I was wondering if you'd like me to share something I wrote today? Sometimes writing is an outlet of encouragement for me. I haven't done it in a long time, since before my daughter was born. Anyways, hope you enjoy!

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Standing in the mirror, gazing at a stranger
A resemblence of who you are, feeling a little anger

Wanting people to just see you, inside it burns within
Not just physically "big", being inside feeling thin

Looking out of desperation, we wonder where to start
Undoing our whole lives, seems impossible to embark

One minute out of breath, one step into walking
Seems like a minor defeat, added together they are working

keeping our strength to push on, is a struggle day by day
Each pound we see lost, is a triumph on its way

Putting together our daily defeats, we see what we have done
One day we wake up, starting to feel like we have won

Things we thought not doable, are things that come with ease
Outfits that weren't thinkable, now surely going to please

The journey we thought too far, isn't really long at all
Yesterday we stood depleted, today we stand fit and tall

~Tina

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What else can I say but:
that was great Thank you for sharing!!!!
Do you mind if I copy it to put on my goal poster? Such a inspiration!!!!

I will talk to everyone else tomorrow! Dalton( my oldest)can't seem to shake the bug he has either and he has worn me out today! I haven't even stopped to eat today! My calorie count for today was 300!! He is never sick so when he is HE IS THE BIGGEST BABY!!! I guess I shouldn't talk about him like that but dang he has worn me out today!! Last night he woke me up and I told him he could sleep on the couch. I got back to my bed and was almost asleep and he started screaming MAMA! MAMA! so I jump up and run in there (cause I thought something was really wrong) and he says "I can't breathe out of my nose." I could have strangled him! LOL! Not really He just scared me to death!!! Ok night-night!!

Tina - that poem was great, thanks for sharing!! My leotard is more like a swimsuit in shape but the material is different. Sometimes they are high in the neck and/or they have short or long sleeves. I wear it over black cycle shorts.

This is what mine is like:

Good morning girls!

I am down another pound today! Making a total loss of 28lbs.!! It's so funny that on any other person (mostly "smaller") Twenty-eight pounds would seem drastic, but on us who are little more "abundant" it really isn't a big deal to notice physically. Don't get me wrong, I am not complaining! I love it! Just seems like we lost this weight and we're still "big". Oh well, we'll get there someday hopefully sooner than we think.

I had a light bulb go off in the shower today. We've often heard, "be patient, you didn't get fat overnight and you won't get skinny overnight either.." Come to think of it, we are losing weight faster than we've gained it. I mean I'm sure we didn't gain 2-3lbs. a week to get this size. For a lot of us that would have only taken 1/2yr. to a year. We've ballooned to this size over years of food abuse. So in actuallity, we are losing our weight faster than we've put it on, considering we're losing 2-3lbs. a week. It's remarkable what a committment of a few months will do to your body, when for years we've lived in discomfortant wishing we could be smaller. It just takes one day after day of committment. Put a few days together and we've got success! Like somedays we step on the scale and only see losses of 1/2lb. but when you add them together, one day they make 28 pounds!!

Okay sorry to babble...it was just a thought. I guess the saying is really starting to hit me, "one day at a time"! hahaha

Lois, thanks for the compliment. And yes Bob is a nut! But I think of it this way, it's getting me smaller, some how through this pain I'm getting smaller! If it worked for the contenstants it can work for me. I was thinking lastnight while doing it, as I gave up on a few of the lunges...can you imagine being there and when the trainers see you slacking off they come and make you do it better or more. Phewww...glad I'm not there! hahaha

Paula, I would be happy if you printed it off for inspiration. Makes me feel good infact..hehehe. I hope your boy starts getting better soon. Have you tried those plug-in "vics" smelling things. May help him breathe better in the night. Either that or a humidifier with vics should do a world of good.

Robsia, thanks for the compliment aswell. Okay, your suit looks good, but I still think I would fall down laughing at myself in that! According to your picture, you have all the right in the world to wear it!! You look tall and skinny! (I know that isn't you in this picture, but I'm talking of the one your dad took)

Well, have a great day girls! I'll more than likely check back later day.

See ya later gators!
~Tina

Tina...an inspiration as always, thank u.

Tina, whoo hooooo ...you are doing just awesome this week... hmmm must be something to that study you shared. Yesterday I was going to skip my workout but I thought about that study and got through it... today AF finally showed up so I'm going to test the theory. I've already gotten my workout in for today... and I will likely get in something more tonight, not sure what. Keep posting those great results... it's very motivating.

I'll check back later and I hope everyone has a great day!

Hi everybody. . . aanother really cold day, here . . . and kind of half sunny, half cloudy.

Well, I'm fairly proud of myself. Went to Swiss Chalet for lunch and did pretty well. I had 1/2 a chicken (without skin) and a side salad. No fries or coleslaw. I did eat my roll, with real butter. That was my "treat". Don't know what I'll have for supper since I've used up all my protein allotment already. One thing about having all that chicken . . . I was so full that it made resisting dessert fairly easy. One friend (?) tried to talk me into it, but I resisted.

Way to go, Cheryl. Hope you will soon be feeling better. Mama, sorry to hear you've still got the sickies at your house too. Sounds like Dalton is already practicing to be a typical husband someday. That's a great poem, Tina. Hope you'll keep writing them and sharing them. Keep on doing all the other good stuff, too. The pounds are just falling of you, girl. You keep up the good stuff, too, Liza. Love the leotard, Robsia, but I don't think you should have dyed your hair.

Well, guess I'll go make myself some nice brothy vegetable-filled soup. See everybody later. Keep smiling and moving downward.

Hi Chickies!!! How is everybody? I want to introduce you'll to my newest baby! He is a 3 month old Maltese! My DH gave him to me! He doesn't have a name yet but we are calling him baby until we can come up with something better! Do you'll have any suggestions?

Depending if you want to call him after his coloring or not, I would call him Marsh or Marshal. Cuz he looks like a marshmellow.

I like the name Howie, Benji or Bailey for a dog, if you didn't want to call him after his coloring.

Good luck with the naming! Let us know your final decision.

Oh yeah.. Scruff was always a fav of mine for a dog too. My aunt had a dog named that.

That was a very nice piece Tina, thank you for sharing! Cheryl, you need to get well, woman (Im so sure you did not know this) I miss you!

Sexy leotard and you wear it over bike shorts? When I go to the gym, I wear bike shorts, sports bra, and a tank top. Let em look if they dare! I am known to wear shorts and tanktop just about anywhere I go. I hate to be hot and sweaty! NSV my bike shorts are not as stretch tight as they were when I bought them...hurrah!

Fluke, was weighing 286, weighed today at the gym and it was 279. My bmi has gone from 54 to 49.5 with that electrical current thingy measuring it.

I am not changing my ticker till Tuesday when i officially weigh in but I must say I will be very happy if it is still in the 270s!!!!! But I think it was a fluke.

My cat is doing better today, thanks for all the well wishes!

Hi everyone, sorry I'm late to the party! I'm also wanting to lose 100 in 2006.

I'm turning 40 in October and I want to visit my family who I haven't seen in over 7 years. I want to be 100lbs lighter so I at least look the same weight as when I saw them last...does that make sense??

I hope its okay if I join you...better late than never??

Oh I think the puppy is ADORABLE!!!

Here are some male dog names...
Max (okay, not original but my boy puppies name)
Oliver
Sam
Jake
Charley
Murphy
Toby
Jack
Dexter

Be sure and let us know what you pick

Hello Everyone,

I have slept most of the day away, but think I am finally over this bug. I am going to get up early and get some much needed exercising in tomorrow.

Tina...Love the poem. I'm going to copy and share it with my friend, plus post it on my refrigerator.

Countess. Look forward to getting to know you better. Yes, I know exactly how you feel. I'm hoping to have 50 pounds gone by the time I visit my family in July. Just take it one day and one pound at a time

Garnet...Tonight I feel like the zip is back in my step. Will see tomorrow morning when I exercise how much zip I have. LOL Love the picture of you in your gym wear. You go girl!! Your braver than I am. I am very selfconsious.

Paula....Hope your little guy is feeling better and you can get some much needed rest, but I know with four children that doesn't happen often. Love your new puppy. What a cutie. My dog's name is Ozzy. In the past we have had Sally Ann, Brandy Wine, Peaches, Sweetie Pie, Topaz and Sam.

We got about 4 inches of snow yesterday and we have more coming in for the weekend. I want the magic fairy to come and bring us nothing but blue skies and warm, warm days with sun shine.

Hope you all have a good evening.

~Cheryl