Worthy: You are rocking the exercise! Glad it paid off for you in weight loss. You are so close to Onederland. I'm sure you will get there soon. I have over 15 pounds to go, but I am going to get there, too! Can't wait to join you! I think it is great that exercise has helped your mood! It is something totally within your control. Good for you for sticking to your trainer's instructions while he is away. That shows a lot of self-discipline on your part, which is so crucial to weight loss. Keep up the awesome work!!! And thank you so much for the !!! I am feeling it lately..... finally!

Fi: I am so happy to hear that you got a good report on your kittens. I love pets, as you know, for the reasons you mentioned. So happy you will be getting your little loves soon! Good for you for moving forward with the BERP! You, too, have shown so much self-discipline with the whole project. You ladies inspire me to have more discipline in my own life. Thank you!

Amy: Glad to hear that you are almost over your cold. Sorry you have to have sinus surgery, but I hope it will help you to have less suffering and fewer sinus issues. You will be okay! Good luck with your search for a good therapist. Hope you find someone who will really help you. You deserve the best! Sounds like you have found a good stylist finally. That's great! You are making some really positive changes, I think. Good for you!

As for me, I have been eating low carb the past two days, which is especially good since there are so many temptations at the lake! I am proud of myself. Just trying to take one day at a time and strive for progress and not perfection.

Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend. Sending all of you strength and love!

Ibelieveinme2- Love how you said you're striving for progress and not perfection! That's so important!!

DH and I went to a burger joint we love last night and while I thought I had blown my calories out of the water, I ended up just going over by about 150 calories. It's a place we typically get frozen custard at after we eat, but I avoided it! It was a huge success for me! I definitely would have came in under calories if I hadn't ate a piece of my cake from my going away party at work, lol. I have three pieces left and I can't decide if I want to get rid of them or eat them... Most likely I'll pitch them. The cake isn't really moist which is a bummer, but a reason for me not to eat it at the same time!!

Went to the gym today finally. Haven't been in a few days. I did 30 minutes on the stair stepper. Anyone elses feet start going numb when your on that or the elliptical? Drives me nuts! Then I did 20 minutes on the bike. Feeling really good!

Going to Holiday World tomorrow with my brother and his fiance. So excited!!!!!! Food scares me, but I'm just going to practice moderation. I know I won't die if I eat a bit more than normal. On the upside it's basically a day of walking around, so I'll be getting some exercise!

That happens to me, too. I read a blog on SparkPeople.com that explained that this numbness happens because you're not moving your foot normally, so are putting pressure on the nerves. This is a link to the blog article, if you're interested.

I managed to get out for a 14-mile bike ride this morning. I was taking the dog for a walk this afternoon and we were a mile from the house when the sky opened up and it started pouring rain. My husband played my Knight in Shining Armor and came to rescue us with the car. I was glad for that as I had to pick up the dog and start carrying her once the rain started.

I think I remember reading something about this too. I'm definitely going to try duplicating my normal foot movement as when walking. Maybe pick it up during each step on the stepper machine.

Kathleen— Thanks for the compliment re. self-discipline, but I want you to know that I could never have done the BERP (which isn't quite finished) without that that slow-breathing technique I learned from The Willpower Instinct. It has been a real godsend! It has put steel in my spine and helped me re-group to go after the next daunting task, and the next, and onward... Remember I posted a detailed explanation of why it works and how to do it back in June, I believe. If you need me to re-post it, I can do that. It really only takes about 5-10 minutes for the slow breathing to strengthen my willpower by leaps and bounds. You have just got to give it a try!

I hope you all are doing well. I feel like I have missed a lot. Ha.
The stepson went back home yesterday and Shane and I spent most of the day after relaxing and spending time together. It was much needed quality time. This week, I will get a lot of alone time, as Shane is working when I am off. That will be a nice break and will also mean that this weekend will be extra special. Lots of good things happening right now. Got my new glasses prescription completely covered by my insurance. My mother got her social security claim approved after fighting for 4 year. I am particularly glad about that one as I was getting severely concerned about my parents and their ability to care for themselves. Anyway, things are going good. I am still anxious, of course. Things could be PERFECT and I would still be anxious. So that is that. I hope you all are well.

So I've been following many weight loss support groups over the past few weeks. I always love to see the transformations that people go through, and today I want to be one of those transformations.

I have been trying to lose weight for the past 8 years. I'm 20 years old. I don't want to go through the nitty gritty details about my ups and downs, but lets just say there have been a lot. At my lowest (165), I remember feeling so accomplished and happy, which was a year before I hit my highest weight. Last summer I hit my tipping point (190) and I knew I had to change it around. I got down to 170 and since then I have gained another 10 pounds. My ultimate goal is to get down to 140, but I have a mini goal of losing ten pounds in one month.

I am sure I will hit my ups, and my downs, but I feel like I am in the right mentality for the first time in a very long time.

I can't wait to get back to it guys! I know I won't get the support in my actual environment, so I'm really looking for a place to be truthful with. I think this is the place to be

SunjumD: to the group! Glad you posted! It sounds like you HAVE found the right place! I think you will find a lot of great support for your goals here. Congrats on being down 10 pounds from your highest point! Proof that YOU CAN DO IT!!! Feeling like you have the right mentality is HUGE! And I've learned it just can't be forced. So you are already ahead of the game. Are you following any particular diet and/or exercise plan? I recently began low carb eating and I work out about 3-4 times a week on average. Really need to increase that to at least 5 faithful days of exercise for the amount of weight I want to lose. Trying hard to reign in my eating. I've been successful the past several days, so I am HOPEFUL once again! Wishing you success in your weight loss journey! We will be cheering you on!

Fi: I am so impressed that you have found so much success with the slow breathing technique from The Willpower Instinct. My gut feeling, if I am totally honest, is that it won't work for me, though. Just my negative thinking I am sure. And a cop out. I will revisit your June detailed explanation and the book (which I never finished) and give it a try soon. Thanks for the reminder.

Kathleen— How can you know the slow breathing won't work for you until you've tried it? Do it like I suggested: set up some small task that you've been putting off, then lie down on a couch, do the slow breathing for 10 minutes, then see if you have more willpower to tackle that task after you get up. I think that's a good test of it. Or else, do the slow breathing within a couple hours before a meal, and see if you have more willpower to stick with small portions and avoid overdoing it on the high-cal or high-carb items. But don't be surprised if it takes you a dozen breaths or more to get the hang of it. If you're having trouble making the inhales and exhales slow, do them through pursed lips, as if through a straw.

Um... hello there! I recently found this forum and I'm so thankful that I have. I definitely feel like I have a lot of ups and downs, and this seems like an amazing place to give and get support for them.

I've been trying to lose weight for a while, and I've had almost no success. About 5 years ago I hit my adult low of 150, and I've been trying to get back there ever since.

It's great to meet all of you, and SunjumD, welcome as well! It looks like we'll be starting this leg of our journeys together!

I really feel like this will be a good place for me to be completely (and sometimes painfully) honest with myself, and to find some amazing people to keep me accountable. I really hope so, at least.

SunjumD and Chelainabear— Welcome to the Ups & Downs thread! What you are doing right now is so important: making a strong commitment to taking better care of yourself. It takes a lot of self-love to lose weight and keep it off, so don't be bashful about giving yourself all that you need.

Fiona W, thank you! I know that the first couple steps are the hardest, and I really want to take them.

The thing I'm struggling with right now is about depression--the only person who has told me that they think I may be depressed is a psychologist, and I have never seen a medical doctor about it. I am considering going in tomorrow to make an appointment to see my usual GP, and asking her about antidepressants.

I just have a hard time admitting to people that I think I need that help. Especially someone who has known me for most of my life. That will be my biggest battle tomorrow.

Chelainabear: to the group! I am so happy that you posted. I hope you will be honest with your doctor about the possibility that you are depressed. You deserve to be healthy and happy, too! Please let us know how it goes. We are here to support you in any way that we can. Best of luck to you in your weight loss journey! YOU CAN DO THIS!!!

IBelieveInMe2 thank you! Last time I saw her about my PCOS treatment I didn't bring it up, but I think it's past time. I will definitely keep you updated about how that goes!

And thank you so much for your warm welcome I can already tell that this is a supportive and wonderful community