JandLsMom,
You can do it!!!! Focus and have patience.
For me it has been a change in life, not just a change in eating.
Sara<><

The bath tub is a great place now, once upon a time I could barely fit in it and would have to move around as it was filling so that the whole bath would fill - I kinda acted like a dam and the back would stay almost empty

Jo

That is so funny! I took a bath this morning instead of my usual shower and thought the same thing. Also how much further the steering wheel of the truck feels now.

I've lost a large bag of kitty litter. It is hard to believe that I used to carry that much up and down mountains, or even more than one flight of stairs! No wonder I was exhausted & had to go slowly to keep from hyperventilating.

Gail, I passed through "no longer obese" (at 182) and "no longer unhealthy" (at 163) and am now merely "overweight". Only 8 more lbs until I hit "healthy" and it feels great. When I was 180, my mother called me obese and I pointed out that no, I no longer was obese. Boy did that feel good, esp. since I never had a weight problem until she started nagging me when I was 15 and actually AT my ideal weight, but back then people didn't consider lean body mass. If I had gotten to the weight my doctor recommended, I would have had only 11% body fat; no wonder it was impossible and set me up for 36 years of weight problems.

Well, At least none of us pulled a "president Taft" and had to be pried from our bathtubs.
Sara<><

Deirdra,
I'm sure that in high school, lifting weights and such, I was not as obese as well-meaning folks tried to say. And in college, working out and down around 165, I was pretty close. But height/weight charts can be vivid reminders that you aren't a model type. I will never be a model type. But I don't want to die from heart problems or diabetes.

I am within 2 pounds of overweight instead of obese -- then I can start making "Garfield" jokes about not being overweight, but "undertall." I'm 5'6" and DH is 6'2" and now DS is about 6'0" and may surpass DH. I knew it would happen, but I'm the short stuff of the family.

I just went under the "obese" title too! my BMI is 29.8, but yay anyway! only... 27 more pounds till i'm no longer "overweight." I should get a separate ticker for that

Okay,
Call me stupid. What are the distinctions between "obese," "overweight," etc? Sound like labels from "The Man" to me. They also sound like negative adjectives for self-talk. If they help you, that's great. Lord knows my sometimes cynical, or black humor, has really helped me even though I can't always share it since it disturbs others...they expect bats to fly out of my belfry.

As I've lost weight, I have focused on lowering sizes...although I've already posted that someone (The Man?) has made lables read smaller for bigger clothing; probably trying to gain our consumer dollars more than our self-esteem.

I've been thinking about the changes in my self-talk throughout my changing WOL. It used to be about poor-pitiful-hardworking me; I deserve a "little" something--a bite to eat, a glass of wine (whine). Then the whammy would hit and a little wasn't enough. My brain would race to more, more, more. Before I closed my eyes to sleep I felt the abuse of my brain full of regret and guilt. The cycle would repeat over the next day and I would "use" to numb the nasty self-talk. Catch 22...insanity defined as expecting a different result without changing behaviors.

My head is kinder now. External sources feed me less. Somewhere along the line, I began to forgive myself and recognize my build up of tiny successes...baby steps. Dare I say, I'm building a whisp of confidence? I am enough so I don't need more, more, more. My life is simpler now. I just don't want or need the hullaballoo that I used to create or entertain.

When I have a craving, my brain can usually talk it down with, "Hold off--maybe later;" "Relax, let the magic happen;" even, "Who knows, maybe this is another pound of fat screaming before it lets loose? Let it scream before it dies. I bid it farewell." I also use prayer 'cause at the end of my day it really just comes down to me and God.

Has your head talk/self-talk changed along with your way of life? What are some of the positive phrases you are saying to yourself? Okay, even what are some of the wicked ones?---we won't talk about your bats or belfry.
Lots of Love and Lots of Laughs,
Sara<><

OK, for me, overweight and obese are numbers, simple bare-edge fact of formulas -- height vs. weight for a body mass index. 30.0 is the cutoff between overweight and obese, 25.0 is the cutoff between "normal" and overweight. At 5'6" and 185, I cross the line to overweight from obese. At 154, I cross the line between overweight and normal. I know these are averages and don't reflect people's different muscle tones, but they give me a target, a bullseye to aim for. Not negative self-talk. When I've come this far from 271, there is very little negative self-talk.

I think about sizes. I think about parts of my body that aren't buried under fat anymore. I have angular shoulders. I have hip bones. I have ribs, for cryin' out loud. I have on a pair of pants today that I haven't worn in 15 years!

I think about the good things I can have. I try not to dwell on Dairy Queen or chocolate eclairs or cream puffs. I don't need to when I can dwell on hot buffalo wings, spaghetti (with Carb Options sauce and Dreamfield's pasta), fajitas, a good cup of coffee with Splenda or an occasional strawberry with whipped cream. Last night, before I went to bed, I thanked God for my successes. And thanked Him again when I woke up. I like the curves of my body. And my DH appreciates them too.

Is eating well more expensive? Yes and no. Potatoes, bread and sugary snacks are pretty cheap. Eggs, meat and cheese are more expensive. But it wasn't like I wasn't buying some of those anyway. But now my fridge is full of good stuff. Treating myself with a variety of meats and cheeses, and good coffee and veggies, is a little more expensive. But I also don't buy popcorn and snacks at movies, and almost no fast food. So it's probably balanced out.

I'm not sure what to think of the Body Mass Index. I've heard varying opinions on it and one seems to stick out. Is it possible these numbers were "created" with help from the diet/pharm industry to make people think that they are "obese" or "overweight" when they are perfectly healthy? This is especially true for the "overweight" designation. I have met people who fall into that category and have perfect bloodwork and regularly compete in organized athletic events like 10K's and Triathalons. However, according to their BMI - they are overweight.

Just like they invent diseases to sell you medication for it - it's possible they invented the BMI index to convince everyone they are overfat and we have just the miracle pill/program to sell you!

Maybe. But for me, 185+ seems like it's extremely overweight, and 154 and lower seems about right for a healthful weight. I don't think that for me, those numbers seem too far off. I think the food pyramid is s**t, and lots of so-called disorders are ridiculous. For extremely athletic people, the BMI will not apply. But I'm not "built," and I'm not running any triathlons. The numbers seem about right for me.

My boyfriend is 5'10 and 190. BMI says he should be 165 but he is a strong muscular guy and looks great to me!

Then the typical BMI chart doesn't apply to him. I'm 5'6" and 187 and still obese. I don't think too many folks would disagree. But I'm getting pretty close to looking just like lots of folks that I would say are "overweight," so still realistic.

AZ- it sounds like it is definitely working for you as a motivator. My post was not meant to discredit you basing your goals on BMI. It was just an observation of the importance the medical/diet industry has been placing on BMI when it can vary so much from person to person.

That's true, and that's all I meant, too. Actually, I preferred the original topic of this thread. It's much more entertaining.