[Sandi]

Hi all!! I haven't posted a catch up in a while.

I have always said that when I get skinny I am going to cut my hair really short. Well, I had a hair appointment today and something got stirred up in me and I just cut it all off. I mean really short!!! I'll post a pic as soon as I get one. I am tired of living life for someday.

I got my Christmas Bonus and it's the whole week of Christmas and New Years off with pay!! Yippeeee! I am so excited. 16 whole days to spend with Jacob. He is really not going to want to go back to Daycare after that!!

I am done with my Christmas shopping and have my house decorated. I just have to get my Christmas cards out (I have the cutest picture of Jacob) and get wrapping!!!

Well, Dr. Phil was looking for people who are 100+ overweight, so I figured what the heck and sent him an e-mail and a video. I don't really think that much will come of it, but we'll see.

On the diet front, well, in one word. I suck! Just eating whatever. I cleared the house of junk food on Monday when I saw that I had gained again. Now my goal is to just maintain.

Hope everyone is doing well!!

[gonzostar]

i, for one, know i am worried about this time. and to top it all off, my birthday is in 2 days and i can feel it starting already. poeple over for dinner. baking. not having as much to do. etc. etc.

i've never really held up a diet, so this will be a first with me. i have david standing behind me, cheering me on, but i know it's going to be hard.

[lorelei1]

Hi everyone!
I am on a losing streak! Being in the new stages of a relationship has been a great kick in the pants weight loss wise. I have only been eating between 1200-1400 calories a day and the weight has been steadily coming off the past week and a half. The funny thing is we havent actually gone out yet. He has a ton of overtime this month so we arent planning on going out until after Christmas. We have been emailing a lot though. I just hope the inspiration stays for a while!!

Sandi-What a great bonus!! The gift of time off with the family and paid too! Wow! You cant beat that! Good for you on the haircut. No sense in putting everything off for "someday" make yourself happy now!

Holly-I have tried to lose before during the holidays and it is hard but it can be done! I usually just allow myself to have something that is hard to find year round or something really special to splurge calories on. For example I love rocky road fudge so if I saw that at a party, I'd eat it but would blow off the chips and dip, chocolate chip cookies, the everyday type stuff.

laura
313/239.5/160
39.5 to go until 200!!

[Jo]

It doesn't seem like it should be Christmas time already! I'm a little nervous because I am going to be doing some baking over the weekend. I decided to give homemade fudge & cookies to co-workers as gifts instead of buying things (I never know what to get people). So most of the goodies should be out of the house on Monday -- I just hope they stay around that long!

I've actually not done too badly so far this season. I'm getting a little discouraged though, because I'm still so big. The BMI classification kills me. It's like, I started out as morbidly obese, and now I'm . . . still morbidly obese. Oh, well, at least I'm headed the right way.

Hope everyone's having a great holiday season!

TTYL,

Jo
341/269/135 (?)

[snowball1]

Sandi, I can't wait to see a picture of your new haircut!! I've been toying with the idea of chopping mine all of, as well. Right now, it's the longest it has been in quite some time, but I'm getting tired of it. About 5 or so years ago when I lost a bunch of weight, I had it chopped really, really short (think that spikey, funky look). I loved it & am thinking about going back to that, but don't know if I'm brave enough!!!

Holly - this is my first attempt to lose weight during the holiday season, also. Quite frankly, I'm really nervous about it all. My first holiday party was last Friday & Saturday (didn't do too hot!). I have another this Friday, two this Sunday, one next Thursday, & 4 the week of Christmas! I would love, love, love to continue to lose during the holidays, but if I maintain, I'll be happy. I'm just going to keep up the exercise, drink all my water, & try really hard not to go completely nuts!

Laura - Keep up the good work! You're doing fantastic! I just can't wait to hear all the sordid details of your date!

Things are going okay here. I had a rough weekend, diet-wise & we'll see how much damage was done today at weigh-in. Good news, though, is that I've stuck with my exercise routine for 2 weeks now & I am really enjoying it.

As far as Christmas goes... ack! I'm nowhere near ready! I finally finished putting up decorations last night at least. But I still have a TON of shopping & wrapping to do. Time is going waaay to fast! I'm really hoping to finish shopping this Friday evening & then wrap everything this weekend.

Hope everyone is having a wonderful day!

[Goddess Jessica]

I'm SICK!!!!!!!!!!!!! No no no!!!

I woke up this morning with a killer sore throat. I still went out and ran but was so tired when I came home. I'm going home at lunch to get some sleep but I have to work this evening. Yuck! I'm already planning on calling in sick tomorrow. I used to be the type of girl that stuck it out in a cold but now I figured out how much sicker it makes me and I never use all my sick days.

I'm doing pretty well diet-wise. I had a big convention/party I went to for 4 days and I did pretty crappy there and gained gained gained. I did see a magic number this weekend. That second digit in my weight went down by one but then it went back up. But I'm back on track now, except for this cold.

I hate being sick. What's the rules on exercising when you're sick?

Jacob's Mommy - I'm so proud of you for your haircut... and having the whole house decorated and the christmas shopping done!!! What are you, supermommy???

[gonzostar]

the hair thing -- the shortest i've ever had my hair is shoulder length. i have this opinion that sometimes, too short hair just emphasizes that i'm fat. i've also always been all scared to cut my hair cuz it grows soooooooo sloooooow. seriously. so anyways, the point of this is, jacobsmommy-- i hope you love it!!

i haven't done too bad yet, but the christmas parties haven't started. i lost another pound this weekend, but my birthday is tomorrow. it's going to be a potluck. eeeeeee.

i know i can do it. =)

[lorelei1]

Kayla-I cant wait to share all the sordid details! He has a lot of overtime this month but we plan to get together after Christmas.
The weird thing for me is the email back and forth. I guess now that we are in the digital age people kind of get to know each other via email vs. calling. It's kind of exciting to be in the romance game again after all these years. I was married for 10 years before we seperated, so this is all new to me again.

laura
313/239.5/160

[JML]

I know what I want for Christmas. I want the full use of my hands back. I've had tendinititis in both of them for almost 5 months now. I want to be able to type as much as I want, handwrite without pain, play piano for fun, push stuff around on clothing racks and try stuff on in stores without worrying if I'm doing just enough activity or too much, to cook, do alterations on clothes, write a book or two, do some cleaning, braid my hair, bake homemade bread, take courses, read more, work more.

I want my back back too so I can sit for longer periods. I want to be able to dare to leave the house without my heating pad or my ice pack, to take long drives to new places, to get out with friends more, to exercise more than just walking, to ski, to hike, to sled.

I'm making strides towards these things. I go to physical therapy for my hands and back. I have tons of stretches and exercises to do and I am faithful - but it takes so long. I was able to make it through my sisters' "Nutcracker" performance last weekend. It was somewhat painful to sit for so long, but I made it. I don't know what's happening with my hands. I'm getting an appt with a hand specialist soon. Could be a compressed nerve, could be the cysts keeping things from healing. At least I am stronger. I was in splints for so long, my hand muscles atrophied. It was painful to open doorknobs and open the freezer door to get my ice packs. Now, my hand strength is starting to approach normal. I don't even think about doorknobs anymore. Hopefully, things will continue to improve.

Have a Merry Christmas one and all!!!!!!!!!!! --- and a healthy happy new year!!!!!!!!!!!

[Jenniffer]

ARGH! I posted here yesterday....a long one too. Where is it?!?!?!?

I am alive and breathing.

Will post later today....I had a good post too yesterday..and said hi to everyone...waaaaaah.

Hahahhahaaha Miss everyone!!!

[SuchAPrettyFace]

Sandi: Congrats on the haircut!! Let us know if Dr Phil contacts you!

Holly: We're rootin' for ya! I agree w/you on the short hair thing, it just doesn't look good on me.

Laura: So happy for you!!! Isn't it silly (and fun!) how just an email from him can make your entire day?

Jo: I'm making peppermint fudge today w/my mom!

Kayla: I have to finish up about 4 gifts, then I am done! Where does the time go?

Jessica: Hope you're feeling better! I think the thing about exercising when you're sick is this--take it easy. Not so intense? There was something in SHAPE magazine about it, but of course I can't remember what it said now. *sends you chicken soup*

Jeanne: I hope Santa brings you a gift certificate for a massage!

Jenniffer: I hate when that happens!!! I thought I was the only one it happened to! Can't wait to hear it!!

[KittyMilk]

Wow Sandi, that would be great to be on Dr Phils show. Love your new do, looks great and shows of your pretty face. You;ll have lots of fun with Jacob over xmas for sure.
Happy birthday Gonzostar
Hope your better soon Jessica, terrible being crook in the holiday season.
Ouch Jeanne! Hope you can get better, I don't know anything about tendinititis, hope it can be cured.
Was my husbands birthday on the weekend and we had a lovely day, his official party is next week and we are going to be busy with ppl coming to stay over and such, so it's cleaning cleaning and more cleaning for me this week, oh with a touch of lawn mowing added for luck.

[muelledk]

OK, I know that I said that I was back last week, and then haven't posted anything. I've been boycotting my computer. Uggh. i just have not been motivated to sit down and actually type anything. So, I'm back here again, and saying I'll be back again and this time I hope I really am back.
I'm doing pretty good, the kids are making me crazy, as usual, and I'm keeping busy messing up my baking. I just messed up my second batch of peanut brittle this morning. All of my Christmas parties are done and over with now, and my family is coming on Saturday, so I have some time to clean before they get here. The amazing thing is, is that I have been really, really off plan for some time and haven't gained any weight! I won't be where I wanted to be by New Years, but I've kind of accepted that and decided just to try to maintain for now and loose later.

Sandi, I love the new do! You look fab. I'm glad that you decided to do it.

Jessica, I hope that you are doing better.

Talk to you later.

[Jenniffer]

I needed some inspiration this morning to avoid having a cookie fest for breakfast here at work. I updated the weightloss totals...WOW!!! Go take a look!!

[Goddess Jessica]

Thanks everyone for your well wishes! I finally dragged myself to the computer, box of klennex in one hand, a bottle of cough syrup in the other. I hate being sick. I've only been sick since last Wednesday but it feels like I've been sick for a month. I went to the doctor and they gave me the standard, "rest, fluids, etc..." I totally can't sleep at night because the coughing keeps me up. And now that I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel and I'm starting to feel better... The Cute Boyfriend is feeling under the weather!!! No!! I haven't kissed him in a week. It's not fair!

I haven't been exercising at all but I'm not too worried about it.

Sandi - Your hair looks great!