Hi all, I am new here and am going to hitch a ride on this challenge. I am very close to 199, and want to make it there by my 60th birthday (egads!) just after Christmas if not before. I am currently at 206. About a month ago when I started this last assualt on my weight, I was 214. I am not following any particular program, but am eating less of more healthy, lower fat foods. I am a good cook so I can make most things taste fairly good. I am doing quite well lately and hope to continue.

I was under 200 last year for afew months, but seem to have gotten hungry and ate generously for more than a year to get back over 200. My original high was about 250 afew years ago.

What I like about myself:
1. good sense of humor
2. I love life
3. I am flexible and resilient
4 I love to think
5. I am creative

Things I hate or don't like about myself:
(After much personal work, I really do like myself though I have some traits I could improve)
1. I would like to accomplish more things during the day.
2. I wish I were neater
3. I would like to weigh less
4. I would like to be better with money
5. I procrastinate too often

Reasons why I deserve to lose weight:
1. just because I DO deserve it.
2. I want the best for myself
3. To play better tennis
4. Better health as I age
5. and, to be able to buy off the regular clothes racks!!!

Jan
250hw/214sw/206cw/gw? perhaps 170

Just a Quick Goodnight to everyone!
 

I stayed on plan today and I am so proud of myself. I have been having a very early dinner since August, but now that I am on a diet I seem to get extremely hungry around 6:00! My husband made the comment yesterday...why is it when we know we cannot have something, that is when we want it? How true is that!? For three months I have been fine with eating at 4:00 and not snacking later. But now I seem to be going to bed starving! Maybe it is because I am eating less throughout the day? No... that is not really it. I snack often, but it is always light snacks. Fruits or veggies. But everything I have eaten today is Core foods. It must just be a mental thing. I have that craving feeling....but I cannot figure out what it is I am wanting. Which of course is actually a good thing. I know it is something NOT on my diet plan, and I would just be tortured more anyways thinking of eating it! :lol: When I went to the grocery store I did not buy ANYTHING that was not on my diet plan. OOps I take that back. I bought the kids a box of Finding Nemo cereal. But between the four of them they polish the box off in one sitting! So no worries there!
I was so tempted to weigh myself this morning but I didn't. I do not want to get discouraged. Not that I expect a weight loss after only two days, but I am so afraid of a weight gain. I know that it is normal to retain water and the scale will fluctuate, which is why they recommend only weighing once a week, but I must admit I am one of those who weighed EVERY morning when I was trying to lose weight before. Doing the atkins it was so great to see a weight loss each morning. It helped me to really stay motivated and on plan. But when it went up, I always felt dissappointed. I did not let it get me down for the rest of the day, but this time so soon into my diet, I just don't want anything to bring me down right now.
My husband was telling me yesterday that we are not going to eat out at restaraunts anymore, he is going to be very strict about this diet, and he hopes that I don't get mad at him. I asked if we were still going out to eat for my 30th birthday this month ( We had made plans to go out just he and I which is extremely rare!) He said we would still go out, but no more after that. I know it should not matter, but I am thinking NEVER??!! I said what about after each 10 pounds I lose we allow ourselves to go out to eat? (I ofcourse am talking about a Mexican Restaraunt w/ chips and salsa and margaritas). But he said that would be rewarding myself with food, so NO. I agree I should not reward myself with food, but I do not think totally cutting eating out is the answer either. We have never really gone out that much, mainly because it is almost impossible to find a sitter to watch all four children, and it is so darn expensive to feed all of us!! I just meant going out maybe once every 2 to 3 months, if I were doing good on Weight Watchers. Besides that, I can save Flex points to help balance out the meal. He finally relented and said when I get below the 200 mark, he will take me out to eat in the reunion tower. (For those not familiar with Dallas it is the lighted ball). I think that is very sweet of him, but I told him I would rather save that, because even at 199 I will still not feel comfortable about my size to get really dressed up and go eat there. I would rather wait until I reach goal, and can REALLY dress up for him! ;)
So I do not know what he will decide to do when I reach the 199 mark. I guess I will just have to get there so I can find out! OOPS! :o Did I say this would be a quick goodnight? Sorry!!!

Night Y'all!!
ANd Good Luck!!
Teri

Hello everyone! I hope everyone has had a good day today.

I weighed today and was happy to see I'd lost a pound and a half....its not much but it sure matters. I have tried to stay with my plan but have gone off course a few times.....the main thing for me is giving into cravings and eating at night. I'm going to start eating more during the day in hopes that I won't get as hungry at night.

i've been doing ok with my exercising....I have gone to the gym and done cardio/free weights. I have not gone out and walked my reg 3 miler b/c it has been storming outside here lately. Walking in the rain while dodging thunder n lightning is not my idea of a fun time. I have walked in the rain before.....but only when it was just a light rain. I also have not used my exercise bike here at home like I had planned to start doing....so I am really glad that I have been able to get my butt to the gym.
I like going to the gym b/c there I have to get my butt in gear and do my routine whereas here at home I just look at the bike and think "I'll do 30 minutes on the bike in a few minutes" then of course I never do.

As far as eating out is concerened it should'nt be a problem if you only eat out from time to time and don't make it an often occurence. I seldom ever eat out.....I prefer well-balanced home cooked meals over food cooked in a restaurant anyday. I only eat out whenever I go on roadtrips or when my friends come to my house for one of our infamous GNO's (Girls Night out). WHen they come down we always go out to eat and then go find something fun to do. They all live out of town/some out of state so we don't get together very often. In fact they will be here in 2 weeks the w/e of 22-24 of oct. and the last time we were all together was the first part of Jan!

What I like about myself:

I have a Positive attitude
My smile (I'm always getting complimented on it)
I am Honest
I am Caring
I am a Terrifc Aunt to three Little Angels

Things I hate or don't like about myself:

I don't like the fact that I allowed myself to get so overweight and out of shape.
I don't like the fact that I am a pack rat and not as neat as I'd like to be.
I don't like that I often put off doing things until the very last minute.
I don't like working at a job making peanuts b/c I screwed up and dropped out of school.
I hate the clothes I have to wear now...nothing fits right...everything looks ridiculous on me at least in my eyes.

Reasons whY i deserve to lose weight:

Becasue loosing weight will improve my health
By loosing weight I will be able to buy and wear all the cute outfits I can only dream of wearing now
so I can look in the miiror and be happy with what I see
SO I can go out and not feel like everyone is staring at me and making fun of me behind my back
SO I will look better when I make my dreams a reality by becoming a Professional Female Wrestler

Evenin' All
 

Well, I'm bummed big time! Here I thought I was doing so well, but my scale was not reading properly. I went to the doctor's office and was off by 35 lbs. which makes me 249 instead of 214. I wanted to go into the bathroom and cry, but decided to just deal with the fact that that's where I'm at and will have to reassess my goals.

My doctor was so great about it though. She said, I still lost the 63 lbs, I just started at a much higher weight than what I originally thought. I'm just bummed about not being able to meet my goal by my birthday. So I went to the store on the way home and bought a new scale and it read within a pound of the doctor's office. Oh well, starting over again.

Gotta get my sorry butt to bed,

Nan

good morning all! i'm aboutto leave for work
and i intent to add a few more steps to my
day. i really feel much more motivated. i know i can do this

Good Morning All
 

Happy Wednesday Ladies,
Reading the posts about the 5 things you hate about yourselves is killing me! The exercise was 5 THINGS YOU HATE ABOUT BEING FAT!. It is way to easy to list things we hate about ourselves but that is not what was intended. That is way to depressing. I hope that everyone who listed the hate myself things goes back and changes it. We are all good, decent people and should NEVER focus on the negative aspects of ourselves. That serves no purpose. The point is to get angry at our fat. Angry enough to get rid of it.

Oh Nan, I couldn't imagine how you must feel after such an experience. It is hard enough to get on the scale w/o having such a shock as the one you did. But your doctor is right. You did lose 63 pounds so far and that is AMAZING!!!! Keep up the great work and you will be where you want to be in no time.

Have a great day everyone.
Suzy

I hate fat!
 

Nan - I know that must've been a difficult time for you at the doctor's offc. But Suzy is right. You've still lost 63 pounds and that's incredible. I have NEVER lost that much weight, and I need to lose twice that amount. So you are my weight loss idol!

Suzy - I'm with you, girlfriend. Don't hate on yourselves, ladies! It's 5 things I hate about being fat (like not fitting into theater seats, looking bad in a swim suit...). We need to love ourselves, but not the fat! Keep us focused, Suzy!

April28 - Great job on losing 1.5 pounds! That's fantastic! For those days when it's raining, you might think about getting the Walk Away the Pounds tapes. You can walk 1,2 or 3 miles indoors whenever you want. I like them, but also prefer the gym environment. That's why I go to Curves.

Cateyes - You can still eat out and eat healthy! Especially in this day, many restaurants are catering to the low-carb, healthy crowd. For example, Applebee's has a whole menu designed for WW listing the # of points for the meals and everything. And I don't think it's necessarily bad to reward yourself w/food, as long as you can keep a handle on it after the reward!

Jansan - Good to have you here! You won't have any problem getting under 200 by Christmas. You can do it.

Can't stay long today. Wish everyone well!

Good morning everyone,
This board has been very active! That's great! It means that we are taking an active part in our quest to loose our excess fat.

I had a pretty good day yesterday. It was very busy at work and I didn't get to study as much as I would've liked. It looks like today that things are a little slower and my boss told me to take the time to study today if I needed to. I'm very fortunate that she's so understanding; after all it does benefit them in the long run.

I'm feeling a little bad about the fact that I've not been keeping my journal, and I'm planning on getting back to it today. At least that's my goal, even if it's just writing down my food and things. I really, really want to journal. I know that by writing down the things that in my heart and head, I become a much more focused person. But then, I do that hear with you guys don't I? So, even on those days that I don't take the time to write in the journal, I've still written here. Now here's a thought, maybe I should get a notebook that I can print out my posts and put them in and that could be the "thought" part of my journal. Anyone have any ideas on that for me?

Suzy: I'll try to go back and change my answers to 5 things I hate about being fat. I think my answers will be about the same. The things that I don't like about me have to do with the fact that I have excess weight.

LabChick: Ok..what you had happen at the doctors office is a downer, but look at it this way. Now you know that true number and it's just a number. Think of the scales as the speedometer in your car. That speedometer in your car only tells you how fast you are going and it's controlled by you. It doesn't have any other purpose for the car; it doesn't make it run, it doesn't make it efficient, it doesn't make the car ride nicer, it's just a measuring tool of what you are doing. That's all the scale is. You control it, and it just measures what you are doing. That number on the scale is not you as a person! I hope that helps. Someone gave me those words of wisdom a long time ago.

Holly: I'm so glad you had a nice holiday. How are you doing with your plan now? You did a great job of staying on it during the holiday.

DPully: Good luck on the steps today. Of course you can do it!

April28: I also exercise better at the gym. It's a very motivating place for me. You know it's funny because I'm there so much that people who work out beside me everyday, think I'm a fit person. I'll mention that I've lost so much weight and they usually say, I never thought of you as overweight (how could they not?!), they say they see me as someone who is there doing the same thing they are...just getting healthy and happy and they treat me as an athlete.

Terri: If I were you I would buy something really pretty and let him take me to the reunion tower. Don't put your life on hold just because of your weight. It sounds to me like he thinks you are very special and he wants to show you off.

If I missed anyone, sorry about that.

Ok..here are the 5 things I hate about being fat:
1)I miss going out to water parks and things because I hate the way my stomach sticks out in my bathing suit.

2) Being this fat makes me feel uncomfortable when I'm not dressed; what I wouldn't give to be able to wear something from Victoria Secrets...like a thong and a pretty bra.

3) It cost a lot more to find fashionable clothes. If I weren't fat I could shop anywhere!

4) Being fat stands in the way of getting the correct medical attention at times. Whatever is wrong or could be wrong is always looked at as a symptoms of being overweight! Well, you know sometimes things aren't right just because of other reasons. I've known thin people with high blood pressure, and such so while being overweight can contribute to some things we still need to be looked at as a whole person.

5) Because I'm fat sometimes I'm not taken as seriously as other people. People tend to think that overweight persons have no control over theirselves and therefore can not be knowledgeable about things. Such narrow thinking!

OK...Suzy..how's that?!

I love this thought processing by the way. Very helpful with focusing. Thanks for coming up with it!

Happy Hump Day!!
 

Good Morning Everyone....

How's everyone doing today? Staying focused? Yesterday was a great OP day for me. Kept the cals around 1100. Much better than Monday. I actually feel like I am losing weight today, hope I am not dissappointed on Saturday at WI. The second job (Kohl's) is going well, still on computer training. Will finish that up tonight and actually get some floor time. Will be working in customer service. Hope I am not too tired by the time evening gets here and I bite people's heads off. I am sure that is not OP. haha

Jan - Welcome to our race! This is a great place for sincere support.

Teri - Food rewards are not good, they sabatoge your efforts and sometimes it will throw me into an eating frenzy. Go out on a date with hubby instead, to a movie or bowling. Make OP mexican food at home. It is safer that way.

April - Your exercise routine should make you feel great about yourself. You are right about not being able to eat something, and wanting it more because you can't. Seems that ends up being all you think about.

Nan - 63lbs is awesome! You still feel great about the loss, run with that thought, instead of thinking about where you are. Look ahead, not back.

Hello to everyone, have a remarkable, happy day!!

Annie

Mornin'
(((((NAN))))))), How disappointed you must have felt. Be proud of the 63 lbs you DID lose. That is a remarkable victory!!!!
Susie~ I did okay when I was busy with all the company, I have not done so well since. I am very disappointed in myself.
I did the 2 mile watp and yoga yesterday BUT I ate 1779 cal and 75 grams of fat!!!!!!
I am disgusted with myself!! I do this at least once a week and that is why my weight is not going down.I dont know why I dont love myself enough to do this right. I mostly think I am great!!
I am depressed today. I weigh in at tops and my scale says I am up 4. OUCH!!
I am off to watp!

(((((HUGS)))))) to everyone!!

Holly, You are great! You can get this thing whipped. Holidays over, now forge ahead. You rock!!

Hello~
 

It seems that some days I am so focused on weightloss and I can even imagine myself thin again. Then there are other days where it seems like I will always be fat and am partially OK with that. Just as an alcoholic or drug addict has to be ready to change, so do we. I was wondering what the breaking point was for each of you that made you decide this is it! I am losing weight! I am sick of being fat....... I think I have had several incidences like that, but then I seemed to always lose focus. My heart trouble after my youngest daughter was number 1. The most recent thing was when I went to the movies with my twin sister last month or so. (Who by the way is thin and gorgeous!) When my husband and I go to the movies we always sit on the outside. I always get the aisle seat because it is easier to take the kids to the bathroom etc. without having to scooch in front of people to get out. We have been doing this for a long time now. If we did ever go alone we were always the first one into the theatre (that is how my husband likes it) so it was no big deal getting to my seat. I did not dare try to get back out after being seated. Well, my sister and I of course were running late. The movie was fixing to start, and needless to say we were in a hurry. NOw my sister, being thin, does not think about the little things we as overweight women think about, like size and location..... So she starts heading to some seats which are the third and fourth seat. So we had to pass in front of a couple to get to them. (THANK GOODNESS! it was not in the middle of the aisle!) I am sure some of you can see where this story is leading....
I am trying to pass in front of this couple, and I make it past the gentleman just fine...however, his girlfriend sitting right next to him had one of those huge drinks in the cupholder on her seat. Well....trying to step over thier feet, my leg brushed her drink, and her cup goes tumbling to the floor dousing my leg, feet, and I'm sure her in the process. I was absolutely mortified!! I ofcourse had to sit right next to her during the movie. I immediately asked what drink she had and I would go get her another. She was very nice about it, and insisted she was through with it anyway. My sister tried to give them some money, but they refused saying it was fine. MY sister by the way, thought this was hilarious and laughed for the first ten minutes of the movie. She would finally get settled down, then look over at me and it would set her off again. I was extremely embarrassed and had to fight back tears. Once my sister realized I was upset about it, she kept telling me to QUIT! It was just my purse that knocked her drink over, but I of course knew what had happened. It was because I was so fat. For the entire movie I remained stiff as a bored, and just folded my arms as best I could across my stomach to avoid taking up any of the girl's arm room next to me. Now I am sure I could have relaxed some and not overlapped much on her seat, but I was just so embarrassed I sat there like a statue. By the end of the movie I was extremely sore from holding the same position the entire time. I think during the whole movie I kept repeating to myself I have GOT to lose weight!! It was after this point that I no longer thought "I'm fat, deal with it" and knew without a doubt I was sick and tired of being this way, and it was time for a change.

On a side note thank you to everyone for your support. Are any of you following the Weight Watcher Core program? When I was doing weight watchers in 97 with my mom, we would go out to eat at Chili's every Thursday night after Weigh in. I always ordered Fajitas and had 2 margaritas. Every week I lost weight, so I know that it is possible to do things every now and then, as long as I stay OP for the rest of the week. This time, ofcourse I do not do the Chili's thing. But it is nice to think that I could. Never is so intimidating.... I use to say " I can't wait until I reach goal and don't have to worry about food anymore. I can just eat like a "normal" person." I look back at those thoughts and think of how naive I was. This is the way I need and will have to eat for the rest of my life. Never again will I be able to eat anything and everything I want and not worry. That is why I am fat now, and why we have such an epedemic in society concerning weight. The "normal" way of eating I was thinking about has put not only me, but society has a whole at risk for health related problems associated with obesity........ The way I am eating now is normal. It was the way I used to eat that was not.......

Teri

Hello everyone. Hope you are well. We're getting so many new people that it's hard to keep track! But hello to APRIL and to CATEYES!

Nan/Labchick:
I'm very sorry about the situation. BUT yes, you did lose a great amount. If you could lose that amount, you can do even more for sure! You are a great inspiration for all of us. Pretty soon, you'll be at 214.

Suzy:
Thanks for reiterating that. It was depressing writing the five things but I did it wrong LOL! So I will re-do my list.

What I like about myself:
1) My crazy hair.
2) My almond shaped eyes.
3) My wonderful relationship with DH.
4) My patience to bargain shop.
5) My desire for the morality of youth.

Things I hate about being fat:
1) Cute clothes just don't look so cute on me.
2) Thighs that rub together.
3) Not wanting to look people (specifically attractive guys) in the eye 'cuz I know what they're thinking.
4) Not being able to wear the more fitting shirts that I used to.
5) Not liking to eat in public alone...afraid people are thinking I'm stuffing my face!
6) Walking into Lane Bryant. I know that's strange...but it's usually the first place I go inthe mall. I want to shop at the Limited again!
7) Being at a funky, in-between size. "regular" sizes are too small, "plus" sizes can be too big and frumpy and make me look even fatter.

Reasons why I deserve to lose weight:
1) Better health overall.
2) Then maybe I can concieve.
3) All the cute clothes I could wear!
4) DH says he finds me sexy but I want to believe it myself.
5) So I can do it and help others who are struggling.

OK that's better lol.

I'm doing okay today...went to the gym. I wore my new heels to work with my pants instead of the clogs I wear...I feel like I look good today. Funny how one little thing can change the way I feel. I baked reduced fat biscuits last night and had one for breakfast with a fried egg white. Not the best thing, but at least I took the time to make something. I got to the gym earlier than usual and was able to finish with lots of time to spare before work. I like working out early. It makes me feel like my day isn't just for going to work...it makes me feel like work is secondary instead of my reason for waking up. It is 11am and I'm feeling a bit tired...still having trouble getting to sleep at a decent time. Tonite will be the night! I'm going to be ASLEEP by 10p. There is nothing to hold me back. DH will be on his commute back from class by then (although I usually end up waiting to hear him come home before I can fall asleep).

Lunch will probably be a Smart Ones frozen meal and 100-calorie pack of crackers for a snack.

Dinner will be a repeat of last night...I made a yummy dinner...chinese roasted chicken which I baked, stir fried chinese cabbage (although I may use bok choy tonite) and angel hair in herb sauce with shitake mushrooms.

I did have seconds on the pasta though last night. I'll not do that tonite, but go for the veggies or chicken breast instead. That would be healthier.

Have a wonderful day everyone.

Finally awake enough here to post!
 

Thanks for all the support! I feel a little better about last now that I've had a chance to sleep on it. It was just so important to me to be below 200 before my 40th birthday, that's the bummer for me. My not so darling MIL is going to have a birthday party for me and I know the weight will come up as a topic of conversation since she loves to rub it in that she weighs less than I do.

I'll just have to show her up by losing more for the holidays and after. She always gains at least 10 pounds during the holidays so if I can lose enough to almost weigh the same, it'll shut her up. Some motivator huh? :p

On the brighter side though, the new scale I bought said the same weight as the doctor's office scale last night and is down a pound this morning. I'll take it. One down 113 more to go.

Cateyes, I guess my motivator was when I could no longer wear the size I had in the closet and had to go out and buy a larger size scrub for work. It ticked me off so much that didn't eat all day long just to get used to feeling hungry for my diet. Right now I just want to be able to wear a size in the teen range instead of 20's. I'm not sure if I can do it by Christmas, but that my new goal. That and I want to be below 200 by summer next year. Hopefully it'll work. Also TGIF has an awesome low carb menu! Whenever we go out for dinner, we go there because there's something for everyone.

Holly, I don't know if this will help at all, but I usually designate one day as cheat day. On that day I can have an extra 300 calories of my choosing. You might want to do it the day after your WI so that you have the rest of the week to burn off the extra 300 calories. I spend at least some of my week trying to figure out just what I want for those extra calories and then enjoy it to no end when it gets here.

Girlie - It sounds like you're right on track. Keep up the great work.

Annie - I'm very glad you're liking your new second job at Kohl's. From what I've been told, it's a nice place to work.

If I missed anyone I'm sorry, but I'm off to study for class and keep up with my little tzar.

Nan

Nan:
I love TGIF!!! Unfortunately, the wrong things for me lol!

Today hasn't been good so far. My feet are KILLING me...is it because I'm so fat that heels kill me? How do women wear heels every day? I almost fell when I was in the mall. Also, I just flug pasta sauce on my shirt from my WW meal. AND I ate three little cookies. A woman brought home made pumpkin raisin cookies and I just couldn't resist. The word pumpkin always gets me. I love pumpkin anything!

But, on the upside, I bought myself a nice matching exercise pants and zip-up sweatshirt. I've always wanted a matching set and this was on sale and nice and warm for the cold early mornings. I've been wearing my two exercise pants that are kinda thin and they are wearing in the crotch/thigh area. I'm proud of myself for getting up in the mornings and this will make me feel hip and put together if you know what I mean. I don't like to go to the gym feeling frumpy with a giant t-shirt on. I bought the bottoms in a smaller size - 14/16. I know they will get looser as time goes by. I the top is an 18/20 and I want to keep it loose for layering t-shirts and stuff. It's an ugly green color but that was what was on sale. I told myself no more clothing unless it's stuff to workout in!

So I will be stylin' tomorrow at the gym. ANYthing to get me to look forward to going.

Girlie - I hear ya on the different sizes between tops and bottoms. I'm the same way and I hate it when my tops show all my fat rolls (way too many of them now :o ).

I'm happy you were able to find an outfit. It does make a difference when you can look nice and go work out.

Right now I'm on track with only 240 calories for the day thus far. I'm determined to get below 200 before spring! Gotta keep the calories in check to do that.

Hope everyone else is on track and not feeling hungry!

Nan

hating our fat.
 

Hi all,

Hate is such a strong word. And our fat is part of our very bodies, like it or not. I of course would prefer to be thinner, why else am I here losing weight? I hate to sound preachy, but as long as we hate our fat bodies, we potentially sabotage our efforts. Are we more likely to do wholesome things for something we like, or for something we hate?

Here are my reasons for preferring to weigh less:

1. I want to be able to buy clothes off normal racks in regular stores.
2. I have more energy when smaller
3. prevent potential health problems
4. to keep playing tennis for years to come
5. to not feel as if I am on the fringe of society

What about a list of 5 things we like about our bodies? When I first tried to do this exercise some years ago, I could come up with only one thing, good blood chemistry. Sad, but it was a start, now my list is much longer, but it was slow in coming.

And to labchick, I am so very sorry about your scale incident. A similar though far less horrific thing happen to me a year and a half ago. My scale anomoly was only 6 freaking pounds in the wrong direction (do these things ever make mistakes in our favor????), and I know how that negatively affected me. It really threw me for a loop. I was lucky enough to find a very good balance scale at a garage sale and it now gives me great peace to know my weigh-ins are accurate even though higher than I would like. I have killed a scale in past years by jumping up and down on it, shall we say 'harshly,' when it told me the wrong thing. Second degree scalicide. Perhaps you might consider doing away with your old one in a symbolic way that would please you. Got safety glasses and a sledge hammer????

Jan, hw250/sw214/cw206/gw?170,

Scalicide it is!
 

Jan that's an awesome idea! I do have two pair of safety glasses in the garage and a sledge hammer. My 3 year old loves opportunities to be destructive. WOO HOO!

A poundin' we shall go, A poundin' we shall go, hi ho the derry o, a poundin' we shall go!

Nan

Go for it Nan, but very carefully, esp with a young'un there. But smash the cr@p out of that deceitful messenger of evil.

Jan, experienced scale killer

Muahahahahahahahaha!

OMG, that felt good!

Thanks for the idea Jan! I owe you one!

Nan

Hi, fellow chicks! I hope everyone is feeling well today. I'm very happy because I have lost two pounds! (Only because I wasn't feeling good and had no appetite, but I'll take it!) I just hope I can keep it off when my hunger comes back!

Girlie-I'm so glad you found something to work out in that makes you feel good. It's very hard to find workout wear in the plus sizes that look decent. I think it's hard to find any clothes in the plus sizes that look a little stylish that aren't too expensive.

Nan-Can I congratulate you on your killing of the scale? I'm having happy thoughts just imagining you doing it!

Well, I need to go and get something done, I guess. Thanks for the welcomes...

Jill

good morning ladies,
sorry i did not get a minute to check in yesterday, it was one of those crazy days!! doing ok as far as the diet goes although the scale still won't budge. i'm not going to let that get me down though still have a good plan for today.

nan i am so sorry about the scale incident. stay positive!! and good for you smashing up that darn thing!!

greenlass great job on the loss, hope you get feeling better soon though!!

jan- that is a very good thought you have there. i am oh so guilty of sabatoging (sp?) my own efforts. maybe a list of positives would be helpful. that is alot harder to come up with though i'll have to think about it a while.

girlie your gonna look so beautiful at your workout!! good for you doing something nice for yourself!!

cateyes- my breaking point was last fall, none of my winter clothese fit right and we went to take a family portrait and when i got the proofs back i cried, i looked terrible!! so from that day on i told myself you got to do something girl and here i am still trying!

hollyhock hang in there, the holidays are really tough, hope the weigh in wasn't too bad. hang in there girl you are doing great. keeping track of my cals and fat is really important to me. you can see on paper exactly what you are doing and start changing things from there.

annie glad the job is going well. keep up the great work!!

mychoice journaling here or in your own book are both great as far as i can see, just getting the thoughts out good or bad has to be helpful.

hevron suzie and april how are you all today???
well i must get to work, hope you all have a great day!!

Good Morning Girls, I Stayed Op Yesterday.
I Am Thinking About Joining Curves, Any Feed Back Would Be Helpful. I Think I Have Gotten
My Strenght Up Enough Now That I Could Do It
Without Killing Myself. My Goal Is Not Just Weight Loss But Also To Be Able To Climb Stairs. I Am Only Able To Climb With My Right Leg And Pull The Left Up. I Walk A Lot On My
Job. I Just Havent Build Up My Thigh Enough To Climb Yet. I Hope Yall Have Good Day

Mornin!
Well, it wasn't as bad as suspected. I was up 1 lb. I look and feel so bloated and my stomach is huge. I was guessing about 4 lb. So I am not complaining and I will focus even better today.
I ate well all day except I had a wrap and cheese at bedtime. The NSV in this is that I usually would eat one and go back for up to 4 more.I really want to stop before I eat the first 1.
MY chest is still achy. my daughter is quite sick( and miserable) today. How come Mom's dont get to whine and throw tantrums when they are sick!!!!!
I will try to do yoga. I am not up to cardio.Daughter is glued to the TV so far I may not get to it.
THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR KIND COMMENTS,ADVICE AND CARING. IT MEANS THE WORLD TO ME. IT HELPS ME GET UP A FACE ANOTHER DAY!!

Greenlass~how wonderful! Hope you are feeling better.
Jodi~ so glad you aren't discouraged by the scale not moving. Way to be motivated!!!
dpulley~ I use the Walk Away the Pounds video series ,by Leslie Sansone,because it is low impast but really burns calories. I have a weak foot from injuries when I was a teen and cant do a lot of cardio stuff.
How's everyones day going?

Good morning all. I've got a stomach pain that is a bit strange...perhaps it's an ovulation pain?

Anyway, I just couldn't get myself up this morning to work out. I let myself sleep in because I felt I deserved it. I don't think it's necessary to go every single day, but I will not let myselve have more than one day off at a time. So that means I have no choice tomorrow, and that's okay cuz it will be Friday!

I was pretty good yesterday aside from the cookies I ate here at work. I had more cabbage, a chicken breast and some pasta with mushrooms last night, leftovers from the night before. I didn't have seconds either. I ate my plate and that's it. I could have had more, but I knew I wasn't hungry.

Busy day at work, I've gotta get going. I have two packets of instant oatmeal to eat and that should keep me satisfied until lunch.

Girlie

Good Morning Everyone!

Trials and tribulations....the good Lord sure does put me through them. Weight issue is under control for now. That is a victory. Eating OP and not overeating OP. Today, so far, 1 hard boiled egg 80 cals, FF yogurt 90 cals, 8 oz skim milk 80 cals, total 250. Still doing SB, but also counting calories. Didn't get my walk in yesterday as it was raining here like crazy. Plan to stay OP and get some exercise in.

My truck is acting up and making me worry. I don't need this right now as funds are very tight. Check Engine Soon light is on, truck hesitates when taking off from a stop. Gauges are intermittant in working. All this shouldn't be happening as it is a fairly new truck..2002 Avalanche. I bought it just before I filed for divorce so I would have a reliable wheels, so much for that theory. Sorry, just venting here, as I am about to cry.

Jill - great job on the 2 lbs down. You are awesome! 2 lbs closer to goal. Weehaaa!

Nan - 200 by spring should be very doable. You can do it girl. Maybe ask MIL to serve not quite such caloric food for your birthday. If she brings up the weight issue, flatly ask her why that something, she must speak. You are quite aware of it and don't need reminders.

Girlie - getting new exercise clothes is fun, it always makes me want to get out there move cause I have the new clothes to do it in. I don't think weight necessarily has anything to do with heels hurting your feet, it is about how conditioned your feet are to wearing them.

Holly - how was your weigh in? Were the holidays kind to you?

Teri - I have had several breaking points in weight loss over the years. My latest: My daughter who is 18, bought me a size 18 dress suit (skirt and jacket and it is beautiful, brown suede), just because she loves me. This WAS the size I needed. However, it fit so snugly and looked so badly I cannot wear it. I am in size 20. Her heart was broken I could not wear it now. I wanted to cry. So I told her I would lose the weight and wear the suit, very soon. I am thinking like 10 more lbs should do it. Your experience at the movies, I can relate to it and feel horrible for you. I, too, go early to the movies to get the seat that is more desireable for me.

Susie, Suzy, Heather, Pulley, and anyone else I may have misssed, HELLO, hope your day is going well.

Have a great Thursday. Be Happy.

Hi Ladies,
This is my second vist to the board. This morning I was so down, I just couldn't post. I'm not sure why this day is getting to me so much. I think it's a lot of things

1. I weigh-in tonight and I think I might have a gain...again--how can this be happening? I've been doing so good for so long..it scares me. I don't want to gain any weight back. I can deal with gaining one week.. but two?!

2. I just didn't sleep well last night. I dreamed and dreamed and I'm tired..and cranky.

3. I'm anxious about this test tonight.

4. I have 3 bosses at my work and the top boss is so rude! I have to announce his calls. Well, I had a call for him, he was on his cell phone (I don't know this until I voice call him then I could hear him talking) so I asked the other caller if they wished to leave a voice mail message. They said yes, I put them into voice mail. Then my boss calls me..wants to know who was on the phone, I tell him they are leaving him a voice mail..and he hangs up on me! Isn't that rude? He's like that. You have to gauge his mood before you aproach him for something.

Ok..I think I've whinned enough. I'm just in a funk. I know it will pass..but when you feel like crying or screaming or both it can be a little overwhelming you know?

Annie: I hope the vechile trouble isn't something serious. I would be worried about it also. Is it still under warranty?

Jill: I'm glad you lost! Doesn't it feel great?

Girlie: I hope you feel better soon. I used to have PCOS and it can bring alot of weird pains with it. If it doesn't get any better soon, please call your doctor.

Holly: I know it's hard to accept those gains. Really, a one lb gain isn't that bad after a holiday...just turn the tables right now so next week you will have a loss.

Jodi: You have a great attitude! Hang in there..the scales will move soon.

For anyone I missed, thanks for posting. Every post is an inspiration.

Thanks for letting me vent here. It does help and I can tell that I'm not going to give into this gloom that wants to settle over me...I'm fighting my way through.

Mornin' chickies
 

Glad to hear that so many of you are on plan! I've been really strict with myself the last few days -- calorie count right around 1000 for each day and more water than usual. I think the scale incident has made me mad enough to get even more motivated to lose all this weight. It's working so far. I lost another 2 lbs today, but to be honest with you, I think it's all water weight. I go through cycles during the month. This week is usually a week where I can lose up to 7 lbs in the week because I'm dumping all the water weight I accumulated over a 3 week period of time. Then instead of gaining, I just sit with no loss for as many as two weeks again. So this part is probably just my normal cycle kicking in. I'll take it though. Right now I just want to make it to the 230 range by my birthday and I believe that's doable. I can also sit down in my 22 jeans WOO HOO!

MyChoice - I used to work for jerks like that. It sucks! I call them Neanderthal Bosses ;) Not to their face of course ;) . Hang in there though. You may just lose this week.

Annie - Do you still have any warranty left on that truck of yours? Its way too new to be acting up like that.

Girlie - I hope that pain subsides so you can enjoy the rest of your day.

Holly - Moms do get to whine, they can do it right here! We'll listen. Being sick is a pain especially when you have little ones to care for at the same time. Hope you are feeling better in no time.

dpulley - I have a couple of friends who go to Curves religiously and they love it. I can't afford it or I'd be joining them. Hope it works for you and gives your diet the kick start.

Jodi - Hang in there, it'll start coming off soon. It has too, you've been too good on your plan for it not too.

Greenlass - Congratulations on your 2 lbs loss! WOO HOO! Go get 'em.

Gotta run for now! Lots of errands and little time for them,

Nan

I have been doing very well for about 5-6 weeks and have lost about 8 pounds. It was almost easy, no excessive hunger. I have cut way back in my foods both amounts and types, and was cruising.

Then this morning my body seemed to awaken to the fact it hasnt been getting its usual ample amounts of food and is miffed. It has gone into what I call deep hunger mode. I sensed it last night, and woke up at 4a.m. absolutely starved and unable to go back to sleep. But I will persevere. I am still eating light foods, but am allowing myself just abit more with respect to amounts just to see if I can lull my body back into is hunger sleep.

I have had a very filling though early lunch and am feeling very good right now. I am going to really concentrate on applying some of the volumetric principles to see if that helps. (Lots of wet foods to facilitate satiety. Soups, stews, fruits, veggies, rather than more dry energy dense foods that dont give as much satisfaction.)

Jan h250/s215/cw206/g?170(g199 to start 2005)

OUCH Jan
 

Jan - Are you on multivitamins? I have found that some of my hunger dissipates when I'm on multivitamins. I think when we cut back on our food intake, we are missing some of the vitamins and minerals our bodies need. I take one daily multivitamin in the morning and one at night. I read that our bodies never entirely take up all the nutrients in one tablet, so taking two for a time (this article suggested up to a couple of years) would not get us even close to toxing out on them. It has helped take some of the edge off my hunger at times.

Nan

I am feeling a little melancholy so I thought I would write.This bug has got a hold of me. My daughter dozed all morning and is playing now but still grumpy.I read most of the day. A not so challenging mystery.
I went to the fridge a bazillion times but didn't eat. I even tossed the lunch leftovers. madness.
I made a yummy smelling beef stew for supper. (lean beef). It is a rainy, coolish day here. Hubby works outside. Poor dear.
I will need to go to the library tonight for anew book and then cosy up for ER.My one must see show.I get mad if hubby stays up. I usually end up sobbing. he laughs. I figure it is some kind of emotional release.
My back is aching I am wondering if it is my period coming. I dont pay attention very well.That would explain the bloatedness too.

Jan ~ I think your efforts are admirable. You have come along way. Hang in there with these pangs!

Have a great day!

Tonight was Weigh in for me!!
 

I lost 3 pounds!!! :cp: I was not really expecting a weight loss this week, because I did not even start until MOnday, and I did sooo bad this weekend! But I have been very good throughout this week, and only eating Core foods. My husband has even been doing it with me for the most part. He has lost 10 pounds!! So far I love the Core diet. I like not having to count everything that I put in my mouth, and I also like the fact that I know what is core and what is not. It is much more restrictive, but I think that is working to my benefit right now. Jan, I never knew about the vitamins helping to curb hunger. Thanks for that tip! Every night I feel hungry now, and maybe that will help me.

I have four children that are NOT wanting to go to sleep! I must go try to get them down.

night y'all!!
Teri

Teri - YOU GO GIRL!!! And congratulations to your hubby too! I'm very happy for both of you!

Holly - I sure do hope your family gets well soon. It's not fun to have so many sick at once. The only good thing about it is that hopefully, if no one relapses, you'll all be done with it at once too.

I'm feeling pretty good right now. Only 1000 calories today and not feeling hungry at all. Just want to this to keep moving in the right direction.

Nan

Thanks for the suggestion Nan. (glad you got pleasure from destroying the scales -- score another one for us plumps!) I will get a new bottle of vitamins next time I am in the appropriate store. Actually today my still healthy but larger lunch seemed to stem the tide. I have not been strongly hungry since then. I forget that when I get strongly physically hungry (as opposed to emotionally hungry), I can eat a little more and not do very much damage to my overall efforts.

Tonight for dinner all I felt like was a bowl of soup and a baked apple. And frankly wasnt strongly hungry. Amazing. I do prefer feeling full, LOL.

My fear of being hungry is sometimes more uncomfortable than actually experiencing the physical sensations of being hungry. Jan

Well I am doing better today than yesterday which is a good thing. I was so down in the dumps yesterday that I did not even feel like coming on here posting. I was just having one of my down days...it does'nt happen often but somedays I just get really down and depressed. I've been laughing and joking around today though and feel much better all around today.

Girlie---Thats great that you did something for yourself! I need to get out and try and find myself some new workout clothes sometime soon.....I've only got like 3 and I'm getting sick of wearing the same ones all the time. I don't mean I want a whole
closetfulll of workout clothes or anything just maybe 2 more outfits so I can wear a different one each day would be sufficient.

CatEyes---My breaking point was when I was just sitting in my room going through pictures that had been taken recently and I saw myself and just started to cry.
I knew I was overweight and all but somehow seeing myself in those pictures just set me off and made me realize I needed to do soemthing and do it now.

HollyHock---Hang in there and you'll do fin! The holidays are always tough what with all the good food and all....but if you stay focused then you should do fine! I know you can do it!

Anne---GLad to hear you're job is going alright. Wish I could say the same about mine but right now I am disgusted with my Job. I'm stuck too until I can find another....b/c I cannot afford to just quit even if I would like to. Dang Bills LOL.

mychoice....journaling is a wonderful idea....it always helps me to write down my thoughts both good or bad.

justjodi---I'm doing good today....yesterday I was pretty down but today I am alright.
How are you doing?

NAN- That would be tough finding out that the scale was wrong like that! I'm glad to hear that you had so much fun destroying it!!! I woulda done the same thing!

well i can't seem to fall asleep so i guess i'll post. i exercised today, i don't mean what i normally refer to as exercise i mean i was sweating, with my heart pounding, real calorie burning stuff!! this is a major thing for me because i loathe exercise. all this time i have been just plain old lazy and although i think about doing real exercise i don't push myself that hard. tonight i did, i did 200 steps on the stairmaster and punched the **** out of the heavy bag in the garage. when i was ready to quit i did a little more. and after it all when i finally caught my breath i felt good!!! i actually want to do it again i felt so good. tomorrow i am doing it all over again, i truly mean that. i will come home from work and do the same workout.

april glad you are feeling better today, i get down in the dumps sometimes too. keep your chin up!! and stick with it. honestly when i am rfeeling bad i don't like to post either but it really does help alot especially on the bad days.

jan glad the hunger pangs went away, great job working through it.

labchick great attitude!! you'll be to your birthday goal in no time! i seem to have the same loosing cycle as you i loose some real quick and then i get stuck for a few weeks, it makes it really hard to keep motivated. congrats on the 2 lbs and the size 22's woooohoooo for you!!!

cateyes great job on the 3 lbs gone for good. keep with your plan it seems to be working!!

holly hope you all get feeling better soon, this time of year there are so many bugs going around. great job today resisting the fridge!! you can do this!! a 1 lb gain after all the food you were around this weekend ?? that's not so bad at all. i can only pray that i do as well at our thanksgiving!!

mychoice sounds like you have alot on your mind at the moment, good luck on the test and the weigh in tonight. i hope all goes well. keep trying to focus on your goal, and give yourself a hug for making it this far!!

annie i hope the car problems aren't anything major. sounds like you got a good start to the day i hope the rest of the day went well also!!

girlie hope you had a great day!

dpulley great job on staying op keep up the great work.

well my final thought and then i better get to bed..... love yourselves girls!!! it all starts from inside!!!
good night!

Good morning, everyone....Well, I'm getting my appetite back-oh no!-looking at your posts is very inspiring. Currently I am not writing down my calories, but it seems to work for most of you. I've been trying to just keep a loose count in my head, but seeing it on paper would probably be much more accurate. I think it's so sad that the scale has such power to raise or lower our spirits so much-but it does! My DH is a naturally thin person and he just cannot grasp why I get so happy or so sad by a 1 or 2 pound loss or gain. Naturally thin people get on my nerves! Just kidding.You are a great bunch of ladies.

My choice-I don't know why people can be so rude.(your boss) It must be difficult to deal with someone like that-hope your weigh-in is good to you!

Annie-I hope your truck is nothing too serious. Car problems are scary.

Jodi-I have a good friend named Jodie and a sister named Jody. Great name! I hope you get into that outfit soon!

Well, I hear the laundry calling my name! I'd better get in there fast because I think my dirty clothes are reproducing at night, causing the piles to grow!

Jill

Good morning,
Well, the weighin wasn't good. I had gained a pound. That's 2 weeks gaining and it stops right there!

I thought about why it happened and this is what I came up with:

1. I've only been getting to the gym 3 days a week.
2. Last week I bought those damn vanillia creme cookies, that I KNOW I can't control!
3. I let myself become stressed out over this class.
4. I'm not taking one day at a time

Ok, so I identified the reasons, now what am I going to do with them?

1. I will get to the gym 4 days a week and I'm adding 15 min. to my cardio workout and I'm going to add 3 reps to my weight workout. I thought about adding intensity instead of time to the areobic and weight to the strength, but if I add intensity to the cardio my bladder starts bugging me and it's the same for the strength, so I'm deciding to do it the other way. I will do this for seven weeks and then take a look at how I'm doing.

2. I will begin journaling again...everthing!

3. I will not stress out over this class. Instead I will use that stress to my good. I will not tell myself that I can't, but that I will and I'll continue to get the help that I need. Sometimes stress can't be avoided and I'll use it to keep me on my toes. That means putting in the extra time I need so that when it comes around for the tests, I know that I've worked it completely and that I can use that skill on my test.

4. I will stop being all things to all people! I will use the time that I have in my day for me.

I did have my first Accounting test last night and I feel that I got a low A or a hi B.

Thank's so much to all of you who took the time to respond to me yesterday. I was so down. It's easy to come here when I'm positive but hard when I'm not. However I really do think that in order to loose the weight this time I have to "get real". There is no magical trick to do this..just to do it. Open and honest in good times and in hard times.

I feel very comfortable here with all of you, and I know I can be honest. The problem with that sometimes is me, but I'm going to work on it.

Greenlass: I'm going to start writing down those calories and such. I tend ot loose track to. So, you going to do this with me?

Jodi: Great job on the exercise! It's easy to do the things we like, but tough to do what we don't like.

April: I had the same sort of day yesterday. Isn't it great to see the sunshine in our lifes today? Glad you are feeling better.

Holly: I know it's just a cold, but maybe you should go see the doctor. Sometimes during a cold a person can get a secondary infection and you might need some meds for that. At least that's what my doctor told the last time I went to see them when I had a cold. I hope you are feeling better soon!

I'm sure I missed alot of you. Sorry about that! Please know that your posts are inspirations to me...they help me to take a good look at myself.

You ladies are awesome and I know we can get through this and step into ONEderland together!

I'll check back in later today

Hey Y'all!
 

How is everyone today? I am feeling good today after my loss last night. Feeling very motivated today.

My choice - Sorry about the gain, good luck this week and maybe this will be the week for a weight loss for you. Just curious-- have you taken your measurements? IF you are working out three times a week, it is possible you are building muscle, which weighs more than fat. If you are not already you can try keeping track of your measurements as well. That way regardless of what the scale says, you will know whether or not you are losing any inches.

Jodi - Great job on the Workout!! You Rock!

April - I am glad that you are in better spirits today. It is easier to stay OP when you are feeling good inside, and being down can make it so hard to stay OP.

Holly - Way to control yourself!! I have done the fridge stalking numerous times in the past, but I always seemed to give in and finally eat something. Way to stay strong!!

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend! I am going to try real hard to stay OP. Weekends are always tough on me. Atleast Sundays are. I am wondering if I should stear clear of the get together we have every Sunday at Grandma's this week, or go and not eat. But there is always such delicious desserts there! Grandma nearly always has a Berry cobbler, banana pudding, pear cobbler, coconut pie, or some such wonderful dessert made! There is nothing quite like those homemade desserts!

Well, good luck everyone! I must go clean house now! I will have to leave soon to take Spencer to Pre-K.

Teri

Good Mornin'
 

Well, my water weight loss continues with 2 more lbs. I'll take it--water weight or no! It will feel much better when I have less than 100 lbs to go! I've been writing everything down and thus far I staying right around 1000 to 1200 calories per day and on Atkins. This seems to be working pretty good for me so far. I'm enjoying the loss now because I know that next week it will all come to a screeching halt like it always does.

Teri - congratulations on the loss! You're going to be at your goal in no time.

MyChoice - Teri has an excellent point there on the exchange of muscle for fat. Inches lost may be what you're looking at for a time as the conversion process takes place. Keep the faith! With all you're doing, you're probably looking better and better each week.

Jill - I hear ya on the power of the scale over our feelings for the moment. But if we use it as a motivator, we'll get there in no time.

If I've missed anyone, my apologies. Today is a monster day with errands and parent teacher conferences for my high schooler. I'll check back in later,

Nan