Congrats! I just weighed under 300 myself... Can't wait to be under 200!

Congratulations on hitting the 300s! What a big achievement!

Congrats!!

Thank you everyone! I'm really excited to see my efforts and my results "snowballing."

I'm a little discouraged by my response to the recent weather changes (lots of pain and memory/concentration issues).

Even though my doctors have told me that I can't count on it, and despite evidence to the contrary, I still want to believe that my fibromyalgia will disappear if I'm able to lose the weight and/or become more active.

That hasn't been the case. Any dramatic physical or environmental change, wreaks havoc on my health. It's as if my body no longer copes well with drastic change - whether the change is positive or negative.

It's one of the reasons that I have been (as I call it) "dieting backwards." I've made teeny-tiny gradual, slow changes, because rapid changes backfire on me, triggering severe flares of the fibro symptoms (and osteoarthritis).

For the past six weeks, hubby and I have been going to the gym 3 times a week. I take it really slow on the treadmill or in the pool, and have been able to slowly, but steadily increase my time at the gym.

The progress inspired us to join our YMCA's "Passport to Fitness" program. They gave us a paper "passport" folder, lising 3 choices of exercise listed under 12 "countries." To "visit" a country you have to spend 30 minutes doing one of the exercises for at least 30 minutes (if there were intensity requirements, I wouldn't be able to do it).

So during the month of October, we have to try 12 different exercises, from at least 6 different countries. Of the 36 exercise options, about half are way beyond our abilities (climbing wall - with our joint damage - never going to happen).

If it weren't for the water exercise and walking options, I don't think I'd be able to participate.

As it is, it's going to be tough for hubby and I to meet all the requirements, but if we do, we get a hooded sweatshirt.

I've never wanted a prize so badly in my life.

But I have to be careful not to drive the fibro into overdrive by over-exerting myself. And Fall is kicking my butt (hubby's too). We wake up so sore and stiff that just getting out of bed is a challenge.

We've considered moving to a milder, more consistent climate - but we don't want to leave family and friends - and most of the locations that fit our needs are either extremely expensive, or outside the country.


On the plus side - I've lost another lb. Down to 297.2 - only three more pounds and I will have lost a full 100 lbs.

Even though it's taken almost 7 years, it still doesn't seem possible. Especially since I'm not feeling horrendously deprived or discouraged.

congratulations and keep up the great work... and yes the more you lose the more energy and less slugish you will feel making it easier for you to work out and whatnot... so keep pluggin away youll meet your goal in no time!

Kaplod, I thought I would share with you what my bracelet looks like, I buy a new one for every 10lbs...I have 93 lbs gone now...we are kinda neck and neck

It's fun to have a weight loss "twin." Though at my rate of loss, we won't be twins very long, but that's ok!

Oooh, pretty! I'll have to photograph mine to show off. My beads don't all fit on one bracelet because each represents 5 lbs instead of 10.

I have thought of swithching to a 10 lb system (taking away half the beads, and adding them back when I've earned them, the "new" way), but it takes me so long to lose the weight, that I can barely wait for 5 lbs to come off as it is (and buying one for every pound, would just be silly - at least for the woman who rarely wears jewelry).

Although now that I can find them for less than $1 a bead, it almost is tempting to buy one per pound.

Sunshine Discount Crafts, sells the glass beads and metal charm and spacer beads on a 9-bead card for $6.99, and a 5-bead card for $3.99, and individual beads for $1.49. The shipping drives the cost up, of course - but I buy craft supplies from them anyway. They also have some neat alternatives to bracelets and necklaces to showcase the beads, pendants, keychains and earings.

I've thought of buying beads in advance, and not considering them "mine" until I "earn" the bead and can put it on my bracelet or necklace. But part of the fun of anticipating the weight loss, is thinking about what kind of bead I want to purchase next.

My butterfly was my FIRST 10lbs its sterling silver, Its the only "REAL" panadra,the glass beads I got on a card of 4 for $5.00. My next "REAL"one will by my 100lb mark...I WI on Wednesday so I will see how close I am then

I'm doing the charm bracelet thing, too. I'm buying Pandora, Chamilia, and Tara's Diary beads, whatever catches my eye, but I only get one every 25 pounds. I'd go broke on beads buying those every 5 or 10 pounds!

I haven't picked out my 75 pound bead yet, but I've already decided on my 100 pound bead. It's going to be a letter C - because C is the Roman numeral for 100. Clever, huh?

Congratulations!!!!