Hi y'all....I didn't come on here while I had a two week birthday blitz! The good news is that I somehow managed to lose a pound during it all. This has been an amazing diet and really is a lifestyle change. I'm a pound away from my original goal weight and I've lowered that down another 5. Starting on Nov 18 and going thru the holwidaze and b-day and superbowl and even Vegas has shown me I can do it...and how to do it. I have to say, the folks on the Ideal Protein board are losing masses of weight and fast, too. i did the Alternate Ideal Protein and now I'm in phase 2.

But! I'm a siingle gal and don't have to deal w/ DH or kids plus their food. I've had to scour my life of any food other than protein and veggies. And believe me...the triggers and temptations are still there. My shopping habits have changed big time. Last Sunday I purchased for the week: 2 heads cabbage, 2 heads califlower, 2 boxes mushrooms, 4 red peppers, 2 bags spinach, 2 bags celery, 3 cukes, broccoli, eggs, chicken, fish, EVOO. I had to laugh as I watched it go down the conveyor belt @ checkstand.

Sure, I want to be healthy blahblahblah....but the big goal is to look good on my bike this summer! And even wear a belt! Frank has new tires, grips, and a new sissy bar configuration (my design). Right now, his seat is in upholstery shop getting some love. Thinking I'll bling Frank a bit after seeing the fine job Reda did on hers! Hey, 4 of us bought leopard jeans in Sturgis last year (yikes). I wore mine for the first time last Sunday on a pancake ride...and they fit!!

It's great to see everyone here....all of us Road Brothas and Sistahs. This is a great place to meet...a very unique crowd!
Sunset

PS...hey Leatherman....your icon is a pic of you holding up a couple of us, right?

Well Im not sure how long my job at Dunkin Donuts will last. They called me last night to tell me that they need to cut hours back & to not bother going in this week. They have only been scheduling me 1 day a week as it was. Since I had an inkling anyway with the comments I've been getting from friends about them & driving by & seeing no one in the parking lot nor in the drive threw I have decided to try something new. My cousin has been doing it & selling it for more then a year now & she loves it. I have decided to sell It Works products. I am in the process of touching up my Facebook page for it. I created it cuz the site they supply us with I do not like. I think its hard to navigate & there is no way of personalizing it. If anyone is interested in checking it out my FB is https://www.facebook.com/goodskinnywrapgirl and the It Works 1 is http://www.goodskinnywrapgirl.myitworks.com Hope those work. Hope it works out for me. Its something that I can do from here or any place we end up living. I need to add more info to the FB page so I know what I will be doing when Im not playing any games on FB

I also had a Dr checkup this last week. I am up to 130 now cuz all Ive been wanting to do is eat latley. I was a bit jittery this morning so that is my clue that I need to get better at what type of foods Im eating again & not so much of the sweeter stuff.

Dawn my DIL sells It Works, I have not tried it though, but one of my friends has tried it and she says she notices a difference-
I am sure you will like this much better than Dunkin Donuts even though it was only 1 day a week - Good Luck with it

So my Super Great News is I start my new job on Monday already- it is with the State of SD so great benefits and great pay as well- still taking a pay cut but it will be so worth it I am excited about the new job- I am just hoping that I will like a desk job???

Well I am packing as we are heading to Deadwood this weekend - figure we better get one last getaway in before the new job

Holly it is very hard when others at home don't try to help you out- my DH thinks I am fine just the way I am but I keep telling him that it surely wouldn't hurt for me to shed some pounds - I like to believe if I was single
I would have all the control and would be a skinny person but I know that is not 100% full proof at all- I guess we just do what we can do and go from there.....

Sunset glad the new way of life is working for you - and that you are looking HOT, and I know you are in those new leopard pants you bought!!!

Well gotta go- have a great weekend

Reda, CONGRATS!! and today is your first day? I can't imagine the joy of a M-F, 9-ish to 5-ish job .... I hope you love it

Dawn I will have to check out your new venture, best wishes

Sunster, you are so determined and boy have you been getting the results of that ! congrats so much on your success

Same ol crap for me, I was so hungry at work yesterday, I tried to slip into a corner to eat my yogurt and still customers streaming in..while the boss and his wife are yapping to friends, boy do i hate people sometimes and NO being hungry doesn't lead me to lose weight; then I just snap and steal a big cookie and eat that as I go downstairs to get grocery bags. I suck too...ugh. Bad mindset this morning.

Hi Gals. I have bounced back up 5 lbs to 259. This was after a week of eating out and a few parties. But I am back down to the weight I was before I got laid off on the 1st of December. I still have a ways to go if I want to get back in to my leather pants I bought after I lost my weight. We have snow with a side order of more snow this winter, and I have cabin fever. Hi Sunster2 Yes I can carry you gals on my shoulders. I wanted to be a bodybuilder back in high school . I lifted weights for 2 hours, almost every day back in school.

Hey gals and guy! Once again, I have been MIA. I guess just everyday life gets to me and since I sit in front of a computer all day I don't do it at night.

Reda, CONGRATS on your new job! I am glad you will have a "normal" life and I bet you will be too. The benefits are awesome to have (since I am considered a state employee too).... the retirement is AWESOME!

Dawn, Congrats on your new job(s)..... where are you moving to?

Sunster, you seem to be holding pretty steady. Good Job!

Holly, I am glad the Rat B' is being better to you $ wise, but I would agree with you... he maybe just "wooing" you to stay.
Also, I agree with the teacher being rude..... that was uncalled for. But just so you don't think it is "your organization"...... my DH is the DARE officer here (teaching against drugs and violence).... it is HARD for him to get into schools too..... b/c of the national test results. The teachers were not teaching what they should have been..... the students did poorly and now they are on a strict curriculum.

Ok..... so I have some news.... first of all... let me tell you my ticker is NOT correct. I am almost back to where I started at first.... which is very sad. And I don't want to go through what I did before. So, with that said.... I am having a gastric sleeve at the end of this month....... in MEXICO... my ins will not pay b/c I lost weight before and I have not been "morbidly obese" for 3 straight years (my bad for losing weight).
I have researched a lot. I am not doing the "drive by" thing where they do it in a shopping mall.... it is a real hospital with a dual citizenship doctor who also trained in the US. I know it is dangerous.... but it can be just as dangerous here. The "package" I selected they will pick me up at the airport, I will go to my hotel, have surgery next day, stay in hotel for 3 days and they will take me back to San Diego and I will fly home.
I know people think it is the "easy" way out.... but I have been on a DIET for 24.5 years.... I am sick of yo-yoing...... I have a horrible family history of heart disease on both sides... So..... that was my choice. And I will do exactly what I need to the letter..... I am hoping to be down 75 pounds by the end of the year. I am hoping to lose 100 pounds in all.
I am so tired of not riding my bike b/c I can't fit in my leather and I look so fat..... I am tired of just being tired.... and starting a "calorie or carb" diet every Monday.
The potential plus side of this.... it may fix my other tummy problem.

So, feel free to let me know your thoughts... either positive or negative.

PS..... I am looking for someone to go with me..... all you would need is to have a passport..... and minimal $ for you to eat on. The rest would be covered under my plan..... My DH won't go and I don't have anyone else to go..... PM me if you are interested...... Feb 27-March4.

Tammy

Oh Tammy sweetie....I'm speaking for myself ...but I bet all of us here know the struggle, the battle, the hopeless feelings that you have. I say whatever it takes to "git er done" and really be done w' this, seemingly, forever battle.

I know a gal who had the same procedure as you and is very pleased. She calls it her "sheriff"and has lost 100lbs. I'm looking forward to reading abut your progress! Bravo!!!
sun

Sunster,
Thank you sooooo much! I appreciate it more than you know.

I will keep you all posted.

I am reading "my" package of information now.... and it does sound like a sheriff.... that is kinda a cool analogy of it.

Again, Thanks!

tammy

Tammy I think that is awesome!! you did research and I think the package idea is kewl..I WISH i could go with you!!

Thanks everyone. I am very excited Friday Feb 21 is my Launch party. My cousin (mentor) was asking about airports around here so I asked if she was coming to visit & thats when she said ya she wants to have a launch part for me. It from her flying to her & possibly my other cousin (who also sells the It Works) to my aunt is going to drive the 3 of them here! It has turned into a mini family reuonin for me.

I did break down & opened one of the 4 body applicators I had. I used it on my son cuz he was asking about it & I wanted to see 1st hand. There was a small difference in the before & after photo & my understanding is that it continues to do its thing for up to 72 hours after the wrap is taken off. I keep asking him if he tried on his skinny jeans to see if he noticed a difference but he hasn't. We didn't have a measuring tape to use before we started.

We plan on moving to Las Vegas sometime this yr. We are not sure when it will happen but this winter is our last here. It was 37 today & it felt so good to all the below zero stuff we've been having. I hope my aunt & cousins have nice weather for their drive. This weekend DH & I plan to go to chicago for he weekend. While we are there DH wants to go to the veterans museum. Other then that we are just going to enjoy the hotel tub & watch movies.

Tammy- if I wasn't just starting a new job I would have totally went with you! I have passport and all already What town in Mexico are you going to? I have several friends that have had this surgery done 3 of the 4 have made it work for years and I am talking 10+ years but the 4th well he is gaining the weight back and pretty rapidly...
and this after losing almost 200 LBS- you really have to follow the plan even after you loose the weight you are wanting to loose. So how much is the procedure going to run you going to Mexico as opposed to having it in the States? I think now a days it is a very standard procedure as well, and it is great that they don't have a big incision any more either

No negative from me either because you know the struggles of taking it off and keeping it off and it is no easy task that's for sure.

Well make sure that you keep us informed on how it is going- Does the hotel you are going to have Wi-Fi? Take your computer so you can check in with us

Dawn - Vegas oh how the warmth sounds so good- good luck with your launch party next Friday and getting to see your family memebers

Thank you all so much for the support!!!

I am going to Tijuana. My Dr is going to be Dr. Jacquline Osuna, the hospital is Mi Doctor. My DH has decided to go b/c his boss told him that his wife had a "routine" surgery here in the states and she needed him there and he was not there. So, he is going.

I started my "pre surgery" diet.... not really pleasant. The point of it is to reduce the size of the liver (an overweight person's liver has fat around it), so it will be far away from the stomach. Then next week I do the clear liquid diet..... fun stuff.... lol.

Basically when I get to eat "solid" food, it will be more or less low carbs. So, I "could" be at goal by the end of the year.

I have fixed my ticker.... it is correct as of today...... My goal lower weight has been moved lower than what I was before.

Again, Thanks for your support.

Hey Tammy...I see that you and I are both tall gals and we have the same goal weight. We'll be lookin' good on those bikes, eh?! So, how about posting around your house some past pix of yourself on bike that u like? Here's a longshot.... look around Google and find a female on your bike and then photoshop your head on to it?? that's a lot of work, but something to do while on the clear liquid portion of your journey?! I'm so glad your DH will be going with you!

Reda....how was week one on your new job?
Sun

Sunster, that's a great idea about the photo shopped bike. I will try it.

I am on day 2 of the pre op.... I won't lie.... I don't like it!!!!! Lol. But this too shall pass.

Reda, do tell about job.