NBK, you should have known that he was gay! That music would have drove me nuts. I like all types of music. I can listen to almost anythng, well maybe not polka. Brad Pitt is not for you, huh. It is kind of funny. My GFs and I often talk about our top five hotties and he is definately one of mine.

Jacque, good luck finding something to eat. I'll have to think about your food question.

I think CG posted a question on reasons other than cosmetic on why we want to lose weight. Mine is to be healthy. Heart disease, diabetes, and cancer all run in my family so I want to fight those off in anyway possible.

Good heavens, you all are chatty!!! I've missed so much today!

I worked about 10 hours today, so I'm beat....four hours of that was in meetings, which was especially exciting. But besides all of that "meeting", today was a good day!

Stormy -- I did do my walk this morning! Thanks for checking up on me!! And mark me down for 3 points! Drank water through all those meetings, and have eaten really well today.

Gotta go watch the Biggest Loser (I know, I'm a dork)....I love this crap!

But before I go, I just want to say a HUGE thank you to all of you! I have never been able to make this commitment and stick to every aspect so consistently before. A lot of that is due to the fact that I found this group....so hat's off! Thanks for all of the support and encouragement. You all are amazing! Thank you!!!!

Check back later...

Kelly

Hi guys. Just got back from pilates and I have a lot to read!

Stormy - I'm wanting to lose for the same reasons..manage pain now but more importantly there are a lot of diseases that run in my family and a lot of the members just don't eat a healthy diet at all. I'm hoping to give myself a strong fighting chance Oh, and Bf and I have had an agreement that we are threw the day Brad and Jennifer split...so far he hasn't tossed me out though

NBK - You'd love my Cd collection Do you like Jane's addiction? My BF is a drummer and they don't make walls to keep that noise in! He just built a shed outside for his bycycles and now the drums are in the house!

Jacque - Rice cereal is my comfort food. It tastes exactly like grits if you cook it one way and exactly like oat meal if you cook it anther. It just ground up brown rice. Another filling and yummy thing I eat is meat with avocado. I feel like I'm cheating like crazy!! But I'm not. I'm glad you're feeling better since you ate. I read an article in O magazine this week about how people react when they're told to throw their food away. For some of the participates in the "thing" there was a panic that set in that made them fear they were going to starve and suddenly they wanted to eat everything right then! Something along those lines - but I remember feeling the same way! I'm glad you pushed through it!! You're doing a great job!!!

Red - How is the head feeling? I hope the business talks go well. You seem to be a well rounded person - I like that about you! Lots of water today

okay, I have to get going. I need to drink some water myself - don't tell Red

Oh I forgot!! I found the skinny spot in the gym mirror tonight I was so thin and lean It was great!! I could workout in that spot for days I couldn't bend sideways though or I'd move back into the chubby spot. It's a dang funhouse mirror in that room!!

Grasshopper,
That's awesome about that spot in the mirror! Makes you realize why you're doing this doesn't it!

LIttle GH, I love jane's addiction. My hubby used to play bass in a band. Now he just does it as a hobby but not often since he sold his amp. Don't you love that spot in the mirror?

KJK, once again good job! I am watching biggest loser too. Aren't they inspiring? I can't believe the weight they loss. For women, Kelly is inspiring.

WOW! There is no way I will have time tonight to respond to everyone so I will just say HI to you all and also that Pennywise and Offspring and Rage Against the Machine - Oh yeah and Nine Inch Nails are my hard bands that I like to put in when I have had a hard day...

Today was my first day back at school and it was the day from ****. I went to school at 10 am and I just got home. My classes are ultra hard and I have to read about 200-300 pages a week per class so I am stressing and it took all I had not to go to McDonalds on the way home and pig put. I am so stressed! Help! I need these classes to graduate and I am already overwhelmed beyond belief. I have 14 books for one damn class! EEK!
Okay- I feel a little better- needed to ***** and moan. Thanks for listening.

Okay tomorrow is Wed - so it is "what have I been eating all week day". Give us an idea on how you are doing. Also - anyone know any good places on the web to get recipes? ideas for taking food with you?

I am sorry to cut this short- but I need to walk my dog, take a shower, get clothes out of the dryer, and take a cyanide pill before I go to bed. I have to get up at 5am tomorrow so I need to cut this off.
Thanks for all the support- By the way- kjk and stormy I get 2 points for today- I totally blew eating today but I walked and drank enough water.

Until later- don't forget about me...

Okay, CG, calm down. It will be okay. Try to schedule in eating and exercise into your crazy schedule. I bought a planner and I have everything sheduled out from 7 in the morning to 11 at night. Every thirty minutes. If you do not something will get left behind and in my previous experience it is usually exercise. So schedule in your reading, your assignments, your workouts, etc. If you have not finished your assignment when it is your scheduled workout time that is okay. Go workout and come back to it. It will help you, it will make your school work better. Doing this has helped me so much. I am able to get so much more done. I want you to know I am here for you. You and I will both get through this!!!

CrimeGirl, I do the same as stormy! I have everything scheduled into my palm pilot... meals (even if I have them planned what I'll be eating!) and exercise as well as work, school and sleep

Ok girls, me again! You're probably getting sick of me

I've been reading about excess skin tonight *Bleck* and it's scaring the crap out of me!! I have about 100 pounds to lose so I'm basically gaurenteed excess skin And to throw on top of that... I'm only 22! So surgery is NOT an option at this point (I want to have kids and plastic surgery would mess that up pretty good!) So that gives me two options... 1: Stay Big or 2:Lose the Weight and deal with the skin...

My biggest fear is that my arms will get droopy and gross Because I love wearing tank tops and don't think I could hide gross arms And also my boobs, before I gained my weight I was about a 32 C/D and now I'm a 42 DD I can't imagine how icky they will look! (Sorry if TMI!)

Sorry just needed to vent

I definately want to be healthy, but this is just one of those things that scares the jeebus out of me!

CG- I hear you! I had an insane workload my second to last year at uni, and the last come to think of it! I suggest you do what the others have said and plan everything.. also I suggest you see if you can get away with eating in class! this worked wonders for me! I like to multi task. Also with all the insane reading, why not try to buddy up with someone you know makes good notes and split the reading with them? Just an idea.

Stormy - the joke is that my ex was very homophobic, but I did suspect a few times and accused him of in a couple of fights. It took him about 6 months after we broke up to come out to himself still.. but it was weird.. if i did anything masculine, like drink beer or cut my hair short.. (just a bob at the top of my ears.. no crew cut or anything) he would freak... but still it'll be a good section in my book!

LGH - Yeah I like Janes Addiction too.. Also STP! And I totally love Velvet Revolver... also Audio slave.. and yeah offspring is great too. Basically guitars means I'll like it. he he

Well my walk at lunch was lovely. It was so nice to be out and I even ran some of it, like the first 800m from work and then another 400m about 30 seconds after the first part, but as it was hot and I didn't want to get too sweaty as I don't have a towel at work for a shower, I just walked the rest of it. there were seals out sunbathing by the port and kids playing in the swimming baths and the sun was out and I love living by the sea! he he.. also our moutain looked beautiful today, it still has some snow on it from all the cold weather we've been having. It looks kind of like mount fuji (in fact so much that the movie, The Last Samurai, with Tom Cruise was filmed here!!). And I ate ok i suppose today.. well nowhere near as bad as yesterday.

Even better, I checked the helicopter manifests and my BF will be home tonight as well! Awesome.... I hope he wants to go to the gym tho! I really don't want to miss it tonight.. but its hard when you don't see them so much..

I know all about funhouse mirrors.. the full length one in my bedroom makes you look skinny! So I know if I look fat in that one, i've been very very bad! he he...

My non cosmetic reason for wanting to loose weight, has more to do with wanting to be fitter and healthier. I got really sick the year before last with the 'flu (real not just a bad cold) and a severe B12 deficiency, (i was off work for a month, luckily we have unlimited sick leave but still.. )when it got diagnosed I was on daily injections for 2 weeks.. would have gone to hospital but it was just before I was going to Holland for 3 months and I have a sympathetic doctor... but all this was compounded by the fact I have mutant blood that carries less iron and oxygen than normal, and my red blood cells are small and die off very quickly. Basically I was sick of being tired all the time. And also not being able to do stuff like go for a hike, because as soon as I got to altitude, I would have lots of trouble with not enough oxygen in my muscles and cramp like no ones business. Which was embarassing more than anything else. I suppose too I realised that if I wanted people to treat me well, I had to do the same first.

But I love being active and watching my muscles grow and knowing I can lift more than I could last year.. and now knowing I have some of the biggest weights in my pump class is a motivator too!.

sorry for the novel
Have a great night ladies

Tiff

Jacque... at 22 your skin should still be pretty elastic. Do you have many stretch marks? If you lose a bit slower, your skin tends to adjust with you as you loose. Make sure you use a good moisturiser and drink lots of water. This helps your skin to stay healthy and "snappy" he he.. I have a lot of stretch marks on my hips and upper thighs, but they are fading and so far I haven't got any excess skin issues. it's one of those things tho that affects some people and not others. Don't let it throw you!!

Water is NOT a problem... as for moisturisor (spelling?) Any advice on a good one??

Stretch Marks? I've got a few... not as bad as I would've thought for as quickly as I gained my weight...

umm really have to fly, but I found vaseline intensive care with aloe vera is good. My mum sent me a l'oreal stretchmark reducing cream but I haven't tried it yet.. cocoa butter is a good body moisturiser too! But anything really...there is some stuff you can get really cheap at the chemist that is meant to be excellent. Can't remember the name, but its like cold cream I think.

BTW I got stretch marks at 15 and 52 kg (5'9'' then too!).. so it's not always from weight gain..

Thanks NBK Sleep Well!

BTW: I'm glad you have good intentions with losing weight! (Aside from "looking better" !) It's nice to be thin and look good, but it's GREAT to be healthy!