6 month change-long winded

I am a curler here in BC. I know a lot of people have next to no concept
what that means, but the essence of my story is that curling closes each
year at the end of March and starts again at the beginning of October.

I started LC on March 23 and my first time back curling was last night.

You know how when you are heavy, you do daydreams of what it would be like
to just "twinkle" your nose (i.e Bewitched) and overnight lose your weight
and astonish your friends? This, by the way, was one of my favorite
daydreams.

Well, I guess to a lot of the people I curled with, this is what happened.
I was absolutely besieged yesterday with comments about my weight loss. At
least 25 to 30. These of course ranged from astonished (not too flattering)
to really pleased (true friends) to envious (the ones that warned me that LC
was too harmful to do)

I still have 15 ish pounds to go to get to a weight which is 10lbs over my
graduation weight, but you know what, I think I'm gonna do it!!!

I had a few revalations last night - 1) it's really uncomfortable to get
that much attention (for me, anyway) Did I look so bad before?
-2) When people would congratulate me on how hard I must have worked at
this, I realized that you know what, it really wasn't all that terrifically
hard. LC makes it manageable. And I really should have tried this years
ago
-3) I really, really want to encourage those people who are struggling,
stalled or getting bored/tired on LC. Seriously, if I can do this, you can.
I never, ever thought that I would be successful in losing my extra weight.
I had consoled myself that I have a good marriage, a good job and maybe you
just can't have everything. I now think that fear was my controller. I
haven't figured out if it was fear of success, fear of failure or just plain
fear of something new. But it can be done, so please if you're teetering on
the brink of throwing in the towel, please don't. Just take it a day at a
time, go to bed today without the popcorn or the other (one time) treat and
it will add up. (or down)

I realize that the hardest part of the journey is still ahead of me. The
final 15 plus the boogey man - Maintenance.

But I just really wanted to encourage some people that it truly is
achievable. Don't give up on your daydreams.

Off soapbox now.

Brenda W
205/150/140 March 23, 2003

"Brenda W" wrote in message
news:Aw2kb.116471$6C4.74059@pd7tw1no...
snip

I had a few revalations last night - 1) it's really uncomfortable to get
that much attention (for me, anyway) Did I look so bad before?

The change appears more drastic to people when they haven't seen you in a
while. As far as the attention, look at it this way, when your friends see
you have changed so much for the better, they are going to compliment you.
They don't realize that 20 other people have said the same thing to you
already today. Just look at it as a compliment from 20 ( or however many)
friends that just happened to see you on the same day.

-2) When people would congratulate me on how hard I must have worked at
this, I realized that you know what, it really wasn't all that
terrifically
hard. LC makes it manageable. And I really should have tried this years
ago

Can't agree more.

-3) I really, really want to encourage those people who are struggling,
stalled or getting bored/tired on LC. Seriously, if I can do this, you
can.
I never, ever thought that I would be successful in losing my extra
weight.
I had consoled myself that I have a good marriage, a good job and maybe
you
just can't have everything. I now think that fear was my controller. I
haven't figured out if it was fear of success, fear of failure or just
plain
fear of something new. But it can be done, so please if you're teetering
on
the brink of throwing in the towel, please don't. Just take it a day at a
time, go to bed today without the popcorn or the other (one time) treat
and
it will add up. (or down)

I realize that the hardest part of the journey is still ahead of me. The
final 15 plus the boogey man - Maintenance.

But I just really wanted to encourage some people that it truly is
achievable. Don't give up on your daydreams.


Congrats on your success and good luck on the last few pounds.

Chris


Off soapbox now.

Brenda W
205/150/140 March 23, 2003

In article Aw2kb.116471$6C4.74059@pd7tw1no,
"Brenda W" wrote:

I am a curler here in BC. I know a lot of people have next to no concept
what that means, but the essence of my story is that curling closes each
year at the end of March and starts again at the beginning of October.

First off, I have to say, I saw curling on tv during the last winter
olympics, and I thought in some ways it was the neatest sport ever. Do you
know much about the origins of it? Because while watching it I imagined a
bunch of drunk frat guys sitting around on a cold winter's day, and one of
them saying "Damn, the basketball court is frozen over, what are we gonna
do?" And another guy says "Well, let's see, we've got this broom . . . and
I think I saw a big flat rock down there . . . " and thus a new sport was
born.


I started LC on March 23 and my first time back curling was last night.

You know how when you are heavy, you do daydreams of what it would be like
to just "twinkle" your nose (i.e Bewitched) and overnight lose your weight
and astonish your friends? This, by the way, was one of my favorite
daydreams.

Well, I guess to a lot of the people I curled with, this is what happened.
I was absolutely besieged yesterday with comments about my weight loss. At
least 25 to 30. These of course ranged from astonished (not too flattering)
to really pleased (true friends) to envious (the ones that warned me that LC
was too harmful to do)

I'm actually looking forward to what my relatives will say about my weight
loss, I haven't seen them in a year or so. I LOVE positive attention.



I still have 15 ish pounds to go to get to a weight which is 10lbs over my
graduation weight, but you know what, I think I'm gonna do it!!!

You totally are!!!




I had a few revalations last night - 1) it's really uncomfortable to get
that much attention (for me, anyway) Did I look so bad before?
-2) When people would congratulate me on how hard I must have worked at
this, I realized that you know what, it really wasn't all that terrifically
hard. LC makes it manageable. And I really should have tried this years
ago
-3) I really, really want to encourage those people who are struggling,
stalled or getting bored/tired on LC. Seriously, if I can do this, you can.
I never, ever thought that I would be successful in losing my extra weight.
I had consoled myself that I have a good marriage, a good job and maybe you
just can't have everything. I now think that fear was my controller. I
haven't figured out if it was fear of success, fear of failure or just plain
fear of something new. But it can be done, so please if you're teetering on
the brink of throwing in the towel, please don't. Just take it a day at a
time, go to bed today without the popcorn or the other (one time) treat and
it will add up. (or down)

I realize that the hardest part of the journey is still ahead of me. The
final 15 plus the boogey man - Maintenance.

But I just really wanted to encourage some people that it truly is
achievable. Don't give up on your daydreams.

Off soapbox now.

Brenda W
205/150/140 March 23, 2003



--
-Michelle Levin (Luna)
http://www.mindspring.com/~lunachick
http://www.mindspring.com/~designbyluna

"Luna" wrote in message
...
In article Aw2kb.116471$6C4.74059@pd7tw1no,
"Brenda W" wrote:

I am a curler here in BC. I know a lot of people have next to no
concept
what that means, but the essence of my story is that curling closes each
year at the end of March and starts again at the beginning of October.

First off, I have to say, I saw curling on tv during the last winter
olympics, and I thought in some ways it was the neatest sport ever. Do
you
know much about the origins of it? Because while watching it I imagined a
bunch of drunk frat guys sitting around on a cold winter's day, and one of
them saying "Damn, the basketball court is frozen over, what are we gonna
do?" And another guy says "Well, let's see, we've got this broom . . . and
I think I saw a big flat rock down there . . . " and thus a new sport was
born.


Close - but it actually started in Scotland (although some Scandanavians
sometimes beg to differ) I went to Scotland about 2 years ago. I figured
hey - any country where the men all sound like Sean Connery and I am so
there!! There is a little island off the coast where men used to row to,
chop off a piece of granite and make that into the curling stone. It is
still a major source.
Curling has been a great sport for me. It is very social, much more
athletic than non players realize and gives us non skiers something to do in
the winter. I have noticed from your posts that you like bowling. Curling
is very similar, just imagine sliding down with your ball (the curling
rock-44lbs) on a sheet of ice and then having your teammates sweep your rock
to help it reach it's target. And when you get cold at the end of the game,
you go to the bar. Curling is a very friendly sport also - you shake hands
with your opponents before and after each game. I know it looks damn wierd
on TV, but it is something that you can do from the age of 8 to 80. And the
costs are quite inexpensive.
Brenda W

In article Sm4kb.116052$9l5.111196@pd7tw2no,
"Brenda W" wrote:

"Luna" wrote in message
...
In article Aw2kb.116471$6C4.74059@pd7tw1no,
"Brenda W" wrote:

I am a curler here in BC. I know a lot of people have next to no
concept
what that means, but the essence of my story is that curling closes each
year at the end of March and starts again at the beginning of October.

First off, I have to say, I saw curling on tv during the last winter
olympics, and I thought in some ways it was the neatest sport ever. Do
you
know much about the origins of it? Because while watching it I imagined a
bunch of drunk frat guys sitting around on a cold winter's day, and one of
them saying "Damn, the basketball court is frozen over, what are we gonna
do?" And another guy says "Well, let's see, we've got this broom . . . and
I think I saw a big flat rock down there . . . " and thus a new sport was
born.


Close - but it actually started in Scotland (although some Scandanavians
sometimes beg to differ) I went to Scotland about 2 years ago. I figured
hey - any country where the men all sound like Sean Connery and I am so
there!! There is a little island off the coast where men used to row to,
chop off a piece of granite and make that into the curling stone. It is
still a major source.
Curling has been a great sport for me. It is very social, much more
athletic than non players realize and gives us non skiers something to do in
the winter. I have noticed from your posts that you like bowling. Curling
is very similar, just imagine sliding down with your ball (the curling
rock-44lbs) on a sheet of ice and then having your teammates sweep your rock
to help it reach it's target. And when you get cold at the end of the game,
you go to the bar. Curling is a very friendly sport also - you shake hands
with your opponents before and after each game. I know it looks damn wierd
on TV, but it is something that you can do from the age of 8 to 80. And the
costs are quite inexpensive.
Brenda W



Heh, maybe inexpensive where you live, but here in Atlanta GA it would cost
quite a bit to build a curling rink, it doesn't get cold enough here to do
it outside except for maybe 3 hours late at night on the coldest night of
the year. About it being more athletic than it looks, I imagine it takes
quite a bit of skill, and I consider being able to just stand up on skates
to be athletic, for me. So what are the guys with the brooms doing anyway?
I remember on tv, it looked like they were sweeping in front of the disk,
does that melt the ice and direct the path or something? It would have
been nice to get more of an explanation from the commentators, but I
believe they were under the assumption that no one would be watching who
didn't already understand the sport. Oh, and are they using special
curling brooms, or are those just regular household brooms?

--
-Michelle Levin (Luna)
http://www.mindspring.com/~lunachick
http://www.mindspring.com/~designbyluna

"Brenda W" wrote in message
news:Aw2kb.116471$6C4.74059@pd7tw1no...
I am a curler here in BC. I know a lot of people have next to no concept
what that means, but the essence of my story is that curling closes each
year at the end of March and starts again at the beginning of October.

-3) I really, really want to encourage those people who are struggling,
stalled or getting bored/tired on LC. Seriously, if I can do this, you
can.
I never, ever thought that I would be successful in losing my extra
weight.


Off soapbox now.

Brenda W
205/150/140 March 23, 2003

Hello, Brenda!

First, let me say that as a MINNESOTAN, I definitely know what a curler is!
We have many curling clubs! It is something I always something I wanted to
do myself but i didn't think I would fit in and now I am too fat and too old
at 36! LOL!
Anyways, I want to thank you for your words. I am starting induction
tomorrow and your words give me hope that I can actually do it. I want that
same fantasy and hope that this will give it to me but also to help me get
helathy. You have done a good job with your weight loss and hope that I can
do as well as you. Good Job! Keep curling!!! LOL

lowcarb_newbie
400/352/177

On Sat, 18 Oct 2003 03:33:52 GMT, "Brenda W" wrote:



But I just really wanted to encourage some people that it truly is
achievable. Don't give up on your daydreams.

Off soapbox now.

Brenda W
205/150/140 March 23, 2003


*Applause*
Yay ! Brenda
Stand on that soapbox anytime gal
It's great to hear people who are "pumped" up and finding their
daydreams coming true !


~Karen~
225/190/140ish
start Jan17/03
Started at the gym September/03

"Luna" wrote in message
...
In article Sm4kb.116052$9l5.111196@pd7tw2no,
"Brenda W" wrote:

"Luna" wrote in message
...
In article Aw2kb.116471$6C4.74059@pd7tw1no,
"Brenda W" wrote:

I am a curler here in BC. I know a lot of people have next to no
concept
what that means, but the essence of my story is that curling closes
each
year at the end of March and starts again at the beginning of
October.

First off, I have to say, I saw curling on tv during the last winter
olympics, and I thought in some ways it was the neatest sport ever.
Do
you
know much about the origins of it? Because while watching it I
imagined a
bunch of drunk frat guys sitting around on a cold winter's day, and
one of
them saying "Damn, the basketball court is frozen over, what are we
gonna
do?" And another guy says "Well, let's see, we've got this broom . . .
and
I think I saw a big flat rock down there . . . " and thus a new sport
was
born.


Close - but it actually started in Scotland (although some Scandanavians
sometimes beg to differ) I went to Scotland about 2 years ago. I
figured
hey - any country where the men all sound like Sean Connery and I am so
there!! There is a little island off the coast where men used to row
to,
chop off a piece of granite and make that into the curling stone. It is
still a major source.
Curling has been a great sport for me. It is very social, much more
athletic than non players realize and gives us non skiers something to
do in
the winter. I have noticed from your posts that you like bowling.
Curling
is very similar, just imagine sliding down with your ball (the curling
rock-44lbs) on a sheet of ice and then having your teammates sweep your
rock
to help it reach it's target. And when you get cold at the end of the
game,
you go to the bar. Curling is a very friendly sport also - you shake
hands
with your opponents before and after each game. I know it looks damn
wierd
on TV, but it is something that you can do from the age of 8 to 80. And
the
costs are quite inexpensive.
Brenda W



Heh, maybe inexpensive where you live, but here in Atlanta GA it would
cost
quite a bit to build a curling rink, it doesn't get cold enough here to do
it outside except for maybe 3 hours late at night on the coldest night of
the year. About it being more athletic than it looks, I imagine it takes
quite a bit of skill, and I consider being able to just stand up on skates
to be athletic, for me. So what are the guys with the brooms doing
anyway?
I remember on tv, it looked like they were sweeping in front of the disk,
does that melt the ice and direct the path or something? It would have
been nice to get more of an explanation from the commentators, but I
believe they were under the assumption that no one would be watching who
didn't already understand the sport. Oh, and are they using special
curling brooms, or are those just regular household brooms?

--
-Michelle Levin (Luna)
http://www.mindspring.com/~lunachick
http://www.mindspring.com/~designbyluna


Actually I live on the west coast on Vancouver Island, so we don't actually
get ice outside here either. Haven't had snow tires since I moved here.
However, it is still quite a bit colder in the winter than Atlanta.

The brooms are specially made - now most people use an artificial pusher
rather than a straw boom. Less noisy and much cleaner - no straw on the
ice. Annual costs for a night's curling for 6 months are about $125 - great
deal as there is a lot of entertainment available. The brooms melt the
pebble (the sheets of ice are sprinkled with droplets of water before each
game which hardens to drops of ice - this is actually the surface which the
rock slides on) By warming the ice with the motion of the broom you can
make the rock slide farther (experts say up to 10ft?) and reduce the curling
aspect. The curl to the rock is given when you release the rock either
clockwise or counterclockwise.
If you ever get a chance to go to a bonspiel or funspiel (just a name for a
group of curling games) do so. I'm sure you'd really enjoy it.
Brenda W

"Shawntelle Azzouz" wrote in message
...

"Brenda W" wrote in message
news:Aw2kb.116471$6C4.74059@pd7tw1no...
I am a curler here in BC. I know a lot of people have next to no
concept
what that means, but the essence of my story is that curling closes each
year at the end of March and starts again at the beginning of October.

-3) I really, really want to encourage those people who are struggling,
stalled or getting bored/tired on LC. Seriously, if I can do this, you
can.
I never, ever thought that I would be successful in losing my extra
weight.


Off soapbox now.

Brenda W
205/150/140 March 23, 2003

Hello, Brenda!

First, let me say that as a MINNESOTAN, I definitely know what a curler
is!
We have many curling clubs! It is something I always something I wanted to
do myself but i didn't think I would fit in and now I am too fat and too
old
at 36! LOL!
Anyways, I want to thank you for your words. I am starting induction
tomorrow and your words give me hope that I can actually do it. I want
that
same fantasy and hope that this will give it to me but also to help me get
helathy. You have done a good job with your weight loss and hope that I
can
do as well as you. Good Job! Keep curling!!! LOL

lowcarb_newbie
400/352/177


Thanks - but don't give up on the curling. I didn't start until I was 39.
I'd never even seen it on TV - I thought that it was a sport only done way,
way up north and that people stood at opposite ends of the ice and threw the
rocks towards each other. Sounded dangerous to me.

Induction can be tough - headaches etc. But just keep struggling thru and
there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Seriously.

My motivation was probably at least 50% for health. My doctor had just
called me pre-diabetic, my blood pressure was up, I was on prescription for
anti-acids and my knees were beginning to hurt. Within 6 months my blood
sugar and pressure are close to normal, no more anti-acids. Knees still
hurt a bit but I think carrying around the weight may have done a number on
them - but they are a little better.

Think of induction as a day by day thing. I find projecting too much into
the future was fairly discouraging.

Best of luck - you can do it.
Brenda W