@ Carstens8- what are baby marrows? I don't think I've heard of them before

@yankgal46- If there is a Trader Joes near you, they have pretty decent kimchi.

Its sort of negative reinforcement but it did the trick! I am going to do this every time we go somewhere good to eat. It'll keep me in line in a hurry!

So tonight when we went out for supper, I decided to wear a pair of pants that were probably a size too small for me to be comfortable in. Those stinking things were so tight I could hardly eat!!! Imagine how overjoyed I was at this self-limiting, self-induced, calorie control trick. Worked well in curbing my calorie intake. Also made it difficult to take a deep breath but that's an entirely different issue! Its my magic jelly bean of the day.

FANTASTIC! Love to hear about those success stories!

There are so many fun low carb recipes. Maybe Google them or go to the library and get a low carb cookbook. I love making low carb lasagna with cauliflower as the pasta. Another favorite is low carb pizza and I use the portabella mushrooms instead of pizza crust. The portabellaas also work well for "sandwiches." Try thinking outside the box a little bit. I know you can do it. Alittle creativity will help you get out of the rut! Best of luck!

If what you are doing isn't working, re-evaluate and do something different. Being fat isn't fun. I always keep that at the back of my mind. I have a list of goals- more than 20 and reasons why I want to lose weight. Is there a list of reasons why you want to be overweight? Nooooo?!?!? Then just keep working at it. No one EVER said this would be easy but you CANNOT give up. Switch out your exercise routine or change your diet around. Try new recipes. The possibilities are endless. DO NOT QUIT! It didn't go on overnight. Its not coming off overnight. You talk about "giving things up." Those "things" are killing you!!! KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE PRIZE! People here will support you as much as possible but you must THINK POSITIVE. If you can give me one good reason why you should stop dieting now and give up, I'll stop my rant..... waiting.... waiting.... waiting.... See you have no good reason. Take a deep breath. Regroup. Put your nose back to the grindstone. There's your pep talk for today. You CAN do it. ;)

@Classic Rocker- is there a brand name on your recumbent bike? I've been doing Google searches and just want to compare. I've had a few other people tell me the recumbents are quite nice even though they are a little pricey.

I will check these out! Thanks for the speedy reply!

I am wondering if anyone out there can recommend a bike for me. I have a bad back and I cannot use a bike that makes me lean forward- like a traditional 10 speed or mountain bike. I need something that I actually sit in an upright position without leaning forward at all. I've managed to get my core strengthened to the point where I've got very little back pain any more. I can walk for miles. I've started doing fat buster on the treadmill and have even done the stationary bike but I always have to be mindful of my position. I was thrown from a horse years ago and had a year off work so I've recovered but need to be careful. So at any rate, I want to start using the bike trails this spring but I will need a special "back bike." Any one able to recommend one? Any help or suggestions are much appreciated.

@BigChuck- nice job on getting your blood sugars down. Stick with what your doctor says regarding your protein intake. Since you are diabetic, he may be tweaking your numbers slightly to prevent your kidneys from taking a hit. He knows your BUN and creatinine and has likely figured these factors into your recommended intake. I would be leary of using the websites as they usually are geared to those of us that are overweight and don't factor in other comorbidities such as diabetes. For more ideas on the low carb lifestyle, visit the Atkins website. They've got some great recipes. There are some good ones here to. Welcome to the group and I wish you the greatest success on your weight loss endeavors.

amber- taking pollen doesn't affect you if you are allergic to bees. Polen is from the plants themselves. No bee related venom in it. People usually take it to help them build up antibodies to allergens in the air. Generic bee pollen really won't help you do that. You need to purchase it from a beekeeper in the area that you reside so you can help build your immunities to things on your own area and not say, in Canada or Mexico or wherever they have gotten the pollen from. I am not sure if I have heard of it as related to weight loss. I raise bees, btw!

I've been reading a bit about the Paleo diet and incorporating some of the principles into my own healthy eating plan. It talks about intermittent fasting and only eating when we are hungry and not necessarily on a schedule as so many of us have been programmed to do. That's been helping me out. Science may have some things on the money but they've missed the mark a LOT and if it works for you, I say BRAVO! Thanks for sharing your successes. If it helps another person, its so worth it!

I am down 17# and it looks like I've just stopped losing! GRRRRR!!!!

@ Kingkeld- very thought provoking. I like it-- a lot. And I wish I had known that too. Its like we have this horrible fear of being hungry when in reality, most of us will never know real hunger in our entire lives.

They've been working on it fro months. I am ready to just stop this site completely. All the things that make it worthwhile aren't functioning correctly. What a drag.

Is anyone else having issues with updates? My weight ticker on the bottom doesn't show any of the weight I've lost past the first 2 pounds. Every time I try to update a Challenge, I get an error message. This has been going on for over a month now. What is the deal? None of my challenges are marked at all. It looks like I just stopped participating except for my posts. Very frustrating.

I think visualization is a helpful tool. I've started using it recently to help me get to my goal. This was a suggestion from my cousin that recently lost 85#. I figured if it worked for her, its gotta help me too! Good luck and keep the focus!

Looks like I've lost a bald eagle!

Lighten up on your exercise routine but make yourself go and do something. I deal with a bad back and if I talk myself out of going it becomes easy to be a slacker. I go. I stretch. I walk. I take it easy but I do NOT stay home with pain issues. For me, its a way to be in control. I have to keep moving and keep on the routine.