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

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!

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!

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!!!!!!!

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.

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.