Hello everyone and Happy Easter!

I have been missing awhile I know...had a bout with the stomach/intestinal virus that put me out for a few days....then work to catch up on, then my boyfriend had some issues that he needed support for, so I have been elsewhere. Not sure how the weight is to be honest...I haven't weighed myself in a while....just too much going on and I simply forget. Sounds silly I know, but it is the truth. Anyway, I know that I am doing okay, I have truly shrunk my stomach....I eat about half of anything and am stuffed. Last night had some crab puffs, a salad, and maybe 1/2 cup of pasta with shrimp and I was done. Just can not eat the quantity anymore!

Sounds like everyone is keeping on....good for all of you. I may not stop here often, or make a lot of personal comment, but all of you fine ladies make my day and give me inspiration!

Susie....I had LASIK 2 years ago. I was going to have to start wearing glasses with my contacts for reading, so I thought I would just do it! I had 20/200 vision before and now it is better than 20/20 with both eyes working. Since I am over 40 and was facing the need for reading glasses, they did mono vision with me, one eye is for distance and one eye is for close...sounds weird, but over time I really can't tell that they are different. It works great. I had to have an "enhancement" a year after the initial surgery and they was the best! Made the biggest difference of all and now I am glasses free totally! I love it! Best money I ever spent! Good Luck!

Hugs to all
Lilybutt

Hey friends,
HAPPY EASTER!!
Once again I have no good excuse for my absence. I've not been op lately, I've really fellen off the proverbial wagon...LOL. I've only made it to curves 1x in 2 weeks. Dh is off this w-end. We rode the bike to some friends and had dinner. You know it.. I overate..
I need to go now.
I'll do personals later, I'm sending ya'll ..and hoping it gets on me.

Happy Easter, Everyone!
Hope you had a wonderful day.

Susie:
I am IR too, the whole PCOS thing. I was on glucophage for about a year or so, it helped with some skin problems I had due to the IR - uneven skin tone, etc...but I didn't like being ON it. So I stopped. And yes, it's harder for us to lose weight, and we gain in our bellies and all that good stuff. But we can fight it. I totally understand about the gain. I gained 2.6 last week, and I had a good week. 60 minutes of cardio each day. The day before weigh in, I had Chinese, which is full of sodium...and I was also an TOM. I didn't think TOM would affect weight so much. But this week, it came off and then some, so I attribute it all to sodium and TOM. But I know how you feel - I was so upset and didn't have the greatest week this past week, only went to the gym two or three times, and did a terrible job at journaling - and Saturday morning, come to find out I lost 3.8lbs. It's a crazy, crazy, vicious journey that we're on. *hugs*

Stay with it, everyone. Summer is approaching fast and everything we do now will affect how we feel on that first really hot day. I hate the summer because I feel disgusting and fat and all the thin girls are wearing their cute outfits. That is my motivation - I'm not going to be all that much lighter by then, but I know I can feel much better about myself, the way I feel in my clothes and how I look...and I can walk around feeling confident that I'm on the right track.

PS: If anyone is in Weight Watchers or has thought about joining, starting in May, they have a "season pass". You pay for it up front, and it saves money for what 17 actual weeks would cost - the savings is like $45 or something. But it's a great way to start and have 17 weeks paid for and create a 17 week goal. I am going to buy the pass - it will be a great way to keep me going over the summer. It ends in August and it will be really cool to see my progress from May-Aug.

Good Morning Ladies,

Well, I visitied with a freind on Friday that has lost 90 lbs through stomach bypass surgery. She is down from a size 26 to a 16. I was VERY jealous yet extremely happy for her. She has an additional 90 lbs to go. That being said. I got up Saturday morning to go to lunch with my entire family (brothers, sil, parents, my kids) and could not find anything to wear, nothing fit. Too blubbery. With seeing my friend Friday night, then nothing fitting on Sat morning, I just bawled my eyes out with dispare. It seems no matter how hard I try, I cannot stick with any type of healthy eating nor any type of exercising. I am disgusted with myself. My DD, 20 yrs, came into my room and said, "mom, you are beautiful inside and out, no matter what". Well that just made me cry more. I have been so depressed, which lead to eating yesterday. Why am I self-destructing? What is wrong with me that I cannot get a grip on this? Why does food rule me? I think I need mental help. Summer is almost here, I have ZERO clothes for summer that fit, and vacation starts May 29. I won't fit into the airline seat or if I do, not comfortably. I just want to lay down and cry.

Sorry to load you with my emotional problems.

Annie

((((HUGSSSGGG))))) to you Annie. I know just how you feel! Go ahead and cry and then yes believe that you are a beautiful person. You are a beautiful person who is not happy with her weight and that you can change. Just concentrate on losing that 1st 5 lbs. It will make you feel so much better. When you get that off, then the next 5...10 lbs makes a dress size. Today is the last day that you have to feel this way about yourself. You can change it.

I will admit to being jealous of those bypass people but it isn't as easy as they make it seem and I have watched some people who had it 3 years ago put back on 15-20 lbs. There is a great article on it in the May issue of Oprah, go get it and read it.

Thank you to everyone who gave me encourgement concerning my post of my doctor visit. That was such a low day for me. I am not about to give up. I know that it takes a combination of things for me to get this weight off and I will work on it until I find that combination.

Who is with me?! What is your new plan (if you need one) or what will you continue to do (if it's working for you).

Annie:
Hugs to you! I try to take it day to day. It's a very rough journey, full of ups and downs. When I think about how much I need to lose, I get so frustrated that I want to give up. I think many of us try weight loss plans and things but tend to give up because we are so afraid of failing. But no matter what you do, you just have to keep plodding away. A friend of mine lost a good deal of weight on Weight Watchers...and it seemed so easy for her, like every time I saw her she was smaller...but as we talked more, I could see how crazy it was for her inside. It's a tough journey. But every week that I have a loss, I know that all the little tiny things I did that week were totally worth it. There is no magic. It takes work. If weight-loss surgery is for you, consider it...but as Susie said, it's not all that easy. You WILL lose a ton of weight really quickly...but that's only because you can hardly eat.

You can hang in there, Annie. Inside, we all feel the same and that's why we are here. You've lost 11 pounds, same as me...and that's a great accomplishment! I keep thinking, oh, just 11 pounds...I have SO much much to go...but I try not to look at it that way.

Stay with us Annie! We care about you!

Girlie

(((((((((((Annie)))))))))))

You ARE beautiful in all the ways that matter. It is such a struggle for many of us. My weight is up too. I have been focussing on other things for a few months. I am happy tho. I really needed to take a break from feeling like a failure all the time. Some bodies hold onto weight a lot harder than others.
Most of us here experience that. Keep in mind all the great things about you, your family and your life. Try to make enhancing those things your goal for weight loss. You can still lose 10lbs before your trip. Focus on a lb a week. Check in here often!!!
Love you!!!

Hey Ladies! Today has been a shitty day. TOM decided to pay a visit this weekend and he is kicking my ***! I have been very aggressive and in a crappy mood all day. Got on the scale and saw that I had gained 2.75 lbs! WTF? My mama insists it's water weight but I'm still pissed! Dammit. That also means that I didn't make my Easter challenge goal. *scrowls* But I'm cool. As much as I craved sugar today, I didn't give in. I'll be damned if I mess up my Memorial Day Challenge.

I went to Walmart to put my scale on layaway (this was just after weigh in and I was depressed) and as I was walking around, I saw this cute beach towel with Betty Boop on it. I love Betty Boop so I got the towel and put it on layaway with my scale. I'm gonna use it as motivation. By the time I go to the beach this summer, I'll be in ONEderland and be able to wrap that towel all the way around me.

Annie:
We are all here for you. You are beautiful in everyway possible.
The road is VERY HARD, But there are no true short cuts. For every sucess thru surgery there are also people who regain alot of the weight, even that little stomach can stretch.
We just have to pick ourselves up and keep trying. We only fail when we give up. My friend, I'm not ready to give up yet. So wipe those dang tears and get back into the race....
I went to curves today. Thats 1x this week. WOO HOO...
I set a new goal of 10lbs by memorial day. That'll be very tough but I'll try..

Good morning ladies!!

((hugs)0 to all who are going through a rough time. Keep plugging away and things will be great!

I had a touch of the flu last week, and it culminated with the stomach bug on Monday. I am feeling better, just disappointed that I sepnt all day Monday in bed and not with the family. I also wanted to go exercise, but that will have to wait until tomorrow. I have to work this afternoon, so I will not be able to go today. Have a great day ladies!!!

Good Morning,
I was lurking yesterday because I was really eating off plan. Started today out the same way and then made a decision to stop it right there! Coming here is my turn around in the road. I might have started badly but I don't need to finish badly. I'm just pretty sure the scales will be up this week. I'm very disappointed in that, but you know, going down the road of eating badly and not exercising isn't going to change it, turing that thought process around is the only thing that will. So, I'm turning around (again)--I keep getting lost on this journey. But just like a road trip I can only get there if I keep going, and I'm wanting to come racing into Onederland.

I have been thinking about my doctor's visit last week and how she told me that if the Glucophage doesn't work I might see a Bariatric specialist. I am not interested in the surgery but I thought I would see if they offer anything else. I didn't find anything but I did do one of their caculators to see what sort of results I could expect if I did do the surgery. It told me to expect to loose 70% of my weight which would take me to 176 and it would take 18 months. Well, my TOPS goal weight for myself is 180. I thought to myself, you know I know that I can loose enough (with a lot of hard work and effort) to get to 180 without the surgery. Seeing those numbers gives me hope that I can do this on my own with diet and exercise and in just about the same amount of time.

So, there is where my head is today. Feel free to comment on these and any other thoughts you have.

Hello Ladies

Thank you so much for the encouragement. I am in a better place today in my head. One day at a time. I did make a dr appt for this Friday. I have had irregular bm's for many years and it is not getting any better. It is to the point I have small accidents before I can get to the restroom. Hopefully the doc can enlighten me on what is going on.

My eating was better yesterday and not so bad today. It is such a mental struggle not to eat. Susie, you are so right about all of this. I just need to focus and not be so hard on myself and negative. I am usually a positive person too.

I want to recommit to healthier eating and exercising, but mentally I am not there. It would just be another failure. Why is this so dang hard?

Hope everyone is doing great today!

Thank you again for the great support. I don't think I could get any more depressed, however I do feel better.

Annie

Good morning ladies!

Well I didn't lose a thing this week, didn't expect to as I ate way too many bad things on Easter Sunday. Silly me decided to go to the store on an empty stomach and by the time I got round my blood sugar was dropping slightly and I ate 2 donuts in the car on the way home. My Easter treat was supposed to be a creme egg but they had none (should have taken that as an omen shouldn't I!) that is how I came to have the donuts...chose those instead as a treat for everyone, only bought 6 so we would have 1 each...

I got home and I had bought some mini croissants for the kids for next day's breakfast, I lost count of how many I ate as I was unpacking the shopping and putting dinner on...I made sure the kids ate the rest the next day. I think the kids nearly keeled over when they asked how many they could have and I told them to eat them all, croissants are mummy's thing and normally is woe betide anyone who might not leave her at least a couple!

I didn't eat any chocolate tho! I was pretty good at dinner (mind you I was so full from the donuts and croissants!) and ate ham and veggies, but I did have some jam tart and sugar free cool whip for dessert (now there's a mix!) but I didn't eat it all.

Monday I was good all day till the jam tart came out after dinner and had a piece with sugar free cool whip again!

At least I didn't gain any weight which is what I thought would happen!

I've been gardening, find it so much easier to do with a little bulk removed. My back yard was an absolute disaster area with things the dogs had chewed up and strewn around (pool filter, pool tools, balls, you name it they cnewed it, they're only puppies tho) and poop patrol hadn't been done in a while so I spent 3 hours cleaning that up last night. All that is left in back yard now is pool skeleton (we're getting a new one as old one came with the house and was a bit nasty) which has to be pulled up out of the crater they put it in and broken down. 2 buckets of poop now in the doggie dooley! I felt great after all that work I have to say!

Hugs to all those going thru physical and mental anguish. I've been there, it helped me put back all the weight and more that I lost before, but has put me in a better place this time thank goodness. It's almost like a lesson learned. It's ok to beat yourself up as long as you know when to stop and don't let it turn into long term abuse. Sometimes a self kick in the pants is a good thing.

We CAN do this girls. I could not do this without all your support. Once upon a time admitting that I had gained a pound or not lost any would have been way too traumatic for me, not now. I know I won't be judged badly, but that I will get the cyberhug that I need to help me carry on, encouragement and good advice.

Good luck to all those on the Memorial Day Challenge. I always set my goals in life too high so I shall just plod along to my goal of 199, even if it takes until Labor Day! Short term goals and me don't go together!

Love and hugs to all of you.

Sarah

Sarah - I tend to nibble as I unpack too - I get so hungry from seeing everything on the shelves! And I LOVE croissants! They are heavenly!