Kirsty - couldn't get Eve in Spain. Only Cosmo, Marie Claire - British and US versions. And Elle but that was twice the price and I never read it anyway. It was fun to read the US versions for a change!

Sarah - wow! lots of exercise points! How's the running?

Belle - hope the cramps go away soon. Do they let you take a hot water bottle to work?

Stacey - do the work! don't procrastinate like me!

Kay - how's the not smoking going? I'm impressed youi're doing so well, it must really help having hubbie do it too. Blokey says he's going to join WW when me move in together (Aug) so I'm looking forward to that. The book (really a PhD thesis, but I hope to publish) is looking at gender and nation in the novels of the Spanish writer Sofia Casanova (she wrote them between 1894-1914). Like, how she criticises the way Spanish women were supposed to live and suggests how things could be better. It's pretty interesting (for me, anyway!).

Back to the books!

Lxxx

Lolly, I don't know how you do it. I can't get anywhere on my damn independent study. It is only 1 damn class and I can't seem to make progress, there is so much work and I hate it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am procrastinating now as we speak. Oh, still running 1 mile per day sometime 1 or 2 tenths more if I can handle it. It is not torture but still not easy for me.

Kay - Thanks for the congrats but I am not there yet. I definitely have baby fever eventhough I try not to. I love babies and am so excited to have one. My husband always feels like there is more he wants to do before we have kids but you just decide to make the leap at some point. How was WI?

Stacey -- Good luck with points this week. Do you have trouble stying OP when you skip WI? I really need the check points. Hope you get lots of work done and can come post again soon.

Where is Brenda, Tonya, Shaylene, Ali and everyone today?

Slinko - did you WI today? I can't remeber from yesterday's post.

Ok, better do work (school work).

Sarah
194.4/162.8/153WW

Hello all~

Lisa~ I agree with Kay and evryone else....that woman was awful. But people like that never win in the end...never! Besides, you got all of us on your side and who does she have? probably no one

uh-oh! with all this talk of being frustrated with school I am getting nervous about going back the time is coming closer and closer!

Kirsty~ I have no idea what that show you are going to is like but have a great time!!!

I think I am going to ask bf's sis if she wants to see BJ with me this weekend. The mother saga with her bf and mother is still going on. I feel so bad about the situation and scared of the future MIL also. I think if push ever came to shove though, and I had children I would put my foot down. I don't want my children to be subject to such dysfunction....(brief overview, the mother is awful to the daughter and totally rejects her bf, i think the bf is nice and treats her well, he is bf's roomie so we know him well; the mother stirs up all kinds of trouble and is a control freak). Anyways, I have told bf that when we have kids they will always come first and I would not let them be subject to her. So far she hasn't gotten involved in our relationship but I'm scared she will someday.

Anyways~ I want to ask the sis so we can have some bonding time and to tell her that we will be there for her. It's tough cause I have to tread lightly, it is still her mom after all.

Well other than that~gotta get some work done!

Have a good one!

I'm ready to go home! There is a Festival going on here downtown called the Festival of the Arts. It's a pretty big deal where artists come and sell their stuff and different restaurants set up food booths. Yummy food that you can't get anywhere else.
Some of my coworkers are going there for lunch and are picking me up a personal pizza. YUMMY!!! If I didn't work downtown, it wouldn't be so bad. It goes through Sunday. Most of us in the office walk down there for lunch everyday, but I won't go until Friday. Too much fattening stuff!

I'm procrastinating...Lolly, you're a bad influence!

Sarah: Congrats on the decision to start a family. How exciting!!

Lisa: That person was just embarrassed and jealous of you for having so much willpower! I would've gone home if someone was on my machine. That just goes to show my endurance. HAHA

I am missing bunches of people but I must get ready for my 2 pm closing.

Have a wonderful day!!

TO ALL YOU GIRLS.... THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH for your kind words. I was shocked about how well I took it. Had it been a few months ago, I prob would have cried or something. But knowing that I'm on my way to a healthier me, I was just pissed that someone could say something so hurtful. YOU ALL HAVE BEEN GREAT. I got all warm and fuzzy reading your words of encouragement.

Lolly - you are cracking me up. You've become Super-Poster today... even though you've got that chapter to do. I love procratinating

Kay - I'm with you. Work is just as much work as school, but at least at school you got to live with all your best freinds and meet new people daily!

Belle, I hope your cramps go away. I don't get abdominal cramps so much.. but my boobs always get so sore!

Sarah - Good luck with the A/C people. Did you ever see the Sienfeld episode where Kramer made the phone guy wait? It was funny.

I know I didn't respond to everyone. But I truly appreciated all your encouragement!

Brenda - You still around? Maybe you're just lurking. Well, take care and good luck tomorrow night. If I can stay awake I'll be watching the game! Go Avs!

Well, I am taking the afternoon off (just for the **** of it). So you ladies have a nice evening!

HUGS!
Lisa

Morning lovelies-

Lisa - About a year ago I was walkng down the street on a gorgeous summer day with my two closest male friends.I had finished classes and were on our way to eat pizza and beer at 2 pm on a Tuesday, (Obviously, pre-WW). Someone stopped us for change and I gave him about fifty cents. His friend ran up and hit us up for more change, saying "Help me out, too, Mother Teresa." I shrugged and say i hadn't any more change. Then out of the blue he said "Well then f*** you you fat b****." I was so shocked I stood there with my mouth open, sputtering. While I wanted to kick him, I was more embarassed that my friends heard it. They're not blind and it must be clear to them that I'm overweight but we don't talk about it. They were funny about it, they got really macho and exchanged some further barbs with the guy but I walked away and started to tear up. Needless to say, I didn't go eat pizza and drink beer that day. I went home and got in bed and cried. We've never talked about it again, thank heaven. I just felt 'outed', I guess, like a very personal, very emotional issue had been opened up for public analysis. It was horrible. So, I feel for you. I'm very, very sorry.
However, don't let the ******* grind you down. Press on! You still worked out and stuck to your guns so feel free to think very highly of yourself.

slinko

Would you happen to be a U2 fan?

slinko and lisa~

something like that happened to me too when I was in college. My friend and I were getting coffee at Starbucks and a car full of guys drove by and yelled obsentities at us ya know the "fat b*tch" and stuff like that. it was awful and I was mortified. Oh and at a fraternity a guy liked me there...or so he said, probably just too drunk, but he told me flat out that all of his "brothers" were mad at him for bringing a fat girl into the frat house. I cried all night! But I do remember it was after that night that I went on a super wokout thing and lost 40 pounds....unfortunately I have since found most of them It really is cruel the way some people feel they can put down others....

Hi Ladies!

I am so busy today! So, I can't stay, but I am thinking of all of you!!!

Lisa ~ I just wanted to say "Remember....you can lose weight, but she will always be ugly!" (hee, hee!) Don't take it personally, only ignorant people make those kind of comments.

I am sorry I cannot post to you all, but I have read through most for the day, hopefully I will get a chance tomorrow!

Work calls...later!

ok this is a wierd day
I had to leave dreaded dev of mass media b/c i had or started to have an anxiety attack in class
the prof had just reprimanded someone for coughing i just left
on a bright note
Rutgers fest is a big c oncert friday with fuel one of my fave bands and some band called jurassic 5 who i have never heard of
AG Field day is a agricultural fest and folk festival and ppl have huge bbqs and its an all around good time
thats saturday but wait theres more
Sacred Path is a celebration at my college within the uni celebrating the moving up of the classes and roomies getting honored there so im going
thats on sunday
insanity? yes
debauchery? possibly
sleep deprivation? umm whats sleep i dont think thats covered in my text books

Lisa you know what you are a bigger person than that bwitch on the elliptical thingie and i dont mean the size of your jeans if shes so selfish and ill tempered i have a nice cage and shock collar to give to whoever is misfortunate enough to know her

Slink i know what you mean its wierd when the weight issue is put out their in front of your friends
all of my friends or most of them are very thin and i remember going into the mall with them and wanting to go into LB and one wanted to go in with me and the other didnt so i said screw it and i went in on my own that bum was prolly just pissed b/c he couldnt get his crack to smoke (god im so pc today lol)

Suzanne dont worry about going back to school it only takes about 2 weeks to get back in the swing you will kick arse!

Belle i feel your pain i have been having badnews cramps for days

Sarah whats your independent study on? i want to do one but now since im going for a year again i cant unless i do 2 writing intensive courses this summer
Kirsty does graham ahve a website? and im turning 25 does that mean i have a perfect bod? lolol

i just got pics back so if i have the guts i will scan a chunky pic from march and a less chunky from april and poss a i dont know what i was lol from february
anywho chicks i have tons to do bbl
Love
Kierie

The Starbucks and guys looking for change stories adn frat house stories are so sad....I have millions of those stories, but the worst for me was when one of my co-workers hubbies told me he was surprised that my b/f started datng me since I was so fat. I was choked. This was only a few months ago, so I was VERY shocked - he is like 30 years old, I thought people grew out of stuff like that. I guess not.

The sad thing is, no matter what, society is hard on overweight people. WE can be beautiful, smart, successful, and it doesn't matter - b/c overweight people are still viewed as being in a way crippled, less successful, less attractive.....and when people want to be rude (like elliptical freak girl and fraterity freak boy) they choose the most obvious sore point - our weight. I guess that is part of why we are all losing weight, right? To fit in to society, conform to their norms, to wear the clothes that the majority can wear, to look "good" according to their standards. Of course, we also want to be healthy and fit, and feel good physically, but there is also the feelign good about ourselves aspect, that is largely dictated by society. Now, I am not talking about taking Kirsty's skeleton Ally McBeal book to heart, of course, none of us think that is right, but I would JUST ONCE, like to walk into the Gap and not feel like the sales girls are thinking "what is SHE doing here, the plus store is down the hall".

That is just my opinion of course. But Lisa's story brings up a good point - we are all victims of this, whether we are from the US, UK or Canada until we lose the weight....and even then, some size 2 chicky-poo with attitude will say something....as ex-chubs we will take it more to heart though....

I guess what we have to realize is that it is not personal. It is, but do you think that elliptical - freak girl for once considered who lisa is a person and thought how deeply she might hurt her? Nope. She was probably just a ***** who had a nasty streak and lashed out for no real reason, moved on. Probably never thought of it again.....

When I was a kid, there was this guy who used to call me fat names all the time, Sean Orr of Calgary AB Canada who livedin Silver Springs and is a big ugly jerk (just in case he reads this). It hurt me so bad, I would go home and cry and cry. Now, I was a popular kid then, and I had lots of people to back me up and I could have had this kid beaten to a pulp, but I didn't, b/c that would embarass me more - by admitting that it hurt and bothered me. So I know all about the "outing" that Slinko was talking about. I didn't want my friends to acknowledge it. Sadly, mom did, and make a big thing out of it at the school....to this day she refers to it and it still hurts me, I don't think she gets that I am not over ugly, big nosed Sean Orr, who failed 3 grades and couldn't put a sentence together, calling me fat names.

Wow, that felt good!!!!

Good riddance Sean Orr, I hope you are made fun of for your brainlessness for eternity!!

KO - post your pics girl!!

Well, I have wasted my half hour lunch and must mosey. Hello to all of you.....sorry this wasn't at all personal, I just got a bit passionate there.

Belle

Well I almost made up for my 2# gain from last week. I lost 1.8# so I am happy. 3 more to go before goal.

Belle ~ You make so many great points in your post! I was medium sized as a child and in College so fortunately I never had to deal with people commenting on my weight. They DID however make fun of my braces on my teeth in second grade, the fact that my family couldn't afford Guess jeans and Polo shirts in Jr. High because they wanted me to go to private school, and the fact that I was a virgin up until I met my husband. The bottom line is that all of us have grown so much through this bullying and we are all so strong and successful.

There it feels better to get it out.

Lolly ~ The smoking thing has gone well! I am at 3 1/2 weeks since I quit. I slipped Friday and had 2 cigs, but I stopped at 2 (which is huge for me). I had been really craving them the week before so when I had a few beers in me I broke down. The good thing is that since I gave in, I really haven't craved them since. They weren't as great as I remembered! Now the smell bothers me and I think that I can really do it this time. It is very similar to losing weight, sometimes you slip a bit but as long as I get back on the wagon, I'll do it!

Thanks for all of your support!

Suzanne ~ Frat boys can be real jerks (not all of them, just the immature ones)! I was in a sorority and I remember some of the mixers where the guys we're absolutely idiots. Once they heard that I wasn't going to sleep with them, they didn't want to talk to me. Luckily there was always free beer so I could care less what they thought of me. Me and my sisters would just ignore the a$$holes and dance the night away.

Kierie and Stacey ~ Those festivals sound like so much fun! I'm Czech so I always try to make it to the Czech fest in West, Texas (West is the name of the town). The food is always SOOOOO good. BBQ and Kolaches and Beer! You can't get much better! I'm also Catholic, so the parish Bazaar is always a big time, too. I think ours this year is in May...Can't wait! Have fun!

I gotta jet. Talk to ya'll later!
K