Kenya - just you make sure that you keep coming here to us when hubby is away. I for one will keep on nagging at you to make sure you eat properly. I really feel for you that you are being separated from your hubby for so long especially as you have been together for so long and only been apart for just one week. Thank goodness for modern technology and being able to IM him hopefully daily. It's not the same as having him home I know, but it will help

Missy - I wish it was hot here, I miss the lovely weather that we were having just last month. It's been raining today, yuck.

Hugs,

Ammi

Hey there

I had a better day today. Eating was ok. At least at work. I had a bit of MacDonalds for supper but I worked it in and went out for a walk.

Had a bit of a NSV tonight. I went for my interview for my PTime job and I get there and the manager says "HI! (Big smile) I was going to call you. Let me find the schedule." So i think, ok cool. I have a shift on the schedule. Maybe a tryout type thing. "Hmmm. I work Thursday night. Can you come in sometime after......6?" Sure I say. And as I am walking out I am thinking. "What the beep did I have to come in for tonight then!!!!!!" She said she was busy. GRRRRR

So off to the drugstore I walk. Chips. Chocolate. Give me sugar. Give me salt.

I walked around and cooled off. Found a nice hair color kit and thought. I should buy this INSTEAD of the junk food!!!! SWEET! So I rewarded myself for all the extra stress I have had this week with a new 'do. I havent done it yet but it is red with blonde highlites. OOOOoo and my treats. Well I left with a new smelly candle and a bag of rice cakes. So I am sitting down soon for a bite and a can of diet ice tea and cuddle up while I watch Big Brother.

Jilly and others that struggle with dandruff~ While I was at the drug store tonight I noticed that Head and Shoulders has a new line out. Might be worth a look-see.

Decided tonight that Steve and I need to go camping again this weekend. We havent had a trip out alone this year and the season is almost gone. I booked a site and will leave on Sat am and come back on Monday since I have the day off. I think I will look into finding the JMS yoga DVD that you have all been chatting about.

Man. I'm longwinded tonight *L* Gonna shut up now

Brenda

hello brandilyn glad to see you here

Hello chickies!

So busy at work lately I barely have time to post. Congrats to all you losers .

And Misti, WTG at the restaurant. I know how hard that is.

Melissa, you're putting us all to shame with your exercise. That's great!

Got my walk in today, but my jeans feel a little more snug and I'm hoping it's due to bloating and not gaining. ugh. I think I'm going to have to increase my walking time/length because it's getting too easy.

Big news happening today (here at work, of course), so I don't have a lot of time, but I hope you all have a great evening and hopefully I can catch up tomorrow!

Ok, so now I'm mad. I weighed this evening and it shows even more gain. Thing is, I am eating OP and am not eating any junk or anything that I shouldn't. I analyzed my calories and I am getting less than the calculations say I should. Almost enough to make me say, why bother? If I'm gaining even when I'm eating right........

Well I had a scale and a NSV this morning The scale said I was down 2 lbs!! yippee .. not as much as I would have liked .. but after this week Im just happy it didnt have a plus in front of it instead of a minus. And this week is my measuring week (1 month) .. I have lost 3cm from the bust, 2cm from the hips .. and 9cm from my waist!! and even tho I got my exercise clothing (the bottoms anyway lol) in a size lower than I usually take .. they arent very tight on me .. sooo I might treat myself to another pair soon

Before I went to bed last night I thought I would have a look at my new Pilates Zone dvd while I was getting ready for bed ... it looked simple so I thought ok .. I will give it a go before I get changed ... OMG!!! The exercises were fine until I had to do my abs ... now is not as bad as when I finished lol .. but omg .. did they get them doing something .. I didnt feel like they had done anything after TJ (even tho apparently I was doing something with em lol .. kept thinking I was doing it wrong cos I wasnt feelin them .. either that or under all the fat they just werent there any more rofl) .. but after the Pilates Zone I felt every one of my abs .. and had to walk very slowly and move very slowly to get changed lol .. was lovely in the shower tho .. and then I have those pyramid power massage discs that do deep massage with electric pulses .. and that helped a lot ... still very tender this morning .. but my legs arent too bad so Im going to give TJ a try in a little bit to see how I can do So for my last JC weigh in .. Im very happy it ended on a positive ... now comes the real test of whether I can keep it up now that I wont have such a meal structure

Ammi -- I must have missed the posts or something .. but that piccy .. please you aint telling me he bats for the other team are you??? Surely not! Typical if he does tho rofl ...

Everyone is doing so darn well .. and the posts are moving way to quick rofl ... so in the first month of my new lifestyle I have lost 17 lbs ... good results

Dandruff .. I saw that new Heads and Shoulders in store too (seen all the ads .. apparently you are supposed to be able to clear it in one wash rather than the usual 3 of other ranges) ... I use Selsun Blue .. Im not sure if its available overseas .. but I just use it once a week .. occasionally I will use the Sunsilk one just to give my head a change .. cos the Selsun one isnt the nicest smelling one lol ..

I remember someone mentioned about a Dr Phil program and some dork of a guy telling this beautiful woman her thighs were fat or something?? I just saw an episode yesterday and I wanted to slap the guy lol ... His wife had been just under 300lbs and had gotten down to a size 4!! And he was just soooo jealous every time they went out cos guys would look at her ... and she made a really interesting point ... she asked Dr Phil that she knows she looks "hot" on the outside .. but inside she still felt like that fat woman who had been belittled and ignored for so many years .. and she wanted to know why .. unfortunately I had to go out before I heard the answer .. but it really made me think.

To those that have almost reached or that reached your goal after being large for a long time .. have you had any of those sorts of thoughts or feelings about yourself?? Have you questioned the way you get treated by people now - like "if I was still fat would I get offered that extra service or discount" for some things?? I know that the journey is a long one ... but then after seeing that show I started wondering .. if we are so focused on the food and exercise to lose the weight .. are we focusing enough on our self image and esteem as well .. I mean deep down .. I know we feel great when someone says "hey youve lost weight youre lookin great .. etc" .. but when that moment goes .. what do you think about??? Am I being to profound here?? Just tell me to be quiet lol .. I do tend to ramble and think (type) out loud when I get a thought going thru my head sometimes ...

Anyway .. again . thank you for your support and kind words after a sod of a week rofl .. still .. there is always a new day and a new week and a new month .. so yesterdays cant be changed anyway

Huggies and stay OP all!

TxTilly - sorry hun was typing when you wrote your post .. please dont give up .. you have done really well so far .. maybe your diet needs a jolt .. wasnt someone doing something like seesawing the calories ... one day having say 1600 the next having 1800 .occasionally have 1700 .. or something like that .. it helps to keep the metabolism going doesnt it cos its not sure of the calorie intake each day to get it stuck into a routine of releasing only so many??

I know its hard hun .. but instead of mourning the scales .. celebrate the victories you have already achieved .. think about the things you can do easier now than you used to be able to do .. sometimes the scales are really a negative thing ... just ignore them for a while .. focus on other things to show your new lifestyle is a good thing for you ... BIG HUGGIES and keep at it ...

Howdy ladies,

Let's see...

Nancy: Interesting observation about the less trash in the car. I've noticed that since I'm eating less processed food, I do not have to drive to the dump as much. In fact, it has been 3 weeks and I only have 1 bag of trash. Pretty neat.

Ammi: Congrats on the smaller size in pants. I can't wait to be a 20. The Mumbles look really cool as well. Now about the Adrian...he looks just a bit too rough and dirty for me. I'm more attracted to the academic nerd type, lol. Now if he was wearing tweed and glasses...

Kimberly: A workout partner is such a good idea. Everytime I've had one, I made sure to be on time and there when promised. So, since I don't know too many people in this area, my dog is my new partner. I'm trying not to let her down.

Brandilynn: Like Melissa, I count calories and try to follow a Sonoma-ish diet: less processed, more fruits and veggies, no sugar. Well, no sugar is the goal...

TxTilly: I can't remember...did you have a big loss recently? I'm a slow loser, and even though my exercise has increased dramatically since July 1 and my calories have decreased dramatically, I still lose 2 lbs a week on average. When I compare myself to others and their weight loss, I always wonder how I can do better. I try not to get frustrated, as I know my new food choices and exercise are making me healthier, even if the scale doesn't show drastic changes.

Had a wonderful day today. A great NSV exercise victory, which I've also posted on the exercise thread. In a nutshell, I am able to walk longer distances without back pain. It could be from the new shoes I bought or just better endurance, but for whatever the reason, it made me really happy.

Here is a question for everyone: I am not the biggest fan of salads, so I often have veggie stir-frys for dinner. A friend of mine says that I am not getting any nutritional value from the meals, as the cooking kills everything that was alive and healthy in the veggies. The meal may be low in calories, but not very nutritious. Any thoughts?

Hope everyone does well tomorrow!

Brandilynn- so glad to have you with us. You will find everyone here so supportive. I just found this group, literaly just seven days, and it's already made such a difference to my additttude a commitment. As far as plan goes, I just started Nurtisystem-i figure it should be easier, because there isn't much to think about- they tell you what to eat, and even provide you with the main dish. It's kind of expensive-i'll found out tomorrow how worth it it is because it's my first weigh in since I started the program. (I'm half nervous/half excited)

Sue- I'm sorry about the way the scale is working for you. Please don't give up though-there are a lot of factors that could play into the scale, for example, excersizing that adds muscle mass, not switching up your foods enough (so your body gets immune), maybe even broken scale I like katt's idea of switching up calorie intake- but at a time like this is when you have to focus on NSVs. I will say-that one time I was so committed that I ate the exact same thing every day for a week- thinking I have the right calorie count, (I had talked to a nutristionist for a good sample meal plan) so I knew what I was eating was good, and I gained 5 pounds. Nutristionist said that my body learned what I was eating from the repititon and it didn't have the same response--I dont' know, but maybe that experience can some how help you! Just don't quit-you're doing to good to give up, you owe yourself not to give up!

Katt- I know how you feel from the pilates, my body had the same response from the Yoga- maybe i'm sick, but when I get sore, i feel good, like I accomplished something. I don't think you were getting too deep on the dr. phil thing- that's something that has crossed my mind before- will losing weight change me? I've heard a saying something like- that only skinny women who have truley great personalities were fat once- the idea behind that being when you are overweight you can't depend on your looks to get things, plus typically you have lower self esteem, so you develop a kind of "nice" complex, and that never goes away. I think that maybe that's along the same lines as what she was saying- she may have changed on the outside, but she was still the same person on the inside, complexes, self-esteem and all. I would also be curious to see if others who lost weight have experienced that feeling.

I need some vegetable help...on nurtisystem i supposed to eat 2 servings of vegetables at dinner. I really hate vegetables in general (well-the true vegetables- I like corn and peas, but they are actually starch). Anyone know some fun ways to make a veggie- without adding a lot of extra stuff- I'm allowed 1 carb, 1 fruit, 2 veggies, and 1 fat, plus various seasonings in small amounts. any ideas would be helpful...

Okay I'm going to stop blabbing and go to bed- looks like tomorrow is going to be a tough day at work...goodnight ladies!

SUE, weight always goes up at night. Try not to obsess - you're doing the right things and it will show in the end!!!!!!!!!!!!

BRENDA - YES!!!!!!! on your NSV. Now that's the type of habit that leads to bein' a skinny people!

JEN, well iceburg lettuce has almost no nutritional value itself, so the value of a salad would be what you put on it - including negative values of dressing or croutons. How much nutrition you kill in your stirfry would depend on how long you cook it. A fast cooking time leaving the veggies with some personality rather than limp/mushy still leaves pleanty of food value, and steaming rather than boiling leaves more food value. If you like your broccoli cooked until it's grey... well, it's pretty dead by then.

WELCOME BRANDILYNN!!!!

AMMI, I had something to say to you, but the mechanic came back with my car, and by the time i drove him back, paid him, searched for a missing credit card (THIS is not good) and went to the Post Office, I came back with a case of grey broccoli brain.

I hope the rest of you that I would like to reply to also will forgive me - I'm really not supposed to be on the 'puter right now. It SHOULD be packed up sitting by the door for when Bill gets here to pick me up. Yeah, well, life is just fulla shoulda's, huh?

Hey CROCK! Speak up, woman! JULEE! Where U B? CATHERINE! We still miss ya! All you absentees and lurkers, at least pop up and say 'HI', k?

Hi everyone

Just a pretty regular work kind of day here, and sticking to the plan.
Today was weigh in for me. -1.5
The ticker says I'm at -20 but it's actually 19.5
I guess it doesn't do halfsies? I've been yo-yo-ing all week, lost that 1.5 right off and then it was up down all week, thankfully landing in my favor today.

Sabrina
congrats on getting your new scale and getting on. **** yeah take the -2, I did when I started, and weighed myself later in the day at the beginning. It's a number you had on the scale so it's legit!

Ammi
WOW girl I see your ticker now says you are at -61 ??!!
and wasn't it just a short time ago you were telling us you were at the 50 pound mark??? WOW did those last 11 just fly off or what? ! I didn't even see it happen!


Kenya
I love your name, it's beautiful
Sorry to hear your hubby's going away for 5 weeks.
Mine just got back a week ago from a 7 week trip so I know what
it's like. I found it a lot easier to stick to my plan when he was away
but I did miss him of course.

Melissa
you amaze me. the most I've been able to walk for
so far in one jaunt was 40 min. My hubby walks faster than me
and I get one leg that keeps cramping on me. It will improve with time!

Brandilynn
Welcome to the thread, nice to see you here!
I'm not on any program specifically, though I have done atkins in the past, it was not for me. I count cals now and exercise 5-6 days/week.
I eat as much non processed food as possible, and I have 1 treat meal on Sunday but still keep within my allowed calories to eat for the day.
I'm glad you're here and we're here for you.

Brenda
congrats on your new PT job and good for you that you
made good choices under the stress. I know that one is really
tough!!!

Txtilly
Hugs to you and really try hard to resist getting frustrated.
If you are eating right as you say.. it might just be temporary.
I had a week with 0 loss and actually went up a bit and then
back down and I was eating NOTHING out of my plan.
This happens to everyone, as it seems, I bet everyone else will agree.
The only thing I would do is just do some online researching to see
if you are calculating stuff right. I find that sometimes my fitday
gives me some crazy numbers on some things, totally way off.
The week I lost 0 too.. I did not have enough water.
I hold water SOOOO easily. Maybe you are too.
check your sodium intake too it could just be that.
You're only 22 away from 299 and you CAN and will get there.

Nightkatt
yay for you losing 2 pounds!!
Awesome job girl!! Hmm you got me thinking again, I have not measured
yet at all, I need to do that before too much of me disappears
(yeah like I'd mind!). My pants are looser already too. Wee haa!
Really nice that you're just groovin along with your exercise DVD's too.

Thanks for the pics of the hot men. I like window shopping myself
hehe so thanks There doesn't seem to be any guys in this particular thread so nobody will mind I guess!

kimpossible

Re the veggie things.. I buy a variety of veg and cook them different ways. Veg are a good 'fill me up' when you can't eat much calorie wise. I like to throw them in a pot and steam them, with no butter of course. I do stir fry (using pam). Just chuck em all in and stir em up only for a few mins but not till they are sogged. If you wanted to jazz that up you could throw in a small amt of brown rice and then you have a stir fry with substance (making allowance for those carbs of course). I usually put water chestnuts in there with it too and if you didn't have your fat for the day you can throw in a small few bits of almonds for extra crunchies. In my stir fry I usually use peppers, onions- red and green, cauliflour, small carrots, etc. You could also have a cucumber sandwich if you can have bread, and put lettuce and tomato on it. I was surprised, I really LOVE cucumber sandwiches. I use mustard on those or on one slice of the toast I put light cream cheese, just a small bit. Another idea is you could make Kabobs. Chop up your veg and if you have meat, put that on too, brush with light italian dressing and bbq them. OMG that is SOOO good. I put pineapple on my kabobs also.

Hope everyone's havin a great day!

~ Angie