Girlie----I watched "the biggest loser" too and was also motivated by that show. Seeing how those people were litearally pushing themselves made me realize that I need to make changes. I need to improve my own workout routine and quit putting off doing that. I have set my alarm so at 6am I will be up and either gone to the gym or out walking/running. Depending on the weather. I'm also going to cut out alot of what I have been eating and replace them with things that are better for me.


TardyAngel----Sorry to hear you're going through such a rough time right now.
**Hugs*** Hope things get easier for you soon.

JustJodi---Congrats on Passing up the oppurtunity to be tempted by the wings and instead opting to go home and eat a sensible dinner. I'm sure that a part of you wishes you could have been there to celebrate with your son and his team so that could be why you feel kind of bad. I'm sure your son knows that you're proud of him and understands the reason why you went home instead of out with them.

Hevron--Good to see you posting again!! I know what its like to be in a "slump" been there myself several times. There were days when I thought "why even bother" but my attitude has changed since then. I still have off days but I try to think postive even on the bad days.

Susie and Nan- (and anyone else here who is going to school) I just want to say Congrats to you gals for making the decision to go take some course and earn a degree. I should be doing the same but I am the world's worst procrastinator.....I keep saying "I'll sign up for course next semester" and putting it off. I feel awkward about going to college at 28---the whole idea really just overwhelms me. I think it is wonderful that you gals are working towards your degrees! I wish you all luck on any tests you have!!!

Ok I am getting sleepynow so to everyone I missed know I am thinking about you and sending hugs your way.

Oh yeah before I go....I kinda caved today and messed up on my dieting....I had a bowel of ice cream for dessert tonight. That won't be happening again. I only lost a pound this week but I guess losing one is better than gaining one. I've upped my workout routine and am making some food changes so maybe next week I'll see a 2 pound loss!

Living our own reality!
 

Sounds like lots of us "thin-challenged" people watched The Biggest Loser this week! I have to tell you that it motivated me, too. Girlie is right - it's a bit unrealistic in that they work out for several hours a day and have a trainer right there in their face, but still...to see someone lose 10-20 pounds in 1 week can't help but be motivational. :coach:

Our goals ARE possible! I CAN fit that 22/24 red suit by Christmas! I declare it! In fact, I want to lose lots of weight before Thanksgiving so my family will be surprised at my weight loss. I don't plan to be seeing them before that time (they only live an hour away), but wouldn't that be great? To go into Thanksgiving with a huge head start on my goals? Yes, I can do it. :drill:

I belong to Curves, and you can make your workout as easy or as challenging as you want. I've got to step it up this week and make those workouts (and my membership fees!) count for something. :sumo:

For those wanting to try journaling, don't forget to check out fitday.com. It's a fantastic site and is free. :write:

Have a blessed Wednesday!

Hi Ladies,
Wow! What great posts....when I read them, I just know I can do this...you all are out there doing it with me. Thanks for taking the time to come posts...good and bad times....we all have them and we all need each other to get through them. Does anyone feel like this is the only place you can be honest and admit a setback, and still feel like you are going to get to where and what you want to be? I know I sure do!

We didn't get our tests back last night and I was so disappointed. The Prof. said the reason was because not everyone had taken the test. Everyone didn't think that was fair, so I spoke up and asked how long she would be giving the people who missed the test a chance to make it up. She said this Thursday would be the cut of. I'm thinking now it will be next Tuesday before we get our grade. She really should've had two different tests made up to avoid this. I did get my homework back and I missed a couple of things, but not to bad. I still have an A average and for right now my 4.0 grade point is intact. I know that might change as I get into my harder classes, but as long as it stays above a 3.0 that's ok with me. I'm joining Phi Theta Kappa, it's the National Honor Society at school. You have to be invited and to have that you must have completed 16 hrs and have a grade point of 3.75 to join. I feel very honored that my hard work is being recoginzed by that Society and I'm going to go through the induction on Oct. 29. We can invite family and friends. In order to remain as an active member, you must keep a 3.0 or better GPA.

I did great with my food yesterday. I'm writing my food down when I sit down to eat. That seems to be working for now...at least I find the time to jot something down then. My workout was good last night. I'm still not up to adding a full 15 min. But I'm up to 10 min now.

One last thing about me. Today I'm taking some of my bigger clothes to the consigment shop. They are my really nice dress clothes and they are still in fashion, and in good shape. I thought I might as well get rid of them because they are huge and I tell you, there is NO WAY, I'm going to ever wear them again. I figure I might as well get something out of them. It's a little scary to give them away. Sort of feel like I'm flaunting my success...but I need to do this.

Hevron: Great attitude! YES you can fit into the suit...hang it where you can see it. Try it on every week..

April: I went back to school at 36! I only take 1-2 classes at a time and when I first started back I only took one. It was scary..still is sometimes..but if I want to make my degree happen, I've got to face that fear. If you really want to go back and take a class..you will....just step out. I've used fitday before and you are right, it is an awesome site! Tell us how your "Pepped Up" Curves workout goes.

Girlie: You did awesome with getting yourself back on track. Thanks for sharing everything with us. I'm thinking about your Jan 1 challenge. I'm in...I just need to figure out what I want to set as a goal.

Jodi: You did something for you! Skipping those wings were in your best interest and I'm guessing that you, along with most of us, aren't used to putting our needs first. But you did! I think you should be proud of that.

Annie: Great news for you and your daughter! and it's great that you called your friend to talk about the woes...you didn't eat..that's good! You are doing well....keep on trying lady!

Holly: How are you feeling today?

Nan: How's your day going?

If I missed anyone...consider yourself thought of!

I better get to work. Check in later.

Good Morning everyone!

I'm in the office and wanted to post early today. I started the day right...I did wake up at 5am and found myself at the gym by 5.20, a little earlier than usual. I don't know how I woke up...my muscles were tight...but I figured I'd better move them early or I'd be totally stiff all day. I have a hard time with stretching sufficiently. I went straight to my elliptical, got in 47 hardcore minutes and just about 7000 strides. The last 15 minutes I struggled a bit with, but made it. Only 13 more minutes and that would have been an hour. Maybe by November I'll be at the 60 minute mark. That would be a great workout, and then gradually I can add in some floor work, like crunches and leg lifts. Right now, I'm still trying to just wake up and get to the gym. The thing that sucks is that I have to work, so I try to work out, shower and get home in time to make a leisurely breakfast and dress for work.

I went grocery shopping after my workout and bought a bunch of fresh veggies, etc...geez, came out to $45!!! But I'm set for salads and sandwiches for the rest of the week. DH will just have to live with all the rabbit food!

MyChoice:
I envy you for being such a good student. I did get a BS in Advertising...It took me six years to get it and I took 2-3 courses per semester. I wasn't non-traditional because of my age, but because I worked full time and most of the kids at the private college didn't work at all, had money and pretty much were handed jobs after they graduated. I startedout okay, but got so burned out and hated the fact that I had to work along with all this school work. I just wanted to get out of there, and I ended up with barely a 3.0 average...which honestly, was just fine with me because I think I did the best I could at the time. I also failed Economics class TWICE. I couldn't deal with that class. My GPA would be much better had I not done so horribly. Now I'm so dreading going back for a Masters. My DH is working on his, so maybe after he is done...maybe not!

Hevron:
Of course you can get into that red suit for the holidays! I try not to think of "the biggest loser" as far as weight...22 pounds in one week is horribly unhealthy and to be honest, I'm really surprised they are doing that and airing it. I didn't even notice a disclaimer. BUT, the show did help me see that I am a lot like those people. Do you remember when they came to breakfast the next morning and all that yummy but unhealthy breakfast food was laid out on the table? I would have DIED. Really, my only weakness would have been the bacon. I love bacon and really I think it's okay to have as long as you are making up for it with exercise and staying low-fat the rest of the day. At least it's a protein and I think if you were to eat anything, it would be the bacon rather than waffles and pancakes. You can wear that suit! Just think about those people on the show...how bad do you want it?

April:
I'm glad the show inspired you too. One thing that really inspired me was the girl who got booted off the show, they showed that she'd lost more weight after the show and she looked great! Perhaps that is what she needed to inspire her. Don't worry about the bowl of ice cream. I think of it this way...if I plan on a fattening or high calorie item...I tend to exercise harder. Figure out the calories of what you ate and burn them off. Technically, the name of the game is to burn more calories than you eat. I know the machines at the gym aren't totally accurate, but since I put my age, height and weight in, I can have a decent estimate of the amount of calories that I ate.

I had egg beaters scrambled with mushrooms on light whole wheat bread and an apple today. My mid-morning snack is Pepperidge Farms pretzel fish. Lunch will be a big salad that I make and another apple. Maybe I'll cut up the apple in my salad and add raisins too. Mmm. Then afternoon snack is light microwave popcorn. I found some made by Smart Balance that is light and has no trans-fat. I'm going to try to eat at 8am, 10a, 12p, 3p and between 6-7pm. I'm trying to have meals and smart snacks planned and eat them at those times even if I don't feel very hungry...it will prevent feeling super hungry and binging.

OK...I'll hush up for now.

Girlie

good morning everyone!!

first of all let me say girlie, how brave of you to tell us how you have been struggling the last few days!!! congratulations on getting all of that off of your chest!! you are my inspiration today!!! we can all do this!! it isn't very pretty alot of the time but we are all in this together!! great job realizing where you were going wrong and making the good choice to pull yourself up!!! keep up the great work! i watched the biggest looser last night too. it really made me stop and think! hope you have a great day!! and again you are wonderful, congratulations!!

mychoice- sorry you didn't get your grade back, that really doesn't seem fair to your class! good for you speaking up about it. congrats on getting invited to join the honors society, that is fantastic! and thank you for helping make sense out of my bad feeling for making a good choice, i know you are right. it is very hard to put myself first.

that's right hevron you're going to look fabulous in that suit at christmas time!! we can do this!!!

april great choices!! hope you have a wonderful day!!

Curves with Weight Watchers
 

Hi everyone! I've just started Weight Watchers and Curves for Women. I've tried before and never stuck with it, but my twins just started kindergarden, so this will be the first time I could actually get up in the morning and go to the gym without finding a babysitter. So I'm so excited! I am 5' 8 1/2" and weigh 242 pounds. I'm going to shoot for 220 by Christmas.

Does anyone know the exercise point value of the Curves workout? I listed it on my points tracker as 30 minutes of low impact aerobics. Anyone else doing Curves and Weight Watchers? I'd love to hear from you, either in here or at [email protected]. Thanks! ~ Barb Kirby

Jodi:
I appreciate it greatly. Have a lovely day!

Barbie:
I've never been to Curves, but I know you can make it as easy or as hard as you want it. I think a couple others here are in Curves and can help you better with that question. But welcome and I hope you stick around here and be with us when you make your Christmas goal! It's a very brave thing to set goals during these winter holidays...be we can totally do this. If we can survive these holidays, we know we can survive the rest of the year!

Girlie

Mornin' All
 

Hope all is well with you. Like the rest of the overweight on this continent, I too watched The Big Loser :D I think their losses are reasonable, but only if you have enough money to go to a "fat spa" and spend your entire day obssessing about getting fit. The other thing I took away from this is that it appeared that none of the contestants said that they were currently trying to lose the weight. In a way, this looked like a weight loss boot camp approach to shock them into the fact that it's not easy and you've got to work at it--hard!

I personally have not dropped anymore weight, but am happy to report that my DH has finally seen that his constant fatigue is probably directly related to his weight gain over the last year or so. He's on fire now to lose his weight and it's making our time together alot of fun. We've started working out together in the family room (exercise bike and treadmill) and he's dropping the weight quite well. It's fun to see him get excited about it too. Now we weigh in every morning and compare losses and while it sounds kind of competitive, it's actually helping to motivate me more.

Girlie - YOU ROCK! Keep up the great work and those lbs should start literally flying off your backside (OOPS, that's where I want mine to fly off any :) ).

Heather - You are going to look fabulous by Thanksgiving and then completely knock them dead at Christmas! Just picture yourself in that size to keep yourself motivated.

MyChoice - I agree about the test thing. I'm on an online program, so we get our grades regardless of whether others show up for tests or not. When I first went to school for my associates degree they had a good rule on it. If you had to miss a test, you took a harder one that was scheduled one week later. Her philosophy was "tough luck, you either take it when you are supposed to, or you suffer the consequences". It didn't take long before EVERYONE showed up for the test the FIRST time.

Barbie - WELCOME! Glad to have you!

April - congratulations on your loss! Whether its 1 or 10 lbs, as long as it's a loss, it's a step in the right direction.

If I've missed anyone I'm sorry, but I've got homework to crank out and a preschooler beckoning for ABC time.

Later,

Nan

Hi, girls...I started out Monday so good-so motivated-writing down all my food and using Fitday for the first time-(I even walked 7.5 miles on Monday) And then, Tuesday came along. I just fell off the wagon completely:( I've been eating blueberry cheesecake muffins, and white bread with butter, and anything else I could find. Reading your posts has given me the determination to stop myself right now, before I do any more damage.

Thanks! Jill

Hi chicks,
It is same song different day for me. I STILL dont feel very well. The day starts out okay and then I fizzle out pretty quick.Yesterday I went to bed at 4 pm(Thankyou Dora).I slept til 7 got up for a bit and then slept throught the night.Today i went out. I was getting shack wacky.It was a nice day. At 4 pm a major headache started. AAAARG! Same as yesterday. I am extemely tired of not feeling well.This is the never ending virus.
I weigh in tonight.
I have hardly eaten, well, compared to usual. I dont feel hungry either.

(((((greenlass))))))) hang in there hon! You recognized it and you are stopping. Good for you!!!! Start fresh everytime you want to put put something unhealthy in your mouth. hugs.

hello everyone!
holly i am so sorry you are still feeling sick, you must need the rest! hang in there hopefully in a few more days you'll feel good as new!

greenlass- you can do this!! we all slip up, great job recognizing it and trying again. keep on trying that is the most important part!!!

labchick- that is great that your dh is dieting along with you! it is great to have support with exercise etc. keep up the great work!!

barbie- welcome, sorry i am no help at all with curves or ww. there is a wonderful amount of support in here though no matter what your plan is.

well it was a fairly good day today, i did have one little bite of fudge that MIL made and insisted i taste. i treated myself to a half of a ff vanilla cappachino (sp?) tonight it was good. hope you all have a wonderful evening!

Thanks for the encouragement, ladies. You don't know how much a kind word or show of support can mean sometimes! I very much admire those of you that are in school. I'm at a time in my life where I could go back, but I'm stumped on what I want to do-job wise. God bless you for your determination and self-discipline.

Jodi-very good to only have a taste of the fudge!

Holly-I hope that you are feeling better today. That is the never-ending virus. Hope you at least lost some weight due to feeling ill! :)

Well, I need to get the journal back out and start writing it down! God bless all of you and have a great day!

Jill

Hi Ladies,
I have a headache this morning. I've taken a couple of Tylenol...I hope they kick in soon.

I did something nice for myself this morning. I bought the new "Rod Stewart The Great American Songbook Volume III" collection. I was going to wait until after I weighed in this evening and see if I lost, but I decided that I had worked really hard on staying OP this week and so regardless, I was treating myself. I'm going to stick the cd in today as I work on cleaning out some files this morning.

As I said, tonight is weigh-in and I'm hoping for a loss..I think the scales will be down. (Please, let the scales be down!)

Holly: How did the weigh-in go? Hopefully you will start feeling better. How long have you been on the meds now?

Jody: Even with the fudge..I think you had a good OP day!

Jill: You might have hit a bump in the road, but it sounds like you got right back on track. Good job! As for school, if you really want to go back and don't know where to start, just pick a class that you know you would have to have no matter what major you decide on. I'm pretty sure that I want to finish my degree as Business Management, but I'm also interested in Communications. I'm finding out that I can do both. I can have a minor in Business or an emphises in it and still do the communication thing..which really fits my personality. I know that even with just the business degree I'm more interested in the human side of that as a job. I can't stand working with numbers...so I don't want to be on the financial side..maybe more in sales/marketing, PR, Training, HR. that sort of thing. When you are ready, I'm sure you will take the plunge.

Ladies, it's time to get to work. I'll check in later.

Thank you so much ladies!
 

First let me say thank you for all your kind words. If I've missed thanking anyone plz don't take it personally --- my nerves are shot and I feel terrible, lol.

I'm going thru this phase where I'm saying...who wants a 31 year old fat girl with three kids and a divorce in their life? In a world of size 4's, I'm finding it hard to keep my self-esteem above pond scum levels. That's where I'm at emotionally. I've been packing and all I keep thinking is...there it is...there goes 10 years of your life.

Susie - Ty. I'm glad that there are other people out here that understand what it is I'm feeling.

Holly - The kids are doing good, thanx for asking. They actually like the "fiance" and her kids, so you can imagine how much good that's doing for me. Just another thing to cry about.

Annie - Ty for your hug. I'm getting my car fixed too right now...$ 600 so far...blah!!!!

Lab - Ty --- your comments mean a lot to me.

Jodi - Ty, it really helps to hear that there IS life after divorce.

Girlie - Ty. I think you're still doing great! You are seeing your weaknesses and breaking that darn cycle we end up on.

April - Ty too. It really means a lot to me.

You ladies are awesome --- I can feel your hugs and I am trying my best to keep my hopes up. The only good I'm seeing out of this situation is --- 27 more pounds until I see ONEderland. I can't even believe I'm that close. My birthday is 2/18 and I would love to give myself that for a present. Such a change from being 320 (as I was) for my birthday this year.

The question everyone asks...lots of sags? I'm actually surprised, I don't really have much. My stomach is a bit loose but it's pulling back nicely. My biggest issue is my arms. I have bird wings :( I think they're horrible but I keep getting told they're not that bad. We'll see as time goes. I'm 81 lbs. from my dream goal of 145. My I can live with myself goal is 51 lbs. away (175). Hard to believe I'm past the half way point.

Well ladies --- I must get back to work. Thanx as always for letting me ramble. I miss our chats. Has anyone heard from Jen in a while?

Hello everyone.

I ate too much last night. I'm realizing that there is a problem btwn DH and I food-wise. I made a great dinner, I made a healthy choice pasta meal and steamed some sugar snap peas on the side. I was just finishing up when DH got home around 10pm. I was running really late yesterday as I had to do some shopping and stuff after work. I was so proud of my dinner. I told DH I could make him a salad, or egg beaters, etc...but he wanted something "real". I made him a frozen pizza and added fresh mushrooms and extra cheese. When it was done, it was looking SO good...I ate two slices. Granted, it was a small frozen pizza (DH ate the rest!), I still was so mad that I ate any. I should have just gone to bed. And it was SO good. Bad Girlie. Isn't it so weird how food can sometimes make us lose our minds? It wouldn't have been bad if I hadn't eaten and that's all I ate...but I ate a full, healthy meal. I wasn't hungry yet my mouth was watering for thsi pizza.

This morning I started off right though...I didn't go to the gym but I made scrambled egg beaters with mushrooms, a pinch of shredded cheese and a veggie "sausage" patty..it was SO good. Could have easily passed for McDonalds! I had a few pretzels already today and brought two apples and soy nuts for snack.

I don't think I'll be working out today...I'm driving over to the next city to take DH to class and doing some shopping. But I've exercised Mon-Wed which is good, then I'll go tomorrow morning and try when we get back from Chicago on Sunday evening. We'll be doing tons of walking in Chicago though, and we're going to my favorite build your own stir fry restaurant!

Jill - I wanted to give you a hello and thank you for your honesty. The blueberry cheesecake muffin thing had me last week. The mix was on sale and I bought two...thank goodness they are gone now!

I hope everyone is having an OP day!

Girlie

Hello chicks!
Still not out of the woods.Are you sick of hearing that yet. I DO feel like I am on the mend. It 's been over 3 weeks since the cold started. I have finished the antibiotics.I still have sinus pain. ARG!!!!
I was down 1.75 at TOPS. 1 was recovery from thanksgiving but the other .75 was real.
This is what I have noticed. 1- I haven't has a huge appetite from being sick, 2- is that I have been eating "regularily" -like toast and fruit for breaky,but only 1 slice or a toasted cheese sandwich and cucs for lunch, but only 1 sandwich,or a small piece of chicken,salad and no starch for dinner and a small snack at bedtime. It is very apparent to me that it is not necessarily the food I am eating but the quantity.
Just now I had ww toast with ham and cheese. MMMMMM! I have done serious battle with myself not to eat another. It just tastes so damn good. This is my issue I need to resolve. I dont really eat takeout or junk or sweets. I eat toooo much good food.
I realy do want to look and feel great. I deserve it!!

((((Tardy))))) How incredibly difficult. At 31 you are a spring chicken.You never know what the future holds or what wonderful loving man is out there for you.Please try to remember all the positive wonderful things about yourself,your life ,your children. You made a tough decision and you are getting through it.I admire your strength.
Consider it 10 years of experience to help the next part of your life be even better.
(((( a bazillion HUGS))))))))).

Girlie~ start fresh today. If it comes up again try to fight the urge.

Susie~MMMMMMM, Rod Stewart. Hope your head clears up.

Barbie! HI!

Jodi,Hevron,greenlass.... have a great day.

Wheres' Suzi been?

Hugs Chicks!!!

Hi Ladies,
Just a quick stop in this afternoon. My head is feeling much better. Thank heaven's for Tylenol!

I took the clothes up to the consignment shop. I didn't take all of them, I wanted to see how they did there. My stuff was a lot more dressy than some of the things they had there. I might end up taking my long dresses to the city. I know it's crazy, but I felt a little sad leaving my clothes there. They are things that I spent good money on, so I would look nice for an important event. But hey...I can still spend good money on those types of things..they will just be in smaller sizes now! I also felt a little exposed...you know..that someone could see that I was once a size 24....am I making sense here or am I just being sensitive?

Tardy: I was so inspired by your post and how far you have come! I'm really proud of you for not going back to food for comfort during this very turbulant time. Don't worry about some man wanting you..they will be there when it's time for you to have them enchance your life. They will be lucky to have you!

I just saw that under your name you have "Spread your wings and fly" Is that a Christina Aguleria song? I know she sings that in one of her songs from "Stripped" and I love it. When I listen to that while I'm working out..I get really pumped!

Holly: I'm glad to hear that you feel like you have had some sort of improvement. And great job on the weight loss.

Girlie: I remember having a hard time planning meals when I first got married. My husband wanted these huge meals every night and I was a grilled cheese sandwich and soup sort of gal. What we do now, is make those bigger meals on the weekend and then we eat leftovers a lot.

Ok..got to get back to work

Hello!
 

Just checking in here! As I predicted last week, my watershed of pound loss must have been the water weight thingy. I have not gained and have not lost at all this week, but it's ok. It's just my groove and it'll drop again early next month.

Tardy - I understand why you'd feel like you'll always be alone, but toss that idea right out the window. After my divorce, I made a commitment to myself to get everything in my life in order with regard to job, kids, health. I lost and then regained the weight, but everything else was good. Then 7 years later, I met an amazing man who loved me fat rolls and all! I met him online and refused to give him my phone number for 6 months. I kept telling him that if he wanted a Barbie Doll, he'd better look elsewhere. He always replied with, "If I wanted a Barbie Doll, I'd go to a toy store." After 6 months of talking over the phone I agreed to meet with him, but being as hesitant as I was, I drove to him. (I kept telling myself if this guy was a jerk, I could then turn around and never look back) He turned out to be everything he said he was and one year later we married. It can happen and you don't have to be a size 4 to do it. I just want you to know that we are all pulling for you! Feel free to dump those negative thoughts here so we can help you bash them to bit! :D

MyChoice - Taking those clothes to the consignment shop is a great idea! You were a caterpillar, and those clothes represent the sloughing of a cocoon! Just wait until you are the butterfly you want to be! :bravo:

Holly - Great job on the loss! You're doing it! It'll be fun when we've all lost the weight and can send before and after pics!

I know I've missed people, but right now I'm getting dizzy, so I'm going to lie down.

Be back later,

Nan

hello everyone!!
hope you are all doing well tonight. i am feeling good, the scale creeped down another lb for the week and i am ever so happy to see it moving again.

labchick i seem to have the same type of loss schedule as you, the lbs seem to melt off for a few days and then boom it stops and i get stuck. the one thing i have learned from this recently is not to loose it totally when the scale stops moving, i no longer go into panic mode and give up. i just keep plugging along, i have found there are alot of things i can do to get it moving again, but being patient is the most important. you're attitude is awesome and you are doing a great job, just thought i would let you know!! hope the dizzyness goes away!!

mychoice- good luck on the weigh in tonight!! great job getting rid of the too big clothes! that was a very big step! i understand your feelings about letting your size out there for everyone to see, you should feel porud of yourself though since now you are in a smaller size!! congrats!! glad your headache went away. and good for you getting the cd!! i think non food related rewards are fantastic and we should treat ourselves whenever we get the chance!

holly- well it is good to hear you are on the mend. and no we are not tired of hearing it!! congrats on the loss!!! i know the circumstances weren't the best but take it and celebrate!! keep getting better!!

girlie pizza is my fave!! i crumble everytime i see it!! don't beat yourself up though. i find it very difficult to eat something different than everyone else in the house. no matter what i make myself it either ends up they want my meal or i am lusting after theirs (dh and 3 kiddos are who i am referring to here) so to fix this problem i started cooking just one meal for all of us. i make regular foods that we all like (spaghetti and meatballs, roast beef, lots of chicken etc) i just cut my portions on the higher fat things, i eat salad to make up the difference for myself, and cook as low cal and healthy as i can. the rest of my family is not currently dieting and no one feels like they are being deprived and since i have changed the way i cook over the past 6 mos or so they have all lost a few pounds. good luck with the meal planning!!

tardy- all i can say is i know where you are right now and it does get better with time, that might be hard to believe right now but it really is true!! i was in very similar circumstances several years ago, 27yo with 3 kids (one still in diapers) i weighed 250lbs, i was at the bottom where you are describing. i spent alot of time only living for my children. i didn't think there was anyone out there i could trust or who would love me. after time though things started to change, i met a great guy who truly loved me, just for me, fat and kids and all!! we will be married 7 years this december. you need time to heal, you need to tell yourself everyday you are beautiful!! and believe it!!

greenlass hope you had a great day!!

Good morning, girls....a bit slow moving, this morning. The only day I've exercised this week is Mon. and I can tell by my energy level-low and sluggish. I went shopping yesterday and came home in a depressed mode. All my clothes are mommy clothes and I need to go back to work. I need a few dressy/casual things and went to Kohl's. Nothing fit right or looked good...my stomach is my worst flabby area and all the pants seemed to highlight that fact. So-I went to Lane Bryant and walked through all the cute stylish clothes, and walked out when I saw the price tags. Sigh! Sorry I'm whining! It's just so frustrating!

Jodi-Yea!! Yea!! I'm so happy for you that you are losing! Are you on a specific plan or are you just trying to eat healthy? (Sorry if I missed it somewhere in a post!)

Holly-I am in the same boat as far as food goes. I just LOVE food. It tastes good. I know I use it as a comfort and that is a hard thing to change.

Girlie-Good luck with the DH and the dinner issue. Mine likes meat and potatoes and never gains a pound. But pizza-that's a hard one to resist.:)

MyChoice-I hope you lost many pounds at your weigh-in!:) Is TOPS like WW?

Hello to everyone else and I hope you have a healthy day!

Jill

Good Morning My Fellow Racers!
I'm in an extremely good mood today...I LOST one lb at my TOPS meeting last night. I had wanted to loose 2 lbs, but hey...a whole pound is good too!

My goal for next week is to weigh less next week than I do this week. I'll continue with my workouts the way I did this week and I'll continue to use my journal to write down my food when I sit down to eat.

Thank you ladies for all the support you give to me. It's so wonderful to be able to come here..good day or bad day...loss or gain. You Ladies ROCK!

Jill: It can be very frustrating to go shopping. I usually shop at Lane Bryant, because that is where I find fashionable things. Another good source is Fashion Bug. They aren't as pricy. Because I shop at Lane Bryant so much I get a lot of coupons from them. You might go to there web site and sign up with them, then you will get the coupons also. When looking for dressy/casual things for work, what about a long black shirt that's elastic at the top, and then you can pair it with mid hip sweaters and with those button up shirts that everyone wears untucked. They are sort of taloried at the bottom and have a little bit of stretch in the material. Do you know what I'm talking about? You can wear those with pants also. Go try on some things at Lane Bryant and then watch for a sale and for your coupons. They have pants with different raises and fits to them (like relaxed through the thighs etc) to them and so you might find they aren't so unflattering in that stomach area. A black pair, a grey pair and a camel color pair will take you a long way. You can look for the elastic waist skirts in that color also. You can wear the mid hip sweaters and button tops with them. That's what I do.

I hope that helps you somewhat.

Jody: Congrats on the weight loss! I get stuck at certain numbers, so I know how good it feels to see those scales move down.

Nan: I loved what you told me about the catepiller and cocoon...what a great mental picture! I'm righting that down in my journal!

Glad to see that you have a positive attitude even when the scales don't move. You know your body and that it will happen again soon.

Well, the mail just arrived. I better get busy.

Off to a flying start....NOT.Oh, the joys of parenthood. My son(6) is very highstrung,not hyper but emotional.He is also insecure so that makes him needy and pushy at times. Anyhow, he has been hard to handle for a few days now and I (calmly) lost it with him this morning.We had a serious talk about how he treats me. I am where he takes all this stuff out. I am soooo done.I dont how long it will last. Hubby took the playstation away last night for his disrespect.this morning he woke his sister up because he was doing flips in the hallway. Cant imagine having that much energy.
I start to feel myself pull away.So instead of doing all the cool non food things I like to do I shut down and then when it is finally quiet at night I EAT!
Last night I wanted cheese and crackers and I knew I wasn't hungry.I had a piece of chicken, salad and a small bowl of icecream for supper and I was completely satisfied.
No need to eat.I did have a few crackers with cheese but I didn't binge. When I was going to sleep I could feel rumbling in my belly, like I was digesting food.
Kids are off today. I am taking them to a children's centre.Hopefully the little monster will behave.

greenlass~ i hear about clothes shopping.I think the nice things are WAY overpriced.

Jodi~ you ROCK.I am inspired by you!!!! It must feel wonderful!!!!

Way to go Susie!!!!!!!

I'm still here!
 

Good afternoon ladies --- I hope everyone is on the mend from illness and food!

Today is one of those, I want to be productive and yet still can't :( I'm sick of this. This is my job that is getting affected and I CAN'T GET IT TOGETHER!!!!

I've got to snap out of this...what use will I be jobless?

Girlie - Don't beat yourself down about the food. You are seeing your weaknesses and learning to change. That is the first most important step in stopping the cycle. Maybe it would help for you to let him make his own quick meals. If he is not interested in the food you've prepared let him go to the freezer and pop something quick into the oven/mic. That will prevent some of the temptation.

Holly - TY, but I don't feel like a spring chicken no more, lol! But I need every one of the hugs being thrown my way!

Susie - You are not being sensitive at all. It is hard seeing ourselves and allowing others to too. I think the weight is a way to hide from the world until it gets so out of control that you feel everyone's looking again. Really when you're chubby - who looks or critiques? It's the extreme that makes us realize we are drawing attention again and can't hide our pain anymore. The quote under my name was just something I was feeling. I don't know if it's a song or anything. I feel as though I'm at the edge of the Grand Canyon and I know I have to cross it but my wings have been broken for so long that I'm afraid to leap. Losing weight and moving out on my own is the jump. I want to fly, but I'm scared. It's hard to throw away the comfort nets and stand up alone.

Lab - Ty for those kind words. Hearing other peoples experiences helps a lot right now for me.

Jodi - TY - I really do feel hopless right now and your situation was VERY similiar to mine.

hello ladies!
TGIF!!! in my biggest voice!!! i was so glad to leave work today!!! it was a long week for me, or so it seemed, workwise at least. my youngest ds was off school today so he came with me to work. he wanted mc donalds for lunch and so we went. i have been eating salads from there lately, but today i ordered a filet o fish, i needed something to eat on the go because we had so many errands to do this afternoon. 400 cals and like 20 grams of fat all in one little bun!!! i skipped the fries and ordered a diet coke so i guess it could be worse. i am happy with myself for not supersizing it or ordering fries.

mychoice- congrats!!!! you go girl!! every pound counts! keep up the great work!

tardy- hope you are feeling a little better, sometimes talking it out really helps. hang in there!!

holly fantastic job not binging on the crackers!!! you are awesome!! i totally understand the night thing, when i get on a good binge it is all at night when everyone else is asleep. you showed great restraint!! keep up the good work!!

greenlass- keep your chin up! i ditto mychoice. just a few good pieces can take you a long way. i am at a point where my regular stuff is way too big and i don't really want to sink money into new stuff cause i am planning on loosing more. i have a consignment shop and 2nd hand place near me and i have found some really nice things there to supplement my work wardrobe. good luck, don't let it bum you out!!

What great progress Tardy~It is nice to "see" the changes.
I feel much better physically but have not lost much weight.It gets frustrating.

I woke up to the kids marching throught the house with whistles.This is my day to sleep in a bit.Oh well. Everyone is at hockey right now.
I did a major purge of my sons room and toy room. Today I will clean.
I am still coughing and have a headache. BAH!
I had some chip last night. My meals were perfect.
I may do some WATP.
Have a glorious day.

good morning,
tardy nice pics you have come a long way so far! that is fantastic! keep up the great work.

holly- i wanted to sleep in this morning also but was up at the crack of dawn again. enjoy your quiet time!!! great job yesterday!!

i didn't do so great yesterday, i had no real plan for anything lunch or dinner and it just sort of snowballed into a bad evening. today i am back in planning mode and i learned i am not ready to go at this with out a net yet! hope you all have a great weekend!!

(((Jodi)))) You get back on track today, missy!!
Planning goes along way, doesn't it.
Have a nice weekend.

Mornin'
 

Hope all is well with each and every one of you! I am holding my own. I'm right in the middle of the calorie range I set for myself, so I'm very happy about that. I still haven't lost, but that's ok. At least I'm not gaining. I'm at work and just wanted to stay home in bed all morning. Oh well, gotta do what ya gotta do.

Tardy - you look so good! It's got to feel good with the progress you've already made.

Jodi - hang in there! Just take it hour by hour and plan, plan, plan. It helps to know what you are going to eat ahead of time. (Or at least it seems to help for me anyway)

I'd better get going though, gotta go poke someone!

Nan

Whew! I finally made it here. It was a busy Saturday. DH worked so I got up early and cleaned house. I like to do that when I'm alone in the house. It's actually sort of restful for me.

Also, dug up some flower beds...time to start getting everything ready for winter.

We are going to dinner with some friends tonight and to see Ladder 49.

My DH stopped at a local store that makes up sandwiches to get us some lunch on his way home from work and he ran into a lady who knows us, but we haven't seen in a long time. She asked him what I was doing to loose weight, because I "looked wonderful". I've been smiling ever since he came home and told me! When I hear things like that I just want to keep on track and keep losing! It's very motivating for me.

Tardy: What inspiring pics! You look wonderful lady...don't you ever forget it!

Holly: I wish I could come over and send you somewhere for the day...a day just to yourself. You sound overwhelmed...and who wouldn't be with the sinus infection and then the kids everywhere with all that energy! Did you get to do the WATP?

Nan: What calorie range do you set for yourself?

Jodi: You did an awesome job of making the most of what was available for you to eat! You are doing great!


Ok..got to run. I'll talk to everyone tomorrow.

Okay,Hollyhock!! Lets get real~!!!!!!!!!!
I am at 1511 cal,30% fat,42% carb,28% portein. That is it I am done. I just ate 3 cookies for no apparent reason.I will NOT blow it today, if I dont eat anymore. There is no reason to. It is 6:55pm. I will go to bed in a few hours. I had a nice supper.I had a snack, apparently. SO just stop eating!!!!!!!!!!!
I saw the most retched reflection of myself today.UGH!!!! So, stop eating. You dont need it!!!

Hello!
 

MyChoice - I try to keep myself between 1000 and 1250 calories per day. I'm usually within 50 calories in either direction.

Nan

hello everyone!
today was much better, i was running around all day and keeping busy. we just got home from taking the kids to the high school football game, it started raining ugggg we got soaked and froze but at least they won! i treated myself to a haircut and tomorrow i will color and highlight my hair. i always feel good when i get my hair done. then i went to the 2nd hand store and found 2 pairs of jeans, one of them fit good now and the other ones are 1 size smaller and i am planning on wearing them by december!!! i haven't worn zipper front jeans in prolly 10 years and you know what?? i like them again now!! i made a huge pot of wedding soup for dinner so that will be lunches for me for the beginning of the week and tomorrow is the big cooking/planning day. so all is ok in jodiland for the moment.

holly- i hope you made it through the evening, great pep talk by the way!! you are doing this!! keep giving it your best shot!!!

nan- just keep plugging along, as soon as your body catches up with your last loss the pounds will start to move again. have you ever tried increasing your cals for a day or so inbetween? i don't mean by a lot but sometimes when i am stuck i eat a little more for a day or two then go back to my regular cals and if i don't over do it then it seems to boost my metabolism a little. just a thought.

mychoice- i like cleaning when i am alone in the house also, i can blow through this place like a tornado when i am the only one home. how was the movie?? it is great when people notice your loss. congrats on the compliment!! it does give you a big boost doesn't it?

mornin'
 

WOO HOO! I actually lost a pound within a week of the start of "aunt flo". That NEVER happens. I'm so pumped, I can't begin to tell you. I'm sticking to my guns with my calories because I'm in big time ketosis and that tells me that my body is just catching up and I've probably got some water weight to boot.

Jody - you are right about the bumping the calories up a notch from time to time. I do that too sometimes. I try to just be patient though if my ketone sticks are lighting up. That tells me that the loss is just around the corner, even if it's two weeks away.

MyChoice - I completely agree with you on cleaning the house when I'm alone. It's the only way to do it without having my preschooler "rearrange" the cleaning that I've done right after I've moved on to the next room. When I'm done, I look at the house for those 5 brief minutes until it gets Tazzed up again. :dizzy:

Gotta run! Patients are coming in.

Nan

labchick you ROCK!!! keep up the great work!! you have so much patience i admire you!!

as for me today was not a bad day at all, i exercised, got the laundry done and cleaned up the house. i relaxed a bit and am feeling pretty great! i plugged all my stuff into fitday and it was not too bad at all a little lower on the cals than i usually have so i think i will go have a snack. hope you are all doing well!! well gotta go "desperate housewives" is about to come on i just love that show! have a really good evening everyone!

Hi Everyone,
I didn't make it hear yesterday and I missed you all! I did get a good workout in at the Y. I'm up to adding 12 min to my cardio. I'll stay with that all week and then up it another minute or two next week. Small changes right?

Ladder 49 was a very good and moving movie. I didn't cry but there were times I felt like it!

I carved pumpkings yesterday. 6 of them! Our trick or treat is Thursday night and yesterday was the only day I could get them carved. I also did my Accounting homework over the weekend and my adjusted trail balance balanced! I about fainted! Maybe I am understanding it?!

I'm ready for a good week ladies! Let's be good to ourselves. Let's move our bodies, give it good fuel so we will have a lot of energy and let's life each day to the fullest!

I'm running short on time, so I won't be able to address everyone individually. Just know ladies, that you are very important to me, and I couldn't have come this far without your support. It's good to be a part of such a wonderful, real group. Sharing your up and your downs with me, has been so beneficial to me losing this weight. Keep coming and posting. Be a hand up when you can, and extend a hand when needed and if you are one who needs a hand up..be sure and reach out!

Jodi: I LOVSE Desperate Housewifes! I can't miss it.

OK..got to run and get to work on time.

Good Monday, girls! I have gained. :( However, I am back in the saddle and looking forward to the week. 2 lbs up, but TOM is here. No excuses, though. Sounds like everyone had a pretty good weekend. We went to my sister's for a cookout/Halloween get together with the family. The kids had a blast. I only ate six roasted marshmellows-with no graham cracker or hershey bar! I did stick my hand in the chip bag way too often, though. Salty is much more of a problem for me than sweet. Over all, not too bad with the eating. On Sunday, I ate a good breakfast and then Smart Pop for lunch and a FF cheese(yuck) on whole wheat sandwich for dinner and 2 Vanilla wafers for snack. I am swearing off sweet tea and trying for only water this week. Those of north of the Ohio river probably don't drink sweet tea, but it is a necessity here in GA. I love it and it is full of empty calories.

Well, the laundry is piling up and no one has yet come over to do it for me.

Labchick-Yea!!! Congrats on your loss! You are so dedicated.

My choice-Yea!! Good job on adding to your workout. Small changes can create big results.

Jodi-I'll bet you look great with your new "do" and zip front jeans. I love the jeans they make now with the "stretch" in them. They make zip-fronts bearable. :)

I hope everyone has a blessed day. I guess I'll get out there and walk before it gets too warm.

Jill

Afternoon'
I think(holding my breath) that I am better.I still have sinus pain if I bend over quickly.I have a spray for it.I have a mild ahem cough.
I just did the WATP 2 mile for the first time in over a week.It was hard but I did it.
I am feeling really fat and ugly. Usually, I think I look just fine but that may be delusional.I have been eating great for 3 days.
I have set up a cleaning schedule and kids activity schedule to be more organised and free up the weekends from cleaning.
I have been a little down about the chaos and the way the kids take so much for granted.We were tough disciplinarians this weekend.Trying to re establish some order.
I love Desperate Housewives too. It is campy and hilarious.Hubby has to leave the room,hahaha.

Greenlass~hang in there! Refocus and get back at it!

Susie! great cardio!!

Jodi~ glad you had a nice weekend. Feeling great goes a long way!

Labchick~ go labchick,go labchick!!! Yahoo!!

hello everyone!

hollyhock so glad you are feeling better, i'll keep my fingers crossed for you. sorry you are feeling down about yourself, it sounds like you are getting everything shaped up though!! congrats on the 3 op days and WATP!!! keep up the great work!!

greenlass- i love sweet tea- i make mine with too much splenda now instead of sugar. the taste is a little different at first but once you get used to it not too bad. great attitude!! hop right back on!! hope you have a great week!!

mychoice- 6 pumpkins?? wow you were busy this weekend. we did 4, well i shouldn't say we, my dd did 4 i just stood back and admired them oh yeah and roasted the seeds. great job on the cardio workout keep up the great work!!

Afternoon all!
 

So far, so good. On track with the calorie count and happy to be under the 240 mark! Now to get below 235 by my birthday. I think I can, I think I can!

Holly - I'm glad you're starting to feel better. Don't forget to keep resting though. Relapses aren't fun. You know the old saying, "one day at a time"? Well, I'm a big believer in "one minute at a time" and "one choice at a time". It's going to work Holly. Keep the faith!

Jodi - sounds like you got alot accomplished yesterday! YOU GO GIRL! It all adds up on the loss too. Calories burned and calories burned, regardless of what you're doing. :D

Greenlass - I agree with you on the salty thing! It's a HUGE vice for me! I try to keep it in check with one cup of popped popcorn at night so that I don't feel like I'm totally denying myself. Hang in there, you're back on track and you'll do it. You've come too far not to!

MyChoice - Way to go! on increasing your cardio! It's alot of work, but totally worth it.

Heather, Tardy, April, Girlie - Where'd you chickies go? Let's hear from you! We're all in this together! All for one and one for all! :grouphug:

If I've missed anyone, please accept my apologies. I'm in over my head with class right now. It hurts too much to think. ;)

Nan