Good Morning !
How is the challenge going for you?

~~Manatees~~ Good for you on drinking your H20...did you know that MorningStar makes a veggie corn dog and i think it was only like 2 or 3 pts for 1 of those, and they even taste good enough that DH will eat them. Dip em in mustard...too good. If you can find them, try them! I think you'll agree.

~~Ema~~ Sounds nice to move back to your home where you grew up. We moved 3 yrs ago to the house where DH grew up. No one here waiting tho! But i think your mom will be a great babysitter and you two could get closer. Think of it in a postive way, and remember how fast 2 yrs can go when you aren't upset about things. You can go do a good long workout when mom is there to watch kids. Go for it! We are there for ya.

~~KINA~~Great pics you have posted. We love seeing that smiling face. BTW, do you have that Denise Austin pilates tape? I saw it advertised w/the body band resistance thing pretty reasonable...anyone know if it's worth buying? Nice to have some new tapes when i get bored w/others. And planning ahead to winter months. Pays to think way ahead on this new WOL!

~~GRIZ~~I know how hard it is to work out when it's hot. We have had a long stint of hot/muggy/stormy weather. But I have done my inside toning work. Got to go start it up now! Day off and i get a later start. Good to hear from you. Keep strong.

~~~Genn~~~ Wow, that little black dress is sounding sexier all the time. You have a great mom to do that for you! And bless that DH 's heart for thinking of it! hey? what a guy. LOL They are all the same. I am doing good, MAYBe a loss is in the works for Sat. I will be keeping soooo busy with the company pulling in tonite. i won't eat as much i'm sure. Salads galore are on my mind. How is your sister that had the gastric bypass operation doing?


To the newbies: WELCOME. this challenge is turning out to be a great help to all. As far as wt. for someone your age BLINKGURL...i will defer to someone else in here who might know.

All for now,
thinlizzie
166/129/120:D P.S. a few tidbits for motivation today...enjoy.

" There's only one way to fail and that's to quit."
--- Author Unknown --- Submitted by Jean Runevitch --- Michigan

" Don't let your success of today lay you into complacency for tomorrow.
For that, my friend, is the worst form of failure."
--- Og Mandino --

" If you want to win, go and meet those who lost."
--- Author Unknown

" Hard work is the ultimate product of desire."
--- Copyright © 2001 Joel Hamilton


" Don't count time - make time count."
--- Author Unknown --- Submitted by Debbie E. --- Ontario, Canada

" Habit is a cable; we weave a thread of it everyday,
And at last, we cannot break it."
--- Horace Mann ---

" Coming together is a beginning
Keeping together is progress
Working together is a success."
--- Author Unknown --- Submitted by JR Velez --- New York

" Success - It is not the position you stand,
But the direction in which you look."
--- Author Unknown --- Submitted by Gajan Krishna --- Ontario, Canada

" Each new day presents us with the opportunity to live as though we never lived before. Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow is promissory. Live today. That's all you've got."
--- Copyright © 2001 Babatunde Ayoola Fajimi


" Sometimes, life may seem like a tunnel, endless and dark. Don't concentrate on the darkness, concentrate on the light at the light at the end, and you will succeed."
--- Written by Julia M. --- Georgia

Blinkgurl
 

Hey! I hope you take this the right way. My heart skipped a beat when I read your post. I'm now 28 and because of CONSTANTLY trying new diets etc. when I was your age I now weigh 228. Believe me in high school I thought I would NEVER way more than 145. BOY WAS I WRONG! I don't want you to go down the same path. So PLEASE PLEASE don't deprive yourself of food INSTEAD increase your exercise. THis will take longer but in the long run you will have more lean muscle and less fat so you'll burn more calories during the day. I knew nothing of nutrition. I thought I was eating healthy if I didn't eat all day then eat some french fries baked of course. The problem with cutting back on food is you then get so hungry you eat way too much when you do eat. I know you didn't say you were going to cut back on food I thought I would let you know what it did to me in case you did decided to go that route. If I could go back in time I would go buy or checkout at the library a book on nutrition and how to eat a healthy lifestyle instead of the quick fix diet books. Some book like Make the Connection by Bob Greene (he co-wrote with Oprah) I also would of exercised 5 times a week. I think someone your age who worked out regularly could lose probably 3-5 lbs. a month. THat may not seem like much but if you did that every month instead of yo-yo dieting you would be at your goal weight and be able to maintain it for life! That is what the rest of us are doing NOW at our ages. Good Luck and welcome to the group! I also started a walking challenge under the exercise thread that you are more than welcome to joined. It started a week ago but you could still join. Hope to see you there! I hope I didn't sound preachy to you because that was not my attempt. And again welcome to the group!

Hi, how's everyone doing today? I am in a great mood for some unknown reason! I got up and did my 1.5 mile walk and Denise. Later I'm going to weight train the ole legs.I saw this recipe on this site for pumpkin smoothies. Gonna try it out for me and the kiddos. I'll let you know how it goes.

Jacksonmom~ I think I would like to join up for your walking challenge. Sounds fun.

miata1997~ Welcome to the group. Five pounds sounds like a good place to start. Very reasonable.

Kina~ I have an eleven year old daughter too! She one of the main reasons I am taking this weight off. I want to be a positive role model for her . :D

emaleyth~ Good luck with your move! Rewards are an awesome idea! I love stamps too. My last reward was a pair of cute sandals. My ultimate reward when I reach goal is to spend the day at a spa. One hour massage here I come!!:lol:

Blinkgurl~ Sounds like you got some good advice from the other ladies here. If you are really worried, a trip to your family physican couldn't hurt either. They will be able to tell you what is right for a girl your age and what you can do to stay healthy and happy. Hang in there! ;)

Hope you all are enjoying your day. Talk to ya later.
ladyslipper

I thought you ladies might get as big of a kick out of this as I did!!! :lol:


The Perils Of Buying A Swimsuit

I have just been through the annual pilgrimage of torture and humiliation known as buying a bathing suit. When I was a child, the bathing suit for the woman with a mature figure was designed for a woman with a mature figure. Boned, trussed, and reinforced, those swim suits were not so much sewn as engineered. They were built to hold back and uplift and they did a darn good job.

Today, stretch-fabric bathing suits are designed for the prepubescent girl with a figure chipped out of marble. The woman with a mature figure has little choice. She can either front up at the maternity wear department and try on a floral costume with a skirt and come away looking like a hippopotamus that has escaped from Fantasia - or she can wander around any run-of-the-mill bathing costume departments and try to make a sensible choice from what amounts to a designer range of fluoro rubber bands.

What choice did I have? I wandered around. I made my choice and disappeared in to the small chamber of horrors known as the fitting room.

The first thing I noticed about the bathing suit was the extraordinary tensile strength of the stretch material. The lycra that goes into bathing suits was developed, I believe, by NASA to launch small rockets by a sling shot. And it comes with the bonus that as long as you can lever your body into a lycra suit, you can protect your vital organs from shark attack; the reason being that any shark foolish enough to take a swipe at your passing midriff would immediately suffer from jaw whiplash injury.

I fought my way into the first suit but as I twanged the last shoulder strap in place, I gasped in horror. My bosom had disappeared. I found one cowering under my left armpit. It took a little longer to find the other - flattened beside my 7th rib. The problem is" today's suits don't have bra cups.

The mature woman is meant to wear her bosom spread across her chest like a speed hump. I realigned my speed hump and turned to the mirror to make a full-view assessment. The suit fit all right. Unfortunately it only fit those bits of me willing to stay inside it. The rest of me oozed out of the top, bottom, and sides. I looked like a lump of playdough wearing an undersized piece of cling wrap. As I tried to work out where all these extra bits of me had come from, the sales girl poked her head around the curtain. "Oh, there y'all are," she gasped.

"Yes, they are ALL me," I replied, looking at the extra bits. "What else have you got?"

I tried on a crinkled cream one which made me look like designer tape. I tried on a floral two-piece which made me look like an oversized napkin in a napkin ring. I struggled into one of leopard skin with a ragged frill and ended up looking like Tarzan on an off day. I donned a black one with a net midriff and looked like a jellyfish in mourning, and I tried on a pink one whose legs were so high cut I would have needed to wax my eyebrows to wear it!

Finally - success. I found the one that fit. A two piece with a short style bottom and halter neck top. It was cheap, comfortable, and bulge friendly.

I bought it. When I got home I read the label: "Material may become transparent in water." I am determined to wear it. I just have to learn how to do the breaststroke on dry land.




:lol:

Welcome!
 

Just popped in to read the new posts :) Hi Blinkgirl , after reading your post I started thinking back when I was 14 yrs old myself. Weight wasnt a huge problem for me back then but I was always the biggest one in the group . All my friends were like 108-110 and I was 125 lbs. I did stupid things to lose weight.Skipped meals andthings like that . Well that lasts for about a week until you go out on the weekend with your friends and they are eating Mcd or pizza.... Please ,speak with your mom or guardian about your weight issues first. You are young and your metabolism is 10 times faster than mine is lol. I agree with the last post. Get in more exercise. Think of your favorite thing to do with friends or alone that doesnt include eating. Such as rollerblading,swimming.... Do things that keep you active. But like I mentioned above if this is something that concerns you alot,please talk to your mom and your doctor first.

Good Luck,

Gen
194/148/130

Emaleyth, I couldnt stop laughing! Boy can I relate!
 

Ema!
I started to read the big post you left... I hoped it was good! OMG is all I can say. I laughed and laughed, not at you . But at the same things we all go through as you mentioned. I have only tried on like 2 bathing suits and didnt like them .I love the halter top style but didnt find one that day. I do plan to go to an (All swimsuit store) I remember passing by that store at least a gazillion times on my way to the movies,bath & bodyworks,Starbucks... lol. Once I was passing by their entrance I could feel myself hold my breath and tense up lol. I couldnt even extend my arm to open that damn door to take a peek. Now,now ..this was many many months ago and I wasnt even thinking of losing weight then. They have gorgeous 2 piece suits there and tons of cute outfits. I will be going there in about two weeks. I will need a nice swimsuit for my anniversary coming up.
~~~~~~Miata1997 I just entered you in the challenge for a 5 lb goal. That is a great goal that can become a reality!


Gen
194/148/130

" If you want your dreams to come true ,wake up! "

Ema I don't think I've laughed that hard in a long time. Good luck to avoid the water with your bathing suit. Isn't that what bathing suits are for, hum those designers! I had to post because that was too funny of a story and we all go through that!

Hi all.

That was great Emalyth. I thought I was going to pee my pants. Especially the part about losing a boob under the armpit. Thanks for a good belly laugh!

Welcome Blinkgurl. The others had good advice for you. I wonder if we all sound like a bunch of preaching mothers, but, I too, believe starvation diets from the time I was in Junior High have contributed to me being where I am today. If I had any idea how much weight you should lose, I'd sure tell you. I guess a doctor or nutritionist would be a good idea. Just remember, whatever you do, stick-thin may be fashionable, but isn't necessarily healthy. We have fleshy curves because we're women. I was about to get on my favorite soap-box about how society treats women, but I think I'll quit right now. I'll just say welcome again and when you decide what you want to lose, this is really a great place for support.

I just had my dinner and I'm ready to have another. It's too hot outside to walk just yet. I'm going to go read a book for a while and see if putting off the food-craving will magically make it disappear for tonight. I'm not hungry. I just want to be chewing and swallowing.

See ya

Jen
238/232/140

Hi, I haven't been posting, but I've been reading! I'm so glad everyone has such a great sense of humor. The easiest way to get through this difficult task is to laugh!!
I'm going camping tomorrow with the family. I'm hoping for a great couple of days since we aren't packing too many temptations. And no beer! And lots of hiking. So I'll chat with y'all on Saturday.

Hi everyone. I have been out of sync lately. I have battling with my irregularity. So I haven't been able to get out to the track but I have been exercising with Denise every night.

So when do we weigh in for our first week. I hope that we have good numbers to report. Good Luck to everyone. I am glad it is before the weekend since my kiddos were invited to a birthday party this weekend.

Talk with you all later. bye.
Kinarina

Well, we're past the hump day and I'm still OP so I am beginning to really look forward to the first weigh-in.

Emalyth, I didn't even try to get a bathing suit this year. Maybe I should. I find that trying on pants and bathing suits provides a lot of motivation to diet! I don't usually have to face the bare truth.

Later, everyone.

Kina....
 

Hey Kina :)
Weigh in is this Saturday the 29th . Ive done pretty good this week so I hope to see those scale numbers budge a little more this week lol. My free Gym pass officially ended today ahhhhhhhh!!!! But I got good news though. My hubby's friend has a group membership for Bally's and I can get a membership for $25 a month! But I have to wait at least 3-4 days so they can transfer it to my name....I think I'll go nuts by then. I HATE waking up at 5 am to be at the Gym by 5:30 AM . The alarm goes off exactly at 5AM!!!! I open my eyes and hope it's just a dream ...that I dont really have to get up right at this moment? lol
I close my eyes again and tell myself to get back to sleep at least another 10 minutes.This lasts for about 5 minutes lol. Then I have to tell myself" IF you dont get your a__! up you're not gonna reach goal ever!,Get up! Get yourself up now! Dont think about it anymore,just get up!!!
LOL this is what I go through everymorning to get myself up. Every night I tell myself that I am looking forward to getting up and burning tons of calories! But when 5 AM comes around ...I turn into a 5 yr old throwing a tantrum lol .
Yesterday as Idrove into my driveway ,my neighbor waved me down and she started walking towards my house.
She tells me " Oh my God I had to do a doubletake when I saw you drive in!" Your face is so tiny ,I didnt think it was you! She kept staring at me from head to toe and in looking in total shock lol. Well that made my day! lol

Gen
194/148/130

Hi everyone
 

:) Hi everyone. Well Monday night I got the munchies. So since I usually don't eat after 5pm because I don't lose on days that I do eat late, I was hesitant to eat again but the tortilla chips in the kitchen were calling my name. I don't know what was different this time, because I gave in!:?: Anyway not only did I not lose that night, I gained a pound. So now I've been working to get that pound off. I know it may be water retention, but I'm mad at myself for giving in since I've done so good. So at least I managed to keep off 2 out of the 3 I had lost last weekend. So hopefully Saturday I can report that and maybe if I'm lucky since I've been working so hard since the gain at least another pound loss. I can't believe that I never give in and the one time I did I gained!:mad: sorry for crying about it, I guess it just made me realize that this new way of low fat eating has to be a complete forever lifestyle change for me. I have to give up the idea that I can sometimes just pig out:ink: Well I'll stop whining and go get some things done. Gen- it must have been great to see your neighbors reaction- Way to go!:lol: You truly are an inspiration to me. Take care. Di

Emaleyth
 

:D I forgot to compliment you on that bathing suit story! I laughed so hard, because I can relate. It was hilarious:lol: Thanks for sharing it. Di

Hello girls....