We are a group of individuals who weigh or have weighed 300+, or near there. This group was formed to provide a place for others like us to find support and hope. We are aware of the distinct problems that come with weighing over 300 lbs.

We want to invite everyone (roosters as well as chicks!) to join us in our journey. We share laughter and tears, heartaches and fears ... joys and celebrations. We also share what works for us and what doesn't.

We know the thread can move very quickly, and that people often make "personal" remarks and keep a number of conversations going. Please feel free to contribute even if you can't make personal comments all the time.

Finally, we also have several extra threads going on simutaneously such as Monthly Challenges, Weekly Weigh-ins, Recipes, Bios, Photos, Exercise, Info for Getting Started and more. Many of these threads are stickied at the top of the page. Please feel free to check them all out.

We have found this thread to be more than just a support group... we have found it to become a home. We invite you to join us.

I know you'll all agree that we are really thankful for the free services here at 3FC. The sisters offer all of this support and information with no charges to us. There are a couple of ways though that we can help out.

If you are thinking about buying anything at Amazon, why not help out 3FC at the same time? You can do this by clicking on the button for the Amazon "store" in the upper right hand corner of the screen on the PURPLE tool bar. A portion of your purchase price will be given to 3FC by Amazon. It doesn't increase your price at all, but it does help out 3FC. You can use any of the Amazon.com links that you see on the site in order to help contribute to the site.

Also, BTW, in case you didn't know it, you can view the message boards "ad free" for a minimal charge. I think it's $15 for 6 months. A very small investment to be rid of the annoying ads and make your pages load quicker.

There have been some concerns expressed by the powers that be about copyright infringement. So please, if you are directly quoting someone else or printing an article in whole or in part, please give credit where credit is due!!!

Lesley - I think I have an intolerance to just certain dairy products. Plain milk wreaks havoc with me but ice cream and cheese don't seem to bother me at all. It's weird but true. When I was pregnant, I tried to be the good pregnant mommmy drinking my milk every day and I felt awful! I finally told my doc who said "Um...if it makes you feel that bad, don't drink it!" So I think it IS possible to be intolerant to just certain things. Good luck at the doc's appointment!

I don't have time for any other pesonals right now - today is one of my two hour commuting days, ugh! - but I wanted to get that one in!

Have a great op day everyone!

Cris

Good Morning Ladies!!


Kayley: No fair ...I know you were tired...but WHAT HAPPENED!!!!!
I am assuming you are ok, since you are home. Feel better!



Lesley: I am lactose intolerant and it really depends on the dairy I eat ...I can (but haven't in a long time!!) eat Baskin-Robbins ice cream, but Carvel or Cold Stone has me in the bathroom within a 1/2 hr! Same goes for some cheeses and some salad dressings like ranch. I have tried the Lactaid pills and wound up in agony with stomach pain...It's really a puzzle but you just need to experament...just stay close to the potty!! (actually, any of the "diet" ice creams are fine for me...maybe the fat content is the culpret?? )


Catherine: I am so sorry you are feeling badly! I miss your knowledgeable and funny posts! You are such a sweet and honest person. I hope you beat this funk( I know you can!!) and you can count on us here to make you feel better if you need to!!!


Sue: That was totally EWWWWWWWWWWWW!!! Why are some people so nasty?? Too bad you don't know who did it. And of course that counted as exercise...even though it was gross!


Stormie: back!


Annie: about the tanks! I just went shopping this weekend and I am still buying my tops the same size even though it should be at least 1 size smaller, I just can't get used to the tighter fit. You would think I would want to show the "girls" off, but I am not ready yet.


Kymberly:


Peggy: I hope you have a wonderful day!!!



I have only 2 more days of work left...which is great and a little scary too. I am mostly worried foodwise. I will just have to keep "safe" stuff around. I love the people I work with and will miss them. I am usualy ok until the middle of August...then I am bored out of my mind. We just booked a vacation to Disney in FLA for our 20th Anniversary (Aug 15). Not the most romantic with 3 teens along, but it will be our last true family vacation since Scott starts college in the fall. It's bittersweet actually. But it will be fun.


Here is some extra Have a great OP day!!

Good morning ladies
Not much new on my front. My bride liked her photos. It was good experience for me at least.

Today I join the gym after I get off work. We werent going to stay but now I think we might at least use some of the ellipticals etc. I dont think I will do much with the weight systems as I have to have someone show my what to do. It will be ok if I stick with cardio for today. Heavens knows I need it

Anyhow, just tryin to get steve ready and drop him at the dentist on my way to work. He'll walk home as it is a nice day outside.

k time to eat snack and pack lunch.. ttyl!

Finally got the Prom Pic's posted...Enjoy!

Hey everyone!

I've been reading but not posting, and just wanted to say...

Kayley -- I hope you're okay! Do know that everyone was and is concerned about you.

Sue -- ewwwwwwwwww! But congrats on the -7!

Peggy -- Happy Birthday! A good time to reassess -- and you're doing great!!!!

Catherine -- It does sound like you have a number of symptoms of depression, and I would think a regular doc could prescribe something. I wish you luck!

Brenda -- I'm glad the "shoot" went well!!!

I had my first fully OP day yesterday in quite some time and it felt good!

Hi everyone! I am back from Arizona and the Grand Canyon. It was a pretty good trip. The Canyon was incredible and the red rocks around Sedona where we stayed were beautiful as well. For the most part I enjoyed myself although there were times I was very self-conscious of my weight. Anyway, I hope to post more about the trip later and some photos too. Right now I have to get ready and go pick up my little pooch from my doggy-sitter. I am so lucky because my former neighbor usually is able to doggy-sit Buster for me. She is an older lady and I think they spend most of their time napping in her recliner together. They both love it. She is legally blind (macular degeneration) so she cannot drive. So when I go to pick him up I am going to take her out for lunch and run her around to places she needs to go to do some errands.

I did take a look at the picture page and I just have to say to Brenda that your photos are REALLY good. How did you get the one with the bumblebee buzzing around the flower? I am impressed with your talent. I've always wanted to know how to take really good pictures!

Take care everyone. More later. (Hopefully)

Hi Everyone and thanks so much for the welcome!!

Well, my day or should I say, weekend was a surprise...lol...not the weekend, what happened during the weekend. So here goes....my son and his wife had asked if they could move back in with us a couple months ago so they could both go to college. I said sure, not thinking it would really happen cuz they have been saying that for the last couple of years...about college, plus they have a lease on a house 'til November. Well, I guess they went and told the manager there was a crisis in the family and they had to move in with her grandfather so could they get out of the lease and the manager said sure if they could get it rented out really quick. Next thing I know, they're moving in. So now we have 4 dogs, 2 cats and 2 more people!
Here we are right in the middle of trying to get the house (inside) painted because we have friends coming up from California to visit at the end of July.
But, everything is going just fine so it all worked out...just alot of rearranging that I hadn't planned on so soon so I really didn't get IE done, but I've been bending, walking, moving, pulling and everything else involved with painting and moving boxes and on top of it all...I'm sick with a cold, BUT, I've stay OP the whole time! TA DA!!!!

Mondays are my WI days, that way I won't cheat during the weekend and I have lost another 5 lbs. It feels so good! I started out wearing 32's in pants, and now I can wear my 28's. They are still a bit snug in the waist, but I can zip and button

Brenda-So glad the shoot went well. What a rush that must be to take great pics and get paid for it!!

Cris-A big CONGRATS on losing 25!!! Thats just fantastic

Kayley-I sure hope you're feeling better, that's really a big concern when you hurt THAT bad, so take care!

Well, have to get back to doing some things around here and congrats to everyone staying OP and for those of you having a little trouble, just think about what got you motivated in the first place to start this journey.

Toodles

Debbie - your post cracked me up! The part about WI on Monday so you won't cheat on the weekend. That's EXACTLY why I WI on Friday - so I can have a little wiggle room on the weekend! LOL!!! Isn't it funny what works for different people?!! Good for you on the next size down!

Xena - I'm glad your weekend at the canyon was mostly good! I was hoping you would enjoy yourself!

Just another quick post tonight - I'm beat. Hope everyone had a great op day!

Cris

Hello Ladies!

I started off the morning by weighing in and am down 4.2 pounds, which puts me right at 50lbs lost! Then I went to my doctor, who hasn't seen me since about mid-March (two weeks after I started OP). He was quite impressed with my weight loss thus far. I was expecting there to be a difference in the scales at the doctor's, but actually not too bad and they actually show me being down 51lbs. My glucose level was 91, out of the range of being pre-diabetic, so we were both happy with that.

As for my stomach pains, he prescribed some zantac for me but also has me scheduled for a gallbladder ultrasound for this Thursday. Hopefully whatever is causing it is nothing major. I'm going to write down exactly what I'm eating for the next few weeks and note when I experience the stomach pain to see if there's any connection with the types of food I'm eating. For the blisters on my fingers, he thought maybe it was some kind of eczema but he wasn't really sure so I'm thinking I may go to a dermatologist about that.

Peggy, Happy Birthday! Congrats on the 4lbs gone and WOW! you are doing great with the inches lost! And with all your steps you are making me want to break my ped out and starting using it.

Cris and Donna, thanks for responding to my question about the stomach issues. Cheese does seem to be the most common denominator so far but not always, so I'm going to start tracking what types of cheese and in what quantity and see if I can make a connection.

Brenda, glad that the wedding shoot went well!

Xena, glad you had a good time at the spa, even if you felt uncomfortable at times.

Story, congrats on seeing the scale go down! As for the icecream, just watch that the sugars aren't too high in some of those LF treats. Funny how we get used to the exercise, huh? I really miss it when I don't get to go and never thought I'd feel that way!

Debbie, sounds like you've got a lot going on over there! Quite the full house, too! My husband and I stayed with his sister and her family for 2 1/2 months while we looked for a house so I can relate to the cramped quarters! on losing 5lbs and dropping a dress size - that's awesome! I use Monday as my weigh-in day for the same reason as you - weekends are my worst time, so it helps keep me motivated.

Kayley, I hope you're resting up and that it was nothing too serious.
______________________________________________

Alright, I'm off to bed. Hope everyone had a good day and an even better tomorrow!

Hi Everyone! I took the day off from work today and it was the most productive day I have had in years. I started off my day by going downtown to the title office at 8:00 a.m. to pick up my new personalized license plates. I expected to wait in a huge long line, but I was the first one in the door. They are Houston Texans (professional football) license plates with my initials on them. TOTALLY COOL!!!!! Then I went to the car shop and got them installed and got my oil changed. From there I went and got my annual car state inspection. Then I went to a memoral service for my friend's Mom who passed away about a month ago. I lost my Mom about 3 years ago and I just felt like I needed to be there for her. It was a small, quick service, not very formal, but very personal. I know she appreciated my attendence. Then I went home for about an hour and then went to physical therapy for my ankle. Finally, I came home and ate my standard soup diet. (YUCK!!!)

I've only been back on liquids for a week, but I'm having a harder time now than I did when I originally started several months ago. I am not tolerating the taste as well as I did originally and I have been cheating almost everyday, having a LITTLE bit of solid food everyday. I haven't binged or gone way off the deep end (some salad, some not!), but I haven't been as regimented in following my plan as I did before. I weigh in on Wednesday evening, so we'll see if the scale slaps my hand. I almost hope I don't lose anything. Maybe that would strengthen my resolve.

Anyway, back to work tomorrow. Hope everyone is doing well. Happy Birthday, PEGGY!

See ya!

Lisa

I think I might give up. I'm feeling so discouraged.

^^ Hey! You can't give up! You are doing so well and are one of my favorite cheerleaders! Here's a and a and a for you, Darlin'