Michelle, yep...just counting calories AND fat grams. I try to stay between 1200-1500 calories per day and keep the fat grams around 20g per day. I do a brisk walk on the treadmill in the mornings (2miles-30minutes) and try to do something after dinner. My Biggest Loser dvd, walk outside or nowadays jump on the trampoline! Yippee! LOL!

Linda, glad to hear your coming out from under that grey cloud! I don't think I would be brave enough or rich enough to start endulging in plactic surgery. I just wonder what this weight loss will leave me with. Isn't it discusting that we allowed ourselves to get like this so now we are left with physical "scars" of what we did. I guess we'll keep them as reminders as to what NOT to do!

Robbin, I have heard of a few cases (on TV of course) of ppl getting it covered through insurance. Say that it isn't cosmetic as it is more a health concern (mentally maybe??). Not sure what the canadian health care will cover.

Catch you later gators!

hi gals

im still here just havent had anything good to report, been totally off plan with food, still havnt gotten a workout in so ill be expecting a gain this week. way im feeling at the mo im not too bothered, seems if i eat right and exercise the scale doesnt move anyway so wots the point, i might as well enjoy bad food, do things i actually enjoy doing rather than wasting my time getting hot and sweaty and working out for nothing.

"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways - Chardonnay in one hand - chocolate in the other - body thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and screaming "WOO HOO, What a Ride!"

well thats the motto im gonna live by me thinks!! heehee!!

Hey a friend e-mailed me the following info from a weight loss book he has and I thought maybe you all might be interested I know its long but it goes with the Loose skin thing.


1. Skin is incredibly elastic. Just look at what women go through during pregnancy. Skin has the ability to expand and contract back to normal to a remarkable degree.

2. Elasticity of skin tends to decrease with age. Wrinkling and loss of elasticity is partly the consequence of aging (genetic factors) and also a result of environmental factors such as oxidative stress, excessive sun exposure, and nutritional deficiency. The environmental parts you can fix, the genetics and age part, you cannot. Advice: Get moving and change the things you have control over... Be realistic and don't worry about those things you don't have control over.

3. How much your skin will return to its former tautness therefore, depends partly on age. The older you get, the more an extremely large weight loss can leave loose skin that will not return to normal

4. How long someone carries extra weight has a lot to do with how much the skin will become taut after the weight loss: For example, compare a 9 month pregnancy with 9 years carrying 100 excess pounds.

5. How much weight was carried has a lot to do with how much the skin will resume a tight appearance. Your skin can only be stretched so much and be expected to "snap back" one hundred percent.

6. How fast the weight was gained also has a lot to do with how much the skin will resume a tight appearance. Your skin can only be stretched so quickly and be expected to "snap back."

7. How fast weight is lost also has a lot to do with how much the skin will tighten up. Rapid weight loss doesn't allow the skin time to slowly resume to normal. (yet another reason to lose fat slowly; 1-2 pounds per week, 3 pounds at the most if you have a lot of weight to lose, and even then, only if you are measuring body fat and you’re certain it's fat you’re losing).

8. There are exceptions to all of the above; i.e, people who gained and then lost incredible amounts of weight quickly at age 50 or 60, and their skin returned 100% to normal.

9. There are many creams advertised as having the ability to restore the tightness of your skin. None work – at least not in a noticeable, measurable way – and especially if you have a LOT of loose skin. Don't waste your money.

10. If you’re considering surgical skin removal, consult a physician for advice, because this is not a minor operation, but keep in mind that your plastic surgeon may be making his BMW payments with your abdominoplasty money. (Surgery may be recommended in situations where it's not 100% necessary). Surgery should be left as the ABSOLUTE FINAL option in extreme cases.

11. Give your skin time. Your skin will get tighter as your body fat gets lower. I've seen and heard of many cases where the skin gradually tightened up, at least partially, after a one or two year period where the weight loss was maintained and exercise continued.

12. Know your body fat percentage before even THINKING about surgery. Loose skin is one thing, but still having body fat is another. Be honest with yourself and do that by taking your body fat measurement. This can be done with skinfold calipers or a variety of other devices (calipers might not be the best option for those with large folds of loose skin. Look into impedance analysis, underwater weighing, DEXA or Bod Pod).
Suppose for example, a man drops from 35% body fat all the way down to 20%. He should be congratulated, but I would tell him, "Don't ***** about loose skin, your body fat is still high. Press onward and keep getting leaner.”
Average body fat for men is in the mid teens (16% or so) Good body fat for men is 10-12%, and single digits is extremely lean (men shouldn’t expect to look “ripped” with 100% tight skin on the abs unless they have single digit body fat, and women low teens).

Except in extreme cases, you are very unlikely to see someone with loose skin who has very low body fat. It's quite remarkable how much your skin can tighten up and literally start to “cling” to your abdominal muscles once your body fat goes from “average” to "excellent." Someone with legitimate single digit body fat and a ton of loose skin is a rare sight.

So... the key to getting tighter skin is to lose more body fat, up to the point where your body composition rating is BETTER than average (in the “good” to “great” category, not just "okay"). Only AFTER you reach your long term body fat percentage goal should you give thought to "excess skin removal." At that point, admittedly, there are bound to be a few isolated cases where surgery is necessary if you can’t live with the amount of loose skin remaining.
However, unless you are really, really lean, it's difficult to get a clear picture of what is loose skin, what is just remaining body fat and how much further the skin will tighten up when the rest of the fat is lost.

Liza, you remember the point! Remember the day you went to the amusement park with your son and you watch other mothers (smaller) enjoying themselves. You were reminded then why you're doing this. Like Robbin said, 22lbs. is nothing to sluff off. You did that with hard work and determination. You know WHY you're not getting results and you know HOW to fix it.

Here are some good quotes to live by:

“Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, "I will try again tomorrow.” ~ Mary Anne Radmacher


“When it is obvious that the goals cannot be reached, don't adjust the goals, adjust the action steps.” ~ confucious

“I can't change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination.” ~ Jimmy Dean

You can do this girl, you're just going through a rough spot. It's one of many emotional roller coaster rides that this weight loss journey will take us on. Hang in there girl...and get on that treadmill!!

Thanks Robbin for the info. Very enlightening. I guess at my age I still have hope for not getting too saggy. Fingers crossed! Anyhow, If I were thinner no one is going to see the saggy under all the great clothes anyhow! LOL

Just me again . . .

Tina . . . I love both the quilt (log cabin is one of my all-time favourite blocks)and the new vehicle (which is a great size from the looks of things).

Come on Liza . . . you can do this, you know you can. Read all those quotes in Tina's post and get out there an practice the "Liza-Line". You're just going through a down-time. It will pass.

Great and valuable post, Robbin. None of us will really know what it's going to be like until we get there. But it is hard not to be curious, isn't it?

My small word of wisdom . . . remember that every action has a consequence. . . if we do bad actions, we will get bad consequences . . . if we do good actions, we will get good consequences. . . Just keep on doing the right stuff and those rewards will surely follow.

See you later, chickies.

Very disapointing morning. I stepped on the scales even though I told my self not to, to wait till Sunday. I am up 2 pounds. I have done really well on my eating this week, but only exercised 1 night and that was when I jumped on the trampoline. I know I have to exercise but this week has been so busy. I didnt really expect to have lost any but a gain of 2 pounds ouch that hurts. I also know it could be water and all that but ya know how the mind works. Oh well I guess it could be worse.

I never got here for personals last night and by the time I do manage to fit it in I will have a ton to catch up on.

Check back later

Good Morning, girls . . . still no sign of the sun, but I keep hoping. In the meantime, I feel almost great again . . . still a little tired around the edges. I didn't sleep well last night, but at least I had a good 'on-plan' kind of day although the exercise consisted only of some mall-crawling. Sometimes that's just all you can get; but every little bit helps.

Michelle . . . just remember we are here for you.

Robbin . . . it's only water weight. We all know that but it still hurts. Stop peeking, kiddo.

Lois . . . wow, you bet forty pounds makes a difference. I've only lost half of what you have, but I know I definitely feel stronger for it.

Happy Friday everybody. Keep moving and shaking and heading in the great downward direction. Hope you're back in the swing, Liza.

Good morning ladies! Hope this day new finds you all well. Doing alright myself. I guess the only thing I can complain about is that I allowed myself one full bagel instead of 1/2, and I didn't measure the (lgt.)cream cheese into a perfect 1tbsp. measurement. And that I haven't much nerve to go walk on the treadmill. I was up pretty late lastnight. Somehow around 9 I got a second wind for the day and started cleaning my kitchen. I washed the cabinets, above them, nooks and crannys, the oven. Then my husband got home around 10:30 and I decided to cut his hair while I was still feeling it. I didn't get to bed till 1am and didn't fall asleep till 2:30!! Now everything I've started lastnight still needs fixing away again. But that's what this day is for!

Linda, thanks..I like that pattern too. And yes the new vehicle is perfect for us (now). When the boys were home we needed more space. So we had a 8 passenger, but now with one in Hong Kong and the other never around much (girlfriend!), we didn't need it.

Michelle, a quilt is the easiest thing to sew with regards to following the rules because it is just a straight line afterall! LOL! It's the pattern, the cutting and putting it together that may throw you off. It took me time, but I figured it out better than mother! hahaha My husband thinks that maybe I will get into trouble in that vehicle...He's being nice! Thanks for the great encouraging compliment!

Lois, don't worry...I'm taking you all with me while I'm shopping. It may be a little cramped in my head, but yall be there. You all are always there and in my heart. Thanks also for the compliments.

Robbin, stay strong!! This will pass, it is just fluctuation!! Just stick to plan and don't let that mind playing it's games get to you.

I'm off to the races! Have a great day everyone! I'll check back later!

TTFN!
~Tina

Hi Ladies!

I haven't posted in ages but I'm still on plan!

I'm down 41 pounds so far this year and still going strong!

Ladylai you look GORGEOUS in your new photo!!!

Teahoney seeing your smiling face always makes me smile!!!

I have a lot of reading to do so I'm not posting a lot.

I'm still very busy with my companies and I don't have much time for posting but I will try to check in more often