HAPPY BIRTHDAY SOLUS...and HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY TERRI!

I am starting to finally enjoy and appreciate my vacation. I have gone for a walk the last 2 mornings, just like I promised myself...only about a mile each day, but my WW leader says that we are better off doing 15-20 minutes every day than trying to kill ourselves for hours and then giving up when we don't maintain.

Frozen grapes might be the world's best snack. I got some gorgeous fat sweet green grapes at the produce market and just tossed the whole package into the freezer...I pick off a few at a time and savor them. They take me a while to eat and are so refreshing.

Tonight is WI again...of course I started TOM yesterday, so I'm not holding my breath (unless that will make me weigh less on the scale). My BF's mom is coming with us tonight...she might be ready to join as well. She has been a member of OA and HOW for a long time..but she isn't feeling motivated or happy on her program...and she sees how well her son and I are doing and how happy we are. She kind of irked me the other night and I called her on it. We were at her house and she was showing me these belts she has...that are really awesome...the one I really love is still too small on me...so she says "Well when you lose some more weight and it fit's you I'll let you have it." To which I replied "Well I think I've done just fine so far, thanks!" I know she meant well but it just rubbed me the wrong way. She actually apologized to me later that night for offending me...I told her it was fine. But give me a break...

Even though I am on vacation, my schedule is getting pretty packed. Weekdays aren't so bad but my weekends are a little crazy. I am just enjoying sticking to a schedule every day and not having to run all over the place.

I'm giving away more of my bigger clothes tonight to a friend from our WW meetings. Hopefully they will fit her (for the time being) and she will enjoy them.

Have a good night...I'll report back later on my WI.

Hi everyone, just wanted to check in and let you know, i havent dissapeared the past two weeks for me at work have been extremely hectic and busy! i have read the posts everyday, but havent had time to post myself. anyway i am doing well with excersise and diet, and i know its crazy, but i am still doing the "no weigh" in thing. I have went down several pant sizes, so i know i a losing, and i am starting to get the " you look good how much have you lost" response, so i think im doing ok
Congratulations to all the losers there is no feeling better than wearing clothes that were previously too tight. it is tangible evidence that what you are doing is working!
Catherine sorry to hear about your fall, hope everything is ok.
To all the new posters, welcome

Dogpal-today I started crying in Walmart because they were out of sugar-free orange koolaid. A clerk ran to the back to find some. They treated me like I was developmentally disabled and had gotten away from my chaparone. They talked real loud and slow to me. Oh well, I got my koolaid.

Shadiepurple-I am so glad that you are helping your son with his weight loss. I have often thought about the diet my mom put me on when I was 13. It was a doctor supervised Atkins that cost a lot for a poor family in the 70's. I sat with my plate at a table where everyone else was eating fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and green beans swimming in bacon grease. The worst part, was that my mom actually seemed pleased when I failed. Give your son an extra hug for me tonight. You're not just doing this for him, you're doing it for you grandchildren.

Bamamom-I am lucky that I have been able to clear the decks, and make my whole world about getting healthy. I saw a show about a guy who was training for Ultimate fighter. He said his whole world was eating, sleeping, and training. A lot of pro athletes live their lives that way. I also read a story about a horse jockey that retired, and his children were so happy that he would be able to eat like a normal person now. He had so much trouble making weight that he chewed a steak at the sink so that when he got done chewing each bite, he could spit it out. Discipline was not something I was born with, or ever trained to have in regard to food or exercise. I was in other areas of my life. The nuns trained me so well that I am NEVER late to anything. Go rent the movie Vision Quest with Matthew Modine. The main line is, "get obsessed, and stay obsessed." You've got to find a way to get your own tunnel vision.

Biggirl-Exercise will give you the energy to exercise. It's our vicious cycle in reverse. You're overweight, so you're depressed, so you eat more, so you gain more weight. That is our counter clock wise circle. It takes a while to reverse that flow. Clock wise is exercise gives you energy, makes you feel better about yourself, so you can get more exercise. Swim against the current long enough to spin in the other direction, and it will be easier to keep going the right way. Visualize yourself spinning on ice skates, and reversing direction and spinning the other way. Take that energy and attack that exercise routine like you are its master.

Solus-Happy Birthday. I'd have put dancing birthday cakes, but that is beyond my computer abilities.

Mom2five-All I could do at first was 5 minutes of flutter kicking on my bed on my stomach. I felt ridiculous, but I decided that any movement was good. As for the jerks at the pool, make a sign that says, "I may be fat, but I can always lose weight, you will always be a jerk." Put it in a 8.5X11 sheet protector and pin it to the back of your swimsuit.

I saw a great news show on America's weight problem. It talked mostly about portion distortion. A large bag of movie popcorn has 1200 calories in it. I guess I shouldn't have gone to work at a movie theater in high school while doing Atkins. When I think about portions, I go back to a comment about the Joy of Cooking book. It's 1960's version of brownies is the same exact recipe as the 2000 version with one difference. The amount of brownies the 1960 recipe said it made was 30, and the 2000 version says it makes 16, basically twice as big. Multiply that across the spectrum of what we eat. I measure everything, because I can not trust my eyes. If you want a cook book, go to a used book store, and buy one from the '60's.

ME AGAIN!!!

Joann and all who care to know : HbA1c is a blood test that checks you blood sugar level avarage for the last 3 months. It give a wider picture of your blood glucose than the finger stick test that just says what you level is at the moment. Some times we have a high level and havent eaten yet and others its low after we eat. The HbA1c is a more global view of how your useing your sugars. I have it done every three months and I dont test all day everyday because I hate it sooooo much . The doctor didnt give me that choice but she doesnt give me a bad time about it because my HbA1c levels are aways good meaing my sugars aren't bouncing high and low all the time . A 5.0 is perfect. Anything above you might need to be watched more closely for Diabetes. I am diabetic and mine run around 7.0 . I've had them lower and I hope its way low in Aug. Exercise and low carbs bring down your levels. Good luck with that . Its a great idea to find out if you need it done.

Hippyvanlady: Thank you so much for the kind words about me helping my son. I must confess, it is he that is helping me. He is so excited for every new move I make and knows so well when I need to be pushed or its time to back off. He enjoys fixing meals for just he and I because he doesn't want me to eat "differnt" food then everyone else. He say "come on mom" when I start whinning about some gooie food I'm wanting or don't want to go weigh in or exercise. I know I would have had some fall by now if it wasn't for him. But because of him I can honestly say that I have not had any falls since I started in April. I have over eaten a few times but its been stuff like salads the size of my head or the whole bag of soy crisp chip like things. The whole bag is like 3 servings. OH WELL. Better than the whole bag of nacho doritos..the big bag..Hes still a kid so he has junk he wants to have sometimes, but hes so sweet he will either get his and something he knows I can have or he will eat it when I busy . He doent have to hide or anything like that hes just into me feeling better that he likes being able to do something that he knows is good for us both. I know I must sound boastful, but he is a super smart kid and always thinks about how others feel . When he was 5 he saw Montel Williams show talking about breast cansar. He can in the bathroom looking for me and very concerned asked me" Mom, do you do your monthly breast exam. Its very important you know. This is the right way to do it when you take a shower." Then he proceeded to show me what he saw on t.v. Hes always been weird smart like that. I think thats why we get along so well. Anyway way more info. than all wanted to know. Just braggin' Thanks for listening.