Time for a new thread.

Thanks everyone for helping each other and getting us to 500 posts on the first thread

skinny dust to all

Hard to catch up, lots of reading. Congrats on the great loses and success.
On my first shift! Yeah! Was going so crazy without anything going on. Unemployment came through finally. There is light at the end of the tunnel, just hope it is not a train!
Finally signed the 20 pound board! Was within a half pound of signing it and then started to gain over the last two weeks. Went from 186.5 to 191.5, then dropped 5.5 pounds! Yahoo!

Congrats Lori on everything!

So I found a new website about a girl my age (a little younger) that lost 1/2 her body weight and she blogged then wrote a book about it. If you google pastaqueen you should be able to find it.

I was reading the blog the other night and she was talk about reverse anorexia; not seeing yourself as fat as you really are and how society kind of has that same issue.

Example: I have had a lot of people mention my weight loss and ask me how I am doing and how much I have left to lose. I always find it surprising how many people are genuinely shocked when I say "I would like to lose another 48 lbs but according to my BMI I have to lose almost 90." 9 times out of 10 when someone says you can lose that much you're only what like... the weight they actually say is my goal weight!!

The blogger mentioned how it seems hard for people to comprehend what someone should or does look like once they get over 200lbs plus.

I have come to realize I have that same problem. I have had this one dress for 11 years. Fit in the dressing room, when I went to wear it again no go. This has been my goal dress.

I thought if I ever got to my actual goal weight I would fit into my goal dress. But I had no comprehension of what # of pounds would equal # of inches lost or dress sizes dropped.

I fit into my goal dress 3 weeks ago! And I am still almost 50lbs from goal!

My new goal dress is my wedding dress. I actually want to have to have it taken in.

So finally the weekly question is - Do you have a goal outfit? Have you already fit into that outfit much to your surprise? Now what?

I do have a goal outfit. When Steve and I first met, he was in Lake Tahoe and I went out over Labor Day weekend. He was working so I had lots of time to wander by myself. I found a little boutique that had a skirt that I loved but didn't buy it. After I came home he went shopping and purchased the skirt, only in a smaller size. He also purchased a top and accessories, and while I could get them on, there were too many bulges for it to look nice. I have felt bad because he went to so much trouble to put the whole outfit together and I haven't been able to wear it. I am about 10 lbs away from what I weighed when we first met, but I know it won't look nice until I am closer to my goal. Although it is a summer outfit, I am hoping to wear it for my 50th birthday in December to surprise him.

I just found out his folks would like to send us away for my birthday present, and they offered to watch Alex for me too. Top three choices are Mexico, Hawaii and Aruba. Next choice would be Key West, all sunny and warm while we have cold and snow here that time of year. Why these choices you might ask? My daughter works for a resort who offers family discounted rates. They don't have any in Australia or that would be my first choice hands down!

I can't believe July is 3/4 through the month already. Came back from vacation on the 6th and finally got through all the posts I had missed. That can take a while.

Congrats to all for your losses and nsv's. Welcome to all who have joined in these last several weeks too.

I finally hit onederland, yeah! Also got to sign the 30lb board a week or so ago. The last few weeks have been frustrating, because I will lose a little and gain it back for no apparent reason. Talked to the counselor today and am going to switch some things around to see if that makes a difference. Was told if I was at this weight for quite a while in previous years it is probably just my body adjusting.

The house is very quiet with Alex in Florida, but he is having a blast with his sister. Vacations can be very hard on a diet. I'm heading to FL in two weeks, but it should be fairly easy to stay OP.

Keep up the hard work everyone!

Crazy enough, I have this goal dress hanging in my closet waiting for me to wear one day although I never actually plan to wear it in public: This is a dress I wore about 10 yrs ago. It was purchased at NY & Co., A Black Dress with many tiny buttons down the entire front of dress, short sleeved, fitted to the hips then flares into a full skirt and goes to the floor. It has med size white poinsetta flowers on it with red centers. I was only able to wear it once to Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve before I started gaining weight and could no longer wear it. I kept it b/c I loved it so much and wanted to wear it again but it has pretty much gone out of fashion since then. I still want to put it on just so that I know that I look like that again, or better!!

I don't have a special outfit that I want to get into, I just want to be able to go into a department store, Target, whatever and when I see a cute top in the misses department or just a tee-shirt I can just grab it off the rack and buy it instead of going to the womens section of the store. I just see so many cute clothes when I walk into stores and know that they won't fit. That is my dream.

I was discouraged the past couple of weeks because I wasn't losing as fast as I wanted. I know it just doesn't fall off but I sure want it to. We went to a wedding last Friday and there were people I had not seen for over a year. When we walked in 2 people looked at my husband and said 'You have really lost weight, you look great'. Not a word to me. I almost started crying and my husband felt so bad. He had at the most 15 pounds to loose and he has lost it because he is nice enough to eat the dinners I make from the MRC cookbook. I finally reminded myself that I had gained 20 pounds since I had seen these people last and that to them I only looked like I had lost 20 pounds and that the people I see everyday that do not know I am dieting have noticed and compliment me quite a bit.

I was still a little bummed about it when I weighed in Monday (lost 1.5 pds) but then I looked at my pictures on 10, 20 and 30 pound boards and could not believe the change in my face. So I STOLE the pictures off the boards and put them in my pretty little book that holds my food diary, favorite recipes and exercise notes. I did tell them that I took them off the board for motivation and they did not have a problem with that.

Sorry for going on so much I just needed to get this down. Hopefully this is not too confusing...I did not go back and spell check or check my sentence stucture.

Anyway I am feeling much better!

Thank you all for being there! It would be hard without you.



Started MRC 5/9/09

I'm glad you are feeling better. It can be hard when our hard work isn't noticed. We just have to remember we aren't doing this for someone else, we are doing it for ourselves and as long as we recognize our accomplishments, we shouldn't let what others do or don't do matter to us. Easier said than done.

You have done a great job in such a short time! I started at the end of April and you have surpassed my weight loss! Keep it up. Your hubby sounds like he is a great support.

Teresa

Hi everyone!
I have been on the lam from the boards and MRC for the past few days. See, there was this jar of peanut butter, and a spoon and you know the rest....
So thank goodness my 2 day peanut butter binge is over, but it seriously took my head out of the weight loss game. So rather than face the scales on Tuesday, I have hid out. I am going in tomorrow and I should be back where I was.
Yesterday and today I am doing egg whites and HNS only, just to get my focus back, seems like when I eat to cheat, I get revved up and have a hard time stopping, but if I remove all temptation for a day or two, I can get back in control. Finally just threw the jar away, and suddenly I was no longer peanut butter possessed! Luckily I didn't eat the entire contents of the jar, but still didn't matter, that scale when right back up and I set myself back about one week.
So there, confession is good for the soul; I slipped, caught myself, and away I go again. I still count it as a victory and I learned that with as much progress as I have made, I am still working through the process.
I so applaud Lori123321 and TeresaG and their perseverance, Woo Hoo!!!! Karen1234 I always appreciate you words of wisdom, Kristalin180 thanks for posting such thought provoking questions--my goal outfit is a dress that I wore to an Air Force dining out about 16 years ago-it is peach, short with interesting straps. That night we had a blast--danced for hours and I felt sort of like Cinderella--dang I didn't know a decade later I was going to turn into the pumpkin after that night! lol
rip--you know people didn't say to me 'wow you sure have gained a lot of weight' years ago so that is what I thought when it took others what seemed like a long time to notice my weight loss. You are doing a phenomenal job!
I thank you all for your support!

My "favorite" counselor made a remark the other day that impacted my thought process about "cheating". She said she didn't trust people who never cheated on the plan, because the "cheats" serve a purpose. We have to live in the "real world" after the MRC program is over. The real world will have temptations and choices. She said "cheating" now and then helps you make the transition better, because you learn as you go along. It isn't such an abrupt transition to freedom. (the learning is both about yourself, and what the MRC program you are on will allow to pass unnoticed by your body.)

I had never thought of my "cheats" as serving a purpose. It does sorta take the guilt away.....

So I am not cheating, I am learning!

(The only drawback to this wonderful philosophy is that the learning costs me extra $$$) Education is damned expensive, ya know?!

SkinnyWallet - you crack me up!!! Thanks for the laugh today!

RIP - I'm glad you are feeling better now, but I understand how disheartening it can be when others don't notice all the hard work we are doing...for me I struggle with not really seeing the difference myself.

Don't be sad because people aren't complimenting the way you think they should because it is soon to come from them. And you just keep going because you are doing this for you and not for them. Keep your head up and your mind focus on your goal and you will see who comes out on the top at the next wedding.

Thank you all for your kind words. I have really felt down all week and this forum always lifts my spirits.

What is it with peanut butter. Anytime I think I just have to have something I get a spoon of peanut butter. Is it because it is so easy to get to, no muss no fuss. So far that has been my only cheat. I may have to ban it from the house, I have already banned Lay's chips. Fortunately I am the only one that ate them and I mean REALLY ATE THEM!

I know I shouldn't of taken is so hard when people complimented by husband on his weight loss especially when he really was not overweight but gee wiz. You have all put it back into perspective for me so thank you. I am also truly blessed with a wonderful husband.

I just had my WI and was down 3 pounds. Now in the 230's. I am so excited and proud. Hopefully I am passed the couple of weeks of hardly losin

Started MRC 5/9/09

I have been passing my size 18s and 20s to a fellow MRC-er when they became too big for me. Now I have a problem. I have very few 16s, and hopefully I won't be in them long. I would love it if some one could pass clothes to me as they lose.

I apologise if that sounds "tacky". My forum name is Skinny Wallet, and I named myself that, because I just believe in being frugal when I can. When I do splurge, as I did for the MRC program, I try to cut back in other areas, like clothing. Still, I prefer to look like someone other than the Salvation Army dressed me. (although I have found great stuff there and at Goodwill and Savers. Now when I need stuff, I am coming up empty-handed. Wonder why you can find great stuff at thrift stores when you DON'T need it?)

I need to dress "professionally" and "casual work-place" for work and Toastmasters. Otherwise, I am a jeans and tee shirts kind of gal. I would be happy to pay a nominal amount, and/or postage, and/or gas money if you are in Denver Metro/ColoradoSprings/Fort Collins/Greeley. If there is anyone out there who no longer needs their size 16's or 14's, you can email me privately, and we can discuss the hows. Thanks.