Hello everyone, i'm finally on a regular puter and not my ipad so I can type a lengthy post.....

SUM I feel your pain, I truly do. Many might say we aren't big girls and we shouldn't sit there and act all depressed, but we know we aren't where we want to be. Maybe it is a mental thing, I don't know..I don't have the answers. all I know is that i'm going through some of the hardest years of my life, and not being able to control my weight and my health on top of it is just so depressing. It has been a year since I gained the weight and have gotten out of shape..a whole year I've been trying....that's pretty sad and pathetic..i'm tired of feeling tired and pathetic..yet here we are ..trying. Sum you have accomplished so much, so you're having a little set back..get back on track......

BETH, its easy to feel something is impossible, isn't it? but it truly isn't...there are others here that have done it....I dont' have the answers as to why it does or doesn't work with some people.....its a struggle....but you can fall into that percentage does loses weight and keeps it off.....I've seen it done....

Well as for me I leave for convention in a few days and Lo and behold I haven'[ reached my goal of going down there slimmer...I took out three Bebe dresses with tags still attached and don't want to pack them, because I know I won't look good in them or feel comfortable in them. My goal is to rock out those dresses...maybe Christmas time....???

cleaned all day today...praying that I don't have a big gain on the scale tomorrow because I ate salty food today......

Sum: Sorry your feeling bad. It's not pre TOM is it? I know I am out of control then. Just get back on the horse. That's what makes losing weight a success. You realize you screw up and then get back on the horse again and pray you don't screw up again. You have come so far. What are you down like 6 clothing sizes? More? Quote of the day for you. Unknown Author
You don't drown by falling in the water. You drown by staying there.

Zumba: Enjoy your conference. Some days salt is harder than others for me. I get that.

Keli: "They're not really abs yet, but I feel progress. I just can't understand that little self destructive part of me, I feel so much better, why wouldn't I want to keep feeling better?!" I totally get this. Just when I think I have the exercise thing down life gets in the way and I miss a day or 2. Then I think we psych ourselves out. I think we as a culture tries to hard to do most things and leads us to thinking about all the things we should be doing. I blame the Enjoli ads in the 80's myself.

Susan: I hear you on the life change thing. You do want to improve yourself as you get older. I need to break this cycle before I go into menopause. I can never really remember ever dieting. I used to calorie count for a while after having kids but I just got big and comfortable. Now I am committed because I work with the diseases that are quickly approaching me as I am getting older. My dad had his first heart attack at 48. Fatal one at 52. I don't want that to happen to me. I want to be around to see my grand kids.

Heidi:

Beth: Hang in their. It's possible to lose it. I can't attest to keeping it off but I am almost 45lbs down and I feel so much better. 68 more to go. Unless I go Heidi's route and once I am at goal I keep going for the bonus pounds then it might be more like 75lbs.

As for me:
208.4 this morning on the scale. TOM is looming. Hopefully I don't get back up over 210.
I am hit or miss on my Meditation days. If I am the first one up I get it done.
Liquid I am right on target.
I have managed to get at least a half an hour of exercise daily. Weight lifting is not as strong. I got 2days in this week. Yoga only one. This is another week though. Off for my walk now. 2nd party to got to tonight. However this woman cooks a ton of food, she however is not a very good cook so I should be pretty comfortable sticking on target. Maybe I will be below 208 tomorrow on the scale. Have a good day all.
Carma

Hello

Thank you everyone for your kind words. This ain't over yet. I am going to drag myself for the walks and keep weight lifting dates like appointments. No more excuses. I have made enough of them during the past 6 weeks.

So to a brand new day, let's make it successful.

Today; I am going to fast until dinner, it usually helps me to cut my mindless eating cycle. I also will walk my 4.8 miles and I will lift weights for 45 min. Maybe I will even drag my hubby for an evening walk.
I will wear my fitbit, to remind me how many/little steps I am taking and I will drink my water/tea.
Those are my goals for today. Baby steps. One day at a time, right?

Tomorrow will be a good day; hopefully I will get my broken teeth fixed or atleast new veneers ordered. These things are pretty, but I keep breaking them. I look so awful right now -- I skipped a party because I did not want to be seen with these horrid teeth. They are so bad that they are comical

Sending to all!

Zumba How long is the conference? Sounds like it will be a blast.

Carma You are doing really well! Onderland will be knocking on your door before you'll know it. -- I have lost 4-6 sizes (14--->8/10), thanks for the nice reminder. It is so easy to focus on negative and not the positive.

beth Welcome! And your comment about weight loss being impossible hit really close to home. We can rock this!!

susan My hubby just said the same thing. This is my new life now. I realize that eating out will be a treat, not a norm. That chocolate in the drawer will be saved for PMS days, because we gotta admit, a girl needs a little chocolate during those horrid days But in all seriousness, yes this is a lifestyle, not a diet.

Heidi and Keli I have to weigh in everyday (twice ) as well, otherwise I am on denial. This time around I have forced myself write down that horrid number on my spreadsheet, each and every day and I think it is helping me to realize how fast I could slip "oh let's ignore these pounds and have some pie" mode. Honesty with myself is hard. Heidi I love your picture!

Need to run (well off to my walk). Sorry if I missed anyone

Carma-thanks for the encouraging words, sounds like you are doing well, I am just plugging away, slow but sure, this is what's working for me t this time, if I can kick it up at another time I will, if not I will keep doing this.

Made it through week 4, it's really working for me to have a checklist for the week, easy to see where I'm at and what I need to do to catch up if need be.

Reading some of these posts, especially per-TOM cravings and feelings, got me wondering if anyone else is taking vitamins or multivitamin. They really make a difference for me with mood swings and it seems some cravings. I've done different things over the years, such as additional calcium and magnesium prior to TOM, can be done if you're regular, for awhile I took b vitamins and extra C for allergies, for quite awhile I took a women's "ultra" from those vitamin stores, now I'm taking one called Alive women's formula, it's supposed to have fruit and veggie extracts, it seems to keep me on an even keel. i try to eat clean, but not always sure I'm getting everything my body needs. I used to take lysine for cold sore prevention as well, but the multi seems to have eliminated the need for that.

Just thought I'd share that. Not promoting vitamins, just sharing what has helped me.

Best to all

Sum- I have a calendar on my dresser, everyday I write my weight, whatever it may be, how many ounces of water, what activity I did, and what I had for supper, simplified, it has big blocks for writing in, but it's not humongous. As much as I hate writing down that number, I have been doing this off and on for about 5 years and can easily see looking back where the blanks on the calendars resulted in big gains in poundage.

Carma- I forgot to post thanks for the smile, I liked how you said the woman makes alot of food but isn't a very good cook so that should help you stay on track

Quick reply as going 4 my walk then work. Up 1.6 lbs. Apparently her summer cooking better than her winter cooking. Grrr. My fault. It will be off by the end of the week i know.
Keli i take a magnesium, mvi., d.,c.&zinc combo, cinnamon daily.

Hi all....I'm down two lbs..the same two lbs I keep gaining and losing......I'm nervous about going away I don't know why..,,anxiety?

I finally pick up my new car today.....

on your new wheels Zumba. -- Don't fret; you'll have a blast once you get there. Are you nervous about your weight?

-----

I met all my goals for yesterday, woot! Except I ate wayyyy too much at dinner. I was cooking for the week and I kept sampling all the goodies I was making. Scale was down measly .4 pounds, but better than a gain. Right?

Today I was able to get one of my broken veneers fixed and I don't look that bad with only one funny shaped, mini tooth -- The second one is being made and I will get it in two weeks.

Today's plan
Meals
bfast - none
lunch - salad with veggies, steak, sunflower seeds and feta (low cal dressing)
dinner - Salmon, rice and asparagus

Exercise
Walk 4.7 miles/13500 steps

Got my exercises in, it was really tough to get going but i did it and feel better for it. Wish it came easier...

Yes sum....I know people are going to talk aboutbmynweight gain behind my back....instructors can be mean girls....but we are all about our bodies..it's understandable. I am going to hold my head up high and do what I need to do...

Down a little more today and I got my period, so maybe I'll lose even more bloat before tomorrow. I didn't reach my goal to get to goal by my trip tomorrow, but it is what it is. Icould beat myself up over it but know all too well that will do me no good.

SUM how did you break off your veneers to begin with? u silly girl.

KELIJ: so nice to see you girl. That is so cool how you log everything in, it truly does make a difference when you look back and see what was working when you were successful.

CARMA: I laughed when you said this woman was not a good cook but cooked a lot. Reminded me of one of my husbands aunts...she was a lovely woman, cooked up a storm...but you always left her house hungry...or we would eat before we got there....LOL

BETH welcome

Well hello to everyone else..I am off to teach class..plan my son's meals for tomorrow and then start packing........I am hoping that four days of zumba will really help me lose weight but we shall see. I usually get very bloated when I travel from the plane..I know it sounds silly but its true.

Zumba- have a great trip, sounds like you have a good attitude about it. Not silly at all your comment about air travel, air travel is very dehydrating which in turn causes your body to hold onto whatever water it has, hence the bloat, drink as much water as you can and moisturize!!

Awwwww, beth, thank you so much for your kind words! They mean a lot to me!

Sorry I've been MIA. enjoying a fun distraction, more on that in a few days. Eating is off, but walking a ton. Plan to hit the ground running again on Friday.

Thanks for the compliments on my photo. No time for personals, but sum sorry you are struggling, and zumba, I like your attitude going into the conference. Just be the best you can be. If people are catty, then so be it. There is a Japanese saying, shikata ga nai, which means there is nothing you can do, it's out of your hands. I'm sorry it's been such a rough year for you

Got the the I mean my exercises in, still avoiding them like a little kid trying not to eat their spinach...

Happy now that I did them and managed to take my dog for a little walk, weeded a bit in my garden, called my mom, so at least I did some constructive things avoiding my exercises...yeesh

Also trying to quit playing games on the computer, not completely, but less

Watching Extreme Weight Loss, like to watch once in awhile.

Best to all