Roll Call - post your successes, your challenges, and a friendly message to the April clan

Hello! Name: Lara Successes: Managed to shed one more lb - 15 left to go before I breathe a sigh of relief. This bounce patrol officer is looking FORWARD to getting back on the maintain train. Challenges: My depression has encroched on me, and is here for a visit. This blows. Friendly Message: I miss my April ladies and want to hear how you're doing this Month. With love, ~Lara

My success: Left the emotionally/verbally abusive drunk I wasted 8 years of my life on last week thursday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Challenge: Taking anti-depressants again...seems to be helping, but that may be the 165 lb weight loss from last week!!!!!

WOWIE WOW WOW! That's a HUGE HUGE success lady! You are totally worth the best in life, and congrats for choosing to do what you deem necessary for yourself and your family. I can relate to your challenge as I'm walking down that path right now too. Sending you love, ~Lara

Hey ladies, I've not been on THIS April board in who knows how long! Need to stop by now and then cause I see I'm not alone in what I'm dealing with. Successes: Joined a gym with Hubby in Jan. and have gone at ELAST 4X/wk every since. Dropped 1% body fat and gained 3 pounds at my 6wk re-ck. Guess I'm buildign muscle but still do not like seeign that scale go UP!!! Challenges: 1) Gained 15 pounds in the last 9mos. after 2 plastic surgeries and restirctions with workouts.....I know I eat bigger amounts more often now too and am TRYING to stop that. 2) Realtionships: this has been ROUGH on my marriage, have a great man though and have gone from being miserable in some ways and ready to walk away to being happy and STAYING put!! It's still WORK though and some days are better than others. To those struggling with the pounds creeping back in....we CAN regain control, we still have a tool that will help us if we remember to make the RIGHT choices. It's just that old habits die hard. And those struggling with relationships....do what's best for YOUR soul/spirit......that means doing some real inner searching sometimes as in my case. I didn't have an abusive situation so it wasn't so easy to make the choice. Getting to the place I was in though, ready to WALK out and feeling GOOD about it was scary!!! Everything changed when he realized just where my head was. It was a GOOD change. I'm working on ME too....I've found I'm more complicated than I thought! LOL Good luck on the continued journey everyone!!! I've been hanging out on my state board only.....but popping in here, I do see some familiar old faces!!! Hugs, Tami

Name: Toni Successes: No complications from ds or skin removal. Lost 150 pounds! Challenges: Re-gain of 10 in the last 3 months. Wanting to eat Carbs, Carbs, Carbs. Self Image from skin removal is hard to deal with. I need to have a revision. To any one out there, do your homework. There is a major difference between a panalectomy and body lift. Skin removal is just that. Also, my weight gain is all in the middle - it is hard to wear the cools pants with the cute shirts. Friendly Message: I have been missing the board and seeing everyone's progress. Good to see everyone! Toni Bowen Open DS 20 April 2004 Start Weight 285 Lowest Weight 129 Current Weight 140 BMI was 54 BMI is currently 26.5 (still slightly overweight)

Successes. Um. Working on that. Challenges. Feeling like dookie. Losing the last of the regain. Message. HOW THE HELL ARE YOU ALL?!

Hello, Starting weight - 342 Current weight - 134 BMI - 21.6 I'm loosing again, don't know why, I think I look best at around 140, but struggle to stay up there. I haven't had any plastic surgery, no time or money, plus a fear of blood clots. Dianne

Name: Mae Successes: Why do I still struggle with this word... All and all, I guess I would consider myself a success...As I sit here today I am 158. At 5'7" that isn't too bad. I am a 'normal' size. For the most part I feel great at this weight. BUT, since I had picked 145 as a goal weight, and only made it to 146, and have regained 10-15 pounds off and on, I still beat myself up a little. I do participate in my life so much more than before, with two children that is one of the biggest rewards for me! Challenges: The regain of the 10-15 pounds, and not wanting to become complacent and let my self go again, it scares me! I have 3 sizes in my closet, and I am to the largest...and refusing to buy any larger...so that means I need to go back to basics, and get off of my butt and be proactive! I too have been feeling a little more depressed in the last year. I think being at the stage where I was ready for PS, and then not making it a financial priority was a little discouraging for me. I need to work on my food choices! Even when something doesn't feel good, if I want it, I eat it. I need to listen to my pouch more often! And I need to work on not consuming wasted calories through coffee and martinis. I'm realizing, and admitting to myself, that I do have an addictive personality, and it seems I have to do something excessively in my life, whether it is eating, shopping, knitting, crafting, drinking...I struggle every day with finding constructive forms of excess...lol. I can be naive enough to think I can handle it all myself and not seek support...now days I'm thinking that is a pretty stupid thought process! Friendly Message: I miss and need the support that got me to this point! It sounds like a lot of us are going through similar issues! We should be there for each other!

Hey Lara! Long time no see...sorry to here about the depression...chiming in a bit late here... Successes: I'm still healthy. No comorbid return. Still working out. have a new job and the energy to do it! Challenges: playing with an extra 15-18lbs (depending on the day). Hate not being able to just lose it! But I've been stable at this weight for months. Friendly message: I miss everyone too and I keep you all in my positive thoughts! Rachel