Hee hee! Ok we all know that we have to get back on. Thanks Linda for the reminder to start the thread again. I tried! honestly I did, but the server was being "served" and I couldn't until now.

I HAVE FANTASTIC news...I weighed in on Saturday morning and down -5.6!!!!!!! I almost kissed the lady! All she could say was "WOW! How did you do it?" I tell you, it was WATER, WATER, WATER! One cup of coffee in the morning and then 1 litre of water before I allowed myself to have another coffee! I've been writing things down, measuring, weighing and trying to keep balance in my life. I've been walking at lunchtime and really fighting to get my milk in. I added yoghurt (something I have not been having!).

So how did you all do????

Hooray Elan!!!! We know it works when we put all the elements into play!

wtg!

Freakin' awesome Elan. Seee... we all KNEW you were doing great things - it was just a matter of time.

So water, eh? I like your coffee, 1 litre before more coffee trick. I used to do that in the evenings for Diet Coke. No more till I drank a full glass of water. Amazing how drinking more water makes you want... uhmmm - MORE WATER! Upping my water over the past few weeks has done wonders to curbing my diet soda habit. One glass a day (at best) and that's it now. Before it was (shamefully) more than 1 litre a day, sometimes close to 2. Yikes, eh?

As for the yogurt - great thing! I read an article not to long ago about how calcium helps you lose weight. If you don't have enough calcium, your kidneys will release a chemical called Calcitriol. This chemical essentially tells the brain to store fat. And... most often the fat is stored in the belly and hips. So.... getting your fill of dairy (calcium) not only blocks the release of the chemical and increases your fat burning capacity, but it also reduces the amount of fat stored specifically in the hips/waist - making it the only know spot reducer. The catch - you have to do "real" dairy. Calcium supplements don't work.

Okay - enough preaching. Time to have another glass of water...

Keep at it girls!

Good morning, all. Congrats on your great loss Elan!
I weigh in today, I am not expecting a loss as I was a bad girl over this weekend. I would be happy to not have a gain, though.
I do this to myself. Weekends are really hard. Everyone kind of "parties" at my house and my husband is a bad influence when he is home on weekends. He is one of "those people" who can eat what he wants and never gain. I, on the other hand, follow him along sometimes and eat only a little bit or a low fat/low cal version of what he eats and STILL gain, and for both of us I guess?
Oh well.
By the way, is anyone else having trouble with this site? I had to keep shutting down the Internet, going back on and then I wasn't able to read or post for awhile. I hope they get the kinks worked out of this site as I had to spend three times as long to just BE here and read in order to even make this post. Yesterday, and on Saturday night, my posts weren't working and were "stalling". I wonder if the new server is worse than the old one?

Elan water has been my magic bullet this time around too!! I am thrilled for you and your success this week! Well done you!

Wow Elan, that is awesome. Congratulations
Hello everyone and have an awesome OP day.
Ann

Well. the bad news is that I went to my meeting today and gained 1.2 pounds. I know what I did wrong, but it's still not easy to deal with.
I've got to kick this in high great, it's like I'm on an escalator trying to go in the wrong direction.

Me too im re-starting today i know most of you ladies probably remember me well im doing it again and im gonna exercise (havent done that forever) LOL
Michelle

Hi! Sorry for my absence... well, not really. I spent a relaxing weekend doing NOTHING and man, did I need it!

Thanks for the reminder to drink water! Part of my doing nothing included a two-day "eating tour" of another city, which neatly coincided with PMS so you know that went well...

I'm back and behaving myself today. It's a short week!

As for me, it's the same old, same old thing. I've got to find a way to re-gain my enthusiasm for this. I want it, but I'm tired of it all to be honest.
We all have our days.

You've been hanging in there a long time, Linda. You CAN do this! On days like this, you could celebrate what you have lost, not linger on what you have left to lose. 18 lbs!!!

I know my weight loss will be slow and you inspire me to keep going even when I have set backs like aches and pains! Don't worry, I hold you harmless for the cake I keep sneaking into my diet!

Sask - You're right about calcium helping with weight loss as well as it needs to be natural but we must remember that for our body to use calcium it needs vitamin D. In Canada our milk is fortified with Vitiman D - I would think it is in the US as well. Yogurt, cheese, etc aren't as regulated.

Have a great day!

I added Dannon light n' fit yogurt smoothies (1 pt) to my breakfast to help out on the calcium front. I was also slacking on the servings of milk. The carb/sugar control strawberry banana is my most recent crave, although they are all good.

So, Michelle, what's your new exercise routine? Mine used to be getting to the gym at 5:30 am with my hottie male workout partner to spend 20 minutes on the exercise bikes and another 20 minutes watching the muscular guys we were going to catch with our new-found bodies while "resting our muscles" and "re-hydrating." I really need to get back to the gym, too!