300+ Support Group-American Beauties-The month of Of APRIL

[debkeversole]

300+ Support Group-American Beauties-The month of Of APRIL

WELCOME!WELCOME!WELCOME!

We are a group of Men and Women, most of whom weigh or have weighed over 300 pounds at some point. We post here to give or to get support, share our daily struggles and victories. Everyone is WELCOME! We encourage all you LURKERS to come on in and post!!!
WELCOME!

[debkeversole]

i have been wanting to use this graphic ever since i found it!

[debkeversole]

April, 2008 Bizarre and Unique Holidays

Month:

* National Humor Month
* International Guitar Month
* Keep America Beautiful Month
* Lawn and Garden Month
* Poetry Month
* National Pecan Month
* National Welding Month
* Records and Information Management Month
* Stress Awareness Month
* Sexual Assault Awareness Month

Weekly Celebrations:

* Week 1 Library Week
* Week 1 Read a Road Map Week.
* Week 2 Garden Week
* Week 3 Organize Your Files Week
* Week 3 Medical Labs Week
* Week 4 Administrative Assistants Week
* Week 4 National Karaoke Week

Each Day:

1 April Fool's Day

1 International Tatting Day

2 Children's Book Day

2 National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day

2 Reconciliation Day

3 Don't Go to Work Unless it's Fun Day - we know your decision

3 Tweed Day

4 Hug a Newsman Day

4 National Walk to Work Day - first Friday of month

4 Walk Around Things Day

4 School Librarian Day

4 Tell a Lie Day

5 Go for Broke Day

6 Plan Your Epitaph Day - a little morbid if you ask me

6 Sorry Charlie Day

7 Caramel Popcorn Day - Most likely created by a popocorn maker, or an Ecard company.

7 No Housework Day

7 World Health Day

8 All is Ours Day

8 Draw a Picture of a Bird Day

9 Name Yourself Day

9 Winston Churchill Day

10 Golfer's Day

10 National Siblings Day

11 Eight Track Tape Day - do you remember those?

11 Barbershop Quartet Day

12 Big Wind Day - this day blows me away!

12 Russian Cosmonaut Day

13 Blame Someone Else Day

13 Scrabble Day

14 Ex Spouse Day

14 International Moment of Laughter Day

14 Look up at the Sky Day - don't you have anything better to do?

14 National Pecan Day

14 Reach as High as You Can Day

15 Rubber Eraser Day

15 Titanic Remembrance Day

16 National Eggs Benedict Day

16 National Librarian Day

16 National Stress Awareness Day

17 Blah, Blah, Blah Day

17 National Cheeseball Day

18 International Juggler's Day - also applies to multi tasking office workers

18 Newspaper Columnists Day

18 Pet Owners Independence Day

19 National Garlic Day

20 Look Alike Day

20 Volunteer Recognition Day

21 Kindergarten Day

21 Patriot's Day - third Monday of the month

22 Girl Scout Leader Day

22 National Jelly Bean Day

23 Lover's Day

23 National Zucchini Bread Day - they hold this at a time when you are not sick of all that zucchini.

23 Take a Chance Day

23 World Laboratory Day

12 Astronomy Day - date varies

24 Pig in a Blanket Day

25 East meets West Day

25 World Penguin Day

26 Executive Admin's Day (Secretary's Day)

26 Hug an Australian Day

26 National Pretzel Day

26 Richter Scale Day

27 Babe Ruth Day

27 National Prime Rib Day

27 Tell a Story Day

28 Great Poetry Reading Day

28 Kiss Your Mate Day - guys, do not forget this one. Kiss her, then read her some poetry.

29 Greenery Day

29 National Shrimp Scampi Day

30 Hairstyle Appreciation Day

30 National Honesty Day

[debkeversole]

April is Keep America Beautiful Month so i thought we could be American Beauties this month!

from Thinkquest:

April 1 is . . . . . One Cent Day

April 2 is . . . . . National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day

April 3 is . . . . . Tweed Day and Don't Go To Work Unless It's Fun Day

April 4 is . . . . . Tell-A-Lie Day

April 5 is . . . . . Go For Broke Day

April 6 is . . . . . Sorry Charlie Day
April 7 is . . . . . No Housework Day

April 8 is . . . . . All Is Ours Day

April 9 is . . . . . Winston Churchill Day and Name Yourself Day

April 10 is . . . . Golfers Day

April 11 is . . . . Eight-Track Tape Day

April 12 is . . . . Look Up At The Sky Day

April 13 is . . . . Blame Somebody Else Day

April 14 is . . . . National Pecan Day

April 15 is . . . . Rubber Eraser Day

April 16 is . . . . National Stress Awareness Day and National Eggs Benedict Day

April 17 is . . . . National Cheeseball Day

April 18 is . . . . International Jugglers Day

April 19 is . . . . Garlic DayMore Info On Garlic

April 20 is . . . . Look Alike Day

April 21 is . . . . Kindergarten Day

April 22 is . . . . National Jelly Bean Day

April 23 is . . . . Read Me Day and World Laboratory Animal Day

April 24 is . . . . National Pigs In A Blanket Day

April 25 is . . . . National Zucchini Bread Day

April 26 is . . . . Richter Scale Day and National Pretzel Day

April 27 is . . . . Tell A Story Day

April 28 is . . . . Great Poetry Reading Day and Kiss-Your-Mate Day

April 29 is . . . . National Shrimp Scampi Day

April 30 is . . . . National Honesty Day

[magickal1]

ok i come to join this thread i was 422 and started atkin of may 2006 lost over a hundred in 4 months then i hit a very long stall for almost 11 months then went up and down 20 pounds for several months till i started to cycle between stillmans and atkins i have lost 23 more pounds and finally going down again im so happy now i have found this site to be able to post and read so many others great stories, i am now at 325and almost back to my 100 pounds i lost from the beginning so im thrilled to say the least. this site has giving me another too that keeps me accountable of my food and emotional state as well . This is my year to get down to 180 by my birthday which is in dec. so i am foucused and believe i will make it.....gl to everyone on our journeys!!!!

[debkeversole]

magickal1
nice to meet you!

i started this thread a day early cause i am lazy
come over to the March thread as well and say howdy!
300+ Support Group-Peach Blossoms-The month of Of MARCH

[**Lola**]

Wow Magikal, 100 pounds in 4 months. That's really Awesome!!!!

Welcome.

[eaglesmate]

hi magical!
just poking my head in to say hello and marking my spot on the new thread
the early bird gets the worm!!! ( good protein too )

[amm]

I just made a post on the March thread before realizing this one has been started.

I've decided to change my goal weight to 175. I used to say that I just want to be under 200 pounds. But if I get to 175, I will have a BMI of 30 which will mean I'm no longer obese. I know that BMI really isn't a good measurement for me, because my body composition is made up of a lot of muscle. But it's in my head that I don't want to be considered "obese" when I get to goal. So, 175 it is!

[pescacat]

Hi-
Beautiful graphic deb and thanks for starting the new thread!

Welcome Magickal1 and best wishes on your weight loss journey

Amm-good idea for a goal and I am sure you will make it with no problem! It is less than 100 pounds away! WOOHOO!

Hi Lola and Angie!

Hope we all have a wonderful April!
--Laura

[alabama sunshine]

Hi everyone
Good luck on your goals for the month. My goal is to stay on track and lose the weight.Magickal congrats on 100 pound loss in 4 months.I really want to know how you loss so much in 4 months.

[Zer]

I'm not weighing myself today (3/31) but will weigh 4/1 and will then tote up all pounds (and ounces) for my March total. No fooling! I want a few more hours to burn calories before I take my official reading. Not expecting a whoosh, just figure that is what I'll do each month.

Today's been a fairly good LC day, with my hot slosh first thing, then a tunafish salad late afternoon as I made an eggy salad that I'll enjoy for a few days. Always good for me, to have some eggsalad in the fridge.

Got some Mrs.Dash seasoning to use in varying flavors slightly. May make myself a sampler plate with various seasonings added to several different bites of eggsalad, just to see which one I like the best. Original, I bet, is the one that I'll end up liking more than the others, but I'll try 'em all. Spicey is probably a close 2d to the Original flavor!

That's my plan for April 1. Got some ham, some raw vegie salad, eggsalad.

Anyone doing any April Fool's pranks that you can share here?

[Zer]

Found this at March's thread and am bringing it to April's thread, as worthy of comment from anyone who struggles to find balance as a body adapts to eating LC. It's a big shift from eating bags of crunchy stuff and boxes of sugary stuff and washing all that down me with gallons of white stuff that I am addicted to.

I'm a total cow-juice junky. I'm sure that is why I 'go' so well when I am into carbs and why 'going' is a challenge for me when I cut back on carbs and work my LC plan, in which healthy carbs are mostly brilliant vegies that I do not get quite enough of.

Sometimes I force water to help my digestive tract function. Sometimes I try psyllium to see if that will produce 'results' that seem normal. My goal is daily evacuation of my colon, to rid my body of wastes that may be absorbed back into my system - ugh! - if I do not get rid of toxic waste in a timely (daily) way.

Originally Posted by DIYninja

Hi everyone! you are all doing so great.... As for me, my weight kept creeping back, even though i was on plan. hubby says its because i dont poop.

i went off plan on the weekend thinking something would move, nothing.

i emptied the whole 90 tablet bottle of fiber. i am seriously at a loss. the fiber worked for the first two days, then water worked (very little) two calendar days. after that, nothing.

im starting to think something is wrong, and the doctor is out of the question, as i have no insurance. i bought laxatives and i know everyone will have a fit about it but honestly whats worse? not going or going 2x a week with a laxative? my body isnt moving NOW so i guess i have nothing to lose.

i am so discouraged and im back up to like 318. no matter what i just cant stop thinking about the food (healthy or not) going in and NOTHING going out.

So, thats whats going on with me... im so tired of talking about it. im just.. ugh

Hey, when I stir up a spoonful of psyllium in a cup of water, I feel as if I'm admitting that I cannot poop unless I try extreme measures. It is not a daily thing with me, this psyllium husk slurry that grits my teeth, but I am trying it now and then, just to see how my system adapts to a bit of help, since I do not eat as many vegies as others report. Shopping is hard. Cooking is difficult. Everything is challenging for me at this weight (400+) and with limited mobility (hinky hip hurts when I put weight on left leg, hurts all the time, keeps me from lying flat to sleep...grumble grumble grumble). Got to get MO-O-VING!

So I slam 32oz glasses of hot water into me, flavored with a few bouillon crystals to keep me from barfing the whole hot chugalug right back up. It helps to flavor it, to think of it as broth. Mainly I am forcing quantities of hot fluids to help my colon mo-o-ove things along that may be clogged from a lack of fiber or a lack of fluid or a lazy colon or...whatEVER it is that keeps me from producing a nice healthy evacuation to start my day.

I figure I might get a better weight from my talking scale if I let go of the pounds of glop that's glomming my innards. That's what drives me to drink all that HOT HOT water and then hang around so I'm not too far from the loo when and IF the hot water flush works as it should work.

Oh, it ~IS~ a dreary topic, but I think it is an essential part of successful LC living, to adapt to eating more unprocessed food and to re-educate my colon as it shifts gears from having LOTS of food to having less food. Let's talk!

[Zer]

Originally Posted by debkeversole

i have been wanting to use this graphic ever since i found it!

Oh, I chased the artist and found her - as Katherine Barber at MoonPaw.com - I love her vastly abundant BBW fairy with thigh-high stockings on BIG LEGS! Never saw a fairy so bodaciously BBW as this one! What a perfect image for April's theme of American Beauties!!!

[Doing this Again]

So I’ve been good. I did strict induction all last week. My plan was to do 2 solid weeks as called for in the book. Oh yeah, I bought a new copy of the book and re read parts of it; the part on induction, the acceptable food lists, the vitamin part, etc. The only things I had to change to do a strict induction were to cut out nuts and yogurt, watch how much cheese I ate, start taking vitamins, and up the vegetables. My morning coffee is something I could NEVER give up!

That was great until the weekend. But this weekend was better than most. I limited my off plan eating to Sunday’s dinner; rather than the whole weekend. And it wasn’t even an entire meal off plan. We went to a sports bar for the Kansas/ Davidson game. There were breaded chicken finger, and buffalo bites; I won’t eat food w/ bones. There was also spinach dip w/ tortilla chips. But the total was probably 10 tortilla chips, half the buffalo bites, and 2 chicken fingers. It was all shared food. I almost forgot, probably 7 bites of chocolate cake w/ ice cream. I am back on induction for this week.

Saturday I head out of town for work. I can’t tell you how much I’m dreading it; but I will be totally on my own in terms of eating, which should make that easier. I made a double batch of oopsie rolls. Even if I end up eating fast food burgers for dinner every night, they will be on plan! I will also be totally on my own for exercise, which will be hard. But it might be good. I’ll walk around just to get out of the hotel. I need to get a pedometer up and running by then to make sure the distances are reasonable, make sure the hotel has a gym w/ a treadmill so I can try starting one of the running programs, and maybe a map of the area so I have a route or two planned.

I just looked at my journal. I don’t count carbs strictly, but I do keep a journal. Every day I note: what I ate, how much water I drank, my weight, and if the keostix reported ketosis. If I run into a stall, I’ll be able to look back and figure out where I went wrong. Anyway looking at it all I’ve figured some things out:

1) I lose WAY more in a week where I’m good about eating veggies. It’s more productive in terms of weight loss than even exercise.
2) My weight loss is slowing down. But I still don’t know if that’s TOM (I have an issue w/ that), or just b/c you always start off fast and slow down
3) I NEVER make my weight loss goals, but I am good about meeting my goals for changing habits. Like kicking my daily latte habit, and exercising at least 3 times a week. It’s actually been 4 official days each week in March, w/ lots of non official walking the dog on measured trails. In January I increased my water. For April my non weight goals will be increased veggies and a running program.
4) I lost anywhere from 11 to 25 pounds in the last 2 weeks of January. 9.2 pounds in February, and 13.9 pounds in March.
5) Weekends are killing me! I don’t necessarily need to exercise more, but I need to maybe skip a weekday in favor of a planned weekend workout (not just an unofficial dog walk). I also need to eat better, obviously.
6) I’m a scale junky. My scale was up on Sunday morning; that was all the license I needed to eat badly Sunday night. It’s down MOST days, and I crave that instant feed back. Most of the time that works for me. I don’t think I need to cut it back to weekly weighing… yet. If my weight loss continues to slow down, even while doing everything CORRECTLY; then I’ll need to reevaluate, and cut back to weekly weigh ins.

Registration for the next term of classes at the Y began yesterday. The classes won’t pick up until the end of April. I already re enrolled for my 2X per week cross training class, and added a 1X a week water yoga class. I need to decide about keeping my 3X a week deep water aerobics class.

The 3X a week is nice; w/ 5 classes scheduled every week I can skip once in a while and still stay on my exercise plan. Having only 3 classes a week puts that in jeopardy. But the deep water aerobic class is ridiculous; it’s just not much of a work out for me anymore. There’s really nothing else offered that interests me. If I could find a weekend class, for at least a fourth class a week, that would be great! It would solve all my problems! An extra class, PLUS putting a scheduled workout in the weekend! I need to use those 2 free nights and the weekends to start the running program 3 times a week. I’m just afraid w/o the structure of a class that I won’t be good about it.

When those classes end at the end of June I’m thinking about my birthday present to myself to be some sessions w/ a trainer. If I can lose 15 pounds a month, by then I will be at the lowest I ever got the first time I did Atkins.

[MissMinda]

Today is my first weigh-in day since my initial weigh in on Atkins. My official weigh-in, as I've said before, was off the scale. The scale only went to 300. That needle on the scale pushed as far beyond the 300 as it could go, quivering there. So, my goal for April was to be 299 so I could register on the scale. I'm wearing approximately the same clothing and after I go to school today to set up some bulletin boards, I'm going to go back to the store and see if I've made any progress. Of course, if I'm not under 300, yet, I'm going to be measuring tonight, too, so I can go by that.
wish me luck!

[Doing this Again]

Sorry I seem to have totally lost the tracking number for the scale I sent you - but I'll look again tonight.

w/ or w/o the tracking number you should have that scale this week.

Good luck w/ your weigh in!!

[MissMinda]

Thank you!!!! I'm actually not telling hubby that I'm weighing today (if the kids can keep quiet). He wants me to wait until the scale you're sending gets here, so he can weigh right along with me. I figure I can double weigh. I just have been looking forward to this.

Yesterday, hubby could button up a shirt while sitting down that has been very tight on him. He was so thrilled. It was good to see that.

EDIT: My son just came up and hugged me. It used to be that his fingertips couldn't even meet, then they could, and now he can lay his fingers against the fingers on his other hands. I guess another goal for May will be that he can clasp his hands all the way!

[pescacat]

Hi-
As for help getting things moving-psyllium and flax help. I have also heard people say eating several tablespoons of coconut oil will make you go-especially if you've never had it before. I take magnesium in a calcium magnesium pill and I think that must be helping-that and the fact I try to eat salad everyday and include a cucumber with the peel on for the fiber. I think the worry with OTC laxatives is that the body can become dependent upon them, DIYninja. Of course, that's if you use them all the time. Once or twice isn't a problem if you need to get things going. You can also use enemas and stuff but the results can be painful and you will need to stay by the toilet because the urge to go to come on quickly. (I had to take laxatives and do the enema thing when I had a colon exam a few years ago-but everything supposedly checked out healthy so that's the good news!)
Hope that helps.

Doing-Best wishes and congrats on your overall weight loss! I hope you have a good, safe and productive trip! I also hope you do fantastic on eating and exercise while out there! Sounds like your Y and your schedule mesh well for staying on track with exercise and I have found personally, that is key along with smaller portions of low carb meals for shedding the weight.

In the past when I dropped the ball in one of those areas (eating low carb, portion control or exercising regularly) I would stall or start gaining. I've set some ambitious goals for the next two months and I sure could use the help of everyone here. I want to shed 33.4 pounds and be at 258 by June 1st for my return to Italy for Court. That's 16.7 pounds per month which means really pushing my body hard and hoping it won't slow down too much between now and then. I'm looking into adding a water exercise class twice a week to my routine and also walking a mile every morning and another mile before bed no matter what. The weather should be getting nicer and that should be possible. I start that today. I'm worried to try the couch to 5 K as my knees and ankles probably aren't strong enough for the beating they'll take with jogging-I had two really bad knee/leg injuries about 4 years ago and they haven't been the same since. So I am going to wait on that until I hit the 250s but I will be doing the Couch to 5 K before the end of the year.

Miss Minda-good luck! Let us know the outcome, ok?

--Laura

[pescacat]

*yay!* Minda! KUTGW!

[debkeversole]

Originally Posted by MissMinda

Today is my first weigh-in day since my initial weigh in on Atkins. My official weigh-in, as I've said before, was off the scale. The scale only went to 300. That needle on the scale pushed as far beyond the 300 as it could go, quivering there. So, my goal for April was to be 299 so I could register on the scale. I'm wearing approximately the same clothing and after I go to school today to set up some bulletin boards, I'm going to go back to the store and see if I've made any progress. Of course, if I'm not under 300, yet, I'm going to be measuring tonight, too, so I can go by that.
wish me luck!

fender bender this morning... i got rear ended waiting to get on the interstate after dropping DS12 at school...i am fine just shook up now 3 hours later a teenager hit the car behind me and that one hit me.....i have an exciting life!