Gina! va va voom!!!! love your photo and look at that big smile! i also got a chance to read your blog - love it. you are an excellent writer and tell it like it is. the paragraph that you wrote says it all!
"Mental conversations like "hey, it's national if-you're-happy-and-you-know-it,-clap-your-hands Day, better get a Shamrock Shake" were happening way too much"
i live in a small town but OMG, they celebrate everything...seems to be a Shrimp Festival, Oyster roasts, BBQ/Beer Fests, Crab Fests, Chili Cookoffs complete w/ beer trucks and Tiki huts almost every weekend serving up cocktails and wine. and this is hilarious but we are already celebrating St. Patricks day! went to an Irish Fest this past weekend and am still trying to get the water weight off from indulging in too many cocktails. and could not leave the bar until they sang Danny Boy! what fun! but will have to say, was a bit "green" the next day. and should have ordered a huge glass of water like i usually do when having cocktails. the good thing was we ordered burgers and i just ate the burger, onion and pickle and left the bread and fries. i look at carbs and am like, if i eat them, my body will swell up.
then Olive Garden opened up here - i wasn't sure what to order so got the Chicken Marsela and ate 1/3 of it (huge portions) and took the rest home, 2 bites of the mashed potatoes(not worth the carbs) (i should have asked for steamed veggies instead) and was surprised but i didn't care for the bread sticks. loved the all you could eat salad and had 2 and 1/2 bowls- you guys will have to let me know what you would order there.

Way to go everyone on your losses and Jen, woo hoo on getting into your smallest jeans!!

Bigdog - I just pulled up my Restaurant Guide. The next time you go to Olive Garden, here's what it says:

Olive Garden Salad (no croutons, use MRC Dressing), baked fish, grilled steak, or grilled fish with steamed vegetables of the day (no butter), Grilled Pork Loin without sauce.

Hope this helps with next time

thanks, Jen!! they did have a Pasta 3 course special for $12.95 that included a huge chocolate dessert and i really wanted that just for the dessert! the funny thing is w/ the Chicken dish, i also didn't eat the cheese but just ate the chicken and mushrooms... the dressing on the salad was oil and vinegar... i haven't been to an Olive Garden since we moved here from VA (over 18 years ago). i did think it was funny that they offered Wine samples for .25 cents haha i had water :-) Surprise Surprise!! thinking like those dang skinny women!!!

Thanks, Jen - I'm "moving on" as they say. Hopefully won't sabotage myself anymore! You're right... learn from it.

Gina - Congratulations! I was asked if I wanted to be Client of the Month, but I'm not sure... I'm trying to do this secretively, so I'll have to see how I feel. I did introduce myself to a lady at the Center who was also in my Zumba class... just so they wouldn't have to hide me if/when we came in from class to weigh in on the same day....

BigDog - I love your posts! Too funny! You're right about celebrations... I haven't ventured into Olive Garden, but I'm glad you guys have a plan if I should do so!

Have a great day, Ladies!

GINA: you look fabulous! As for the bra - I think that depends on the individual. For me, losing 5 pounds is not going to affect my bra size. I lose in the same order I put on the weight. My first 16 pounds were from my boobs, butt and thighs. Now I am hoping this still holds true for me and I start losing from my mid-section!

Thank you all for sharing your weigh loss journey here - the successes and struggles. It's been a great source of information and inspiration!

Thought I'd post a status update. My scales are still behaving with TTOM just days away. Thank goodness! Not to mention, I'm still doing great since the menu changes and giving up bread for Lent. I didn't fully realize how much that extra slice here or there was holding me back from losing weight. I haven't cheated once in the past week. Crazy! And, I just finished an almost 2 mile run at lunch. Best part of it, I can take a shower in the middle of the day at work. Love it!!!!

Go, Jen!

Gina - my boobs have changed sizes... but not with 5 pounds... it seems like they drop after around 15 or so. This is probably TMI, but they are about the same size within 10 pound losses, just different "volume" and shape... The extra skin seems like it fills out the cup size...

Hello ladies,

I am really enjoying being a part of this group. I have learned a lot this month. Thank you for sharing your experiences.

I started the preconditioning around the second week of this month and have had my final WI for February. I have lost 12.5 lbs. I am absolutely thrilled.

Until next month, Baby Doll

Welcome G! I have PCOS too! This IS the wy to eat when you have PCOS, no doubt about it. Our insulin issues make us way more carb sensitive and make us gain wieght even more easily than a lot of other people. You have come to the right place. Dont buy into all the supplements, though - you, especially, need hormonal guidance from an endricronologist (sp?) or your gyno, not a commission-based sales person. Good luck!

Just sayin: GINA LOOKS AMAZING! You look so much younger, do you realize that??? Really. You are beautiful.

I really need new clothes but I just cant make myself go shopping. I wonder if I am afraid 12s wont really fit. The old ones in my closet do... I have a terrible mental block. I had thought I would wait till I hit 160, but I need some things now and I dont know what difference 6 more pounds will make anyway. Uggh. What is wrong with me? I really think I am afraid of shopping because of all the zillions of times I came away degraded and down because nothing looked good on me. I measured my waistline this morning: it was 38" when I started, today: 32 1/2" Hellooo - that is not bad!

Is anyone else shopping-phobic?

Gina you look WONDERFUL!!!! I don't know about anyone else but it is hard for me to see the difference in myself until I see pictures. Looking in the mirror doesn't do it for me.

WI today went OK. I was back down from the pound up at last WI but am still the same for total loss. Not signing the 60 pound board in February is hard for me. I am worried about making it to my goal now when my program time is up. My DH went to stabilization tonight which makes me happy and ugh at the same time. He cheated a LOT more then I have and he still made it. Yet I'm stuck at the same place for a week and a half now. That would be the UGH!! part. Plus he doesn't exercise at all. It's frustrating when he meets goal in his program time and does all this things that are supposed to make you NOT meet goal. But I still love him and wouldn't trade him for anything. Not even meeting goal within program time.

I have shopper-phobia also. I'm on the tall side and have a problem with things being long enough in the sleeves and the legs both. Plus the larger size didn't help. I have gotten a few things, mainly pants, and have been surprised at what size I am wearing now. I'm hoping to go down one more size at least by the time I reach goal.

First off, thanks all!! I almost didn't post my pictures...but I'd put one of my mom & I on my fb and people started raving...and I want to give other people hope that they can do it!

@ Jen- yup, now my pictures are my built in accountability. I got a message from a college (guy) friend that was also my coworker for 5 years post college. He has lost and kept off about 90 lbs. He said it sounded like I knew what to do to keep it off...but to expect some setbacks but to be ready to kick myself in the butt to get back on track. You are doing so awesome!

@bigdog-its my inlaws and my job that would overcelebrate...DH's fam is big so there was always a birthday or a family member visiting...and work has a potluck at the drop of a hat...and our church has a potluck once a month. I've had to just step away from it all.

@rachel-I'd really kept it a secret, too. That's why I didn't want to post...but hopefully hope is contagious. I've lost quite a bit already in the chest, so I'm hoping 5 lbs doesn't take any more...but I was borderline cupsize when they measured me, so to be safe I'm going to keep my new friend in the bag until I hit my goal...I can always exchange it.

@camaswa-yes, I have trying on clothes anxiety...more so now than I did at size 16 (or even 18). I've had a few instances of thinking I was ready for a 12 (then 10) and when I went to the store I wasn't. So yesterday I would grab a 10 & a 12, a large and a medium top...because honestly in some styles/brands, it's hard to say. And some no matter what size won't look good...that means it isn't the right clothing piece for you! i had lots of that yesterday. I felt bad for my mom because jeans just don't fit her right...I always thought she just tried to wear them too tight, but if they fit her in the hips they gapped huge in the waist...I felt bad after about 20 stores of trying jeans...Khakis are my nemesis...and they happen to be what a majority of my working days require.

@y-thanks! I actually didn't really notice the difference as much until I put the two photos together. I didn't think I looked bad before, and I didn't look "bad"...just more inflated than now. Definitely don't notice it in the mirror...I still see my flaws, even though they are less.

YES!!!! I know exactly what you mean. I think my rock bottom point was getting ready for the cruise I took in January 2010, 3 months after the birth of my munchkin. If you saw my "before" picture, that's when that pic was taken. I had to go buy clothes for it and pre-pregnancy I was a size 12. I went to get pants and I was in utter shock and disbelief when I landed on a size 18 that fit. I cried in the fitting room.

This past December, when I was told they would be taking my "After" picture at the center, I had to get a dress for the pic. I went to the mall and found that gorgeous red dress and another dress. Both were size 8s. I picked them up but was reluctant to go into the dressing room. Yeah, I was wearing size 6 jeans, but for some reason, I thought the 8s wouldn't fit and I'd have to go back out and get 10s or 12s. An associate asked me if I wanted a dressing room and I told her, "Yes, please. Before I lose my nerve." I just knew I was going to need bigger sizes. I put the dresses on and just about cried again in the dressing room. Tears of joy this time. The dresses were actually a bit loose! I asked the associate when she knocked on the door if them came in 6s, but they were out. No matter...I bought both dresses! They were on clearance after all.

Oh yeah! Some of the ladies I work with made a big deal out of it saying "As soon as you lose all that weight we can all go shopping together and get you a whole new wardrobe". I do have a few nice shirts from my thinner days, but honestly I am more of a t-shirt and jeans kind of Gail, You find a size that fits, you get those in different colors or prints (wearing a DOMO t-shirt from Target today), and you are good to go. Even when I lose weight I still have the broad shoulders and big hips. I have never liked shopping for clothes. And yes, there is also the worry about dissapointment. Very congrats on the major waist line loss!