Good Morning
 

Good morning all, It has turned COLD here. From one day to the next you don't know how to dress. I just keep a sweatshift in the car just in case.

It is good weather to walk in thought. Better than those summer days when it was so hot you couldn't get out.

Yes, you do have to eat for energy. Food is fuel for our bodies. Unfortunateally, we also use it for a lot of other things too. Like recreation, stress relief.....

I will check in later, hope to see more posts, Freda

Wow, things have been super busy here, so I have little time to chat. Just wanted to say that when you don't eat when you're hungry your body goes into safe mode and starts to store fat/calories b/c it thinks you're starving. My PT said to eat lots of little meals to keep myself from getting hungry and it will keep my body from storing extra fat and bump my metabolism. He said keep it between 1500-1800 calories a day. He also said that for every 1lb of lean muscle your body burns 50 calories without even doing anything. You can burn 500 calories a day for every 10lbs of lean muscle! WoooHooo! So build that lean muscle, watch how much you take in compared to what you burn, and make healthy choices!

Thank you for that info Melissa!! It's something that I have not kept in mind but I should. I think I should print it out and put it on the fridge. I often don't eat when i need to because I don't put my needs high up on the list. The kids get taken care of first most of the time.

treadmill traffic :D
 

I got up this morning at 6:00, just so I could walk on the treadmill before work. Well, I walk into where our treadmill is, and my sister's already using it! She doesn't live at home, but she comes over 3-4 mornings a week to use our treadmill. I asked her how long she'd be on there, and she said, "Until about 6:45."

So, I ended up taking a shower, putting my hair in a ponytail, and making my lunch while she was doing that. As soon as she was done, I jumped on it and hauled tail to get in a mile. I ended up doing a mile in about 18 minutes, which is very good for me. I actually had time to eat breakfast, and wasn't even late!

Next time, though, I'll use the Bow Flex while she walks. That way I'll be able to utilize the time even better!

Oh, also, The Slim Me, I'm sorry you had such a difficult weekend. I have trouble eating when I'm stressed or worried, as well. Just remember, if you don't eat enough, on top of anxiety from the situation, you might make yourself sick.

Have you tried things like drinking tomato soup, etc? Sometimes it's easier to when it's not real heavy or dense.

HI Everyone, I got my walk in early this morning. Ended up walking for an 1 1/2 hours because I went with a friend and walked around the lake. Next time we're talking our bikes and biking around. Good to change up like that.

Ruby, I usually keep a can of slim fast in my work bag for times when I just can't eat but in this case even that wasn't an option. Doesn't happen often, thank you God! Does your sister work the same hours as you? Could you ask her to come over a little later so you can get your exercise in? How about after work?

It is always a good ideal to think of food as fuel, and Sarah is right, we put ourselves last on most things. We're so busy careing for every one else we don't take the time to care for ourselves. But who's going to care for everyone else if we're sick or unable to do it! That's why on the plane they always tell you to put your air mask on first. You can't take care of the kids or put their masks on if you pass out from lack of oxygen! I'm not talking about a selfish "it's all me" attitude, i'm talking about meeting your needs as well as everyone elses.

Hope everyone has a great day, Freda

Hey girlies!! Sorry for my absence thsi week. I have had to kind of regroup this morning and set my new goals and plans for October. I yo-yo'd on 4 lbs this month with only 2 staying officailly off. That is great but I wanted to do at least 1 lb a week. I am restarting phase 1 of SB tomorrow to get rid of my cravings for sweets and I have set an exercise goal of 1000 minutes for the onth of October. That's slightly over 30 minutes a day of exercise. My goal for October is to do well and celebrate at the end with a wonderful anniversary outing with my dh on the 31st.

Today I have a teething little one and a very clingy boy taking up my lap space. I'm glad it's still big enough for the two of them :). I will be doing house cleaning, laundry, and some candle work today. I have a wedding set to mail out today that turned out really well last night. I need to take pictures before packing it up. I still have 8 candles to make to clear out my order box... that is my weekend goal. I know I will feel so much better and in control if I get them out.

So -- How are you all???? Everyone has been really quiet lately. Check in and give us an update if you get a moment today or over the weekend.

Hugs to all!!!

I see where all you southerners are hiding...lol. I live in Florida..parts of florida are considered 'southern', while others are just 'florida'..lol. I live in the boonies. smack dab between jacksonville & gainesville. anyhow...
I'm Mindy, 26y/o. I'm mommy to a 4y/o daughter, Zoey. and, live with my SO, Shawn, who is also on this 'diet' a.k.a. lifestyle change.
We are doing the atkins thing..so far so good for me. giving up sweet tea was tough at first, but, I'm good. I just do the unsweetened thing and sweeten it with whatever is handy(other than sugar).
I look forward to chatting with you ladies.

Welcome Mindy! You'll love it here :D

Hello southern belles! How has everyone been? Good I hope. I was gone all week too, sorry! I had two newspapers to get out at work and I was too pooped at the end of each night to get on the computer. I will try to do better! ;)

I'm doing ok although I feel like I could be a little more strict in what I am eating. I am steadily losing weight it seems but I feel like I'm not taking in enough calories and I haven't really had braekfast all week, or my snacks and I know that's bad! I'm going to try to do much better next week. I have noticed that without my breakfast and snacks I feel a good bit more sluggish and I don't like that at all. When I do everything like I am suppose to I feel so great. So...I will talk goals with Sara sometime this weekend so I too can make October great!

I really need to work on the excercise. I will have my first epidural shot on the 12th and I am really hoping that will help the nerve pain in my leg some so that I can become a little more active and do something. That is the most frustrating thing for me bc I can see the weight coming off but I can also see flabbiness and I don't want that...LOL :)

I hope everyone has a great weekend and I will pop back in again this weekend!

Hey, everyone!

I did horribly last week. I just had a lot going on w/ school, work, etc.

But, that's okay, I'm not going to beat myself up about it. I'm just going to start where I left off.

I actually have managed to do well today, once I managed to stop eating the bacon and biscuits we had for breakfast! :lol:

The Slim Me, as for my sister, I think if I get as much ready as possible beforehand, and warmup and stretch while she's walking, I'll be able to get on and immediately kick it up higher, instead of doing my warm-up on the treadmill, then getting off and stretching. That seems to allow for more time.

OH, BTW, welcome, Mindy! My dad did the same thing with sweet tea (I'm not sure why, either-he's not exactly concerned about his weight). He gradually reduced the amount of sweetener, and now he drinks it completely unsweetened.

Welcome Mindy!!!! Nice to see another southern face here :). Although we have been a little slow around here lately we have a great group of women :D. Nice to have you here and I know we look forward to getting to know you. I see we have a very similar goal in mind. I know we will make it!!

The weekend was pretty good here -- I got a lot of exercise on Saturday with all the cleaning and dusting I did around the house. I still have a lot to do but it's nice to finally have done things that have been on my house list for a long time. I will try to make more progress through the week. Our house lookws like the inside of a toy chest and we are trying to reclaim each room. Hopefull we will get the kids stuff contained to two areas before long. On Sunday I got to spend time with Leanne and Christa :D YAY!!! That always makes me feel recharged. They are both looking awesome and are just melting away!!!!! Congrats Leanne & Christa :D

So, how is everyone doing this week? Got anything special going on in your neck of the woods?

Good morning everyone, Hope your weekend was good. I babysit all weekend so didn't get much exercise in. I don't know how you ladies with the little ones manage! But I did take her to the park and ran around a lot. I hope that counts for something. And I went for a bike ride Sunday evening. So not all is lost.

As far as eating.....I do fine during the day but I can't sleep at night due to aches and pains (old age is wonderful) and I compensate by eating. I read somewhere that the body actually craves more calories if you dont sleep. It's like it's saying "ok, if you aren't give me sleep at least give me food".

I had to go to the doctor this morning for an echocardiogram so I was out early. I picked up some groceries on the way home. Any one know how to find out the calorie count in Deli lunch meat? It was Healthy Choice Roast Beef and Chicken.

Welcome the new member who has joined us! Looking forward to seeing lots of posts from you.

Have a nice day all, freda

Freda -- I'm so sorry about your not being aboe to sleep. I know how rough that can be and it does throw your eating out of whack. When I can't sleep or have had troubles with insomnia I found myslef eating a lot at night. And it was always bad stuff. My dad was a middle of the night eater and he would eat anything he could. Funny that he was a tiny man in spite of this... Now I find myself wanting to eat something when I am up in the middle of the night feeding Logan. A scoop of peanut butter here or there.


Look here for the info on your deli meat -- http://www.healthychoice.com/eatwell/ew_delimeats.jsp

I've bookmarked it. Very good info...

For the calorie count of other stuffyou could use the calculator on www.fitday.com as it is fairly accurate or go to www.calorieKing.com . i have used both and like them.

Freda, was your appointment this morning a routine thing or have you not been feeling well? I hope it is nothing serious. Hugs!

I have so far not gotten much exercise today but I am getting the house stuff out of the way so that we can play outside when Julia gets home from school. :) She has a volleyball net that she wants to put up. I am hoping we can play when Bryan gets home.

Ta ta for now (as Tigger would say) :D!

HI Every one, It's a beautiful day here and i'm washing the bed linen to hang outside on the line. I love the smell! It just puts me in a wonderul mood and helps me get to sleep. Now, why don't they make a fabric softner that smells like that? It's supposed to be in the mid 80's again today. Yesterday was a record high for this time of year. It's just delaying winter a little longer, but i'll take it!

I haven't gotten out to walk yet, I had to take my grandson to school this morning. But' i'm going before it gets too hot. Hope the rest of you gets in some exercise today.

Thanks for the sites Sweet. I did check them out and i'll have to bookmark then. I know the calorie count of almost everything (it took years to learn) but sometimes you get something new.

I had oatmeal for breakfast, with my usual splenda and raisins and cinnamon. Only this morning I had BROWN SUGAR with it too! Splenda has a new brown sugar out! I always used bown sugar but gave it up because of the calories. I can think of a few more things I want to try it on! Like my baked sweet potato along with butter spray. Takes so little to make me happy.

Have a good day, Freda

Sorry I have been so out of the loop, between missed work with sick kids and now a pile up on my desk, I have zero time to check in. I have some before/after pics if y'all are interested! Amazing what 18.5 lbs can do for a person!

Melissa, I would love to see your before and after pictures!

The Slim Me, when did they come out w/ the new Splenda brown sugar? I haven't seen it in stores, and I have looked.

I have some catching up to do around here. I don't have any excuses for not checking in on the thread - I just keep forgetting!

Anyway, I am doing well on the food front but I could be exercising a little more than I have been. I've really buckled down and the scale has started moving again. I'm so glad about that. When I weighed in this week I couldn't help thinking, "I can't believe I'm actually DOING this!" It really motivated me to get down to business and rid myself of these last few pounds.

I'm anxious to get on with the next phase of my life. I keep finding these awesome off-season clothes sales and it bugs the stew out of me that I can't take advantage of them yet. I'm not sure what size I'll be when I reach my goal. I always sort of thought an 8 would be it. But, I'm in an 8 now and awfully close to a six and guess what? THIS AIN'T IT! The point is that I want to be in the size that I intend to stay in from here on out so I can do some REAL shopping - and I want it NOW!

I'm really tired of only having a couple of outfits to choose from between sizes. I'm pretty good and getting mix and match separates but there is only so much you can do with a couple pairs of pants. Oh well, at least I don't have to go to work where people would notice me wearing the same thing over and over. My kids don't seem to care what I have on. Heck, they'd spend every day without clothes if I let them. Oh, who am I kidding? My kids are naked about 90% of the time. "Dressed" to them is keeping their underwear on - LOL.

Well, I hope everyone is on plan and feeling healthy.

P.S. - Melissa, I LOVE before and after pictures - please post yours!

Jawsmom, I just noticed that you've lost 76 pounds. That's awesome!

I'm curious, though. Do you have a problem with excess skin? I know with gastric bypass, the rapid weight loss causes excess skin. Was yours pretty gradual?

Just remember, though, as far as your weight goes-to a certain extent, you may never be "thin enough". When you carry around a lot of extra weight, that becomes part of your self-image, and that's how you see yourself. Just make sure that getting down to a size 6 is one you can really maintain.

Ruby, I don't have a problem with excess skin. I have some on my tummy but I am positive that it is a result of carrying a twins and not from weight loss. I started losing on December 26, 2004 so it has taken me about 9 months to come this far. Actually, probably a little more as I'd lost from 214 down to about 195 and hovered there for several months before I kicked into gear again. I am of the opinion that how much (if any) excess skin a person is left with has more to do with age and how long they were overweight. Rapid weight loss certainly has an impact but I've noticed that there is less incidence of extra skin in those of us who haven't been obese all of our lives. Of course, that's just been my experience and certainly isn't the last word on the matter.

I know exactly what you mean about never being thin enough. I've found all along that it takes my brain much longer to process 20 pounds gone than it does my body to actually lose it. But, eventually, the two sync up - of course by then it is almost time to process the next 20. LOL. But, you are right. I look at my pants now and it amazes me that not only do I fit in them but they are getting loose. It is strange to say the least because I don't always see the "new" me.

As for a maintainable size, I am still experimenting with that. I actually think a 4 is what will make me happy and will be fairly easy to maintain but I will keep an open mind and make that decision when I come to it. I cycle my calorie intake and can still lose steadily on a 1600-1800 average with a moderate amount of exercise. At this point I usually hit about 1500-1600 a day average and that is more than enough food to satisfy me. I've spent the last couple of months on a maintainance break and I was able to maintain 139-140 on about 2000 calories a day. So, I expect that 115-125 should be maintainable on 1600-1800 calories (assuming I stick to my exercise routine - which I fully intend to do). I can definately live with that. But, like I said, I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. Your advice is good for all stages of weight loss because NOW is the time to plan for what happens next. Otherwise, all of our hard work could go right out the window!

Southern Comforts
 

Hello all, I guess that I can fit in this group as I am from Fairfield Glade TN.

I am far from being a chick however, I am more of an old hen!

I have about 30 pounds to lose that I managed to put on last winter by sitting at the computer day after day instead of getting out for a walk. I was new to computers and got really hooked. :comp:

I am on the 'Tootsie Roll Pop Diet". I made it up. :lol: Actually it is a balanced diet of about 1200 calories with one Tootsie Roll Pop allowed per day. I am also walking 5 or 6 days out of 7. I have lost 5 pounds.

This is a great forum with a lot of support for everyone. I am impressed with the stories of how much everyone has lost. Good Going :cp:

zoey

Welcome, Zoey!

That sounds like a cool diet. Suckers are good sweets to indulge in, I would imagine. It lasts longer, preventing you from eating a lot. And it's a "single serving" item, meaning you can get one and put the bag away.

I usually allow myself two Hershey's Kisses, or one light cheese stick (I like savory foods) for a treat.

Hi Everyone, Hope you all are feeling good this morning! I just checked in before I go for my bike ride. Todays goals are: bike for 1/2 hour and walk for 1/2 hour this evening. I did my weights yesterday.

Ruby, This is the first week i've found the Splenda brown sugar. It was a Meijer here in Michigan. I haven't seen it in any other stores yet but you should see it soon.

Zoey, That's funny, I just bought some Tootsie-roll-pops yesterday! They were the tropical flavored ones that I haven't seen before. And they are a good ideal for a "sweet" since they are portioned controled and don't have many calories. I'm an "old hen" also. Grandma to 2.

Jawsmom, I have a problem with body immage that I think most people who have been over weight have. I thought I was too heavy when I was a size 4! Everyone was telling me I was too thin but I always wanted to lose that "just a few more pounds". Now my goal is a size 6. Sometimes you don't see a true reflection in the mirror. I can look at picture of my self now and see that I was too thin, but I couldn't see it then. I'm not saying that isn't a good weight for you, just that I had a hard time judgeing myself.

Take care, have a good day, Freda

ok here's my pics, i hope to catch up on posts sometime today or tomorrow.

Start pic was taken 08.15.05 and current pic was taken 10.02.05

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...smom/comps.jpg

Melissa, I can't see your pictures but I don't know if it is my computer or your post. Anybody else have trouble?

Freda, I completely understand what you mean. I think the reason that I never felt "thin" when I was young (despite being a size 4-6) was because I'd never even considered weight training. I've got a fairly muscular build to begin with and I'm only 5'2 so I'm stocky to boot. I recently compared a picture of me now with one at the same weight when I was back in college - there is an obvious difference in my shape and size and I attribute that to resistence training. My sister is about 118 and a size 4. Since she and I are of similar build and height she's sort of my "gauge" as to what I'd like to get to. She doesn't do any kind of weight training so it is reasonable to expect that I'll be able to borrow her clothes without having to get my weight as low as hers.

I'm sort of at the stage now that my health is fine and I feel good. Any weight I lose from this point forward is gravy as far as I am concerned. I'm not quite happy with my body yet but I'm not unhappy with it anymore either. I'll keep plugging along and evaluate how I look and feel every 10 pounds or so. I figure I'll know where I want to be once I get there. But, honestly, if I never lose another ounce I know I'm already 100% better off than when I was 214 pounds!

Welcome, Zoey!

I'm off for a bike ride with the kids. It won't be much exercise since they have to stop and look at every bug, flower, and rock. But, it is a gorgeous morning and the fresh air has to be good for something. Have a great day everyone!

Melissa, those pictures look great! I can definately see a difference. How tall are you? I look at the pictures, and they look a lot like how I see myself (I'm 155). I don't know if that's my self-image, or because I'm shorter than you. I'm 5'4, BTW.

Jawsmom, how much do you bike each day? I wish I could bycicle around town, but A) bikes scare me, and B) there are a lot of hills around where I live.

The Slim Me, I'm glad you told me that about the brown sugar. Maybe in a few weeks I'll be able to by some.

Welcome Zoey!!!!!

Melissa -- your progress is amazing!!! your pics are awesome :D thank you for sharing!!!

Up late tonight just surfing the web. Changed my avatar to this painting I found by an artist in Tampa. I LOVE black kitties and this reminded me of a folk art Chat Noir in a way.

I'm still chugging away even though I have no change on my scale. I am at a loss as to what I am doing wrong or what. Maybe my body is still out of wack from having Logan. Today it kinda pissed me off that I am not losing but being so damn good and not having any of the stuff I was having before at this weight. Ugh... I chug on though because a person cannot eat and do like I am doing and not have some progress. I hope it's just sneaking off and that I will see a change later this week or after the weekend.

I saw the splenda brown sugar today and unless I am missing a different type the one I saw was a blend of splenda and actual brown sugar. Still a tremendous savings in calories but is there a true zero impact version? Just wondering.

well, I am off to bed. I love the sound of the rain this evening. The wind has really picked up a lot in the last hour or so but it is not bad a t all. Quite nice really... I hope others are ok around this area and that we don't get any flooding like they have been predicting all evening...

Hugs ya'll!!!

I am 5' 8" so that's probably the difference. I was 160 when I married and I was super slim, my slimmest, and very pleased with myself. So the 4" inches I have certainly helps!

Good Morning All, Hope every one is doing great today.
Melissa, The pictures are great. You can really tell the difference. Looking good girl!

Sweet tea, Yes, it is the Splenda with brown sugar. Many less calories. I'm using it today with baked acorn squash sprinkled with that and a butte spray. Don't give up, you will start to see a weight loss? Do you watch Biggest Looser? One of the guys didn't have a good weight loss one week and the next week he had a HUGE weight loos. We all hit that brick wall (plateau) sooner or later. I think our bodies are just readjusting. Hang in there!

Freda

Welcome Bonnie, we're so glad you're here!

Ruby, I don't bike ofetn. It is just a little adventure that I take with the kids sometimes. I spend more time stopped waiting for them to catch up than I do actually riding so it certainly isn't a formal exercise for me. Typically we stay on our street. I'm scared to get to far away from home with them because I'm scared they will get bored or tired before we can make it back. I made that mistake hiking with them once. We went a little too far into the woods and it was a miserable trip back home.

Melissa, I've changed all of my settings and still can't see your pictures but it sounds like you look GREAT. And, wow, 5'8" - what I wouldn't give! Luckily I've finally accepted that nothing is going to change the fact that I'm short so I might as well make the most of what I've got!

Bonnie, I'm so glad you found this thread. I know you have more success when you post often and this is a chatty group. I'm the same way. There is nothing worse than struggling to keep a thread alive! And you know I'm a talker! I am sorry to hear you are having a hard time with your weight loss but I am sure you can get back on track now that things are settling down for you. Now is the time to really start focusing again - I KNOW you can do it!

Yesterday was probably the WORST food day I've had since I started losing weight back in December. I've indulged here and there along the way but yesterday it was one rotten choice after the other. It started out with a healthy bowl of oatmeal, and lunch was on plan and then I just went nuts. I'm not sure what happened. I wasn't stressed or tired or hormonal - all my usual triggers. I just lost any shred of care I had for what I was putting in my mouth. Maybe I was bored? I don't know. It is possible that I was just cutting off my nose to spite my face. I guess all that matters is that I'm back on track and today will be a MUCH healthier day. I've put a postive spin on the situation by reminding myself that I ate that way every single day for several years and didn't even bat an eye. At least now I feel sit to my stomach over it. And not in a guilt ridden way either. I was physically ill last night from all the crap I'd ingested from noon on. Lesson learned!

Sweet Tea, I am glad to hear that you are plugging along despite the scale not budging. Just remember that the scale doesn't necessarily lie but it doesn't tell the whole truth either. If you are feeling healthier then you are making progress. Weight loss can be a long journey and sometimes we just have to tweak our plans until we find what works for us. It is a good exercise becuase you'll never be able to stop evaluating what you are doing. After 75 pounds I still have to step back every few months, look at what I'm doing, and make changes to get the scale moving again. You will find your rhythm and be on your way to goal in no time - really!

How is everybody's weather these days? We are finally getting the occasional cool breeze and this weekend our highs are supposed to me in the mid-70's. I intend to enjoy every minute because we are sure to be back up in the 90's before Halloween!

Well, lunch is about to roll around and I still have breakfast dishes in the sink so I'd better get a move on. Hope you all have a great day!

Thank you for the welcome Sweet Tea. Love the avatar and hang in there, you will see results sooner or later. :goodvibes

Melissa....great pictures! :yes:

Welcome bonniebelle. I think that losing weight at age 61 is a great idea. I am working on it at 68 and it is hard, but not impossible! ;)

Freda, I seem to be following you around the forum. Maybe because I am an RN who once lived in MI? :shrug:

zoey

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...smom/comps.jpg

try clicking this link

hi girls... sigh like u guys i am also stuck!!! I am walking 3 miles in the mornings, doing 1 hr of circuit training, and then walking another 2 miles in the evening.GRRRRRRR and also staying oP with my food and does the scale move???? NOOOOOOOOOO

altho.. i will say that my body is changing shape... even if the scale wont move.. so dont get discouraged ladies... recheck your measurements i bet u have lost inches even if u havent lost pounds!!!

Curlylocks, maybe you're just replacing the fat with muscle?

Jawsmom, I wouldn't worry too much about yesterday. If that's the worst day you've had since December, than I'm impressed. I have entire weeks where I say, "screw it". Then I have to get right back on track afterwards.

Bonnie, welcome! I understand about the weight gain. I did horribly last summer, gaining about 10 pounds that I had lost. However, I'm (mostly) back to where I need to be, and I didn't gain all of the weight I lost back.

Melissa, if I was your height, I'd be so svelte right now. :D

Sweet Tea, even if you aren't losing anymore, you're still eating healthy, which has tons of benefits besides weight loss. Plus, you haven't gained any, which, hey, BONUS.

Ok girls, I'm not really doing so good and probably throwing in the dieting towel at this point. I had surgery last week and the found Endometriosis. They blasted about 75% of it. The approach is to go on fertility drugs for 3 cycles with one break in Dec to get pregnant. NO DIETING. If I don't get pregnant by Feb then I have to go on Lupron for SIX MONTHS to induce menopause (AT 31!) and put the Endo into remission. Then once I come off the Lupron (if it comes to that) then we'll do IUI &/or IVF.

Please pray for me that we get pregnant straight away and don't have to go down this long and painful road. We've been trying for over two years and I really thought that losing the weight and getting healthy was one of the last hurdles. Now I have another. My body is just working against me. AND if/when I do get pregnant I have to take injectible blood thinners and Progesterone through the first trimester. This is all so challenging but we want a family so much.

I'll still peak in on you from time to time. I'm going to work to maintain. I seem to be able to keep it between 139-142. As soon as I get above 140 I tone down the sweets/carbs and it goes back down.

Good luck to all of you. I hope you all reach your goals and get healthy!!

Kerry, I wish you the best of luck. I never had trouble conceiving but we did have our share of problems when trying to build our family. I know how emotionally draining it is to want children so badly and to have one roadblock after another thrown in front of you. Keep your thoughts positive, relax as much as you can. Even if you find yourself facing the worst case scenerio the payoff will be worth every second. Please keep us posted!

wishing u luck kerry and will keep u in my prayers! hugs

Kerry -- I will be sending you some major get pregnant vibes!!!! Every bit of effort you put in will be so worth it in the end. I will be praying for you and I do hope you will continue to keep us updated as you can or feel like it. Do you have a good support group/family behind you for everything coming up? We will all be wishing you and your dh the best of luck!!!

Curlylocks -- If you feel that your body is changing but the scale ain't budging you are still making awesome progress!!! I too have been doing really well with no weight change but I have noticed things fitting better. I'm just gonna chug through and get over the plateau. We'll do it together!

Ruby -- you are so right :) I have not gained so that is half of the daily battle already won. I am now toying around with my daily plan and I will just tinker until I get it right. Frustrating on some days but I do feel better so I know I am on the right track.

Zoey - How's it going??

Freda --Thank you for the words of encouragement :). It felt like a good hug. You all are great!!

Melissa -- just gotta say again Thank you for sharing your pics :). I really need to take some more pics of me so that I will be able to see the differences.

Bonnie -- Welcome Girlie!!! Wonderful to have you here :D. I look forward to getting to know you better.

Jawsmom -- You are an inspiration :). Thank you for the pep talk and I am going to do exactly as you said. I am tweaking away here and staying positive about not gaining. Yesterday I was a bit pissed off because I made the kids some tea and although I didn't want any (AMAZING I know) it made me think how I was eating crap before and was maintaining at this weight and now I am being so damn good and nothings happening. The anger passed though and today is a good day so far :). I hope you are feeling better from your fall off the wagon!

I apologize if I have forgotten anyone this afternoon. I am off to help Beren in his room while Logan sleeps a bit. Logan is teething so bad right now :(.