The Shrinking Misfits - September
 

Hello Everyone:

So glad that you are stopping in. This new check-in is for people that are wanting to shrink the numbers on the scale and really needing some support. Don't be shy about posting. It will be a very relaxed but motivated atmosphere to help us all reach our health and fitness goals.

I would think a introduction is in order. My name is Elycia and I am 30 years old and I live in St. Louis. I have twin daughters (check my avi) and they are the love of my life. Unfortunately, those little darlings left me with some weight that I am trying to shed. I would like to lose about 90 lbs, so I have a ways to to. I am married to the love of my life and just trying to build some healthy habits so that as my girls get older, all they will know is "Healthy Habits!"

So, let me know a little about you and what your goals are. Let's make ourselves a success story!!!!

Elycia

Hello :wave: ,

I have been looking for a good place to post.

Let me introduce myself, I am 32 years old, married with 4 kids, ages 11, 7, 5, 2. My husband works out of town so life is hectic :stars: . I am picking up kids from school and daycare and running them here and there. Oh yea, I also work full time (besides the full time job as mom, chaufer, housekeeper, tutor, etc, etc.).

I have been trying lately to figure out how to squeeze a teeny tiny hour into the day for me for exercise :woops: .

I have been working on losing weight for a year now. So far I have lost 20 lbs, I haven't been hard core about it just making a few changes here and there. I would like to now kick it up a notch and be a little more agressive.

My biggest problem is soda, Hi my name is Tina and I am a sugar addict :soap: . Seriously, I have to stop.

I don't want to follow a "plan" or count anything. Otherwise I become totally obsessed with food and everything revolves around food. I don't really view that as healthy relationship with food :nono: .

I simply want to eat better/less and move more.

So I am going to focus on those two things. Hopefully by posting here I can stay focused.

Oh by the way, Elycia, how neat is it that you have twins, I would love to have twins, even now. (No I am not crazy, LOL):crazy:

Tina :dancer:

:wave:

Hi everyone! I'm new. I just discovered this site last night. I spent hours looking for some sort of active forum for people who understand or are in the same boat I am. I found a startling amount of forums for women (though, I suspect they were mostly teenage girls) that weren't medically overweight, but liked to brag about how they only ate 300 calories a day by skipping two meals. :dunno: Yeah, not what I was looking for. I eat more than 300 calories a day, and I don't swim for three hours every night. Actually, I probably wouldn't be caught dead in a bathing suit.

Anyway, yay! for finding this wonderful place. I'm 25. I work full time in a construction company office. I love to read, write, crochet, knit, and collect music. I have a boyfriend whom I've been with for nearly five years. I also have the cutest dog in the world. No kids. I don't mind kids, but I'm convinced I'd make the most horrible mother in the world. Kudos to all of you mothers out there. That's a tough job.

I've been overweight since before I can remember. I've never felt like I was normal or thin. Just recently, I actually got up the motivation and knowledge to actually change that. I'm looking to lose about 70 pounds right now. That would bring me down to 160, which would make me dance around like a ninny for at least an hour. I'd eventually like to be less than that, but I'm not going to set my goal any higher for now. If I can get down to 160, it would be the first time I've seen that number on the scale since I was in junior high.

Hi, I'm Christi and new here. I am starting my journey,yet again, to a new life and a whole new me. My unrealistic goal is to lost the weight overnight, but I am smart enough to know I didn't gain it overnight therefore I know I won't loose it overnight. In the past I have tried many many many times to lose the weight only to gain more. Just recently have I found out that I am hypothyroid and have been on meds to help control it. I am dedicated to doing this and I will become the skinny me...LOL I am looking forward to getting to know you all and to sharing our weight loss journeys.

Christi, a friend of mine was diagnosed as hyperthyroid. She was so relieved when the doctor told her that she's wasn't going crazy and she wasn't gaining weight for no apparent reason. The medication she's been given has made her feel much better. I had no idea that such a seemingly small problem could have such a profound effect on your body. It's good to hear that you were able to get a diagnosis on that.

It really is amazing how your thyroid can cause so many problems. I was recently diagnosed and before diagnosis I gained 20 lbs in three months, since starting medication I have gained 10 lbs since June. I tend to eat a balanced diet and am physically active. I will be glad when I get my meds straightened out and I stop gaining.

Hi everyone,
Though I would pop in and say HI!. I have been looking around for the past couple of days trying to find some new threads as the ones I had been chatting in have kinda fizzled out.

My name is Aleecia, I'm 33 married and have one daugther that is 2.5
I joined 3FC back in February and its been a great help to me so far. I have kinda been in a rut for the past month or say and could really use some extra support and motivation. I am also more than willing to provide any support and motivation to others.

Good, bad, lose or gain. Let's all do this together.
Good Luck everyone on your weight loss journey.

Hope to talk to you all soon.

Wonderful! I am so excited to meet you guys and hear about your goals and motivations. I just got in from work and I was so excited to see that you guys had posted. Seems like everyone is motivated and raring to lose some of the extra pounds. That's great!

I will be back after dinner to chat with everyone a little bit, but I definitely stop by and say Hi! I'm looking forward to encouraging each other along the journey of reaching our goal.

Tina, so nice to meet you. My little ones keep me quite busy, so I can understand that your schedule can be a little harried. :) That is wonderful that you are trying to make time to exercise. What type of workouts do you like to do? Treadmill, videos, etc? Do tell. :)

Galengail, isn't it so nice to think about how we look when we get to goal? I know that it definitely makes me smile when I visualize myself at goal. That really can be a good motivator as well. Keep checking in and focused and your will reach your goal. I am so glad that you are here. :)

SAHMof1, you have a very realistic view of weight loss and that is a definite plus. So many people want the overnight success and the reality of it is ~~ That is not possible. :) You are probably going to be the one that keeps us on the real in this group. I am so happy that you decided to join us.

Aleecia, I understand what you are saying abut threads thinning out. That tends to happen, so I hope that we keep checking in because that is where the real motivation comes in. So you are ready to be a Shrinkin Misfit? Cooky name I know. But you know what, we are going to shrink. It's just going to take us a little time. :) Thanx for deciding to join.

Well, like I said I will see you all again a little later.

Elycia

Hello Ladies,
My name is Norma and I'm a 57 yr. old mother of 3 + 2 step children, grand mother of 12 angels. I don't work outside the house. I love crafts, knitting, crocheting, scrapbooking, sewing, quilting, painting (tole), woodworking, and anything new.
Some of the other threads became too overwhelming. I want to be with warm bodies that are like me. I haven't moved in years and it's been tougher than I thought to get moving. I'm a calorie counter who is just cutting back. We have no gyms around here and I want no fancy plans. I'm a turtle who will finish the race. Let the rabbits do their own thing.
Thanks Elycia for inviting me! Looks like a great group of ladies.

Hey Elycia! I missed you on Winning Losers today! I hope we didnt do or say something to chase you away from the group and start up a new one. Tomorrow we start our September challenge I hope you are joining us, here's the link!
http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/showthread.php?t=92749

The more we get to join the funner this is gonna be! Have a GREAT September everyone!

Hi there Melissa. Everything is cool. Just thought WL was getting too big. I can't keep up. Since WL's is my baby, I will still be around.

Thanx for stoppin in.

Elycia

Hello and Welcome
 

Hey there Norma! How you doing??!! So happy to see you. You have some interesting pastimes. I am not really following a plan either per se, but I am counting calories. I use Fitday.com and it is a awesome resource. It really holds me accountable.

Okay, again, Hi everyone and welcome to The Shrinking Misfits check-in! :) My personal philosophy on check-ins is that they should have infectious energy. Good habits rubbing off on each other and gently pushing each person to success. I love check-ins and think they are great! So everyone post as much as you can and definitely feel free to post your ups and downs. How you dealt with obstacles. Recipes that you found awesome. A workout that you loved. All of those things are the type of things that will really make our thread and our minds thrive and be a success. No pressure, but I feel that really is the best way to meet our goals.

I also want each of your to know that it is really important that you realized that you can't do it on your own. I am a very independent thinker and alot of times try to do things on my own and it really makes it more difficult than it has to be. Losing weight is not easy because it takes time & work, but together we are stronger and can win at losing weight and making healthier food choices.

So since we are just getting started, I 'd like to know a little more about the eating plan you are following. What type of activities are you doing or trying to start? What do you feel has been stopping you from reaching your goals?

Like I mentioned, I am not really following a plan, I am just watching my calories and fat and it has been working so far. I am also only drinking water and committed to only baking, broiling or microwaving my food. No frying or Fast Food! I have been maintaining that for the past 2 weeks. I love working out at home to workout videos. I have over 300 workouts. I love them and enjoy working out. :) The thing that has stopped me from reaching my goals are a combination of things: Busy, unfocused, little laziness, etc. I finally have my mind set to lose the weight and I don't feel I am going to stop until I reach my goal. I'm excited about it all.

Well, I would love to hear more about you guys. I hope to hear from you soon.

Elycia

Hello Ladies!

My name is Whitney, I am 25 years old and currently in my third and final year of law school. I am single and I do not have any children. I am away from home (Missouri) for school so it makes it somewhat tough to do this all alone - especially on such a busy school schedule.

Months ago I came across this website but simply ignored it. Well, Monday i started my weight loss plan and Tuesday night I stumbled upon 3FC again...this time I joined!

I am very concerned about developing a healthy lifestyle for the following reasons:

1 - Many people in my family are overweight and have high blood pressure, diabetes, or take many prescriptions.

2 - I have dieted since I was 11. I have gained and lost 15-30 pounds countless times. I know that I am ruining my body.

3 - I want a sense of control. I admit, I overeat like CRAZY. I cannot just eat 2 or 3 cookies...I eat the entire box. I cannot just eat a serving of chips...I eat the entire bag. You get the idea.

My plan:
Eating -- I have decided to count calories and keep track of my food intake in an Excel spreadsheet that I created. In the past, being accountable was the only way to stay on track.

Exercise -- I plan to do some form of exercise daily (crunches, pushups, etc). I plan to walk/run 3-4 times per week.

I am really trying to do this for the long run. So I only want to lose 1-2 pounds per week. Looking forward to OUR progress :)

Hi there Whitney! Welcome to the group. Guess what! I am in Missouri as well, St. Louis. That is so exciting that you are in your last year of law school. That had to take alot of work and committment. Good for you. If you are able to see law school through to the end, I believe you can succeed in reaching your weight loss goals. Sounds like you have a very sensible plan and healthy and that is great!

Again, Welcome and I certainly look forward to hearing more from you. I am glad that you decided to join this time. Check-ins are a great source of encouragement and can be very motivating. :)

Elycia

Hello everyone:

I just got in from work. Phew! What a day. I hope that everyone is doing okay. I am still trying hard to stick to cleaner eating. I did get my workout in today. I did Bust & Butt by the Firm and it was tough. I thought it was a good workout!

So how was everyone's day? What plans do you have for the weekend. Well,I have to get on to dinner. I will try to check in later to see how everyone is doing.

Ciao!

Elycia

heya
 

I'm Sara,..23 mom of two boys Seth (just turned 2) and Lance (10 months old today). I would say I've had in issue with weight in a way. When I was in highschool I had a fight with anorexia for about two years. It all ended after graduated and right when I started dating my best friend and now husband!! I was always pretty much a healthy weight when with him. Never had an issue with dating or anything. Then came the boys! *lol*...and with them came about 40 to 50 extra pounds, a flabby belly, bigger arms, legs..back fat!! OHMY LOL. I swear I had 2 years of nothing but maternity clothes...at times I don't even know how to dress myself anymore. I wear a lot of pj type pants and t-shirts, or jeans and t-shirts. I'm looking to lose some weight and hoping that coming to a place like this will keep me a bit psyched about it!

Right now I'm mostly a stay at home momma, I work very part time at our Local YMCA in the daycare. I plan on either getting an associates in Early Childhood Development or becoming a Hair Stylist (both things I love ;). My husband works for Dannon...and works A LOT :)

can't wait to get to know everyone

I also wanted to add so far I have NO plan *lol*...I have Cut out pop except for an ocasional treat (why completely deny yourself right?). I really drank a LOT of pop...like maybe 4-5 cans a day. I want to get a plan...I need a plan. With two boys 2 and 10 months it's hard to sit down and think of a plan! So anyone with good ideas...I'm open. I need something that doesn't take too much time or too much thought.

Hi Sara,

Welcome to our little group. We are just getting started, but we definitely have goals and aspirations of getting to our slim selves again. I recently had twins and you know, pregnancy really changes your body. I just got my mind set to lose the weight, but the weight isn't slipping away as easily as I would like. Seems like my body wants to hang on to this extra weight and it is quite frustrating.

In terms of diet, I know that you have a busy life with 2 little ones on top of all of the other responsibilities, but is there any type of food that you really hate or any foods that you really love. Alot of the plans popular today cut out or greatly decrease carbs, so if you are a carb junkie, you probably don't want to do Atkins or similar plans. I love carbs, so that type of plan doesn't work for me. But alot of people have had fabulous results. Unfortunately, outside of making healthier food selections, you're probably going to have to find something that works for you so that you have some parameters. Either calorie/fat intake count or points or nutrisystem or whatever works for you. Right now, calorie/fat count is working for me and so I will probably stick with that until the results stop or slow down dramatically.

One resource that has helped me alot is fitday.com. It is a very nice site and it is free. You have the option to buy the program, which I hear is a lot better, but right now the free one has been okay with me.

Well, hopefully, a few of the other ladies will be around soon and will chime in with some of their suggestions. This weekend may be kinda slow though considering it is a long weekend. Anyways, just hang in there and post as often as you can so that we can help and encourage each other along the way.

Look forward to getting to know you better and glad you decided to join us!

Ciao!

Elycia

thanks a lot! I appreciate it. It's looking like calorie/fat is the easiest way for me to go. I can flip the food right over and see that on the ingredients. What I also need to get down is portion size! I know that's a big deal. My husband loves HUGE portions..he'd love nothing more than for him and I to sit on the couch watching a movie and both to sit with a pint of icecream (yes each). He doesn't see the problem with that. Ofcourse his metabolism is at the speed of light as well.....*UGH*...

I've often wondered if any of those pills work? Not the fat burners but the appetite suppresants *sp...forgive me its late. The few times I've tried with portions before it was HARD. I was still so hungry. And nomatter what drinking water doesn't work *LOL*

Welcome Sara & Whitney,
My name is Norma and I'm a calorie counter. Since I'm 57, I am old hand at dieting. I decided that if I was going to lose weight, I had to throw out typical diets and adjust my eating habits for life. Why go on a program that I knew would be foreign to me and that I would cheat on? So, I eat everything I am used to. I either measure or weigh. I have a digital food scale and it measures grams or ounces up to 10 pounds! I've learned to read the back of a package or can and only eat what the recommended portion was. That's new for me. I have added a salad before every dinner to allow me to eat more and feel fuller. I even get dessert. Weight Watchers make great ice cream bars for 110 - 140 cal. and I can't cheat by serving too much. This is a lifestyle I can live with. It may come off slow, I'm averaging 2.5 lbs per week, but I'm feeling no stress. The hardest thing I've had to learn to do was drink lots of water. I'm not a water person, unless I'm bathing in it! Exercise for an obese person is tough, but I'm toughing it out. A little more each time I do it.
I wish you both the very, very best in your weight loss journey. Elycia is a super motivator! If you don't check in with her once in a while, she'll go looking for you. I know. She tracked me down and here I am!
Norma

Hi there Norma. Thanx for the compliment. I feel that with a check-in, you should CHECK IN on each other. That what makes you strong and helps you to stick with it.

Sara, in regards to appetite suppressants, I don't know much about those. You mean like Dexatrim or something? I really haven't tried. I know that you said water doesn't work for you but that has been the best for me. Either water or fruit or some type of small energy bar. The goal is not necessarily to get full, but just to shut your stomach up from growling. Definitely try to eat every 3 hours or so to keep your metabolism going and then you shouldn't get as hungry. Typically, it is 3 meals and 2 snacks throughout the day. I know, I know, it is very hard to get those in, but it is doable. Try to get yourself on a schedule and then it will be second nature.

Well, i am off. I have to feed my girls and take them out a little. I will see you guys probably tomorrow. Hopefully everyone is doing well.

Ciao!

Elycia

hello
 

i would love to join in this thread if thats ok.

im mary jane im 31 and from ireland. im a mother of 3 children. my youngest is 17 months old and ive been promising that i would diet since before he was born but i just cant seem to get motivated. i have a couple of weddings to go to around christmas this year and this is making me a little more determined but i could still use some support from you folks and would be happy to help you all too if i can :)

Hi Mary Jane: Welcome aboard! Everyone is welcome here. Sounds like you have set yourself your own challenge of weight loss by Christmas. That will be a good motivation for you. We are here to help. Good day, bad day, or any day, you can come and vent. Hopefully, you will brag about how great you are doing. Either way, come. We want to hear from you. We are all in this together. You come from a beautiful country! I would love to go to Ireland. Hope to see you around here often.
Norma aka harkeyvalley

Hi
 

Hi there Mary Jane:

Honored to have you join our little group. :) We are just getting started, so we are in the getting to know each other stage. You are so right that even though we may have determination support is always helpful. I am glad that you decided to join us.

As you can tell from my screename, I am a HUGE U2 fan. I just love the band and of course they are from Ireland. Like Norma said, I would love to visit Ireland. It seems like such a serene place. Maybe one day.

So, you have 3 little ones? I bet they keep you busy. I have 2 little ones and I know that they are always running around. They are my main motivations for losing weight. I have to be able to keep up with them.

Well, hope to see more of you. Hey there Norma. Good to see ya. Thanx for helping to make everyone feel so welcome. You are such a sweetie. How are you doing? I hope all is well and you are still working toward reaching your goals. That is so inspiring that you are willing to stick with it, even though you know the weight loss may be slow. It is so easy to get discouraged, but you aren't. Great to hear Norma. :)

Well, I better get going. Everyone take care and I hope to get to know everyone better soon.

Elycia

Hi Elycia: I'm doing great. I got a little overheated yesterday with a 2 hour lawn moving experience, by hand. I got a little dehydrated and came in sick to my stomach and dizzy. I didn't eat but half of my calorie allotment since I didn't feel good. I didn't feel much like eating today, but I'm planning a nice dinner. I've also gotten extremely mad at my scale, telling me lies. I went to amazon and ordered a doctors type scale. I read alot about different scales and I knew my weight would be a life time challenge, so I got one to last for life. I'm still real motivated, still working hard to get enough water (hard for me), and varing my types of exercise as not to get discouraged with the things that I can not do. I'll write when the new scale arrives. I just hope that my weight doesn't jump up because my evil scale lied to me! The scales of justice will be triumphant!LOL
Norma

Hello ladies! I hope everyone is enjoying the holiday weekend.

I've done ok the past few days. I was invited to a cookout yesterday but decided not to go...I just wanted to stay home and relax. Bad idea because I ate a ton of WheatThins and cracker cut cheese. My favorite! Oh well, today was much better. I made up for it by only having 1100 calories, which consisted of tons of fruit.

Another thing about yesterday...I saw a guy that I used to date and he slapped my thigh and said, "Oooooh...those are getting thick!" I wanted to cry! I was probably 145 the last time I saw him and now I'm 156 or so. Damn I was embarrassed! To add insult to injury, he also said, "You know, I can train you to get some of that weight off." Talk about embarrassing... :(

Comments like that make it very easy for me to just starve or only eat one meal a day, but I have to realize that I am in it for the long run. No crash dieting or quick loss this time around. I am trying to lose at least two pounds weekly and I am weighing in on Mondays. I was 161 last Monday and since I was 156.5 mid-week, I guess I hit goal early. But from now on, weigh ins are only on Monday.

Additionally, I have not done much exercise either. I've done little things in my apartment (crunches, lunges, arm weights), but no cardio. I plan to go for a walk/run tomorrow.

Best wishes to all :)

Norma - Good luck with that new scale. I had a bit of a scale mishap not long ago. The scale I was using was very wrong. Twenty pounds wrong, actually. And not in my favor either.

Whitney - Despite any weight you've gained, what a jerk of a guy to make such a comment. Some guys just don't know when to keep their mouths shut, I guess.

Sara - Cutting pop has really helped me so far. Actually, I started noticing a difference in my energy level right away when I replaced all the pop I used to drink with water. It's amazing how less sleepy and sluggish I am.

Mary Jane - Oh, how I would love to visit Ireland! It seems like such a beautiful place!

My weigh-in days are Tuesdays, but I was so anxious to see the fruits of my first week of dieting that I hopped on the scale this afternoon. I'm down to 249.5!!! Yay! I was very surprised at the difference. I've been strict with myself this week, and I've only eaten what I planned on eating. My calorie intake has been between 1600 to 1900 each day, and I've been walking at least a mile, if not two every day. I think the walking has really helped me, not to mention that portion control that I've got going on. I hope to get rid of that other half pound by Tuesday for an even five. :-) I just needed some dramatic results this first week to give me motivation to continue this for the next several months. I haven't changed any of my tickers or profile to reflect the loss because I want to give the official number on Tuesday. But, yay! Nearly five pounds gone!

Oh, I forgot to even give my name. Shame on me. I'm Gail. :-)

Hello everyone
 

Gail congratulations on that weight loss. That is awesome. Doesn't it feel so good when you see that your sacrifices and efforts have paid off???!!! Very proud of you and the hard work that you put in. Keep it up and you will be where you want to be real soon.

Norma, I tell ya, that scale is NOT my friend. It has been sending me on emotional roller coasters lately. One day I'm up, the next I'm down. It's all over the place and I don't know why, but I always let it control my mood. If I've lost I'm on cloud 9, but if I gain I'm in tears. I don't quite know what is going on considering that I am being very strict on myself. Like many of you guys, I have completely let go of pop. This a MASSIVE accomplishment considering that I was knockin' back 3 liters every other day. Then up until yesterday, I hadn't eaten any fast food. All my foods that I prepare are either baked, grilled, broiled or microwaved. I just can't understand why the darn scale keeps jumping around. Oh yeah, plus I have been working out at least 5 days per week. I don't know what is up, but you know what, I NEVER let that scale completely blow me down. I am in this until the end. I am going to reach my goal of 147 come H$@# or Highwater. :)

Whit, I am sorry that guy was so insensitive to you. Ugh! When are guys going to learn not to say anything about our weight? Especially talking about getting bigger! But, don't let it get you down. Let it motivate you. Everytime you are doing that walk on the treadmill or doing that kickboxing workout, act like you are working out that frustration on him. :) I've had some of my best workout sessions when I am MAD! :) Also, good job of passing on that cookout. That would have been temptation city. :)

Well, I just got finished (yep 10:00 at night) Total Muscle Shaping by The Firm. It was a toughie but fun. I'm trying to stick to a workout rotation and boy was I thinking about sitting out this one. My sweet husband was like "go ahead and get it in" so I did and I am very happy that I did. I've worked out the past 3 days and thankfully tomorrow is a rest day. Yay!

I will see you lovely ladies tomorrow. Everyone have a great evening and morning.

Ciao!

Elycia

Elycia- What a wonderful group! Your babies are looking so cute as always! I bet they are a true joy to be around :) You are doing great on your weight loss! Congrats. Thanks for telling me about this new group!

Hello ladies! I am 29 married with two children (7 & 4) . I am in my final year in nursing school right now. However, I am sure I will be right back in school when I finished because I intend to get my MSN, and PHD in nursing also. I figure I will be a lifetime student :) Which isn't such a bad thing when you take into account that as a nurse usually one will be touching someone's life in a positive way. Possibly even saving a life along the way. So I am cool with being in school until I have reached the goals I have set for myself.

Let's see I have been eating healthy and exercising for almost a year now. I started on September 10, 2005. It is a bumpy road for me at times but I keep at it. This looks like a wonderful group of ladies and I wish you all the best support I can give!

Hello Whitney - I am also a fellow Missouri Girl:) That guy was a true jerk! You would think that someone you previously dated would be more sensitive about your feelings. To me it shows a lot about his character! Anyway, don't give him another thought! Focus on being healthy for yourself and I am sure you will do great. I also weigh in on Mondays. You seem to be on a great start with your weight loss!

Hello Gail- Wow five pounds gone away is great! I think it is super cool!

Hello Norma- I am so happy to see you here. you are also doing great on your weight loss:) Also I must admit I am a serious calorie counter also:)

Hello Sara- Congrats on cutting out your soda intake! One step at a time is something I feel makes a very big difference. I am sure you will find a plan that will work for you and allow you plenty of energy to run around after your boys. Oh sometimes I miss having babies around the house :)

Hello MaryJane- Wow what a wonderful place to live! I am sure with your motivation and support you will look great by Christmas.

Oh my gosh, Kenya it is so good to see you. :wave: I really have been wondering how you were doing. So glad to see that you are still doing great! Tell me about bumpy road. I am just really getting started and it is getting bumpy for me already. I don't know what it is but the scale is just my enemy these days. I have been so happy UNTIL I step on that blasted scale. I hate that thing! I wish I knew how to use the tape measurer because I would do that and just throw out my scale. :mad:

Hey guys, this is our "Dancin' Diva". She dances to lose those pounds. I think that is so good. Working out shouldn't be grueling, it should be something that we enjoy. Are you still Dancin' away the pounds Kenya? Thanx for the compliment on the girls and you are right, they are a joy to be around. :)

I would like to get a challenge started, but I am hoping that the other ladies that joined, post soon so I know they are really on board. Not difficult challenges, just something that will keep us going on the healthy path. I will think of some today and post and we can figure out which one we'd like to do.

Again Kenya, so glad that you are doing fine. Everyone have a great day. I am going to go look at a house today. I really don't like where we live now, so I hope that it works out. :)

Ciao!

Elycia

Hey Elycia-- I hope you have fun house hunting. I love house hunting :) I also like going to look at new model homes-- even the one's I can't afford right now :) Anyway... Yes I am still dancing :) I am telling you it works for me! It is fun and I can do it with the entire family. You are so right it doesn't feel like exercise at all. I would love to be included in any challenge that you start. I did really good with the month of August weigh in challenge. I lost 15 pounds in the month of August!

Oh my bumpy road... There have been days when I have just not eaten the right foods (cake, bad fast food choices etc.). However, the weight has still managed to come off! School has started back again :) Oh the stress is keeping my weight stable but I haven't lost any real weight in about 2 weeks so I am a little down about that. I am thinking about changing my plan again and maybe adding in some more time for dancing. My husband is away on business so I am missing him very much. Elycia just stick with it one day at a time and the scale with again move. I am like you I don't tend to measure so i just stick with my devil of a scale :) In my eyes you are doing great to me. 13 pounds gone is GREAT! You can do it and you will reach your goal of 147!

Hi
 

Hi girls! My name is Tina and I am a 31 year old stay at home Mom living in Northern Texas. Last year I found out that part of my weight problem was being caused by pcos:mad: The doctor first thought that something was wrong during a lap surgery that I had to have due to an ectopic pregnancy. My ovaries were huge(almost the same size as my uterus) Anyway,after losing our baby at 8 weeks I spent a good many months sad and eating my way up tp a size 26:( Now I am 100% ready to lose the weight and have been going to the gym 5 days a week and dieting since 8/14 and have already dropped 20 pounds:carrot: I seem to do well on my own but,think I can do much better with the help of you ladies:) I cant wait to get to know you girls better:hug:
Tina Marie

Hello
 

Well Hello there Tina. :welcome2: So happy that you decided to join us. You are just on a roll and doing awesome! I am so impressed with your determination to lose the excess weight. Is something special happening on December 15th or you just made that a personal goal? Either way you are doing awesome and it is so nice to see that type of will power. 20 lbs.!!! WOO HOO! You rawk! You are really working hard. I can particularly relate to some of the issues that you were dealing with. Before the twins, I lost my baby at about 7 weeks and it hurt so bad. I really went through a major depression. It is amazing that even though I never held my baby and it was such a short time, it didn't matter. He was still my baby. So I can certainly understand how the sadness and the pcos would get you down and turning to food. That is wonderful that you are turning yourself around. Very inspirational. Keep up the wonderful job and I certainly look forward to getting to know you better as well. :)

Kenya, yes I LOVED the house. It would be so nice. It is in N. County over off of Graham road. Do you know where that is? Anyways, the neighborhood was just so nice and I would love to raise my girls there. I don't know how it will work out. We rent and while we were there someone else called the man about the house. I don't know how much competition we will have, but I tell ya, I sure hope that it works out. I will keep you posted. Great job on those 15 lbs last month and thanx so much for the kind and encouraging words. Well, I hear one of my little ones. It's time for them to eat. I'll catch up with you lovely ladies later.

Ciao!

Elycia

Kenya - Wow! You've accomplished so much with living healthy already! I'm amazed at you women who are moms and wives with school/work, but still are motivated and have the energy to work out and eat healthy. I think that is so awesome! I have a dog and a boyfriend, and I still struggle for me time after work. :-)

Elycia - Your daughters are gorgeous! They actually remind me of my cousin's two little girls. They look like they have a mischevious streak. ;-) You should definitely go out and pick up a tape measure at Wal-Mart. I think I got mine for a dollar. There are tons of sites on the internet that will give you instructions on how to properly take your measurements. I took mine on the first day I decided to change my life. It was quite easy, even if my eyes popped out of my head at how many inches my hips were.

Tina - Congrats on the 20 pounds! Yay! Have you been doing anything special to get them off or are you focusing on calories and portion control? I've been walking quite a bit and it seems to do wonders for me. I'm not as winded when I climb a flight of stairs now, and I can actually walk 2 miles. I never thought I'd be doing *that*.

Hi,
my name's Amanda, I joined a couple of months ago, but have been kinda busy so I didn't find a group to chat with. Now that some of the things have calmed down, I find I'd like to get to know some people! :) I'm 20 years old, have been overweight literally all of my life thanks to too much fast food and hypothyroidism. I started dieting and lost 30 lbs when I was 16, then had to have gallbladder surgery and gained it all back +. I joined TOPS in April with my Mom and have lost 45 lbs so far. I still have 43 to go for my goal, and it just keeps getting harder :( I was doing Jillian Michaels' DVDs but I switched over to Budokon on Sept 1 with a little tredmill thrown into the mix. As for diet: I drink a slim fast in the morning, have a piece of fruit for break, a prepackaged dinner for lunch and a healthy supper. I try to keep snacking down to as little as possible and drink only water, tea and coffee.
I look forward to chatting with and getting to know everyone!
-Amanda
how do you put a ticker on the bottom of your posts?

hi all. wow you ladies are doing fantastic. i started my diet with gusto today and i think posting on here and reading how well your all doing will definitely give me an extra boost. not just me either i went food shopping today and bought no junk food so all the kids have to snack on is yoghurts and fruit (they arent too happy but they will get used to it). i stuck to the food end of my plan but didnt get the exercise i had planned in as i was up half of the night with the baby so i didnt have the energy. not too worried about that yet though as its early days.

sara: its really hard to cut out the pop isnt it. i can drink a little too much at times too until i make an effort to stop. its all down to habit though and you will be surprised how quickly you get out of the habit of grabbing a can and grab some water instead.

elycia: i tried that fiday.com site and it is really helpful thanks for the tip. well done with the 13 pounds. your doing great. i have to agree with the measuring though. wheni dieted before i found it more exciting to see how close i was getting to a smaller dress size than seeing the pounds drop on the scales. i would love to try a challenge too and will post on here everyday if possible. oh and good luck with the house

norma: wow you seem to have worked out what suits you best and it seems to be working too. well done. i hope you get your new scales soon. i find it hard to drink water too. its not that i dont like it i just keep forgetting. you seem to be really sensible in your approach to weight loss and exercise i can see you doing really well.

whitney: how rude is that man!!i agree with the others take no notice of him. well done with the weight loss

gail: good luck with your weigh in although it sounds like youve done excellent. keep up the good work : )

kenya: oh my goodness well done on that weight loss. you must be so proud of yourself that is a great achievment.

tina: your doing great well done. the ladies on here are very welcoming and im sure youll feel at home in no time.

Good Evening Ladies:

I see that we have a new person. Hi Amanda. :welcome: So good to have you join us. I know how life can keep you so busy, and next time you turn around months have past. Well, I'm glad that when you came back you decided to become part of our little group. :) I tell ya, you have done an unbelievable job with TOPS! 45 lbs! :cp: That's wonderful. I know that it is getting hard, because you just want it off already, but keep up with Kenya. She has lost over 90 lbs and still going strong. She is very inspirational and ready to help. But be very, very proud of what you have accomplished so far. That took a HUGE amount of commitment and drive so you can have confidence that you can and will succeed. Great job and so happy that you joined us.

Hi Gail. How are ya? Yeah, I probably should go the tape measure route because getting on that scale is an exercise in frustration. Don't even get me started on what the measurement of my hips will be. I think I'm scared. But everyone has got to start somewhere, i guess. :) Thanx for the compliment on my little ones. You would not believe how much they motivate me to keep going on. They are just the best little blessings ever.

Maryjane, our lovely lady from Ireland. How are ya doing? I'm so glad that reading some of the post gave you a boost. That is the beauty of a check-in. It is very likely that someone will be dealing with or say something that can really help you unbeknownst to them. Glad you were able to find Fitday to be of help. It is a really neat site. Bit of a pain at first when you have to log in all of your food. But after awhile, we tend to eat some of the same things and so it is not such a big deal anymore.

Well, ladies, I know I said that I was going to put up some challenge ideas today, but I haven't gotten a chance to think about it yet. But I promise, I will come back a little later tonight.

Later gals.

Elycia

Challenge Ideas
 

As promised, I am back with some challenge ideas that may be options for us. I thought we could start out with an easy one and then move up to actual weight loss challenges. These are just some healthy things to try to integrate into our daily lives. Ok, here goes:

- Daily Multivitamin (Imp. to get in a habit of getting that in daily)
- Water (Minimum amount of water to get in everyday)
- Be kind to yourself Challenge (You have to say 5 good things about yourself to yourself everyday)
- Fruit and veggies Challenge (Minimum of 5 servings a day)
- Exercise Challenge (Minimum number of days to get in activity per day and/or week)

So those are a few ideas. Let me know what you think. Everyone will need to check in daily and let us know how you are doing. Post and let me know what you think would be a good one. Try not to pick one because it is the easiest for you. It is a challenge afterall. :) If all of these seem to be too easy for everyone, please let me know. I'll be waiting to hear what you guys think. Rewards will be the confidence that you will gain from your determination and success, a healthier you AND you will be given a very special title :)

So, let me know what you are thinking. I look forward to hearing.

Elycia

Elycia:I think these are all good challenges. I don't think they are as easy as you think. Water is terribly hard for me. I have a "water is for bathing" mentality! I can't remember the last time I said something nice about my self either. So any or all of these are good choices.

Gail: You turkey! I was feeling bad enough about my evil scales. Did you have to share that your scales were off 20 lbs! I sure hope this doesn't happen to me. I won't forget your nameany time soon! LOL Just kidding. You're the person at the party going around and popping the balloons. LOL BTW I'm a knitter and crocheter too!

Kenya: You're going to have to be our inspiration. You need to share your story. We would all love to hear it.

Amanda: Sounds like you're doing really good with TOPS. I love TOPS but since I moved to this rural area, I have to drive 45 minutes to get to one and that's too costly with the price of gas. 3fc is the next best thing!

MaryJane: Hope you're doing great on your weight loss. I keep thinking about one of my favorite movies "The Quiet Man" shot in Ireland when I see your name.

Tina & Tina Marie:Howdy neighbors. Being from Arkansas I have traveled to Texas and I have family in Abilene. I hope it's cooling off for you. It's been really hot here. I hope you guys are settling in on a weight loss plan.

Sara:With 2 boys, maybe you should start easy. Say only eat what a suggested serving is. On all cans, boxes, & bottles they suggest the amount of a serving. You will find that you generally get 1/2 cup of this and 2/3 cup of that. That way you don't have to think and you get used to smaller portions of things. Stop eating when you are no longer hungry. Not when you are full. This works for me. Give it a try.

Whitney: How's the calorie counting? I love it. I can plan for an event with my calories so even cake or pie is okay if I'll budgeted for it. Also, unless you value the opinion of the dweeb, ignor him. He is not worthy of your thought!

Christi: We just got back from a Okla vacation. I loved the aquarium in Jenks and the museum and home of Will Rogers. Good luck with your dieting.

I hope I got everyone. This group is really growing. I wish you all well and hopefully good losses this week

Norma