The easiest way to avoid regrets is to ask yourself this question, "If not now, when?" It's a powerful way to put life and our decisions about how we spend our time into perspective"

Saturday Gratitude... Posted by Joan on 5/10/2025, 7:09 am Share here, please!

My five… Posted by Cindy on 5/10/2025, 2:28 pm, in reply to "Saturday Gratitude..." 1. Walmart pick up! Love this convenience. 2. A beautiful Saturday outside. I need to sweep off my patio and work a little on the yard-but not sure if I will. 3. The ability to do things around the house. Instead of feeling upset that I have to do everything (and sadly some days I do feel that way) around here-I choose to be grateful that I can! 4. Another day to eat better. Supper last night was NOT point friendly. Taco Bell and an Oreo shake from Burger King. Hoping I got that out of my system. Have been wanting ice cream for some time now. 5. Naps. I will be having one later.

(no subject) Posted by Beverly on 5/10/2025, 10:56 pm, in reply to "My five…" Cindy, yes... pickup is fantastic!!! It is so helpful. Everyday is a new beginning... really, it is. You've had your treat. Enjoy mother's day, I am so glad you are able to do so much. It's a blessing you are able to do so.

Agree with Joan! Posted by Paula on 5/10/2025, 8:27 pm, in reply to "My five…" Just get back on the horse! For me, I know and sort of accept that I'll have those days. I just hate that one day can turn into months!

I don't blame you! Posted by Joan on 5/10/2025, 6:34 pm, in reply to "My five…" I love the ease of a Walmart pick up, and sadly, there are days when I hate the thought of doing housework. I am basically lazy. Every day is another day to try and eat better, but sometimes, you just have to get it out of your system. I get it!

Mine Posted by Paula on 5/10/2025, 10:39 am, in reply to "Saturday Gratitude..." Final opera of the season tomorrow. It's a new opera called 'Brown vs Loving.' The case involved Richard Loving, a white man, and his wife Mildred Loving, a woman of color.[a] In 1959, the Lovings were convicted of violating Virginia's Racial Integrity Act of 1924, which criminalized marriage between people classified as "white" and people classified as "colored". Caroline County circuit court judge (copied and pasted from Wiki). The Supreme Court overruled and abolished the law in VA and several other states. We'll see how it goes. Friends who let me talk about my poop. Lol The mementos of my travels all around my house. Nothing expensive, just sentimental. I have a trip to Spain planned for late October to early November and an Airbnb booked in Paris next April. Almost everything is refundable but hope I don't need to. I feel an urgency to get these trips in. Absolutely gorgeous day. My kind of weather- mid-50s in the morning going to the mid-70s as the day progresses.

Paula Posted by Beverly. on 5/10/2025, 11:02 pm, in reply to "Mine" I am anxious to hear about the opera!! That's quite the subject! I hope that your trips are all a go!!!!

We're going to Spain! Posted by Joan on 5/10/2025, 6:29 pm, in reply to "Mine" Hooray! Hooray! I do hope and pray you get to visit the Vatican now that we have a new pope! I thought all the poop talk was interesting!

Love that you…. Posted by Cindy on 5/10/2025, 2:31 pm, in reply to "Mine" Have a couple of trips planned. At some point will you just be able to sell everything and move to France?

Paula Posted by Cindyh on 5/10/2025, 11:28 am, in reply to "Mine" I watched this movie 7 or so years ago when it came out and I really liked it. I would go to the opera. I can’t believe I’ve never been to one.

I didn't know there was a movie. Posted by Paula on 5/10/2025, 1:07 pm, in reply to "Paula" I'm planning on going.

Five for me... Posted by Joan on 5/10/2025, 7:12 am, in reply to "Saturday Gratitude..." 1. This Wednesday, May 14, will mark 7 years since I began my new lifestyle. Where has the time gone? 2. In Thanksgiving for the life of Pope Francis, as well as the start of Pope Leo's journey as leader of the Church. 3. Bloodwork results which appear 24 hours after the blood is drawn. I am grateful for the good results! 4. Looking forward to Mother's Day, even though I won't be seeing my son. 5. FSF family and friends! I pray for all of you, your families, your friends in my daily prayers... and thank you for praying for me! Maintenance is a forever endeavor!

Joan Posted by Delta on 5/11/2025, 2:12 pm, in reply to "Five for me..." Wishing you a late happy 7 year anniversary. You are amazing!

Thank you, Delta! Posted by Joan on 5/11/2025, 3:37 pm, in reply to "Joan" I think YOU are amazing!

Aw, shucks Posted by Delta on 5/12/2025, 2:49 pm, in reply to "Thank you, Delta!" Thank you, but I am a mess.

I would love to hear your story one more time if you could Posted by Krista on 5/11/2025, 7:18 am, in reply to "Five for me..." indulge me. I would love to hear how it was then, how you decided finally and how you did it. I know you've told us before. I just want to hear it inspire me again if you would ♥

I'll try... Posted by Joan on 5/11/2025, 9:49 am, in reply to "I would love to hear your story one more time if you could" When I decided in May 2018 that it was time to lose weight (306 pounds), I threw my scale away. I was tired of numbers on a scale and smashed it in the trash. LOL! I decided to measure my success by how many days in a row I could remain on target with calories and Intermittent Fasting. This was before the pandemic, so I made sure my plan was livable by continuing going out to eat twice a week (Wednesday, Sunday) and ordering pizza on Saturday. When I would go to the doctor's prior to May 2018 and the nurse would say, "Could you step on the scale?" I would politely answer, "No, thank you." LOL! I tell you this because my doctor never set a goal weight for me. We definitely discussed what I was doing to lose weight. She was attentive and supportive, but allowed me to find my way. Mostly, she wanted to make sure I wasn't doing anything dangerous or stupid. I can tell you when I weighed in at 142, she suggested that it was low enough, I just nodded and smiled because I felt like it wasn't low enough. It's just like Cindyh said. You'll know when you're at a good weight. When I reached 121, she said no more! This time I agreed and that's when we agreed on an acceptable weight range of 118-124. I have been maintaining for 5 years. I still get cravings in the evenings, but I know that if I can distract myself and power through it, the cravings will be gone in the morning at which time I reward myself with my favorite coffee! The IF schedule I chose when I weighed 306 pounds was the daily 16/8 schedule. I fasted 16 hours and ate 1200 calories during the 8 hour eating window for seven days a week. During the 8 hours I ate anything I wanted as long as it stayed under 1200 calories. Cookies? No problem, just count the calories. Going out to eat? No problem, just count the calories. Pizza? No problem, just count the calories. I drank coffee and diet soda during the fasting window. No problem for me. Please note that your PCP may determine that 1200 calories is too low for you. Once a month, I would throw caution to the wind, and eat what I wanted. The monthly free day was centered around a holiday/event. For example - February/Valentine's Day, March/St. Patrick's Day, April/Easter, you get the idea. I did that for the first year. After a little over a year, I weighed around 180. Don't forget, I had also started walking during that time. That was my go to exercise. At some point, I decided I didn't need an 8 hour eating window. 6 hours was good enough. So, I switched to 18/6. Remember, there are many forms of IF that you can read about from credible sources. This is just what worked for me. Currently, I do IF seven days a week. Six days a week I do 18/6 (fast 18 hours, eat 6 hours). On the seventh day, Treat Day, I do 20/4 (fast 20 hours, eat 4 hours). Yesterday, I weighed 117 pounds. I don't know if any of my story is helpful to you, but once I got started and found a way to stop the constant cravings, I was able to keep going.

Thank you for… Posted by Cindy on 5/12/2025, 1:00 am, in reply to "I'll try..." Sharing this. I love reading your success story and think I need to look at my calories closer. So very proud of you.

Very helpful Posted by Krista on 5/11/2025, 2:45 pm, in reply to "I'll try..." Did you find it hard to walk at first? How did you build it up? I can barely walk from one room to another at this time.

Krista, if i may butt in Posted by Delta on 5/11/2025, 3:47 pm, in reply to "Very helpful" We went to the gym with a guy that could not walk. He would come in and do the weight machines for the upper body then use an arm bike to get his cardio. He said he used to be overweight and flabby but he was in excellent shape while we knew him. My husband had to use an arm bike to recover from shoulder surgery. They are not expensive. They are just a portable exercise bike that can be set on a tabletop. His has different pedals to exchange for feet and hands. It might help you get more exercise in. Your Cubii may even be able to be set on a table and used for that purpose. Bands could also work in lieu of weight machines. Where there is a will there is a way.

Oh, yes! Posted by Joan on 5/11/2025, 3:30 pm, in reply to "Very helpful" It was very hard to walk at first. Remember, I live in Florida where the temperature in the summer/fall months is in the 90s. I developed a walking plan using 6 different air-conditioned stores, so none of them would think I was casing the joint. I'd get a cart and hold on for dear life. Each time I went, I would try to walk an aisle farther than the previous time.

One more thing... Posted by Joan on 5/12/2025, 7:25 am, in reply to "Oh, yes!" When I started walking, I was on prescription Meloxicam, as well as self-prescribing obscene amounts of Aleve.

Seven years?— AMAZING JOB!!! Posted by Cindy on 5/10/2025, 2:29 pm, in reply to "Five for me..." You are such an inspiration to us all! Congratulations!

Thank you, Cindy! Posted by Joan on 5/10/2025, 6:26 pm, in reply to "Seven years?— AMAZING JOB!!! " YOU are the inspiration around here!

Congratulations Posted by Cindyh on 5/10/2025, 11:25 am, in reply to "Five for me..." 7 years is quite an accomplishment!

Thank you, Cindyh! Posted by Joan on 5/10/2025, 6:25 pm, in reply to "Congratulations " I appreciate your generous comments!

Great on the blood work! Posted by Paula on 5/10/2025, 10:21 am, in reply to "Five for me..." And HUGE congratulations for the changes you have made and maintained!

Thank you, Paula! Posted by Joan on 5/10/2025, 6:23 pm, in reply to "Great on the blood work!" I would like to congratulate YOU on having an 11 pound loss last week! That is amazing!

Joan... Posted by Beverly on 5/10/2025, 8:28 am, in reply to "Five for me..." Wonderful.. SEVEN YEARS!!! I am so happy and proud of you Good blood work results are fantastic. Yes... do celebrate Mother's day. I know you are a wonderful mother. ❤️

Thank you, Beverly! Posted by Joan on 5/10/2025, 6:21 pm, in reply to "Joan..." Your comments are always so kind and uplifting!

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