I've been coming to this forum for about three weeks - I read, and sometimes post to journals, but I never know what I would actually put into one of my own.

I turned 40 this past January and realised I was almost 260 pounds - I knew that had to change.

I was about 30lbs over weight (185lbs) in 1990 when I met my husband, by December of 1990, I weighed 205lbs. In 1992 when I got married, I was 218 and in 1996 after I had my daughter, I weighed 216. So the last 40 pounds of my weight gain has been over the last 10 years. Four pounds a year doesn't seem like much - but it adds up!

Yeesh!

It's really time to make a change in my life for GOOD!

I don't count calories, so I really have no idea how much total I eat in a day. I know I slowly just started cutting back, and that gave me a pound a week weightloss. Since joining this forum, I've been much more conscience of what I eat and my activity level (not to mention how much WATER I'm drinking)

No one in my family has even noticed the weight I've lost to date (24lbs), nor have they noticed anything different about my eating habits. My husband has noticed that I haven't been drinking coffee - that's the extent of his awareness

Anyway, this forum is truly IT when it comes to my entire support system, and I'm so glad I've found you guys!

I'm glad you started a diary. We sound like we have similar circumstances as far as age and weight. I don't have any children so I just got fat by eating too much. I think the people around us just love us the way were are, so they are not aware of all the obsessing we do and probably don't notice our eating habits all that much. It is such a huge thing for us to lose weight. I have only been here a couple of weeks, but have found the support has made a big difference for me too. I also have not been counting calories all that much other than just being aware of what I am eating in a general sense. So far so good. I hope you stick around.

Pineola,
It's nice to "meet" you

I think you're right, the people in our lives love us the way we are and I think the more we have to lose, the easier it is to not see the pounds come off at first. It's just so odd that *I* feel the weight loss in my clothes so much, that I wonder how anyone else just can't see it yet.

Anyhoo - I'm here for the long haul, they'll see it eventually


My food for the day so far (I normally snack about every two hours during the day, but not on a day where I have my splurandwich

Pre Breakfast snack
non fat peach yogurt

Breakfast
1 small tortilla, 1 egg and a sprinkling (light dusting really) of cheese

Lunch (my once a week splurge)
2 slices whole wheat bread
2 TBS mayo
1 whole med size avocado
1 tomato

Pre Dinner Snack
handfull of grapes

Dinner
2 skinleess boneless chicken tenders sauted in small amount of bbq sauce
1 cup mixed vegies
small portion of brown rice

After dinner snack will be:
6oz mandrain oranges drained.

48oz of water down, and 24 more to go

Hey, there! You got a diary. Good for you. You know I am rooting for you, because you have to keep me on my toes. I'm weighing tomorrow, so you better be extra good! LOL

Hey there twinmom
You know you've got me scared straight! I was thinking about you all the while I was eating my avocado/tomato/mayo sandwich! Those 50 grams of fat weighed "heavy" on my mind

You'll do great tomorrow! I can't wait to see how we do!

I weigh in on Saturday morning - thank goodness I've got that extra day

Okay, here is my update...

233 ---> 230! 3 for me. Hope you are a big loser, too!!! Can't wait for us to get out of the 230's!

If you say that you started slowly only losing a pound a week or so, then that explains how your family doesn't realize that you've lost weight. When you see someone everyday- it's hard to see the subtle changes that have taken place... but I bet if you take a picture of yourself from January out and show it to your husband and ask if you look any different that he will realize what's missing... 24 pounds!!!

Well put Val. You are doing great M2M, and I'm glad your doing a diary ... it helps us catch up with what each other are doing. Good luck for tomorrow ... I'm sure you'll get a good result.

Keep us posted!

hey M2M, I'm glad to see you have a journal now.

btw, I love avocado too. it's very fatty but AT LEAST it's the GOOD fats. heh.
go unsaturated fats! heh.

Hi Everyone

I can't tell you how wonderful it is to come here and see so many positive, supportive comments!

TwinMOM - you ROCK!! You have done amazing and are such an inspiration to me!! I can't wait to step on the scales to see if I even come close to you this week!

C - You're so right about the fatty avocadoes - but I LOVE them, I'm down to one and a half a week. One in my sandwich, and then I split one with my husband on tacos duringing the week. I was just at a site yesterday that discussed how GOOD they are, what they do in so many different areas of our body, that I just won't feel guilty any more Of course, I could get rid of the *real* mayo

Mrs Bear, thanks for the encouraging words! I never thought I would actually look forward to getting on the scale, but I am!

Valapaloza, thanks for pointing out the slow loss contributing to the family not noticing - that *must* be it I keep invisioning the day my husband finally asks "Have you been losing weight" and I'll be able to say, "Yeah, a little......about 50 pounds!

As for today, I've had:
1 packet of oatmeal - 140 calories (I only count when I can SEE the exact amount)
1 pria bar 170 calories
1 non fat yogurt 60 calories
mandarin oranges 180 calories

I haven't had dinner yet

and so far, I've had over 48oz of water and I'm half way done with the 3rd 24oz bottle.

I think I'm going to try my hand at counting calories

It was easy for the first part of the day because what I ate was prepackaged, all I had to do was read the label. That was easy!

I only work one day a week, and I came home exhausted, and did not want to thinking about what to FIX for dinner.

The one meal I LOVE is fried eggs with sausage over crispy hashbrowns

So I decided to do it by the book, watch and measure the portions and count the calories...so...

2 eggs, 140 calories
1 turkey breakfast sausage patty 132 calories
1.25 C hash browns 70 calories
2 TBS canola oil 240 calories

For a grand total of 582 calories - that along with my 550 from today puts me at 1132!!

If I wasn't so full, I think I'd have desert

(and yes, I noticed there wasn't anything green in there today! I'll do better tomorrow - it's shopping day and I'll have fresh produce again)

water = 64 oz down

great job - and doesnt sound like any sacrafices - eating what you love... just healthier great job...

Great work M2M, it just goes to show you don't have to go without your favourite foods, as long as you are sensible. An inspiration to us all . I am having coronation chicken today (very mayonnaise-y!) but I shall measure it and count cals like you did, so I don't feel like I have broken my 'diet'.

You're doing great- I don't know if anyone has introduced you to FitDay or any of the other sites that are extremely helpful for tracking nutritional value of various foods.

And I was serious about why your family might not have noticed the weight loss- In a way, I almost take it as a compliment... as though they didn't notice I was that fat to begin with, right? But from my history of weight loss, I do know that some family members/friends/coworkers can be afraid to tell you that you look like you've lost weight for fear of offending you. If we're honest with ourselves, we realize that we don't want people to realize that we are/were fat. We want people to see us as we were when we were at our thinnest. -Sorry, I'm rambling-

omg but you get to see dave for THREE DAYS?? i wish my venue was even holding him for two! but yeah i'm so excited..i'm seriously counting down the hours. where do you live?