Hello everyone!!
I've been away for awhile and I've missed you all!! I've been playing catch up reading the past threads!! So many beautiful babies born!! Congrats to all!!!
I also want to say Happy Birthday and You guys have work so hard getting that weight off. I'm so Happy for you!

Welcome back Mez!

MEZSTER!!!!!! I'm so glad to hear from you!! I've thought about you so often, and wondered how you were doing. YAY! You're back!

Thanks for the welcome back. I had to cut my orginal message short due to storms here.

Sara thanks so much. I've though of you often. Your have shared so much! I know you have touch my life in so many ways you have made me stronger. Your simply amazing!
Have you posted picture of your trip to Italy?

Howie an XL shirts that is wonderful!!!

Gretchen your son is in my prayers he'll be home in no time! I have a nephew named Carson. I just love that name!! I can't wait to see pictures!!

It's great to be back!
Now to post my lowest weight and what I am now...
Lowest 203
Now 219

Now for my goals I'm going to try and work out 5 days a week. I'm not sure if I'm going to use my WW pure points software again. I think I'll just log in Diet Power what I eat. I need to sit and really think of how many cal. I'm also thinking of having one free day. Not that I plan to go nuts just so I don't feel I'm missing out. Well enought of my bla bla bla

I didn't go back yet to Italy, Mez. I couldn't pull it off physically after chemo (I'd like to have the stamina to walk for miles up and down hills, etc.) and financially, it would work better for us next year -- if we don't buy a new house next year, that is. We went to St. Maarten (Dutch West Indies) for 9 days during my chemo, and it was so wonderful to get away. (I called it my "Denial Vacation!" )

I ache for Italy, though, Mez.....I just got done watching an Italian movie, in fact! And I'm rereading some of my favorite books written in Italian. If you don't use it, you lose it, as they say.

I'm glad to hear that you're planning your approach. Winging it is death! Do you have your husband's support this time? You can do it either way, I know you can -- just wondering, since it was an issue for you before. Whatever the case, you must keep the faith that you can succeed....because you CAN!!

Sara sorry to hear about the trip to Italy but I know once you get there you'll wear out lots of shoes from all your walking! St. Maarten! That sounds wonderful I have never been anywhere really. I bet it was beautiful!!! Everyone needs a vaction and I'm sure it helpped you clear your mind. I know about that use it or lose it. Up til the age of 4 I spoke spanish. My grandparents are spanish. We then moved away and I only seen them on summer vactions as the years went on I understood less and less til only I know a very few words. It's weird but I think back to when my grandparents would talk to me and I hear it in english now. LOL I wish I could still speak / understand it.

As far as my husband. He started to diet and he completely cut out pretty much everything. He lost 118 lbs in 7 months... as he really started to lose I started to gain. His diet consisted of triskets and soup and slim fast. That is all he'd have. I'm not jealous about his weight loss I just worry on how he was going about losing. I talked to him and he understood all I said but is still doing the same thing. I begain to feel that he was watching every bit of food I ate and was disaproving. He'd lose an average of 5lbs a week most of the time more. I would be lucky to lose 1 lbs a week. I begain to feel terrible about myself asking questions on why I had only lost 40lbs when he was at 100lbs and I worked out! I wanted to do what he was doing but knew it wasn't healthy.. I gradually started to slip and gain and here I am.... *sign* that pretty everything in a nut shell. He does support me but I don't know if I support myself. I see what he's doing and I think why can't I be that strong and not eat!! Sorry for going on and on... I'm still fighting this.

Mez---Welcome back. It sounds like what your husband is doing is unhealthy. What's he going to do when that no longer sounds appealing and he can't maintain it the rest of his life? It sounds like you are getting back into the swing of things. Your 40 pound loss is nothing to just shrug off. It is a BIG deal. Had you not lost those 40 pounds where would you be at today. I have no doubt you are going to lose those pounds you gained and then some.

You can do this.

Welcome back Mez - I agree 100% with what Dawnyal has said. Your dh cannot spend the rest of his life living off soup and slimfast, so he may have trouble keeping the weight off. You sound like a sensible woman who wants to set up healthy eating habits for life - you are in it for the long term, not just a quick fix. You are doing brilliantly - don't let this small gain put you off reaching your goal.

All the best,

Amanda x

Welcome back, Mez! You'll be glad that you're losing in a healthy manner. I'm betting he can't sustain his loss (even the infamous Jared couldn't eat Subway for the rest of his life!), but you will because you're doing it the right way.

Thanks for the welcome back and the suport. I've been thinking on how I can help him move slowly back to eating right. It will be hard since I pretty sure he'll see a gain. He said he doesn't like to wait and a gain will be hard for him to take. I'm going to need to move real slow with this. He's pretty stubborn. As for me I guess it was hard for me when people would see him and say how much have you lost and how long have you been dieting? He'd say the 118lbs and then they'd ask me and I'd say 40lbs. Since I'd been "dieting" (I prefer lifestyle) for many more month than him they looked at me like geez you should weight less. Plus sometimes I felt he was tisk tisking me when I ate a skinny cow ice cream (even if I had points for this) I think it's a all me but then again.... lol I guess it's something I need to get over and find something postive like eating like this has gotten me to where I am now and I can even have ICE CREAM!!
Sorry for going on and on ....