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.

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Good morning! My little week long stall seems to be giving way. I had a productive weekend loss wise, and this morning was actually into a new decade at 249.8. I don't feel very hydrated though, so we'll see if it hangs on tomorrow. Either way, I've been good with food and exercise so if it goes for a day or two, it'll be back. I've been almost as anxious to be under 250 as I was to be under 300...it feels really good to be closer to 200 pounds than 300 pounds, if only by .2!

Today I'm wearning a knee length skirt for the first time in I don't know how long...maybe ever. I feel very girly in it, a feeling I like a lot.



Battle, you asked how many times I'd reduced calories in the past and the answer is I really hadn't yet. The first 100 pounds came off without much exercise at all, and I broke my first plateau through becoming much more active than I had been. My sense is that I might have been eating a little MORE in the months since I've really ramped up my physical activity level...finishing all my plate more often and leaving the table a little more full than I had in the earliest months of the process. So I've decided to focus more intently again on observing the first signs of satiation and not eating past that. It seems to have got things moving again in the last few days.

I don't know exactly where Telegraph Hill is in San Francisco, but when I spent a few days there in 2005 all the hills completely blew me away. I have never seen anything quite so long and steep. What an accomplishment to have made it up any one of the them!

Sandy, welcome back...sorry you've had a tough time in the last few months. In my sadly extensive past experience with regains, those stress pounds will come off much faster than they did the first time. We're so glad to see you back.

Hi All,

Wow Monday again, where does the time go? I do like Mondays though because they always feel like a nice fresh start to another hopefully OP week. Of course today is not only the start of a new week, but also a new month

BattleAx - congrats on losing 4 lbs and for making it to the top of that hill! It sounds like a real killer and I bet you are so proud of yourself for making it I can’t wait to see your part in the film. If there’s any problem with putting a link on 3FC to the Internet site when the time comes maybe you could PM it to those that want it. I’ll be top of that list

Debbie - I hear you on the rain, but unlike you I am more than ready to moan about it. BUT I won’t because I am hoping that if I be nice and say it’s wonderful to have rain all day every day then by the time I go to Alton Towers at the end of the month we’ll be all rained out and the weather will stay dry. I expect it to be cold, but I won’t be happy if my first time at a theme park in years will be spoiled by non stop rain

Nancy - glad the office move is all done and dusted now. Good luck with being back OP and watching those lbs come off again.

Val - I’m really sorry that you are feeling unwell. I hope you are one of the lucky ones who can get a cold and shift it within a few days

Nicole - hi and What a great birthday gift to give to yourself, making the decision to hopefully not actually hit that 400 lbs mark, and to start losing the weight. I bet before your 23rd birthday you will be 100 lbs lighter. You have certainly come to the right place to make friends with all of us who know just how hard this journey is, but we are all determined to follow it and get to our goals

Sita - I hear you on losing weight after you have a baby. It’s taken me 16 years to get to my post pregnancy weight and NOW I can try to finally lose that baby weight and some I am sure as you are so determined and have your BF’s support that you won’t take as long as me to lose your post pregnancy weight!! You also have the added incentive of getting married next year. I hope it will be a perfect day for you.

Meta - yay that’s great news that you’ve lost some weight and now are in a new ‘decade’ You are right, you are officially closer to 200 lbs now than to 300

I am glad you are enjoying wearing a skirt, I can never get ones that fit my shape nicely, and I never feel pretty in them. Good job really because when I have tried to wear skirts in the past my thighs have rubbed together and end up really sore

Ok time for me to go post on the exercise thread. This month I am determined to have no excuses, I am going to exercise every day!!!!

Hugs,

Ammi

I'll be back for personals just as soon as I can, but wanted to stop in quickly and say I'm down another 2. If my usual pattern continues, I'll be hovering around this weight for a few weeks. That's ok with me, as long as I know the scale will eventually move. 50 lbs. is in sight!

I have once again been reminded that there are certain danger areas for us. Anger, fatigue and boredom are killers. Fatigue got me last night, and we had pizza. It has been months since I've done that to myself. So I start again. I just have to finish washing everything from the trip, and get the kitchen clean enough to actually cook in it. If I had planned something, had a clean kitchen, etc. I would have had less trouble.

Good Morning friends,

Catherine: I am really glad that you were able to talk with your dh and explain to him how you are feeling. It so warms my heart to know that he loves you enough to both want to show you off and to understand your feelings and emotions. Please don't worry about any weight gained. You will loose it and continue on your journey soon enough. Enjoy yourself so much on your little vacation.

Ratkitten: on reaching your September exercise goal and having your ticker go down a bit. I'm so happy for you. It feels so spectacular to reach a goal. Great job.

Sharon: Thanks sweetie. Take care of yourself and I hope the "loosing weight high" lasts and lasts.

Donna: So sorry about your BIL's mother. I hope your week is better and your car is fixed very soon.

Patti: Have a super time in Mass! I have never been to the East Coast at all. The furthest East I have been is Colorado in the Middle and Tenn in the south. Montana is the furthest in the North. LOL. I hope you have a great time. Good luck in your weigh in today. I hope you have a great one.

Brandnewme: Hugs and more I hope they get your meds in control ASAP.

Sandy: Back! I have missed you and wondered where you went off to. So sorry to hear about your Mom's passing. Even though you weren't close, it does mess you up. I know. I went through pretty much the same thing as you did except my mom was loving to all her kids except me. Hang in there and know that you are not anything like your mom's twisted perception of what she had of you. You are an amazing, loving and beautiful lady.

Ammi: Wow. I am so inspired to clean my house and make a nice stew or soup for dinner. LOL. You go girl.

Battle: Congrats on making it up the hill. I have seen that hill and can I just say, "Wow" You rock. Congrats on loosing another 4 pounds too.

Debbie: The one gym that I joined with my DH has everything I need and want in a gym. The other gym I had to join because my Surgeon makes everyone that has wls join that gym to try to tone up. I had to pay for the gym fee prior to surgery so I am going to continue to go for my full 24 visits that I paid for one on one personal trainer. I have 20 left. tee hee. Then I will take what I learned and apply it at my new gym. I do go to the new gym to swim and use the cardio stuff.

It is raining, raining and raining here too. I have no complaints and I can't wait for the snow. lol. I love every season that we have.

I used to belong to Curves and I enjoyed it until I got hurt on one of the machines there. It was a nice social place though.

nancy: So glad that the move for your office is over. Maybe your life will be less stressfilled now.

Val: I have a nasty cold too and it is slowing me down some. Glad that the horse show was fun.

Nicole: I love all the people here and I hope you make some great friends like I did. I am looking forward to getting to know you better.

Sita: Great goal of 700 to start your exercise minutes. I hope your new plan eating plan works well for you.

Meta: Yipee! So glad that you are under 250. What a great accomplishment. Now my sweet, please post us a photo of yourself!

Well, I stayed in bed most of the weekend with the exception of church yesterday. I promised my sister Susie that I wouldn't exercise today so my body can heal of this cold. I have been running a slight fever most of the weekend.

I cheated and stepped on the scale today and it was down 7 pounds, finally. I won't post it on my ticker until my official day which is Thursday. I will try to stay off that darn scale until then.

I hope you are all doing well and staying healthy.
Blessings to you all,
Annie

Battle: Wow, another 2 pounds down. Way to go. All that hill climbing must have paid off.

Catherine: Glad you are home. Please don't beat yourself up over the pizza. I hope you at least enjoyed it sweetie. Hugs to you.

Blessings,
Annie

Hiya my Peeps!

Meta, I'm so glad that your weight stall is GONE and you are officially in the 240's!!! yay! Each 10 lbs gone for me is a milestone now because it's been 10 years since I've seen those numbers.

Ammi, I'm guessing the wasps left your place for greener pastures. Careful with the humming when you are exercising!! I'm also sending dry day vibes for your amusement park visit.

Battle, yay for you and your continuing progress! This week is leads up to TOM on Friday. I know this cuz I'm wanting peanut butter and chocoalte stuffs and my back is aching. I'm hoping to maintain this week as well. Let's remember not to get discouraged when our bodies do their funky number things because of TOM. I'll stay upbeat if you will too!

Nancy, glad the move is OVER! My office move got postponed 3x now. The next date is Oct 5 (this friday). They've been known to cancel the day before.. eep!

Oh no, not a cold Valerie! No sneezing on sweet Gabe when you hug him for me.

Nicole, welcome to 3FC!! Hang around and post often.

Catherine, first, I'm glad you and Himself are close enough to be able to talk about your limits when it comes to appearing back in society. He's gotta be one big sweetie to understand that AND, you are very insightful for identifying your own limits and discussing them. I hear ya on the danger times. My danger areas are fatigue, pain and frustration. My binges are limited these days, but in my mind, they are still there. One day, I'm hoping I learn to cope in a more productive way. Right now, those feelings are way too powerful.

I have tried the Lite Progressive soups for WW that are zero points for 1 cup. I must say that I'm impressed with the flavor. I like the southwestern flavor (except the carrots.. ew) and the italian flavor. The soups saved my life after a preTOM binge last Friday and last night. Seeing as I do not have any flexie points left, I am trying to plan a couple 2 point treats a day to get me over the TOM craving things. Right now, going cold turkey appears to set me up for bigger and nastier binges.

Another good thing that's happened is that I've joined a gym for the first time in 30 years. I am cycling about 90 miles a week, but it's getting darker, earlier. The time change at the beginning of Nov will nix my weekday riding and I wanted something more than my treadmill. This gym has a pool/hot tub (yay for my back) as well as a spin class, water aerobics and some belly dancing (I sooooo wanna try that). To be honest, I don't think I would have even attempted to join a gym if it weren't for the inspiration from all of you!!! I meet with the trainer on Friday to get a tour and a core training session. I would SOOO like to have a weekly training session, but dunno if I can afford that now. For some reason, Nov and Dec are tight months when it comes to money.

Luv and Hugs to all,
Ratkity

Just checking in!

The week is off to a good start. I did have a scare over the weekend and thought I was going to have to go to the ER, but it passed and the rest of the weekend was *awesome*.

The week is off to a great start. I hope everyone is well.

Hi everyone,

I’m feeling great today. Just picked up my new eyeglasses. They’ve been ready for a while, but I haven’t been able to pick them up. I’m thinking of them as my new skinny glasses. They will be with me as I ride the numbers down the scale. Thanks to my new prescription, I will be able to see the numbers on the scale as they move down, too. My old pair were my fat glasses, part of my past. Yes, I’m a little strange.


Meta: Congrats on wearing your skirt, and for the MAJOR accomplishment of going below 250. I know what you mean about 250 being a special magic number. I think of it the same way you do. It didn’t seem possible to reach when I started, but you and others here have given me the hope and courage to go for it.

Ammi: I am so happy that you are staying on plan and are determined to reach your exercise goals. I knew you could find your commitment again.

Catherine: I am sorry to read that you have had some challenging days on your trip and your return. I admire you greatly for all you have done, and I know that you can get back on track. You’re paying attention to your triggers, and analyzing just how far you can push yourself at this time. Himself seems like he loves you a lot, and cares about your wellbeing. Kudos to him.

Annie: feel better soon. I love the rain, too, except when it rains too many days in a row. Our rainy season is just beginning, but not too much yet. Around this time of year I begin to yearn for the rain. I’m looking forward to you posting a good loss on Thurs.

Sandy: Welcome back. I am fairly new, and look forward to getting to know you. I’m sorry about your mother. I think loss is more difficult to handle sometimes when the relationship was troubled. Remember that just because your mother said something was so, doesn’t necessarily make it so. Hugs.

Ratkitten: It’s a deal. I’ll stay positive through the mysterious ups and downs in the weight over the month, and so will you. Good job on joining the gym. Anticipating the seasonal changes and acting proactively is a good idea. I’ve been thinking about what to do myself when Daylight Savings Time hits.

Peggy: Phew, glad your medical scare turned out to be only a scare.

Phyra: good luck on your new start. I find planning helps me a lot.

Brandnewme: Don’t give up! I know you can do this. If you want to get some exercise while your foot is healing, tape some of the Sit and Be Fit shows. Thanks to Donna bringing that idea up a long time ago, I’ve put it in my arsenal for use if I ever need to stay off my feet.

Debbie: Stay dry! A few Pringles won’t undo all the work you’ve done. Today is a new day.

Nancy: Hi, and I hope you’re having a chance to relax.

Valerie: Feel better soon! It is terrible to be starting a new job and having a lot going on in other parts of your life when you’re sick. I’m sending healing thoughts your way.

Astryd: Welcome!

One day OP, and finally feeling fine. I got all the work around the house done that had piled up when I felt overwhelmed. I also got a hunk of school work done too. Himself is off giving a speech to the legislature about a new bill being debated that affects the mentally ill, and especially their families. He asked if I wanted to go with him, but put no pressure on me to do so. Instead of spending the afternoon worried about what I'd wear and how I'd look, and if I'd get photographed, I got to fuss over what he was going to wear. I liked that much better.

He looked like a million bucks, and I didn't have to worry about a panic attack. I even told him I'd answer the phone if he called from the capitol. I don't normally ever talk on the phone. Not sure why exactly, but I've always hated the phone. I'll write long letters, I'll send emails, I'll go see someone, but I just hate the phone. Naturally he loves it like a teenage girl practically. At least we don't fight over using it. Everyone knows that if they need to get me on the phone, they have to talk to him instead. I've even been in therapy about it, and they never figured out why I hate the phone. I guess it is like someone who doesn't like chocolate. I don't understand that either.

I'm off to finish my school work like a good little girl, and planning an excursion to the mall tomorrow. Better do it before the snow flies. That reminds me, I've got to get the snow shovels out of the storage building and into the boiler room. I'd hate for them to get snowed in where I couldn't get to them. It's been hitting freezing every night, so it's just a matter of time.

Hi Ladies and John,
Not much happening here. Just trying my darnedest to stay OP but finding it a bit difficult. I should know better than to have chips and cheese dip in the house, but stupid me, bought them anyhow. I am adding them in my calorie count though and still haven't gone over my limit, it's just they aren't the best food choices.

Meta, YAY for you on getting below 250 even if it is only by .2. I sure as heck would count it!!! And even better to be wearing a skirt and feeling all girly!!!

Ammi, I"m going to hold on to all the rain so it doesn't come your way and ruin your time at the amusement park!

Battleax, YAY on the 2 lbs gone forever!! Don't think it's strange at all that you have gotten rid of your fat glasses and now have skinny glasses. Whatever makes us feel better about ourselves and gets us motivated is something to be proud of. I think it's a great NSV!!

Catherine, o those triggers can really derail us. But you've figured out what they are and are now ready to handle them. Good for u!!

Annie, your doctor sounds like a smart cookie! I'm glad he makes people join a gym before the operation. I think that should be mandatory for all weight loss surgeries. You are doing so amazingly well. I hope your cold doesn't get you down too much though. Just let your body heal though..it's been thru alot lately. We probably don't get as much snow as you, but I can't wait for it too. Last year it actually lasted a whole week which is unusual for here. They are already predicting more rain and snow in the lowlands this year though, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Ratkity, That's great that you've found something that you can enjoy while you have no flexies left. Who would of thunk that WW would have a tasty soup for you to enjoy? Good for you on finding them! That's also wonderful news about joining a gym. I really miss going to the gym and if we ever can afford it, I would love to go again...so have fun and work that body!!

Peggy, so glad your scare didn't land you in the hospital. YAY! on staying OP and off to a good week.

John, where the heck are you?

Have a great night
Debbie

i guess i did have a good OP week, because i had another 1.4 loss at the scales this week *yay*

what are some exciting NSV's that are going on with you people here!?

I got offered a job to produce and do makeup for a cooking show shooting in Louisiana and Los Angeles. I am very excited. the show is called BIG DISH. its a pilot, and kinda like Rachel Ray meets Peewees Playhouse. should be a really fun time! i am very excited!

Hi everyone!

I just finished reading your thread and I am going to try to start posting with you guys if that is OK. This thread seems like such good support and I love to receive as well as give support.

So hi ! and I will try to start jumping in where I can.

Peggy: I'm so glad that you didn't end up in the ER. Hugs to you.

Battle: Please post a picture of your new glasses. I bet they are cute. I think it is a great idea that you have of thin glasses.

Catherine: Glad you are feeling better now.

Debbie: I hope we both get the snow we want.

Luan: Congrats on the new job. It sounds fun. Also congrats on being down anotehr 1.4. Great job.

Crime Girl: Welcome. I love all the people here and I'm sure you will feel the same. I'm looking forward to getting to know you better.

Well, I went to the Mall in Coeur D' Alene with my DH after he got home from work. We got new cell phones because ours were really old and out dated. I am feeling much better with my cold and hoping to get back to exercising tomorrow morning.

Hope you are all doing well.

Blessings,
Annie