those who matter, don’t mind.”
~Dr Seuss
And I start chipping away at that Armour again!

2cute- we go to OKC to see family and usually go down I-35, but sometime when we have extra time we can come through the tulsa area and hook up for a bit.

Jill- glad to see you are still around!!
Everyone else, have a blessed evening.
I have to go cook something healthy.

Oh, for thankful thursday, I am thankful for you all.

sabotage
Wow, did you call my number!!! That's the story of my life, and I wish there was a magic pill I could take to stop it. But until then, I guess I just have to keep fighting it.

Barbg

Hello ladies! Im up bright and early to start a long stretch of workig days, but i wanted to tae the time to welcome all the new posters. For my thankful thursday, i am thankful for the following:
My family
My friends
My choice to acheive better health
This board
I hope everyone has a great day. Thanks for all the inspiration.

Everyone's words hit home with me. And I also found some motivation that I wasn't expecting when I got winded walking in the grocery store last night -- that has never happened to me and it was an eye-opener.

I have changed my signature to reflect a short term goal (I'm going to need a lot of little ones along the way to make it).

Thank you guys so much for your support. It's so nice to be where people understand.

Julee -- You are right. This is a lifetime thing. I've been battling my weight for 25 years -- I'm crazy if I think the battle will be over if the weight is lost. Even if I weighed 105 pounds, I'd still have to exercise and eat right to protect my heart from heart disease. Thanks for your help in putting things into perspective.

I knew I would find the help I needed here!!!

Wish me luck. Today is my first step toward the 200s.

Good Morning Ladies!

And a beautiful morning it is! It's FRIDAY, it's casual day and it's a 3-day weekend!!! How much better could it get? Get through my four hearings this morning and it's clear sailing!

For once I'm actually checking in in the morning! DS has to be at school early on Fridays and so I have to leave the house early and therefore may as well be at work early. You'd know that the one day I actually could be early enough to catch the employee shuttle and not worry about parking would be the only day I really need my car because it's WI day.

I'm feeling okay about WI today. They make great cheese there. HA!

Seriously, I know I haven't been the best this week. I know that I need to shape up, and fully intend to starting today. But even if I maintained, I'll be happy and if I lost I'll be estatic, so it's a win-win situation. I'm pretty sure I haven't gained. But on the off chance I did, I'll live and learn. So, WI is being faced bravely today. It'll be fine.

Planted my veggies last night. I have snow peas, chives, spinich, lettuce, cucumbers, cantalope, green beans, zucchini and basil. I still have to put in tomatoes and peppers. I also planted marigolds and bachelor buttons, just for some color and to draw the bugs away from the veggies. That sounds like a lot, but there will only be 2-5 plants each after thinning and that ought to be perfect for me and DH. The only thing DS will help us eat will be the cantalope! Maybe the beans and cukes, but I doubt it. Wish I could figure out how to make him like veggies. He's a skinny little kid now, but I'd really like him to stay that way when he grows up!

Well, I'm officially late for work, after arriving 20 minutes early, so I best get to it! Wish me WI luck and I'll check back after.

Have a happy, healthy OP day!

Tasha...glad that I could help. I take very very little credit for the things I write. I get so much of it from my WW leader because prior to February they are not thoughts that I ever had in my head.

Lilion...if your boys won't eat your veggies I wil be glad to come over and help you with them...especially the fresh basil..YUM! Maybe you can out some good WI cheese on them...LOL.

Tomorrow moning is the Revlon Run/Walk...wish me luck!

Boy, this board is slooow today! Everyone must be enjoying the lovely spring day, or else they are actually working and don't have time to post. Three of my four hearings ended with a no-show, so I have time to burn...although I suppose I really should be working at work.

On the weight-loss front; another 2 bite the dust! Like I said, estatic!

I will not take this as permission to continue to eat the way I have this week and not exercise. Rather, I'm looking at this loss as proof of how much I used to eat, if I can do what I've been doing and still see a difference. That doesn't mean I don't need to be more healthy too! I'm looking at this as a life-style change, not a short-term quick fix for my lack of clothing options. I'm not trying to look good, get a man or impress anyone-all reasons I've used before for dropping weight-I'm looking to be healthier and live longer. (And if I happen to get sexier and be able to buy off the rack as a side effect, then good for me! )

Julee: Feel free to drop by for veggies anytime!

I just realized that I passed 10% with this last drop!

Later you lovely losing ladies!

Congratulations Lilion and Julee for more of your weight loss...I haven't seen the scale go down in weeks, I have no idea what I'm doing wrong...I hope I'm converting fat to muscle or something, because this is getting depressing. I'm glad I have fit day though, now I can at least see my trends and tweak my diet and see what will work and what won't.

Bah...I'm annoyed with myself so I'm going to go read. I'm so down, I don't even feel like exercising today because it seems to not be doing me any good.

Yeah I know, boo hoo poor Mel,