Weigh in went wonderful...down 5lbs!!!! Yeah. So my slip ups didn't completely mess me up I'm glad to see. This is just a quick one to share that news as I have sooooo much to do today. I have to do the laundry for the week, make my lunches, I STILL have to seperate out and marinate my chicken breasts, and as soon as the girls are up from nap it's quick baths for them and we are going to see my grandmother for a bit. She lives about an hour away and doesn't get to see the girls much.

I also realized I need to change my exercise goal...I have it running from monday to monday and my weigh in is on Sunday so I am going to make it match the weigh in day. I haven't done any exercise yet today, but when I do I will count one mile toward my goal for this week, so that I meet that goal, and the rest toward next weeks goal. That's a stray thought and mostly for my benefit.

Okay off to work I go...house work that is Back in a bit...

Ammi – If you can get that gym membership, that would be fantastic. I like my gym since it is in my building at work, but I would have loved to have one with a pool – I love swimming. If I stop working there and need to get a membership somewhere else, I will try and choose one with a pool.

Zelma – You are right – I should always keep an extra set at work so that I always have a set. I will pack two for Monday and leave one there. Regarding bathing suits, at some point I decided that I was no fatter in or out of a bathing suit so I might as well just wear one and enjoy myself. Unfortunately I have to be super careful because I can burn VERY easily. My BF’s uncle works in the Bahamas and we got to go there several times. A few people stare, but they tend to stare more at the women who decide to take their tops off, so I am OK with that. It is not a nude beach, but it is very laissez faire. The hardest part for me is actually walking on sand. Just walking a few feet can be so tiring. Hopefully next time I go it will be much easier.

Actually, I have some pictures of me in bike shorts that my BF recently posted online. When he took them I had no idea he was going to put them in his online album. I thought to protest because I was in my house clothes, but then I thought, who cares? I want to not be ashamed of myself, even if I am not thrilled with my current size. So here’s the link: http://homepage.mac.com/rumbeard/Boo...toAlbum34.html

BeingMe – Wow, it is amazing to hear some of your comments about where you live. I always think it is hard enough here being large, but it must be that much more difficult if people feel it is OK to treat you like that.

HippeMomma – You must be so excited about your delivery. That is fantastic that you have such a healthy pregnancy. We will definitely want to see a picture!

Regarding the Biggest Loser, I know there are a number of threads on this board dedicated to people who watch the show, read the books and have the DVD. You could try posting over on one of those boards and they should know. I have never seen it, although I hope to catch it next season.

Amber – I totally know what you mean about buying all those fruits and veggies. I used to try and only go to the store every couple of weeks, and of course you can’t do that if you are eating fresh stuff. When I lived in Atlanta I had a place I loved shopping in (boy do I miss the Dekalb Farmer’s Market) and would go a couple times a week. I haven’t found anywhere here that I really like to go except for Trader Joe’s, but they are a bit out of my way.


I had a very productive day yesterday – cleaned around the house, cleaned the car, and went to Target and Trader Joe’s and got a lot of shopping done. I got a really cool new water bottle that holds 24 oz. and I will be able to bring with me everywhere. I also got special Tupperware to take nice big salads to work for lunch instead of always getting them in the cafeteria. I am spending way too much money on lunches. It was also amazing just how much more energy I had. I still was pretty wiped out when I got home, but it took much longer to get there.

Well, I am off now to try a new workout DVD I got this week. Hope everyone is having a nice weekend.

LAnne - wow 8 lbs lost even after a little treat on Friday that is brilliant news.

Felicia - thanks for your email, will write shortly. Thanks too for the praise at my passing up that Kebab. It took a while to get back on track totally, but now I am here, it feels good.

That's amazing that you are only 8 lbs away from the goal you had originally set yourself for the end of February. Are you keeping the goal the same, or changing it to match how well you are losing? Either way you should be really proud of how well you are doing.

Well come on, don't tell us about winning a prize without telling us what it was Spill the beans, what did you win?? Sounds like a fun idea and a good incentive to keep on losing having a little competition with your best friend.

Amber - 5 lbs down, that is fabulous. Gosh I was losing that kine of weight in a month on my last diet attempt. You are obviously doint a great job of the diet and exercising

Nancy - I think what I am looking forward to the most when I do get that leisure card is that I can go work up a sweat in the gym, and then go for a swim afterwards, with a shower inbetween of course lol. I haven't actually been swimming yet with since my Ileostomy surgery, so I will be pretty worried about the bag staying on. I will conquer that worry though, and I WILL get in the pool.

Good for you for letting your BF put those photos online, and to you for sharing them with us. You wait, you will soon have him posting more photos of you doing the same job and you will see how the lbs are coming off. AND when you get to goal you can do the job in a bikini What were you making anyway, is mead a kind of beer?

Sounds like you had a very busy Saturday, and isn't it brilliant that you didn't get worn out as quickly as you would have prior to dieting. We go through so many years of being overweight and trying to do something about it, and when we do and we start reaping the rewards we have to wonder why we haven't been able to get the weight off before. I will enjoy when I start reaping the rewards myself.

Kayley - wow another great loser, congrats on the 3 lbs lost you must be so pleased. I tell you I am so tempted to weigh just to see if I can come here and write of a loss. But it's not my month yet, so I will just have to wait. Well done to you though, keep up the excellent work

Sharon (voodoo) - I haven't seen you online or posting here this weekend, is everything ok? I hope you and the family are feeling alright.

Bye for now,

Hugs,

Ammi

Felicia - Thanks... I finally just checked out your site, and I bookmarked it! You definately have loads of good recipes! Going to add a few to my growing "cookbook"!

Yesterday, Andrew got an AbLounge...but the weight limit is 250 pounds. He just barely made it at 235 pounds! hehe...
But once I get down to 250, I'll definately be using it, cuz by then, my abs will need all the help they can get! LOL!!!

You've got to love someone with that kind of restraint! I've got to peek at least every Sunday....but I've gotten better since I was a "daily scale slave" myself. I guess the mystery aspect makes it a lot more motivating.

honiangel - I miss going to the zoo now that I dont drive. I love seeing all the animals. The last time I got to go, i witnessed the lions making love...about like us, sbtm

Tashabella - Congrats on the new diet plan. I know what you mean about the fiber. I have been eating bran flakes everyday at least once a day and boy am I having an easy time of being regular...what a great side effect!

BeingMe - When were you diagnosed with PCOS? I had policystic ovarian syndrom in the early 80s and after four laporoscopy surgeries to remove the cysts I had a complete hysterectomy at age 25. I did not even know they had medication to treat the illness. I have been on estrogen ever since and I turned 43 today.

Ammi - you made me laugh about the garlic, thank you...ha ha ha. Thank you for explaining the NSV for me, I was totally lost on that one.

LAnne - Congratulations on the loss...I am so happy for you that is GREAT!

My good news is, I went to the gym today to work out did almost an hour and a half...but I couldnt wait until Tuesday for my weigh in since I was there I had to get on the scales and .....I lost 3 more pounds...Tra La

Happy Day everyone!!

oh yeah, for my birthday I am having fat free, sugar free instant chocolate pudding for lunch and fat free, sugar free instant lime jello for dinner...hoorah

Hello All!

Nancy: I snuck a look at your pictures and didn't expect you to be making mead! My DH and I are starting our first mead soon. It'll be a cyser and we want it to be really sweet. Not a fan of dry. It just amused me because mead just isn't anything one expects to find anyone else brewing around here. I say I'm making mead and most folks thing grog...some kind of thick, gloopy pirate drink. Those photos aren't bad...and think, you've got some nice "before" shots! I've been so camera shy for years that I have barely any!

Hippemomma: WOW! Almost there! Good for you! I only gained 15 lbs with my son....10 years ago. That means you'll be lighter after your baby is born than you were when you concieved! Of course, I made up for that by gaining 20 lbs in 2 months when I was home after! I didn't get milk and had the la leche women telling me "Eat, Eat, You aren't eating enough!" HA!

So many of you have had great losses! Bravo Ladies!

Kayley - lol yep I only weigh once a month. There is a method to my madness though. I weighed daily on a previous diet and the fluctuations were crazy. I would go from losing 1 lb, to 5 lbs, to gaining lbs all in the space of a single day. I think there is more chance of me seeing a gain on the scales if I weigh weekly than if I weigh monthly. So that's what I do, weigh monthly. Oh I am tempted to get on the scales daily, but I have a battery operated one and Daren keeps the battery from me lol.

I have seen those ablounges on TV, they look great. I hope Andrew will enjoy using it and you too when you get to the right weight. It always annoys me that exercise equipment doesn't seem to take the heavier weights when it's those people, us people, that need to exercise even more than the lighter people.

Felicia - wow you set yourself a big amount to lose monthly, especially if you don't lose the 17 lbs the month before. You are certainly motivated though, and with all that exercise you do I think you have a good chance of meeting your goals. Me, I am a chicken, I aim for 4 lbs a month until I can exercise more.

I love the idea of you and your best friend choosing a small prize for each other, it would be like a birthday every month getting a surprise. You will have to tell me what your latest prize ends up being.

Garnetfairy - glad you got a chuckle from the garlic thing, poor me am still suffering from the smell

that is great that you worked out in the gym today, and for such a long time too that's brilliant!! too on losing another 3 lbs. You really are doing amazing.

Have a wonderful birthday and enjoy those low fat treats. You are much better than me, my birthday always means full fat treats lol. Your motivation to get to goal is fantastic, good for you

Ok, now I really must go to sleep, I have an early start tomorrow. Take care all and bye for today,

Hugs,

Ammi

LAnneCarrington - That's what I do as well...Sunday weigh-ins.

GarnetFairy - WOW! Great job on staying at the gym so long! That's dedication! Congrats on your loss as well. Smart choices for your "birthday cake"...lol

Lilion - Good to see you post!

I was going to do my St. Patrick's Day goal today, since I already made my Valentine's Day goal, but I think I'll wait until V-day, so that I'm down more, and can set my goal accordingly.

Today was gorgeous (around 70) and so I planted flowers in 5 planters. It feels wrong to do this in January, but I'll have to get used to it, I guess.

I've been more OP this week than the previous ones. That's the problem with starting back on a program you know - you don't take it as seriously sometimes. I haven't exercised as much as I wanted to (but the DDR disc is fixed so no more problems with that) even though I'm doing okay on my pedometer goal. I just better see some results...

I went shopping with my in-laws today and at the health food store I got some Omega 3-6-9 and chromium GTF supplements to add to my multivitamin. I'm going to give them a month and see if they help noticeably. WW recommends oils (they don't actually recommend the supplements to my knowledge but a lot of people at my meeting take them) and chromium GTF is something my mom recommended a long time ago.

Do any of you take special supplements other than a multivitamin?

Nancy - Mead? Woo-hoo! Boy am I jealous of your setup... Someday when we have a house I really want to make some brews of our own. Mainly sweet things like mead and cyser or hard cider I have a bottle of melomel that a friend gave me when we moved that I need to find a use for! I do need to make my mulberry cordial though before they're in the freezer too long.

Hippiemomma - Good luck! I didn't gain much, if any, with Ian so I ended up under my prepregnancy weight when he was born (10 lbs by himself). So you'll have double the reasons to feel lighter!

Felicia - I wish I could do that! But living with my parents makes it a little difficult...especially when they aren't really dieting either! So I tend to just make the easy chicken when I can!

JJmoreta - Again, I applaud you for being able to keep up with DDR! hehe...I'd hurt something! Congrats for staying OP...makes you feel GREAT, doesn't it? This global warming is crazy. I live in Michigan, and we've had like 3 days of snow since the beginning of December! And it's in the 40's nearly every day!

I also take vitamins...I take Green Tea pills, a Cranberry pill (to keep me clean! lol), Biotine, and my diet smart vitamins. I'm going to get the carb smart vitamins as soon as these are gone. I got them before I started low carbing it, and was just going to cut down on foods...so I wanna use these up.