Amyjo no purging! You know it's not good, and you know why. As far as blowing it on dinner, it's no big deal. The great thing about this is that every morning we get a fresh opportunity to stay OP and get through the day. So, take a few deep breaths, get a good night's rest, and start over tomorrow. Been through the whole septic tank cleaning, then cleaning and replacing all the pipes that carried it safely through the waterbed in our backyard (not the kind of waterbed one sleeps in) and having tractors chewing up our lawn. You know what? Eventually it got fixed, the bill got paid off, the lawn grew back, and it was a thing of the past. I guarantee your septic problems will get worked out and you'll deal with it.

Flower, glad to hear Grif's face is healing. I've wanted to see that movie that Chris is watching. Would have been better in the theatre, though.

Lamorgan, it's really biting cold here. My face has a lovely windburn from my quick walk tonight. Hope it fades before work tomorrow.

Night, girls! Have a great day tomorrow!

Wildfire; where do you live in Toronto where you have a septic??? We have an old septic that probably hasn't been used in 20 years. There is this gross ominous pipe in the basement that has not been capped properly and I need to get that done before too long... Yucky.

I'm trying to remember to moisturize every morning and night so my skin doesn't turn to leather. I've heard that it is dryer in Ontario than the Sahara. My ego would not be too happy if I'm thin with skin like an elephant!

Christmas holidays are far too long. They need structure, and I need A HOLIDAY.

L

It's finally snowing here so we took a long walk in the woods in the snow. I love that "shhhh" sound it makes as it's falling thru the trees! Between the brisk pace of the walk and generally staying warm I bet I burned some calories! Later on I'll do my dumbell routine and yoga.

On a snowy day there's the strong temptation for me to just get cozy and eat all day but I'm trying to resist!

As long as I don't have to worry about going to work I LOVE SNOW!

Eydie ~ Your getting the snow we were suppose to get... we got all of the yuck and none of the pretty stuff. My kids were pretty disappointed. We were not suppose to get but an inch but instead we got freezing rain and ice. Make a snow ball for me... maybe we will get some this year- everytime we talk about moving my kids pre-requisite is we can move anywhere that it snows...

Wildfire ~ I didn't purge and I must of not done as poorly yesterday as I thought because the scales say I am back down to 146 (who can trust a scale though) I have got to get rid of all the junk in my house. I think the candy is going to work with DH tomorrow and I will freeze the baking stuff.

Ruthie ~ Weigh in today or tomorrow? Glad your feeling better!

Flower ~ I am so glad that Grif is starting to feel better. You have had a year!

As for Fast and Furious, that is one bad movie- DH saw it at the movies 3 times, we have the same year eclipse as the one they blow up in the movie. DH was like I would paint it that same color green.... I can just see us now! We love cars, one of the things we hope to have when we buy our next house (besides decent sewage?) is a place for us to restore cars. I want a Mustang Shelby like the one in "Gone in 60 Seconds" another good car flick...

We have someone coming to pump the septic tank tonight... that should keep us another year / year and a half.. which is all we plan on being in this house... We have petitioned to be put on city sewer but that doesn't look like anytime soon. It isn't just our house that has problems it is the whole neighborhood. The tanks don't drain correctly and hence when they fill up (generally with water- which is our problem) it runs back in the house (like it did last night) and I only washed 2 or 3 loads of clothes yesterday... DH called me on the cell phone (using some not so nice words) informing me that the septic tank was full again and giving me the riot act about how many loads of clothes had I done, who had had showers.... I will be so glad to move out of this house.

Our game plan is for now to pay off DH's Car like in the next 3 months, use the extra money from the car note to pay down our few credit cards and then 6 months after I graduate and have had a job- We plan, for us to start looking for a house with about 10 acres of land. Buy it, keep this house for as long as it takes to prepare the other house (our house note on this house is cheaper than rent) We have 3 fish tanks that will have to be transfered and a koi pond that will have to be built so that will take a while then after everyone is moved, then we will paint the inside of this house have the carpets cleaned and put it up for sale.

Well I have rambled long enough I have got to get it in gear. I don't think I told you guys, I got hired on at the womens and Childrens hospital here in town as a Student Nurse... It will give me some insight into what I might want to do or not do after I graduate.

Amy
176/146/130

Goddam weigh ins! If I haven't said this before, and I'm sure I have, I HATE THEM!!!

I was actually up 1/2 a lb. since Saturday. I told the director, there is no way I am going through weekly weigh-ins as the only measure of my success. If I'm going to do that, I'll go back to Weight Watchers. Then I burst into tears. She agreed to weigh me every other week. That was about all the advice she had -- for that, I could be back at WW.

On the way home, I started thinking and realized that I simply can't give up, no matter what I have to do to lose weight, this is it. It's not about whether Opti Fast is a good program or WW, or whatever. I just have to do it. For all the things I've given up or lost in my life for the sake of something else, I can't let this drag me down. I have to be the best person I can be, in every way, from here on out. I have to stop being lazy and start cleaning my house and going for walks and generally just get up off the sofa. I have really retreated in the past year, into my own little kingdom, while I just wait for the future to happen. The future is almost here, and I'm still 50 lbs. overweight. I have to not only drink these stupid little sugar-water drinks, I have to be active, and exercise, and not be a slug. Otherwise, it's not worthwhile.

Now, I'm not sure all that makes sense. I just don't see how a person's weight could actually go up on 800 calories a day for six days. And I have been exercising! From now on, though, I am bracing myself and going out into the cold to do my evening walks like I used to -- or maybe I'll do them in the mornings now. I'll save the videos for really bad weather.

Hello everyone

I'm here to do this again... I won't say I'm loosing weight - "loosing" implies that it's something I'm trying to FIND!!!!!
I've done TOPS, phentermine and worked for WW for almost 3 years after loosing 85 pounds (after loosing and regaining 65). I was a leader and I'm proof positive that a career as a WW leader does not exempt you from weight gain...

I'm a central Oregon transplant from California (Bay Area), working for my family's business - which has me sitting on my butt for 9 hours a day. I live in a very VERY rural area and once I can actually see the road I will start walking. Until then, it's the tapes in my front room...

Actually Flower, I was just about to start a thread like this because it didn't seem like there was anywhere on this site that was openly welcome to Pagans (thanks!!). I hope there's room on this thread for one more
I also wanted to add, from my experience, unless a Dr. has told you to cut your calories to 800, that's far too drastic a cut for your body to loose weight. With loosing a combined total of over 130 pounds I can tell you from experience that if you cut too much your body thinks it's starving and will put any food you do eat into storage - hence the weight gain... I hope this helps and that I didn't step on any toes!

Blessings,
Terri

Welcome Punkinseed!!! Always room for one more!

Ruthie, I've got to tell you when I first started this whole weight loss journey I gave it all my attention, put all my energy into it. I was working out for a couple of HOURS every day and really watched what I ate. I was so freaking SINCERE about it all and I weighed myself after the first month and I had gained 6 pounds!
I was so mad, mad enough to spit! But I'm happy to say that I hung in and didn't give up and I'm so thankful to whatever power out there gave me the strength because I was crushed! And after all the ups and downs I'm down 35 pounds and that was 4 years ago. It's a fact that I'll probably be trying to lose those last 5-10 pounds the rest of my natural life but I can see how far I've come and I'm so grateful that I didn't set some arbitrary timeline for myself.
So hang in there; don't give up!

Thanks, Eydie. Your words helped me keep it in perspective. I went for my walk in the cold tonight and thought about a lot of things. I think as with everything I went to extremes with this Opti Fast and thought this would be IT and it would be like magic and all the weight would be gone by June. That's probably not how it's gonna go...and in fact, I'm debating how long I will want to stick with Opti Fast -- I promised myself no longer than April. I just started, so I will have to wait and see how it goes. I only want to do this if I will lose a lot of weight fast, b/c it really can't be all that healthy -- 17 g of sugar in each drink! More than anything, I just have to put my head down and be convinced that I am now committed to weight loss, for good.

Punkinseed, welcome. Thanks for your comments on my program. Just so you don't think I'm crazy, it is medically supervised and I know I have to exercise in order for it to work. I'm just feeling frustrated in the same way Eydie said she was.

Lamorgan, I live in Oakville, but I'm in an apartment here. I've only been in Ontario for 4.5 years. Where I lived in Nova Scotia we were in the county and therefore not on the city water or septic systems. We had our own well and septic system. On the moisturizer, I can't seem to put enough on! I'm at that point in the winter where I get the itchies my skin is so dry, even though I moisturize twice a day and drink lots of water. When it gets really bad, I put unscented baby oil on right after getting out of the shower. At least it stops me from itching.

Amyjo, glad things look better this morning, at least scale-wise. We, too, are getting our finances in order this year, and are making arrangements to consolidate some debt so we can pay it off quicker. Congrats on the student nurse position!

Ruthie...did you remember the weigh-in rules? Wear the same clothes and shoes or if you weighed in with no shoes don't wear them the following time? Half a pound is pretty easy to pick up just in clothes. Did they not measure you as well as take a starting weight? Give it a little more time. Two more weeks until you weigh in again? You should definitely see a difference by then. I'm with you on the "just do it" attitude.

Punkinseed, welcome to the group! Always room for another. Our little group has seen many come and go over the last two years or so, but we seem to be down to us "regulars" these days. Hope you stay for a while. (If you look through the threads list, you'll find more of our older threads.) With two incredible weight losses, I'm sure you have lots of tips to share!

Eydie, when do you go back to work? I wish I were still off. I was sitting staring out my office window thinking "I could be burning calories out there walking, but no....I'm stuck here doing financial reports..."

Flower, how was your day?

Gotta run, hubby has dinner ready. Will be heading out for a walk afterwards. Thankfully it's a bit warmer here...hovering at 0 degrees celsius.

Hi. Just came back from the clinic from my annual exam. NPsays she heard a few extra heart beats. I called my mom in a panic and she told me that she, my sis and my grandma have them too. I will try and relax. I should go check them out, but the clinics she named we in North Town. I would rather see if I can find somewhere nicer. Yes, I should like a snob but I want to feel safe... I am still looking for affordable insurance!

Work was okay. I packed up stuff. We are moving our office from Henderson to the West side of Vegas. I burned calories and got paid for it! The scale said 181 this morning. Gotta stay away for a week. Tell my childrens dorittos to stop calling me! I have almost talked my boss into getting a microwave fro the office so we can stop eatting out. She always pays so it isn't about the money, but the waistline.

I walked 2 times today. Yeah me! ~flower

Punkinseed, welcome. I completely forgot my manners!

Oh, damn, I had written a whole long message and then accidentally hit some button or other that made it disappear...but I was probably ranting again anyway, so I'll summarize the things I've decided.

*First and foremost, exercise MUST become a part of my normal, everyday routine.

*I won't stay on Opti Fast unless I start losing min. 2 lbs./week. It's just not healthy -- the drinks have some protein and vitamins, but mostly sugar, and no fiber. I'd kill for a salad right about now!

*If Opti Fast does work out, I'll do it for two or three months, depending on how well I tolerate it. That should bring me to around 130 lbs., and I'll take it from there with regular dieting.

*I have to lose the idea that I'm on a time schedule, that I "have" to weigh 100 lbs. by the time I start grad school in September.

Wildfire, thanks for the reminder about the weigh in "rules," but that's exactly what I hate about weigh ins -- worrying about every little piece of lint in your pockets! And worrying that your weight at that one moment in time is what your whole success is based on! I weigh myself every morning in my underwear, and I am going to watch those weights for a trend downward.

Flower...if the NP didn't tell you it was serious, I wouldn't worry. Better a few extra beats than too few, right!

Amy, congrats on the student nurse job. You're right, it should give you a good idea of what you might want to do in the future.

All right, I am going to go now, and I am going to start trying to post less. My thinking is getting a little disorganized -- I have so many goals at once and so much in my brain. Sometimes I scare myself.

Hey guys!

Where is everyone? Today has been a good food day so far but I still have several hours awake so I am not going to count chickens before they hatch.

I am starting to wonder if I am retaining fluid because weigh-in this morning was 144 were monday I was at 150? I don't know but I can say I am much happier at 144 than 150...

Ruthie ~ Take some of the advice someone elses gave me, just give it a couple of weeks and quit stressing! You didn't gain your weight in a week, you're not going to lose it in a week. I am like you I would look at yourself on the Opti-fast for a short while and see how your doing, nothing is written in blood saying you have to stay on this program! You should not beat yourself up regardless....

Punkinseed ~ Welcome!!! hope you have found your happy internet home.

I am dragging rear so I think I will make it short and sweet... Be good this weekend!!!

Post soon,
Amy
176/144/130

Finally, Friday! The short weeks are always the longest.

Well, I blew it today. We had pizza for dinner. I am not walking tonight....it's too cold and blustery out there. Going to get cozy and watch a movie with hubby. Tomorrow is another day, and I'm going grocery shopping to get good stuff to eat. (Main reasons for pizza...bare cupboards, tired Wildfire)

Ruthie, I don't find your thinking scattered at all. You're realistically evaluating this new program and setting some tentative limits. Nothing wrong with that. There was no way you could have known what it would really be like until you were on it. Keep posting! How is Guy, btw?

Flower, if the extra beats were anything to worry about, I'm sure you would have been told.

Amyjo, don't question the scale going downward! We don't need to know why, we just need to know when!

Eydie, Lamorgan, Punkin, how are you doing?

Welcome Punkinseed, sorry I didn't say hi before.

Blew it yesterday. Far too much wine and food. Today is a new day though, and it will be great.

Last night was the first time I've felt so full I feel ill in months and months. Yucky feeling.

Heading out to see mother-in-law today, couldn't go at new years, she was ill.

Over-indulgence; not such a great feeling.

L