Nice seeing all of you!!

Sheila- I went cold turkey. I was also a Diet Mountain Dew junkie myself, as well as Diet Vanilla Coke! I will tell you it was so hard!
I had migraines for two weeks straight and I was so sleepy during the day. It was scary to see how much my body depended on caffeine to do what my body should have been doing in the first place. After the first two weeks, the third week as well as the fourth, were spotted headaches and yearning. After that it was easy and I found myself with a much better sleep pattern and I was awake all day long. The hardest part is giving up chocoalate!! Oh do I love the stuff!

I'm really hoping to have my act together by January 1st. I got the gym thing going regularly and the caffeine free part done. Now I just need to stay away from flour, sugar, and the other bad carbs. Just keep them away. Being a carbaholic isn't easy at all.
So no sugar for me for now!

I thought I would share my weight loss journey with you all. I started on june 24, 2002 and next teusday will be six months. I have only stalled for about a week and thats it. I started exercising on a regular basis about one month in and I think that has been what caused me to keep moving down on the scale. I am only doing 20minutes on the treadmill three times a week lately but for 5 weeks I did bfl faithfully and thats caused me to develop muscle which is metobolically active. Hey I probably burn an extra 150 calories a day because of it. Before bfl I went to the y and did the nautilus machines for two months and that too helped things along. I have lost a total of 90 pounds in all this time. I am within 30 pounds of what I weighed in high school and I am 43. I do have an active life with two young children, 4 and 10. My job is mostly sitting although I have tried to stay on my feet more. I am a chemist hence the name chemlady. The more I lose the more energy I have. I can do laundry at ten when previously I would be a couch potato with a bag of chips next to me. I don't drink anything except water and decaf with cream and an occasionaly low carb beer or two. I stay away from too many nuts and have remained close to induction the whole time. I never thought of myself as a quick loser. I have a sluggish thyroid that I take medication for too. This is the woe for me. I have amazed myself as well as my family. I dont think I would have lost this much without exercising unless of course I was a man. They have it a little easier. I think its the less body fat of something. Anyway this is my story and yes I have a ways to go but I am on the way there. Good luck to you all. I wish I could make everyone I see thinner by my exerperiences because no one should suffer the humilation and the lack of living their life to the fullest because of their weight.
Laurie

chemlady, you have done really well!! I can't get over the fact that you've lost nearly 100 pounds in 6 months.... you may think you're sluggish, but I think that's really GREAT, that's 15 pounds a month that you've lost!! How nice to be able to see the scale going down this whole time! Congrats!!!



BTW, what is bfl?

Chemlady, congrat's on your weight loss. Your story keePs the motivation going.

90 lbs in 6 months, fantastic, I'm hoping for 60lbs in 6 months. You are proof that it can be done.

Thanks for posting to motivate people like me.


Kathy

Hi all! Interesting idea Cassie...We Lovely Large Ladies do have a few things going on that the wonderful men on this forum and elsewhere don't! I don't think it's too threatening...I mean it's just a thread not a password required entry...or did I miss the password?

I agree about letting Donald in though he has some awesome recipes and great decorating tips I'm sure he'd share not to mention that smile!

I've been around the forum a while, my true starting wt is a bit higher than posted as I couldn't/wouldn't weigh for the first several months as I tried different plans and found LC. For the most part I'm caffeine free, except for the TOM pure de-lite sugarfree choc truffles that I reserve for those cravings. I no longer have the massive migraines I use to and that I believe is 100% due to this WOL/WOE.

I lost some ground this year due to my slip on vacation and adopting the "Titanic Attitude" I took towards dessert and food...I felt the ship may go down so I really couldn't pass on the dessert or whatever smelled good! In the end (so to speak) I had to relose 40 pounds. (I had almost lost my HB in Feb/02 and I just thought life was too short) Turns out, it was I who was too short for the dessert and extra carbs so I finally got that figured out!

I'd like to do another BFL challenge next year too...I'm hoping to get a "clear to lift" check up when I'm done with PT but it may take a while...rotor cuff injury on the mend... Find out about BFL here ...BFL thread For now I am doing limited PT and have to get my rear back in the water...for water aerobics, its just so darn cold out there with the indoor pool closed for renovations. I know, I just gotta go there!

Great job Laura on your loss to dates. I think your so right about the BFL being a great catalyst, I know it was for me too. The 2003 challenge boasts $250 in EAS supplements to any who complete the challenge ... joining required by Jan 6th I believe.

Well I guess that about sums it up. Congratulations to all who have hung in there despite life sometimes getting in the way. If you've even maintained your wt that deserves credit too! I do think getting back to basics and making sure your moving around is a sure way to keep it heading in the right direction.

I'd love to check back in Casse if ya' think I'll qualify!

Hugs,
Beth

Sorry guys but this thread has really annoyed me.
Sounds like segregation to me....I thought we were all in this together, no matter what sex we are, how large etc. etc. There are plenty of different threads that give us the opportunity to express how we feel and gain support from everyone.

I wonder what sort of reaction I would get if I asked for support from people 30 years old or younger and only weigh 150lbs or less....

Then I read the note from Chemlady and I immediately softened and calmed down because she is a REAL inspiration....

What I really like about this forum are the journals. You can peek into someones WOE or whatever they maybe feeling that day without being intrusive.
But come on...some of us really need to get honest about why we're not losing weight....yes I accept that some of us are slower to lose than others, yes we know that men lose faster than women and yes we know that losing slow and steady is the best way..... but please please don't winge and whine that you're not losing when you're still eating donuts, sweets and other crap that is being passed around the office.

I'm sorry but sometimes it's just got to be said.

Ali

If anyone thinks by looking at my stats "it's ok for her she hasn't much to lose"....I was 198lbs 2 years ago so I've been there too.

I think these boards could use some competitive threads like this one to liven things up. My interpretation of this thread was to share some notes and experiences on a smaller level with people who are active, around the same weight, etc. Would I have left out the men if I made the thread? No, but it doesn't have to stay that way either. Successful people like Donald and Chemlady are a wonderful resource and quite an asset to have around.

I do agree, the journals in this forum are great reads, but it does seem that's mostly what this board consists of: journals, newbie questions, and I cheated threads. The information I do get here is great and it's very supportive, I especially love the knowledge of those who answer my questions, but there just doesn't seem to be that friendly comraderie and sharing of info that I see elsewhere I visit. And your snotty doughnut comment was uncalled for IMHO. I look forward to sharing experiences with other successful lowcarbers, as it helps me succeed in my journey.

ChemLady - kudos, but your experience is atypical. I haven't seen a single other person who has had the wonderful success you have. I congratulate you on your hard work and success but frankly it gets me down. And no Ali, not a single cheat have I had in 5 months - no donuts, candies or cakes, or flour or sugar for that matter. And no I haven't lost the kind of weight Chemlady has. I'll persevere but I know this will be a long haul. And no, I don't exercise as much as Chemlady does. I have arthritis (which is getting a bit better as I lose weight) so I do the exercising I can without finding I can't sleep from joint aches. That is mostly confined to free weights and upper torso. The comfort I have found in this board is that many many other people find the weight loss slow but steady with the occasional stall. Is this not most people's experience?
I don't want to start a firestorm here but wanted to get in my 2 cents.

Catmom - your dedication and determination puts you up there with Chemlady as far as I'm concerned, and many others on this board regardless of how much or how little weight they've lost.

It's the wingers that drive me mad.
Ohhhh I expected to lose more by now....oh I'm stalling.....oh I just ate 3 donuts that were being passed around the office....excuse me !!!

Dark Lotus you are right, it was a snotty comment.
And I too am getting a little bored with the same questions etc. coming up.
I liked your idea about livening this forum up and making it more competitive...now that would have been been a better thread...an invitation to a competition, maybe the over 200lb peops v the over 150lb people, see who can lose the most weight during January or something....I dunno....

A little healthy competition could do us all good and maybe would give those wingers a REAL target to aim for.

Got to put the little ones to bed
Ali

alibubble

You comments were not needed. You know why? I, for one, know exactly why I stall. I know its the donuts. Don't you think for one moment that I am playing dumb. When people are working on problems with low carbing, mine being able to resist sweets, they need positive people and other ideas to solve the problems. When you say stop eating the donut to a carbaholic its like telling a fat person not to eat. If I just looked at my addiction only, I would be depressed at my weakness and give up but by seeing others who may have had the same problem or fustrations it gives me hope. Call it whinning if you want, I like to think of this as being open to my faults and being sharing emotionally. I'm sorry I offended you.

Okay I know I lost alot of weight in a little amount of time but I love sweets too. I just either make or buy the ones that are low carb. Last night I had a peanut butter cup from I think carbolite. Less than a carb and although its not a reeses it served its purpose. Every time I see someone I know at the snack machine at work I tell them " theres nothing good in there" and most agree. Planning is key to this woe. Never run out of salad or eggs. There are great recipes here especially from dwrolfe. I made an eggnog cheesecake at thanksgiving. I used splenda and sugarfree eggnog. For the crust I used ground walnuts. I partially froze this and then sliced it up and put all the pieces in the freezer for another time. I have one piece left. I don't watch as much tv because thats when I did most of my eating and I can't seem to get my brain to forget that. I do love competition and would love a race for january or until valentines day. I have my own race going to 155 by my birthday in july. Last night I had no time it seems for supper so when I got my son his burger king kids meal I got myself the doublecheeseburger plain and didn't eat the bun. I always have 3or 4 frenchfries of his too just so I don't feel deprived. I find my biggest problem is eating enough. And the reward for all this is this knockout body that I am chiseling out that I never knew I had. Thats worth more to me than a donut the size of a tire.

On the segregation issue, there are other threads like this one. One that comes to mind is for shorter people.

198 minus your goal weight do not come to more than 100 lbs. Personally, I don't care if you come here and post and I don't find your comments about donuts offensive because, regardless of whether we like it or not, donuts are part of the problem. However, saying that you've "been there too" to people who have HUNDREDS of pounds to lose is not being honest, either. I hope you will NEVER have "been there, too." But, you don't have a clue about what it's like to know that you can lose an entire person and STILL be too big. My GOAL weight is only a few pounds under your biggest ever.

Hey, there have been men only threads in the past too...just because it isn't active now doesn't mean it hasn't been tried. Sometimes just a daring title is enough to get people to share positive experiences that may make their road a little less bumpy.

Freydis...Thanks for pointing out a valuable truth...you haven't been there Ali and I too hope you never are. Having 50 something pounds to lose is hard, but it's not 100+ or 200+. There are those who don't understand why those of us who share the triple digit forum need a place to unload...because we do. There are many common factors in this WOL and there are also some that you have probably not experienced even at your highest weight. This support forum is for everyone, IF YOU HAVE SOMETHING SUPPORTIVE TO SAY. If you wanna debate agressively, check out the war zone. IMHO...Otherwise, like your momma told you, if you don't have something nice to say...zip it! If your not getting what you need out of the forum, start a thread that addressess your needs, maybe you'll draw others who share your need to be competitive.

On the positive side rather than a number race, I'd like to see some common things that people have done to overcome roadblocks in their weightloss. Like Chemlady mentioning planning and finding a LC substitute for a craving. (I keep a LC emergency kit in the car.) The "just a few frenchfries" would never work for me, in fact I don't even let them in my car, I know the smell gets to me. Before LC, I was the driver shifting the fries from one order to another to even them out because the ride home left us too MANY fries missing. Find what works, toss what doesn't. We are not all carbon copies of one another with the same physical abilities and social situations. Finding progress is much better than seeking perfection or abandoning the journey altogether.

Cassie, hang in there. Work on one thing at a time. Don't beat yourself up. If you see a pattern to the behavior, see what you can do to change it. I use non food rewards to pat myself on the back, everyone I know wants & needs encouragement. If that isn't working than I have to take a look at why I'm sabatoging my own efforts...what am I afraid of?

Support not shame.

Beth

I found keeping a simple journal really helps to show where your troubled areas are. For example I kept getting headaches at night and I figured out it was because I was eating too many legal snacks (2 carbs +2+3+1+2... you get the idea). So I paid close attention to my snacks and being more attentive cured me of my headaches.

I also found out through using a journal that caffeine would make me want to eat sweets (Must be the donuts and coffee of my past) so by going caffeine free I also cut out lots of my sweets.