[Snowbrocade]

CH--------will lose 30
Eycia------will lose 42
Stacy-----will lose 32--10 down--22 to go!
beforeim---will lose 21.5
bopi------will lose 30
golfsalot--will lose 20
yogini----will lose 30
card-----will lose 20--4 down--16 to go!
trob------will lose 30
Sno------will lose 36--5 down--31 to go!
Nawchem-will change behaviors.
********---will lose 30
lachona---will lose 40
Chaarli----will lose 20
Dollypie---will lose 30--7 down--23 to go!
Whirleygirl-will lose 25
Bertine----will lose 25

Okay, so far we I have 26 lbs lost!

[Get n healthy]

Thanks Sno, that is pretty cool to see how the group is doing. Might be good for acountability too.

[nawchem]

I'm adding me to this list!
CH--------will lose 30
Eycia------will lose 42
Stacy-----will lose 32--10 down--22 to go!
beforeim---will lose 21.5
bopi------will lose 30
golfsalot--will lose 20
yogini----will lose 30
card-----will lose 20--4 down--16 to go!
trob------will lose 30
Sno------will lose 36--5 down--31 to go!
Nawchem-will change behaviors. --down 3
********---will lose 30
lachona---will lose 40
Chaarli----will lose 20
Dollypie---will lose 30--7 down--23 to go!
Whirleygirl-will lose 25
Bertine----will lose 25

Okay, so far we I have 29 lbs lost!

[nawchem]

They had 2 cardiologists on the show, they went thru this one womans house and showed her all the wrong stuff she was eating. She had extreme fatigue and overwt. Then 6 months later she had lost over 40lbs and felt great. Then they showed a heart bypass operation, the patient was an overwt smoker that didn't exercise. Man, her heart had gobs of fat hanging off of it and her lungs had black stuff on them. After they put in the new vein the heart wouldn't restart, they put paddles on it and then a pacemaker and it finally started again. I was almost crying I thought she was dead.

So here's the list of foods to avoid and foods to eat. They explained how these foods keep your body from being to heal itself and be healthy.

Bad, Bad, Bad foodsthese shouldn't be in the top 5 ingredients of anything you eat
1. sugar
2. high fructose corn syrup
3. enriched flour
4. hydrogenated oils/transfats

Really, really good foods
1. chocolate
2. garlic
3. tomato with oil (especially tomato sauce)
4. olive oil
5. spinach
6. pomegranite
7. nuts

*If you found yourself cheering when you saw chocolate you must be a choco addict like me -- it wasn't really on the list guys. But don't you think it should be?

[chaarli]

Okay so today is Saturday here and the day of the week that I like to start for the new week. I've weighed in and I'm just about to put my scales away for the week so roll on next Saturday.
I've started out well and feel inspired, I'm going to rejoin my local gym for three months at the beginning of October..just waiting til after the school holidays here.
Thanks for the support and the kind words everybody. Look forward to posting a good losss next week.

[trob]

My turn to add to this list!
CH--------will lose 30
Eycia------will lose 42
Stacy-----will lose 32--10 down--22 to go!
beforeim---will lose 21.5
bopi------will lose 30
golfsalot--will lose 20
yogini----will lose 30
card-----will lose 20--4 down--16 to go!
trob------will lose 30-3 down--27 to go
Sno------will lose 36--5 down--31 to go!
Nawchem-will change behaviors. --down 3
********---will lose 30
lachona---will lose 40
Chaarli----will lose 20
Dollypie---will lose 30--7 down--23 to go!
Whirleygirl-will lose 25
Bertine----will lose 25

Okay, so far we I have 32 lbs lost!

i have reset my tracker to show what i was at the beginning of this challenge. i didn't realize that i had lost 3 pounds until right now!

[whirleysgirly]

Thank you all so much for welcoming me in the gang, you all seem so supportive and I can't wait to get started. I'll be jumping in head first on Monday and right now I'm trying to clean my fridge out and get my schedule straight for workouts. Does anybody have any suggestions for low calorie snack foods or fun workouts? I want to try to keep myself from getting bored so quickly. Hope you all have a fun weekend!

[card]

I have not had a great week, I can tell TOM is on the way and I am irritable. My boss' awful hair cut has made me want to yell at her since Tuesday, when she took off and left us short staffed to get it. My DH is really going deaf and repeating myself is driving me crazy and thank goodness all the kids are gone this weekend because I am down to my last nerve and it is about to snap. I over ate today which just aggrevates me more. And my 86 year old grandfather is planning a family reunion for next summer which puts just a little more time pressure on this weight loss thing because I will not wear a sweatshirt in 1000 degree weather next summer to hide the fat. So after new years I will be looking for another challenge because I really want to be at least 155 by next summer. And I have a million things to do but will be putting 3 inch base boards on a wall that used to have 4 inch base boards, which means it is going to look awful and have to be painted and it isn't even my house. Some days it just doesn't pay to get out of bed.

nawchem - do what you have to do but put your health first and foremost.

dolly - hope you have a great weekend.

getnhealthy - cry, some days that's all you can do. Then pick up the pieces and life goes on.

chaarli - good luck in the new week.

trob - congratulations!!!!

whirleysgirly - I eat fruit, 4 or more times a day, pre cut veggies are nice. my new thing is protein, so boiled eggs, nuts if you like them, the list goes on and on.

[Get n healthy]

Good morning ladies. Well i am a tad bit irritable this morning with the kids. Although i think that is because the house was spotless yesterday which apparently means for my dd to make a fort in her room using everything that is in her room, which as you mothers know, means everything ends up on the floor. So i am currently in a "clean your room battle" with her...not how i wanted to start my saturday. Then there is the whole TOM issue. Whatever. I ate an oreo blast yesterday from sonic...it was a calculated splurge. Usually once a month i allow myself a totally off the wall treat (during TOM week). It bothers me today, makes me feel like i took two steps forward ony to take one step back. But i dont know why it bothers me, it was planned and i knew what i was getting into. I just wish i would have split a small with my daughter instead of us both getting a small. I think just a couple of bites would have helped that sweet tooth. But whatever. Today is a new day, two midols down, and one ellipitcal to go, ha ha.

Card- Honey, i can TOTALLY relate to the irritability. Also, i can relate to finding a new challenge after new years. I will need one too, I have to be a bridesmaid in May next year. I REFUSE to be the fat bridesmaid. So on the bright side, at least we have something motivating us to do our best and stay on track. I will really be disappointed in myself if May were to roll around and i am this big or God forbid, even bigger by my friends wedding. So that is something to have in the back of my head.

Whirley-I try to keep ONLY healthy snacks on hand, that way, if it is not there i cant eat it. Some of the things i keep on hand are light string cheese, yogurt, ff pudding, seasonal fruits, 100 cal cheese and crackers, light granola bars. Exercise is a big thing for me too. I can really tell on the scale when i have been slacking in the exercise. What keeps me from getting bord mostly is watching a movie while i am on my elliptical. I LOVE my ellipitical, best money i ever spent, i do it 6 days a week, 30 minues a day. Then 3 times a week i do a video before the ellipitical, i really like Winsor pilates (nothing advanced) and core secrets (balance ball). My dd LOVES to do the vidoes with me...we even bought her a small exercise ball, since she is just 7 for core secrets and her own pilates mat.

Trob-Good job with the 3 pounds down. I love sno's idea of laying it all out like that, maybe she could post results once a week or something.

chaarli-That is great about joining a gym. I think you will be amazed at the results.

Naw-I liked your list. I was so happy to see that i dont eat any of the stuff on the bad list but i do eat A LOT of things on the good list. Good for you for being 3 pounds down.

Well it seems talking/venting to you all is very good for me. I am in such a better mood after reading some posts in this thread. And just writing this message, has me in a better mood. It is so good to connect with others that have the same struggles.

[Snowbrocade]

Well we are just coming around the corner on week three--time flies when you are having fun and working on goals. It is really inspiring to see how much everyone has lost--and reading the struggles of those who havent--I have been there so many times!

I havent been perfect with my eating due to my whole long TOM thing, but it hasnt been too bad--i have been eating in a lower zone. Also--I worked out 3 times this week--my shoulder was okay yesterday swimming so I am keeping my fingers crossed! I will see about working out today--tho I really like to rest on the weekends. My friends personal trainer said that when losing weight rest days are as important as workout days.

I just keep thinking about fall coming and I want to fit into the clothes I had last fall--and I am not too far off. Also, hitting those after xmas sales and getting some nice bargains in a smaller size!! I just helped my friend who lost 90 lbs from WLS to clean out her closet. It was fun

Keep it up Stacy--that was an awesome post--I have heel spurs too--and knee problems--all weight related I think! So another motivating factor to lose. Also--do you have an elliptical at home? What brand? I am thinking about it but cannot really afford--I see the cheap ones and think I could break one of those in no time! And think about all the weigh you have lost just in the time you have been with us--10 lbs--that is amazing. Sometimes when one thing is going well the others dont--I think for me a big breakthrough would be keeping up with my weight loss despite how things are going in my life.

Nancy--wow that Oprah sounds powerful. So tomato sauce but no pasta? That sounds kinda hard. And the thing about nuts and me--I tend to gorge on them--but maybe I can figure out a way to make little packets of them to eat--I am doing okay with having my one treat a day with little pre-packaged cookie packs. Maybe I could do the same with nuts. And let us know how the sleep study is going. I used 5-htp for a long time to help me sleep and now I dont need it anymore tho I occaisonally use skullcap herb and/or passionflower.

Chaarli--stick with us--we have a great weight loss momentum going. let us know how you are doing and what your goals are for behavior change.


Card--I hate that feeling that everything is irritating. Just remember it will pass! My husband has some hearing loss too and I have to work on not getting irritated when he wants something repeated--he gets irritated too and I have to remind him not to be grumpy when he asks me to repeat. We have talked about hearing aids. Dont worry--we will probably create another challenge when this one ends--I want to be 180 by next summer. If I get down to 218 in this challenge that would be 38 lbs in 5 months which is very do-able--it is fun to look ahead! All of this is possible we just have to make it happen and not let the small slips turn into big detours! Thanks for sharing your angst. It does sound like you need a weekend off--no chance of that?

Whew! I got inspired thinking about the next challenge. . . It will be so cool!

[Snowbrocade]

Hi stacy-

we were posting at the same time! I responded to your previous post but this one was great too!!

[nawchem]

I drank a whole cartoon of carb countdown chocolate milk and I gained 2lbs! The snow level is down to 8500 ft, the ski lifts start running Nov 1st and there may actually be enough snow. I've never skied but I figure I could try snow shoeing. That burns about 400 cal/hr and it sounds fun. I live on a golf course so I might be able to do it in my backyard.

I don't know anything about that house situation. There's a lien on it for $153,000 from the past owner back in 1982 and they said the title said I own the house with my ex husband Harry and he has to sign off on it. I've never been married. So its a real mess. I still owe $30,000 on the mortgage so the realtor suggested I let it go into foreclosure, buy it back at auction for less then what I owe and then I don't have to pay the taxes I would have in selling it since the value went up a lot since 1992. And then sell it right away. I don't have a mind for things like that, but I started thinking I wanted to marry him because hes so much smarter then I am. I've known him a long time and hes very very rich so I guess he knows what hes talking about.

charli and stacy you got me motivated to start going to the gym. I tried the elliptical one time and only lasted 3 minutes. What's the secret to staying on it Stacy?

stacy I think your treat did its job. Now you feel turned off and probably won't crave anthing like that for a while. I always feel the same way after my day off.

trob good job on the wt loss!

sno I like to cook chicken or beef, mix with green beans then top with tomato sauce and cheese. The health value was eating tomatoes but when its mixed with oil it helps you absorb more lycopene. So you could just have a salad with tomato and oily dressing too. I'm going to try adding garlic to that. A lot of people have that issue with nuts. I used to but after eating as many as I wanted I got over it. The eat as much as I want idea never worked with chocolate.

[card]

Well I'm feeling a little better today, no one is awake to annoy me yet though. The worst part of being irritable is I know I am being irrational but cannot control it. I finally went and hid in my bedroom last night and then went to bed early. Hopefully today will be a better day. On the up side it is my daughter's 16 birthday on Tuesday and she wants to "pimp out" her room. So I get to go to my favorite store Home Oufitters to buy her stuff. Even if it isn't for me I love to buy new stuff for the house. It's gorgeous and doesn't come in sizes.

Getnhealthy - it's nice to hear I'm not the only one. I plan to seriously watch my food intake today after so many slip ups last week. Helped along by a touch of the flu which DS had Tuesday and DH had yesterday. Thank you both for sharing. And nice to know other people are looking forward to a new challenge.

Sno - I will probably take a weekend off sometime next month, too much to do before the white stuff flies. I really hate winter. Which is probably adding to the entire cranky issue. It is so long here, snow from hopefully October (fingers crossed that it won't come until then) until April. I really think I am from some warm state but there was a mix up in the hospital. When people mention sledding and ice fishing I cringe.

Well I'm off and running soon so I hope you all have an on track day.

[Snowbrocade]

Oh boy nancy--sorry about the saga--that sounds so weird. Okay but is the rich guy nice too? I know a sharp mind can be sexy but. . .

i will keep in mind the whole lycopene thing--I have been making my own tomato sauce lately and it is really good--but I admit I like real pasta and just count the calories to make it work. Tho I like chicken with tomato sauce too.

Tonight it is stir fry--I love that raw veggie mix from traders joes and I cook it with chicken, ginger, onions and jalapenos and little sesame oil. Yum!

Stacy--I admire your strenghth and having only healthy snacks on hand! That is why you have lost so much! I admit to having one unhealthy snack a day--I think it helps me prevent binging.

My thing is just tracking everything and making sure I eat whatever i want but dont go over a certain number of calories. So I love the prepackaged snacks--some grocery stores are carrying things like pretzels in 100 cal snack bags. And I get cookies in pre-packaged snack wrappers. But whatever works for you. I also eat healthy snacks like fruit and veggies--I always have celery and carrots in the fridge ready to eat and try to eat a cup of each a day--which is 4 servings--so that I can attain my goal of 7 servings of fruit and veggies a day.

[Snowbrocade]

Card--

good luck with your weekend! Sorry about the whole snow issue--I was surprised because it was cold here yesterday--had to put on a sweatshirt--around 59 degrees which is unusual in Sept--it usually is one of the hottest months.

so where do you live now?