I stepped on the scale this morning early since I was up and waiting for the coffe maker to finish gurgling that delicious brown liquid of life and I had a lovely loss. I am not telling how much, but it is really a nice one. (Hugging myself here and grinning like the Cheshire Cat !!) We attended the funeral and it was huge. There were so many people that they had to park on the lawn surrounding the funeral home and on down the street. The chapel was filled and lots of folks standing. This boy was truly loved by one and all. The boys parents (divorced) hugged each other for the first time in years. Everyone came together in a bond of love for one another and for the boy that died. It was a beautiful service and the day was beautiful as well. Sunshine and 85º and big billowy clouds in the sky and a breeze blowing. Perfect weather for a perfect send off. Helen

Hi everyone!!! I didn't step on the scale this morning...oops. Will do it when I get home. But just wanted to say good morning to you all! Still not back on my diet, or exercise regime. But worked in the yard for 12 hours on Saturday and 14 on Sunday. Yes, we finished at 10pm on Sunday...had the spotlights out and everything! I figure pushing a wheelbarrow full of concrete for two hours should be better calorie burning than anything else I could do!! Will weigh tonight :) Skinny (goal-jeans) are still able to be zipped and buttoned but are not comfortable. Still want to target my hips/thighs area. But, all other clothes are fitting great, which I feel is the real testimony to weight loss rather than the actual poundage. Also, many are recognizing my weight loss. And they want to know my secret... LOL! 1. Eat fewer calories (not less food!!!) 2. Burn more calories Of course, it can't be that simple, but it is. One of my office mates started her low-carb diet at the same time, but does not exercise very much, and deprives herself of food so is hungry and binges. Also, does not count calories... hmmm... six months later, she's still the same weight. She offered me her low-carb cookbook, but with recipes in there that call for six tablespoons of butter I declined. :)

Good Morning, Soooo sorry I'm late to the party. First, WELCOME Beth! The more the merrier on this journey together. We encourage and lift each other up as we are heading to a healthy weight. Tell us about yourself. I woke up one morning and while getting ready for church I started having the worst pain that started in my mid-back and came straight through my body to my heart and up the left side of my neck. That was classic female symptoms of heart trouble and it scared me plumb to death! That was my wake up call. I started that day to watch what I ate. It took me a week or so to get to the store and buy a set of scales. When I weighed the first time I was 180. I think that was sometime in March. Basically, I'm trying to stick to a modified version of the South Beach diet. That works better for me than any other diet I have ever tried. I say modified because I've got lots of allergies and can't eat onions, garlic, and most cheeses(due to the naturally occuring mold that happens in the process of becoming cheese). The SB diet has those as well as lots of fish. I HATE FISH!!! The real secret to the SB diet is low carb and heart healthy eating. It works for me. OK...... I have a confession to make, guys. Monday was my 55th birthday. We also had a Lady's meeting at church. Pastor's wife made these decadent mini-cupcake type thingies with melted dark chocolate poured over them. I ate one as well as LOTS and Lots of fruit INCLUDING watermelon. Y'all know my weigh-in day is Tuesday. I got on those scales Tuesday and it said 164lbs. I wouldn't log on and report that number because it would give me a 2 pound gain. I was ashamed and embarrassed. Yesterday morning I was back to 162 and would have come here and reported that number, but it was such a busy day and everytime I came near the computer there were people in the room. And y'all are the only people in this world who know how much I weigh. They say confession is good for the soul. I know I've felt guilty ever since I wouldn't come tell y'all the truth. So... there it is. Just like you, Harold - it is what it is. This morning I got great numbers, but I will stick with the true number that was there Tuesday morning and share the good number next Tuesday. Thanks, Harold for being honest. It really helps me to be accountable and true to myself. I got fat by not being honest with myself about my weight and what it was doing to my life and health. I don't want to go back there. I hope everyone had a great Holiday weekend. Lots of stress here. Still haven't made time for the treadmill. Swamped with paperwork trying to get DH's aunt's finances in order since we moved her in with us. Too many bills and not enough $$. The extra mouth to feed is hurting our already tight finances, too. I think I can see the light at the end of the tunnel which we may get to in about 4 months, but the stress getting there is much greater than I thought. Every day brings more bills in the mail that we didn't know she had and she either forgot or just doesn't want to face. I'm a stress eater, but she is labor intensive and I think that has helped me to keep a lid on the overeating (execpt for last monday night!). I missed logging in and spending time with y'all during the week. I will try to do better this week. Everyone except Harold and me had a good week weight wise. Keep up the good work. Silver, you have set such a good example with your diet and exercise for us all. Don't wait too long to get motivated again and backslide on us. GREAT numbers for you both Ek and Jas!!!! Helen, A loss is a loss and you had a loss! I'm PROUD ;~) Have a great day, Betty

Good Morning, I'm still half asleep this morning. Stayed up until almost 3am reading stuff on forums here on the garden web. It is addictive!!!! Anyway, today is a big day at our house. I'm taking our Baby to get his learner's permit today. Of course DH had put his Soc.Sec. card up so we would know where it was and we tore the house apart last night to find it with no luck. SO..... it's off to the Soc. Sec. office 1st to get another one before the DMV. Y'all pray for me because in a "Senior Moment" I told him that he could drive home!!!! That is a SCARY thing. I may drive out of the city and get off of the 4 lane before I let him get under the wheel for the first time. Back to the business at hand... My weight for this week is: 157lbs - lost 1. Have a great day, Betty P. S. - I almost forgot, I actually got in 30 minutes on the treadmill yesterday for the 1st time since DH's aunt came to live with us at the 1st of June. She didn't like it and kept trying to talk me off. I just kept telling her "Just a few more minutes"!!!! I think I will have to wait until DH gets home so he can sit and occupy her while I walk. Man, it felt good!