Lila21

I've had a lot of success with Tapas restaurants. Tapas restaurants are a Spanish tradition where you get "small plates" of food that you share with friends or family. It's a great way to get some variety without a lot of food. A lot of times the food is grilled, and there's a great sampling of veggie and meat choices. Also, they often serve a lot of seafood, which is high in Protein and typically low in fat. YUMS!

OMG, soooo cute Irene!!! I CANNOT WAIT to look good in a LBD! You ROCK, girl!!!!

OMG, soooo cute Irene!!! I CANNOT WAIT to look good in a LBD! You ROCK, girl!!!!

Well, personally, I lost 130 lbs doing that, but I couldn't keep to such a strict regime, and I gained it back. I think that's beauty of the sleeve. Finally something to help us KEEP IT OFF!!!

Gives your body a chance to adjust... so your hair won't come out in handfuls!!!

I'm all about the workout, too! I have an awesome series of classes that I go to. Also, now that I've lost almost one hundred pounds, I find myself shopping a bit too much. Since I am still 40 lbs away from goal, I really try to spend more money on jewelry and less on clothing. I get a lot of stuff from Old Navy since it's pretty affordable, and I'll save the real fashionista stuff for when I hit goal!

OMG, soooo cute Irene!!! I CANNOT WAIT to look good in a LBD! You ROCK, girl!!!!

My tip is Protein first! At about the 6 month mark, you'll be able to eat more carbs than you think, and at that point the "protein first" rule becomes very important. Also, expect that you may have stalls or plateaus, and be prepared for things to slow down the closer you get to your goal weight. Finally, my tip is to really enjoy and appreciate the weight you have lost. I am not to my goal yet (with 25 lbs to go), but I fully appreciate how much better I feel, and I take advantage of my far greater health. I think that if I focused on the "25 lbs to go" rather than the 125 lbs lost, I'd feel discouraged right now. As it is, I feel pretty great and I just ran my first half-marathon!

Gives your body a chance to adjust... so your hair won't come out in handfuls!!!

Coops, I'm glad you are feeling better! As GT says, it's a journey!
I, too, am really trying to focus right now, and I'm really watching my diet more closely. It's surprising how many calories you can still get in via slider foods if you aren't counting your calories. I am trying to plan my meals on the weekends so I don't get too sidetracked during the week. Otherwise, I end up "grabbing" things that aren't nearly healthy enough. Last night I made a lovely piece of salmon and sauteed a little spinach with a tsp of olive oil and a few tsps. of goat cheese--a perfect sleeve meal!
Anyhoo.... has anyone heard of stikK.com? I am going to try it, I think. You stake some money on whether you meet a goal or not, and if you don't make that goal, you lose the money (goes to a charity). It's an interesting premise, founded on research that people do much better if they have some "skin in the game." I'll give it a shot and let you know how it turns out!
I am now 25 lbs away from my original goal, i'd really like to close that gap by the end of the summer! It seems like a lot to lose over a short time, but I think I can do it if I really focus. Mostly, what I've found over the last 6 months is that work stress seems to take precedence over everything else, and once I get stressed I tend to lose focus on my weight-loss goals. That seems a little off-kilter, so I'm going to try to find a better balance!

I think it really depends heavily on genetics, sorry to say! I will probably want some kind of lift or Tummy Tuck, but I have skin that just doesn't stretch back that well. However, if you have more resilient skin, you might be fine. It might also have to do with how sensitive you are to the extra skin. I think some people wear Spanx and get on with their lives, while others feel that it really bothers them. For me, I feel like it might be worth it to get surgery, but I am still on the fence!

I think it really depends heavily on genetics, sorry to say! I will probably want some kind of lift or Tummy Tuck, but I have skin that just doesn't stretch back that well. However, if you have more resilient skin, you might be fine. It might also have to do with how sensitive you are to the extra skin. I think some people wear Spanx and get on with their lives, while others feel that it really bothers them. For me, I feel like it might be worth it to get surgery, but I am still on the fence!

I think it really depends heavily on genetics, sorry to say! I will probably want some kind of lift or Tummy Tuck, but I have skin that just doesn't stretch back that well. However, if you have more resilient skin, you might be fine. It might also have to do with how sensitive you are to the extra skin. I think some people wear Spanx and get on with their lives, while others feel that it really bothers them. For me, I feel like it might be worth it to get surgery, but I am still on the fence!

Thanks for the encouragement, everyone! I do believe we will all get there eventually. Perseverance is the key! You guys really help to keep me going! I agree with Coops, I'd be batty without this fine group of incredibly supportive folks!

Oh, and Coops, congrats on the running! For me, just being able to run has been such a big goal for so long! Seeing all the lithe runners effortlessly jogging through the park used to always make me feel really sad, and now I get to do it! It is an incredibly freeing feeling!!! Go you!

I tried this recipe today and it was sooo delicious:
recipes on this site worth checking out!
chicken POT PIE IN CREPES
So beautiful! Homey-old-fashioned gets updated and elegant in this dish.
I’ve taken my family-favorite casserole and removed the carby crust – kept the gorgeous filling and simply rolled it in my higher-protein-lower-carb crepes.
You can’t go wrong with this. Even if you didn’t tackle the crepe making and just ate the filling – it’s still great!
~~~~
Crepes:
4 eggs
1/2 cup ricotta
4 tablespoons flour
Pinch of salt
3 tablespoons milk
.
In a medium bowl beat the Ricotta with the eggs. Beat in the flour, salt, and milk. Allow to sit for 15 minutes.
Heat an 8-inch nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Coat with vegetable cooking spray when hot. Pour in 2 tablespoons of batter and swirl the pan to coat the entire surface in a thin layer. Allow to cook, without turning, until completely done. The top should be no longer shiny and when you touch it it’s not wet. The bottom will be have a very slight golden color. If it’s too dark, lower the heat.
(These can be impossible to flip and they don’t need to be, so don’t try if you don’t want to. I do sometimes to get the same color on each side, but they are done when it’s dry on the top.) Gently loosen the edges with a spatula and slide out of the pan onto a plate. Very lightly spray the top with vegetable spray – this way you can stack them on top of each other.
Lightly coat the pan with cooking spray before each crepe. Proceed with above directions until batter is gone. Allow the crepes to cool to room temperature and then wrap the plate tightly with plastic wrap. These keep well in the fridge – unfilled – for several days.
.
Filling:
3 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup diced onion
1/4 cup finely diced celery
1/2 cup finely diced, or shredded carrots
3 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon sage
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon Splenda/sugar (brings out the flavors, yes it does!)
Dash grated fresh nutmeg
3/4 cup chicken broth
3/4 cup ff half & half
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
2 cups diced or shredded, cooked chicken
.
Melt butter over medium-low heat. Add onion, celery, and carrots, and slowly cook until soft, about 5-7 minutes. Stir in flour and cook for one minute. Add salt, pepper, sage, thyme, Splenda, and nutmeg. Whisk in chicken broth and cream. Cook until bubbly and boil for one minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in peas and chicken. Cook for one minute to heat through. Makes twelve 1-crepe servings.
Per Weight loss surgery-size serving: 150 Cal; 13 g Protein; 7 g Tot Fat; 8 g Carb; 1 g Fiber; 1 g Sugar; 290 mg Sodium

Hi all,
GT, I'm glad things are looking a little brighter for you! I have the same sugar addiction problem. If you want to learn more about it, a great book to read is "Change Your Mind, Change Your Body" and also, another good book is "Potatoes, Not Prozac" which explains how sugar affects our bodies. Both these books have taught me a lot about how our bodies are affected negatively by sugar. It doesn't fix the problem, but it makes it easier to tackle.
Guess what, guys? I lost 2 lbs this week! This seems like a minor miracle after months of the scale not moving! Yay :-)

Hi all,
GT, I'm glad things are looking a little brighter for you! I have the same sugar addiction problem. If you want to learn more about it, a great book to read is "Change Your Mind, Change Your Body" and also, another good book is "Potatoes, Not Prozac" which explains how sugar affects our bodies. Both these books have taught me a lot about how our bodies are affected negatively by sugar. It doesn't fix the problem, but it makes it easier to tackle.
Guess what, guys? I lost 2 lbs this week! This seems like a minor miracle after months of the scale not moving! Yay :-)

Coops, feel better! I'm sorry to hear you were sick on top of all the other stresses you were having :-(.. I hope this weekend brings you some sunshine and you start to feel better!!!

Hey guys! I feel like there have been so many great posts that I can't respond to them all... that just means I can't go too long without checking in :-))
But I do want to say how much this little forum is helping me to stay on track. I finally got below 185 (and stayed there for a few days so I know it's real :-)). Thank you, ladies, for being such a great support!
So, I feel good about that, but a little scared that I still have sooooo far to go. I think the only thing I can do is just keep working on the things I can work on, and hope that these little wins add up to one big win :-)
GT: I feel for you on the sugar. I finally made myself quit chocolate, and I felt that addictive hold loosening a bit, so I recommend going cold turkey for a few days and see if that helps. I'm sorry you are struggling, but I love your "chin up, tits out" quote, hahahaha. made me laugh.
Keep it up, ladies! You guys are all so inspiring!!!

Ladies, thank you for the suggestions! I am going to try myfitnesspal.com first, and if that doesn't work, I'll try lynda's route! Excited to try a different route.
@coops: now that I can blow the picture up, I must say you look adorable!!!! Love the whole outfit, especially with the red chuck taylors, woot!!! You look awesome!!! Keep rockin' those skinny jeans!

Coops and iegal, you both said it so well! I often found myself feeling like I was stuck in inertia, and if I could just get started... tomorrow... things would be better. :-)
One thing that I thought but didn't say was how free I would feel to be rid of all my fat, and even though I have a ways to go, that seems to be sooooo true. I feel so much better and so much more free!!! I <3 my sleeve!

Coops, I think it's awesome that you had a fun girl's night! Sometimes you just need to have a good time and cut loose! Diva, let us know how the kettleball workouts go-- I'm very curious! Becca, I have the snack demon as well. I am thinking that I should just accept that I am going to have a snack but make sure it's a healthy one (because I keep planning not to have a snack and end up eating something unhealthy). That might be a good route for you to try as well! OK, I am off to do my Sunday night laundry! Here's to an awesome February--just around the corner!

Diva, I think that's an awesome idea. I was thinking that I should start bringing either a Protein Shake, an egg, or a greek yogurt to work with me, so that when I get hungry in the afternoon, my snack is a Protein One. I am definitely with you on this one!

Diva, so glad you are joining us! I am down 2 lbs, which is not huge, but after the scale not moving for so long, I am excited to see it! I worked out HARD last week, and I'm doing a sort of boot camp style training with some gym buddies, so I am thinking I should take measurements, because I am for sure going to put on some muscle! Coops, can't wait to hear about you strutting your stuff in the gym! xoxo