I was up 1.6 pounds at last night's TOPS weigh-in But that's okay--I had that whole week of slacking when I was sick plus a binge day earlier this week, plus I ate more during the day yesterday than I normally do on TOPS days, so 1.6 over 2 weeks really isn't all that bad, and I'll be able to take it off pretty quickly.

I'm back on track--back to exercising, back to cooking dinners, back to drinking all my water, all that good stuff. In fact, even though the TOPS scale reported a gain, my home scale is holding steady at 283.5, so that's still 1/2 pound lower than last time I updated my ticker here. I'd like to get out of the 280s by the end of the month, so that's 4 pounds on my home scale in the next 12 days (only 1.8 pounds from my current TOPS weight, as the TOPS scale is consistently lower than my home scale). It's a slightly aggressive goal, so I won't be crushed if I don't make it...just kind of an "it-would-be-nice" weight to aim for.

Sharon--hope you're feeling better soon! I hear ya...I'd take slow weight loss over rapid any day if the rapid means feeling like death

Misti--glad you stopped by...we've been wondering about you!

Ammi--hope you're having fun shopping!

Catherine--so glad to hear your knee is better. I've never had surgery on mine, but I have something where my knee caps are shifting outward, and they can be quite painful at times. When I was going to physical therapy and whatnot, my doctor said there was a new surgery they were trying to fix what I have, but that it only helps about 30% of the patients. I'm not about to go under the knife for a 70% chance of no improvement. I hate having bad knees at such a young age, but that's what I get for playing softball for 10 years while being overweight

Brenda--new clothes are always fun, and cheap ones are even better! I love finding a good bargain. When I go shopping, I usually head directly to the back of the store where all the clearance racks are and don't even bother much with looking at the full-priced items (unless it's just Walmart or something).

Luan--a woman at my TOPS meeting last night had the same problem as you. She said for the first time, she actually was conscious of everything she ate all week. She even lowered her carbs (not eliminated, but lowered to what was considered a healthy percentage) and stopped her evening snacking, and yet she wound up gaining weight. It's enough to drive you batty, I know, but you also know that your hard work WILL catch up with you in time (on the scale, anyway, as I'm sure your body is allready appreciating your efforts on the inside).

Erika--good job on the water! I used to never drink ANY water, so I know how hard it can be to transition. Now I drink water all day long (sometimes with a little pure juice added--like 1/4 cup juice to 1 liter water) and only have 1 or 2 cans of diet soda in the evenings. It's a HUGE change from the things I used to drink, and it's so much healthier for us!

Sabrina--congrats on maintaining this week...still better than a gain!

Kymberly--man, that work contest sounds AWESOME! Makes me wish I didn't work with a bunch of skinny rich b!tches

Annie--you are doing soooo great! Maybe you could share some of that "umph" with me...having a little trouble staying in the game mentally since I had that week of being sick

Vanessa--that is awesome that you have the opportunity to swim at lunch! If I don't do my workout at 4:30 in the morning, then I can pretty much kiss it good-bye for the day

Michelle--good lord, a 2000 pound bear?! We used to have bears around our house in Connecticut, but certainly not 2000-pounders!

Val--hope you got your tushie to the library yesterday!

Simone--isn't it great to have someone at work for support? I did at my job this time last year, but not where I am now. NOw I just work with a bunch of ladies who weigh well under 150 and complain about being fat. Yeah, those

Charlene--glad you decided to jump right in! I know it can sometimes be intimidating, as this is a large and very fast-moving conversation group, but the more the merrier...glad to have you here!

Emily--lose weight before joining the gym? Now where, pray tell, is the logic in that?!

Hello All,

Good grief it was hard work going around the shop today. To those that hoped I would have a good time I should have said that I was grocery shopping. No fun in that It was even worse today because everywhere I looked there seem to be yummy food screaming at me to buy and eat it. There were new chocolate bars I haven’t tried before, there were old favourites on sale for EASTER, there was a huge selection of Valentine’s day chocolates, not to mention all the bakery stuff, and biscuits (cookies). How I got out of that shop without buying anything I shouldn’t I don’t know. But I managed it, and then as soon as we put the shopping away I did my 75 minutes of exercise before having my lunch. I am feeling pretty pleased about that because I was going to give the exercise a miss and do it tomorrow instead

Patti - did you hint strongly to hubby about how beneficial a Gazelle Rider would be?? Remember what I said about always offering him an alternative thing to buy you, the PS3 or WII

Sue - I was so pleased to see your post. Is that a new photo or has it been so long since I saw it that it seems new to me Either way, you look so young and beautiful in it. I always thought people were supposed to age when they lost weight, but you and Zelma both prove that the opposite is true I am glad you are ok. Has the FFM been making her rounds to you?

Annie - lol I don’t think Kirbying has the same ring as Hoovering Yet it does make me realise that it’s funny how we over here stopped vacuuming and started Hovering

I love how you said you ‘pushed’ snow, well heck whatever gets it moved be it pushing or shovelling it doesn’t matter. Good for you for going to help Joel, I am sure he appreciated it. We have normally had a bit of snow here by this time in the year, but not a flake has fallen.

Sharon - 6 lbs now, wow! Of course I know that you’d rather have been well and worked for that loss, but a loss is a loss, and it does bring one good thing to the illness doesn’t it lol. Are you feeling any better at all today? I didn’t realise both boys were off school sick too, poor you I hope you will ALL be better soon and that Steve doesn’t come down with it too.

Vanessa - on the 6 lbs loss, that’s wonderful

That’s great that you didn’t get the 2 pm craving for chocolate and a nap. When I used to go swimming many moons ago I would be doing it to help my weight loss, but it used to make me so hungry that I would go home and have something to eat and you can guarantee it wasn’t dietary!! I hope you enjoy swimming as much today as you did the last time.

Kymberly - for exercising every day for the last 3 weeks!! I like to have at least Sunday off my exercising, I call it my ‘rest’ day.

Thank you for commenting on my weight loss, I can’t wait to actually get to the 100 gone because sometimes it has just seemed so far away. I reckon I should get there over the next 2 weeks TOUCH WOOD

Jill - I am keeping my that you will keep strong and get out of the 280s by the end of the month

To everybody else hope you are having a great day. I have a load of emails to do now so I better dash. I’ll be back later,

Hugs,

Ammi

Ammi i havent hinted yet seeing as hubby being a pain this week but i will soon lol

Ammi-Thanks for the suggestions. I know I did better when I had a bag of Smartpop in the afternoon. A big bulk that held me until dinner. I think I am also going to make a big pot of soup every day for a while. I’m also doing another pantry purge today. We got a basket from the food bank a couple of days ago, and there were some things in there that I would never buy. I just recycle them to the food pantry at our church.

You’re right, it is nice to be able to sew, but it was in a way a curse also. Had I not been able to sew, I would have faced the choice of wearing muumuus or losing weight. I might have been forced to lose weight sooner, or at least not get as heavy. I’ve always been good at figuring out how to avoid consequences from my eating.

Congratulations on making it through the Valentine’s Day gauntlet. I actually heard someone advertising on the radio today some new chocolate raspberry latte for the Valentine’s “Season.” What the ****! Do we really need an entire season for it? They take down the orange and black wrapped Halloween candy to put up the red and green candy for Christmas, so now when they take down the Christmas candy immediate up goes the red candy for Valentine’s and then Easter Bunnies next. Why do people wonder why so many are obese?

Annie-Yeah, that chair thing. I can still feel my pulse start to race when I go into someplace new, worrying about whether I’ll be able to sit down, afraid of the humiliation of having to stand or leave or ask for a different chair. That was another consequence I was able to get around by using the wheelchair. I took my chair with me. I only go to hospitality after church half the time because the chairs in the hall are the stackable kind with arms that I can just barely fit in, and then they are actually painful and it sticks on my butt when I go to stand up. There I was in that fancy resort in the lounge where they do high tea looking out at the mountains, and I had to ask for a chair without arms. They were expensive high back upholstered models, and there were armless ones, but not at the table the seated us at. It just made me stand out more than I already do. One day I’m going to fit in any chair, dentist’s chair, movie theater seat, or seat belt. You and me both.

Diva-I have a heck of a time with buttons. My machine is about 30 years old, and it doesn’t do automatic buttons. I have to be bribed to sew on a button. When I make a shirt, I do placket fronts so the buttons don’t show. I can always find a way around having to do things the right way or the hard way.

Vanessa-I’m so jealous of you getting to swim. I haven’t been in the pool since I moved to Canada. I used to get 6-10 hours a week of water aerobics, but they won’t let me in the city pool here until I get my permanent resident card which will probably be at least another 6 months.

Jilly-it is amazing how quickly we can put on weight from a binge, but how long it takes to take it back off. I’m looking forward to getting out of the 380’s again. Softball and Basketball were the beginning of my ankle and knee surgeries. I also played at a weight well above what I should have, and I played with reckless abandon (when I first told my husband that, he thought reckless abandon was the name of the team). I used to say I gave 110%, but my body was only up to 90% tops. My knee was actually worse before I gained the big weight. Being in the wheelchair actually gave it a chance to heal a bit. I was diagnosed with arthritis in 1992, and he said I’d have to have it cleaned up arthroscopically every couple of years after that, but ’92 was the last surgery I had to have on it. It doesn’t hurt like it did. It’s still loose from not having an ACL in there, and the old scars are nasty, but considering my size, I should be having lots of trouble.

I’m going to try posting what I plan to eat today as a way of keeping myself on track. I’ve already had my cheerios and yogurt with blueberries on top. For lunch I’ll have veggie burger on English muffin. In the afternoon I’ll have popcorn, and soup and salad for dinner with some pineapple for dessert/before bed. If I can stick to that, I’ll have a fine day. I’m off to purge the pantry. The food bank at church is going to have a good week.

Hey everyone-

I hope you all are having a good day! We are still having a lot of internet problems. The DSL here is more like dial up. And then its always timing out. Drives me nuts! Nothing to really report. I have been really focusing on not drinking soda or eating junk. Like I said before we packed the scale so I am not sure how much I weigh. Although my face looks thinner. But that is proably due to my thyroid medicine being at the right dose. My face and throat swells up so bad when my thyroid is to low. Anyways...let me get a couple of personals in before the internet crashes!

ANNIE~Thanks for the info!I thought you guys might have some bears in Idaho. I am such a chicken...but bears scare me to death! Funny though...I am more afraid of spiders! I was looking on the map and post falls is not far from Spokane at all! We should meet up for lunch one day.

MISTI~I am so glad to see you post! Glad you are alright!

AMMI~WTG on getting out of the grocery store without any bad foods. I hate going shopping some times because the junk is in your face on every aisle!

JILL~Sounds like you are getting back on track! WTG!

Well I better get off of here before I get kicked offline. I hope you all have a great weekend!

I joined WW again on Jan. 17, 2007 and when I weighed in I was a little surprised.

You see when I started last year I was 316 lbs. then lost 19 lbs. Well, I did go off program from at least June of last year and knew I gained weight back.

I thought for sure that I gained up to 350 or so. But, when I heard the WW leader say it was 320 lbs. I was pleased that I had not gained as much as I thought.

Well, my journey begins and I hope to catch up with you all.

Special Hello to AmmiUK you are kicking butt girlfriend 97 lbs. and your new picture is great. Keep on going 3 more to go and you will have reached a major hurdle 100 lbs.

Talk later all, Elaine

Hi All,

Wow it's quiet on here today, is everybody starting their weekends early or what

Patti - sorry hubby is being a pain this week, hopefully when he's in a better frame of mind you might be able to give those strong hints So how did your WI go today?

Catherine - That's a great idea to make soup every day, it's filling and so low fat. I am supposed to make the zero point WW soup, but I always be a bit naughty and add potatoes and chicken to it, so it's no longer zero points. It's still really low in points though when you think of how many days I eat it over.

I agree that you are right that had you not been able to sew you might have been forced to lose weight sooner because you couldn't get clothes to fit. Actually before I started my diet the biggest size (32) that I could buy were getting snug on me and looked awful. I realised that if I carried on gaining weight I wouldn't have anywhere to get clothes, so it was yet another reason to put the brakes on my eating and sort myself out.

I hear you on the Halloween candy going and making room for the Christmas candy, which makes way for the Valentines and Easter candy. It's everywhere all the time isn't it. They actually have Easter eggs and the Valentine's stuff on sale now. It's crazy and it's a dieter's nightmare!!!

Michelle - I reckon if you feel lighter and your face looks thinner then you must have had a loss. It's kind of good that the scales are packed away. Now next time you weigh you can have a lovely surprise.

Elaine - so lovely to see you posting That's pretty darn good that after not being on a diet from June you gained so very little. Now this time is going to be THE time for you. You are going to start losing weight again and you are going to keep it off

Thank you for the special mention, I can't believe that I am so close to that 100, it's like a dream. I can tell you one thing, the more you lose the more motivated you get to keep on going......it really does make it easier to stay OP.

Thanks for the compliment on my photo, how about putting one of you as your avatar??

Okie dokie, Ugly Betty is about to start so I am going to go now. Take care all and I will try to post again before bed time. Bye for now,

Hugs,

Ammi

Sharon: Ugh. That is a horrid way to loose weight. Feel better soon. Hugs to you.

Vanessa: Congrats on -6 pounds! Are you in America or another country?

Kymberly: Good job on exercising. Keep it up!

Jilly: Okay you can do it Jilly. You are already back on track and your tiny slip up was very, very minimul. So, here's a bit of UMP for you. lol.

Ammi: I's impressed and proud of you for passing by all the sweetie snacks and then coming home and exercising before you rested! Great job. LOL. There was no way I would lift the snow with the shovel with my back problem. Pushing it was all I could do. lol.

Mechelle: Yep, we will be living real close. Post Falls is about 22 miles or so from the Mall in Spokane. Not far at all. I'm more afraid of spiders than I am bears. lol. I'd love to meet with you sometime. It would be super.

Catherine: I say we make a vow to each other that we will some day not have to deal with chair arm fear! It is such a silly thing that not everyone thinks about how painful it can be and of coarse embarassing too. WE can do it. Have fun purging your pantry!

Elaine: Welcome back. Glad to see you. That is good news that you didn't gain too much back.

Well, I guess I'm off for now to ride my bike. Getting a late start today. I have been having a yucky day. Feeling a bit low but I'm getting better now.

Blessing to you all,
Annie

Ammi i didnt weigh in today... had a bad off program yesterday and today plus being depressed about my leg i decided i better weigh next week when hopefully i am in a better frame of mind and doing better OP.

Annie - I hope after you ride your bike those endorphins will be pumping and you will feel a bit happier

Patti - I don't blame you for not weighing, now keep those scales tucked away until next Friday and then hopefully you will have an excellent WI. I am sorry that your leg is depressing you, I really think you ought to see the doctor about it

I am off to bed now, so goodnight all and have a great weekend.

Hugs,

Ammi

goodnight Ammi

Good evening all
JILLY: Im sure you will see those 1.6 lbs gone in no time. I weigh once a week(cause i have too but i have a friend that weighs like 5 times a day, that would make me crazy! You mentioned working with skinny rich b**s, i have them too, lol. dont you hate the ones like 90lbs that are "watching their wt"
AMMI: Good job on avoiding the candy. chocolate is a big weakness for me. luckily i have found some really good low cal/ sugar free desserts.
CATHERINE: the soup sounds like a good idea. i made a 15 bean soup last week and ate it for several meals. the good thing was it was really low fat. i need to find some more good soup recipes. do you have any
MECHELLE: Im glad to see you posting sorry your having computer issues
ANNIE: sorry your having a down day. hope tommorrow is better. good job on the excersise, i didnt do richard tonight, i did manage some time on the gazelle though. hope you have a good weekend
TOOFATFORU: Im beginning to worry about your leg. i agree with ammi, please see your doctor. i hope it starts getting better for you.
EVERYONE ELSE: Hope you all have a great weekend. i miss your posts.
As for me, i am doing well. one more day and i finally have a full day off my food and excersise is going very well. i am so motivated right now, i hope this feeling will lasti hope everyone has a great night, see ya tommorrow

thanks kymberly... right now i am treating it with a heating pad and hubby ordered a wrap for it and if that dont do it well i will be seeing the dr. i cant stand pain !

Ammi and Futurediva: I am feeling better thanks. I did the exercise and went to Costco with my hubby. Thanks you guys for helping me feel better. WW for me tomorrow.

Blessings,
Annie