Hi Everyone!
I wasn't on at all yesterday. I'm sorry to see some of you discouraged...Diane, I can definately relate to where you are coming from. I did Jenny Craig about 4 years ago and had a huge loss of 80 pounds. After that initial loss, it was so hard to lose to get to my actual "set" goal. Therefore, I never went on maintenance and slowly gained my weight back. The lowest I got to was a size 8, and I still wasn't happy. So I quit the program. Here I am starting all over again. It's so easy to lose on a program when you first start and it get's so much harder the less you weigh. The less you weigh, the less calories you burn. Just don't take how far you have come for granted! The biggest struggle with losing weight is in your head. I have a big problem with basing my self worth on my weight, I get depressed about it, and then I eat. I guess it's just a matter of perspective. Either way, I'll be here for your support whether you're on LAWL or not. You just need to get through this rough time, and then you'll be fine. Even if I mess up, I treat each meal (or snack) as another fresh start.
Anyway, having said all of that, I missed my visit to LAWL on Wednesday, I skipped yesterday, so I'll go tonight. Hopefully, I've lost some more. I've been pretty hungry this week, so I've ate a bit over program.
I've also missed a day of excercise.
I hope you all are feeling better today and more motivated.
Talk to you later,
Jenni

Oh...Beach,
I should also mention congrats on the loss!!!
I too like the meal replacement shakes. I think vanilla is pretty good too, and they are all filling. They are a great covenience when you don't have time to prepare your food. Great to take camping too!!!

Have a gread day!
Jenni

Hi everyone, I’m back from vacation. Tried to stay on plan as much as possible and made very good choices in ‘most’ cases. I started back on plan on Wed, 6/23 and will go to the center on Mon, 6/28 for the first time since my return. I did find 2 awesome restaurants in the Myrtle Beach area, want to share before I forget. Gulfstream Café, it’s in the Garden City area and Frank’s Outback in the Pauley’s Island area. Wow! On the high side as far as prices, but the food was just perfect. Best 2 restaurants I’ve been to in a long time.

WELCOME back Diane! Glad to see your posts. Please don't leave us - I think you need us more than ever. I understand the dieting burnout, but you sound like other things are depressing you. Can we help? You know, even if you are not doing LA - you are welcome to keep posting and I'm encouraging you to do so - because even if you have gained back some of the initial weight you have lost before, you are still under what I weigh now. Maybe something will click to get you motivated once again. Remember, even at WW they would always say - it's easy to lose the weight (like I believe that one), but even harder to keep it off (this part I do believe). You never lose your 'fat' cells once you get them - so we will continue to battle the bulge that once we make it to our goals. I'm going to try harder this time to get into a good maintenance plan once I meet my goal. Hope that is true when I get there. I've said it before, but don't think I have ever listened to myself.

The sneaky thing about getting to goal is, at first you can have that ice cream cone without gaining weight - everything seems okay. Next time you have a few chips and another ice cream cone - still seems to be working - no weight gain. Then all **** breaks lose and we are back into our old eatting habits and the weight comes back on very easily and very quickly. That is the reason why I want you to stay even without doing the actual LA plan. If at some point in the future you decide it's time again, do it - we will do the best we can to keep you motivated and get you over the humps along the way.

Serena – I love that name and welcome!

Mel, never made is further south than Pauley’s Island on vacation. Maybe next year!

Jenni, I’m going to try your stuffed pepper recipe. Sounds yummy – I love any type of veggies and this would get a great change. Could even make them ahead of time. I like that idea, takes some of the thinking out of this plan. Happy belated Birthday to you. You did great at the Outback! Congrats!! And you’ve lost 20 lbs so far, you are doing awesome, I can’t think of anything else to day but WOW!!!

To everyone: I read an article last night about nutrition. Said that something like 94% of people over eat on the weekend. So, we are normal. Most people find the weekend the hardest to handle. Now we just have to find ways the other 6% handle it.

About the Carb Carvers, this is only for people who are on the Gold, Green and 2 others plans. I can’t remember the colors now and I don’t have the paperwork with me today. I wrote about them in previous posts. They are not offered on the Purple or Red plans so that is why you may not have heard about them.

Now I think I'm caught up. I will be back regularly. Take care and by the way, I was down again last time I went to the center (before vacation), under the 170 mark. Hopefully when I go back on Monday, I will be at least the same. Take care everyone... Sy

Hi everyone, Glad to hear you had agreat vacation Sy and it sounds like you are doing well re:LAWL. Does anyone know about the supplements? For the first time my counselor mentioned them today, especially the "fatty acid" one. Supposed to rev up your matabolism. I was wondering if anyone had taken any of them and what they are like. I've lost 23.8 lbs. since April 15th. and I hope to keep it off this time and to stay motivated.
Beachlover

Beach, your doing great. I started LA on April 6th and have lost 18 lbs. Hopefully when I return to the center on Monday - that will be the same if not less of me.

I haven't taken any of the supplements and I have 2 sisters doing LA as well and they don't do the supplements either.

IMHO I really don't think you need them, like they say at LA - you are right on target for weight lost. Great job I must say. I'm happy for you.

So far, my younger sister has lost about 28-29 lbs and my older sister has lost about 23 lbs - we all started days between each other.

Right before I left for vacation, I was in the spending mood and they did talk me into the Carb Cutters - I don't have the bottle in front of me, but I did that them on vacation. The woman said that I could also use them on the days that I used one of the Carb Craver choices. Normally I don't take any thing because I took Metab-o-Lite a couple summers ago and they made me so depressed - I would drive home each night from work in tears and man, I was moody and grouchy - I would bite my husband's head off. Realized it wasn't worth it and glad I stopped - the original type of this product has been since been banned from sale in the US. The Carb Cutter tabs are made out of white kidney bean extract, I have read about them in magazines. My only comments as I have no idea if they work or not is that they do give you 'gas'.

I have said this before, but for the newbies - I started my weight loss (this time) in Jan 2004. I started at Weight Watchers and joined LA in April as WW was moving way to slowly for me. So, between the two - I have lost a total of 30 lbs (12 at WW and 18 at LA). So, you would think that after losing 30 lbs, someone would notice. No one really did until I returned from vacation. I got 2 comments from people today telling me that they can really notice how much weight I've lost. Boy, did that make my day! Finally someone noticed!

I'll be on again tomorrow, a new virus is out there on the net and I have to run Norton on my PC before I get infected. Have a nice evening, and hope everyone has a great weekend on program. ~Sy~

I am started a new thread. See you at LAWL & Friends #80.