XTC2 (Ex-Thick-Chick Club)

Hello all....

This website changed my life. ( : Sounds overly dramatic, but it is true. I hope to look back a year or so from now and think, "I am forever grateful......"  Anywho, I think my favorite part of cc, aside from all the great educational information, is the overwhelming support and friendship I've found here. I guess most of my life I've only trusted and truly befriended a handful of unique women---I hold my friends in the highest regard and do not take camraderie lightly. The women I have met here are seriously my spiritual twins! I always felt very alone in my weight loss journey----no more!

That said, I think my cc girls, and you know who you are, are the best! ( :   My buddies, my pals, my soul sisters =P Chat away to motivate yourself and others! ( ;

~~Olivia

I got here at 10 am (so late) good thing I don't have to be here at a certain time!! :) And I actually did some work, BUT it took me FORTY-FIVE minutes to catch up and reply! LOL damn I really hate this time difference

yay! mama Joanna!   I know the time difference sucks.  you guys go long into the night and I get in the am and there's soooo much to catch up on!  don't worry, it happens to all of us! 

Yay mama's here!!  Mama, I joined the August challenge through CCC Christian Calorie Counters and also another one but will probably drop that one.  This one is more organized and there are points and all that stuff.  Not to start a religion debate but I am a christian but don't go to church every week or anything, more of a holiday-er for church but am very close with the people from my hometown church that I grew up with, I seriously have like 8 mom's back home!!  Anyway, I have my own relationship with God and he doesn't take attendance on Sunday's so we're cool *whew*.  So it was kind of strange signing up on there but it was the first one I saw and joined but don't do the scripture or anything like that, just doing it for the challenge. 

Mama- good luck with the coffee thing, never drank it so can't understand the "addiction" thing but definatly know about it!  One day our office coffee pot took a shit and they went to Dunkin Donuts and got like 50 coffee's for the entire office that morning!  I was floored!  Green Tea is on my grocery list too as you and Olivia have convinced me to at least give it a shot, no promises though.

Ok, I really am leaving work to go clean now!  I just had to clean my desk first, I hate leaving with a dirty desk!!

I'm so glad you're in a better mood! now, please note I too am addicted to the bottle frappuchinos - mocha to be precise.  but I try not to have them too often. but they are soooo yummy.  I stick with water in the am only because if I don't it's a downhill spriral into sugary beverage hell for me.  water in the beginning keeps me water throughout the day!  and when I go through the Starbucks drive through or when me and my fellow grad students have Starbucks Sundays I always get a medium mocha frapp with whipped cream SO BAD!  but I recently found out they do the mocha frapps or any frapp for that matter in lite!  so next time I go I will indulge but get the lite version.

Abbs you are so funny.

I'm glad it's not just me catching up!! Whew, I was feeling bummed, and left out! haha

Abbs -I too am Christian, I do do the church on Sunday, bcuz I enjoy what I get from it and the fellowship, but I do not feel the need to HAVE to go otherwise I have a bad relationship with God. I do believe it is about a relationship between Him and I, and if we're good, it really doens't matter what others think about it. I didn't do the CCC thing, bcuz they seem to have a million pages (even more than us, if that is possible) and I have a hard enough time keeping up with us gals! :) I'm doing it with the August Challenge group just to be held accountable I guess.

I will need luck with the coffe thing, cuz already I've been thinking about coffee and wanting it! LOL I clean my desk before I leave too, I'm way OCD about it, and many other things.

Jenna - They are soooo good. I like all 3 flavors, I get the mixed pack from Costco! I've only been to Starbucks once int he past month - OMG, I usually go multiple times a week - and I got Green Tea, but we'll see how I do when orderign a coffee drink! :P

Okay... justification.

I really DID try to work out... went upstairs... got on the elliptical.. the guy said he gave it a temporary fix and I couldn't really HURT it from being on it... but it would be noisy (have to wait fo new parts)... so I got on for 20 minutes... and then it was sooooo sceeching metal on metal loud... that I quit.

then I did 20 minutes of core/ab stuff...

...but you know what.. I'm done... I normally would need a minimum 40 minutes more of workout... but I don't wanna... the last day I missed was July 14... and that's because I was at Sea World.. walking around all day....

and I worked out HARD yesterday... have a big weights/cardio thing planned for tomorrow... so I'm done...

(Although I don't HAVE to be.. it's only 2 o'clock.. I could go home to my apt. and do the elliptical or ride the bike THERE... )  What would you do?

OMG! I literally left for less than an hour to go take care of j's parents cat while they are out of town, and there is a whole new page!!!!!!! LOL

Ok, jenna--I sat down and typed in all the nutritional info for the chicken breasts and other "I almost always get only this kind ever" type of mostly meat type things because I thought the choices sucked too. Type it in once and tag---never worry again. I like to do that because anything you add by just telling it the name and cals, the analyzer does not use to calculate your grade and I like to know the fiber, carbs, etc too...

I've never been one much on dressing up and going to church, but I have faith and I think He knows if you are a good person--and that's what counts the most imho... ( :

I like flavored green teas and I swear by the capsules... You could make your own lower cal coffees at home.... get sugar free flavored syrups.... I like making gellato (sp?) with mine....

I too Love!!! exclaiming a lot! Like mama!!! I am a very animated speaker, and like abbs!!! I feel like saying YAY a lot these days!!!! I saw a profile the other day whose tag was Drama Queen and Chronic Comma Abuser---I laughed really hard. ( : I use a lot of smileys too.... there are worse addictions...

SHame on mama for laughing at injuries.... LOL, no really, they ought to make my life into a "what not to do" video.... I broke one arm falling off a jungle gym at 5ish, greenstick fracture that the doctor held out in front of me and counted, 1, 2, 3---andthe snapped it in half (the rest of the way...). Other arm---broken while attempting to ramp a sidewalk bump while skating, age 8. I could go on and on..... One of my kid nicknales was the Clutz Princess (my mom is the Queen...)

Rock on with the music!! I really, really wish I had more 80's music on my mp3--- I'm afraid to start makign a list of cds I want because I swore off buying them.... hello-interweb... then they killed that!  (And I hope the neighbors DID hear you and were inspired to sing along!) I hope to not need a kick in the butt after I go back to work, but I am counting on you guys for sure! ( :

Tamara - Go home and do it! Watch TV or listen to music, you'll feel better afterwards! I wish I could gohome right now and do that, but I'm stuck at work!

really??? *pout*... .but I already did 40 minutes today and 2 hours yesterday... and I'm gonna do an hour tomorrow.. I swear!!  Can't I be done for today>   (It was my PLAN to do an hour on the elliptical today...and 20 minute core)

I TAG everything, bcuz I hate having to re-enter info. I made ckn tonight, with this Caribbean Jerk marinade from Lawry's, it's been marinading sicne last night, and it smells sooooo good! I'm so glad that I got to pick dinner choices, so that I don't eat the wrong things or too much!

Oh yah, while shopping last night, I found these WW's popsicles. They are only 60 cals and very very good! The pkg came with strawberry, passion fruit, and key lime! So I had Key Lime after cleaning, it was sooooo good! It has this cream on the inside, like a Half & Half bar! Totlaly recommend it, esp with how hot it's been!

I love all tea, I made regular iced tea (with my awesome tea brewer) last night, and I meant to add a mint, or an orange or cinnamon tea bad witht he regular bag, it adds a subtle extra kick! :) I love tea, all kinds! I could make coffee at home, but I'm ALWAYS late and don't have time. So better to kick it and drink green tea is how I see it!

Ok, talk about injuries, when I was five i was kicking a ball back and forth with my bro and I kicked too soon, and landed on the ball. Broker my leg in like 3 places, right before summer break! That summer we went to Idaho in a minivan, and we went swimming in the lake, they wrapped my foot in a plastic bag = didn't work, my cast smelled like someone died. None of my sibling would be around me. LOL I had to have it changed once we got back home.

Tamara - You don't HAVE to, but it may be worth it!! :) Just helping! Good jobn on your other exercising even if you don't! Everything counts! :)

LOL at your "smelled like somone died..."  Been there, done that---the summer of the 5 year old summer, us kids spent it with our grandparents way out in wester, BFN Kansas. It was so hot.... and eventually my arm was so itchy, I thought I had bugs crawling seriously and I was freaking out....... So, my sister who now is a spoiled witch but once was ok and smart, she's 2 and she says, hey, Liv--scratch it with this! and hands me a pin wheel--you know the ones I mean, the colorful fanned wheels with the long, sculpted, plastci stick? AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW.... I think broken bones and all the surgeries are the worst thing I've ever gone through thus far (knock on wood) Oh and my first year of teaching-- oi vay!

How many cals does the caribbean jerk marinade have?? That sounds delicious.... I'd add red onions, a little pineapple, and avacodo on a huge salad....... Lawry's is a simple label, black letters, name in the middle, eh? Is it spicy on its own?  I love popsicles (I found fruity and chocolate ones for 35 cals!!) and tea for sure....Sun tea is my fave whatever the flavor--it just tastes better in my head,.....

yeah, tamara---I think be done if you're happy and done for the day. Carpe Diem!! ( :

I stuck wire hangers or whatever I could get my hands on, the itching totally sucked!

So what's the story with ur sister? (I have a brother I don't talk to, well pretty much none of us talk to).

I think the marinade is like 25 cals for 2 TB, but I just marinate over night, once it's grilled I do not add any more madinade on it, so shoudl I just count 2 TB's? One of the other girls is bringing a salad, not sure what's on it, but she's on Jenny Craig, so hopefully it's not too bad. Bottom line, I'll eat the ckn, and grab some of my own veggies/fruits if necessaary rather than the stuff they all bring. I also made sure I got desser stuff last night so that I wouldn't be tempted to eat whatever dessert the girls bring.

EDITED TO NOTE: CC has the marinade I'm using tonight on here, it's 25 cals for 1 TB. Oh, and yes is spicy, but sweet as well. Let me know hwo you think I should count the marinade! 

My mom did old school sun tea, I don't have the patience for all that. My tea maker makes 3 qts in like a few minutes. Love it.

MMM my raspberries were so good, I wish I had the cool whip at work so I could have had that with them! :)

girls, I am so in the dark!  I had no idea you could tag stuff on your food list!  goes to show why I should have been food logging my whole cc life!  I only started today! 

so you don't have to sift through the stewed cooked roasted ones anymore?  I wish you could just type in what you ate and what you know the cals are, like my protein shakes!! 

aww well, I prelogged everything today, even dinner that I haven't had yet and I'm well undercals, I have like 210 for dessert if I want.  This is fantastic.  It like takes the guilt out of eating later in the evening because you can if you're under.  who knew cal counting could be so liberating!!

I added my snack and the ckn & marinade I'm having for dinner and I still have 400 cals (good thing I didn't drink the coffee this morning).  But I need that 400 to account for any salad, sides, and dessert I have! Oh yeah, I'm having corn on the cob with 0 cal butter spray!! I'm going to make sure to eat ckn and corn first! So if I do have anything else it's not much. And I'll stick to my 60 cal popsicles or pudding for my own dessert! Who knew this could all be so easy and fun! :) I totally agree with ya J!!!

I prelogged dinner, too... 515 calories for spaghettii and meatballs... it's a lot... I don't care... some cravings you just hjave to go for!

I'll just have a pickle for a snack or something to day to avoid *Yikes* going over calories.

I did lunges for fifteen minutes when I got home.. it alleviated any guilt I may have felt for cutting my workout short.

Injuries:  My favorite?  I was twelve... roller skating at a rink... my wheels caught together when I was turning around and I fell.. I heard this LOUD CRACK.  I KNEW my leg was broken.

Some boyscout leader was asking me where "point tender" was... I told him my whole thigh... everyone said it was a bad bruise... but no way was I getting up!

so...  they get this big plywood board... close the rink and carry me off.. .call my mom at home to see if she wants to come get me or are they going to call an ambulance. She says she's coming... Now,this ws a darker time in my mom's life... so she is HUNG OVER when she comes to get me... looks like CRAP.. I was more embarrassed abou that than my leg at the moment... When she gets there... I tell her I CANNOT get up... even with help... so the ambulance is called.

I get to the hospital... I KNOW I broke my leg... but no one believes me that I can break my femur, roller skating... so the nurse goes to pull my jeans down.. This is in 1984... and those suckers are SKIN tight... I BEG her to cut them off... she tells me that she can tell they're new jeans... and she doesn't want to ruin them... Then, I feel the bone SHIFT.

The x-rays are taken.. all of that.. I remember telling my mom that I hope I can go to school by Wednesday because I have a test... The doctor comes in and tells me I have an internal compound fracture of the femur...  I ask him if I can go to school on Wednesday... He looks at me like I'm crazy and tells me that I'm going to be IN THE HOSPITAL for a MONTH!!!!  THen, I kid you not, iin the emergency room... with me TOTALLY awake... (local anesthetic.. but awake)... He takes a DRILL... and DRILLS it through my shin bone.

I spent five weeks in the hospital in traction with weighs hanging from a steel rod in my shin so that they could pull my bond straight again.

THEN I went home for two months in a "full body cast"  (full actually only means all the way down one leg.. half way down the other and up around my waist... with this rod between my legs to keep them apart...)

Talk about SMELL!!  *lol*... Oh the stories just get too gross!

Anyway.. .that's the one time I lost significant weight as a child because my mom wouldn't FEED ME!   They warned her about gaining weight in a body cast... I certainly didn't!   She would sit on the couch at night and eat Girl scout cookies and M and M's.. and never gave me ANY   *lol*!!!!

I know Joanna, I really do love it.  I just switched from another program I was doing which helped me lose the first 7 pounds but then I started feeling so restricted and just awful and I don't want to feel that way.  I really feel in control and that I'm not just a number with doing this, I'm just getting smaller while getting healthier!  I'm doing it the right way and feel great about it and have been holding myself accountable for the first time!  It's a really great feeling.  I was forcing myself to be a certain number before we left for the beach and I was slipping into my old habits and them wham!  I stoppped!  and started this and I feel great.  and now I don't care that I'm not that number because I know I'm making changes that will get me to that number when my body is ready to be there and meanwhile I am satisfied in knowing that I'm doing something about my weight now instead of eating like crap just wishing I was thin and then going away and feeling depressd and disgusted!  Knowing what I'm putting into your body takes away all guilt and I feel like I'm on a really good path and really couldn't do it without you girls.  I feel like I have a little place here with all of you and am so thankful to you all.  I wish I would have found this years ago!  But then maybe I wouldn't have met all of you so things all do happen for a reason!

wooo hooo, here's to having extra cals at the end of the day.  and I'm excited to go work out.  No pool today so I'm going to get on the elliptical tonight, wish me luck girls.

mine squeeks too, Tamara!  it's never ending but I just turn the TV up and it's a go!  it's Z who has to listen to it! hahahahaaa.  but he says you can't hear when the doors closed!  :)

jenna!

That is exactly how I felt when cc took the math out of my brain and made it so easy.....  You know you can add your foods on the right side of the screen just like you said above, right? like I type in oatmeal, enter nothing more than the 100 cals maybe the fiber grams and press enter.   ?? am I being dense?      I love it-----I plan all my soups and a lot of side dishes (been trying to make my own stuff instead of prebuy of course) so I can add and subtract the cals to my happiness. ( :     I do feel like calorie counting is liberating. I mentioned control issues here I think--- and I like knowing what the heck I am doing.... my only wish is that cc had a page that showed everything you log in a day (i.e. food cals - exercise burning or vice versa...) I am so visual. I like knowing what good I am doign myself and having all the comparison data to look back at. Just because it has helped me so much, do try, jenna, to log things here -- I like looking at the last month and noting I exercised all days but 1 and ate at or below my cals all days but 1 too---that's true come to think of it!!  Pre logging is a great way to plan your day out. Like I budgeted for our anniversary, and after an equally satisfying day---just lower cal, I had saved room for CHili's grilled chicken platter with veggies AND a Diet Coke with diet cherry real ice cream float from Sonic in the big cup! (awesome on the float too!)

So cc is wrong on the cals in your marinade?? that blows... I'd enter it just like you said. You shake almost all of it off to grill, right?  I think that sounds SOOOOO GOOD>.....   Be careful with the 0 cal butter--- maybe it;s not like mine is, but mine (upon closer inspection because it lies and says zero too) says 0 calories for a 1/3 second spray. Now come on!!! It might be like 5 cals per spritz as I am picturing a pump bottle, but shrug, sounds like you can splurge----seriously just sharing the shock of a life time!!! How can zero calorie spray have  **7**  cals per 1 second spray??? !!!  it's legal to say zero if it has less than 5, so my beloved sweetener, my zero calorie bf has 4 cals a packet too!!!! God, I was crushed the day I read that here...... Have fun with your party!!!! ( :

oh!!  I can add my own stuff this is wonderous and then I will just tag it!  Oh the stuff you gals teach me!  Thank you thank you! Olivia you are not dense you are awesome! 

okay yes, Joanna! have a great time at your party.  I'm signing out now and going to pick up my girl and spend a quiet, cool evening in the AC and then hop on the elliptical after hours!  Maybe if I'm invigorated and can't sleep after my workout I'll come on here to check you gals out.  I usually miss so much between now and when I get on again in the AM. 

have a great night all!!!  thanks again for all your help today, you make me so happy!

tamara---

you *lol* now, but GOD!!! I'd be hateful about it, even looking back I think, so good for you for not holding a justifiable grudge and being a bigger person than I.... I mean.... you know what I mean... ( :

jenna--I feel like you are just a faster typist than me today and you're channelling my exact thoughts!!!! ( :       I stopped!  and started this and I feel great.  and now I don't care that I'm not that number because I know I'm making changes that will get me to that number when my body is ready to be there and meanwhile I am satisfied in knowing that I'm doing something about my weight now instead of eating like crap just wishing I was thin and then going away and feeling depressed and disgusted!  Knowing what I'm putting into your body takes away all guilt and I feel like I'm on a really good path and really couldn't do it without you girls.  I feel like I have a little place here with all of you and am so thankful to you all.  I wish I would have found this years ago!  But then maybe I wouldn't have met all of you so things all do happen for a reason!   This summer is absolutely the best I've ever had as an adult!  ( :  and it's all because of you girls!

For sure did we all click for a reason---we rock! ( :