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| I was just reading through the posts and I love the idea of putting fat pictures of me all over the house. Talk about motivation........I hate to see pictures of me because I always look fat......
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AUNTIESOCIAL
2/10/06 5:45 P
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Since it isn't a secret any longer ... find pictures of athelets biking, running and swimming and post them on your fridge.
I bought some ink jet magnets. They come in 8-1/2 x 11" and can go through an ink jet printer. I'm making a collage of various things that motivate me and putting it up on my fridge.
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When I was younger I set records in my area in butterfly and in the IM's. Later the 1600m freestyle was my event. I was fairly well rounded in all strokes.
Butterfly is a strength and endurance event so if you don't mind working hard ( most of the girls my age back then were resistant to the fly) success was sure to follow.
I will get back in the water soon. I secretly want to do a triathlon. I guess it's not a secret anymore.
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AUNTIESOCIAL
2/9/06 9:50 P
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Oh, the fly just about killed me, no doubt about it. Where I really felt it was in my gut ... I almost felt like throwing up after a race (and sometimes did). It's crazy what we will put ourselves through for our sport ...
I remember one meet. I wasn't feeling very well. Nothing serious, I just couldn't get my energy up. I wanted to drop out of the race and one of my team mates (a really drop-dead gorgeous guy) said that if I finished he would let me wear his jacket ... well, that settled it, I was racing. I made it to the last leg and couldn't go any further, so I broke into freestyle. When I climbed out of the pool, disqualified, he was standing at the starting blocks. He wrapped me in his his jacket, put his arm around my shoulders and escorted me to the ladies room. What was his name? Ian something ... oh, the memories.
The nice thing about the endurance races is you could ease off on the intensity a bit. Breast stroke was my best, but there were several other women on the team that were as good or better than me. There were only two of use who could do the fly.
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SWANKYSWIMMER
2/9/06 6:02 P
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| Wow, I only used to swim the 100 fly, but it tore my shoulders to shreds - I can't believe your shoulders are still intact!!!! (or at least from the sounds of your post they seem to be)
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AUNTIESOCIAL
2/9/06 5:11 P
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A friend of mine was suggesting that I get back into the pool for my exercise. He said it will likely be easier for me that trying to take up new forms of exercise because of muscle memory. I have been back to the pool and swimming did come back naturally. I go to an adult lane swim, so I feel a little better about there not being any teens and kids around.
I can't wait until my endurance levels come up again. I used to swim the loooooong races, 800m, 1600m breast, 400m fly and the 1600 medley (fly). Right now, my muscles aren't remembering the proper way to do the butterfly! I'm sure I don't look as odd as I feel, but man, do I feel odd.
WOW! Nationals, eh? How cool is that? I never tried out for any teams outside of my H.S. I was happy enough with that. The best I placed was 3rd, but it kept me outta trouble (sometimes) and gave me access to the weight room when the football team was working out. (I could leg press more than most of them at the time.)
I hope you do get back to the pool. Like I said before, I felt like I belonged back in the water.
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AUNTIESOCIAL
I too was a competative swimmer! I'm from Cananda and swam competatively from age 9-16. I made it to Nationals two years in a row.
We do have something in common. I haven't really hit the pool yet. I am self consious about putting a bathing suit on.
I actually did get 2 suits out this morning, so I might go today. If one of them fits me.
Alison
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AUNTIESOCIAL
2/8/06 10:50 P
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Actually, the weight was because I quit smoking. There was no way anyone was going to take a picture of me in my wedding dress with a smoke hanging out of my mouth. I stayed away from cigarettes for 3.5 years until I started again when my company was purchased in a hostile takeover.
Cigarettes are on my list of things to improve about my life, but I want to get the eating habits set before I attempt quitting again. I have noticed that I don't feel like smoking as often, but I still take the breaks at work. Mostly due to stress.
In the past, it was the hand to mouth movement out of habit that had me eating, and being a convenience eater, it was all junk.
This was the first time that I've gained significant amounts of weight. All through school, I would gain 5, lose 5, gain 5, lose 5. I maintained my weight. Even with this weight gain, I have maintained my weight. I've lost some of the weight and kept it off, but I was calorically starving myself, which made it impossible to shed the rest.
When I left school, I stopped training (I was a competitive swimmer) and became an undereater. I "forgot" all of the healthy things I'm supposed to do. Now I'm committed to correcting that. Fortunately, they say that muscles have a memory, so I'm hitting the pool as often as I can. Swimming always came easily to me, eating doesn't. Even when I was competing, I would sometimes fast on the day of a race. stress does that to me. When I am extremely stressed, I don't eat at all.
Being on the right track sure feels good, eh? I'm glad to have your company on this journey to health.
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AUNTIESOCIAL
It sounds like you and I are similar in that we are emotional eaters. Planning a wedding can be really stressful. I've done it twice. I don't think I've got a third in me. LOL.
Stress and food are not a good combo for me. I sometimes wonder why I couldn't have been one of those that couldn't eat when "stressed out". I would be way skinny, lol.
I also discovered after a few years that I am also hypothyroid. That certainly contributed to my weight gain of about 85lbs in a fairly short period of time.
I'm really happy we are both on the right track. Let's continue to support each other.
Alison
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AUNTIESOCIAL
2/8/06 9:34 P
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ALISON, that's a great idea! I'm going to add that to my motivations. My mother has a dress I used to wear before I gained my weight (I gained 80 pounds in 18 months ... right before my wedding in 1997!). She is bringing it over to me to hang in a prominent place.
I gave it to her when I couldn't wear it any longer. It is my favourite dress ever. It is a basic black dress with buttons down the front. I used to wear it to the night clubs. I can't believe she has kept it all these years and that I will (I WILL) wear it again.
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When I first got the courage to weigh myself (I hadn't for years) Jan. 10 and embark on this journey with SparkPeople, I was horrified.
I left the scale on the floor in front of the fridge so that I would have to step over it every time I went into the fridge. It was a great and constant reminder of why I needed to make some changes in my life.
I left it there for a couple of weeks. Until I was firmly entrenched in my new and improved lifestyle.
Now, because I'm still horrified by the number on the scale, I post on my fridge door the number of pounds I have lost to date.
The bold number on the fridge door today is 24. That reminds and motivates me. I am successful in my journey. I look at the number (24) and have no doubt that I've found the right place to be. In the company of SparkPeople, all of you.
'Fat' pictures still depress me. "Skinny" pictures depress me. Seeing a visual ( my bold number 24)reminds me that I am on the right track to health and wellness. I am and will be successful.
Thankyou, to SparkPeople and all it's members!!!
Alison
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AUNTIESOCIAL
2/6/06 10:44 P
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I did a major measuring exercise this morning when I weighed in. I took all sorts of measurements so I can see lots of numbers move, instead of just the number on the scale.
I have only lost 2 pounds, but I am firming up. People are noticing that I am losing weight (actually, I am losing fat).
I have an old driver's license photo of me when I was at my heaviest. I keep it on my desk at work where no one else can see it. Anytime I feel bad about myself (for any reason), I look at that photo.
I am down 50 pounds from when that photo was taken 8 years ago. I still have 61 to go and I am concentrating more on this stretch.
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THEGOODLIFE
2/6/06 4:14 A
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foob-
The problem for many of us is consistency and staying focused... I know that if I weight myself once a week, it's frequent enough to notice results and to spot troublesome patterns, yet not so often (ie, daily) that I'm bothered with normal fluctuations.
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I don't mind the scale, but it is under my bed so it's easy to not obsess over it. Once a week works for me. I know if I'm on track. Although I'll pull it out daily for a spark point! lol! 
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UNCLEFOOBAR
2/2/06 7:10 P
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I think i'm going to weigh myself once every three months. Once-a-week is too much and obsessive.
Foob
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I try not to use the scale, but its at the gym, so when I'm there, but just on Wednesdays, I weigh myself. The better indicator to me is if my jeans fit and especially if they fit after I wash them. Today I tried on a pair of jeans and they slid on like a glove. I thought that a miracle had happened.
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Thank you for the pat on the back. I'm pretty excited about the weight loss myself. I have 75 more pounds to go, but I feel like it's possible this time.
-Debbie
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LILSTEFSTEF
2/1/06 10:00 P
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| all i can say is "wow congrats" i wish i could do that. if i lost that much weight i'd be done with my extreme diet and just have to keep maintained. way to go dont lose that motivation you've got whatever it is...cuz its working good job
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I would feel discouraged if I had to look at fat pics of myself all over the place. Last year at my little cubby hole at work, I put a photo of myself when I was slim and that didn't motivate me either. so I took the photo down and tossed it. But now I
AM dropping weight...16 pounds since 1-3-06. I am working on a notebook of normal weight women doing normal activities as a visual motivator for myself.
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hey that fat picture thing is a great idea. i have a few of when i used to be much bigger but i have hidden them because i have been so ashamed that i let myself get that big. maybe now, i can look @ them knowing i won't let myself get out of control like that ever again! thanx!
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| This week in the teacher's lunch room I generated a total quiet moment when I shared that I weigh the same amount today as I did when I delivered my two children (now 21 and 26) - I consider myself 25 pounds overweight - they consider me to look fine for a 53-year old... interesting moment for all. LindaK
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| I didn't put fat pictures up but I did put up pictures of me before I had my son, and man is that a motivator. I still have all my clothes too! I think that may be a little much but one can always hope!
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I had a fat picture on the fridge.lol
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| I look at my scale as a tool and as a helpful motivator. I don't always record what I weigh, but over the last couple of weeks it's been a great motivator where sodium is concerned, and helps me see little trends before they become big ones. I take a very long vacation in Canada when I can in the summer to see my mom (I'm a teacher) and last summer for the first time, I packed the scales with me. I've had this particular pair for a long time (they run on batteries) and it was so great! I was able to walk many miles each day, and weighing reinforced the healthy choices I was consciously making. It was almost like a reward - I wish I'd known about SP then...LindaK
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"fat" pictures ~ that is awesome!
Everyone always talks about posting pictures of skinny women to motivate them, but I know that would do nothing for me. I see skinny people all the time & that doesn't keep me from eating ;)
Most of the time I feel skinny until I look in a mirror or at a recent picture of myself & realize how much I have gained. I think posting some of *those* pictures would motivate me when I need it.
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My trick is I have "fat" pictures of me all over the place. In my desk drawer, in my make-up drawer ect. I have lost 60 lbs and have gotten discourage with the whole weight loss journey. I got back on track the last week of December and hope to stay on track to lose the 30 lbs I have left to lose.
I have a scale and I weight myself once a day in the morning before I shower. I am trying not to be to obsessive about it, I also measure how my clothes fit. Muscle does weight more than fat, or so I keep telling myself.
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LZNPATRAS
1/19/06 11:27 A
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| I won the war lol I am getting my scale today. I promised him that I was not going to be obsessed about it. But I did put a picture of me when I was thin on the refridgerator, you know to give me a little bit more motivation.
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| If there is anywhere for him to put it, perhaps you could weigh yourself once a week, and then he can put the scale up somewhere so you won't weigh yourself all the time. That way you both are happy ;)
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Well a scale can be a good thing if you do not obsess on it, maybe that is what he thought you were doing. I have my scale, I usually weigh once or twice a week. Another good indicator is how your clothes are fitting and measurements.
Donna
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| My husband got rid of my scale after the baby was born. I was telling him yesterday that I wanted to get a new scale and he was totally agaist me getting a scale. When I asked him why he said that he does not wanting me weighing myself all the time, like I used to he stated that it was not healthy for me. But if I see a number that will motivate me even more to exercise and eat healthy. I don't know I just want to hear more opinions on this.
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