Well girlies, thought i had posted yeterday but now i see its not on here, guess it helps if you hit the submit button before you close.

thanks to everyone for your encouraging words after my little poop the other day! It is really nice to know you are not alone in all this!

Lindaglad to see you are getting the camera worked out, love the kitty!! Never heard of the exercise gadget you have gotten, maybe you could post a picture of it! Have you figured out how to breathe yet?

Robbin Okay floating down the river is one thing but 6 hours of rowing is another!! My arms would be falling off! Absolutely move that ticker and be proud. Moving that always makes me feel like the loss is official and keeps me going! I know I am a litte late but congrats on resisting the Mexican!

Cheryl conrats on the loss the recipe sounds awsome will have to give it a try! Again i know i am late here but what are "batiks" colors you referred to about the wall hanging you are going to do?

Michelle Hey girl, i am so glad you stayed around! I know what you mean, sometimes i feel like a school kid standing alone on the playground when it seems like someone misses a post you've done. Please know i am terrible at keeping up with everyone, scatter brain disease is on the increase in my house! But my daughter finishes school this week so hopefully i can manage my time a little better and keep a little more sanity! I have all kinds of plans for while she is out but we'll see what actually happens. I know it is easy to say don't take it personal if i miss a post but i have felt the same before and will do my best to keep others from feeling that way too. As for the avatar picture i have no idea how i got it that size. It is a pic from my digital camera, but i had others that it would not accept at all???? I was just playing around and that's what it ended up looking like!

Tina I hear you on the self-talk thing, or was that me talking, hahahaha, I am terrible about negative self talk and am working really hard to beat that. Had a weigh in at church for a Biggest loser competition i signed up for in february and the loss she recorded there was way less than my acutal loss since i had gained after i started and that just kicked into my bad mood lately. Everyone was jummping up and down because a girl had reached 22 pound loss, well essentially I am there too but none of them could recognize that because they did not see the scale at my highest. Oh well, i am trying to fill myself with positive self talk but still am forcing it. Your hong kong trip sounds fabulous! I too am vacationing in July, going to PA to see my family and am hoping to be around 250 by then. Like you may be pushing a little but would feel good to do it! Have you started shopping yet or going to wait till a little closer so you can get the next size down?!

Loisthanks for understanding about the emotional poop! your support, as well as everyone elses means so much! glad to hear you are doing better with your ankle! and a 3 pound loss, you go girl that is huge. Your dedication to exercise amazes me!

Lilian Congrats on getting the WATP tape done! Leslie has been back in the drawer at my house the last few days, way off track with exercise at the moment, too much life going on here lately! I know what you mean about the one on one communication, sometimes i get everybody all mixed up on who is doing what and worry about what i may have said to the wrong person! but anyway, when it comes to support the more the merrier, especially when we can all identify with each other so well!! Hang in there and I pray that your motivation keeps on building!

Okay quick update on me and then i gotta go. Some of my scale issue may be that one of the non-skid feet is sliding off the post it is supposed to be on, probably weighed about 40 times today before i realized it was just not staying put. I am going to try to restick it and if it still won't stay sounds like a new scale for me! I am still stuck at about 270 i go a little over a little under but can not keep it below so refuse to move my ticker at all! I have not exercised the last two days, just too busy. Today is my daughters kindergarten graduation and had to get a bunch of stuff done for that and still need to get up from the computer and get busy but couldn't miss a chat with ya'll! I have been trying to stay up with work but the kids are keeping me running and can't keep a clean train of thought to get anything done! Weather is heating up and getting humid but so far i am tolerating it. even got my porch furniture cleaned up a little and am trying to salvage some plants i have likely killed! The funk is still hanging over me and i don't want to bring everyone down, but I am leaning on your support and know that "this too shall pass" I just am desperately not wanting to eat my way through it. I have not "cheated" per se but have had a few days of increased quantity and very high salt causing increased water retention. Well off to try to fix the scale and see what damage i can do to the day! Hope ya'll have a fantastic day!!!!!!! Keep it going girls, we can do this

Good Morning . . . another one of those "don't know" kind of weather days in Nova Scotia . . . basically cool and overcast with momentary bursts of sunshine peeking through and then little sprinkles of rain

Sorry I just never got back here yesterday but now I'm going to try to get caught up . . .

Robbin . . . Never knew before that 'floating' and 'rowing' were synonyms. The rowing is definitely the better exercise but really exhausting when it goes on for so long. My bet is that your muscles were retaining water the next day as they were healing themselves from all the exertion and it just took the extra day for the loss to actually show up. Glad you decided to claim it.

Cheryl . . . Congratulations on making those great choices at lunch. Your ziti recipe sounds great . . . I'm a real pasta lover and love having lots of veggies to stretch it out.

Lois . . . Fairy Fat Mother hogging, eh. Now I know why she doesn't seem to be able to get northeast of Michigan. So glad the weight-loss is going fast for you.

Michelle . . . Glad you'll soon be outside walking up a storm. I have a new theory about the magic of the shrinking avatars . . . when I decided to post Goldi as my new avatar I noticed that the rule was sort of an either maximum KB or maximum dimensions kind of thing. Might be an explanation. Why don't you post a question on the "Announcements and Help" forum?

Tina . . . You've really been doing great already. girl, averaging 2 lbs a week. Stick to your guns and anything over the 16 lbs mark will be a real going away gift and you'll have a great trip.

Erin . . . Yes, I think I've finally got the breathing figured out but I have to admit I find the theory a little odd and haven't combined it with the exercises yet. Click here Bodyflex for more information. Believe me, I know, how depressing those stuck scales can be. Hang in there. Our turn will come.

Wow . . . I was just thinking about all the July vacations . . . Cheryl . . . Tina . . . Erin . . . and we were just commenting on how quiet it gets in here on the weekends. Wait until July

The little green envy imp strikes me when you talk about your weight-loss going faster than you expected . . . Robbin . . . Lois. Keep it up; it's great and you both deserve it.

I just wish things could move a little faster for me. I do know that the main reason things are moving so slowly for me is taking insulin . . . it has two jobs in the body (moving sugar energy into the muscle cells, and moving excess energy into fat cells for storage). For a type II diabetic, it stinks at doing job 1 and excells at doing job 2. Of course, I also know that my loathing for exercise doesn't help any.

Anyway, have a great day, gang. Keep moving and shaking and heading in that great downward direction. Regardless of whether the journey is faster or slower, we will all get there in the end, as long as we do the right stuff.

Good morning girls. Hope everyone had a good nights sleep. I was up off and on all night but feel pretty good today.

Erin, I hope the Graduation goes well. We had ours last Friday and let me tell you I cried like a baby. And guess what, I have to go through that again next year with my youngest. It is so hard to believe they grow up so fast. But I should know how fast it goes my oldest will be in high school next year. Booo Hoooo them getting older makes me older.

Linda, I am sorry that things arent moving faster for you, I also know that things will eventually slow down or stall for me. You have a very cute cat, we recently got 2 kittens. One was given to us by a friend and the other my husband found, it was very skinny and not very healthy so we took it in and are loving it back to health.

Cheryl, Where are you guys going on vacation? We aren't going to take a real vacation this year but plan on having a few mini vacations(such as floating or rowing the river). Our next trip will be to Texas for a weekend to visit a friend we havent seen in years.

Lois, I knew it would move pretty fast the first couple of weeks but figured it would stall out. I feel like I am keeping a pretty good pace with this. I know that if I don't start getting more exercise I will stop loosing completely but the problem is fitting it in with all of the running we have been doing lately.

Michelle, yesterday was very slow. Maybe today will be a little faster around here. It seems like we are loosing a few friends. I havent seen Tracey for awhile. Who else is missing. I know that Robsia said she reads even when she doesnt post. I wonder how her losses are going.

Well not much new with me today. Just the same as always bout time for me to get to work. I guess we did have one Non-Weightloss Related Victory yesterday in our house. My husband is going to be promoted. He will now be Sergent First Class (for those of you who dont know he is in the Army). After this rank change he will have only 2 more promotions to go before he will be topped out and wont be able to go any higher.

Ok enough of that. See you all later.

Good Morning Girlies ~~ Glad to see everyone is back posting and doing good! It's a very cool rainy morning here, but it's fine with me compared to the horrible heat we had just a week ago!

Robbin You did a lot of exercising with rowing-great job! You're doing so good also with your weight loss! Dropping 2 more pounds is great; I've been a little frustrated lately, and I hope mine starts dropping again soon! Did you say that you went back to using Fitday again to count your calories? Congratulations on your DH's promotion! I have seen Tracey around the board some, just not here lately.

Cheryl You did so good yesterday at Applebees; I don't think I would have been so good! I'm going to make that receipe you posted sometime also as it sounds very good!

Tina Glad you had a nice weekend, spending time with your mom, and atleast you got to go shopping! Thanks for your kind words!

Linda I love you avatar; very cute cat! Thanks for the info on the avatar pictures. Some of mine show up regular size and some are shrunk down?

Lois I love our park up the road because it's so pretty, but always very busy; I think everyone else has the same suggestion of going there! That will be nice when school is out and you don't have to worry what time you go up to the park.

Erin Thanks for your kind words! The avatar thing is really confusing, but I'll just deal with it the way it is. I think I will post a question about it though.

Good morning girlies! I had a really good day for exercising yesterday and I'm quite pleased with myself. I did 1.75 miles on the treadmill, but I had it inclined halfway, that was the first time for any such incline. I burned 254 calories as opposed to the 175 I usually burn. Then after supper I did my BL dvd, toning with weights and then came up and went for a walk around the neighborhood which measured out to be 2.1km. Unfortunately, I won't be able to do that again because it's raining cats and dogs outside today. But I will definitely be doing my indoor stuff.

My daughter is feeling under the weather. She has a fever of 100.5 this morning, no appetite and a cough. She is getting liquids down though and I'm giving her tylenol to control the fever. It was a long night lastnight!

Lois, I'm glad you think it's doable. I was a little worried that it may sound too "out there". Thanks for standing on the side lines and cheering me on as I try to do this.

Robbin, that's exactly how I think of losing weight. Only such and such more pounds and I'll be the "thirties", "twenties", and the "teens"! Ten pound incriments seems so doable doesn't it. Nice to hear you're enjoying the ride so far, I hope that it never slows down! LOL! Congratulations to your husband. Good news!

Erin, just as long as you keep choking down some positive self-talk all will be good. I may get all Dr. Phil on you now, but like he says we live what we say to ourselves. After a while of being positive in your head it will rub off on you on the outside. Things will become easier after awhile...keep treading water and holding your head above water. I'm here for you girl. I hope your scale behaves to its day surgery! LOL!

Linda, I agree...anything I lose between now and the time I go will be a true gift. I know that you're faced with an extra challenge of trying to lose, and you've kept a really up beat attitude about it. It may be slow coming off, but it's still coming off nonethless. Congrats to you Linda for all your effort and successes so far! Oh yeah, now that you've figured out how to post a pic...how about putting a face to the name??!! Come on....

Have a great day ladies! May it be one full of effort and strides! I'll check back later!

TTFN!
~Tina

Michelle, looks like we've posted at the same time. Thanks, time with mom is always fun. But she's a little hard on my budget! LOL! Kidding...but she does always seem to find the perfect things that I "think I need"!

You may have mentioned this before so forgive me for making you repeat yourself. But what plan are you following? What is your game plan? Maybe we can make a few suggestions and get that nasty scale moving for you.

Hope you have a good day!

Tina Thanks for asking about my plan as I've been a little confused lately! I have been online logging in my calories and they have me at a range of 1200-1550, but like yesterday, I had 1609. I was trying to write down everything, but then I got out of doing that also. I haven't started adding my WATP exercise back in yet, but I'm going to start that again. I just find it so overwhelming to know what is the correct calorie range/carbs/fat/protein I should be having each day. How have you worked yours out to know what is correct for you? Sorry for going on so much, but I've been a little overwhelmed and confused lately, so it's been affecting my attitude and mind again lately. Thanks for your help!

Michelle, it seems that there are so many plans out there that they're hard to choose what's right for you. For myself I find it easier to maintain my fat grams and calories. For my aunt, she's on a diet where she doesn't mix her carbs and proteins. If she has protein for lunch, she'll wait a couple of hours till she'll have a carb. Doesn't make much sense to me but she swears by it. She can't seem to stick with the low cal, low fat game.

I get really confused too, about how much of each of carbs and proteins I should limit myself to. So I really don't bother recording them. I'm doing what works for me and what I feel is easiest to stick to. Which is just two recordings...oh yeah, of course I tend to watch the sodium intake aswell. Otherwise I could be eating something low fat and low cal but kill me with salt and the next day I'm walking around like a gold fish! LOL!

But really it all boils down to caloires in vs. calories out. And guess what, your limitations as far as calories go are on target. I think the biggest thing that will help you get things moving is to start moving. It seems hard and overwhelming at first but when you start getting results you'll be a maniac and it will seem you can't live without it for fear you're scale won't budge. And don't forget to drink water and lots of it...that'll help "flush" your system.

If you find it a little too much to take in at once, just committ to it for one week and see what happens. Drink lots of water, keep the calories you're doing and try to fit in a workout a day, preferably 1/2hr. and make it a sweaty one if you can. Gotta get that heart pumping!

I hope this helps. I am no way a professional or should be offering any advice..but this is what has worked for me and it's still going. Good luck!

Cheryl, thanks...I finally managed to get a pancake into her. She seems to be more lively but fever is still there. You go girl...getting up and getting that workout in early. Hope you have a good walk!

~Tina

Cheryl, Tina & Robbin (who PM'd me) ~~ THANK YOU everyone for all of your help and concern! I'm going to try your suggestions and see how it goes. I am going to start back with my WATP, but with 4-5 days a week to start out; then work my way up again. I know I've been getting so worked up and overwhelmed about the calories, instead of just concentrating on eating good and exercising. I will try all of this and let you know how it works for me!

Hey ladies! Well the scale survived surgery and of course i had to get on, first time 269.1 second time 269.1 and then i stopped! I won't move my ticker yet until tomorrow morning depending on what i get then. I am still fighting TREMENDOUS urges to binge and cravings for sugar good old fashioned sugar, candy bar, cake, real ice cream! I am trying to keep busy and fill up on good stuff. Anybody else like celery with cream cheese? anyway, i am hanging in so far and will try to update in the morning.

Michelle I konw what you mean about getting overwhelmed with it all, can i have this, how much of that will keep me in line, you can really make yourself nuts!!! Sounds like you are getting on track and keeping a sensible plan. Every doc i have had to deal with lately is harping on exercise and activity but i agree, it is hard to work into real life the way they want you to sometimes!

Linda I know it has got to get discouraging to see others losing and talking about how it is coming off faster than they expected, i really admire you for hanging in there with us and continuing to offer support and encouragement. I really wish there was some magical thing we could do as a group to get you over the hump and get that scale moving a little faster. I know reality is that our prayers and encouragement are all we can offer. Hang in there!

Cheryl I think i have emotional diarrhea right now!!! But slowly i am getting there. I know this is normal change of lifestyle struggles and will pass with time the key is consistency. the fabric sounds really cool, can't wait to see it when you are done!

Robbin I found myself surprisingly teary eyed at the graduation. She did really well, actually sang and did the motions. She can be terribly shy and just stands there, but seems like we are starting to get better about that! I still can't believe my 4# 14 oz baby girl is growing up!!! she was supposed to stay my baby forever! Congrat for hubby on the promo!

Tina No problem, go doctor Phil on me any time. I have read his book before but never changed anything i did during the time i read. Now that I have a better grip on eating maybe reading it again will help. i am choking frequently on the self talk and really trying to make myself aware of all the negative things i say, they are so automatic though sometimes i totally miss that that is what is going on! Good thing i like to swim, the head is at least nose out of the water but that is about it! Hope your daughter is doing better and the fever is gone. Strep is going around here again but so far we have managed to avoid that bug!

Gotta run time to get my fishes out of the pool (10foot X 6 foot blow up thing) and head for the real bath tub and then supper! What shall i have? Hmmmmm, Will let you know in the am! Thanks ya'll for everything, there is no way to really express how much all of this is helping me!!!!!!!

Michelle, sounds like a good plan. Take it slow and move on from there. You've discovered the secret to weight loss...eating good and exercising. Now I wonder if you start advertising it will you get as much profit as those with the "magic pill" and "magic equipment"? hahaha! I look forward to seeing some posts where the fairy fat mother has visited you.

Erin, glad to hear your scale has pulled through. I really was hoping that you didn't have to go through getting used to a new scale. You know all scales seem to read differently. Never tried cream cheese and celery...I've had cheese whiz and celery..one of these days will have to try your version. You know I have his book (Dr.Phil), but never really finished it. Tried that when it first came out, but obviously wasn't serious enough about it then. I have the food guide too with the daily menus for the different stages. Keep swimming girl..you're almost to shore!

Have a great evening girlies!
~Tina

Good evening girls. Just wanted to pop in before settling down for the night.

Erin, it is terrible how fast the babies grow up. My oldest is also my only girl, she is 14 going on 24. It seems like she went from just Loving her Barbies to Being IN LOVE with her boyfriend overnight. And guess what, it doesnt get any easier to let go.

Michelle, Remember to take one step at a time. Try changing one thing a day. Maybe today change the way you eat breakfast and tomorrow lunch. Then the next day add a walk. Sometimes if we go slow it is easier to accept the change. And honestly I think you are the only one who knows what calorie range is good for you, what you can live with and what really works for you. We are here for you and if you need anything You can always PM me.

Tina, I hope the little one is feeling better. I hate it when my kids are sick, there is nothing you can do to make it better and you want to so bad.

Cheryl, I can just imagine you are counting the days till your vacation. I know when we lived in Hawaii I couldnt wait to come home to see family. here is a little to help you loose the amount you want to before vacation comes.

Nothing spectacular happended during my day today. I did make Low Fat Low Cal chicken Enchilada's for dinner and they were pretty good. I have enough to take some for lunch tomorrow but they are a little higher in fat grams than what i allow myself for lunch. I try to use half my daily fat grams for breakfast, snack, lunch and snack then have the other half for dinner. I am probably a weirdo for doing that but I prefer to have my larger meal for the evening.

Well ladies I am gonna finish watching the Country Music Awards then go to bed. See you all in the morning.

Erin - Thank you for your kinds words concerning my confused mind! I know it can really get out of hand when I start thinking like I was and it's no fun!

Tina - I will let you know when my big weight loss advertisement comes out LOL! I will take it slow and get used to one thing at a time. It's hard to do that, because you know, we all want this weight off right now! I can't wait until the fairy fat mother visits me and I'll let you know when that happens!

Robbin - Thank you for your kind words also. I will change things slowly and I'll just have to try adjusting my calories around for awhile and see what works for me. I think I've made thos out to be a much worse situation than it should be. Your dinner sounded so good!

THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR SHOWING YOUR CONCERNS AND KINDESS TOWARDS ME! I REALLY APPRECIATE ALL THE SUPPORT AND ENCOURAGMENT ALL OF YOU GIVE HERE, AND I HOPE I CAN ALSO GIVE IT BACK IN RETURN! Have a good evening all...

Another thing my DH reminded me of tonight when I was talking about everything with him is that I need to remember what my doctor said to me. I have been on thyroid meds for 14 years now for an enlarged underactive thyroid, and she said I will lose weight, but it can be slower than others. Oh well, we'll just have to see. Thanks again for listening!

Good morning ladies, and yes it is a good morning!! The fairy fat mother finally made her "weigh" to Alabama! thanks for letting her out ladies! 268.6 this morning, so ticker has been moved and hopefully the 270's are gone for a LONG TIME!! I did 1.5 miles of the 3 mile watp for abs this morning and am finding my good mood hiding in the cracks again. I am coming to realize what my problem with mood may be and that the only answer to solving it is to keep going. I had gotten kind of hung up in the "yeah I've lost some weight, but I am still way bigger than i ever wanted to be" funk. Before i even thought about sharing that with ya'll i realized that I can only fix that by working hard and getting the rest off!! Wallowing in the "oh i am so fats" does me absolutely no good other than give me an excuse to keep gaining!!

Robbin I can't even imagine boyfriends!!! My daughter can be a real flirt already and fortunately is built nothing like her mothter so she will attract a lot of attention as she gets older. Her daddy already is feeling his feathers rufflle when the boys come around. I can't imagine what it is going to be like at 14!! I am locking her up!

Michelle No problem with support on confused minds, that is kind of my specialty, not fixing them but having them. Tina's advice to me about positive self-talk is good advice. You are right about the thyroid thing too. Any medical condition interfering with our weight loss has to be taken into consideration. I know it doesn't help when you are wanting to see that scale move but knowing you are doing what is right for your body is what really matters, if you stay true to that the weight will come off sooner or later!!!! Hang in there and keep doing what is good for YOU!

Tina First of all how is your daughter today? Second thanks so much for the continued encouragement! I am going to keep my eyes focused on the short term and the things i can so easily tell others but need to listen to myself! Have you finished all your landscpaing projects now?

I have about 5 weeks until i leave for PA for vacation so being at 250 by then is probably a little unrealistic, but at a 2# per week loss I can be below 260. My original goal was to be 190 by my 40th birthday and that is about 32 weeks away so 64 pounds at a 2 pound per week loss. Not enough for 190 but with a little extra effort maybe i can get the additional 14 pounds off i am wanting by then! I think just being under 200 by then would be more than enough to satisfy me!

Well ya'll have a blessed day! Keep strong, keep moving and do what is good for YOU! Love ya! Erin