Hello Everyone,
It seems that the world is waking up around me. Yesterday so many business were closed. My DH was home from work. He went to work today so I'm starting to get busy and get this house back in order. It was nice to have a lazy day yesterday.

I won't have a TOPS weigh-in this week as we canceled for tonight due to the weather. We still have so much ice here and there are a lot of people without electric.

I am a little releived that I don't have a weigh-in because I thought I might be up on the scales, so since I got a reprieve I'm going to work it to my advantage.

I must get busy and get some things done.
Coming here daily is bringing my motivation up and I'm starting to feel that my mind set is getting more focused on getting it together and doing it and getting this weight off. I haven't felt like that in a long time.

I have a question. Because I have gained and carried arond so much weight I have this sort of "apron" on my lower stomach. I have also had a lot of abdomonial surgery so I'm sure that has contributed to the "apron". It's not horrible but I hate to think I'm going to have to deal with it when the weight is gone (a tummy tuck is out of the question, I am NOT having any more surgerys!). Any clue as to how I can help this area so it won't hang even more when the weight is gone? I can deal with the loose skin ( I can cover it up) but I can't cover it up if it is hanging.

Thanks for the input.

I went down three more pounds this week !

I ran into weigh early this morning.Now that I am 18 pounds away-onederland seems so obtainable. When I was 32 pounds away it seemed like it was for ever. Now I might see it by April.
I have put aside my Christmas money for new clothes-I was a size 18-20-22 for such a long time. It is odd to think of buying something other than an xl or xxl.
I have a hard time remembering myself as a skinner person.
If you have not checked your jars of peanut butter please check them.
Congra Foods that makes Peter Pan and "Greater Value" peanut butter is recalling all jars that have 2111 on the lid. You can send the lid back in for a refund- check the Conagra Website for futher information.
I have the sniffles today and am thinking that I might just do my three mile. My little one seems to be coughing less.
There were snow flakes when I was out feeding the horses, but nothing is sticking.After tommorrow it is supposed to warm up- perhaps we will all be well too !
Karis

Good Morning All. Today was alot of snow, my truck died, literally. It seized up as Matt was taking the kids to daycare and as we're moving in April, I didn't see any sense in paying 2k pluss to fix a 20 yr old blazer, so I junked it and made $200. YAY. Car is running great and worth WAY WAY more so we'll save the money we planned on spending on towing the car and the extra gas in the blazer, since it was a complete gas hog! Calories are on track and excersize will be done before the kids get home, 3 mile walk, 45-60 mins of light yoga.

Sirak - Congrats on the weight loss. Onederland isn't that far away for you!

Susie - I too have the "meat apron" from gaining so fast. I've had 2 c-sections, cellulitis infection in the last c-section, so I still have a portion that looks like an extra belly button, and worse, now it hangs unevenly, the infection ate away so much of the fat and muscle on the right side of my lower apron, that its about 3 inches higher than the right side. 2 months after that I had to have my appendix taken out and have a huge scar and mass amount of scar tissue, on the same side as the infection! ARGHHH. We can tuck it into clothes, but, unfortunately it's going to make our clothes a size or more bigger than what it should be. I have a plan though, lol. After I've lost the weight and maintained for 6-12 months, we plan to start trying for our last child, who will also be a c-section, my OB told me if I lost the weight, as long as we ran into no complications during the section, he'd give me a minor tummy tuck. YAY. Other than that, I don't know what to tell you, except it DOES raise. The more weight I lose I was worried it would hang down more, but it's not, its raising up, slowly. Actually in the last 6 months, it's raised up about 3 inches, so it might happen for you too. I drink large amounts of water and try to eat only healthy fats. Alot of it, is genetics though. Check the maintainers section, they have a great Skin FAQ's with all kinds of Q&A from people who have lost weight. Good Luck!

Hi there, Susie!

I'm 55 and have had two C-sections and a Myomectomy. I can tell you that the "apron" gets smaller as YOU get smaller. If MY "apron" can do it, YOURS certainly can, too! I did zero exercise for most of my life. In the last ten years I began a walking routine and have moved to Turbo Jam, yoga, using the exercise ball for abdominal exercises etc. and have also been doing step aerobics.

For years I was actually afraid to do any abdominal exercises. The pain from the C-sections and Myomectomy was overriding common sense for me. I wish I had just started exercising as soon as I had my six-week checkups!

Anyway, as the weight comes off, so will the "apron". I'm not expecting to look like I once did before I had children OR look how I did at 25 when I was first married, but I DO plan to wear the same size and weigh what I did then even if underneath the dress I AM a bit less smooth and/or firm!

Good luck!




Sirak! That's great news on the weight lost!


Cheryl

Hope everyone is warm and dry.
I am back on track after Valentines Day. I am hoping that one day off will not make too much of a difference. I will weigh on Monday.
I love the advice and support you all give. You help me thru the days.
Onderland seems so far away but I know I will get there soon.

Good morning! Trucking right along with my excersize, today's the first day I didn't wake up sore. YAY!!!! So far today, everything is on track with food, and kids are about ready to head out the door. We have a doc's appt for my daughter's eye, she'll need surgery, this is just a formality. I've known she'd need surgery since she was about 8 months old, but I wanted to wait until she was a bit older in order to handle the anastetic.

Hope everyone's doing well!

Good morning,
I'm up early this morning. I"m going to head out to the mall today to use some gift cards and just do some window shopping. I start my new job on Tuesday so this is sort of a way of "treating" myself.

Usually I have my weigh-in at my TOPS meeting on Thursday's but it was cancelled last night due to the weather we have been having. I usually allow Friday to be my "cheat day". I decided I'm not going to have a cheat day anymore...I mean...who am I cheating when I do that? ME! So I'm going to have a "treat day" instead. Today I'm choosing to have the treat of going to the mall. I have a Panara gift card so I'm going to treat myself to lunch there. I have a Bath and Body gift card so I'm going to treat myself there and I have a Barnes and Noble gift card and I'm going to treat myself there.

Much better than rewarding myself by stuffing my face, don't you think?

Thank you to those who answered my question about the "apron" issue. You have given me hope!

I hope everyone has a great day. I'll be around for the weekend. I'm finding that I stay on plan much better when I come to the board at least once a day.

I have a meat apron. I have never heard it called that before! I love to come here and read what everyone writes. I get such an education.

Well, I am glad to hear this meat can be gone. I was worried about it also.

If someone asked me what I hate about my body it would be that. I don't even like hubby to see it.

I have had 5 c-secs and the appendix out. Not a pretty sight. I tried to convince the doctor to take out some of the fat when I had my last child but she wouldn't. What a meanie!
I have work to do and i need to fill the water bottle.
for the weekend!

Hello Ladies! I have been reading this thread for awhile and thought I would join in if thats alright. I have come a long way but have quite a ways to go. My main objective right now is to be in onederland before my husband gets back from deployment. He was so surprised when he came home on leave to see how far I had come in the 6 months he had been gone. So I hope to really surprise him when he gets home in August. I have been doing weight watchers at home and I have been doing tae bo and pilates as my exercise. And the occasionally walks thrown in there as well. I have a 3 yr old daughter and a 8 month old son who keep me every busy everyday.

welcome marriedtoasoldier! I have a 6 month old who keeps me busy too!

meat apron - I had a c/s with our first and so, I didn't know if it was pregnancy related or due to the c/s, but I never had that problem prior. I was able to vbac with number 2, so luckily, I only had the one scar. Anyways, I have mine, and dropping over 30 pounds has helped with it! It's not so low anymore. I really hope that it will firm up the more that I lose.

We leave tomorrow morning on vacation, so happy losing to everyone!

Good morning Ladies,
It's snowing here again. Winter really depresses me.
I started the day off on the wrong foot; we have chocolate in the house and guess what I ate?! My first thought was, well, there goes the day, then I thought, no, I can do better from here on out. So here I am...getting myself back on track.

I really think that sometimes I sabatoge myself. I have no idea why. I can think of a lot of things that lead up to those times, such as last night when DH was in a low mood and I took on his feelings.

I just need to learn to not turn to food as the way to soothe what is bothering me. How do I make that click for me? I know it's a part of figuring it out but I just can't seem to figure out how. I'm not giving up.

I know that someone on here will have some advice for me.
I must get to getting this house in order. I do know that when things are messy I feel overwhelemed and that leads me to self-medicate with food.

I was out f contol for just a minute, but I will get it back under contol...I am in control from this moment on.

I totally have had that happen, Susie. I take on other people's moods easily also. A girl from one of the sites I had visited told me about a book called Highly Sensitive People. I am one, after reading it and realizing that. Rent or buy it. It helps us see why other ppl's moods affect ours so easily, which in turn obviously will make us so much more likely to need something to calm us, right? Imagine all the energies we feel when others may not take on any extra at all. Not good. Just a little info on that. Hope it helps. Oh and I have the meat apron too. Oh that does sound awful huh? But it's there. I hate it too. Around my hips and stomach is my worst part. And every time more weight came back on me there and leaves there last.

Have fun on vacation, Jennylou!!

Welcome Marriedto! So happy to have you join us!!!!

Cheryl! Hiya, I so am with you on the getting to the right size but accepting we won't be the same shape or smoothness! LOL. Sad but true. We'll look great in clothes though huh?

Karrier, Onederland really seems far for me too, but it's not that far for us. We'll get there. I did it in 2005 in May, but then my newborn came to me right after and was a preemie and ate every other hour for a long time so I was a zombie and it started just slowly coming on again. My main focus this time is to STAY there once I get there. LOL. We can do this.

Sirak! Congrats on the loss, girlfriend!! Yay!!!

Angi, I hope everything is ok with your daughter. Let us know. Hugs And sorry your truck died but does sound like it was tired. Poor truck.

Mandy! Wb! Long time no see! Glad you are back with us!

Hi to anyone I missed!! Hope you all have a great day!

Weigh in for me is Monday morning. I hope it's good. I haven't been off plan so I will be disappointed if it isn't down some.

Running errands 2mrw so may not get online. So probably see ya Monday!!

Good morning all!!! Hope everyone's weekend is going good so far. No snow today but BOY is it cold!

Welcome to all the new people! Hope you find us as fun and informative and supportive as I do!

So far on track today, realised I haven't had a rest day from excersize all week, so I'm taking one today. I'm not sore or anything, I just need a day. Woke up to the scale saying I've lost 3-4 pounds, but it doesn't count until Monday, what a motivator to stay on track!

First off ... Welcome! to all newbies and congratulations! to those who've lost this week.

I'm sorry I haven't been here much this week - been busy as usual.

One thing I've been doing is getting ready for inspections that we have coming up this week.

We have them twice a year - they are to make sure people keep their apartments clean and in good shape.

They're a pain but I guess, a necessary evil ...


I did walk some this week but not every day.

Also I didn't write everything I ate down like I should have and hope that tomorrow doesn't show a gain.

I didn't really do too bad with the exception of two things.

#1. I did good at the grocery store with anything that was high-calorie, etc. - I put it right down [and no - I didn't put it down in my cart.]


But I did buy some type of fat-free ice cream sandwich things ... they were like 130 calories in each one and were 6 in the package.

Well ... it might not have been so bad, but ... I ate every one of them in a days time.

And #2 ... I bought a box of cereal and ate it just because. Not because I was hungry when I ate it, but just 'cuz it was there and sounded good.

I should know by now that as long as I don't have the stuff in my house, it doesn't bother me,

But ... if it's here, it's not safe and I'll eat it just because it is here whether I'm hungry or not.

I guess I'll have to wait till tomorrow to see how much damage I did [can't say as I'm looking forward to tomorrow's weigh-in.]


It's my plan to NOT buy anything I shouldn't have [even things like the fat-free ice cream] 'cuz I have no sense of moderation.

I hope to walk more than I did this week ...

And, I plan on writing down everything I eat this week [if I bite it, write it!]

Gonna get for now - I got up not long ago and still am not totally awake yet. *lol*

See you tomorrow a.m.!

Love,

Jennelle

Hello Ladies!
Janelle I love the whole bite it write it saying! I try to write everything down as well. Its been going well for several months but Its getting old lol so I am going out to buy a new journal maybe it will inspire me to do a better job.

I have set my exercise goal for the month it will be hard to reach but I am going to try my hardest. As long as I continue to log in here I seem to stay motivated!

Hope everyone has had a great weekend! My hubby called me today he has broken his nose poor boy! Them PT football games must get rough in Iraq