After having my surgery and working my program following, Ive come to realize that though some of the time I had a point, I used excuses as a crutch. I remember seeing Ali talking about being scared to be anything other than fat.And I thought to myself, how crazy is that. We all want to be healtheir and more attractive, comfortable and etc. But we use excuses to keep ourselves the size we are and sabbatoge our own happiness.
Im so glad I found something to break me of this habbit. Im not affraid of being healthy anymore and I hope that one day we will all be able to search and destroy these feeling,s and emotions, and excuses that hold us back.
I know one of my major ones was/is my c section incision which still 9 year's later get's infected and keeps me from exercising a couple weeks at a time. But Im not going to let that hold me back anymore. There is SO many types of exercise that is more effective then sitting on your butt. Every lil bit counts for something. Just because you cant do an hour of straight cardio, doesnt mean that a brisk walk is that far outta reach.
Im so excited to be realeased to go back to the gym and I have found that every day I go to the gym, turns out to be a good day for me. I have increased energy, and I feel like Ive accomplished something througout my day.
Swimming, biking, taking classes. We can ALL do it! Just get up and move!

I can't remember if it was Kelly or Ali who said something to the fact that they "didn't know why they chose to hang on to all that weight" and that really hit home with me. Hanging on to the weight was a choice - everytime I ate donuts, cookies, ice cream, etc. I was chosing to stay heavy. Well, now I'm choosing not to be heavy and does it ever feel good! Going to the gym for me is a treat - I go after work as my reward for making it through another day!

It's all about choices. Instead of looking at food and telling myself that I "can't" have it, I tell myself that I'm choosing not to have it. There's no law saying that I can't have a cookie or pizza, and I believe that the more people tell themselves that they "can't" have it, they will end up wanting it more until the point comes where one cookie becomes a box of cookies. By "choosing" not to have the cookie, you are giving yourself power over that craving and that food.

Losing weight is hard work, and I didn't realize that until recently. Let's face it - eating a lot of tasty stuff IS a lot of fun - until the day comes when you look in the mirror and truly don't like what you see. Going to the gym and choosing healthy foods isn't easy at first, but over time, it becomes a habit. As much as I would love to drop 13 pounds in one week like Ali, I know it isn't practical, so I do the best I can do and keep at it!

I know where Ali is coming from - I've never known a life of anything other than being heavy. But it sure is going to be fun finding out how the "other half" lives!

You got it, bama. It's not about deprivation, it's about choices.

People ned to ask themselves one or two questions:

Will this behavior (eating half a pizza, skipping workouts, etc.) bring me closer to my goal? If the answer is yes, you're set.

If the answer is no, the next question should be, "Is it worth it to delay reaching my goal?" Sometimes the answer may be yes but you've always got a choice.

It really is about choice and excuses. There were times when I'd eat a large bag of chips, a chocolate bar, drink 2L of pop, snack on a large bag of jellies, and eat a 4 serving meal all in one evening. I'd tell myself I should stop and then I'd just shrug because another bowl of chips or piece of chocolate didn't matter, I was already fat after all. Well it certainly did matter! It adds up, especially when it's done night after night. Oh and I'd make excuses thoughout the day too, about being on my feet all day and that I must have burned lots of calories, etc. Not nearly enough to make a difference compared with the crap I was putting in my body. I really didn't pay much attention to how many calories were in a serving or what they meant either. I would never think 250 calories sure is a lot for only 27 chips. Or that 425 was crazy for a tiny bag of cheezies. (These are estimates of course, I don't know the actual number off-hand.)

It really came down to a decision. I took control of my health and my weight. I became accountable for what I ate, how much I ate and how much exercise I really was getting. I crunched the numbers and had a plan to lose the weight. I bought a scale and a treadmill and I worked on it, setting small goals and beating them as often as I possibly could. (That along brought a huge sense of pride.) I gave up chips, chocolate, jellies and pop. That's not to say I've never had them again, but I choose not to make it an every day or even an every week thing. When I do have them, I'm very careful with how much and if I know they will only make me hungrier or crave them more than I opt for a healthier snack. Popcorn is defintely my favorite choice and I measure the butter that goes on it. I work it into my daily calories. I no longer eat microwave popcorn either, only air popped. The healthier I ate the more the flavors came out in those foods and the more fake processed foods tasted to me. There was actually a strong almost chemical like after taste with some foods, or it left my mouth feeling coated like I had been eating margarine. I find I now crave healthy foods more than I craved the junk foods.

I know so many people that haven't come to this point and although they say they want to lose weight, they still refuse to choose the healthier option with foods. They say they don't want to deprive themselves. And I think, what are you depriving yourself of by being overweight?

SW, I love your new pic. You are so cute!

Sorry to go off topic of your post, but what's the deal with your C-section incision? Is there anything they can do about that? What about cutting it out, pulling the skin down and doing another incision? I had two C-sections 18 and 21 years ago and never had any trouble of any sort. I don't think you should have to live with this! Especially since you are still of child baring age. You are too young for dealing with something that the doc must have goofed up on.

I have to ask, is there any possibility something unsanitary was left inside when they did your C-section? I've heard of that happening, although I would assume if the source were not removed that the infection would not go away at all.

I wish you the best, and I hope there is something that can be done about that. What a thing to have to go through, and totally unnecessary it would seem.

It's really funny to me that Ali said what she said. I had blogged on Sparkpeople.com about the same thing months ago. I had a revelation that my weight was just an excuse not to live. Instead of summarizing, I've posted my blog entry below:

"I am a diamond in the rough and my fat is the coal. Ocassionally my brilliance shines through and a few people get to see who I really am. But more often than not, my exterior is as far as most people get. It just occured to me that maybe I'm afraid of letting people see my worth because there would be nothing for me to retreat into or hide behind. This just came to me as I typed. I never really thought about that. Sometimes being fat is an excuse...it allows you/me to excuse the hurt I feel or the way people (mis)treat me or gives me the excuse for not jumping feet first into the unknown. Wow...this is some pretty awesome revelation. It kinda goes hand in hand with the way I feel about my talent. I am a damn good actress but right now I can get some peace and quiet. If I feel like singing in my car I can do so and no one but the person driving within earshot would care. But once I reach that celebrity status (there is no doubt here if you haven't noticed) that freedom of being an unknown will all but disappear. Same thing with my weight. I can say that I don't want to ride a roller coaster because I don't fit. But truthfully I don't want to ride them because I'm scared. Just like the thing about Hollywood (LA). I say that I don't want to go to LA right now because I don't fit (the look) but actually I'm scared to even try (of the uncertainty). How many of us have made excuses for our inactivity, saying our weight prevents us when really it's our fear? A really interesting question..."

I agree. A woman shouldn't be having problems with C-section incisions years later. Get to the doctor!

Wow mzkannon this is wonderful!
Thank you for sharing.

I am so glad I read this post. Because I feel the same way. I am so afraid of not being fat. But I have just realized I am more afraid to be fat. I still have this nagging fear that no one will like me when I am no longer the fat girl. But that's okay because I know my girls will love having a mom that can run and play with them and that can swing in the swing next to them at the playgorund.

I have not had a soda or a candy bar since Friday. And as of Saturday I have been getting in my 60 oz of water. I have been using the crystal light packs for my water cuz as hard as I try I cannot or really won't drink water plain. I have also been going to the gym more and more consistently. I weighed myself Tuesday morning and I had lost 1 lb in the last week and I weighed myself again today and I have lost 2 lbs since Tuesday.

Congrats on the weight loss.
It does get easier when you don't eat candy bars or drink sodas.
As for the water, drink small amounts throughout the day. It's critical for your body that it's replenished daily with at least a half gallon of water.

Ouch! Yeah, what's up with that? Are you sure they didn't leave something behind? That's my greatest fear when it comes to surgery. Well that, and the whole not waking up from anesthesia. You have my sympathies. I had a hysterectomy insicion(sp)? that kept getting infected a few years back.

As for the whole excuse/reason for losing weight. I truly believe that all the stories you read, reasons why people tell you to lose, etc... aren't going to help you. In the end, the only way you lose weight is when you are ready to. It's the same thing with smoking, drinking, whatever. I do think support, help from friends, inspirational stories help you get there in the end. But unless you, yourself decide you're ready to do it, nothing will work in the end. I hope that made sense. I'm a little tired today, so forgive me if it didn't!

I agree with everyone eles here...get back to the doctor and have them do a scan or something..theres no reason to be having issues with a C-section this far into it...it maybe something eles and just feels like the C-section...I'll pray you feel better and get some help with what ever is wrong

anesthesia!!!! my goodness I hate getting surgery cause I CAN NOT do same day stuff..I don't wake up right from it, the last time i had surgery it was same day and i got sent home...30 min later my wife was calling 911 cause when she checked on me I was blue and only breathing maybe 6-8 times a min...they rushed me back to the hospital while ventilating me and i ended up there for 3 days....they said they didnt really know what happen, but it wasnt good...scary eh

Thank god I didnt have to have surgery for my shoulder this time...I was a bit leary of going thru with it..

Big G, how scary! I think you are awefully brave that you were going to go through with the shoulder surgery after what happened before! Glad you don't need it though.

Grace, I am sorry you had to have a hysterectomy. That is hard enough for anybody I can imagine, but you are so young.

My biggest fear is them leaving something in there too. My DH told me that the doc and nurses spent a lot of time counting each piece of equipment and checking everything off on a chart before sewing me up after my C's. You hear of it happening though.

Brandi, please do have that checked out. Gosh, it is so bad for your body to continually be infected.

jbc, I agree with BGSU, you really need your water throughout the day. I don't like water either, so what I do is drink it at room temp, so I can just down it quick. I have 8 oz at a time, throughout the day. I find with cold water I tend to sip and never get anywhere.

I know what you mean about cravings! I will say tho ( you have to have will power BUT it worked for me ) When I was dieting and losing weight, for the first full month and some change I didnt cheat not one time! But then when I got into my second month I noticed craving's here and there. They were always either very salty or very sweet. So one day I was standing face to face with a pint of Ben and Jerry's and I made a decision that I feel helped me through my dieting past that point.
I allowed myself to cheat ( a lil ). Explanation:
If I went to dinner with my hubby and he ordered cheesecake and I REALLY wanted some...I'd take a bite. NO MORE THAN 2.
It helped me because the craving's started to subside when my mind realized that If I wanted it, I could have it. Because you know, you always want what you cant have.

Aww thanks so much
Basicly I have that ever large belly lap hanging thingy...lol because of it the incision has never been exposed to air and therefore never healed correctly on the outside and due to being open here and there the scar tissue on the inside is piling up behind it and pushing it open from the inside too...go figure...double wammy. BUT a tummy tuck following my weight loss will take care of it.

O BELIEVE ME...everytime it opens Im there, they've even had to BURN it back together....
BUT a tummy tuck following the weight loss will take care of it

That sounds so painful Brandi! Well, ya know what? It won't be long and you'll be where you want to be weight-wise, and then can get that tummy tuck and never have to worry about that again. You are going to feel and look fabulous, although you're cute as a button now anyway!

Ouch! well, good luck on the procedure.

What holds me back has always been booze. I guess if we are being honest, I have always struggled with being a binge drinker. It is actually one of the reasons that I consciously make an effort to date women who do not drink as to avoid the tempation as much as possible. I don't have a weight issue, but it is definitely a health issue when you fall into a bad drinking pattern as I did after my father passed away. Many of my friends go out for drinks all the time, and I love going out with them, but I do find I have a hard time stopping when I start. This also leads to bad food choices as let's be honest one doesn't decide to make the healthiest food choices after a few too many drinks. I do try to limit my going out to once a week, but when holiday season is upon us, let's just say the diet takes a nose-dive and it is mostly driven by all the alcohol being served that time of year.

You and I have a lot in common, Gooch. For a while there, it was nothing for me to drink an entire bottle of wine in just a couple of hours. I could go without it for days and not miss it but once I started? I'd drink it all.

When it started to become a regular 3-bottle/weekend thing, I knew something had to give. Not only would the booze be the end of me, the additional calories in the wine alone would have me gaining 30 lbs. a year And that's not even counting the unhealthy foods I ate with abandon with the wine.

Anyway, that's what held me back. I'm happy to say that it doesn't anymore.

It is funny that I actually do an alcohol "lent" every year. I don't drink from New Year to Super Bowl just to prove to myself that I can avoid it. It also helps that after New Year I am absolutely spent with all the parties I go to. Being a New Year's Eve baby I always tell people I was born to drink as everyone is celebrating my birthday.

The first year I actually did my lent I managed to drop I believe 15 pounds in one month. I was eating great and getting to the gym and my results blew my mind.

Hey Gooch.........can't really blame your self for the booze eh.....it's in your heritage, canadians are supposed to drink booze...lol....all joking aside, I'm sure its hard...for me its the smoking.....even though i have only been smoking for about 9 years now...It so hard to quit, i know its not holding me back from loosing wieght, but It does hold me just a bit from really hard work outs....lose my breath and all...well the smoke and my big gut eh ..But I will stop...Just one step at a time....lose my wieght then lose the smokes

Keep up the good work.........

Bal-Ny? no big worries........you look pretty hot and doing great..a bit of wine is ok i think....

Awww Shuck's...lol

Thanks for the kind words BigG. You can definitely say drinking is part of our heritage up here in Canuckland. Unfortunately for me with all the health baggage my parents gave me genetically, it also included alcoholism on both sides. Interesting enough it is binge drinking and not the need to drink every day thing. Both of my older brothers are the same where they can easily go without, but once they start they are in for the long haul.

Have you ever considered trying Chantix for your smoking? I have heard many positive stories from online friends and many smokers that I know are strongly considering it as it appears to have many success stories. Just a thought and perhaps something you may want to research for yourself.

I am talking to my doc about chantix..i have heard lots about it as well....thanks

Wow - some great posts since I was here yesterday! mzkannon, yours had me in tears - have you been reading my journal?! Because that's how I've felt exactly!

A bit more about me - I've always been heavy, but I really went out of control a couple of years ago. Three years ago, I lost my mom. Then, two of my closest friends moved away. Two years ago, I lost my job. A few months after that - my beloved Chocolate Lab died. That was pretty rock bottom. I felt like I had nothing - except my father. I'm very close to my Dad, and I'm convinced that he's the only reason I'm still around. I wouldn't have done anything to hurt him. But I did eat the pain away. You name it, I ate it. Chinese, Mexican, sweets, chips, whatever tasted good. My weight skyrocketed.

I eventually did get another job, and last year my Dad became ill. He passed away in July. But instead of sending me into a tailspin, it had the opposite affect. Don't get me wrong - I miss him terribly. But while he was always supportive of me, he would get annoyed at my habit of self-pity. I decided to honor his memory by turning things around--getting healthy, and above all - stop feeling sorry for myself. This is the first time in my life that I'm on my own - I could have all the food in the world in my fridge, but I decided to stock it with salad greens, fat-free yogurt, water, fruit, and healthy frozen dinners. I could eat out every night - instead, I make it a real treat by only going out once a week. I joined a gym and am having fun. I've got an even better job. My Dad's death has given me life - the kind of life I know he would want me to have.

My only "problem" with this journey is breakfast. Bob stresses that it is the most important meal of the day, but it is the one I struggle with the most. I absolutely HATE eggs of any form. I eat either weight-control oatmeal, whole wheat english muffins with a few sprays of "I can't believe it's not butter" or Special K strawberry waffles with nothing on them, but I'm usually hungry after only a few hours. Any suggestions that don't involve eggs, egg whites, omelets, or wraps?

What a great way to honor your dad!

As far as being hungry a few hours after breakfast, a lot of people recommend eating 5-6 small meals a day rather than 3 big ones so you might want to try that.

I'm thinking any protein and carb combo will hold you in good stead. Eggs-phooey! Peanut butter on whole grain toast? What do they eat for breakfast in Japan? Fish and Rice! Ok, I'm not saying you should, that's just an example that breakfast doesn't have to follow western guidelines.

Back to post topic: I had 2 women friends who had a lot of weight to lose. They both said that as soon as they lost one roll on their tummies, they panicked. It was as if the roll was a security blanket or something. I'm afraid that will happen to me too. You're not afraid of failure, you're afraid of success.

I know exactly what my problem was. It is so EASY to just be overweight. Sure, I am fat but I'm married and content in my life. Instead of having one more thing to worry about, I took the easy way out. I didn't exercise at all, I ate whatever, whenever. In all honesty, I'm not afraid of being thin. I used to be. I'm afraid of taking the easy way out and stopping all of the efforts I have recently made. I guess I'm afraid of failing in my attempts and it was always easier just to not try.

Well that's kinda what breakfast is supposed to do...Make you hungry. Breakfast is stressed as the most important mela of the day because it kick starts your metabilism and makes you burn calories, which makes you hungry because your burning up your energy.
I would say try to get in as much protein as possile without added sugar. Carbs arent that bad to have in the morning because they will be long burnt off before bed time.
Whole grains are a good start, maybe a whole grain bagel, or a nut mix with fruit.

I am with you on the breakfat deal...its hard for me to eat it as well.....I try to eat a bowl of grapenuts with some banana, I do eat eggs sometimes, but they don't agree with my stomach (dont wanna be around me when i have them...lol) but i also like a good BLT on whole weat...its filling, and I think not bad for you, just use a lowfat or fat free mayo maybe that will help you...

Just want to add to SW's great reply, that you should be hungry after a few hours! Believe me, it really is true that you will speed up your metabolism if you eat small meals all day long. Every 3 hours at the most. I actually graze the entire day! Of course it depends on what you are eating, but if you choose the right foods, you can and should eat the second you feel hungry at all. Just small meals/snacks. Balanced with protein, fat and carbs (no sugar carbs, but whole grain or starchy veggies or beans, etc), all day long! Always include a veggie or fruit with each snack if possible. You will find you will not over-eat because your blood sugar will remain stable and you will never feel famished. You keep things on an even keel.

I know that if we skip breakfast it is easy to go until mid afternoon without getting hungry, but that is what slows down the metabolism, and also makes us eat too much when we do eat. The body can metabolize smaller amounts of food much easier. Bob said during one of the previous seasons, that most obese people have one thing in common, and that is they skip breakfast. It is so crucial!

Def have to agree with the small meals throughout the day!!!!!!!! If you keep high protein and GOOD carb snacks handy, you'll never feel that tummy growling!!! It's good to keep your system working!!!! It's a hard stereotype to overcome....eating to lose weight....BUT IT'S THE TURTH! Jsut eat the right MIX of thing's! It will also help you to eat less at a time because you wont be starving!
Think about it...that even helps for the time's that you decide to eat sweet's are thing's that arent really nutritional because you wont scarf it down...maybe you'll just take a few bites

Here are a few alternatives for breakfast. This was given to me when I had consulted with a dietician. I have always eaten breakfast but I don't do eggs in the morning especially during the week. This has been working for me and its a good start to the day.

This is my breakfast/morning for the weekends
Breakfast 1 cup Kashi cereal
1/2 banana
8oz 1% milk

about 3 hours later a Smoothie (this recipe serves 2)
1/2 cup oatmeal
2 cups frozen fruit
the other 1/2 of the banana
6oz light yogurt
1 scoop whey protein
1 tbs flax oil

During the week, mostly because I hate mornings I have the smoothie for breakfast, and then bring a snack bag with walnuts and almonds along with a fruit as a snack.

A night time snack 6oz light yogurt, 1 cup fruit, 1/2 cup low fat granola.
tqo

Hi BigG2008,
Good Luck with quitting smoking!

My husband was finally able to quit smoking after 25 years. What helped him was Wellbutrin.

tqo

I've been thinking about this for a while and have had trouble figuring out just what excuse I've been using. I know money has been really tight for us, bc DH and I are both in school(he's in vet school and I'm getting my Master's) we're living on my salary alone (rural teacher's salary in the state that ranks 48th for rural teacher salaries). We do our best to buy healthy food, yesterday when we went shopping we did a lot of label checking for trans fat (as well as sat fat) and for high sodium. I know I've said in the past if I lose the weight I'll be stuck in all my old fat clothes bc I can't afford a new wardrobe, which in all honesty is load of you know what bc we have a great Goodwill here in town full of designer clothes donated by the college girls who just got new stuff to wear.

I routinely find myself in sabotage mode and I can't seem to figure it out. I'm working on changing that though. I'm using a journal to record meals, exercise, and my feelings so I can find my triggers and be more aware of them. Hopefully it works.

Besides I found a great goal outfit, a dress for my lil bro's wedding in Sept. Gotta be looking fab for the family pics right LOL

Thanks for all of the great breakfast ideas! That really does help - I'll be shopping for some fruit and protein this afternoon. It may not be conventional breakfast food, but I thought maybe even some grilled chicken strips would be good to have with my whole wheat english muffin, and maybe some fruit as well. Strawberries are very plentiful here in Alabama right now and the price isn't bad. I like 'em plain - nothing on them.

I have been watching the show this season and following the posts in the forum and have found them truly inspirational. Someone earlier made a comment about not losing weight until you are ready to do it. That is true, but we need each other to keep telling the stories and sharing the successes and disappointments. Maybe your story will be the one that sparks someone to make a change.

About 6 years ago I weighed 430. I had the gastric bypass surgery. Over the next 9 months I dropped to 290. At that time I plateaued. Over the next 5 years I steadily regained 20 pounds a year to bring me back to 390. The problem was I never changed my mindset. I didn't eat because I was hungry. I haven't been hungry since Jr. High school. I ate when I was scared, nervous, or depressed. As far as I know there aren't any surgeries that can cure fear, depression, or anxiety.

Since this season has started I have picked up many good "diet" tips. Myself I refer to them as "lifestyle" tips. I have changed what I keep in my refigerator, how I plan my meals, how I plan my excercise routine. This lifestyle change is a job, and if you don't prepare for it you will fail at it. I also realized that maybe I needed some help and my Dr. prescribed a mild anti-depressant. I am not saying that everyone overweight needs medication. But before I always felt that it was my lazy butt that got me into this mess and I didn't need any help fixing it. I have learned that getting help isn't so bad. Whether it is medication or finding someone to talk to. Just like addicts we need to admit we have a problem and sometimes we need that extra hand.

Since the beginning of season 5 I have lost 65 to get down to 325. And I am grateful to everyone that posts. You have been the support system that I have been missing.

Keep up the good work, Jojobear - you'll make it! Slow and steady will win this race!

I believe that food addiction is every bit as real as alcholism and drug addiction - there's nothing wrong with getting the help you need to overcome this addiction. Many physicians prescribe Wellbutrin for people wanting to quit smoking - could it be used to help people who want to lose weight? I'm no doctor, so I don't want to speculate or guess, but maybe someone else knows.

I know someone right now who has just started a diet, and she's pretty cranky and iritable. My gut tells me that she's cut back too much too soon. After eating everything and anything for months, when someone goes cold turkey like that, the "healthy eating" doesn't last long. That's what happened to me when I deprived myself. I thought I had to cut myself down to 800 calories - yikes!! But that's what a lot of people think they have to do - starve themselves. It goes against everything we think that we actually have to EAT to lose weight!! But it is true - and books like The Biggest Loser books, and Bob's book clear up the food issue once and for all. AND - I'm going to the bookstore this afternoon to get that new cookbook being advertised on this site - the food looks delicious!!

My journey to health. I have been pretty determined that I will do it this time.

BUT Why am I having such an issue getting rid of, not putting away "just in case" or my husband even offered to hide the clothes that are getting to loose.

It is like I am sabotaging myself or saying in case you don't do it you will still have the fat clothes and won't have to go out and buy any when you put the weight back on.

This weekend I will go through my clothes and whatever is to big I will freecycle.

No excuses, I said it, so it will be done!

tqo

You may right about that tqo. I just cleaned out my wardrobe which I had actually kept three different type of sizes in. The 12-14, 16-18, and the up until recently the one I was using, 18-20. I've actually always had more of a problem getting rid of the clothes I outgrow. Turns out that was a good thing. I finally got rid of the 18-20 sizes, I may have to get rid of the 16-18's soon as well. On the other hand, it was kind of neat to see the biggest size clothes and try on a few to really see how much I've lost. I'm not a big fan of the scale, but I love calculating how much I've lost by how loose my clothing gets.

So even if you don't actually get around to getting rid of them, you could just tell yourself they're there as a motivational tool!

I bought some new jeans yesterday - SIZE 10!!!! And they fit like a glove!!!! Last year at this time, I was wearing size 18. So I'm pretty happy today!!!

I ordered the new cookbook on-line yesterday - local bookstore didn't have it - so hopefully it will be here soon!

A few more breakfast ideas....

Whole Wheat English Muffin with one triangle of Laughing Cow cheese (they have A LOT of different flavors and it's only 35 calories) and some cantaloupe

Fage Yogurt (140 calories w/ yummy flavors-Honey, Cherries, Peaches, etc.), a hadnful of almonds, and a piece of fruit.

Kashi Blueberry waffles with Log Cabin Sugar Free Sryup (2 waffles 170 calories, 1/4 of cup of sryup is only 35 calories)

A quickie favorite of mine is 1 cup of Corn Flakes (100 calories) with 1 cup of 1% milk (110 calories) and 1 pack of Stevia

And I know you said you don't like egg whites but I LOVE French Toast. Just in case you want to try it, I use only 1 egg white (like 16 calories) and 2 pieces of whole wheat bread (150 calories) and I add a teaspoon of vanilla flavor (like 15 calories) to the egg white, mix, dip the bread in the mix and put it in a frying pan. Then I use a little of the Log Cabin Sugar Free Sryup and usually put a handful of blueberries. It's delicious!

So there's a few other ideas. Hope that helps!

Well I just got rid of some of the clothes, I started to try on clothes in the "can't wear it now closet". Some of it I have been waiting to fit back into, I missed it because now it is to big. Some stuff I can actually wear again. Woohoo!!

I decided this can't be a journey of "If I loose the weight" It a journey of WHEN I GET THERE! This may sound strange but it is a freeing feeling.

I would also like to take this time to say Thank You, to everyone who has shared their stories. They have all been an inspiration.

Lost 2 lbs this week and last, and now my husband is worried I may not be eating enough. I told him these are my sprint weeks just let me enjoy them. I am sure soon enough I will be back to 1 lb then 0 the next and so on.

tqo

WOO-HOO....great job

Thank you chazee

Ok I have a question/observation a bit nervous about asking.
Can anyone relate? I remember in the second to the last BL when they showed Ali next to her picture of a previous weight her reaction and how she spoke in the interview she really didn't realize how overweight she had become.

Ok, so when the person came over to pick up the clothes I thought she won't be able to wear these they will be to small. Then I smacked myself and realized yes she will! That was you not so long ago, so get real!
I mean I know I am still fat 216lbs started 255lbs, more weight to loose. I knew I was starting to look like a weeble (not that she looked like a weeble, I am digging a hole here). The day I looked in the mirror and the stomach was about to bypass the chest, YIKES but that didn't really wake me up!
I had been on the first part of my journey which was getting rid of processed food. What finally, totally woke me up was when the doctor called and told me the results of some blood work, I was borderline high blood sugar. That was it, I have been going down or staying steady since.

I don't know if I am making any sense here. I needed to say it, yes I feel quilty for those thoughts, shame on me.

tqo, is sitting in the corner pondering the perception of ones self.

This is such an awesome thread with SO much good insight.... thank you everyone for sharing and for being HONEST with us.
One thing I wanted to share was that many had talked about being scared to NOT be fat, not having something to hide behind... that sort of thing. For me, the big wake up call was when everyone started to notice the weight loss and the compliments came flying at me like a slap in the face! Yes, I know I should be giddy with joy and all happy that people notice but all of a sudden I was feeling so down. I finally figured out that it was two things.
A: I did not know HOW to take the compliments, I could not accept someone telling me I looked good.
B: I had these awful horrid feelings of "what the heck was I before? chopped liver?" I seriously felt like I must have been sooo terribly horribly ugly and fat and gross that they could not stand it. THAT really worked me over.
Finally I just decided that I have worked very hard to get where I am and I need to hold my head up and take every compliment and comment and apply it to my self esteem wherever it needs to go. I feel like my confidence is a mismatched patchwork of self talk and compliments from wherever I can get them!
Crazy? Yes, I think so ... but I am making it - slow and sure - I am making it!
DarlaLOU

I guess I look at it this way. I have only lost 14 pounds so far (it has only been 2 weeks though) but I am having people giving me compliments already. When they do, I take it as a congratulations for taking control of something that was TOTALLY out of control for so many years. I take it as an "atta boy" for changing my lifestyle. I have always been one of those people that others would look at and say, "Wow, you'd be really pretty if only you lost weight." That to me was so damaging. Luckily, my husband loves me and thinks I'm beautiful regardless of my weight. He's proud of my lifestyle change because he has always been worried about me dying young. (He is very skinny himself.) I am hopeful that this change will give me several more years with him.

As for what is holding me back now, it is time. I have very little time to work out and take care of me. I work two different jobs, from 8AM until 6PM. By the time I get home, I make dinner for my husband and me, clean up, and go to bed to do it all again the next day. I am finally asking my husband to help me out by starting dinner or cleaning up for me so I can go for a walk or use my exercise bike (a new purchase!!). All in all, I am so proud of myself. Even if I wasn't losing weight, I feel so much better, my energy has improved, and I'm all around happier.

I also refuse to use the word diet. I am not on a diet - I have made a lifestyle change. I have been counting calories and treating my daily caloric intake like a bank account in my food journal. I give myself a limit that I cannot go over for the day. I decide what I want to eat based on whether or not it is worth using the calories for. This has been really helpful to me. I can eat very well because I'm very focused on eating the right things, but not too much of them. *I figured out you can definitely gain weight eating "diet food" if you eat too much of it.*

In any case, I digress. It is just exciting to be part of a board where everyone (or nearly everyone) is in the same boat as me. Just posting here has been an inspiration to me, so thank you everyone for sharing your stories.

I've had a hard time getting rid of old clothes too. I have put some away into the box with my maternity stuff bc we do plan on one more kiddo and a larger size will be good then. As I lose this time the big stuff has to go, I can go to Goodwill to stock up on new stuff.

DOwn 3 lbs this first week I've recommited myself, now to head home and go for my walk/jog