Black Team - Part 19ish

3babybeans

Okay, kiddos. We have been at this for quite some time now. We've challenged each other & we've challenged ourselves. We've discovered new foods & have improved our way of lives. We are running 5Ks, we are wearing smaller sizes, we are leaping buildings in a single bound. Quite frankly...we rock. :glasses:

Here's your assignment for this week: Reflection. I want you to reflect on how far you've come. I know that some of our goals haven't been met. I know that some of us are losing at a slower pace that what we would like. I know some of our setbacks are our own dang fault. HOWEVER...you are all still improving & that is the goal of this whole dang thing anyways. Soooooo....I want you to do one of the following:

1) Post a success story on here. I don't care what the success is, but I want to hear it & I want you to feel proud about it! Or, if you aren't confident enough about it, you can always keep it to yourself or PM me. :bigsmile:

2) Write a letter to yourself about how far you've come. Also in that letter, I'd like you to say where you want to be April 2010 with your fitness goals. Want to run a 5K? Great! Want to be able to do 40lb bicep curls? Awesome! Want to fit into a size 10? I want to hear it! When it is in writing, you are better able to form a plan on how to achieve it.

3) Or both.

I simply don't think all y'all know how far you've come. SERIOUSLY! Look at where you were a year ago. Now pat yourself on the back. We've all made improvements. Remember, this whole thing is a learning experience & a change of life.

This goes for ALL of the black team! Amanda! Anna! Amelia! Vanessa! Laura! I know you're out there! Beth, Andrew, Shuntae, Marla, Roni, Sam, Lori, Dave, Janie, Bobbi, Jeannie and everybody else! BE PROUD of yourselves!

Aaaannnnnddddd....

GO!

3babybeans

Okay, kiddos. We have been at this for quite some time now. We've challenged each other & we've challenged ourselves. We've discovered new foods & have improved our way of lives. We are running 5Ks, we are wearing smaller sizes, we are leaping buildings in a single bound. Quite frankly...we rock. :glasses:

Here's your assignment for this week: Reflection. I want you to reflect on how far you've come. I know that some of our goals haven't been met. I know that some of us are losing at a slower pace that what we would like. I know some of our setbacks are our own dang fault. HOWEVER...you are all still improving & that is the goal of this whole dang thing anyways. Soooooo....I want you to do one of the following:

1) Post a success story on here. I don't care what the success is, but I want to hear it & I want you to feel proud about it! Or, if you aren't confident enough about it, you can always keep it to yourself or PM me. :bigsmile:

2) Write a letter to yourself about how far you've come. Also in that letter, I'd like you to say where you want to be April 2010 with your fitness goals. Want to run a 5K? Great! Want to be able to do 40lb bicep curls? Awesome! Want to fit into a size 10? I want to hear it! When it is in writing, you are better able to form a plan on how to achieve it.

3) Or both.

I simply don't think all y'all know how far you've come. SERIOUSLY! Look at where you were a year ago. Now pat yourself on the back. We've all made improvements. Remember, this whole thing is a learning experience & a change of life.

This goes for ALL of the black team! Amanda! Anna! Amelia! Vanessa! Laura! I know you're out there! Beth, Andrew, Shuntae, Marla, Roni, Sam, Lori, Dave, Janie, Bobbi, Jeannie and everybody else! BE PROUD of yourselves!

Aaaannnnnddddd....

GO!

3babybeans

And Marla...I have a special weight training thing just for you. It just isn't composed yet. :laugh: you get a day off from the brutality. BWAHAHA!

Marla64

You're really the cutest thing I've ever seen-- I just you Madame Beans--

Heading to work-- I'll be back later--

Marla64

And Marla...I have a special weight training thing just for you. It just isn't compossed yet. :laugh: you get a day off from the brutality. BWAHAHA!

Oh yippee-- !!!!! Thank you-- I worked my 8 pounders last night on my biceps, and did some crunches. Felt good to get going--

nickybr38

REFLECT? I have a bad memory!!!! Hahahahah.

3babybeans

REFLECT? I have a bad memory!!!! Hahahahah.

Then look at your ticker or your reflection in the mirror. Good try, Nicky!!!

3babybeans

You're really the cutest thing I've ever seen-- I just you Madame Beans--

Heading to work-- I'll be back later--

Thanks. :huh:

:laugh:

Have fun working. :sick:

nickybr38

REFLECT? I have a bad memory!!!! Hahahahah.

Then look at your ticker or your reflection in the mirror. Good try, Nicky!!!

Can I reflect via pictures?

3babybeans

REFLECT? I have a bad memory!!!! Hahahahah.

Then look at your ticker or your reflection in the mirror. Good try, Nicky!!!

Can I reflect via pictures?

Of course! Pictures are a good way to see how far you've come!

lynniejones

Yay. I needed this. you Beansx3

3babybeans

Yay. I needed this. you Beansx3

I think we all need it right now.

nickybr38

Reflection.

When I started I looked like this:
http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/2787/beforen.jpg


And as of today I look like this:
http://img219.imageshack.us/img219/3707/afteru.jpg

I have no full body shots but I think those speak for themselves. :bigsmile:

<S>And hopefully I got the coding right!!!!</S>
I didn't get the coding right, you can click links.

3babybeans

Reflection.

When I started I looked like this:



And as of today I look like this:

3babybeans

See! Even without a full body pic, you can see the positive change in your body. You are looking good, Nicky! :flowerforyou: BTW - LOVE your glasses!

nickybr38

Thank you missy!!!!

nickybr38

See! Even without a full body pic, you can see the positive change in your body. You are looking good, Nicky! :flowerforyou: BTW - LOVE your glasses!

Yeah, they changed too!!!

Thank you!

tresa1234

Good one, Sara ... (you look ADORABLE in you AV, by the way!!!)

I'm still around, still struggling. I know what my problem is. I'm bored with just about everything I'm doing right now, and most especially having to focus on my weight, food choices, etc. And I'm stressed because everything is changing ... how's that for being mixed up!!! :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: It'll pass ... I'm just having to back off for a while & refocus. This is the stage when I have dropped off & totally relapsed in the past, so I KNOW I have to keep hanging on & taking one day at a time, letting yesterday's screw-ups go.

I have come a long way ... I have never regained all of the weight I originally lost (although I've come close) and I'm currently about 40 pounds down from my all-time high (pictured below ... about 12 years ago.) I am MUCH healthier emotionally than I was in my 20s, 30s & early 40s ... I seldom feel depressed, and if I do, I have learned how to pull myself out of it for the most part.

I understand that I have a chronic condition called obesity. I know that I am going to have to fight it for the rest of my life. Most of the time I can accept that, although sometimes it royally p!sses me off and I rebel. I also know that probably 95% of people have to watch their diet & have to exercise to keep from being overweight. When I remember that, I don't feel so bad. As long as I keep finding new ways to keep going ... or even just struggle & limp along ... I am going to be better off in the long run.

I'd love to be a more active participant in the boards ... I just can't do it right now... but y'all are always in my thoughts & I love it when I have a minute to sit down & read what y'all are up to! This crazy time will pass & I'll be back!!

::: crosses fingers that these pictures will come out right!!:::






Tresa

MissGorgeous

i used to be on your team!
i was like 197 or something
but my kids and marriage and life
prevented me from posting alot and keeping up
and i didnt want to be the one to bring down the black team!
great job you guys!
you all have done so well!

tresa1234

Reflection.

When I started I looked like this:



And as of today I look like this:

You look great Nicky!!

3babybeans

TRESA!!!! How I've missed you! *hugs* You look fantastic! You look so much happier in the "after" pic than you do in the "before" pic. So glad you took time to post!

3babybeans

i used to be on your team!
i was like 197 or something
but my kids and marriage and life
prevented me from posting alot and keeping up
and i didnt want to be the one to bring down the black team!
great job you guys!
you all have done so well!

Congrats on your successes!

jimswmn

Reflection.

When I started I looked like this:



And as of today I look like this:

Nicky, You definitely look good. What a change! Keep up the good work.

loreeb18

Sara - So why do I need a 20-pound weight? Or were you just trying to throw me off the trail? :huh:

Tresa and Nicky - You girls look fabulous! :flowerforyou:


A year ago I was 4 months pregnant with Harley. In the past year, I gave birth, lost 30 pounds of pregnancy weight plus 10-15 more.

Here's my before picture from last August...



Okay I guess that's cheating. :laugh:

I don't have a real full-length before picture but I have some early-during and later-during. I've never been brave enough to post these on the public before and after thread but I my black teamers so I'll post here. The first ones are from December when I was about 5 pounds down from pre-preg weight. The second ones are from March (before I started yo-yoing). They're only about 10 pounds difference but there's a little difference.

3babybeans

LORI! You look great!!! "a little difference" You goof ball. I can really see a difference in your tummy area.

Oh...take your 20lb weight. Pick her up. Give her kisses. Put her down. There. That's it. :laugh:

loreeb18

Oh...take your 20lb weight. Pick her up. Give her kisses. Put her down. There. That's it. :laugh:

:huh: Then I do that workout dozens of times a day! :laugh:

3babybeans

Oh...take your 20lb weight. Pick her up. Give her kisses. Put her down. There. That's it. :laugh:

:huh: Then I do that workout dozens of times a day! :laugh:

Well, fine. Go get your 100lb-ish weight. Pick her up. Put her in the tub. Bathe her. Come to my house & do it again. with 50lb weights. There.

:laugh:

Marla64

Lori-- there's a great difference-- you're looking awesome! Nicky-- you, too-- keep it going, sweetie-- you're looking super. Tresa-- you look like a totally different person. I would never have known that was you-- wow. You look fabulous-- and I love the pictures with your hubs.

Heck-- you all know how I feel-- Lord knows I ramble on ad nauseum, so I'll spare you further reflections. Suffice it to say that during this year I learned how to conquer and own my lifelong enemy. Through the "love and compassion" of my online "strangers"-- this wonderful community, I learned to cut myself some slack, not be so hard on myself, be proud of the things I should be, and get in touch with my "warm and fuzzy side."

I've learned to love exercise and healthy eating. I've mastered NOT turning to food in stress. I've learned to temper the psychological throes of weighing less and looking better. If you're not grounded, looking good for the first time in a lonnnng time can really mess with your head, and your ego, and you can become a real, first-class jerk to the people in your life who loved you even when you didn't look so good. Beware.

Ive learned to temper my time here, and not take away from the people who need me-- so, all in all, a good year.

Love to all-- Sara-- sweet challenge this week. You rock, young woman.

nickybr38

Thanks everyone.

Tresa you look GREAT!

Loree you too! How brave posing in a swimsuit.

Marla - Even when I was thin I always felt ugly. ALWAYS. ugly and fat. I have some pictures of me at my lowest weight (AND GOSH DARN I WAS TINY!!!! Alarmingly so) and all I remember from that time is feeling HUGE. Now I look back and it all seems so sad.

I had to get to my highest weight before I learned to love myself. And don't worry, I'm not vain! I still think of myself as a plain girl, but now I recognize that beauty is only skin deep. Just like they say in fairy tales!

Marla64

it is goofy, no?, how we see ourselves-- Nicky, you're adorable. But, you have to see that-- kooky, isn't it?

I had the opposite problem-- when I was at my heaviest, didn't matter how much hubs told me positive things and showed me love, I couldn't see myself as anything other than gross and not worthy of ANYTHING.

I lose a couple of pounds and begin to feel and behave like my you-know-what doesn't stink if I'm not careful. That's how it was back in '92, last time I lost significant weight for a wedding I was in, and looked "hot, hot, hot." Behaved like a beast, caused mundo trouble--

Maturity and growing, presumably, in God's grace has kept it in check this time. I'm just so tickled to be able to share this with my family who loved me even when they couldn't fit their arms around my SpongeMarla Fatback to hug me.:bigsmile:

Nicky-- :drinker: here's to healthy self-perception.

nickybr38

it is goofy, no?, how we see ourselves-- Nicky, you're adorable. But, you have to see that-- kooky, isn't it?

I had the opposite problem-- when I was at my heaviest, didn't matter how much hubs told me positive things and showed me love, I couldn't see myself as anything other than gross and not worthy of ANYTHING.

I lose a couple of pounds and begin to feel and behave like my you-know-what doesn't stink if I'm not careful. That's how it was back in '92, last time I lost significant weight for a wedding I was in, and looked "hot, hot, hot." Behaved like a beast, caused mundo trouble--

Maturity and growing, presumably, in God's grace has kept it in check this time. I'm just so tickled to be able to share this with my family who loved me even when they couldn't fit their arms around my SpongeMarla Fatback to hug me.:bigsmile:

Nicky-- :drinker: here's to healthy self-perception.

Goodness! I'm all about healthy self-perception and I'm feeling the love. Thanks Marla!!!!

SpongeMarla sounds adorable. But non SpongeMarla is adorable too. How are you feeling?