Hello All,

Sorry I haven’t been here today, it’s been a busy one and this is the first chance I have had to write. First of all let me just say that when I have done here I am putting pics on the picture page, ones taken at 329 lbs and the most recent ones taken at 229 lbs. Funnily enough it took putting them side by side to make me actually see just how much I have lost

Heather - it’s no wonder you aren’t exactly motivated to keep on losing weight right, if I was a size 12 I would never want to lose another lb. In fact I am only aiming to be a size 14

I have to sort out a discount card for the gym before I can join and organise the induction course. Hopefully it won’t take too long though. After my induction I will be here to tell you all about what the place is like.

Lilion - now that you have sent the puppies to obedience school maybe you can save a bit and make plans to join the gym again. The one we are going to go to is a council run one and won’t be top of the range, but it will do what I want it to do for a very reasonable price.

getting to lose that last 2 lbs, but good for you for trying hard not to focus too much on it. When you get there, whenever it is we will be here ready to party with you

Annie - I normally find that if something can turn milk blue it’s got a good chance of turning your wee the same colour So remember, if you see blue in the loo you aren’t seriously ill

You have done so brilliantly with your exercise this month, I am SO proud of you

I know what you mean about starting a diet in January and then having to recommit by March kicking yourself when you thought about how much you would have lost if you had stuck to your diet, and then really kicking yourself in the summer when you were still no smaller! I have been through that every year for years too. I am SO looking forward to this summer when I can finally say I am slim in time for the hot weather! With the way you are so motivated now, and exercising, and staying OP you are definitely NOT going to be kicking your butt this year!!

Catherine - I am really looking forward to going to the gym, I will use that far more then I watched those SKY movies. The kids aren’t too happy, but when their mum is thin enough to have great fun at theme parks etc I am sure they will be happy then

Patti - that’s great that your Biggest Loser Workout DVD came and that it looks like it’s going to be good. I hope you enjoy doing it this month and that it doesn’t hurt your knee!

Sandy - sorry that your hubby’s ex rang and got you so riled up. It’s terrible how exes have that power isn’t it! Good for you for not heading for the comfort food and heading to the Gazelle instead. That’s the way to do it!!

I am so pleased that your blood pressure is so much better, and a 7 lbs loss That’s such wonderful news!! Fantastic news too that your clot is definitely gone, and that the discolouration you still get sometimes isn’t anything to worry about PHEW! Now we just have to keep our that you can come off those meds in a few months time!!

No I don’t live really close to the beach, I can’t see it through my window or anything. I have to get two local buses to get there, but if we had a car it would take about 20 minutes allowing for traffic. It’s definitely not too far to travel for a beautiful walk along the promenade. Daren love to go there at least once a week when the weather is nicer

Chimi - I’m not sure how much 10 kgs is, but it sounds pretty awesome especially losing that much in 3.5 weeks

Kymberly - that’s fabulous about you losing 4.3 lbs I can’t wait to hear if your team in work wins that Biggest Loser competition

Raffaella - hello and I am glad you founds us here. I am sorry I don’t have any advice on websites with information about calorie intake. I have been following a WW diet with points rather than calories, so I really know nothing about it. I hope somebody can be more helpful to you.

Erika Leigh - I haven’t had chance to even find the PCOS section of the board, but I will look later to see just what got you feeling so bad after your doctors appt. Whatever it is, I hope you are feeling a bit brighter now.

It’s weird how Amanda has to go to the docs yet again, do you think they are charting any growth of the lumps to see just how urgent it is for her to have the surgery? It’s a shame they can’t just get it done and over with for her. All this hanging around must be awful.

I am not sure why your legs are hurting so badly when you are on the Gazelle? Are you perhaps taking your stride to wide? Or going to fast? Try to slow things down a bit, shorten your stride, and most importantly don’t try to do 30 minutes in one go. I had to do 2 lots of 15 minutes for months and months before I was ready to try 30 in one go. As for your question about swinging your legs back and fore together I am sure that any activity has to be good. Try using your arms to pull your legs back and fore too, that’s great for those muscles and will really make your heart pump harder.

If you normally weigh on your scales then I would go by your weights reading. Always try to stick to the same scales each time so you get accurate results. If you go by your results does that mean you have had a good loss? I hope so

Valerie - wow you sure do get a beautiful show on your bird feeder don’t you, which is your favourite bird that feeds there. Patti often has humming birds at hers and they are amazing. I would love top put seed out in my garden but all we’d get are sparrow and magpies, with the latter pooping on my washing in the summer. So I’ll give it a miss

Nancy - so pleased that you checked in, I was wondering how you were doing. I don’t know if you would agree but wow this month has gone fast, it seems like only yesterday you said you had to work a month for the B&B!! I bet you are so looking forward to finishing up there.

Well done on staying under 280 through these times of being busy and stressed Are things improving with your BF?

Zelma - my TOM actually lasts a full month lately, a full week of the blasted thing and then constant spotting until the next full week. That was pretty amazing reading about the moon affecting so much, hey if it can control the tides it sure can control our moods, so I for one don’t think you are a lady!!

Sharon - sorry I’ve been missing you on MSN, hopefully I’ll be able to catch you tomorrow. Hope you are keeping OP and feel up to exercising

Ok I am going to go post those pics on the picture page now. Take care all and bye for now.

Hugs,

Ammi

Zelma: Growing up on a farm where lots of things are only done according to the moon's fullness, I think you are probably on to something. Many things happen according to the moon that American Indians (My Daddy and his family) have been doing forever. Like castrating certain times of the month, planting certain times of the month, I really can go on and on about it but just know you are quite sane in my book. lol Now, how much credit that lends lol.

Ammi: Glad to see you post. I think your summer will be so great because you will be so much trimmer than last year and healthier when you walk on the Mumbles and play in the beach. Hugs. I'm going to go look over your photos now. I can't wait.

Blessings all,
Annie

AMMI!! Sorry I haven't replied to your earlier post!! Yeah 10kgs is like 20lb or something not sure... whatever it is, I feel great!! I asked my boss and he loves the mumbles!! what a small world 'tis. 20 years? serioiusly? wow so u're like a full native now. Thank goodness this office / my boss is very supporting of my workouts during the day, and everyone goes to the gym so its really good like that. I just wanted to also say that the paragraph where u wrote out your inpiration etc was very motivational- I never really like to think I would die from being obese, but now I realize how important what we're doing is... thanks girl.

Ammi!!!!! Oh My Goodness. I seriously wouldn't have known that first picture where you are not smiling is you! I can't believe how amazing you look!!!!! I'm so happy, happy, happy for you!
hugs,
annie

Wonderful Pictures Ammi!

Annie-My neighborhood doesn’t scare me at all. There aren’t the same kinds of access to guns here as there are in the states. It is like anywhere else, if it is home, it is comfortable and feels safe. When I walk home from a meeting at church after dark, I just tell the prostitutes to keep warm. We have a safe building with good security, and we don’t really have anything worth stealing. There is a great comfort in living so simply that you don’t worry about losing “things.” We don’t have a car to steal or break into. I don’t carry cash, and frankly, would you try to mug someone built like me? We plan to live here a long time. It’s right by the subway and major bus lines, two blocks from church, and allows us to live within our means. To be honest, it is cheap here not because of it being dangerous, but because most of the folks here don’t want to live where there are natives. Our building has 12 units and is 30 years old. The unit we bought was owned by one of the original owners, a little old lady who was going to assisted living. It’s handicap accessible, which is rare here, and my husband always worries about me having to go back to using a wheelchair. The other owners are from China, Portugal, Somalia, Ukraine, Italy, and Jamaica. We call it the UN. If worse comes to worse, I’ll do what I did in Florida, I’ll make cookies for the drug dealers on the corner. That was our deal, I make them cookies, and they ignore my foster sons. The guys selling the drugs were kids themselves, and I may have been the only grownup who actually talked to them without wanting to buy drugs or arrest them. To be honest, my oatmeal cookies may have been the best nutrition they received all week.

Kymberly-That feeling that you know you can do it is key. I don’t care how long it takes, or how much sliding I do, I still positively believe that I will eventually succeed.

Raffaella-I think the only person who has written anything for really overweight people might be Richard Simmons. My doctor and nutritionist both said they really were at a loss to know how I help me. The described me as a science experiment. Over 300 pounds just jumps off most charts. I’ve had to readjust my calorie intact every time something changed. Every time I changed or increased my exercise, I had to adjust. Short of joining some kind of research group that will put you in a water tank, and monitor your metabolism in a sealed room, you may have to experiment. It’s better to eat more calories and lose slower if that is what it takes to maintain your energy level. There are some days that my body just screams for more food, and I have to listen to it or risk a binge. A lot of people have to slowly reduce their intake to avoid their metabolisms from shutting down. Mine have ranged from 1200-2500 depending on situations. I’d start on the high side, and then reduce until you get down to losing the amount you want to each week.

Lillion-It’s not really that they make me pay because I’m not a permanent resident; they’re making me pay because I can’t show a notice of assessment from Revenue Canada. Basically I haven’t been here long enough to file Canadian taxes, so I can’t prove how low my income is. I either have to show a Permanent Resident card or wait until we file this year’s taxes sometime in March. I’ve been waiting, but we finally decided that I was worth the $4/trip. Even if we only go twice a week at first, that’s better than nothing, and when I get one or the other taken care of, I’ll get my pass and be able to go every day if I want to.

Zelma-I don’t know about me, but I’m sure my husband would agree with you. I’ve been so hormonal for the last week that he’s offering to do anything to make me feel better.

Sandy-I remember when I got to start cutting my BP medicine in half. Six times now. It feels really good doesn’t it. Of course you have to admit the doctor was right that you’d get healthier if you just lost weight. I hated having the doctor tell me “I told you so.” On the other hand, I had to increase it back a little bit when I moved here. I went from sea level to half a mile, and my body didn’t like it.

Ammi-Those are great before & after pictures. I think I am going to see how many people I can cram into my big pants when I get to my goal weight. I’m sure we’ll be able to get at least 3 other people in addition to myself in those. It will be like stuffing a phone booth or VW. You should take a picture with one of your kids under the shirt with you.

The crazy man I’m married to just asked me for an electronic copy of my resume. Why do I feel so nervous? It’s not telling what he’s signing me up for now.

Catherine: Thank you for describing your neighborhood to me. I feel so much better about it knowing you are happy there. I think that the neighborhood is blessed to have you. I mean that sincerely! My husband and I have done lots of street ministry when we were in the motorcycle ministry and it takes a special person to not only not turn their nose down at the homeless, drug dealers, prostitutes but you made them cookies. They truly saw what good is when you did that. I bet they will remember that for the rest of their lives and who knows, maybe it will change some of them to reach out and help others. You really are a special lady and the world is a much better place to have you in it. I know I am a better person having met you. Thank you for always being patient, kind and sharing your heart with all of us!
Be blessed as you are a blessing so much Catherine!
Annie

Charlene: Hang in there sweetie. Don't go away when you are feeling down. Come back here and tell us about it. Who knows maybe someone can help pull you up out of the mire of your funk. I know that they have pulled me up many, many times over. Hugs.
Annie

I've been lookin and looking and can't find the "pic" page!!! Bimbo Moment!! Directions anyone?

Hi ladies
Well i have been cooped up in the house most of the day as we got an unexpected snow storm here. its nothing compared to what most of you in cold states get, but enough here to shut everything down! i am so glad its going to melt tommorrow, i am so not cut out for snow, lol
NANCY: so good to see you posting, hopefully your stress will be relieved soon and you can come back with us, i have missed your posts!
AMMI: your pix are awesome! you look so pretty, im so happy for you
SANDY: thats wonderful news about your b/p and blood thinners! you are doing great, keep up the good work
ZELMA: i agree with what you said, in fact, i think you just described me, lol
RALFELLA: welcome to the boards, you will love it here. your name is pretty!
CHARLENE: im so sorry your feeling down, i totally understand your feelings. i am feeling that way today, but i know its the darn PMS and the fact i am stuck in the house. i hope you feel better
PATTI: i am going to try and find the biggest loser dvd this weekend. sounds like fun!
LILLION: my sister got an excersise bike with the big momma seat. she swears its the only way to go, lol. im sure its much more comfortable than the usual.
CATHERINE: your life sounds so interesting. do you find it alot different in canada vs the us? i have faith you will accomplish your goals,look how far you have already come!
ANNIE: im impressed with your excersise regime. i am so happy for you! your doing great!
CHIMICHANGA: hi, the pictures are on the main, 300 threads near the top. dont feel bad when i first came here i couldnt find anything!
As for me, i am ready to see some sun and get out of the house. remarkably, i actually stayed on food plan and excersised, despite being here all day, lol.
i am planning on a better mood tommorrow. have a wonderful night!

Evening girlies
Nothing new on my front, just watching movies tonight. Hubby is working and I went out earlier with a friend and had dinner and walked around the malls. Dinner wasnt exactly OP but not THAT bad. Salad with chicken and stuff on top. Well it was the sauce the "stuff" was in that was not OP. It was like a buffalo wing sauce. Hate to say it but YUM!

anyhow, I skipped my exercise tonight. Ok, bad thing #2. Its OK though cause tomorrow I am off work so I PROMISE to walk through my fav talk shop tomorrow. I WILL double my minutes

Ammi~ Taking a moment to say your pics are awesome. BIG DIFFERENCE GIRL!

ok. its after midnight and I am off to bed now. Talk to you all tomorrow!
Brenda

Ammi -- I won't know if I've had a loss as my scale died. I've gotta go to Wal*Mart and get a new battery LOL!! These meds on the other hand are kicking my butt. I knew that was coming but just not this bad. The Gazelle was on for 15 minutes. But yeah I'm doing two set of 1 sometimes.

Girls -- anything that I post can be commented on! I actually done 15 minutes on the Gazelle today!

I'll talk to you girls later!!

Erika