Buck up Susie! It's a glitch not a disaster, don't beat yourself, just get back on that horse that threw you (or whichever metaphor you choose). Short-term rewards over long-term rewards are hard for everybody (which is why so few people plan well for their retirement). If you can find a way to make candy and sodas more inaccessible, that may help. I had a friend who locked all "treats" in a foot locker that only her husband and teen son had the key to. That may not be the "gimmick" that works for you, but finding one that does, is just a matter of creative thinking and trial and error, and unfortunately sometimes, trial and error after trial and error after trial and error. Persistance is usually much more productive than perfection when it comes to weight loss.

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Yesterday, I was up two pounds by my scale since last weigh-in (I had to use my scale, as the chapter scale woudn't register a stable weight for me. I either gained 9 lbs by it, or lost 9 lbs. Hubby's weight was even hinkier). They have to add a counterweight for us, and I don't think the weight recorder was doing it right. We're going ot bring in our home scale next week to see if we can get it in sync with the chapter scale. This morning, I was down 4 lbs from yesterday. I know I didn't legitimately lose 4 lbs in 24 hours, so the gain on Monday must have been water weight (which I suspected because my wedding ring was snug). This week I'm planning on being much more vigilant.

Down 2.2 lbs on the chapter scale this week! I'm very pleased, as I haven't been seeing that sort of loss on the scale at home. I think I'll change my ticker (up, since the TOPS weight includes clothes) and keep this as my weekly "official" weight rather than my Friday one, since I'm not sure what my scale at home is doing, and this way I know it's once a week. So I'm at 170.8 at TOPS.

I also had a couple of NSV's this week - one was accidentally putting on DH's shorts (we have some by the same company in a very similar colour) and not noticing until we were out. They felt a bit odd but what actually made me notice was that his have a cargo pocket on one leg and mine don't. I was quite surprised I could get them on.

The other isn't a NS victory per se, more of a NS eye-opener. I went for a bra fitting and have gone down a band size, without going up in cup size. I was a 36DD/E and the bra I bought yesterday was a 34DD. It fits perfectly (and looks great!) so I'm smaller in both the chest and the boobage department. Perhaps when I'm done I'll be able to buy bras at "normal" stores again rather than expensive speciality shops.

Susie - I had an out-of-control day this week as well. I was helping at my son's kindergarten class, didn't take enough lunch, then came home and binged on toast with jam. Grrrrr. But I still lost overall for the week. I was mad at myself too. But I figure it's probably going to keep happening, so just to get up and move on. Hopefully any binges get further apart and smaller in magnitude.

No exercise for a few days, I have a nasty cough/cold and any time I breathe even slightly heavily, I cough. Yesterday I had to suck a Hall's at night just to stop coughing enough to sleep. So running and weights have been off since Monday.

Jax

OK, I've been MIA for a few weeks but tonight after work I am going to re-join a TOPS group by my house (if I like it - I haven't been yet). My old TOPS group dismantled, and I took a month or two off. And I probably gained a lot of weight in the meantime.

I will post later and give a status, and probably whine a bit about having to change my ticker to an unfavorable number.

Good morning TOPS Pals

I had my meeting last night and was very pleased to see a 3/4 pound loss considering I had just started TOM that morning.

So, I think my being able to jump start my weight loss again has been because I have upped my workout at Curves to an hour. Well, I just found out this morning that they are shutting down as of next Friday!! Talk about your short notice I am going to check out a couple of gyms near me and see how those look and cost. I was sort of planning to join a bigger gym in about 6 months...once I loss a bit more weight! Now, I will have to swallow my pride and haul my big thighs somewhere else. Wouldn't be so bad, except I live in a college town and those young, fit girls don't help my ego. Vanity....vanity!!

Susie You will get back on track. I have learned that beating yourself up is counterproductive to being successful. So forgive yourself and get back on your plan. We are here for you.

Way to go on your 2.2 loss Jax!! You are doing awesome and I appreciate the inspiration your losses give me to keep it up and hopefully beat you. OK, I have a competitive streak....but I'm really nice.

Phantastica, it's good to see you here. You will get back on track so same advice I gave Susie goes for you. It is OK to whine a tiny bit if you have to.

Pita - turn that competitive streak onto the gym and go in there to show the svelte college girls what you can do!! Congratulations on the loss - any loss is good and you're headed in the right direction.

phantastica - have a good whine, as long as you get doing something about it! Sometimes I find a whining session good for motivation in the longer term. and I hope you find the new group fits for you.

As for me - I can be competitive too. I still want to be the "best loser" for the week at some point (OK so it's only my second official week ). We started a new "mountain climbing" challenge for 25lbs lost yesterday - the first such one I've been in on. So we shall see what that does for competitiveness. Some of the group are going to an area rally on Oct 13 but unfortunately my boys have swimming lessons so I won't be there.

Still sick so no exercise here. DS#2 is sick and home from school today too, so I think it's going to be a quiet day.

Jax

Went to the doctor today, and my scale at home weighs me about 3 lbs less than the doctor's office scale, so I'd say it must be pretty close (nekkid at home, dressed at doctor's).

I love my doctor. I asked him to write my goal weight for the group (we're supposed to have one on file). He asked what I wanted my goal to be, and I asked "200?" He asked if I was sure about that, and if I didn't want to change it. I assumed he meant downward, and I said, well I thought I'd think about changing it once I made it that far. That's not what he meant. He knew that at WW, once you hit goal you didn't have to pay dues anymore, and he also didn't want me to choose a goal so far away that I would get discouraged. I like his style. He's supportive of the weight loss, but also very understanding of how difficult it is to get the weight off (he's a tiny bit overweight himself, but seems pretty fit for a man his age). He reminds us that even if the weight loss doesn't improve our health problems, it may be enough to keep them from getting worse, and that especially for my husband (diabetic) that's still going to be progress, because most diabetics have to increase their medication over time.

Since TOPS is so affordable, I'm not really worried about paying dues after goal, but do KOPS pay dues, I never asked? Well, anyway I did raise my goal to 250, but if I make it that far, I wouldn't be surprised if I want to go lower. I probably would have him write a new goal slip anyway, just for the little extra motivation. Though I think I might try maintaining at 250 for a little while just for the practice. Look at me, already planning for 100 lb loss, like it's a foregone conclusion. Kinda neat!

Hi Ladies,

Sorry that I've been MIA for a few days. I just let life take on me instead of me taking on life.

I didn't go to my TOPS meeting last week. I just couldn't face those scales. Usually I won't let myself do that but I knew that I was going to be seeing my docotor the next day for a checkup and I figured I'd see what I weighed there. By their scales I would have stayed the same.

My doctor and I talked about my struggle with weight loss. I do have some medical issues that make it harder for me to loose weight but I can..it's just very slow and sometimes it can be discourging. We talked about the new Alli product. She told me that I might give it a try to see if it made a difference for me. I've been researching it and I'm not sure about it, but what I do know is that if I take it I have to watch my fat intake. Those that are taking it say that it's a tool for them to not over do on the fat. So, I'm using this week and next to see if I can stay in that fat range that they recommend and how I feel. I started on Thursday and so far I have been able to do it and when I got on the scales this morning the scales were are 276...I haven't been that in 4-5 months! I keep going between 278 and 283. So..I'm learning something here. I can do this and I will get results. I still have about another 10 days to see how committed I can be before trying the pill. I'm continuing to look into it. I know that nothing is a free ride---I' m just thinking of it as a tool to use. Just like I use exercise, my diet journal, my workouts, my TOPS meetings and posting here.

It's good to be back and read your posts and see the losses and the committments and the accomplishments and feel the encourgements. I want to post every day..it's inspiring for me so I'm going to work really hard at it.

I better get back to work but I wanted to pop in and say "I'm back" and I'm not leaving!

I was GOING to attend the new TOPS group on Thursday, but we had a bad rain and hail storm right at the time it was starting, so I went home instead. I was disappointed, but I knew I was ready and I've acted "ready" since then. The weekend had some controlled indulgence, and of course weekdays are so much easier. My home scale says I'm about six pounds up from my ticker, but I also use my TOPS weight as my "official" weight, and I haven't had an official TOPS weight since I last attended TOPS a few months back.

Jax, I had the same thing going on with a cold. I traveled for a week and brought back a cold, which was the worst in the mornings (when I usually work out). I still have a bit of a cough, but it's manageable.

I started working out again this morning, after having two weeks off. Shorter, cooler days are going to make this going-to-the-gym-at-5:00am thing increasingly difficult.

Colleen, your doctor sounds perfect. My doctor is perfectly thin, but she's kind and understanding.

Great job, Susie! The loss is encouraging!

Well it turns out I have bronchitis. So it's good that I haven't been pushing the workouts - well I have no energy as it is. I had to sit on the couch and cough for an hour after walking the boys to school yesterday. Not good. But it did prompt me to go to a doctor (I hate taking drugs so am often reluctant to go - usually waiting things out allows my body to be clear of them in its own time).

I've lost on my home scale this week, mostly from not feeling like eating much. I'm supposed to eat with my antibiotics though - they made me tired (more!) yesterday but not sick, so that's good. Don't know if I have the energy to go to TOPS tomorrow - I'd like to but it just may be better to stay home than drive into town.

Susie - I know there's quite an active alli forum here - perhaps they can give you some tips. Good to see the scales down a bit though!

Colleen, I think it's a great idea to pick an interim goal and then maintain there for a while. Way to go. I'm new to TOPS and have no idea whether KOPS pay dues. We only have one KOPS in our group and she's been with TOPS a long time.

Jax

Hi Everyone,

Still doing good here with the exercise and keeping the fat grams in line--I think I'm give the Alli a try in a couple of weeks. I'm giving my body a couple of weeks to see what it will do on it's own with that.

We don't have TOPS this week due our buidling is being used by something at the church where we meet so we are not having a meeting. I feel really good because I have been of the attitude that I had a break, a cheat week if you will....but I decided not to look at it that way last week and instead to use it to really work hard and show a bigger loss next week.

Has anyone gotten their TOPS news? Seeing those winners at IRD is inspiring to me.

Jax: I hope you feel better soon.

Phan: Good for you for getting back to the exercise.

I attended the TOPS group closest to my house tonight. It's about three times larger than my other group, and that's OK because my last group only had five members (if everyone showed up). I'm really on the fence about this group.

The members are all at significantly older than me. Half are senior citizen age (approaching 80s) and the other half are probably in their late 50s (I'm 37). Many of them know each other very well, but they were very welcoming and light-hearted. They follow the program to the book, doing the exercises outlined by TOPS etc. My other group was more about emotional support, where we'd talk about whatever was on our minds - what our strategies were for the following week, what our challenges were, etc. This group has a gavel and they use it to call the group to order! LOL.

I could give it a shot, and if I really don't like it I could switch to a different group.

Jax - take care! Hope you feel better soon.

Colleen - I totally agree TOPS is so cheap! If I were paying Weight Watchers prices, I would feel pressured into losing weight, and it adds a level of stress that I wouldn't want. I like the fact that if I maintain on TOPS for a year, I'm not out several hundred dollars.

Susie - good call on not having a "cheat week"! I admire your determination!

Hi:

I'm about to start my second week of really watching my fat grams. Yesterday I wouldn't say I was out of control but I did eat a little more high fat that I had been and you know what? Today my body feels icky.

It feels so good to see those scales be down to numbers that I haven't seen for about a year. That "tastes" better to me than anything I could eat! And I like feeling better too.

Phan: When I first started with my TOPS group they were older ladies ('m 42 now, but I was 38 when I started) and they really didn't have any sort of a meeting. I wasn't sure if I was going to stay or not but as I started loosing, it inspired the group to get back with TOPS. We started with programs again..some TOPS some other things that people found. Then new people started coming...older, younger and today we have a great diverse group! Also, we had one lady who was 74..she thought about quitting because she wasn't losing weight..well...we talked to here that night and something clicked for her. She ended up losing 100 lbs! in a year and at ARD she was presented the Century Award and her KOPS status. Let me tell you that was one great ARD..and the tears were flowing!

I learned so much from that group and I also gave them something so it was a win-win all the way around and for me..that's what TOPS is all about.

Right now I have been struggling and those lovely older ladies have reminded me that I am young and beautiful and I don't want to waste another minute of my life being overweight. They got my thinking turned back around for me.

My point is that you never know what you are going to get out of something until you try it and put in to it.

Hi,
Looks like everyone is out enjoying the beautiful fall weather. I just stopped by to keep myself on track and see who else might be out there.

I plan on taking a walk sometime today and that's about it. I've got my lunches lined up for the week as well as my dinner meals and even my snacks. I want to go to TOPS this Thursday and see a good loss this week. I know I have to work for it...and I'm ok with that.

We went to a wedding last night. I did very well with my choices. I had a little bit of cheeseball and crackers but not as much as I would have before and I did have a piece of wedding cake...I mean...I got to have wedding cake at a wedding--and it was really good. But other than that I'm doing ok. I hope those scales show it on Thursday---I'm reminding myself have much better I feel not being stuffed to the gills.

Thanks, Susie! I decided to join the group after all. Those little old ladies are cute and funny. They take the games and such pretty seriously, LOL!

I was down a pound since last week, yay! I weighed myself mid-week and was a little frustrated that I hadn't lost because it *seemed* like I'd been trying. When I looked back at my week, though, I noticed: dinner out with a friend on Monday (and not wise choices), a lot of junk food over the weekend, etc. I know how to do this. I know what to do (and what not to do).

So. My goals this week are to get my exercise in, and to focus on making healthy foods for dinners as well as leftovers for lunch.

Hi Phanta: Congrats on loosing that pound and for joining the group...you just made a public acknowledgement that you are comitted to your desire to loose weight, and also for looking over things and seeing where you can make good choices for this week to have those scales show the efforts of your work. I also needed to be reminded why it is important for me to write things down do when I need to go back and look over them to see what I have been doing that is working or not working, I can recall it correctly and use it as a dependable road map.

I had a great loss on Thursday night. I lost 5.25. I'm going to get my ticker added to my post here shortly. I want to track my progess.

I'm dealing with a cold and strep throat. It all started yesterday. I am taking it easy today and I will not get a chance to workout tomorrow--it's ok...I'm going to count it as rest..my body needs it right now and then on Tuesday I'll start back with a light workout. Right now, I'm not eating much..it hurts to swallow. I'm trying to drink a lot of water so I can thin this stuff out and get it out of my body. Thank heavens for antibodics...I'm feeling better than I did yesterday afternoon.

I'll check in tomorrow with everyone.