Hey Everyone,

just like missingmyerica, I subscribed to this thread. It's my first thread too.

I'm using 2008 as a fresh start. I'd like to listen to my body, but it's got no clue what's going on at this point either. I'm going to do South Beach, as the guidelines are easy to follow, and I love the idea of getting un-addicted to sugar and carbs. If I don't have a set of rules, I will find a way to make excuses and I'm not going to let myself do that. But that's just me. I've lived without eating rules for 26 years, aside from a few brief diets, and it's time for me to change it.

I am very excited about the new year, and working toward a new me, and I look forward to doing it with all of you!

WooHoo!!

I subscribed too! whooooo hoooooo
Newbie on a roll! LOL

You can also just scroll up to the top of this page and click the down arrow for "Thread Tools" then select "Subscribe to this thread". That's what I did.

Originally Posted by jillybean720:
my taste buds are naughty, too! They reject almost all vegetables (and believe me, I've tried 'em all and have prepared them in ways I didn't know existed!), which really makes proper nutrition and reducing calories pretty tricky at times. But I've found some ways to hide veggies in other foods, so there's almost always a way to trick the taste buds if needed ;)

Oh now see,my taste buds love almost all fruits and veggies....just when given the option of those over junk foods like chocolate....they so go for the chocolate and bad foods :devil: I have to keep them in check.

Originally Posted by McMoo:
I'm going to do South Beach, as the guidelines are easy to follow, and I love the idea of getting un-addicted to sugar and carbs.

Have you or anyone else tried South Beach before? I know a few people who did well but could never get a real handle on how it's done. All of the written info I found seemed a bit intimidating. Is it as restrictive as it looks?

I tried the "fried zucchini" recipe from Hungrygirl.com today and well let's just say....I wasn't thrilled. I guess my expectations were too high and I expected it to taste just like regular fried zucchini.:( Ah well, live and learn. I love veggies, so it's no big deal. I use zucchini instead of cucumbers in my salad, just to get in another healthy veggie. I did make some homemade sugar free/fat free hot chocolate mix out of powdered nonfat milk, splenda and cocoa. It tastes so good, and since I don't use artificial sweetner in anything else, I thought I'd use it as a treat. Has anyone made any new (healthy) recipes lately?

I actually did try south beach once before, about 4 years ago. I was living with a friend who was doing it, and the way she explained it to me in a nutshell was that it was similar to Atkins, but low-fat.

That's only for Phase 1, which lasts 2 weeks.. or you can do it longer if you want, but it isn't sugggested b/c you can burn out on it and just give up. (which is what happened to me)

Phase 2 is the long part of the diet, where you gradually add in carbs to find the perfect balance where you can eat them and still lose weight. Like I said, I didn't get that far.

I've got the book, which I'll be reading in the next two days, and I'll keep you posted.

As much as a carb/sugar addict as I am, I love proteins and veggies just as much, so I don't think it'll be too hard to adjust. The first week is a pain in the butt though, but it pays off. Your cravings for sugars really do stop. Sugars even make you feel crappy, which is a nice side-effect.

I'm only going to do phase 1 for the reccomended two weeks this time though. Losing 15 lbs in the first two weeks tempted me to stay on phase 1 for longer, as it was the first time I had EVER lost any weight.

So here goes. I found that on the Fat Girls On The Beach message board has a few great stickies with the good/bad foods, and a more organized overview than mine. I tend to ramble, I apologize.

I was walking and dancing when I lost the 80lbs in 5 months. My goal weight may or may not change depending on how I feel when I get close to it.

Hey, I just noticed we have some chicks here from Northern VA and MD--I'm in the lovely DC Metro area, too!

As for me, it's been a bit of a rough day. My sister lives about 200 miles away from me and has one biological daughter named Isabelle (Izzy). Well, I got a phone call from my mother earlier today asking if I'd heard from my sister, and when I told her no, she filled me in on what's been going on in the last 24 hours. I had just said good bye to Izzy on Wednesday when my sister's family and mine both left my parents' house in CT to head to our homes in VA, so I knew she'd been fine at that point. Apparently, when my sister picked Izzy up from her babysitter's on Friday, she wouldn't use her left leg at all. Mind you, Izzy will be 1 next month, so she's been crawling around and pulling herself up to stand and has been very active, so not using a leg was alarming. Appropriately so, my sister and her husband took her to the hospital for X-rays where they found a fracture near the top of her thigh bone. The hospital immediately suggested they start an investigation into the babysitter for possible child abuse, and they ran more tests and did a full body scan for any other injuries. After lots of tests (and lost sleep), they've discovered another fracture on Izzy's shin bone near her ankle and a previous healed fracture in her wrist. My sister and brother-in-law have already spoken with a social worker, and last I knew, they were waiting for DCA at the hospital. We're all sort of shocked/angry/frightened/confused...at one point, the hospital said Izzy also had an elevated white blood cell count, which could be indicative of Leukemia, but further testing has shown her blood counts returning to normal, so thankfully that has been ruled out. It's been a stressful day, and I'm sure it's going to continue for quite some time while they get everything all sorted out. I hope with all my heart there is a rational explanation, but they've tested Izzy's bone density to be sure she's not more brittle than others her age for any reason, and her bones are normal for her age. They also said that at a minimum, the fracture on her thigh is a "forced fracture," meaning it could not have occured accidentally by her stepping on a toy or falling from trying to walk. Izzy is currently in a splint from her little ankle to her hip. Learning to walk will have to wait a bit.

Sorry for the tangent--I needed to get it out, and I need to remember that eating or being lazy about WHAT to eat will not help my sister or Izzy at all, so back to topic here!

For those discussing South Beach, I did it a few years ago and had some success with it. I stayed on Phase 1 for a few weeks and then did well on Phase 2 for a couple months, but then I just lost it and never went back. I liked it a lot because I didn't really "count" anything. I just added back in healthy carbs (fruits, starchier veggies, whole grains, etc.) in Phase 2 and found it very easy to follow. Then again, I was living with my sister at the time, and we were doing it together, which made it a lot easier since there were no naughty foods in the house :devil:

I've also done calorie counting, calorie cycling, low carb, whole foods...right now, I'm just aiming for healthier foods all around and am not too worried about specific numbers as long as I'm losing. I know my calories will be lower with healthier foods and more reasonable portions, and I will likely track my calories again eventually so I know where to go when I'm no longer seeing the progress I'd like, but I'm going to do my best to not fall into the trap of allowing the numbers (of anything--carbs, fat grams, calories, veggie servings, whatever) to rule me because that's when I most feel like a failure--when I set strict standards for myself that aren't really maintainable.

MissingMyErica--I've definitely seen some recipes on HungryGirl that make me wonder if they're any good. Some just sound so far from the real thing that I can't imagine it would be a good replacement for the real thing. I do like reading their food reviews, though, and there are some great tips on their site and in their emails. I'm not much of a cook, though, so I haven't tried their recipes, so I have no feedback for you!

zoritsa--I WISH my tastebuds enjoyed veggies! I do like lots of fruit, but it's not very filling to me, so I try not too eat too much of it because I'm just hungry again 10 minutes later :dizzy: My taste buds are actually VERY picky; I don't even really care much for chocolate (and can't STAND dark chocolate!). I sometimes have to get very creative with my meals in order to not get bored!

Magrat--my puppies will be 5 months old on New Year's Day. They are Corgi/Jack Russell/Chihuahua mixes. They are from the same litter but look sooo different--we basically have a Chihuahua (female named Bean, about 4.5 pounds) and a Corgi (male named Bowser, about 12 pounds).

midwife--good luck in AZ! I know in January, we'll be going to a party with Jeff's family out near Annapolis, MD, going to my company's holiday party, and visiting Jeff's mother (who, of course, loves to feed us and send us home with leftovers). Planning will certainly be key!

Where abouts are all of you DC Area people from? I'm in Fairfax, VA.

Jilly, I am so sorry to hear about your niece. My thoughts are with her.

I am thankful that the 12 days of Christmas are over with at work. There were endless potlucks, parties with lots of booze and food, and all kinds of sweets. It was such a horrible temptation, although I think as a result, everyone at the office will try to be on good behavior for atleast the first week of the year.

Is anyone not waiting for the new year, and starting now while the motivation is hot?

I did it !!
 

In October I started a 10 week program at the local rec centre where I worked with a trainer a few days a week. I really enjoyed it - although they did kick your butt - but the program ended at the beginning of December.

Since then I have been exercising a few days a week on my own and have been trying to decide what I want to do as I don't want to lose the momentum.

Over the past few weeks I have been trying various facilities in my area and today I joined a fancy new gym :carrot:

1 step in the right direction :D

Congrats Louie for joining the gym. I'm sure you'll enjoy it. I have been going to curves 4 - 5 days a week and I love it. I tryed to do it on my own at home and found that there was to many distractions. Going out of the house to workout has been the best move for me. I still try to add alittle with the treadmill and tapes at home when I have time.
jillybean720 I love reading your posts and I look forward to sharing my 2008 and journey with all of you.
A big HELLO to everyone else. I look forward to getting to know you all better and sharing all the good and bad of our 2008 journey together.
WE CAN DO IT!!

Originally Posted by missingmyerica:
I tried the "fried zucchini" recipe from Hungrygirl.com today and well let's just say....I wasn't thrilled. I guess my expectations were too high and I expected it to taste just like regular fried zucchini.:( Ah well, live and learn. I love veggies, so it's no big deal. I use zucchini instead of cucumbers in my salad, just to get in another healthy veggie. I did make some homemade sugar free/fat free hot chocolate mix out of powdered nonfat milk, splenda and cocoa. It tastes so good, and since I don't use artificial sweetner in anything else, I thought I'd use it as a treat. Has anyone made any new (healthy) recipes lately?

I've been using the following faux fried zucchini recipe for a few years now. I think it might have originally been a WW recipe but I'm not sure. I haven't tried the HG recipe you referenced but I did look it up to make sure it wasn't the one I use. I mix a tablespoon of light ranch dressing with a little horseradish to dip the zucchini in and love it. I can't claim that it is exactly like "real" fried zucchini but I have honestly come to prefer this lighter version:

3 small zucchini cut into sticks or rounds
2 Tablespoons seasoned breadcrumbs
1 Tablespoon grated parmesan cheese
garlic salt, paprika to taste (I usually use just a couple of shakes each)
1/2 teaspoon olive oil

Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Mix breadcrumbs, parmesan, seasonings, and olive oil in a bowl with a lid. Add zucchini and shake to coat. Bake in preheated oven for 12 minutes.

Hope you like it!

Jilly--I'm so sad for you and your family. Hopefully Izzy will heal quickly. The loss of trust and anger on the part of her parents will not heal as quickly I suspect.

McMoo, I am already on it. I have been actively in my lifestyle since September, with some pauses for various holidays and a binge or two. But I am clinging to it again today!

Louie, Congrats on joining a gym. There is a small, woman-owned gym close to my house. Independent (not a Curves or anything like that). My sister-in-law's friend opened it. I'm thinking about thinking about maybe perhaps checking it out. Maybe.

Soontobeslim, Thanks for putting out there that getting out of the house helps with exercising. Maybe I really should check out this chick's gym.

Lucky, that sounds good. In the past fried zucchini has simply been a mechanism to shove Ranch dressing in my mouth. :dizzy: I could eat it with some nice marinara sauce though.

I am on plan so far today, and yesterday was pretty good.

ETA: I just checked out the website for that independant gym....seems really hard-core and big time. I am not really that kind of athlete. Wonder what she offers for an overweight 30-something midwife who wants to learn to life weights??

Oh, Jilly, I am so sorry to hear about your niece. I can't even imagine the range of emotions your family must be feeling. I will keep you all in my thoughts.

I have to give myself a little pat on the back...yesterday I mentioned to my sister that I was getting myself back on track and back into shape. She isn't actually overweight but does want to be healthier and more fit and her response was, "Okay, I'm going to jump on that bandwagon with you but PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE wait until the 1st!" I have to admit that my natural instinct was to say okay and spend the next couple of days indulging for the "last time". But, I gathered my wits and told her no and that I instead was going to use the enthusiasm and motivation that I was feeling right then to start reaching my goals NOW. If there is anything I've learned losing weight it is that motivation comes and goes...and I was very proud of myself for making the CHOICE not to let this blast of excitement pass me by!

Jilly... so sorry to hear about your niece. I hope that you have received some good news since your last post. You definitely are in my thoughts and prayers.

Louie... congrats on joining the gym! That first step is always the hardest and you did it!

Lucky... way to go! Procrastination is one of my naughty lil habits so kudos to you for not giving in to that. I actually had someone try to discourage me from going to WW on Thursday. "Just wait until the week after since it's so close to the New Year." Nope... I'm going on Thursday just like I planned and I'm going to make sure that nothing gets in my way. Gotta defeat that habit.

Today has been a pretty good day. Was able to unload lots of fattening leftovers either through cleaning out the fridge or by giving them to other relatives who really wanted them anyways. Trying to make sure that I don't have bad choices around. My grandma is here visiting though and she has made lots of favorites and put them in my freezer!! OMG... I'll have to go light on the points for breakfast, lunch and snacks to be able to accomodate the comfort food that I'm being left with. No matter what, I'm starting though. Not going to use that as an excuse to put it off another week.

Hey everyone...just checking in quick before I go to work.

Jilly, I am so sorry that you and your family are going through this. I would be out of my mind! I'll keep you in my prayers.

Hi Lovely Ladies :wave:

Hope everyone is having a restful weekend. Saturday night was date night and hubby and I went and saw "I am Legend" - it was good, although a little disturbing at times.

As for today, I was up early so went to the gym. Then I went and wandered around downtown and bought myself a new moleskine diary - I am a self confessed stationary junkie !!!

Jilly ~ thougths with you and your family :hug:

Soon2beslim ~ I use to go to Curves but their hours just didn't work for me. I hear ya about the "at home" thing, definately easier to schedule some time for yourself and exercise outside of the home.

Lucky ~ thanks for the recipe, it sounds yummy :drool: Kudos to you for not falling into the January 1st temptation :)

Midwife ~ I was a bit freaked to join the gym as well. But now I just take my ipod, zone out to the music and do my thing ;)

Luvs ~ aren't grandma's great ;) What program are you following at WW?

Sounds like the dryer might be done, guess I better get back to being a domestic goddess (oh my hubby would LOL if he read that !!). Enjoy the rest of your weekend and keep on keeping on :hug:

Thanks to all for the thoughts and well wishes--I spoke with my sister directly today since everything started with her daughter, and some information relayed to me by my mother got a bit jumbled along the way. The fractures in Izzy's shin and thigh are both near the knee, so it looks like they would have been caused at the same time, not two separate incidents. Also, the babysitter apparently called my sister to see how Izzy was doing earlier on Saturday since she knew Izzy left her house on Friday favoring a leg. My sister seems convinced that it is not a case of intentional abuse, but the babysitter is still not allowed to watch ANY children (she typically watches 5 on weekdays) until the case is closed by the detective and DCS, which they say will be about 45-60 days. In the meantime, my sister is going to work on Wednesday (office is closed Monday and Tuesday) and will explain the situation and see if they can work out an arrangement for her to work from home (which is feasible since she is primarily a recruiter working on phones and computer). If they are unwilling to work with her, she will quit her job (luckily for them, her husband makes enough that they could afford for her to do this). So, emotions are still running high, but at least the dust is starting to settle and we're all thinking a bit more rationally.

McMoo--I actually work in Fairfax! I live down in Woodbridge, though. I've also lived in Alexandria and Manassas and worked in Chantilly, Centreville, and McLean, so in the 3 years I've lived in the area, I've quickly become a bit of a NoVA mutt :p

I'm not completely waiting until the new year to start being healthier. I can't say I'm going full force right now, but I'm already at least working on setting myself up for success (planning, buying certain foods and, more importantly, NOT buying others, etc.). For example, we went out for lunch today, but instead of our usual greasy meal from Chili's or some other chain, we went to Panera, who does have their nutrition info posted online for easier healthy decision making.

If I could exercise half as much as my puppies, I'd be skinny in a month! I'm having a blast watching them right now--they each stand about 12 feet apart and stare at each other for a minute until one can't contain him/herself any longer and charges at the other, and then they run around the house chasing and jumping on each other. We do play with them, but they haven't quite grasped the concept of "fetch" (they will chase a toy we throw, but won't return it), and Bowser won't even do much of tug-of-war...he's too obedient and immediately lets go if he thinks you want the toy. They sure keep us entertained--and busy!

I have to work tomorrow, but Jeff doesn't. Hopefully, my office will close pretty early, and then we have to pack up the puupies to head up to Jeff's cousins' house in MD for New Year's (not a party--just a family dinner out and some time to exchange gifts since we didn't see them at Christmas).

Alright, off to cook some lean turkey burgers with thin-sliced Swiss cheese on whole wheat buns for dinner :)

Louie... I absolutely LOVE my grandma. She's here visiting for the holidays but she's leaving tomorrow. I'll be so sad to see her go. Grandma's have a way of making the house feel so warm and cozy! I'm going to do the flex plan. Are you doing WW too?

Jilly... glad the dust is settling there with Izzy and your family. It's easy to get emotionally charged when it comes to the young ones in our family. It's our natural protective and nurturing side. I know I'd be the same way if my 2 kids were involved in anything similar.

You talk about energy? Watching my two jump from one activity / game to the next today has all but worn me out! Then they look at you and say, "I'm bored." LOL Kids are something.

Hi Everyone, hope u can make room for one more... I just had a baby 4.5 months ago, by c-section and was able to start exercising 8 weeks later. I got up to 200 lbs during my pregnancy, and lost 35 right away, puting me at 165, 10 lbs more than what I was when I got pregnant. I assume like a lot of u guys, I have struggled with my weight for my entire life. Because of a lack of self-esteem as well as self-confidence I have never fought to obtain the body I have always envied and wanted. After having my baby, my stomach is destroyed with stretchmarks, it looks like i was attacked my a pack of wolves, as well as my inner and outter thighs. This has made it terribly difficult for me to find the motivation to drop the weight because I feel like even if I get there my body looks like **** anyway. (I am VERY hard on myself, and it is very easy for me to get down about it) I notice that I have an eating disorder and am an emotional eater. I HAVE to nip this in the butt before it gets even more out of control. I am hoping that joining a support group will help me, and hopefully I will be able to motivate some of you... I feel like losing 35lbs is impossible and can't imagine what some of you who need to drop more weight feel... I admire all of your strength and determination and I am hoping to get some of that back for myself. I was 165 (my highest weight, not including my pregnancy) 3.5 years ago and through exercise and watching my diet more closely I managed to drop 20 lbs down to 145. I know I just need to stick to an exercise program for a couple weeks and I will be well on my way again.... Anyway, I look forward to getting to know you all, and hopefully both individually and together we can muster up the self-confidence to obtain our goals!!!! :) Happy New Year!!

Welcome, thazard! Celebrate your amazing body that grew that sweet lil thing!! I know it's easy to focus on the stretchmarks and all, but truly your body is miraculous!

Good morning, all!

Man, one thing I love about this group is that everyone is so energetic and supportive whether we have 20 pounds to lose or 200! Sometimes when you're on one end of that sepctrum, it's hard to understand what someone on the other end is going through exactly, so I'm really happy to see everyone staying positive :)

I'm at work already here this morning (it is 7:07am as I'm writing this). I'm hoping ot leave here around 2 today so I can go home and pack all the stuff Jeff inevitably will forget to pack while he is home today, toss him and the puppies in the car, and head up to his cousins' for the night. It's normally about an hour and a half to get there, but in DC afternoon traffic, it can take double that. You'd think that with so many people off work today, the traffic would be lighter than usual, but I'm willing to bet almost any amount it will actually be heavier :dizzy:

So, to top off my efforts of setting up for successful weight loss, TOM has arrived! Even though I've been on the pill for 9 years now (wow, has it been that long?!), I get cravings and an insatiable hunger for the first couple days. I don't have a lot of food at my office nor any money for the vending machine, so hopefully I will be okay. I'm also going to make sure I drink plenty of water.

I just want to get this last holiday of the season over with so I can return to my normally scheduled life, already in progress :^:

Good morning all! :hug: Actually it's going to be goodnight for me in a few minutes since I worked a 12 hour night shift, but I wanted to check in and say hi. I had another successful night fighting off my coworkers attempts to feed me. I kept busy and ate my own pre-packed healthy snacks. Why do nurses eat so much? Geez....I didn't really notice until I stopped all the night shift snacking, how much we really consume in a night. Yikes... mostly salty, high fat stuff. I can't believe how much more energy I have now that I stopped eating all that stuff and not drinking coffee all night. Now I drink herbal tea and I feel more awake. Anyway...have a great day everyone. I'm so glad this group was formed.

P.S.

Lucky: Thanks for the recipe, sounds good. I'll try it this week and let you know how it goes.

MissingMyErica--isn't it amazing how much better we feel when we stop eating the junk? Youd' think that would make it a no-brainer to be eating healthier all the time, and yet I keep getting suckered back into eating junk again...
I just noticed Lititz, PA, in your info. I have so been there--I went to college in York, PA, and my best friend lived in Manheim and worked in Lititz. Small world!

Hi y'all!

Just popping in for a minute....doing stuff around the house before we go out to a NYE party tonight.

I've been a scale hopper for many years, but this time around (which I am determined will be the LAST TIME) I am limiting that. I will concentrate more about how I FEEL than a number on the scale. At the most, I will weigh in once a week, but I will try to make it just once a month. I know how my mind operates...I can let those numbers tell me how I should be feeling. No more!! I will not be a slave to the scale!

See you all tomorrow--Happy New Year!!

Good afternoon Ladies.

So I went grocery shopping for the new year lastnight, and I was very dissapointed with the produce. I got a bunch of lean meats and other healthy snacks, but I need to make another trip for veggies. I'll try another store later today.

Jilly, I moved to the area about two yers ago. I commute down Rt. 50 to work in Arlington. I drive for 15 minutes and pass 5 or 6 McDonald's, most of which are on the same road!!! I just have to keep remembering how gross it makes me feel.

I feel like I have lived off of nothing but carbs for the past few weeks. I've been all foggy in the head and have had an un-ending hunger as which happens when you're addicted to sugars like me. I'm not looking forward to the headaches I am going to have for the next few days, but I am very much looking forward to all the energy I am going to have. I am also looking forward to not feeling constantly hungry.

I have been talking to one girl at work who is also trying to lose weight this year, and we have toyed with the idea of Banning all sweets and pastries from the Kitchen. Everyone would benefit... Has anyone tried this? Every day someone brings in a baked good of some sort. I should just kick myself in the butt and realize that fitting into booths at restaurants will feel so much better than eating junk ever will.

Have a great day everyone!

Wow...this thread moves fast,can't keep up with replying.

Jilly-Glad to hear Izzy is doing better,and hope everything works out for the best.

Ohh,going to try that recipe with the zucchini,sounds really good....and see,already forgotten who posted it ~smacks forehead~

I have my son's birthday party this weekend,but I've already planned the meal and I feel good about what choices I'll be making for that day.As for this entire week,I'm going to get in more water(hate drinking water when it's so cold out) and keep the bad carbs away from my mouth.

Happy New Year everyone!

Originally Posted by Jen415:
Hi y'all!

Just popping in for a minute....doing stuff around the house before we go out to a NYE party tonight.

I've been a scale hopper for many years, but this time around (which I am determined will be the LAST TIME) I am limiting that. I will concentrate more about how I FEEL than a number on the scale. At the most, I will weigh in once a week, but I will try to make it just once a month. I know how my mind operates...I can let those numbers tell me how I should be feeling. No more!! I will not be a slave to the scale!

See you all tomorrow--Happy New Year!!

I think I'm going to stop scale hoping at this point too. I actually started weighing daily sometime ago so that I could track the fluctuations and it served a great purpose...I did stop worrying so much about the pound or two that I would gain and lose as I was trying to reach my goal weight. Now, however, I've been thinking that had my behavior been driven by how I felt rather than the number on the scale then I might not have manged to packed 40 pounds back on. The fact of the matter is that my body felt like crap long before the numbers on the scale started going up. I truly believe that if I'd reacted to feeling sluggish and "puffy" I would have saved myself the trouble I'm in right now. But, I justified letting my healthy habits deteriorate because the scale didn't register THAT much damage. Until now, in what seems like overnight, it tells me I've gained 40 freaking pounds. I may eventually get back to a controlled daily weigh in but, for now, I just want to FEEL good again.

It has only been a couple of days but I do feel as though I've gotten my eating back under control. I'm staying between 1500-1600 calories and am already feeling more energetic. Exercise hasn't come so easily. I wish I had a good excuse but the real problem is that I've just been lazy and conjuring up excuses. So, I'm going to carve out a time for myself to go walking (I'd like to be able to type running as that is what I used to do but I know I'm going to have to work my way back up to that!) at that time every day this week. I really do enjoy exercising and so I don't know why the motivation does come more easily to me. But, it doesn't and I know that if I wait for motivation to knock on my door I'll still be sitting on the couch years from now. So, today is the day for me to begin adding physical activity back into my life.

Hi everyone, sounds like most of us has some sort of plans for New years eve. I'm not feeling 100% today, hope I'm not getting the flu...everyone around me has had it within the last week or so. I'm working only half a day so maybe I can grab a rest before the party starts.
Jen415- I'm a scale slave. I find it very hard to only weigh myself once a week. At curves I get weighed and measured once a month and its very hard to wait for each month to pass. This year I hope to be able to hop on the scale once a week and try not to think about it until the next week.

Happy New Year!

:wave: Is there room for one more on the 2008 wagon?

My name is Jen and I used to post from time to time on these boards years ago (long enough to forget my account! :dizzy:) but even tho I stopped participating I still kept reading sporadically over the years because it is such a GREAT source of support, advice and wisdom for those of us trying to lose those "extra" pounds!

It is the last day of 2007 and even tho it was my goal to reach my goal weight this year by my birthday, Nov 1, I am not even the same weight I was on the first day of this year...I am 20 lbs over. :( Which is depressing to admit, but is also empowering because right at this moment I am taking responsibility for all of the innapropriate eating I have done this year (I am a really bad emotional eater! :devil:) and all of the missed trips to the gym or even just walks! I came down with a bad sinus infection/bronchial thing early in the year and whereas before I was a cardio freak my respiratory system took quite a beating with my illness. This past Halloween I got all 3 of my wisdom teeth removed and couldn't exercise for a week but the pain was pretty intolerable for a few weeks before I got them removed as 1 of them was growing in sideways into another tooth and 1 was growing diagonally up against another tooth. Luckily the 3rd one was growing in pretty normally although there wasn't quite enough room for it and it was easy to remove.

Thankfully, I am all better now and I miss my walks if only for my sanity! I have a gym membership to the rec center which is less than a mile away and very easy to walk to. There's no excuse for me not going, especially since I got some new exercise gear for Christmas as well as an iPod nano that my sister, who has two, gave me. I am going to aim to exercise 6 days a week for at least 45 minutes and see where that gets me. I'll tweak my routine as I go.

The rec center also has an outdoor area with a bike trail and tennis courts. Here in Phoenix, AZ our weather is usually warm enough in the winter months to walk/bike/jog/whatever outside wearing only a tshirt and shorts altho it's been a little chillier than usual lately, especially at night.

I am not going to lie to myself anymore about getting healthy! I know everything there is to know about losing weight...I am just missing the support (which is where I hope you guys can help!) and the belief in myself that this is something I can do!

McMoo, I am also a huge sugar addict. My parents owned a candy store when I was 9 and that is the year skinny Jen became fat! Unfortunately the store was the only place I could see my Mom....she worked ALL the time....and of course the only things to eat there were comprised of sugar, simple carbs and fat! Since my Mom couldn't be home to cook, we had restaurant food catered to us (green beans were pretty much our only veggie) or walked to Pizza Hut or the local Chinese restaurant for take-out (shrimp fried rice was the only thing I ever ate there!). We also used the micro quite a lot to cook those corn dogs our parents were fond of buying! Where were the Omega 3 and 9 fatty acids? Where were the whole grains? Where were the fruits and veggies? Umm...pretty much nonexistent. Thank goodness that only lasted 9 months and ended up being a blip on our nutritional radar...my mother has evolved quite a bit in her nutritional knowledge and her cooking has become infinitely healthier.

I thinned out and became more of a "normal" weight as I grew older and got my growth spurt, plus I was a very active child and got a LOT of exercise in naturally from walking 6 miles total to/from school 5 days/week (some days I would take the subway, but I love to walk and am fast!); walking all over the city with my Mom and siblings to Museums, libraries and wherever else we needed to go, as opposed to being driven; riding my bike; and playing at recess/the park with my friends/siblings. However, after my initial weight gain even at my lowest weight I was in the high end of a "normal" BMI, if not just a little over. I have never liked my body...I am very much a pear shape...tiny waist, big hips, small boobs! Hopefully I will learn to love my body over the course of the year as I learn to treat it with respect! :) I think I may be up for a sugar ban as well...I have read enough literature on it to know there is no reason for us to be eating it, although I do think naturally existing sugar found in fruit is okay.

Thank you so much Jilly for creating this support group for 2008. It is just what I needed. You don't even know how much I need this, especially since I have only 1 person supporting me in the "real" world. I know this will be OUR year! We can ALL do this! Persistence will get you EVERYwhere! :cheer2:

And I know this was a pretty long introduction, so thanks for reading! :hug:

Oh, almost forgot! :newyear: Don't party too hard and see you back here tomorrow to conquer the extra weight in 2008!

Hey everyone! Just wanted to check in.

It's really cool that so many of you are from the DC/ VA area! I may be moving there in a 6 months for a job and It would be so nice to have people who can give me a heads up on what the lay of the land is like!

Other than that I'm just resisting the urge to have a final hurrah (read: binge) before New year's. I really want about it seems so counterintuitive to celebrate an unhealthy behavior...however I certainly didn't get to be 70+ pounds overweight being rational.:^:

Hi Gals :wave:

Wow, this thread is moving fast !! It is great to see so many motivated and inspirational people working together :)

Scale hopping ~ yep, I would have to say that I am guilty of that although when I am not eating all that well I seem to be able to avoid the scale. This time around I am focusing on inches and less on the scale.

Don't think I will get up to too much today. DH and I are going to my folks tonight for appy's and games, should be a fun night. I don't go back to work until next Monday - yeah - so a few more days to relax.

Luvs - no I am not doing WW, although I have belonged to WW a few times ;)

Soon2beslim - hope you are feeling better soon :hug:

EBella - welcome to the mix, I am sure you will enjoy it here !

If I don't make it back before the end of day, I wish you all a happy new year. Be safe and have fun !!

Jilly: That's funny that you've been to Lititz. Did you stop by the Wilbur Chocolate factory? I live about 10 blocks from it and some days the whole town smells like chocolate! We moved to PA from New York about 12 years ago. Small world isn't it?

Happy New Year Everyone. I'm working again tonight. I'll have to fight off all the coworkers and their snacks again tonight, so wish me luck.

:hug:

Happy New Year roomies! Thought I would check in and see how everyone is doing today. My day started off without breakfast and a quick trip to the airport (grandma's flight left today). I'll miss her but I'm sort of glad that the never-ending train of comfort food came to an end. On the way back, I stopped at the WW place and I'm glad I did. They really didn't tell me anything I didn't already read online or learn from the boards, but it was good to make a step in the direction that I am heading.

It sparked an idea for me to try following the flex plan to see how I would handle it. Well, so far so good. I've only used 20 of my 35 alotted points and I feel okay. My TOM arrived so you can imagine how badly I want chocolate, but I'm holding on. I pinched a tiny piece of my son's candy bar and that helped a little. I've done well with the eating but I have to improve on drinking my water. I didn't realize how little I drink until today. Interestingly enough, I used to drink only water while growing up. I need to find those habits and bring them back.

But let me not ramble... I hope all of you have a wonderful NYE! Thanks again Jilly for starting this group. :)

Luv2teach: Tom just arrived to spend New Years with me too! :devil:

Happy New Year :cheers:

For some stupid reason I got up at 7:00 this morning :?: Doesn't seem to matter when I go to bed (1:00 last night) I am bright eyed and bushy tailed (whatever that means!!) between 6:00 and 7:00. Oh well, may have to catch a nap this afternoon :)

Not sure what I am going to get up to today. Haven't done any after-xmas shopping, but I'm not sure if any stores are open today...hmmm have to check that out.

Does anyone watch the biggest loser? I think the new show starts tonight and I will definately be watching. I am a reality show junkie !!

Well I am off to make myself a coffee and figure out what to have for breaky. Have a great day :hug:

WOOOOO WOOOOOOO! I woke up this morning FEELING thinner already....its all in my mind...... ok not so true when i look down and see my stomach... pretty sure its all in there too....BUT THE POINT IS!!! Im ready for a fresh start and looking forward never back.

my long term goal is 180...starting at 283... my highest weight EVER!!! yikes..

my daughter is the picture of health for kids and runs track quite a bit... she has another 5k race coming up in May that I am flat out determined to run with her. I had to sit the last one out and it KILLED me that we couldnt do it together.... so this...... I HAVE to do..... and IM ready....so .....here we go 2008..... show me what you got!!!

I'm watching the new season of biggest loser right now. I love this show, so inspiring. I really like this group of contestants, lot's of interesting dynamics going on. This should be good.

p.s. last night someone I haven't seen in a long time showed up where I work and came up to me and said "wow, you look great!" It meant the world to me. No one has really said anything up until last night, and although I Know I look different, it feels good to hear it.

Have a great night.:hug:

Gooooood morning, all! Sorry I didn't have a chance to post at all on New Year's--we were at Jeff's cousins' for the holiday, and their wireless internet router wasn't working for my laptop, and I couldn't wrestle their teenage son away from the desktop :dizzy: Had a great time, though.

We brought the puppies since we were staying overnight, and the cousins have a Beagle, so they all wore each other out. We didn't get home till about midnight last night, and normally when I get up in the morning, we take the pups out and feed them, and then JEff leaves and I go upstairs to get ready for work and leave the ppups to play together in the living room to burn off some energy before going back into the crates. Typically in that 20-30 minutes they are alone downstairs, they make a mess of their toys all over the floor and often find something to get into (a stray tissue, a falles piece of paper, a cardboard box--anything they can easily destroy). Today, however, I came back downstairs after getting ready to find them both just curled up laying in a pet bed together. Poor pups are just as tired as we humans are!

We all went out to a great Italian restaurant on New Year's Eve, and the food was AMAZING! I actually brought home leftovers instead of eating to the point of discomfort (which is what I would normally do), so that was a good step for me at a restaurant.

Oooh, my boss is in now--gotta jet!

Just weighed myself ..... 204lbs! I never thought I'd be thrilled to weigh 204lbs, but I am. Only 5lbs till onederland! I am beyond happy today.:carrot:
I've gone up and down until really making the commitment in mid-October. Now I'm seeing a nice slow steady, healthy weight loss and feeling healthier than I have in my whole life. :carrot: