Hi Everyone,
I missed posting last night. After I got home from work, I went to do my workout at the Y and then came home, took a very quick shower and then headed out with dh to a Bengal party( and they won!). I hadn't had dinner by the time I got there but I was careful with the snacks. I did have a can of soda--I dont drink soda very often.

It was late when we got home and I get up at 5:30 a.m. I'm very tired tonight but I wanted to check in.

Good job at the scales this week Kar and Kaplods--very inspiring to us.

Jax: Hold steady and true and hopefully those TOPS scales will show a loss when you weigh-in.

Kar: I'm up for a challenge. I don't have any idea for one, but I'll sleep on it and let you know if I thought of anything.

Speaking of sleep, I'm headed to bed. You know they say when we don't get enough sleep we gain weight--I don't need that!:tired:

Hi,
Tomorow is my weigh-in. I jumped on the scales tonight and I'm not sure if I will show a loss or not. It sort of bums me because I have done really well this week with food and exercise.

I'm telling myself that if it doesn't show on the scales this week..it will eventually and I need to think how much better I'm feeling. I really am. I don't feel stuffed in my clothes--I can feel my abs getting tighter and my lower body firming up with walking.

Still, I want to see that number on the scales go down!

I'll most likely talk to everyone on Friday. By the time I go to work, go to my meeting, workout and then eat, it's late and I just want to head to bed on Thursday's.

Good Luck Susie with your weigh-in! You will do fine.
Hi to everyone else. Been a long day and am head off to bed.
Chat with you all later.
Kerry

Well I have my first official meeting today. So of course the home scales are up a little! Figures...

Jax

Good morning TOPS buddies! :wave

Kerry, awesome job on your 2 1/4 pounds loss!!:carrot:

Susie, you are doing great and have a good attitude. The scales will move down so just keep with your program.

Jax, good luck tonight and if the scale doesn't say what you want you also just keep on keeping on and that weight will come off.

I have my meeting tonight as well and I have my fingers and toes crossed that I will see a loss!! I'll let you all know.

I think a challenge would be great so count me in on what you decide.

Have a great and healthy day! :hug:

Well the TOPS scale said down 0.2lbs from last week even with wearing jeans compared to a dress last time. However since I officially joined this week that is my starting weight so it didn't "count" as a loss. Does to me though!

The group is great and very supportive. They took some "before" pictures of me (if I get them I will post) and then we made some decorated hats for a regional rally. It is going to be great to get some in-person support. To complement the 3FC support I've been enjoying for some time, of course.

Jax

Jax, that is so great that you had a loss, and that you have a good and supportive group. That is so very important. :)


Well, I had my weigh-in tonight, and as you can see by my ticker and cheerleader below I FINALLY made it into the 220s. I lost three pounds and I'm so happy!! :carrot:I really believe it has been the added exercise that I've done this week and that makes me want to keep it up and see great results next week. :cool:

Way to go Pita - congrats on getting into the 220's. Well done! :carrot::carrot:

Jax

Hi Everyone,

Well, I guess the scales aren't ready to move yet. Stayed the same again when I weighed in on Thursday. I'm staying positive about it. I mean, what choice do I have? Get depressed, give up and then pack on more weight? NO..that is not an option for me. My self-estem can't take it and my body can't.

I'm going to miss some workouts this week..and some posting. I'm traveling a couple of days. I try to workout when I travel but I never end up doing it. I'm usually to tired at the end of the day and I've been on my feet most of the day. I'm having some back issues. Very stiff...pain when I first stand. I haven't had an adjustment in awhile so I'm going to do that when I get back in town.

Enough about me. I'm glad to see that the scales were good to Pita (220's --WOW!) and Jax and Kerry. Keep it up ladies...it's inspiring.

I'll post sometime on Tuesday or Wednesday.

Ladies,

I have a confession. I have been totally out of control today. I had 2 candy bars and 2 sodas. I know it's because I'm tired. Why do I do this to myself?

Why do I give up what I want most for what I want now. I don't want to go weigh-in on Thursday--I am so tired of being up and down and up and down. Why can't I get this together?

I love pretty clothes and the ones I have don't fit...I gained 30 lbs back!
I know that tomorrow is another day and I can do better-and I will, but right now...I"m mad at myself!

Buck up Susie! It's a glitch not a disaster, don't beat yourself, just get back on that horse that threw you (or whichever metaphor you choose). Short-term rewards over long-term rewards are hard for everybody (which is why so few people plan well for their retirement). If you can find a way to make candy and sodas more inaccessible, that may help. I had a friend who locked all "treats" in a foot locker that only her husband and teen son had the key to. That may not be the "gimmick" that works for you, but finding one that does, is just a matter of creative thinking and trial and error, and unfortunately sometimes, trial and error after trial and error after trial and error. Persistance is usually much more productive than perfection when it comes to weight loss.

---------

Yesterday, I was up two pounds by my scale since last weigh-in (I had to use my scale, as the chapter scale woudn't register a stable weight for me. I either gained 9 lbs by it, or lost 9 lbs. Hubby's weight was even hinkier). They have to add a counterweight for us, and I don't think the weight recorder was doing it right. We're going ot bring in our home scale next week to see if we can get it in sync with the chapter scale. This morning, I was down 4 lbs from yesterday. I know I didn't legitimately lose 4 lbs in 24 hours, so the gain on Monday must have been water weight (which I suspected because my wedding ring was snug). This week I'm planning on being much more vigilant.

Down 2.2 lbs on the chapter scale this week! I'm very pleased, as I haven't been seeing that sort of loss on the scale at home. I think I'll change my ticker (up, since the TOPS weight includes clothes) and keep this as my weekly "official" weight rather than my Friday one, since I'm not sure what my scale at home is doing, and this way I know it's once a week. So I'm at 170.8 at TOPS.

I also had a couple of NSV's this week - one was accidentally putting on DH's shorts (we have some by the same company in a very similar colour) and not noticing until we were out. They felt a bit odd but what actually made me notice was that his have a cargo pocket on one leg and mine don't. I was quite surprised I could get them on.

The other isn't a NS victory per se, more of a NS eye-opener. I went for a bra fitting and have gone down a band size, without going up in cup size. I was a 36DD/E and the bra I bought yesterday was a 34DD. It fits perfectly (and looks great!) so I'm smaller in both the chest and the boobage department. Perhaps when I'm done I'll be able to buy bras at "normal" stores again rather than expensive speciality shops.

Susie - I had an out-of-control day this week as well. I was helping at my son's kindergarten class, didn't take enough lunch, then came home and binged on toast with jam. Grrrrr. But I still lost overall for the week. I was mad at myself too. But I figure it's probably going to keep happening, so just to get up and move on. Hopefully any binges get further apart and smaller in magnitude.

No exercise for a few days, I have a nasty cough/cold and any time I breathe even slightly heavily, I cough. Yesterday I had to suck a Hall's at night just to stop coughing enough to sleep. So running and weights have been off since Monday.

Jax

OK, I've been MIA for a few weeks but tonight after work I am going to re-join a TOPS group by my house (if I like it - I haven't been yet). My old TOPS group dismantled, and I took a month or two off. And I probably gained a lot of weight in the meantime.

I will post later and give a status, and probably whine a bit about having to change my ticker to an unfavorable number. :(

Good morning TOPS Pals :wave:

I had my meeting last night and was very pleased to see a 3/4 pound loss considering I had just started TOM that morning. :yay:

So, I think my being able to jump start my weight loss again has been because I have upped my workout at Curves to an hour. Well, I just found out this morning that they are shutting down as of next Friday!! Talk about your short notice :mad: I am going to check out a couple of gyms near me and see how those look and cost. I was sort of planning to join a bigger gym in about 6 months...once I loss a bit more weight! Now, I will have to swallow my pride and haul my big thighs somewhere else. Wouldn't be so bad, except I live in a college town and those young, fit girls don't help my ego. Vanity....vanity!! :o

Susie :hug:You will get back on track. I have learned that beating yourself up is counterproductive to being successful. So forgive yourself and get back on your plan. We are here for you.

Way to go on your 2.2 loss Jax!! :cp: You are doing awesome and I appreciate the inspiration your losses give me to keep it up and hopefully beat you. OK, I have a competitive streak....but I'm really nice. ;)

Phantastica, it's good to see you here. You will get back on track so same advice I gave Susie goes for you. It is OK to whine a tiny bit if you have to. :hug:

Pita - turn that competitive streak onto the gym and go in there to show the svelte college girls what you can do!! :lifter: Congratulations on the loss - any loss is good and you're headed in the right direction.

phantastica - have a good whine, as long as you get doing something about it! Sometimes I find a whining session good for motivation in the longer term. :hug: and I hope you find the new group fits for you.

As for me - I can be competitive too. I still want to be the "best loser" for the week at some point (OK so it's only my second official week :D). We started a new "mountain climbing" challenge for 25lbs lost yesterday - the first such one I've been in on. So we shall see what that does for competitiveness. Some of the group are going to an area rally on Oct 13 but unfortunately my boys have swimming lessons so I won't be there.

Still sick so no exercise here. :( DS#2 is sick and home from school today too, so I think it's going to be a quiet day.

Jax

Went to the doctor today, and my scale at home weighs me about 3 lbs less than the doctor's office scale, so I'd say it must be pretty close (nekkid at home, dressed at doctor's).

I love my doctor. I asked him to write my goal weight for the group (we're supposed to have one on file). He asked what I wanted my goal to be, and I asked "200?" He asked if I was sure about that, and if I didn't want to change it. I assumed he meant downward, and I said, well I thought I'd think about changing it once I made it that far. That's not what he meant. He knew that at WW, once you hit goal you didn't have to pay dues anymore, and he also didn't want me to choose a goal so far away that I would get discouraged. I like his style. He's supportive of the weight loss, but also very understanding of how difficult it is to get the weight off (he's a tiny bit overweight himself, but seems pretty fit for a man his age). He reminds us that even if the weight loss doesn't improve our health problems, it may be enough to keep them from getting worse, and that especially for my husband (diabetic) that's still going to be progress, because most diabetics have to increase their medication over time.

Since TOPS is so affordable, I'm not really worried about paying dues after goal, but do KOPS pay dues, I never asked? Well, anyway I did raise my goal to 250, but if I make it that far, I wouldn't be surprised if I want to go lower. I probably would have him write a new goal slip anyway, just for the little extra motivation. Though I think I might try maintaining at 250 for a little while just for the practice. Look at me, already planning for 100 lb loss, like it's a foregone conclusion. Kinda neat!

Hi Ladies,

Sorry that I've been MIA for a few days. I just let life take on me instead of me taking on life.

I didn't go to my TOPS meeting last week. I just couldn't face those scales. Usually I won't let myself do that but I knew that I was going to be seeing my docotor the next day for a checkup and I figured I'd see what I weighed there. By their scales I would have stayed the same.

My doctor and I talked about my struggle with weight loss. I do have some medical issues that make it harder for me to lose weight but I can..it's just very slow and sometimes it can be discourging. We talked about the new Alli product. She told me that I might give it a try to see if it made a difference for me. I've been researching it and I'm not sure about it, but what I do know is that if I take it I have to watch my fat intake. Those that are taking it say that it's a tool for them to not over do on the fat. So, I'm using this week and next to see if I can stay in that fat range that they recommend and how I feel. I started on Thursday and so far I have been able to do it and when I got on the scales this morning the scales were are 276...I haven't been that in 4-5 months! I keep going between 278 and 283. So..I'm learning something here. I can do this and I will get results. I still have about another 10 days to see how committed I can be before trying the pill. I'm continuing to look into it. I know that nothing is a free ride---I' m just thinking of it as a tool to use. Just like I use exercise, my diet journal, my workouts, my TOPS meetings and posting here.

It's good to be back and read your posts and see the losses and the committments and the accomplishments and feel the encourgements. I want to post every day..it's inspiring for me so I'm going to work really hard at it.

I better get back to work but I wanted to pop in and say "I'm back" and I'm not leaving!

I was GOING to attend the new TOPS group on Thursday, but we had a bad rain and hail storm right at the time it was starting, so I went home instead. I was disappointed, but I knew I was ready and I've acted "ready" since then. The weekend had some controlled indulgence, and of course weekdays are so much easier. My home scale says I'm about six pounds up from my ticker, but I also use my TOPS weight as my "official" weight, and I haven't had an official TOPS weight since I last attended TOPS a few months back.

Jax, I had the same thing going on with a cold. I traveled for a week and brought back a cold, which was the worst in the mornings (when I usually work out). I still have a bit of a cough, but it's manageable.

I started working out again this morning, after having two weeks off. Shorter, cooler days are going to make this going-to-the-gym-at-5:00am thing increasingly difficult.

Colleen, your doctor sounds perfect. My doctor is perfectly thin, but she's kind and understanding.

Great job, Susie! The loss is encouraging!

Well it turns out I have bronchitis. So it's good that I haven't been pushing the workouts - well I have no energy as it is. I had to sit on the couch and cough for an hour after walking the boys to school yesterday. Not good. But it did prompt me to go to a doctor (I hate taking drugs so am often reluctant to go - usually waiting things out allows my body to be clear of them in its own time).

I've lost on my home scale this week, mostly from not feeling like eating much. I'm supposed to eat with my antibiotics though - they made me tired (more!) yesterday but not sick, so that's good. Don't know if I have the energy to go to TOPS tomorrow - I'd like to but it just may be better to stay home than drive into town.

Susie - I know there's quite an active alli forum here - perhaps they can give you some tips. Good to see the scales down a bit though!

Colleen, I think it's a great idea to pick an interim goal and then maintain there for a while. Way to go. I'm new to TOPS and have no idea whether KOPS pay dues. We only have one KOPS in our group and she's been with TOPS a long time.

Jax

Hi Everyone,

Still doing good here with the exercise and keeping the fat grams in line--I think I'm give the Alli a try in a couple of weeks. I'm giving my body a couple of weeks to see what it will do on it's own with that.

We don't have TOPS this week due our buidling is being used by something at the church where we meet so we are not having a meeting. I feel really good because I have been of the attitude that I had a break, a cheat week if you will....but I decided not to look at it that way last week and instead to use it to really work hard and show a bigger loss next week.

Has anyone gotten their TOPS news? Seeing those winners at IRD is inspiring to me.

Jax: I hope you feel better soon.

Phan: Good for you for getting back to the exercise.

Hmmm
 

I attended the TOPS group closest to my house tonight. It's about three times larger than my other group, and that's OK because my last group only had five members (if everyone showed up). I'm really on the fence about this group.

The members are all at significantly older than me. Half are senior citizen age (approaching 80s) and the other half are probably in their late 50s (I'm 37). Many of them know each other very well, but they were very welcoming and light-hearted. They follow the program to the book, doing the exercises outlined by TOPS etc. My other group was more about emotional support, where we'd talk about whatever was on our minds - what our strategies were for the following week, what our challenges were, etc. This group has a gavel and they use it to call the group to order! LOL.

I could give it a shot, and if I really don't like it I could switch to a different group.

Jax - take care! Hope you feel better soon.

Colleen - I totally agree TOPS is so cheap! If I were paying Weight Watchers prices, I would feel pressured into losing weight, and it adds a level of stress that I wouldn't want. I like the fact that if I maintain on TOPS for a year, I'm not out several hundred dollars.

Susie - good call on not having a "cheat week"! I admire your determination!

Hi:

I'm about to start my second week of really watching my fat grams. Yesterday I wouldn't say I was out of control but I did eat a little more high fat that I had been and you know what? Today my body feels icky.

It feels so good to see those scales be down to numbers that I haven't seen for about a year. That "tastes" better to me than anything I could eat! And I like feeling better too.

Phan: When I first started with my TOPS group they were older ladies ('m 42 now, but I was 38 when I started) and they really didn't have any sort of a meeting. I wasn't sure if I was going to stay or not but as I started loosing, it inspired the group to get back with TOPS. We started with programs again..some TOPS some other things that people found. Then new people started coming...older, younger and today we have a great diverse group! Also, we had one lady who was 74..she thought about quitting because she wasn't losing weight..well...we talked to here that night and something clicked for her. She ended up losing 100 lbs! in a year and at ARD she was presented the Century Award and her KOPS status. Let me tell you that was one great ARD..and the tears were flowing!

I learned so much from that group and I also gave them something so it was a win-win all the way around and for me..that's what TOPS is all about.

Right now I have been struggling and those lovely older ladies have reminded me that I am young and beautiful and I don't want to waste another minute of my life being overweight. They got my thinking turned back around for me.

My point is that you never know what you are going to get out of something until you try it and put in to it.

Hi,
Looks like everyone is out enjoying the beautiful fall weather. I just stopped by to keep myself on track and see who else might be out there.

I plan on taking a walk sometime today and that's about it. I've got my lunches lined up for the week as well as my dinner meals and even my snacks. I want to go to TOPS this Thursday and see a good loss this week. I know I have to work for it...and I'm ok with that.

We went to a wedding last night. I did very well with my choices. I had a little bit of cheeseball and crackers but not as much as I would have before and I did have a piece of wedding cake...I mean...I got to have wedding cake at a wedding--and it was really good. But other than that I'm doing ok. I hope those scales show it on Thursday---I'm reminding myself have much better I feel not being stuffed to the gills.

Thanks, Susie! I decided to join the group after all. Those little old ladies are cute and funny. They take the games and such pretty seriously, LOL!

I was down a pound since last week, yay! I weighed myself mid-week and was a little frustrated that I hadn't lost because it *seemed* like I'd been trying. When I looked back at my week, though, I noticed: dinner out with a friend on Monday (and not wise choices), a lot of junk food over the weekend, etc. I know how to do this. I know what to do (and what not to do).

So. My goals this week are to get my exercise in, and to focus on making healthy foods for dinners as well as leftovers for lunch.

Hi Phanta: Congrats on loosing that pound and for joining the group...you just made a public acknowledgement that you are comitted to your desire to lose weight, and also for looking over things and seeing where you can make good choices for this week to have those scales show the efforts of your work. I also needed to be reminded why it is important for me to write things down do when I need to go back and look over them to see what I have been doing that is working or not working, I can recall it correctly and use it as a dependable road map.

I had a great loss on Thursday night. I lost 5.25. I'm going to get my ticker added to my post here shortly. I want to track my progess.

I'm dealing with a cold and strep throat. It all started yesterday. I am taking it easy today and I will not get a chance to workout tomorrow--it's ok...I'm going to count it as rest..my body needs it right now and then on Tuesday I'll start back with a light workout. Right now, I'm not eating much..it hurts to swallow. I'm trying to drink a lot of water so I can thin this stuff out and get it out of my body. Thank heavens for antibodics...I'm feeling better than I did yesterday afternoon.

I'll check in tomorrow with everyone.

Hi everyone :wave: sorry that I've been missing. I started back to school, which has made life a whole lot busier, plus other things have kept me very busy.

My latest TOPS news is that two weeks ago I lost a 1/2 lb but this week I gained a pound. I am not upset because this last week I also joined a gym and my exercise is going to be dramatically increased. I feel confident that my weight is going to start going down!! My TOPS also has a new contest that will give $20 dollars to the first person to lose 16 lbs. I so want to win!!

I hope everyone is doing alright and I promise to keep in touch much more often. I have missed it here. :hug:

Evening All,
I like Pita have been very busy lately. But have been thinking of you all. I am really trying hard to balance work, home and making time for myself again to workout and eat right. Have new motivation to want to lose. Going on vacation with dh and friends next summer to the beach and I don't want to wear fat clothes to the beach. SO I am trying really hard to lose the weight now.
Hope all is going well for everyone. I hope you all have good wi's this week. I go tomorrow night so I will let you know how it goes. Off to get ready for work tomorrow and then go to bed.
Take care,
Kerry

I wish I had been busy - I've still been sick. Yuk. Hopefully it's improving now. I want to go running but just don't have the energy. My weight was down at TOPS last week (I didn't go two weeks ago) by a pound, but from my home scale it's up over that now. But we did have Thanksgiving meals this weekend. I didn't eat a lot but it was richer food than I'm used to having. I hope I can at least turtle this week, not gain. Or if I do have a gain, that it's a small one.

Jax

Morning All,
Hope everyone's week is going well for them. I went to TOPS last night and am down a pound and a quarter. So I was happy. I am hoping to keep up with this losing streak. I need to buy new clothes for school and won't do it until I am in a smaller size.
Jax maybe it is just water retention. How are you feeling today? Are you on medicine of any kind, because sometimes that can make you gain a little?
Phantasitica good for you for joining that group. I know what you mean about there being a lot of older experienced dieters in your group. But I have found that sometimes they are the best people to be around. Hope you have a good week!
Pita so how is school going? How many classes are you taking this semster?
Collen and Sue how are you two?
Well I best sign off for now. Check back with you later. Hope you all have a great weigh in this week!
Take care,
Kerry

I lost two pounds this week (the two I gained the week before), and hubby lost 8. He won biggest loser, but everyone in the group did really well this week, so his "take" was only 40 cents (meaning only 4 lbs were gained in the whole group, our net loss was 26lbs). We were all very proud of the whole group.

I'm trying to get more exercise in, as I'm super stressed right now, and I know it will help. My prescription drug coverage has run out, and I'll have to pay all my prescription costs out of pocket for the rest of the year. My medications run about $1000 a month. My doctor gave me samples of my Singulair and Avalide (for asthma and high blood pressure, respectively) and we switched pharmacies to Sam's club, and the sweet pharmacist there gave me a coupon for a free Advair disk. I'm looking into Canada pharmacies for the Advair (because it's $200 a month, even at Sam's Club, and about $250 everywhere else), but don't have a clue how to tell a "good" online pharmacy from a bad one. And to make things even more "fun" my husband loses his medical and prescription coverage in November, and will not be eligible for Medicare until August of next year. Yikes! I have to say that I was pretty naive about the issues of universal health care, and affordable prescription coverage, because this is the first time I've not been able to afford medications.

Wow Colleen, that is terrible about your insurance. I am going to pray that something good happens and that you find a way to get your meds at a price you can afford. There has to be something. Good going on your 2 lbs loss!! :hug:

Jax, I sure hope you are feeling better. Happy belated Thanksgiving. I'm trying to decide what to do here for Thanksgiving. Last year, my new love, the teenager, and I all went to a Chinese buffet for Thanksgiving dinner. It was great not having to cook like I've done for so many years. However, I'm not wanting to go some place where I could easily gain 10 lbs at one meal. :D

Kerry, that beach vacation is a great incentive. Keep up the good work!!!

I had my meeting tonight and because the leaders were all MIA except for the weight recorder I ended up running the meeting. It was fun. I lost 2 lbs which thrilled me. I even won the best loser for the month blue ribbon. This is my second month winning, and I have to say I want to make this month as well. ;)

School is going great. I have accounting 101 which is very challenging and I love it. I'm also taking Principles of Professional Selling and that is a good class so far. Lots of work to be done to keep my grades.

You all take care and I'll check back in soon.

Lose those pounds!!! :carrot::carrot::carrot:

Colleen, I hope you manage to find somewhere reasonable for your meds. That's a lot to be spending every month.

Phantastica, my group is mostly older women too. I think that's because it meets during the day, not in the evening. I picked it for that very reason, since one boy has hockey during all the evening meetings, but of course that cuts out those who work during the days.

Good job on everyone losing this week. I didn't - up 1.6 lbs. Ah well. Next week is another week. I still haven't shaken this illness, although I'm done with my antibiotics. Hopefully it's getting better. I couldn't sleep last night so am very tired this morning.

That's all my news, have a good weekend folks,
Jax

I have to say I was blissfully ignorant of the retail costs of prescription medications. My husband has found a plan that may cover him. I hope so, because his medications come to almost as much as mine. We can't afford
$1000, yet alone $1800 for medications, so we're kind of left in a scary place.

I'm having to do a little experimenting with some of my medications. There are some that I can't change without health consequences, but for the most part, those are the drugs that have cheaper alternatives or ones the doctor
gave me samples of to last me until January (I'm looking for a better Medicare Part D plan, but the coverage whether with the plan I have now, or another company will start January 1). The drugs I take for pain, restless leg, and
asthma are a little more flexible. I can reduce or eliminate some of them, and basically live with the consequences, but it's a balancing act. I've reduced pain meds, but I've been in bed with a heating pad the last several days (I was doing pretty well until the termperature dropped. I don't do well in cold).

I'm going to try to sell a bunch of stuff on ebay. It's a bad time for ebay right now, but I've got to try something.

The good news is that we only have to make it to August of next year. I figure we can put up with whatever comes for 9 months.

I missed a week due to school conferences, and when I went in tonight I'd gained EIGHT POUNDS?!? Some of it's due to my cycle, but still. I knew I wasn't meticulous, but I thought I'd maintain at best. I assumed that my ban on fast/restaurant food was enough to take some weight off, but I guess I was eating just as much of homemade stuff.