Thanks pipefitter and thanks for your support for those of us that are losing weight and getting healthy.
Hi all, and welcome Bast!
Well some parts of this diet are easier than others. Caffeine withdrawl is nasty and sugar cravings are mean when there’s birthday cake in the office. And, I hate water!
Oh, well. At least I can keep the exercise up. I wrote up a check sheet with specific times to go climb stairs on it to help me remember. The potential guilt of an unchecked box is what keeps me going so far.
Better luck to all of you!
{{{Group Hug}}}
Chrisbar
Well, here is another day of watching what you eat. Ihope everyone is doing well on their weight loss! 
Here’s a tip for those of you that hate water. Try putting in a little lemon juice to flavor the water, no sugar though.
Good luck again to all, especially to you purplebear.
I know it’s probably just water weight, but my pants do feel looser. I can breathe!
Yesterday, I walked to and from the Train Station instead of driving. It was probably only about 4 miles total, but it felt good. I’m not going to drive the whole time my family is gone, I’ll walk instead.
Someone told me about a route to walk around here that is five miles, I’m going to try it this evening.
I’ve cut way down on useless snacks, but I’m having a hard time eating a balanced diet. I think tonight I’m going to buy a pre-packaged salad from the store and add some lean meat and a little cheese to make a chef’s salad.
Best wishes to everybody. Thanks for all the support!
Hi, everyone. I haven’t been posting much because my connection has been so slow the last couple of days.
I have noticed that eating breakfast and a sizable lunch has completely eliminated my afternoon snacking, which is probably my biggest problem. (You know, sitting in front of the computer after I get home from work, reading the board…) I also don’t have quite the craving for sweets, although I did eat a little ice cream last night.
After this week, my work schedule will be a lot lighter (because I’ll be working on my thesis! Yikes!), and I will have more time for exercise.
Good luck, everyone! Thanks for the support!
Hello, everyone! I’m so sorry that I haven’t been able to check in for the past few days. Family in town for our son’s graduation from hi school. On Monday our 'puter decided to pretend it didn’t have a mouse or a keyboard for several days. 
So, that’s why I haven’t been here to check in. Sigh.
Bast, welcome to our group! Glad to have you here, sounds like you have a good plan already. For support or anything else you need, just check in and let us know. If any of us can help, I’m sure we will, I certainly will.
phouka, I do understand how PMS can mess you up on the inside. I also can relate a lot more than I want to admit to about your mom. Hang tough, and know that we are all here for you, no matter what. Do the best you can, and ignore her comments as much as you can. I know, easier said than done, but try. Email me and yell if you have to, or cry, or whatever works for you. {{{{{{phouka}}}}}}}
pipefitter, my dear. 
You’re silly! Of course she’ll need to gain some weight! She’s only a 5mo old Jack Russell mix puppy after all! The point is…well…never you mind… :o I know you got it, and are just picking on me as usual. I know, I messed up on the dessert, I’ll do better, I promise you. Thanks for the ongoing support. I need it a lot some days. {{{{{{{pipefitter}}}}}}}
mselainey, welcome to the nuthouse! Just kidding, of course about the nuthouse. Well, most of the time, anyway. Glad to have you with us. Tell us some about yourself, and what your goals are. We’re here to help each other. Thank you for that, I did it mostly for myself, to prod myself into sticking with it, and losing all of the weight I need to lose for my health.
evilbeth, I’m so sorry to hear that you’re having a tough time right now. What can I do to help? I’m here for you. I’ll look forward to checking out the recipe thread in a bit. I’m wanting to add some of my own, maybe tomorrow I can. {{{{{{{{evilbeth}}}}}}}}
chrisbar, that sounds like an excellent idea! Glad you’re doing so well.
I have had a very busy couple of days, getting my son across the stage (3 scholarships and the Superintendant’s Award!), shuffling family here and there, and eating most of our meals out. So, now I need to get back on track with my eating and see how much, if anything I’ve lost of late. I haven’t even weighed myself since Sunday, been so busy.
Take care, all of you, and I’ll have more time to post tomorrow, I hope. Be good to yourselves!
{{{{{{{{{GroupHugs}}}}}}}}}
I am back to normal. Thanks for your support, purplebear! It means alot. I have not shown any weight loss as far as pounds go (and that’s how my lovely Weight Watchers pals measure you) BUT all my pants are very loose. I must be getting at least a little muscle tone back! I mean, I have had to wear a belt to hold them up!
That’s great evilbeth! Doesn’t it feel wonderful? I think weight watchers can be helpful, but in my exerience a lot of your co-dieters will be pound obsessed bores. Oh well, it’s tons better than Jenny Craig. Can you believe I went in there once with my sister and they tried to talk me into joining? At the time, I was 5’10" and 130lbs! There’s gotta be a law against that or something.
Again, congratulations! Best wishes to everybody.
Gosh, I’m sorry I didn’t check out this thread sooner–I thought it was about people with big bosoms!
Please keep posting–it’s inspiring. I really need to lose some weight. I now look just like my grandmother–and we used to sneak into her bathroom to look at the panties she had handwashed and hung out on a rack to dry. They were the biggest panties in the WORLD and I probably wear ones just as big now!!! My goal is to wear size 6 panties!
I gained a lot of weight during grad school. I started having asthma attacks which made exercise just unbearable. The more weight–the less exercise. I have read so much about it being impossible to lose weight and keep it off it’s hard to really get started. Did weight watchers three times–lost 10 pounds each time then gained 20.
I am trying to restart my exercise–have a membership at the gym and want to go to water aerobics which will start again when school is in session (the gym is on campus where I work).
I need to hear that it is possible to lose weight!
Good luck, good luck and much success to everyone!
Hello again! What in the world is this thread doing on the 2nd page?? Not a good sign. Come on, everyone check in please! I’m so sorry that I ran out of time to post to it yesterday. Also, to tell the truth, I’ve been very bad the last few days, with family here, and eating out almost every meal. After our son’s graduation on Monday night, we went to my MIL’s for an ice cream cake, and I had a small slice. I had another one tonight, to not hurt my son’s feelings. Oh, well. Tomorrow’s another day.
Glad to hear from you, smilingjaws. Welcome aboard! 
evilbeth, you’re quite welcome. Anytime.
Where are the rest of you? Please check in and let me know how you’re doing. I’m getting worried.
Welcome aboard, Smilingjaws. Nice to get another face on this thread.
Purplebear, we understand, that with everything that has been going on this week, it’s hard to be good with watching what you eat. The biggest thing is, that you are still limiting how much of the sweets and hi calorie foods you eat.
Keep up the good work, everyone.
Unfortunately, I don’t have any more expert advice here than I did in the Smoke-Out topic. (I have a fast metabolism and find it difficult to gain OR lose weight)
I do want to encourage each and every one of you to try, however, and don’t be discouraged by any temporary setbacks.
For however little it’s worth, I agree with the posts about juices: There’s a “Jamba Juice” right next to where I work, and when I get a power sized “Strawberries Wild”, that alone can fill me up–I don’t need anything else to eat or drink until dinner.
(The downside is having to go to the bathroom about 6 times after lunch)
Purplebear–thanks for welcoming me in Shayna’s Smoke-Out thread!
Best of luck to you all in your worthy endeavours!
Purplebear, you’re doing great, don’t worry about a slice or two of ice cream cake. This weekend, I plan on enjoying all the goodies that Copenhagen has to offer - Scarlett is going to take me walking up several towers, so I figure I’ll work it off. If not, so what? If it is a choice between enjoying life and staying chubby, then I choose to stay chubby!
Good luck to everybody! I’ll check in when I get back from the EuroDoper’s meeting. If ya’ll want postcards, please e-mail me with your address.
Go! Go! Go!
<<just checking in>>
I should have checked back in here sooner! I have not abandoned you guys - I still have you in my thoughts every day and hope everyone’s doing well.
Me, not so hot. I’m still driving through McDonalds and eating way too late at night. So I think for right now I’m going to focus on my not smoking and worry about the healthier eating later. I’ll just pop in here to check on everyone and cheer you guys on if that’s ok.
tatertot and evilbeth, that is SO cool that your pants are looser - you go girls!
purplebear, you know I’m rooting for you all the way. You are doing great, girlfriend.
{{{{{{{{{{EVERYBODY}}}}}}}}}}
Anyone need a sponsor for a day or a week?
Sure, Shayna, I could use a sponsor! I went to my WW meeting on Thursday fully expecting to have gained a pound or so but determined to not care what the scale said, since I knew that my clothes fit differently.
Anyway, I have lost a grand total of 14 pounds in four weeks!!! I know it’s not that much but I haven’t lost any measurable weight in years! (Of course, I wasn’t really trying, either…)
I am very happy and rather motivated now!
Thanks, guys!
Beth, 14 pounds in a months sounds like a lot to me! In fact, if it was a lot more, it would sound unhealthy.
A lot of people seem to be really focused on their eating habits, and if you mostly eat junk food, that’s understandable, but remember, you won’t lose weight without excercising. And in my experience, excercise is one of the best inducements to eating well. After you spend an hour at the gym on the stairmaster, you won’t want to blow all that good calorie-burning by having a Big Mac for dinner.
I graduated college in March and have been living with my parents since then, in an effort to save money for grad school. When I was in school, I walked at least a couple miles a day, just getting around campus, ate lots of veggies because they were cheap, and almost never ate junk food because it was such an extravagance on a college student’s budget. I wasn’t skinny, but I was at a pretty healthy size. Since moving back home, I have found that my willpower has crumbled in the face of my parents’ well-stocked fridge. Why have vegetables for dinner when I can microwave a pizza? Look, ice cream in the fridge, sounds good! I never weigh myself, so I don’t know how much I weighed in March, or how much I weigh now, but I can see a difference, and it ain’t pretty. I still fit into the same size 12 jeans (I’m 5’5"), but they seem a little tighter. I was a skinny kid for most of my life (until I hit 15 or so), and this is making me feel almost like a stranger in my own body. I feel physically and mentally weak and unhappy with my self-image. Reading this thread has inspired me. I was trying to get in the habit of excercising again when I got a nasty cold/cough that temporarily halted those plans. It’s going away now, and I’ll get back on track tomorrow. Thanks and good luck to all.
Beth, 14 pounds in a months sounds like a lot to me! In fact, if it was a lot more, it would sound unhealthy.
A lot of people seem to be really focused on their eating habits, and if you mostly eat junk food, that’s understandable, but remember, you won’t lose weight without excercising. And in my experience, excercise is one of the best inducements to eating well. After you spend an hour at the gym on the stairmaster, you won’t want to blow all that good calorie-burning by having a Big Mac for dinner.
I graduated college in March and have been living with my parents since then, in an effort to save money for grad school. When I was in school, I walked at least a couple miles a day, just getting around campus, ate lots of veggies because they were cheap, and almost never ate junk food because it was such an extravagance on a college student’s budget. I wasn’t skinny, but I was at a pretty healthy size. Since moving back home, I have found that my willpower has crumbled in the face of my parents’ well-stocked fridge. Why have vegetables for dinner when I can microwave a pizza? Look, ice cream in the fridge, sounds good! I never weigh myself, so I don’t know how much I weighed in March, or how much I weigh now, but I can see a difference, and it ain’t pretty. I still fit into the same size 12 jeans (I’m 5’5"), but they seem a little tighter. I was a skinny kid for most of my life (until I hit 15 or so), and this is making me feel almost like a stranger in my own body. I feel physically and mentally weak and unhappy with my self-image. Reading this thread has inspired me. I was trying to get in the habit of excercising again when I got a nasty cold/cough that temporarily halted those plans. It’s going away now, and I’ll get back on track tomorrow. Thanks and good luck to all.
I never moderated my eating habits in any real way before I started doing this so that explains the large loss. Also, I hate water and so I never drank any until this. My body is just flushing out all kinds of crap! I am exercising–nothing too strenuous yet (don’t have the energy!) but I am walking several miles a week. In fact, I am going on my daily walk in about an hour! Thanks for the concern, though!
Hello! Hello! So sorry that I haven’t checked in for several days. Whew, there has been a lot to do around here. Trying to squeeze in a lot while Mr Bear is home is proving to be more of a challenge than I thought it would be. I’m so glad to see so many of you still checking in here!
It has been a bit difficult to stick to eating healthy, but I’m doing the best I can for now. On the plus side, my hubby is now convinced that I am indeed serious about losing this weight, and he has been very supportive, as well as trying to eat healthier himself! He has told me that I look like I’ve lost more than just 30lbs, and that he loves me regardless of how I look! :o
Take care, all of you, thanks for checking in, keep up the good work! I’ll try to spend some more time on here tomorrow and catch up on how everyone’s doing. Thank you so much for the support, and knowing that I’m not alone in this is making it a lot easier for me to stick to this.
DRY, you are quite welcome. Thank you for supporting us here.
Shayna, you’re still my good buddy for coming here. Not to worry, what you’re doing is very hard, I do understand completely.
Sorry I don’t have time to comment on everyone today, I’ll do better tomorrow.
{{{{{{{{GroupHugs}}}}}}}}}