gain goal regain How was your 5:2 day today?

[M2G 1,836]

I'm going to try to post pics. I won't keep them up long bc I don't like pics of me in my bra floating around.

I'm not sure if this will work or not I'm on my cell and my daughter has been trying to tell me how to do this.

The pics on the left are me at around 152-155 and 24% body fat if I remember correctly.

The ones on the right were taken last night. 142 pounds and 18% body fat. My trainer said my body fat probably went down a couple since she checked it last month.

Oh my gosh! No wonder you want to be a trainer! WOW!!! Congrats, I see the difference, and holy low body fat % batman...18% WOWSERS!

[coops 1,790]

Sarah, what they said... looking proper strong - I want to look like you!

For a laugh, in the summer, I took photos of the muscles in my legs... everyone takes the mick out of them saying they are like a body builder - I have a love hate relationship with them... I will try and post the pics!

 

I've had a really rough day today - work really is sh*tty at the moment *sighs*  And Cathy, yea, the weather is a nightmare at the moment... we still have electricity here but I ain't taking it for granted!

 

Wanda, hugs to you and your family - elderly parents are a worry 

[Globetrotter 1,340]

OMG Sarah how impressive!! What a stunning difference 10 pounds makes! How tall are you? You arms are so amazingly strong, can you do pull ups? JEALOUS

My conditions are definitely worse than college, at least then you stayed indoors when you went down the hall to the bathroom, here I have to strap on my shoes and gloves and coat etc and slog through the slush, just to pee. This is why I have a special funnel and I save all my plastic Water bottles

Conditions at my new location will be more of the same, I am actually lucky here in some respects, the latrine is just across the road from my hut, the laundry facility is catty-corner to my hut, I'm a "block" away from work and the gym. My little cubicle was quite nice actually before I had to start packing up, when I first got here I had the carpenters rig up a canopy frame for my bed, which is lengthwise against one plywood wall. this way I was able to put a "roof" over my bed and curtains along one side, making a nice little canopy cubby that blocked out the light and provided a semblance of privacy. I had my doorway covered with a curtain, I had a bedskirt for the exposed side, and draping cloth covering the two shelving units I used for storage. The entire space is about 6 ft by 8 ft, I tacked up pretty pictures that cut out of my calendar as each month passed. I haven't had a calendar since the new year though lol.

Being without a scale is maddening! I have no idea if I'm losing, maintaining, or GAINING and thus cannot change up my behavior. Losing the weight the first time around my breasts shrank significantly, after the regain and now losing the regain, they aren't shrinking! So wherever I may be losing weight from, it isn't there and most women would probably be happy about that but I have DDDs and would be thrilled to be as "small" as a D All this stupid shriveled skin The last time I weighed myself before I shipped the scale I was 165, that was ... a week and a half ago, maybe 2 weeks, the scale probably won't arrive for another 2 weeks at least, so by the time I weight myself it will have been a month and well over a month since I logged a number into my online tracker

[BrownDoesAll 409]

Sar u look amazing 18% body fat, so good!

OD glad u found your purse. It pays to be good to the wait staff.

Globe I bet money you will be down when u get back to the scale

Feed that would be so nice to find a place with an arts focus. That's one of my moms fears just sitting around doing nothing. However except for her Bingo twicw a week and bible study once a week she simply sits at the tv. I hope to find a place with activities she can be social with others. Yes I hope I will know it when I walk in. My big turn off is the smell.

Coops and Cathy the weather here sucks too. Way toooo cold ice and snow. I hope we are not in for an extreme summer. I can alwas add clothes to get warm but there is a limit to the amount of clothes I can take off when it is too hot

 

Starting on valentines day is a nice idea. I think I will write the negative things I hear and turn them into positives then be sure to write the positive things I say to myself.

 

And finally those with teenagers talk to them about what they do with their depression. Be sure they have a positive way to cope with the pressures of their worlds. I have run into some tragic situations with teens and 20s that turn to drugs, alcohol, and cutting when they are empty. Not to be a downer but, talk to your kids, be sure they know how to fill the hole in their souls when they are depressed.

[BrownDoesAll 409]

Sar u look amazing 18% body fat, so good!

OD glad u found your purse. It pays to be good to the wait staff.

Globe I bet money you will be down when u get back to the scale

Feed that would be so nice to find a place with an arts focus. That's one of my moms fears just sitting around doing nothing. However except for her Bingo twicw a week and bible study once a week she simply sits at the tv. I hope to find a place with activities she can be social with others. Yes I hope I will know it when I walk in. My big turn off is the smell.

Coops and Cathy the weather here sucks too. Way toooo cold ice and snow. I hope we are not in for an extreme summer. I can alwas add clothes to get warm but there is a limit to the amount of clothes I can take off when it is too hot

 

Starting on valentines day is a nice idea. I think I will write the negative things I hear and turn them into positives then be sure to write the positive things I say to myself.

 

And finally those with teenagers talk to them about what they do with their depression. Be sure they have a positive way to cope with the pressures of their worlds. I have run into some tragic situations with teens and 20s that turn to drugs, alcohol, and cutting when they are empty. Not to be a downer but, talk to your kids, be sure they know how to fill the hole in their souls when they are depressed.

[sarsar 824]

Wanda, thanks for your advice about the teenagers. I love hearing any advice from those who have been there and done that. I soak it right up. My daughter is 23 but now I have a 14yo and 10yo son. Raising boys is so different from girls. And to top it all off all three of them have completely different personalities so it's been interesting. Thinking of you as you are making these decisions for your mom. That's tough. My husbands parents are getting close to 90. He was the youngest of 6 kids so he is starting to deal with a lot of this as well. His mom was diagnosed about a year ago with alzheimers and there is so much that goes into that alone.

Sue, how are you doing? Feeling any better. Sorry about the rough day at work. Hang in there.

Sheryl, I really like what you wrote...about us and the negative talk. I'm willing to give it a try. I feel like I go in spurts, sometimes my self talk is mostly positive. When I am down or depressed it's negative. I will say, though, that it is a lot better than it was 5 years ago. I started working on that before surgery. I wonder if it will always be a struggle? I also appreciate so much your advice on plastics. I love how honest you have been through this whole journey. I know you have helped me and so many others on here. I will be calling to talk to you about it. I'll pm when I'm ready for that. It is so expensive but I know it's something I have to do for me. Now I just have to talk the husband into it! He did promise me many years ago that once I lost all my weight that he will agree to a Tummy Tuck. I guess I need to remind him of that.

Sheila, are you feeling better? I haven't been ignoring your questions about training, I'm going to answer them in a few minutes. I just needed to find some time to answer.

Dorrie, thinking about you. The sugar detox is so hard. I know that I feel so much better when I detox from it. When I am eating too much sugar my lower back starts to ache, along with other muscles. Sugar really is a drug.

Denise, looking forward to hearing about your trip with Bill and how the family got along with him. So glad you found your purse.

Florinda, I don't know how you do it. I am so incredibly spoiled with my life that I can't even imagine doing what you do. Kudos to you, and I sincerely mean that. All those women living together, isn't there constant petty bickering going on? I picture it as a constant PMS party, for lack of a better word. I would love to go to Mexico and have plastics at the same time! The earliest I would be going would be in the fall. Unless, I could do it before June but I can't imagine that happening. I need to be in good condition in the summer when my kids are off of school.

Kim and Georgia, just giving you a shout out because you two are some of my favorite people!

I am sure I forgot someone, please forgive me for that. I always feel bad for forgetting but I know you all understand.

Cathy, see I just remembered you. Hope you are doing well.

Happy Thursday, Ladies!

[sarsar 824]

Thanks to all of you for your kind words about my pictures. I was very surprised at the difference 10 pounds and the lower body fat made. I thought I would post because some have asked for pictures but I thought you all would find the difference interesting.

I do carry quite a bit of muscle all over but it is mostly noticeable on top. I do have muscle in my legs but there is so much skin on my legs and butt and thighs that it's not as easy to see it but I do feel it. My butt muscles are finally starting to appear. It is a work in progress. lol I have found out with losing weight that I wasn't using my butt muscles when I was heavy. Instead I was using my lower back and this has caused a lot of pain for me over the last couple years. Working with my trainer and seeing a wonderful chiropractor who also does sports medicine has helped me in changing the way I walk and exercise.

When I have my regular clothes on I don't think that the 10 pound difference is very noticeable to others, which is fine. I have never been comfortable with people noticing my weight loss. I actually hated the attention I received during my weight loss phase. I notice the extra loss in how I can move and exercise and that's what I like so I'm happy with it.

As far as the personal training goes, I am taking a "course" to become certified. I work at my own pace and when I'm ready I take an exam and if I pass I become certified. Right now I'm going through NCCPT. I am strongly considering changing and getting certified through ACE. They are more recognized if I would decide to work in a gym.

Currently, my plan is to train in my basement. This is what my trainer does. I started going to her 8 years ago. I don't need to be certified to do this but I would like to get certified because it's just something I have always wanted to do. I have always been interested in exercise and health, ever since I was a child. I'm also looking forward to being able to help people who are overweight since I have been there myself. I would like to train at home because it's much more affordable for the client. In gyms around here you pay $50-$65 for a trainer. I can charge $25-$35/hr to train at my home.

Now, the issue I am having with all of this is fear. I really want to do this but fear is holding me back from just taking the exam and being done with it. It's the same kind of fear that I had for years when I was obese. The fear that kept me from doing so many things. I thought I'd bring this up and see if you all have any advice for me or if any of you deal with this fear in your lives.

[coops 1,790]

Sarah, feel the fear and do it anyway!!!

[CowgirlJane 14,259]

Still in Orlando...short message. Today I talked to someone who lost 100#. I admitted how much I had lost AND my age. Skinny mini girl in the group of us talking says "you have been so tiny the whole time I have know you and I can't believe you are 49!!!" Me..not tiny...and I told her I love her for thinking I look younger..Haha. you know that compliment meant way more than the interested guys...though I picked up a tall dark and handsome stalker this week (totally my type)... too bad he lives somewhere in the Midwest..teehee.

Good week, embrace the compliments!!!

[CowgirlJane 14,259]

[ATTACH]41429[/ATTACH]

Me in my cocktail dress. Not enough time to do hair up do.

[CowgirlJane 14,259]

I am new to phone app so not sure how to rotate photo.

[swizzly 901]

Looks FAB!!! :-)

[feedyoureye 3,087]

you couldn't look cuter! Everything looks right. Great shoe choice, bare leg and new jewelry, all look great! Sexy momma!

[CowgirlJane 14,259]

Thanks ladies it was a fun night. I got a lot of compliments. I was among "friends" and got lots of approving comments. ..especially as the drinks flowed. I left at 1030 not even buzzed ..on best behavior.

So I think it is exciting you are getting PT certified but I am very disappointed in my experience. I still have a hurt muscle on my right thigh. ..so only light workouts. No progress toward my 25 percent fat goal...sigh.

[Georgia 2,908]

OMG Sarah how impressive!! What a stunning difference 10 pounds makes! How tall are you? You arms are so amazingly strong, can you do pull ups? JEALOUS My conditions are definitely worse than college, at least then you stayed indoors when you went down the hall to the bathroom, here I have to strap on my shoes and gloves and coat etc and slog through the slush, just to pee. This is why I have a special funnel and I save all my plastic Water bottles Conditions at my new location will be more of the same, I am actually lucky here in some respects, the latrine is just across the road from my hut, the laundry facility is catty-corner to my hut, I'm a "block" away from work and the gym. My little cubicle was quite nice actually before I had to start packing up, when I first got here I had the carpenters rig up a canopy frame for my bed, which is lengthwise against one plywood wall. this way I was able to put a "roof" over my bed and curtains along one side, making a nice little canopy cubby that blocked out the light and provided a semblance of privacy. I had my doorway covered with a curtain, I had a bedskirt for the exposed side, and draping cloth covering the two shelving units I used for storage. The entire space is about 6 ft by 8 ft, I tacked up pretty pictures that cut out of my calendar as each month passed. I haven't had a calendar since the new year though lol. Being without a scale is maddening! I have no idea if I'm losing, maintaining, or GAINING and thus cannot change up my behavior. Losing the weight the first time around my breasts shrank significantly, after the regain and now losing the regain, they aren't shrinking! So wherever I may be losing weight from, it isn't there and most women would probably be happy about that but I have DDDs and would be thrilled to be as "small" as a D All this stupid shriveled skin The last time I weighed myself before I shipped the scale I was 165, that was ... a week and a half ago, maybe 2 weeks, the scale probably won't arrive for another 2 weeks at least, so by the time I weight myself it will have been a month and well over a month since I logged a number into my online tracker

Ugh, Florinda, that image of the hose and water bottle. . You are one brave woman!!!