Thanks Susan ...I know "normally" NOW is overweight..I meant normally as opposed to binging...I would like to be able to go out to eat or something without feeling guilty...I feel guilty about EVERYTHING I eat..it's like a conditioned response...I don't think I ever really enjoy eating....I am scared of food...probably because of the power it has over me....because of what I feel like it has done to me...on the other hand I am compelled to overeat...as I gain more control and as I get thinner I know that eventually I will be able to go to lunch or have people for dinner and not feel SO BAD, SO ANXIOUS......THATS what I mean....I want this monkey off my back....

btw...I have the same birthday as Dr. Jonas Salk......

Hey There Everybody...

Susan...That is positively a beautiful picture...You need to use it as your avitar...I guess you would need to really shrink it though but it is quite lovely and I hope that you are proud of yourself because you look smashing... So you have the same birthday as Linda Purl...man I really loved her acting...I will tell my sister! I have the same birthday as Kevin Eubanks the tv host...ho hum such is life!

Laura...I feel the same way about food...if I eat and enjoy my food I feel really guilty! If I eat because I have to I am okay for the most part...Man I think that I'm messed up!

Have a good one Ladies!

OK girls I went shopping today and got my outfit for the promotion ceremony I was dreading going as I wasn't in a very good mood Hubs and I went on our own. So I got a pair of black trousers and a nice dressy shirt. Now I need to think about shoes.

I'm quite short and all the dresses and skirts drowned me. I always stay safe with trousers.

So I'm glad to say that's done

Clydegirl! YEAH!

YEAH! For you!

What about a fancy, summery sandles and then get a pedicure and have your toes match your sandles?

Thanks gals ... I really felt good today and you all certainly helped!
As for the avatar ... you're stuck with my wrinkly old mug ... I had to get a mod to help me post that one.

Now gals ... are you sure it's guilt or maybe a combination of uncertainty and hyper-awareness??? We do need to be armed with knowledge about food and pay attention but I think that soon becomes more second nature.
It shouldn't be guilt. We have to feed our bodies, fuel our machines. Just learn all you can about your choices and become savvy diners

Clydegirl ... just think soon those pants and shirt will be too big and you can go shopping again! I promise you that you'll enjoy it more as you go along.

I like your current avatar, Susan. You just look so happy and peaceful! Love it!

Good job on the shopping, Clydegirl. I can't remember the last time I wore a dress/skirt. I work in an office, so need to look nice, but I keep with pants all the time. Easier and more comfortable!!

hi everyone..

hi Susan..Kim...no Susan it's guilt...or some form of it..if it was vigilance I would have started losing weight alot sooner....it started out as just feeling bad for eating fattening foods...but now I feel it WHENEVER I eat.. in varying degrees....I try to eat the healthiest of foods because I think that as my weight goes down and my health improves, I will be able to get past this...thats why I say that I look forward to being able to eat "normally" without guilt or fear....

speaking of which...I only lost one pound this week...I am not thrilled....

btw Susan...I think your current avatar is cute....you have a sweet face....

I am going to jump in feet first :-).

I am so frustrated today. My 3 yr old decided to wake up at 4:30. I wanted to get treadmill time in today, but I can't get on there with the boys being up because they keep trying to join me. I just feel that I hit road blocks at every turn with trying to exercise. Anyways I will probably take the boys to the pool and hope that I can get some exercise in while they play. Maybe my 17 yr old will actually help out today, I wont hold my breath though.

That is the tough part for me, too, Eleny. Just finding time to exercise is hard and then it seems like there is always something else that gets in the way. Keep trying to put it first, though! It is so important that we take care of ourselves, too, along with taking care of the family.

*** Do as I say, not as I do!!****

Guilty be gone!

I'm off to work folks. I'll check back in later. Be good now!

Hey There Everybody...

A big olde Welcome to Brismiley...

Susan and Laura...Mine is pure unadulterated guilt...it is the same feeling I get in the pit of my stomach when I have spend more money than I should have or I am being self serving and selfish...This I think that I can attribute to my Polish, Roman Catholic upbringing and then throw in a dash or two of single parenthood (divorced)...between all of the "issues" I am pretty much good to go! or one big guilt ball to go!

And by the way I Love your avitar too but I thought since there is this new slim and trim Susan running around that one should be gracing us with her presence on a daily basis! Also I liked the Fairy Godmother feeling in your little message...thanks for the smiles as always!

Diane... How the heck are you? I feel like we hardly have had anytime to catch up! Hope all is well!

I like that avatar too. Professional hair and make-up ... and you can't see the spare ten pounds (they're in control top hose).

I feel magical ... accomplished ... and I wish you all could feel this way. In fact I know you all could. Practice, practice, practice ...

It feels great! I did my treadmill workout today! yay! :-)

Susan you do look great! Thank you for being a cheerleader/fairy godmother :-).

Kimush~ Thank you for the welcome.

Diane~ Thank you for the pep talk :-). I want to be healthy physically and mentally for my children, so I need to make myself get up and exercise :-).

Kimush: I'm here! It's been busy, so I seem to write a big post on the weekend and then hit and miss throughout the week. The kids go back to school in about a month, so my routine will be getting back to what I am used to. What's new with you??

Eleny: Good job on the treadmill! It is so hard being a parent as it is, we don't need to add any extra stress, do we???

I'm on my second day of getting up early with my son to walk/run. It's been fun with him out there. He is a morning person, so he just brightens up the morning. I'm hoping to see a little scale change finally. Official weigh in is on Monday for me. I really want to move this ticker.

Hope you're all doing well!

I found something while I was renewing an old interest in this site www.stumptuous.com and thought it rang true for us ... mature ladies.

You see, progress is not exactly a linear onward-and-upward thing. It's more like a thousand little tiny stops and starts. Even for the so-called experts, life intervenes with multiple pressures to fail. It doesn't get any easier. You just get better at managing it, problem solving, and coming up with creative strategies to combat it. You get better at saying no to things that rob your of your energy and better at saying yes to the things that are truly valuable and essential. There is no better time. There is no better life stage. All you have is now; all you have is you. These things that seem to impede you - you don't wait till they're done then start your life. They are your life.