Thanks JJ, I need the cheering squad to keep me going. Normally when I try to lose weight I get to a point where I'm barely losing, or at a standstill, and then I say oh screw it and pig out on wonderful chocolate and ice cream and oh, you name it. Then I gain it all back.

But this time I have that 20 lb goal and a competition, so I'm trying to stick to it. It will be tough later this week, because we are going to Oregon for my neice's wedding. It's so much harder to be good when you travel.

Yep, I totally agree. I seem to adopt the "oh I'm taking a break because I'm out of my environment and I'll get right back to it when I get home" attitude....

But, once I cross over that calorie line...it's all she wrote. Working from home has been the biggest blessing for me....working from home has been the biggest curse for me....

You KNOW what I mean, don't you? The sitting all day at the puter...the ability to go to the kitchen whenever you want to...not having to wear a bra....and the pros and cons go on and on.

But not to change the focus here. My point is that when one works from home and one "sits" all day...you can really say, "this computer makes my butt look big."

You know?

Ah yes, no bra, no pantyhose, no fancy shoes. Just me and my slippers working away. I know...

Hey, even when I think I've cleard my house of all the sweet stuff, I still can find something bad to eat. Once when I was dieting, I found some chocolate chips. I poured some into a cup, added some coconut flakes, and then stirred in some whipped topping to hold it all together. Delish!

Is that desperation or what?

Congrats Kathy and Jane.

I was one of those lucky girls who never put on weight until I hit my fifties (menopause, me thinks). Now I weight 20 pounds more than I did 5 years ago. Yuck.

When I travel, I tend to eat better than I do at home. I guess we are all different.

Are you still South Beachin it, Kathy?

Kathy...I use to visit Kroger to lick the doors on the ice cream cases...you don't KNOW desperation, honey.

Let me tell ya one treat I've found that even a junk food, chocolate lover like ME seems to like...and that is mandarin oranges. Oh my goodness. Those babies are so sweet and yummy. I put them on a salad with onion and lettuce, a tablespoon of either blue cheese dressing (which ain't good for ya) or ranch (another no no, but only using a tablespoon) and it hits the spot. Or....I take them and mix in some plain yogurt. YUM!

Anno, yes, I used to be able to eat whatever I wanted without gaining an ounce. That's why it's so difficult to give up the foods I love. And yes, sort of South Beach. Salads, eggs, fish, lean meats, no sugar, no rice/potatoes/bread, etc.

JJ, I love mandarin oranges in salad. There's a restaurant nearby that makes a Caribbean Chicken Salad, and it has them in it -love it.

Come on Kathy. You must beat him this week.

STEP AWAY from the refrigerator and cabinets.

I'm cheering for you from afar.

Go Kathy, go Kathy, go, go, go Kathy!

Can you tell I'm competitive and love it when girls beat boys at anything?

Love the idea of a biggest loser competition at home! When I saw this thread, I remembered this article that appeared in our newspaper recently.........all about different groups (like a group of staff members at a local school) who started biggest loser clubs of their own. Take a look if you're interested:

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/community/news/doctorphillips/orl-bigloser08jun10,0,868546.story

Okay, bad news. Really bad news. I GAINED 4.3 lbs in one week. Is that the pits or what??

I didn't even eat really bad! I went to a wedding and had cake, a few potatoes, ate some fast food on the way there and back (3 day trip), but it's not like I went out for hot fudge sundaes every day!! I'm also on my period, so that adds some weight as well. Plus, I didn't exercise much at all last week; I think just one game of racquetball.

The good news? I found another racquetball player so maybe I can play more often, and my walking partner is ready to get back in the groove. Plus, I ate healthy this morning and don't plan to give up.

In the past, this type of set-back would have sent me straight to the ice cream counter of Cold Stone for a german chocolate treat. Not this time! I feel like you guys are keeping me accountable, plus I want to fit into my decent jeans when we head to Ireland in a month.

My hubby lost one pound, so neither of us gets a prize this week. I'll be checking back in next week - I expect to lose at least some of that weight I gained back this week!

K

You can do it
Yes you can
Loose the pounds
And beat the man

One.. two.. three..four
Spit that out an'
Hit the floor

One.. two.. three.. four
Give us nine
Then do some more

Don't give up, DD, you CAN do it.
After Tim Russert's death at 58, loosing weight has been heavy on my mind. Seems the autopsy suggested he had an enlarged heart. The advise that men should have a waistline of under 40" and women under 34" has resurfaced. I'm more afraid for my husband, now at 42", but concerned for myself. I eat pretty healthy, but could improve even more. And exercise, I've forgotten what that was like...