[barbygirl43]

For our newbies, this is where we post about the rest of our lives if you want. Since our lives are about so much more than diet/exercise/weight loss we have a place to share good and bad news. I have a bit of both.

Jeff told me last night he wants me to start cooking healthier dinners. This from the man who 2 years ago scorned me and told me he would never eat healthy food. When I decided to get healthy a couple of years ago I wanted to do Dr. Phil's 2 week plan (and then follow his eating). I asked Jeff 2 just commit to the 2 weeks with me and he told me no. So I pretty much have just done my thing by having smaller portions of the higher fat stuff and loading up on veggies at dinner. I don't know what's gotten into him this time around. He was checking out the gym in the town where he works today.

Now this one I'm not sure if it constitutes bad yet or not but it looks like the company where I work will change hands. Depending on who becomes the boss will determine whether it's good or bad. I'm not stressing out about it this time around since I'm in a much much better place both mentally and emotionally than I was when it almost happened a couple of months ago.

So that's my bit of news.

[Jen415]

Dawnyal, that is great that Jeff wants healthier meals! It does help having your S.O. on board when you are trying to get healthy. It would be interesting to find out what prompted his change of heart.

I don't have anything significant to share at the moment....right now we are waiting to hear some good news about Alan's employment status. Hopefully we will know something for sure by Friday.

[DishyFishy]

That's great about Jeff getting on board, Dawnyal. My hubby will eat almost anything I plonk down in front of him which makes things easier for me. I still occasionally make him pies and stuff though. I just wish I could get him to curb his snacking on sweeties and cookies. It's not about his weight--he weighs something around my goal--it's his overall health that concerns me.

I hope the new ownership doesn't cause too much disruption. I'm glad you're not getting stressed over it, but it must still be unsettling for you.

the news is good on Friday, Jen.

I'm still waiting for my dentist to get in touch about the extraction I need. Not that I'm in any hurry....

[Br00klyn]

Dawnyal - That's fantastic news about Jeff wanting to get healthy too! I can totally relate as Steve said the same thing to me just a couple days ago and we made our super healthy grocery list together. I think it will make things much easier having him on board. Now I do now that he won't be as formal about wanting to lose weight as myself (he maybe has about 15-20 lbs) to lose, and he certainly won't be tracking things but just the fact that he wants healthy meals and snacks in the house is a huge help! How are the kids these days? Do you have any new pics from over the holidays?

I'll keep my fingers crossed for you Jen on Alan's job opportunity. I know only too well how hard it can be sometimes. For about 2 years, Steve went through a huge rollercoaster ride with employment but he's now been in a great job for just over a year and it was the best thing for him!

Well as for my news, I start back at work tomorrow after 2 weeks off so it will be an insane day. I'm also waiting to find out if I got into the Leadership Development program at my work that I've had a couple interviews for. I should know this week, and if I get it... I will be screaming from the rooftops as its SOOOO competitive to get into.

Our house is coming along great, all of the framing is almost done. We've been taking tons of pictures all along and its still very very exciting. I'm so proud of myself that at 23 years old, I'm buying my own place (building at that), and that I've worked HARD to get where I am and all my saving has finally paid off!

Other than that, not too much new... But, I'm off now to do my first big healthy shop to get me kickstarted on plan and I think I'm going to go buy a scale. Now that I'm not going to the gym, I need a scale for home however I don't want to get addicted to it like I have a tendancy to do (that's why I never owned one and just weighed at the gym). Maybe i'll have to get Steve to lock it up and only give it to me once a week.

Anyways, i'll check back later....

[SuchAPrettyFace]

Dawnyal, that is awesome about Jeff being on board! That will make it 10x easier.

Jen, sending good vibes about Alan's job.

Fishy, good luck w/your extraction.

Celina--so good to have you back! Good luck on the promotion!!!

My dad is in the hospital, one of his kidney cysts burst, kidney infection now b/c of that, fever & chills, his body getting rid of the fluid that was in the cyst. He's on Levaquin for now.

Clinical trial going well. Titration right now, I am LOVING being able to drink as much water as I want. Titration means I increase meds once a week based on how I am tolerating the previous week's dosing. I will know my dosage by January 25, when I go back to Mayo Clinic. My next MRI is late February.

Work is busy busy busy.

[ScarlettDrawl]

Celina, that's great about your house! My fiance guarantees me that we will be ready to build a home by the time he is 30 (only 5 years away, and I remind him frequently). So that'll mean I'll be building a home by 26ish! It is an ultimate goal of mine and it is not far fetched at all. I know if nothing else, we'll be buying our first home probably in about 2 years so even that will be exciting for me. As a military brat, I always lived in base housing with my family as a child.

Oh yeah, and to update the wedding planning.....IT'S NON-EXISTANT!
I really need to get on it!

[lucky]

Dawnyal, I'm glad to here your husband has gotten on board with improving his health. I'm even happier to hear that you are relaxed about the possible job changes coming down the pipe. I've been in a similar position and so I know it isn't exactly fun. But, I always figured the only thing to do was to have my resume updated just in case and then wait and see. After all, you can't make the powers that be make their decisions any faster so you might as well coast until they do. I hope it all works out for you though.

Jen, I hope Friday brings with it some good news for you and Alan.

DishyFishy, I've never had to have a tooth extracted but it doesn't sound like a whole lot of fun. My sister has teeth like chalk. She had her front teeth capped years ago and ended up with some sort of infection. Fixing that lead to more probelms and, long story short, now she's having implants put it. I can barely stand to hear her talk about it. I really don't mind the dentist so much - as long as he cranks up the gas.

/Brooklyn, We had a great time building our first house. I was a nervous wreck when we finally closed on it. But I loved getting to pick everything out and change the floorplan to our liking. I remember when we first moved in I thought the place was huge. Then three kids came along and I felt like I was in a shoebox. We ended up buying an existing house as our second home. It has been different from building to say the least. But it is a great plan with all of the features that we want and I'm having a good time making cosmetic changes a few at a time. I'm the type that wants things done and wants them done now so it does get hard for me sometimes. But, I know in another year or so I'll have everything just like I want it - and then it will be time to start changing things up again.

SPF, I'm sorry to hear about your dad and I hope he's feeling better soon. Reading about your clinical trial made me remember a study I participated in when I was in college. Some group at the university was doing a study on PMS. We volunteers would go in maybe twice a week. We'd have to put our hands in ice water and keep it there as long as we could. The intent was to see if our tolerance was lowered as we approached our menstral cycle. Of course it was. Anyway, ever since then I've been sort of facinated with medical trials though I've not ever done an acutal one.

Scarlett, I was the same way with my wedding. I didn't want anything big but my sister had a huge one so for some reason I felt some obligation to do the same thing. The planning was driving me crazy because all I wanted to do was get married. I ended up breaking out in tears while my mom and I shopped for dresses. Bless my mom's heart, I scared her to death. But we made it to the parking lot where I told her a big to-do just wasn't for me. We ended up getting married at my parent's house with just a few close friends and family. It was perfect for me because there was very little planning involved. And the best part was that as a present my dad gave us a check for the difference between what my sister's wedding cost and what ours cost. I always thought her wedding was out of control (she picked her church based on the color of carpet they had for cripes sake). But, boy, when he handed us that check I sure was glad she'd gone all out!

As for me, I'm waiting patiently for Thursday to get here. That's when school starts again. It isn't that I don't like having all of the kids home but everything is just so much easier when we are following a routine. Plus, I just went to Sam's and am busy getting stuff cooked to have in the freezer and I need to organize my cubbards to make room for all the canned/dry goods. I can do that kind of thing much faster when I don't have help.

I've also got an appointment Thursday at the gym to have my workout changed up. I'll get an hour with a personal trainer and have my body fat percentage done. I've got one of the scales that gives it to you but I'm interested in having it done a little more accurately -even though I know even the caliper measurements are subject to a decent sized margin of error. To be honest, I'm a little nervous about what it is going to be.

Come Friday I have my second microdermabrasion appointment. I had no idea I was going to like having this done so much. There was such a difference in my skin after the first one that I can't wait to see how this one turns out. I'm hoping that with only 2-3 treatments I'll be happy with how my skin looks and will be able to just maintain the results at home. I don't have many wrinkles or blemishes but I have neglected my skin for much too long. I used to be terrible about going to bed with my make-up on and not using sunscreen and, of course, I'm paying for it now. But, I feel like I've just about got it all under control.

[ChocLabLover]

Dawnyal-I am sorry that there is a possibility of changes at your workplace. I am glad that emotionally and mentally you are in a better place to cope with potential changes with your job. I know when I was in a similar situation a few years ago, the one thing I did not like was the feeling of having no control over the situation, but everything in the end worked out fine. I know the same thing will happen for you. Just think about your new house!

Jen-I saw Alan post on another thread, it was nice to see him join the 3FC family. I will keep my that you guys hear good news.

DishyFishy-I hope everything goes well with the dentist, and that they give you lots and lots of painkillers!

Celina-Congratulations on building your first house, it is a really exciting thing to do. Myself I took the plunge 5 years ago when I bought my place. I will also keep my for you that you hear good news about the leadership program at work.

SAPF-I am gald to hear that the clinical trials are going well, all the best to your dad that he makes a speedy recovery.

Scarlett- with your upcoming wedding plans. From my own experience of being a maid of honour, the one thing I learned is that it is your wedding, you do what makes you happy!

Lucky-I may take a leaf out of your book and get a personal trainer. I have been seriously thinking about changing gyms, and I think if I get the right personal trainer who is not afraid of pushing me, it may be what I need.

Christmas holidays were pretty quiet. My office shuts down between Christmas and New Years, so it is nice to get the week off. I spent Christmas with my Mom and brother, and then went to Oshawa (east of Toronto) to visit with my best friend and her family for a few days. It was nice to see her and her parents, but unfortunately an incident occurred which I was not too impressed with. We (meaning me and my dog Kiley) were not in the house 2 seconds when my best friend's dog (yellow lab Maddy) attacked and bit Kiley on the ear pretty badly. It caught us all by surprise as the dogs knew each other, and the only thing we could think of was she was protecting her turf. There was blood everywhere, and Kiley was wimpering and in pain most of the night (Boxing Day) . So, the next day off to emergency we go to get her checked out and put on antibiotics and pain killers. It was then that my friend said, "Oh, that must be why she came with a muzzle". She was a rescue dog and apparently not the first time she has attacked. I am a major animal lover, but if you know your dog is aggressive, then you need to take steps (training, muzzle) to curb the aggression. The next person may not be as forgiving as I was. Okay, I will get off of the now. Kiley is fine, I am taking her for a recheck this week, and then I can submit all the bills to the insurance company. Other than that, I saw a few movies (Harry Potter, Narnia, King Kong, Pride and Prejudice (all excellent) and caught up on a few DVDs. Cinderella Man is fantastic, and if you like this kind of thing, March of the Penguins v. interesting. The only other thing is I now have my motivation back to stay on plan. I kind of went on the "seefood" diet over the holidays and I am paying for it now. But, it is a new year, and new goals to work towards!

[Charbar]

I am such a loser.. I don't know how you guys do this! How do you remember everyone in these posts. I read them.. but it's hard to keep up. I'm a stay at home mom...that just has enough time to read them... sometimes!

So much is going on in all your lives. Wow! Mine, the same, as usual - seems like I don't have much on my plate lately.

Celina - I think it's amazing what you are doing at the age of 23! If I told you where I was at - ugh! I was a fool - a complete fool!

Dawnyal - don't worry about the possible changes at your work. Some times it can be for the good. God has a plan for all of us

Sapf - what's going on with you? what are these Clinical trials about? did I miss something!!!???? (is it possible to be here part time) Sorry to hear about your Dad.


I love you all.

[barbygirl43]

LOL Dana. I usually will post my update and then will scroll up and read everyone's post and try to put a little something. If I feel overwhelmed and can't post something to everyone, many times I'll just lurk over here

Carol Sorry to hear about your dog. Glad to hear Kiley is going to be all right.

Lucky I know what you mean about having a routine. I find it much easier to stick to the plan if I am working because it is way more structured. That microderm abrasion thing does sound great. I used some of the cream kits before and could see a big difference just with them.

Aimee Sorry to hear about your dad. I hope they are able to get it under control. Glad to hear the clinical is going well and you can have lots of water.

Celina The house sounds so exciting and I'm hoping the promotion is in the works.

Shannon Good luck with the wedding plans and Ali I hope you get some relief for your tooth.

Jen I'll have my fingers crossed for him too.

Well the company did change hands. The new owner came in and met with us all late yesterday afternoon and said for now everything would remain as is. He'll meet with each of us individually over the next few days to learn about what each of us does and go from there. Like I said before I'm not worried about it.
Jeff and I sat down last night and talked more at length about what he wants to accomplish and that he has to at least try the new foods I may prepare. He is more than willing to do it this time. I'm not really sure why the sudden change of heart. He did join the gym yesterday and goes for his first full session. The best part of the whole deal is the owner is going to be his personal trainer and he's not charging him. He's known Jeff forever and even comes out to our arena to rope.
Luckily the wildfires here in OK haven't been too close to me. They had a good sized one on the lake the last couple of days but that's about it. They did have an escapee this morning. I stopped to get gas in my hometown and they warned me about it (it's about 30 miles from where I work.) They are still looking for him now but they've got a pretty good perimeter going.

[lucky]

I have been cooking up a storm today. I'm beat but I have a freezer full of dinners ready to go. I don't always do this kind of once a month cooking but every now and then the bug bites me and it seems like a good idea. I'm a SAHM too so I don't exactly need the extra time it provides but it is nice to have. If nothing else clean up is a lot easier!

Carol, I'm glad your dog is okay now. We adopted a dog a couple of years ago that they told us was agressive with other animals. She was an awesome dog and really, really sweet. I made a point to tell our neighbors of her history, though. Then all of a sudden she became aggressive with my oldest son. It was so strange, my youngest two could climb on her and roll around with her and she would be fine. But if my oldest so much as walked by she'd show her teeth and growl. I know for sure that he didn't do anything to provoke her. He has always been very responsible with our pets - no ear pulling or anything like that. We ended up having to put her to sleep which was absolutley heartbreaking. We saw two different vets and spent about a month trying to place her - but it is hard to find a home for a dog that is aggressive with both animals and children. Even older couples usually have grandchildren or young neighbors. Oh, it was awful. I am a big animal lover as well and I do believe it was our best option. I feel very strongly that she would have gotten more aggressive if we had sent her back to the shelter.

Charbar, don't feel bad. I have a terrible time keeping up with everyone too. And I don't make it any easier on anyone because I tend to babble on and on.

Well, hope you all have had a successful day!

[activeadventurer]

Wow,

A lot has happened this month and it has only been a few days. Dawnyal, a fire, escapees sounds like a lot of excitement. I am so happy to hear that people are doing well in spite of the hardships that life tosses up. Jen, hope DH has heard good news regarding the job and Aimee I hope your dad is doing well soon. And all the good news, weddings, houses, savings, clinical trials, a months worth of homemade dinners, pets on the mend...
I am just grateful to have a working computer!!

Life has been a little hectic of late. I had to leave my apartment for 2 weeks because of remodeling of a unit next door. I have severe reactions to most chemicals and could hardly keep anything down and had difficulty breathing. I was disappointed that I couldn't spend the holidays at home but still felt loved and cared for by friends and family. Tonight will be my first night back in HOME SWEET HOME

I am still having to see an oncologist. The news is generally good but they still think I could have a leeser known lymphoma and have sent me to yet another doctor. Keep me in your prayers for a speedy answer. It is great to be back after a two month absence. Keep posting

Denise aka activeadventurer

[famograham]

Welcome back Denise

Praying for only good news

xoxox
Linda

[Ivanna B. Skinny]

Hi Everybody. I hope all is well tonight in your worlds!
I've been eating all day long, and feel so crappy, but it could have been worse. It could have been much, much worse, I binged on pretty healthy items, my points weren't over by that much, and I used my flex points for the week to make up for it.

We have had some bad news in my family. Yesterday, my mother found my (very) elderly great-aunt dead in her house. She had very advanced Alzheimer's, and a serious lung condition, plus she was in her late 80's I think. Even with her Alzheimers, she had been telling my mom that she was ready to "go home", so she did. Her visitation is Friday night, and funeral on Saturday morning. I wasnt all that close with her, so Im OK, but my mom is pretty upset.

So theres all THAT to deal with, and then theres some issues with my DH, and the way he inadvertanly sabbotages my efforts every time. I swear, that man doesnt go one day without some outrageous dessert, like HOMEMADE chocolate chip cookies... I cant stay out of the DOUGH.

I've been struggling for at least an hour to learn how to use Photobucket and my new didital camera to put soem pics on here, but I just cant seem to do anything right tonight. I've jsut gotten so completly pi$$ed off that I gave up. It makes me furious whe I cant figure stuff out, and I coulndt even explain the problen for anyone to help me.

I just have ALOT on my mind tonight, and really needed to vent, thanks for listening. I think Ill go hug my daughter and then Ill feel better.

[lucky]

Denise, I hope you get all good news from your doctors.

Ivanna, I'm sorry to hear about your great aunt. That must have been very difficult for your mother. I'm glad she has you to lean on.

Oh, and I hear you on the cookies. The little girl who lives across the street from us asks me to make homemade chocolate chip cookies every time she comes over to play. The last few times I haven't had all of the ingredients. School started back today so I promised my DS warm cookies and milk when he got home. I made a double batch so that the kids could run a plate of them across the street. So, I enjoyed ONE warm, ooey, goey cookie then packed them up. THE NEIGHBORS WEREN'T HOME! So, I spent the afternoon staring down this stupid plate of cookies. So far, so good - but it isn't bedtime yet.

Alright, I had my appointment with the trainer tonight. My body fat % came out to be 26% - not too bad, but not where I want it to be either. Still, it is a huge improvement over this time last year. If I remember right, when I got started last December I was at 45-48%. Not bad for a year's work. She also got me set up with a new weight routine and it is KILLER. And I don't mean killer as in awesome. I mean killer as it it really might kill me. But, if I can survive it, I think it will be just what I need to finally get rid of these last 15-20 pounds.

Hope everyone has a successful day tomorrow!