...and how depressing it can be at times. I'll help to keep you up in any way I can. You can write me email if you wish nichole030@yahoo.com No pressure. I like posting in a public forum also. I'm so proud of your almost 45lbs! That's great. You know what? My fiance brought this to my attention last night. The closer we get to goal (you and me, and everyone), the more it will show with every pound lost. For instance, when I was at my largest, I lost 10, even 20 pounds and nobody, including myself, really noticed it. Now, every time I lose a pound or two I really notice. In fact, I think I often notice without losing even a pound. My body is adjusting constantly to the lost weight. It is shifting the fat around to evenly cover my body. I'm very hourglass figured. My mother-in-law-to-be calls it being wasp waisted. Anyway, I look very womanly now. I like it, my fiance likes it. Am I off topic? Sorry... Point is, the closer to goal you get the more of a difference every pound lost will make in how you look and how you feel.

What are you doing now? I walk almost every day and when I can't walk, I ride my stationary bike. My bike really kept me going over the winter.

What kind of diet plan are you following, if any? Just curious.

Well, as this is getting to be quite lengthy, I shall close and hope you are doing wonderfully and feeling fantastic!!!

Take care,

~~~~~~~Shrinking Vibes to You~~~~~~~

Hugs,

Nichole

I follow WW as best I can, but I have such a fear of not losing weight that many many days I dont even eat the minimum amount of point required, Some days I just eat cereal. People are finally staring to notice, many dont say anything so it makes me wonder if those who do say something are just saying it and I still look as fat as ever.

I need to walk though I do very little, I like canning though, and in 2 weeks I was offered a job picking strawberrys for 6 hours a day and each day I do it I can have 12 flats of strawberrys so the standing and bending for those weeks should help out for excercise plus give me strawberrys at a good price, free for help. Or I can make 2.50 a flat and just buy what I need with what I make at a little reduced price

Maybe that excercise will get off a few extra pounds

Alissa

Dear Alissa: This is only my 2nd time at this website, but I just had to reply when I read that you said you are trying to follow WW but some days you don't eat all the "points" you are allowed & just eat cereal. I have a friend who is doing the WW also & she told me that the people at meetings who say they are not eating the minimum # of points allowed them DO NOT lose weight. This is because when you are "starving" yourself, your body slows your metabolism because it thinks you really are starving. It doesn't know you are just "dieting" & it wants to protect you from dying, so it prevents your losing weight as much as possible. You will lose more weight on WW if you eat at least the minimum # of points you are allowed each day. This tells your body you are OK and it is OK for it to let weight come off because you are not in mortal danger, so to speak. Also, in digesting the food you eat, your body burns up calories, so your eating really is making your body burn up calories so that you will lose weight. Cereal isn't that wonderful a thing to eat anyway, & certainly not for the whole day. Summer is here! Get into fruits & vegetables; try ones on your list that you never have before. You may be surprised at how wonderful they can be but you just never explored them before. Also, as you eat what is on your diet & stay away from greasy snacks, etc. your food will taste better and better to you. Oily foods coat our tongues & interfere with our tasting real foods. I notice a real improvement when I eat just what I should. For example, I LOVE pink grapefruit & start every day with one. This not only tastes good (the old varieties were so SOUR, yuk) but gets my day started in the right direction. Right away, I feel I have done something GOOD for myself. Hope this is helpful to you. Sincerely, Anne

This is the problem with me I may not eat minimum points but I AM losing anyhow. In less than 13 weeks I have lost 43.8 pounds. So something is right. I am such a sedentary person I think eating the minimum wiill cause me to gain.

What do people like me do

Alissa

I guess this doesn't seem unreasonable, but the closer I get to goal, the harder it is to lose. Should it be this way, Anne? I don't know, maybe it's just water. I'm terrible with drinking the water.

I really loved your note to Alissa. I've lost 116lbs. I'm totally addicted to my scale. I've tried to put it away, but always go get it out. I guess I should .... ack. I'm still exercising a lot and I guess I could be gaining muscle. Or maybe I'm just plateauing. I refuse to take any drugs and I love fruits and vegetables, like you do. Oh...

I worry that when I know I am event dieting I subconsciously sabotage my efforts. I'm getting married on 9/9/99 and so I really want to lose as much as possible by then. I have 45 lbs to go to get to my goal. I know I won't lose it all by the wedding, but I'm trying to maintain my positive attitude, and habits.

Thanks for listening.

Oh, over the winter, when I weighed between 215 and 220, I was eating the points for the weight of 175-199. You think I should go up to my real weight, huh?

Hope your dieting is going extremely well.

Affectionately,

Nichole