Good Morning, I don't participate in this group but I lurk "over the fence" from the other gang. I wanted to stop by to say congratulations, Harold. Way to go! Happy New Year to all of you here. You are off to a great start! Tikanis from daily support

Hello, I'd like to join in too, if I may. I like accountability! I was a normal weight for most of my life before starting on the dreaded prednisone(steroid) for asthma control. I was allergic to most inhalers and this was the only option at the time. I gained a LOT of weight, became sluggish and sedentary. The only thing under control was my asthma. My family doc saw how miserable I was (and how FAT!!) and took pity on me. We decided to get my allergies under control and see if my asthma was helped. I weaned off the prednisone last fall and the weight started coming off.(about 50 lbs!)The next 20 Lbs did NOT melt off; they were hard work! I have 11 more to reach my original goal of 138, but have decided to reach for 135 to give myself some "wiggle room". The last few weeks, I have continued to write down every morsel using Fitday.com. I eat on the low calorie side of a weight watcher's type plan, very balanced, lots of fruits and veggies, lean meat etc.for a week or so, then back to "maintenance mode". My metabolism is in great shape now and the rest of me is getting there little by little. I don't weigh every week, and am allowing myself till late August to reach my original goal. That's less than a Lb a week. I don't feel deprived at all, as I plan my little splurges to fit right into my program. Exercise was the bane of my existence for awhile : ) I HATE the gym! And, for a long time, I had NO ENERGY at all. I was a real slug. But I bought a treadmill, a stand to turn a second hand bike into a stationery machine, some free weights and some dance DVDs, turning my garage into a gym-at-home. Now I use it most every day. Also, as I have gotten healthier, I have gotten MUCH MORE physically active, took up kayaking, walking, biking, park at the far end of all parking lots and always take the stairs. I have enjoyed luking and reading what works for everybody.(Hi Harold, Iva Mae, Wodka!) I thought it was time to join in. While everyone is different, I don't like fad diets and this is what is working for ME. Tikanis 149/0/138 (or 135)

Good Morning, YEA, HAROLD!!!!!!!! Don't cha LOVE it? How "sweet" are the pants falling down! ;~)) Helen, Been there - Done that. It gives you a sick feeling in the pit of your stomach to see those scales go up instead of down. But, it's just a 'thang' and will be gone next week. And the friend's comment really helps your resolve. Ek, Seems like the foods you are adding back aren't hurting you. Good job! I may have lost a pound, but the potato soup and fried apples I had for dinner are high carb foods and made my scales refuse to move down this morning. They are 2 of Aunt Bern's favorite foods and I was just too tired to fix me anything low carb. At least I resisted the corn bread muffins she wanted!! (She fell 1st thing yesterday morning and scared me to death. Thank God nothing got broken, but I was on my feet all day and gave in to the not so healthy dinner.) This week - still 159. Betty

Hi Harold Nice to see your before and after pictures. You are definitely a motivation for all of us. I see how much your mid section has changed.You look much younger and healthier now. Thanks for posting your pictures. My weight yesterday was 133.6. Thats a 0.4 pound less than last week. I am kinda stuck in the lower 130s from past few weeks. Time to do something different to break this plateau. Silver,Thought I am ~134, I dont feel good about my weight. I feel I am still looking fat which I am in a way. My thighs are the areas which needs lot of toning. If I could get to lower 120s I may actually feel comfortable with my weight. I am happy that you are comfortable with your weight rt now. I think you did more work outs than me and hence more toned though we both are almost at the same weights. Ivamae, there are so many snacks in the isle which are fat free or low card and are just 100 calories. But I think all these processed , ready made snacks are not part of healthy life style. The closer we are to the unprocessed foods, the more healthier we are. I also noticed I could keep my weight off when I was snacking on strawberries, blue berries and oranges. Betty and Helen , congrats on your weights.