Welcome Elizabeth2! If the type of exercise you do works for you, then stick to it. No one person is like another and it takes all different types of exercise and eating plans to reach our own personal goals. As long as its healthy for you, then that's what you should stick to.

Pray: Don't worry about the cake. You will have it gone and off your body by weigh-in time. One time when I was at a weight-loss meeting, the instructor was talking about how much weight a person can gain at holiday time. She said that during those times (and other special occasions) to remember to just try to maintain what you have already lost. She also said "In the long run, it's not what you eat between Thanksgiving and Christmas that puts the weight on you, but what you eat between Christmas and Thanksgiving!".

I thought that was a pretty good thought!

Tardy: What a good way to look at what you alread lost. I needed to focus on that as well this week, because I had a small gain at the scales.

We are headed out to watch fireworks;(also will get to see the group Styx's perform before the fireworks) I love this holiday! It's just so fun. It was rainy here this morning, but they said it would clear off and it would be a beautiful night and it is.

Have a wonderful evening everyone!

Susie

Hello everyone. Hope you all have had a wonderful weekend. My husband and I had a very lazy day today. We did nothing but watch movies, it's not often we get 3 days off in a row so we plan to make the most of it, by doing mostly nothing! Gee, Susie, I didn't think Styx was even together anymore, it's not all the orinigal band members is it? They are one of my favorite bands, don't really listen to them anymore but always did like their musical style. Now I listen mostly to CLassical and Christian, but really love classical. Anyway will catch you all again tomorrow. God Bless.

I appreciate the welcome. I've been checking in the past couple of days but haven't had too much to say. I ate really horribly today, rationalizing the whole time, and then felt guilty about it. I need to be more serious. Its strange that you (in a general sense, not a specific sense) say that you would give anything to have a body like _____ and then I can't even pass up a corn dog for it. What the heck am I willing to give? I'm just feeling kind of frustrated, but I'm glad that you all sound like you are doing super well. Hope you had a lovely 4th.

Susie - I love the X-mas to Thanxgiving thought. There's a lot of truth in it! I hope you had a great time at the concert last night! I love Styx..."BABE" woo-hoo!!!

Elizabeth - Welcome! We all have our weakness food...mine is burgers. I have Hasimoto's Thyroiditis, so I know how stuff can really mess the thyroid up! I haven't exercised in two weeks because of overtime, but you and I have a similiar activity level and I've found that it works for me as long as I watch my food intake (I was a BIG FOOD PIGGY!!!). Go for 199! I want to hear you made it! It'll make a lot of people's day here, we really love hearing other's making their goals!!!

Pseudo - I know exactly what you mean about wanting to do anything for a great body and then breaking. I've been so bad for that in the past. I've found now that I'm better at stopping myself first, but I don't go to the point that I binge anymore. If I want it that bad I take a bite and give the rest to someone else before I can eat any more of it! Keep your chin up, this whole process is painfully good I'm finding. The more I'm losing the more I'm hurt at the excess skin, stretch marks, heaviness, and low self-esteem. I spend a lot of time looking in the mirror and hating myself. The pain is sometimes unbearable...so that's why I come here. I feel so much better knowing there are others who feel the way I do and make mistakes. It puts me back on track so that I don't let the cycle of self-abuse (which is what I consider I'm doing with my food binging) continue. Get back up Pseudo! We all fall down! You are SOOOO much stronger than you think. Just keep standing back up! Come vent here, we all are feeling the same and can keep each other motivated!

Hi Everyone
I also need to get under 200 . I am working towards dramatically improving my eating habits and making drastic(for me) but neccessary changes

Darcye

Hi Everyone,
How's everyone doing today? I thought about skipping my workout this week, since I'm on vacation, but then I realized that I just don't really feel good,nor do I have the right frame of mind when I don't work out. So, I'm meeting my workout partner at the Y in just a little bit. I'm also taking my resistantce band with me to work out with it in the hotel room and I figure that I'll be walking alot. We leave on Wednesday morning and I'm getting anxious to get going!

For those of you that asked about Styx's. Most of the orginal members are still together; everyone by Dennis d'Young. I wanted to see if Tommy Shaw was still a hottie...he is!! We had a wonderful time and the fireworks were awesome. I hope everyone had a great 4th.

Pray: I also listen to Christian music. I love Point of Grace, Nicole C. Mullen, and Shelia Walsh..just to name a few.

For those of you who wrote that sometimes you just want the food more than the weight loss, we all do that at times! When those times come, just take it a minute at a time and get through it; I do a lot of "self-talking" sometime...and when you do fall down..get back up and keep going...it's the only way to get there!

Susie

Hello Everyone. My husband's birthday is today and we have been celebrating since Saturday. Friends and fried chicken and German Chololate cake Saturday. Sunday off. Today lunch buffet style and a cookie cake from the girls who work for us. Oh, well I will definetly take him and the dog walking tomorrow morning. I am not going to obsess over eating too much. I've done it and I will live with the results. Anyway have a blessed evening. will be in touch tomorrow. God BLess.

Does anyone else have a toddler in the home? This is MY scheduled online time and my toddler's sheduled NAP time. Guess whats going on instead????

Her:

Me:


I'm clearly losing the battle...lol. Guess we will go outside for awhile.

Edited to add, I started this post with the intent to share that I have dropped 1 more lb, but got carried away with my pictoral...lol

Cheers.

Toddlers are so cute! Mostly, anyway.

This is rather minute, but I ate less than half a slice of cheesecake today (in addition to some pretty balanced meals). Then I smushed the other half with the bad chicken linguine I had tried, so I wouldn't eat it. It was a step. I was excited. Hope you're all well.

Hi Everyone,
I just wanted to let you know I'll be missing for a few days. We are headed to Niagra Falls. I've never been there and I'm so excited!

I'm not worried about overeating to much, due to my Interstitial Cystitis, I know there are things that I can't have or I'll have a flare and be in pain, so I just don't eat those things. (It's been a big help in losing weight!). The only thing I see that I might over do on is vanillia ice cream. I love it and with the IC, it's about the only sweet thing I can eat. Most of the world thinks a dessert must be chocolate, and I can't have it.

I hope everyone has a good week and that the scales go the way you want them to...and if they don't..just remember we have the power to change it next time.

C-ya when I get home!

Susie

Hey everyone-

Sorry I haven't posted. I went to visit my parents at the beach for the holiday--which was good and bad. Good to see them, bad to be tempted with eating out and old habits. But I did ok.

But the good news.....I weighed myself this morning and I'm at 204! YAY!!! I know that it was the consistent exercise last week that pushed me out of my plateau. I'm hoping the positive reinforcement will keep me heading to the gym this week!


Tardy>
CONGRATS on your loss! Yay you! I bet the nasty guy has heartburn right now and he doesn't even know why!!

Susie>
I love the comment about Christmas and Thanksgiving! It's so right on. As a binge eater, I've found that depriving myself of cake/treats during the holidays/birthdays/etc. at the table would only lead to me sneaky eating in larger amounts later. It's better for me to have a piece, be OK with it, try to exercise a little more that week and get on with it!

Have a great vacation! I haven't been to Niagra Falls since I was 8. All I remember is crying because I didn't want to wear the big black poncho on the Maid of the Mist!! Good for you for planning to exercise on vacation! I was just reading an article in Shape that even if you decrease your exercise by half, keeping it up on vacation will make it easier when you return to fall back into your routine!

Pray>
Happy birthday to your husband! It's sounds like you've had a relaxing vacation!

Elizabeth>
Congrats on the loss! I bet you get a workout just keeping up with your toddler! I have twin nephews who just turned 3. Their energy level is amazing!

Darcye>
Welcome and congrats and making a decision to change your eating! Have you thought about what you’re going to do? When I first started I tried to make one change a week. I had so many things to change it was overwhelming! I started with drinking enough water each day the first week. Then the next week, in addition to drinking water, I added in eating a serving of veggies at dinner each day, etc. etc. It helped make it more manageable!

Pseudo>
First, yay for throwing away cheesecake! I tossed half a ice cream cake and a whole things of nuts after my birthday party. It's just too hard for me to have them right here. I feel guilty wasting food sometimes (flashbacks to "there are starving children in Africa..."), but I know that I can't always control my eating.

I know just what you mean about guilt/frustration! I can remember crying in my room about how fat I was and how lonely I was and how life would be *so* much better if I lost weight. So did I go do something about it??? Like exercise? Nope. I usually ate a box of cookies. Then the guilt would set in and I would eat more. It's a nasty cycle.

It's kind of weird; in some ways my self-esteem is lower now that I've lost weight. Mostly it's better--I physically feel better and I'm proud of my weight loss. I have more energy and can do more (ride roller coasters, go whitewater rafting, walk in walk-a-thon). I don't feel like people stare at me anymore ("look at that fat lady!"), but I have some body issues.

I think when I was at my heaviest, I never looked in the mirror--why would I! Now I do and it's hard. I have A LOT of baggy skin and stretch marks. I carry my weight in my lower tummy and it sags. I lost a lot of weight in my breasts making me pear-ish shaped. It's hard. I love that I'm skinner, but sometimes it's frustrating knowing that even when I reach my goal I'll have to deal with the residue of having been fat.

Thanks for listening (reading!). It’s amazing how putting things into words helps.

Hello everyone. Did eveyone have a nice holiday weekend? Avery glad you got to spend time with family. Glad your plateau is over, good for you and keep it up. God Bless. Will catch you all tomorrow.

Avery, I can't help but say that I know exactly how you feel. I know what you mean about not attracting stares anymore...and yet, at the same time, I'm not invisible. I remember wondering how people could walk right in my way, like I wasn't even there, when I was so big. Were they just pretending not to see me? Being invisible in a crowd is definitely an odd feature of being overweight. And now...I have the exact same problems as you do. Deflated breasts, pear shaped body, stretch marks and skin that sometimes reminds me of a sharpei. It's mixed curse/blessing, losing weight. I'm considering surgery to help with the skin when I finish losing weight, but...geez, it's expensive. I'd better start saving now! In other news, I'm &#@* plateauing. I hate plateaus. I guess it's better than a gain *glum* Well, I hope everyone else is doing well, good luck today!

Gosh, hello everyone. I'll be gone for a day or two...remember my hubby's grandma being really sick? She passed away last night very suddenly. It looked as though she may have been on the road to recovery, but all that is gone now. Her husband has terrible Parkinson's so I know that this will not be good for him. I'm scared that he will decline terribly fast now. This makes the third funeral for me in 5 years...my grandpa, my brother, and now grandma. I'm so upset, we were at the hospital until 4 am and here I am at work trying to finish up my overtime work! Hubby's crushed, father-in-law is devastated (it was his mom) and my kids don't know what to do. Plz keep me in your prayers and I'll post as soon as I'm able.

Hello Angel. I am sorry for the loss of grandma. I will keep your family in my prayers. It's hard to explain death to children. Depending on the age the best way is to tell them that she was sick and suffering and that she is in Heaven with Jesus and she is no longer sick and suffering and is watching over them from there. Anyway hang in there and God BLess.