That's sooo great! I know how wonderful it is to see #'s that we haven't seen in awhile - I think it's a great motivator! Okay, I have to ask, how do you gals get a ticker thing and all the cute little faces and stuff? I'm doing well if I can get something to type without kicking me off. Maybe it's because I have dial-up. Blessings, Stacy

 A lot of things had to happen for me to really change, and to be quite honest with you I am still changing, this is such a process and journey to a new you. Like you I rely on the Lord to change me and show me who I truly am, which as you know is not an easy task, sometimes we want  to hold so tightly to things, even things that are not good for us! I had to do a complete overhaul on my nutrition, I had tried this a couple of times before, only to fall back into old habits, this time I decided there was no going back, I got my whole family on board, (my husband and 3 young children ages 10,8 and 3) I was on a mission to change the way we all looked at food and what we ate in our home, NO it was not easy, and as I learned how to eat better and eat the way God designed our bodies to eat, whole natural unprocessed foods, as times I came against great opposition and a lot of complaining! and at times I confess I was more of a dictator telling them what was and was not allowed, but I have learned, we all have, this is life and we all need to have room to breath, the great thing is my children see the benefit of good healthy food, when my 3 year old is hungry she asks for an apple or strawberries etc.. when my kids are thirsty they ask for water, we still go out for treats like frozen yogurt and we still love to bake, we just do things differently now, I use whole grains and real natural ingredients, I make most of our meals and snacks at home and eating out is now something that is a real treat because we dont do it all the time like we used to. When I fist started this journey, after I decided the WLS was not for me, there were a couple of tools  i used to help get me started, I used a program called Isagenix, which is very much on board with all natural and organic eating, I used there food and supplements everyday, (I still do actually) and I started going to the gym 4 to 5 days per week which I also still do . I also came to this website a lot and got inspired by others that were on similar journeys. I hit a plateau back in Nov. around Thanksgiving, then through the holidays gained about 9 lb's back, then after the holidays lost the 9 lb's and a little more and have plateaud again for the last 4 months or so, I am just now getting to the point where I think I am ready to get my head back in the game and get serious about losing this last 60 lb's! so that is my journey in a nutshell, hope it helps you!
             

Welcome, Crystal and good luck to you!

I also went through all the prep for WLS (lapband) and chickened out at the last minute.  I think it's definitely doable on your own.....as proven by so many success stories on this board.  I think your plan of cutting down on the carbs is a good one and coupled with portion control and healthy choices you should do well. 

Set mini monthly goals for yourself and just don't expect it to come off all at once (or to lose every week what that first week's loss).  You're in good company here and it's a very supportive group....although these boards can be kind of slow once in a while.

Wishing you the best!!

Stacy and Crystal....welcome to both of you and I think a weekly accountability is a great idea!!  We all need that accountability to help stay on track through the tough times/choices. 

I think it's also a good idea to not want to try and get it off all at once and then become discouraged, cause as we all know, it certainly takes more time to lose it than gain it (for whatever reason). 

I wish you both success.  I'm not on here all the time but try to comment when I can and post how I'm doing here and there too.

Well it's clear to me that you are a good friend and care for your friend deeply.

I'm going to have to say that I think 250 is probably too high of a goal weight. It's absolutely healthier than her highest of 385 and she'll definitely feel better at that weight. But there are still health concerns being over 100 lbs. from a goal weight of 125. (I know WW uses BMI charts for their goal weights. Is 125 the TOP of the goal weight range for your friend?)

I've been where your friend has been. I started WW at nearly 450 lbs. It was really scary to see that I needed to lose 300 lbs. to get to the top weight of my weight range. (120-150)

It's not always been easy, but as I get closer to my goal, I'm so thankful for the journey I've had. I've learned so much about myself, and all the things I'm capable of.

It is possible for her to get to a healthier weight. Hopefully as she gets closer to 250 she'll see how much SHE is capable of and will want to keep going. It's a fantastic feeling.

I wish you and your friend lots of luck and sending you both lots of loser vibes!!