Hi everyone!! How are you? I am so behind on the board! I can't access it as much from work anymore and things are just busy, busy, busy at home. I need to find time to get on here!!!

So,I thought I'd start a chat thread to see how everyone is doing and let you know that I haven't dropped off the face of the earth!!!

I see that we have lots of newbies...a great big Hello to all of you!!!!

Things with me are good. We are planning on putting our home up for sale in the spring, so we are trying to get some projects done. And we are also redoing Jacobs room (see pic), so that is taking a bunch of time. I have to strip and refinish his bed this weekend.

As far as my program Well, I am full of stops and starts. I do good and I do bad and the scale just goes up and down. It much like a roller coaster really. This week is full of speed bumps for me. Last night we celebrated Steve's mom's birthday with Pizza , Cake and Ice cream of course. Thursday we celebrate Steve's B-day with dinner and...cake. Friday we are going to the Lake County Fair (Elephant Ears...Steak and potatoes...fried cheese). Nice week hugh!!!! So last night was a bust and this morning, well I stayed up too late last night and I REALLY needed a pick me up, so I had my Dunkin Donuts Café Late and Coffee roll. BUT...my plan for the week is to do well from now on, have chicken when we are out for dinner on Thursday, so that I can have some "fair food" on Friday night, and then do well on Saturday and Sunday. Although my brother just e-mailed me about goingto the fair on Saturday!!!

I will try to pop in when I can!! Love Ya!!!!

hey sweetie well i dont think we have met before so let me first say nice to meet ya. I totally understand bout the rollercoaster, and the ride isnt straight either lol.

DOn't let it get you down. Everyone has their slow weeks (some of us it's months). Just get right back on the wagon and start from today forget the past week and start fresh. If you really wanna lose weight then it ihas to be a priority even if u go to the fair on sat i am sure u dont have to eat unhealthy or at least not as unhealthy as u normally would eat at a fair. The main thing is this. you got to want to lose weight in order for you to lose weight. IF you are eatting all these bad foods so often maybe you arent ready. Either that or it is jsut a set back i know how temptations are, try to take it slow, and first cut them in half.

As for me
i am on my period so i gained 2 lbs i am hoping when i am off my period it will disappear i always gain weight on my period i hate it cuz it is soo not motivational for me and makes me wanna go and binge.

I cleaned part of my room today and i found this old victorian dress i bought a long time ago and when i bought it i couldnt close the zipper at all (despite it being an extra large there wa snothing extra about it) it looked big enough at hte store and they didnt have a fitting room. but when i got home i realized it didnt fit at all. Well now i can close the zipper more then half way. My goal is to fit into that dress. THat is what i am going to try to do because i want to wear that dress for halloween so i am giving myself a good 3 months or so.

do u guys think i can do it? Cuz i know i can

I often wonder if I am ready. Sure doesn't seem like I am, does it. Right now I need to get the gaining under control. For the past three years, I didn't go much above 300, now I'm 312. Something has happened in the past few months that I need to get under control.

How is everyone else??

I'm doing ok, interviewed for another job last week, one that sounds like I could do it. Today I applied to work for the same company as my sister, so hopefully something will turn up, I am tired of being poor.

Still hemming & hawing about joining the gym. Just doesn't feel right w/o a job.

TOM came to visit today, I had to call for some more Bextra for the cramps, and she gave them to me, but wanted to schedule me for my annual. I explained that I didn't have insurance, and she said ok. She gave me some pills, but they are 10mg, not the 20mg that I had last time. Guh.

Hello Everyone!

I just got back from a week long visit at my sister's house. I really missed checking in all the time! I've been so out of the loop... I wonder if it has anything to do with my diet/exercise/weight-loss efforts SUCKING MAJORLY ALL SUMMER.
So I had an epiphany last night (or maybe it's that I have no jeans that fit and school is coming up....) and I think this weekend, I'm going to go grocery shopping, work out a REAL exercise plan, and head off to South Beach. So many people HATE "fad diets" but right now, I need that control, and the SB platform could EASILY be launched into a lifestyle-- according to my research.

Sandi, your son's room looks absolutely adorable! I'm really sorry that you're struggling with the loss, but my guess is once you're on a roll there will be no stopping you. Seriously, when you find something that works for you, it will seem like a lightbulb went off and you'll be left wondering when, where, and how it happened. haha.

SAPF, I recieved my summer gym membership as a birthday present- or else I wouldn't be going because I'm penniless. Do any local gyms offer trial periods or anything? Maybe you could try that out and see if paying for a month is feasible. Good luck with the job you're looking it.

Apryl, whatever works for you! I wouldn't call it so much a "fad diet" (i think that word has a connotation of being something like the cabbage soup diet or something!) but if you've researched it and think it's doable, all power to you for giving it a try. Let us know how it works out for you.

As for me, I've been shopping up a storm for back-to-school stuff. I finally have jeans that fit me, and they're a size under what I was just a few months ago. I've been shopping at places like Marshalls and TJ Maxx so that I don't subconsciously feel guilty about eventually not being able to fit into my "old" clothes anymore I go back to Maryland on the 30th and I've got an interview for an internship at a newspaper the next day- I'm nervous because I really want it! That's about it, my mom and I are hitting Kohl's today for some sale. And I'm going to the Bronx Zoo tomorrow! Can't wait.

Hi everyone!

Sandi, wow, sounds like you've got tons going on right now! Jacob is so gonna love his room when you're done!

It's great that you can recognize that you may not be completely ready for this yet, but it's also very important that you don't let yourself use that as an excuse and not try either. I did that for a long time and it got me nowhere fast.

Hope you guys have a great time at the fair!! BTW, what are elephant ears?

Apryl, don't worry sweetie, you'll get right back on track. I hope you had a good time at your sister's! I've heard a lot of good things about SB and that people have been very successful with it, so good luck!! You can do it!

SAPF, good luck with the job search! I know how frustrating that can be. Also, I know what you mean about not wanting to get a gym membership w/o a job, but if you can swing it, you should because you deserve it and getting a job is just a matter of time anyway!

faded_moon, you can do it! Just keep up the good work and you'll be able to pull that zipper all the way up in no time!

djs06, ahhh, back to school shopping Been doing that for my daughter, I can't believe how much stuff they need! Good luck on the interview and I hope you have a great time at the zoo!

As for me, there was a little bit of drama last night. I was on my way to pick my husband up from work and my car just up and died! I was able to coast into Walgreens parking lot and call for help. Of course thoughts of towing and extravegant repair costs started spinning through my head and I just didn't want to even deal with it! But my wonderful FIL used to be a mechanic so we gave him a call and he was able to get it all fixed up for a meesly 20 bucks! Had something to do with a belt coming off and causing something else to be damaged (don't really know or care as long as it works now, right?! ) So it looks like we got off easy on that one, thank goodness!

Anyway, hope everyone is having a great week! Talk to you soon!

Beverly

Okay, I wasn't going to write this because it's such a downer, but maybe it will help to "set it free." This is a totally selfish post--read at your own risk!

Maybe it's because I didn't get a good night's sleep (don't watch sad movies before bedtime), but this morning I thought to myself, I'm just so tired of doing this. I didn't want to get up and go to the gym. I didn't want to eat a good breakfast. I want to eat what I want when I want it, dang it! I want to stay in bed in the morning and snuggle with my sweetie instead of going to aerobics. And, yes, I want cheese with that whine! Preferably full-fat cheese.

I know I'm not alone in feeling like this, am I? I didn't give in to it. I went to the gym, asked them to put on some outrageously loud rock 'n roll, and lifted weights, even though my head said, give it up, give it up. I ate 1/2 of a whole wheat Sara Lee low-carb bagel and some light ham. I did get a decaf coffee light frappuccino on the way home from the gym (only 2 WW points!) because, well, just because I wanted to. And I will earn 4 points today for our monthly challenge because I've set that goal for myself. So, I know I should be proud, but all I'm thinking about is, "I want to be done with this" even though I know I'll never "be done." *Sigh*

See, I warned you it was going to be a downer!

FINALLY!!!!! Thank you Sheila - I've been afraid to voice anything like this in case of arrest by the "Positive Patrol" (Gretchen's ears must be burning)

I've learned it IS okay to have down days, in fact, it's fine to wallow pitifully in it! It probably is a cleansing exercise for you and if nothing else shows you're oh so human. It's one thing to feel fed up and depressed when you're not losing, not exercising, not staying on plan, but it's another thing to feel fed up and depressed because you're just not completely satisfied with the way we have to live from now on to stay trim and healthy. The fact that you stayed on plan in spite of these feelings is a victory - I know in the past I've given into those wants and desires with disasterous results.

No doubt this will pass and you'll be just fine, after all I know you know that the benefits of this new lifestyle far, far outweigh the annoyances, but I just want to take this opportunity again to say "Thanks" for getting it out in the open. I don't think it will discourage anyone from their plan, it might even help! I know I feel much better now that you've confessed.

Hey guys, I feel the same way sometimes too. There are days that I just don't feel like dealing with it anymore. I don't wanna exercise, I don't wanna eat OP, I don't wanna even think about it anymore. I'll let myself make excuses for not exercising. (done that more than once this week) And I'll let myself have a little pity party once in a while about why can't I just be "normal". Why can't this just be easy and come naturally to me like it does for so many others? So then I gotta smack myself around a bit and remind myself that it really doesn’t matter why, the point is that it doesn’t come naturally and it never will. So what am I gonna do about it? Well, I’m gonna exercise, and I’m gonna eat right, and I’m gonna do it every day for the rest of my life if I want to be healthy and happy, period. It sucks, I know, and I think we got a pretty raw deal, but those are the cards we were dealt and we gotta try to make the best of them.

Beverly

Jill I couldn't agree with you more so no ticket for you (this time)

I have those off days. EVERYONE does no matter who you are! Shelia the main thing you have displayed is the fact that even though you felt like giving in you didn’t and you haven’t throughout your entire journey! (Aside from those minor things we experience like a wee bit of over indulgences here and there right You have been so successful and I credit that to your determination and positive attitude! No one said you have to be positive all the time. Being “off” is ok every once in a while. ( Wow did I just say that? ) When I think it (it meaning feeling off some days) becomes an obstacle in the journey when all you have are negative thoughts day in and day out and are unable to focus on the reality that if you don't do something now the situation will only get worse instead of better…

There.. I’m not such a tough cop after all … Right Jill??

No ma'am..I mean..Yes ma'am!

Thanks y'all! After my self-indulgent pity party, I got with it and made it through another day. It really helped to know that I'm not alone with these thoughts.

Sheila,

I REALLY loathe days like that! I hope it's not too often for you. When I have a day like that I just cut back on my cardio a little and figure it's better than doing nothing. And, uh, as for the sad movies.... DEFINITELY not before bedtime, m'dear. Nothing like going to bed and waking up in a funk.

Hope you're doing better.

Ladies - How the heck did I miss this thread?!

Anyways, well now that I've found it... Here I go a chattin'...

Sandi - Jacob's room is sooooo cute! I can't wait to have kids (not for a few years anyways). You remind me everyday of how precious of a thing having a child is! And for you, I'm proud that you had the courage to say that maybe you aren't fully ready for this yet. I tend to agree with Bev though, that doesn't mean to give up and not try. Keep trying my dear, because one day it will just click and it'll be like an epiphany and there won't be any stopping you! I've tried to be OP countless times, and I don't think I was ever ready UNTIL this time, and my whole mentality is different. You'll get there, I know you will.. Its coming! <-- And there's my hug, I love hugging Sandi!

Apryl - Do whatever works best for you and don't let anyone tell you otherwise!

Sheila, Jill & Gretchen - YAY! HEAR US ROAR! I TOO HAVE DOWN DAYS! The point is we all do, and thats okay because that's "life". Remember, this isn't a diet and we're not going to go the rest of our lives without any cheesecake?! Good lord, what would that be like?! Seriously, though.. we all have those down days or down moments and that's what keeps us strong.. Because we hop right back on the wagon the next chance we get.

As for me, not a whole lot new here.. Still doing good with being on plan. I have off days/moments and thats acceptable to me! Work is going good, busy but good. Have a friend coming to visit next month that I haven't seen in a year.. Going home (to Newfoundland) in the fall and just found an awesome seat sale ($300 less than I've ever paid).

Cheers,