Hello all. I am new around here, but I wanted to jump in and try to meet everyone!

Today was a healthy good eating kinda day until dinner, but then I ate pizza... a lot of pizza I did work out today at curves though!

Hope to talk to you guys soon.

Ulovelee - way to go! What a feeling that must be. I can't wait until it's me saying the same thing. I can visualize it for the first time in a long time.

Rat - you are amazing with your spinning class - and everything else. You have such a way of motivating me - THANKS

Future - keep on talking - keep on working. I don't take any meds but I do know how dangerous it can be to take yourself off of them. My dad didn't like how his hands looked while taking plavix (vain at 84) so he took himself off of it. The first anyone knew of this was when he had a stroke - fortunately it was minor. Future - please be careful.

Debbie - thanks for asking. The colonoscopy went well - he said the prep was the worst - one small polyp doc guaranteed to be benign. As for the jeans - I must admit I couldn't bring myself to try them on - I did touch them - does that count?

Sandy - sorry about the work stress. I had to work to make a conscious decision that my job was simply a means to an end for the things that are important to me - my family, my friends, my dogs, my lifestyle. And nothing more than that. It is a paycheck that provides for the important things in my life. Sounds much easier than it is.

Meta - two coats - how beautiful you must look - I know you will stand tall and proud and pretty when you wear them - knowing what an accomplishment it is. Coats are one of the hardest things to shop for too since you try them on publicly. Way to go!

Annie - are you enjoying the time alone? Taking special time for you - maybe a facial or a pedicure? Treat yourself!

Heather - words cannot begin to express my gratitude to you for all you do. Thank you.

Midnight - whining is OK if it gets you somewhere - where is it you want to go?

It's a rainy, stormy morning here in Missouri. Normally I would say a great time to curl up with a good book but today I will work on the Pilates video I bought. I bought one that has 5 ten minute workouts on it - surely I can make it through one of them. Gotta start somewhere.

Yesterday I got off track with my water intake - and guess what - today I am up 3 pounds. By the time I went to bed last night I could actually feel it and was craving the water. Glad today wasn't my official weigh in.

Have a great day to you all!

Catherine -- What a lovely surprise about the dress! And I bet you look good in it too!

midnight -- I think it's common to want to lose weight but to not "get off your butt" and do it. At least, that's how I was for years. "Why bother" I thought, "when I'll just gain it all back." I honestly think if my weight had stayed stable I still be morbidly obese. But it kept creeping up... Finally, things fell into place (including a fall down the stairs!) and I started... I haven't looked back since, though I am terrified of gaining it all back!

Linda- - Welcome!!! Jump right in!

Today I have to work for a few hours, and go grocery shopping and go to the gym (must not skip again...)... then I will settle in for the next Red Sox game...

G'morning Peeps!

Debbie and Angie and Everyone else who wants to join us... we are starting our trip to Mexico on Monday! Just figure out the hours it takes to drive (Via google maps) to Nueva Laredo, Mexico from where you live. The minutes you put into your exercise will move you toward our party destination. First one there will set up the bar and party to encourage others to get there faster! Remember to put your exercise minutes on the exercise thread as well.

Deb, w00h00 on the loss this week!

Annie, hope you are taking a little time for you while the boys are out hunting. You are doing great!!

Sandy, I understand work stress. For me, it had to get so bad that I finally got another job and I love it! Of course, there are politics and such, but the stress is *nothing* like my old job.

Midnight, perhaps writing down what's going on in your head will help the Thurs-Sun off track stuff? Perhaps there's more than just boredom? Only a suggestion. Ooooh, I understand about contagious munchies!!! My family spends Tday week at the Outer Banks in a huge house. When someone starts eating, it's like a domino effect! I'm wondering if I can break that chain this year because I haven't consciously fought the munchie effect yet.

Catherine, I'm glad you are feeling better and will not be working as hard as you normally do at the football game. Ugh, I hear you on the body image stuff. I think it's a GREAT NSV that you could wear your wedding dress! The scales *could* have been off, but hearing of all the things you do around the condo and at the football game, I'm more willing to accept that you are moving and toning and have gotten stronger. Get better and feel strong again!

Iswood!!! Pizza isn't bad, just has a lot of salt. Drink water, lots of water!!

GGG, oooooo I love stormy mornings! My dogs don't. They run outside, tinkle in record time and run inside. Of course, they make sure I know they weren't happy by shaking wet all over me no matter where I am in the house hehe. Go girl on the pilates! I get accosted when I'm on the floor cuz of the doggies. Even the parrot gets into the act (he wolf whistles and screams.. he's so funny). The cats just get disgusted. I'm not good at doing stuff by myself in the house. I'm gearing up to go to Saturday spin today!

Right now my 2 goofy goldens are snoring (loudly) on the floor in front of the fireplace. It was cool this morning! 49F. I have the gas fireplace on (doubles as heat source). Ew, the burning dust smell! lol (I know, Catherine, I saw the weather report up your way.. you've been in REAL cold for a while - I readily admit I'm a cold wuss). Geesh, what happened to the weather in the 70s?? It went from 85 to low 60sF as highs. Bleh.

Heather, I just finished the book, Rethinking Thin and have read most of the comments on the Maintainers book discussion. It was an interesting book. I agree that it might be a discouraging book to read starting out because it sets out to bebunk all the dieting myths, but it doesn't go far enough to give a solution to all the myths. I have a whole different perspective on the book then the other readers cuz I work in the medical science field. I have the Thin for Life book on it's way to my house now and look forward to reading it again. I read it a loooooong time ago when I wasn't really ready to hear all it said.

Hugs and luv to everyone!
Ratkity

Good mornin everybody. I am a newbie trying to get out of threedom. I soo want to be freed from the hypertesion headaches, ankle/foot pains and sprains.

Ratkitten -- I love hearing from people in the medical science field. I know a lot about research design as a social psychologist... but I really know very little about bio and chem. I really wish I had taken more classes in college! Please do share your thoughts... either "here" or in other threads!

mahoganydreamz -- glad you found us!!

Midnight~ I some days I have trouble making it at all after I wake up feeling ready to go. Is there something you really like to do? Read, crafts, music? I used to use that as a reward, but have since decided I need to do that instead of eating. At night, I make myself go to bed at night so I won't eat. I've decided the tv shows I like were holding me back and we're a real necessity in my life. (yes, i have to have dramatic thinking to make myself behave) Our family was like yours. Munchin' all the time. So, we now have a food curfew. No food after 8 pm. Sometimes I'll make a bowl of lettuce with a few grapes and a light vinegarette, but that's it. Not being bossy, just trying to help.



Heather & all other Red Sox fans!! What a game! I think Abby and I will play a little basket ball today, (for my exercise) and then watch the Red Sox too.


Catherine~ Love your new avatar!! I'm so proud for you about your wedding gown being loose! That's just a great feeling, isn't it? Remember that feeling! I'm sorry you're still weak, but I'm glad you're getting better!


Linda~ This is a great place. NO matter what, doing great or struggling, this is the place to be.


GGG~ Thanks so much for you kind words and reminder. After thinking about it, I'm just too vain. Who cares if this woman is trying to ruin my reputation. It shouldn't take long for the "new" people to figure out who's honest and that everyone else in the place likes. Compared to someone who bad mouths others all the time, blames others for her mistakes and, who most people DON"T like. The bi$ch weed, (is what we call her) isn't responsible for my reputation, I AM!!!
(now if i can just carry that through the work week) But, I really appreciate your reminder. Thank you so much.
Let me know about the plates video. I'd really like to have one. I think I'll put it on my "Christmas list."
Now, go get a drink of water so you're back on track.

Mahagony~ to you too!


Girls~ Thanks for all your support. I'm finally feeling almost normal again. I'm gonna work real hard on remembering I'm in control of my reputation, and no one else. I feel very strongly about self respect, dignity and honor. I gotta keep focused on it cuz it'll help me at work AND staying op. Hope all of you have a wonderful day. I haven't felt this good in forever.
Big to all!

It is a lovely Saturday morning and I have nowhere I have to be, so I am sitting down to write a HUGE post and finally catch up on personals!

Sandy – I am so sorry to hear about your troubles at work, but I am glad you are feeling better. That is great that you are feeling better than you have in awhile!

MahoganyDreamz – Welcome!! You are really close to getting out of the 3’s – congrats on your progress so far! Better health and a life without pain are some of main reasons for wanting to lose weight.

Rat – I love hearing about how you are kicking um..stuff in your spin class. That is the one thing about my gym – I really wish they offered some classes. It is too small for that and the owners are really only interested in squash. Oh, and SG1? Definitely!!! I am a total fangirl. I have seasons 1-9 on DVD (haven’t wanted to spend the money on 10 yet with all the new apartment stuff) and have watched them all many times (SG1 comes on at 6pm and if I am in the gym I always turn it there).

Heather – I hope you enjoy your Sox game! Wyllen does have a Minbari ring to it. That was one of the other things I loved about the show. Delenn is awesome, but I also loved the fact that they look a culture that originally looked idyllic and slowly showed that all cultures have their issues.

Gggirls – Let us know how you go with that Pilates video. I have never tried it and am curious what it is like.

lswood – Welcome!! Dinner is always hardest for me too. One of the big things for me is making sure I am not too hungry when I get to dinner or I can much more easily overeat. Starting with something else is a good idea too – like a salad or a bowl of soup to help fill you up so that you can still have some pizza without overdoing it.

Catherine – I am sorry to hear that you are still not feeling well. However, your decision sounds like a good one to take the stress off and wear your wedding dress. That is really interesting how it is looser than you had expected. It says that you have definitely been doing something right.

Midnight – One thing that is great for me when I get the munchies is 100-calorie bags of popcorn (just don’t breathe in the fumes ) Breaking a family dynamic can be really tough.

Annie – You are doing so amazingly! That is so fantastic that you are under 350. Did you say snow? Ugh – I don’t want to even think about that yet!

Debbie – Congrats on being down another 2 pounds, especially in light of all the stress you are going through with your son and DIL.

ulovlee – Congrats on getting into the 200’s!! Doesn’t it feel fantastic? I loved the advice you gave to frogprincess.

Lori – Have you checked out the diabetics forum here at 3FC? They can probably help you a lot. As far as VLCD’s go, they really should only be done when supervised by a medical professional. This is coming to the forefront once again with the whole ******* thing: http://www.3fatchicks.com/Diets/Diet...f_a_Diet_Scam/ There are several women who are now reporting serious health complications due to being on it. As bad as being overweight is, going VLC is just not worth the fast weight loss when risking the health of your organs.

Meta – Great NSV about the coats, but ugh – I totally forgot I would need to buy a new coat this year! I hate buying new coats. Oh well.

Patti – I am sorry to hear you had a really bad cold. I hope you are completely better soon!

Frogprincess – Another welcome!! This is a great place for support. Try and post when you can – it must be so tough with little ones to juggle in order to get time to yourself. Definitely don’t worry about doing personals.

Story – That is great that the pain is getting better. 10 pounds a month is a great rate to be losing at.

Battle – that Rachelette event sounds intruiging and challenging. I hope you have a fantastic time and enjoy yourself. You are doing so amazingly. Another 3 pounds down is fantastic.

Rabid – I hope your medication adjustment works well and helps a lot. I LOVE Trader Joe’s – it is my shopping venue of choice.

Zelma – It is so good to hear from you! I would love to sing in a chorus again (I did when I was young) but I keep worrying about the time commitments.

Sharon – Oww.. take care of yourself! That sounds scary almost fainting. Did you talk to the people running your program about it?

Luan – Glad to see you around!

Realist – That is such a relief that you survived the lay-offs! Congrats! Also, Happy Anniversary!

Lesley – I am glad you were able to discover what was bothering you. I hope it is all cleared up now with the medications.


As for me, it has been a busy week with quarter end. Now that it is done life should be able to go back to a more normal pace. I was really proud of myself last night because I really (and I mean REALLY) didn’t want to go to the gym, but I made myself go and got in a whole hour on the elliptical.

The best news for me was when I finally got the right battery for my scale. Not only did I not gain anything in the past few weeks (which weren’t the greatest) I am actually down 4 pounds! I was so ecstatic! I do know that the general equilibrium point of my overall eating and exercising has gotten so much better that even going off plan now isn’t anywhere near as damaging as it used to be.

My bad news of the week involves a drama I haven’t mentioned here yet. At my gym, there was some monkey business with several of the trainers and they fired everyone (no more yoga classes) except for my trainer. However, the group that my gym brought in to run their training program has past issues with my trainer, and now my trainer doesn’t think he will stick around. Of the two new trainers I have seen so far, I wouldn’t want to work with either of them. I am not sure what I will do if he goes. Ugh – I hate drama.

Hi everyone~~

Well I didn't get my last drain out on Friday like I thought I would. I'm still draining too much for it to come out. The doctor would like it to be under 30 ml a day and I've been double that for the last couple of days. I'm hoping it'll slow down soon, but I'm not going to hurt myself or lie about it, you know? I'll see on Monday how it is and call him then. Cross your fingers for me.

I joined a challenge on the pagan thread and figured I'd let all of you know my goals for Halloween. Since it's only 18 days away, my goal for Halloween is to:

1) Walk on my treadmill 5 days a week for at least 30 minutes a day.
2) Stick to my low carb diet which is sooooo much harder to start once you've been off it for a while.
3) I want to lose 5 lbs. by Samhain.

So those are my goals and I'm going to go walk on the treadmill as soon as I'm done posting here.

I just noticed that it's already after 11:00 and I have to get to the bank and then I have to go walk on the treadmill or I won't do it at all. I know how I am. Wish me luck because I'm going to need it.

Have a great OP day and I'll try to come and post personals later on today, but I might not be able to--the BF doesn't work on weekends and he tends to be very possessive of my time. I swear sometimes I don't know about those with the XY chromosomes.

Talk to you all later.

Vicki

Woohoo! I did have a big salad before my pizza yesterday and I am down 3 lbs for the week!!!! YAYAY!

Heather, Re: Rethinking Thin book

Just to give you a little background. I have a doctorate in microbiology and my specialty is host immune response. I have worked with livestock vaccines and host health as well as human cancer vaccines and clinical trials when I worked at NIH (I am currently back at USDA). The animal health community has very strict peer review for statistics and I was very dismayed at the lack of strict statistical review for clinical trials. The MDs drove me nuts using standard deviation when they should have been using standard error of the mean for simple things.

I can attest first hand that the statistics used to "prove" a point in one of the clinical trials I was researching wouldn't have been what I would have used (which would have had more stringent parameters). So when the book said that the statistics used in many of the data from clinical trials were incorrect or the data sets were limited to a specific population, that didn't surprise me. I think the book did a great job debunking the "diet" myth and presenting how hard it is to find the complete biochemical pathway(s) for hunger and fat storage (compared to mice.. it's easy to cure things in mice.. especially cancer.. humans are way more complicated!). What the book didn't do was give a weight loss solution after tearing down the dieting myths and obstacles. To be honest, each chapter was really a tiny summary and could have been a stand alone book in itself!

My take on the book was that it affirmed how hard this journey is.. HARD doesn't mean impossible. I wasn't crazy for failing all those crash diets earlier in my life. I thought there was something wrong with me mentally that I couldn't stick to a diet and all the thin folks said was "just don't eat so much". There's a lot of biochemical stuff stacked against me making this journey hard. People who say the pounds melt off and that losing weight is easy make me wanna go postal!

For someone picking up the book at the beginning of a difficult journey, it could be disheartening and I can hear people saying "why bother?" My response is to say that nothing worth working for is easy. My education wasn't easy to get.. it required work. It still requires work to keep up with the current research. I know this weight loss and eventual maintenance phase takes work!

I hope I didn't ramble too much!!

Hugs and Luv,
Rat

Okay, I'm very happy right now! While I haven't weighed myself today so I can't say for sure what my starting weight is--cuz you all know that it fluctuates by 2-3 lbs. a day based on what you eat, fluid retention, etc. (why can't it be easy?) So I'm going to change my weight on my tracker tomorrow morning with whatever the dreaded machine says. Anyway--I had already eaten carbs so I will have to make sure my dinner tonight and my meals from now on are low carb--but why I am so happy right now? I just did my first 30 minutes on my treadmill since the doctor gave me the okay. You know...I forgot how good my workout CD is. So that's my news and I'm going to the pagan thread to log in my 30 minutes.

Sandy-That’s a specially trained gopher chasing basset hound. I’m trying to remind myself to not stick my head in the sand, and see things for how they really are.

Nancy-I hate drama too. When they fired my water aerobics instructor at the Y because she turned them in for not keeping the pool clean enough, about half the class quit. It’s not good for anyone.

Vicki-I love Halloween too.

Rat-My sister in law has a doctorate in microbiology. She’s a TB specialist in the research triangle. She was the only non-MD who got to edit a section of a med school text book. I absolutely never understand what she is up to.

The game went well. We sold so many hotdogs we ran out of buns. I did just fine. I’m tired, and my feet hurt, but I really enjoyed myself. That will be our last game of the season unless the Eskimos make the playoffs, and that is a real long shot. They said the kitchen was in chaos the game that happened while we were in Toronto. I took a certain amount of twisted pleasure in that. There was no chaos today.

Hi All,

Anybody miss me?? NO well OK , just so you know, I’ve been AWOL this week. No real bad reason for it, I haven’t fallen off the wagon or anything, in fact I’ve been a WW angel, and I have exercised every day as planned. I can’t say what if anything I have lost because I am keeping off the scales. I may be doing well but I don’t want to risk disappointment and the chance of falling off the wagon because of it. So I’ll just wait until I am more confident before I get on those scales again.

My skin infection is disastrous, I’m still waiting for a hospital appt to see a doctor there. In the mean time although my last course of antibiotics didn’t completely cure the problem my doctor didn’t want to give me anymore. I think she thought that I’d get my appt at the hospital sooner and that the consultant would be better off seeing my infection full flare. Well now it’s worse than ever! Still no appt, and no meds either! I am going back to see her on Monday to sort something out. I scar terribly and am going to be a real mess if this isn’t sorted out soon.

OK well believe it or not, 7 pages of posts and I am going to attempt to catch up. I wonder if this will all fit onto one post or if I’ll have to split it!! I’m going to start from the last post and work backwards, this should be fun lol……

Vicki - that’s wonderful that you got to do 30 minutes on the treadmill Is your drain out now then? I know the doctor gave you the OK to work out, but won’t working out make that drain work overtime?? I know you are really looking forward to having it removed. Drains suck in more ways than one Did you get my email from the other day?

Linda - hello and possibly a belated from me. on your first 6 lbs lost

Nancy - wow that’s great that you lost 4 lbs especially as you’ve been feeling so blah recently. It’s wonderful to realise I bet that you can not be 100% OP these days but that you don’t do as much damage as you might have done in days of old Can we all shout LIFESTYLE CHANGE

Sorry to hear about the drama at the gym. It’s a real shame that your trainer might end up quitting and that you don’t like the choice of trainers if he does leave.

Mahogany - You are making a great start to getting out of the 300s, just 6 more little lbs and you’ll officially be in Twotown!!

RK - um I think it might take a little too long for me to reach Mexico from here Can I come to the party anyway, PLEASE I’ll get the drinks ready for when you all arrive

Great news on doing better in your spin class already 50% of the stand up WOW! I might be brave and go against my bikes instructions and attempt to ride it standing up. that the thing doesn’t break

GGGirls - a belated from me. I normally post here more often, but I’ve been slack this week. Did you enjoy trying out that Pilates DVD? Like you said, I am sure you can manage one of those 10 minute work outs. Mind you, I’ve got one Pilates DVD that nearly killed me from the start. I swear you have to be a size 0 to be able to do some of the moves!

I hope your hubby’s colonoscopy goes well. I’ve had many and know all about the laxatives you have to take prior to the examination, and the dietary requirements etc. It’s not nice at all so my sympathies definitely go out to your hubby. I hope whatever he is being tested for is nothing serious

Catherine - I’m sorry to hear you have been so unwell. I am glad that it wasn’t too difficult for you to work at the game today.

That’s brilliant news about your wedding dress still fitting you despite you having gained weight since your wedding. You looked beautiful in it and I am sure you will have some admiring looks when you wear it in Ottawa!!

Midnight - I was reading what you said about getting the munchies. My only tip for that is to get a LOT of low fat/cal snacks in the house. Sometimes when I have the munchies I can sit there and eat 4 packs of low fat crisps (chips). I feel like a pig, but I’ve only eaten 4 - 6 points. There are plenty of ˝ point snacks too, and they can really help a munchies fest!!

Heather - keeping busy really really helps me with my dieting too, and one of the new things I have found I love and that can make me even forget it’s meal time is online games. I have always loved Pogo, but those kind of games I can easily stop and go get something to eat. But I’ve played silly games like Cake Mania, and Makeover Madness and they keep my mind so focused that food is the last thing on my mind. Sounds silly as Cake Mania is all about making cakes, but there you go lol. It works. So I say YAY for games

Sandy - hey So glad to see you posting. You’ve posted more here this week than I have I’m sorry things aren’t going great in work. You’ve had a lot of problems there since I first met you here. Is there any chance you could change jobs? You really don’t need to deal with all that stress

Annie - I know I said it in my email, but I just want to say it here too you are under 350 now!! How fabulous you are doing. No way will you ever wake up and find out it’s all a dream because it’s not….it’s real and you are a real inspiration!!!!

Debbie - so close to that 50 lbs lost You will definitely reach that milestone by next week Twotown here you come!!

Ulovlee - I have a memory like a sieve, your name is familiar but I can’t remember if I’ve said hi and If I haven’t, then consider it done on making it to Twotown Feels great doesn’t it

Lori - I enjoyed reading your post where you sounded so positive about your move to stop some of your meds. I’m a bit like BattleAx and I worry about doing anything without the doctors involvement. It does sound like you are totally in control, prepared for any problems that arise, and so far are doing very well after the changes you have made. I’m happy and relieved to hear that. I hope it keeps that way

Metachick - How fantastic that you got to buy two 2X coats that fit you beautifully, look great I am sure, and most importantly keep you warm. It’s one of the best NSVs there are, being able to buy clothes you couldn’t buy before

Rabidstoat - I’m glad those two women jumped on the other end of the river boat to counterbalance it. It might have been embarrassing, but far better than ending up in the drink. I say good for you for even getting in the boat in the first place. I would have run a mile!!

Patti - I’m sorry you’ve been so unwell recently. How are you doing now? Have you got the energy to try a little gentle exercise? I know you know it, but I just have to say it again Gazelle Gazelle Gazelle

FrogPrincess - I know I’m a bit late, but I know you will love it here because you’ll never come across a nicer more friendly group of people Oh and by the way you CAN do this. You’ll be losing those lbs and we’ll be here to you on. You’ll be going to Disneyland before you know it and you will be SO thrilled to be fitting on all the rides I am hoping to be in that situation myself in just a couple of weeks. There is a theme park over here that I have always wanted to go to but haven’t gone because it’s a lot of money to spend only to be the chief bag holder and not go on any of the rides! I THINK I will fit on the rides now, I’m not 100% sure, so I am dieting and exercising like mad this month, but put it this way, it’s still great to know that there is a good chance that I will fit the rides rather than last year when I KNEW there was NO chance. And believe me, if I can do it, so can you

Story - how utterly wonderful that you have found that you can walk around the house without having terrible hip and back pain I really hope you manage to start walking outside next week. Just remember to not go too far because you know you have to turn around and walk back

on losing 50 lbs and being at a weight that you haven’t been since your teens! I’m doing the happy dance for you

Battleax - I am over the sound of that Raclette event. How on Earth will you be able to attend and keep it in moderation? If you can you are a much better dieter than me I would be there sat by that dripping cheese with at least half a dozen pieces of bread. YUM!!!

on losing that 3 lbs, it’s nice to have the scales being nice to you for a change isn’t it

Zelma - how wonderful you look in your new avatar photo. You look younger and younger every time you put a new photo on here. I see you are growing your hair too, it really suits you.

That’s wonderful that you are doing so well with the auditions for the Chorus. I don’t suppose you even would have tried out prior to losing all that weight? It will be lovely to take part in that competition in Hawaii, have you ever been before??

Sharon - don’t knock those bright lights of Vegas til you see them in person Honestly the atmosphere of the place is amazing, you would love it. And hey remember I’m not going to do that Trekkie wedding unless I have legs like Uhura That being the case we may have to pick another theme for our vow renewal

Angie - that’s wonderful news that you still have a job, and even better that you think hubby might have a FT job too? Did he get the good news on Friday

Kamryn - welcome to 3fc. I love how you call yourself a mom on a mission!! It really makes me think about how determined you are about your weight loss You certainly have the right idea when it comes to going away…..taking all those low fat supplies I hope you enjoy your little vacation and don’t stray away from those good foods you took with you.

Brenda - how are you feeling today? I’m sorry you are having a bit of a blah time of it now. I’ve been there a LOT this year. In fact these past two weeks are the only ones where I have felt totally back in control, just like I was when I started this journey. Hang in there my friend. You have done so brilliantly well, you look amazing in your photos. I hope you will start feeling more optimistic soon and able to get back on track When you say you aren’t happy with your body, do you mean flabby skin and the such? If so I definitely hear you. I hate my flab, and my tummy apron, and my wobbly thighs. But I’m the only one apart from my hubby who sees all that, and thank God hubby loves me, fat, flab and all. I love how I look now when I am dressed when I compare myself to how I looked before my diet! I know I have a long long way to go before I am a ‘normal’ size but I am ON MY WAY, and so are you. Try to see how far you’ve come and know that you are well on your way to your goal

Lesley - I’m sorry that you found out you gained some weight, and that you are feeling a bit down right now. My year this year has pretty much been like your weeks recently where you do well until Thursday and then fall off the wagon. I’ve not given up, and you won’t either. You have to remember is that even if you are only on the wagon 4 days a week that’s 4 days that you aren’t gaining weight. OK you might gain a little over the weekends, but the 4 days in the week when you are good it makes up for the weekends, so you are still doing OK. It took me a trip to a theme park looming before I could finally get back in control. Something will come along hopefully soon and trigger your willpower and motivation too Don’t be hard on yourself, you’re still trying and that’s what counts.

Sorry to hear too that you found out you had/have H Pylori, I hope the meds will clear it up quickly and that you will be feeling much better both physically and mentally very soon

Cyn - your hubby sounds like a real angel, I’m glad you have him there to help motivate you to exercise. I know when you feel so worn out and sweaty when you walk it’s the last thing you want to do some times, but just remember that it will get easier and you’ll look back on these days and be proud that you persevered and that your fitness has improved I don’t know if it’s the same for everybody but when I started at 329 lbs I had a LOT of trouble walking, I had bad feet, a bad back, I sweated a lot, it was a real chore. Honestly when I got to 299, just 30 lbs lighter I already noticed a huge difference in how I felt. It was so much easier and has continued to get easier. So you really aren’t that far away from the 200s, and I bet you will feel better in even 10 lbs lost time Hang in there

Xena - I LOVED the pics of Constantine. How lucky were you to get that close up to him, AND he spoke to you too I love his voice and I was so miffed when he got voted out of American Idol. Sometimes I think the Americans totally get it wrong with who they vote into the final. I still think Clay should have won over Rueben

OK well I think I have caught up now, I know I missed some posts on last week’s thread, but 7 pages of posts to catch up on in this weeks thread is more than enough. So I apologise if I’ve not answered anybody’s comments to me from last week. Take care all and I hope you are all having a good weekend,

Hugs,

Ammi

Wow Ammi! I'm impressed at you catching up with posts! hehe.

Of course you can join in the Mexican party!.. ya know, you could also randomly pick a city in the US and meet us there. Just make Scotty beam you over

Hugs,
RK