Exercise, Diet & Supprt #2
 

Happy New Year Ladies...what a year we have planned for our wonderful transforming bodies. I am in on the challenge to lose 1-2 pounds per week...count me in!

I had a real nice time yesterday at my friend's house..there was a nasa astro physicist there...and a surgeon and tons of doctors and engineers...and they were all rocking out to this german heavy metal rock band...go figure...it was fun to see.

I ate too much but today is a new day....and a new year...what a great fresh start I have...I am going to make the most of it.

Well thats it for now...lots of hugs to everyone and I hope you find this thread

Cyan

Ahhh!
 

Sorry guys I did it again...another typo...oh well, at least this time I got exercise right ....:dizzy: Hope you don't mind support with no "o"


Cyan:^:

Hi everyone

I found the new thread. Hope everyone follows.

Hey Cyan, any romantic connection at that New Years party? If so fill us in with details!

Last night we went to dinner and afterwards to a kid indoor amusement center that was having a party. This place had a huge
ball pit that kids could shoot nerf balls at you. My kids and husband shot me with hundreds of balls for about an hour! They say that whatever you do on New Year Eve is an indication on how the rest of the year is going to be. Well... I guess in 2003 I will be having a "ball"

Since today is Wednesday and our first weigh in is this Friday I am figuring out that new body fat scale today. I am scared to see the results of my body fat.

I also checked out the MSN chat. Does everyone have access?

oh I forgot --I read this in the Wall Street Journal on how to keep weight resolutions.

1.keep a food diary-- "It is hard to write down that snickers bar."

2. walk--"Just promise that once a day, you will walk out your door and keep walking for 10 minutes."

3. Change one meal--"focus on improving one meal a day instead of all three. If you consume a 500 calorie lunch change it with a 300 frozen Lean Cuisine to lose 20 pounds a year.

Wow..seems refreshing here in the new thread :) It's the new year, we have a new thread, and soon we'll have new bodies. yeahhh! Cyan, glad you had such a good time last nite. We just had a nice nite at home, played games with the kids, watched movies, etc. I enjoyed that tho. Debee, those are some good ideas you posted, especially about changing one meal at a time. 20 lbs in a year just from that sounds great. Oh, and I also have MSN. I hope everyone else does. Well, gotta run for now, but will be back shortly probably.

Good Evening Ladies
 

Hope everyone had a good day and stayed on track. I ate 1575 cals and 44 grams of fat...not bad...I have these assorted chocolates and they are doing me in...I keep eating them but the box is not yet finished...help!:o I did power yoga for 20 minutes...very hard...my heart rate was up in the 160 range and later on in the evening I cycled for another 20 minutes at my heart target range...I did tell you guys I now have a heart monitor to help me get more out of my exercising...so now its tougher to keep my heart up...sweat sweat sweat and more sweat...I do hope I see results.:lol: Anyway, I burned off 286 cals or so...fitday doesnt have power yoga...its very different from hatha yoga which is more relaxing...oh well...so my grand total is
1289...I am going to try very hard to get my eating under control now that there are no more excuses ...like the holidays...I would like it very much to keep in the 1500's on the nights that I exercise and 1400 if I dont exercise...we'll see.

So girls, friday is the big weigh in and measurements and Oprah's letter...busy day...I send you all a big hug and thank you for being my health buddies and keeping me accountable and trying hard.

I have msn so let me know when you want to chat...you can add me to your buddy list... [email protected]

bye for now

Cyan

Happy New Year!!!!!
 

So Sorry!
First of all, I have to apologize for not posting earlier, my DSL was down since Monday night and I was so upset. I just go home about 30 minutes ago and just had to get online with you all.

I hope everyone had a great New Year:hat:

My family went to our friends house and have been there since. We just got home and I am exhausted.

I am glad to hear everyone had a safe and Happy New Year.

Also, after reading everyone's post, I am glad to hear that I was able to help everyone create a goal for themselves. I really want to hit my 50lb goal by June, so I means a great deal to me that you all are jumping on the Weight-Loss Bandwagon together. I want to thank each and every one of you for keeping me real through this life's change. You all hold a special place in my heart, and I can't wait to meet each and every one of you this year. I am sure that 1.34lbs will be great for each of us to try to achieve.

I am going to hit the shower, so I hope you all have a great evening, and let me know what you decided or for a chat night. I am so there with you all.

Take care,
:grouphug:

[SIZE=3][COLOR=red]I'm Back Down to My pre- Holiday Weight! Yea![/SIZE] [/COLOR]
 

Hi Everyone!
I downloaded MSN Messenger, so I'm ready to chat as soon as we set a date and time. :) Cyan, you are now on my buddy list, but I can tell it's going to take me a bit to get used to who has which address. I couldn't find a way to apply nic names, does anyone know how? You can add me to your buddy list .. [email protected]. It will show up as Lady Rider.

I ran this morning, but couldn't talk myself into using the weights. Then I called to my brother in law in Washington to wish him a happy New Year. Well, we started talking about exercise, and by the time we hung up I was so psyched I went and did my weights and felt great. Good thing, too, 'cause hopefully it made up for that dish of ice cream I had later today. :o

It's late, got to get to bed. See you all tomorrow!

Lady

oops!
 

Hmm, couldn't get the coding to work on the subject .. sorry about that.

Happy New Year!

Lady

Good morning ladies. How is everyone's New Year so far? I'm glad I found the new post. I think I've seen everyone here except Taiwan. Did anyone put a post in the other thread to direct them here? I'll check it out.

Well, here's my story so far. My daughter has had a stomach flu for about 3 days now. Today she was supposed to go back to school but she is still sick. Since she is sick, I can't go to the gym because, of course, I can't bring a sick child into the nursery. Yesterday the gym was closed due to the holiday. So, that's two days of not working out. Yesterday was a New Year's gathering at a relative's house where I tried to be good, but slipped a little. Later on last night, my mother in law brought over some Yummy Picnic Cake with nuts and chocolate chips and brown sugar.....It's sitting on my kitchen counter RIGHT NOW!!!!! Anyway, for about a week and a half, I haven't been taking my Thyroid medication so of course I've really been gaining. I had lost the meds on my trip to Branson and so I got it refilled when I got home from Florida but my dog got a hold of it and well.....those were gone. So I had to get it re-filled once again. The pharmacy probably thinks I'm dealing Synthroid to the neighborhood. So...to sum it all up, I'm very afraid to give my results tomorrow.....but I know you will all be supportive and get me back on track.

I guess I need to find and download MSN messenger. I think I already have it. I will figure it out.

Lady Rider, I downloaded Weight Commander. It's really fun! I think I will purchase it.

Reina Mia, thanks for the great goal starter! We can do this together. I also feel very close to all of the girls here. It's fun to have friends working together toward a common goal and supporting each other. Now, we really have to make some progress so we'll have something to boast about in Chicago!

Debee, I have a body fat scale too. It was scary to me at first too. Just remember, you have to be NAKED and you should do it at the same time everyday.

cyan, you are the exercise and calorie counting queen! I wish we all lived near each other so we could workout together.:lol:

Well, that's all for now. I'm excited about a new year and a new me!
Lisa

Ok Ladies, I have set myself up to use the MSN for Chatting with you all. I am usually online all day, so if you are craving that Snickers bar and need a virtual kick, just drop me a note.

You can add me to your buddy list, but typing in [email protected]. It should show up as reina_mia.

Hope to hear from you soon,

Lisa, Sorry to hear your daughter has the stomach flu, I was battling that this weekend, and it wasn't pretty. Just hang in there and let's give Oprah something to talk about!

Have a great day everyone.

Good Afternoon Ladies
 

It is so cold here in Montreal today, but I will venture out...I'm still on holiday...will be until jan 13th...my company is in the process of moving to a bigger location...so we'll see what happens..until then I am a woman of leisure.

I have to confess...last night I was doing so well with the calories and then at around 10pm I broke down and ate swedish crackers with cream cheese and yes, 4 more pieces of chocolate...I was so upset with myself...I have to get rid of those darn chocolates...they will be the end of me....thank goodness they are almost finished...the box. So by the end of last night I had consumed 1994 cals and 64 grams of fat:(

I hope today goes better for me...like I have said earlier in my posts...I do well with the exercising but it is the binging that I have problems controlling...but I will not give up and I will keep trying until I manage to get a firm hold of this binging.

Lisa sluggish thyroids can make it very hard to lose weight so be extra proud of yourself for doing it and I am glad you are taking your synthroid again...not taking it makes you feel more tired too. And go ahead and post, we are here to support you and cheer you on...so dont be afraid to do it, it will keep you honest to yourself...you need us most when you are gaining...we will put you back on track...on the losing track:lol:

Lady what an inspiration...you ran and you weight trained...reading your post gives me my resolve to do the same and exercise too...so thank you for being here with us.

Reina, glad to hear that you had a wonderful New Year's. And thanks for the 1.3 pounds per week challenge...I think it is a good next step to crystalize our weight loss plan and define it a little more.

Miki ...how are you doing? Is that AirWalker working for you...let us know what you have been doing.

Debee Did you get your scale?

Taiwan...looking forward to hearing from you soon.

Girls have a great exercise and food day. Lets be strong

Cyan

Hey girlfriends-- I have another challenge for all of us! Let's all try to not eat anything after 8p.m. Who is in with me?

I set up my scale last night and took my measurements. I will unveil the results on Friday.

I just finished cleaning out the cupboards and throwing out potato chips, christmas cookies, and the other junk food that calls my name! I binge when the stuff is in the house and I figured if I don't have it here I won't binge.Here are some of the healthy snacks and foods I replaced everything with--

1. For salty c ravings

pretzels
pickles

2. crunchy cravings

rye crisp bread
popcorn
pita bread toasts with salsa
chex mix

3. creamy cravings

carrot sticks with creamy low fat dressing
cottage cheese with salsa or pineapple
hummus

4. Sweets

Special K with dried strawberries
chocolate slim fast slush
lollipops
jelly belly flavored jelly beans
chocolate covered banana, stawberries


5. Drinks

diet green ice tea
flavored seltzer water
lemon water
coffee
skim milk


Does anyone have any other low-fat low calorie food favorites to add to my list?

Here is my e-mail for the buddy list--debee424@hotmail

hello everyone,
Well, it seems like everyone is ready and in gear.

Lady, you give me great strength to go home and hit that elliptical glider and taebo!

Debee, I will attempt to try your challenge for today and tomorrow, but I can't guarantee anything, my cravings hit about 10 and I usually chomp on some dry cereal to get rid of it. But I will TRY! I also love your replacement foods. I have to go home and do that. I have tons of food left over from the holidays in my freezer, I have 2 pies and a cake in my fridge, so Lisa, I totally can understand the picnic cake situation.

Cyan, Chocolates are as bad as McDonalds. I am surrounded with them here at work still, all I smell is chocolate. So kick it up a notch and give them to a neighbor or something. I have to seriously get them out of my view, otherwise I will be all over it!
:o
I am going home today and :strong: working out for a while, then eat a veggie sandwich. Lisa, I will check out that bread you were talking about.

Talk to you all later,

I was just reading a magazine and came across an article that I thought I would share:


I am having a very hard time not snacking after 8p.m. so I tried this suggestion for beginning mediation from the magazine


1. Find a quiet place
2. Imagine stillness
3. Feel the wave of your breath.
4. Imagine the breath is a caress.
5. Feel the breath filling your torso.

Well, I still had to eat something but at least it was only about a cup of special K strawberry cereal. I didn't binge, but then again all the good food I threw out this afternoon.

:wave: Hi Everyone!
OK, I have Cyan, Reina and Lisa on my buddy list.

Debee, I tried to add you using debee424@hotmail but it said that sign in name did not exist. Have you signed on to MS Messenger? Congratulations on getting rid of all that fattening food! Your replacement list is excellent. I keep celery cut in cold water and have it with a little bit of pnut butter spread on it for a snack. I cut the celery into bite size pieces to make it last longer. Count me in on not eating after 8. That's going to be tough, but if I eat at least three times a day and don't starve my self between breakfast and dinner, it's easier not to binge in the evening. I'm not going to count no-calorie drinks, though - OK?

Cyan, I agree with what you told Lisa. If we are all going to succeed, we need to be more than fair weather friends. We are all good at giving help and support, but we also have to ask for help when we need it. I really sympathize with your night time binging. That's my toughest time too. And I am a true choclaholic! Have you gotten rid of that chocolate yet? Some one once told me "If I'm going to throw it away, better it be into the garbage than into my body." So OK, everyone... Let's go through our cupboards and refrigerators tomorrow and get rid of all that left over unhealthy food. I'll start by throwing out that container of yummy divinity. :lol:

Lisa, It was fun talking to you on MSN tonight. :) I'm glad you're back on your meds. It will be so much easier to lose weight. I hope you feel comfortable posting your weight. And don't be discouraged; you can still easily make your goal. I hope your daughter is feeling better soon. My hubby had that flue and was down for 4 days and he never gets sick.


Reina, how’s that glider working out? A veggie sandwich sounds good. I've never thought of making one, but I have tomatoes, lettuce, onions, olives, pickles and cheese. I just need to get some cukes! I bet it would be good with a little lite ranch dressing too. Yum! I'll try it for lunch tomorrow.

I recently got one of those fat scales too. I really like it, even though it lists my Total Body Fat as 41%. Way too high. I have only had it for about three weeks and I'm guessing I'll have to build more muscle and lose more weight before that number drops.

I ran today, but didn't do any other exercise. I went into work for a couple of hours then had make your own subs for dinner. It was a good day for calories, under 1000 and for some reason I don't feel hungry.

Talk to you all tomorrow,
Take Care
:grouphug:
Lady

Hi girls :)

I just finished 20 minutes on my AirWalker, added all of you to my MSN messenger (at least everyone who posted their addy), and I'm now sitting here drinking my water. My calories were too high today because one of my sisters and our kids all drove 180 miles today to see one of my other sisters and as usual, that meant eating out. We had Mexican food of course. I had chicken enchiladas, spanish rice, and refried beans. I did drink water with the meal and skipped dessert tho so thats a start. I'm really hyped up again about getting on the road to reduction. A little discouraged about the weight I know I have gained and the inches too which I'll find out about as soon as I weigh and measure, but I'm determined to put that behind me and start fresh. ( Once again!:dizzy: ) Definitely count me in on the challenge of no food after 8 pm.

Well, altho I thoroughly enjoyed visiting with my sis' and playing with my almost 2 yr old niece, the almost 6 hrs of riding today has taken a toll on me. I'm really surprised I made it 20 min on the AirWalker. Took a lot of breath, but I did..lol Anyway, going to go for now, but hope to see you all on messenger soon!

MIKI

Cyan, LadyRider, and Taiwan....I had a blast chatting tonite!! Cant wait to do that again soon :)

Evening Ladies
 

You girls rock, it was so much fun and therapeutic chatting with all you wonderful ladies tonight.

Ok, so today I ate 1748 cals and 47 grams of fat.... I did brisk walking outside in minus 11 degrees celcius weather for 30 minutes...I needed the fresh air...according to fit day that is like 40 calories burned but I think it has to be more cause of the cold weather anyway, my net total is 1708...too high but I am happy with my fat grams.

And the bloody chocolates are gone...thank goodness...and count me in on the no eating after 8pm....I already did this today... I watched Oprah and she was saying the same thing...no eating 2.5 to 3 hours before you go to bed...said it really worked for her...worth a try.

Well Ladies, just a reminder to post your letters my tomorrow night and dont forget your weigh in or measurements....might as well do it right.

Good Night

Cyan

Hi sorry I missed the chat last night. Please let me know when the next one is...I am trying to figure out what happened to MSN messenger. Hopefully, I will have it working by the weekend!

Well I was not able to keep the challenge of no food after 8p.m. But I will try again tonight--if first you do not suceed try, try, again...

I am still not sure what we are suppose to post in our letters to oprah. I guess I will wait to see what you girls do...

It is Friday so here are my results for the week ending Jan. 4--

weight--141.8
body fat--38%

Rough spots this week that made me eat--the holiday dinners out, leftover goodies from the holidays, the stress of kids and hubby home.

Exercise I did--cleaned up the christmas stuff, household chores, walk with the kids.

My goal weight is 110 and body fat 28% by June 30 2003. I will succeed!

Good morning! How is everyone?! My daughter went back to school today. She didn't want to, saying her tummy hurt and then her throat. I think she just didn't want to go to school. She's had 2 weeks off for the holidays and I don't think she was quite ready to go back, but I made her go. I hope she is not still sick. It's so hard to be a good mother and know what is the right thing to do all the time. I really struggle sometimes. I don't want to screw up my kids. okay...enought about that.

It looks like everyone got together to chat last night. :( I missed out. I went to the grocery store and ran some errands. I did get to chat with Lady Rider and that was great. I wish I hadn't been so rushed, but we had to get those kids to bed. Then, Hubby and I watched a movie.

Count me in on not eating after 8pm. Great challenge! I love it that we are working toghether. I have the worst time getting all my water in, so I bought some bottled water last night to take with me when I'm out and when I go to the gym.

Debee, you asked about other craving substitutes. Here are some things that I like.
I LOVE fat free frozen yogurt with diet root beer! bought some of that last night!

I love sugar free jello with fat free whip cream.

although it sounds wierd...pretzels with mustard. YUMMY for a salty treat!

Smart Pop popcorn is wonderful. It's 0 points with WW! So...it's a freebie!

Reina, I loved talking to you yesterday afternoon. I can't wait for all of us to get together and chat.

Where is Taiwan?

Well, I'm off to the gym and then after I come home and shower, I'll weigh and measure and do my report.

See ya later
Lisa

The floor fell from beneath me!
 

:wave: Hello Everyone:wave:

I hope you are all having a great day. Ok, Friday is here and I am only a quarter of the way done with my Oprah letter, so I am hopting to get that done by end of day today.

I am not a happy camper right now. I went and did my measurements last night and yes, for the first time since October, the floor fell from beneath me.

I got on my scale last nite and for the first time in over 45 days I went over 195. I knew I shouldn't have said anything about not gaining a lb. over the holidays. Well, it came and slapped me in the face last night:nono:
:yikes: I gained 3.75lbs:moo:
My heart sank when I saw that. I can laugh about it now, but it was like, I was trying to find a way to hide the scale from myself:?:
I couldn't get the numbers off the scale fast enough, I covered it with towels and ran and jumped in bed.

Now after thinking about things, can I really be retaining alot of water right now. Is this just the wrong time to weigh myself? I am hitting that scale tomorrow morning and if it is different, I will feel better, but until then, I will be eating veggies, water, and exercising all day today!

My husband even took me out to breakfast this morning, and I couldn't eat. I am so distraught...I have planned out my meals for the weekend becuase I am determined to get back to where I was a week ago.

Ladies, you assistance in needed in this matter! Yell, Scream, Virtual Kick me. I deserve it, I know....

Glad to hear you all chatted last night, I have to install the MSN on my home pc, I have it on my work one already.
Hope to talk to you soon.

I am actually chatting with Taiwan right now...
Have a great day everyone.

Well, here is my progress report for our Holiday Challenge:

Weight: WAS 184.5 NOW 187.5
ARM WAS 15 NOW 12.5
CHEST WAS 42 NOW 42
WAIST WAS 39 NOW 38.5
HIPS WAS 47 NOW 47
THIGH WAS 24 NOW 22.5

I've lost a total of 6 inches. However, I have gained 3 pounds. I'm sure I can work that off soon. I feel good about my progress.

Reina Mia, don't worry about what you're scale said. Do you always weigh at night? That's like the worst time to weigh! You could've had a salty meal or had a lot of water. You were so pumped yesterday about your goal! Don't sabotage yourself.

Also, girls. As we all start out on our weekly goal of 1.34 lbs a week, don't be surprised if the first week or two, we lose maybe 2 or 3 pounds. If and When this happens, don't think that you can eat more or exercise less. This happens. There will be weeks where we don't lose anything or maybe even gain. Don't sabotage yourselves! I am saying this to myself as much as everyone else. I am the worst at sayaing, "Well, I'm over my goal, so chocolate cake sounds good!" We can't do this!!! Okay, that's my motivational lecture for today!

I went to the gym today! It was awesome. Friday is my favorite class! And, I stepped on the scale today and I am 1lb less than yesterday!!!

See ya!
Lisa

Lisa,
Thanks for your motivations. Now that I think if it, I did have a very salty dinner. I was supposed to eat my veggie sandwich, but I opted for the roasted chicken and bbq sauce.

I am not going to let it deter me, I am just really peeved at myself for allowing that to happen. I NEED MY WILLPOWER!

Thanks,
Sorry missed you in chat this morning, I was in a meeting!

have a great day

Congrats on the inches lost, and you already lost 1 of the 3lbs. Hooray for you!:bravo: :cb:

Dear Oprah,

I am a 27 year old wife and mother of two children. Since my daughter was born more than 5 years ago, I have been struggling with my weight. I’ve tried Weight Watchers, LA Weight Loss, Body For Life, Carbohydrate Addicts Diet, The Zone, and countless other diet fads that pop up all the time. While some have been moderately successful at first, in the end I always gain it back. It’s a frustrating cycle especially because it has seemed the one thing in my life I just can’t control. This struggle has made me feel as if I am a failure. I haven’t been able to rise above it and win. Until now…

In September I began going to the gym that I have had a membership to for three years now. At first I was only doing things on my own spending about 30 to 45 minutes so that I would feel like I was doing SOMETHING. But…I was all alone. I didn’t have friends with the same weight problems or with the same health goals as myself. There was no one motivating me everyday . I desperately needed support.

One day in October, I was surfing the internet, looking for a website that someone had mentioned at one my Weight Watcher’s meetings back when I was doing Weight Watchers. It was called Three Fat Chicks on a Diet. At first I could not find it. I kept looking. Finally, there it was on my screen. I began investigating only out of curiosity and boredom. One of the many features on the website was Forums, where members can post messages to other members. I checked out a few different threads but never clicked with anyone. The next day I got a personal message from a member called Cyan. She invited me to the thread she had started in her Forum. Instantly, we all hit it off. To this day, I cannot explain the impact these few women have had in my life. I find myself thinking about them while doing my grocery shopping, remembering a suggestion one of them had for a low fat snack, or when I’m feeling too tired to go to the gym, I tell myself, “I can’t let the girls down! I have to go!” Over the Holidays, we had a Holiday Maintaining Goal. The goal was to not gain over the holidays. It was wonderful to have support through the Holiday Season when eating is all you want to do!

I have become very close to these women. I feel as if they are all my next door neighbor. I talk to them everyday. They have kept me going and given me support and I, in turn, have been able to give them support and offer advice, which has only strengthened my resolve to become a healthier, thinner, and stronger person. As this new year has begun, so have our new goals. Right now we are working on a weekly weight loss goal until June 30th. We have several “mini” goals to help us get there. One other big goal for the year is for us to meet. We have our hearts set on meeting in Chicago and going to the Oprah Show together. We all feel that you, Oprah, are an inspiring role model for all women across the world, not only in weight loss, but in being a great person and woman. Thank you for that and we hope to be able to see you this fall!

Sincerely,
Lisa Smith

Please let me know, girls, what you think. Is it too long???

Lisa

Reina, stop it now! You have will power! You are going to lose weight! You will meet your goal by June 30th! Remember we are all in this together. We will help each other.

Lisa, I think your letter was great!



Dear Oprah,

I have just embarked on a life changing journey. Every since I had my first child 8 years ago I have been lugging around an extra 30 pounds. I have joined Weight Watchers, tried all the fad diets, and woke up every morning vowing to change my eating habits. So far nothing has worked.

One day I decided to see if there were any diet groups on the internet that sounded interesting. I came across a web site called "3 Fat Chicks on a Diet." I loved the name and thought I would give it a try. Well, little did I know that with a click of a button I was going to change my life.

I really believe that if you ask God for something he usually delivers and this time he gave me the support I needed to achieve my goal. My new internet friends are God sent. Although I have only know them a few months I feel that these
women will be friends of mine for a very long time.

On my weight loss journey I sometimes get sidetracked. However, I know my friends will keep me going in the right direction and help me make my goal. We are planning to meet for the first time this fall in Chicago at your show. By then I am sure we will be thinner, happier and even better friends.

I don't think our journey will ever have a destination but instead will continue for a long time to come. Our Oprah Chicago trip is the first stop on our journey maybe we will plan a get together every year. Thank you and hope we can be there in the fall.


Cyan,
Please edit as need be since I was writing this with two kids screaming "Mommy I need you" Thanks.

Good Evening Ladies
 

Wow your letters rock very inspirational and well written..from the heart.

Ok our letter thus far.....

Dear Oprah and Oprah Staff:

We are a group of women on a health journey who would like 5 tickets to your show. written below is an introduction to who we are and why we would like to be part of your audience for one of your shows in September or October 2003.

Mariette Melo:
I am a single woman of 32 years of age. I am on a health journey that has brought me to a wonderful site called 3FatChicks where I have met the best group of ladies and together we are slowly changing our bodies to reflect the wonderful healthy people we are.

We are planning our first meeting ever and we would like it to be as part of your audience. We feel that you are an amazing role model for women. Therefore, we would like to have 5 tickets to your show sometime in september or october 2003.

Lisa Smith:
I am a 27 year old wife and mother of two children. Since my daughter was born more than 5 years ago, I have been struggling with my weight. I’ve tried Weight Watchers, LA Weight Loss, Body For Life, Carbohydrate Addicts Diet, The Zone, and countless other diet fads that pop up all the time. While some have been moderately successful at first, in the end I always gain it back. It’s a frustrating cycle especially because it has seemed the one thing in my life I just can’t control. This struggle has made me feel as if I am a failure. I haven’t been able to rise above it and win. Until now…

In September I began going to the gym that I have had a membership to for three years now. At first I was only doing things on my own spending about 30 to 45 minutes so that I would feel like I was doing SOMETHING. But…I was all alone. I didn’t have friends with the same weight problems or with the same health goals as myself. There was no one motivating me everyday . I desperately needed support.

One day in October, I was surfing the internet, looking for a website that someone had mentioned at one my Weight Watcher’s meetings back when I was doing Weight Watchers. It was called Three Fat Chicks on a Diet. At first I could not find it. I kept looking. Finally, there it was on my screen. I began investigating only out of curiosity and boredom. One of the many features on the website was Forums, where members can post messages to other members. I checked out a few different threads but never clicked with anyone. The next day I got a personal message from a member called Cyan. She invited me to the thread she had started in her Forum. Instantly, we all hit it off. To this day, I cannot explain the impact these few women have had in my life. I find myself thinking about them while doing my grocery shopping, remembering a suggestion one of them had for a low fat snack, or when I’m feeling too tired to go to the gym, I tell myself, “I can’t let the girls down! I have to go!” Over the Holidays, we had a Holiday Maintaining Goal. The goal was to not gain over the holidays. It was wonderful to have support through the Holiday Season when eating is all you want to do!

Debee:
I have just embarked on a life changing journey. Every since I had my first child 8 years ago I have been lugging around an extra 30 pounds. I have joined Weight Watchers, tried all the fad diets, and woke up every morning vowing to change my eating habits. So far nothing has worked.

One day I decided to see if there were any diet groups on the internet that sounded interesting. I came across a web site called "3 Fat Chicks on a Diet." I loved the name and thought I would give it a try. Well, little did I know that with a click of a button I was going to change my life.

I really believe that if you ask God for something he usually delivers and this time he gave me the support I needed to achieve my goal. My new internet friends are God sent. Although I have only know them a few months I feel that these
women will be friends of mine for a very long time.

On my weight loss journey I sometimes get sidetracked. However, I know my friends will keep me going in the right direction and help me make my goal. We are planning to meet for the first time this fall in Chicago at your show. By then I am sure we will be thinner, happier and even better friends.

I don't think our journey will ever have a destination but instead will continue for a long time to come. Our Oprah Chicago trip is the first stop on our journey maybe we will plan a get together every year. Thank you and hope we can be there in the fall.

I have become very close to these women. I feel as if they are all my next door neighbor. I talk to them everyday. They have kept me going and given me support and I, in turn, have been able to give them support and offer advice, which has only strengthened my resolve to become a healthier, thinner, and stronger person. As this new year has begun, so have our new goals. Right now we are working on a weekly weight loss goal until June 30th. We have several “mini” goals to help us get there. One other big goal for the year is for us to meet. We have our hearts set on meeting in Chicago and going to the Oprah Show together. We all feel that you, Oprah, are an inspiring role model for all women across the world, not only in weight loss, but in being a great person and woman. Thank you for that and we hope to be able to see you this fall!

ALERT ALERT....Oprah show is not accepting email reservations!
apparently we have to call to reserve

Reservation Information for The Oprah Winfrey Show

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Please note: You must speak with a member of the Audience Department in order to obtain reservations. Reservations are not guaranteed due to schedule changes at any time. Promises of reservations through other sources are not valid. Do not pay anyone money for Oprah Winfrey Show reservations.

Current Reservation Availability
The phone lines are now closed for January reservations. We will be closed for the holidays, through January 6. We will let you know when we will reopen for February reservations. Thank you.

Reservation Line
Phone: 312- 591-9222
Open: Monday thru Friday, 9am-5pm CT

E-mail Availability
E-mail: Last-minute available reservations

Reina, since you live in Chicago...can you call and reserve the tickets...maybe its too early...I dont know...but we can find out...also, I guess we can send it in by snail mail...print it out and send it in my mail...let me know what you guys think.

Cyan

oops almost forgot my measurements

Body Measurements as at 11/2/2002


Chest: 38.5
Waist: 32.5
Hips: 42.5
Thigh: 26
Calf: 15.8
Arm: 13
Total Inches: 168.3

Body Measurements as at 05/01/2003

Chest 38
Waist 32
Hips 42
Thigh 25.5
Calf 16
Arm 13.5
Total Inches 167 For a Total Loss of 1.3 Inches

Hard work:lol:

Also, I think if we send it in my regular mail, it should have a us postage stamp on it, so any volunteers as to who wants to send in the letter:^:

The Oprah Show
Team LE
P.O. Box 909715
Chicago, IL 60690

Hi Everyone!
this is a quick one, 'cause I have to learn this class I'm teaching on Sunday and I've been putting it off too long!
My weight: Before 147 Today 145 Yea!!!!
my measurements haven't changed, so I won't post them again.
My goal is to weigh between 110 - 115 by lthe end of June.

Trouble spots this week were going to friends for dinner, having my grand daughters here for the past few days. I love having them, but I tend to want to bake goodies for them - like french silk chocolate pie and peanut butter cookies, you get the idea.:o

Good things I did this week: I exercised regularly. I drank lots of water and I didn't eat after 8pm for 1 whole night! (tonight will be the second, I hope)

I will have more time to write tomorrow and hopefully be able to chat on msn.:)

Oh, Lisa .. don't worry about sending your daugter back to school, you did the right thing. You know kids are very resiliant and doing what they want is not always good. Congrats on losing weight and going to the gym!!

Reina - no cyber kick for you. You only gained 3.7lbs, and that's going to come off real quick. You'll see. Continue to weigh yourself no matter what, drink that water and do you excercises and you'll do just fine.

Cyan - Congrats on the lost inches! Awesome! good thinking in checking out the oprah site. Thanks.


my Oprah letter:

Kriss Dunn
Last year my doctor told me I had hypertension and high cholesterol. I would get out of breath just walking up stairs. I was 50lbs over weight and just plain tired of being fat when I made the decision to lose weight and get healthy. I started eating healthy foods and began exercising, but it was finding friendship and support through the Exercise, Diet and Support group that really made the difference. Without the friendship and occasional cyber kick from the women on this list I would never have reached this level of success. Although we differ in ages, backgrounds and lifestyles, we have bonded and become friends. Each day we are there for each other and share our mutual dedication to help each other to get healthy.

Oprah is a strong positive role model for women everywhere. She understands what it is to fight obesity and I can’t imagine a better place for us to finally meet in person than at the Oprah show.

Talk to you all tomorrow!

Lady

Cyan! You put the end of my letter onto the end of Debee's letter!!!! ???????

Lisa:lol:

This will be quick
 

Ok, you all said a Friday weigh in right? Well, it's still Friday your time:D but Saturday am here.

Anyway, suprisingly I lost another .7lbs this week. I was really lazy this week. Maybe it's the weather? not used to cold weather here. I won't exercise if others are around, makes me nervous. Haven't really watched what I was eating either. THough last night I didn't eat anything after 8pm:D

So my stats are as follows

sw--210lbs (though my highest has been 213)
cw--193
1stgl-191 (by1/15--I'm almost there!!)
future goal--145ish (i give myself til Sep 2003!)


I am going to be better this coming week. Of course Sat and Sun I am not really strict as our schedules are so crazy. Talk to you all later.

Sorry Lisa...will fix it
 

Its just a demo...once all the letters are in, I will rearrange them...but it looks like we have to call for the tickets...so we will see what will happen...hopefully Reina can call for us and reserve...and how many tickets to get is also another issue yet to be determined...it all depends on who is coming...thus far its Lady, you(Lisa),Reina,Debee and Me...thats five....anyway...if someone wants to print it out and send it in via snail mail...from the states...that would be great....

Dear Oprah and Oprah Staff:

We are a group of women on a health journey who would like 5 tickets to your show. written below is an introduction to who we are and why we would like to be part of your audience for one of your shows in September or October 2003.

Mariette Melo:
I am a single woman of 32 years of age. I am on a health journey that has brought me to a wonderful site called 3FatChicks where I have met the best group of ladies and together we are slowly changing our bodies to reflect the wonderful healthy people we are.

We are planning our first meeting ever and we would like it to be as part of your audience. We feel that you are an amazing role model for women. Therefore, we would like to have 5 tickets to your show sometime in september or october 2003.

Lisa Smith:
I am a 27 year old wife and mother of two children. Since my daughter was born more than 5 years ago, I have been struggling with my weight. I’ve tried Weight Watchers, LA Weight Loss, Body For Life, Carbohydrate Addicts Diet, The Zone, and countless other diet fads that pop up all the time. While some have been moderately successful at first, in the end I always gain it back. It’s a frustrating cycle especially because it has seemed the one thing in my life I just can’t control. This struggle has made me feel as if I am a failure. I haven’t been able to rise above it and win. Until now…

In September I began going to the gym that I have had a membership to for three years now. At first I was only doing things on my own spending about 30 to 45 minutes so that I would feel like I was doing SOMETHING. But…I was all alone. I didn’t have friends with the same weight problems or with the same health goals as myself. There was no one motivating me everyday . I desperately needed support.

One day in October, I was surfing the internet, looking for a website that someone had mentioned at one my Weight Watcher’s meetings back when I was doing Weight Watchers. It was called Three Fat Chicks on a Diet. At first I could not find it. I kept looking. Finally, there it was on my screen. I began investigating only out of curiosity and boredom. One of the many features on the website was Forums, where members can post messages to other members. I checked out a few different threads but never clicked with anyone. The next day I got a personal message from a member called Cyan. She invited me to the thread she had started in her Forum. Instantly, we all hit it off. To this day, I cannot explain the impact these few women have had in my life. I find myself thinking about them while doing my grocery shopping, remembering a suggestion one of them had for a low fat snack, or when I’m feeling too tired to go to the gym, I tell myself, “I can’t let the girls down! I have to go!” Over the Holidays, we had a Holiday Maintaining Goal. The goal was to not gain over the holidays. It was wonderful to have support through the Holiday Season when eating is all you want to do!

I have become very close to these women. I feel as if they are all my next door neighbor. I talk to them everyday. They have kept me going and given me support and I, in turn, have been able to give them support and offer advice, which has only strengthened my resolve to become a healthier, thinner, and stronger person. As this new year has begun, so have our new goals. Right now we are working on a weekly weight loss goal until June 30th. We have several “mini” goals to help us get there. One other big goal for the year is for us to meet. We have our hearts set on meeting in Chicago and going to the Oprah Show together. We all feel that you, Oprah, are an inspiring role model for all women across the world, not only in weight loss, but in being a great person and woman. Thank you for that and we hope to be able to see you this fall!


Debee:
I have just embarked on a life changing journey. Every since I had my first child 8 years ago I have been lugging around an extra 30 pounds. I have joined Weight Watchers, tried all the fad diets, and woke up every morning vowing to change my eating habits. So far nothing has worked.

One day I decided to see if there were any diet groups on the internet that sounded interesting. I came across a web site called "3 Fat Chicks on a Diet." I loved the name and thought I would give it a try. Well, little did I know that with a click of a button I was going to change my life.

I really believe that if you ask God for something he usually delivers and this time he gave me the support I needed to achieve my goal. My new internet friends are God sent. Although I have only know them a few months I feel that these
women will be friends of mine for a very long time.

On my weight loss journey I sometimes get sidetracked. However, I know my friends will keep me going in the right direction and help me make my goal. We are planning to meet for the first time this fall in Chicago at your show. By then I am sure we will be thinner, happier and even better friends.

I don't think our journey will ever have a destination but instead will continue for a long time to come. Our Oprah Chicago trip is the first stop on our journey maybe we will plan a get together every year. Thank you and hope we can be there in the fall.

Kriss Dunn:
Last year my doctor told me I had hypertension and high cholesterol. I would get out of breath just walking up stairs. I was 50lbs over weight and just plain tired of being fat when I made the decision to lose weight and get healthy. I started eating healthy foods and began exercising, but it was finding friendship and support through the Exercise, Diet and Support group that really made the difference. Without the friendship and occasional cyber kick from the women on this list I would never have reached this level of success. Although we differ in ages, backgrounds and lifestyles, we have bonded and become friends. Each day we are there for each other and share our mutual dedication to help each other to get healthy.

Oprah is a strong positive role model for women everywhere. She understands what it is to fight obesity and I can’t imagine a better place for us to finally meet in person than at the Oprah show.



Lisa let me know if I have fixed my mistake

Cyan

Cyan - I'll be glad to print out and mail the letter when it's ready.
I think it's better to call soon and possibly be told we need to call back than to wait until it may be too late. What do you think about asking for 1 extra ticket just in case we need it?

Lady

Here it goes
 

Dear Oprah,
I have always thougth of you as a great role model for women, so I am writing this letter in hope of you fullfilling a request for us.

There are 5 women who will be meeting each other for the first time since early Oct '02. We have only talked via chat and forums. These women are all Heros in their own way and I think you should know about them. They are true Angels.

I have been battling a weight issue for over 12 years now. I have tried every diet under the sun and to no avail, never succeeded at any of them. I have never taken accountablity for any of my weightloss failures. Then I decided to accept myself the way I was, but that didn't work for me either.
In 2002, I decided that it was time for me to take charge of my life and do something to make me feel better about myself and help me keep up with my son.
One day I was surfing the net and found a website called "3 Fat Chicks on a Diet". Of course, I was curious so I surfed some more and found some great forums with tons of information. Then I came across this group and was immediately invited to join them. I am glad I did. These few women that I have met in this group have given me something that I have never had before; Motivation & Determination to succeed! These ladies, have taught me to be accountable for my actions and have given me direction in my weightloss journey.

I have always felt like a failure because of my weight and inability to get rid of it. But now, I hold my head up high and am not afraid to challenge my self to weekly and monthly goals. The group has decided to maintain a weekly weightloss goal of 1.35 lbs. Together I know we can do this. These women are on my mind every day, when I look at the candy bar in the convenience store, or when I am ready to grab the next Coke out of the company refridgerator, I won't do it, because I know I have to make them as proud as them make me feel. I can't tell you how proud I am to be a part of this group and to be able to help them like they have helped me oh so many times. I can't wait to meet them here in Chicago in Sept '03. We all decided that visiting Oprah Show would be a great celebration of our Journey. If you could so kind as to help us complete this milestone in our lives, we would be so grateful.

Ok Cyan, I think I got everything. Please check this and edit to your liking. I am horrible at spelling too.
I have to admit, when I read this back to my husband out loud, I couldn't stop crying! I could go on and on about you all, but the larger it gets, the less I know they will read it.

Reina's Measurements as of 11/24
Dear Oprah,
I have always thougth of you as a great role model for women, so I am writing this letter in hope of you fullfilling a request for us.

There are 5 women who will be meeting each other for the first time since early Oct '02. We have only talked via chat and forums. These women are all Heros in their own way and I think you should know about them. They are true Angels.

I have been battling a weight issue for over 12 years now. I have tried every diet under the sun and to no avail, never succeeded at any of them. I have never taken accountablity for any of my weightloss failures. Then I decided to accept myself the way I was, but that didn't work for me either.
In 2002, I decided that it was time for me to take charge of my life and do something to make me feel better about myself and help me keep up with my son.
One day I was surfing the net and found a website called "3 Fat Chicks on a Diet". Of course, I was curious so I surfed some more and found some great forums with tons of information. Then I came across this group and was immediately invited to join them. I am glad I did. These few women that I have met in this group have given me something that I have never had before; Motivation & Determination to succeed! These ladies, have taught me to be accountable for my actions and have given me direction in my weightloss journey.

I have always felt like a failure because of my weight and inability to get rid of it. But now, I hold my head up high and am not afraid to challenge my self to weekly and monthly goals. The group has decided to maintain a weekly weightloss goal of 1.35 lbs. Together I know we can do this. These women are on my mind every day, when I look at the candy bar in the convenience store, or when I am ready to grab the next Coke out of the company refridgerator, I won't do it, because I know I have to make them as proud as them make me feel. I can't tell you how proud I am to be a part of this group and to be able to help them like they have helped me oh so many times. I can't wait to meet them here in Chicago in Sept '03. We all decided that visiting Oprah Show would be a great celebration of our Journey. If you could so kind as to help us complete this milestone in our lives, we would be so grateful.

Ok Cyan, I think I got everything. Please check this and edit to your liking. I am horrible at spelling too.
I have to admit, when I read this back to my husband out loud, I couldn't stop crying! I could go on and on about you all, but the larger it gets, the less I know they will read it.

Reina's Measurements
Dear Oprah,
I have always thougth of you as a great role model for women, so I am writing this letter in hope of you fullfilling a request for us.

There are 5 women who will be meeting each other for the first time since early Oct '02. We have only talked via chat and forums. These women are all Heros in their own way and I think you should know about them. They are true Angels.

I have been battling a weight issue for over 12 years now. I have tried every diet under the sun and to no avail, never succeeded at any of them. I have never taken accountablity for any of my weightloss failures. Then I decided to accept myself the way I was, but that didn't work for me either.
In 2002, I decided that it was time for me to take charge of my life and do something to make me feel better about myself and help me keep up with my son.
One day I was surfing the net and found a website called "3 Fat Chicks on a Diet". Of course, I was curious so I surfed some more and found some great forums with tons of information. Then I came across this group and was immediately invited to join them. I am glad I did. These few women that I have met in this group have given me something that I have never had before; Motivation & Determination to succeed! These ladies, have taught me to be accountable for my actions and have given me direction in my weightloss journey.

I have always felt like a failure because of my weight and inability to get rid of it. But now, I hold my head up high and am not afraid to challenge my self to weekly and monthly goals. The group has decided to maintain a weekly weightloss goal of 1.35 lbs. Together I know we can do this. These women are on my mind every day, when I look at the candy bar in the convenience store, or when I am ready to grab the next Coke out of the company refridgerator, I won't do it, because I know I have to make them as proud as them make me feel. I can't tell you how proud I am to be a part of this group and to be able to help them like they have helped me oh so many times. I can't wait to meet them here in Chicago in Sept '03. We all decided that visiting Oprah Show would be a great celebration of our Journey. If you could so kind as to help us complete this milestone in our lives, we would be so grateful.

Ok Cyan, I think I got everything. Please check this and edit to your liking. I am horrible at spelling too.
I have to admit, when I read this back to my husband out loud, I couldn't stop crying! I could go on and on about you all, but the larger it gets, the less I know they will read it.

Reina's Measurements
Measurements as of 11/24/02
Weight 193.4
Waist 43
Arms 14
Thighs 26 1/2
Chest 43 1/2

Measurement as of 1/3/02
Weight 196.9
Waist 43
Arms 13.5
Thighs 26
Chest 43 1/2

All in all, not that bad. Have a great night everyone.

Of course, I will make some calls and look into rooms for everyone. I will have some information next week for everyone on hotels.
Oprah will take some time,
but I will be on it like me on chocolate!:ink:

What about Miki
 

Won't Miki be joining us also???

Ok, first things first...want to get this over with...

11-25-02

Weight: 228 lbs
Waist: 43.5 inches
Chest: 44.5 inches
Hips: 52 inches
Thighs: 26.5 inches
Arms: 15 inches

12-19-02

Weight: 228
Waist: 43 in
Chest: 45 in
Hips 52 in
Thighs 26 in
Arms 14 in

01-03-03

Weight: 230 :(
Waist 43.5 inches
Chest: 44.5
Hips: 52 inches
Thighs: 26 inches
Arms: 14.5

Could have been much better but also could have been worse so I'm not overly disappointed. At least I"m still below where I started in October;just not as low as Id hoped to be by now. Anyway, a new year and a new resolution has begun:D

I havent finished the Oprah letter, but I promise I will have it by tomorrow nite! Sorry to be late. I'm not even sure I will be able to go, actually I quite doubt it, but I am going to stay hopeful. Maybe Oprah herself will call and ok it with hubby??:s: lol Anyway, we'll see how it works out.

Miki

Oops..forgot the most important part!

Calories today: 1241
Did my Airwalker and drank my water! Hooray...Im on my way! :)

Reina_Mia and LadyRider...sorry I didnt get back in time to chat with ya'll...maybe next time!!

Dear Oprah and Oprah Staff:

We are a group of women on a health journey who would like 5 tickets to your show. written below is an introduction to who we are and why we would like to be part of your audience for one of your shows in September or October 2003.

Mariette Melo:
I am a single woman of 32 years of age. I am on a health journey that has brought me to a wonderful site called 3FatChicks where I have met the best group of ladies and together we are slowly changing our bodies to reflect the wonderful healthy people we are.

We are planning our first meeting ever and we would like it to be as part of your audience. We feel that you are an amazing role model for women. Therefore, we would like to have 5 tickets to your show sometime in september or october 2003.

Lisa Smith:
I am a 27 year old wife and mother of two children. Since my daughter was born more than 5 years ago, I have been struggling with my weight. I’ve tried Weight Watchers, LA Weight Loss, Body For Life, Carbohydrate Addicts Diet, The Zone, and countless other diet fads that pop up all the time. While some have been moderately successful at first, in the end I always gain it back. It’s a frustrating cycle especially because it has seemed the one thing in my life I just can’t control. This struggle has made me feel as if I am a failure. I haven’t been able to rise above it and win. Until now…

In September I began going to the gym that I have had a membership to for three years now. At first I was only doing things on my own spending about 30 to 45 minutes so that I would feel like I was doing SOMETHING. But…I was all alone. I didn’t have friends with the same weight problems or with the same health goals as myself. There was no one motivating me everyday . I desperately needed support.

One day in October, I was surfing the internet, looking for a website that someone had mentioned at one my Weight Watcher’s meetings back when I was doing Weight Watchers. It was called Three Fat Chicks on a Diet. At first I could not find it. I kept looking. Finally, there it was on my screen. I began investigating only out of curiosity and boredom. One of the many features on the website was Forums, where members can post messages to other members. I checked out a few different threads but never clicked with anyone. The next day I got a personal message from a member called Cyan. She invited me to the thread she had started in her Forum. Instantly, we all hit it off. To this day, I cannot explain the impact these few women have had in my life. I find myself thinking about them while doing my grocery shopping, remembering a suggestion one of them had for a low fat snack, or when I’m feeling too tired to go to the gym, I tell myself, “I can’t let the girls down! I have to go!” Over the Holidays, we had a Holiday Maintaining Goal. The goal was to not gain over the holidays. It was wonderful to have support through the Holiday Season when eating is all you want to do!

I have become very close to these women. I feel as if they are all my next door neighbor. I talk to them everyday. They have kept me going and given me support and I, in turn, have been able to give them support and offer advice, which has only strengthened my resolve to become a healthier, thinner, and stronger person. As this new year has begun, so have our new goals. Right now we are working on a weekly weight loss goal until June 30th. We have several “mini” goals to help us get there. One other big goal for the year is for us to meet. We have our hearts set on meeting in Chicago and going to the Oprah Show together. We all feel that you, Oprah, are an inspiring role model for all women across the world, not only in weight loss, but in being a great person and woman. Thank you for that and we hope to be able to see you this fall!


Debee:
I have just embarked on a life changing journey. Every since I had my first child 8 years ago I have been lugging around an extra 30 pounds. I have joined Weight Watchers, tried all the fad diets, and woke up every morning vowing to change my eating habits. So far nothing has worked.

One day I decided to see if there were any diet groups on the internet that sounded interesting. I came across a web site called "3 Fat Chicks on a Diet." I loved the name and thought I would give it a try. Well, little did I know that with a click of a button I was going to change my life.

I really believe that if you ask God for something he usually delivers and this time he gave me the support I needed to achieve my goal. My new internet friends are God sent. Although I have only know them a few months I feel that these
women will be friends of mine for a very long time.

On my weight loss journey I sometimes get sidetracked. However, I know my friends will keep me going in the right direction and help me make my goal. We are planning to meet for the first time this fall in Chicago at your show. By then I am sure we will be thinner, happier and even better friends.

I don't think our journey will ever have a destination but instead will continue for a long time to come. Our Oprah Chicago trip is the first stop on our journey maybe we will plan a get together every year. Thank you and hope we can be there in the fall.

Kriss Dunn:
Last year my doctor told me I had hypertension and high cholesterol. I would get out of breath just walking up stairs. I was 50lbs over weight and just plain tired of being fat when I made the decision to lose weight and get healthy. I started eating healthy foods and began exercising, but it was finding friendship and support through the Exercise, Diet and Support group that really made the difference. Without the friendship and occasional cyber kick from the women on this list I would never have reached this level of success. Although we differ in ages, backgrounds and lifestyles, we have bonded and become friends. Each day we are there for each other and share our mutual dedication to help each other to get healthy.

Oprah is a strong positive role model for women everywhere. She understands what it is to fight obesity and I can’t imagine a better place for us to finally meet in person than at the Oprah show.

Reina:
I have always thougth of you as a great role model for women, so I am writing this letter in hope of you fullfilling a request for us.

There are 5 women who will be meeting each other for the first time since early Oct '02. We have only talked via chat and forums. These women are all Heros in their own way and I think you should know about them. They are true Angels.

I have been battling a weight issue for over 12 years now. I have tried every diet under the sun and to no avail, never succeeded at any of them. I have never taken accountablity for any of my weightloss failures. Then I decided to accept myself the way I was, but that didn't work for me either.
In 2002, I decided that it was time for me to take charge of my life and do something to make me feel better about myself and help me keep up with my son.
One day I was surfing the net and found a website called "3 Fat Chicks on a Diet". Of course, I was curious so I surfed some more and found some great forums with tons of information. Then I came across this group and was immediately invited to join them. I am glad I did. These few women that I have met in this group have given me something that I have never had before; Motivation & Determination to succeed! These ladies, have taught me to be accountable for my actions and have given me direction in my weightloss journey.

I have always felt like a failure because of my weight and inability to get rid of it. But now, I hold my head up high and am not afraid to challenge my self to weekly and monthly goals. The group has decided to maintain a weekly weightloss goal of 1.35 lbs. Together I know we can do this. These women are on my mind every day, when I look at the candy bar in the convenience store, or when I am ready to grab the next Coke out of the company refridgerator, I won't do it, because I know I have to make them as proud as them make me feel. I can't tell you how proud I am to be a part of this group and to be able to help them like they have helped me oh so many times. I can't wait to meet them here in Chicago in Sept '03. We all decided that visiting Oprah Show would be a great celebration of our Journey. If you could so kind as to help us complete this milestone in our lives, we would be so grateful.

Sincerely
Mariette, Lisa, Debee, Chris, Reina and Miki

Please send tickets and response to

Reina
your address here

Lady...6 tickets or however many more is fine with me and I sure all of us..I just said 5 just to pick a number but it doesnt really matter ...so long as we all get together to meet:D

Later Ladies
Off to start my day

Cyan

Dear Oprah,

Like you, I have had a battle with my weight for years. Unlike most though, I've never tried diet pills or any of the "Lose weight while you sleep" schemes. I've always been determined to lose it in a way that would be healthy and permanent. As hard as I have tried, before now, I have never been able to succeed for long. Finally, I found the answer and just had to share it with you!

One day as I leafed thru a magazine, I came across an article that listed several online sites concerning weightloss. Each site included message boards or forums where others like me could meet and share their stories--failures and successes alike. I was immediately drawn to 3FatChicks.com. I loved the catchy name ( I was sure I could fit in with a name like that), but to be honest, I chose it first because it was the only FREE one listed. That nite I joined and posted a short paragraph about myself asking if anyone would like to buddy-up with me. I also answered a post someone else had left. By the next nite, I was thrilled to see that my "thread' and the one I had answered had already grown by several replies. I began posting and replying nightly in both groups. We soon realized that the same group of women were posting on both threads so Cyan, whom I consider our leader, suggested combining into one group which we did. Since then, we meet everyday with our progress, how much we've exercised or not, how much and what we've eaten, etc. We not only share weight issues, tho; we share LIFE issues. You cant imagine the bond we have all acquired since that first nite.

These women have become a huge part of my life. Their encouragement, support, inspiration, and the occasional virtual kick in the rear when needed is what keeps me on this journey to newfound freedom from the hold food has always had on me. The mutual accountability and sense of responsibility for each other is awesome. Anytime I do fail and skip my exercise or binge, etc. I immediately afterward feel like I have not only disappointed myself but my friends who try so hard to hlep me. I confess. they forgive and forget of course, but not without first inspiring me to keep on keeping on. We stay completely honest even when that is tough, and everyone seems to always know what I need, whether it's a pep talk, the virtual kick I mentioned earlier, or just a cyber hug of understanding.

I cant wait to see what we have accomplished a year from when we started this journey. Someone had the exciting idea that we should all meet in person at that time. It was unanimous that the Oprah show would be the perfect place. I have a slight problem tho...I dont think there is anyway that my husband will let me fly across the country to a place where I dont know a soul to meet a group of people who to him are strangers. I am just going to be sick if this meeting takes place without me!! Your staff has been able to accomplish seemingly near impossible things so maybe they could help me out in convincing him?? Seriously tho, whether or not I am able to be there physically, I will be there in spirit. These ladies are a part of me. We are all different heights and weights, different ages, and come from all over, yet we are the same. Together, failure isnt an option. Success is inevitable!! And we'd absolutely love to celebrate our success with you!

Sincerely,
Miki Goodwin


Cyan, I know this is lonnggg. Cut out anything or use anything you want. Sorry I was late with it, but I misunderstood and thought at first the deadline was the 5th rather than the 3rd.