Helping each other

Thank you, Dawn & Angel, for inviting me to join. FlyLady's encouragement since I was introduced to her nearly 3 years ago by my mother-in-law has helped me change my mindset and believe in me--at least a little! :) Now I believe that I can finally fling this body clutter I've had for 10 years. Your stories were so inspiring because Dawn was close to my own age of 36, and you both started near where I was. Seeing that someone in a similar situation to mine could REALLY lose the weight consistently for so many months was a huge inspiration to me! You both have come so far, and have so much to be proud of--even with the recent setbacks!

My highest weight ever was at least 274 in December 2001, and I actually quit looking at that point so it probably went even higher. By August 2005, I still weighed 260, as my weight had gone up and down repeatedly those 4 years, but stayed in the 250+ range most often. Starting in August, I began exercising and lost 15 pounds, then gained back 8 of them through last fall and the holidays. When I discovered your blog in January, I weighed 253. I've lost 34 pounds and now weigh 219.

I've tried many things since January: low carb (I love Leanne's Saving Dinner the Low-Carb Way, too!), fasting after mid-afternoon, walking, and swimming. I even bought Leslie Sansone's Walk Away the Pounds: Walk & Kick DVD, and use it sometimes. The weight has not fallen off as quickly as I would like, but it is consistently going down. The biggest thing that has helped me recently is having a friend to walk with. We had been walking pretty consistently for a few weeks and were unable to walk together for almost a week. It was a miserable week for me. I had fewer steps on my pedometer those days, was depressed more, and didn't feel like I was accomplishing much around the house, either. I was so lonely. We walked together last night, and it was wonderful!

Your blog has meant a lot to me. It was so exciting to keep checking back and see how you were doing, to keep cheering you on. That's the wonderful thing about the internet age: We can be separated by thousands of miles, maybe never see each other in person, but still build wonderful friendships online. You are both in my thoughts, and I'm hoping for amazing things to happen in your lives! You CAN do this!

I need help

I need my fly sister to help me drag myself out of the depths of selfloathing and worthlessness! My house is a wreck, and I can't seem to care enough to DO anything about it. I hate it when this happens!!!!! I spent the better part of yesterday just sitting here, reading other pregnancy blogs, watching tv, and in general, doing NOTHING - except I DID clean off my desk. I know, the first trimester is kicking my ass with fatigue and nausea but still - my family NEEDS a clean house, dammit.