Janet, hello there! Glad to see you. There's been very little action on this thread so maybe you can help liven things up. I have cats as well, four of 'em, strays and hit and runs. Got a horse as well, that's killing me trying to scrape together the money to keep. But I do want to keep her so much. What kind of weight loss plan are you following, if any? Are you just starting out trying to lose? I don't have as much to lose but it's just as hard I think, if not harder because even when you try hard nothing seems to budge. Besides people don't notice it because clothes hide so much, but I know it's there, the fat that is.

Heh, just saw your post and wnated to say heh! Welcome.
Gotta run. Bye for now.

hi
 

hey everyone! welcome janet! sorry i disappeared again! i had a bad call thursday nite. my best friend of 25years mother passed unexpectedly so i had to pack up suddenly and drive to connecticut. it was a very long 3 day weekend. i am home and destressing today.

i had to drop my dog at the vet this morning to have a few cysts removed so i am up early so i thought i'd check in. i guess it depends on how she does if i go to work tonite or not.

i had a lot of reality checks over the weekend. unfortunately sometimes it takes a tragedy to realize some things. i really need to start focusing on my health better. my weight is slowly creeping and i am having more trouble with my knees and back. sometimes i can barely move and i know the weight is bogging me down. i also have gotten away from exercise and that is tightening me up. i have to really focus on both with a renewed vengance.

well, enough whining from me. how is everyone else doing? i will check back later.
kathy

Hey girls.. how r u's? Sorry for the delay in reply. I haven't been too well. I have bad ear infections and throat infection too. I got the week off work which was good, since it was my first holiday since I started working there a year ago, shame it had to be from being sick. It's almost 11pm, I was just coming on before I head off to bed, as I start back at work tomorrow 7am. I have lost a little weight, bout 1kg, mainly due to not eating a great deal over the last week. Once I get rid of my infection I want to get back into a routine. Well provided I'm not at work for a 12 hr day, then I think all I'll be doing is sleeping.

Wishing you all well. Talk to you soon

helloooo!
 

hey singles! how's things going? ok here. have to go back to work today unfortunately. it was nice having 4 days off, but the circumstances to get the days off wasn't so good.

i started the WW core diet today. i need to get my back side in gear. i actually think it is a workable plan. as soon as my knee and back feels better i will start walking again. i have an appt with a back specialist on the 4th of oct. this thing with my right arm falling asleep all the time is driving me insane.

redballoon- i was looking at the locations of people posting. i never noticed you were in tokyo. do you like it there?? maybe someday i will get to travel but for now i just have to ask about other places. :)

well, i am going to do a little surfing. have a good day! :D
kathy

Hey ladies. I have had a bad few weeks. Been feeling down, slacking on exercise, treating myself a little too much to "goodies" (though always single-serving goodies except for one occasion), and generally feeling resentful that "this" (eating healthy, exercising regularly, losing weight, etc.) is so damned hard. I go through these cycles where I feel down and feel sorry for myself and then I get back on track. I'm at that point now where I am attempting to recommit myself to the journey. I never did fall back on my healthy eating (other than a few too many goodies here and there), but I have really blown off a lot of exercise in the past 2-3 weeks, so that's what I'm focusing on...getting up at 5 a.m. and getting it done. That, and trying to give myself an attitude adjustment so I can be more positive again.

Hi all,
I was just sitting here trying to talk myself out of a binge and decided to log on, get caught up and hopefully the feeling will pass. I have been the perfect dieter for almost 5 weeks and don't want to blow it now. I know I should plan in treats every now and then, but if I start "treating" myself I have a hard time stopping, then I am back where I started. So thank you, dear singles, for saving me from myself!
In answer to your question Red Balloon (can I call you Red?), I am following WW Points. The Core plan looks interesting, but the points have been working for me and I don't trust myself to stop when I am full, as the Core plan requires. I'm not losing as quickly as I would like, but then a slower weight loss helps the skin keep up, or so I've heard. And I'm terrified that the loose skin in my upper arms will never go away. I swear to God if I wave my arms really fast, the loose skin hanging down will allow me to take flight (if I don't knock myself out first)! Oh, well. I'll worry first about the fat, then the skin...one hurdle at a time.
And I can relate, Sheriava, I hate exercise with every fiber of my being (and I have ALOT of fibers!). I always liked to get it over with in the morining before work, but now with fall setting in it doesn't get light until 6:30 and I need to be to work by 7:30. I live in a fairly safe neighborhood and could probably walk on the dark safely, but...just take it a day at a time and concentrate on one thing at a time. Every little bit helps.
If you guys want a kick in the butt, I stumbled across another 3fatchicks forum that was really inspirational for me.
It's on: http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/showthread.php?t=46773
It was about one member who was going through a hard time, but the responses from others in the same boat, and we are all in the same boat, really helped put things into perspective for me. Maybe it would help you too...

Janet, I completely understand your fear about not being able to stop, but I've been at this for almost a year and a half now and I truly believe that it is absolutely necessary for us to plan in treats now and then. I know, for myself, that there is no way I would still be going at this well beyond a year if I had not allowed myself these treats. The thing that always made me fail in every other weight loss attempt before was that I was too strict and felt I had to be "perfect" and not eat anything "bad" and now I have completely reworked my mindset about that, and it works a lot better. Just a thought!

Yea, I'm in a similar situation in that I need to be to work at 7:30 so, for me, workout time needs to start at 5-5:30 a.m. I have tried walking outside in the pitch dark in the past and it freaks me out, so I am very resistant to doing that on a regular basis. I mostly do exercise DVDs at home like Leslie Sansone's Walk Away the Pounds and Tamilee Webb's I Want That Body for my morning exercise.

Hi all! It's nice to see so many posts here. I've been too busy and too out of focus to check in here. I've gotten off plan once again and am just now coming up for air. It is so hard to do the right things time and time again after so many attempts with so many failures. I do get tired of trying but I know I have to keep doing so. I'm also tired of not living and hiding so I cannot surrender to the fat person I see on the outside.

Gotta go for now, but will definately be checking in more often and trying to stay more focused. Thanks new single friends!

Hi everyone,
I was able to fight off the binge last night and am feeling pretty strong :smug: . Tomorrow is weigh in, so that always is an added incentive, even if it is shallow and superficial! I've taken the last two days off of exercise, but tomorrow is the first day of the new week. A friend and I have a deal going where we have to exercise 5 days a week and for each time we don't exercise we have to put $10 in a pot and at the end of the month we have to trade pots. So far it has kept us both honest and active, and any motivation in any form is great for me.
Eating is going well too, but I made the mistake of cooking a turkey breast :chicken: on Sunday so I have had turkey for lunch and dinner every day since then. Hopefully, it should run out after tomorrow's lunch. That's the downside of cooking for one. I hate to waste food so when I cook something I end up eating it for days until it is gone. I also freeze alot,but some things just don't freeze well.
Anyway, just wanted to say hi and see what everyone was up to. Have a good day and keep strong!!

Janet, I know what you mean about cooking for one...it is a real pain sometimes b/c I too get sick of the food before it is gone and I hate to throw it out as well. That's a pretty clever plan about the pot. It would be good incentive for me!

hi
 

hey again singles! glad to see people posting!:cp: just when i think i might catch my breath the world starts spinning again. :spin: to make a long story short for the new singles, my parents gave me their house (bless them!). it was in the plans for the future (like in 10 years), however they decided to do it now. the problem is i just bought my own house a little more than a year ago. so now between my 2 jobs, appts, etc... i am selling my house and remodeling the basement of the other house. now some friends of mine are going to move in for a bit because they sold their house and their new place fell thru. now they have to start looking for a new one again. did i say i was going to make this story short??? :lol:

as for my exercise, that went 3 sheets to the wind. i plain old just don't have time right now. i will be happy when this all settles down and i can get back to normal. however, i am trying to eat better so at least i am making an attempt. i told my mom just tonite that when this does settle down, i am going to take some time to focus on myself.

i also agree on that cooking for one business. i get sooo tired :yawn: of eating the same thing for a week. what is a single girl to do??

well, i have to get some sleep. i forgot to add working 2 - 12 hour days at my full time job this week. have a good friday!!
kathy

Hi everyone. Just checking in. Weigh in went well, am down another 4 pounds for a total of 19 this round. Things are going too well and I'm getting nervous that it's going to come to a crashing halt, but I'm going to ride this train for as far as it goes!

Debbie, I read your post about it being hard to do the right thing and all the attempts and the failures. I am so with you there.(Be prepared I'm going up on my :soap: I have started hundreds, if not thousands of diets and sometimes I think "what the **** are you wasting your time for. This one won't work anymore than all the others." But I know if I don't try, as may as well whither up and die because this is not a way to live. I have almost 200lbs to lose and I have only lost 19, but already I feel stronger and more confident and noticed in the 5 weeks since I have started that I am less negative and less depressed. Just take small steps towards the goal. Don't try to do it all at once and for God's sake, don't beat yourself up. And coming from me, this is borderline hypocritical because I have been exactly where you are now. One of my favorite quotes that I have posted a couple different places at home and office is from Ralph Waldo Emerson:

Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in--forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day--begin it well and serenely and with too high a spirit to be cumbered with your old nonsense.

corningkat - I get tired just reading all you have going on. Please carve out some time somewhere or you'll get sick - and that's NOT the preferred weightloss method! And :goodluck: at the Back specialist - you go Monday, right?

Sorry so long and rambling...that's just how I am. My dad used to call it diarrhea of the mouth...Have a good weekend and stay strong!

hi
 

hello! how is everyone this monday! another start to a busy week. i only have to work my part time job weekends from now on so that frees up some time during the week to get all the other stuff done.

janet - i am sorry i am tiring you out! :lol: i would think this was enough exercise for everyone here! thank you for being conerned about getting sick. i try to get enough sleep to fend that off. congrats on your 19lbs gone forever!!!:high: that is great!! you are off to a good running start, just don't look back. i like that quote you posted, it is very true, but somtimes not so easy to practice.

i went to the back dr. today, and i have to go for a cortizone shot on oct. 19th to start. i am having a bigger problem with my knee. don't know from what exactly, but it is as big as a balloon. he gave me a cortizone shot for the knee today in the office and sent me for an xray. hopefully, i'll know what is wrong with that in a couple days. i'm having a tough time with all these aches and pains pschologically too. i'll be 39 on wednesday and i think a lot of this has to do with my weight and how tough a time i'm having losing it. (that slowed metabolism thing) i also noticed a few grays up top. so it is hitting me all at once. :eek:

well, i have to get ready for work. i hope everyone has a great week!
kathy

p.s. i just love this fall weather, it is my favorite season! :)

Hello to all, I hope your week is off to a great start and humpday goes very smoothly. I just have a minute and wanted to drop in to claim I'm still here and still want to be part of this group. I check in and read most every day but have not had much time to write back lately. Was out of town over the weekend and it just been busy busy since. I have more to say in a longer post later about my goals and progress but I was eager to say here that I appreciate your quote Janet, the Emerson one about forgetting about the mistakes of yesterday and move on. Boy did that help me and this week has been better for it. I appreciate this board so much and even tho I've not posted much lately...I feel strength during the day knowing there are singles here to connect to and lend support for our particular struggles and triumphs in the weight loss journey. I don't feel so all alone anymore in this. Even much more so than when I posted frequently on other boards where most of the women were married. I feel connected to this group with that one big thing in common and that is so good to me!

Ok, hopefully I can write more tonight...I do wanna share some goals and I am having a good exercise week..I sure hope it lasts!

Have a great day all!

I've been very busy (vacation coming up on Saturday) so I haven't had much time to post. I did get recommitted to exercise, thankfully, starting last week, despite the fact that my DVD player died on the very first day I was trying to get back on track! ACK! I pulled out some old VHS tapes (anyone here old enough to remember Sweatin' to the Oldies? hehe) and kept on with the program! I bought a new DVD player Monday and installed it last night so I'm back to the land of the current workout DVDs. WHEW!

In fact, I tried a new one this morning that is a combo of cardio, weights, Pilates and yoga. Not sure if I'm going to like it yet but it sure is different! THe cardio is dance moves vs. usual aerobic class kind of stuff and you don't get much time to learn the steps before they are off and running!

I am going to Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas on Saturday for my birthday (which is Sunday) and will be with people who do not watch their eating or weight nor do they exercise, so it will be a challenge! Hopefully, I can make good choices MOST of the time and not gain much weight. It's TOO hard for me to get it off at this age, so not worth going hog wild on vacation!

Hope you all have a good week or so.

hi
 

sheriava - can i fit into your suitcase?? :lol: i hope you enjoy your wonderful vacation! see, if i was in your shoes and can go on that kind of vacation wouldn't care what i was eating. it is my dream someday to go somewhere to see that crystal clear ocean and go snorkeling. i am really behind the times because i still use my vcr. maybe a dvd player will be on my santa list.

holli's human - it does help to know there are other people out there in similar situations and solutions to same problems.

my week is going ok. busy like everyone else. i am adjusting to having friends live with me. it is kind of nice to have someone to talk to at nite when i come home. they will be at their lake cottage on the weekends still for a while so i will also get my alone time. the best of both worlds.

well, getting tired. have a good friday!
kathy

helllooooo!
 

yoohoo! where are u?? :lol: i know everyone is busy but our thread is falling onthe way side!!!

well, i have more time on my hands now. i've finished the painting i had to do and i'm only working weekends now at the pt job. it's kind of nice to have time to myself. i got up and went for a walk today which was refreshing. i now have no more excuses because i have the time. i plan to do some cooking too. i am eating out way to much. hard on the wallet and the waistline. :yikes:

well, thought i'd check in and bring our thread back to the top. someone please come post!!!!!:^:
kathy

Here!
 

Sorry, Kathy. :sorry: Things are a bit crazy at work and it seems like everyone's goal in life at my work place is to p*** me off! :bomb: Of course it doesn't help that I'm prementrual. On the upside, even though I'm moody and crabby and generally unpleasant to be around, I'm not reaching for the cookies and ice cream - yet. Still on program and down 25 pounds. Gee, only 175lbs to go! Oh well, baby steps...

Isn't it great that you finally have some "Me" time. It's so hard to slow down and take care of ourselves sometimes. I took a couple days off work (last Friday and yesterday) and made it a 4-day weekend. I spent most of it doing home maintenance and cleaning, but at least there are fewer things hanging over my head now. Isn't home ownership grand??

I have been trying to exercise at least 5 days a week, but Minnesota is about to enter deep freeze season (November to April) so I'll have to dust of the treadmill :tread: and eliptical machines and have back ups for those freezing days.

Thanks for keeping this thread going, Kathy, I'll try to do better!

Hi everyone! Are you accepting "newbie applications" for your thread? :D

I’m single, 32 (very soon to be 33) and newly recommitted to losing my excess flab. I’m in the newlywed phase of my diet and feeling very saintly (hee hee). :angel: But I know from experience that it’s important to have your support system in place BEFORE you start to crumble if it’s going to do any good.

While I sometimes feel sad about not being married and having kids yet, there are many upsides to dieting while single and living alone.

o I can eat soup right out of the pot while standing at the kitchen sink and no one bats an eye
o No one demands that I keep crappy food in the house because “they aren’t on a diet”
o I can go to bed at 6 PM if I’m feeling too weak to battle my food cravings
o I don’t have someone trying to sabotage me by tempting me to go out for greasy burgers

Any others to add to the list that I missed?

Hope you all have a great day tomorrow!

hi
 

hi everyone! glad to see some activity! welcome skinnybopeep! glad you can join us. i liked your list. i'm sure i could think of some more. maybe that could be a little game for us. everyone try to add a few as you think of them.

*i can drink out of the milk jug (which i do frequently)

janet - i know the feeling of being p***off at work. it happens on a daily basis for me too. that deep freeze season doesn't sound too good. i'm not looking forward to winter. it sure does put a damper on things.

i actually got in a 2 walks this week with all this free time. today it is raining and the weather channel shows rain for a week straight.

well, i have to get ready for work. have a good thursday!
kathy

I need a mental health day!
 

Hi all! :coffee: I am here trying to save myself and my sanity. I don't know why it is, but I can't seem to stay on the wagon as of late and I am becoming very, very :cry: depressed about it. Food is not the only thing in my life to be out of control. My spending is and my personal life, not to mention working on work life is quickly spinning out of control. What is up with that!!! :dunno: It's as if everything seems too difficult right now and I really just wanna get in the bed and hide under the covers for awhile.

Somehow or another I have let too much anxiety adn stress overtake my life and it is completely derailing my half hearted attempts at healthy eating. I'm constantly reaching for something to stuff in my mouth and thus self medicate all the emotions I don't wanna deal with...much of the day work related and then at other times...some health problems that have crept up for me and my cat too! I've been worried about both my pets, (my children as I am sure all of you understand) and myself, as I have RA and am experiencing some increased pain and inflammation as of late and the new drug I started a month ago doesn't seem to be helping whatsoever! On top of that, I didn't wanna start the drug to begin with b/c of side effects, now the darn thing has the balls not to work!!! :crazy: It is making me nuts! I am hoping to vent a little here and relieve some stress perhaps and try again tomorrow.

I am miserable. It is fall and down south we are just beginning our first taste of cooler weather and my fall clothes don't fit. I just refuse to go out and buy yet another wardrobe b'c of weight gain. I have so many of those new wardrobes in the closets now. Oh there's one surely for your list littlebopeep! All the closests are yours so you can divide up all the different sizes you own among them...Hoping you'll one day own just one to two sizes and finally quit agonizing about what to wear everytime you leave the house. Oh I get worn out with it! :tired:

ALright, I guess my bellyaching has gone on long enough. I am at last heading for the gym today hoping to pull out of this depression and stress. I have a long to do list going on in my head and notes everywhere right now..but it's time to run run ru n and get some relief to face tomorrow with; hopefully using that dear elliptical machine will lift my spirits...

Hope eveyone is doing well! :D

Thanks for the welcome, Kathy! And well done on the walking! Exercise is definitely my downfall. I have to drag myself kicking and screaming to do anything active. I feel so self-conscious when I exercise in public (no doubt blown out of proportion in my head) and I’m too lazy to do a lot of exercise at home. I just pop a workout video in the VCR and my couch’s gravitational pull gets the better of me. Before I know it I’m watching skinny people working out. I do have an elliptical machine, which I really like, but that thing kicks my rear! 15 minutes and I’m gasping. My best bet is walking a mile or two away from my house so I’m forced to walk another mile or two back home. :lol:

On a totally unrelated note, my neighbors are barbequing and I think I’m going to die it smells so good. Doesn’t everyone know I’m on a diet and don’t want to smell food right now?! :censored: I'd close the windows, but it's hot in here...

Debbie, sorry you are under so much stress. I hear you about the closets! I have clothes in 3 of them, but only fit into a handful of outfits. It’s so discouraging. The rest of them just hang there mocking me!!!

Anyway, I’m still doing really well on the eating side and trying (but not always succeeding) to do some kind of exercise at least 5 times a week. Hope everyone else is doing well and being successful!

Welcome SkinnyBoPeep. I guess the grass is always greener, because I could use some of the heat right now. It's cold (35 degrees) and rainy :rain: here. They're predicting rain/snow mix for tomorrow. That should help the exercising! On the upside, because it is so cold, I can bury all my fat under layers and delude myself into thinking that people attribute my size to layers of down and polar fleece. I don't know what I'm thinking - the people here are neither blind, nor stupid, but I can still pretend. And who says you can't grill, too? I did last Sunday and cooked up enough chicken :chicken: to last most the week. I love that charcoal flavor...

Debbie - it sounds like you have alot on your plate right now (sorry about the expression, but it's true!!) and it's okay to feel depressed and overwhelmed. We've all been there to some degree or other. A day at a time, the old AA mantra, works for overeaters too. Take a small step every day to turn around the negativity (hey! take a moment to read your Bob Greene quote!) and remember you are worth any effort you put into making yourself healthy. And letting the eating monster gain control only adds to the guilt, self-loathing and depression (been there, too). It's good, too, that you're keeping up with the exercise, that can be a natural antidepressant. My thoughts are with you - & Gracie too! :grouphug: (My "youngest", my 1 year old cat, Paxil, was just diagnosed with asthma - I guess I should have named him Prednisone 'cuz that's what I have to give him the rest of his life!)

Kathy - we are not going to let a little winter keep us down! (I can say that now, there's not a foot of snow out there - yet...)

I'm running long - AGAIN. Take it easy people and stay strong!

Thanks, Janet! I would love it if it would rain or snow here. I guess we always want what we can’t have. Trust me, sunny and 80+ degrees can get really boring after a while. I had never seen it snow until I was in my twenties. I’d seen it on the ground before, but never falling. By the time I got to college where it snowed I thought it was the greatest thing I’d ever seen. The kids who’d grown up in it were less thrilled to see summer disappear. And you are so right about the heavy cold weather layers. There's nothing worse than dressing to cover flab in warm weather and having really thin people ask, “Aren’t you hot in THAT?!” Oooh, there’s a goal right there—be able to look good in lighter weight clothes so I never have to hear that question again…

I am so excited—I just passed my first 20-pound loss mark!!! YAY! Now I just have to do that 6 more times. Argh. :tread:

Hope everyone else is doing well. Take care!

hi
 

hey singles! how things out there in singletown?? spent the usual saturday nite at home alone. baking a cake (of all things) for a surprise bday party tonite that never happened . so now i am home alone (again) on sunday nite with a cake in my refrigerator. to long to explain the canceled party....

holli's human - i am on that same spirally down hill rollercoaster. when will it stop. i have all the knowledge and the tools even..but yet i sit home alone stressing out over cake in my fridge. so what do i do you ask...well i eat everything else but the cake. that everything else is not cutting it because what i really want is a piece of cake :dizzy: it's pretty sad i have nothing to do but stress out over cake :( my mom has suggested therapy because she thinks i am depressed. i think she might be right, but the thought of therapy scares me too. it seems the harder i try, the more i fail, and the more i lose the ol' self esteem...what's a person to do????

skinnybopeep- on the brighter side, yea!! for your 20lbs gone 4ever!!!:bravo:
keep up that positive attitude and send some my way :D

janetg- sorry about the kitty diagnosis! i hope the medicine helps! also give lots of love:love:

well, i hope everyone has a good week (myself included)!
kathy

Kathy! May I suggest...Get rid of the cake! Can you give it to a neighbor or friend? I'm impressed you've made it so long with it in the house. I have ZERO self-control if I can get my hands on something like that. I'd have eaten the whole thing by now.

As for the therapy-- my mom has suggested the same thing for me since she thinks I'm depressed. (Hmm... is it a single/chubby girl thing?) It's probably a good idea, but I guess I have to be in a place where I'm willing to do the work needed to get past my issues. Personally I'd prefer it if someone else did it for me. :D I do have friends who have been to therapy and have gotten a lot out of it, for what it's worth.

Hope everyone has a fabulous week! Take care...

AHHH, Janet, I have but a quick second and wanted to read the posts adn yours grabbed me...my vet thinks Gracie has asthama too. He gave her a second pred. shot that should last 3-8 weeks adn I am to watch her breathing and give him a report if anything changes. I am of couse hoping it won't...and praying. That's so cute you named your kitty Paxil...is it b/c he calms your nerves or am I missing the real intent? I just love my kitty...I adopted her in April...she was a stray adn the vet thinks she is 1-2 years old. She is so loving and affectionate...unlike cats I knew of before. I have a dog who is 14 and they love each other. It's sweet! Gotta go for now...More later!

Debbie - Paxil's name was chosen because he makes me laugh and is my "antidepressant". Of course, his name has been shortened to Pax (which you may or may not know is latin for Peace), but he is the least peaceful cat I have ever had. He's a roudy little bugger. The prednisone is doing wonders for him. Of course, it stinks having to pill him every morning, but he is a forgiving sort. And there's really not much choice.

Kathy - I'm with SkinnyBoPeep - get rid of that cake. Whatever you do DO NOT EAT IT. Put it in the sink and run water on it. Is that any more of a waste than letting in eat away your control and dignity. BE STRONG!!

SkinnyBoPeep - Congratulations on your first 20! Isn't that feeling the most awsome? Keep it up and before you know it, you'll be on the last 20.

I have been doing really well as of late and am feeling cocky. People that didn't know I was trying to lose weight are starting to notice and make comments and that is such a motivator. I had to give up on my favorite jeans because they were too big, even after washing them in hot water. I'm starting to feel like I might actually succeed this time and it's kind of scary. When I lose the motivation, I try to remember why this is so important to me. Here are some of my reasons:
* I don't want to wonder if I pass some laughing teenagers on the street if it's me they are laughing at.
* I want to be able to buy clothes that look good, rather than having to settle for clothes that fit
* I want to run into an old friend I haven't seen in awhile and feel happy to see them rather than mortified that they saw me
* I want to live without fear: of turnstyles, theater seats and restaurant booths

Stop and think about what you want to accomplish. Then make it happen. We can all do this. And nothing worth having is easy. Stay strong. And have a good tomorrow.

Hey, Janet! A little tip for you as the compliments start to roll in... Write them down. I've lost weight before (a long story, but this is my second time at this) and I kept a few pages in my daily planner reserved for compliments. I know, it sounds conceited, but on those days when I thought I couldn't see the changes or I wasn't sure I could maintain my self-control, I'd go back and read them.

I would jot down the date, my current weight, who made the comment, and what they said. So it might just be one quick line: 10/18, 265, Jill, said I look wonderful!

As I dropped more and more weight, it was so nice to go back and remember how far I had come and how I changed. It served as great incentive too.

Now if only I went back to it and read it as I started to gain it back... Argh! Live and learn.

thanks
 

hey everyone! thanks for all the suggestions. i really don't want to throw it away because the one the cake was for is one person of the couple that is temporarily staying with me. they were up to the lake for the weekend and as i thought they were back today and had some of the cake. i too also finally had a piece tonite and i feel much better. it's funny like i said i should have just had the one piece to begin with and i wouldn't of ate myself thru house and home. i think my mental torture was worse than actually having that one piece. so the real question is why do i torture myself like that.

i didn't get any exercise in today unless i can count laying carpet pad down and moving some chairs to the shed. it sure felt like exercise. i go to a different dr. tomorrow to find out about my knee and back. i didn't like the first one at all. just didn't connect...he was trying to get me to diagnos myself????? i hope i have better luck.

skinnybopeep - that is a great tip to start a little compliment book. i think i will try that for when i get one. as for therapy, i think that you are correct with the chubby single (and almost 40 i might add) girl thing. :lol: i don't think i am ready for that just yet. i told mom i would keep it in mind though.

janet - i really miss having cats. i would never give up my molly dog though.i have always heard there is one pet in your life that your soul really connects with. i've had lots of pets and she's that soul connection. it's like when she looks at me she really understands me. it's all in her eyes. now if i only could find a man like that. :rofl: any who.. i am glad you are doing well. don't look back and absorb those compliments like a sponge. forget the favorite jeans and adopt a new smaller pair. there a lot of homeless favorite jeans out there. :lol: give yourself a great big pat on the back.:cp:

well, i hope everyone has a happy tuesday! thank god monday is over!!
good nite! kathy

Hey all, just checking in. Just got home from having dinner out with a friend I used to work with. We planned on eating Italian, but the restaurant we chose was closed, so we ended up at a malt shop. That would have been a challenge, but it's only about 40 degrees and rainy outside now, so a malt didn't even sound good. Had a grilled chicken sandwich with fruit.

Thanks for the encouragement and suggestions. The idea of a compliment log is a good one - I'll start today. And SkinnyBoPeep, this is my second time too! I guess we lived up to the statistics that most people who lose weight don't keep it off. But not this time!!!

Have a good Wednesday and keep strong!

Hi everyone!

Well done, Janet on your malt shop encounter! :cp: That is such an accomplishment to have easy access to yummy treats and make healthy choices instead. Hooray for you!

I really did live up (or down) to the statistics for regaining weight. Argh. Even when I swore I wouldn’t. I thought I had figured it out with good eating, exercise, etc. But I still managed to gain back 110 or so of 120 pounds lost. I can’t let that happen again. So I’ve got to figure out how to cope with what comes after losing weight.

Also I reread your post where you listed out reasons for losing weight and I completely identified with ALL of them. My two short term reasons are that on a business trip in August I almost couldn’t buckle my seatbelt on the plane and would rather die in a crash or have my legs turn blue from lack of circulation than ask for an extender (okay that's extreme, but it was eye-opening mortification at it's worst). I’m flying again in November and vow to have “belt slack” this time! Also, I turn 33 in December and promised myself last year that I wouldn’t have another birthday where I weighed more than the year before.

Kathy--Homeless favorite jeans! :rofl: Like my Prince Charming I know there are fabulous jeans out there wondering where the heck I am… I’m coming for you, my denim friends, hold on!

Happy Wednesday from soggy California!! :rain: Remember to make good choices!

Hello all! I'm back from vacation at last. I was in the Bahamas for 5 days, then home a day (my "Day of Rest and Laundry") and then off for another several days to visit friends in Delaware. Now back home and back to work (phooey!) and getting back into my usual routine (always difficult after a vacation and even more difficult when you are trying to lose weight, I think!).

I gained 1.4 pounds after 5 days in Bahamas because I was eating out every meal and had dessert most nights (minimal amounts, but still, something I'm definitely not accustomed to in my daily routine). I was actually pretty pleased with that small a weight gain with all that eating out. But the even better news is that I was SHOCKED to find that, when I returned from Delaware, I'd actually lost a little of the weight I gained in the Bahamas! So my net gain for the entire vacation was only 1/2 to 3/4 of a pound! Yeehaw!

Now comes the work of getting back into the daily exercise habit and watching that snacking after being on vacation so long! Ick.

Congrats to all on your weight loss victories!! I've been plateauing for most of the past 2 months so I don't have much in the way of successes to report.

Hi everyone,

SkinnyBoPeep - I am so with you on those airplane seats! I don't travel much and having grown up in a large family, we never could aford "flying" vacations, so I don't have much opportunity to fly. But my company sent me to Los Angeles two years ago and I was terrified. Not because it was my first time travelling alone and I was flying into LAX, not because I was afraid of the plane crashing, but because I was afraid I would get on the plane and 1) not fit into the seat and 2) not being able to buckle the belt. Then what? Do they escourt you off? The plane was packed and there were no extra seats. I worried for weeks before and starved myself. Luckily all the worse case scenarios never came to pass, but it was a very tight fit. So instead of a time in my life that should have been exciting, it was all overshadowed by this excess weight. Which is really sad.

SheriVa - welcome back! And you should pat yourself on the back for the minimal weightloss on vacation. So it's not a loss, but sometimes all we can do is minimize the gain. Good job...

Kathy - I decided to keep the favorite jeans. Those are going to be the ones that I going to keep to remind me how far I have come and remind me I don't want to be ther EVER again.

Well, I hope you are all doing well, and I'll try to check in tomorrow (weigh in day)

things look busy again
 

Hi girls, things have picked up I see adn I gotta get busy and catch up. :coffee: Reading about all the success yall are having really lifts me up .
Sheria, that is incredible that you gained so little on a vacation like that! You should be very proud actually. I would expect I'd come back a whole lot worse off. :smug:

I have decided to take things to the next level and go to my doc tomorrow and ask for drugs. A friend of mine is taking laxipro or however you spell that for anxiety and depression and says it really helps. I think this is one of those times in my live when I need a helping hand. I think it will be easier to stick to a food plan and exercise while on it too. I stress eat so much these days. I just stand at the kitchen counter and stuff my face. I noticed tonight, I don't even bother to fix a plate and sit down and enjoy a meal. I just eat standing by the microwave and fridge. It often is unhealthy food and turns into a binge. I know I've gotta get a handle on it. I like the AA advice, Janet. So, this is my baby step...once I feel more in contol and less anxious about EVERYTHING :fr: I think I will have the control to go back on plan. That's my plan for now anyway. I'm ready for some :goodvibes good vibes. Anybody wanna drink to that?

CorningKat, I have considered therapy as of late too. I just feel so bogged down and stressed lately and thought it might help to talk it out in a strangers office. I'm gonna ask for the drugs first I think...but if that doesn't work, believe me, I'll be right there with you! And as for the cake, just so you know, I'd have done exactly what you did and then gave in and ate the cake too,. that stuff just makes me crazy till it's out of the house. Being single is a perk in that respect. I'd never have any hope if someone else lived me and junk food was always around.

Janet, I liked you list and it would be so nice to buy really cool, fashionable clothes that show off my good taste, rather than clothes that just fit. I feel stressed every night going to bed trying to figure out what to wear the next day, based on what fits, not what is cute! I hate it!

Oh and for those of you that were talking about losing before adn gaining back, Me too! I lost 5olbs in 1990 and gained it back in 1997-98. And now, then some! I read a book recently, called "Passing for Thin" anyone read it? It's kinda exactly about what yall mentioned...what to do adn how to feel once you've lost the weight..a terrific woman's actual journey and diary. I can't remember her name..it's at the library tho...it's worth checking out. It was very eye opening.

Gotta say good nite ladies...have a great thursday!
Skinnybopeep, I like that idea of the compliments log too. I had forgotten it, but I did that once several years ago and it does feel so good to read it as you are losing and it does help you make it thru ruff times. I'm gonna start one again too!

I have already pre-ordered it in paperback which, unfortunately, doesn't come out until the end of the year. I very much look forward to reading it, as I have heard nothing but good things. Reading "Thin for Life" by Anne Fletcher toward the beginning of my journey last fall was really helpful and I think that reading "Passing for Thin" will be very helpful in keeping me on course in the last half of my weight loss effort.

Thanks all for the nice comments on holding down vacation weight gain. I never expect to lose weight on a vacation but it sure is nice not to gain too much! Especially when you are over 50 and every pound is such a struggle to lose.

Hi Everyone. I am back from being away for a long time. I'm not sure what direction my life is going but I'm realizing how important it is to be connected to people and have support. I don't have regular access to the internet at home anymore so it limits my time on sites like these. I hope to get back in though and be able to catch up with everyone and get to know the new people.

Have a good night and I'll be back tomorrow.

woohoo!
 

we having a party!!! hello everyone!! it's great to see so many people here!:cheer:

ang - we miss you!!! hope you can visit regularly!!

sheriava - what a great job you did on vacation! i actually do better myself when i'm on vacation. i think it's because i'm busy and happy and relaxed. also i am away from the comforts of home. it kind of breaks up the routine.

holli's human - i thought about the drug route myself, but i'm one of those that won't take something unless it's a last resort. i won't even take tylenol unless my head is going to explode. my other hangup is i've read where antidepressants are addicting. that makes me nervous. my dr. just put me on anti-inflamitories and muscle relaxers...and insists i take them before i start physical therapy.

janetg - i worry about something similar. my company has an amusement park picnic every summer. i love the rides, but i get so paranoid a month before that i won't fit in the seats or be over the weight limit. i usually just make it.

well, as i was saying above the dr. thinks i have carpal tunnel and doesn't know what's wrong with the knee, except there is fluid built up in it. we're gonna work on those two problems before we start on the back again. she is sending me in for an overhaul at physical therapy. my friend goes to the place where i signed up and she says they're wonderful. she say they really motivate her to get moving. so maybe that will be the kick in the pants i need to get back on track.

is that book you mentioned by anne fletcher too?? i've read her other books. i'll have to put that on my reading list.

well, i'm getting tired and i want to watch my soap and oprah yet. i hope everyone has a good friday!
kathy

Hard day...
 

Hi gals!

I had a tough day in terms of feeling like my efforts aren't producing results. It's frustrating to be working so hard and hardly see the scale budge! It just doesn't seem to be coming off at the same rate as it did the last time I lost it. It's like my body is rebelling. Despite being discouraged, I didn't run to the kitchen. Instead I pouted/moped most of the evening, then feeling disgusted with myself hopped on the ellipse. I'm sure tomorrow will feel better. :crossed:

Enough of my pity party... :hat:

Kathy-- sorry to hear you're experiencing such aches and pains! I'll cross my fingers that the PT is just what you need to give you a jumpstart!

Hey Janet-- How was the weigh in day?? I'm sending good vibes your way that it went well!!

Debbie-- Nice to meet you! I am a total stress eater too, so I feel your pain. Let us know how the drug thing goes. My mom keeps bringing it up so I'm interested to know if they help. I heard about Pasinng for Thin but didn't read it. I'll have to pick up a copy...

SheriVA-- Nice to meet you too! While it's comforting to know I'm not alone in this plateau thing, I wish we were having an easier time of it... Cool vacation!!

Ang-- You're so right about connecting with others. This journey is far to dificult to face alone. It looks like you have made great progress! Keep up the good work!

Well, all the exclamations points are cheering me up... :) Thanks for letting me unload. TGIF!!!!!!

Remind me about you?
 

Since I have a hard time remembering everyone's initial story (and am not even sure I read one for all of you), it would be helpful if we could all summarize what our weight loss and exercise strategy or philosophy is (and whatever personal history you want to add).

Me in brief: I am 52, never married, and live in the Washington, DC suburbs. I've had a weight problem from my teens on up, and just kept getting larger as the years went on, supposedly from that lovely cycle of dieting and gaining back (plus), rinse and repeat.

My philosophy: I have come to realize that I failed for years at losing weight because I always tried to be too strict about my eating--you know The "You Can't Have That!" Syndrome. My weight loss philosphy for the past 15 months or so has been healthy eating and exercise but with the proviso "Everything in moderation." In other words, when I feel like I HAVE to have a cookie, and I try having something "good" in substitute but am still obsessing about it the next day, then I go buy a cookie. One cookie. Over and out. Obviously, that can't be every day, so I look on it as a special treat. Same thing when the french fries are calling my name, etc. Nothing is off my list forever. BTW, I define "healthy eating" as a low fat, low calorie menu that includes lots of fresh fruits and veggies, lots of water, adequate protein and fiber and complex carbs (whole wheat bread/pasta/tortilla vs. white, brown rice vs. white, etc.). Because I'm a chocolaholic, I have one bite-sized dark chocolate Dove Promise every day. I'm sure I could lose faster without it, but life would not be nearly as enjoyable. :)

Now, how about you?