life has always been important to me, im not one to lay down and give up, if i was, i wouldnt be here tring to gather all the info i could.
the challenge of living from day to day is stunning, especially in a world of today. i was just reading that mamograms may not be good for you. that after years and years of exposing our breasts to radiation can do more harm than good. ive never been a fan of having my breasts squished flat anyway, so i check myself the old fashioned way.
but i do get an annual pap test.
anyway my challenge of life is to get healthy and stay that way, see what happens and if we can change things up a bit.
NATTAR 8/24/07 8:20 A
Belinda, You are on the right path. It's so much about educating ourselves about nutrition and exrcise. I have done my share of dieting, losing, dieting and on and on too. My health scared me to action finally. High blood pressure and even medication didn't bring it down enough. The doctor said I was a stroke waiting to happen. That's when I started and concentrated on getting healthy. I'm off all medication, pressure is normal and feel great now. I consider obesity a disease, like diabetes. No matter how consistent I am with everything, I'll be always vulnerable to gaining. Keep learning, keep sparking. You can do it! Tarja
REBCCA 8/24/07 7:54 A
Thank you Belinda ...and on your already successess. Indeed this is a new lifestyle and honestly the maintenance, while a familar routine, does still require attention and awareness. I chose (and still choose) to look at this as a good thing. Two months ago I bought a bicycle and have discovered stunning panoramic views and scenic wooded trails for biking. I went 14.4 miles a couple of days ago and lots of shorter and a few longer rides. We all deserve to celebrate life and having a fit body to do it is a most valuable reward for the effort it takes.
SANDYMAE3 8/24/07 7:45 A
when i think back 20 , 30,40 years ago, i didnt know as much about maintenance as i do now, i was eating big plates of pasta extra helpings of my mother in laws mac salad because she was a wonderful cook, heck i ate just about everything i could get my hands on. i didnt know about nutrition, didnt understand it, wasnt taught much in school about it, just drink your milk for strong bones, eat meat, and your veggies. when i got pg with my first baby my father told me,now your eating for two, and i did!!!! i also tried to out eat my husband. hahah crazy huh?oh yes through the years i really screwed up my poor old body, not realizing what i was doing,i was like everyone else, dieting, losing, dieting, loseing , gaining, gaining, gaingin. then i got my wake up call, i was shopping one day at 260 pounds and i got a tremendous sharp pain in the middle of my chest that took me to my knees in isle 14. it scared me really bad, i knew if i didnt do something i would not be around much longer, so i started with w.w. then i found spark. my life has changed for the the better, yes i feel great, i have my days,but everyday i learn something new and i use that tool. between the two w.w. and spark i can learn how to eat right, and maintain. i will never go back. i know, never say never. belinda
SANDYMAE3 8/24/07 7:21 A
anna, i'm not sure why we dont hear from them anymore everyone's circumstances are different but, i do know that in weight loss you can succeed one minute and fail the next. im not sure if there is a "success story" maybe there is, i hope there is, but i know this, im constantly learning new things and new ways to this challenge of weightloss. and if your not on top of it, you will fail. and anna it might be nice to think we didnt need the site in the future but i think... we do, its a new way of life.. for me and i want to learn everything i can until the last breath i take. have a wonderful day. belinda
SANDYMAE3 8/24/07 7:06 A
nattar, and that is what it takes, to stay, and never stop learning new ways of what our bodies are needing. maintaining is a challenge i grant you that, and the way you are going, you have a great outlook on your life and health. keep up the good work. belinda
SANDYMAE3 8/24/07 6:59 A
and rebcca obviously you know what it takes to stay fit, you have made some great progress. i celebrate your loss of weight. belinda
SANDYMAE3 8/24/07 6:56 A
that is good you have been on spark for as long as you have. i think i just speak from experience in my post. that if you dont stay vigilant you will fall, but everyone is different i suppose, maybe there are some people who have made it, i hope they have. yes i remember you, have talked to you a few times. hang in there you are doing great.
REBCCA 8/23/07 10:00 P
I am still here and have posted everyday except on a few vacations ...for over three years. I came to SP to maintain my loss and still learning ways to improve. We don't all go away.
NATTAR 8/23/07 10:39 A
Hi, I reached my goal 6-19 and I'm still here and learning new things every day. Maintaining is a challenge of a new kind and I don't want to ever have to lose weight again. I have yo-yoed for 25 years but this time I concentrated getting healthy and fit and as a consequence, the weight came off too. I don't spend as much time here as I did in the beginning because now I have energy to do so many more things. I have developed friendships here and want to keep in touch and that keeps me coming back. You do have to stay vigilant and work at it, but it does get easier and the healthy new habits keep you going. We can all get to our 80's and beyond and be beautiful and enjoy our lives.
AAANA1 8/23/07 9:22 A
Just a thought - but maybe we don't hear from them anymore because they have succeeded in learning what they need to ...to be healthy. They may not need the tools any longer and are well on their way to using all that they have learned.
Of course some do leave and do have to come back... but I guess that's one of the reasons the site exists.
In the future I hope not to need the site everyday and just come back now and then to say hello !
SANDYMAE3 8/23/07 7:27 A
hello, i have belonged to spark for over a year now. i have met a lot of interesting ladies, had lots of interesting chats with them, but the one thing i noticed is as soon as they reach their goals, you never hear from them again. thats sad, because they should not give up so easy, especially when they think they have it kicked in the bud. i have personally talked to some that have said, i only have 3 more pounds to lose and i will meet my goal. and their gone! well thats fine if they have learned anything from spark, but... if they havn't... then they will be back. so just because you are starting to trim down and look good, doesnt mean you are going to stay that way. you constantly have to work at it, make it part of your daily living for the rest of your life. who knows in your eightys you could be this beautiful, swinging grandmother who refuses to let life pass her by. life is a challenge, and this is a challenge, a good one, so lets see what we can do to make it better for the future generation!!!
You are on the right path. It's so much about educating ourselves about nutrition and exrcise. I have done my share of dieting, losing, dieting and on and on too. My health scared me to action finally. High 
on your already successess. 
