Hello all!

First off, Chelsea, it is good to have you here. You are going to love it. And don't worry about rambling in your posts. I'm always yappy in mine and they haven't kicked me out yet. I tend to be compulsive myself. I wouldn't say that I have OCD, but my family might disagree. My compulsiveness manifests mostly in my perfectionism. I like things to be just so. My husband will do things like put a wrinkle in the bed after I've made it just to see if I notice - I never miss it. It isn't anything that interferes with living my life but it probably does drive the people around me crazy. I work very, very hard not to apply my standards to my children as I want them to grow up happy and carefree not feeling like they can't live up to my expectations. It really is something that I have to be conscience of every day.

Gloria The puppy's name is Daisy and she is a Cockapoo. Oh, how we all love this dog! And after our experience with Sweetie Pie it is wonderful to watch the kids interact with her. She follows them around, well, like a puppy dog and they are the happiest children on Earth right now.

Part of my problem with doing my floors is that there is no way I could do it while the kids are here. But, they usually go and visit my in-laws for a couple of weeks in the summer so I thought I might tackle them then.

Red, I am glad your Dad is going to be okay. The same thing happened to my sister a few months ago and it was terrifying. She isn't even 40 yet. She is thin as a rail but has always battled high blood pressure. In fact, it was her heart attack that got me back on a healthy trail. It just seemed so ridiculous that I was taking my body for granted as I was. I mean, here I am, I've somehow dodged the bullet of high blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol that runs in my family and I'm going to increase my risk of those things anyway? Nope. I knew right then that I was going to lose the weight I needed to and I haven't looked back since. Okay, okay, maybe I've peeked back there once or twice, but nothing serious

Lucky, I did jump right back into my routine and, you know, it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. I went to a new class tonight. I love step aerobics but I've been going to the beginner class. Well, tonight I ventured into the intermediate/advanced class. Hmmm - they sure do things a lot different in there! But, I am plan to keep going to this one. It was more challenging but was also more fun. I should have switched sooner but, you know, I was in my comfort zone in the beginners class. This one was so much faster. The moves I can do but darn these short legs of mine don't make it easy to do them FAST. I survived though so I figure that means I would be foolish to turn back now.

BarbPA, I'm glad you popped in to say hi. I hope things are going well for you and that you are still reaping the benefits of your fabulous getaway. I'll cross my fingers that the sun comes back out in your neck of the woods soon.


Alright I've polished off the last bite of my dinner so I am outta here. The Mary Kay stuff I ordered at the party I went to got here today so I'm going to go be girly a while before bed. You guys have a great night!

Tricia

You're all so wonderfully sweet! I was asked what fruits and vegetables I like...well...I like apples and oranges and bananas. I also like broccolli (I don't think I know how to spell that! lol) and peas (yes, I know, starchy!), and carrots and corn, more starch! I am kind of on a diet plan. It's called ********, and it's mainly a health regiment. It sure makes me feel good. It cleanses the system, lots of antioxidants, and is a fat burning system to boot!
I don't get out much, which is a problem. My mom was just telling me she thinks I should get out of the house more and thinks that would help. I would have to agree.

Man, I have 223 pounds to lose!! That's a massive amount! I have to try and make myself make small goals, and not just think about the long term goal. That's very hard to do for me because I am a "I want it and I want it now!" type of person! The longest on a weight loss journey I usually travel is about a month. Once I hit that month, something in me just says, "Man, I've worked so hard and I look not much different, what's the point?" I'm sure most, if not all of you know what I'm talking about.
I think I've decided to weigh in once a week. That seems to be reasonable. My mom says she'll take the scale and put it in the trunk of her car and only bring it back in once a week. I really think I'm going to get more support from her this time. She's always tried, but I'm talking to her more about it this time, and I think she's really thinking it might happen this time. She is over 300 lbs herself, and I hope she can lose the weight too. I am heavier than her, but we both need to get healthier!
Thanks for listening everybody! This really helps! I feel a closeness with you all already!
Chelsea

I know what your talking about Chelsea when you said "I want it now. I have said those exact words to myself. Then one day i was reading in the paper about a woman graduating from college at the age of 55. Why would anyone start a career at that age? Then it dawned on me. Its all about the passing of time. What do you want in you life? I don't want to be the same person a week, month or even a year from now. Like the woman graduating at age 55, even though it took her longer to get to where she wanted to be, she still got there. I'm 53 now, but at age 54 i could weigh the same as i do now, or i could be ten pounds heavier or i could loose those ten pounds. There's nothing i can do about turning 54, that will come no matter what i do, but what i can change is my weight.

On the lighter side, today i did the ultimate multitask. Instead of driving to the store this morning to pick up the few things i forgot to get yesterday, i rode my bike there instead. I got some great exercise, fresh air to boost my spirits and i saved the gas i would have used. (What is with the gas prices anyway?) Where i live there are two very busy main roads with nothing but businesses that run along side. My house, along with many others run behind the stores so its easy to walk or ride a bike to get to where your going. We also have sidewalks here, so i don't have to worry about getting hit by a car. Anyway, i am feeling really good right now.

I have laundry to do so best get to it.
Have a great day.
Gloria

I absolutely 100 percent agree with you Gloria! That is a wonderful attitude to have! There have been many things that have contributed to my being held back in life, but I do have the power to change things. We all do! There is a lot of hope in that. My, OUR lives can change! I started writing in my journal again for the first time since Christmas. I got a lot of concerns out on paper there. That feels good to do that. It was suggested to me by an extended member of my family to keep a food journal as well. I will think about that. Does anybody here keep a food journal? If so, how is it working for you?
I got a book on CD to listen to while I go for my walks. The weather is real good here today, it's just beautiful. We've had some strange weather here lately, but I think Spring is definetely in the air! I have been laying out by our pool, which inspires me to lose weight too. I think about how I would like to someday be able to go to other peoples houses and wear a bathing suit and not be embarrassed! Wouldn't that be awesome!?
Talk to you ladies soon!
Chelsea

I just created my weight tracker, and of coarse since I just began to lose weight, I am at 0 lbs lost...but not for long!

That's the attitude Chelsea! 5dogs, I found your post inspiring as well. Thanks! Will write later.

Good for you, Gloria! Your post reminded me of when I was younger - junior high. Of course, we couldn't drive yet so my friends and I would ride our bikes to the Cross Country (a local quick stop that was just outside our subdivison). It was probably 5-7 miles each way. We'd get Icees, candy bars, chips and then ride on back home (and all around the neighborhood while we were at it). I was thin back then. I think what must have happened was that I kept getting all the treats but stopped riding my bike to the store to buy them. Man, hindsight is really 20/20, isn't it?

Oh! And congratulations on your daughter's engaement! It sounds like she's found someone who makes her very happy - and that the rest of the family likes him too - it just doesn't get any better than that. Good for her.


Chelsea, I think your mom is right. Getting out of the house more is a great idea. I used to stay home all of the time and claim that I enjoyed being a "homebody." The truth was that my weight kept me from wanting to leave the house. Well, as it turns out, I am a homebody by nature. I prefer spending time at home with my family over other things. BUT - I don't sit around on the couch anymore. I get outside, roam the neighboorhood with the kids, talk to the neighbors. And, I didn't wait to lose any weight to start doing those things. In fact, it was probably one of the first steps I took when I started a few months ago. I think I just realized that I wasn't going to get anywhere healthwise if I didn't get over the idea that I was too fat to be seen, if that makes any sense. Anyway, whatever your reason is for staying home a lot just try to overcome it and step out a little more often. It really will make a world of difference, I bet.
Also, feel free to ask your mom to join us as well. Maybe the extra support she is showing you now is her way of taking a babystep to lose weight herself.
Finally, you are right, 223 lbs is a lot of weight to lose. You can do it though, I know you can. You have the right idea about making small goals. Try not to think too much about your long term goal right now. Someone on this site has a ticker that says, "I can't lose 100 pounds but I can lose 10 pounds 10 times." I think that sums it up for everyone - regardless of how much weight we have to lose. Just remember that we are all in this boat together. Losing weight is hard even for people who have just 10 pounds to shed. The only difference for those of us who have more to lose is that it will take us longer. But the struggles, the rewards are the same for everyone.
That butterfly of yours will be making its way towards 145 in no time!

So, summer is near and all those yummy vegetables are about to be at their peak. So, I've been thumbing through my recipes to help me decide what all we'll put in our garden this year. I came across this one that I had forgoten about. It is so easy and good. It only has about 125 calories. If you like fried zuchinni (sp) you'll like this alot so give it a try:

Oven Fried Zuchinni

3T Italian bread crumbs
1T Grated parmesan cheese
1/8 t each of garlic powder, paprika, pepper
2 t olive oil
2 medium zuchinnis

Preheat oven to 475.
Slice zuchinni into sticks. Mix bread crumbs, parmesan, spices. Toss with olive oil. Put everything into a zip lock bag and shake until zuchinni is coated well. Bake for 12 minutes.
I mix 1T of Light Done Right Ranch dressing (adds about 30 calories) that has a little horseradish stirred into it to dip them in. I had them tonight with my Lean Cuisine Spaghetti. It was a nice change from the usual salad.

I'm off to bed. Hope you all have a great night!

Tricia

Hey all, sorry, still no time to catch up. Glad we have some prolific types on this thread. 5dogs, jawsmom, chelsea, lucky, anyone I missed, take care and I wish you all the best on your programs. I'll be back!

Thanks Tricia for the congrats on my daughters engagement. Its good to have friends to share the happy and sad times with.

Went to the Y yesterday for my water aerobics class and to weigh myself. I'm excited to report that I've lost ten pounds! Ten Pounds!!! For those of you that don't know this, i don't have a scale in my house because i found it to be a hinderance in my weight loss. Every day after exercising i would weigh myself only to find the scale the same as the day before. Like you said Chelsea, "what's the point? So my scale went out with the trash, and along with it went my compulsive behavior on my weight issues. Loosing weight is like Martha Stewart puts it, "Its a good thing", but there is soooo much more to it than watching that stupid scale go down. That wonderful, wonderful feeling that you get after exercising, and fitting into my clothes again. Now I've rediscovered my bike and all the wonderful sights and smells that only a person on a bike or walking can enjoy. The gardenia and rose bushes are starting to bloom and the smell is very intoxicating. Working very hard to peddle my bike up a hill and coasting down the other side with the wind blowing in my hair. Its a natural high and all of it makes me feel good and excited just to be alive.

Have to get this day started so will say so long for now. I'm off to the little produce stand not far from my house. I wonder how much i can carry on my bike? Talk to you soon.
Gloria

Hey everyone!

Ummm... there isn't a post here from me, but I wrote one yesterday! This site goes so slowly for me, I wonder if I just thought I had it posted and it didn't. I usually walk away and do other things after submitting, because it can take up to five minutes.

I baked one of my favorite adjusted recipes yesterday and thought I would share it with all of you. I left lots of notes in there, because I just can't seem to leave a recipe alone! The biggest changes are taking out the sugar and replacing with Splenda, as well as replacing the vegetable oil with applesauce.


Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 c. canned pumpkin (not pie filling)
1 1/4 c. Splenda (or 1 c. sugar)
1/2 c. applesauce (or 1/2 c. vegetable oil)
1 egg
2 c. flour
2 t. cinnamon (I used 3 t. of a cinnamon spice blend. I love spicey cookies!)
1/2 t. salt
1 t. baking soda
PLUS 1 t. milk
1 c. semisweet chocolate chips
1 t. vanilla extract
1/2 c. nuts (optional, I never use them)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Combine pumpkin, sugar, vegetable oil and egg.

Stir together flour, cinnamon and salt. Mix all together along with 1 teaspoon baking soda dissolved in 1 teaspoon milk. Mix. Add chocolate chips, vanilla extract andn uts, if desired. Drop by teaspoon onto a baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes, being careful not to overbake.

Yield: 3 dozen (I use a tablespoon sized scoop and get about 4.5 dozen)

Notes about these cookies. They barely spread out at all, so you can place them fairly close to each other. If you want spicier cookies, you can add 1/8-1/4 t. clove, 1/2 t. ginger, 1/4 t. nutmeg. Pampered Chef has a really yummy Cinnamon Plus Spice Blend that I recommend for this recipe instead of all the other mixing. Oh yeah, and I'm really lazy and toss this all in my Kitchen Aid, so I don't bother to mix the dry ingredients all separately first. I just add them in the order they go down the list.

Chelsea, glad to have you with us! Your weight isn't very far off my top weight at all, and there are a couple of others posting here who are or were in the 300+ category. We can help you address some of those specific topics if you need. Food logs? You betcha. I'm one of the worst for telling myself I haven't eaten all day and then realizing afterwards how many little things I snuck in and forgot about totally. A food journal keeps me aware, and is a really good first step. I also believe exercise is a must, but start out really slowly. It feels so good, I always want to do more, but that is how I ended up injuring my knee.

There is so much to say to everyone else, but I'm running out of time here. I got a new writing assignment yesterday and have to get some research done before calling to set up interviews. Betting redballoon could give me some tips there! Also, my job has requested that night staff show up to two staff meetings a month, and of course the meeting falls on my day off. Oh well, at least they are nearby? Yeah, I'm trying to convince myself this is a good thing.

Hope Kat is having a wonderful vacation! BarbPA, loved reading about yours! Skittles and BarbG, haven't heard much from you, and I miss you. Tricia and Gloria, thanks for your inspiration. I love reading about your exercise classes, especially Gloria's belly dancing. Lucky, how do you do it all? I wish I had half your energy.

Ok, past the time I promised myself I would be getting out of here! Someone shoo me off the computer!

Andria

Hey all!

Tricia, thanks for the words of encouragement! I am really going to try to get out of the house more! I really do enjoy getting out, but I do make excuses why I shouldn't. 'It's too hard', 'I have no money to do anything', etc.
Gloria, when you talked about the sights and smells experienced only by someone who was biking or walking really inspired me to continue to do my walking. I want to discover new places to walk too. And a HUGE congratulations on losing TEN pounds! That's awesome, and sure not easy!!
And Tricia, to look at your 49 lbs lost is very inspiring as well!!

Thanks for all your encouragement! I will be weighing myself in about 4 days, so hopefully there will be some results. But it is true what you said Gloria about what Martha Stewart said about there being so much more than watching the scale go down. I am already feeling better. I have a little more energy, and if it can be believeable, I feel a little lighter!
I am going to start meeting with a couple of ladies from my church who also need to lose weight. We are going to have a little support group. We used to do these meetings before, but after a few months, we stopped. But it sure was nice having that extra support. So I called the lady whose house we had it at and she would like to start it up again too.
Thanks for the nice welcome Andria!! It's truly nice to be a part of this group!
Hugs to you all!!
Chelsea

I am on the right. And my cousin Rachel is on the left. This was taken about a year and a half ago, and I've probably gained a few pounds even since then.
Chelsea

Chelsea, are you trying to send a picture?

Are you unable to view it??

Yes