Conference rocks::weight_control

...Someone you haven't seen for a while isn't sure that it's really you.

...Nothing you own fits, because everything's too BIG for a change!

...You look at the mirror and smile, smile, smile! :-)

Jill

    
    ...carrying something around for a while and when it
    starts feeling heavy you realize that you used to carry a lot
    more than that around with you every second of every day...
    
    ...a road you follow, not a destination you are trying to reach.
    
    			Joe

    ...all of your "thin" clothes finally came back into style and you're
    the right size for them, but you threw them away.
    
    -joet 

you can walk of a flight of stairs and still be able to breath at the top.

you can put your socks on and breath at the same time.

you discover that the $200 suit you just bought needs another $50 to alter it.

you've runout of holes on your belt in the 'other' direction.

ttfn....lc

    When you can walk and your legs no longer meet or rub.

    ...when you can take a shower and your feet actually get wet.
    
                              ;-)

...when you still have the 4 boxes of Girl Scout cookies that you bought
sitting unopened in the cabinet a week and a half after you picked them up!!!

Jill

    - the store clerk asks "are you a size 7 or a size 5".
    
    - you order a pizza with everything on it, and have no guilt

    RE .7
    
    Passing up the junk food is the best sign of success I've had yet.
    In the beginnign of this diet, over a year ago, I kept the cupboards
    bare because if it was there I eat it.
    
    The last couple of months a friend with the opposite weight problem
    has been spending much time at my place. She would do well gaining
    half of what I still want to lose.  As a result I keep the place
    well stocked with her favorite junk foods. Peanut butter cups and
    ice cream. In the past couple of months all I have cheated on from
    this stash is 1/4 peanut butter cup.
    
    The best part is that I don't even crave them.  It just seems that
    after a year and over 150 lbs, my attitudes are changing.  The best
    sign of success yet.  Who knows, I might be able to mantain my goal
    after I reach it in another 48 lbs.
    
    -Joe
    

    
    
    Success is wearing an old outfit that didn't fit for years.
    
    Saying no when donuts are passed and losing 8 pounds in Weight
    Watchers.
    
    Also Success is being the best you .. you can be and taking good
    care of your body .. we only get one...
    
    
    Best to You
    
    Ann Giggles Arno
    
    
    

    
    Buying clothes at a store that doesn't say "Big and Tall".
    
    							--- Neal

    RE .11
    
    Right on.  Finally after 20 years everything I am wearing right
    now was bought at regular stores and is regular sizes.  It feels
    like real success.
    
    -Joe
    

    
    Success is having the guts to wear white!

    ...carrying in the groceries without running out of breath.
    
    ...picking up the 20-pound baby and realising that you used to carry
    around that much weight with you all the time.
    
    ...eating 2 slices of large pizza and feeling full, instead of eating
    half the pizza and feeling guilty.
    
    ...being able to play "Monsta" and chase the kids around the house
    for 10 minutes instead of 1.
    
    ...looking at someone else who lost a lot of weight and not thinking
    "I wish I could do that".
    
    --Mike

re .14

>    ...looking at someone else who lost a lot of weight and not thinking
>    "I wish I could do that".

Amen!!

Jill

   when you can bypass the 'portly' (nee fatso) sizes in a clothing
store.
   when you put on your old fat pants and notice the large spaces
 between what you are and what you were.
   when you go out the beach and have the ladies at you (men that is)
 and smile admiringly (hoo - dream on :-)! )

    When your Dr's nurse weighs you in for your physical, beams and
    says "Do you realise that you've lost 10 pounds over the past five
    years?" 
    
    (Doing the opposite is the more common pattern as one ages.)
    
    Marcia

    
    Is having a gain in Weight Watchers and not giving up!
    
    Having support from Weightloss Friends!
    
    
    We Can Be Winners If we lose!
    
    Ann
    
    

    ...walking by the size 16 rack, right down to the size 8 rack!
    
    (I still feel like I don't belong there, like some Keystone Kop
    is going to come up and blow a whistle and shout, "hey FATSO, get
    back to the rack where you belong!"  Then I snicker, and go see
    how GOOD the clothes look on me!  Oh, my poor aching Mastercard!)
    
    ...when you can put on the 7" gold bracelet you got for your
    birthday without having someone else fasten it - when it drapes
    gracefully on your wrist instead of looking like a rubber band
    around a sausage.
    
    ...when you sit down on a lawn chair and it doesn't go "squirlch"
    as the poor straps strain to hold you up.
    
    ...when you decide to get a tan, and can do it in public.
    
    ...when someone tries to pick you up at your health club.
    
    ...when your so tells you you have nice shaped legs, "and before
    they didn't have much shape at all".  Thank God for caring people
    who don't say the bad things when they're true and would hurt, but
    say the encouraging things when they're true and feel wonderful!
    
    I could go on and on.  All you folks who are just starting or have
    a ways to go - GO FOR IT!  It feels so good!  I have a little way
    to go still, but the freedom this has given me is so delicious that
    I know I'll make it now.  And you will too!
    
    --Louise

re .7 (me)

>...when you still have the 4 boxes of Girl Scout cookies that you bought
>sitting unopened in the cabinet a week and a half after you picked them up!!!

They're still there!! :-)

re last? (Louise)

I too feel like I don't belong at the size 8 rack, though my closet is
starting to fill with them. :-)  I guess I still can't believe it!

Success is also having your mother looking forward to taking you shopping
and buying you new clothes :-) :-)  Nice to put some wear on her charge card
for a change :-)  (she also said she never thought it would be fun buying me
size 16-18 clothes, but 8 is fine with her :-)

Jill

    Success is having the mouth controlled by body needs, rather than
    by the desires of the mind or the tongue.  :-)  Or...
    
    ... not thinking about food until the body says 'feed me', and
    forgetting about it as soon as it says 'stop'.
    
    Kak

    RE: .22
    
    I'll drink (Poland Springs) to that!
    
    Marcia

    How about the sideways leading with your hip motion to squeeze between
    cabinets at work, and realizing you don't *have* to do it anymore!

    Sliding that big weight on the scale from the 250 notch to the 200
    notch, for the first time in years, and the last time in my life.
    
    This means I can now weigh myself on a normal bathroom spring scale
    without breaking it !!!
    						-Jeff
    

    Weighing myself for the first time in six weeks .... and my weight
    is exactly the same!!  For the first time in my whole life I can
    eat as I choose (more or less) and not gain tremendous amounts of
    weight!!! Hooray for Nautilus and aerobics!
    
    

    ...a drop in blood pressure from 142/92 at my pre-employment physical
    in March, to 114/70 this morning.
    
    

Success is having someone say to you:

"You go to Weight Watchers??"

Jill

    At this point in my diet success is having one size fits all fit

    WHEN YOU TOOTHPICK SISTER, WANTS TO BORROW YOUR CLOTHES FOR THE
    FIRST TIME IN YEARS, AND THEY ARE TOO SMALL FOR HER!
    
    NOW THAT FEELS GREAT!  SHE WAS ALWAYS "SO SKINNY", AND KIM...WELL,
    IT'S JUST BABY FAT SHE'LL GROW OUT OF IT.  RIGHT!
    
    

    ...buying a pair of size 36 (waist) jeans that fit --after having to 
    purchase a size 40 bathing suit just five months earlier.
             
    
    PY

    I'll second that last reply by Paul. Bought a pair of size 38 Levi's 
    last nite which fit with no problem :-). Last pair of jeans I bought was 
    (ugh) 44. Won't stop there though - am definitely going for the 36's -
    there's more of a selection :-).
						-Dom

             ...the slacks that you had on last week are beginning
                 to sag, and when us ladies wear stockings with
                  a dress, we don't hear our legs rubbing together
                   anymore.
                             00
                             vv
    
            chris...
    

    Congrads Paul and Dom.....
    
    I'm in 36's now and they're beginning to sag a bit. (I had no rear
    end when I was big, and I've got less now, only a back and legs)
    
    Anyway, I want to buy a pair of those frosted Levis and I'm debating
    getting 36/31 or 34/31 and wearing "tight" jeans with no overhang.
    
    Ken

    Guys - if you want one of those nice round tushes that make the
    girls turn around to watch you go by ;-) there's nothing like
    some exercise.  In particular, squats or leg presses (if you
    bring your knees as far in as possible) will do it, as will
    lunges.  They won't necessarily increase the size, but will
    improve the shape.  In fact, I've noticed that almost all the
    in-shape guys at the gym have improved their, achem, bottom
    shape? shall I say? quite a bit, just from getting in general
    good shape.  SOME of this is genetic, but not all.  Tushes are
    made of muscle and, as such, when you're in shape, they are too.
    
    
    This is a public service message from the advertizing bureau....
    
    --Louise

    I just had to add a bit of my excitement!  I am packing up my
    size 16's and replacing with 12's.  Look out checkbook!!  I have
    never been more excited buying clothes!
    
                                   - Sue

    Went into Boston last nite to see Cats (excellent musical!). The high
    point of the evening however was being able to wear one of my three
    piece suits *and* wear the vest (without having to suck it in)! 
    Last year at this time when I interviewed here at DEC, it was worn as a 
    two piece suit - there was no way that vest was going to button - 
    two inches of flab was in the way. 
						-Dom

    
    re.: .37
    
    	Now that's something that I can relate to!  (Altho not quite
    in the same way!  :^) )  It's such a great feeling when clothes
    are fitting right again or getting too big!!  Wonderful!  Altho
    where in my budget will I find money for new clothes??  
    
    	(Going to see Cats when it comes back to Atlanta -- missed it
    the first time -- in November!  Can't wait!)
    
    	Myra_who's_saving_up_for_a_size_12_wardrobe!

    Re: .34
    
    Ken, to paraphrase your personal name, how about
    
    "Nothing tastes as good as tight jeans feel"  ;-)

    .....WHEN YOU GO TO YOUR CLASS REUNION AND NO ONE KNOWS WHO YOU
    ARE!!!!

    I went to have my watch band made smaller, I expected to have one
    or two links removed.  He had to remove four and said he had never
    seen that before.  

    When the pair of "incentive" jeans you bought last year to motivate
    you to lose weight actually fit!!!  Yay!!!
    

    Success is fitting into your highschool cheerleading uniform as
    a Halloween costume....
    
    Success is another notch in the belt....
    
    LW

    ...going from size Q "L'eggs" to size B.
    
    ...losing 2 pounds over Thanksgiving week.
    
    ...buying a bathing suit (size 14!).
    
    Lynn (the Thynn)

    Cudos, Lynn, and remind me to sit verrrrry faaaaar away from you
    on any prospective california beach!  ;^)
    
    Marion
     

    Thanks, Marion, but you don't have to worry.  I'm not ready yet
    to brave the beach!
    
    Another success note:
    
    ...when your wedding (or any other) ring gets loose.

    
    
    When offered food you can't say no to and Said NO!
    
    And lose 8 pounds instead...
    
    
    Watch out BO!!  
    
    A.L.A.
    
    

I went to the mall before lunch today, to check up on the local merchandise.
I spent 10 minutes or so in line at the toy department, which is right next
to the bakery department.  Talk about torture!

I stopped by CVS, picking up wrapping paper (in the middle of the candy aisle)
and other things, and stood in line in front of the front-rack candy for 5
minutes or so.

I stopped by a pizza/sub shop for lunch.

And through all this, the only food I bought (for me) was a salad w/ a scoop
of tuna!  (I did buy some butterscotch hard candy for Bill for Christmas).

That's success!

Jill

    ...having two parties coming up in consecutive nights, and not getting
    worried about it because you've handled that situation successfully
    on many recent occasions.
    
    
    py

    ...refusing to let yourself put off the new diet until after the
    holidays.  Telling your mother-in-law that you'll be on Weight
    Watchers, so PLEASE don't make any special cookies or candies
    (I can't eat most of the regular ones due to my wheat allergy).
    
    Beverly
    

    Going to buy a pair of pants and not having any with a fourty inch
    waist and your leg size.  And discovering, as a total surprise,
    that the thirty-eights fit comfortably. 
    
    This of course got expensive because I bought two pair and couple
    of shirts to celebrate.  The celebration was because for the first
    time since High School (circa 1964) I fit this small a size.  That
    make twenty inches off the waist in twenty-one months.
    
    -Joe

       Congratulation Joe!  You are really an inspiration to those of
      of us in this notesfile! 
    

    Yay Joe!  That's super!
    
    I just went through the other half of my closet, the one that had
    all my skirts and pants.  Not ONE pair of my old "skinny" wool
    pants fit.
             .
             .
              all of them were too BIG.
    
    Same story with the skirts - the only one that was even close was
    one that never fit me really, it was too tight.  That one I only
    have to move a button to make the waist 1 inch smaller....
    
    Anyone know a good tailor in the Nashua/Merrimack/Manchester
    area?  I have a few nice wool skirts/pants to get altered.
    
    --Louise

    Louise, there was a note in the UCOUNT::NEW_HAMPSHIRE notes files
    on tailors.  A couple that were mentioned were Peter the Tailor
    and Dimitri's (on Kinsley, I think).
    
    At any rate, let me know (either in this notes file or by mail)
    where you take your clothes.  I have a lot of blazers and skirts
    that I'd like to have altered, too.
    
    I also sympathize with you about your clothes not fitting because
    they're too big.  I had a whole closet full of clothes that were
    too small (and some that I'd never even worn), and when I finally
    tried some of them on, they still didn't fit because--you guessed
    it--they were too big.  I hope someone who goes to Goodwill gets
    more wear out of them than I did...
    
    Oh, well, better too big than too little! :-)
    
    --Kirby

    
    
    Losing 8 pounds over the long weekend during Christmas.
    Hearing others saying they gained when I can say not me
    I lost.. and they say you did ?  (-:
    
    Of course being sick didn't help but then if I wasn't sick 
    I might have gained right along with them..
    
    I am not sick now and I haven't gain any thing back that I lost
    and I am losing regular...  
    
    That is success.. saying I made it through the Holidays with a lose..
    
    
    
    Yeppee... for   me
    
    Ann
    
    
    

    ...you go to a party and see your husband's best friend who hasn't
    seen you in 2 years (because he's moved away) and he doesn't recognize
    you.
    
    Lynn

    ...you reach a milestone (10, 20, 30, 40 pounds, etc.).
    
    Lynn

    Boy can I agree with that.  
    
    
    Just reached the 40 pound mark.  Only 40 more to go.  Come on 50.....
    
    
    
    Steve
    

	-- NEEDING suspenders to keep up the jeans your mother-in-law gave you
for Christmas which were snug at the time.

	-- finally being able to wear the jeans your sister-in-law gave you for
Christmas which were too small to zip up.

	-- having your daughter's friend ask her if her father is the tall
	   SKINNY guy is in kitchen.

	

    ...buying a new pair of skin-tight jeans to wear to the company
    barbecue.
    
    ...finding that the belts you wore in college are back in style...and
    they fit!
    
    ...trying on a blouse that's a size smaller than the last one you
    bought...and finding that it's too big and you need TWO sizes smaller.
    Yea!!
    
    Lynn
    (Not at Goal yet, but not ashamed anymore)

    Having your 203 lb. weightloss reported in Weight Watchers Thinline
    Newspaper.
    
    Congratulations, Joe Coyle you look great!!!

    RE .62
    
    Thanks for the congratulations.  I haven't seen the piece yet but
    will soon.  I owe a lot of my 'success' to this notesfile, it got
    me through the mid-diet depression.
    
    -Joe

    SUCCESS IS...
    
    ....losing 50 pounds because you love yourself
    
    ....wearing a bikini for the first time since second grade
    
    ....looking in the mirror and **GRINNING**
    
    ....being *intimate* with your partner and not being ashamed of
        your body (a biggy for me ;-)
    
    ....collar bones and hip bones when you didn't know you had ANY
        bones!!
    
    ....having people tell you that you're beautiful instead of saying
        that you have a good personality
    
    ....knowing that it will last forever
    
    
    Peace to all,
    
    Linette
    

Success is, not craving sweets, or spagetti, or etc. etc. etc......
    

    
    ... buying a shirt that dosn't have a number in it's size (5XL...).
    
    							--- Neal

    ...Feeling his hand on the small of your back
                   as he whisks you across the threshold
    
    
    
    
                                           (without hurting himself)    
    

    
    
    Is when I have been taking Aerobics and when I went
    for a walk at lunch time I never could walk up
    the Hill with everyone and this time I did and I
    didn't Huff Or Puff at all...
    
    I haven't been able to keep up and now I am :-)
    
    I am excited !
    
    I can really feel the difference and also losing again
    so both is really working for me yahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
    
    
    Ann
    
    
    

    Is when you put your hands on your hips as you walk and they don't
    jiggle.
    

........when you can pinch an inch instead of a tyre.......

Richard.

    
    ...when your boyfriend takes you in his arms 
       and lifts you off the ground to kiss you!
    
    Kay

    I love your last message Kay! (5.71).
    
    I too love when my husband picks me up to kiss me, or just to horse
    around and carry me.  For a while there, I though my husband was
    gonna have a hernia!!!  Well, since then I'm down 24 lbs and although
    I'm still alittle heavy to lift, he does it with ease now!
    
    I can't wait until I'm at goal weight (28 more to go!)
    
    Linda

    When you skinny clothes are too big!!!  YAHOO
    
    Linda

    Throw them away, or give them to charity, that way it's REAL expensive
    to put weight back on...
    
    	- andy

    ...being below 120 lbs. for the first time since 4th grade.  (119
    this morning--only 7 more to go!)
    
    ...going to wear a brand new pair of pants I boutght three weeks ago
    -size 9 and I was thrilled then--and finding they are too big, and I 
    never wore them!!!!  
    
    Going dancing and being asked to dance almost every dance-by guys I 
    didn't even know!!!
    
    pam -- the vanishing act

    Great stuff!
    
    Well done!
    
    	- andy

    
    Not having to buy queen size pantyhose cause they sag around your
    ankles now!!!!
    
    Trudy

    Now that's one benefit I never realised! :-)
    
    	- andy