Oh my gosh, Kenya it is so good to see you. I really have been wondering how you were doing. So glad to see that you are still doing great! Tell me about bumpy road. I am just really getting started and it is getting bumpy for me already. I don't know what it is but the scale is just my enemy these days. I have been so happy UNTIL I step on that blasted scale. I hate that thing! I wish I knew how to use the tape measurer because I would do that and just throw out my scale.

Hey guys, this is our "Dancin' Diva". She dances to lose those pounds. I think that is so good. Working out shouldn't be grueling, it should be something that we enjoy. Are you still Dancin' away the pounds Kenya? Thanx for the compliment on the girls and you are right, they are a joy to be around.

I would like to get a challenge started, but I am hoping that the other ladies that joined, post soon so I know they are really on board. Not difficult challenges, just something that will keep us going on the healthy path. I will think of some today and post and we can figure out which one we'd like to do.

Again Kenya, so glad that you are doing fine. Everyone have a great day. I am going to go look at a house today. I really don't like where we live now, so I hope that it works out.

Ciao!

Elycia

Hey Elycia-- I hope you have fun house hunting. I love house hunting I also like going to look at new model homes-- even the one's I can't afford right now Anyway... Yes I am still dancing I am telling you it works for me! It is fun and I can do it with the entire family. You are so right it doesn't feel like exercise at all. I would love to be included in any challenge that you start. I did really good with the month of August weigh in challenge. I lost 15 pounds in the month of August!

Oh my bumpy road... There have been days when I have just not eaten the right foods (cake, bad fast food choices etc.). However, the weight has still managed to come off! School has started back again Oh the stress is keeping my weight stable but I haven't lost any real weight in about 2 weeks so I am a little down about that. I am thinking about changing my plan again and maybe adding in some more time for dancing. My husband is away on business so I am missing him very much. Elycia just stick with it one day at a time and the scale with again move. I am like you I don't tend to measure so i just stick with my devil of a scale In my eyes you are doing great to me. 13 pounds gone is GREAT! You can do it and you will reach your goal of 147!

Hi girls! My name is Tina and I am a 31 year old stay at home Mom living in Northern Texas. Last year I found out that part of my weight problem was being caused by pcos The doctor first thought that something was wrong during a lap surgery that I had to have due to an ectopic pregnancy. My ovaries were huge(almost the same size as my uterus) Anyway,after losing our baby at 8 weeks I spent a good many months sad and eating my way up tp a size 26 Now I am 100% ready to lose the weight and have been going to the gym 5 days a week and dieting since 8/14 and have already dropped 20 pounds I seem to do well on my own but,think I can do much better with the help of you ladies I cant wait to get to know you girls better
Tina Marie

Well Hello there Tina. So happy that you decided to join us. You are just on a roll and doing awesome! I am so impressed with your determination to lose the excess weight. Is something special happening on December 15th or you just made that a personal goal? Either way you are doing awesome and it is so nice to see that type of will power. 20 lbs.!!! WOO HOO! You rawk! You are really working hard. I can particularly relate to some of the issues that you were dealing with. Before the twins, I lost my baby at about 7 weeks and it hurt so bad. I really went through a major depression. It is amazing that even though I never held my baby and it was such a short time, it didn't matter. He was still my baby. So I can certainly understand how the sadness and the pcos would get you down and turning to food. That is wonderful that you are turning yourself around. Very inspirational. Keep up the wonderful job and I certainly look forward to getting to know you better as well.

Kenya, yes I LOVED the house. It would be so nice. It is in N. County over off of Graham road. Do you know where that is? Anyways, the neighborhood was just so nice and I would love to raise my girls there. I don't know how it will work out. We rent and while we were there someone else called the man about the house. I don't know how much competition we will have, but I tell ya, I sure hope that it works out. I will keep you posted. Great job on those 15 lbs last month and thanx so much for the kind and encouraging words. Well, I hear one of my little ones. It's time for them to eat. I'll catch up with you lovely ladies later.

Ciao!

Elycia

Kenya - Wow! You've accomplished so much with living healthy already! I'm amazed at you women who are moms and wives with school/work, but still are motivated and have the energy to work out and eat healthy. I think that is so awesome! I have a dog and a boyfriend, and I still struggle for me time after work. :-)

Elycia - Your daughters are gorgeous! They actually remind me of my cousin's two little girls. They look like they have a mischevious streak. ;-) You should definitely go out and pick up a tape measure at Wal-Mart. I think I got mine for a dollar. There are tons of sites on the internet that will give you instructions on how to properly take your measurements. I took mine on the first day I decided to change my life. It was quite easy, even if my eyes popped out of my head at how many inches my hips were.

Tina - Congrats on the 20 pounds! Yay! Have you been doing anything special to get them off or are you focusing on calories and portion control? I've been walking quite a bit and it seems to do wonders for me. I'm not as winded when I climb a flight of stairs now, and I can actually walk 2 miles. I never thought I'd be doing *that*.

Hi,
my name's Amanda, I joined a couple of months ago, but have been kinda busy so I didn't find a group to chat with. Now that some of the things have calmed down, I find I'd like to get to know some people! I'm 20 years old, have been overweight literally all of my life thanks to too much fast food and hypothyroidism. I started dieting and lost 30 lbs when I was 16, then had to have gallbladder surgery and gained it all back +. I joined TOPS in April with my Mom and have lost 45 lbs so far. I still have 43 to go for my goal, and it just keeps getting harder I was doing Jillian Michaels' DVDs but I switched over to Budokon on Sept 1 with a little tredmill thrown into the mix. As for diet: I drink a slim fast in the morning, have a piece of fruit for break, a prepackaged dinner for lunch and a healthy supper. I try to keep snacking down to as little as possible and drink only water, tea and coffee.
I look forward to chatting with and getting to know everyone!
-Amanda
how do you put a ticker on the bottom of your posts?

hi all. wow you ladies are doing fantastic. i started my diet with gusto today and i think posting on here and reading how well your all doing will definitely give me an extra boost. not just me either i went food shopping today and bought no junk food so all the kids have to snack on is yoghurts and fruit (they arent too happy but they will get used to it). i stuck to the food end of my plan but didnt get the exercise i had planned in as i was up half of the night with the baby so i didnt have the energy. not too worried about that yet though as its early days.

sara: its really hard to cut out the pop isnt it. i can drink a little too much at times too until i make an effort to stop. its all down to habit though and you will be surprised how quickly you get out of the habit of grabbing a can and grab some water instead.

elycia: i tried that fiday.com site and it is really helpful thanks for the tip. well done with the 13 pounds. your doing great. i have to agree with the measuring though. wheni dieted before i found it more exciting to see how close i was getting to a smaller dress size than seeing the pounds drop on the scales. i would love to try a challenge too and will post on here everyday if possible. oh and good luck with the house

norma: wow you seem to have worked out what suits you best and it seems to be working too. well done. i hope you get your new scales soon. i find it hard to drink water too. its not that i dont like it i just keep forgetting. you seem to be really sensible in your approach to weight loss and exercise i can see you doing really well.

whitney: how rude is that man!!i agree with the others take no notice of him. well done with the weight loss

gail: good luck with your weigh in although it sounds like youve done excellent. keep up the good work : )

kenya: oh my goodness well done on that weight loss. you must be so proud of yourself that is a great achievment.

tina: your doing great well done. the ladies on here are very welcoming and im sure youll feel at home in no time.

Good Evening Ladies:

I see that we have a new person. Hi Amanda. So good to have you join us. I know how life can keep you so busy, and next time you turn around months have past. Well, I'm glad that when you came back you decided to become part of our little group. I tell ya, you have done an unbelievable job with TOPS! 45 lbs! That's wonderful. I know that it is getting hard, because you just want it off already, but keep up with Kenya. She has lost over 90 lbs and still going strong. She is very inspirational and ready to help. But be very, very proud of what you have accomplished so far. That took a HUGE amount of commitment and drive so you can have confidence that you can and will succeed. Great job and so happy that you joined us.

Hi Gail. How are ya? Yeah, I probably should go the tape measure route because getting on that scale is an exercise in frustration. Don't even get me started on what the measurement of my hips will be. I think I'm scared. But everyone has got to start somewhere, i guess. Thanx for the compliment on my little ones. You would not believe how much they motivate me to keep going on. They are just the best little blessings ever.

Maryjane, our lovely lady from Ireland. How are ya doing? I'm so glad that reading some of the post gave you a boost. That is the beauty of a check-in. It is very likely that someone will be dealing with or say something that can really help you unbeknownst to them. Glad you were able to find Fitday to be of help. It is a really neat site. Bit of a pain at first when you have to log in all of your food. But after awhile, we tend to eat some of the same things and so it is not such a big deal anymore.

Well, ladies, I know I said that I was going to put up some challenge ideas today, but I haven't gotten a chance to think about it yet. But I promise, I will come back a little later tonight.

Later gals.

Elycia

As promised, I am back with some challenge ideas that may be options for us. I thought we could start out with an easy one and then move up to actual weight loss challenges. These are just some healthy things to try to integrate into our daily lives. Ok, here goes:

- Daily Multivitamin (Imp. to get in a habit of getting that in daily)
- Water (Minimum amount of water to get in everyday)
- Be kind to yourself Challenge (You have to say 5 good things about yourself to yourself everyday)
- Fruit and veggies Challenge (Minimum of 5 servings a day)
- Exercise Challenge (Minimum number of days to get in activity per day and/or week)

So those are a few ideas. Let me know what you think. Everyone will need to check in daily and let us know how you are doing. Post and let me know what you think would be a good one. Try not to pick one because it is the easiest for you. It is a challenge afterall. If all of these seem to be too easy for everyone, please let me know. I'll be waiting to hear what you guys think. Rewards will be the confidence that you will gain from your determination and success, a healthier you AND you will be given a very special title

So, let me know what you are thinking. I look forward to hearing.

Elycia

Elycia:I think these are all good challenges. I don't think they are as easy as you think. Water is terribly hard for me. I have a "water is for bathing" mentality! I can't remember the last time I said something nice about my self either. So any or all of these are good choices.

Gail: You turkey! I was feeling bad enough about my evil scales. Did you have to share that your scales were off 20 lbs! I sure hope this doesn't happen to me. I won't forget your nameany time soon! LOL Just kidding. You're the person at the party going around and popping the balloons. LOL BTW I'm a knitter and crocheter too!

Kenya: You're going to have to be our inspiration. You need to share your story. We would all love to hear it.

Amanda: Sounds like you're doing really good with TOPS. I love TOPS but since I moved to this rural area, I have to drive 45 minutes to get to one and that's too costly with the price of gas. 3fc is the next best thing!

MaryJane: Hope you're doing great on your weight loss. I keep thinking about one of my favorite movies "The Quiet Man" shot in Ireland when I see your name.

Tina & Tina Marie:Howdy neighbors. Being from Arkansas I have traveled to Texas and I have family in Abilene. I hope it's cooling off for you. It's been really hot here. I hope you guys are settling in on a weight loss plan.

Sara:With 2 boys, maybe you should start easy. Say only eat what a suggested serving is. On all cans, boxes, & bottles they suggest the amount of a serving. You will find that you generally get 1/2 cup of this and 2/3 cup of that. That way you don't have to think and you get used to smaller portions of things. Stop eating when you are no longer hungry. Not when you are full. This works for me. Give it a try.

Whitney: How's the calorie counting? I love it. I can plan for an event with my calories so even cake or pie is okay if I'll budgeted for it. Also, unless you value the opinion of the dweeb, ignor him. He is not worthy of your thought!

Christi: We just got back from a Okla vacation. I loved the aquarium in Jenks and the museum and home of Will Rogers. Good luck with your dieting.

I hope I got everyone. This group is really growing. I wish you all well and hopefully good losses this week

Norma

Elycia- of course I know where Graham road is at I am a north county resident myself! I am happy you liked the house. I have a very close friend who stays in Florissant off Graham road plus my doctor’s office is right off 270 & Graham road. I will keep my fingers crossed for you guys to get the house!

I also love the ideas for the different challenge. I really need to take a daily vitamin, plus increase my water I do at least 20 minutes of dancing everyday but if I were challenged I would try to increase that number. Wow I can’t wait to hear what the other ladies think. For me I am going to start off with the vitamin because this is very important for my health. Thanks for the wonderful new challenges!

Hello Tina Marie- Congrats on the 20 pounds! You are off to a great start! I also like the fact that you are going to the gym five days a week. Wow you are just doing super!

Gail- Thanks for your kind words. I also now enjoy walking also. I always park very far away when I go grocery shopping or even to the mall. Then I walk brisk going into and out of stores. When we first moved into our home I hated walking up and down the stairs. Now I am able to run up and down the stairs and still not be out of breath. Oh, when we first moved in I had to hold on to the rail and rest as I was going up the stairs I see you have a New Years goal and I think that is great!

Hello Amanda- CONGRATS! You have lost so much weight so far. That is super cool. In my eyes you are so close to your goal weight. Wow I bet you are super proud of yourself! I am very happy for you. I also drink slim fast in the morning Just keep at it and the weight will keep melting off of you! Again congrats on your weight reduction so far!

MaryJane- Congrats on sticking to your plan! I feel getting the eating down to the way you like it is the biggest battle so I am very proud of you. I am sure you will get your exercise in when the time is right! Oh the joys of having a baby. Sometimes I seriously want to have another baby however I think we are finished with our active bunch of two

Norma- I will try to type more about my story later. I am off to school and I need to Read, read, read today! However you are doing great! Which plan are you following now? Whatever it is keep up the good work.

OK ladies today is going to be a good day for me. I am about to go and dance now while I make breakfast for the kids and then again when I finally make it home.. Have a great day ladies!

Hello ladies:

Just got finished working out. It was a toughie. I am doing a FIRM rotation. It should really get me in tip top shape real soon. So how is everyone doing? Okay, Norma and Kenya, so any of them would be okay for you. When I get home from work today, I will see what everyone else has to say and then we will go from there. How about that?

Well, I am running a little late. I have to make a few stops before going in. You guys take care and I will see you later on this evening.

Ciao!

Elycia

Amanda - Welcome! Congrats on the weight loss already. You've halfway there! As for the tickers at the bottom of each post - they are signatures. If you click on someone's ticker it should take you to the place where they got it. One of mine is from this website and the other is from tickerfactory.com Fill in the info, pick a background and a marker, then go to the User Control Panel on this message board and edit your profile. Paste the BB Code that the ticker website gives you into your signature. Hope that helps!

Elycia - All of those challenges sound great! I'm already taking a multi vitamin everyday, and I think I'm getting 5 servings of fruits and veggies, too. However, it's one of those things that if I don't make a conscious effort to continue it, then I'll slack off and forget.

Norma - LOL I'm sure your scale isn't off by twenty pounds. This one is ancient, and I'm sure it has gotten worse over the years. Several months ago we got a new female employee who was so thrilled that she has lost weight that she pigged out on a huge bag of chips at lunch. No one thought to tell her until after lunch that the scale was off. Her poor eyes got as big as half dollars. Oh, and I love crocheting. I actually taught myself to knit first. Then when I learned how to crochet, I became spoiled since it is so much faster than knitting. I can't even tell you how many scarves and afghans I've made this summer. People give me weird looks since it's 90 degrees out and I'm knitting a scarf. ;-)

Kenya - I love the idea of parking far away and making shopping an exercise. I'll definitely do that the next time I go to the store. Every little bit helps. I've really enjoyed walking this past week. I started out with a mile walk around this time last week, but over the weekend I kicked it up to two miles since the weather was nice, and I had tons of free time. It's so nice to be able to walk that far without feeling like I'm gasping for breath or need to sit down. And, I hear you on walking up the stairs without getting out of breath! Isn't it a wonderful feeling? I can see the difference even after just a week of walking regularly.

thanks, I will try the portions idea. I know it's hard being a mom with young kids. Especially because your always in such a rush you eat what is readily available!!!

I've been drinking lots more water as well.

Hello ladies !

Sorry I haven't posted in a few days, I was spending some quality time with husband and kids before he left out of town for work.

Wow, so many posts I had to catch up on LOL.

It looks as though I am not the only Tina, and we are both from Texas, how funny is that! I am in West Texas and we have had non stop rain this entire weekend. In August we had more rain than we have had in along time.

I like the challenge ideas, I have to focus on no sodas, no fast food, and daily exercise. Non of these are going to be easy for me. I have a crazy busy schedule. I also think I am going to try focusing on inches instead of pounds for something different.

I have been thinking about joining a gym, I just hate signing contracts, I have home equipment I just cannot seem to find time for them. Why do I think I will find time at a gym? Maybe because I can get away from the kids for a bit at a gym, I don't know. I have thought about exercising at home in the a.m., I am so not a morning person. I sound like I'm just making a bunch of excuses. Maybe someone should just slap me and tell me to just do it (like myself).

Well I promise to check in more often , after all I know that if we are all in this together we can be push each other in a positive manner .



Talk to Ya'll later,

Tina R