Yeah, I would like to at least wear a tank top outside by summer. I'm soooo self-conscious about my body. I'm always covered up!

LOL ... I doubt highly I would ever have the "balls" to wear a string, even being skinny! I'll be in a halter and sarong like you'll be.

Your posts about LB are soo funny - but kinda sad they are true. We have one here and I love it! They always have great sales - the one thing I have always wondered is why the store prices for Jeans are so much higher than their catalog prices for Jeans? Same stuff - same store - just seems like they'd have same prices...

I am new here too and have much more to lose than you guys - I am short too and it seems to take me forever to lose any weight! and then when I do I get to 5 pounds lost and then I can't seem to lose more.. so then a couple months go by and I gain back 6 pounds - So I always feel stuck!

I am doing my best this past year - I ONLY drink diet soda now - man was that a hard switch - but I love it now and can always tell when it isn't diet.
I'm trying to drink way more water, cut back sweets, eat smaller portions and exercise way more..
Maybe all of this will eventually make a difference.. I hope.

I am not from Massachusetts but I love it there! I could live in Salem year round I think.. lol But I too think it would be great to find someone from here <WA> to set goals with.
Good luck to all in their goals...

Salem is awesome. There is so much history there with the witch trials and all. Also, Plymouth is the bomb. I mean that's where the pilgrims settled!! You can't get any better than that, lol.

My plan is the same as yours, Shonna. Cut down, eliminate things, add exercise, etc. Although today I stopped into Dunkin Donuts, I am proud to say that I only had a lite iced latte with 2 Splendas. I forgot to ask for small, though. She gave me medium and believe me I chugged that baby down. I used to get a bagel w/cream cheese, a donut and an iced coffee (extra, extra). I think that's a big step down!!!

LITTLE SECRETS ABOUT LANE BRYANT: There are two different companies. One is the Lane Bryant store, which is the original LB. The next one is the Lane Bryant catalog, which is owned by someone else and just pays to use the LB name. That's why the brands (Cacique, Venezia, etc.) aren't featured in the catalog. It's strange. It's like we really have nothing to do with the catalog, however, if a customer has a problem with catalog clothes they can return them to any Lane Bryant. The jeans are more expensive in the stores because they are coming directly from the real Lane Bryant. Plus, we have the new Seven7 line which is awesome, but the jeans are like $100 a pair.

After I had my first child (10 years ago) I made my husband take me a mall 1.5 hours away (I lived in a tiny town). I shopped as many stores as I could to find sexy underwear U.S. size 8. They all went to size 7. By the last store I was so disgusted and upset that I went ballistic and cried all over the sales clerk. She was VERY uncomfortable. I was pissed. My self esteem was taking a hit. I just had a baby for crying out loud. Today, I wear cotton underpants. I have a few sexy underwear, but to **** with it all. I don't wear thong and it is hard to find really good and comfortable sexy underwear.

OMG... these are HILARIOUS - and SO TRUE, I'm sure. People are stupid. LOL! But, YOU?! YOU have a fabulous sense of humor. I like you already.

LOL, it's ashame that they're true, but believe it or not my self-esteem has been raised by these idiots. I know that I'm never going to act like them and that I have more common sense in my little chubby finger then then do in their whole bodies. Don't get me wrong, I'm not anti-thin. I'm anti-stupid, lol. It's crazy. You should hear the lines I've heard from guys trying to date me. It's like they're making a sacrifice by taking a big gal to dinner. I think they're afraid I'm going to eat so much that they're going to have to take out a loan to pay for the meal. Here are a few classics that I've heard from guys:

1. "It's OK. I went out with a fat girl once." -- Does that make you a hero? Are you brave enough to sacrifice yourself to date one of us? Please. He couldn't even spell his own name, never mind L-O-S-E-R. I did NOT go out with this one (but my friend did ... lol).

2. "I have a sister who's fat. Maybe you know her?" -- What are people thinking? That's like asking a black person, "I have a friend name Joe. He's black. Do you know him?" No, we don't all know each other, idiot.

3. "Where do you get your clothes?" -- Apparently since the circus wasn't in town, he was clueless as to where I would find clothes big enough to surround my body. I buy my clothes at a store, you moron, just like everyone else.

4. "I have a friend who likes fat girls." -- Thanks for calling me fat, and in a liquor store yet. Oh, and no thanks. I'll pass on your fat-girl-loving-friend who is passed out from drinking all night in the front seat of your pickup.

5. "I'll take you to dinner, but let me cash my check first." -- LMAO! This didn't really mean anything, but it just sounded hilarious. LOL! Like he was breaking the bank to take me to dinner because GOD KNOWS I'm gonna chow.

6. "You have such a pretty face." -- Who hasn't heard this one?

There are so many others, but I have to tell you, my all time favorite is this:

I was online chatting with this dude from my area. On my profile it said that I had "more to love." Anyway, the conversation went something like this:
Moron: More to love? What does that mean?
Me: It means that I am big.
Moron: Oh ... like tall?
Me: No, I'm 5'3".
Moron: Oh ... so, you're big ... like fat?
Me: I'm a larger size, yes (at this point I was like F*** YOU)
Moron: Oh man ... like how big?
Me: (because he was getting on my nerves) Oh, like reeeeeeeeeeeally big.
Moron: Um ... oh ... I'll talk to you on Monday.

Apparently, Mondays are "National Fat Chick Conversation Day." People are crazy.

ROFL ... Oh I would soo love to go out on the town with you hun rofl ...

Good grief .. and to think I have heard a bunch of those lines too .. (esp that pretty face one ... so temptin to slap em one lol) .. the other one for me is the boob issue ..

Im 5'9.5" ... and unfortunately I seem to meet a lot of guys that arent too much taller than me ... I tell you what .. the boobs get better conversations than the pretty face does! The guy stands there (or sits there) talking to me .. but his eyes are lower than my face .. so instead he is having a conversation with "the girls" .. then he asks a question, which I dont answer .. FINALLY he looks into my face .. repeats the question ... my response?? "Ohhhh .. you were talking to me?? Sorry . I thought you were talking to my boobs and were waiting for them to answer you!" .. rofl .. some of the guys are sooo funny ..

The more I meet men . the more I like my dogs .. fortunately for my hunny he was born in the year of the dog so he fits into that category too rofl

OMG....I almost peed my pants reading those! You need to take those to amateur night!!

I wish!!! I'd probably fall up the stairs getting on stage and that would be the funniest part, lmao!

Hey hun .. nice to see you on the boards .. have missed your smiling wit

Huggies

Hey chickie!! I haven't been on in a while. I missed this place!

OMG, I have so enjoyed your conversation (hope you didnt mind me reading it?) I got comments about 'being pretty and if ya shed some' and all that crap!! You know what, if ya dont like the way i look, dont bloody look at me.lol. My downfall is fat coke, I adore it. I can drink 6 litres a day. Luv laura xxxx

OH MAN! Another Laura that loves Coke?? That is ME to the core. Well, let me tell you, I've cut down from having several liters a day to just having one can, and I've lost 7 lbs.!!!! It's crazy. I was soooo sick the first week off Coke because I was getting migraines from the lack of caffeine. It's sooo delicious, yet it bloats you so much!!! I feel better now that I only have 1 can a day. It's really hard, though. It's so tempting. I have a can in my pocketbook right now.

I don't mind if anyone reads my convo!!!! I love posting here! Everyone here is so gorgeous and funny; it's like a chubby summer camp!!!

I'm so in love with fat coke im thinking bout having it tattoed on my arse!! A lil coke bottle with 'the real thing' or 'coca cola is this' underneath ha ha ha ha. Water totally bores me, as for diet or zero...... well lets not go there. It has to be fat, plain fat, cherry fat or vanilla fat. My xmas tree is full of lil coke ornaments that we get from the states. I swear coke and cadburys, i should have shares.
Come to think of it.......... how tasty is the letter C
Coke
Crisps
Chocolate
Chinese
Curries
Cakes
Chips (fries to you)
Crab
Chicken (kfC)
Ciabatta etc the list goes on....................... mmmmmmmmmmmmmm cccc

OMG! My favorite candy is the Cadbury Mini Eggs that we have here for Easter. I LOVE THEM! I fell one time at a drug store running to get them.

My whole kitchen was done in Coke style when I was at my old apartment. I loved it!