Just popping in to wish everyone a Merry Christmas! Its Christmas eve here so gearing up to watch Christmas movies and eat popcorn, I have two very excited wee boys. Merry Christmas to all and to all Good Night!

Hey everyone, just checking in to say Merry Christmas. I ended up having to go Christmas shopping AGAIN but it went okay. What didn't go well was the BBQ. I overdid it and ate dessert that contained some allergen that triggered my chronic stomach issues in a terrible way so the i had a pretty bad night and to cut a long story short I'm now on antibiotics and a bland diet over Christmas... I'm not a happy camper as this is my favourite time of year. I don't care I'm determined to be better by tomorrow God willing, and I'm going to have some turkey whatever anyone says. Today is supposed to be a fast day (replacing my usual Thursday fast since it's Christmas) and let's just say it's been pretty easy especially since I'm feeling so vomitous! I mean right now, French fries couldn't BEG me to eat them! But I hate being ill. I'd much rather fight the tough battles with cravings than feel this unwell and uncomfortable. It is well though. I have faith I'll be okay soon and this Christmas will be an amazingly blessed one.

I hope you guys are doing okay and I wish you all a very merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas everyone! I'm spending the day at work for 12 hours(hospitals never close!) But at least I still get to spend it with my sister! We work in the same hospital, and today on the same unit.

I don't have much to report. I havent weighed in but my pants are a little more loose so that is a plus. lol

I hope all of you have a wonderful christmas!

Merry Christmas everyone!!!! I'm feeling loads better, thankfully and it's been an awesome day so far! I got wonderful presents including a bicycle (squeeeeee!!!)! I haven't owned a bike since I was about 16, but it's true what they say, you never forget how to ride one.

SkinnyGirl: booooo having to work 12 hours today but yay getting to spend some time with your sister at the very least. Also yay loose pants! Go you!


This is the first Christmas that I can remember spending not in a food coma. It's pretty awesome! I've eaten bits of plain food here and there, and had a thimble of wine to toast the day but it's been good so far- bland food et al! I wish all of you an amazingly blessed and joyous day of peace and love with family and friends! Be well everyone!

I am back and I have weighed in this morning! I have been meaning to come back for about a week now, and I knew the weigh-in was inevitable. I was relieved to learn I am only 15 pounds up from my low. For me, and my ability to gain an extraordinary amount in a small amount of time, that's a win.

I have not gotten caught up on all of the posts that I missed, but I felt like I just needed to plunge in so that I wouldn't feel the incessant need to catch up.

CARTER! - You and Toasted were both heroes for me back in the day, and I am beyond thrilled that you started posting again. And I do know what you mean by the newbies posting heartbreaking stuff sometimes, and needing to be in the right place mentally to respond in a manner that I would consider appropriate. Maybe. You don't really flesh it out, so it might not be precisely the same feeling, but I think I get it.

Toasted - Yay for non-food-coma Christmases! I spent mine in one, and it was awful. Glad you're feeling better, though, and LOVE to see your ticker firmly residing in the 170s!

Diane - You are such a paragon of consistency. One day, I will be you!

Skinnygirldreams - You have been such a great addition to our group! I am excited to get to know you better.

Kelly - Sounds like Christmas Eve was a great time for you and yours. Can't wait to hear the update.

So, my latest breaking point on the weight thing. I have been suffering from weight loss weariness for a while, and my idea to take some time off might not have been the best. Or maybe it was. Who knows? I did gain 15 pounds, so there is that. =) Along the way, I have felt extreme discomfort from overeating, embarrassment over my complete lack of control over food, and frustration at myself when I recognized my clothes getting tight. This may be TMI, so you have been warned, lest you choose to read further. We got pizza last night, and I ate enough to satisfy me, then ate more. Then, ate dessert. More than one helping. I went to bed feeling stuffed and uncomfortable. My husband came to bed shortly thereafter, and we "got busy." When in the missionary position, he was putting pressure on my stomach, and I almost threw up. It was the worst.

I don't have the answers. I don't know why I have so little control over food. It really does feel very much like alcoholism. I eat when I don't want to. I eat when the consequences of eating make me feel very uncomfortable, even to the point of wanting to vomit. I plan on continuing to discuss it with my therapist, but until I find some real answers, I plan on just doing the "sober alcoholic" route. My food issues make me and my family crazy. But I can't just check out of this hotel, so I guess I can try to enjoy the decor and let the Eagle's Hotel California soundtrack play in the background of my mind.

After Christmas! The world is soon to get caught up in the weight loss push. Maybe if I submerge myself in that, this will be easier and less painful.

Two days in a row posting! Look at me go!

Had a decent start to the day, but then I went off the rails. And still dropped 1.6 pounds. Cuz my weight is truly fluid, and there's unquestionably a random element to it. So, I'm now 204.0 pounds, as of this morning.

Today, I'm going to have a much more controlled day. I have not yet lost this feeling of "eating too much nausea." I ate breakfast with the family--which I sort of hate to do--but I ate a reasonable amount. I will let it settle for a few hours while I do some work, then hit the gym for the first time in about three weeks.

Hope everyone else is having a great Christmas week.

Hi all. I'm a regainer plus plus. This looks like a great thread. Hope it's ok if I jump in. Just getting started so not much to share yet.

Ditto, ditto, ditto! I've decided to start seeing a counselor to help me overcome this addiction. I'm just having trouble finding someone who is also on my healthplan. I'm thinking maybe just a general addiction counselor. I'd much rather have someone trained in treating eating disorders.

Arg lost my post!!

Hi ma26! Nice to see you here, you will find this place is full of awesome ladies, I definitely think this has been the difference between me staying on track and going off the rails after 10 pounds!

Laurie - great work for getting back on track, its so hard this time of year being out of routine and surrounded by treats it would send anyone of track! I wish I had some words of wisdom like you do but just keep on keeping on and make the good days outweigh the bad. You can do this

Toasted - tummy issues at Christmas! Oh the humanity!!!!!!! Hope you are feeling better

Skinhygirl - bummer you had to work at Christmas, at least you were with some family I guess. How was baconfest?!

Well Christmas for me was okay, there is a very large whole where my brother should be but small children bring the magic! I did okay foodwise we had heaps of salads so filled up on them I'm also not a huge sweet tooth so just had a bit of tiramasu, mmmmm. But overall I didn't give my diet a second thought lol. My mum drove me nuts as usual - saying this is bad we shouldn't eat this, I did politely say I've managed to loose 30 pounds I know what I should and shouldn't eat. We had a great afternoon with scooters and waterslides and some cricket. Lovely sunny day. I've kind of managed to get back on track, in as much as I'm doing my fasting days but still up on calories on my non fasting days. Got on the scales today and I'm up 2 pounds, so not too much damage. I've got that weird bloated but dehydrated feeling so going to up my water - going on holiday for new years so trying to real it in.

Good luck to everyone! Its a never ending battle isn't it

Hello folks. Quick check-in this morning as I am already running late.

Glad to hear everyone has survived their Christmas celebrations. Back to the salt mines today, no excuses. I still have one big day left; I'll be cooking New Year's Eve dinner with a friend and I am sure that will be a huge magnificent meal. However, I can control what I cook and how much of it I eat, so it should be survivable.

LaurieDawn, thanks so much for the kind words. I'm glad that all my pontificating is helpful to someone!

Ma26 - Welcome welcome! I read your intro too. It sounds like you are pretty into fitness, so it will be great to have you join our gym talk. =)

Rhonda - I had never even thought of seeing an addiction counselor, or an eating disorder counselor, but that actually sounds like a fantastic idea. I talk to my counselor about it now and then, but have never done so very seriously. My counselor has done a lot of addiction counseling. Maybe I'll try to recruit his skills to my eating issues.

Kelly - That mother of yours needs to mind her own business. Yay for you for sticking up for yourself. You just keep trucking. So impressive.

Carter - The whole "the temptation in front of me is not the last of its kind that I will ever see" that is now in your signature line has really helped me on many occasions. I vaguely remember a post in which you went into some detail on it, and I have turned down a lot of unnecessary food because I internalized (to some degree) that I would have other opportunities to eat it. It is also helpful that I am no longer dirt poor.

I was back in the gym yesterday. Plan on being back there again today. I ran for a little over a mile at 4.2 mph. Really slow, even for me. I then did intervals, with one interval being 2 minutes at 5.2 mph. Overall, I ran just a little over 2 miles. Today will be weights.

I still don't feel like I'm quite out of the food coma, but I am doing better. Here's to a great last week of 2014!

Just a quick check in

Laurie Laurie Laurie!!!!!! I wore my togs yesterday! In public well okay we were at the river and it was just my husband and the kids lol and yes I look like I'm melting. Anyway I was brave and I'm proud of myself.

That is all lol off into the sun again, whoop

Hi all. Well, made it through the holidays. We had a great Christmas, and I really enjoyed it all. But so happy that we are done!!! I got on the scale this morning to assess the damage. I put on 6.2 pounds in December. Not great, but also not as bad as I thought it would be.

I was very ready to get back at it today. I went to Spin this morning and I packed a good, healthy lunch. I have everything ready to go for January, so I hope for a loss by my next weigh in on 1/5.

Not feeling great today. I'm not sure if it is because of all of the excesses over the holidays, or if it is some kind of flu bug. I hope it passes quickly.

Good to see everyone making their way back here!

Kelly - I am SO proud of you! The summer after I graduated from law school, I took my kids to the pool virtually every day. This was the start of my journey from my highest weight of 278, so I was definitely fatter than almost anyone there. But, I reasoned, I am not hiding the fact that I am fat by wearing clothes, and my legs will always be a "problem area," given their disproportionate size regardless of my weight (and I have been down to roughly 120), so why restrict my ability to enjoy swimming with my kids? Not sure if "melting" refers to excess skin or lots of sweat, or what, but I guarantee you that your kids and husband were thrilled that you had joined them in having a good time! And I'm super thrilled for you too!

Diane - I know EXACTLY what you mean by being relieved it's over. Between shopping and wrapping and prepping the house and cooking so many meals, I was absolutely exhausted on Christmas. My 15-pound gain dwarfs your 6-pound gain, BTW. ;-) And, like you, I am super relieved to be on plan and feeling healthier.

I just joined a Biggest Loser competition at my gym, and I am feeling really, really energized by it. Instead of this gaping maw of forever, it is allowing me to focus on the next 11 weeks. Last year's winner started at about 215 and lost 25 pounds. So, if I lose 12% from where I am now, I will need to lose about 25 pounds as well. I have set my goal as 30 pounds in 11 weeks. Ambitious, but I am hopeful that I can kick the recent gain (which is likely a lot of water) fairly expediently, which will give me a good head start. Regardless, it will help me focus and give me a shot at the (hopefully) roughly $250 prize.

Hi again. Thanks for the warm welcomes. Today was the second day keeping track and working out. I smacked more than I intended and was a little high on the calories. I did some extra exercise. I was at the gym, had run 10 mins and walked 10 mins (*sigh* I used to run for an hour or more when I was feeling good. I'll get back there, just one work out at a time) when my stepdaughter texted to to ask if I'd stay and swim with her if her dad would drop her at the gym. So I did my leg workout is planned and we swam together for an hour. My swimsuit doesn't fit like it used to, but I made her promise she couldn't make fun of me if I was to "chubby" for my swimsuit. She laughed and said she'd help me get extra exercise evy swimming together. We played around an hour and I felt a little wobbly when I got out of the pool. So a C- on the food front but an A for exercise today :-).

MissLoud- I'm looking out the window at snow at the moment and your talking about the braces ms the sun! Oh to be in the Southern Hemisphere in December :-). I do enjoy the snow though. And I'm still feeling like I need sweaters and such to hide in.

LaurieDawn- I feel like a "has been" into exercise ;-). But I'll get back there. It has always been part of my life. Rarely as consistently as it should be, but never and non-existent as of late. I plan to ease into it. No hardcore interval training workouts yet, but I hope I can get my fit self back fairly fast. Even if she's carrying a bit more baggage I'd like to be strong and able to run again.