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MelbaA

Start Weight:	(01 Mar 09) 284.0 lb
Current Weight:	(05 Nov 09) 266.0 lb
Goal Weight:	164.0 lb

following: MelbaA's own diet
performance: losing 1.2 lb a week

My name is Melba. I am 19 and the mother of two beautiful boys, aged 24 and 11 months, Perrin and Logain. I am married to the best man I've ever known, my love, Richard. I live in Rio Rancho, NM, which is a suburb of the larger Albuquerque, NM (USA).

As of this post, I weigh 278 lbs, and am 5' 8" tall. I started (this) weight loss journey at 184 pounds, the heaviest I have ever been (even pregnant!). Pre-pregnancy, I weighed 182 lbs, and was slightly chubby. My goal is to, for the first time in my life, have a healthy BMI, which for my height is 164 lbs.

FatSecret member since: 23 Mar 09

MelbaA's Weight History

view MelbaA's complete history

MelbaA's latest member challenges

143

10lbs in July!

status:	Completed
ended:	29 Jul 09
view progress

123

Hell Week

status:	Completed
ended:	21 Jun 09
view progress

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MelbaA's buddies

	splendidhammer on diet splendidhammer's own diet
	last weighin: losing 3.0 lb a week

	DReno on diet DReno's own diet
	last weighin: losing 1.2 lb a week

	Tallglassofwater on diet Tallglassofwater's own diet
	last weighin: losing 0.5 lb a week

	cream puff on diet cream puff's own diet
	last weighin: losing 2.3 lb a week

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MelbaA's cookbook

cals: 47kcal | fat: 0.22g | carbs: 11.63g | prot: 0.94g

Melon Duet

A light, summery soup that's low on calories and very tasty.

cals: 229kcal | fat: 8.87g | carbs: 34.24g | prot: 5.54g

Walnut & Dried Cherry Bars

Delicious, healthy and satisfying snack for before the gym, after work, or a quick breakfast.

view complete cookbook

MelbaA's latest posts

Obsessed with fatsecret
Over thinking has been my downfall many a time. One, I love fatsecret (etc), and I can sit on my bum typing for hours if I don't control myself. Two, something about planning out all my meals and obsessing over the foods I'm going to choose makes me eat more. I actually eat less when I record but don't plan. It's crazy weird.

posted 14 Aug 2009, 22:58

Visualizing Food
I came across some nifty links and thought you all might enjoy them too.

Pictures of 200 calories worth of a variety of foods:

What Does 200 Calories Look Like?

Pictures of home prepared meals vs take out meals:

What do 300 calorie meals look like?

Happy Dieting!

posted 26 Jul 2009, 19:39

U.S. Health Care
I actually feel far too under educated and just plain indecisive to answer this question fully, but I'll give my two cents anyways. I live in one of the poorest states in the country. The majority of New Mexicans receive some kind of health insurance from the state, either through full medicaid / medicare, or through low rate programs. My children, and until recently me, are included in those numbers. Through all my son's medical treatments (in summary, he is a miracle, a million dollar baby), we have only ever been turned down for care once (a dentist). He has been treated in a timely manner by top-educated physicians with the best medical technology has to offer. I have never felt as though my son was less important for receiving medicaid. I feel an enormous amount of guilt for how much his care has taxed the system, but I know that without it we would have been bankrupted by his treatments and been a burden anyways. Without modern medicine, my son wouldn't have lived, and without medicaid, our financial future, and lets be clear that that includes the education I plan to use to reimburse the system with (a somewhat clear credit report is necessary for student loans), would have been destroyed. How many of you that oppose nationalized health care have been confronted with those kinds of choices?

My husband and I are no longer insured under medicaid, and we are too poor to afford their low rate plan. I don't receive any kind of preventative care and I have avoided the doctor even when I have had problems I knew needed medical attention (specifically second degree burns, an infected wound, a fever over 104, and early signs of diabetes). Some day I'm not going to be able to avoid the emergency room and I'm going to be screwed. Personally, and I know this may be a naive belief, but I would much rather pay more taxes, live with a lower take home salary, and know my neighbors and their children are taken care of. I believe we are only as strong as our weakest citizens. I'm the kind of person who donates to the homeless anyways though, even though I'm low income. The thing is though, I'm not sure it's reasonable or just to force people to be charitable. In my naive little world I think most people want to be anyways, but just have problems justifying taking from their own families to do it. However, my entire family is not poor, and it is my impression that as people get richer their "needs" expand at a similar rate, and caring for the less fortunate is rarely on that list. Perhaps if people refuse to see bettering the welfare of their neighbor and community as a need, it would not be so wrong to see that for them.

That was a little rant-y. Sorry. Seriously though, I'm not sure what I want to happen. I can only tell you about my experience with something that comes close to state-wise health care.

posted 24 Jul 2009, 21:45

6 Essential Flat-Belly Foods
Great tips! I donlt think I've ever made quinoa, but I think I will try tonight. Everything else on there I am already a fan of. Has anyone tried to culture their own kefir? I do it for regular yogurt, but I don't know what those bacterias like and kefir is uber pricey.

posted 08 Jul 2009, 15:31

Hypoglycemic?
Oh wow, I've had that happen. I hadn't even considered hypoglycemia, I just assumed my body really hated sweet binging, and stopped thinking about it after that. Uhoh.

posted 27 Jun 2009, 19:56

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MelbaA's journal

(5 comments)

29 October 2009

So I have respiratory flu. I thought I had escaped unscathed but... no such luck. I also managed to spread it to my husband and younger son. We've all ...

on diet MelbaA's own diet

(12 comments)

25 October 2009

So, this will be a short entry, but I'm all proud of myself, so yeah. I hiked up a trail-free, extremely steep mountain today. Socorro ("M") Mountain, ...

on diet MelbaA's own diet

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MelbaA's Recent Food & Exercise

	1 cup special k
	1 serving progresso
	2 servings high fiber oroweat
	Pilates
	Housework
	Desk Work

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MelbaA's Groups

Goal Outfits (Motivation!)
A place to share our attire aspirations.

Google G1 Calorie Counter APP users
If you use the T-Mobile Google G1 Android phone, and you track your calories with the Calorie Counter App, then join us!

Teens with 100+ lbs to Lose
Teens with lose over 100 pounds.

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MelbaA's Recent Activity

MelbaA's own activity

	commented on Divided By Zero's journal.
	commented on Collazos's journal.
	commented on splendidhammer's journal.
	recorded a weigh in.

MelbaA's Buddies

	information commented on their journal.
	amryk commented on madaboutmoose's journal.
	brittiful updated their food diary.
	cream puff updated their exercise diary.

Other Member Diet Recent Activity

	ghighi recorded a weigh in.
	Peaceruler recorded a weigh in.
	mzstiletto recorded a weigh in.
	phytto recorded a weigh in.
	jgobats81886 recorded a weigh in.
	nerdymcnerdyson updated their food diary.
	khunt recorded a weigh in.
	arosefire recorded a weigh in.