236-196-Accomplished! Now down to 176!! (All Wishers welcome to post)

[lmhall2000]

Update!!!
Made my goal of 196- shooting down to 176 now- and I made my goal a month early!!! :) WAHOO WISH IS GREAT!!!

What a great idea! Thanks for getting it started.....

Okay officially my highest weight was 258 (at the birth of my 3rd dear child) She turns 4 tomorrow (4/26) so I'm finally buttoning down the hatches and unloading all the excess me.

When I married I was 135, pregnant with first child 150 up to 206, pregnant with 2nd child started at 190 up to 224- then got pregnant when that sweet baby was about 12 weeks old! :) and that's where we are now. In college I lost over 90 pounds and kept it off for 8 years- so I've done this before but with three sweet children in tow and the demands of keeping house and homeschooling- it's difficult to keep to a schedule for myself so here goes....

April 1st- started slimfasting- two meals and eat one sensible meal (most the time) I have lost 8 pounds (4/22 weigh in) so far and have added exercise. I walk for 30-45 minutes every weekday morning at 6am. I bike on the weekends and try to hit the nautilus machines at the Y 2x a week- more if I can squeeze it in.
(UPDATE: December 20: I haven't exercised in 4 weeks and it's showing!! The weight loss has slowed so I've been low carbing for 5 days and it's finally going down again- it'll be tight to hit 175 by next week but I'll be close- I was at 179 today!)

My goal is to be under 200 by our Disney trip in September (23-30) then to be at or under 175 by Christmas. I haven't really had any setbacks this month- I avoided the Easter chocolates but I did have a chili dog and chips last night which was not so sensible and I'm feeling yucky today- but I walked for 45 minutes and the water tastes so refreshing after moving a bit!

I hope to encourage all those needing to be a loser and especially those trying to dip below 200- I'm here with you and we can do this!!!

Tara
http://www.wdwinfo.com/photopost/data/500/249TaraElizaSmaller.jpg
http://www.wdwinfo.com/photopost/data/500/249bluedress-med.jpg
This picture is at 45 pounds gone! YIPPEE!!

[wovenwonder]

I am looking forward to onderland too. I hope your posts will help me along the way.
:D

[ohiominnie]

Tara,
Way to go! We're all rooting for you!!! You know what you have to do and sounds like you're raring to go! :) :) :)

And hello, from another Disney loving homeschooling LOSER! :)

God bless!

[Desiree]

Tara,

Best of luck to you! You sound like you are well on your way! Keep up the good work and the motivation!

[lmhall2000]

I think I have passed the "Cinnabon" test- there was a huge box of them on my counter- I heated 3 of them and split them between my family (3 children and Daddy)- I didn't even lick my fingers- I washed them off!!! And I made a birthday cake- didn't lick the beaters- and I made chicken salad- had my husband test it. I'm doing GREAT today!!
This is my off day of exercise- but I've been up since 6 baking for her party today. Why do we slave over a "perfect" cake for 4 hours just to have the kids demolish it in 5 seconds- AHhhh, the joys of parenting. I am slimfasting for two meals today then tonight dh and I have our first date in about 6 months! We're so excited- we're going to Outback- where I'll order salmon and a salad- no BLOOMING onion for us! Then we're off to a movie- haven't been to one of those since last year- NO POPCORN either- I'm doing it this time!!! Weigh day is Tuesday- and I'll post my month end total for April on Wednesday!!
You guys are keeping me sticking to this one!! Thanks for the support- it means so much!!
Tara

[Desiree]

WTG Tara!!!! Man I caved in last night when I was making Brownies for Devyn. I licked some of the bowl and then ate 2 after they were done! I will do better today!


Great job yesterday!!!

Des

[lmhall2000]

Made my goal of 10 pounds!!! I'm shooting for 7-10 pounds a month- So I've done it!!

I've vascillated on what to do next- I had only intended to Slim-fast for 1 month to help shrink my appetite (it worked!)- but when I check into other diets I realize it's harder for me to do those- Atkins/Zone require specific foods- meats are fairly expensive and the Zone would require me to run to the store for fresh foods every 2-3 days- I just don't have the time with 3 kids in tow. But I think I'll stick with Slim-Fast as long as I can- I'd like to do it until the Disney trip but the sweetness of the shakes are a little BLECH- but with the weight coming off and me still being able to eat a good meal (without counting carbs or proteins) makes it easier and cheaper. I try and eat fruit for a mid day snack and my meal consists of a salad- meat- bread- veggies- pretty well rounded.
I've also been very disciplined with my walking/exercise- I walk 2-3 miles M-F and on the weekend I bike for about 30 minutes- I try to make it to the Y for strength training 2 days a week. And I drink only water or skim milk- no caffeine- maybe one diet coke every 2 weeks if I'm feeling sluggish.
Hope this helps someone- and I rely on this board for great support- they're awesome!!
Tara

[wovenwonder]

Tara,
I had a wonderful shake this morning that you might want to try! It was EAS AdvantEdge chocolate shake. It was 99% Fat Free and only 2g Carbs -- less than 1 gram of sugar. It tasted so delish to me --- but it might taste bland at first to you since you've been having so much sugar. It doesn't have quite as many vitamins as Slim Fast so I would also take vitamins with it. Maybe try having one of these and one Slim Fast each day and see how you do (since it sounded like you were concerned about the sugar).

I also make wonderful shakes that Glo had posted the recipe for. Look on the low carb receipe thread or on my journal for yesterday for the Chocolate Mint LC Shake recipe.

You had a very succesful Month === Congratulations!
:D

[lmhall2000]

Well, I'm in the midst of Alex's challenge. Wow upping my walks one mile extra a day really does feel different! Instead of walking for 30 minutes I'm walking for 50 minutes every morning- I feel more energetic but I admit I have to turn on Dragon Tales in the afternoon and catch a power nap (my kids watch the show I take the nap! :)) I have to get up at 5:45 to be on my walk by 6am- my dh has to leave for work at 7- so this is the only time I can squeeze it in. If I wait until the evening to walk- I find too many excuses not to do it- so this way my exercise is over early- I've got to fit in 2 visits to the nautilus machines at the Y- shooting for this weekend and Monday.

I just made homemade banana mini-muffins- hash browns, eggs, and o.j.- yep it's an overload in carbs- but it's my one meal of the day and yesterday was the spinach salad with all the veggies piled on. The nice thing about slim-fasting- is if I'm craving (which TOM is starting) I let myself eat what I'm craving and eat nuts/fruits for my mid-morning- mid-afternoon snack.

And if I know I want a "big meal" I make it breakfast or lunch I almost never eat dinner- I think this really helps because I'm burning that food off quicker after walking 3 miles so early in the morning.

Water is about 5 big glasses (12 oz+) a day and that's usually all I drink- of course the skim milk in 2 slimfasts too.

I've avoided birthday cakes, Easter candy, cinnabons, and leftover french fries from my kids junk meal once a week- so I'm plodding through and enjoying the loose pants!!!

Tara

[Bichon Barb]

Great job Tara. You are an inspiration.

LOL. I remember those power naps, and I miss them! My boys are 7 and 9, and now I am working the hours that they are in school. I used to put down the futon, and lay down with my little guy while he watched Nick Jr. Just 15 minutes makes such a difference. It revitalizes you. And I needed it for when Eric got home from school and the two of them started wrestling and running around and arguing. :rolleyes:

Keep up the great work.

[lmhall2000]

I'm really doing well on this diet and wonder if it's the increased exercise or just lack of appetite- but an amazing thing happened today- (one of the reasons I like Slim-Fast is because I can eat "normally" at one meal- 75% of the time I'm very good sticking to veggies, grilled meats, you get the idea) Well, we just spent the morning at a children's fishing rodeo (our first ever) and although I still remembered how to cast a line we didn't catch a nibble- the kids were enjoying watching the girl next to us reel them in one after the other! :) They got free Backyard burger hotdogs for lunch- those didn't tempt me- although I did eat one potato chip out of their bag- but the big kicker is that I just had to have Chick-Fil-A for my big meal- I had it all in my head

Ahhhhh- Chicken Sandwich-AAAAAh Waffle Fries AAAAAAh Diet Coke AAAAAAh lots of ketchup. But when we made it to the drive-up window I really wanted the grilled chicken salad. WHAT!!*&^*
I'm still 4 days away from weigh day and starting TOM so I could have managed the first meal okay- but I was craving the salad!
So I had my big cup of water with my salad and I feel great. I just hope this lasts until our trip in September. I feel up to my 4 mile walk after my 30 minute power nap! :) Thanks Alex for the challenge- it's really helping!
Tara

[lmhall2000]

right over to the scales this morning and do my eyes DECEIVE me???? I've lost 5 pounds in one week!!! My most ever in a week! Maybe it's related to the extra walking (over 5 miles extra with the Alex challenge) I've done since last Thursday (it's Tuesday today) I was really worried because last night I had ribeye, baked potato, salad, corn, and a half piece of Texas Toast- and today I started TOM- I was SHOCKED and so thrilled that I'm almost in the teens!! (Two hundred teens that is!)....

My typical day is Slimfast for breakfast, 1/2 apple for snack, a small side salad and a meat sandwich (turkey with cheese and vinegar oil) and about 2x a week 1/2 a bag of chips if I'm having the craving for lunch, some kind of nuts and 1/2 apple for snack, then slimfast for dinner. I drink lots of water and some nights I'll eat dinner consisting of 3 veggies and a meat and small bread- I have cut all my breads (with the exception of the Texas toast last night) to 100% whole wheat bread- only the kind that lists whole wheat as the first ingredient. But I really think it's the increase in exercise that has really worked this week- so thanks to Alex for the challenge and getting me out there longer!!!

Onwards and Downwards!
Tara

[lmhall2000]

I started my measurements about 2 weeks into my weight loss journey...(April 16, 2003)
Arms 17"
Thighs 30" :rolleyes:
Calves 16.5"
Waist 43" :rolleyes:
Hips 52.5" :rolleyes: :rolleyes:
Chest 46"

Okay so I needed to know where I wanted to be so I turned to the Talbot's mail order catalog (the only one I had handy) and I looked up their sizes for a 14W (which I really found out is a 16 in regular sizing) but I thought that was a good goal to shoot for- trying to set 3-6 month goals. So here's where I want to be

Waist 31.5
Hips 41.5
Chest 39.5

Now according to my most recent measurements I've lost 9 inches!!! (5/5/03) But remember this includes arms, thighs, and calves- hey I'm counting all the inches!!

As far as my 14W goal- I need to lose 29.5 inches!! In just 3 weeks I've lost 8.5 inches towards this goal- only 21 left to go!!!!! YEAH!! So even if the scales don't show you're losing weight those inches are really what I'm aiming for! I'll add inches about once a month to my journal.....

Still slimfasting and eating one good meal a day with apples, oranges, grapes, strawberries (really any fruit except bananas- don't like them) and nuts for a snack- I limit it to about 1/2 a cup of fruit and small handful of nuts between meals and after dinner.


Trying to keep it up until 9/23- our first trip to the POLY!! :) :)
Very excited to be on the monorail with our 3 little ones so I won't have to carry them as far! :)
Tara
Oops the walking Mickey in my sig means I'm training for the 1/2 marathon in Jan/05 at WDW!! Walking 3 miles 4x a week, 4 miles one time a week, and 2 days at the Y doing the treadmeal for 30 minutes and nautilus for arms and legs- oh and must emphasize STRETCHING!!!!

[lmhall2000]

Well, that 5 pounder week was too good- this week I weighed and lost nada, nothing, not even if I stood funny on the scales. But my measurements showed a 2.75" loss- and I'll take that!! But it is kind of de-motivating and hoping to get back with the flow- TOM has just left as of today (Wednesday) so I hope that the bloat fairy is gone with it. I walked 5 miles Sunday, 3 miles Tuesday and am going to the gym tonight to walk 2 miles and do nautilus. It's getting tough with the energy- raining outside and I feel like I need a dose of caffeine- I have nothing with caffeine in the house and not motivated enough to pack up 3 children to indulge in a diet coke. Oh well, laundry needs to be folded- maybe I'll lose some inches in my arms next week!!

ONWARDS AND DOWNWARDS!!!!
Tara

[lmhall2000]

After a week of no pound loss I have bumped the scales to show 219 on the dial!! YEAH!! I am committing myself today to NEVER see the 220's again!! And I'm only 25 pounds away from my goal of 196!! And I have 4 months to get that GONE!! That's very encouraging.

I'm bumping my walking up to 15 miles during the week and 2 Y visits- I rest on Mondays and Fridays and walk 3 miles T-W-H and 7 miles on the weekend split between Sat/Sun. I'm still slimfasting- will stick to it through May- then I'm going to slimfast one meal and add in another meal- I just find with the walking that I need more calories and the energy lasts longer for me. So I"ll try that for the first two weeks in June and if it slows my weight loss (just aiming for 1-2 pounds/week) then I'll go back to two slim-fasts.

Looking for the 20 pound clippie!!! Hopefully I can have it by the end of this month! Oh and I've lost a total of 13.5 inches so far! YIPPEE!!!

Tara

[MinnieGirl33]

Tara,

Keep it up! 9 years ago I weighed 205 (thanks to my firstborn & a bit of depression). It took me a little over a year to reach my goal but have maintained 120 lbs ever since.

A little suggestion - every time you go down a size get rid of the "fat clothes", run to Target & get just a few new items to hold you over til the next loss. It's a great confidence booster & positive reinforcement! Whatever you do - get rid of the old clothes!

Life long weightloss takes time - it will come.

Stay positive - don't beat yourself up when you have a bad day - pay attention to how certain foods affect you/how you feel & tell yourself every day that you an do it!

Best of Luck!

[lmhall2000]

But this is the first day I've been able to BUTTON & ZIP a pair of 16 Lee jeans!!! I feel like I'm back in 9th grade wearing those Levis with the white tag on the back and sucking it in (back then a size 6!) to make them fit- but hey- 16 I'll take it!!!! YEAH!!! I'm fine when I'm standing up- it's bending that gives me some trouble! :) I've lost a total of 16 inches so far!! And I'll weigh again on May 31st to see what my total loss for May is- maybe I'll be nearing that 20 pound clippie!!

Exercise:

Monday- off
Tuesday- Y- 2 miles treadmill pushing speed, 40 minutes nautilus
Wednesday- Walk 3 miles
Thursday- Repeat of Tuesday
Friday- off
Saturday- 4 mile walk
Sunday- 4 mile walk

Food- generally regular cheerios with skim milk, sandwich/salad for lunch- slimfast for dinner- snacks nuts, fruit,

Tara

[lmhall2000]

TADA!!! Lost a total of 9 pounds in May!!!

April- 10 pounds
May- 9 pounds weighing in at 217
And I've lost 16 inches since April!!

and my mini-goal until July 4th is to get anywhere in the single digits. 201-209- just anywhere in there.

I designed my own challenge at the request of Webmaster Alex- so here's what I'm doing for the month of June

Sunday- walk 4 miles
Monday- off
Tuesday- YMCA- pushing my speed for 30 minutes- then 45 minutes of nautilus- don't forget stretching!!
Wednesday- walk 4 miles
Thursday- YMCA ditto
Friday- off
Saturday- 6 mile walk!!!

I'm still slimfasting- but on the day I walk 6 miles I slip in another meal- my body burns through the fuel on that day and I need the carbs to keep my energy up.

Onward and downward!!!
Tara

[Princess Michelle]

You are doing fantastic, Tara! Since we have such similar goals you are definitely an inspiration to me. Good job! :Pinkbounc :) :Pinkbounc

[lmhall2000]

Here's a sample of my day....
I opted to not go for the 4 mile walk today (Thursday), I had already done it Tuesday and Wednesday and thought a Y workout would be better for me to work on my speed. I woke up and piddled around picking up the house- had my slimfast.
Fed the kids breakfast and got them ready for swimming lessons. After swimming I took them to a restaurant (rare treat- but for my one meal today I did not want to have PB&J again with apple) - I really wanted to order a chicken sandwich but knew it came with fries and would probably eat every single last one- so I opted for a grilled chicken salad. I did sneak 3 fries from dd- but I did give my daughter's my cheese pita slices that came with my salad. I drank water- lots of it.
For dinner I had slim-fast. I went to the Y and was thrilled with my workout- I did 10 minutes at a 4.0 pace- before I could only do 2-3 minutes at a time with my heart rate jumping high- this time at minute 5 it stayed at 166- not 183 like 3 weeks ago. I walked at 3.7 for 20 minutes and 4.0 for 10 minutes. Then I did nautilus for about 45 minutes- 8 arm machines and 3 leg machines and stretched a good bit.
I was really hungry after the workout so I had a piece of whole wheat toast to appease my belly. Had some more water and that's my day! On days that I walk more than 4 miles I eat two meals and slimfast one- I get weak if I don't.
Pushing to be in the 20X's by July 4th!!
Tara
Oh! And I did get my 20 pound clippie- hoping to post picture this weekend- it took me 10 weeks to get the 20 pound clippie so I'm averaging 2 pounds a week! :)

[lmhall2000]

Okay- for all those reading my journals thinking- WOW she's really exercising!! (I'm doing 20-25 miles a week walking) well I hit a crappy day today. I had a stressful day and my dh said he really wanted to go to Chili's for a steak (I started him on Atkins because it's probably the best diet for him and he had that 2nd day headache- so I obliged him) the kids were very cranky- long day so I indulged them and got them the chocolate volcano thingie- I had about 8 bites- and they were the good ones soaked with excess chocolate- I also had the lettuce wraps for dinner (thinking it was a healthy choice but with all the sauces on it maybe not) I was supposed to slimfast this night for dinner because I had a salad for lunch. And just today I said I would allow myself 2 cheat coupons until the end of June and I used both in one day- a donut gem this afternoon- not anticipating a night out and then dinner. UGH! So now I'm forcing myself to walk on my day off and try to burn some of this off. Now the tough part- no cheating until July 1st! hmmm it's June 19th- I better stick to it!!!
I hate these days.
Tara

[lmhall2000]

I'm just not a garage sale person- I can't see wasting my weekends away taking in money for things I'd gladly give away! :) So when paralyzed veterans of America called to see if I had anything to donate I thought- "Let's do some cleaning of the closets" I saw these 1x pants and 2x tops that I wore last year and thought- NOPE not keeping another "X" item in the house. I'm officially probably a size 17 right now- the 18's are too big and the 16's fit but are not that comfortable- in about 10 more pounds I'll call myself a true 16! But I went ahead and threw all those X clothing out- they were all fall/winter clothes anyway and I WILL not be wearing those ever again.
By then end of my gathering- I had 5 bags of clothes from me, dh, and the kids to pass on. It felt wonderful!!!

Now updates....
Weight as of 6/26 is 212.5!

I've lost 24 inches since April 16th!

And I've consistently walked 4 miles Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, and on Sunday anywhere from 5-8 miles. I'm trying to drink more water and am almost completely off slimfast- haven't had one in over a week. Just watching portions and adding fruits/veggies.

ONWARD & DOWNWARD!!!
Tara

[geetey]

Can I post here? Oh, she says Yes at the top! WOOO HOOOO!!!

TARA!!!! I swear we are twins!!!! I SWEAR!!!!!!!!! Guess what I was doing today?? Getting rid of my X clothing!!!! A poster had mentioned that no one had noticed they had lost any weight until they bought new clothes. Well, since no one is noticing my loss I decided to get rid of those huge flowing shirts (which isn't what they were meant to be http://www.stopstart.freeserve.co.uk/smilie/lol.gif ) and buy a couple of new shirts. I got 4 new ones at Kohls today. Granted they are extra large -- OOPS, did I just bring x's into the house?? DRAT!! - but they fit SO much better.

Tell me now... did you go shopping too?

[lmhall2000]

I think the Whoosh fairy visited!!

Well, maybe I didn't get the full-fledged WHOOSH- more like a Whish- but this morning 3.5 pounds were gone from last week!!!! I now weigh 210! Which means I qualify for my 25 pound clippie!!! (Total pounds loss is 26 since 4/1) And I'm 3 days away from my 7/4 goal - I need to just lose one pound by then to be in the 20x single digits!! I know I can do this!!



26 bouncies for 26 pounds!!! Hard to believe I'm only 11 pounds from Onederland!! Oops- I was so excited about the weigh in I forgot to measure!- I'm off to measure those inches!!!

April- 10 pounds
May- 8 pounds
June- 8 pounds
Predicting
July- 8 pounds
August - 8 pounds
September- 6 pounds
For a revised goal weight of 188!!!!! by our Disney trip 9/23!!!

Thanks to everyone for your encouragment and my special PM buddies- y'all are the greatest!!!
Tara

:bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce:

[lmhall2000]

I can't believe I can button 12W pants from Talbots- I said I could button them- but I don't feel comfortable wearing them yet! :) But I can fit in the 14W pants and am loving it! (They're really 16's in any other brand but I like seeing that 14 number and I like their clothes esp. when on sale!) So I went and bought a couple of outfits at their 70% off sale- I can't wait to get on that plane in September and feel space between me and the armrests! :) Very exciting!
I'm hoping to be at 199 by August 5th- that's my first weigh in in August. I just really want to see that Onederland!!! So I'm aiming for 10 pounds this month rather than 8 pounds. I'm walking 6 days a week atleast 4 miles and I'm sticking more diligently to my slim-fast program- I slimfast in the am and at dinner and eat a healthy lunch- today it's chicken salad on lettuce with a slice of Hawaiian bread. For in between meal snacks I had wheat crackers (4) and cheddar cheese slices, and this afternoon I plan on having some blackberries. I'm only drinking water and lots of it- in fact I need to go pour a glass! Here's to onwards & downwards and hopefully posting a new picture that actually shows some weight loss! :)
Tara

[TigH]

Tara, I KNOW you will make your August goal and you will be bouncing with joy at the ONEderland scale reading!!!

You must be burning up the pavement with all the walking you are doing! Have you gotten any new walking shoes yet? Make sure you check your treads to see how they are wearing. I love getting new walking shoes, my feet feel so much lighter and it's fun to break them in!

You are doing such a great job. Congrats on buttoning up those 12s!!!!!! That is awesome! I bet in a month you will feel GREAT in them and proudly wear them around in public! WOO-HOO!!!

Keep up the great work. Your posts just burst with enthusiasm - I LOVE to read about your workouts and your success!!!:bounce: :bounce:

[WebmasterKelsie]

Bump! :)

[lmhall2000]

I made my goal of 196 a month EARLY!!! WOWZERS!!! Now I'm off to change the title of my journal and here's how I'm doing it.....

I walk 4 miles for 5 days straight (at 5:45am- it's the only time I can walk because dh has to go to work at 7am)- take a day off then start over again....if it rains I work out at the YMCA in the evening when dh gets home- at the Y I do the treadmill for 30 minutes- about 15 minutes at a 4.0 pace and 15 minutes at 3.7 no incline- just going for speed right now- then I follow it up with 45 minutes of nautilus machines- arms and legs and stretching....now for my eating.....
I'll just give yesterday as an example....
Breakfast: Slimfast
Snack: Grapes
Lunch: 1 piece of Orowheat bread (they're big so I only use one) a good portion of turkey/roast beef, slice of American cheese, 3 pickles, mayonnaise- just a little, 3 potato chips (couldn't resist the cheddar sour cream flavor!), and a handful of cashews, for snack I had a small handful of chocolate chips and some more cashews, for dinner I had a Slim fast and sneaked some pieces of chicken out of the Rotel Chicken casserole I made my children- I'll get to eat the leftovers for lunch tomorrow! :) And I drank about 6 12 oz glasses of water today.

We eat out about once a week and I do sneak about 3-4 spoonfuls of the dessert my kids split- + a full meal- the biggest change for me is making myself eat a snack in between meals it really keeps my energy up- I typically go for some apples slices, cashews, wheat crackers/cheese, or some other fruit.

Now I'm going to shoot for 176!!! That'll be my next goal!!!
Tara

[lmhall2000]

Well, I made it to 45!!! YEAH!! Reading back over the journal posts- I'm amazed at how far this weight loss has come or should I say come OFF!! :) I've got 3 weeks to hit 186- even adjusted my previous goal of 188 so I could grab that 50 pound clippie by the time we leave for Disney. I'm soo excited about walking around Disney with 50+ pounds off! When I went to the OB they had weighed me at 248 at my last check up- and that was our last trip to Disney- so between now and then I'll hopefully have lost over 60 pounds!! :)

I've rearranged my exercise once again- 5 days in a row was too much- so now I'm walking 4 miles for 4 days in a row then I'm taking one day off then repeating. I really feel stronger and my legs are really starting to suck in- so glad to see that.

Yesterday my four year old was laying her head on my chest- I realized my ****s no longer provide that cushion they used to- her head was hitting bones!! Now I know what it means when a bra says lift and "separates!!" Before my chest could not be separated with a steel trap bra- but now there's a valley down there! :) And my collar bones are back and the little bone on my wrist is back- it feels great!!! I'm hoping to be at 176 by mid-November- then I'll shoot for 156 by mid-February and shoot for anything below 146 by the end of March and the one year mark for this weight loss journey!!!
ONWARDS & DOWNWARDS!!!
Tara

[tiggerlover]

Hi Tara, I finally found this post. It is great to put a face with the name and let me say you are beautiful!!! I can't wait to see your new pictures after this weeks formal! Keep up the fantastic work!

[coyote]

Imhall

Just found your post. I am just starting but you have been an inspiration for me to get through another day.
Good for you! Keep on moving.

Coyote

[lmhall2000]

It's been awhile since I posted...it's truly amazing to see where I've come- I'll post a new picture at 176- I'm only 7 pounds away from that!! :) I had a rough month after returning from Disney- just guess I walked my immune system off! I had pneumonia and my family went through stomach flu, croup, you name it- it's now a week before Thanksgiving and I feel like I'm back on track when I find out my husband's company will probably move us to New Orleans- so since we have to move we've been checking out jobs in Texas, NC, really any southern state but TX seems to have the most in his field. So between trying to get the house ready to sell and homeschooling- I may not be able to post much- and the stress has made me need to go full force on slimfast- there's just too much opportunity to give myself comfort food....ya know "Hey, you cleaned 3 rooms today, packed up 2 closets, just go to Chili's for dinner- less dishes to clean up." So even if I let myself go to Chili's I'll have been good my other two meals so I won't wreck my weight loss goal.
ONWARDS & DOWNWARDS wherever we may be! :)

Tara

[lmhall2000]

Reading my first post- I can see how the weight came off so easily! But these last three weeks (December now) the morning temps at 5:30 am are below 35 and I just don't do that. So I have had nooo exercise besides trying to keep the house clean, putting up Christmas decorations and keeping up on laundry. With all the folding going on I do think my arms have trimmed down a bit! :) I'm really missing the exercise and I've not been as motivated as I should to hit the Y- gonna change that. But I have been stagnating between 182-184 for 3 weeks now and decide I had had enough- so I started low carbing (really almost no carbing except what's in lettuce) on Tuesday and by Saturday I'm down to 180! YEAH! So I should hit the 170's by Tuesday and then I'll slowly add a few good carbs in- whole wheat bread/more veggies/fruits.
Doing low carb really does 1. curb my appetite 2. teaches me to listen to when I am full (looking at a big ribeye and thinking I can eat the whole thing on this low carb approach- and only being able to finish half is really amazing!) 3. makes me drink my water when I'm craving something. But I can't stick on it for long- after a week or so I notice my blood sugar really dropping and I'm way too dizzy. But it's a great way to shock you into eating right- instead of the cookie dough/bread I'd been hooked on the past few weeks- no wonder I wasn't losing! :)
Once the weather warms up- usually mid-January here I can start back to my outdoors walking. But I'm gonna commit to doing the Y (30 minutes treadmill 30 minutes nautilus & may even join an aerobics class now that I don't feel so HUGE and my knees can handle it) atleast 3 days a week until I can get back with my walking program. In four more pounds I'll post a picture! :) YEAH!!! I love seeing my waist again! :)
Onwards & Downwards gang!!!!

Your ever faithful loser buddy,
Tara

[ZerasPride]

Hi Tara. Just wanted to say that you look amazing! It's so nice to see pics of WISHers before, during and after reaching goal. I'm on the South Beach Diet and it sounds very similar to what you are doing now with adding good carbs. I stay away from refined flour and sugar and have so much more energy now. I also have found, like you, since low carbing that I don't eat as much and am more in tune with my body.

Keep up the good work! You look great!