Kayley – I am SO glad that you have an appointment to speak with someone. I truly hope that they can help you to see the wonderful person you are – the wonderful person that WE can see you are. From your posts I can tell that you have a heart of gold and you are always sincere and caring. These are attributes that you need to be proud of and cherish about yourself.
You need to also understand that you have achieved something wonderful with your weight loss so far. Something that many people just dream of. You have taken control of many aspects of your life and have been strong enough to turn your life around. I take my hat off to you!
I look forward to hearing how your meeting goes.
Thursday is going to be an exciting day for you. Good luck on the typing test!
Oh! And your face DEFINITELY looks thinner in this latest avatar! Is that just the lighting or can I see some green left in your hair?
Sharon – I can sympathize with you about having trouble getting all the way across on the monorail ride. Even though I have lost more than half my body weight, I still don’t have a lot of ‘strength’. It is improving since I got the home gym, but I’m still not what I would call ‘strong’ by any way, shape or means. I hear about people riding the exercise bike at number 3 or 4, but I just keep it at 1 and go faster. I just can’t sustain anything higher. Sorry you were caught in such an embarrassing situation though.
Hey! 4lbs is a great loss!! Certainly don’t kick yourself about that. I know… I would prefer the 5lbs if it were me too… but that is still a wonderful loss.
Brenda – It does sound as though you have a full day ahead. It makes me feel downright lazy! This is my first real ‘holiday’ day after the long weekend and I have basically done nothing all morning, except one stint on the treadmill.
I think I would have to do what you have done with South Beach. When I read the book a while ago I just couldn’t even consider not eating fruit. I LOVE fruit! And, like you said, it is SO good for you. It sounds as though you have things well in hand.
Toofatforu2 – Thank you for the lovely compliments. I am so happy when I can offer inspiration to people as I know how important it is to get support and encouragement on this journey. And yes… I DID lose my weight through healthy eating and plenty of exercise. I have a link to a Word document at the top of my pics page that tells about how I have lost my weight. It is a little old and I hope to get it updated over these holidays, but hopefully it will still be of some help.
Good luck on your own journey!
Mokster – It is SO great to see you here. I’m sure that many men are not comfortable with this type of forum and they have NO idea the wonderful support network they are missing out on. I hope to see you posting often and letting us know how you are progressing.
It is terrific seeing you so excited about exercising. I just admit that when I first started on my journey I wasn’t that excited about exercising, but I always loved how I felt afterwards. When I got my treadmill I got to look forward to using it, and now I have the exercise bike and home gym as well for variety. My problem now is trying to stop myself from OVER-exercising as I just don’t feel right if I miss a workout.
All the best to you on your journey to a healthier you!
Jill – I’m glad you didn’t have to battle the spiders at the weekend. Even though you ‘splurged’ a little on the food, you obviously still did pretty well overall, which is wonderful.
I hope you have a great time at your sister’s wedding. I would love to see a pic of you all dressed up, but will understand if you don’t take pics seeing as you don’t feel that comfortable in your dress. I can’t remember, but are you in the wedding party? I get a feeling you may be or you would have just chosen a different outfit to wear that you were happier with. I hope you still get to thoroughly enjoy yourself and don’t worry too much about how you look, although I know that is easier said than done.
It sounds as though you are pretty unsure of your relationship with Jeff, but you know that he is a very special person. Perhaps you need to ‘spice’ things up a little. I only say that because that is what I have decided to do with my marriage. I have a feeling that I have been taking Neil for granted for a while now and I truly don’t appreciate what a wonderful person he is and how lucky I am to be with him. I am one of those people who believe that we are soul mates and we were simply ‘meant to be together’. I have just let myself get really comfortable with the relationship and I have decided to add a little something now and then. I am trying to be more spontaneous with my affection and am trying to organize nights out or away. I’m not sure what other things yet, but hopefully they will bring more ‘zing’ back into our lives. Good luck with your relationship!
Nancy – It is great that you are beginning to see this as a ‘lifestyle’. Trust me, it took me a long time to reach that mindset. It is just SO reassuring when you realize that this can be for life, and it is not some impossible dream.
I’m glad you checked on the MRI machines. It sounds as though things have turned out fine with the change. I am sure you are just looking forward to when this is all over and done with. I hope things move a little faster from here on in.
Ammi – Great to hear from you! I certainly hope you make it to the doctor’s this time. I am probably more interested in the results than you are!lol I agree that it doesn’t sound like anything urgent, I just like to know results of tests like that. I usually can’t wait to get my results and worry until I do. You are obviously a far more patient person than I am.
I love your positive attitude about the scales maybe showing an increase. At least you are still willing to get back into things and improve your life from tomorrow onwards. I truly believe that you only fail if you fail to keep trying.
Amy – I am SO sorry to hear about Michelle. I can understand your deep feelings, even though you weren’t close. I never really know how to deal with death. I just don’t cope well at all, and I never know what to say to people. I just try to block things like that from my mind, which probably makes me come across as cold at times, but it is simply a survival technique that I must use. I am like you, and it brings people’s vulnerability too close to home and the heart. I would prefer to just believe that all is well and good with the world and that family and friends will live forever. Silly I know, but I’ll cope with the reality when I have to.
I am sorry your sister isn’t taking the news of your move well. Do you think it is just that she will miss you so much and she is directing that emotion in another direction, which is why she is telling you that you are making the wrong decision? She could also just be doing it to be a pain in the butt, but I wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt before condemning her.
I am so happy that you are excited about this change in your life. I don’t take change well and would be a nervous wreck, but you are showing me that change can be a GOOD thing, not something to fear. Good luck with those jobs!
Sorry to hear you are sick by the way. I hope you are feeling better real soon. I’m glad you have a couple of days off work to recuperate. Don’t do too much exercise will you? You don’t want to make things worse. I can understand you wanting to still do something, but don’t get carried away – that is something you can leave for ME, as I always seem to do things like that. Simply “Do as I say and not as I do”. That seems to be the best policy when listening to my advice.lol
Julee – Well done on getting to the gym so often! You are doing SO well.
It was wonderful to read about your visit to Disneyland. We were there last September and I loved every minute of it! We spend 3 hours the first night we arrived in Anaheim and then the whole next day. I’m sure I still didn’t see everything I wanted to, but we still did pretty well. We didn’t even get to California Adventure (or whatever it is called). I did the important things though, like get my photo taken with Winnie the Pooh and Mickey Mouse. I may have been the only adult getting my photo taken, but I didn’t care one little bit. I spent the day being a kid and I loved every minute of it. You did well to eat well while you were there. It took us a while, but we managed to find a delicious salad, then we found some packs of vegetable sticks for later. There were LOTS of tempting unhealthy choices there, but it was great to find some healthy ones as well.
I hope your time with your mother goes well. I only live an hour and a half from my parents and I don’t see them very often – by choice. Last time we went they were very critical of an overweight relation and I just felt that this must be the way they spoke about me when I was overweight. I just didn’t feel comfortable at all. Things have been like that for a while, and I feel bad about feeling that way, but I can live with it. I sometimes feel as though I should just have a deep and meaningful talk with them one day, but I think it would hurt their feelings and I’m not ready to do that. I’ve been writing some notes on my weight loss, with the plan of maybe writing a book, and there are some eye-opening comments about my parents in there. I have a feeling that those may be something that stop me from ever actually publishing the book. I just don’t want to make them feel bad, no matter how bad they’ve made me feel in the past. Wow… I’ve never actually talked about that before. Sorry to go off on my own tangent. I truly do hope that you and your mother have a great time together.
Getting R.E.A.L. – I know you will love it here. You have found a place to receive wonderful support, advice and encouragement. We will laugh, cry, shout, cheer and ache with you. We understand where you are coming from and know where you want to get to. I look forward to hearing more from you.
Wyllen – I’m glad that you can see what you are doing now becoming an established lifestyle. From what I have read in your posts, you are well on your way!
Yep… I didn’t do any other exercise that day. I’m a little worried that I could be doing too much exercise again, but compared to some people on 3FC, I am doing next to nothing! I think I have to stop comparing myself to others, just like I tell the kids at school. I may have to ‘practice what I preach’ with this one.
I’m so sorry about your husband’s job. I’m glad you have funds to tide you over, but it is still a stressful situation to be in. I worry SO much about money that I would be hopeless if Neil lost his job. We could survive on my wage, but we would have to make some major changes to our living standards. I hope something else comes along for him soon.
Moving and Shaking – I think that maybe you should see a doctor about your foot/ankle. I know that you really want to exercise, but as you said, you don’t want to do so much damage that you have to wait even longer to get back into working out. I can’t really offer any suggestions for outdoor activities that wouldn’t put any stress on your ankle, but I have a home gym at home and most exercises on that are for the legs and upper body, and can be done while sitting. We have a couple of parks around that have equipment like this set around them, perhaps you could find somewhere like that. I know that is not really useful, but it is the best I can think of at the moment.
Lilion – I’m glad that the trailer seems all sorted out now. Good idea to have a contract written up to show current ‘damage’, as it seems as though your previous tenant had a very selective memory about things like that.
Your SCA weekend sounds like a resounding success! It is wonderful that your son was able to compete with the adults. I had to chuckle about him not being happy that he didn’t win. Did he get that competitive streak from his mom or dad?
Great NSV about getting that comment about your weight loss! Even though you feel as though you hadn’t done well over the weekend, at least this shows just how well you have done so far and what a great job you’ve done. You deserve comments like that!
Mel – Thank you for the lovely comments. I truly do believe that many of you here are well on your way to this being a way of life, not just a ‘diet’ or quick fix. When I read what you are all doing, with resisting temptation and sticking to exercising even though you don’t really feel like it, I know that you are committed and you can’t help but succeed then.
Valerie – I’m glad the weather has been nice for your respite from the ‘cage’. It wouldn’t have been much fun to have to stay in the house when you are finally free from the road for a while.
It is very reassuring to hear that you have plenty of support for whatever decision you make about your life. It can be a very stressful time and it is important to know that people will be there for you, no matter what you decide. Worrying about other people’s reactions can often colour what we choose to do and that isn’t something you need added to the equation.
Luan – You haven’t mentioned what you have been studying lately. Any hints or tips for us? I was wondering how you know if you are a ‘summer’ or ‘winter’ person. You may not know the answer, but perhaps someone does. I often look at Avon colour palettes and they talk about these types of colourings. I used to be a summer, but I seem to be leaning towards winter colours lately. I don’t want to choose the wrong colours and look weird! Just something I have been wondering about and I thought that maybe you would be able to give me advice. Believe me, I need help! I kinda didn’t use much makeup before and now I want to try a few more things. I’m just not always sure what to try and what to do with it!
Sharon – Thank you for the lovely comment!
I’m sure your husband is thrilled with the ‘new’ you! I was like that for a while, but I had problems with the contraceptive needle and things haven’t been ‘right’ for a while on that side of things, so my poor hubby is probably feeling a little deprived. (I know… too much information) I’ve made an appt with a gynecologist in a month or so (booked up till then) so hope to get some answers then.
And YES! That is VERY good exercise. Burns off LOTS of calories.
Well, I’ve written another novel, so I hoped I haven’t missed anyone.
Things are pretty good this end I suppose. Well… perhaps not that good. My weight is up more than I would like it to be, so I am REALLY hoping that TOM is coming. It was due a couple of weeks ago, but I know that my ‘system’ is still settling into some kind of routine, so I’m not overly worried. No pregnancy scares, so that is OK. I just really don’t like the scales to go up with no reason. My weight is often a little higher on Sunday and Monday and I am still trying to work out why that is, now it is up again! It hasn’t reached the limit I set myself, of 5lbs up, but it is heading there. I suppose I am not really as worried as I sound, as I KNOW that I can get it down again, but I still don’t ‘like’ these increases.
I may have been a little naughty again too, as far as exercising goes. I hurt my back on Sunday night. I actually felt something pull when I bent to pick something up. I have had trouble with my back for years and go to the chiropractor regularly for maintenance. I was only there last Monday, but I may have to book in an extra visit if things don’t improve.
Anyway… getting back to the naughty part. I STILL did a L-O-N-G walk Monday morning (as in 6 miles) and then today I was going to rest, but by 10:30am I was feeling OK, so I went on the treadmill for an hour (at a slower pace than usual – around 4.2mph), which I thought would be it for the day, but then I got the urge to still go on the bike just before dinner for half an hour. Now, my back didn’t hurt doing any of this, but it still hurts at times when I am getting up or down. I am not sure whether I should be resting it totally or not. I may have to go to the chiropractor just to ask him about exercising at times like this. I can also feel my leg muscles more than usual, so I may be overdoing things a little. I have been jogging for intervals on the treadmill, which I only just started and I am really enjoying that, but may be doing too much too soon. Oh dear! I wish it was all just a little easier to work out!
Anyway, other than that, I don’t think I have been doing too badly. I have had the munchies a little, which is another thing that tells me that TOM could be coming. I don’t usually get the munchies. I am usually just happy with my usual meals and snacks. I have been having a couple of little extras, and even though they are healthy, I know that I really don’t ‘need’ them. Still, Jodie (dietitian friend) said that sometimes you just have to give in to cravings, so I am not kicking myself about them.
Well, that is about all from me. I can hear the collective sigh of relief from here!LOL I do tend to go on a little huh? I do enjoy ‘chatting’ with my friends here.
I hope you all have a wonderful post-Easter week!
Take care,
Zelma
I know there's no way I can possibly do replies...but I thought I'd do a few, we'll see. I suspect some of what I'll say to one will apply to others.
everything else I was positively ill! My stomach did NOT like me and I don't like myself either! Sooo....must get back on track! NOW!
You are our new guy, right? MMMMmmmm, Donuts! 
I'd have one heck of a time losing weight with your job. Great to have a male point of view...hope you don't mind a bit of girl talk! 
I totally agree with what you were told about exercise. I have an eliptical. The first time I got on it...I did I think 3 minutes. I've managed to get up to 15...but that was a while ago. I expect I'll be back down to 10 when I start again. Don't set yourself up to fail by having your expectations too high.
*** It hits really hard when someone dies so young, doesn't it? It's rather terrifying I think - too close, and too personal. I'm sorry.
I just wish I could get back to where I was a few months ago with great eating habits, consistant exercise, and weight loss. It will come. I'm still determined, even if a bit discouraged for a moment.
seriously though give him a hug, I'm sure that there's some better job out there for him.
