heather-I know that feeling of trying to force yourself to eat what seems like so much and thinking HOW on earth will eating more make me lose more weight??? LOL

I've noticed that the weeks I lost only 1lb were the weeks that my calories were low........I average around 1800-2000 cals.....but should be taking in closer to 2100 so I try to have two heavy days a week....to kinda balance things out for the week.

It is so odd that the more cautious you are of the quality of food you eat......the more of those kinds of foods you have to eat to lose wieght! Strange huh?

you are doing awesome!!!

Hi everyone! Have a great day.

hello everyone,
My kiddos are really being good playing today. Its a nice break for me. Lately it seems like they are fighting alot. I think they are in the MINE stage...lol
Hubby is feeling better even though he is still running a low grade temp. He refused to go to the dr ...he goes on monday for his 6 month checkup. I think he knows he is up a few pounds and is scared she willl chew him out. He is truly scared of her!!
Its a gloomy cool day here in ky. Good thing the storms fell apart and we just got a little bit of rain last night. They are saying we might get a large rain maker tommorow. Just what we dont need.
I really need to get motivated and do some deep house cleaning in the next few weeks. Having youngest daughters room so clean make the rest of upstairs look bad.lol I have to get ready for a graduation party in may. I can hardly believe my baby is graduating from high school. I think im in denial.
well they are at it again,,,better go and find something to entertain them.
have a great day everyone eat right and drink that water!!
debi

I have officially passed stir crazy, and am quickly approaching catatonia. I think I am going back to bed, and just start the day over again.

Well I just took a quick break.......DD is helping me with the stuff in the Attic.....I can't wait till I am small enough to fit comfortably up there....I have two attics one is mostly season decor....that one has a dropdown ladder which I can't get on since it only holds 180 lbs!!! DS in the Army usually has taken christmas stuff out in the past......hopefully DH or I will be small enough to get in there this christmas or he will have to come home!!! LOL

the other attic is accessable through a cutout square hole with slip door in my closet....that is where my many "I don't want to deal with you at the end of a move" boxes are! LOL along with clothes from last year........but of course my DS placed all the clothing items in the BACK so poor DD has to manuver here way through the mess to get back there.....my white lab even joined her....I think she knows there are snacks up there LOL (mice) as we open up stuff in the garage...(in case of surprises) my white lab is right there sniffing each thing....LOL I keep telling her I know sweetie I smell those pesky varments too! but we have yet to see any...although DD did see a dead baby one in the attic.

So today I am staying OP so I can go into the attic next time I need to and organize it!!!!!

ok back to the grind.........

Catherine, we must be a special breed, because I can do the same thing....heck...I just did!

Bernice, nope, it wasn't rude, just a kick in the pants that I needed.

Anne, how are you feeling after your walk/jog time on the treadmill? I think it's great that you are incorporating jogging into your routine. Pretty soon you'll be running like crazy.

Carol, Have a safe trip and have some fun while your gone.

Johnnie, good to see you posting. I hope the arthritis isn't getting too much for you. My Mom has it and I see her suffer so much with it. She's always tired because of the meds she's on for it. So take care of yourself, but enjoy the springtime.

YaY! We are suppose to have a day in the 70's this week. I'm hoping the tulips will be all in bloom and we will go to the fields to check them out. I want to walk all the way around them this year. We went two years ago and I just looked and said no way. This year I'm looking forward to it.
I'm doing good OP wise. I think part of the problem with the weight gain is, when I was sick and ever since, I haven't exercised at all. So with me still eating the amount of calories I was, and not exercising, it just came back on. At least that's what I'm thinking it is besides the salami and cheese.
I'm sitting her at the computer and my crazy Matilda cat is falling asleep on the desk with her head on the printer. Goofy girl
Well, keep movin' and groovin'
Debbie

Just a quick hello to everyone!

grrrrrrr its gloomy outside.....off and on drizzling rain.....I am working steadily on the attic......already went through 4 bags of stuff........


while we were working....we hear the tornado sirens!!!!
I ran upstairs to turn on the TV and see what the heck is going on.....nothing.......no news ticker on the bottom of the screen....so I called the police station (non ER line) and asked .....they said ohhh yeah the town next to us is testing their sirens.........!!!!!

Can you say NO WARNING about this.....LOL
Normal scheduled testing is on the 1st friday or Monday of the month at noon! So my heart is now in my stomach! LOL I really truly hate Tornados!!! even more so since I saw the one that tore through town right outside the school I work at!!!! grrrrr

OK think I will go eat something and then get back to work! GOSH distractions!!!

Ok girls I had an awesome WI today! Total 11.5 lbs gone and 8 inches! I have hit my first 10lber goal and only 16 twn puder goals left to go!

We are actually having sun with a cool breeze today. We were suppose to have thunder showers. So I will go and walk to get the kids from school. Give poor bessie the pickup a break! Specially with the fuel prices! argh!

So excited I had a message full of typos LOL

Good day all,

I just finished my lunch, so I'm waiting until it settles to do my afternoon lifting. I'm actually surprised that the knee is not bad after yesterday's jog intervals. I decided to reign it in a bit today and just did a 20-min session of walk/jog intervals. I really didn't think I was going to make it to the end, but I did. Then after I recovered I did my usual 30-min walk. Although the total time is lower by 10 minutes I really do think I got a better workout.

Becky - when life gets really tough, maintaining is a great thing to be doing. That in itself is a victory. I know in the past that emotionally rough times have been an excuse to gain weight back. So give yourself a lot of credit for maintaining. And I do hope things get better for you and your family.

Carol - glad you're feeling better. And you're right, any time we don't use things as an excuse to eat, it's a victory.

Johnnie - I got that way over the last few weeks. In the end, saying hello and catching up on how you are is more important than the personals.

Bernice - when your schedule changes is really easy to get off track. Yesterday I had a light breakfast (toast, peanut butter, protein shake) at 7:30 (this is about 2 hours before I normally eat), and headed off. I took almonds and an orange since I didn't think I was going to be home much before 1pm. I did get home earlier, but I'd already eaten the almonds in the car. Lunch ended up being a little early, but I pushed my time in on the treadmill to keep myself from eating. I tried to keep my afternoon busy, but still took my afternoon snack early. Dinner was at 6:45 (I don't know why, but this is our usual time). The after dinner snack (which I usually take at 10) ended up being 9:30. I just couldn't get away from that hunger. It seemed like such a minor change to my schedule, but it made a huge difference. I figure by the time you go back to work you'll have days at home down pat, and will have to work on the work day stuff again.

Heather_dw - I did the same when I started in Dec. I bought baked snacks (crispy minis, flavoured crackers) although I have weaned myself off them over that last month or so. I was just eating them the same way I ate the full fat ones before - fast, and mindlessly. I've been finding that less processed foods seem to fill me more, with less cravings. I would weigh out an ounce of crispy minis (a fair sized portion) and it just wouldn't be enough. I'd always want more when I was done, didn't take it, but felt deprived since I didn't take it. I still think your daily weighing gives you more pain than pleasure. Sorry, couldn't think of a better way to put it. Looking at your loss the last two days (assuming that's not a typo) you say -0.6 and -4.0. Well, nobody loses 4 pounds overnight (although it would be nice). So you're happy today, but if you don't lose weight for the next 5 days you're probably going to be unhappy again. Yet, even if you gain a couple of pounds, you would still be down overall. I still think you need to look at the big picture - that you're 57lbs lighter than your starting weight. Get into a routine for whatever level you pick and box up the scale for a couple of weeks.

And Bernice made an excellent point. I've seen some people say that calorie cycling can be quite effective. That's kind of what she's doing. Taking a weekly number (2100 x 7 = 14700) and dividing it up into different levels each day. As long as they're consistent (ie. sticking to the numbers chosen) it should be just as good as the same daily number split evenly.

Debi - I'm still in a MINE stage. After trying to convince my mother to use the treadmill a little (to keep her active in the winter), she's decided to start now. It's kind of driving me nuts, so I've started giving her window times (ie. use it now or leave me alone). I'd just rather keep an eye on her. This is a woman who isn't the best with electronic devices. She's also on her spring cleaning kick and she's making me feel like I should be as well. I'm just not feeling it yet.

Catherine - I woke up to a rainy drizzle this morning and just pulled the covers back over my head for a little while. The sun came out briefly, but not for long. I've got some sad looking plant stalks outside the back window. I think I'll go cut them back tomorrow. They're starting to depress me. (I leave them so I'll know where the plant is under them as I believe it's a late starter.) Hope the day gets better for you.

Debbie - the funny thing is that my arms were the only thing that were sore this morning. I don't normally hang on to the treadmill. I did notice today that during the jogging I am in fact hanging on for dear life. I'm sure I'll get over that. I suspect once the pool is open that I'll try some higher intensity stuff in the pool. Well, depends on the weather too I suppose. Although your exercise level has dropped I wouldn't drop your food too much. Bodies need to heal, so perhaps just cut back a little and your reward for getting back into the exercise (when you can) will be to up your food.

And a big to everyone else. I'm either going to start the afternoon workout at 3pm and shoot for a nap after (okay, collapse), or 3:30 - which is kind of sounding really much better.

I'm going to decide what to do with this post as I type it....I might reread it and just not say anything at all...I've got a huge rant inside me but do not want to offend anyone...so here goes nothing.

Today was supposed to be a great day. I went to the production office from the game show that I was on to pick up my check from the show that aired. So I've got a check for $50,000 with me. Everyone has an opinion about what I should be doing with it. Everyone assumes it's going to be a condo downpayment...but it's not. The priorities right now are my paying off a few credit cards, fixing DH's car and maybe going to Vegas. I'd also like to buy myself something I've always wanted to get for myself..like a really nice purse or some great shoes...and everyone has a comment on how shallow and materialistic that is and what is my return on that kind of an investment? Then DH (yes I do love him) starts talking about things that he wans to do with the $...things that have to do with his comic book efforts (aspiring writer)...and I was blind sided.

In case you were ever curious...money does not buy happiness. I almost had a good mind to go back to the offices and give them back the check.

(here comes the real rant....I assure you, this is not a personal attack towards any of you....this is just eating at me)

I'm also getting tired of seeing posts like "1st week OP and no loss". It seems like the goals are instant gratification and not long term results and health benefits. The simple fact is this...we can work and work and give life our all..and still not get what we "deserve" and we then are faced with teh choice...do we quit because we didn't get what we wanted when we wanted it...or do we persevere and try to create new habits and behavior patterns that will benefit us down the road.

Weight loss is not for wimps. It is hard. It is unfair. It is a daily battle. It is maddening at times. It is a life change. I'm not talking about 10 lbs. to be ready fot the beach vacation...I'm talking about serious, significant weight loss. For those of who who have had surgery and are here...I salute you....you didn't just assume that everything would be hunky dory and you'd be rail thin when you came out from under the anesthesia. You're still working at it and committing to a healthy lifestyle to support what was a medical necessity for you. For those of you who have been here year after year and still don't fit into a size 6...I salute you....you get it. You know that it takes EFFORT to get the things that matter most and that the things we treasure most are the things for which we expended the most effort, sweat, tears and time.

If I run into one more whiny person who doesn't understand why they aren't losing 3 lbs a week when they are eating 1000 calories a day and exercising 3 hours a day on top of that...I may eat them.

I apologize if this touched a nerve....it's not you I am mad at. It's a society that wants to be rewarded every minute of every day whether we deserve it or not...and at a society that tells us that we can only be good and thin and perfect and beautiful through total sacrifice and denial.

I was furious with Queen Latifah when she decided to be a Jenny Craig spokesperson after her People magazine cover claiming she was 200lbs and happier than ever. Then I saw her commercials...unlike her predecessors, she doesn't talk about dress sizes or pounds lost. She talks about losing 5-10% of her starting weight for healh purposes. She doesn't show her "fat jeans" in fact the outfits they have her in on the commercials are hideous. It's a smart tactic..and the fact is...what she is doing is the best thing that anyone can do for themselves..start with a goal of 10% of your starting weight and then just go 5 lbs at a time. This can be done with or without a fixed regimented program...it all depends on the type of structure you feel you need and the financial resources you have at your disposal.

I get so angry when people refuse to help themselves succeed because they care what people will say. Each of us has had that person in our lives who either makes the snarky comments about us dieting and do we really need that cupcake...or has ignored our success and been cold...or who wants to tell us how to do it better and faster than we are doing it.

IF YOU ARE DOING IT FOR YOU...TO LIVE...BECAUSE YOU MATTER MOST...THEN HERE'S TO YOU.

I'm done now. My apologies. I'll be fuming in the corner if you need me.

Dearest Julee I agree with you on many points. What we do takes contant concentration and much thought. We are not able to freely go and munch away anymore. That is a choice we have made. Do not allow anyone to make you feel guilty for any of your choices. May it be a money issue or what you choose for dinner. Loosing weight has been the hardest thing to do, next to step parenting a son with ADHD. I too was hurt when Queen Latifah made her Jenny Craig choice. Mainly since she was my goal. I would love to have a Queen Latifah like body only shorter. Thanks for sharing your feelings. It makes me feel less alone in how I feeel.

Bravo, Julee, I'm ITA with your post.

Especially for us up here in the weight chart stratosphere, it is important to realize that this journey will last a lifetime. The losing phase can take years. But regardless of how long it takes to lose, we have to treat ourselves as if we deserve health, because that is the ultimate goal, the ultimate reward. Some days, some weeks, and even some months we will not lose...but we will gain the benefits of learning how to give our bodies what they need, and not what our broken parts want to give them.

Every day I treat myself well by eating nutritious food and moving around is a victory. It is a victory that probably won't result in immediate scale results on most days.

--
Congratulations on winning the $50,000. It's yours to figure out what you want to do with it. Pshaw on anyone who feels they have a say in it.

Good afternoon all,

I'm sitting here, too tired to move, so I thought I'd catch up.

Julia - I missed your post earlier. I suppose I was still typing mine when you posted. Congratulations! I can't believe that we're at 15C today. I was out earlier and it sure didn't feel like that. I suspect it's because of that cold wind. We had heavy thunder this morning, about 8am I think. I was trying to pull the covers back over my head and it was rattling the windows.

Julee - rant away. I something surpress things I want to say (not just here). I think sometimes that's not such a good thing. I agree completely with your position. On the money... I have a friend who many years ago (probably 10 now) won our lottery's Encore (250,000). It's now 1 million, so it was many years ago. In Canada you get it in one lump sum, no taxes. She struggled with a lot of the same things you did. She bought the ticket, with money she earned, and yet everyone seemed to feel they deserved something from it. Or, that she should do (fill in the blank) with the money. Yes, even her husband. She sat him down and told him that although they were a partnership (and had been for more than 20 years at that point) that didn't mean that he had a say in what she did with her winnings. Anything she decided to give to him was out of love, not obligation. Then she went and bought him a truck (such a tease). Unsolicited advice - pay your credit cards (that just makes sense), fix the car, and yes, take a vacation. If you go to Vegas, leave the money behind! The hardest person to deal with will likely be DH, so good luck on that.