Welcome, Mysie! You're among friends here who are going through the same and just trying to get better and healthier. Good luck on your journey. And make sure you join in on our conversations and keep us up to date! Good or bad.

Mnem -- Don't let the cuteness fool you. She's a handful! Lolol...and thank you so much for the compliments.

I started off well today. And ended on three pieces of pizza, five breadsticks, and two pieces of (small) cake! Uggghhh. It's so hard for me to get back on the horse after having a semi bad weekend. Yesterday wasn't bad...and I've exercised both yesterday and tonight. And I kicked butt tonight, so hopefully that counts for something and there is always tomorrow.

Speaking of working out...I do my Rockin Body dvds...I have Turbofire too, but unfortunately those are over my brother's house. I read online that some people exercise inside bare foot. And, omg!, what a relief. It's like exercising on air, literally. My feet and legs did not feel strained...I didn't have to stop so many times. It was great. And I think I'll continue to do it this way.

Hope you gals are having a good night and week so far, hopefully better than I am.

Rosebud - I am mostly a vegetarian, but not exclusively (so I suppose I cannot call myself one) and I make an exception for corned beef every St. Patrick's day. That is actually a GREAT idea, I hadn't even considered it. Hah. I am going to consider it when I decide to cook cabbage.

Mysie - congrats on your loss! Heh, I know the feeling about not knowing where you are and getting a shock. I always knew I was more than 300 lbs, unfortunately. But had a huge shock in 2009 when I went to the doctor with gallbladder symptoms and weighed 370 lbs. I had probably weighed a bit more than that in 2004/2005, but lost down to about where I am now over the course of a year. Then regained.

You are doing brilliantly! I am not a meetings person, either - heh. My work had a work-based WW for 2 10 week sessions earlier this year and I didn't join, even though I was working actively on losing weight. Like your husband, I like to cook. I live in WV, and have four cats, who are extra-crabby when they have to acknowledge each others' existence.

Okay, I played around with the camera and some photos to post some pics so y'all can see me too. The first pic juxtaposes a picture of me taken in May 2011 in Berlin at the National Museum of Germany. Beneath what was reported to be Napoleon's hat. I HATE that picture. It's the only picture of me from that vacation and I think it looks awful. Not because I was fat but because of the way my glasses obscure my eyes. Heh.

The second one I took tonight.



And this picture compares me in Peru in 2012 - at Sacsayhuaman, the Incan fortress on the bluffs overlooking Cusco in the Andes, and me tonight.

awesome change in you!! YOu are beautiful!

I just read about a diet on another thread. It makes total sense! http://www.nosdiet.com/ let me know what you think!

Oh, Devon - I have to use your real name now since it is so lovely - hah, the cute, smart kids are always the most dangerous. When I was in Peru we traveled with my cousin's adorable four-year-old. She was adorable and dangerously smart. AND the bossiest little thing I've ever known.

And aww, I know how tough those bad days are. You know, the pizza isn't the worst thing in the world, really. It is okay to have off days or off meals! But I know how hard it is to get back on track when you go off a bit. But you can do it; you don't need to have a PERFECT day, just a string of good ones. I think there's a saying that the perfect is the enemy of the good.

Oh, and I mostly need to wear my tennis shoes. I have inherited my mom's bad feet, and while I have thus far not developed the bunions and hammer toes that plague her, well. Still need arch support. BUT: my Hawaiian hula exercise DVD cannot be done in tennis shoes - must be barefoot. And I've read that alot of people think that we were meant to be barefoot while exercising or running! Abebe Bikila won his first Olympic gold in the marathon running barefoot. It's so neat to hear that you find working out barefoot to be more comfortable. If you really get into it, you could get some of those Vibram shoes that have individual slots for all your toes. Although I think they look kinda creepy, like hobbit feet.

dgramie - thank you for the compliment! And I checked out that diet, I agree it makes a lot of sense. I do still snack sometimes on non-S (hah) days, but not that much. Although for me previously I might have let myself go too much on weekends, but I really like that the idea is gradual, overall changes paying attention to your specific issues. And the delayed gratification thing really works.

Hah. Last June I really, really wanted a Tudor's biscuit. (They are a local fast-food breakfast chain, and their biscuits are amazing.) I wanted to lose some weight before a doctor's appointment in June, and promised myself that I could have one after the appointment. But by the time I had the appointment I was pleased with my weight loss and still have not been back to Tudor's. Which is an accomplishment for me.

So I kinda like the delayed gratification aspect of that alot. It is much, much better than the "I will start my diet on Monday" that I used to tell myself all the time. And I love that it is elastic, that it accounts for holidays and celebrations, where you shouldn't eat just celery and boiled cabbage soup.

Mnem - You look so great! You look so much younger and more vibrant. I can't get enough of saying, seeing other people lose the amounts I have to lose is such great inspiration, and yours is one of them! That pink shirt is almost swallowing you whole! Lolol...you just look like you feel better about yourself, it's really shining through. You have great skin, too!

You're right, though...I can't punish myself for the bad days. They're going to come...I know that. I enjoyed the pizza, so that's what matters. And it doesn't have to account for today. I have to keep reminding myself of that.

Haha, those shoes ARE weird. But maybe Il'l check them out. I used to hate those two socks, but I love them now.

WOW, MEM ~ you look fantastic! Love the pics. Do you feel inspired by them? You have such a happy face smile; love it! It's so nice to have a face to put with the posts too. I put a link to my progress pics in my signature so others can see them, and me too! When I have any of those neggie thoughts, I just bring it up and I feel encouraged by them. There's a thread in 100 lbs that has progress pics and there may be one in this forum too??? I'll check on that. I know I am encouraged by other people's progress pics too!


MYSIE ~ glad you found us here. Yes, we are all on the same path here; and it's no commercial, but real, real life! We have a WW forum here too, that have lots of stuff to help you a bit too.

DEVON ~ Pizza is one of my most favorite dishes, so pizza isn't a taboo food for me. One of our Canadian dieticians (Rosemary Shwartz?) once said that "pizza can be eaten in a balanced plan on occasion" becuz it has food from all food groups, and you can make it as healthy and low-cal as you want.

I have found ways to fit pizza into my plan. I make veggie pita pizzas about 1-2 times a week for lunch (380 cals). About once a month, we pick up one slice take-out for DH & I for lunch; and once a month, we have home-baked pizza that has less calories. Sometimes, I have salad first to fill me up; and I like to add veggies to my home-made ones to keep the calories lower too.

Let me share my VEGGIE PITA PIZZA with you all --

1 X 7-8" whole grain Pita/140
1 tbl tomato paste/20
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp oregano leaves
1/4 cup diced onions/10
4+ chopped mushrooms/20
1.5 oz mozzarella chz/145
1/4 cup olives (sliced or chopped)/20
1 tbl parmesan chz/25

Put on pita in order given; use shredded or just slice your mozzarella chz. Put in microwave on paper towels for 2-3 minutes. I use lower calorie cheese when I can find it (90 cals oz). You can use less chz and/or more veggies; whatever you like. If you have a salad first, you will be even fuller.


dGramie ~ saying I won't eat any snacks or desserts for the rest of my life isn't realistic for me, so I make lower-calorie versions and have them occasionally. While it all sounds good on paper, living it is another matter. I find this prevents binging too; well, for me it does. I do use the NO SECONDS rule though ...

Eating is going well this week. Happy about that. Tonight, we are having penne with a Garlic/tomato-based sauce (I added extra veggies to replace some of the meat and to cut the calories: mushrooms, onions, red & green sweet peppers, and zucchini). It would be very nice even without any meat in it too. Have 3 servings left over for lunches too. We have this about once a month, so I look forward to it too ...

I have to get back to the basics.I do great for a few days and then blow it big time. I am getting some exercise in now that its cooler. I am going to try and focus for the next week and see what I can accomplish. TOm is here and making me crave salt. I Hate TOM!! I am thankful he came before we started vacation. He would have made my trip to the mountains miserable.
Hubby is doing great! His glucose numbers are perfect and he is losing weight again he is down to 233. He was at about 270 in dec last year.

mnem I just kind of... DID IT! I didn't really mention it here that I was going to. If that makes sense... So missing it was easily done.

*blush* Thank you for the compliments! My hair and I have come to an understanding. It behaves... I let it grow.

AND you look awesome! The pics show how far you've come and that is awesome!!!

Rosebud thank you as well for the compliments...

I am blushing outright here ladies!

Mysie61 congrats on the start of your new journey, your loss already, and welcome to the board!

Devon... Don't be so hard on yourself on a bad day. Pick yourself up, dust yourself off... And I want to ask you something.

It was 3 pieces of pizza, 5 bread sticks, and 2 small pieces of cake right? Seriously... Unless we are incredibly different... Is this not less then a screw up would have been even 6 months ago?

I don't know about you but we use to order 2 medium or large pizzas, and hubby and I would clear at least 4-6 pieces each. No leftover bread sticks, and cake lasted 2 days in the house even if it was a 9 x 13 cake!

Be glad it is done... Check out the thread I posted about losing inches... And know that I bugger up twice a week. Ok... Maybe if I didn't screw up it would move faster but it is moving still with screw ups. I hope that makes sense. You are doing better then I am. I am not exercising for the most part because I've had no time.

CUTER ~ you are sooo right in what you are sayng there ...

... so, here's MY TRUE CONFESSION TIME -- I am ashamed to admit this but I used to order a medium pizza and eat the whole dang thing myself (that was my worst binge). Yes, I did; not often, but when I was in one of my sad, binge moods -- that's what I did. Now I haven't done that for mega-years but that shows how much I've healed and grown over the years.

So, tell us -- what's your TRUE CONFESSION BINGE?


EDIT2ADD: BTW, now I buy one slice -- hey, that's progress ladies!

Rosebud you rock for owning that!

HAHAHA ok... so once upon a time I was a "slim" girl... My worst pizza moment was at Pizza Hut when I was 16, slim (I maintained a 36F-26-26 for a while and at 5'10" that's slim-ish) and had an "eating contest" with someone.

Deal was... Whomever ate less paid for everyone... I was NOT paying for everyone. **** TO THE NO! 18 pieces of pizza later.

As a fat chick the worst I ever did was a toss up between all you can eat sushi, or Mandarin Chinese Buffet, or Wendy's with a Baconator, Baked Potato, Large Diet Coke, & Junior Bacon Cheeseburger or two... Or maybe just one of those and sharing a boneless chicken wings with a friend on top of it all.

I've not done this stuff in years though. I still go for all I can eat sushi, or Wendy's or Mandarin. I just make sure I eat in moderation.

... and you ROCK for owning that!

You know, when I binged on pizza like that, I was also fairly slim at the time (for me; about 137+ lbs and in my 20's). I haven't done that since my mid-twenties, as I got married at 30 and DH & I would split a small pizza at most. We didn't eat out a lot when we first married though, as we didn't have a very high income then.

I gained most of this weight by doing too much good cooking and baking for DH and friends (Oh ya, and junkies which are always cheap). I've stopped all that too. I just bake lower-calorie muffins for DH now, the odd pie, and healthier desserts/snacks a few times a year (i.e. at Christmas); but again, I've cut the fat, sugar, and calories in them too. There's been a lot of good changes over the years, thank goodness; and like you, I now make better choices and eat much less too.

Cuter -- you're absolutely right. What I did with the pizza is no where near the damage that I've done before. The amounts I can put back if I really allowed myself, too.

I'm not joking when I say that I've ate a whole skillet of taco meat, family size doritos and the fixin's. On a scale of that...the pizza wasn't so bad.

For the most part, I'm over it...and my week definitely took a turn for the better thanks to you girls!

Rosebud -- You've done such an incredible job. I hope that one day I'll get to your level. Of course, I've cut back on I eat make better choices...but sometimes I'll take over the bad calories than the good ones that would allow me to be able to eat more.

Hello Ladies
I havnt posted in a while, cause i havnt been on plan like i should have been, and i lurk more than post when im 'being bad' lol.
it's like the fates are out to get me sometimes... i know thats crap, but i feel better if i can blame it on something else other than me lol...
like yesterday... for lunch i had a tomato sandwich..wheat bread, low fat mayo, a dash of salt and pepper... for my afternoon snack i had 1/2 c of cooked black eye peas... then i took a nap cause i hadnt had much sleep the night before..anyhooo, i wake up to my daughter bringing me an omlette in bed lol... no cheese cause she knows im not a big cheese person, but had sausage, bacon, broccolli, etc in it...there was grease on the plate... but, because i was still mostly asleep, i ate the bloody thing before i was even awake.... then i had one of my brilliant 'well, i have already blown it' moments, so i had a few shots of booze (which i do maybe once a year lol) but the kids (in mid to late 20's) were partying, so i joined in...
i dont know why i do crap like that... i do just fine as long as no one has anything good to eat around me..then i cave big time.... of course the 20 somethings i live with ( my daughter, her bf,) dont have a weight problem so they have crap around here to eat all the time....
i know most of you are probably thinking i should tell them i am working on my weight and lifestyle and garner their support.. well, i have done that 4 times in the last year and failed...so i am too embarrassed to even let em know im considering it again..if that makes any sense..
okay, my vent is done lol... i hope everyone else is doing better than i have been...im trying again today..wish me luck lol

TWILIGHT ~ I would have just counted that omelette as a fine dinner; heck, she even put broccoli in it. Again, I think many people here are putting way too much pressure on themselves. Even with the drinks, you probably won't gain anything (water-weight at most). Just keep going ...

CAR ~ thanks, in time you all will get better. We just have to keep plugging away at it. Nothing worth having comes overnight; practice plus time = progress ...