Hi Scorchin ...

I shope at Stater Brothers. I find the Craisins in the aisle where the candy is... also the fruit juices, canned fruit, kids hi-c, tang and what not. It's with other dried fruits like banana chips and dried appricots and so on.

Cranberries are good for you. They help protect against UTI. I feed them to my rats as well *grins*

Sue...

lol ur rats hehe
thanks sue.... I love cranberries a good thing too hehe doctor said cranberry juice is a must for my new kidney, so I thought hmm he'd love me even more if i told him i found some dried cranberries for a snack lol....

Hiya chickies!

I did well today even though my stomach is growling like crazy...luckily, there isn't much tempation in the house right now, as I need to go grocery shopping! I managed to stay at 1200 though it was a challenge! I am happy that I have been able to stick with it for a week...the first couple weeks are always the hardest for me!

The second huge challenge I need to overcome when I get in the swing of the weight loss thing is to quit smoking...it is a horrible addiction and to be honest, often curbs my cravings, so I wind up smoking more when I am eating less. I figure, I can only tackle one addiction at a time and right now it's my food addiction, but I am going to have to try to quit smoking soon, as it interferes with my excersise and my health...

I'm really glad I started contributing to this thread, you chickies have been really supportive, encouraging and friendly... I have even responded to other people's posts--recommending them to this thread!

Well, better get off to bed!
Take care ladies!
Tara

eatnothingalive

Someone told me to check out the April Chicks and here I am and the first post I read sounds like I could have written it, doing calories and needing to quit smoking.

I am also counting calories and waiting till I am either at goal or very close to take on my next one of quitting smoking. At least on a diet, I haven't thought about killing anybody, but quitting smoking is a whole other thing. Like yo said in your post one addition at a time.

The Current people magazine has an article on folks that had the gastric by pass and how they have gained their weight back, the biggest issue seems to be they didn't change their eating habits. I always felt they were so lucky to have that help, now I see if it is not inside you even that will not keep you skinny.

It has made me realize, I will also need to do more education of myself and also rethink some of my food issues. I have ever intention of keeping this weight off for the rest of my life. Life is too much of a merry go round and I intend to not add one more thing to it. Besides, it is a lot easier to handle other problems when I'm not having to handle the weight problems.

So all of you chicks help me and I will give it back.

Hey yall,
good morning to everyone.

I have never smoked, so I do not know how difficult it is to quit, so I maybe incorrect in my logic.... But, I do know how difficult it is to quit eating foods that I love and crave. I have a psychological addiction just like, I believe, smoking is. So, it seems logical that if you can make the tough decision to become more healthy by losing weight that you can also make the tough decision to stop smoking.

I work with this girl (young, only 22) she has been smoking since she was 14 or 15. Says that she would love to quit but, if she did she would gain weight back (she was once over 200 lbs, she is now about 140 and about 5'5, she has been on Adipex for several years) and that she would rather die of cancer than live and be fat. I just thought that was about the dumbest statement I had ever heard. What do yall think of her line of thinking?? Perhaps I don't understand, I have never been extremely overweight like she once was.

Anyway, despite my recent boost of energy and increasing my exercise, I am stuck at a 6 lb loss since Monday 5/10. I must be doing something wrong. I think my protein/carb balance is off. I am choosing way more fruit than protein. What do yall think? I am not getting too discouraged, though, just thinking that maybe this doctor's diet is not working and I need to go back on Atkins.

thanks for listening!

I have never smoked but my mom did and she quit. I can see someone feeling like they would rather die of cancer than be fat but maybe thats because they have never suffered with cancer. Being fat is definately not the way I want to live but having cancer is not the way I want to die either. The difference is I can choose how I live.

Anyhow, smoking from what I have understood is very difficult to stop as it is also a true physical addiction. They say it is as addictive as any other drug? I would definately think one addiction at a time is a good idea. Otherwise you may just quit both. And being obese is not good for quality of life nor for living to a ripe old age. Sooo..... What a choice.

But who am I to say since I don't smoke. Regardless, good luck on all of your goals. You can acheive them. It just takes time. We can't give up. Thats the only thing I keep repeating to myself every day. No matter what I cant give up. No matter how bad of a day or how poor I have done that day I can't give up. I want this too bad.

Hope you all have a good day. baby is crying got to go.

Thanks for the messege maggi and welcome to April chicks! These gals are really supportive and encouraging...keep posting!

Nancy Drew, unfortunately, smoking is a physical addiction as well as phsycological. Nicotine is a very physically addictive drug and some doctors say that quitting smoking is as hard to do as beating a heroin addiction (although I wouldn't know!)...I'm with maggie though, like I said, it's hard enough trying to overcome one addiction (food), that I am tackling one addiction at a time!

As far as our diet, I don't think you are doing anything wrong...I am not a fan of diets like adkins and such, one reason being I am a vegetarian (for 8 years) and another being that I think all "diets" work equally, as in the end, it is calories that matter and we need calories from both carbs and protein (IMO)... I have had success losing weight on a vegetarian diet with plently of soy and plant protein (beans and such)...my problem is that I can't maintain! I imagine I will be a big part of the maintainers forum if and when I get to my goal, because that is where the problem always lies for me...
Are you logging your calories? It is true that protein fills you up for a longer period of time than carbs do, so maybe you are snacking more or eating more calories? I don't know...or maybe you are just in a plateau right now, or maybe you are building muscle from your excersise and it's not reflecting a weight loss on the scale because you are putting on muscle...there's several different things that could be at play here...

If it's a plateau, I found that going off my plan for a couple days always kicks me out of a plateau...if you think you can do this without completely going off all together, I would suggest a couple days of eating whatever you want (within reason) and then get bck on plan...that way if, for some reason your body is in "starvation mode", it will "re-set" itself and be like, ---oh, ok, she's not starving us, we can let go of some fat now" (when you go back on plan)....I'm no doctor, but that has always worked for me when I have hit plateaus...

Anyway, I have been doing really well on my plan, I lost 4lbs in 5 days and I haven't weighed myself since last Saturday, so I'll weigh in this Sat. or Sun. so it will have been a whole week since my last weigh in... I better have lost some weight or else!! I have been REALLY good and I deserve it damn it!!

Hope all you ladies are having a great day and staying on plan! I feel so fortunate that I have a place to come to and vent, or share success, or ask advice, or just talk about whatever!

Take care all!
Tara

Morning Everyone!

I used to smoke when I was in high school because it was the kewl thing to do. But after I moved during my sophomore year out to California I quit cold turkey. Honestly I just smoked cause others did. So when it came down to quitting I just stopped. I didn’t have any withdrawals or side affects. Perhaps some of my weight could be do to it? Not really sure.

How’s everyone’s day going?

My day is going well. I go in early to work today tho. I am tutoring a kid in Math. Its sad, almost half the kids I know are failing Math or English. But what I don’t understand is, they don’t try… I don’t understand. This one kid says he wants to go into the Marines. Very brave of him I might add… but doesn’t he have to graduate high school or at least get a GED? I sit there in class and all he does is sit there and bug other people. I’m shocked. Then the sad thing I hear from other teachers is that, they gonna pass most of these kids to high school anyways. It’s just going to get harder for them…and most of them already are fed up with the frustration… sigh… it’s rather depressing. I offered to come into work early for this one student to help him with math only if he really wanted the help. Because this is an hour before work which I do not get paid for so I hope he is truly looking to better himself. I told him I am more than willing to help him. So we shall see what happens today.

As far as weight loss, I think I'm doing great. I use fitday.com to watch what I taking and it seems like I can really control my calories at 1600. Though I have gone over but never by much. My aim now is to lower that to 1500 and slowly work my way down. One big goal I need is to GET MORE ACTIVE!!! AHHHH! It just seems like I never have time to do anything. Now with working, I am getting a little behind in my school work. I bowl league tho, so that's something... plus I don't take the elevators anymore, I use the stairs. Okie well except for that class on the 3rd floor hehehehe I haven't gotten to taken the stairs for that just yet LOL

Catch you ladies later...

Sue…

Hi everyone! I'm new to 3FC, and Tara invited me to April Chicks. I am really proud of you all for your persistence to meet your goals. Each day is a new one, and no matter what temptations you give into, every day is another opportunity to do it right!! I am a sucker for believing that I have to look like a cover model to be accepted into society, but I am glad to admit that that is completely wrong!!! (In fact, that is not a healthy way to look at things IMO.) I can tell from everyone's posts that we are all beautiful, intelligent women who are simply a little more prepared for winter than others!!! Anyway, I know I came to the right place for support. Good luck to everyone on your fitness journeys!

Stacia

Hello! Welcome!

Is your name pronounced sta-cee-ah or stay-sha?

Nice to meet you! I'm Sue. I've been on April Chicks for about hmmm a week now (give or take). They are a great bunch. The ladies here are very supportive and understanding.

Sue...

Hello Ladies...

My day went great. I wanted to share with you some information I got from another user on here about the zigzag method. She mentions it as "calorie cycling" and I thought it would be great to just update those of you who had read the article and were confused by it. I still think it sounds great as a method... which I have been doing for myself already, but she is right... at my weight any form of cut back in eating with a combination of eating right and being active will help me... here is her post

That's pretty much the whole post, minus a few greeting and what not. If you would like to read the whole thread here is the url for that post Calorie Cycling

Her user handle is Meliris and she's the Moderator I believe of the Maintainers forum. I could be wrong but I have seen her post in there often.

Take care...
Sue...

Hey ladies! Glad to see you made it over here Stacia, thanks for stopping in, and hope to see you posting regularly!
Sue--Ive read up on "zig-zagging too, and it seems to make sense, especially when you are in a plateau..."bigger" girls like us don't need to worry about that for a little while though, as the bigger you are, the easier it is to lose weight through cutting calories and excersise. When I was 180 though (Ive since gained it all back and then some, but DAMN did I look good!!) Anywhooo, when I was 180, I did a form of that when I hit my plateau, although what I did was 1 day a week ate whatever I wanted (in moderation) but basically went off plan for one day a week to sort of tell my body that it was okay to keep losing, that I was eating and it worked.

Well, tomorrow is my birthday (27) and I have been stressing over going out to lunch with my Mom. I have decided that I am just going to use it as a free meal and get on with it. I am planning on getting a healthy meal like a salad, then getting a dessert as a birthday treat and split it with my Mom. I just realized that I have to calm down! It's not ONE meal that got me to this weight, it's several meals of too many calories and binges that got me here, so I am going to relax and enjoy my day. I am going to skip breakfast since my Mom is picking me up at 12 and I usually wake up late, and have an enjoyable lunch, and then a light dinner....so it's settled. I'm done stressing!

I hope everyone is having a great day and staying on plan! I weigh myself this weekend, but I started my period this morning so I hope I'm not holding on to any water weight when I weigh in!
Have a great night!
Tara

Hello everyone, just checking in, Now I may be wrong but I think we started out weighing in on wednesdays (the original bunch) so if we are still doing that..... 3 more lbs gone!!! yay, so thats eight since I started.....Its nice to see that we are growing everyday I read the posts about smoking and cancer and being overweight and all that debate and thought I would add my opinion, just in case there weren't enough of them I do not smoke but I think if I did I too would want to tackle one addiction at a time. about the debate over living life "chunky" or having cancer, I would have to say that I love myself the way I am and I am losing weight to become more healthy, being considered a prettier person because of weight loss is something that society throws at people. If you have ever been faced with your own mortality, then I dont even think that this would be a choice (being fat or having cancer) I would rather live life to its fullest (all of me). ok thats all i have to say....he he he

Tara, Happy birthday, your plan doesnt sound bad at all, i say have a little dessert, you only turn 27 once!!! I hope you have fun.

All you other chickadies, have a great night!!
Diane ........hey woman, where are you at? didnt notice any posts from you today.....

bye guys, till we meet again, Jamie

Hello again, Tara, and Hi Sue!!! My name is pronounced "stay-sha"...my mom loved the name Anastasia, but put her own twist on it.

I had never heard of calorie cycling, but it does make sense!! It prevents your body from saying "hey, you need to cut back", or "i'm in starvation mode!! Reserve body fat!". I'll have to try it out, since I'm at that stage where it's difficult to lose. Thanks for the info!!
Wish me luck tomorrow...I'm starting some late spring cleaning, and boy, will it be messy. Not only do I carry extra weight, but my apartment is full of junk, too! What better way to clean up my entire act!
Happy Birthday Tara!!