April Weight Loss Challenge

[PoohsPal]

Because I need one more thing to track ;), I'm starting a April weight loss challenge.

The reall reason is that I need to lose weight by my Alaska cruise. My goal is 3 pounds a month for the next five months.

Anyone want to join me? Just let me know your personal goal and we'll work towards it together!

[RweTHEREyet]

O.K. , I am betting that you mean weight loss challenge for April...............

My goal is for at least 4 pounds this month. I am trying to lose 10 before our May 24 Disney trip.

Over the weekend I gained 2 lbs, and I don't have any idea from what. I was approaching a benchmark on the scales and only had 1.5 lbs. to go and then I gained 2 lbs. I didn't eat anything to cause that, honest. It is so frustrating. I needed to hit that bench mark for encouragement. Sometimes this weight loss stuff is very hard to figure out. :boohoohoo

[PoohsPal]

Hang in there rwe! My weight fluctuates 3 to 5 pounds a month with water. I ptrry much just look at my monthly max and min and use a ranged approach. I hear you though!

Oh, adn I did mean April. :hammer:

[RweTHEREyet]

Carrie, are we the only ones in this weight loss challenge?

Well, I lost 1 of the 2 lbs gained over the weekend, so I am not sure if I should count that as part of my 4 or not. I would like to do 4 lbs. from before the weight gain mark, so we will see.

[PoohsPal]

Looks like. I bet jnrrt will join us next week, though.

You sound like me last month. My goal was minus 2, but I was up like 3 at the time. So, I lost 4, but only counted for 1. Life is so darn complicated!

This is not a good week for me to judge, but I think I'm doing ok. I'm usually up 3 to 5 pounds right now, but am only up 2. So, that's a very good sign!

BTW, in my book, anything that is not going up is a very good thing. Forgive me if you've heard this already, but last year I gave myself the green light to eat anything I wanted, because Iw as training fo rthe marathon. "I ran 10 miles today, I can have anything." I allowed myself a real coke after every long run, but then I'd eat whatever I wanted too. Not a good thing. I know some of my weight gain was muscle, but I gained liike 15 to 20 pounds and my tummy got MUCH bigger. Except fro teh few pound I recently lost, I have been slowly going down sice November, though, so I'm pretty happy.

[RweTHEREyet]

I guess if I had run ten miles I would feel I worked off enough calories that I could eat anything, too. I sometimes feel like that after Curves :veryconfu

I am not used to watching what I eat, except for watching it go in my mouth and then down to my hips, so this whole new way of eating has been tough for me, but I am learning. I do get really hungry for pizza and a good steak now and then, and when I take off another 10 lbs., I might treat myself to one meal of something I have been craving. Maybe a celebration for hubby and I. Salads and grilled chicken are getting kind of old.

You mentioned some of your weight gain was muscle and everyone I gripe to about not losing weight says I am gaining muscle. That may be true, but I desperately need to see some progress on the scales soon, real soon.

[Ginger]

I would love to loose about 5-10 pounds or if not loose any weight, at least loose inches. But what woman doesn't? LOL

I think if I continue with my weight training and bump up my cardio, I should be ok. My diet is fine. It's the cardio that gets me. It's not exactly my favorite thing to do. :)

[RweTHEREyet]

Ginger, where in North Carolina are you?

Does this mean that you are joining us in the Challenge?

[Ginger]

Sure I'll join. Are we just sharing our goals and what we do or does the exerise thread cover that?

I'm near Charlotte. Are you in NC?

[KNWVIKING]

[QUOTE=PoohsPal] The reall reason is that I need to lose weight by my Alaska cruise. My goal is 3 pounds a month for the next five months.QUOTE]

Why ? Does the cruise line charge you by the pound ?

[RweTHEREyet]

Sure I'll join. Are we just sharing our goals and what we do or does the exerise thread cover that?

I'm near Charlotte. Are you in NC?

Yes, husband and I live in Raleigh and work in Cary. He is from Charlotte and his Dad and wife life near South Park.

[Rozzie]

wait up! I'm here! I need another challenge this month...

I want to lose 2 lbs this month. I tried for 3 last month which was a joke. My weight is so up and down. Seems I can be up or down 5 lbs in a # of days. :upsidedow

[Ginger]

Yes, husband and I live in Raleigh and work in Cary. He is from Charlotte and his Dad and wife life near South Park.

Small world. Some of my Dad's family is near Raleigh, though we don't get up there too often to see them. If you come to Charlotte sometime and have some free time, we can meet at the Disney Store at Carolina Place. That's the only one left around here (I think).

[RweTHEREyet]

That would be fun. We used to have 3 in our area, but now only have 1, which is the one at Crabtree, where I worked for 5 years.

[Ginger]

That would be fun. We used to have 3 in our area, but now only have 1, which is the one at Crabtree, where I worked for 5 years.

About the same here. Used to be a lot, now only 1. PM me if you come to Charlotte.

[RweTHEREyet]

Rozzie, glad you decided to join us.

I hope we all meet our goal this month and a little extra.

Maybe some new high-pressure system will come thru and magically compress us all by a few inches. Woudln't that be cool?

[Niki]

I'll join your wight loss challenge, too. I used to do Tae-Bo four times a week and Bowfloex three. Work has gotten nasty busy this year, so I stopped it all. :tsktsk: While the poundage has not changed that much, the flab factor certainly has. I have alot more to lose than you guys (20 lb. hopefully, or at least several inches.) I would like to do it before my December Disney trip. Just have to get back into the workout routine, because dieting has always been a tough one for me.

[PoohsPal]

OK. MIss a day and you are flying therough teh posts. I love it!

Ginger, Niki, and ROzzie - Welcome!

If you'd like to post your goals for weight loss, that would be great. Seeing as many of us are on teh exercise challenge, we don't need to post that, ujless there's another angle you want to hit. Just let us know how you've doen with your eating and about frustrations, etc.

rwe - Muscle does weight more than fat. That's one reason that Curves does your inches and total body fat, so you can see that. Maybe you shoudl ask for an in between weigh and measure if you're dying for results. If friends tell you you're gaining muscle, they are probably seeing something in you.

If I go tto hard with watching ewhat I eat, I will binge. (Ok, not the made for tv movie binge, but I will go overboard with my eating one day.) If I let myself "cheat" a little, I don't feel overwhelmed and deprived. I allow myself one ounce of dark chocloate a dat. Usually, it's 70% cocoa or better, so not a lot of carbs. If we go to the movies, you're not keeping the popcorn away from me, but we don't go very much. Usually once a month if I'm lucky. When we travel, especially when we're at the ILs, stress and food choice make it impossible to be goo,d so I'll let myself be a little more lax.


Anyway, that helps me. Chicken adn salad would get old after a bit.

[RweTHEREyet]

I eat the one ounce of dark chocolate a day, too, every day. Good thing I like the dark, as a lot of folks don't. I eat it for the heart benefits--yeah right.:sosad:

I did have Mexican lunch with my Disney friend yesterday and had the chicken fajitas, just chicken and onions and green peppers on the soft tortillas. No cheese or sour cream or guacamole. It sure was tasty for a change and I sure enjoyed it.

I am getting the point if I don't have a salad, I miss it. This, coming from someone who didn't even eat them until I was 30+.

Niki, I have a lot more to lose, it will probably take a year, but our goals here are short-term. I would love to lose 20 before our WDW trip in May, but will be happy with 10, actually will be happy with anything as long as the scale doesn't start going the other direction.

[jnrrt]

Hey Carrie, you are psychic! I am back, and I would like to join.

I was just thinking that I left on the last day of March, and so I never wrapped up the March challenge! I would like to state that I finished March down 1.5 lbs. Yea for me! And then I went to WDW, and it all came back. Boo-hoo for me!

Why is it that you have to be really good for two weeks to lose a pound, but if you're bad for one day you gain 2? I don't get that.

So, with three weeks left to go, I guess I'm aiming to get back where I was before the trip, so 1.5 pounds is my goal. 2 would be great, but we'll take breaking even.

[PoohsPal]

Welcome back jnrrt! I feel your pain.

I did pertty well over the weekend, but end of last week, I had some bottomless pit days. I tried to keep it on the healthy side, though. I was 2.5 pounds up tthis am, but I shoudl see a big drop back to normal near the end of the week.

[Ginger]

I think I did good with my eating and working out this week. Didn't weigh though. I need to do better drinking water on the weekends. I usually slack off on the water drinking on the weekends because I'm busy. During the week is easier because I'm sitting at my desk at work all day.

I hope this week is a good eating week. I'm off work Friday, but will hopefully not blow the diet too bad.

For some reason I'm craving chocolate chip cookies. Have been for about 2 weeks. I have no idea why, I haven't had one in years. I love to bake, but don't very often. If I do I'll eat them. :) If the craving doesn't go away, maybe I'll make 1/2 a batch and cook a few and freeze the rest.
I thought my usual craving buster of cottage cheese, cocoa powder, ground flax seeds, and splenda would cure my craving; but it did not. I know that sounds gross, but it's really good, like pudding but better for you.

[RweTHEREyet]

O.K., as of this morning I am down 1.2 lbs. Only .8 of a lb. to go until that magic number on the scale. Not the ultimate no., mind you, but the short-term goal, the one that will make me do a big happy dance and maybe go buy something to wear just to see what size I am now. For some reason I am getting to within a lb. of that number and just can't go below it, and it isn't as if I don't have a lot of weight to get rid of. I am not trying for just one or two lbs. I have a good 40 to go.

So I am going to try and be extra good this week. I am not sure just what else I can give up though.

Ginger, I got hungry for cookies last night too. I started to go make some No Pudge brownies and decided to pick up my laptop instead and type away to keep my hands busy. Not sure how many times that one is going to work for me.

[RweTHEREyet]

One more food item. When you guys get hungry to snack on something, what do you eat?

Apples are getting old, have had tons of strawberries with angel food cake lately.

Ginger, I can't do the cottage cheese thing. Just can't get it close to the mouth even.

I have seen suggestions about frozen grapes. Haven't tried that one yet, but don't think too many would be too good because of the sugar.

[PoohsPal]

rwe - I like apples with crunchy peanut butter (lower carbs). Frozen grapes are sill better than chocolate and teh other evils. Congrats on the loss! I know, the closer you are to the goal, the harder it is. I'll try to think of more good snacks.

Ginger - If the craving's that bad, I'd go with your plan. Like I said, if I feel like I'm depriving myself, though, I'll go overboard.

[Ginger]

RWTY, do you want something to snack on because you are hungry or because you are bored? For bored eating what about celery or a glass of water? For hungry snacks, you won't like any of my suggestions because 90% of them involve cottage cheese. I love cottage cheese. :) Today I'm having it with strawberries.

Here's some hungry snacks off the top of my head. Don't hold me to it, but I think most are under 200 calories.

1 wasa cracker with 1 piece of laughing cow cheese and a boiled egg

1 serving of homemade Boma hummus with celery stick

sugar free fat free pudding with 1 T of coolwhip

grilled chicken and broccoli

string cheese

sugar free jello

protein shake

1 T peanut or almond butter

1 oz nuts (almond, walnuts, cashews, etc)

1 oz soy nuts

any veggie or fruit

yogurt

[PoohsPal]

rwe - Have you tried teh Curves protein shake. I like to mix teh choc. one with a cup of frozen mixed berries. Also, I keep at least 2 flavors of surgarless gum to keep my mouth occupied with something sweet.

[RweTHEREyet]

Have not tried the Curves protein shake. Have not even seen anything like it at my Curves. I only went a couple of weeks, then Mom fell down the steps, and since I started back in March they have been remodeling, and none of the t-shirts or anything like that has been put back out on display.

Ginger, I eat because I can taste it with my nose, if you know what I mean. I can be sitting there and all of a sudden I smell something really, really good, even though it isn't in the house.

I am not a raw vegetable snacker either. I know, I am a pain. Sorry

And it is all I can do to sit in my office right now. They are making popcorn in the kitchen. I don't mean microwave popcorn. We have a popcorn machine, and they just made two batches. The smell is thoughout the whole office.
:rant: :rant: :rant:
I am just gonna sit here and drink my water until I am so full its gonna come out of my eyes. :crymeariv :crymeariv :crymeariv

[Ginger]

Popcorn's not bad for you. It's the butter and oil that make it bad, but oh so tasty. :) Do you have a microwave at work? You could buy some of those 100 calorie bags and keep them in your desk. Pop and eat one of those instead of the "bad" popcorn.
Do you like ice cream or frozen things? There are some low cal, low fat, low carb (whatever you are watching).
Do you like rice cakes? They come in all flavors and aren't too bad for you.

[RweTHEREyet]

Actually, I had been eating the mini rice cakes with fresh ground almond butter from the hippie store. It kind of satisfied the "crunch" desire, if you know what I mean. Hubby said he heard on a news blip recently that rice cakes weren't as good for you as once thought. He didn't get the details, and I hated to hear that. I generally liked the cheese flavor, but noticed it was high in sodium. Then I switched to the apple and cinnamon and that was great with the almond butter.

Ginger, how is the cookie craving?

By the way, the nutritionist said to stay away from the microwave popcorn, even the low calorie, because of the oil and other stuff in the bag. She said air popped and make your own with canola oil was the only way to go. However, if I cannot have the butter and salt, I don't want it.

[lllovell]

After trying and failing at losing 5 last month, here I am again! Why do trips to WDW always do me in? It never fails, even with all the walking that I gain 5 pounds. Some of it is excess water I think (because it was hot hot last week) and I think that I eat more carbs while there, but DANG! Hate that 5 pound WDW bulge!

So....back to it! 5 pounds for April!!!

Also, I am hoping to be beyond the "no losing" part of working out. When I first start walking, I tend to hold steady for a while as my body converts some of my fat to muscle! Guess that is a trade off I can handle!!! :jumpingbe

Laura

[RweTHEREyet]

O.K., I need some words of wisdom from those of you that have been at this weight loss thing longer than I have.

Today was the day I got measured and weighed at Curves. I actually started Curves in Dec., but only went 2 weeks, then Mom got here and fell down the steps, and I didn't get back to Curves again until early March. So the following has happened in about 6 weeks:

According to today's measurements:

Bust + 1.0"
Abdomen - 1.5"
Hips -1.0"
Thighs - 1.0"
no other measurements went up or down
Weight - 3.5 lbs (lost 13.5 lbs. before starting Curves)

I left Curves today very downhearted and disappointed. I guess I expected more. After having a few hours to think about it, maybe this wasn't so bad. Maybe I wouldn't have been so disappointed if I had had some loss in my wasit, calves and arms, too. I guess my biggest disappointment was no loss in my wasit. No way do I understand the gain in the bust measurement.

Are my expectations too high? Should I just be glad that everything went down but my bust? If you guys tell me to put a smile on my face and shut up I will.

[RweTHEREyet]

The cherry on top of the sundae was when I noticed that Curves does not measure your calf. AT least mine doesn't. So I had hubby measure it so I could track it myself. My calf is 1" bigger than his, and hubby is big guy. This really made me :mad: . I recognize he is getting a lot of work on his legs at his heart rehab, but for him to have a smaller calf than I do is just not acceptable.

And this morning, the scales said I gained .6 of a lb.

So. I am not getting on the scales this weekend. Gonna put extra effort into my walking and workout and we will see what the scales say on Monday.

Sorry, I just have to vent here. I don't care to share all these details with anyone I work with and while hubby is very supportive and understands, he offers tons of suggestions. Sometimes all we gals want is someone to say, I understand how you feel and yeah thats a bummer. Know what I mean?

[PoohsPal]

I know exactly what you mean! This is the place to do it. I'm stil up a half pound but I think I'm doing better than most months. If I can continue to be good, I should dhow a loss next week. The 3 pounds may be harder than I think though. :mad:

A break from the scale will definitely do you some good. I have a hard time lettign it go myself.

[jnrrt]

RWeThereYet - you are making progress! That's good! I think the whole weight loss thing is so frustrating, just focus on the fact that you are moving in the right direction.

Okay, this may be totally coincidental, but I thought I'd report it here.

I lost about 1.5 lbs. on the March challenge. I have been trying to lose the last 5 or 6 pounds from my baby for probably a year. I'm actually very happy with the way I look, but it's frustrating to be so close and not get there. I do think it's hardest to lose the last few pounds because I'm close to my ideal weight. Anyway, I lost that weight, and was happy about it and went to WDW and gained 2.

This was very frustrating to me because I feel like I work very hard to lose a little, but I wasn't even bad on the trip - it seems far easier to gain it back than it is to lose it! So, this week I haven't done anything different at all, but I have been reading Perricone's book because I'd like my mom to be on a healthier diet. He scares me a little with all the supplements, but many doctors are now recommending fish oil (omega 3's) for heart health, and it's actually considered a food, not a supplement, so I thought I'd like to add it anyway, and Perricone says it helps with weight loss.

I've taken 2 of them each day since Monday, and I've been good, but not any different than usual (in fact, now that I think about it, maybe a little worse - been eating ice cream and chocolate, but that's nothing new, lol) and as of this morning I've lost the 2 pounds.

Now maybe they weren't really there, maybe it was water weight or whatever, or maybe they were easier since I just gained them, I don't know, but I can tell you that that is not normal for me. I do not fluctuate more than a half pound ever. And once I have weight back, it stays until I do something about it.

So I was really surprised, and will definitely be watching this. Sorry I took so long to explain that, but I'll keep you all up on whatever happens in the next week or two. I'd be so thrilled to lose another pound or two toward my goal! And now I feel like I haven't lost so much ground.

[RweTHEREyet]

I had heard that about the omega 3's, but had not tried it as of yet. Are you taking a pill or a capsule? what dosage is recommended? It would be very easy for me to stop in to GNC when we walk this weekend and pick some up. I am betting it isn't a cheap thing to take, either. Think how long it takes to squeeze all that oil out of the fishies.
:laughing:

[Ginger]

RWTY, you did good! You lost some inches. Don't be so hard on yourself. Keep up the good work.

Someone once told me that the weight didn't get on overnight, so it won't come off overnight either. I think of this when I'm being too hard on myself.

[jnrrt]

I had heard that about the omega 3's, but had not tried it as of yet. Are you taking a pill or a capsule? what dosage is recommended? It would be very easy for me to stop in to GNC when we walk this weekend and pick some up. I am betting it isn't a cheap thing to take, either. Think how long it takes to squeeze all that oil out of the fishies.
:laughing:

Okay, that made me laugh because the worst thing about it is thinking about squeezing all those fishies! Kind of gives me the heebie-jeebies - I just try not to think about it.

I don't even know if you can get it in a pill. This is a pretty large capsule and it is actually a capsule full of oil. They are 10 calories each - so really, you're just swallowing oil in a happy little packet. I was able to get them at my regular grocery store because this supplement has become so common.

Perricone recommends 1 at each meal, 3 per day of 1000 mg. each (3000 mg. in the day), but he does say that if you are an intense weight-loss program, you can take as much as 3 per meal for 9 a day. I am only taking 2 per day because I like to stay ont he conservative side of things until I see how they're working, and also since I'm on the smaller side, and usually take lower doses of stuff anyway.

He also says that women are notorious for eating too little protein, and this makes you lose muscle not fat, and does not keep your blood sugar even so you get cravings and your cells get insulin resistant making the fat harder to lose. So to sum up a huge book very quickly, you are supposed to eat protein at every meal, go heavy on the veggies and fruits, and any grains should be whole grains (barley, oats, etc.) because they take a lot longer for your body to break down and keep your blood sugars more even. He's also big into organics and supplements. I liked the book because all the foods are very healthy, but I simply could not afford to feed a family of five the way he says you should. This is not so far off from what we do anyway, though, so I'm going to try doing a little more organic (much easier in the summer since we mostly eat out of our garden) and see where it goes.

[RweTHEREyet]

I DID IT...... I DID IT........

I weighed this morning after saying I would stay away from the scales and I am down to my short-term goal. I am now looking at a number on the scale that I have not seen in several years.

Don't get me wrong, I have a good 50 lbs. to go, but this is a strong motivator for me.

I know I am going to have to be careful not to slip and go back up a lb. or two. I am just going to have to work even harder.

the other thing that makes this so exciting for me is that before my hubby was diagnosed with his health problems. I had resigned myself to the fact that I did not think that I could lose weight and that I would be really overweight for the rest of my life. I didn't think I was capable of not eating and exercising. I now know I was wrong and I have new found confidence.

[RweTHEREyet]

Sure didin't last long, up .2 lb. this morning. I have to get it a couple of pounds below my magic mark so that I have some leaway for fluctuation here. I'm not bummed about this though, I kind of expected it to be a little worse.

[PoohsPal]

rwe - Congratulations! 0.2 pounds is not a big deal. Daily fluctuations could be that.

I'm up one pound. I was bad yesterday. But, My Easter outfi fit much better than it did when I bought it. I still have 2 weeks to wher I usually hit my monthly low, though, so those 3 are still possible. Have a great week everyone!

[Ginger]

Don't you just love being a woman? What you eat or drink and your monthly hormones can cause you to gain or loose 5 lbs overnight!

I was down 1lb this weekend. But this is PMS week, so I'm not even weighing this week. LOL

I did do a little shopping this weekend and found a cute dress and some shorts. So I'm happy about that. And they were all in the size I am most comfortable with.

My cookie craving went away and I didn't even eat or bake 1. I was going to bake some, but got busy and forgot about it.

[RweTHEREyet]

Ginger, I am at the point in my life where I can no longer blame PMS. I have to blame mine on a 3-day weekend at home with lots of opportunity to eat more than I do during the week. And, I fixed flank steak and baked rice for son since he was at the house this weekend. This is the first beef I have had in quite a while, and it used to be all we would ever eat. Gotta say it was mighty good.

[RweTHEREyet]

Found a new snack that I think is healthy, Kelloggs Granola Munch'ems. Found them at Wal-Mart this weekend.

Per Pack:

130 calories
90mg sodium
9g sugar
5g Total fat

I got the Brown sugar and cinnamon flavor and put my all-natural peanut butter on them.

Ginger, if this isn't healthy, don't tell me until I have eaten them all, o.k.? Cause right now I am really enjoying these.

[PoohsPal]

rwe - Even if you can't blame PMS. Carbs will make you retain more water and various thing you eat will make you fluctuate, so 0.2 could very likely still be water.

[RweTHEREyet]

o.k., o.k., o.k., (say it to sound like Joe Pesci) So, 0.2 lbs. above the magic mark on the scale isn't that much, but................... 0.4 lbs. below the mark is HUGE. I am gonna be extra good today and hope that it gives me a little wiggle room.

[PoohsPal]

Woo hoo Rwe!!!

[RweTHEREyet]

Alrighty, I have made my goal for the month. I am now 2.6 lbs. below the magic mark on the scale. :dancingba :dancingba :dancingba

So, if I lose more this month, do I get to credit against next month's goal??????

[PoohsPal]

Completely up to you! ;) Or, you could give taht extra loss to som epoor deserving soul who received wayyyy tooo much dark chocolate fro Easter. ;)

[RweTHEREyet]

I hear ya, Carrie. I do eat my 1.5 ozs. of dark chocolate each and every day.

If I thought you had near the amount of weight to lose as I do, I would take some of yours, but I am sure it is no contest.

Thought I would share this since you are in to chocolate (as most of us are). My son is going to spend the summer with his Godparents in Kona, Hawaii. They grow cocoa beans and harvest and manufacture the only true Hawaiian chocolate made in the world. They also grow and harvest coffee and macadamia nuts, but the chocolate is their bigest product.

[PoohsPal]

ohhhhh....... Nummy.

CAn he bring me back some dk. chocolate macadamia nut bars? ;) NO, strike that. Trying to be good. :tsktsk:

[jnrrt]

Way to go, RWe! That's fabulous. You should be very proud. Out of curiosity, are you using the fish oil?

Here, I can report that I have successfully lost the weight I gained on the trip, and possibly another half pound. Still a bit left in the month too, so we're working. And I can proudly tell you all the Pringles were on a FANTASTIC sale this morning, and even so, I bought none. Since they are one of my guilty pleasures, that was true heroicism there. But I am no match for the chocolate. It calls to me, and I have to answer. So, considering Easter, I'm pretty pleased with another half pound gone.

[withdisneyspirit]

I hear ya, Carrie. I do eat my 1.5 ozs. of dark chocolate each and every day.

If I thought you had near the amount of weight to lose as I do, I would take some of yours, but I am sure it is no contest.

Thought I would share this since you are in to chocolate (as most of us are). My son is going to spend the summer with his Godparents in Kona, Hawaii. They grow cocoa beans and harvest and manufacture the only true Hawaiian chocolate made in the world. They also grow and harvest coffee and macadamia nuts, but the chocolate is their bigest product.

Imagine, hopping on this thread to read about Hawaiian chocolate! Do they make dark or milk chocolate? Do they sell it on the web? Not that I need any but...

[RweTHEREyet]

Yes they do sell on the web. Pam was my roommate when we were in school together, until she and Bobbie married. We have been closest of friends ever since. We were in each others weddings, etc. Broke my heart when they moved to Hawaii. We have been to Hawaii once and she has been back home once, but we talk often. Doesn't seem right that my college kid son gets to spend over 5 weeks there, does it?

Here is a link, and their claims are correct. Theirs is the ONLY chocolate grown and processed in Hawaii.

http://www.originalhawaiianchocolatefactory.com/aloha.html

[RweTHEREyet]

jnrtt

Haven't purchased the fish oil yet. I still intend to, maybe tonight. Hubby walks about two laps to my one at the mall and then he does more. The other night he did 6 miles. So while he is doing his last laps, I may hit the GNC store. Glad you asked, it made me make a mental note to get that done.

I did start with flaxseed oil, though. I don't think it has the same weight-loss claims, but it is the only thing I have really done different.

[PoohsPal]

OK, someone please kick me in the behind! I've been feeeling pretty down since Friday and let myself be a pig. I still havene't weekend myseflf from teh caffeine I got hooked on 2 weeks agao and am pretty dehydrated. This is the last week adn it's not pretty right now. Help!!! How do I get started again?

[RweTHEREyet]

Carrie, the only thing I can say is what you guys were saying to me, don't be so hard on yourself and don't dwell on it. If you keep beating yourself up, you will just give up all together and figure why bother.

Just get back on track and realize that this is a momentary setback and know that you can do it.

I used to drink a Diet Coke for breakfast every morning, first thing at work and then weekends at home (well, usually accompanied by bacon, eggs and biscuits) and when hubby got the news about his heart and we saw a nutritionist, she said regular coke was nothing but sugar in a can and Diet Coke was rat poison, and I quit that day, cold turkey. If your caffeine problem is coffee, I won't be any help as I cannot even stand the smell. I hope each day becomes a little easier for you.

I am sending you all the encouragement I have and I just know that this is a temporary glitch in the whole process.

Hang in there girl.

[jnrrt]

I'm echoing what RWe said. You don't need anyone to kick you in the behind - you're doing it already!

I don't know many people who can be good all the time. Just start back from where you are now and don't beat yourself up. You've had so much going on, you're lucky that you haven't run screaming into the night - a little weight isn't so bad! It comes off again.

Here's me, cheering you on:

:cheerlead :cheerlead :cheerlead

[PoohsPal]

Thanks! I'm feeling a little better today and my weight was only up one pound this am. My goal for the day is to get more water into the system adn I'm already ahead of wher I've been. Thansk fro uptting up with my whining!

[RweTHEREyet]

I just came back to say what jnrrt just said. You have had so much going on and so much stress. I feel that losing weight is a full-time job. You really have to plan ahead with your food and make sure you have the right choices available, and you really have not had the time to do that lately.

So, if it doesn't work this month, there is always the next. Cut yourself some slack.