Yikes!!! I feel like a heel. Extrinsic Rapture, I'm listening. Sometimes I just don't have a comment. I will try to be more attentive to you. I don't want you to feel like you are not important. You are very, very needed here.
Blessings,
Dogpal

Hi all! Just checking in before I head out again for work.

Rapture: "Stopped posting cause I felt I was somtimes talking to myself." I think that's what's happened with alot of folks. The question becomes are they still lurking or have they gone away altogether? Glad we haven't lost YOU!!!

Iwillbe: 2cute's still hanging out and doing well. It's summer so she's in the pool and trying to stay away from the computer and get in more movement and be more productive.....something I should do.

Julee: Here are the answers to your questions.
1. Yes, I'm married. It will be 29 years on Sunday.
2. Yes, Honey is overweight as well.
3. He supports me, in that he cheers when I've lost a couple of pounds, but much more than that, like eating right himself or making good choices, he does not. I will say though that he does not complain about the lack of unhealthy snacks, etc. in the house. He eats the applesauce cups, etc. that I keep in the house for snacks.
4. We met in high school and I was about 180. I was 200 when we married. I was 258 when I got pregnant with my second child. And the rest is history. He wasn't super heavy in high school, but he was chunky too.

Dogpal: Thanks for the condolences on Honey's job. Things continue to be challenging. The corporate offices in France announced this week that the "automotive division", which is who Honey works for, is up for sale and they will be entertaining offers. We've been involved in take-overs before and they don't usually go well, besides being very stressful during the "not knowing" phases.

Well, girls, I'm running. See you all later. Love ya bunches.

Hello everyone,

I've been visiting this website for the past few days and started a couple of days posting on the journals. I've just now had the chance to sit and look at the forums and I am SO excited about finding this one. I am currently at around 350. I don't know for sure because my scale won't weigh that high (I think it goes to 320, maybe) I weighed 367 in 2002 and joined Weight Watchers. I was just READY for it, I guess, because over the next year and a half I lost 150 pounds. AT 216, I weighed less than I did when I was in High School. Then in September of 2003 I became unexpectedly pregnant. Not only did I just "eat for two", but I also reverted right back to the old habits of eating to comfort myself in the middle of what was, for a while anyway, a very distressing situation. Baby was born last June and I was just exhausted. A single mom, I felt like I had NOTHING at the end of the day. I didn't exercise at all. I ate, fed Baby and slept. Needless to say, most of that weight has now come back. In February of this year I was diagnosed with M.S., and that has been a struggle ALL on it's own, but it is also a wake up call. I want to DO something again. I want to feel LIGHT again. I want to be able to MOVE and chase my son who is about to start walking and will TAKE OFF, I just know.

So, if this is Thankful Thursday, I am thankful to have found this site. I am thankful to know I am not the only one in this boat. And I am thankful for a new determination to start again.

Good Morning Ladies!

First and formost...Welcome Bamamom! I'm glad you are here and getting ready to try again! I was a single mom for five years, and it is a chore! You're right when you say you'll need some energy when the little one takes off. They are a struggle - but a joy too - aren't they?

Julee : I've enjoyed the WW menu. My absolute favorite, however, is no longer available here, which is the lowfat blackened chicken salad. I LOVED it and they took it away! But really, it's nice to be able to go out with "regular" folks and eat at the same restaurant without worrying about your points. And the foods not bad, although I wouldn't give in 5 stars!

In answer to your question:
1) Do you have a SO (husband, fiance, serious BF, wife, GF, partner, etc)?
I have a wonderful husband, five years last April 8.

2) Is your SO heavy, of typical weight, or thin?
He's heavy, although I outweigh him by about 40 lbs. At his top weight he was 287 and that, combined with my shocking 328 was what prompted us to lose. He's never been "thin". He says that even after Marine boot camp, when he weighed 175, he still had a tummy. He's almost 6', so that's surprising.

3) Does your SO support your weight loss efforts...if so, how?
We're doing it together, so yes. I admit though, he also was a big part of my gaining. He thinks ice cream is its own food group! He likes to say he's a fat man who likes his food and food was a big part of our courtship and married life. We never realized how much until we decided to change our way of eating.

4) Were you heavy when you met your SO?
Yes, although not so much as now. After my first marriage I had lost down to about 220, then gained then lost again, the usual circle. I probably weighed about 220 when we met. We married just over a year later and I probably weighed about 240. Then it was up, up, up. I've never been thin. My goal weight is what's on my driver's license...which I haven't changed in 22 years! And that's about 20 lbs heavier than the experts say I should weigh. DH actually says he never really liked little women...he says he feels like he'd break them! Good thing I'm "sturdy", huh?

This is actually my second marriage. My first husband was thin, not supportive and not around long!

Well, busy, busy. Got to bed at 10:15 last night...I really needed an early night, but that's about as good as I get. Of course, I didn't get home until 8! Good thing my son is old enough to fix himself snacks...we havent' been home for dinner in days! I ended up eating at Backyard Burgers. I had a Honey Mustard Chicken Sandwich (7 pts) and a Salsa baked potato (5 pts). I actually scraped the mayo off the sandwich and added a smidge of sour cream to the potato, and didn't eat all of it, so I figure the points averaged out.

Has anyone noticed that fast food places are really getting better on the types of foods they serve? I ate at Wendy's the other day, had their chicken sandwich (6 pts) and a side salad with honey mustard dressing (2 pts). A lot of places are serving grilled chicken sandwiches and offering low or no fat dressings and salads as sides. I still have a hard time saying no to those french fries, but it's better these days. You have to watch them though. The Chicken Select breast strips as McDonalds can actually be more fattening than McNuggets. (9 pts for three, 15 pts for five - without sauce!) Heck, a regular cheeseburger is only 7 pts! And I do get tired of chicken!

Well, must get back to work! Much to do and less time to do it. Have a happy, healthy OP day!!!

Bamamom: A huge welcome to you. I hope that you find encouragment and love here.

Julee to answer your questions:

1) Do you have a SO? I met my husband in August of 1985. On September 1, 1985 we got married (didn't have to) we were terribly in love with each other. I am happy to say that we will be celebrating our 20th anniversary in a couple of months and we are still terribly in love with each other. I was barely 19 when we married and he turned 21 a month after we married. Lots of tough roads because of being so young and lots of growing up. Overall it has been extremely wonderful and lots and lots of laughter and fun.

2) Is your SO heavy, typical or thin? He is about 25 -30 pounds over weight. He has had a tummy ever since we married but back then it was a beer belly. Now (he hasn't had a drop of liquor in about 10 years) it is a chow belly. He works very hard but his work is mostly with his brain and arms as a machinist. So, he has recently slowed down on the chow and started to walk our dogs nightly.

3) Does your SO support your weight loss efforts? If so, how?
Well, He is the most supportive and wonderful man in the world. He has always been encouraging to me on my past many diets. Now, since I started this Christian bible study program (we are both born again Christians) he has been super supportive. He notices how little I eat, he tells me how proud he is of me for going to the gym to swim every day. He tells me right away if he notices shrinking body parts on me. He constantly tells me I am doing good.

4) Were you heavy when you met your SO?
No, I was not heavy at all, as a matter of fact, I was very fit. At 5'10" I weighed 150 which for me was very thin. I am pretty muscular having grown up on a farm with horses etc. When I met him I used to spend my lunch hours at the skating ring instead of eating. I loved sports and swimming and outdoor activities more than food. So, after getting married and getting pregnant within the first 3 months of our marriage then having a miscarriage, I really fell apart. My husband drowned his sorrows in weekend beer activities and I drowned my sorrows in sleeping too much and moving to little and eating too much of the wrong things in addition of too much of the right things.

Blessings,
dogpal

Was that right? Less than a month? WOW!

I married my first husband after five months....BIG ERROR IN JUDGMENT! However, my parents married after only three months and were together to death did them part...40 years later! But under 1 month is the quickest (successful) marriage I've heard of.

Good for you!

Julee – To answer your questions. Yes I have a Fiance. He’s about 20-30lbs over weight. He’s very supportive of my wanting to loose weight, he’s even joined the gym with me and we do laps in the pool. You should see him. He holds me on the ladder. The ladder we have currently for our pool only holds max 300lbs I still use it, but because we have a soft sided pool it shakes and wobbles and it freaks me out. I have to get in that pool and I have to do some laps, so I go slow on the ladder. So far so Good. James stands behind me like he’s going to catch me if I….. *sigh* break the ladder. Like he’s going to be able to hold me up :-P The Walmart pool we had previously, the ladder only held 250lbs…. I used that with no problem, so I’m ok with the ladder we got now, knowing it holds more weight and looks much more sturdier. ANYWAYS sorry for rambling. I was about hmmm 250-270lbs when I met James 8 years ago. My the years fly by (and the weight packs on *giggle - snort* )

Nolifewithouthorses – I agree with you about Julee’s survey. Sometimes I get so wrapped up in myself I tend to forget that he’s there and more than willing to share with me my thoughts and troubles.

Iwillbe – YES!!! I’m hoping to be enjoying them by the end of summer although that might change, seeing as how things are taking a little longer than expected. Particularly with the estimates on things we need done. Thank you

Dogpal – Yes!! That’s the pool I have. They showed us pictures of tigers in the pools, walrus?? Or sea lions, using them and I too saw the elephant picture They also showed us the ones they custom built for the Olympics for the lap pools. Ours is 21 feet, we were gonna get the 26 foot one, but silly me thought it was too big I kinda wish I didn’t talk myself out of it, but I’m okie with this one glad you are feeling better!

BamaMom – WELCOME It’s a great bunch of ladies here. Glad you found us!

Well Ladies… I don’t remember if I’ve mentioned this or not, but so far my classes are going good, and I don’t want to kill my Calculus teacher just yet Believe me that’s a good sign, especially after my previous instructor! There was something else I wanted to mention, but I can’t remember what it was. If I remember I’ll come back and post it

Take care everyone, I’ve got a calculus class to get ready for. Catch you all later!
Sue…

Good afternoon everyone! I hope that you are all doing well today!

I'm still hanging in there, and working hard at watching my food intake. Yesterday wasn't too bad. I didn't get to empty out the pantry like I had planned since Ricardo and I had to run to Sam's Club and Krogers. I am going to try and make more of an effort to get that done today.

Dinner wasn't that great yesterday, but since we were out most of the evening, I could not cook anything. Ricardo decided that he just wanted a piece of pizza & a pop from Sam's Club. I decided that I would just get a plain soft pretzel. After eating that and going home, I was pretty full up until before I went to bed. I ended up popping a bag of my lowfat popcorn. MMMmmmMMM

Today I have been OP all day.
Breakfast I had some yogurt, sliced strawberries & kiwi, and a Slim Fast bar.
Mid morning snack I ate some frozen grapes.
Lunch I had about 3 oz. of tuna w/ triscuit crackers & a peach.
For a snack in a little bit I will have more frozen grapes.
Dinner time will be a Lean Cuisine meal since I know I am not cooking tonight.

My aunt and I did not get to the gym this morning. She wanted to take a day off, which was fine with me because I was tired anyways, and needed to get some sleep. We will be at the gym tomorrow morning at 5 a.m. though.

And as for your questions JuleeCeeS:

1) Do you have a SO (husband, fiance, serious BF, wife, GF, partner, etc)?
Yes - I have a SO (Ricardo) who I have been with now for almost 7 years. We talk about getting married all the time (in fact I have an engagement/wedding ring already) but because of my parents divorce 4 years ago, I seem to have a marriage phobia... I guess I will have to get over this!

2) Is your SO heavy, of typical weight, or thin?
My SO Ricardo is heavy set, (kinda stocky, like a football player). Like me though, he needs to lose weight. Very serious health problems run in his family, and I don't want to see him get sick. His mother died at a young age from not taking care of herself.

3) Does your SO support your weight loss efforts...if so, how?
Yes - Ricardo supports my efforts most of the time now. When I want something 'bad' - he reminds me that I am dieting...LOL.

4) Were you heavy when you met your SO? - I was heavy when I met Ricardo (about 230 lbs) but now I am heavier at 316 lbs.

Well - nothing else interesting is going on with me. It sounds like everyone is doing great!!! I hope you all have a wonderful evening! Tomorrow is finally FRIDAY!!!

Later!

- Kari

Am going to try to squeeze a post in here at work. Tonight is our last night of VBS so I will have more time in the evenings, although it has been a lot of fun and my son and I have really enjoyed it! Have stayed OP to a tee this week, and have religiously walked those 2 miles. I will be SO disappointed if the scales don't show it Saturday. I have done this "gig" so many times in my lifetime and I can definitely say one thing for sure - the older you get the harder it is to take off. The weight is NOT coming off as fast now that I am over 40 than it did when I was under 40. I could kick myself (HARD) for not keeping the 103 pounds off when I lost it 6 years ago. Anyway, I am in this for the long haul and want to thank all of you again for being my support and inspiration. This time around has been so much easier with you ladies on my team!

Bamamom - A very warm welcome to you. I hope you find the encouragement and support you need. Just ask - we're here!

Dogpal - Good to have you back in the mix, girlie. I missed you!

Lilion - I agree with you on fast food, and that I get so very tired of chicken, chicken and more chicken. Sometimes I think I'm going to grow feathers and cluck! Not a big fish eater, and I try to limit my beef to once or twice a week.

Exsintric Rapture - Please feel free to PM me whenever you need an ear. When I first started on the threads I kind of felt the same way, but just jumped in with both feet and plodded on. I am so glad I did!

Biggirl - Yes, TOM hits me like a big bag of munchies too. I swear sometimes if you threw a little salt on my desk top, I'd eat it. I have found these new little "sweets" that definitely do it for me. Whitman's Chocolate and Weight Watchers have teamed up and have come out with chocolate (yes, real chocolate) Toffee Bars that taste just like Heath bars, and Pecan Crowns that taste just like Pecan Turtles. They are one point for one piece, and the key point is PORTION CONTROL! Although I could eat the whole bag, I have found that if I can just eat one (or two at the most) a day during my TOM, it really does keep the munchie meanies away.

Now, to answer the survey before I get caught on here!

1) Do you have a SO? Yes, we just celebrated our 18th wedding anniversary and I can honestly say we are still just as much in love with each other as the day we married. My hubby is my true sole mate and I thank God everyday for bringing us together. We met in July of '86, starting dating in November of '86, got engaged in January of '87 and married June 20, 1987. Another less than a year whirlwind romance, but one that has definitely stuck!

2) Is your SO heavy, typical or thin? He had a 27" waist when we married!! Of course, he was only 21. (Yes, I'm the older woman! But ony by 2 years). He has gained and lost over the years, but since he turned 40 in February, he put on some pounds and has recently taken it off.

3) Does your SO support your weight loss efforts? If so, how?
He has always supported my weight loss efforts, but I don't think he sincerely understood them until he started WW with me two months ago. He told me for the first time recently that he didn't realize how hard it was to follow a food plan, and he apologized for all the times I tried to diet and he brought junk and sugar foods into the house. He has always told me, "I love you for who you are, not how big or small you are." Darn good thing, too!


4) Were you heavy when you met your SO?
No. I met Steve during one of my "skinny" periods. I have been overweight by entire life, and struggled all the time with the up and down yo-yo diets. My wedding dress was actually a size 10. Within the first year of marriage I packed on about 50 pounds, as I actually cooked and wasn't out running around like a wild child. I weighed 220 when I got pregnant with our son, and gained 40 pounds with the pregnancy. It went up from there. Again, I have yo-yoed so much, but he has always been right there beside me supporting whatever I wanted to do.


To everyone I didn't name personally - I really have to get off here before I get caught! I hope everyone has a great day.

Okie, I remember what I was going to say…

I figured out how to kinda calculate my metabolic rate. Altho my Diet Power Program says my Metabolic Rate is 3113. This website I found says differently. Here’s a quote from the weightloss for all website about Metabolic Rate:

Women:

10 - 17 years BMR = 13.4 x W + 692 SEE = 112
18 - 29 years BMR = 14.8 x W + 487 SEE = 120
30 - 59 years BMR = 8.3 x W + 846 SEE = 112

Key:
W = Body weight in Kilograms
SEE = Standard error of estimation

I don’t quite know what the SEE is for, I understand it’s a standard deviation, but not sure who to apply it. Maybe it’s plus or minus 120 calories for me since I’m gonna be 29 years old.

Anyway, calculating it this way, I get 2914 versus the 3113 that Diet Power tells me. So Metabolic Rate is the energy that a person does or consumes in this case, consumes calories.

Discovery Health has one where you can calculate what you’d burn just by sitting still all day, why does that sound strange?? So I used their calculator and it says for my height, weight, and age… I am burning about 2300 calories This is also called resting metabolic rate, meaning, if I’l sitting on the couch all day, I burn 2300 calories just sitting here, or even if I take a nap. A nice cool relaxing day in front of the TV. Interesting. I found another site with a calculator like this, on bodybuilding.com that says about the same thing as Discovery Health as far as my Basal/Resting Metabolic Rate. Anyways, if you increase your activity, you increase that Metabolic Rate.

So… if I burn 2300 calories just sitting here, and I am currently set on a 2200 calorie diet, that means I can just sit here and type to you guys all day and loose weight okie that sounds bit ridiculous, but it’s just funny how there are all these calculators out there to calculate this and that.

I found a calculator that calculates your daily calorie intake and I plugged my information in and it says a little over 3000 calories a day is what I am takin in to maintain my weight I guess. I was told not to cut more than 500 calories at a time, but I cut down to about 2200 so I cut out 800 calories.

There was even a link on there that talks about how much water I should drink for my weight. 160 oz!! heheheh

Okie I think I babbled a lot here heheh, I know there was a point to this post, but I think I got lost in all the calculators I found *grin*
Ah well…

Take care everyone, hopefully someone will find this info useful…
Sue…

Thanks to all of you who answered my questions...Jason has really given me back faith in men and in love. He loved me at my heaviest, never once tried to change me, and in the end it was his suggestion to go to WW together. He protected me from his mother (long time HOW member...he makes sure that our food and weight issues arent her business) when things were a little sensitive. He tells me that I am beautiful...and it's only my own "fat" head and eyes that don't belive him..but it's a work in progress.

Ok...true confessions...when I was in college..and only (only...hah) weighed about 200 lbs. I met a man online and we started talking a lot and I finally went to meet him in Ft. Lauderdale where he lived. We wound up having an amazing weekend together (i'll spare you the sordid details) and just as I was getting ready to leave on Sunday, he said to me "You're wonderful..you're smart, and beautiful, and funny and so many of the things I have always wanted in a woman. And I just KNOW that there is a gorgeous thin girl inside you who wants to come out and when she does...then I know we'll be perfect together." That's one way to give a girl a complex.

So since then I've been trying to do some healing. Jason and I have been togethernow over 2 years...we're starting to talk more concretely about marriage and moving in together and "the long run"...and he is just the most incredible thing to happen to my life in so long. I know that we are all struggling with our own demons in our own ways..and I guess I was just curious about the support we each get.

Thanks for your candor!

Juleecee: I am very glad that you asked those questions. It is good to see that all of the people that answered them and have a SO, are getting support and love at home. I'm very glad that you are too. As for your former weekend man, What a JERK. OOOo people like that make me so angry. I was at Tahoe one night really late coming home from a few hours of sister bonding and of coarse a little gambling with my 3 sisters. They were hungry so we stopped off at a 24 hour Mc Donalds before heading down the mountain to Sacramento, I was not hungry (for a change) so I was browsing through the brocures and flyers that they had near the restrooms. A group of 4 men came into McD's and sat near the restrooms where I was. I hear them talking about me not very quietly either. They were openly discussing what should or needs to change on my body for them to go ahead and "be with me" I turned around and looked right at them while I listened to them and one of them said she is really pretty if she would just take off some weight. Well, It made me furious that they thought they could comment on me and my body without an invitation. I told them you know, I was just looking you four guys over and I think that you all would be so much better looking if you would just...... oh, on second thought, I was wrong, nothing can help your looks. I walked away to the table that my 3 sisters where sitting at (they are all much thinner than I am, 1 is size 5, one is size 14 and one is size 16) the guys didn't respond but my sisters clapped. I acted like oh, ya, I'm so tuff and the champ of fat girls every where but really, it took me a long time to get over it. I do know what you mean. Try to realize that people like that guy you dated are really shallow, they are the type of men (women too) that should you become injured in an accident or burned in a fire after marriage, they will not hold up to vows of in sickness and in health. It sounds to me like you have a wonderful man. I hope that you can both let go of past issues and be happy with the wonderful people you each have!

Blessings,
Dogpal

1) Do you have a SO (husband, fiance, serious BF, wife, GF, partner, etc)?
Corey, my husband
2) Is your SO heavy, of typical weight, or thin?typical weight
3) Does your SO support your weight loss efforts...if so, how?yes, he doesn't eat junk food around me, encourage me when I get down on myself, and he loves me no matter what
4) Were you heavy when you met your SO?yes, but I had gained 95 pounds in the 7 years we've been together

Hi everyone
Just wanted to let you know im still around. I have been working alot and havet had the time to post. I work in labor and delivery, and we have had a major baby boom
To briefly respond to the post, I am divorced, and at the moment without significant other. I have always been overwt, but that has never hindered my dating prospects, lol. None of the men i have dated have had a weight problem.
Dogpal thank you for the encouraging words you are such a blessing!
welcome to all the new posters
I am doing well with food, but havent excersised much due to my hectic work schedule this week. I hope to do better with it next week.
everyone take care and have a good evening!

Sue Marie I coulld play with the calculators all day myself!

I have been good by am going crazy! I am big time PMSing and am fighting the salt and chocolate munchies. Any advice for this problem?

Juleecee- No SO. I spent my late teens- early 30's raising my siblings, this broke up the one serious relationship I had in my mid 20's. He said since my brother and sister "aren't really your children, you shouldn't need to spent so much time and money on them.' I said "bye, bye, baby" as soon as those words were spoken. Since my siblings are grown and gone my weight has me to self concious to even attempt flirting much less a relationship.

AngieB