CONGRATS!!! You are doing a great job, Suzie. It is nice to treat yourself to something new (and smaller). Keep up the good work.

Awesome Suzie! That's great that you "celebrated" also. I think we need to treat ourselves occasionally. I also had to stand in line to weigh last week, although it was not 50 minutes! It's too bad that a lot of those people will only be there a few weeks and then we won't see them much anymore.

Keep up the the good work. Here's a fun poem for you:

‘Twas the month after Christmas, when all through the house,
Nothing would fit me, not even a blouse!

The cookies I'd nibbled, the eggnog I'd taste
All the holiday parties had gone to my waist.

When I got on the scales there arose such a number,
I walked to the store (less a walk than a lumber!)

I'd remember the marvelous meals I'd prepared,
The gravies, the sauces, and beef nicely rared.

The wine and the rum balls, the bread and the cheese,
And the way I'd never said, "No thank you, please."

So I dressed myself in my husband's old shirt,
And prepared once again to do battle with dirt.

I said to myself, as I only can
"You can't spend all winter disguised as a man!"

So, away with the last of the sour cream dip.
Get rid of the fruitcake, every cracker, and chip.

Every last bit of food that I like must be banished,
Until all the additional ounces have vanished.

I won't have a cookie; not even a lick.
I want only to chew on a long celery stick.

I won't have hot biscuits, corn bread, or pie,
I'll munch on a carrot and quietly cry.

I'm hungry, I'm lonesome, and life is a bore.
But isn't that just what January is for?

Unable to giggle, no longer a riot.
Happy New Year to all, I’ve gone on a diet!

Diets from way back

Thanks for posting the Buck Wolf thread on Fad Diets TTC Queen. It brought back diet memories. Once my weight loss diet called for 2-3 servings of broiled chicken liver weekly. While on this regime I overheard my daughter telling her little friend that she was never going to get fat because she did not want to have to eat rats and mice like her Mom did!

I ’m beginning to see the light; Weight Watchers is an eating plan and not just a weight loss diet. The difference is more than semantics. I have been on countless weight loss diets, sometimes very successful but none of them for longer than 3 months. For me any deviation out of the norm, vacations, holidays, one year it was arrival of the Girl Scout cookies -- abruptly ended my diet. Each and every time, whether I had met my weight loss goal or simply lacked the will power to continue to adhere to the latest dietary rules, within 90 days I’ve always surrendered to my old eating habits with the expected results.

This is month four (personal record) following a sensible eating plan. The plan worked during a vacation and the recent holidays. I don’t feel like I’m on a diet because I’m not. I’m thrilled that I have managed to lose nearly 25 pounds but even better than the weight loss is the realization that I have found and am following a great eating plan that I can live with for the rest of my life, one that will enable me to achieve and remain at my ideal weight.

WW does a lot of advertising but it was this thread that got me motivated. It is not a new program but it sure works.

Enough said and back to my flood scrub --

I think what you all are doing on WW is wonderful. When I saw that article on old diets, I just had to put a link here.

Congratulations to all of you on your terrific successes.

My sentiments exactly Suzie. It is something I can do for the rest of my life.

I'm down 2 lbs. for the week. Yippee! That's 27. I've got to find some exercise program that I can do/fit into my schedule.

YooHoo txsbkr! That is just fantastic. Have you gotten rid of your fat clothes yet?

I'm like you, as I still have not adopted exercise as part of my healthy life sytle. After the yearly HMDA filing --

Again, you are doing a great job, congrats!

You ladies are an inspiration! Keep up the great work. I used weight watchers to help me lose the weight after my first child. I never actually went to meetings, but talked with a friend who did, she gave me all the info to figure points and excercise etc. It was wonderful for me. So I applaud you all for sticking with it and making a positive change in your life.
That's what brings me to my post today. A couple of us at work are going to start a "group" we are going to meet on our lunch hour once a week and our real focus is not really weight loss but positive healthy changes....hopefully that might lead to some weightloss, but we are going to be their to share ideas and be supportive in a positive way to each other. I need a catchy name, something that brings together what we are all about. Can any of you help me?

Thanks and keep up the good work. Don't let this thread die....support is what we all need!

I had a loss of 3.2 pounds at my WI on Sunday for a grand total of 26.8! I knew I would have a loss but at this stage of the game I did not expect to lose more than three pounds. You bet I love this program.

Jennifer, it is great that you have found a group willing to support one another other in making healthy changes. As for a name, something like the Biking (or whatever activites you participate in) and Tea Society. Hello Marketing people, Jennifer's group needs a name --

I've been reading all your posts and I'm impressed at how well everyone is doing with ww. I think it's great. (I notice it got real quiet at christmas time though... hmmmm) I'm addicted to the atkins diet. I've been on it for a few years now. I've lost a total of 45 pounds and now I just maintain. I did try ww for a short time for something different, but found it too easy to cheat on that diet. I went back to low carb to repair the damage. I know alot of people don't care for low carb, but I swear by it.

Well I weighed this morning. I am back on my seesaw. I lose some, gain a little back, lose some more, gain a little back. I'm just a slow loser. It's OK though. I know it will be more likely to stay off. I signed up for the e-tools last weekend. I really like using them. And congrats to everyone who had a good week!

Hang in there Nancy! I've been on the same roller coaster as you have for the past month. Hopefully at tonight's weigh-in I'll have changed things around.

I've been on a tossed salad kick lately but can not stand the taste of fat-free salad dressings. What does everyone else do or use? I am, unfortunately, partial to creamy dressings. Also, I have been contemplating trying Egg Beaters...anyone else use this instead of real eggs?

I stayed exactly the same today at WW. I guess its OK.. SarahH, I really like the fat free vinagarette dressings. They aren't creamy but I think they are really good.

I have always been big. I would be happy to be a size 12. Can anyone tell me how much a size 12 person weighs so I know how much I'll have to lose?

Size 12 does not have a standard weight, just like any other size. It depends on how you are built. You may have better luck losing a few pounds and then seeing where you are. Have mini goals along the way, like 5 lbs or 1 lb this week. The main goal of a certain weight or size will seem much more attainable that way. Good luck!

Congrats to all of you. It is hard work sometimes and can be a bit discouraging when you are losing and gaining, but I give all of you the kudos you deserve for not letting it bring you down and sticking to the program! You will reach your goals as long as you keep it up!!

SarahH: I have tried the egg beaters and they are not bad, not great, but not bad either. I am really not a breakfast person, so I don't eat them on a regular basis, but when I do, I have to put a lot of pepper or add a little salsa to give it a better taste. My husband eats them all the time because they are better than real eggs as far as cholesteral.

Ok, not sure if this is ladies only territory here, but I just started following the flex program this past week. I don't go to meetings (they ARE ladies only in this area) but my wife does. I was reading the book on the flex program and thought I could do it so I started. I have lost 5 lbs. this week. It is only a start I know, but from past experience if I can stick to this for another week, I can stick to it long term. I am looking forward to a healthier and happier 2006!

We welcome anybody and everybody into this thread. There are a few men that attend our local weight watchers. Do they not allow men at all where you live, or men just don't attend? You should stay for some meetings sometime, they really are helpful. We all need all the support we can get! Congrats on the 5 lbs. That is a great start. Keep up the good work!

The Southwest Eggbeaters are pretty good (not as good as the real thing but all things considered).

I like to cook 'em up and then put them on two slices of 1pt toast for a breakfast sandwich.

What to do about salad dressing....I have been contemplating taking FF Ranch (BLECH!) and adding half a packet of the dry Hidden Valley Ranch dressing to see what happens to it.

Could work.

Almost forgot. I belong to the WW online program where I can look at the message boards. Someone posted a recipe for Snickers Pie that absolutely wonderful. I actually licked the beaters because it was so good (which is typically something I don't do)

Here's the easy recipe:

1 1/2 C of FF Frozen Yogurt. (I used No Sugar Breyers Vanilla which is actually good by itself)
2 C FF Cool Whip
2 TB Peanut Butter
1 Package of Sugar Free Instant Jello Chocolate Pudding mix
3 oz Grape-Nuts (I used 1/4 of a cup because who measures in oz's?)

Soften the ice cream and cool whip before you attempt to mix. Then get it all mixed up any way you can. It's kind of a sticky mess. Then spread it in an 8" pie plate and freeze solid.

Cut into 8 slices. Each slice is 3 points!!! When you eat it, it's kinda like ice cream with crunchies but when it gets soft it doesn't melt. It almost gets velvetty. (Is that a word?!)

But it's day-um good.

Yeah for thomasj! We have a couple of men that attend our weekly meetings.

-2 pounds down this week.
(Only 45 to go...)

My wife and I started a plan on our own, using the WW as our guide, counting points, wondering how the skinny really survive. Then we pumped it up with walking and a little other exercise here and there. We started about September. I am proud to say I have dropped about 57 pounds which wasn't easy with the holidays. And last summer the pants I bought were a 46. Now they're a lose 38. Kewl!

I looked up my ideal weight and I really need to drop another 36. I am not being as aggressive as I was, but I still drop between 1 and 2.5 most weeks.

It ain't easy. But what worthwhile task is?