Counting down from 250 and beyond - Nov 25 Conquering Onward!
Come join us as we make this journey toward a healthier life. We are a friendly group who have started at a point above 250 and working our way downward. Join us at any level. Welcome!
Hope you don't mind my starting a new thread. We were getting a little long on the other one.
Lilac had some great thoughts about changes in our lives. I thought I would bring it over here as something for us all to think about as we struggle to get back or stay on track this holiday season.
Quote:
Have you looked at the WW Library thread? there is a thing there called Plateau hints and tips, and it has loads of info on about things which other people have found helpful. Also, why dont we all post up our Ten Tiny Changes which have made a difference to our quality of life?? Here are mine:
Lilac's Ten Tiny Changes
1. I fit in to my pink 'White Stuff' sweatshirt
2. I can walk to town without my feet hurting
3. My star sapphire ring is no longer so tight it hurts
4. I fit in to the chairs at college without bruising my outside thighs.
5. I can twist to reach the seat belt in my car without much effort 6. I eat a lot of soup!
7. I know I can eat what I like, but I cant eat what I like without gaining weight, so I need discipline
8. I eat apples for snacks rather than pastries
9. My red flannel pyjamas fit me!
10. I conciously aim to nourish myself fully and healthily.
And here are three more changes I can make umm... 1. I could stop putting things on the bottom stair to be taken up later, but instead take them upstairs at the time! 2. I could buy a smaller wine glass to drink from while I cook (my current one is a two pointer, and really I just like the ritual of a glass of wine as I stand at the stove, listening to some bluesey jazz and unwinding.....) 3. I could make it a rule to always save up a few (say 12ish) points during the week, for use at the weekend on 'going out', so I dont trip up each time I eat out.
I'm off to think about changes I've made in my life so far and what I could change to make it better. Hope this helps!
Last edited by Terri in MO; 11-25-2001 at 02:02 PM.
Hi everyone! It is sunday night. I have been to my mothers for lunch today, but I cooked so I have stayed OP (but only just....!!).
My plan for the next three days is soup soup soup soup soup. I will be the Soup Dragon. (I suppose that ref. to children's 1970's TV is lost on you all??? The Soup Dragon was in The Clangers who were these sort of pink knitted mice type things which lived on 'a planet far far away', and had adventures with the other inhabitants of said planet and especially the Soup Dragon (who looked after a sort of crater/well thing of soup which she gave out when Mummy Clanger wanted) and the Iron Chicken who was, well, an iron chicken who lived on a nest out in space. Of course. Oh and they had this brilliant thing called the music tree which grew notes! and you picked them and made tunes! Oh it was wonderful. If you are in the slightest bit interested www.clangers.co.uk is the way, and you can follow the links to all kind of pics etc. But maybe you had to be 5 years old at the relevant time to really get it.....
Soup will be the thing for me in the next few days.
Linda - I hope you find you can get back on track quickly from having a tricky week. The peanut brittle must have been a hurdle. I love that stuff, although in recent years I have been unable to eat nuts (weird turn of events....)
Terri - your new pastor sounds great - a bit of a character by all accounts!! I hope he does your church well. And decorations ! Gosh, I have to think about that. I have seen some angels made out of glass in a shop and I might buy some and have them on a tree with white fairy lights. That will be twinkly. I like to have an angel theme on my tree, but I always end up sneaking in some other much loved decs. I am hoping to pick up a kangeroo santa in Oz I fly on Wednesday night, and the check in is really long cos of security, so I have to leave the house mid afternoon on Wednesday.
Let me lay out my trip......I am flying in to Sydney. It is 22 hours on the plane and because of the time difference I will arrive there on Friday morning!!! We have three days in Sydney (including a trip to the opera house to see the ballet 'Copelia') and then we drive up to the Hunter Valley which is the wine region for some tasting, eating, hanging out. Then we drive back to Sydney for I think one night and then it is a flight to Ulurhu (or Ayers Rock if you want the colonial name...). We are staying in a hotel there called the Sails in the Desert (or Snails in the Dessert as I prefer to think of it ....laughing a my own jokes ). I think we are there for something like two days, basically to watch the spectacular sunrise and sunset over the rock. Then another plane to Cairnes on the east coast, and an overland transfer to the Daintree Eco Lodge, which is a resort in the rainforest (well the brochure says in the canopy!! So maybe it is treehouses!!) which is designed to be low impact as far as the environment goes, but also it is luxurious! Wow! I am there for a week and plan to fill my days with walks with the local guides (they take you in to the rainforest and show you the plants and animals and birds), and swimming in the pool there! Oh, and a day or two snorkling at the Great Barrier Reef!! I have gone and got contact lenses specially as I wont be able to wear my specs behind the snorkling mask.
We dont know anyone there - it is a holiday we put together ourselves, although Thomas Cook helped us organise the flights etc. I am going with my friend (who I also live with), and we are paying for it partly out of some prize money we have had sitting in the bank for a while. I will take lots of pics and try and learn how to post them on here, so you can all see.
Apparently the spiders are as big as dinner plates
Bet you are all jealous now....!! I really cant wait. I have not really been away, except for my Cornwall trip, for ages. Tunisia on a last minute package was the last time and that certainly seems ages ago. Next year I am planning on just hiring a cottage in France for a couple of weeks I think - cheap and cheerful (well, cheep from here anyway ).
Love to you all
Lilac (who is hunting out her sunblock and ironing her sarong....)
I'm green with envy Lilac. I WANNA GO TO! When do you get home? We'll miss you bunches. If I remember correctly you joined WW so you could fit better into that plane seat. YOU DID IT! You've lost enough that you should be very comfortable on that long flight! Sounds like you will be busy enough that you will be able to stay OP by eating your extra exercise points. HAVE A GREAT TIME AND DON'T FORGET US WHEN YOU GET HOME. Be safe.
LINDA: You've be doing wonderfully don't let that slip turn into a full fledged slide.
My memory is kicking in today. Weren't you the person who couldn't walk. for exercise, when you first joined us? Now you are CLIMBING STAIRS for exercise. WHAT A GIANT STEP! We are here for you. If you want to wat a nono type us a message. I've learned you can't write and eat at the same time. YOU GO GIRL!
TERRI: I love Lilac's list too. What a great idea. I'm going to work on mine this week and hopefully post it when it's done.
Lilac, I'm green with envy too. Your plans sound absolutely DIVINE! ...except for the long plane ride. I had one like that when we went to Zimbabwe last year. Man, I never wanted to see another airplane again after that marathon, especially after a 5 hour unscheduled stopover in Windhoek, Namibia for emergency repairs. You are going to have the most marvelous time. Make sure you keep a diary so you can tell us all about it. I'm sure we're all green with envy at the mere thought of renting a little cottage in France for a holiday too. Something I have dreamt of doing but just know I'll never do it. Mind you, I never thought I'd go to Africa or Scotland either, so you really do never know.
By the way, Lilac, thanks for the soup idea. That will be one of my projects for tomorrow. A nice big batch of zero point soup. It's such a big help getting me through an afternoon and so comforting on a cold day.
I'm trying to think of my list of ten tiny changes after losing 17-19 pounds (depending on if I've had a good or a bad week, LOL)
1. I can now tie my shoes by myself. Before I wouldn't even buy shoes that needed tying because there was no way I could bend past my big belly to tie them.
2. I can now climb the stairs (22) at the rec center without holding the railing and without having to stop and recuperate, gasping and wheezing for 10 minutes afterward.
3. I can now swim two lengths of the Olympic sized pool without dying. Mind you, I still have to switch from swimming on my tummy to my back several times but I do keep moving.
4. I can now wear a bra all day without feeling as if I'm being strangled.
5. I now have a tiny dent in my midsection when I sit instead of just bulging out in a giant balloon shape. I'm hoping this dent will eventually evolve into a waistline.
6. When climbing out of the swimming pool I can now go up the straight ladder instead of having to use the stairs for handicapped people.
7. I can now walk for about 30 minutes without wanting to lie down and die or being in such pain I could cry.
8. My pants, even the non-stretch ones, feel loose around my backside and legs.
9. My face is looking a little less moon-like
10. I can feel a hard lump near my hip bone which is either (a) a new muscle or (b) an actual hip bone. It's still well padded with flab though so I'll have to wait a while to find out for sure. I don't think it's the tumor I thought it was when I first discovered it.
Let's all make this coming week totally OP. There's no reason we have to binge for a whole month just because there are a few special occasion days in it. We all know we can splurge just enough to feel we're celebrating without going whole hog and without gaining weight. If we use the brains the good Lord gave us, we can make it through the next month with our self esteem and our bodies in better shape.
Linda
I was supposed to leave Florida for the 9 - 10 hour drive home yesterday morning around 11. Instead, we were delayed by problems with our car and didn't leave until 6 pm! We got home this morning around 3.30 am. *yawn* I actually managed to stay on program all Thanksgiving holiday -- only had to used banked points once -- and even snuck out to exercise a couple times. Heck, I went and weighed in on Saturday and *ARGH* was up 2 pounds! My assumption is that the scale at the place I weighed in was "off" by comparison to my regular WW scale -- but who knows? Maybe it was just one of the "you avoided the cheesecake and didn't over eat but still gained" ironic moments.
Got a short list of things I'm thankful for since losing weight:
1) I can carry more weight when overnight hiking (we just got new tents so that we can tent hike instead of shelter hike).
2) I cost less when eating out as I don't order as much food but still leave the table satisfied.
3) I'm no longer afraid that I'll outgrow the 3X size that I can at least sometimes find in stores locally. If I'd made it to 4X it would have been mail order time for sure!
4) I can buy and wear comfortably bras that are sold by Victoria's Secret now!
5) I like having my picture taken because I can see the changes most graphically then.
6) My seatbelt doesn't bind.
7) I can wear my knee high boots because my calves are thin enough finally.
8) Running errands doesn't tire me out.
9) I can outlast the skinny minnies at my gym when exercising on the elliptical thingy.
Its a very chilly morning here in the midwest. Looks like we will miss the snow to the north and south of us. Whew!
I'm on week two of my vacation. Yesterday was a nice day so I got the outside christmas lights up, mowed the backyard, raked the last of the leaves and bagged them all. I was so exhausted by the time DH got home. But I felt good and the lights look good and the yard looks good. I had a good OP day as well.
Since today is cold, I'm working inside all day. I think paperwork and crafts are on my agenda. I did get my spinner moved downstairs yesterday so I plan to do 10 mins on the spinner and 10 mins on the airdyne.
I've been thinking about my list of changes in my life. I haven't come up with ten yet but here they are.
1. I have more physical endurance.
2. I am more aware of how my body feels when I'm being physical. I feel almost athletic and like other people.
3. I am more aware of being "full" and quit eating.
4. I can throw food out no matter how much I like it; I recognize when I've had enough to satisfy the craving.
5. My clothes do fit better.
6. Everytime I eat veggies and fruit over fried/fast/junk/calorie laden food, I know that's one mouthful towards a healthier body and maybe preventing diabetes or cancer down the road.
Here's what I can do to continue my journey:
1. Keep at my journal.
2. Celebrate every physical accomplishment as a boost to my self-confidence.
3. Really get my portion sizes under control.
4. Step up my exercise to include hand weights and more on the spinner/airdyne to complement the walking.
5. Try two new WW friendly recipes every week.
6. Water; water; water and plan; plan plan!
Thanks Lilac for starting this thought process. Maybe this will help those of us who have our struggling moments when it feels like we haven't accomplished a thing. Congratulatious to everyone for the things you have accomplished. Look at the great changes you have made in your life.
Lilac- Your trip sounds wonderful. Have a safe and fabulous time.
Bunny - Welcome back from your trip. That long of a drive is tiring by itself but to get back at that hour sounds killer. Hope you're resting up. Those two pounds could have been sodium or like you think, the change in the scale. But good for you for being accountable and going to a meeting.
Linda - I agree with you about having a OP week. I'm going to try hard and hard it will be for me since being at home is one of my danger areas. But I've gotten rid of all the leftovers and desserts so there isn't much to snack on even if I feel like I'm dying if I don't have chocolate. We can have at least three OP weeks before the Christmas holiday. And we can get in lots of exercise points between now and then as well.
J-Ann- How's the list coming? You've got a good memory!
Its cold downstairs so I'm headed back upstairs to see what I can tackle next.
1. I FEEL BETTER! I walk a lot farther then I have in years and my knees don't hurt.
2. I am wearing smaller, old clothes rather than, once again, having to go out and buy a bigger size.
3. I've taught myself that eating while driving is NOT essential to getting somewhere.
4. McDonalds can remain open without my business every day.
5. This is a BIG ONE for a sedentary 52 yr. old. I've learned I enjoy exercise. Now I cannot imagine not going to the Y 2 or 3 days a week.
6. I can control what goes into my mouth. Just because food is there doesn't mean I have to eat it ALL.
7. I now grocery shop by taking a list and physically holding one hand with the other to stop myself from reaching for greasy stuff. (And I don' care if I do look funny holding my own hand!)
8. Portion size isn't how much I can stuff into my mouth in one sitting.
9. I can once again fit into a booth in a restaurant. Phew!
10. If I start to binge I CAN stop myself. lecture myself, and get back on program without beating myself up. Hey we all make mistakes sometimes.
11. Eating healthy doesn't cost anymore than pigging out on junkfood every day.
12. I can go into a restaurant and ask to have a "to go" box brought with my entree. I can fill it with all the stuff I know I shouldn't finish at the meal, put it with my purse and truly enjoy my meal without the temptation to overeat!
13. I know that this is the place to come for support, friendship and great ideas for living this new way of life. Thank you all for being here.
Wow, its really cold here today. Winter is finally finding us. I won't complain because it can get worse. Sure will make the dog and I walk faster tonight!
Great job on the list J-Ann. I found doing mine very motivating and it really helped me feel better about what I have done for myself.
I decided to give the e-tools a try on the WW website. When I first heard about it, I wasn't thrilled about paying for the online service. However, since I haven't been going to meetings because of the cost and frustration, I decided the $14.95 a month might be worth it. So far, I love the online journal. I was surprised when it added a point to some foods where I had gotten a double serving and just assumed to double the points. Those half and single points can add up if you eat at the high end all the time. I also love the weekly menu plan tailored to my point range. A great source for ideas on what to eat and recipes to go along with. I'm looking to this to help me keep accountable and help in my planning goals.
Yesterday was a kind of blue day. Not sure why since I didn't have to be a work. I made gel candles to give away as Christmas presents. Very pretty and easy. I made them smell good too. Today was laundry and getting the Christmas tree up. Its been very nice to putz around the house; working when I want; sitting when I want, snoozing when I want. Monday will be a rude shock.
About time for DH to come home and I want to get the dogwalk done as soon as I can get all bundled up. I have this incredibly dorky hat that comes down over my ears and fastens under my chin. Looks silly but it has a lovely furrish lining that is so warm. Think of me in my dork hat while I'm tromping the neighborhood.
Tonight for dinner we had Linguine with Seafood Sauce -- yuuuuuummmmmm! It makes 6 servings of 7 points each.
4 green onions, sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
2 Tbsp butter
1 pound cooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 can (6.5 ounces) chopped clams, undrained
1 cup chicken broth, fat free
1/2 cup white wine
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 cup fresh minced parsley
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
12 ounces uncooked linguine
2 Tbsp cornstarch
2 Tbsp water, cold
1/4 cup low fat sour cream
In a large nonstick skillet, saute onions and garlic in butter for 4 - 5 minutes of until tender. Stir in the next 10 ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, cook the linguine according to package directions.
Combine cornstarch and water until smooth; gradually add to seafood mixture. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Drain linguine; toss with sour cream. Place in a serving bowl; add seafood mixture and toss to coat.
Got in some time at the gym today; 30 minutes on the elliptical trainer while my kids were swimming. I watched a HGTV quilting show. It was great -- all about making nature inspired quilts. My godmother gave me a quilting book over Thanksgiving which deals with this topic 'cause I've always wanted to make one. It was lovely to see it being done, ya know? I also bought some gourds this morning at the farmer's market -- all because I watched Martha Stewart make some incredible gourd bowls the other day. I'm headed off shortly to her website to see if I can find the directions.
Terri -- I love my WW online. I use it constantly. I'm particularly fond of the part where I can look at the graphic display o' my weight loss to date. I've also found looking back at weeks where I did particularly well inspiring. Very cool!
No time at all -- BUT -- I had to come by and tell folks who have a Belk store near them ... GO NOW! I went by my local stores today and found a rack in each department which was 75% off and then an additional 75% off of that price!!
If you are even slightly the bargain lovin' shop-a-holic that I am, you'll be glad you went!!
Gosh its Friday already. Yesterday was another blue day because of the dreary weather. I really must have that SAD or whatever it is when you get down because the sun isn't shining. I may have to get a grow lamp to sit under or something. But I forced myself to do fun things and not sit around and snack.
I made soap yesterday that I plan to give away with the gel candles. I've never made soap before. It was kind of fun. I made little heart shapes of glycerin soap with sea kelp and some with oatmeal; all with a nice sandlewood smell. I don't know if that counts as being creative since I actually only melted the glycerin and added the other stuff. Not like I made lye soap over a fire!!
I also did 10 mins on my spinner yesterday and did two sets of strength builders with the hand weights. I also took the dog out for our normal walk. It was cold so we walked really really fast.
I finally convinced DH that he can make me sauteed salmon without a lot of oil. It was very good. He fixed his orange roughy that way and liked it. I saved the recipe if anyone is interested. Just let me know and I'll post.
DH has his first school trip to drive for tonight. He's loving being a school bus driver; me too since his whole atttitude is so much better. I know its helping his health too. We didn't think he'd get the chance to get the extra hours in since its been on a seniority basis (only top 4 drivers). But the new superintendent has caused quite the uproar and making it possible for all drivers to get the chance at extra hours. My challenge tonight will be being here by myself most of the day and then again tonight and not having a big food fest. I've already got two movies I can watch. I just need to plan something good to eat that's WW friendly and satisfying.
Bunny - Thanks for the seafood linguine recipe. DH loves that stuff so I've got him all primed to try to your recipe next week. I'm trying to work in more fish and this will be a big help. You're doing so great at the elliptical trainer. I love quilts. I have several quilt patterns that I've torn out of magazines as one of my life goals. I would have froze to death back in the old times as I haven't tackled it yet! Martha makes things look so easy too. I got the soap idea from seeing her on Oprah a couple of weeks ago. Have fun with the gourds!
I bet Lilac is having a fabulous time.
Everyone else, hope you're doing well. If not, it will be okay. The next meal is a new start.
I better get back upstairs and let the dog in. His nose is probably a little cold. I think today is getting my ceramics unpacked and organized so that maybe I can work on that.
Terri -- My godmother and I both began quilting at the same time. We're still very much beginners but we love it a lot! I've made two quilts for my bed, one for each of my kids, and a handful of lap quilts for folks I know and love. My hope is to complete another quilt for my bed this winter/spring. Now that we live where it gets cold, I need something a little more warmth-inducing. Now soaps and candles sound really interesting! I bought some homemade soaps from a friend this past week and plan to give them as Christmas gifts. One smells just exactly like Pumpkin Pie!
I managed to lose the 2 pounds I gained over the holidays -- so I'm back to my 37#'s off position. Next week I'll do even more I think -- I'm feeling psyched again because I'm wearing the Elisabeth 18s and 20s now -- toning up because of the exercise I imagine 'cause I haven't lost all that much since I was in the 22s, ya know?
Anyway -- tonight we're trying a chicken and rice dish (from Light and Tasty magazine). If it works out, I'll post the recipe!
Back to work this morning. As much as I'd like to be a stay at home person, I believe in reality that I would fall into lazy patterns and do a lot of snacking. Humm, seems like that is how it all started back when I was in my teens. So I'll be glad to get back to the normal routine.
Got up at 5:30 am and did 10 mins on the airdyne and stretching afterwards. Tonight will be a lovely night for a brisk 30 min walk.
The real whoopppee was that I stepped on the scales this morning and I'm finally back into the 250's. I'm down at least three pounds this morning (3 new ones plus the Thanksgiving couple).
I'm really liking the WW etools and the online journal. It sure does calculate points differently than I did even though I was using the books.
Bunny - Congrats on losing the two. What really jump started me this week was watching a full-figure fashion show on The View one morning. It really clicked in my mind that I want to be able to go shopping and get into size 20's and have them fit. How wonderful for you for being able to get into those Elisabeths. I love that line of clothes but haven't been able to wear it in years. I think having clothes fit differently is so fulfilling than stepping on the scale. You go girl!! You're doing great.
I better get around so I can get home earlier.
Tonight we're trying the Seafood Linginue that you posted Bunny. And we have the rest of the week's menus planned.
It was early this year that I first discovered 3FC. At that time I was at about the same weight I am now and my goal was so similar to Lilac's (I think)...to lose enough weight to fit in the airplane seat for our flight from Denver to Italy by 9/1/01. You see, I retired 8/31 and we left for a 3 month trip to Italy and France on 9/3/01. Well I made it okay to Milano but I don't know how I ever fit on the plane coming home!!! We just got back Friday night (11/30) so now it's time to bite the bullet (no points) and get back to work with WW so we can take another trip!
The support from 3FC was great last summer and I know it will help me again. We should go to a WW meeting tonight but my DH has begged for a week to get over his time zone changes and slowly come back to the real world. This week I think we will spend doing a little organizing and restocking our shelves. We dumped all open food stuffs (like flour, sugar, pasta) and everything in the refrigerator before we left. We might actually do some exercise in the gym, too.
I'm feeling rather rusty with my computer and thoughts so I'll check in again later.
Counting down from 250 and beyond - Nov 25 Conquering Onward!
The Soup Dragon was in The Clangers who were these sort of pink knitted mice type things which lived on 'a planet far far away', and had adventures with the other inhabitants of said planet and especially the Soup Dragon (who looked after a sort of crater/well thing of soup which she gave out when Mummy Clanger wanted) and the Iron Chicken who was, well, an iron chicken who lived on a nest out in space. Of course. Oh and they had this brilliant thing called the music tree which grew notes! and you picked them and made tunes! Oh it was wonderful. If you are in the slightest bit interested 
for some tasting, eating, hanging out. Then we drive back to Sydney for I think one night and then it is a flight to Ulurhu (or Ayers Rock if you want the colonial name...). We are staying in a hotel there called the Sails in the Desert (or Snails in the Dessert as I prefer to think of it 
). I think we are there for something like two days, basically to watch the spectacular sunrise and sunset over the rock. Then another plane to Cairnes on the east coast, and an overland transfer to the Daintree Eco Lodge, which is a resort in the rainforest (well the brochure says in the canopy!! So maybe it is treehouses!!) which is designed to be low impact as far as the environment goes, but also it is luxurious! Wow! I am there for a week and plan to fill my days with walks with the local guides (they take you in to the rainforest and show you the plants and animals and birds), and swimming in the pool there! Oh, and a day or two snorkling at the Great Barrier Reef!! I have gone and got contact lenses specially as I wont be able to wear my specs behind the snorkling mask. 
I really cant wait. I have not really been away, except for my Cornwall trip, for ages. Tunisia on a last minute package was the last time and that certainly seems ages ago. Next year I am planning on just hiring a cottage in France for a couple of weeks I think - cheap and cheerful (well, cheep from here anyway 
).
