Thought I'd better do this so we don't upset anyone. Should have done it earlier sorry. Needed a second cup of coffee before I realized the first one was over 100.

Tammy I am very proud of all you have done. Keep up the good work it is hard but believe me dear it is well worth it to be able to breathe without coughing up your left lung.
Jimmy

Your very right there. It's also nice not to be woken up in the middle of the night coughing uncontrollable. That's what was happening to me most night and it was very bad. It is much better now.

Here's a link to your
Positive Changes #1.

Keep up the non~smokin' !!!!!

Thanks Weezie

Hey TK thanks for keeping this thread alive - it keeps me reminded that I'm beating the UBH and no turning back for me now! Thanks for keeping me motivated

thanks tk... keep up the good work

Princess day 14 congrats on TWO WHOLE WEEKS WOOHOO.

Mary day 17 congrats way to go.

Me day 41. One more day to my personal goal. That's amazing. I literally never thought to get even this close. I can see why it is hard for some former smokers to be near people who smoke even if it's been a long time. I don't think I could ever be in their area without being bothered. I hope I never act like some non-smokers do. I think everyone knows the kind I'm talking about. If I knew how to do the pretty time line thingys I would do you for princess and mary but I don't know how. So the thought is going to have to count instead. Keep at it ladies.

And Fernie, Jenn, Thorny, AKA keep working at your positive changes. And keep me informed. Knowing others are out their working on becoming better everyday helps me stay on track.

Whooooooohooooooooo Congrats on all the none smokers here!!!

Funny but I kind of understand the holier than thou exsmokers. It just smells so bad to me now and makes me gag and choke to be around the smoke. I try very hard not to be a judgemental jerk. Can't say that I have always lived up to that standard tho.

And another whohoo.....I have lost another lb. That is 5 total so far. You all are terrific examples to me.

I guess it's a possitive circle you are a good example to me. I'm thinking after I reach my 6 week mark I might start researching a good way for me to lose weight. It would certainly be a good thing if I did.

Jenn mentioned one diet I'll have to look back at part one to remind myself of which diet it was. And then they are always advertising one on the internet. Are you following a specific diet Fernie?

NOpe, just watching portions, stopping as soon as I feel full and no eating when bored. It might be the gum chewing diet. I chew gum a lot instead of eating to pass the time.

Fernie have you heard of the cornflakes (cereal) diet. You have a bowl in the morning, one at lunch and a normal tea at night for 2 weeks and you drop a jeans size. But I don't know why they say for 2 weeks .
Congrats to TK and Mary. I have still not had a cigarette, but I really wanted one today.

hang in there all you new non-smokers! i'm pulling for you... nicotine is one of the most physically adictive substances known to man, but YOU ARE WINNING!!!

Cornflakes diet? Never heard of it. I try to stay away from the fad diets. Can you imagine eating corn flakes or cabbage or whatever for 2 meals every day for 2 weeks????? Yikes, no wonder a person loses weight, they hate what they are eating!!!! LOLOLOL My sister lost 50 pounds on the South Beach diet but I tend to believe concentrating on just carbs or just fats or just one bad thing isn't good for a person either. I try to eat a well rounded diet with smaller portions and get some exercise. I lose weight slowly but it tends to stay off until I get into way bad habits again.

Fernie ~ that's how I do it too. I can't do those fad diets, or weight watchers, etc. I have to do it on my own, with will power and a concerted effort.

My sister periodically goes on the Atkins diet - I just cannot believe that all those fats she consumes can be good for her. I can't even be around her when she's in that mode - bacon, fats left on cooked meats, chicken skin, everything dripping in butter, etc. Can't say it works for her either. She might drop some pounds every now and then, but she is now heavier than she's ever been, by quite a lot - she was always the rail thin one.

Keep up the great work everyone! I'm so proud of you all!

I think that will be my down fall I love fats and fried foods. Decreasing that is going to be hard for me.

CONGRATS on 6 weeks of smokeless living!!! I knew you could do it!!!!

Congrats TK Well done

Princess day 15 congrats.

Mary day 18 congrats.

Unidentified person 14+ years and counting.
[I thought you might appreciate that.]

And to everyone working on they're positive changes keep the faith.

Thank you for hanging out with me for the first six weeks as a non-smoker. I couldn't have done it without you.

tk - that's FANTASTIC!!!
I'm sooooooooooooooooooo proud of you!
Keep up the great work - I know you are feeling better by now, and will only coninue to get healthier as the days go by.

Everyone else - keep on truckin'!
You all are doing terrifically, and are helping me get back on track with losing weight. I'm back down 2 lbs., so now I have to catch up with the previous 3, and then downward we go!

Good luck, everyone!

you folks are an inspiration to us all, maybe i'll get on the stick!

Princess day 18 congrats.

Mary day 21 congrats. It's been three weeks you are awesome. Go girl go!!!!!

Fernie, Lynne keep the faith buds. Your doing fantastic.

Wow 3 weeks? Thanks for keeping tabs for me - I hadn't realized it's been that long!

Well done TK and well done to Mary 3 weeks
So proud of you all!!

oops! i started a second #2 thread. didn't see this one.
i'm still working on me. i've actually seen some improvement in my anger control. i am constantly blown away about how much anger i've held in check ALL my life!?!

Princess day 19 congrats.

Mary day 22 congrats. Glad to keep track for you. As long as someone is willing to keep track of me while I'm keeping track so we don't both get lost lol.

Fernie, Lynne and all you weight losing officianodo's I'm rooting for you. I haven't jumped on the band wagon yet but I'm getting motivated. But you know that desire to eat all the things that your affraid you are never going to get to eat again phase? Yep I think that is definitely trying to run me down about now. So while I play chicken with the refrigerator and grocery store you all have a great day.

Princess day 23 congrats. Sorry I missed your 3 week anniversary. I get forgetful sometimes.

Mary day 26 congrats.

Fernie, Lynne and all you weight losing officianodo's I'm rooting for you.

Hi TK - where've you been hiding these past few days?

Can't say I'm in the weight losing category these past weeks - am at a fluctuating weight - up 2 lbs and back down again - back and forth...

Congrats to all you non-smokers and weight losers
( not meaning to call you losers or anything )!
Keep up the great work!

Congrats everyone well done!!

Wow, awesome for everyone!! TK, what day is this for you??

I think I lost 10 lbs this week. But, it's only because I can barely eat, the tummy hurts so. I'm sure once I feel better, I'll put it back on in a day. :rolleyes:

Meg

Actually, chewing gum makes your digestive juices flow...its good for you.

The South Beach Diet does not focus on carbs, rather, it looks at the sugars that your body does not need. The only time it is anything like the Atkins Diet is the first 2 weeks when you purge your body of all sugar...after that, you slowly add things back and find out exactly what things makes your body gain the weight. Its a very good diet...and more times than not, people find themselves not needed things like blood pressure medicine, insuline, and other things like that when they are on this diet. I would strongly recommend getting the book from the library and reading, if nothing else, the first 2 chapters. Its very interesting...and the author has a good sense of humor.

I've missed a post here somewhere and am to lazy to look for it. I am so bad.

Sorry I've been missing a few days. Some days get away from me and I have no idea what happens. I don't know how many days it's been for me. I only wanted to keep track for the first six weeks. After that it's all about a new way of life. One that doesn't include cigarettes.

I was at the library this week I wish I'd have thought to look up that book. But I read an Elizabeth Lowell story instead. I so like her love stories.

Lynne dieting isn't a steady downward plunge for most women. Our systems just don't work that way. So don't lose faith. It's working even when there isn't anything to show or it moves backwards a ways. I'm there for you everyday. Just do what you can, that's the important part. I love you and know you are doing great.

Everyone congrats on all the work you did today on your positive changes.

Princess day 25 congrats.

Mary day 28 congrats 4 weeks look at you go.

Fernie, Lynne Meg and all you weight losing people my hat is off to you. Meg I know what you mean weight loss due to illness comes right back and I think it needs to because you are lossing necessary liquids and stuff that your body needs.

I just realized where some of my excess hunger pains maybe comming from. It's the lack of nicotine in my system lol. Lord I am so slow sometimes I go backwards when I am standing still. Well I guess I'll research some natural appitite suppressants. I bet their are some things that are good for that. That are not bad for you.

TK - when you find out what they are... share them with us all, please!!!

I have lost back 4 of the 5lbs. that I gained back - mostly from the constant fighting with my daughter lately and nerves. It's really really hard though, not to reach for junk food for comfort - believe me... I've been needing much of that lately.

So, 1 more to go to get down to the 19, and then I'm on my way! I'm more determined than ever - have some parties coming up with people I haven't seen for a while, and would like to dazzle them with my weight loss!

LOL, I think you are amazing. I couldn't possible watch my weight with a husband and child in the house. See I can have a candy, junk food, empty calorie free house. But how do you do that with children and a husband. So I think you are doing stupendous. According to the nutritionist my problem is the amount of meat in my diet. What I "need" is 5 1/2 ounces a day, what I eat is closer to two pounds per day. And I either eat it or feel really really hungry. So that's what I'm going to look into. The nutritionist said that if I cut back gradually I might be able to pull it off. That's going to take a lot of concentration but I'm going to try to keep track of the meat. Like today at the grocery store I didn't buy any breakfast meats and will change to whole grain cereals instead. Since I am needless to say somewhat short of the six servings of grain I am suppose to have per day.

I'm not stepping back on a scale until I'm back down to a size 16 or at least think I am lol. I'm back into my 18's now and that's just doing the water and working in the garden and not eating masses of starch everyday. So I think I can do it. Let see the last time I was weighed was in the winter and that was 218 pounds. So hopefully by the end of this winter it will be 180 or at least that is the goal I'm going to set as of now lol. Crossing all crossable parts for luck. Does that sound reasonable?

I think it's very doable TK. And you sound like you're on a good road to changing some of your habits - like having healthy cereal instead of breakfast meats.

I'm wondering... do you think you feel the need for so much meat because of the protein it provides? I usually only have meat, fish, or poultry at dinnertime, but start to feel very headachy if I don't have protein by mid-day. Usually cottage cheese and fruit, whole grain cereal and fruit with skim milk if I didn't have breakfast earlier, yogurt and fruit and bagel. Not a lot of protein... but some

I can't tell you how much it helps to be able to discuss all this here with you guys. My mom, while being heavy for most of her life until recently due to her illnesses, was always very critical of the fact that I was a chubby kid. Now that I look back on my pictures, I really wasn't all that chubby - a bit overweight, but never larger than a size 9 through my teen years. I started gaining a little in college and then more after I had my kids. After each birth was when I gained my weight - gained very little during each - crazy, huh?

Then, the last 2 winters I gained a lot of weight from emotional eating. Went down a bit last summer, then REALLY gained a bunch this past winter, but am making a much more concerted effort this time, and the encouragement here is priceless!

You can do it, Tammy! We'll do it together!

Here's our new slogan...

ONE POUND AT A TIME!

I love it!!!!!!!!!!

ONE POUND AT A TIME.

That is a great slogan. I'm not very familar with nutrition or how the body reacts to types of food. And I don't learn information as well as I used to. It gets turned around in my brain and frequently comes out all wrong. So maybe I'll look at websites and if I see anything with information that seems to pertain I'll add a link here. That should help? Once we talk it over I think I might understand it better.

I know what you mean about the midday headache. If I forget to eat until late afternoon that happens to me to. Not that that happens all that often lol. When my disability caught up with me and I couldn't work my activity level went way down and that and my x-boyfriends heavily starch layden meals just put the weight on me in about a year. So now I have to try and fix that before the quitting smoking adds to the problem. I really would like to get back to work but it seems from my counselors reactions when I say that the possibility isn't all that great. So I need to find something else that I can do. That will help a lot I'm sure.

I've lost an additional 17 pounds in the last month. I now weigh 330 pounds which means I've lost 90 pounds since the 1st of May! I mainly eat low-fat cottage cheese, sticks of string cheese, 1-2 Salisbury steak patties for a meal, or a bowl of Green, split-pea soup (either Homemade or canned, it doesn't matter although homemade tastes a little better. In between meals I take semi-sweet chocolate drops, two at a time, and let them melt in my mouth. A 12 oz. bag will last me 3-4 days (Unless my 4-year-old grandson finds my bag, LOL). I drink tons of water, 1% milk, and low-sugar fruit juice. Bariatric surgery (Gastric Bypass) is REALLY the way to go, IF you are seriously overweight like I was. I was 6' 3" tall and weighed 420 pounds before surgery. I am still the same height but now weigh 330 pounds, like I mentioned earlier.

Hi congrats everyone
I had a real tester yesterday, had to pull the washing machine out to clean the back of it. So my boyfriend Pete said "Hold this" not thinking that I given it up,it was a cigarette. So he pulled the machine out and there was me with his cigarette in my hand looking at it. I was very tempted but I wasn't giving in.

WONDERFUL Princessazlea!!!

Lynne

Princessazlea! I am very proud of you as a former smoker I know the temptation you are doing great. I am proud of asll you ladies for you efforts to improve your lives.Thornius I am very proud of you My daughter had this surgery in April I think. She has lost a lot also. She was well over 300 now she is in the upper 200 pound range . she is beginning to look like in the face the way she did in her early 20's she is in her forties now I am so proud of her I am popping buttons. That surgery does work wonders.
Jimmy

Hey princess that was one big temptation and I am so glad you got through it. I'm not sure I could have withstood the temptation on that one.

Hey Thorny great job on the weight. I like lowfat cottage cheese I'll have to remember to keep it around the house.

Using the lowfat milk is going to take some work. I bought some and tried it. Can't say I liked it. I use milk mostly in other things not straight so I guess I'll have to work on that one some.

Canned fruits are good but I don't do the natural juices although I will do the light syrup. And I do a lot of canned veggies. I've been thinking about doing the frozen veggies instead but I haven't had a chance to check them out yet.

I do the bananas and tomato juice so that I have my potassium. I was feed some of that by a doctor when I didn't have enough in my system. I don't ever want to have to taste it again it's ucky.

Princess day 26 congrats.

Mary day 29 congrats.

Thought I forgot about you two didn't you? Nope not forgotten. I think you both are doing really great.

When I can't get fresh veggies I always use frozen - never canned, because of all the salt they put in the canned ones. With high blood pressure I really have to keep salt intake in check, plus, I really don't like a whole lot of salt and can usually taste when it's been added to something.

You're right about the potassium in bananas, Tammy. My mom had to start eating them regularly to help with hers as well. I just find them easy to eat, and like the added benefits.

I was a baaaaaaaaaad girl tonite. We went out to a Spanish type restaurant for dinner with extended family - I don't really like this place - not a whole lot on the menu that excites me but they all love it there, so I ordered the seafood paella - not enough seafood in it, and waaaaaaaaay too much salt and rice. As if that's not bad enough, we always go out for ice cream with this group afterwards, so of course I had to get a regular size cone of Ben & Jerry's Mint Chocolate Chunk - have to have my mint! My stomache is churning and I feel like a stuffed pig - not happy at all with myself right now.

Oh, wellllllll - tomorrow is another day, and back to One Pound at a Time!

i just wanted to say " way to go!!" to all of you guys!! I havent written in a realy long time but i have been reading... so congrats to all of you and keep up the hard work. my hubbie is now an ex smoker and after 5 months the smell has finally diddipated fronm the closets his clothes are in scary to think it smelled so strongly! in terms of myself - i have two goals for this upcoming school year - to finally get my drivers license and to finish up my college degree that i started 8 years ago
here's to hoping (and a bit of hard work too)

Princess day 27 congrats.

Mary day 30 congrats. WOOHOO it's a month. Can you believe it? And isn't it great. Things are looking up aren't they?

Those are fantastic goals to have hinda. I'm sure you will manage both with aplumb. Hope I spelled that right I might not have.

Which degree are you shooting for and what do you have left to do to get it?

Good to hear that frozen veggies are actually better for me than canned. I have a half freezer and very little cabinet space so that would ease some of the kitchen storage pressure if I switch to frozen. Coolio!!!!!! Another victory for good eating.

I don't go out much because I don't have the money. If I did I probably would. I'm not that fond of cleaning the kitchen after cooking lol. Referring to the Mexican food. The rice was bad because it was white rice? Or because it's a very starchy grain? I'm guessing here. Could you tell me why the rice is bad?

Don't they have that frozen yogurt stuff? Would that be better? Or maybe that wouldn't make any difference. My nutritionist is a big one for yogurt but doesn't really care for the rest of the dairy products. Which is to bad because other than yogurt I like almost all of them lol. I think it has to do with the fat content. The more fat the more I love it lol.

Your absolutely right Lynne. Put that behind you and move on to a better day.

I've been thinking about trying to add some kind of regular activity to my day. Normal types of exercise are out due to the diminished lung capasity but Maybe starting out doing two blocks and then when that doesn't leave me breathing like a bellows add another block? What do you all think?

Mostly because I ate waaaaaaaay too much of it! :p But, it was EXTREMELY salty - bad for water retention the next day - and also because of the starch. Don't get me wrong - we actually have rice often here, but I don't eat too much of it, and try not to salt it.

As for the ice cream - it's just a weakness - I could have had the fat free yogurt, and usually try to... but...

As for a positive day - aside from having had only 2 hours sleep last night (see coffee house 70), I'm down another lb. so 1 more to go to get back to the 19.

How's everyone doing on their non-smoking today?

Princess day 29 congrats.

Mary day 32 congrats.

Congrats on the 19 pounds Lynne way to go.

I of course have no idea about my weight. I don't even own a scale. Which is probably a good thing. I get disappointed very easily. Hope you all have a great day.

its probably better not to have a scale - the small setbacks can be discouraging. its better to just see your clothes get bigger and bigger and only go on a scale once a month or so..... at least that's how i look at it.
i have several large projects and essays to write. about seven in all and i have to write three tests on large sevtions of the bible. its a religious college and ione of the requirements is to write three tests. they are multiple choice questions on large sections of the bible - they make me so nervous, i have been avoiding them for years!!
but i have no excuses this year - my morning are free. the kidsare out of the house in the mornings till about 1:30. i dont have any more courses, but i wil have to got to the college campus a few times. it is pretty far away (at least in israeli terms it is a very small country) about two hours each way..and i have to arrange for the kids to be looked after when i go. basically i am not looking forward to the traveling. but i am looking forward to fianlly having my degree (Bed in ESL and bible studies)

Wow congratulations Hinda. That sounds fantastic. I'm sure you will manage the tests without a problem. The traveling does seem like quite a bit to me too. I would be in some pain after only going one way. It's funny I've been working on a number of project recently myself. I wonder if I'm responding to a human instinct to prepare things for the comming of winter. Even though it isn't harvesting things. It is the same type of organizational stock taking chores that would be useful if it were focused on harvesting.

Hope you continue to share your progress on the projects and the results on your tests. I'll be rooting for you.

Congrats Hinda

Congrats tk day 57
congrats Mary 33

Congrats Lynne on the weight loss.
Have a nice day everybody.

Hey Princess it's a month today congratulations. Woohoo!!!!!! How do you feel? You are my hero for getting past the holding a lit cigarette in your hand. That was a super heroic moment in my opinion.

Congrats to everyone else on your positive changes. I'll probably be back later to add to this. It's morning I'm tired still but for some reason I'm unwilling to go back to bed. So I'm just kind of stumbling around.

1 whole month that has gone passed so quickly. Feeling ok! Still get the urge but not as much as I thought. Yes holding a lit cigarette, my boyfriend forgot all about me giving up. I really wanted that cigarette. But I didn't give in. I noticed this morning my sense of smell is coming back, as my boyfriend smokes I could smell the smoke in the house.

Oh that is rough. I bet spring cleaning is going to take on a whole new meaning this year.

Your doing great. I think it is actually getting alittle easier now.

I guess it was my turn for temptation today. While I was out in the garden the mechanic from next door came over and asked me if I smoked. I told him I quit so he offered me a cigarette.

His idea of humor isn't very funny.

What a jerk! Him of course...

Keep up the wonderful work, TK!

I did not eat well yesterday. Was schlepping around all day, and developing a cold, and exhausted when I got home, and grabbed everything and anything around to eat - oh, well... back to the grind...

Well done TK I am proud of you.
What a idiot that mechanic is!!
I guess, we will all get temptations in the future? Keep up the good work everybody.

Yep today is a new day with new experiences. I have some cottage cheese and I think I'll have some before the 6:00 curfew on white takes place lol. There is some baked chicken in the refrig along with some hamberger for patties I guess. That will have to do for today. I am soooooo tired. Maybe later I'll make up a salad.

Get some rest too!!! That helps alot.

I am making chicken breast today. Kristin (daughter) and I are both trying to get a little more sevelt.

stuffed bell peppers is on the menu tonight along with a garden fresh tossed salad. I'm to tired still to do any more than that. That's one of the reasons I hate sleeping pills. Can't ever get up after I take one and drag for a day sometimes two afterwards.

I have completely lost track of everyones time lines. Please help me get back on track? I wish I knew how to do those graphics things for the goals but I don't have a clue.

Well congrats everyone you deserve it for making a positive effort towards improving your lives one step at a time.

Tk congrats day 62
Mary congrats day 38
me day 35
well done!

You alllllllll are doing fantastic....

wow - thanks for continuing the count for TK, princess!

You all are doing sooooooooooooo well!

Can't forget lynne 19 down and 15 to go.

And the mysterious non-smoker with 14+ years more or less.

And Fernie and her daughter headed for the svelte group.

Thorny leading the way with a fantastic weight loss.

And the anger management corner with AKA. There is probably a lot more that I have forgotten. I wish I were sharp as a tack like I used to be. But it just isn't there any more.

OMG TK and everyone listen to this
This morning I get up and there's a patch that's been used. I only find out tonight my boyfriend
Pete has not had a cigarette, from 6am this morning and that, is good for him. He is a heavy smoker or he was!
I said to him "what's brought this on"
he said "If I can do it, then he can"
Could you please give him a bit of incouragement, because he would really like that from my cyber buddies. Thank you
Wow I still can't believe it!!

Hey Pete congratulations on your not smoking. You can do it and you will have loads more energy and be able to breath better most of the time. And the money. Have I mentioned the money? I just love money. You know what you can do with money? BUY PLANTS!!!!!!!!

Ok, I'm alittle off center every now and again lol.

Congrats!!!!!!

Whoooooohooooo Pete! Way to go! I figure anyone can quit smoking if I can! And it'll be 3 years for me in February. Everyday smoke free is a huge help for your health.

Ok cheerleaders.......I went to the Oregon coast for 4 days and I gained back every single pound of the 5 I had lost. We ate seafood and cajun food and salt water taffy and and and..... so now to start over again. *sigh* But at least I didn't gain back more that I had lost and be even heavier!

Hey Fernie,

I know how you can lose all your weight in one fell swoop. Run on down here to my place and fix my silk flower arrangement. lol!!!!!!!!!

I killed it. It was looking alittle clumpy and ugly and I thought well I can fix that. So "not"!!!!!. So I need another shoot of Fernie decorating talent. It's looking really bad Fernie.

I was 330 pounds down from 420 in May when I last weighed and am going for my Gastric Bypass checkup tomorrow so should have more news then. Have become addicted to Cottage Cheese, Semi-sweet chocolate drops, Salisbury Steaks, Tamales, and Lortab.

Hey Tammy, pm me with silk flower problems, maybe I can help. Can you take a pic???

I am back on my good eating plan....no more "treats" for awhile.