carostad

I crochet constantly. Although, it comes in fits and spurts. I just made a few blankets for gifts, a cat bed for my kitties and am now working on a knight's helmet for my son. It's a super cute pattern. http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/extra-thick-knights-helmet--adult-sml I get lots of me time these days. After so…

This all makes sense. Good article. I generally follow these principles. It's nice seeing it collected in one place.

I'm logging less right now, just cause it's hard to keep track of all the naughtiness I'm engaging in, lol. But, I've been at it for a long time now (2 years) so for me, it's become a complete lifestyle change. I'm proceeding very slowly but steadily. At first, though, constant logging helped establish the habits I'm…

Oh, Patrick. I'm so sorry. The loss of a family member is such a hard thing to cope with. Especially at the holidays. I hope you're able to find some Christmas cheer in spite of everything. Taking care of you right now is the most important thing. Whatever that looks like. We don't have to be perfect which is probably why…

I love The Bloggess and she deals with depression and anxiety in such a frank way. I relate so much to what she says. But, I have to confess, one of my favorite parts about her blog is the goofing around she does with Wil Wheaton. If you haven't followed that, I highly recommend it. They're both really good sports and…

Let go of the past and rejoice in your new place. You've done this! And, getting there was much harder for you than it was for people that never had to lose 100 lbs. That alone should be enough to celebrate. How many people can say they had the determination to lose 100 lbs? That is AWESOME! Congrats!

That is fabulous!

What a huge step for you, Pat. The world is opening up. Maybe one day soon, instead of the pony, we can see your handsome face there. :)

Works for me!

What an awesome accomplishment! Congrats!!!!!

I once saw an exercise program that I honestly don't know if it was a joke or not, but it really struck me. It was basically lowering yourself to the ground, rolling over and back, then standing upright again. Repeat 10 times. It seems so basic, but honestly, it was something I was struggling with. My embarassment kept me…

Angie, I started where you are about a year ago. My mobility was diminishing rapidly. I was in excruciating pain all the time, and it was considerably worse if I attempted to walk more than the little bit I did in everyday life at the time. I was blaming myself for my weight, for not remaining active from the time I was…

Spectacular Julie! I think you can change the public/private settings from the top of the main group page. There's a little gear if you right click that will say "edit". You'll go to a page where you can change the title, the description and at the bottom, you can toggle public/private. That's how it works in my other…

I love this idea! I'm totally going it. Me fave chips are from Whole Foods. They're about 70% chocolate and they're chunks, not chips. Going to calculate those when I get home. Thanks for the inspiration!

It's okay to fall off from time to time. Reminds us why we're doing what we're doing. :) And, honestly, I feel better if i allow myself to eat what everyone else is eating. I hate feeling like I'm "dieting" and "can't have" something. But, I'm pretty good about being able to eat one bite of cake and ice cream. If it was…

Right after I posted that, I saw a reference to the Whoosh Effect. Wow! That's it for me! That's. Exactly. It. Here's an MFP thread, if you're interested.... http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/797688

I'm a stay at home mom, homeschooling my 13 year old daughter and my 10 year old son. Keeps us busy, and there's not a lot of "stay at home" in my schedule, lol. I posted something in the challenge that I was interested in discussing here as well. Direct paste from there: Just logged my weight. It was a little sketchy this…

What a great story! I can feel your pride, and it's well deserved! You're very handsome, there Pat. I hope you know that. Happy Happy Birthday! And, wishing you many more to come. Caroline

Not sure if I will vote or not, to be perfectly honest. My husband and I usually cancel each other out, and as he has a very busy day as do I, we may agree to not vote together. Yes, it's weird that we cancel each other out. He's a conservative, I'm a liberal. But, we're both pretty extreme, which actually means we have…

Finally sitting down with a cup of coffee to reply. Lots of good stuff here! I'm hosting a homeschool class in about an hour, so I don't know if I'll have enough time to really get all my thoughts out, but here goes... I relate to all of this. ALL of it. I deal with my own mental issues, and am surrounded by people with…

Okay, full on honesty warning. I'm hoping I can say what I want to say without sounding wrong. First off, your drive just amazes me. You are so certain you will succeed and have the whole thing mapped out. Wow wow wow wow wow!!!!!!!!!!!!! I could use more than a smidge of that. Do you ever worry that you will not be able…

So, the way it's going to be is you've lost a whole lot of weight and you're still on the journey. That's not a bad way to be, IMHO. It's certainly better than it was when you started, right? It's okay to take a break from time to time. Just don't "close the book". It's not over until you believe it's over. In the immortal…

I signed up. Ack! Committing to losing weight through Christmas. I can do it, but yikes! Good reason not to eat junk. :)

Snacks, snacks, snacks. I love snacks. Salty, savory snacks. I loooove popcorn so I usually have a bowl of popcorn with 2 tablespoons of butter popped in this baby http://smile.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B00005IBXK/ref=dp_olp_used?ie=UTF8&condition=used It uses no oil, but the popcorn turns out crispy like stove popped. I…

Yay! I bet you look totally different. Can you see the weight loss in your face more now?

Patience and persistence. Definitely need more of those in my life. Although, I'm pretty persistent about some negative things... I wish I had that persistence in the things that need it most - exercise, healthy eating, ignoring nighttime cravings... It's a constant battle. I was so good at walking for a couple of months.…

That saddle is tough to say on, isn't it? Glad you're back on it. :) It takes a lot of strength to stay there. The way I look at it is this: We didn't get "this way" overnight. We're not going to lose all the weight overnight either. A lifestyle change takes time and lots and lots of practice. As long as the overall trend…

Heh, we've been busy too. And, I think I was the one who mentioned witches fingers. They're a shortbread cookie you shape like a finger, and use an almond for the fingernail. We make them for Halloween every year Super easy and fun to share around. Caroline

My son absolutely adored ziplining, so my estimation of it being overrated is truly just my opinion. I've been hang gliding and para-sailing, so I have other experiences to compare it too, although they were MANY years in the past. Lots of people love ziplining. As for amusement park rides, I'm pretty sure that…

That is terrific! I'm so proud of you and I bet you're pretty proud of yourself too! Conquering things is so empowering. It is amazing to feel the strength we're building in our bodies and marvel at all these new (to us) experiences. I've very much enjoyed stretching my boundaries again and am glad to here how far your…