OMG, CONGRATULATIONS BRANDY AND MARK!!!!! :cheer: :cheer: :cheer: :woo:

Congratulations on the birth of Susannah Riley!!! Gorgeous name, I especially like the name Riley for a girl!

Can you pm me with your addy so I can send her a little something from me??

Wow, big, and how many weeks early??? :eek:

Fantastic news! I just want to act like a dancing carrot at the news!!!!!! :carrot: :carrot: :carrot:

Can't stop as late for Uni, but just posting to say I'm back on WW. Doing it at home, starting today. I have my graduation in less than a month and I have no intention of looking like the Goodyear Blimp for the photos. Will update my sig later, but I suspect it's going to be higher than my last registered weight.

Talk soon
Jo

OMG, an 8lbs gain on my sig. :(

Jo ... A new year, a new start ... forget the gain and just look at it as your new starting point:)

I myself am not having a great week:( just can't get rid of the munchies and I know that when I next weigh myself it most definitely will not be showing a loss!!:mad: I really could kick myself ... a couple of weeks ago I was full of enthusiasm and felt really motivated ... I even bought a pedometer and intended to walk EVERY day, but apart from the first couple of days when I wore it all the time, it hasn't seen the light of day!! I just don't know what to do!! ... All I want to do is eat!!:devil:

HELP!!!!!

Nichola

Quick update from us. All fine, baby's thriving (she's up to 9 lbs 2 oz and she's not even DUE till next week!). We're sorta tired but my wonderful mom and aunt have been spending nights with us to help out. YAY FOR FAMILY!

Also, and this is hilarious, I got to over 300 by the end of my pregnancy. Actually, it's not funny it's just sad and was scary as I was being careful but my weight kept climbing! Honestly, I just stopped looking at my second to last weigh in. Anyway, it was 307 (I think) the last time I looked and I'm 254 this morning. Ya think I was retaining a little fluid? So the baby weight (and then some) IS GONE! Now I get to start working on pre-baby fat. I have two big family weddings and a graduation coming up (plus all the other usual spring stuff) so I hope to be shedding some serious poundage!

Take care and catch up soon! We need to get back on the front page!!!

B

Awww don't you just love post-baby weightloss!!!! :D

Are you breast-feeding or bottle feeding? I lost loads of weight when I breast-fed Dom for the first four months.....unfortunately continued eating like I was breast-feeding afterwards and gained some of it back!!!

Tell us about her. Does she have lots of dark curly hair???

Hi Everyone,

Hope you're all doing ok?

Brandy, glad to hear things are going well with baby Susannah Riley:hug: ... That's some weight loss you've had ... how heavy did you say she was?:lol: ... Only joking of course!

Well, I finally hopped on the scales this morning and as I guessed, post Chinese New Year, they were showing a gain of 1.5lbs:mad: I must stop letting these celebrations/social occasions ruin any steps that I've made in the right direction. It's back to logging everything down that passes my lips from now on ... and I mean EVERYTHING!!

Catch up with you all again soon:)

Nichola

Jo, how's it going at WW? I'm going from bad to worse at the moment ... the more I try to diet, the more I end up eating! I've been really terrible over the past few days ... talk about binge eating!:devil: I've eaten until I've felt so sick and unfomfortable, it really has to stop. Got on the scales again today and I'm up 2lbs since Monday!! That takes me back to my starting weight again all but a pound!!

When my parents were out here, I made a pact with my mum (who weighs the same as me) that we would both lose weight by this summer when I come back to the UK for a visit ... I think she's doing ok, and I know that unless I get myself into gear pretty soon, I'm going to be really ashamed if I'm still looking this way when I see her again.

I really do need some accountability. I've noticed that there's a new thread starting on Monday called 'Beat the Bulge', where you get so many points each day for say, eating a healthy meal, drinking so much water, doing so much exercise, etc. If anyone's interested, you can find details about it on a thread called 'Attention: New game', on the Support Groups forum. You need to sign up by Sunday if you want to take part. I'm hoping that it will help to motivate me into doing something ... like WALKING for instance!!! ... Apart from the first few days after I bought it, my pedometer hasn't seen the light of day!:o ... Oh, the shame!!!!:o :o

Hope everyone else is doing ok? Brandy, how's the babe?:hug:

Nichola

Oh, don't talk to me about WW. :o

I started off with good intentions, lost 3lbs in the first week, then TOM hit with a vengance...I stopped tracking and succumbed to the temptations. I've got exams coming up, I've been ill with a cold, and I just can't cope.

Right now, I'm spiralling out of control, so, no, WW isn't going well. :^:

Have a good weekend everyone
Jo :grouphug:

Hi Jo,

Sorry to hear things aren't going too well:hug: Not surprising though if you've not been feeling well AND had the stress of exams coming up. No point in stressing yourself even further with trying to tackle the diet issues as well ... I'd put that one on the back burner until you're properly feeling up to it.

Started the 'Beat the Bulge' game today over on the other thread. Weighed in this morning and am back to 177lbs ... don't know how that happened considering what I've had to eat this weekend:o ... must have been fluid retention when I weighed in on Friday!!

Hope everyone else is ok:)

Nichola

Hey Everyone!

Sounds like it's been a tough couple of weeks for all. (CONGRATULATIONS BRANDY BY THE WAY! ENJOY THAT MUNCHKIN!) DOn't let it get you down girls. Just start again everyday. One day at a time, no guilt, and move on.


I've been going to the gym sporadically, but it works out to about 8 times a month, which is a big improvement for me. I'll be working on getting there as often as I can. Starting next week I'll be watching friend's children, which will seriously cut into my gym time, so I'm going to need to find an alternative. But I can do it.

And so can you all! Get started no matter what.

Hugs, Lorraine

I would guess watching those kids would make up for any gym time you miss!

Things are ok here. I'm bottle feeding because - well, several reasons. I didn't plan to, I was bent on breast feeding but I was full of meds, she was turning blue while eating, they wouldn't let me keep her in the room with me for various other health reasons (hers and mine) and by the time I got home (four? five days later?) she was a formula baby. I'm really feeling guilty about not being more aggressive about BFing. She's had a lot of tummy problems and is now on her fourth forumla. She just has a hard time with gas and constipation (who ever knew these would make up the main part of my conversations?) and it's just pitiful. My mom stayed with us the first few weeks and now we're staying with her and my dad because I just need HELP. I mean, I could do it by myself but as they are happy to help out (just an extra hand to jiggle her while I run to the bathroom is nice), I'm taking it! If the novelty of the first grandchild wears off, I'm going to be in trouble. She's five weeks old tomorrow and we STILL need help. She's lovely tho and when she's not screaming (which breaks my heart) she's a lot of fun! Ted even likes her.

Weight is still coming off. I'm 250 as of this morning. Who has time to eat?

B

Brandy, don't feel bad about not breast feeding ... she's going to thrive on all the love she's getting:hug: As far as having help from your mom & dad is concerned ... you take it for as long as it's on offer!! If my parents are anything go by, the novelty of grandchildren never wears off, so make the most of it!!

Good job on the weight loss ... Time to change your tracker ... if you get chance of course!!:)

Hi Lorraine, how's it going? Good luck with the child care!!:dizzy:

Nichola

I'm here, just insanely busy. We are moving. Again. Ugh. Seattle this time. Will keep you posted.

Lorraine

Seattle? What will happen, are you selling your house?

I've just finished exams. Not sure how they went but it's too late to worry now.

Next Tuesday I'm joining a WW group. I've tried to do it at home and it just doesn't work, so I've got to do something about it.

Jo

Lorraine, hope the move goes well ... when is it happening?

Jo, it must be such a relief for you now your exams are over! Now you'll have a little more time to concentrate on yourself!

I've just been plodding along slowly ... we're all getting over illnesses ... coughs, colds, tummy bugs ... you name it, we've had it!!:( Thankfully, we're all on the mend now, so it's time to get back on track properly.

I've just booked my flights back to the UK for this summer ... I've got about 18 weeks to do some serious losing! God, 18 weeks doesn't sound long enough! But if I could lose an average of say 1.5lbs each week, that would be 27lbs ... I'd be happy with that!

Come on girls, the summer is just around the corner, let's whip this thread into some action and do something about it!!:carrot:

Nichola

Nichola, I've only got three months break before the next exams though, so it isn't over yet. You're coming to the UK....oooh, fancy meeting at Touchwood????

Started going to WW last Tuesday. Even been tracking again. Is this the start of a new me? Hope so, cos my weight had gone up to 251 again.

3lbs in the first week. Intensely disappointed because I tried SO hard, and given that I need to lose nearly 8 stone (112 lbs), I figured the first week loss would be higher.

No pleasing some people, huh? ;)

Hopefully some of you will come back soon, this was on page three and I've been talking to myself!

Have a good weekend
Love
Jo

Hi Jo, sorry to have left you alone for so long!! I've been having a really sh*t time of it lately ... illness with one thing and another, and I still haven't shaken it off completely. The plan has gone straight out the window ... eating habits have been absolutely crazy, and no exercise at all! Needless to say I'm feeling really p****d o** with myself right now:mad: Gained the few pounds that I managed to lose and I'm yet again back to where I started! Will this cycle ever end I wonder? To top it all off, we've just found out that a friend of ours has cancer, something to do with the nasal cavity:?: She has two tumours and needs to undergo intensive radio/chemo treatment straight away. Also, my son's relationship with his 'first love' has just broken up after 16 months and he is absolutely distraught ... can't console him. It's consuming every moment of his life. This is a big worry as he has A level course work to get done and exams in a few months. Who'd be a parent? You've got all this to look forward to in a few years! Things don't get any easier!

Anyway, on a brighter note, I'm going to try to enjoy this weekend and then get back on track with my plan ... and try to start the walking that I intended to do months ago!! So I promise to check-in regularly as of Monday to keep you company:)

Well done on your 3lbs loss, that's great!! Don't be disappointed, and keep up the good work ... you can do it!!:hug:

Well, I must dash as I'm meeting hubby for dinner (he's had to work all day today!) and still need to take a shower and get my hair washed ... I guess I'm going to be late!!

Nichola

Very quick update! Susannah's just gotten over a cold and ear infection, she's seeing two different specialists - one for reflux, the other for her hips, and we're still staying with my parents because she's still a handful. I have no idea what I weigh. Somewhere mid 240s, last I saw.

Everyone PM me your addresses so I can send you birth announcments (and a thank you note to one very sweet UK chick) - yes, she's ten weeks. I'm a bit slow. It's nuts here.

Brandy

Wow...we're all gone. It's been a month since anyone posted. We're moving to Seattle. House is sold, husband is going Tuesday, ds and I will follow after school is done.

On the weightloss front, it should be the weight gain front. I've managed to gain all the weight back that I've every lost. I need a plan and some TIME. When I get to Seattle, I'll be starting over. WW or Jenny Craig, haven't decided.

I sure hope you ladies are well. Now that I've finished watching the kiddies, I should have some more time to post. Hope to talk soon!

Lorraine

Gosh! ... I didn't realise it had been so long since anyone had posted. Girls I think it's about time we revived "FRIENDS FIRST" ... What do you think?

I've been struggling along over the past few months and made absolutely no progress whatsoever!:mad: I weighed myself last week only to discover that I was at my heaviest weight ... EVER! This came as a bit of a shock, although obviously I shouldn't have been surprised considering that I haven't stuck to a plan properly for ages! The good thing about it though, is that it has shocked me into doing something about it.

I started to journal and count calories again on 8th May, and I'm pleased to say that when I weighed in on Friday I was 6lbs down:D ... So you see, I know it can be done ... I just need to stick with it!:^:

Brandy, I hope baby Susannah is well ... Would love to see some piccies if you ever have the chance to post any!

Jo, how's it going at WW ... hope you're still on track!

Lorraine, hope your hubby's move to Seattle went smoothly ... how long until you join him?

Anyone else who I haven't mentioned ... If you're still out there ... I'm still here:wave:

So, is anyone with me? Come on girls ... We CAN do this!:grouphug:

Nichola

Hey Nichola!

Good on you for getting back on track. I think this whole thing is about organization and mindfullness. I've managed to stop the binging and mindless eating a bit, so that is a good start. I'm definitely going to get going once we get to Seattle. Things are just too crazy right now to start anything, but that's not an excuse just to eat as I like. I've been doing some outside work, so that's a good thing to keep me moving.

Here's to your new start Nichola! Hope to hear from the rest of you soon.

Jo...done exams yet?

Lorraine

Quick update here!

Susannah is finally turning the corner with this refulx thing. It's been a TRIAL but things are getting better.

ILs were just here (SIX of them) for over a week. I'm wiped.

The hub is squawking about wanting to lose weight and talking about one of those progams where you order the food from them. I forget which one, but they have one advert aimed at me. So remind me to make a commercial next time I need something done. Apparently the tv holds more weight with him than I do!

Will catch up more soon, happy summer, happy moving, and happy hopeful losing to everyone!

B

OMG, I'm a cow!

I just saw the pics from last week's family visit and as it turns out, I'm HUGE!!! You know how it is...there you are, puttering along, minding your own business and WHAM! Someone shows you a picture of yourself and you just want to crawl under a chair (or into a cake) and cry. I am MASSIVE.

So if anyone wants me, I'll be over here...not eating.

B

Hi Brandy glad to hear that baby Susannah is getting better:hug:

Hey, I know exactly what you mean about seeing yourself in photographs ... I HATE seeing ones of me ... I look so old and HUGE, I can't believe it's me!! ... I look more like my mother than my mother!:eek: ... No disrespect to my mother of course, but I want to look like her daughter, not her sister!

Two weeks ago I had a good loss of 6lbs, which I was really pleased about ... then last week I gained back 2 of them!! This week I've lost 1 of them again ... Who gets the prize for being the best yo-yo dieter???:o

Been doing ok during the week (sort of) but the weekends, as usual, are a big struggle for me. I had a meal out on Wednesday for someone's leaving 'do' at work ... I'm out on a 'girls night' tonight ... more food and drinks! And hubby & I are out for dinner with friends tomorrow night ... How the **** is a girl supposed to lose weight?!!!:shrug:

I guess I'm aiming for another gain next week!:mad:

Nichola

Hi Nic!

I have a few weddings this summer but other than that, I'm going to try to avoid eating out (although with a baby, it's not like I do that much going out anyway) so I won't have any "special occasions" messing me up. It's HARD when you have an active social life - well, I imagine it must be. Mine's dried up.

I think I'm going to have a "de-junk the kitchen" day tomorrow. We just have too much crap around. I have said I don't want Susannah to grow up with my food issues and obsessions. I don't want her to see me doing WW or obsessing about points or calories. I think my best bet is to chunk the junk and just start living the way I hope she will grow up - no junk in the house, regular rounded meals, etc. I just don't want this to be an issue for her, I don't want to look at her and see all my bad habits making HER life harder.

Of course, I'm sure every fat new mom thinks like this at some point.

Hi Brandy, you've made some very good points there ... what better reason is there to get healthy than for your daughter:) My kids have both grown up seeing me constantly on and off "diets" and either starving myself of pigging out on something ... I can only hope that it won't cause them to have an unhealthy relationship with food.

I had some very upsetting news yesterday ... my work collegue was taken into hospital ... she had a heart attack ... and she's only 35!! Needless to say I am in a state of shock. It's hard to believe that things like this happen to people so young. It's not until it happens to someone close to you that it makes you realise just how fragile life is.

Hubby and my son have both told me that it's about time I started taking more care of myself ... they are worried that it could happen to me ... I guess it's understandable. It made me realise that perhaps it's about time I started taking this seriously instead of abusing my body with yo-yo dieting, overeating and too much alcohol! It's a shame that it's taken something like this to make me realise it.

Nichola

Nic, I'm so sorry about your friend - what a shocker!

I am currently looking at Jenny Craig. I don't belive it's magic, it's just controlled portions and calories, but I like the idea of someone else doing all the work. All I have to do is heat up. And Mark wants in too. Yay.

Baby up.

Bye!

B

OMG didn't realise I'd been away so long.

I was looking at house porn (I love looking at houses for sale on the internet) which made me think of Lorraine, which then made me think of everyone else....so here I am. :o

Anyway, my update.....gave up WW AGAIN, joined a weight loss clinic at the doctor's, but haven't been back since the first meeting and have gained weight AGAIN. At the moment though I am struggling with stress, as my exams start a week on Monday, and last until 22nd June (although not every day!).

Something big has happened though. A friend asked me to look on the internet for her to see whether she could gain enough emigration points to make it to Australia. I found that she couldn't, because of her age, looked at whether we could, but again, we failed because of Alan's age (they won't take anyone over 44).

Anyway, to cut a long story short, I thought while I was on the website 'oooh I wonder if we could get into Canada'.....did the points assessment, and we more than have enough points to get in. The emigration process is 2-3 years which is too long for Alan (he'll be close to 50, which he thinks will make things harder), but if he can get a job, go over on a work permit and apply for permanent residency when there it could all happen in less than 12 months. Soooooooo......looks like Alan is looking for a job in Canada now!!! :D Nat is excited about the prospect, and Dom is worried that all the boys will be better hockey players than him. :^:

I'm not sure how I will tell my Mom yet though....guess I'll wait to see if he does get a job offer first.

Anyway I hope you are all well. Brandy, I'm glad to hear that Susannah is doing better.

Love
Jo xxx

Hi all!

Jo! What exciting news. Sure, and just as I'm leaving Canada! LOL What kind of work does Alan do? There are loads of jobs here in Calgary, depending on his specialization.

I've been procrastinating terribly on all fronts except helping others. Perhaps I should curb that a bit and help myself hmmm?

Less than a month until the move. Still no house (hope to put in an offer on one today) and still haven't decluttered everywhere. Go me.

I can, however, see the top of my computer desk which is truly a miracle.

Hope you are all well!

Lorraine

Wow, Jo, fingers crossed!

Lorraine, good luck with that move!

I was all set to try JC and as it turns out, you can't order online, you can't just get the food and the plan you have to DEAL with someone, and the nearest "center" is like an hour and a half away. So screw that. I've just de-junked the house and I'm going to do the best I can. I shall call it my Not Eating Like A Crazy Person plan.

Hope everything is going well for everyone else,
B

Jo, great news! You must all be really excited! As an expat for many years I can't say I blame you ... You go for it!! The difficult thing is telling the family you're leaving behind ... but at the end of the day, if you're seeking a better life for your own family, I don't see how anyone can't be be pleased for you, even though it's upsetting for them. I hope your hubby manages to find a good job out there ... if things don't work out you can always go back 'home' again ... but if you don't take the chance now it may be too late and you could live to regret it ... Live for today and all that!:D

Lorraine ... hope you've made a start on all that 'decluttering'!! ... I don't envy you ... I've done it too many times in the past!!

Brandy ... Good luck with the NELACP Plan!:)

I've not weighed myself this week ... have not had a great week:mad: Even the scare with my friend hasn't jostled me into action! I should be ashamed!:mad:

Nichola

Here I go again!!!
 

I weighed-in this week and wasn't surprised to see a 4lbs gain!:mad: I'm once again back to where I started ... I really need to break this cycle ... but HOW????

Hope everyone else is doing better than I am!:)

Awww Nichola, try not to let it get to you.

I'm up and down more than a yoyo, well more up than down, so I know how you feel. Started my exams yesterday, got two tomorrow, two on tuesday next week, and one a week on thursday (22nd). :stress: Just want to sleep and eat at the mo.

Oh and Nat has decided that she is going to make my life as difficult as possible this week by playing up. She isn't pre-menstrual (wrong week), so I am assuming it's because I'm nearing the end of my course and will have to find work. My Mum, who supported my decision to go to Uni now thinks I should go back to being a stay at home mom because 'Nat needs it'. :shrug: Unfortunately the debt we got into because of my course is pretty much forcing me to get a job. Can't win.

Hope everyone is ok.

Jo :judge:

I've had a mammouth weekend ... can't even begin to tell you how much I've had to eat/drink ... I must have consumed a whole months worth of calories in 2 days!!:o It's stopping right here and now ... it has to ... I can't go on like this any longer. I feel so uncomfortable ... nothing fits ... I keep buying bigger clothes and a couple of weeks later they're too tight again!! I'm bursting out of everything!! I'm so angry with myself. I started off this year saying that I was going to lose this weight before I went back to the UK this summer to visit my family & friends ... It's now just over 3 weeks away and guess what ... I'm heavier than I was at the beginning of this year!!:mad:

Well, I may only have 3 weeks but I'm going to try my hardest to get some of this blubber shifted ... I'd be happy with just being comfortable in my clothes instead of bursting out of them. I'm aiming for 7-10lbs to begin with ... it's a start:^:

So here goes ........:rolleyes:

Jo, hope the exams are going ok ... good luck on Thursday ... is that your final one?

Hey, I'll commit to three weeks of serious dieting with you. Even (insert scary music here) EXERCISE! I need a little kick in the pants. Ok, a big kick. They're BIG pants :devil:

Jo, best of luck with all your exams. Tho you have been our star student so it's not like you need luck! How old is Nat again? Seems like when they get to a certain age, THEY aren't even home that much!

Alright, baby complaining. Off to..well, I don't have a plan. Wish me luck.

And Nic, more on this three week Super Diet SOON!

B

So much for a three week super diet. I am all over the place. This child is teething and will not sleep. I'm a mess. You can't give me back my sleep and then take it away again! That's just messing with me! So no, no super diet here. I feel like everything is out of control. My house needs organizing, I need to get a grip on myself.

Anyone out there?

So we just joined Jenny Craig. Actually, HE called and joined for both of us because, in his words, I'd just dither about it for another six months and really, why not just do it already. So I'm really excited. He's into it, I'm ready for it, it's enough of a financial investment to keep us going AND I feel so overwhelmed with everything lately, the idea of just heat and eat really REALLY speaks to me just now.

So again I ask, anyone out there???

B