TWILIGHT ~ that is a great NSV (non-scale victory) switching your pop like that ...

CURVES ~ quitting smoking and losing weight is a double battle; but I know personally that it can be done. DH & I quit smoking on March 20, 2003; and I have been working on the weight steadily since the winter of 2004/5. Kudos to you ...

MEM ~ as you know green beans are one of my faves (they are so low in calories but filling), as are tomatoes; and I'm a big onion & cabbage fan too. They made a terrific combo. I also like corn and mushrooms too; and often add them to my stirfries and stewed veggies too.

dGramie ~ I think we prayed for your brother at the time; I hope he can overcome some of those issues eventually.

Ladies, I have the opposite problem; my chest is disappearing rapidly. Now I am working on my belly becuz that is where most of my weight is centered now -- drats. But it will have to come off as I get down lower simply becuz there isn't anywhere else for it to come from ...

WE stayed indoors today as we had and chilly temps all day, so we did light housechores instead. Now I'm just relaxing with music and chatting here. Eating is going great -- we had homebaked pizza tonight; I saved up some calories over the day for that. Have a lovely weekend everyone ...

Quitting smoking for me is mostly a "desire to quit" thing. I quit before... for 5 years. It is a matter of "wanting" to or not for me...

Cuter - I understand wanting surgery. It's not a cop out. It's not easy. You can easily fall back into the same routine with this, too. In ways it's harder. So nobody is judging you. Whatever you choose as long as you try that's all that matters.

I went to the specialist...and he said that my retinas are unusually thin and there are weak spots. But he said there aren't any tears and I really shouldn't worry unless there are more symptoms or the symptoms I have get worse. I felt better since I seen him. I can't really explain it.

My niece's birthday was today. And I'm not happy with what I did. Unfortunately I wasn't hungry before I went so I've been eating all day because of that...ugh. I can only move forward, though. We're talking two hamburgers and one hot dog bad. Not to mention other crap I'd rather not mention.

This is my beautiful niece:


Unfortunately this is me...sorry I don't have any pics to compare to. Not that it matters I still look like a tub of lard, but it's the one time that someone took a picture and I didn't totally despise is. He was showing me a trophy, lolol.

CAR ~ now, now -- you have already lost 69 lbs, which is fabulous!!! And hey, no calling yourself disparaging names becuz you are a very pretty lady, I might add. Be proud of your accomplishments so far. The point is that you went; you celebrated, and now you can move on. We've all had those kind of days but if you keep going, it will all be a wash-out in the end. If you get right back on track today, you can maintain or even lose a lb. I'm serious -- I have seen this happen many, many times.


CUTER ~ we tried to quit "cold turkey" a few times, but that was too difficult. Finally, we did "gradual cessation" and that was the key to success for us. First, we cut back slowly by a ciggie or two a day until we were at about .5 pack or less a day. We even switched to rolling our own to drag it out and banned certain rooms in the house, and so on. I chewed sugar-free gum & chewed sticks (fake ciggies) that my DH made me (you can buy them now). He ate sugar-free candies and walked & walked & walked. Keeping busy was important for both of us. He was getting so sick from the ciggies; coughing and hacking every morning for about an hour. Plus, he was on puffers and even had to get oxygen a few times (he had developed asthma from the danged things). The doctors had told him that he needed to quit but he didn't want to believe it. After he quit, all the health issues stopped completely. No more puffers or hacking, etc. It was one of the hardest things we have ever done, but it was also one of the smartest; and quitting had lots of rewards for both our health and finances too. A friend of ours found getting the "ciggie patch" for helpful too ...

Car... Thank you for what you said. Now it's my turn.

You have a pretty face. You're dressed well. Your well kempt... Please. Tell me how that makes you a "tub of lard".

I have no problem understanding to want to be a healthier version of ones self... But I do have a problem with not acknowledging what we have going for us. You're very pretty. I hope you will see that at some point.

Big hugs, and lots of love!

Rosebud... For me... I typically smoke 4-6 superslims a day... So cutting back only got me so far. I did it last time with the gum. This time I tried the gum. That was failing (stupid too because I bought the box box)... I have the "spray" now. It's pretty hard on me even as a menthol smoker.

I actually have this massive fear that something will go drastically wrong when I quit. It's happened time and time again. I tried spring 2011 and made it 3 days and my grandmother passed (a good thing because she was in pain)... I tried it a few times prior to when I quit for 5 years and each time something awful happened. Ice storms, microbursts, people getting very ill, people passing.

This time I am keeping my head down, and pretending I'm still a smoker. *chuckle*

Sounds like you did it the "right way" with your husband. That's awesome.

For me... I really don't even see the financial side of things. I was spending maybe 15.50$ every week... Basically a cup of coffee at Timmies a day costs the same.

Thanks y'all. Your words are too kind, really. Y'all are absolutely right. It's not easy, though. Saying anything nice about myself or accepting when someone says something nice. Because honestly, I don't think I'm pretty. All I see is all the hard work I have left to do. And here yet I've lost 70 freakin pounds! It's hard to believe the nice words, though I appreciate them, because I don't see it.

This attractive guy at work today called my phone to ask a question and then added, "Devon you look so great. Seriously, you look really good. You're doing a great job." I ended up telling him I was losing weight when he asked a couple weeks ago and said it looked like I had, but he didn't want me to hurt him by saying so, lolol.

And I'm like...okay, I look good now...? But I see that picture and wonder what the **** I looked like before! It disgusts me.

I'm really trying to accept that I'm not ugly, lolol. And when I lose all of this weight it doesn't mean I was ever uglier, I just look healthier and an all around better me. I don't know.

Also...to those trying or have stopped smoking. It's hard. I never smoked, but all the females in my family did/do. It's not easy. But my grandma (67)...I called her on Sunday and she told me after, I don't even know how long, she has stopped drinking and hasn't drank for 2 months. I can't explain what that means to me. She would drink herself stupid on the weekends and then when she retired all day everyday. My point is if she can quit something just as addictive then you guys can. It takes time and mess ups, and sometimes it doesn't work for everyone. But at least you tried!

watchoutforthatcar....your photo is lovely but I know how you feel about having a photo taken. You are such a pretty woman and beauty comes as much from inside us as outside. If your coworkers are complimenting you that means you must have made some amazing changes for them to notice ( and a man too!!). Enjoy the compliments ...you have earned them.

Car... Can I just tell you that you have the prettiest name ever? I'm kind of biased though. I chose the name Devon for my daughter.

Sounds like you work with a sweetie...

Would it help if I located and posted a link to my worst? *giggle*

Here is the only known photo of me when I weighed 369lbs (give or take a couple):



And here is me closer to what I am now...



Honestly I maintain similar shape through the body just increase in size... It is the face where it shows most on me... So two face pics.

DEVON ~ I agree -- what a lovely name. My goodness, this is "DEVON" home week; our next door neighbour's name is Devon (but he's a young man). I think the problem is that in our society we don't compliment people enuff. We are so hesitant to tell people how we feel lest they take it the wrong way, etc. If we did, then maybe we all wouldn't be so dang insecure. I do know how you feel -- my worst picture was sad, but I used it as inspiration to motivate me along the way. It isn't digital so I can't post it on here. Hey, I still have a long way to go; and when I look at my stomach, I cringe, but I am still thrilled how far I have come and I have faith that it will just get better & better with time. I'm so glad that your co-worker was brave enuff to tell you how he felt becuz it's true ...

CUTER ~ I love your wavy hair; mine is similar if I don't comb it out. My sister gave me heck about that, so now I let it dry naturally so it keeps its waves. My DH said that he didn't realize I had curly hair before. Is that a picture of your daughter? She certainly looks like she could be. That is true that the face shows weightloss much faster than our body ...

Yep that's my girl... Though a few years ago.

This is her earlier this summer... (Not a fan of the lipstick she is wearing but i let it go because all the girls were doing it at the backyard bbq that night)

I'm really mad that I have to retype this over because my window closed out on me.

Cuter - Your hair is gorgeous! I love curls and they look great on you! You're so pretty. And your daughter definitely takes after you. Your eyes are so pretty. And I think your daughter has a fantabulous name! Girls love to play in makeup, I know I did.

mountain walker - Thank you. I don't know why compliments sometimes makes me feel worse. It makes absolutely no sense. So I need to just accept them and appreciate them.

Justwant2 - Thank you. See...mostly guys have my name. I'm used to that, lolol. It's so hard to look outside of negativity when we see ourselves. Especially when society tells us that the way we look is wrong. And in order to look "right" we have to weigh x amount of pounds. We all need to learn to start loving ourselves more in order to ever be happy at goal.

cuter's before picture isn't nowhere near awful to me. But I know if I had taken the same photo of me it would've been horrible in my eyes. That just goes to show how hard we are on ourselves.

I will take all of y'alls advice and work on that! I can't only work on the outside. I have to work on me, too.

Devon that was exactly my point. I'm glad you got that... We are always way harder on ourselves.

And thank you for the compliments! I am blushing! Also love that you use "fantabulous"! I use it often!

As for working on the inside... We all need to do that. It is so important to deal with that because if we don't then we just put ourselves through the motions we have to deal with right now.

I know what I am going to type might seem odd... But repeat after me:

"My name is Devon and I deserve compliments! I am beautiful inside and out... And I am going to be the healthiest I can be. Regardless of what size of jeans I am wearing."

*big hugs*
Shell

Rosebud - oh, I like cabbage quite a bit too. My favorite thing about St. Patrick's day is cooking the cabbage in the corned beef brine. It becomes so delicious. I have some pickling spice now and I am going to try to make some cooked cabbage (sans corned beef) once the weather turns cooler. I am sure that it will NOT be as good as the corned beef brine (in that the corned beef brine also has fat from the corned beef to flavor the cabbage) but it might still be good. Until then it will be weird versions of coleslaw for me whenever cabbage.

Oh, and I haven't had pizza for a while. I like to make pita pizzas sometime, and might plan that for a meal this weekend!

TwilightWing - hey, not buying the soda is great! I don't mind diet soda taste, I have been drinking diet for so long. But: have you tried Coke Zero or Dr. Pepper Ten? They taste more like the regular things because of the sweetener used, and that might help you make a better choice than full-out Mountain Dew.

car 1) your niece is ADORABLE; 2) I think you're lovely, too and that is a pretty picture. You have gorgeous eyes (and I love your glasses! I need to get new ones myself.) And you are so young! Getting this weight lost at your age is brilliant; you should be so proud of yourself.

But trust me, I understand what you are saying. Right now, when I look in the mirror, I look the way I have looked in my head for years. I'm still plenty overweight, clearly, but I am good with looking at myself in hte mirror. When I was at my heaviest, I avoided looking into mirrors deliberately. I just did not let me see myself. In some ways, I think that made it harder to get back to losing weight, because I was taking all the stereotypes about fat people and stuffing them into my (mostly unseen) silhouette and keeping my head down.

Which was even less healthy, I think, than the weight. I think you should start taking pictures of yourself, so that you can see not just where you are not, but how your body changes as you lose weight. And hey, you will want before and after pictures to show everyone, too.

And I'm so glad to hear about your grandma; that's such a great reward and so hard for someone to do, especially at her age.

cuter - wow. Somehow I missed that you were quitting smoking. Am impressed that you are taking that on. I smoked but quit years ago. Sometime before I bought my house, maybe when my mother had ovarian cancer. I guess it was cold turkey; what I remember MOST about it is that I really had to stop going out for a while, since bars still allowed smoking then and it was SO EASY for me to bum a cigarette or three while out and drinking and then start the whole cycle again.

And, like you, I had quit before for an extended period (2ish years?) before starting again. This time, though, it has been for good. Hopefully it will be for you. I don't crave them or anything and hey, bars now make you smoke outside. Not that I go out drinking as much these days.

Oh, and I agree with car - you are pretty and I ADORE your hair. I wish my hair would do things like that.

If I make it home at anything like a reasonable hour tonight (I worked until 9:45 p.m. last night - meaning, 12 and a half hours, ugh), I will find some of the few pictures I have of me. All from vacations, hah. Taken by other people. I bought a new over-the-door mirror to start taking progress pics but never remember to take my phone upstairs with me.

CAR ~ I have been working on my self-image too (for some time now); and I made a list of positive affirmations that I read now and then to remind myself and banish neggie thoughts. I posted them in the Emotional Healing Thread in the Faith Forum; I'll post a link for you so you can see what I mean.

Here's that link: it's post #25 ...

http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/fait...ow-heal-2.html

I am glad now that I did take some photos along the way becuz now I can see the progress I have made; it has been very inspirational for me. I highly recommend it too.

CUTER ~ Yes, both you and your daughter are very pretty with lovely almond-shaped eyes and gorgeous golden, wavy hair. It's nice to know what our best assets are so we can play them up just like you have ...

MEM ~ sometimes, you can buy very lean pastrami or corned beef at the deli; just a few slices could flavor your cabbage without adding a lot of fat calories I'm sure. I buy one that is only 70 calories for 4 slices. I like to have veggie pita pizzas about 1-2 times a week, esp for lunch. We have the other home-baked one for dinner only about once a month. Plus, I give half my crust to my furry baby to cut my calories even further.

We have mirrors all over this house; it came that way. I can't but help see what I look like now. DH and I were talking about this today -- how we know that we are gaining weight (esp as our clothes get tighter), but even the scale doesn't really tell the true story (it can be an obscure number for many of us). However, there's nothing like mirrors and pictures to make us see what we really look like.

The cooler, wet temps have arrived. We had to put the furnace on this week as it's just too chilly. I can tell esp when I am feeling hungrier too, so I am upping my carbs just a tad this week. We are having leftover roasted chicken and veggies for dinner tonight; plus I baked some apples in NSA maple syrup with a few raisins & cinnamon too. This is a nice low-calorie dessert or snack.

I'll go get that link now, as dinner will be ready pretty soon.

Hello folks.

I am Mysie. I found my way here through some google search.

I started Weight Watchers last week after a pair of pants tore out in the butt. I decided that I had to get serious because my efforts have been short of any success for over a year now.

Well, I knew I was over 300 but I was so ashamed to see that I came in at 328.8. I have never weighed this much. I got here in part to a major impairment in my mobilty due to my ankle/heel. I got the surgery to repair this summer and was unable to walk for 6 weeks. I am now just being able to go a fair distance with a cane.

Any who, I lost 4.8 with all this 'plus pointing' this week. I am off on a positive start with the program. I am not so much a 'meetings' type of gal. I get antsy and annoyed because it is so late in the day and it feels like a commercial at times.

I was hoping to find a community which has the people on this same path as me.

So, here I am.

Oh, I am 51 year old female living in the Midwest. I have a husband who loves to cook and have a crabby cat. I work as a nurse at a desk job.