200 + weight loss buddies

Hello, I'm looking for others trying to lose a lot of weight, to keep each other motivated threw our bad days and cheer us on on our great days! to keep each other going threw out the week by staying in touch. I want people who want to reach there goal weight and wont quit tell we reach them! who's with me?!?!

I am 5'3 and weigh 217 pounds, my goal weight is 127lbs by May 30th of 209  

Sarah~

=)

Hi leelee, sounds like you all we be getting a big snow storm with that stuff that is giving california rain today. sounds like it will be sunday or something. they said depending on where it goes through someone up ya'lls way is going to get a foot of snow YIKES. BUNDLE UP.  the weather has been typical texas here. hot one day or two then freezing temps for 2 or 3, then back up to 80. you have to stick your head out everyday to decide whether to wear shorts and tank top or sweater and jeans. really.  Hey jodi,   we are missing you. how goes things. don't think I will get to that 199 before new years. but what the hey. we will get there one day won't we.   I am afraid to write down a loss because It is getting that I am superstitious that the scale will take it away tommorrow. silly" yes.  I will say that I think I can safely say I am at 208. scale showed 205 this morning, but until it says it 3 or 4 days won't take that as the gospel. cross your fingers all that it stays there or goes down. I have been trying to walk faithfully this week for at least an hour in eve. I have my trail in the house as it is just too much to get out in this weather. I have eye out for treadmill or stationery bike, but don't want to pay alot, there are usually always some at yard sales or in paper  but of course none now that I want one. I will just keeping walking in the house. hope everyone is having a good week and not getting stressed out about all the christmas prep. I bought a spiral ham today  we will have a good christmas meal but not go too overboard. I did pretty good for thanksgiving.   REMEMBER JUST BEING WITH OUR LOVED ONES THIS YEAR IS A BLESSING, ALL THE PRESENTS AND THINGS AREN'T WHAT IT IS ABOUT.   Take time to enjoy the little things. 

Great Job on the 208 Lonestarpenny! You've overcome the plateau and are dropping pounds again......that's super!  I bet that 205 will prove to be true.  It sounds like you work very hard to keep up your exercising.  Isn't is funny how we believe a gain of a pound or two but don't trust our scales when they show a decrease?  If you don't get to 199 by the new year, don't fret......it will happen and when it does, I hope you do a happy dance and report it here ASAP so we can all celebrate with you.

Have you tried Play It Again Sports for a treadmill or a bike?  I just checked their website and they have stores in Texas.....www.playitagainsports.com will get you to the website. 

Seems I'm stuck at the moment.  Chemistry and math say I should have lost two pounds last week, but I'm stuck on the minus 20.  I'm eating the proper number of calories, doing strength training with hand weights and having a deficit of about 1000 calories a day.  7 times 1000 is 7000 and that's twice the 3500 calories that represents a pound, so why no weight loss?  GRRRRR  Maybe next week.........one thing's for sure -- I'M NOT GIVING UP this time!

We're gearing up for 12-14 inches of snow starting tonight and into tomorrow.  Right now it's only 2 degrees outside, but a big storm is coming up from the southwest which will bring the temps up and the forecast is that this snow is going to be that wet, heavy stuff.........YUCKO.  We've already had all the snow I care to see this winter so I'm not looking forward to this new storm.

It's a little scarey with Chanukah and Christmas arriving next week.  This will be the first year in decades that I won't be making all the yummy foods for those Holidays.  We will be going to my older son's house for a week starting Tuesday and my daughter-in-law and I will be sharing the cooking.  Lucky for me that she is dieting too, so maybe it will be easier to stay focussed and not overdo it.

Good luck to all of us as we enjoy sharing time with family and friends during the Holidays.  Ciao for now. 

Hi everyone, hope all is well!!

blackjackprincess - don't get discouraged.  You're likely losing inches, and at the very least you are doing things that are good for you.  The weight loss will catch up.  Just stick to your positive attitude.  I feel that this is not a temporary thing with a fast solution for any of us; it's truly a lifestyle change.  Plateaus and even slip ups are just par for the course.   Having your daughter in-law also trying to make healthy choices through the holidays will definitely help. 

Part of the holiday I'll be at my mom's and they are good with moderation and also not big on having too many deserts.  They also know that if I give in, I'll regret it the next day so they keep me honest, LOL.  However, at one point I'll be at my aunt's house and she's the opposite, the more everyone eats the better.  She is also big on sending deserts and leftovers  home.  I have resolved myself that my one rule is no leftovers.  Honestly I do worse with the leftovers than anything, because I eat them absentmindedly while watching TV and end up eating more than I should. 

Have a good day everyone!!

Hi everyone!  I made it through vacation and actually managed to lose 4 pounds!  Woo-Hoo! I think it was all those hills I walked up and down.  I was not used to that.  The highest hill we have in FL is the speed bump on the road.  But it was a lot of fun.  And we got snow one day.  Not a lot, but enough to make a mini snowman. 

Penny, congrats on the 205!  You are so close, keep up the good work. 

leelee is right blackjackprincess, don’t give up.  A positive attitude is the most important thing.  And even though I ranted on here, even when I gained some back, I kept up the exercise, because it did help my blood pressure go down. 

Penny, Jodi, Marie, Kekri, leelee, blackjackprincess, pnklzzy, nottegatto and all of the other wonderful ladies on here, I feel so blessed to have “met” you.  You are truly an inspiration.  Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and the best the New Year can bring!  Gracie

Hey girlies. just wanted to check in and say that I hope that everyone has a very happy and safe christmas.  I am doing extra walking to counteract those   " treats"  I will have.  I hope to just get through new years without a gain.  I walked 2 hours yesterday and did pilates for 30 mins, but had some treats so only wound up with about 400 defecit, but that is ok.  hopefully there won't be many leftovers after our christmas eve dinner,so the day after will be only healthy eating.  hubby is off new years this yr. starting the 29th for 12 days.  we will be going to some friends for new years eve and going out with them. our first new years out in 15 years.  don't know where else we might go during his vac. but hope to get to see alot of people we havent seen in  years.  we are over at my mother in laws's ( she just turned 88) so her sitter could have a week off. my nerves get worked pretty good over there, but hopefully things will go pretty cool since it is the holidays.  Have a wonderful christmas everyone......penny 

blackjackprincess: Are you by chance from Wisconsin? I have been reading your posts and the forecasts that you list are the same as mine and I'm from Wisconsin and in my area we have a TON of snow.....They are hauling it away in trucks because the piles are so hight by the roads that you can't see if cars are coming or not. Very dangerous!

Well all......I'm very happy and excited to announce that my boyfriend proposed to me on December 17th!!!! :) It was very cute! He hid the ring in our christmas tree and he told me that he bought a new ornament for us and I was to try and find it. We planned our wedding for June 5th 2010. So I have till then to get the rest of this 60 pounds off. He would like to loose about 50 too, so hopefully we can do it!!!! Even more encouragement to get rid of this excess me....lol
I have been doing well. The scale finally came down to 230 for me and I have been sitting there for about two weeks now. I did very good at excercising for the month of November, but once December 1st hit, it's like a switch flipped. I have no energy to excise!!! and I can't get back into my routine. It's just weird how that happens.

I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas!  :)

Happy Day after Christmas!!  Hope everyone enjoyed the Holidays!!  I wasn’t perfect with the eating and did indulge a little with cookies, candy, and wine.  However, I really didn’t go too overboard and think I did fairly well.      

Gracie, thanks for the encouragement.  You’re right the important thing is not to give up!  Congrats on managing to lose 4 pounds. on vacation.  My dad lives in southwest Florida.  He said it was about 70-75 degrees and most people thought it was a little chilly.  This is just his second Christmas in Florida (he lived in NY), so he was a little baffled by this, because he still feels 70-75 is too warm for Christmas, LOL. 

Kekr – Congrats on getting engaged!!  It sounds like your fiancée proposed in a very sweet and romantic way.    

Everyone, have a good weekend!

Kekri, congratulations on the engagement!  What a lovely proposal.  Your fiancee sounds like a keeper.

leelee, I live in SW FL and your dad is right.  We do think it is cool at 70 degrees and get out our sweaters.  It was up to almost 80 yesterday, so we had on the AC to make it feel more like Christmas.  But watching the news with all of the snow problems everywhere, I am glad to be here!

penny, great job on keeping up with the exercise, even when confined indoors.  I am hoping to get back on track with my walking on Monday, if not sooner. 

I don't think I overdid it too much, but I did have a lot of snacks before the actual dinner.  But according to the scales this morning, it wasn't too much.  Now if I can just get rid of the leftovers (not by me eating them), I should be able to get back on track. 

Hope everyone had a great Christmas and was able to spend it with loved ones. 

Gracie

Buon Giorno Everyone!

I've been away since the 23rd, so just now catching up on the posts here.  Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and are blessed with an outstanding New Year.

Leelee-- thank you for the supportive words -- they really do help.  I'll admit that I was much like your aunt -- providing food equalled providing love.  The husband here used to tell people that if food were an illegal drug, I'd be arrested for being a pusher LOL LOL  Good for you to take a stand on the left overs -- a very courageous decision.

Gracie -- WOW and Way To Go on those 4 pounds -- and while on vacation no less -- that's wonderful!!! And I bet you'll already be back on track by the time you read this! Thank you for your encouragement.  I think that it will be easier to hang in there with this new lifestyle because of finding all you great ladies.  With making a decision late last summer to try once again to lose weight and then getting sideswiped with a diagnosis of Type II Diabetes in November, this time it MUST work.

Kekri-- Congratulations on your engagement!  Mazel Tov!  I'm always happy to hear of young love.  From looking at your photo, you're going to be a stunning bride no matter what your weight, but as a former bride myself (38 years ago last June), I know how much you want to be slimmer.....we're all rooting for you.  As for our shared weather, we're neighbors -- I'm in Illinois, about 45 miles northwest of Chicago and maybe 30-35 miles south of the Wisconsin border.  I'm please to report that the snow is almost all gone from the last storm that started  the 23rd. 

Just a few hours ago, I arrived home safely from our Christmas visit to Ohio to see my son and his wife and my grandcat Marley and the newest member of the family, my grandpuppy SO-krates, a yellow lab mix.  Darling critters! 

Sadly, my dear daughter-in-law decided she needed a break from her diet, so it was difficult to keep the food under control.  I didn't make the latkes for Chanukah, and that was a big help, but it was still hard to stay within my "legal" limits set for control of the diabetes as she made some wonderfully tasty meals.  While I can't do much walking, I did manage to get out for three 15 minute strolls (slow though they were) while there -- one day was a sunny 63 degrees.....just HAD to take advantage of that! The upside is that I lost 3 pounds last week while we were away for the Holidays and I'm pleased with that.

One last thing -- and it's a whining complaint.  I MISS CHOCOLATE!  One afternoon when the rest of the family was snacking on some chocolate chip cookies, I told them  that I'd stalk and mug a little old lady for a good chunk of chocolate.  That was met with stunned silence......until my son pointed out that I AM a little old lady! LOL  Who raised that mouthy kid???

May 2009 bring all of us slimmer hips, tinier waists, shaplier arms and legs and most importantly Peace, Love, and Joy!  

Until next time, Ciao for now........

blackjackprincess, congratulations to you on losing 3 pounds while on vacation and during the holidays!  I know what you mean about chocolate.  I would gladly knock an old lady down for a good chocolate chip cookie.  Or even better a brownie.  I really miss brownies.  Luckily, I can't bake anything, so I don't have to worry about making them.  I ruin even the cut and bake cookies. 

Here's to a happy, healthy, and slimmer New Year!

Happy New Year Everyone!!!

I can't believe I havn't been on here since Oct. (page 126 I think).

I hope everyone had a great holidays. I am doing okay. The holidays just became one big cheat and I am trying to get back in the grove. I need to start reading the post but I'm glad theres not that many.

Have a great New Year's. Will post again soon after I catch up!!

Prissy

Happy new year everyone!  Well, here I am.  I've been here many times before, and I know this forum seems to help me.

My husband and I are starting a weight loss challenge as of today.  If he wins, he gets a new saltwater aquarium....WHEN I win, I get a plane trip to visit my best friend ! 

so, I am looking for friends in the same boat I am in!  I weighed in this am at 248 pounds...cough, cough, hack, hack.  It's all down the scale from here.  :)

Thanks for letting me share. 

Happy New Year Everyone!  It's been a while.  I still see a few familiar names on here.  Kekri, congrats on the engagement!  Nice to finally see your photo :) and Penny...LOVE the navy number! 

It's been a rough couple of months filled with food and more food.  But now that the holidays are over and I'm frankly, sick of looking at sweets, I'm back in the right frame of mind and going to be good to myself again...eat right, exercise and reach out for help when I need it.

I'm not sure how much I've gained since I fell off the wagon.  Last time I checked I was around 211, but I'm confident I'll be back at 202 (my lowest back in September) soon :)

Wishing everyone a 2009 filled with healthy choices!  Make one today :)

Hi all,

 I am new to this site and by the looks of it I have picked a good one. Seems like there is alot of motivation in this group. I am a 34 yr old mother of 2. I was 135 when I got married 15 years ago. I had my 2 boys and gained 110 pounds through it all. Not there fault but I have done nothing in the past to help myself. I am now to the point where I have back problems from being over weight. I cant stand it anymore and ready to start losing some weight. So, I started a 1300 a day calorie diet and starting to do some excerises at home but want to join a gym soon. I am now at 238 pounds and 5' 5" tall. My goal is to be down to 198 by mid June for our family vacation. Does this sound like a realistic goal? Any tips or information is greatly appreaciated. I am looking for all the motivation that I can get.

By the way BlackJack.....looks like we are not far from each other. I to live in northern Il. About 15 miles from Wisc. border......

Hello.. [[:

I too am new to this site and from what I can tell, it's a pretty helpful one.  I am 16 (will be 17 on January 19th!) and I currently weigh 275 lbs.  The biggest I've ever been was at the beginning of this school year -- I weighed 281 lbs.  I haven't been under 150 lbs since I was in 4th grade.  In 7th grade, I decided to deprive myself from ALL sugar (if it had ANY added sugar ((more than 10g)), I wouldn't eat it.. very bad -- I wasn't the nicest person then... and luckily, I realize how unhealthy it was) and I ended up losing about 40 lbs, weighing about 170 lbs.  A year and a half later, at the end of my 8th grade year, my father passed away from lung cancer.  I used food as an escape from my pain and I gained soo much weight.  I went from 170 to almost 300 in no time. 

I'm a junior in high school now, and my prom is in May.  I know that I'm not going to lose a ton of weight before then, but I would like to look better.  My ultimate goal is to lose 120 lbs by my senior prom, which would be in May of 2010.  I would love to reach that goal, to finally feel "normal-sized" and not only to feel like an attractive person on the inside, but on the outside too.

If there is any advice on dieting on a budget, please let me know.  Also, working out isn't my forte, and I end up working hard for about a month or so and then it kind of drifts off and I become lazy again.  Thank you and good luck to all of you!

-Courtney

Good Morning!

One day down and a lifetime to go!  I hope everyone's January 1st was happy and healthy.  I had a good day, stayed within my 1500 and even did a little exercise, no the treadmill is still covered in the kids toys but I did shovel the walks with the an old fashioned shovel and left the snow blower in the garage.

Penny, Gracie & Pink Prissy - thanks for not forgetting about me!  I'm glad to hear you are all doing well.  This rabbit hole is sure giving me the run around, but we'll make it there this year!

Christiecomp, I hear you!  I was about 160lbs when I got married (my lowest adult weight ever) and gained 100 during by 3 back-2-back pregnancies.  Now I've got 3 kids ages 2, 5 & 6 and although I've lost about 35 pounds from my heaviest (250ish).  I think your goal is definitely within reach, but I'd be careful exercising and only eating 1300 cals a day.  The calculator on calorie count can help you pick a healthier and more satisfying daily calorie intake.  The general rule is not to eat less than 1500 per day.

Courtr33, I was where you are exactly 20 years ago!  In my jr year I was on a doctor monitored diet of 900 cals a day and lost 30lbs but put it all back before graduating.  I learned not to eat too little because I just end up feeling deprived and very hungry!  Also, eating right on a budget isn't easy, but I found some places like Trader Joes (do you have them near you?) that offer healthy options/organic foods for less than traditional grocery stores.  I also found that trying new foods like quinoa and turnip greens opened my eyes and tummy to new flavors that are easier on the wallet.  I also, always shop after looking at the sale flyers and go with a list.  I only buy what fruit is on sale...I can't wait until blueberry season again!

Glad to be back! - Jodi

Jodi, welcome back!!!! Thanks on the congrats.....Yes, I finally posted by picture. I didn't have any nice ones to put on here until this month when the fiance and me had family photos taken by Sears. He has a 15 1/2 year old daughter, so we had numerous pictures taken of us for the holidays.

Well, this new Year's tips the scale at one of my worst new years! I found out yesterday that my mom is moving to texas in four months! Her and her husband got offered jobs there. I am SO CLOSE to my mom that I have been taking this VERY hard! and the fact that she won't be here to help me plan my wedding and help me pick out my wedding dress. Also, my little brother is only 11 so I won't get to see him grow up either. I took it hard when I moved 20 mins away from her and now she is like across the country! I live in Wisconsin. UGH! Just don't know how I'm going to accept this and get over it............Sorry for the pitty rant!

Welcome all the new comers....This site is very helpful and supportive!

I hope everyone is doing well and made it through the holidays okay.

Happy New Year To All!

I can't believe I found some "Sweatin' To The Oldies" exercise tapes I had and started yesterday to use them.  Even though I can't do some of the footwork involved, I was pleased that I could do almost everything else for the 30 -35 minutes of low impact aerobics.  Though I must say that looking at and listening to Richard Simmons at 6 a.m. makes me a little queasy!!!  He's just TOOOOO over the top with enthusiasm LOL

Christiecomp -- Hello "Illinois neighbor" and welcome!  You'll find these ladies just wonderful -- so supportive and cheerful.  Your 1300 calories seems a little low, especially since you're planning on exercising.  If you don't eat enough food, you won't lose weight.  I realize it sounds counter-intuitive, but you must eat to kick-start your metabolism.  I was mostly a once a day eater -- just dinner (but WHAT A DINNER - huge) -- I thought I'd lose.  After years of doing that with no success, I finally decided to go with what the experts say to do and now eat 3 meals a day with two snacks totalling 1500 calories.  Since I started doing that a few months ago, I've lost over 20 pounds and I don't feel deprived (except for no CHOCOLATE - gads!).  Your goal of a 40 pound loss by mid June is definitely doable -- roughly 7 pounds a month.  YOU CAN DO IT!!!  Good luck and remember that we're all cheering for you.

Courtr-- Nice to have you join us -- welcome!  Reading your post broke my heart.  You've been through an awful lot in your young life.  I can relate to your weight issues as when I was your age, I was always a bit heavier than my peers.  It's good that you are going to lose this weight while you're young.  The older you get, the harder it is to lose.....my fat has been living on my body for so long that it thinks it has a permanent residence! LOL  You can eat healthful foods on a budget.  Jodifer gave great advice about that.  Another trick is to eat foods as close to their natural state as possible.  And don't forget portion size -- that's been a big help to me.  What used to be consumed in one meal now lasts for at least two meals, so the cost is cut in half, too.  You'll do well if you keep logging your intake and your activities, and post here to give us progress reports so we can root for you and support you when you need it.

Have a great weekend everyone.........Ciao for now!

Good morning everyone!  It's so great to see everyone posting again. 

Jodi, so glad you're back.  Shoveling snow?? Wow! I am impressed.  That is one of the many reasons I'm glad I live in FL.  I didn't do so well over New Years.  Managed to gain 4 pounds in 1 day!  I know it was from too much sodium intake, but you would think I would know that and not intake so much sodium!!  Ugh!  But I am not going to let it get me down.  This time next year, if I am not through the rabbit hole, I am going to definitely be knocking on its door. 

Today is a beautiful day and I don't have to go to work. Since embarking on this journey, I have had a goal of walking across a bridge in our city.  It's only 1.5 miles, but it is very high to allow sailboats to get under it.  Two things have held me back.  One is I was embarrassed to get out in broad daylight in front of people and attempt it.  The other was I didn't think I could make it.  I got up this morning and walked my usual 2 miles before breakfast.  Then I had to run into town for something, so I kept on my walking clothes and once I was downtown, I thought what the heck.  The worst that could happen is I'd collapse and they would have to call the paramedics or I would get halfway up and decide I couldn't make it and would have to turn around and go back down.  Well, neither happened.  I MADE IT!!  All the way over and all the way back. 

kekri, I am sorry to hear about your mom moving away.  As a mom, I know it is hurting her too.  But with emails and everything, she can still be very involved.  You can email her pictures of the dresses you like, and invitations, and flowers, and everything.  My daughter only lived an hour away when we planned her wedding and we did a lot of emailing.  Also, be sure you have a good phone plan.

blackjackprincess, you brought back some memories - Sweatin' to the Oldies! Richard is a little too enthusiastic, especially first thing in the morning.  But what a great and fun workout!

Welcome Christie & Courtney.  Wish I had started this journey at a younger age like you are.  You will never regret it.

Gracie

Wow. Thanks everyone for all the words of encouragement. I am going between this site and one other. At this time I have not added the excersize to my diet but hope to in the near future. Both sites tell me to eat about 1350 calories a day while NOT excersize to reach my goal by June.  Is this correct from what you here have experienced? I am also taking relacore 3x's daily. I did go from 238 yesterday morning to 236.8 today. I was very excited about that. Please continue to give me info that has worled for you here so I can get to where I want to be.

Kekeri,

 I am very sorry to hear about your mom moving away but I know exactly how you feel. I live in Ill and my parents are in California where I grew up. I have one sister still there and the other 2 are in Idaho. But it can be done. Webcams on the computer are great!!! You can keep in touch with your family and get to see them as well. I use this alot and really helps out. Also as Gracie stated the pictures and emails are a blessing. It will be hard at first but dont let it get you down. Things happen for a reason and all will be good in the end. Keep your head up and on track. My thoughts and prayers are with you. Great job on walking over the bridge. Im the same way. To embarrassed to go walk out in public where people can see me. Great job overcoming that.....