WELCOME !!!

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 to join us in our journey.
We share laughter and tears.
We share what works for us and what doesn't.
We often use a "Topic of the Day" for discussion.

Motivational Monday
Tuesday Tips
Wednesday Wish List .. and What you are doing to obtain it.
Thankful Thursday
FUN Friday ... don't wait until you lose your weight.
Sit-up Saturdays - any physical activity
Share your Success Sunday

These are not required topics ...just ideas to share. We often find them very helpful. We also share heartaches and fears ... joys and celebrations.

We have several extra threads going on simutaneously such as Monthly Challenges, Weekly Weigh-ins, Recipes, Bios, and more. Please feel free to check them all out.

We have a bi-weekly 2x2 Challenge.
Our goal is to lose 2 lbs in 2 weeks.
We have a long term goal of losing 300+ lbs within our 300+ group in 2005.

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.

WELCOME!

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 Amazon on any page in the forum, or by clicking on the button on the main 3FC page at www.3fatchicks.com . 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 like $15 for 6 months. A very small investment to be rid of the annoying ads and make your pages load quicker.

Thank you everyone for being willing to dance with me!

But we are going to have to wait till next week. I was at 301.75 and I lost a half so now I am at 301.25. I was hoping to be under 300 by Easter but that is okay. I think God is just playing with my head. I told the weight recorder that this was going to be the heavist 1.25lbs of my whole life. But I lost so I can't complain I have lost for the last 8 weeks !!!! So I am tickled to death about that!

Welcome back Tina!

Loki: It was so nice to talk to you yesterday on Messenger. I sure was in a crappy mood before that. But after talking to you I said to **** with everything I am not going to get in a bad mood because of other. So thanks!

MissMeliss: I don't have a target range. I am just controlling my portions. I am not good at counting calories. When I go out to eat I eat half of my plate and take the other half home for lunch the next day. (Saves me money too!)

Tina: Welcome Back

Theotherjen: You got a new car and then got hit You poor thing!

Terri: I hate it when I lose a post!!

Lilion: I suck at raquetball too. But keep trying!

Michelle: Good Luck with the Gym!!

Well I gotta split bananas

to everyone I missed.

Scooter

I've got to help a neighbor today who is going through a violent divorce. He wanted her to pick him up after work so he could get his clothes. I explained what a big mistake that would be, we might never see her again. So my roommate and I are going to pack up his stuff while he is at work, and take them over to his parents house. I am about the only one he doesn't try to intimidate. I guess there is something to be said for being built like a football lineman. The landlord and someone from the sheriff's office will be there so that there will be no fuss later. I also intend to take pictures that show how nicely we packed everything.

Alice-the avatar was just one on the list, but it does look a lot like Ozzie, who is at the beauty parlor today.

Missmeliss-I am trying to stay in the 1700-1800 range for now. That seems to be the only amount that allows me to lose weight right now.

mboeh-Welcome!! I have found dates to be a godsend. Get the ones with the pits still in, and it is like you are eating a piece of candy, but this one only has 23 calories and lots of fiber and vitamins. I also like to think that dates were what the apostles ate for dessert. I get mine at a mediteranean grocery store and they come from Egypt and cost about $3.99 a pound. The same kind from the health food store costs $12/pound. As for chocolate, Dr. Warshowsky of the Continuum Center for Health and Healing in NYC says if you crave chocolate take a daily magnesium supplement of 400 miligrams and the urge should go away in about a week. I have to have chocolate about once a month, and I keep a package of Mexican hot chocolate. One portion is 100 calories and knocks out my chocolate fix for awhile. Mexican chocolate has cinamon and almonds ground up into the mix. It's a dark chocolate that is very grainy and not too sweet. One piece is all it takes. You can do this, just take it one day at a time, and come here for support.

Queenb- welcome back. I'm convinced that natural weight loss is the simplest thing in the world, just horribly not easy. It's the same as telling an alcoholic to just not drink anymore, simple but hard. They can at least live without alcohol, we have to dance with our demon everyday for the rest of our lives, and sometimes we get our toes stepped on.

Catherine

Jilly: Oh I KNOW that there is more to the points thing than just the calories. The slides gets consulted on a very regular basis...especially when I go grocery shopping...and if I forget mine, then BF gets a call from me from the store to look stuff up. The fiber thing is very helpful though...and I have now gotten pretty good at eyeballing things to gauge points. But the points and the slider is most helpful for foods where there is a nutritional count posted on it. When we go out to dinner or I cook, we guestimate (on the high side). Some things we know, and others...we do our best. We always try to kep one of the books around to look foods up...but if we try to stick to Core, it gets that much easier. I just couldn't deal with the counting and everything.

Have a great day!

Wow, busy thread this morning and last night! I'm just popping in before I do my workout for the day, let's hope I make it farther than last time! I get soooo much grief from my brother about dieting, he's always like "well obviously your methods don't work because you've never lost a lot of weight." And I want to hit him, he's *****ing at me because I ate "fried" rice and steak last night, but I counted all the calories! And it wasn't like chinese restaurant fried rice, it was the kind you get out of a can and cook in water. Some people really don't understand that some of us overweight people aren't like this because we're lazy and always make bad choices. I for one have to work extra hard, even by giving up tons of "normal" food I can end up gaining weight. I can't do anything half assed, I have to give it 99%.

Anyways, here are some replies..and this time I WONT SKIP ANYONE (sorry again guys )

Tina: It's nice to see you back, a lot of us fall off of the bandwagon and are too ashamed to come back here. I look at the regulars though, who never leave for inspiration...who openly admit that there are times in their lives where they just aren't watching what they eat very much. You gotta realize that you can only win this battle if you are willing to go two steps forward, and one back..ALWAYS. It's the only way to perservere.

Angela: That's a good idea, maybe I'll just start averaging my days together instead, week by week...that way I can enjoy the occasional indulgement...like my weakness (bread at Panera..YUM)

Julie: Congratulations on your final test score! That's way awesome, I totally understand how proud it feels when you studied your butt off and got rewarded with a great score...especially when you sometimes are POSITIVE you totally bombed an exam.

Julee: I HAVE to keep a journal because I snack constantly, I have found. Gah. It really does add up, and it's the only way I really feel as if I am in control of what I am eating...I am fully prepared to journal what I eat for the rest of my life, if need be. I try to keep track of the WW core "extra" points as well, because I want to stick to whole wheat/grains and less of the refined products...it can get tricky though at times, counting calories AND the weekly allowed "points."

IWillBe: THIS WILL PASS. Trust me, don't let it get you down, that's how I always ended up failing..as soon as I got discouraged I figured it was too late to turn back. I have the same problem, except I usually last until around supper time, then I want to binge on everything I walk through the grocery store sometimes and actually feel nostalgic because I want to buy like cookies and stuff and fill up on them

Brandnewme and mboeh: WELCOME to our thread, it's seriously been the best form of support I could ever ask for...it keeps you in check and motivates you to get moving!

Michelle: yay for getting to that gym and getting yourself a trainer...i wish i were that brave, but i'm waaaaay too self concious to actually go to a 'normal' gym. i'm so paranoid people are looking at me and laughing

Jill: I find WW to be too vague as well...I think it's because it's designed for people who aren't significantly overweight...i feel like the "freedom" plan gives too MUCH freedom, so i am still doing it, but have modified it more so that i have more control over my actual calorie count, or else i'll just stuff my face with as much whole wheat pasta as i want at night.

jen: I'm sorry about your car, will the insurance totally cover it?

Terri: I am ALSO choosing to stay OP today AAAAANNND to do my exercises as soon as I am done replying...:-D

Lilion: Where do you work that you have to deal with disagreeable people??? Absolutely unheard of....

Scooter: Hey, congrats on the weight loss dear, still less weight is less weight, right? I don't know if you noticed, but on the exercise thread I asked you what workout tapes you used (if any)...I was just curious because I noticed the other day you did a huge variety of stuff, and I was wondering if you were just really dilligent, or if it was part of a workout program....

Catherine: I am sorry about the crap you are going through with your neighbors...hey it's exercise though, right? Do you really think dates taste like candy? Eeek. I cannot stand their texture. I'm also glad that I never crave chocolate...just salty fries

Hi all--OP except exercise again yesterday. Planning to improve on that today.

Julee--Hope today is better than yesterday.

Iwillbe--Maybe eat a little more breakfast? Add some fruit or something to breakfast or lunch? I've been forcing myself to eat a lot of veggies mid-day, and letting myself have a treat at breakfast, and I'm finding a lot fewer cravings mid-afternoon.

brandnewme--Welcome! Good to meet you! Stop by often so we get to know you. This place has helped me stay on track (well, more on track than I would be otherwise) at a time when my life has been REALLY CRAZY. In the past I always gave up when life got hard, but with the support of these wonderful women I keep getting back up, and at least I've maintained my weight during the stressful time rather than regaining weight I worked hard to lose.

Michelle--WTG with the exercise!

Jill--I'm with you... I count calories and not a darn thing else. Although Fitday makes counting calories easy, and it also incidentally will tell you about your fat/carb/protein breakdown, etc., so occasionally I check on that just out of curiousity. But the only thing I restrict is calories.

Jen--So sorry about the accident, and your car. But how wonderful you're okay, and the family is too. My quasi-ex had a truck smash into his apartment building, setting it ablaze, two weeks ago, and he's fine, as is his apartment and stuff. Amazingly, no one was hurt but the truck driver, who had evidently had a heart attack (and died). Sad, but still, so much to be grateful for. CONGRATS on making your Easter goal!!!!!

Terri--Thanks for the reminder.... I CHOOSE TO BE OP TODAY. I CHOOSE TO BE OP TODAY. Good mantra!

Lilion--Good luck with the disagreeable people... I have a judicial board hearing on my agenda, also likely to be less than pleasant. Hang in!

Scooter--I'm dancing anyway!!!! You're going to be there so soon.... and the best thing is, since you're losing slowly and gradually, you'll really, really be there... just keep that 3 around this week to TAUNT it, cause it's not long for this world!!!!

Catherine--Hope Ozzie comes back lookin bee-u-ti-ful.

Mel--Sorry that your brother's so unsupportive. Is he a bet-maker? If I were you, I'd bet him 10 bucks that I could lose x amount of weight using MY OWN PLAN, not his or anyone else's. That'd only work for "I'll-show-you" folks like me, but every time he gave me grief, I'd just be thinking, yeah, we'll see when I'm asking you to pay up. The only thing is you have to make the goal do-able and not set an unreasonable time limit on it. You could also bore him to death by quoting calorie counts and other nutrition information at him every time he puts anything into his mouth. BUT.... the MAIN thing.... is that YOU know you can do this, and WE know you can do this.

Sorry Meliss I didn't see your post over there.

I used Denise Austin's Personal Training system on DVD. (12.99 at Walmart). It has three intensity Low, Medium, and High. And you can also mix and match all of those together. But if you go with the set ones (which I am) I am on the low intensity. When I got it I did just the Cardio but I have been increasing the time I can do. THe order of it is. There is a 20minute Cardio, 10 minutes arm exercises, 20 min leg exercises, 20 minutes ab exercises. And I think after that is stretching but I haven't made it that far yet.

I really like it. I can tell a difference in my strength and even my flexibility. It is hard but I know that I can do it and so I push myself through it and now it is getting to where it doesn't where me out so much. Also for those who do not like Denise Austin's voice they have an option where you can mute her voice out.

Also in the exercises For the Arm exercises you need weights (I uses two 5lb weights (5 bucks each at Walmart.)) Also a chair and a towel. If you try it let me know. I have never done a video exercise besides yoga (I love yoga) but I really do enjoy this one. Currently I have ab muscles sore that I didn't know I had. But that just lets me know that I did it!

This may be a little more than you wanted. Sorry!!

Loki I forgot!!!!

CONGRATS ON THE TEST!!!

That is an amazing quote. I know it wasn't a quote when you wrote it, just your own words, but I love it, so it's a quote for me now. How does it feel to be the author of an inspirational quote?

Hi all! Crazy busy today. I hope to be back later to do replies. Have to get this house cleaned up. Cable guy is coming tomorrow, then company for Easter. Getting taxes done tonight. I hate to run, but that's my story today. Still haven't pulled those "bank jobs". Friday is the deadline, so guess I'll be doing that in the next day or two. Several "showgirl" jobs have come in for this weekend as well. When it rains, it pours.

Have to say:

Welcome Back, Tina! I'll catch up with you later, ok?

For those of you that are preparing for this weekend's festivities, just remember: It is NOT about the food.....or CANDY!!! But just in case you aren't aware of the damage you CAN do, I thought I would leave this little list for you. It comes from Dotti's. I'm sorry that only some have the calorie counts, but the BOLDED number is WW points and for you calorie counters, just remember 1 WW point is approximately 50 calories.

Easter Candy
Cadbury Caramel, 1 egg (190 cal/6 g fat/0 g fiber) 4.5
Cadbury Chocolate Creme Egg, 1 egg (180 cal/8 g fat/<1 g fiber) 4.5
Cadbury Creme, 1 egg (170 cal/6 g fat/0 g fiber) 4
Cadbury Mini Creme Egg, 1 mini egg 1.5
Cadbury's Mini Eggs (in a bag), 12 pieces 5
Chocolate Nest Eggs, 1 1
Dove Chocolate Bunny, 1.8 oz 3
Easter Peeps, 5 3
Hershey Milk Chocolate Eggs, 7 pieces 5
Hershey Milk Chocolate Bunny, 1, 7 oz 5
Jelly Beans, Smuckers, 24 pieces 3
Marshmallow/Chocolate Egg, 1 piece 2
Nestles Baby Ruth, (170 cal/10 g fat/<1 g fiber) 4.5
Nestles PB Mallow, (140 cal/8 g fat/<1 g fiber) 3.5
Milky Way, 1 egg (190 cal/12 g fat/0 g fiber) 5
Robin Eggs (malted milk), 2 regular or 6 mini 1
Snickers Egg, 1 egg (170 cal/10 g fat/1 g fiber) 4

Some alternative suggestions:

If you're single and you NEED to indulge, DO NOT BUY a big bag of your treat. Even though they are more expensive, buy the individual pieces at a convenience/drug store. Then you won't be tempted to eat the whole bag.

If you have small children: perhaps a stuffed animal, a Fisher Price toy, or a truck would be appropriate instead of a big basket of goodies.

If you have teenagers: They will love it if you get some of those plastic Easter eggs that you can fill. Fill them with money and then hide them around the house and make them hunt for them. I did this with the boys for years and they loved it. I would get several dozen of the eggs. Fill all of each individual color with the same amount of money. Now, I'm not talking BIG $$$ here, I'm talking all the orange ones have 50 cents, all the green ones have 25 cents, all the pink ones have $1 bills. Make sure that you have enough of each color to make it even between all of your kids. Then when they hunt, they have to each have found an orange one, before they can go on to find others. Just so each of them end up with the same amounts and no one gets left out.

Ok, my soap's over so it's time to clean. See you all later when I can stay longer. Love ya bunches!

Hey scooter, I'll have to check it out at wal-mart, i want to mix it up a bit because right now i'm just doing cardio stuff, you know walking briskly and stuff....i'm stilll waaay out of shape and i've only been strictly op for a couple weeks now, so we'll see. I met my goal last week, and that was to do a half a mile twice, and this week i wanted to do at LEAST a half of a mile THREE times, and so far each time i've done it i've made it a little bit past the half mile mark, pathetic i know but actually i'm not so much winded, as having tired aching legs, lol.

Oh, and Thin...how nice of you to still do easter with teenage kids!! I haven't received anything for easter since I was ten I FORGOT that Easter was this sunday...I have a busy schedule coming up for church, i have rehearsal tonight, tomorrow night, and then TWO masses this weekend...Saturday and Sunday.

Blech.

I'M HUNGRY!

Darn it all, I don't WANT to be hungry! I just finished lunch...Lean cuisine ravioli and carrots and broccoli...and my stomach is growling. I've been fighting this for days...maybe it's PMS? Aunt Flo has been SO WEIRD over the last few months that I don't have ANY idea when she'll rear her ugly head! Used to be every 28 days like clockwork. Then dropped to every 24. But in the last few months it's been a visit 18 or 19 days apart! TMI, huh? But if that's what's making me hungry I hope it hurries up cause I'm tired of being hungry.

Meliss: Oooo, you got us all! (Like I don't skip most everyone!)

Thin: I'm copying your list...This is great to know. I LOVE robin eggs! What a pity I don't like peeps! 5 for 3 pts is pretty good!

Disagreeable people are all part of the job. I don't usually tell anyone what I do, because I once got inundated with e-mail asking for advice, which I hate...but I love you ladies, so I'll fess up. I'm a lawyer. But I don't practice in courts anymore, I'm an administrative hearing officer, conducting child support hearings, kind of a quasi-judicial position. (Now I can use my favorite smiley!). So you see, the people aren't just disagreeable, some of them downright hate me - and they usually hate each other. Not exactly a low-stress job.

I love the WW program...although I'm sure I'm not following it to the letter as we're relying on materials and my memory from 6 years ago. (Although I do have a new book and slider - thanks Michelle) I don't think there is any way I could do the core program though. I understand the idea is you can eat all you want of a certian list of foods...I'd be the person who gained weight on that...if I could just eat until I was "satisfied" I wouldn't be fat. I once lost 40 lbs on a calorie counting type diet. No more than 1500 calories, no more than 40 grams of fat. From Sept. to Feb. I lost and kept it off for over a year. But when I gained I gained back 40+++.

I truely think my problem over the years was lethargy...I've spent the last six years...since meeting my husband, pretty much happy and content. And the weight crept on. I've gained over 100 lbs in that time and just really didn't think about it. And when you do the math, that's only like 17 lbs a year. Who worried about 17 lbs? I just didn't think about what it was adding up to. Of course, LOSING 17 lbs is a big deal now!

But, that life is behind me...NO MORE LETHARGY. I also pledge to stay OP today and hopefully get that exercise in and definately drink all my water!

If only I wasn't still hungry. I refuse to eat for another 45 minutes. Then I'll have my banana if I'm STILL hungry.

Have a good rest of the day, Ladies!

Lilion
Lilion

Thank you everyone for thinking of me...not been fun lately.

Lilion...I am wondering the same thing...I am losing weight consistantly and eating all day long...granted the portions are smaller and more healthy, but I feel hungry all day long and thats even with eating every 2-3 hours...I ate a banana and yogurt about 6am and then a 100 cal snack about 9 and carrot sticks at 11 and had a leancuisine with extra broccoli for lunch...and I am still hungry. I was thinking it was head hunger...but my stomach just growled on me...so I just don't know either...I am wondering if my body is revolting and is in overeater withdrawal or something...but I figure if my stomach growls I need to eat something...but I just don't want to mess things up...so frustrating.

MissMeliss- I feel your pain about the workouts...I could barely finish the 1 Mile WATP...I wanted to throw something at Leslie's head after all those kick-back thingies...but I can do the 2 mile with no problem now...so just keep at it...cuz you rock like that

Thinthinker- I still have to do my taxes...been procrastinating cuz I owe them this year...but they will be mailed out on Friday. Also, those are some great ideas you found about the alternate Easter prizes. Now I just have to keep away from the Reese's eggs between now and then.

I bought some grapefruit, and some fat free yogurt at the store last night. I open the yogurt and its like....salty...and I'm like WTF....so I look on the outside and the type I grabbed was sweetned with aspartame. EWWWWW. So now I'm all sad because I don't have any good yogurt. I need to go back to the store tonight, which works out because I was planning on taking my sister to get some digital prints made up.


Julee your avatar makes me so frickin hungry for bacon and eggs.

Theotherjen~Yoyr nose is cute....like mine.

HI All,
Wow the threads move so fast nowadays ... or maybe its just that I haven't had as much time to read
I went back to Curves yesterday, for my first workout. I was determined to speak to either the manager or some senior staff about the girl on Monday, and if it was similar for this visit, ask for my money back and not go there again.
Well I'm happy to say that the woman who took me around the circuit was really good - suggested alternatives for some of the exercises so I wouldn't hurt my knee/hip, understood that I was familiar with exercising with equipement from my time in the gym last year, and generally treated me like a person, not a brainless idiot. I also felt like I had exercised when I finished! I had the whole endorphin rush thing happening, and I felt it last night in almost every muscle. So yes, I will be going back there to do the workouts.
I also spoke to the staff member (senior) about my concerns. She asked who talked to me, and when I mentioned her name said that "yes, she does tend to be very loud, but there is no excuse for what you experienced". She was horrified and said she would talk to the manager about it when she was due (a couple of hours later) and they would make sure that didnt happen to me, or any other woman again at the centre. I pointed out that the reason I signed up was only because I was very committed to my exercise program, and had investigated the alternatives and chosen that one BEFORE I came there, but if someone hadn't done their homework and chosen already, faced with this woman they would have walked out and never come back. She totally agreed.
I feel a lot better about going there now and I hope that 1) my knee/hip can cope with it and 2) nothing like that happens again!!!