Hey everyone! I wanted to share some of my progress. For my birthday every year I set some goals for myself and last year I decided to start living a more healthier life. Here is a picture from last year and this year wearing the same dress. I don’t know how much I weighed in the first picture as I didn’t start documenting my progress until after I saw my doctor on 2/12/24 but that day I was 241.1 and I’m currently 172.3 which makes 68.8lbs down🤩🤩. Some more info in case you want to know. Mom of 6 (ages 14-7), 33 years old and I’m 5’8.

Does anyone else have what i think is lymphadema? I have nodules in my arms and legs that are painful to the touch. The more i lose the more noticeable and painful they become. Does anyone that does have this know what to do to get rid of them?

What’s everyone’s eating strategy for tomorrow? Do you have anxiety being around food? Let’s talk about it below, I’ll also she my strategy later on today 🙂 Your thanksgiving strategy: 1. Don’t show up starving. Trying to “save calories” by under-eating all day backfires. You walk in ravenous, your prefrontal cortex goes offline, and suddenly the bread basket looks like a life raft. A small protein-rich snack before you leave—Greek yogurt, a protein bar, eggs, a shake—keeps you in control, not primal-hungry. 2. Start your plate with protein (4–5 ounces). Turkey, ham, roast beef—whatever’s there. Protein steadies your blood sugar, keeps you fuller, and naturally limits mindless overeating. This isn’t discipline; it’s physiology. 3. Distance > discipline. Standing next to the grazing table is the fastest way to consume 700+ calories you barely remember eating. Set yourself up intelligently: hang out away from the food so you can focus on conversations instead of crackers. 4. Nothing is “off-limits.” Forbidden foods create rebound desire. Give yourself permission to enjoy the sides, the desserts, the nostalgic dishes. Take moderate portions, savor them slowly, and move on. You’ll end up eating less than if you tried to be “good.” 5. Train the day before or morning of. This isn’t “earning your food” that mindset is poison. A workout simply increases insulin sensitivity and helps your body use that extra fuel more efficiently. Think of it as priming the engine, not repenting for a meal. 6. Keep perspective. It’s one day. The 364 days of ordinary habits matter infinitely more than the one day of mashed potatoes. Stress spikes cortisol, and cortisol sabotages digestion, appetite, and enjoyment. Your only job is: eat deliberately, enjoy deeply, and then move on. 7. Give yourself permission to enjoy the people and the moment. Food is part of the holiday…not the meaning of it. Your memories later will be about laughter, connection, and warmth, not whether you had ½ cup or ¾ cup of stuffing.

What’s everyone’s weekend plans? Do you normally fall off in hitting protein/eating on weekends?

One cube of margarine in a cup of water boiled on stove. Once boiling remove fr9m heat and add a cup of gluten free baking flour and 3/4 tsp of xanthum gum mixed into flour. Stir till forms a ball. Put in mixing bowl and stir in 4 eggs one at a time. I use the paddle in my kitchen aid mixer but you can stir with spoon too. I then put mixture in a pastry bag and make quarter size circles about a half inch or so tall. Bake at 325 for about 30 to 40 min. Till they start to brown. I use cheesecake sugar free jello pudding for filling. Use less milk so its thicker than pudding. I use a small pipe in pastry bag. Just poke hole in top of puff and fill. So easy and such a treat. Bite sized. You can make big ones. If you do you cut in half and take internal dough out to fill.