Well, I think it's about time I introduced myself to all the new faces. My name is Tabitha. I am a 28 year old mother of two. I have been a sahm for the past two years, but just went back to work. I am currently 250 lbs, my goal weight is 150. Not much else to tell really.

Penny, I answered the poll to be healthier. My reasons for losing weight are this:

a) I can't walk up a flight of stairs without losing my breath.
b) I can't sit in a chair for long periods of time because my hips start to ache.
c) I can't stand for long periods of time without my knees starting to ache.

So all in all, that sort of combines with being able to keep up with my kids. Because without being able to walk up a flight of stairs, how can I run and play with them?

Anyway, my meal program is simple. I am taking a moderation approach. I limit my "bad" foods to once a week, at one meal. Usually something like fried chicken, and I don't over do it. Other than that, I try to have two veggies with each meal. I am trying to limit my bread intake, and sweets intake. Though I don't totally deprive myself of sweets. I try to limit that to something small 2 or 3 times a week, no more than that. My favorite chocolate is dark chocolate, which is the "healthiest" of them. I forget what the article said about it. It's supposed to be healthier than milk chocolate. Anyway, my main problem is moderation. I am currently working on giving up sodas. I have limited myself to one 12 oz Dr. Pepper a day. And so far that is working out well. That is my goal this week, to have only one a day. Next week, I will work on one every other day. Until that is a once a week treat that I have. I am replacing it with water, and it is going well.

I still have to post my picture up at the board, but I will do that when my h gets home from work tonight (must clean the living room first, don't want you guys to see all the mess, LOL).

I have started doing something to get more walking in. Whenever I go to the grocery or department store (Wal-Mart, of course) I park in the very back of the parking lot. Far away from the door I intend to go in. And that helps get some walking in. I am lovin' this! I did squats yesterday, and boy am I feeling those! My thighs were screaming when I was walking into the store today.

Roxy, I have a chicometrics article that I clipped from Woman's World, that has some of the exercises in it. I love them. I want to order the video. I can't do the full fifty minutes yet, or all the exercises at one exercise setting. So, I pick half of them that work on one area and do those for 25 minutes two days a week, and the other half two days a week. I am working my way up to a full fifty minutes a week with all of the routines twice a week, like it says to. Some of them I can't do without my h here, cause my balance is a little off. So he gets a chuckle while he spots me.

Anyway, I have babbled on enough. Take care everyone!

Hi all...
I came, I saw, I worked my tailend off and I just can't wait for this day to be over. Work is way to busy. I couldn't get anything done.

I'm going to see my mom after dinner and see when she gets sprung from the hospital. Hopefully they have the biopsy results back too and I'll finally know is she's in the clear or going to require further treatment.

Kelly got some time off today from the kiddos. My sil took Nicole and Kayla to Chuckee Cheese for lunch. I think he enjoyed his afternoon.

As far as the poll is concerned. I want to look drop dead gorgeous but more than anything, I want to be healthy. I find that the thinner I get and the more exercise I do, the less my joint hurt and I don't have to rely on my Bextra to keep me going. I only take methotrexate now. That is something to brag about. I want that part to continue. There is nothing worse than hurting continually.

Sorry I'm not getting personal. Dinner is almost done and then I'm going to go check on my mom. See if she's pushing her morphine button a little less today.

~chris

Hey ladies!
Another busy busy day here lol got our new router hooked up and now I just fly around the net hehe. I also worked on a co-workers computer for much of the day, her brother went to way too many questionable websites if you know what I mean and her computer was totally bogged down, at least I've got it optimized runs like a dream and best yet all the crap is gone lol I was so amazed when I ran sbs&d they had over 1200 items listed it was nuts.

Chris I know what you mean about wanting to be healthy, that's what I want too. Unfortunately I think I have the beginnings of arthritis as well, my finger joints and wrists have been hurting lately but it could be carpal tunnel syndrome too, I'm gonna ask my doc about it tomorrow. How's the weather over there?

Mel, more snow? man that sucks! Ours is still gone but it was a little chilly today.

Roxy you lil ninja patootie I love your pics

Tabitha have you tried Diet sodas? I never like to drink my calories I'd rather save them for food

Jill how's everything going? what about the graduate program when do you hear anything? I just started business communications and ethnic diversity, they should be interesting.

Well guys I better get going I'm tired and want to do a little reading before bed.
Love to you all!
Michelle

Hey ladies I'm hoping to get a good post in right now but don't know if I will! It's been a busy couple weeks and I don't see it slowing down anytime soon. I've got a lot to do for school since I only have 4 weeks left in the term. Where did the time go!! Geez!! Plus we are hoping to go to Mexico for Spring Break so we need to get ready for that. Had a great weekend at the dunes and I am still sore! I posted that picture yesterday of me when I was there. It was a lot of fun and I am hoping to get my own bike soon, they are expensive though so I don't know. Doing good so far on the challenge. Hope everyone else is too!

Michelle I had my interview for the masters program a couple weeks ago and they said we will hear back by April 1st! That's so long! Oh well I hope I get in. I still have to take the really hard test on March 5th so I got to get to studying. Do you feel good about the classes you just completed? I hope so, I know you were having a harder time with them. Still doing SBD?

Hi Chris how is mom doing? Better I hope. When do you hear back about if the cancer spread or not? Keep us posted.

Tabitha sounds like you have a great eating plan going. That is how I started and have only recently needed to kick it up a notch to start losing again. I think that it will work really well for you! Keep it up!

Hi Chrissy nice to meet you! I'm Jill! I hope you like it here. Good job on the exercise today!!

Cheri good for you for eating healthy for your baby. I know it's hard! It's so easy to give in and say "well I'm pregnant so I can have what I want" that's what I did! Good habits now mean good habits after the baby is born. Keep it up!!

Hi Jen!! How's SBD going? I'm trying to get back on phase one but there's some stress from school so it's hard to focus so hard on food. I'm hoping all the exercise will help me though! I'm excited we are all on this challenge again together. We will do so good!!

Hi Chelle! Belly dancing Ooh la la!! My dh would love it too!

Hi Mel thanks for the invite this morning but I had just left for the gym. I would love to do it another day! We should schedule regular group exercise time and whoever can show up does it together. I think that would be fun and motivating. Oh and I did post about winning that book thing but it was a late night post and I don't think anyone read it. Cool that you won too!

Hi Kris! It was fun chatting with you today. Hope you did good with dinner. I had a grilled chicken salad from BK, it's SBD phase one approved as long as you don't eat the croutons or carrots. It was yummy!!

Hi Roxy! Sorry about the 2 pounds, I bet you were right about the nursing and cutting back on the calories. I remember that happening to me too. We tend to forget about that stuff. I'm sure you can adjust and will start losing again.

Penny love the polls! Keep doing them, they are great!

Ok that's it for me, I need to do my measurements and pay Michelle for the challenge. I hope everyone is having a great night! Talk to you all tomorrow!!

Back again...gotta post before my brother shows up to steal my computer. He's staying the night. He doesn't like being in the house when my mom's not there. He's 23 but he has some disabilities and he's only around a 15 yr old level for his mental age. He's a good kid though.

No news on my mom's biopsy results. Hopefully tomorrow. They might let her go tomorrow. Depends on how she does when they take the cathetor out. Her epidural has been removed and her morphine drip taken away. They have her on percoset for a bit. She finally got to eat today. That made her feel better.

Michelle-I'm battling carpal tunnel (I think) because of the arthritis. It's common I guess. My hand started aching right before lunch and my thumb and index finger went numb and now it just hurts. THe usual. It'll hurt for part of tomorrow and go away until work on Thursday.

Okay...gotta go. Need to get the blankets and pillows for the bro....

~chris

Just wanted to stop in and say hi

Off to get in my exercise... Gonna let someone else start a thread today.... LOL

TTYL!

ok, I guess I;ll start the new thread.