Ammi, the movie was pretty good! And Heath Ledger made it a little more worth it to stay in the theater!

Another late night.

I'm in a foul mood.

Hope you all had a good one.

Julee - Congrats on the loss!!

another night at the gym. im still sore from yesterday, but working out today made the soreness less. my friend Amy and I go, and sometimes one is earlier than the other, so to be fair the other one stays and kinda makes up the time. its nice to be accountable, and have someone be accountable to me

Kayley - sorry you are in a foul mood *hugs*

ammi - just a hug and a hello. you can do this.

Catherine - im so glad that you still have the time to come and say hello and let us know whats going on with you. its a treat!

Wyllen, Dogpal, ZedAus, GarnetFairy, and anyone else i have missed - HI! hope you are being losers!!

I wasn't able to login yesterday because I had to reformat my pc. *ugh*. I am still bad with the exercise but I am doing well with the food. I'll be meeting with my old friends in less than a month so this is going to be a motivator for me to get moving.

Zelma, wow! You look so beautiful .
You girls are such inspirations.

Hello All,

I AM A CABBAGE yes I am. I got up early this morning so that I could go to the dentist. Hubby and I actually walked there, so yay, some exercise, but when I got there and had been waiting for 20 minutes the receptionist said, "your appt isn't until tomorrow"!! I also thought I have an appt with my therapist this afternoon, but it turns out that I have both appts tomorrow. The worst part is that I wrote both dates down in my diary for Friday and yet I thought I was going today. So yes I am indeed a CABBAGE. Fortunately I got some exercise and I had to do a bit of shopping, so it wasn't a wasted trip. I just feel such a fool. My mind really is going south!!

Wyllen - great to see you posting even though you are so busy. I see on the exercise thread that you are going away soon. I hope all goes well at the conference and you aren't too tempted to eat anything you shouldn't.

Felicia - I think if I had the space I might be inclined to buy a few gym items myself. You are right that it makes sense to make the initial outlay and benefit from being able to work out as and when you like.

Christine - yes it is funny how people can be the same weight and yet look so different. My mum has always been overweight and my aunty and they are both straight up and down, like barrels, yet my cousin and myself both have smaller top halfs and then a waist and a huge bottom half. When I was a teenager I used to say that if I stood behind a waist high fence I could get a guy to fancy me, but if he saw my huge butt and legs he would run a mile. My cousin is worse though, she is stick thin up the top, I would say a size 8, no boobs or hardly any, and she would be a size 20 bottom! Quite a big difference. No matter how hard she diets and exercises she just can't change her shape.

I am glad you are feeling well and that it doens't hurt to move your head so much now. Let's hope the headaches stay away for a long time to make the procedure worth it.
Nancy - good luck with finishing the audit, and I hope you have a great first session with your personal trainer.

Luan - that is brilliant that you have lost another 1.8 lbs Once you get on track you really do get on track. Good for you, I am so pleased for you

Cindy - can you explain more about what that Neutrisystem diet is? I have never heard of it? Sounds like you are more than ready to start it though and I am sure cutting back on the junk food, and soda etc will make it easier, so you have been really sensible. It's good that your sister is going to do the diet with you, that will be an extra incentive to keep it up once you start.

GarnetFairy - it's great that you are exercising even though you are not 100%. Personally I have a little sniffle and I use that as a reason not to exercise. You have such a terribly bad chest and are even on antibiotics but have still exercised. Well done!!

When is your birthday? It sounds like you made excellent food choices during your early meal out. Again, so unlike me When it's my birthday I make a point of treating myself with at least a pizza and birthday cake. I guess in a way I am not treating myself because I won't lose weight that week, but I still like to indulge myself. I hope you will have a wonderful birthday.

Honiangel - your posts are never boring, even if you just want to pop on and say hi, everything is going ok, see you soon, that's just fine. It's just nice to hear regularly from people so we know they are doing ok.

What was wrong with your little niece that she had to spend a week in hospital? It's so sad that her mother isn't there for her, but she is very lucky to have such a loving aunty or Amer as she calls you. Where did that name come from?

I am sorry that the eldest of your nieces is probably very confused by seeing her mum only when she can be bothered. Kids need regularity and to know where they stand even from a young age. When I was married before we used to have my husbands kids every weekend without fail. They were 3 and 5 at the time and although there mother tried to stop them coming sometimes, when she realised that she would be losing her babysitters (us) on other occasions if she kept the kids at home, she let the visits stay regular. I hope that the visits for your oldest niece will eventually become less erratic!

Aiming for a 2 lb loss each week is good, I used to do that, but I weigh monthly and when I have seen a less than 8 lbs loss I have been gutted. So now I aim for just 1 lb a month. It's not going to come off quickly, but I am saved the dissapointment of not losing enough. Good luck with your weigh in on Sunday.

Somebody in this group has definitely used those Richard Simmons Food Mover things. I can't remember who, but I am sure somebody talked about buying one. I hope they read your post and can give you some feedback about it.

Thinthinker - I have lost many a post recently too, so I tend to copy as I go along and then if the site goes down then I use the copy and paste option. It's only failed me once, and that's when it was my Internet at fault and not the site. Writing in Word would be a good option too, I might try it next time I need to write a long post and might not have time to finish it.

Heather - thank you, yes I am talking about the Royal Navy. I know you have to be able to be a strong swimmer and of course pass the fitness test, but I think you are right that it won't make a difference if she excelles at any sports let alone 4!! It's not like she wants to be a fitness instructor in the Navy. We have been to the Naval careers office and they gave us a lot of literature on joining the navy, and said to go back when she is 16. I looked up on the web as well about qualifications for being a Chef or Steward, and although they both say she has to be very fit, again there is no mention of being excellent at sports. So I think it's safe for her to not take that particular GCSE, perhaps she could do another language or something else. I will have to look into it. Thank you for your input.

I am glad you are over your cold now and I hope you and your dog enjoy having a nice walk soon. What is Dance Dance Revolution, is it one of those exercise games for the PlayStation, or is it an exercise DVD? I know you said it's hard, but if it's fun too I wouldn't mind getting it for when I am fit enough to do it

Zelma - HAPPY AUSTRALIA DAY!! Are you doing anything to celebrate it? I wanna come home Oh well maybe one day. In the mean time I have my Aussie flag flying, well not flying, it's hanging on a wall in my bedroom lol, and as a treat I might make a pav this weekend. I had one of those pav magic mixes as part of an Aussie hamper Daren bought me for Christmas. I know it's fattening, but it is my celebration for Australia day, and besides I'll only have a little bit

I am glad you had a feel beautiful day recently, I am sure they are even more special because you will have had plenty of 'ugly' days when you were at your biggest size I am sure. Beautiful Days are to be savoured. I looked at your photos too, you look so happy, it's almost like you shine with the knowledge that you have worked so hard to look as good as you do now. I think we all long to feel like that, but in the mean time we can enjoy sharing in your happiness at your achievements!!

Julee - congrats on the 1.4 lbs lost and for losing 86.6 lbs in a year of doing WW. I am so happy for you and thrilled to hear that you are loving the new you and how your life has changed since losing that weight.

The Biggest Loser in my opinion is a good show to watch, and it's lovely to see people lose so much weight, but like you say, it can't be healthy to lose so much weight so quickly. I am watching the second US series and the weight loss in the first 3 weeks has been crazy. Especially the guys. I am sure they are being pushed too hard, I mean how many times have the paramedics been called out. I guess the thought of losing the weight and having a chance of winning so much money is a big incentive to all of the dieters, but personally I wouldn't want to lose weight that quickly.

Catherine - oooooh somebody else who can tell me Navy stuff Does your foster son love being a Chef in the Navy, is it all he hoped it would be. Did he have to start peeling spuds and work his way up? We have been to a recruitment office with Caleigh but they just gave us general info brochures and told her to go back when she is 16. The booklets give you guidelines on things, as does the Web site, but it's still good to hear from actual people in the Navy about what it's really like.

How are you doing with the immigration stuff, is it all coming together??

Kayley - ah yes I thought Heath Ledger might make the movie very watchable, even in the cold It still sucks that you were so uncomfortable for the viewing.

Why were you in a foul mood when you last posted, is it through lack of sleep? Have you thought of taking a herbal sleep aid??

Ok it's lunch time now so I better make a move. I will probably write more later,

Hugs,

Ammi

Jillybean ~ I totally know what you mean. I can gain five pounds just by looking at something, but it takes FOREVER for it to be lost. I also have to go for my annual appointment (on Monday) and I’m dreading it. I am taking Yasmin (BC pills) for a hormone imbalance. It’s a good medicine ~ it doesn’t cause weight gain, but I will honestly tell you that one of the side-effects is severe depression. I’ve been taking pills for 20+ years for my hormone imbalance so I hope you won’t mind if I give you a suggestion. Before you go to your doctor, get on the Internet and look up all the different kinds of pills that are available and see what the side-effects are. That way, when your doc recommends something, you’ll already know what it could or could not do to you. You have the power nowadays to choose what you do and do not want. I suggest you exercise that power.

Looks like we’re in about the same boat at work. It’s making me eat really bad. I wish I could help you, but I haven’t found the answer myself either. Just hang in there and know you’re not going through it all by yourself.

I hope that having your parents near isn’t going to be stressful, but I got the impression from your post that it could. The “future” discussions also sound like enough to drive you to eat. I feel for you. Hang in there. Hopefully, the stress will pass soon.

Lilion ~ I haven’t said hi to you in a while so I just wanted to say hello. Congrats on hitting 250!!!! (I wish I could say that!)

FS72 ~ Congrats on the mile! Way to go! Princess and Julee ~ Congrats on the losses.

Ammi ~ Shortbread is my downfall. Yum. This is a horrible thing to say and I hope no one is going to be mad, but Ammi, pretty much anyone can get into the U.S. Navy. All you have to do is sign up. If she wants to go to a military academy, however, she will have to have top grades and it probably is a good idea for her to be athletic to be able to handle the physical challenges that go along with the training. Any good activities she can show will advance her in that area. (I also agree with Catherine about treating recruiters like a used car salesman.)

I have been tested for thyroid and nothing ever comes back. I have PCOS and basically started gaining weight when I began menstruating (I was always a thin child). I have tried different things, but nothing ever helps. I joined a gym and went faithfully for a year while following a very healthy diet (counting calories and all) and never lost a stinking pound. The only time in my life that I was ever successful at losing weight was when I did Slim Fast and I was only having about 900 calories a day. I lost 80 pounds, but then put it back on as soon as I stopped the diet (and then added another 60 pounds to that).

I wasn’t a rebellious teen, but I was a troubled one. We had serious family problems and anything I did wrong was basically because I didn’t care about anything. (When no one else cares, you don’t either.) I’m lucky I didn’t get killed though because I did a lot of stupid things. I’m very, very glad to be an adult. I wouldn’t be a teen again for a million dollars.

Christine ~ I don’t eat 900 calories a day. I try to stay around 1,600, but that basically just helps me maintain (even with exercise). I know that you are not supposed to go below 1,200 so I definitely don’t. I base my calories on what Prevention and Web MD recommend (I feel they are trusted sources). My doctors don’t seem to care. They act like I’m fat because I eat too much and they don’t believe me when I tell them what I do eat (I have the healthiest diet of anyone I know ~ I am a vegetarian). When they figure out that I’m telling them the truth, they just matter-of-factly brush it off like “Oh well.” I’ve had some doctors suggest the surgery and I’ve had others who think I should just accept it.

I have a heart disease gene that makes me 300 times more likely than the average person to have a heart attack (both of my parents had bypass surgery at a young age) so my struggle is to battle that, not entirely the fat (or the cosmetic side of it). My current doctor says that my bloodwork shows that I am doing everything I tell him I am (my cholesterol and glucose levels are perfect) and he is satisfied with that, even if I do weigh over 300 pounds. But I have a hard time accepting that. I’m concerned that eventually my knees will start to have problems, etc. I know several older people who are in their 60s and they can't walk, etc. I'm trying to prevent a number of future illnesses. The whole thing is VERY frustrating.

Hiya Chickies!

Today is Thankful Thursday - so I'll start by thanking everyone who said nice things about my brag!

Julee: Congrats on the loss! I know you've been stalled out for a bit, but you've lost more than me in the same amount of time - and I wouldn't call either of us slugs! So I say, "Way to go US!"

Heather: Are you serious that your husband can't swim? In the Navy? I'd think it would be a really good idea to learn, what with all the ships and all!

Zelma: Woman, if anyone has the right to be vain, it's YOU! You look beautiful!

WRT the military...You know, I thought about joining when I was in Law school because they'd pay my student loans. I decided this fat girl would never live thru boot camp! And now people audition to be yelled at on TV! Go figure. My husband was a Marine, before I met him...perhaps I should say, IS a Marine...Once a Marine, Always a Marine! He went in right out of high school. Kindof different, since he was a chubby nerd with glasses. I asked him why the Marines, and he said he figured if he was going to go into the service he may as well prove to everyone he could go all the way! Anyway, he said they had him in some kind of special physical program darn near the whole 4 years, trying to give him the proper "military build". Never happened, even when he was down to 165 lbs...he looks best about 200! Not sure what the point of that story was now that it's written down.

Well, time for me to dispense justice! to those with a loss! Hang in there everyone else! You can do it!

Its true, my husband can't swim....well, I should say, he can have fun in a pool, but isnt a strong swimmer, and if he needed to swim out into deep water, he would be 'sunk' LOL He figures that while he is out to sea, he is always on an Aircraft Carrier, and lives 9 decks below the surface, and on a typical 6 month cruise only sees daylight 3 or 4 times, he doesnt have to worry about swimming, as if that baby is going down, there is no way he is getting out before it does!

I was wondering if anyone could give me some advice on weightloss and my 11 year old daughter...I have 3 daughters, but only my oldest seems to have a weight problem. And she has always been big. She was 9 pounds 23 inches when born, was in 12m clothes at 4m, and 3T by a year. She is now 11, and 5' 4" tall (she towers over her grandparents and 2 aunts!) and she weighs 188 pounds. Now, her father is also very large, like 500 pounds at least, and its all in his belly....Kylie is built the same...I would say that 90% of her excess weight is in her belly. The problem is, even though I am monitoring her food intake the best I can, and giving her only good choices at home, I have found out she is getting really bad stuff at school (god I hate that!) and I have also noticed that she hides food. I do try to get her to exercise, but frankly, she is lazy. She was in TaeKwonDo for a year, and lost some weight, but more importantly, maintained her weight for that year, at about 155...our Dr said that as long as she didnt gain more than 10 or so pounds, if we could maintain that for a few years, she would "grow into " her weight. Well, she quit TKD (and yes, I know, I am the parent, but there comes a point where you just cant force it), and then visited her dad, and shot up to 188. (Every time she spends more than a day or 2 with her father, she gains weight). So, now, I am at a loss. I worry so much about causing an eating disorder by making a big deal about her weight, that I don't, but I just dont know how to get her to understand that she needs to stop this now, before it gets worse, or worse yet, she becomes a morbidly obese teenager/adult who cant move anymore. Its so frustrating!
Any advice is great appreciated!

Have a great day everyone!

Afternoon All,

What a pelaver (is that a real word ) we had this afternoon. This really hasn't been my day. We have a lock on our bedroom door. We figure when we go out it's safer to have all our PC equipment locked in the room. Anyway, it's one of those locks where you just turn the middle bit of the door knob to lock it from the inside, but have to use a key to lock it from the outside. So don't ask me how. But when I shut the bedroom door this afternoon to go do my ironing the door locked!! Neither Daren nor I had our keys, so he had to kick the thing in. More expense now fixing the door frame. Still at least we are back in and it's not as bad as locking yourself out of your house!!

Tasha - thanks for your input on the Navy thing. I do believe that as long as Caleigh watches her weight, stays active and does some swimming in her leisure time that she will still get in. Mind you I all concerned about her physical fitness and passing those tests when in all honesty I don't even know if she will pass the other tests. She is really clever when it comes to learning stuff verbally, but she is dyslexic and isn't getting any help for it it school. So passing her written tests for the Navy might not happen, plus she doesn't seem to have much common sense. Still she is young, maybe she will improve by the time she applies. Fingers crossed anyway.

I am glad you have been tested for thyroid problems and although it's good that it's all normal, you are still stuck with the question, why is it so difficult for you to lose weight. It must be so frustating for you and I am so glad that you are still trying. Many would just give up, so to you for keeping on trying. It must be so annoying when doctors don't seem to believe that you do diet, and you do work out. Surely instead of not believing you they should be doing some sort of tests to try to find out just why you aren't losing weight as you should be. They should be even more concerned because of your possible heart problems! Doctors can be so dense can't they!

Thanks for telling me a little about your childhood. I am glad you came through it all unscathed, though I guess there are still some emotional scars

Lilion - you said that your husband was/is a Marine, does that mean he can do a boot camp style work out with you In our Celeb Fit Club show we have an ex American Marine called Harvey. I don't know his last name, but he it is so funny watching him shouting at the Celebs.

Heather - what does your hubby do in the Navy? I was shocked to read how few times he will see daylight on a 6 month cruise. You would think he was on a submarine!!

You asked advice on your overweight daughter. Well on a light note my daughter was 'chubby' right up until she was about 13, then she had a growth spurt and she looked really slim. She loved it because for the first time she could wear jeans and trendy clothes that we couldn't get to fit her before. I know you said that the doctor hopes your daughter will grow into her size, but you are worried that she won't. Does she like nice clothes, maybe you could give her an incentive by getting her some really trendy stuff that only goes up to a size that is smaller than what she is. Or if she isn't into all that maybe you could go to an aquasize class with her, or do something that will benefit you both and that she won't find boring because she is doing it on her own. As for school, I hear you there. I used to watch what Beth ate rigidly at home, but then when she got home from school there would be all sorts of sweet wrappers in her bag. I really don't know what to suggest because I just got lucky in as much as Beth did grow into her size. Now if she puts on a few lbs she herself wants to work it off because she wants to still be able to wear trendy clothes. All I can do is hope that your daughter, with a bit of gentle coaxing from you, will see all the good reasons not to put on more weight without getting too worried about it either. It sure is hard being a mum isn't it.

Felicia - you are doing so brilliantly with your new lifestyle and you have the perfect attitude to it all. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Something tells me you are going to go all the way this time and get to your ultimate goal.

Jill and Tasha - I forgot to mention that I totally totally agree with you that it's so unfair that we can gain 2 or 3 lbs in a weekend but take weeks to lose it. I wish we could have a magic wand to change that around. Mind you, having said that I know of a few people who are desperate to gain weight and they just can't do it. So I guess it's frustrating either way.

Ok, time to go now, I hope everybody is having a good day.

Hugs,

Ammi

Felicia, GOOD FOR YOU, keeping on plan can be hard but it feels so good when you look back to see how well youv'e done!
Julee, I too was raped, my ex-fiance did it as well as sodomising me when we fell out, needless to say it didn't happen again, not until I divorced my first husband, he did it to 'punish' me for being strong and starting a divorce. In those days you couldn't get your husband 'done' for rape, a judge even refused to throw him out of our house, he said I should leave it, yes and let him wreck the house I decorated, furnished and worked for? how would I pay for new stuff, as I had to leave work because my finances wouldn't support me and our son and he hardly ever worked. Don't feel sorry for me though, I got out, got an honours degree and a decent, good second husband. Rape happens far more frequently than most of us know, its good to talk about it and to realise that THEY are the ones who need help, preferably a 45 to the HEAD!!!
Zelma, you do look beautiful in your photos, in the others you looked a little tired and drawn, but in these you look young, vibrant, happy and SLIM!!! BE PROUD, YOU DESERVE IT !!!!
Sorry no other time for personal replies, I have to cook everything from scratch, which though time consuming, is a treat, I feel like I'm at a posh restaurant, tonight I'm having shiitake and chestnut mushroom, parsley, garlic and onion stuffed chicken breast with a salsa of cherry tomatoes, red peppers and oyster mushrooms! I'm just about to eat it, so bye for now, I hope you're all well, happy and enjoying you healthy foods as much as I am!!
bye,
sharon.
ps. Ammi, try & get you on msn on 5-7pm.

I had a great start to my day- I did the 1 mile Walk Off the Pounds & 10 minute toning It was the first time in years & it felt great. A couple times I felt like quitting or taking a break, but I kept telling myself I could do a couple more minutes...then the ticker would come up to show another 1/4 mile done & I had to keep going. I'm surprised I did as well as I did, considering how out of shape I am and my knee problem- I only had to use something for balance during one of the stretches at the end. I'm actually looking forward to doing it again tomorrow and I think I'm going to see if I can pick up the Biggest Loser Workout DVD while I'm out this afternoon- have to go into the nearby city to teach a computer class. Has anyone tried The Biggest Loser video yet? I'm a little worried about the reviews on Amazon that mention a lot of moves that are hard on the knees...guess I'll just have to figure out how to modify them to make them work for me or something.


Nancy- It has to be such a relief to be done with your audit...and what a healthy way to celebrate- a date with your new personal trainer! You'll have to let us know how it goes and if he gives you any good tips you can share with the rest of us.


Luan- Yippee!!! another 1.8 pounds gone. You'll be meeting your Valentines Goal early at this pace. You go girl!


Cindy- Thats neat that you & your sister are doing this together. I'm always intrigued by the NutriSytem type programs, but was always such a fussy eater and now with all the food allergies & limitations from my stomach problem, I would never be able to do a program like that. You'll have to let us know how the food taste when you start.


Garnetfairy- I was lucky that only 2 of my meds require extra paper work with the new Medicare Part D. The one I knew would- its Zofran (anti-nausea med), it cost over $3000 per month for the dose I'm on. I've been on it for a couple years and I can take 3-4 per day, so I made sure I had stockpiled a couple months worth ahead, just in case. The Singulair I had only started on in September & I take it one time per day, so I couldn't get any ahead. I really didn't think anything of going off it until I realized just how much water weight I gained in less then 2 weeks. As of today, I've been back on the Singulair for exactly 1 week and I've literally lost 20 pounds of water weight in 7 days. I never changed my weight loss ticker because I knew it wasn't a real weight change- just a temporary set back. I will be taking my daily weight logs in when I see my doctor the next time so she can see how quickly I improved once I was back on it...she didn't believe me that it was all water weight and couldn't see how Singulair would make this type of difference- I didn't even think of the Singulair until she & I were talking during the appointment. I wasn't sure either, but that was the only change in what I was doing overall in that time period.


honiangel- Your nieces (and your brother) are so lucky to have you. Its a shame their so called 'mother' only wants to play 'house' when its convenient, and with only the oldest. I tried the RS Food Mover...if I could find mine, I would send it to you. It is a good plan, it just wouldn't work well for me now. From what I remember, it is based a lot on the diabetic exchanges- so you could try looking up info on them and see if its something you could do.


Heather- At least your brother lost the weight and improved his health, even if he didn't get into the Navy. 2 of my older sisters were in the Navy- one ended up marrying an Army guy (he retired out & now is head of security for a major base) & the second sister married a Navy guy. She was in for 2 or 3 hitches and other then basic training, she was stationed at Great Lakes the entire time as a dental tech. She was suppose to be stationed to Guam at one point, so she had got clothes at garage sales & such for her young children to grow into, knowing it would easier/cheaper here. Then at the last minute they change it to some rural base in Alaska- talk about change in climate. She somewhat lucked out, as she got pregnant again and because of lack of medical facilities were she was suppose to go, they left her at Great Lakes. As for your daughter, is there any way you could talk to the school about limiting access to junk food? I know around here there has been a big push to get the Coke machines out of the schools. I know from my own personal experience that the hiding food is not a good sign- you may need to talk with a professional about ways to deal with it without giving her more issues about food & weight.




Zelma- I took a look at your pictures- WOW, you look fabulous! I'd be posting pictures too if I'd lost that much weight & looked that fabulous.


Julee- I agree about the big loses on the Biggest Loser. Its gotten to the point that they need to revamp the show and have the participants set realistic weight lose goals and focus on what is healthy. In all honesty, not all the contestants on the main show could afford to lose as much as some of the others. Using percentage of body weight was an improvement this year over just number of pounds lost. I just hope they can figure out a way to keep the interest of TV viewers while promoting more realistic & healthy weight loss.


BeingMe- Computer problems are never any fun...hope your reformat helped. Too bad we can't 'reformat' our thinking as easily when it comes to food & exercise


Ammi- It sounds like you're having a rough time of it- first getting your appointment days mixed up & now locking yourselves out of your bedroom. I hate days like that, were nothing seems to go right. Hopefully Daren can get the door fixed up for you so you can lock your room when you need to.


Tashabella- I was worried when you mentioned such a low calorie intake- I'm glad you are eating more then that. Have you ever met with a dietitian or nutritionist to see if they might have some ideas for you? Sometimes doctors get so overwhelmed with everything they have to keep up on, that they don't know enough about any one area to really address more complex issues.


Lilion- It is interesting that no matter what we do, we can't change the basic structure of our bodies. Your husbands story show that pretty clearly. Honestly my brother-in-law who retired after 20 years in the Army never seemed to have that 'military build' either- but he worked with top secret stuff & computers, so I guess they didn't hassle him too much about it.

Whew! What a lot to read this afternoon! I got up late and did a WATP for a mile and got on the pc. I have been reading posts for 1.5 hours now. What with this thread and the 100 pounds in 1year thread and my email and PMs. When I get through I am hitting the shower after lunch.

I wanted to ask if anyone uses sugar-free hard candies? I allow myself one serving (5 candies) per day although i dont always eat all five. My favorite is chocolate & caramel creme savers. I get them at walmart and they are only 45 calories for a serving. I really satisfys my desire for a sweet and it does not have a funny go off taste like some do. Anyway, I was just wondering.

Everyone is doing so great here, this is such a positive and motivating thread! I just love it here!! Especially since we talk about more than weight loss it is more personal like a group of cyber friends supporting each other! I am so glad I found this website! I came here for the ticker for my bookcrossing.com page and found a wonderful family of people to share my ups and downs in my life and weight loss! So cool! I love reading all of your posts too.

Julee - I too have been a victim of rape more than once the first being in High School which involved 2 guys and the last being in 1997 which involved 2 guys again. The first time it was my boyfriend and his friend, the second were complete strangers I met at a pool hall with a girlfriend of mine we were all going to go out somewhere else but they pushed her out of the moving vehicle and kept me. The robbed me and abandoned me in another city in the woods. Fortunately a friendly trucker brought me back to where I lived.
It is all very complicated and personal, maybe I will share more about my past but not today. that is enough for today.

But the main thing is to let each other know we are not alone and it is not our fault! Even if unwise decisions are made about who to go with, rape is a crime and no means no and violence is never okay.

What a deep and depressing thing to type. Sorry about that. But since we were sharing, I though I could too. I dont talk about my past to anyone. Even my psychiatrist just says "that is the past and you must move on" but she does not offer any way to move on...I guess I am supposed to snap my fingers and move on. Like my doctor asking me what "we" are going to do about my weight and offering no help whatsoever. "we" are going to lose the weight on "my" own and to heck with him. I'll show him...ha ha ha but that is how I feel. I wish getting over my past was as easy as losing weight and that should tell you how hard it is.

Damn, still depressing...I am getting a food mover off of ebay along with some tapes. I went nuts and bought 36 exercise tapes off of ebay. There were some lots. One was a lot of 17 and there was a lot of 6 and so on. I got some more Leslie Sansone: (10) I hope they are all doable for me. I know some of the tapes I bought in the lots will be beyond my ability for a long time; but, eventually I will get there. We all will!

One of the Leslie Sansone tapes is a yoga tape and one is a stability ball tape. So those should be different. I got a yoga mat and everything at Barnes and Nobles earlier this month. It was expensive but I had taken some books back and bought it with my store credit. I also got the LS tape for Older Adults, I am hoping my mom will use that one, if not, I will give it to Carolyn to try out.

Ammi - I was thinking that if the door was that easy to kick in, you may need a stronger type of lock. You could put a lock on the outside that takes a padlock on it (dont know the name of the type of lock but it is two pieces) that way you would not be able to have the same thing happen and the door would be more secure. Just a thought.

Zelma - You are so beautiful! I cannot believe you still want to lose more weight! Way to go on your achievement!!

BeingMe - I have had to replace my hard drive 4 times on this PC. I dont know what I do that is so hard on it. Anyway, I totally sympathize with you on your reformating!!

Julee - The Big Loser really shows how much easier it is for men to lose weight and i just think it stinks! I wonder if I stopped taking my estrogen and went into early menopause would it be easier for me to lose weight. I will have to ask the doctor about that. Maybe he would know.

honiangel - I dont know how you do it. You surely are an angel to be there for those kids like you are. At least the oldest gets stability when at home with you and that is the majority of the time. I hope the one that was in the hospital is fully recovered from whatever was wrong.

I gotta go eat lunch my tummy is growling! Way to go everybody...never give up on yourself!

Since it’s Thankful Thursday I am going to start off by saying I am very thankful that I found this website. Reading your stories and getting to know you has been a real inspiration for me. Can’t wait to get to know you better.

Kayley – I don’t blame you for not wanting to be a lawyer. Too much work and too many hours. How horrible about your movie experience. I’d contact the manager and tell him what happened.

Jill – If I feel hungry I tend to munch on the free veggies like carrots and celery. I also drink a lot of water and chew gum sometimes too. It must be some mental thing about chewing gum but it usually makes me feel less hungry. Good luck to you!

Ammi – Thank you so much for the advice on the exercise. I too wake up in the morning and decide to go back to sleep instead of exercising (did it today!). I will listen to the good voice more. Guess I have to remember that the bad voice got me where I am today. We can do it!!!

Garnetfairy – I work out to Richard Simmons too. He’s such a ham and half the time that I’m working out I’m laughing too. I love how he helps people like us out without thinking twice about doing it. I’d love to meet him someday….well, maybe! Have you tried the Ruby Red Grapefruit Crystal Light? If you like that kind of grapefruit juice I highly recommend it. It tastes just like the real thing. Not too sour and not too sweet. YUMMY!

Lillian – I too was a member of the clean plate club. It’s funny how our parents/grandparents pushed the issue and then wondered why we were overweight. I’m still a member but the food on my plate is healthier than I’ve had in a long time.

Nancy – Yipppeee on getting a personal trainer. How did your first appointment go? Can’t wait to hear about it. You rock!

Princesspuffypants – Love the name! 1.8 down??? Yahoooo ya loser!!! Glad to hear that your soreness didn’t keep you from working out. That’s one thing I have a problem with. You’d think I’d know that if I just kept it up it would get better but noooo!

Cindy – Glad to hear that your Nutrisystems came in. Isn’t funny that we get to a point in our lives where we’re actually excited to start losing weight and eating better. Good for you in taking that step.

Honiangel – Why can’t you be on WW? Please don’t feel like you have to apologize for complaining. That’s what we’re here for….good days, bad days, happy times, sad times and times you just need to vent. Keep talking girl!

Zelma – I love how you were able to feel beautiful about yourself. I’m hoping that one day I’ll be able to do that too. You’re pictures are absolutely beautiful. You should be very proud of yourself.

Julee – Yippppeeee on the 1.4 loss! Also, congratulations on your 1 year anniversary of being on WW. You have a lot to be proud about. I’ve been on WW for 2 weeks and I hope I’m still on it in a year. You’re awesome!

Tashabella – I too have been diagnosed with PCOS. Have all the signs and symptoms, unfortunately. I was on Yasmin for a while but then found out that I get a bad reaction to birth control pills so I had to stop taking it. I’m glad to hear that you’re doing something to keep yourself healthy, even with the high risk of heart disease you have. I have a 75% chance of getting breast cancer and I’m doing the same thing…eating healthier, exercising and losing weight.

Felecia – Your realization was lovely. I’m going to be turning 35 on Saturday and after reading yours I’ve come up with one for me. I realized that for a majority of my life I have suffered from low self-esteem, mainly due to my weight and also teasing I received in Junior/Senior High and also from the emotional abuse I took from a guy I befriended. He tried to make me more feminine so people would drop the label they had on him as being gay. Turns out he was gay and just too proud to admit it or whatever. Thanks for posting that…it really made me open my eyes and make me take the step of being able to love myself for what I am.

Sharon – The dinner you’re making tonight sounds delicious! I love making homemade foods too. The house smells so good afterwards and knowing what’s going into the meal helps too!

As for me I’m down another 2.2 pounds. This is a surprise to me as I only exercised once this past week. My goal is to exercise everyday this week. The only day I’m a little worried about is Saturday. DH wants to take me to an Italian restaurant (major downfall of mine). I just might ask him to pick a recipe out of my WW cookbook and he can make it for me. We'll see.

Have a wonderful day everyone!

Sarah

Thanks to all of you who have been so supportive in your comments about rape and KUDOS to you as well about being able to discuss it here. I was lucky in the sense that mine was not violent and there was no physical abuse, but I still felt totally violated and was absolutely petrified with fear. In high school, date rape is not discussed..at least not in the late 80's it wasn't. But when you get to college, it's all around you...warnings, meetings, flyers, posters...you're barraged with information. It wasn't until I met someone my senior year who had been violently raped an assaulted that I was finally able to put a name to what I had been through. Even the year before when I had gone in to the Counseling Center and mentioned it to the instake counselor...she wanted to send me to a rape survivors group..but I was so in denial that I needed that.

What I have always HATED about discussing it with people, especially men, is that when those words come out of your mouth people look at you like you are broken and that they don't know how to fix you. They get a look that comes over their faces that is filled with all of the pity in the world. I hate being treated like I am broken...simply because I am not broken and I do not need fixing.

Anyways...sorry to rant. Hope you're all enjoying your day or at least not being done under by too much stress and angst.

Sorry I haven't been around.
I'm so down.
Reading the posts, but I'm too bummed/tired/etc. to reply.
Got TOM for the first time in about 5 months.
No meds, no nothing.
I think it's because I lost 30 pounds.

hey emotional eaters - i had a thought the other day that might change your perspective... you KNOW you are emotional eaters. we admit it here time and time again. and sometimes we use that as an excuse to be off track... so heres my thought... how about using that to STAY on track. its just as easy to eat something good for you than a whole chocolate cake. and honestly, in the long run which is REALLY going to make you feel better? having something healthy and feeling good about it, or having a "moment of weakness" and beating yourself up over it? it seems like a vicious cycle.

This all comes down to choices. ya know?

i hope today is filled with good choices for all of you!!