Good Morning! I just thought I'd let you know that Fatt_Lady is now called Sassy_Chick. Isn't that a nice postitive change?

Much much better, Sassy!!!

Ruth, thanks for letting us know!
Sassy is much more flattering.

LeaLee, thank you for the hugs the other day.
Yes, I know what you mean about TOM and cravings. Although I find that if I identify the reason for the craving, I'm more inclined to be "smart", and eat something a little healthier. Knowing that I'll feel better in the long run.
Okay, who am I fooling? I've done that ONCE.
And I understand what you're saying about trying to avoid "hurts". I do that a lot. It's unfortunate that we can't always avoid family members, because they're a big cause of stress for many of us.
I hope today is better for you, hon.

Jill, I hear ya... when I had my second c-section, I had a tubal immediately afterwards. But I felt like saying, "Just take it all out!! Don't hold back!!"

Sassy, I'm so sorry about the FIL comment. What is with people that they have to be so insensitive?
You're NOT a failure, and I'm so glad you made a good choice in throwing out half your dinner last night. (that's very creepy about the apple dream, though. )

Elizabeth, I could live on carbs alone. My brain wants sugar!! Talk about an addiction, eh?

Maria, you have Pringles over there, eh? Well, they're made out of potatoes, so that makes sense. (was that politically incorrect? Making a joke about potatoes and Ireland?)
I used to do homecare for a lovely old Irish lady. Actually, she was pretty cranky, but I loved her because she was a real character. I kept trying to cook her a healthy, well-balanced lunch, but all she ever wanted was two new boiled potatoes with butter. Skin on.
I hope you managed to avoid a binge yesterday. Mindless surfing is great for that.

Rachel, how are you doing today, hon? You're having a rough time. Do you think you're eating enough protein? It really does help to satify for a good period of time. Hang in there, girl...

Thanks, Harpo, I had a great day yesterday, and I'm glad you did, too!

I will admit to something. I ate really well all day yesterday, but I went to a lecture (Robert Fisk) with a friend last night, and when I got home around 9:30, realized I hadn't had dinner. So I picked up two Skor bars. (chocolate bars) One good thing... I shared them with my DH, which is something I would NEVER ordinarily do, being the greedy hog that I am.

Hi Ladies!

Yes I am now a "new woman"! I am now Sassy_Chick as Ruth let ya know and BTW Thank You Ruth and all the wonderful, wonderful Mods here for helping me switch my User Id!

So feel free to call Sassy or Shel (my real name) either one is just fine!

centrestage88 - big I'm hoping today is a better day for you!

jillybean720 - Yes your right. It was much better to throw the extra food away than to eat and it my body not have any place for it to go but my hips and beleive you me there is ENOUGH Dbl whoppers w/ cheese there! And you know what? My parents never forced me to "Clean my plate". Only to eat until I was full. I can distinctly remember my bio. father telling me when we were eating lunch with my grandpa to stop eating if I was full and that it was okay to leave food on my plate!

Now if I can just remember that philosphy everytime I eat! But hub and I are doing really good in "Reminding" each other just that fact, that its okay to leave food and it helps.

Great Job on the eating and calories! BTW was wondering about your username? Did you happen to get it from Practical Magic by chance? Just was wondering, very cute!

Thanks Ruth and Jen, I think it's much more positive too! Makes me feel a lot better!

Ellis - Thanks! I think in fil's case he was truly doing it out of concern but it totally came out very wrong! Of course what can you expect with a man? LOL! Just kidding! lol. I think he is just the typical "father" concerned and yadda yadda, not saying it was right the way it was said, but I think I get it. At least he didn't do like my biological father did and just say, "some of us are just getting way too FAT and LAZY around here!!!!!" (talking about ME of course, just because I didn't get up at the exact minute he wanted me too)

Yes I actually felt good in throwing the food away because I knew it was right for ME. And I have no idea about the apple dream, lastnight I dreamt about Peanut Butter! (no didn't eat that either! lol)

Well Gals, I better go and TRY to get some sleep. I was a dope and fell asleep while watching tv and slept for 4 hours and so now I'm all messed up and couldn't go to sleep when I was "supposed too". So I probably will be tired at work tonight! lol.....................

Have a Good Day!

Hey everyone,

Sassy- great name.well done!

You make me laugh Harpo. I don't know anything about haggis except that it is not Irish. I suppose the only dish that is traditionally Irish is Irish stew and boiled potatoes (not politically incorrect at all Ellis, it's so true). Well it's actually changing at the moment. Potatoes are still important but now we eat alot more pasta, rice, noodles, bread etc. to replace them. Only older generations still insist on the potatoe at dinnertime. And of course we have Pringles here, we have all things American now, even Starbucks! We have our own brand of potato chips, they're Tayto and they're very good. We also have a much larger range of chocolate bars, mostly Cadbury, than America. And that is not a good thing for me.
And Harpo, we have a lot of sheep and cows, but no buffalo. The farming thing is actually dying out in Ireland which is pretty sad. We're indusrialised now.

Anyway, keep avoiding the binges and I'll be with you in spirit. I'm using the outdoors to distract me. It was between 20-25 degrees celsius today, very hot for Ireland so I was out walking around a castle. It was a good day.

Bye,
Maria

I've never seen Practical Magic. It didn't really come from anywhere in particular--I think everyone named Jill has at some point been "Jilly" and then "jillybean" and even "jillian" (although my birth certificate only says "Jill"--that is my full name). It's a very easy name to add to...jillica, jillith, jillery, grape jilly...I think I've heard them all (inlcuding the not-so-cute ones, like "jilldo" )

I did it again yesterday--completely stuck to my plan! I have my TOPS meeting tonight, and according to my home scale, I should be down about 2 pounds for the week

Hello everyone I hope you're all ok!

How is everyone doing? My 'healthy eating' has kinda been put on hold for the moment because i'm in the middle of my A levels (Advanced levels- For anyone who doesn't know they're exams people in England do... do you call them SATS over there?) So anyway, I'm trying to focus on those and not so much on what i 'can' and 'can't' eat, which is not what i should do ANYWAY!

i gotta admit tho, i've put on a few pounds haha but i hopefully don't look too much like a pig!

Hope you gals are doing as great as you all are!

aaaaaaaargh!! I can't get back on track!
Yesterday I binged on three chocolate bars, chips w/cheese dip, some leftover salmon in pastry, and some other stuff... can't remember at present.
I keep going up two pounds and then down two. I've got to weigh in next Thursday with the doctor at my weight-loss program. Plus I have an appointment with my trainer.
I don't feel a total failure, because my depression is bad right now and I'm in the process of changing meds, but I don't want THEM to think I'm a failure. How stupid is that?

Sorry for the dump... I'm feeling very low this morning.

Chin up, ellis. Even going up and down the same 2 pounds over and over is better than losing control completely and just going up 2 pounds all the time! I know you don't feel very in control, but you must be doing something right in order to keep taking those 2 pounds back off You're such an inspiration and motivator to so many of us--I have no doubt you'll soon be back on track

I was down 3.5 pounds this week at my TOPS weigh-in last night. I binged immediately afterwards. That Thursday night in the car thing--I think I have the whooole week to work it off, so it's no big deal. I had a box of Little Debbie fancy cakes (I am soooo addicted to those--and Zebra cakes). I stopped myself, though. I intended on eating the whole box, as I normally would, but I only ate 3 packages (6 cakes). There were 5 packages (10 cakes) in the box. I threw the reamining ones away--in a PUBLIC trash can, not at home, so I couldn't go dig them out later (yeah, it's sad what we do when we're desperate for food). I still had my full 12" Subway sub and 2 cookies afterward, as is our dinner every Thursday night after my meetings. I guess it could have been worse.

This weekend, we're going to a graduation party for Jeff's cousin. Eek...lots of family picnic food Hopefully, I'll be okay--I usually do alright in social situations because I don't want anyone to be like, "oh, big surprise, the fat girl is stuffing her face." I'd rather they hardly ever see me eat and think, "wow, good for her."

Jill, I'm sorry sweetie....but I really laughed out loud at "Jilldo"!

Anyway...I had a small binge on the way to work today. I had to stop for gas. My normal routine is to just pay at the pump and get the heck out of there, but instead I paid inside, and added a package of Twinkies, a honey bun and a diet(?!?!) Mountain Dew. I am definitely feeling like crap because of the sugar.

I'm not sure why I did it really....could it be the relief from knowing my biopsy came back normal? Could it be that it is because it was "there"? Who knows.....

Ellis~Lotsa hugs sent to you!
I hate to hear you're feeling sad If only you knew just how many times you've uplifted and encouraged SOOOOOOO many people. If only I could send just a small fraction of that back to you..........you be on
You are NEVER a failure, that sounds like your evil depression talking!
You are not failing at weight loss, you are succeeding at maintainence!

Jen~ Your biopsy is negative! WOOHOOOOO...... Twinkies and a honey bun don't sound too bad. Certainly not the healthiest foods, but nothing to ruin your day! You can still have a good day!

Jilly~WTG on the 3.5lb loss! I've done the same thing before, binged after doing well on weight loss. I've almost felt like---hey, I deserve this! Now, I try to find non-food ways to reward myself. I preplan how I will treat myself.

Cadbury~Walking around a castle? Sounds gorgeous! I've never been to Ireland, but hope to go one day. You're smart to use the outdoors to distract you! I use my computer, cause it's way too hot here! I went to my tennis lesson yesterday at 9am and felt like a piece of bacon in a frying pan! I could almost here my thighs sizzle it was SO HOT!


Sassy~I love your new name! The great thing is that you can KEEP it, long after you are a slimlady! I've gotta tell ya, it seems to me that your attitude is even more upbeat!

Ha, it doesn't matter if I lose or not--I just always have the feeling like it doesn't matter because I JUST got weighed, so I still have a whole week to work off anything I eat right after the meeting. It's a dumb way to think, but it's a (nonsensical) justification for a binge

What are some ways you guys treat yourselves for doing well? I want to get a haircut, so that will be when I reach 250. But beyond that, for smaller goals and whatnot, I don't know how to celebrate. I don't want to really spend much money, and I am not really very girly (I don't enjoy manicures, pedicures, spa treatments, facials, massages, and so on). I don't want to buy new clothes unless I've actually gone down a size (which I doubt I will even at 250). It just seems so easy to use food--I mean, I can get a box of Zebra Cakes at the dollar store for a buck Any cheap suggestions?

Jill I buy "new" clothes (from thrift stores). As for pedicures/manicures, I don't bother because I garden and they would be ruined within a day. My fingernails and toenails are caked with dirt right now actually. I should really wear shoes and gloves, but I love the feel of dirt under my feet. But I do consider myself girly (although I'm 23 and have never worn makeup and just recently started wearing skirts). I don't reward myself with food (always turns into a bad bingeing episode). The biggest reward is the weight loss itself. But I am planning to buy the most expensive gourmet chocolate I can find when I get to final goal. I think I deserve it. But I'll keep it as a treat and not let it spiral into a binge. That will be the true reward. Boy, I was a lot of help, wasn't I? I can never think of any rewards, so I never end up getting anything. Like I should have done something big for myself after reaching that elusive 100 pound mark, but I didn't!! I feel like I deserve some sort of outside reward, but I never can come up with anything either.

Jen I'm so happy to hear the good news on your biopsy. You are very brave. I probably would have eaten myself into unconsciousness if I was put in that situation.

ellis Hang in there, you know you can get back on track. And I know the doc(s) at your weight loss program WILL NOT think you are a failure. They know how hard it is. They may not have been through it personally, but they've seen the struggle enough to know it's incredibly difficult to lose weight.

leah Actually, your A-levels are mandatory, right? Or am I a bit misinformed? And our college (university) admissions tests are voluntary and you have to actually pay to take them. Colleges like to have them, but they are not needed. They might be for the Ivy Leagues though. I went to a community (city) college and then on to a Catholic University and I have never taken any test. Less than half of my high school class took them. We have SATs and ACTs. And there are a few more specific ones as well. But this was 5 years ago and the standards might have changed. And we have GEDs as well, and I know a couple of people in advanced degree programs who never graduated high school. Are you going to university? I've always wanted to study abroad at Cambridge.

Cadbury's I tried my best to My humor is always hit or miss. I really do amuse the heck out of myself though. It's too bad about farming in Ireland. I live in a state where small farms now are desperately struggling so I really try to support our farmers in the farmers' markets. Actually, I think all small farms in the US are being swallowed up by the commercial farms. Commercial farms actually pay small farms not to compete with them. They get paid NOT TO GROW. It's very disappointing.

20-25 degrees, huh? Well, right now it's 34 here in Kansas, and it will be even hotter tomorrow. I adore it though. I much prefer the heat over the cold, especially since I've lost a lot of my insulation. I can't tell you how many times I've heard our UK officers here on the fort complain of the heat. And summer hasn't officially started yet!!

And

Sassy I like your new name much better. Very nice choice

No confessing for me. I really wanted to binge last night because I got into a heated "discussion" with my sister's boyfriend about his racist ideals and he made me cry. But I so strong that I went to bed instead. I was so close but managed to avoid it. It made me feel very good.

Lets have good weekends ladies!! It's a weak time for many of us, so lets be extra strong!!!!

How about entertainment treats? Like music? A CD you'd like. Or maybe going to the movies or rent some dvd's? How about a great book to read? Or a nice, hot bubble bath? Maybe some gourmet coffee or tea that you like (low calorie of course).

Of course, you may not be interested in any of my suggestions. What is a treat for me might be torture for you!

Just try to think of ANYTHING non-food that you really enjoy. Maybe even make a list. Then go thru the list and look for things that are not too expensive and are actually obtainable (not a cancun vacation!)
It may be something as mundane as taking some "me" time to go to the library, a museum or make a call to a friend. Or go to a nature center and walk or fly a kite. Hey, I do like flying kites!

If you can't think of non-food things to treat yourself with off the top of your head then you should start! You DESERVE it!

Hey Harpo!

woohoo WTG on avoiding a binge last night!
Hopefully your sister will realize that her boyfriend is an idiot with "his racist ideals" and will dump him!