It's okay Ashilynne, I tend to have the same questions about sizes. I am on the short side. Only 5ft. 1in  :(  I am a tight size 10 in jeans and still Large top since I am a 38DD.

You're average height, at 155, you are not so big. See, it's weird- how can we be the same 155lbs. but still be different waist sizes. One thing I need to mention- I carry a lot of excess weight on my thighs and I HATE it. I am working on them though. I thought my personal trainer was wrong by making me do so many lunges and squats, but I read last week that it is the best way to burn fat around the thighs and now I'm doing them every day!!

:) It's awesome that you see yourself that way. To me, it serves as motivation!! And heck yeah!! Why not? We deserve it girl!

Hello ladies!  I don't know if this will post, but I saw it and thought I'd add a little humour for today!  Have a good one everyone!

Tammy

A new meaning for desserts
THE COPING DIET
Only girlfriends can understand this one. This is a specially formulated diet
designed to help women cope with the stress that builds during the day.

Breakfast
1 grapefruit
1 slice whole wheat toast
1 cup skim milk

Lunch
1 small portion lean, steamed chicken
1 cup spinach
1 cup herbal tea
1 Hershey's kiss

Afternoon Snack
The rest of the Hershey kisses in the bag
1 tub of Hagen-Daaz ice cream with chocolate chips

Dinner
4 glasses of wine (red or white)
2 loaves garlic bread
1 family size supreme pizza
3 Snickers Bars

Late Night Snack
1 whole Sarah Lee cheesecake (eaten directly from the freezer)

Remember: Stressed spelled backward is desserts.

 Ashilynne,

You just look better in your size 12 than some people.  My sister and I are both the same height and she weighs 8 pounds more than me,.  We are both in a 12 and she looks soooo much better than me because of her muscle tone.  She has a personal trainer and has been working out every day since the New Year.  .  Our bodies are all different.  Some people have bellies that require them to have a bigger pant size.  Maybe it is just me, but I think that a large belly  can make people look larger than a large bottom.  I never had the belly issue until the last few years.  Now I have a belly that makes me so uncomfortable.  I am determined to do my best to reach the 5 in July and pray that it comes from my new belly first.=)  Please don't doubt your optimism.  Women are usually far more beautiful than they realize.If you see yourself as smaller,,, you probably are and will be even smaller soon!!!  Keep up the positive thoughts!

Angie (5'61/2 and 156#)

 Ashilynne:  I have the belly thing too and that is the worst part of it for me.   It really disgusts me and is so hard to get rid of............ I've read that causes could be soda, hormones and stress.    My big belly really started a couple of years ago and that is when i turned 40 - inherited a full time 16 year old step son and started having hormone issues!  Thank goodnexx I was never a big soda drinker (just wine).

 See, I actually don't have a belly issue. I am not a huge soda drinker anymore - once in a great while when I ened to stay awake...I'll def. blame my hormones because since I switched BC pills I've been a lunatic the week before and of my TOM. And I'm full of stress...

I actually have a fairly flat stomach. I'm not round in the front, don't really have a gut, it's just a little chub right under my breasts that came out of no where...my problem is my love handles...I've tried EVERYTHING to shrink them (exercise wise)...nothing...I'd be probably 2 pant sizes smaller if I didnt have them. From the side profile I'm happy with my body, I'm thinner and I like what I see, then I turn to the front and I have these akward buldging love handles. If I chopped them right off down the side I'd be perfectly happen with my body. Idk how to get rid of them.

 Mirna ~ This is great that so many of us want to lose 5 pounds this month.  I seem to be stuck at 156, but this week is my TOM and we do carry water weight during that time don't we?  (I am beginning to psych myself out ~ of course we carry water rweight during our periods, duh!).  I just want to start August at 150 pounds!

I am from a little town close to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.  Where are you from?

I seem to be doing everythng I am supposed to be doing with this program, so I hope when the TOM is over, I have lost 3 pounds!!  Yesterday I ate lunch at Panera Bread.  I had a cup of noodle soup and half  a turkey sandwhich on wheat with mayo on the side that I used very sparingly.  I wonder if they have a website to check calories and fat grams? I am going to look into that . . .

How are you doing this week? ~Tammy

 I had Panera on Sunday. I had half turkey on white with a little mustard and a bowl of chicken and wild rice soup. I know I found the soup on a website...I believe it was Calorieking.com - don't quote me. You can just google Panera Bread Nutrition or something along those lines.

 I am considering a water fast. Well not considering - that part is over - I am easing into a water fast. I have done a lot of research. Yes it's partly to lose weight, BUT it's mostly to gain some control. I read and watched something on TV about detoxing your body - it gets rid of "chemicals" or something that causes caffeine addictions and some reminent of toxins that cause us to crave things...I'd LOVE to rid myself of those.

 I am going to do it the right way. I also read about fasting for weight loss and how if you do not do it right you can gain even more weight than you started with because some people tend to gorge themselves after their fast is done and they have to realize their metabolism slowed down so they no longer need as much food to do certain activities.

I am not going to start until Monday officially because I have some things this weekend and I can't let the side effects occur during those times, so I am going to do some fruits and veggies and salad until Sunday then full fast starting Monday!

Anyone tried this?

mtcrook: 

Panera has a nutrition log that you can download from their website.  I have one.  Somehow, I have just gotten this great I can do attitude this week.  Must be this board.  Maybe because I saw a 3 lb loss (it was my TOM on the last weigh in so I didn't do so well).  Anyhow I need to see results to keep motivated.  I've been on the program since end of April, so I have in two full months and I have lost 11 lbs.  I feel really good about the steady 4 to 5 lbs per month!  If I can do 5 lbs by August 9th, i will feel like I can do anything.  I will be able to fit into some old clothes that I haven't seen in a couple of years!  I'm from Rochester NY and it's so muggy here and hot here....

Good luck!   Tammy :-)

Rhonda - where have you been.............  boys still hogging the computer??

 Can anyone explain to me the profile?...Okay - where the ticker is with the Start Weight, Current Weight, Goal Weight...how do I update that? I started in May and when I registered there was no option except "Already Started"...how do I get that thing to show my progress...Ive already lost 6 lbs?

 Ashilynne - Go to one of your post and click on it, then when you see your name it should have edit by it, hit edit and update your info.  Thatks how I do it.  The board looks different from last week, so I hope you can still do it that way.

This week I lost 2 pounds.  I didn't think I would lose with the holiday and all the bbq over the weekend.  But I tried to eat healthy.  I feel good made to my first mini goal. 

Ladies have a good coming week.

Toni (Uhuru)

 Sorry Ashilynn, I see that you can't change your signature.  Someone asked this question on the website question board and they said that they forgot to add it to  the new program.  I hopw this helps.

Toni (Uhuru)

 I figured it out - this Alli Circle thing is new to me and I started the plan May 28 - BUT there was no option for that date so the ticker thing thinks I just started Wednesday when I set it all up so it won't let me update it until my weigh in on Sunday - once I put my weight in then it will change so it will show my total progress then.

Well, I'm down a couple of pounds but it's due to the stomach flu, so I'm sure my weight will clinb when I can keep down water, gatorade, and saltines! Hope everyone has a good weekend!

 I checked-in today, but my ticker thing isn't showing any progress yet? It's still showing my current weight at my starting weight...does it take time to adjust or what?

 What are you all eating to ensure that you will lose the 5 lbs?  I would like to lose five lbs too.