Hi girls,

Well I let another day go by without exercising I have to work a little late tonight and then because DH will be home with the kids, I think I'll go get my oil changed maybe. I made enough chicken last night so they'll have leftovers for dinner. I think I'll treat myself to a subway sandwich before the weekend is out.

B: english muffin w/jelly, L: Lean Cuisine, orange D: salad w/ feta & olives, 3 biscotti (I skipped the chicken dinner because I ate 3 biscotti as soon as I walked in the door!) Pts: 26 Exer: none Vitamins: no

I got my pedometer in the mail and was horrified to see that I only walk 1.5 miles during an average day. I read here that some people walk like 7,000+ steps each day. I did only 3,000!!! I guess that's a real wake up call. I might try to take several little strolls down the hallway during the day, especially when the boss is away like this morning.

On the bright side, I got my 1st compliment today! Our new Maintenance Manager at work asked me how much weight I lost. I didn't even think she knew I was dieting! She's only been here a year and when she first arrived here she found my free weights that I had hidden on top of a metal gurder in a seldom used stairwell. They weren't supposed to be there of course and she confiscated them. I never fessed up that they were mine but I really want them back!! I used to use them going up and down the stairs for like 10-15 minutes each day when I had two girls that did it with me. They both left and I don't want to do it on my own.

I hope everyone is doing well. I heard on the radio today it's supposed to get up to the 60's this weekend!!! If I get my oil done tonight, I'll try to clean out the van this weekend. It's an absolute pig stye. One of the kids left a can of soda in it, it froze and exploded, still have stains on my roof!!

Bye for now.

Poll: I had a hard time remembering to take my birth control pills and then my prenatel vitamens so I'm not taking any kind of vitamens. I know I need to but just haven't started.

I thought it was very say about Dana Reeves too. Of course my first thought was of the young son they left behind. I'm sure he probably has lots of loving family to care for him but I have 3 cousins who lost both their parents at very young ages they were 12, 14 and 17 when they lost their father and then their mother died the next year. The oldest was sort of thrown into parenting but we never saw him complain. Of course their parents were both sick for several years and knew that it may happen so it wasn't a complete shock to them. Unfortunately though the youngest was the only girl and when she finally got married we all kind of felt she married him because his mother was so much like her own. Anyway, got a little off the subject I guess but. Oh well.

Hope everyone is doing well. The eating hasn't been real good for me so far but I'm still working on the mental state of the situation. That part is getting better though. He's been kayaking everyday for the past 3 or 4 days. That really gets on my nerves but he doesn't seem to care.

I hope everyone else is doing well. I sure wish I had the determination that all of you seem to have.

Quickie post here - that dvd is 90 minutes total - but it is broken up into 15 minute segments each:
15 min beginner abs
15 advanced abs
15 min beg arms
15 min adv arms
15 min beg buns/thighs
15 min adv buns/thighs

She went to a lab and hooked her muscles up to electrodes and only included those exercises which showed the muscles working the hardest. It's VERY good. Yesterday I did both ab sections together. I can hardly bend over today.

Morning everyone! Hope everyone is having a great day!

I've decided not to do the Fat Flush Plan (the book by Louise Gittleman). I put a post on another thread here (general diet plans) and I got some feedback that the plan is 1100 calories a day. Well, no wonder you lose the weight. I'm not ready to drop my calories that low.

Did anyone watch The Biggest Loser last night? LOL LOL LOL Being a Marine wife, and my best friend from elementary school being a Navy wife now, it was fun to watch!

Speaking of The Biggest Loser, has anyone checked out Jillian Michaels' book Winning By Losing?

Thanks for responding about what vitamins/supplements you're taking! It's great to see all the answers.

Serena - keep your head up. And like the other girls said, when he offers to let you have your time, grab your keys and go! Even if you just drive to the bookstore and wander around. Or that riverwalk sounds like a great place to go by yourself, too. I like to take a book and sit at a coffee shop and watch people.

Nori - I love your new signature and ticker. That ab dvd sounds intense! I'm so proud of you for doing it!!!!

Mo - WAHOO with the compliment!!!!!!!!!!!!! That is such a wonderful feeling!

Okay - I'm at work, so more personals later.

Hey ladies! I've had a horrible week with midterms and stress but now I have a nice long weekend to enjoy! I managed to squeeze in a 30 min workout on Monday, and I had Tuesday and Wednesday as my off days for this week. Hopefully I won't have many more interruptions so I can get on my normal plan again!

To answer that poll question, I take a multivitamin and an iron supplement daily (I have iron deficiency anemia).

Sarah - I have Jillian's book and I LOVE all of it! I'm not following her exercise/weight training plan, but it's excellent. I really like the recipies and workout index as well.

Nori - That sounds like an awesome workout DVD! I really like your signature quote, btw.

Wow, I really missed a lot in the few days I didn't visit. Keep it up ladies! You're all doing GREAT!

{edit: I've decided to change my ticker goal weight to 140. I figured out that I really had a small/medium frame instead of a large one by using elbow measurements and so I looked at a few body weight tables and chose 140. It seemed like a nice even number, and it's in the healthy weight range }

I want to get Jillian's book I think. I've heard lots of good about it. I've also heard that she sdvocates doing cardio first thing in the am on an empty stomach? That would be hard for me.

Yeah, my abs are crying today. I've only done 25 minutes of cardio so far and want to do the arm sections still.

Yes, I watched the military wives Bigggest Loser last night - well, flipped back and forth b/t AI and that! Shoudl be fun to see the outcome. Is it next week?

So I weighed myself just for kicks in the gym bathroom yesterday. I hadn't noticed a scale there before. Anyways, I weighed 228 with shoes on?? How can their scale be that off? I know my scale is fairly good. I do weigh 3 pounds less on my Mom's scale though - but I'd rather stick with the heavier one!

Katie - Whoo-hoo! You're half way there!! I remember that last time as I was losing weight I was shocked to see that I really wasn't as large framed as I thought I was. According to the wrist test I am "large framed" and I do have huge hands and feet - but I wan't as "sturdy" or "hefty" as I thought.

Well, the dayis winding down and I have so much left to do. Laundry first...

Hi Ladies ~

Here I am bouncing back into The Diet Journey of 2006 ~ 3FC Style !! Well once again I will start off by saying that I REALLY miss all of you so much. I feel so out of touch and just not updated anymore since I cannot being on during the day or much at night.

It's been 2 weeks from **** again. For those who don't know I work for a local owned and operated family bank with 6 locations. The man who owned it has been going down hill for several months. He was hospitalized a week ago, he died last Wed. So the bank, and everyone has had to deal with that in the community. Work was NUTS, it was so sad. Had to attend the wake and today was the funeral, we shut down all locations for this. This family is also members of our church and REAL well known and respected. So had to make something for their luncheon today, and then do something this weekend. It's just been rough w/ that. I am learning all about small town life and how it works.

Onto other things, I was diagnosed w/ Type 2 Diabetes, and the REAL REAL early stages of heart disease with insane high cholesterol !

Since my original diagnosis a week ago, my 2 hour Glucose Test revealed that in the last 3 months my blood sugar has dropped from high numbers to normal averages w/ occasional highs. (Due to change in eating habits, exercise and weightloss) So I am prediabetic, not Type 2 Thank Goodness !!

I am on 500 Mgs of Metformin (aka Glucophage) 1 time daily.
I am also on 10 mgs of Crestor daily.

In 8 weeks I go back and have a recheck of both, but mainly for my Cholesterol and have a Berkley Heart check done.

I am still 29 lbs lighter, am joining WW's next Tuesday for more motivation locally, and looking forward to it (plus our Health Insurance helps defer some of the cost of it)

Please forgive me for not being a great big part of the group, I know I promised I would be around more, but as you can see lately I just haven't been able to or in the mood. I was so depressed and scared w/ my Dr office visits, and w/ the stuff at work it's good to know I still have hair left on my head LOL !!

From all I've read - I am SO proud of EVERYONE for all you are doing !! I do read the posts, and I PROMISE SOON I will be back full fledged a few times a week !!

KEEP UP THE INCREDIBLE Right & !!!

Sending LOTS and LOTS of to each and every single one of you !!

BTW - NetFlicks is ADDICTING & The BL workout is AWESOME !!

with what you ALL are doing !!

& Lots of ~ Elizabeth

I am back again LOL !!!

Survey Question :
I take a Centrum Multi-Vitamin daily, 500 mgs Meformin and 10 mgs Crestor, I occasionaly take 2 Tylenol as well. Nothing else.

I wanted to post these here, because well I wanted to know if any of you saw a difference in the way I look.The first pic you see of me in black pants and dark colored top was the 1st part of January when I started my diet. The 2nd pic is the 24th of February. Let me know what you think !!

I am in BAD need of a haircut LOL!!

BE VERY AFRAID !!!

Beginning weight was 274 - January 2006
ejan2006.jpg

February 2006 - 25 lbs lighter !!
efeb2006.jpg

Current Weight is 245 - March 9,2006

Hi Elizabeth! So sorry to hear about the death of the bank owner and your medical woes. It's good that you're following up with your doctor. Good luck with WW, it really works you're doing great. As for the photos, I can definitely see a difference especially in the neck and abdominal areas. Keep up the good work!

Nori: Hope the abs are better to !!

Serena: Make sure you take those birth control pills Did you take DH up on his offer and get some time out for yourself? Remember, you come first

I love the pedometer, unfortunately it's only showing me how lazy I can be. Another night with no exercise. I got home to find company there that didn't leave till almost 7 then had to feed two young hungry plumbers that came to do some work for us (friends). They ate me out of house and home and didn't leave till almost 9. Then kids decided to tell me that they DID have homework and both needed help I ended up going to bed with a Martha Stewart Living magazine that I got over two months ago and never read.

B: oatmeal, L: Lean Cuisine, D: chicken w/ peppers, baked potato S: 1 PB cracker, WW dessert Pts. 25, Water: 32 oz+, Exer. none

I got mom to get the kids for me after school (and they're sleeping over!) I'm going to look at a used piano for DD after work. The woman who is selling it is actually interested in trading us for a new hot tub we bought but never used, I hope the trade works

Hope everyone has a great weekend. I'll check in later, the boss is gone almost all day again

Mo

Hello ladies! This is just a quickie post to say that I've lost a pound since last Saturday so I'm down to 164.. pretty good for not working out a lot! I'll be back later for more personals and progress pics!

I read a little piece in the paper today that was interesting. I don't know if you all have heard of the great american shrink down. Anyway, participants from my area lost a total of 16,000 pounds for the shrink down. I don't know how many participants there were but either way you look at it, that's a lot of weight


Mo: Unfortunately I no longer need the birth control. While I was pregnant with my 3rd I decided to have a tubal (I thought it was for the best)and they performed it immediately after I had my baby and when they brought him to me all I could do was cry cause I thought I made a horrible mistake having it done because I will never get the opportunity to experience that again(not while anyone was around of course, I didn't want anyone to think I was mentally unstable) . I guess I made my decision because I was getting a lot of pressure from my mother to do it. She's a really great person and she constantly helps out with the expenses of the boys. She buys formula, diapers and she pays for my oldest to go to preschool so she did pressure me a little to have it done. I actually cried for 2 weeks. I still get upset about it but I tell myself, If God thinks I made a mistake, he'll undo it. I've actually told my husband if we ever could afford adoption that I would love to adopt a little girl but it's so expensive and even after you spend all that money there is no guarentee that the parents won't change their minds.

As far as getting out. I haven't had the opportunity.

Serena: I hope I wasn't being insensitive with my joke, I just meant to give yourself a break, you must be so busy with three little ones. Decisions like that are very hard, I'm sure your mother had your best intentions in mind. I sometimes regret not having more children, especially because I'm from a large family, but I couldn't give up my job because my husband never had medical benefits, then he broke his back in an accident (he's ok now) and I really had not choice but to stay working. Now I feel too much time has passed to have anymore children and the older my kids get the more I realize it would be like starting all over and this give me more time to devote to each of them individually which is something my parents didn't have the liberty to do. Let's just pray we're rewarded with lots of grandkids to spoil.

It sounds like your mother is a great help, I don't know what I would do without mine. She's actually on her way now to go get my daughter from school who's sick. I work about 40+ minutes away and she can get there in 10 minutes so it worked out well.

I keep meaning to ask you what state do you live in?

Mo: I didn't find it insensitive at all. I consider myself still pretty young in the child baring years so it's quite normal for people to presume that I'm still capable of having children, and yes I'm extremely busy. All of our boys are around 2 years apart. Our first one was planned. Our second wasn't really planned but we were like "oh well if it happens it'll be a good thing" but our last one sort of took us by surprise. I definately wouldn't be ready for another one anytime soon, but I do like that they are all so close in age because although they do fight alot, they enjoy the same things, well except for the 7 1/2 month old, He's just now crawling around but you can tell by the look on his face he wants to get in the middle of what the other 2 are doing. I live in SC. And yes my mother is a great help but I think they might get a little annoyed at how much I am at their house which is actually most of the time. I've tried to talk my husband into moving to the mountains but he won't budge. I actually think it would be good for us to get away from here. But I would miss the help that she gives. We definately would never get to go out because out of both of our familes she is the only person we trust to watch the boys for us. We also trust my brother to watch them but I don't think he's really comfortable being left with all of them. Anyway, That's basically my life.

Serena - what part of SC? We're getting ready to move to Columbia. I'm so excited to be around green grass and trees again!

Mo - Way to go on staying in your points! I'm starting back to WW next week. I must get myself back in control with the eating. Does it help you to post your point totals? Does it make you feel more accountable? I'm considering trying that.

Nori - didn't it feel amazing to see that lower number? Girl, you are going to be caught up to me in Onederland very soon. Your hard work inspires me.

Katie Bug - WTG!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You'll be at that new goal in no time!

Elizabeth - so great to hear from you! How is Jay doing? I am so glad your health is improving, and that the Diabetes is just PRE. I know your hard work will reverse it completely. Did you see the girl on the family edition of The Biggest Loser? She reversed hers, too! Please keep dropping in to see us. We miss you. Do you know where I notice the most difference in your pictures? Your legs! Girl, look how you're standing!! You look GREAT! Keep up the amazing work.

Everyone, have an AMAZING weekend!

Happy Friday Gang!

I dunno about you guys, but I'm so ready for the weekend! Each of my kids took turns taking days off from school this week, sore throats, coughs..it's been oh so much fun. Not!

Nori- How are the abs today? Feels good when they're sore though, doesn't it? Like you're really doing something good for yourself! Wouldn't it be awesome if your mom's scale turned out to be right?

Katie- Congrat's on the pound lost this week!!! Goal is getting closer and closer. Glad that tests are over and you'll have some you time to unwind and relax. Enjoy!

Sarah- Hey girly! I saw you're going to start WW soon. Good for you! I'm with you, 1100 calories would be rediculous to try and stick with on the fat flush plan. Yikes! Haven't seen Jillian's book, not sure I would like so much of what she has to say. I find she sort of rubs me the wrong way on the BL show.
I guess I'm just not an in-your-face typa person? Bob's more my style. Besides, he's alot nicer to look at! :kiss: I have heard people having alot of success with her tho, and her workout dvd's are supposed to really work.
Green grass, trees? What are those? Just kiddin, don't see a whole lot of grass here in the desert and when I do I'm like, ooooooooo grass! Now if cactus and hot sun is what you want, then I gotcha covered.

Elizabeth- It's wonderful to see you today! I was wondering where you got to.
I am sorry to hear about the diagnosis for you, but it's something you can take care of for sure. You've taken great steps in the right direction, I know that your next check up will wow you. What a terrible loss to your community with the bank owner dying. It's wonderful that everyone can be so supportive. Hopefully work will get normal for you real soon instead of lots of stress. You've definitely had alot on your plate lady, I don't think there's one person here who could say anything bad as to why you've not been here. It's called life!! You gotta take care of you and yours first, that's the most important. You can't give what you don't got and right now your energy needs to be focused elsewhere. We'll be here waiting for when you get some time to come and share with us! BTW, I can see a big difference in your pics.
Your face is alot smaller, and like Sarah mentioned, your legs are smaller. You look great lady! Keep it up, you are shrinking.

Mo- Heya lady! Sorry about the exercise thing, but woman, you're not exactly being lazy with it, ya just got loads of things happening all at the same time. Chin up chicky, it'll happen! Any plans with dh tonight? Gotta be nice to have mom around to kidsit sometimes, huh? Hope the deal with the piano works out, sounds like a good one.

Serena, I understand where you're coming from regarding your decision for tubal ligation. I got lots of pressure from my parents to do it because my kids were so close together (2yrs apart) and I started rationalizing that it really was for the best. I also had it done when my 3rd was born during a c-section. I cried for months after she was born, I loved the newborn/infancy stage so much with all of mine, it was like I had to mourn that I'd never have it again. Adoption is an awesome thing. My sister and her husband just adopted a little girl. She was born on Dec. 13. They met with the birth mom for 2 weeks before she was born and really got to know her. When Cassidy was born, the birthmom was so content in knowing exactly who her parents were that it made the transition so much easier. I think finding an incredibly supportive agency is key, and having a social worker who knows alot helps alot. You never know, one day that may become an option for you, God may open that door for you. It's wonderful that your mom is so supportive. I miss having my parents around me to help out once in awhile. Free babysitting was great too! We now live about 400 miles from them, near my mother in-law and there is no way on this earth that I would allow her to watch my kids. Take care of yourself and keep your chin up, things will get better for you!

I was naughty, or I guess spacey, whichever way ya wanna see it.
I totally screwed up my new dosing on Effexor last night. I have to take a 150mg pill and then a 75er from some sample packs the doc gave me. Well, because I'm so used to just grabbing just the bottles of my meds, I didn't take that 75 one at all. I got up this morning thinking how great I felt, then realized what I'd done. Coincidence? I dunno. But heck, if I'm feeling better on the lower dose I am gonna go for it. It's where I'm headed anyways, so I'll probably do it again tonight. Hopefully this mess will resolve itself somehow, it's time to get that scale moving downward! AF is here now, so I haven't been on the scale at all. I worked out today, used the transfirmer and an hour on my bike. I am so determined to do this, come **** or highwater, I will get there.

Alright girls, time to get dinner rolling. You all have a great weekend and take care of yourselves. You're all amazing keep shining!