Weight Watchers - Supporting Each Other on Our Weight Loss Journey

This is a great thread for those who want support, helpful hints, friendship and a great bunch of people to communicate with. This thread has existed for a long time and I keep re-starting it whenever the old one gets too long. Feel free to stop in and chat, we are not a "closed" group and welcome newcomers. Some of us have been together for well over a year, some only a few days, but we care about each other. We offer tips, we share, we pick each other up of the floor when we've had rough times and we applaud when someone does well.
So, please do stop on by and share a bit, support is what it's all about! We can really do this together!

:hug:

Hi all!

I'm having a really hard time being good up here. It's mainly because the foods around are not ww friendly. I'm not snacking at all, but the things that we are having for b, l, and d are just not what I would normally choose to have at home. Not to be complaining, though! I'm really trying to use portion control...maybe I'll find that I'm doing better than I think? I hope so. I am feeling so bloated. My sister and her family are leaving today, then it will just be me and my dds here, and we will be leaving tomorrow morning. I'm hoping that I'll be able to stay completely op tomorrow and Thursday, as my wi is Thursday. At this point I'm just praying that I have stayed the same! I think I'm also going to challenge myself to try to stay op today, too, but it's going to be difficult because I have no idea on point values.

Tracy-I was going to ask you about your Nickelback concert...I wasn't sure if you had gone yet or not. We saw them in TN back in the fall. OMG, they were incredible!!!!!!! We had amazing seats and backstage passes (my BIL who plays for the Titans has connections!)...I couldn't hear for a week!!! Were they performing at the Pepsi Arena?

Anyway guys, I must run. I hope you are all having a great and successful week!

hello everyone,
Newlifestyle: Wow, I am so excited for you that is excatly what I wanted to do at my gym but it is so expensive I may set up something with the nutritionist when I get paid at the end of July. You will have to keep me posted on that.

Paige: I think you should be proud of yourself that you are at least using portion control sometimes for me that is one of the hardest things to do when I am around off plan foods. Good luck and enjoy yourself.

Ann, thanks for your remarks about my relationship with my daughter. I think of her as my best friend in many ways, and I hope she feels that way about me. We don't always get along perfectly, but I think we do better than the average mom/teen?
The fact that she does communicate so well with me gives me hope that she would be OK on such a trip as long as I spell out to the parents, and maybe also to the girl, what I expect. She will also be required to check in with me, via her cell phone, once or twice a day to keep me advised about what goes on. I'll be telling the mom and dad that as well.
As for today, it's weigh in day. I'm going to risk going to the gym as when I went away last week, I wasn't able to go. If I have a gain due to my muscles expanding and heating up, I'll never know for sure. But, I feel the exercise is beneficial and given that I did "cheat" when we ate out last week, I feel that I need the exercise more than I need the scale to show me a loss.
Who truly knows if working out and the day of a weigh in is going to make you show a gain anyway? Next week will be my "true" weight, I feel, due to the fact that I am right back on program now and being truly careful. I'll drink some extra water this morning, having asparagus with lunch and hope for the best. I will mix a tad of low cal cranberry juice with my water as well, cranberry is a natural diuretic as well as asparagus, so maybe that will counter act the working out? The meeting is at 4:30, and I will shut off all drinks and eating after lunch as well.
I'm going to create my own low point chicken cacciatore kind of thing for dinner tonight. I have frozen roasted tomato and garlic sauce made from one of my WW cookbooks that I will use as the base. I plan on cutting up big pieces of onion, mushroom and peppers and kind of simmering them with boneless chicken breasts. I'll be putting that over top of whole wheat pasta. In fact, I might toss it all in my crockpot right after lunch as that might not heat up the kitchen so much and will use less energy than the stove top.
Ann, as you indicated, it's going to be a hot one here today as well. The expected temps will be in the mid to high 90s with scattered thundershowers. I hope we don't lose power. Several communities in NH lost power yesterday, there are downed trees in some towns. I'm hoping that we escape that as I'd like to keep my AC going if possible. I'm trying to keep it on and off throughout the day on a lower level than usual, though, in order to conserve energy.
I'm on a "kick" to do anything I can to conserve power use of all kinds. I shut off my car engine at stoplights if there are no cars behind me, I won't let my engine idle if I am waiting for someone, for example. I'm turning off lights that are not necessary all the time and consolidating my errands. I hope there is an impact in my usage by doing this. I hope that many people do this, and that collectively we can all make a difference! I've even started paying the additional few cents a gallon (ouch!) for high test gas for my car as the manufacturer recommends it for better fuel economy. So, whatever I can do, I will try! Next car I buy will also be better on fuel economy, but I have 16 months left on my lease so it will be awhile.
Gosh, by turning off the car and walking into the bank vs. going to the drive up window, I can earn activity points as well as save fuel, everyone wins!
Have a great and safe day, all!

Paige, I'm sure you're doing better than you think you are. But, if not, family visits and vacations happen. They are part of life, aren't they? I keep trying to remind myself about this being a "lifestyle change" and not a race of some kind. Losses may be gradual as life happens all along with what we are doing, we can't avoid those birthdays, vacations, family visits (I'm going to my in laws in RI this coming weekend). What we have learned, so far, are coping mechanisms. As we are like toddlers, taking our first steps, while we work towards our goals, there are going to be "falls", but we are not giving up on "walking", we just need to dust ourselves off and keep trying.
Remember, slow and steady wins the race!
Haylo, you are right, portion control is tough. I have a hard time with that when eating out, too. I may not be perfect when I am away or eating out, but I have to remember that I am, at least, doing better than I have done in the past. I need to remind myself of that.
So, even if today's weigh in shows me a gain (I'm truly not sure and I could even have a teeny loss, just so hard to know as their scales and the time of day show differences) I know I made good decisions during LOTS of the time I was away even if the few times I ate were not the best of choices. However, I had completely CORE and low point breakfasts and lunches. There were no chocolate chip cookies baked, so I didn't gorge myself on the dough and eat cookies. There were no pies and cakes made, so I didn't have those with ice cream as I would have had in the past. One lunch, which I actually found enjoyable (just goes to show my tastes have changed a bit over time) consisted of pita bread (one point), hummus, broccoli, salad and fresh pineapple. The salad had healthy oils (measured even!) and I was "satisfied". The combination of spreading a bit of hummus on the fresh broccoli really was tasty, I found. The old me would have made grilled cheese sandwiches and had chips along side and then a cookie or two for dessert. I'm changing, I'm doing this at my own pace and things are getting better!

Tracy-Happy birthday! I hope you had a wonderful day!

Ann-That is really excieting that you met with a trainer and a dietician. Is that included in your gym membership or do you have to pay separate? I wish I could do that.

Linda-It sounds like you have a great daughter. That is great that she doesn’t allow herself to fall into peer pressure. If anything, it sounds like your daughter will influence her friend to not “act out.” If it eases your mind any-Ocean City is a dry town.

Paige-that Is great that you are handling portion control so well-you should be proud of yourself for that.

As for me-I went to my dress fitting and it was not good. The dress is too tight and I don’t understand since I ordered a size up from the one that I tried on in the store (that fit) and I know I couldn’t of gained THAT much weight. What was the most frustrating was that when I had the dress on the woman who was doing the alterations could not speak English very well but she could say, its too tight, its too tight over and over. Which really didn’t help the situation. The good news is that its tight in my bust-so I guess things could be worse-it could be tight all over. Please keep your fingers crossed for me that after the alterations it will fit ok. I am so nervous to walk down the isle in my best friends wedding and look like a sausage. A friend of mine has given me a new “diet” to do for the weeks before the wedding. She used to be a trainer and even though she is awesome shape so I believe that she says will work. Its basically all protein, veggies, and no carbs or sodium. Its not WW but it will get me lean in time for the wedding. And just cardio-no weights-but I think I am going to add in light weights just 2 days a week. My boyfriend and my mom thinks it’s a bad idea though. What do you ladies think? Its only 3 weeks away.
I got up this morning and went to the gym-ran 5 miles and it felt good! It’s a great way to start off the day.

I hope everyone has a great day!

Briza, be careful of fad or bizarre diets. But, give what your friend says a shot, I guess. Are you bloated right now? Is TOM on it's way? That makes a difference as well.
Have you ever tried the "American Heart Association" fad diet that was passed around years ago with the statement "lose 10 pounds in 3 days"? It's supposedly a science that relies on a mix of exact foods. You have to eat exactly what the diet says, with nothing in between meals supposedly. I did it a few times, in desperation, and it did work. I didn't lose 10 pounds, but I think I lost 6 pounds. I couldn't stay on it constantly and just rotate on and off it and I truly don't think it's that healthy, we all know that a program like WW is what is best for us. But here is a link to it:
http://forums.military.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/9071945704/m/1990069001001
I'd give this a shot when you know you have no specific plans to be eating out for three days in a row. It is truly NOT an American Heart Association product, and if you check out their web site, they have a disclaimer as this particular diet has circulated for YEARS. The first time someone gave me this diet, was when I was about 30 and I'm now 52. It was passed around well before the Internet, and it's still "out there" and people are still recommending it.
Also, go to a really good lingerie shop, like Victoria's Secret and ask for a reduction bra that will give you a flatter silhouette, then the dress won't appear too tight in the bust line. Tummy control pantyhose and things that my mother used to wear such as "panty girdles" (ugh!) can help as well. Go and get this stuff before your next fitting. Keep working out and following your healthy eating guidelines, drink tons of water and you should be OK.
One thing I learned over the years is that not all sizes from certain manufacturers are exact. They hire different seamstresses for "contract work" and they all have different machines and their ability to maintain a "seam allowance" changes considerably from seamstress to seamstress, so it is logical that the dress you got, even after trying on one particular one in the store is different.
I hope some of these suggestions work for you! Best wishes!

I wouldn't EVER stay on this diet for any length of time, but if you are desperate, I'd give it a go.

Hi everyone,

So far so good today. Too much coffee, but I work with this one tenor who always wants tons of coffee so I end up drinking it with him. At least it's all with skim milk and Splenda. I'll be running again tomorrow. Between writing symphony program notes, working on the scrapbook, and singers, I am beat. Hope I don't succumb to fatigue-induced emotional eating ...

Briza - You are doing great! I know what you mean about exercise. But great job on the 5 miles!!!

Ginny - hope your head feels better!

Tracy - Happy Birthday!! Glad you enjoyed the concert!

Ann - your meeting with the dietitian and trainer sounds very cool. It's true, running really boosts your metabolism! Yes, we fly to Newfoundland. We drove there once but it just took way too long and the ferry made DH super sick.

Linda - I have been to Bonavista and it is truly gorgeous!! Well done being back on core ... I bet it feels great. No matter what today's weigh-in shows, for sure you are on the right path. You are really giving this trip of your daughter's a lot of good thought and it shows how much you care about her. I think that she will be just fine because clearly she has received a strong foundation from you and her family ... even if weird stuff happens on the trip, at 17 she will know what to do. But you are wise to find out as much as you can.

Paige - I think you are doing as well as you possibly can under the circumstances ... that is great!! Only a couple more days and you will be in control of the menus again, yay!

OK everyone - have a terrific Tuesday evening and I'll see you all tomorrow after my run :)

cheers
Erika

Hi everyone!

Just wanted to check in quickly. I've done ok so far today...haven't really even ate much, actually. I'm a little anxious to get back home tomorrow. After vacation at the shore and then coming up here almost right directly after, I'm kind of ready to get back to the "norm." I have a dd's bday cake for Saturday waiting to be done, though, when we get back! That kid manages to get her bday celebrated 4 times, can you believe it?! We're doing a luau theme for her, so I have a ton of gumpaste hibiscus flowers that I need to make when we get back tomorrow. At least that keeps me busy so I won't be eating!!!

Anyway...I feel so out of touch with everyone here! It makes me so sad! That is another reason I'm anxious to get back home...I can get back into my morning ritual of coffee and computer time.

Gotta run! Hope everyone has had a great...umm....what is today? Tuesday?

Erika, thanks for your comments about this trip for my daughter. It's such a tough situation. I truly don't want her to go, but she wants to very much and my husband says to just let her go. I'm the overprotective one!
Paige, I know exactly what you mean about getting back to norm. I'm grateful for eating at home this week and being on program. It's really easy to be thrown off. You'll be fine when you get home.
Today, I weighed in and gained, sadly, 1.4 pounds. I'm OK with it, as I know what I did wrong over the last week. I ate out three times and was especially bad one night, even having dessert. It felt good to have certain foods without worry that one night and things certainly could have been worse. I also went to the gym today and did almost an hour of cardio. I was on the elliptical (that is hardest for me, only five minutes), then the exercise bike and then the treadmill. I figure I earned two points, but it could have been more. I'd rather count less than more than I should.
So, I wonder. If I had not gone to the gym would I have had a loss or less of a gain? I know exercise can expand the muscles and make them hold fluid. So, who knows? Next Tuesday, I will not go to the gym on weigh in day.
Today's meeting was a good one. I kept thinking of Erica (where are you?) our resident WW leader. I wondered if you, Erica, learned from this week's topic of dealing with plateaus. I learned, and I also relaxed a bit about my own situation and how I've dealt with it. Maybe I'll be better at dealing?
I set two goals for myself during this week. One will have to wait until after the weekend is over with, which is to make more Garden Vegetable Soup (a big batch!) and have it in individual serving sized containers in my freezer. The other goal is to find (HELP!!!!) a fantastic low point dessert to make and bring down to my in laws when we go over the weekend. We always have appetizers, drinks, a nice dinner and a dessert when we go there. I truly want to have a loss on Tuesday. So, I need a plan! Any truly wonderful dessert recipes out there that non-WW people can't tell is a WW dessert? I'd say about 5 or 6 points per serving would be OK. Any brilliant ideas?
Also, I plan on heading the gym each day this week until the weekend and when I go to RI, I plan on swimming!
Well, have a great evening everyone!

hi everyone
im currently on the points program, mind if i pop in now and again?

Swae85, welcome and no problem if you pop in!
How long have you been on the program and are you having any problems?
I see you are from Australia and we have another person who chats with us named Emma who is from there too! So nice to have another person "down under".
Our thread is rather quiet this week, many are busy and on vacation. You'll see very quickly that there usually is lots of chat. I adore all the people here and we, I think, have really helped each other.

Hello everyone.
Today is so hot already this morning, once again.
I do hope you all have a wonderful day.
I will post later when I have more time.
I just wanted to say good morning.
Welcome Swae.

Hi everyone,
I'm sorry that I've been so MIA and seemingly inconsistent with my posts here in the last couple of weeks. Truth be told, I just haven't been on program, and don't feel my normal inspiration to post. I continue to lead weekly meetings while just trying to hold on. I did set a goal for myself for the week. Yesterday I put my home scales away, I plan to not weigh myself and track everyday. On Tuesday, I'm going to be a leader at my "home meeting" where my true judgement scales are located. My goal is to weigh 163 on those scales. That would bring me back to the "30lb. loss" mark. I'm living up to my truth that the summer time is the hardest time for me to lose weight. I did really good yesterday, and last night I binged on sweets, bad, bad. Hope everyone is doing well!

Hello everyone,

I hope all is well. Today I am going to see the new Harry Potter movie in Imax 3D I am so excited I love harry potter books and movies. I have been a little off eating this week. I have been helping my aunt plan for her brother's fiances bridal shower so we have been on the go go go and eating out for the past two days. I just can't seem to get on track, hopefully today and the rest of the week I can keep on plan.

Erica: good luck with your meeting, I know what you mean about being on track.

Newlifestyle: have a good day today.

swae85: welcome

Paige: I know what you mean about getting home it's always nice to get away but after a while you start missing your home routine. Have a good day!

Derry: Did you ever get a chance to talk to your daughter's friends mom? I hope talking to her makes you and made you feel more comfortable. Funny you mentioned about the soup I was thinking of making some of that it's just so hot I don't know if I want soup. Low point desserts I am sure we can come up with something if I get a chance today I will look something up. Sorry about your gain but at least you know where it came from. I too always contemplate the working out thing I still haven't gotten a complete handle on it of balancing out excercise and eating to much or too little.

Linda-Sorry about your loss. But going to the gym def. will give you some extra weight from your muscles holding onto the water. I am curious to see what happens next week-I am sure you will go down! Thanks for the info on that diet. I would try it but I am a vegetarian and I don’t know if I would be able to subsitute the meat and still have it work. That is a great idea to about the minimizer bra-I didn’t even thing of that! At this point I guess I will have to wait until next week when I get the dress back to see how the alterations go.
I do have a dessert idea fro you! It is called “Heavenly Fluff” and everyone who I know that knows about it LOVES it. I never calculated the points for it but I can’t imagine it being that much per serving (it makes a pretty hefty amount)
In a cake pan lay down a layer of fat free graham crackers. The make a serving of the sugar free vanilla pudding and mix in with a container of fat free/low cal cool whip. Spread this mixture over the graham crackers and then put on another layer of graham crackers. Then you take a very small amount of chocolate frosting (you do not need a lot at all-maybe a tbs or 2) and heat up the frosting and drizzle on top of the graham crackers. Put the heavenly fluff in the fridge until the frosting hardens and it is ready to eat!
It might now sound as good as it is-but trust me, its delicious! It kind of taste like a big smore-yum 

As far as my new diet goes it has only been about a day and a half and it’s not easy! I was hungry last night and this morning. I am doing ok right now though. This might sound off but I already feel the bloating go away a bit-so that is a plus. Here is the thing-I am supposed to not be eating a lot of sodium and I am basically eating salad with olive oil and vinegar and with fish on it (dry-not in a marinade or anything), nuts, protein powder in water, and some veggie products. Well, I counted up my sodium yesterday and it was 1800mg. The daily dose for a female is around 2000mg. I was shocked! Can you imagine how much sodium I must have had before? The sodium mostly came from the fish and morning star sausage and I need that stuff-it is my substance! I ate around 1200 calories and this obviously means nothing to me since I go by points.
I did get up and go to the gym but I was so tired for some reason. So I just ran 2 ½ miles and then walked with a big incline the other 1 ½- at least its something.

Welcome Swae!

Haylo-I hope you had a nice time at the Harry Potter movie!

Erica, I've missed you. I wish I could say the right thing to help you and get you officially back on track. I know you have it in you and I know you want to remain a leader, or do you???? It seemed like you were really doing well and on track until you went back working for WW again. Are you sabotaging yourself on purpose so you can't do this? Do you want to really do this? I can't say, I truly don't see you at meetings and know you in that way, but just making an interesting observation.
Please get out the journal, track like crazy and try!!!!
Haylo, I love the Harry Potter books as well as the movies too. I hope to get out to see the new movie in the next few days. Were you able to resist the movie popcorn? I just can't resist.
Today was not the day to even think about talking with my daughter's friend's mom/dad about the trip. We went on a college tour and it was just fabulous. Paige would be interested to know we toured a Le Cordon Blue school here in NH and my daughter truly wants to pursue a degree in culinary arts. She would like to be a pasty chef in particular and the tour we went on today was just awesome. She would love to go this very minute rather than a year from now.
Briza, I didn't remember (I now recall you mentioning it before) that you were a vegetarian, sorry about my recommendation. I'm sure you'll find a way to deal. Definitely try the minimize bra, I think it will make a huge difference.
I won't say I will try that fluff recipe as I read it over and it didn't register, but I am VERY tired tonight and did want to be on line for a little bit in order to unwind before going to bed. It was a long day with the college tour and when I got home, I had to deal with a plumbing problem that turned into an emergency service call that couldn't be repaired. It cost money and tomorrow I literally have to shop for a new toilet, of all things, and pay even more money for it to be installed. Always something for homeowners, not my idea of what I want to spend money on at all. Oh well.
As for today's eating. I did use 6 flex points having lunch out near the college, but I have them to use at least. Tomorrow, I shall be back at the gym and if I use any points they will be ones that I earned vs. any of my remaining points - I want to save those for the weekend.
Well, all, have a great night and we'll chat again tomorrow...

OMG I went on a total binge today! I feel awful now of course...
I just kept eating and eating.
I'm afraid that it's because I just never am able to follow a low fat diet for very long. I hope I can get back on the right track tomorrow.
I dont' know why I let myself do it. I was just sooo hungry.
I made some pretty poor choices and I was doing so good.
Please help me!

thanks for the welcomes! ive been on the points plan since October 2006 but i had a little hiccup between Feb and March but im back on track. i suppose my hardest challanges are turning down sweets at work and stop eating my way thru my emotions.

Haylo: i ADORE HP! but i havent seen the new movie yet :(

Erica: I have a terrible terrible problem with bingeing on sweets. i sometimes binge on diet chocolate mousse instead, i feel a little less guilty (though not much :S). i think slip ups are inevitable but u should be proud that u were very well behaved during the day!

Just want to share the recipe I finally decided upon for the weekend:

Double Chocolate Mousse Pie
8 servings

cooking spray
1 1/4 cups chocolate graham cracker crumbs
3 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup prune puree
3 cups nonfat milk
2 packages instant chocolate pudding mix
1 1/2 cups light cool whip
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Coat 9" pie plate with cooking spray. In large bowl mix cracker crumbs and sugar. Cut in prune puree with pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Press into pie plate. Bake 15 minutes then cool on rack. Pour milk into large bowl, add pudding mix and whisk 2 minutes. Gently fold in 1 cup whipped topping. Spoon in prepared shell. Chill at least 2 hours. Garnish with additional topping.

Nutrition Facts
Amount Per Serving: Calories 243 - Calories from Fat 35
Percent Total Calories From: Fat 15%, Protein 9%, Carbohydrate 77%
Totals and Percent Daily Values (2000 calories): Fat 4g, Saturated Fat 4g, Cholesterol 2mg, Sodium 236mg, Total Carbohydrate 47g, Dietary Fiber 0g, Sugars 0g, Protein 5g, Vitamin A 408 units, Vitamin C 1 units, Calcium 0 units, Iron 1 units

It will come in at around 5 or 6 points and it won't appear like a WW thing, I think?
Briza, now that I am awake and can digest what you wrote, I think I will give your recipe a try as well, but I really want that real decadent chocolate image and this will do it for me!
Amomoftwo, firstly forgive yourself. We are all going to have days like that. Stress, hunger, stress, hunger, it's a vicious circle... One thing that helps me on days like that is to pick up my journal and write ALL of it down with out cheating (the only person you cheat is yourself when you don't write it all in your journal, right?). The process of having to write it vs. just writing it off as a mistake is important. Also, if you are starving and feeling out of control, first drink a huge glass of water. Chew some strong tasting gum and set your timer for 15 minutes. After the 15 minutes, drink another glass of water and see if what you were was just really thirsty or just bored. Get busy during that time. Give yourself that 15 minutes to do something different from normal. Pull out your bureau drawer and clean our your socks, underwear and reorganize and throw them out. Or, dump the kitchen "junk drawer" out and throw stuff away, organize and occupy your mind. Or, go outside and take your little ones for a walk or just outside to play. If you are STILL really hungry after that have a big bowl of popcorn that will take you a long time to eat with a nice flavorful sugar free iced tea or diet soda. Sometimes we are craving sweet things and sometimes salty, if you have both and just SIT DOWN while you are doing this with a magazine and b-r-e-a-t-h.....you'll find that all of this passes. I have truly used this technique when I just feel out of control.
I find that sitting down with a pleasant magazine and eating popcorn is what truly makes me feel like I've calmed down. Popcorn is only a few points (3 cups = 1 point, but I said have a big bowl, so it might be 2 or 3 points, just count it all as 2 and eat it until you feel full - it's a technique that truly helped me become a lifetime member), the diet soda or iced tea is 0 points and you will feel more full afterwards. If you are binging and out of control turn to the CORE food list and if you MUST eat, eat only those foods - they are good wholesome foods full of fiber that will hopefully fix the problem.
There are days when we are just hungrier than usual. I know, we've all been there.
As always, if the horse throws you, the best thing is to get right back on again they say. So, if yesterday was a mess, then just relax and move on. Today is a new day, a new beginning of this lifestyle change. Learn from it, but start today off and remember your journal is your best friend!
Swae, what kind of work do you do? Does one person there sabotage you and always bring in sweets? Let's talk about the exact circumstances and how you can deal.

Gooooooooood Thursday morning all!!!! I am feeling very happy to be back here at home, and back in my normal routine. Not that I don't love being at my parent's house, but *shew* we were there for almost a week, right after being on vaca for a very long week.

I have to say it...I am going to be very bad tonight and skip my wi. UGH, I just cannot face the scales today. The advice I would give anyone else is to just go ahead, face the music...and normally I do. But today, I JUST DON'T WANT TO! I am going to give myself another week, and go next week no matter what. Being back in my home environment and back among my normal foods will help me get back in control. In a few minutes I'm going to plan out my menu for today, so that will be a start.

Linda-I know you had said before that your dd was interested in baking; I was going to ask you if she had ever thought about a career as a pastry chef! It's too bad you didn't live closer, I could have her come to classes with me one day. Does her high school offer any career building programs? For example, in NY, there are the BOCES programs (offered by each county) and there usually are culinary programs through that. I know that gives high school kids a huge start and a big advantage over those kids that are going into college culinary programs cold. Or even having her take the Wilton cake decorating classes through some of the craft stores would be a really good start.

momoftwo-I think you need to change your thinking...you are going to have slip ups, that is just part of the process. You need to stop thinking of WW as just a "low fat diet"...I think that is where people go wrong. Eating healthy and perfectly doesn't happen overnight...we shouldn't expect it to. Take each day as it comes and try to do the best you can for that day.

Jackie-The Heavenly Fluff sounds really yummy! I'll have to see if I can figure up points on it. I am a fan of anything with frosting on it! I'm going to Wal-mart in bit, I think I'll get the stuff to make it. As far as sodium goes...isn't it incredible how quickly it adds up? I used to be a saltaholic and would drench my food in it. I remember the first week I went low salt I lost something like 6lbs! LOL!

Anyway...one other thing I have evaluated lately and have decided to try giving up is any food/drink with artificial sweetener, as I am almost 100% sure that this is what is causing my migraines and other headaches. I already know that I have a very difficult time digesting Splenda and it seems that whenever I have diet soda or a food that has Nutrasweet/aspartame/or any other kind of artificial sweetener, I get a severe headache afterwards. When I use those Sweet and Low packets, I get migraines. Maybe it is just a coincidence, but I'm going to give it a try and see what happens.

Ok, I guess I should go. I'm sure I will be checking back in later! Hello to everyone! Have a fabulous day!

OMG I loved the Harry Potter movie, it was great IMO!!!! Would you guys believe that I got there an hour early and there was already an enourmous line in front of me and in back. Either way it was fun and worth it.

Derry: I was able to resist the popcorn, sometimes the smell of all the butter gets to me so I find the popcorn avoidable, but I do have a weakness for the gelato they serve at my movie theater. The theater I go to is really cool it has all sorts of stuff but most of it bad of course (anything from alcohol, the starbucks, to pizza,etc) Oh yeah and of course you can eat at the resturaunt and have salad but I didn't have time for that yesterday. Yesterday I was semi-good with my gelato b/c I got pinapple, but earlier in the week when I went to that same theater I had peanut butter gelato. Silly me!!!! Actually now that I am typing thist I just realized that I have never looked up points for gelato I guess I should do that since it has become a newfound addiction at the movies.

Paige Welcome back!!!!!!! I understand your hesitation toward WI I too am actually thinking I may skip out of mine this sat. b/c even though I am not out of town on vacation I have been eating this week like I have been.

momoftwo: sometimes I think we go on those binges just b/c we got tired of trying so hard to stay on track, or at least sometimes that why I do I just feel like I want to eat everything and anything. Just think of today as a new day and be strong.

Swae: I am glad to hear you are back on track with everything. I tell you those emotions are something else aren't they?

Derry: Thanks so much for all the great tips! I am feeling much better today. I hate when I get into that mindset that is so unhealthy.
I usually do some of those things like the low fat popcorn, etc.
I just didn't want to be good and do the right thing.
I am back on track today which is a huge part of the battle for me!
Paige and Halo, Thanks so much for the advice, you're right I have to stop viewing it as a diet, it just does feel restrictive, because it is, so I just have to start thinking differently! This of course is going to be hard work, otherwise there wouldn't be the existence of this website nor all of these people with the exact same issues.

Amomoftwo, are you on flex or core? If you told me, I forget, so I apologize. Some people find flex more restrictive and some find it more restrictive on core. I'm just curious which plan you are on and if you have tried the other one?
Paige, I totally understand why you wanted to skip the meeting today and also, just TIME is a factor when you've been away for a long time. I think you'll purge your system and be back on track and then feel so much better going in and being weighed after that.
My daughter blissfully spent almost all morning pouring over my WW cookbooks (I think I have 5 or 6 of them) and is now cooking dinner with a smile. She also took over the dessert making process for our weekend trip and is making two WW desserts, not what I had planned. Whatever she wants to do is fine by me and she's thrilled to be doing the cooking.
Paige, I remember the BOCES programs from when we lived down there and there really isn't anything quite like that in our community. She took a private one day class with a cake decorator and has TONS of Wilton equipment, by the way. I asked on Freecycle if anyone had any cake decorating equipment and was amazed with what people just gave us. It was so fun.
I loved the school we toured, it's a Le Cordon Blue school and everyone was so professional and it was so clean. I love the look of all the people in the clean white chef's jackets, such a nice image. She was so in her element. After all, how many 16 year old kids do you know who ask for their own Kitchenaid Mixer and set of Rachel Ray knives for Christmas? I hope she gets accepted.
As for me, I was on program today and it felt good. It sure was a busy day. I went to the gym and was very pleased with my workout today, I added weight on my abdominals. I feel slightly sore right now, but it's what they call a "good" sore!

One more thing, I just copied the chocolate fluff recipe and I'll also give it a try! Paige, if you figure out the points let me know.

Hello All,

Back from our trip we had a really good time. I don't think I ate too badly, although I didn't track. The problem is I didn't exercise much. On the other hand my foot feels better even after work today, so that's a good thing. My home scale shows I'm up a hair (back where I was last WI even though I'd lost since), but I think that's mostly water (I ate a lot of salty stuff) and the fact I'm never as regular when I'm camping as at home. Hopefully both those things are easily rectified.

I read everyones post but really don't have time to respond. So I'm just going to jump back in.

Have a great night everyone.

-Tech

Tech, I think you did well from the sound of it. Good job!
Glad you had a good time. How was the heat and humidity? You were quite concerned before you left.
Hey, I have great news! I found out a friend has an in ground pool today and she said my daughter and I could come over for a swim sometime. I hope she meant it as I would just LOVE that! I'd earn my points in the water on a hot day instead of at the gym, sweating.
It sure was hot in the gym today. They have been having trouble regulating the temperature in there and have little apology notes posted on the walls here and there. Today they were installing window tint. This building used to be a warehouse and then Planet Fitness purchased/leased it and turned it into a fitness center. I'm sure it wasn't air conditioned before and the windows in the front of the building get full sun and are floor to ceiling, so the sun just bakes. I'd be better in there if they have a few more ceiling fans (they have some, but not many). I know they are concerned and are working on the problem, at least. The AC just can't keep up.
By the way, I have set a goal of increasing my time on the elliptical by 30 seconds each time I get on. I generally start with that, reach my maximum on it and then switch the the exercise bike for the rest of my warm up. I make sure I burn 50 calories on the bike before I start circuit training. Eventually, I'd like to do all my warm up on the elliptical as I feel it's more beneficial exercise. BUT, today, my legs just felt thinner and firmer. I don't think I've lost weight, but they sure felt more toned than usual. I was happy with that. My jeans were actually baggy! Yeah for baggy!

derry: I'm on flex. I have done core in the past but I just find I really really crave stuff then, anytiem I can't have something I inevitably crave it more.

Good morning ladies.
Just a quick stop to say hello to everyone.
My life is getting busier. I am still eating well and finding time for my run and I still get my walking in. I need to make time for strength training...that should be my goal, just not making time for it other than with the trainer. I should be doing mor of it. Oh well I am sure it will come once life gets back to normal.....
Have a great day and good luck to everyone.
Take Care
Ann

Hi all ... Sorry I have not been around too much. The past two days have been crazy, but I have now finished all the layouts for my parents' scrapbook except the covers. When it's done I'll post the gallery link so you can see :) Also I am writing program notes for the Newfoundland Symphony and they are nearly done as well.

Last night we had pizza ... thank goodness for Dotti's Weight Loss Zone as they have point values for our local pizza chain, Pizza Pizza! Of course the point values are a little high but I think I did OK and managed not to pig out.

More running this morning. It rained Wednesday so I ran on the treadmill again. It feels weird to run inside in the middle of summer, but it is so incredibly humid here most of the summer months.

I hope everyone is doing well. Emma, Linda and Briza ... I have been thinking of all that you are going through and hope it is working out OK.

Waves and good thoughts to all,
Erika

Good morning!
Gee, I feel as though I could just copy Ann's post above and leave it as mine. Dittos for life getting busier. I did get my walk in today.....one of the few things that I consistently do well OP. Yesterday I did fairly well controlling my eating- a first in awhile.

My oldest decided to paint her room.......stuff is all over the house. (Linda, I know you just went thru this with your Dd!). Last night I spent mending and ironing her curtains. Never a dull moment. And tonight my son is having his graduation party- bunch of buddies over. Swae- welcome! I too have a terrible problem bingeing on sweets.
Welcome home Paige. Linda, the recipe sounds great. I mught have self control issues with it.

Hi to anyone I missed. Take care and drink that water!
Ginny

Gotta go

Happy Friday everyone!!!!!!!! I'm not too excited about the day, though. I stayed up late last night to finish dd's bday cake (check out my myspace) so that I could spend today cleaning and preparing food. I have a tendency to go WAY overboard with food for our bbqs, so this time I'm really trying to keep it low key. Of course, this time we'll probly run out! LOL! I think we're probably expecting about 60+ people. I love having a housefull, though.

Briza-I got the ingredients last night to make your recipe. I put the ingredients through the recipe builder on etools, and I think for 12 servings it will be 2pts each. After I make it, I may have to tweek it...I was just guessing on the servings. Have fun at the bachlorette party!

Ginny-I thought things were going to slow down once the summer hit?! LOL!

Erika-Good job working the program and not overindulging on the pizza.

Hi Ann!

Welcome back Tech! Glad to hear you had a good time!

Hello to everyone I missed! I'm sure I'll be back on later to chat! Have a fun Friday everyone!

Hi Everyone!

I am in such a good mood this morning because its finally time for my best friends bachelorette party! Its going to be a complete suprise to her-all we told her was to pack clothes for the weekend! We are taking her to one of her favorite places so I know she will be super excieted! I cant wait for a weekend with the girls!


Linda-that is a really good idea to increae your time by 30 seconds each time. I think I might try that as well!

Erika-I know what you mean about running outside in the summer but sometimes I feel like unless I go very early its just too hot out! I tend to use the treadmill all the time.

Have a great day ladies!!

Amomoftwo, you are so funny! I smiled when I read the remark about every time you are told you can't have something, you want it more! So, I guess the best plan for you is flex so you can at least find points to get what you are craving. Let's talk about what your cravings are, or do they change so frequently?
I once saw a list (wish I could remember) of recommended foods for cravings. If you are craving one thing, substitute something that gives a similar taste/texture that is less points and get it out of your system.
For example, if I am going nuts wanting pizza...
I take a lite English muffin and toast it crisply. I spray butter spray (just adds a bit of taste) on it and then spoon on a tablespoon or two of canned diced tomatoes. Then, I sprinkle fat free mozzarella over top and add just a drip or two of olive oil and a tiny pinch of oregano over top. I then (using aluminum foil) put it under the broiler for a few minutes. It's a 2 point pizza! It's awesome and gets the craving out of my system. It's one flex point for core people. I can make these for lunch with the garden vegetable WW 0 point soup on the side and I am so satisfied with it.
If you want that chip and dip sensation, take flax wrap bread (I have a local brand called Joseph's that has a bread called Lavish) that is one point. Cut it in squares about 2" in size. Spray with butter spray and then sprinkle a pinch or two of taco seasoning or chili powder (or onion/garlic salt/powder) over top. Bake at 350 for about 8 - 10 minutes. Then, mix plain ff yogurt with salsa (as hot as you like or mild) and you can have chips and dip for 1-2 points depending on which plan you are on. You can cut the Lavish bread in even smaller sizes to extend eating time. We all LOVE to extend eating time, which is why bowls of popcorn are so wonderful when you are on WW!
For cookies, I do find those Oreo 100 calorie packs to be a lifesaver. I treat myself to one of those after my weigh in and bring it to the meetings with me, it's crunchy, chocolate and satisfies my urge for a treat. But, you could take a few tablespoons of lite or sugar free Cool Whip topping and mix a tsp. (16 calories) of Hershey's syrup into it and make a 0 or 1 point (depending on how much you use) dip for those 100 calorie packs of cookies.
You can find substitutes for just about any food out there if you try. Tell us what you crave and we'll help you find things!
We can do this together!
Ann, I hope life gets back to normal soon for you. I'm sitting here wondering what normal actually is? I've never seemed to find that.
Erika, glad you found some lower point options for your pizza. I wish I could hear some of your music. Do you have any links to recordings?
Oh Ginny, I just had a flash back to my daughter's room makeover! Yikes! But, you would almost never know her room was gorgeous now, it's a huge mess with stuff all over. Typical teen, I guess? Good luck!
Paige, can you provide a link to wherever it is that you can run through recipes and get points for? I need that! Gosh, the fluff is only 2 points for 1/12th? Sounds good! I think I'll try it next week. Reminds me, almost of eclairs - and I have a tremendous weakness for those.
Briza, have a wonderful and safe time!
Now, as for me, I'm going away to RI for the weekend. There is "talk" of maybe going this afternoon and dining out on the way down there vs. going tomorrow morning. I have to find someone to feed my cats if we go and I'm trying to reach my neighbor's across the street who have kids to see if I could pay them to do this. My old pet sitter quit on me, she went to work for a veterinarian. It's so hard to find someone good to care for your pets!
One of my cats is allergic and has horrible reactions to distemper vaccine and he can't be boarded in a kennel as he can't have all the immunizations, sadly. So, we must have in home care.

Oh yes, if you all don't hear from me, it means we did go to RI and that I will be back on line Sunday. I left my laptop at the lake and don't know if I'll have access or not down there this weekend.
Be good to yourselves over the weekend but not with food!

Linda-The recipe builder is through etools on the WW site. I do the monthly pass, so I get it for free. I just made Briza's recipe, and I ended up making 16servings (each whole graham cracker I snapped in half, and used it like a sandwich, putting one big dollop of fluff in the middle.) When I adjusted the serving size, it was still 2pts, which makes sense, I guess because I used 16 whole crackers but the same amount of fluff. I don't think the fluff really adds points, it's mainly the crackers and the frosting. Pretty yummy, but something you'd really have to use portion control with! They would be good to wrap up individually and put in the freezer.

Derry: Those are some seriously great ideas! Thank you!!! I was having Chocolate Chip Cookie cravings... So I guess I need to go get some of those 100 calorie packs!
I'm going to look today.l
Thankfully most of the time I am ok as long as I get my fat free latte with sugar free syrup in it... that saves me all day, I keep reheating and drinking it all day long, so I make it last and it really helps when I start getting hungry at different times. Seems to hit the spot!

I have noticed I have been getting very frustrated lately with myself. I don't see the changes and I wish I did... SOME people notice that I have lost the weight but others don't. I feel it a bit in my clothing but I have almost lost 40lbs shouldn't I see a bigger difference? I have a friend who's lost 50 and you can see the difference in her clothing and can see it off her. I hate looking in the mirror and not seeing much of a difference at all... Anyone face the same problem?

http://www.3fatchicks.net/img/bar04/fireworks01/lb/272/140/234/.png (http://www.3fatchicks.com/)

Hello everyone,

I went to WI today and I lost 1.2 pounds so that was a suprise b/c I really felt like I was off track this week. Who knows...


Kittie: I understand your frustation although in my cases I keep gaining and losing the same weight over and over. I am sure some of the other girls here can probably relate to you.


I hope all is well with everyone.

Hello all,
I hope you are all having a wonderful weekend.
Haylo congratulations on your weight loss. Way to go.
Sarah, I love latte's too....
Paige your cakes a great, I probably told you that before, but I went and saw them again. They are awesome.
Briza, have a wonderful weekend. Enjoy.
Linda I hope that your weekend goes well. Have fun.
Ginny, I do wish you get to relax. You are so busy during the school year. Do you get to slow down during the summer?
Hi Tech, I hope all is well with you.
Erika, good luck with all your writing. You sound like you are busy too. Great job on the running. I have heard there are some nice places to run around the Hamilton area.
Erica, I do hope all went well at your meeting and that you find your groove. You will, I know you will.
Laura, how are you doing?
Emma are you okay?
Tracy, happy Saturday....
Kittie, I couldn't see a difference in myself when I had lost weight but my husband found a picture and I couldn't believe the difference. Do you have any before pictures you can compare with....you are doing awesome.
Swae, I hope you are doing well.
Hello everyone else, and I am so sorry if I have missed anyone.
Have a great weekend to everyone.
Take Care all.
Ann

Good morning all, it seems today is going to be another busy day.
Just wanted to say hello to everyone.
Have an awesome day.
Take Care
Ann

Just back from our weekend away. Will try to read up on every one's posts a bit later and respond.
I was SOOOOO annoyed over the weekend as my handheld Internet devise wouldn't allow me to log in to this site and I couldn't read posts. Not sure why as I've been able to use it before. Oh well.
As usual, I didn't do too well being away, but things could have been worse. I did work outs in my MIL's pool each day, though. 200 underwater jumping jacks each day on top of swimming many laps.

Hi Everyone~
I thought I'd pop in and intro myself. I'm Cathy, been on the flex plan going into my 16th week. It's been a struggle as I quit smoking as well. I weigh in tomorrow and am hoping to see a loss as I'm on vacation in Tx and have actually been tracking and drinking my water. Came down to visit my family and friends. I've been swimming everyday since we got here and Friday went to Walmart and bought the new Leslie Sansone dvd Fast 4 mile walk. :whoo: what a workout!! But it's what I need to get me moving again. I've not been consistant with my walking in the last 3wks, with temps getting warmer and then getting ready for vacation, my bestfriend flew up and we drove back down together with our kiddos.
Anyway I've been posting on 3FC on the exercise biggest loser threads and figured I'd check the WW boards. I look forward to getting to know and posting with you all. :)

I am doing so much better! I am so glad to have this site to come to with my ups and downs! Thanks for listening! I am down another few pounds after a week of up and down by 1 lb. I know I shouldn't be too focused on the scale but I guess it just really helps motivate me when it moves down! :)
We went to a birthday party and I did pretty darn good, just took a small piece of cake and made it last! :) At least I didn't feel like I was depriving myself.
I need to get better at tracking, I did so well writing everything down the first few weeks, now I have been seriously slacking!
Thanks again for listening!

Welcome Cathy, and good that you are down a few pounds amomoftwo!

Good Morning everyone,
Linda, I just read your post as I was eating my morning cereal (had no intentions of journaling it until I read what you said). So, I grabbed my journal and tracked it, thank you! I'm not sure what's going on with me. For one, I've been very busy and the whole weight loss thing (even despite me leading two meetings a week) has been low on the priority list. We're so busy on the farm, that eating and food becomes, running in the house and grabbing whatever, whenever, not good I know. Even when I say to myself, OK today is the day to get back in control, I start out pretty good, but then by the end of the day, I'm over my points, not tracking, and just not caring. It's like the stress of the day is just released as I eat foods that aren't WW. I don't know. It's just crazy around here. We harvested our Garlic yesterday for about 6 hrs. Now I have a whole pick-up truck load of Garlic staring at me, that needs to be cleaned and hung up to dry. The second cutting of hay is being done now and then we'll start the wheat harvest. I sell a lot of wheat at our pumpkin farm. So I try to cut as much as I can before the combines come through. So that has to be done too. Then we'll start our sweet corn business. In the midst of all this, I'm placing all of these orders to stock our retail store for the fall. Ahhhhhhhhhhh!!!! And my husband can't understand why I'm stressed?! Thanks though, for thinking of me.... it makes me feel like I'm not alone in this......

Well, it's Monday and it's usually a day of repentance for me. However, today will be a bit different. I am going to a local Cracker Barrel restaurant later today to meet up with some of my cousins that I have never met before. They are driving from Indiana to Newfoundland and I will meet them while they are passing through the area. Cracker Barrel is a nice chain, and I will have to look carefully over their menu on line in a little bit to see what choices are good ones for me. At least they have an on line menu. The wife's grandmother was my grandmother's sister. I didn't know she existed until my aunt passed away in January and we both posted on line condolences on the newspaper memorial site. I found her then and we have been in contact ever since. She lives in Indiana with her US born husband and family but is on her way home to Newfoundland, where she grew up, to visit family. She grew up in the same town my family came from.
I blew it as far as tracking goes over the weekend, but I was away and had little control over what was served anyway. So, even if I am eating out later on, I will start a new tracker and begin anew today. I wanted to go to the gym, but I don't think I'll be able to as I am waiting to hear from my relatives while on the road. We shall see.

Erica, our posts "crossed". I have been worrying about you so much lately, thinking lots about you even when I am not on line. You know, everyone, that you are all such a part of my life, even when I am not here posting, I think of you all. If certain things happen during the day, I might be reminded.
I was at a farm in RI this weekend and I thought of how busy you are, Erica, as I was with my MIL selecting corn on the cob to go along with our dinner. I know this season is hard.
I had an idea when I was reading about your days and how you start off each morning with good intentions, but you are busy and running in to grab this and that. Why not, before the day truly begins, plan each thing you will eat, including snacks, and have it all laid out (either on the kitchen counter on pre-made in the refrigerator, even something as boring as a peanut butter sandwich can be made ahead of time). You then leave nothing to chance? I see from reading everything that you are so busy and it's crazy. You are starving, you have little time and you just dash in and grab at things.
One thing I did learn a long time ago is that, even on your busiest of days, you need to take a BREAK and sit down to eat, for example. Your body needs to FEEL as it is had a meal, not grabbing and running off with food.
So, no matter how crazing things are, try to take a few moments to sit and eat and RELAX during that meal. Don't exist on many snacks, take 15 minutes, even, and SIT.
But, if you figure out in the morning that lunch is a certain thing, plan it and make it and set it aside. You can look forward to it throughout the morning. If you need a mid morning pick me up, wear something with big pockets and tuck an apple or 2 point bar in there. Don't forget to drag a water bottle around with you throughout the day. I envision you are in action all the time, your activity level is high, but you need to plan through it all.
I hope that makes some sense?

One other thing, Erica, it almost sounds as if you could make very good use of a crock pot at this time of year for dinners. They aren't always all about soups and stews and winter type of foods. I shall pull out my "Fix it and Forget It, lightly" cook book while I am having breakfast in a few minutes and try to come up with a few "dump and dash" recipes that will help you out.
Last week, for example, on a busy day I used a pasta sauce that had already been made from the freezer (roasted tomato and garlic - a WW recipe) and added fresh onion, peppers and mushroom and then cut up large pieces of boneless chicken breasts. I left it on low all day and just cooked up some pasta to go with it when it was dinnertime. I turned out like a cacciatore and we enjoyed it. It was "done" when I got home late in the day and all I had to do was toss pasta on the stove. Lately, when I make pasta, I make tons of it at once. Then, I have containers of it all cooked in the refrigerator. I can microwave it (saving electricity and heating up the kitchen) and the kids can have it as well for lunches, etc.

Hi everyone!

I just weighed in and I'm down 2 more pounds. This time I'm not disappointed at all. Last night I had a steak dinner (4 oz tenderloin BBQ'd by DH) with a baked potato and veggies and a glass of really fine red wine. This is a lifestyle I can sustain!!

The digital scrapbook project is finished ... if you want to take a look it is at:

http://picasaweb.google.com/erika.reiman/40thAnniversaryAlbum?authkey=OYHWoJg5As8

My parents don't know about it yet (Shh!) ;) I'll let them know on Sunday when their actual anniversary occurs. I'm going to get it printed out at Shutterfly.com in one of their cloth-bound albums. What a fun craft!

So back to running today ... probably on the treadmill because it's supposed to rain this morning. Then I will work on the program notes (Anyone know anything about tango??) before my tenor shows up this afternoon.

Linda - i actually don't have any recordings right now ... there is one of a recital I did in January but it is stuck on my friend's minidisc player. I will bug him to get it transferred to CD for me so I can share. I love all your recipe ideas and I'm so grateful that you share them with us!

Great job on your water workouts!! vacations are so hard. I will soon be away at the in-laws in NF for more than 2 weeks! Aggh~ fortunately MIL is a health nut and always has good options around. (As well as bad ones, grr!)

Indiana to NF is a seriously long drive! We drove there from here once... probably never again. but the flights are expensive too so I can see the reason for doing it.

Ginny - sounds like you had a busy weekend, how did it all go??

Paige - How was the BBQ??

Briza - Hope you had a terrific weekend away with your friends.

Amomoftwo - I love those lattes too! 2 points for the sugar free version right? Great job on your weight loss!!!

Kittie - I know what you mean. Usually no one notices my weight loss until it's quite drastic. 35 pounds is totally amazing though and just keep plugging no matter what anyone says!!

haylo - Congrats on your loss! WOOHOO! :cheer:

Ann - LOL, if you know any nice places to run around here, let me know! j/k, there are a couple of nice trails, but mostly you have to drive to stuff and I don't drive. There is a track across the street from my house though, and I often run there ... saves wear and tear on the knees.

Cathy- Welcome! I want to take my hat off to you for quitting smoking and going on a weight loss journey at the same time. That is a big endeavour! Fantastic. Looking forward to getting to know you better!


Erica - Wow, you sure are busy and I would be stressed out of my mind as well. You have done such a great job losing 29 lb and you're so close to goal ... so I feel your frustration! When does the high-stress period end at the farm? does it go in cycles? I think Linda had some terrific suggestions!

OK everyone - off to get breakfast for DD. Have a great new week!
cheers
Erika

EriKa (thought I'd try to capitalize the K or C to clear in my mind which of you I'm speaking to!) that scrapbook is just awesome, I know they will love it.
EriCA, here is just two simple recipes that I found for you to try this week (if you own a crock-pot and I'll bet you do!).

Gone-All-Day-Dinner, by Susan Scheel

1 cup uncooked wild rice, rinsed and drained
1 cup celery (I'm allergic and would omit)
1 cup carrots, chopping
2 4-oz. cans mushrooms, drained
1 large onion, chopped
1/2 cup silvered almonds (sounds yummy to add a nutty taste and satisfying crunch?)
3 beef bouillon cubes
2 1/2 tsp. seasoned salt
2 lbs. boneless round steak, cut in bit-sized pieces
3 cups water
1. Layer ingredients in slow cooker in order listed, do not stir
2, Cover, cook on low 6 - 8 hours
3. Stir before serving

Per serving 300 calories, 10 grams total fat, 4g fiber
I figured it on my points finder and it's 6 points a serving. Everything (meat, veg and rice) is included. All you need do is walk in, stir and serve! My kind of cooking! Not sure if wild rice is kid friendly, as I know you have younger kids, but you could try this with brown rice probably?

Super Easy Chicken
by Mary Selelstad

4 frozen boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1 pkg dry Italian dressing mix (I presume they mean Good Seasons)
1 cup warm water or chicken stock

1. Place chicken in slow cooker. Sprinkle with dressing mix, pour water over chicken.
2. Cover. Cook on low 8 - 10 hours, or until juices run clear.

Per serving, 100 calories, 3 g total fat, 0 fiber
It comes out to 2 points per serving when I figure it out, but I'd go with 3 as that is what our WW food companions tell us to count for a chicken breast that is skinless, however this does truly figure out to 2 points.

You could put potatoes in your oven and set the timer so they would be baked and ready when this chicken is ready, then walk in and toss a quick salad and dinner would be on the table! Having a baked potato with low fat margarine makes the meal 7 points, if you add 2 tsp. olive oil and some vinegar or lemon juice to the salad the entire meal is 9 points, not too bad.

I will post a few more ideas later on if you think you would try them!
There is what appears to be a very good looking stuffed pepper recipe that used both ground turkey and ground beef that I would like to try. I love stuffed peppers and having them cook all day in the crock pot would smell great.
I love planning and having meals all set up ahead. My cravings end up being directed towards what I smell cooking all day in the house! :D

Good Monday morning everyone!!!

I'm feeling like I'm in "back to business" mode as all of my events are now over (thank goodness!) Dd's luau was Saturday...dh and I can throw one heck of a bday party! There were so many people here; I did so much running around through the day that my entire body was on fire by the time I finally was able to crash into bed. My cake was a huge success, too. I think I ended up getting 6 potential orders from it. It was a pretty awesome cake.

My weight seems to be doing really well, too. It was way down yesterday morning, but I didn't exactly watch it yesterday so it was back up just a little this morning. It is still at a "low" though. I have been so lax on planning out menus because things have been unpredictable, so right now I have my notebook out and I'm getting back to it. It feels like a relief, too, to be getting back into control.

Erika-Congrats on the 2lbs down! It is nice that you can still have the steak, potatoes and wine, isn't it?? My MIL brought me a bottle of the BEST white wine on Saturday (unfortunatly I didn't discover it till Sunday morning...boy I could of used a glass on Sat night after everyone left!!!) She has the nack for being able to find the most delicious, but incredibly inexpensive wines.

Erica-I feel so much for you. The only thing I can think of to tell you is to try to have your home stocked with the healthier ww options, but I know how it is. When you have worked your tush off all day, and not just any kind of "work"...farm work is one of the most labor intensive jobs you can have... I'm sure it is very hard to stay afloat in the ww world. Just do the best you can and remember how hard it was to take off those 30lbs; you don't want to have to do it all again!

Linda-Your suggestions are always the best! Just what you said, that is what I think I would do if I found myself in that situation. I think I would take one day and prepare three or four meals, and then just have to heat them up.

Also, Erica--I'm not a huge fan of the Smart Ones meals (because of the sodium content) but maybe keeping some of these on hand would help with lunches?

momoftwo-I'm so glad that you are feeling back on track. This journey isn't an easy one, but it is so rewarding at the end when we have reached our goal. So even when you are in the "valley" don't give up! Good job on only taking a small piece of bday cake. I love cake. That is the one food that is impossible for me to turn down. If I'm making a cake, I don't have a hard time resisting it, but if it is sitting on my counter, ready for us to eat it...whoa, watch out. I finally had dh throw the rest of dd's bday cake out last night because I knew it would be too much of a temptation today!

Cathy-Welcome! Congrats on quitting smoking. I was a "closet" smoker until last fall (but seriously, who was I fooling?!) What was the turning point that finally got you to quit? Mine was that I just felt like such a hypocrite, telling my dd how terrible smoking was, and then I would do it in secret. Where in TX are you visiting? My best friend lives in Austin. That is really great that you have been able to stay op while being on vaca. I have been in vacation mode for TOO LONG now! Good luck on your wi!

Hi Ann! How was your weekend?

Haylo-Congrats on the loss!

Hello to anyone I missed! I have no plans for today, so I probably will be checking in again today. Have a marvelous Monday everyone!!!!!

Hello everyone, well as usual I got off track this weekend, but that is to be expected.

Cathy: Welcome

Erica: Wow, sounds like you are really busy. I am glad you were able to post a little bit. I am sure all that work you are doing is burning off some of those calories.

EriKa: congrats on the 2lb loss

momoftwo: congrats on being down

ann: thanks for poping in

paige: glad you feel like you are in that mode again, don't you love that feeling when you feel so motivated to do something.

derry: those recipies sounds good!!!

Is anyone else having trouble with this site locking up on them? I can't leave a post. It locks up horribly! Hope everyone is ok, and that this post goes thru.

I found something you guys might be interested in you may have already tried them.

Dryers All fruit bars (the skinny ones) they have some made with splenda they are 30 calories, 0 fat, and 1 fiber so they are a 0 point ice cream bar. I just happened to pick them up at the store without realizing they were 0 points and guess what, they are delicious.

They also have dryers all fruit (skinny ones) that are not made with splenda and I calculated those to be 2 points i bought some of those two I haven't tried it but I have heard they are good.

Ecmom: No I haven't been having problems posting, glad you stoped by.

Ginny, I have been having trouble as well with the site. If it locks up and you can't post, click below where it says "go advanced" and try that, it always works for me.
This site has had it's share of issues lately, I must say. I posted yesterday afternoon and it never appeared, yet I know I did. Oh well.
Paige, you said my suggestions are "always the best", thanks. I sure wish I was better at following my own suggestions, though. I met my cousins for dinner last night and totally blew it. Ah well, today is another day. I know I'll have a gain today at weigh in. That will be the second week in a row, I've really got to stay focused and get back on track. I may go (if I have enough energy left as I got up about 4 AM today, couldn't sleep) to the gym after dinner tonight. I don't want to go earlier in the day and ruin my weigh in.
EriCa, Paige mentioned Smart Ones and that might not be a bad idea of these busy days you keep having. They are so "controlled" and maybe that is what you need right now?
By the way, all, at least for this week, I have chosen to go back to FLEX. I have way too many things going on where I will be eating out and CORE is just not going to work for me this week. I may switch back to FLEX next week again. Vacation looms the week that begins the 28th for me. That means that eating will be totally out of control, possibly. I've got to get back on track and maybe have a loss for next week, as I know I'll probably have another gain over vacation. I don't want to ruin all the progress I have made.
Cathy, also a congrats from me on quitting smoking. I am also a reformed smoker, but it's been at least 20 years since I quit. Every now and then I get the urge, but I have stayed away from it. Paige, good for you quitting and setting a good example for your daughters. I'm hoping that my own kids never start, so far they seem to just hate cigarettes. My husband smokes, though. Due to my wishes, he never smokes in the house and always steps outside for a cigarette. He must be tremendously addicted as he will even go outside in below zero temps to have a smoke. I can relate to his lack of will power when it comes to quitting to my own food issues. He is always in control with his food, yet I am not. I guess we all have our vices?
Haylo, I've never heard of Dryers all fruit bars, but will have a look for them. I'm generally of the opinion that any frozen treat needs to be chocolate or it's not worth having, though. Isn't that bad of me?
Though, I have been craving custard lately. I think it's the consistency of it that I want or something. I should see if I can find some kind of low fat version of custard? Though, it's really not a high point food.
Well, goals for today and the week for me are:
1. Grocery shop: healthy foods, fruits and veggies and, especially, stuff to make garden vegetable soup!
2. Plan ahead each morning what I will eat for the day, leave nothing to chance and have no surprises. I'm having lunch out tomorrow and I'll check the restaurant menu on line and figure out what I will have, exactly, ahead!
3. MAKE time to get to the gym, and don't get lazy!
4. Enjoy the journey... this is life that I am supposed to be living and enjoying now. It's not all about the "One day I will do..." kind of thing, this is IT for me. I hope that is understandable, not sure if I said it right!

I wish you all a healthy and happy day!

Hello everyone.
Linda it makes total sense to me, but I wouldn't go by me as I can't even figure out what normal would be (relaxing maybe). You had great suggestions for Erica, you have a way of finding solutions for everything...yeah you! This thread is awesome having such supportive people in here....thanks to everyone for sharing themselves.
Ginny, I have had problems posting and I do what Linda suggested and it seems to work. I know it seems worse when I am busy and only have a few minutes to post and it seems to act up then. I do hope all is well with you.
Erica, welcome back. I have missed you. Isn't it funny how when we get busy we go into a survival mode and all control seems to go out the window. I do hope you find time to plan and that your days are enjoyable. You are one busy lady. Take care of yourself.
Erika, what area, in the city do you live? There should be nice places to run. You just want to run inside, I don't blame you with the weather some days. At least inside you don't have to worry about it. Your book is awesome. You are very talented.
Paige, hello. I had a great weekend. Busy but fun. My son wants me to take him to a place called the Enchanted Forest in New York. I took him last summer and he thought about it this week and now he keeps asking when we are going. He had a lot of fun there. It was great for his age. He just woke up and asked, "When are we going to the water safari." Too funny. I hope you are enjoying your summer and your dd's.
Tech, how are you and where are you?
Haylo...how is our walking coming along. Mine is going well. Those fruit bars sound good. I will have to try them. I bet they are good on hot days. How are you doing? Where are you going on vacation next? Have a great day.
Sorry for not responding to everyone. I have to go as DS wants to cuddle and I am not passing up a chance to cuddle with him.
Have a wonderful day everyone.
Ann

Ann, I wouldn't pass up a chance to cuddle either, soon enough he will be 19, have his own car and a job and never be home. I know from experience!
Well, I'm off to write out a reasonable 20 point day for myself where I won't be starving. I'll plan a decent meal for dinner and figure out what is best to eat throughout the day!
Wish me luck!

Good Morning all,
Paige- you said something that really hit home to me.... how hard I worked to get rid of 30 lbs., and that I don't want to have to do it all over again, you're absolutely right. If I went to my weigh-in tonight (I'll be there anyway, b/c tonight I am the leader there!), I bet you I would weigh 170, just guessing at what my home scales say, so sad, so sad. Now if you look at my ticker, umm yeah, I've gotta get my butt in gear.

Linda- Thank you so much for the suggestions- I am definitely going to try one of those today. I went to the grocery store last night and really stocked up on some things. Last night at my Monday night meeting, a member said something to me after I had suggested making it a real point to go to the Farmer's Market and really stock up on whatever they have. She said, "Yeah, if you come home with armfuls of fruits and veggies, ya gotta do something with them!"

So you guys are the only ones that I can truly confess things to in terms of weight loss, b/c I know you'll all understand. Reasons why I'm gaining weight:
1-I started drinking beer again when I had totally given it up during hardcore weight loss mode (I only drank white wine, and I counted the points!)
2-I have not worked out since April! I go on occasional walks, and just count my busy daily life as exercise, which obviously isn't working. The workouts kept me focused, the busy life is stressing me, and causing me to eat more!
3-I am back to bad habits, like grabbing handfuls of choc. chips when stressed.
4-I haven't been cooking healthy meals like I use to.
5-Linda's right, I'm sabotaging myself in some way. Next week is my last night of being a leader in this 10 week series that I've been doing. I'm thinking that I'm going to start weighing in every week again until I get to my goal. I was 3 pounds from goal in May, unbelieavable! But that is all behind me now, time to move on, not worry about what damage I've done.

Linda-something that you always mentioned to me before that I think I'm going to try (I've never done it before). I'm going to journal out my entire day, this morning, and stick to it no matter what. I'm scared to do it, but I've got to try something new. I've got to get back to the entire "journey thing". Somehow, I really lost sight of it..... thanks for the reminder.....

Ann-How are you doing? I forgot to look at your ticker....

Right now I'm not going to cause further stress to myself by going back and reading tons of posts.....
Haylo-are you back from vacation? How was it?

My commitment to the WW train has been renewed and I hope to be back on it with the shade up (not pulled as it has been). You ladies are the best!
Linda, I like you quote! ;)

Erica-Just wanted to say to you really quick...I think journaling your menu each day is the way to go. It seems like that is the only way that I am able to keep myself on track. Even if I don't stick to it like glue, you better believe that I will at least stick to the point values that I have set for each meal. For example, today I have planned to have a salad. If when lunch time comes around that doesn't appeal to me, there is a very good chance that I won't use more than the points that I have alloted for that salad. If I do, that will throw off my afternoon snack and my dinner. I keep a notebook and track that way...for me it is just easier to devote one page to each day and do a "menu plan" and a "menu actual." I make sure that I plan an afternoon snack, and I also make sure that I give myself some breathing room (leave a few points for "incidentals.")

It sounds like you completely know where you are going wrong. I really believe that if you were to plan out your day's menu that would help you to get back on track. Oh, and throw those chocolate chips out!!!!! LOL!

I have to take dd's to the allergist this morning. I'll write a complete post later! Have a great morning everyone!!!!!

Paige-I am so glad you liked my recipie! You are right about the portion control though….that is why I rarely make it-its gone within two days!

Mmomoftwo-congrats on your weight loss!

Welcome Cathy!

My weekend was great at the bachelorette party-it was nice to spend time with girls that I love so much. But then I came back to face the music at home. Things aren’t good with my bf still. It has been 3 weeks (I cant believe it) since it all started. And now I am at a complete loss. Part of me wants to stay and part of me wants to leave and I constantly confused. I haven’t been tracking my points at all and for the last 2 days I have been having heart palpitations from all of my stress. I thought maybe if I wrote down what is wrong someone might have some advice…so here it goes…
We have been living together for 1 ½ years and everything has been great-or so I thought. We started looking to buy a house together and we actually found one we loved and were going to make an offer. I was looking at the paperwork and I could just tell something was off with him. He told me he wasn’t ready to buy a house and I said, ok that is understandable, were only 25. Well it somehow turned into him thinking he should be ready and something must be wrong with out relationship since he isn’t. He said he has doubts about our relationship, feels like something missing, and isn’t always happy. Also, his dream has always been to move to CA and work and he actually did get the oppurtinity about 2 years ago but decided to stay here to be with me. Well it keeps coming up now and I feel like he is mad at himself for not going and is taking it out on me and our relationship. I know he def didn’t see himself settling down at 25 and I think he is really scared. But at the same time, he really said some strong statements to me and I don’t know if our relationship can recover from them. He kept saying we were going to talk but he kept putting it off. Finally last night I told him he put it off enough and we needed to talk. He actually suggested getting separate apartments! At first I was saying no, we should just try to work on things but then I finally said, ok I will move out. Well as soon as I said it, he said no, stay and we can work things out. So that is where we left but I just don’t know. I don’t even understand where he is coming from with all of this, I don’t know what is best for me, to stay and work it out, or move on with my life. I don’t know if this is just a phase for him because he got scared or what. Please help and sorry to dump this on all of you.

Jackie-Wellllll.....my advice to you would be to let him go and see what happens. He obviously seems to have some reservations about what is going on. I think if I were in your shoes (especially now that I'm married and know what it's like on "the other side") I would get that separate apartment and cool things off (or is there someone you can stay with for awhile for a "trial separation?) I think I would really cut ties with him so you would both know what it would be like without each other. It is difficult when you love someone to let them go, but it will be even more difficult if you try to stick it out, and things go sour after you get a house and/or get married.

*sigh* MEN!

Paige-It is funny that you said that because after I actually told him that is what I was going to do. He was being a complete jerk about something so minor that it just put me over the edge. I emailed our management company to find out the cost to break the lease and I told him I was going to go home for a month and we shouldnt talk or see each other. He got upset and said dont go, I thought we were going to work things out. And I told him were not going to be able to wrok anything out if he is going to act like that. I just dont know how much more I can take...

Thanks so much for the advice, it really means a lot to me.

Well, here I am. I come to you all with my head down... I gained 2.4 pounds this week. Like you, Erica, I can confess my sins to you all here. I am not happy to be admitting anything to anyone. But, I deliberately ordered non-WW friendly foods last night when I was out having dinner with my family members. I kind of had a bad attitude. Everyone else was ordering all the "fun" stuff. I had the same bad attitude this weekend when we were away. I was kind of fighting with myself. Here I was advising some of you, but not doing what I said you guys should do. Bad girl!!!!
So, Erica, like you I am back on the WW train. I shouldn't have ever gotten off, but I am determined. I seem to be able to gain back weight so easily, guess my fat cells really have quite the memory.
This is going to be a very hard week to be on the WW train, with a quilt meeting and snacks tomorrow and lunch with my two high school friends on Thursday and then an all day sewing event on Friday where they plan on "ordering out" for food, then we may go up to the cabin for the weekend. If I can tough it out this week, I can do anything!
I do find that if I write up a plan for what I will eat for the day I stick with it. I did it today and it worked. I have three points left for an evening dessert and I will have it, and only that! By the way, I found ready made crepes in the grocery store, right over top of where the fresh strawberries and blueberries are displayed. I'm really looking forward to a fresh berry crepe with lite whipped topping tonight. The crepes are 51 calories each!
Briza, Oh how I know the situation you are in. One thing that I did years ago was to move in with a guy that I was dating and we were together for 4 years. It seemed to go on forever and I kept wanting him to make a commitment. One day, I took the day off work as we were going to get a marriage license and he backed out, saying he wasn't ready to commit. I should have left right then and there, but "gave him more time" and then about a year and a half after that, I left after falling head over heals with my husband. I knew from the moment I met him, in a way, that he was for me. I ditched the guy that wouldn't commit to me. And you know what, after I left him, he called me BEGGING to get me back, literally crying on the phone and promising to marry me. I think he thought I'd always be there and when I left, he also thought I was playing a game to get him to marry me. I wasn't, I had just had it with his babyish attitude about committment. So, if this guy isn't "ready" and you don't think he'll ever be, go. BUT, with that being said, it's a scary world out there. The familiar "old flame" may not be the best guy out there, but he is at least around at this point in time. I don't know if you'll work things out or not, but know that we care about you and most of us have been there at one point in our lives. I wish I could tell you some way to be sure if he was the right one for you and I wish there was a sure way I could tell you if he is not right, either. I only know that whatever happens will be for the best, you can trust in that. I will say that once either of you moves out, the odds of getting back together are less likely to work in your favor. So, if you truly want this to work, then try hard to stay together. I kind of have the opposite thought process from Paige, I guess.
I'm not a counseling type, but some people would tell you to get some kind of couple counseling. I have never been able to imagine myself sitting there telling a perfect stranger all my troubles with them staring at me and my significant other, taking notes. Eeeeewww..... But, it does appeal to many as those people certainly wouldn't be in business otherwise. Maybe that is for you?
Living together is both good and bad. It gives you an opportunity to know what the other person is really like, kind of a try before you buy sort of scenario. But, not having a commitment of marriage makes it all too easy to give up and not try. Do you think? If you have nothing legal that keeps you bound to each other, then you can so easily pack your bags and be done with it all. So, maybe if the two of you stick it out together, you talk it through and say that you will commit to staying together, no mater what, for at least another 6 months and then evaluate. I'd actually put it in writing and I would also suggest that the two of you actually write down what you want, what you see if wrong and if you have goals for the relationship. If those things don't match up, then I would also consider leaving.
No relationship is "perfect", believe me. The initial "honeymoon phase" (in non-marriage situations as well) is not going to last forever. What lasts is an enduring love/friendship that becomes mature. I think my own marriage is allot of work. You need a great sense of humor to make it work. There are days when we are both totally ticked off with each other, yet we made a commitment, we've built a life together and we stick it out. We said vows and we signed a legal document, with witnesses. I can't imagine what life would be like without him, but there are days when he is the most exasperating person I know! But, would I want to be with anyone but him? Can I envision the end of my days being without him at my side? No way.
So, think carefully. One thing that I try to do is say "I love you" every day. I also try, most days, to do a special thing for him. He doesn't always reciprocate, but when I do something nice and special for him, he knows he matters so much to me.
So, if you put a piece of chocolate in with the lunch he takes to work (or you get the idea... something NICE) and attached a post it note that said "I love you and miss you" and he found it half way through his day, he'd be surprised and smile. Maybe he'd call you and say, Hey, I just called to say I love you too. It's those special things that you do each day that make the difference in a relationship and make him realize that you do matter. You have to keep the romance alive. You can't lose sight of that special nice stuff, if you do then you are on the road to the end. If the romance has died and you fight all the time or you are bored, then get out. But, you can't live your life with a noose hanging over your head, either, you have to breath. This is why I suggested a 6 month commitment. Then, an evaluation time should be set aside. Ask yourself if you can see yourself with this guy in 5 years, 10 years? Would you have his children and want him part of their lives in 10 years, 20 years? If you can't answer yes, that tells you something too.
Hope I wasn't rambling too long, but at 52 years old with 23 years being married to the same guy, I guess I know a little about it all?
Well, I'm getting off line to watch a bit of TV and eat dessert. I must still journal.

hi ladies...
I've not been having a great time lately. Not having a fun time being newly single & dealing with everything that comes with that. I'm trying REALLY hard but I seem to be losing the battle against this weight gain. Last week I LOST 2.2kg - thought YAY way to go Emma - this week I GAINED 1.9kg (4.8 & 4.2lb respectively)... I don't know how I can improve things for myself from a WW point of view, unless I tell my parents they can't have ANY tempting food in the house......... knowing my parents they would say okay and do it, but I don't want them to have to suffer because I have no motivation, and can't say no.

... can't blame my weight loss on having TOTM, because that was over a week ago, I thought that I did GOOD last week, but I guess I did have a few biscuits here and there..................

I don't want to give up.. I really don't want to, but it would be nice to get back on track. I guess at the end of the day *I* am the only one who can do that though.....

I'll try and post here more, seems I do better when I'm posting here....... :dizzy:

Ann: I am doing good. As far as the walking thing I have days were I do well and others not so well but this friday starts a new challenge at my gym so I signed up and I am hoping this will motivate me again. My next vacation is actually coming up really soon. I am going to Kentucky for a couple of day with my mom she is going to a convention so I am planning on going to the pool and to the excercise room while she is at her meetings. Then when I come back I am going camping one of my friends invited me to go with her and her son so I figured why not after that I think that will be the end of it b/c it will be getting close to that time where I have to face the music and start getting ready to head back to work. Yuck!! I hope things are going well with you I am happy to hear your walking is going so well


Erica: yes I am back from my vacation but I am leaving on another one. Thanks for sharing what you have been struggling with I kind of went through a sabatoge mode today and then thought about and ate a sensible dinner. I hope you are able to get back on track.


Derry: sorry for your gain, sounds like you will have a tough week ahead but I know you can get throught it.

Briza: glad you had fun at the bachelorette party. I probably would move on and seperate myself, I think it will give you some reflection time and allow for some needed space. Good luck

Emma: I hope things get better for you, thanks for stopping by I am sure things are tough right now.

Emma, I'm so sorry about the way things are going for you. So, you moved in with your mom and dad? Thank goodness you have them to fall back on, at least. I miss having that security blanket, for sure. All my life, when my parents were living, it was always so nice to know I could go to them if I ever needed a place to stay. I guess I would go to my sisters, now, if I needed somewhere to stay?
Please do keep posting here, I know it keeps me sane. I had a big gain as well this week. I keep trying to reason it out in my head and wonder what it was, exactly, that made me jump up so high. I did have ham when I went out to eat on Monday and it did taste very salty, so maybe some of this is water weight that might come off easily? I wasn't "terrible" in terms of over eating over the weekend and I did have flex points to use, but I stopped journaling and truly am not 100% sure what was going on. Then, there is the gym. I went to the gym and did "circuit training" (using machines) as well as the eliptical, treadmill and exercise bike. I keep wondering what made me blast up so high (2.4 in one week up is really lots for me) and now I am wondering if I worked out too much? I worked out 5 days out of 7 last week. I did use my activity points, though.
But, as of yesterday, I have changed back to FLEX for the week and maybe that will help me? I don't have a clue. Emma, you've been through so much these last few weeks and you need to cut yourself some slack. I can't imagine what this guy must be thinking to have "dumped" someone as nice as you and also to leave that sweet baby of yours. What a jerk! You deserve better and I hope you find it one day.
Haylo, you have such fun travels, I'm envious! Do you find that you do better on WW when you have a more solid work schedule to follow? I survive better on a schedule of some kind.
Well, today, is a busy day. I'm going to write out exactly what I plan to eat today here so that I will be accountable.. Today is a quilt meeting and I have some low point choices for snacks. I'm bringing a package of WW cakes that are one point each and I plan on having two of them. That will be IT for me for the snacks. I'm going to skip having a "starch" with my breakfast, just having a one point yogurt and some fruit so that my "starch" will be those cakes at the meeting.
Lunch will be my low point chilil, which will be 2 points with some low fat cheddar on top, a total of 4 points. I shall probably add fruit to the equation for something sweet.
Mid-afternoon, I will have popcorn if I need a snack and have time for a snack. Then, dinner.... ham again. I plan any high sodium foods for the day after weigh in, I did have ham the night before weigh in and you see where that got me, so we will have that for dinner this evening. I shall make mashed potatoes and we will have broccoli with hollandaise sauce. By the way, the Knor Hollandaise that you can buy in packets is something like 10 calories a serving, not even a point!
Dessert will be a one point crepe with strawberries and blueberries with lite whipped topping, 2 points. I should do fairly well today, I've got a plan and I will stick with it! BUT, I am thinking as I am typing this that I have not allowed for any healthy oils in my day and I may have to modify my eating plan to accomodate that. Perhaps I'll switch and have a salad for lunch with some nice turkey breast rather than the chili? It's supposed to be a hot and muggy day and that does sound like it would be more appealing. So, I guess the chili will wait for tomorrow.
By the way, I bought all the stuff to make the WW garden vegetable soup yesterday but I have no idea when I will find the time to make it!
Linda
I'm going to have leftover chili for lunch

Good morning all.
Emma, welcome back, I am sorry to hear about your gain. As your loss the week before was about what your gain was this week, it may just be water weight or something like that. How is Gaby doing? How is your exercising? Are you getting out much. I know if I stay in the house the food would be more tempting. Enjoy your day.
Linda, sorry to hear about your gain. It does sound like you are acknowledging it and moving on. I also find that planning meals each day does keep me on plan. Linda I think I will have Chili for supper, thanks for the idea.
Erica, how are you today. I hope you get your groove back. I am not sure if you read in an earlier post of mine, but I am going to a dietician and a trainer.
I am eating on plan, exercising and still losing but the dietician was explaining to me that there were some changes I need to make in my life to be able to stick to this way of life (I thought I was, silly me). She mentioned making small changes one step at a time. I am finding it difficult just to change even one thing, which I find should be so easy. That is not eating two hours before bed time. For some reason I can't do this, or won't I guess. I am so focused on this I feel hungry at night now. I know so much of what we do is psychological but can't master this one for some reason. I tried to send you a message last night but I am not sure it worked because it cancelled out on me and it is not showing in my saved. I hope you are doing well. I am thinking of you. How was your meeting last night>
Briza, I hope that you will be able to see clearly to make the best decision for you. I know that it is hard to think clearly when you are in a situation. We usually have a gut feeling about what we need to be doing but sometimes we don't listen to that. I think in your heart you know. Good luck and take care.
Haylo, hello, I hope you have a wonderful time in Kentucky. Enjoy your camping trip too. When does school start there? Here it starts on Sept 4.
Hello Paige, have a great day. What new creations will you be making?
Hi Tech, Erika, Tracy, Ginny, Laura, Barb and everyone else.
Have a wonderful day all.
Ann

Wow, what a difference a day can make. Journaling for the day in the morning has unbelievable power! I did it, I stuck to it, I felt so in control! I even shared it in my meeting last night to an audience of about 50. Told them all that I had been struggling, and that this was going to get me back on track. I also talked with them about walking, and to check out this website
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com , has anyone seen this? My sister told me about it. You can type in any address and get a little walking map that will measure how long you've walked and how many calories you burned! So cool! Check it out!
I also made the commitement to not drink any beer. I switched back to white wine, journaled, and felt really good about that. Instead of working my tail off around here yesterday, after lunch me and 3 dd's went for a really long bike ride. They loved it, I loved it, and it got me away from all of the work that has been stressing me and causing me to eat all through the afternoon.

Ann-I did get your message (thank you).... That's pretty cool that you are seeing a dietician now... I think making the small changes is a really good thing. Like me journaling in the morning for the day, such a small change, but wow what a difference it made. The not eating two hours before bed time is a really tough one, especially this time of year. I mean, we are so busy trying to enjoy all of the daylight/nice weather, so sometimes we don't even think about dinner until 8pm! If I go to bed hungry, I don't sleep well. But for some, this is a golden rule, especially for Oprah. I once heard her say that, everyone should go to bed just a little bit hungry, just a tinge. Because then while you sleep, your body has to dip into stored fat for energy/calorie burning. The same is true when you workout, when you experience hunger during a workout, your body is dipping into stored fat (energy), so that is a good thing!

Linda- One thing that I did talk about last night as well, if you start doing more exercise, especially lifting weights etc., your muscles start to expand and retract (as they build). As they do that, they retain water to stay hydrated. That's why everyone always says "muscles way more than fat", well, that's kind of true, but it's actually that muscle holds more water than fat. I think it's so awesome that you are going to the gym. I can remember way back in the winter when it was a struggle for you to get on your treadmill! What an inspiration.... I haven't been to the gym since April! :o It is kind of a rainy day here, maybe I can get DH to watch dd's, so I can go. Or maybe I can get my sister to watch my kids so that I can go, b/c she lives very close by to my gym. Thanks for inspiring me to want to go to the gym. Also, ham (I think) is the biggest culprit for making one retain water, and I think the effects of that can last for days.... (chinese food too), so don't get too down about it.... Remember, we're back on the train with the shades pulled up high..... ;)

haylo- i'm always amazed at how easy it is for me to fall off the wagon, just when I think I've got this whole thing licked, there I am, right back to my old self again. I've always said though, it's not the damage you do, it's the ability to pull yourself out of it. My old phrase, "No Monday morning quarter-backing and move on!"

Paige- you made me smile about the chocolate chips.... you are so right! Why do I even buy them!! So you journal out the day, pretty much every day? I was so impressed how that worked for me yesterday. The only thing that I'm thinking about is the unexpected. But you're right, if I have a 7 pt. lunch planned at home, and then for some reason I find myself in a different situation for lunch, I'll just stick to that allotted 7pts., right? Is that what you try to do? Also, from baker to baker, on Monday we purchased a Baker's Pride commercial convection oven for our bakery.... We're very excited!

Ok, well I should go for now...

Good morning all! Happy Wednesday!

So dh and I sat down last night to do bills and really figure out what the heck is going on with our finances, and I made a FIRM decision. I am really going to kick WW up a few notches...the more I loose each week, the closer I will get to my goal, and the sooner I'll be lifetime and not have to pay the weekly fee. I need to stop messing around...it's costing me $10 a week that is being taken out of my school refund money, and that money is dwindling down. I'm starting to freak a little because I'm not sure how I'm going to pay daycare the first three or four weeks of school (it takes that long till I get my first financial aid refund check.) I'm pretty sure dd's babysitter will let me pay her half those few weeks if I explain the situation to her, but I hate sticking her like that. I just hate money (well, I probably wouldn't if we had some!!!) We looked last night at where all of our money is going because both dh and I feel like we aren't spending any extra...it is all going to groceries! OMG! FOOD FOOD FOOD! So my other goal is to try to get our weekly grocery bill to $100 or less. I think that there will be a lot of stuff that I'll be able to cut out, and I want to stop taking dds grocery shopping with me because it is too easy to give into them (sure, you can have the million dollar box of Spongebob crackers, even though the same tasting generic square shaped crackers are only a buck!) Anyway...

Jackie-I agree with Ann on your situation. It is hard for us to give you really accurate advice because we aren't there and aren't in your shoes. You know in your gut and your heart what is the right thing for you to do. *hug*

Ann-No creations today! None coming up in the very near future (that I know of right now, anyway!) I have one next month that I'm not very happy about...I have a neighbor that kind of takes advantage of me. She asked me last year to make a cake for her son, and then never even offered to pay for the ingredients. And she just asked me the other day to make one for him again. *grumble* It's my own fault, but to keep the peace in the neighborhood, I don't say anything...not really worth it in the long run. She does not cook or bake, and does not realize how expensive the ingredients alone are. When I deliver it, I may tell her I'll trade her the cake for babysitting. Anyway...sorry, that was a tangent. The whole not eating 2 hours before you go to bed thing...from what I've been told at WW meetings (and a few different ones, too) that doesn't matter. WW says that as long as you are staying within your points, you can eat right up till you go to bed. I know Oprah doesn't eat after 6 or 7pm. LOL. I think it is a wonder anyone is able to lose weight or stay healthy...there are so many contridictions out there!

Haylo-Have fun on your upcoming vacations! It sounds like you will be able to get in a lot of "me time" while you are in Kentucky.

Linda-Your menu sounds so yummy for today! That gain really stinks. It's probably a combination of things. If your body is sensitive to sodium, I would probably say it was the salt in the ham. I am challenging you for the rest of the week to be good. Are you up for it?

Hello to everyone else...hope you all are doing well. Chat more later!

Erica-Posts crossed...

I cracked up that you mentioned Oprah to Ann, too. I guess that does make sense to go to bed a little hungry...I think maybe I'll try it for a week or so and see what the results are. We usually have our dessert after the kids go to bed, and then we go to bed shortly after.

I'm really glad you planned out your daily menu yesterday. I have been a little lax on doing it the past month, because of vacation and stuff, but have been back on this week, and I do usually do it every single day. That is the only way that I am able to stay in control. Also, because I struggle with binge/purge, planning out my menu really helps me to avoid those binge feelings. It is funny, really...I have mentioned planning out a daily menu several times at my meetings (when I have a loss and the leader asks what I have done that week to be successful) and everyone seems to just brush it off ("ohhh, I don't have time...I wouldn't need to do something like that...that just wouldn't work for me....") For me, this has been the #1 thing that has made me stay on track. I haven't lost a tremendous amount so far, but I have been consistant since going back to meetings. It just seems like a no-brainer to me. Everything in life we do, we are prepared for (or try to be!!!) so WHY would we start off every day when we are trying to lose weight without a plan in hand? Maybe when I lose a more lbs the people at the meeting will believe me!

You are sounding so much like yourself...I am so relieved. I missed you!

hello all,

Ann: School starts here on Aug 27, Funny that you mentioned the thing about not eating to hours before bed I have been trying to do that the past two nights on Monday I had to have some string cheese and last night I managed to ignore it and go to bed. It is hard to do and your right it seems like b/c you are focusing on not eating two hours before you start to feel hungry at least that has been my experince these past two days.

derry: good for you planning out what you are going to eat in advance, for some reason I have a hard time doing that as well too I think b/c my mind is in vacation mode. Yes I definatly do better when I am back at work I guess just having some sort of idea of what I am doing during the day helps me.

erica: thanks for the qoute I am going to have to start utilizing that.

paige: ugh, those finances, I am glad you are using it as motivation to keep WW up a notch what a interesting persciptive everytime I feel tight with cash I freak out and go way off track and start thinking it's too expensive and just start eating whatever. So I am going to have to use your mentatlity the more I stick to this, then I can get this done faster as far as having to pay.


I hope everyone has a good day.

Hi everyone my name is Paige... I guess call me Paige2!! I'm 42 and have been married almost 14 years!! We have 2 kids ages 6 and 8 and I work full time as a school administrator. I'm enjoying a bit of time off before I go back to work in a few weeks! I'm not new to 3fc but it has been about a year and a half since I've been here.

So what's my story... Well my weight has always been an issue to some degree all my life! But as an adult I feel like it's the one thing I don't have control of and it overshadows everything else in my life! After I graduated from college I moved away and got my first job! I was lonely...no family or friends within 10 hours of where I lived... not to mention I was bored! One day I was watching Oprah and saw that she had gained all the weight back that she had lost on her liquid diet... and I thought how could she have let herself gain all that weight back (well now I know just how easy it is to let this happen)!!! While I was watching the show a Jenny Craig commercial came on... and I joined the next day! I managed to lose 40lbs and get to my goal weight... and maintained that until I met my husband a few years later.

Getting married, graduate school, and going through 5 years of infertility really took a toll on my weight!! Then I had two babies within 3 years... Our life became even more chaotic! Neither one of us like to cook and as our life got busier.... we only ate food that could be delivered, picked up at a window, or go in the microwave!!!

As I approached 40... I just did not want to be fat and 40!!!!! So I organized a WW at work group and lost 50lbs!!!! I felt great... even though I still had a long way to go!!! Then I had to have minor surgery... but it limited my ability to exercise for a few months... my weight loss pretty much came to a halt and I became frustrated.... and just never got back with the program! So boom... in just over a year I had gained all that weight back...plus and extra 5!!!

A few months ago we decided to go back to Jenny Craig... and well we have both lost about 40lbs but the cost is just so outrageous that we have decided to go back to weight watchers. We aren't signing up until Saturday but we started yesterday! I'm really excited about this and actually spent all day yesterday cooking!!! I packaged everything up and put it in the freezer so I don't have to worry about cooking everynight!! Which really helped me last time! I posted some pics on my blog...

This is only the 3rd time in my life that I have really dieted... here's hoping third time is the charm!!! Can't wait to get to know everyone!

Paige2

Morning all~
Thank you for the welcomes. I'm trying to keep up and remember names. :D

Paige~ There were a few things that helped me decide to quit smoking, the most important was my kids. My 8yr old is an old soul who has been telling since he was 5 that I need to quit because I was killing myself. I tried a few times unsuccessfully. Also, my brother who is only 6yrs older than me had quadruple bypass, so there was another reason. So on my dad's birthday, 5 March, I ran out of cigerettes and didn't buy anymore. I'm lucky in that no one else around me smokes so it's not tempting, but I still have urges and I think that's where the mindless eating comes in. Which I'm working on that too. ;)
I'm in Ft. Worth, we're going to be here about 2 more weeks.

Welcome Paige2! ;) I'm new here as well.

Oh, I went to the nearest WW and weighed in on Monday and lost 1.6lbs. I was happy considering 3 days of that week was roadtripping down here and not eating the best foods. But we did a lot of walking at the places we stopped at along the way, so I guess it balanced out. I bought the new Leslie Sansone walking dvd, fast 4 miles, at Walmart and started doing that here in the mornings and swimming in the afternoons. So I'm hoping this will help me get past this plateau I've been on. And I do have my trusty journal to track everthing.
I hope everyone has a great day and I'll talk with ya'll later.

Paige2-Your foods look fantastic! You have the right idea with taking one day and making meals to last the week. I actually had a business idea doing that, but my love is baking (I'm almost done with my pastry arts degree.)

I was going to share a recipe yesterday and forgot! It is for Bruschetta Chicken. It is SO yummy, filling, and pretty low in points.

Take a box of stuffing mix (Stove Top) and in a bowl add 1 can of petite diced tomatoes, juice and all. Stir it till the stuffing mix is coated with the tomatoes and let it sit for a few minutes so the stuffing can soften.

Put the stuffing mixture in a 9x13 baking pan (I usually spray it with Pam) and place 4 pieces of thawed chicken breast (I usually pound them out, too.) Sprinkle the chicken breast with some ground cumin and bake at 350 until the chicken is no longer pink.

I use large chicken breasts that are 4pts each, and the stuffing is 3 pts per serving (I divided it up evenly for the 4 pieces of chicken.) You can also sprinkle some shredded cheese on the top after it is done baking. I usually divide one serving of cheddar among the chicken, so it doesn't even end up adding a full point. Even if I counted it as a full one, 8pts is pretty good!

Hi ladies - well it's been another busy couple of days but the program notes are all DONE!! So now I can relax a bit, and concentrate on getting ready for our trip to newfoundland. i am hoping I can keep the momentum going for the 2 weeks at the in-laws. Does anyone have sneaky suggestions for staying w/in the points limit without obsessively checking the computer or lists on my Palm??? don't tell me ... it's all about portion control :D

Ran/walked again this morning ... week 3 day 2 complete. I plan to keep running in NF too ... this has worked ok in the past - there's a treadmill and also I love things like gmap-pedometer and mapmyrun.com. Thanks for reminding me Erica! I had a good lunch made up of leftovers - a baked potato with burrito filling, salsa, sour cream (ff) and cheese. Yum! 6.5 points and so filling!

Wow, I have missed SO much in the past couple of days.

Welcome to Paige2!! i have been married 13 years as well ;)

Big hugs to (((Emma))) and (((Briza))) and I hope you are feeling better ... keep posting and sharing with us!

Erica - WTG on your firm recommitment to the plan ... so inspiring!

Paige (Paige1??) - finances are such a bugbear in our lives but you are so right to maintain WW as a priority for yourself.

Cathy - Congrats on your weight loss and WTG on your excellent exercise efforts (EEE!)

Hugs to Linda, Ann, Ginny and anyone else I missed.
ttyl
Erika

Good Morning everyone,
Wow, so nice to see so many new people here!

Paige2, welcome! That was interesting to read your "weigh-loss history", it's amazing how life just gets in the way sometimes isn't it? It sounds like you really know how to lose the weight, so you're already well on your way.

Paige- That recipe sounds really good, I'm going to have to try that. It's so true what you said about people brushing off the whole planning for the day thing. I use to totally brush that off! But I think back to when I did WW like about 13 yrs. ago, that was how it was, all menus and you had to stick to it like glue, and I was pretty successful at it back then. I even went so far as to put times down for my snacks, b/c I know that at 10AM and 4PM, I am ravenous. I make myself wait until I get to that time to have my journaled snack. It makes me feel hunger and like I've "earned" the snack. Yes, I'm relieved that I'm back to my old self again too, I was feeling pretty whacked out for awhile. I think I could probably be classified (at times) as having a problem with bingeing, but I don't purge it.

Erika-not sure if I said Hello to you yet or not.... Sounds like you've got a great plan for your upcoming vacation. You can't go wrong with drinking a ton (more than usual) of water (as one of your vacation goals). I remember I went to visit my younger sister in Washington DC back in January, I was drinking so much water as one of my "vacation goals" that I was actually annoying my two sisters and mother because we had to consantly stop for bathroom breaks. Oops!

Well, I should go for now, hope everyone is doing well!

Wow, tons of posts to read here! Oh goody! I love it when we all get really chatty!
Ann, what a great thing to be seeing a dietician. Does your health insurance pay for this, or do you pay privately? I wish I could afford it or have insurance that would pick up the tab. I do think there is something to the not eating two hours before bed thing. I hardly ever have time to watch Oprah on TV, but that was one of the things she also felt was key to her own weight loss. We've all seen so much of her struggles with weight over the years. I am so proud of her, how hard it must be to do everything like that publicly. Yet, maybe having the public watching is more of a key to her overall success, if you think about it? Think about how we fret over our own weekly weigh ins in front of someone on the scale, I can't imagine having millions of people aware of my success or failure!
Briza and Emma, I've been thinking of you both throughout my days lately and I hope things are going well. Ann said something very important, Briza, about how in your heart you probably know what is right. :hug:
Erica, so glad that journaling in the AM seems to be working. I do find that writing out exactly what I plan to eat for the day is really excellent for me. If I make a plan, bother to write it out and plan exactly how many points it all will be, I generally stick with it. Today, I am meeting my two childhood friends for lunch, by the way. We are going to a Cracker Barrel. It's right off the interstate exit about halfway between our respective residences, so a very good meeting place. I find those restaurants to be dangerous and can't be trusted with their menu. So, what did I do? Well, I went to Dottie's Weight Loss Zone and printed the menu choices and points, folded them up and put them in my purse. I will not read their menu, I will read Dottie's menu instead and order by points. Chicken tenderloins with brown rice and carrots are sounding good. Their green beans (I learned this the hard way) are not good as they arrive swimming in bacon fat with bits of bacon in them. I shall probably ask them not to bring me rolls and order diet soda. When they order dessert, and they often do, I'll maybe ask for one of their side orders of fruit with de-caff coffee and milk to go in it. I hope I do OK. This time, I have a plan. A plan is an awesome thing to behold. If you plan ahead and you are prepared for a challenge, maybe that is the key to it all.
I wonder how many restaurants (locals I know I can) I could walk into and ask to NOT see a menu and order what I want, prepared the way I want it? If the menu doesn't tempt me, perhaps that is key? Just thinking "out loud".
Erica, I hope that planning the day ahead thing also works for your members, keep me posted. Erica, I too have trouble denying myself anything at bedtime. But, maybe we should try fruit based "desserts" vs. ice cream based desserts (WW bars, even) or wine, etc. as our after dinner treats? I expect a treat at the close of the day, darn it! My family ALL has their own treats and I can't just sit there with nothing while they have these great things. It seems so unfair and when I feel cheated, I then cheat and then the tumbleweed affect happens. When I feel deprived/cheated, that is when I lose control.
Erica, I know ham and I know the gym exercise situation well, that is probably what affected me this week at weigh in. My daughter adores ham and my husband doesn't like ham all that much. I try to have ham when DH is away and also try to plan it for the one or two days after weigh in, so then I have time for the water weight to go away. I am very susceptible to water gain, I think. That could be part of the 2.4 pound gain this week, but who truly knows? I did work out many times of the last week. I tried to do only cardio work in the two or three days before weigh in and the day of my weigh in, I skipped working out. By the way, I haven't had Chinese food in perhaps about 3 or 4 months. Every time I ate it, I would have a significant gain. I love the stuff, but I hate what it does to my body.
Erica, you've got it where the planning/journaling ahead thing is concerned. Way to go! So, if there is a 7 point lunch planned and you find yourself stranded away from home and you are starving, where can you then find a 7 point lunch in your average town? Why, believe it or not, MacDonald's, of course! I know a plain hamburger is 6 points, a side salad can be had with a very low calorie dressing and if you only use a little bit of it, it would be 7 points, I think! That, with a diet coke, can fill you up and keep you going. Their grilled chicken salad is also pretty good, I forget the points for it but I think it's ok. You have to be careful to order the grilled chicken that is not breaded as their wording on the menu can be confusing. I can walk into a Subway shop and get a 6 point sandwich as well, anytime. I can walk into a D'Angelos (not sure you all have them) and get a 5 point grilled veggie pocket and add cheese for 2 points and have a very satisfying lunch. We are in control.
I am proud of you, Paige, I just read your comments and you seem so very much in control. Planning ahead can also save you money! I will often review my kitchen cabinets as well as freezer/refrigerator and write out a week's worth of menus. I try to utilize what is on hand vs. buying new stuff. Food costs are way up and it's really hard to support a family on all of this. Lately, I've been dipping into savings to pay bills way too often and it's truly time to be conservative. I am also doing what is called "eco-driving" as I have mentioned before. I shut off my engine whenever I can and "coast" when possible. I consolidate my errands as well. Gosh, if I lived a teeny bit closer to the gym, my warm up and cool down could be walking there! Maybe I should drive halfway there, park the car, walk the rest of the way, do my circuit training and then walk back to the car on nice days?
Paige2, welcome! What a coincidence that you have the same name as "our" Paige, I've never met a Paige in my life and now there are two of you here! Cool!
Well, my one suggestion to you, after reading your story (which I can totally relate to) is the last remark you made... something like "I've only dieted three times in my life". A WW leader would slap you on the hand (not literally, of course) and tell you that you are not dieting. You are changing to a better lifestyle that will hopefully stick with you for the rest of your days and you will never find yourself in a position to "diet" again. Keep going to meetings, this takes many of us ages before it truly sticks in.
Sometimes all of these things take us a great deal of time and we ALL backslide from time to time.
Cathy, you are on the right track. I went cold turkey years ago when I quit smoking. I was driving in my expensive new car, a Saab, and flicked a cigarette butt out the window, or so I though. It actually was suctioned into the back window of the car that I had cracked for air as I drove along and it laid on my upholstery and burning a hole in the seat of the car. I flicked cigarettes out the window as I hated the smell of a full ashtray in the car. That ruined a fairly new car for me. But, I continued to smoke.
Then, (always in the car, I guess) I also dropped a burning cigarette in my lap while driving and burned a hole in a $200.00 silk skirt that had been my "gift" to myself for being named a bank officer and I was feeling good about myself. This was the first day I had worn that gorgeous skirt.
I gave myself a stern lecture about what an idiot I was being. I smelled like cigarettes, I was sure, I destroyed my new skirt and my new car by being careless and I threw the cigarettes away and have never had one since then. I learned a lesson, and I am always glad I made the decision. Once I made the decision to quite, I never looked back.
Paige, the chicken recipe sounds great! I might give it a try.
EriKa, a sneaky idea to stay in control might be to always only allow a certain number of points for each meal. So, if you say that breakfast is ALWAYS 4 points and lunch is ALWAYS 6 points then you know you have 10 left for dinner and a dessert. If you fit in any low point snacks in between meals, they are always flex points. That could work while traveling to keep you more in line. Then, if you allow yourself 3 flex points a day for snacks, you will have used 21 points out of 35 by the end of the week. The remaining 14 points and any you earn by exercising could be Saturday night splurge points, especially for a glass or two of wine!

Good morning everyone!

Today is wi. I think I probably will stay the same? I did really well yesterday, and woke up feeling really thin (don't you love that feeling?!) but when I stepped on my scale, it hadn't changed. I normally go to the 5:30 wi, but I just checked the weather and we are supposed to be getting very severe thunderstorms this afternoon into this evening, so I think I'll go to the 12pm meeting instead. I wish I had checked sooner; I would of eaten breakfast earlier so I'd have more time between when I ate and when I wi. I still have
2 1/2 hrs, so hopefully that will be good enough. Going to the earlier meeting also means I'll have to drag dds with me...I really hope they will sit through it ok. I've only been able to run in and wi the past 3 or so weeks, so I'd really like to stay today.

Anyway...I need to go hop in the shower. I will check in later on and address everyone. Hope everyone has a fantastic morning!!!!

Thanks for the welcome everyone!! The past two days have gone really well... although I'm a bit worried about dh! He doesn't want to take the time to count his points... and I just don't think I should have to track everything for him. I guess we should probably plan out the day the night before! I'm looking forward to going to WW on Saturday... actually I just found a spot closer to us that meets on Thursday night so maybe I can talk him into it tonight!!!!

Linda... yeah I know it's a lifestyle change and not the "d" word!!(hehehe) I think that is one of the reasons why we wanted to switch back to WW from Jenny Craig. I probably should have said that this was only the third time that I've held myself accountable for what I eat... I mean most of my life if I wanted something I just ate it. Never took into consideration how bad it was for me! Heck... most of the time I ate I wasn't even hungry!!! Just habit! Enjoy your lunch with the girls today! Sounds like you have this eating out all figured out!!! I love DWZ!!! Couldn't eat out without it! I guess this is one of the things I hated about Jenny Craig!!! If your not eating their food then your off plan... at least with WW we can still go out and make good choices that don't blow it!

Paige... thanks for the recipe! I'm going to make that this weekend! Anyone else have any great recipes that you just love??? I'd like to cook at least 2 more things this weekend to add to my stash! Hope your WI goes well today! I have to have my WI in the mornings because I refuse to eat before I go!!!!

Cathy... congrats on your 1.6lbs!!! Good luck breaking through that plateau... I've been battling the same thing!

Erika... Enjoy your vacation... just remember to drink your water and yes watch those portion sizes!!! I think you'll do okay because you should have some idea by now how to estimate points by knowing what you should and shouldn't eat!! And keep up with your exercise! My husband ran while on vacation (I didn't) and he pretty much ate what he wanted and still mangaged to lose 2lbs on our 3 week vacation! He was so excited that he didn't gain! Me on the other hand gained 4lbs!!!! Unfortunately I was on the mindset that I was on vacation.... I knew we where going to switch over to WW when we got home so I didn't really make good choices as often as I should have... actually I did really good the first 2 weeks... and then gained 4lbs on our last week... we ate out alot that week!!!

Erica... I love your idea of even planning your snack times!!! I so need to do this. Since I'm home but still on vacation for the next few weeks I do find myself more tempted to snack then I would if I was busy at work! I could 1 and 2 point snack myself to death!!!

Okay... time to get back to cleaning out the closets!!! Yuck! We are considering putting our house on the market soon so I'm trying to declutter the closets so were are ready.... when and if the time comes! Opening a closet in this house is worse then opening Pandora's box!

Have a great day ladies!!!!

kpe: I keep seeing those jenny craig commercials and everytime i see it curiosity strikes, just in your personal opinion which do you think you prefer WW or Jenny Craig. Sometimes I get the urge to try Jenny Craig out, I just don't know if I could see myself eating those frozen meals all the time and it seems like it would get repetitive, although I have a habit of sticking to the same foods sometimes. Just wanted to get some insight from someone who had tried jenny craig.

EriKa: I would suggest trying to get some excercise in, even if it just walking around some where and of course getting in water, which I always forget to do.

paige: that recipe sounds delicious may have to try it when I come back from my vacation.

ann: how r you doing?

derry: I too would like to go to a nutritionist, I think I might do it when I come back from my trip. It's just the expense that hold me back.

Haylo- I have to say that both programs have pros and cons... when I was on WW's before I felt like I was too obsessed with food... always counting points and wondering what I could eat with my 3 or 4 remaining points... with Jenny it was all laid out for me and I didn't have to really thing about it! We have a busy schedule and cooking at night is really hard for us... with Jenny I just fixed a salad or veggie and heated up dinner!! Voila it was done! However the downside of Jenny is the cost!! Food for one person is about $100 a week. And you have still have to buy your own fruit, veggie, and dairy! On the upside you meet with your own counselor every week and not a group meeting! They have 2 rotating menus... but if there is something on the menu you don't care for you can substitute something else for it. A typical menu would be
Breakfast:
Jenny entree
fruit
dairy
Morning snack:
yogurt and fruit or vitamin bar and fruit

Lunch:
Jenny entree
salad
dairy
Afternoon snack:
fruit and or dairy

Dinner:
Jenny Entree
Veggie
Dairy
Evening snack:
Jenny snack

However, it doesn't much allow for those times when "life" happens and you have an event or something that makes it hard to stay on plan... that's what I like about WW most... it's more of a lifestyle change and you can go out and eat with your girl friends and not feel guilty if you do!

kpe: thanks for you response, what you described about sometimes not know what to do with your points is me at times. I guess it would be easier to have ever thing laid out for you but the cost is a little much. You are right when you say you have more flexibility with WW, sometimes the flexibility gets me off track though. Anyways, thanks who know maybe I will try JC if this doesn't work for me. I am going to give myself this next week when I am out of town to think about it and see how I do with WW. I just keep having these ups and downs of weight loss however I know my ups are usually due to me being off track.

Haylo- Best of luck with whichever program you decide to go with. I actually think the best program for me is a combo of both!!! We have a lifetime membership to JC so we actually have an appt. with our counselor on Saturday. We are going to see if we can still weigh in with her every week and just buy a few Jenny things... we love their breakfast stuff!!! All of their food has the information we need to convert everything to points. We aren't going to tell her we are doing WW but rather tell her we just can't afford $200 a week any longer and if we can try to just make good choices part of the week can we lower our bill to $50-$75 a week and still come. If not then we will join WW but we really like the one on one counseling rather then the group thing. And we have a great counselor!

Paige2-What? $200 a week! OMG! (sorry) I had no idea their program was that pricey. Are you always supposed to be on their food, or do they teach you how to eat regular food? I guess I just don't understand how a program like that could work long term?

Anyway...I went to wi...I'm down another 1.4lbs!!! WOOOHOOO!!! I am quite excited; it really made my day!

Congrats Paige on your WI!! That's terrific! And well yeah JC is expensive... that $200 was for both us but it's still too pricey! As you get closer to your goal weight you do start to plan some of your own meals and they have a maintainence program... but I think WW is better at creating long time lifestyle changes.

Paige2-I guess it just depends on the person; personally, I don't see how I would be successful at it. I need to be able to eat "real" food. I think in the end I would feel very restricted. I like being able to have my cake and eat it too! But that is me! :D:D

paige: congrats on your loss

paige2: thanks for giving some insight into this ;)

Paige, way to go with your loss! You go girl! How much have you now lost, in total? You said you felt thinner, so I guess you now can say you are!
Paige2, I've heard that about Jenny Craig as far as eating out being "off plan" and I don't want to be restricted by having to earth their food. Truly, in my mind, that is not teaching you how to eat for the rest of your life, it's a "quick fix" kind of thing. When you lose the weight and stop eating their food, you haven't learned how to manage your food intake properly. I suppose they offer some dietary counseling when you reach goal, but I think the process of eating properly is learned WHILE you are losing weight at WW and boy I know it is a very long process!
I can't believe how expensive the JC foods are, by the way. Did you like most of their foods?
As for me, I did well today. I'm ending the day using 3 flex points for the day. But considering I went to Cracker Barrel for lunch, this is really what I would call a success story. I ordered based on my Dottie's Weight Loss Zone information. I really scanned the menu just to make sure what I was on the web site actually existed and it did, for the most part. Sadly, the brown rice is only available on Fridays, but I had pinto beans instead and only ate about half of them. I had the planned chicken tenderloins, I had corn and turnip greens with it. I didn't care for the turnip greens, I've never had them before but wanted to try them as they are listed as 0 points. No biscuits or cornbread. I have a clear broth vegetable soup and no dessert. I really feel like this was a breakthrough for me. Usually, I have to have biscuits in that place and have to have butter, no matter how good I think I am being those things are too tempting. So, I did OK!
I didn't go to the gym today, I was just too tired and even if they are still open right now, I'm in for the night and tired. Tomorrow, I have to sew theater costumes all day and probably won't get there either. Oh well.

You did great today at Cracker Barrel, Linda!!! Ya gotta love dwz!! Yeah I'm happy about switching back to WW... this needs to be something we can live with and not the quick fix! We did actually like most of their food, though. The make the best breakfasts entrees!!! We might still get a few of them... they make a breakfast sandwich and an egg scramble that are so yummy! I'm always in such a hurry in the mornings trying to get the kids dressed so we can all be out the door by 6:15 am that I don't have a chance to eat until I get to work so these breakfast entrees they had made it really easy!

I know I must sound like I'm promoting JC but I'm really not trying too.... I'm very happy to be back on my WW program!!!

Linda-My ticker on here is my weight as it's recorded at my ww meetings (which I started the end of April.) I still keep track of my weight on my home scale, though, and according to that since Sept I've lost 32lbs!!!

Great job at CB! You have had such a successful day!!!

Paige2, I got it that you were not promoting JC, just trying to explain it all.
Other Paige (boy could this get confusing!), way to go with the 32 pounds! I remember you then and you were so easily discouraged. I used to get fearful that you were getting discouraged and quit, remember how I used to give you pep talks all the time? I know you are doing so well that you don't need that kind of talk all the time! One day, I know, you will be congratulated for reaching goal!
By the way, as you all know, I'm a scaleaholic. I am frustrated that my own scale at home hasn't budged all week this week and I truly have been a very good girl since Tuesday. Usually a few days of being really good will show up on my home scale, but nothing. Bummer. I know, I know... we call can't expect instant results, but moving that scale just a teeny bit would be encouraging right about now.
Today will be an interesting day. I have no idea where lunch will come from. I'm going to a performing arts center in Massachusetts to participate in a costume making day for the youth opera company that my daughter is in. They are producing Mozart's The Magic Flute. Goodness knows what I'll end up doing, but the car is loaded with my sewing machine, fabric, supplies and costumes that I already own that could be used or modified. I kind of look forward to this day as I'll meet new people and I do enjoy sewing. Supposedly, we are supposed to get "take out" food delivered or something. I hope there is a salad choice, but am confident that I can handle whatever comes my way.

Good Morning everyone,
Wow Paige! Down again! Although I've only been "here" since November, I can distinctly remember times since then that you were more discouraged. Do you think it might be easier right now for you to lose weight because you don't have all the added pressure of your classes going on? 32lbs. down, that's awesome! You should have that on your ticker.... you earned it!

Linda- Way to go at Cracker Barrel! I'm not sure if I would've been able to behave myself as much as you did. It is amazing though, when you go in with a plan, how much that helps.

Well, I can't post that much this AM, we are taking our older two DD's to Six Flags today, a much needed day away from the farm/endless work. I'm psyched that my DH just agreed with me that we should pack a cooler full of healthy stuff, vs. just buying (and spending a fortune) on park food. Another day of journaling in the AM for the day, yeah!!

Happy Friday all!!!

Erica-No, I don't think that school stress has much to do with my weight loss (or gain, I guess.) I get stressed out with classes, but it's the kind of stress that I like. I LOVE school. I cannot wait for my classes to start back up!!!!
Which Six Flags are you going to? We used to go to Darien Lake when I was younger...I loved it. That is great that your dh agreed to pack a cooler of stuff. Park food is just NOT worth it!!!! Have a great time!!!

Linda-I really, truly believe, too, that one day I will be posting on here that I made my goal, and posting my before and after pics!! I really feel that I have made this a lifestyle change. Not saying that it's not something that I still have to work at everyday, but I know I am NOT going to fall completely off the wagon. I feel excited every day to wake up and meet the challenge of staying op.
It sounds like you have SUCH a fun day ahead of you!!!! I know you will do well and make the best choices for you! Your scale not budging is just one more reason to stay op today, right? You don't want to go off plan and have it budge in the wrong direction!!!!

Paige2-I knew you weren't promoting JC, too. =)

Ann-How is your week going? Have you been able to not eat before bed? I've tried it out the last two nights, and I have woken up feeling fabulous. Surprisingly, it hasn't been that difficult. I really like waking up and having that "thin" feeling.

I'm not really sure what my plans are for today. I was thinking about calling a friend in awhile and seeing if she wanted to get together today (she also has kids.) Feeling like I need to get out of the house!!!!

Does anyone have any exciting plans for the weekend??

Have a fantastic Friday everyone!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Good afternoon everyone. I hope you all had a great day.
Erica, I hope you and DD's have an awesome time at Six flags. Glad you are back.
Hello Paige 2, welcome and I do hope you enjoy this room as much as I do.
Paige 1, I did manage to not eat 2 hours b'efore bed. It is a neat feeling. I was hungry in the morning. Now if I can just keep it up. Paige that is awesome you are down 32 pounds. Way to go.
Linda, it sounds like your day will be great. That is wonderful you are helping to make costumes. Good luck with your eating.
Haylo, how are you. I hope you are enjoying your day.
Erika, enjoy your vacation. How is your running?
Tech, Laura, Ginny, Emma, and Briza, hello and I hope you are all doing well.
I am off to run now. I did manage to get in 19000 steps today. Eating was good today so far.
Take Care everyone and enjoy your weekend.
Ann

Hi you guys!
If I didn't have three little ones I am sure I would have more time to post and comment on everybody's posts. I have read them though! And congrats to Paige on being down! GO girl!
I had WI yesterday I got two 5 lb stickers! Yipee... bringing my meeting wi loss to a total of 15 lbs. I am less at home in the morning and keep a seperate chart of my daily weigh-ins and then take the average each week. It's very inspiring to look at each day and see the numbers going down week by week.
I am doing very well, I keep low point snacks handy and again that Latte everyday really gets me through. I sometimes will have two of them if it's the weekend or something...
I also have been kind of doing the wendie plan and have one day a week that I tend to splurge and it is nice as it's something that I have been looking forward to each week. I also found that having WW meals or Lean Cuisine meals in the freezer really helps, thankfully my family is very supportive and my DH will cook himself his own meal. I think he realizes that what's best for me is to not have to cook meals, I find that I don't do well on portion control when I make a meal, I always take too much and I never want to weigh anything, so I do better with the frozen pre sized meals, also I always try to include a veggie with lunch and dinner as a filler before I eat my meal so I eat a little slower and savor it!
Anyway, it's working beautifully and in 6 weeks I've lost 20 lbs. My goal of being 199 by December may come true! IF so, I am rewarding myself with a trip to visit my sister and some friends in Florida in December. And each 10 lb increment i go and get a massage! I had one yesterday, divine, I recommend everybody do it as a reward treat! :)

Not much time to read and respond tonight... a very long day for me. It was so HOT... I should have worn shorts to do the sewing thing. Yikes. I should have figured it was in a high school and buildings like that are notorious for being really hot as they generally are closed in the summertime, unless you are crazy enough to be running a summer theater camp there! Oh well. Maybe I lost some excess weight becuase I was so drenched with sweat. Ugh.
I worked on several costumes and it was "interesting" to meet a few of the other parents. I was very disappointed with the role(s) given to my daughter, though. She's (not trying to be a stage mom here, but she truly IS) leading lady quality and she gets to be a "guard" and a "slave", all background stuff. She was saying maybe she'll become "sick" so she won't have to go through with it this evening. I don't blame her, it's a huge time commitment, a long ride from home and she could be doing other things. We'll just see what happens.
There was pizza. Oh well. I only had two slices. I'm OK with that as I counted it and used flex points. The old me would have had three or four slices and would have had the iced tea (with sugar in it) vs. drinking my own bottled water. But, the new me should have asserted herself and taken the time to go out and pick up a salad and say that pizza is not part of her life. I caved, I was working and the entire group ate the same thing and it was paid for by the theater company. Oh well.
Good idea that you packed a cooler with healthy choices, Erica and I hope you have a great time.
Paige, I know we ALL will post that we reached goal at some point! We must stick together and support each other all the way, and then also stick together once we reach goal to stay there. That is SO important.
Hi to everyone else, sorry to not be specific, I'm just plain out of time...

hello everyone,
well last night was a night out with the girls and it got a little out of control as far as drinking, I went in there saying I was going to limit myself to two drinks (light beer) but people started buying us drinks and that whole idea went out the window. So much for that, but I do have to say I had a blast with my friends so in the end that is what matters.

ann: the wheather here has been awful its been rainy and gloomy but my mom and I made the best of it and went to the mall.


paige2: i didn't get the impression that you were trying to promote, I actually appreciate all your insight that you have given us. I am glad you feel happy with WW. I need to stop giving up on myself and just do this and stick to it . I think this is what this whole thing has been about for me actually I just want an easy way out to lose weight. In the end it's all about control and portion sizes.

derry: sounds like you made a good choice with the pizza as far as counting it and not overeating it, I love pizza that is such a hard thing to control for me I don't know if I would have had your willpower.

momoftwo: congrats on your accomplishments.

Amomoftow, I'm glad you have done so well in the last 6 weeks by losing 20 pounds. Not trying to lecture you, but eventually you do want to get yourself back to eating "real" food vs. frozen meals. You need (for you and for your entire family) to learn to cook in a healthy way and to control your portions. Keep going to WW meetings and you will learn. I think you need to get your weight down a bit further, perhaps, before you go wild with that, but learning how to do this will aid you in keeping that weigh off.
Think about if you just rely on frozen meals and then when you reach goal. If you go right back to eating the way you did before, then you will put it all back on. I find cooking relaxing. I find planning ahead is an important key. If you plan what dinner will be and only cook enough so that you have that portion control built in, you will do OK.
I was telling Erica about planning ahead and maybe using her crockpot for when things are really busy and the same thing can work well for a mom of three small kids. If you are up in the morning before they are, that is YOUR time, time to get planning. I'd sit with a small notebook (or your tracker in pencil) and write out exactly what you will eat in a day and count the points for it. If you stick with your plan, then you will do quite well.
I always plan supper and my dessert first and then fill in the rest of the day, when I am planning. This way I am not feeling stressed and cheated that I am not having enough food, this leads to panic and cheating for me.
So, for example, DH and I are heading to the lake today, in the afternoon. Breakfast and lunch will be at home, but dinner up there. We talked about eating burgers when were there for dinner. I have 93% lean burgers there and 1 point wheat lite rolls. I'll skip the cheese and have ketchup and pickle. My burgers are not tiny, so the burger with a one point roll will be 5 points. I'll have a salad with it and O+V, so then dinner will be 7 points. I'm going to have 2 points worth of low fat Pringles potato chips with dinner, so now we are up to 9 points. That leaves me 11 points for the rest of my day and I want a 2 point WW dessert too.
So, now we are down to 9 points for breakfast and lunch and maybe a snack. I have pre-determined that I can have 2 or 3 flex points a day, and I plan on earning at least one point with activity today. So, I'm relaxed and I won't be starving.
Breakfast will be oatmeal (nice, warm and filling!) made with my favorite, Hood's Calorie Countdown milk that is one point for one cup! So, a decent sized serving of oatmeal is only 3 points. I have the Splenda brown sugar now and a tiny sprinkle of that is "free". I'll have an apple alongside my oatmeal and I doubt I'll need a snack until lunch, as I'm eating later than usual this morning and I will plan lunch a bit on the early side. Then, a mid afternoon popcorn will probably be all I'll need.
Lunch... hmm... today I think I'll have Lentil Soup, 2 points and I need an extra milk serving, so maybe I'll have cottage cheese or yogurt with it. I have five points for lunch, so I can play with it a little. I'll probably have a 2 point serving of melba toast with it for crunch. I'll add a veggie if I am especially hungry and those are 0 points.
So, that is how the day will be. I have a plan. I feel confident that I will not feel starved and panicked and that I shall have the adequate nutrition I need to support my body and weight loss. The plan is a good one, I can live with it and I shall have enough food. Knowing in advance that I will have enough food keeps me calm, I do not get stressed and I won't have any kind of need to binge. I sometimes think a binge is triggered (for me anyway) at a time when I am just plain hungry and have not planned carefully what I will have throughout the day.
Knowing that I will have a goodly serving of popcorn mid-afternoon really is calming. I can eat it slowly and it's important to relax while I am eating it.
Sitting calmly and relaxing during meals and snacks is a key element as well, grabbing at things and "running" makes you feel as if you've not eaten at all, then you are craving more. Sit, relax.
Haylo, I'm glad you had a good time with friends. I hope you journalled what you had to drink last night and you can move on. Walk an extra mile or two today and you'll be fine.
Also, it was SO hard for me to just stop at two pieces of pizza yesterday, I used to eat 4 or 5 slices at a meal. I love pizza. But, I did it and I was OK. When I got home, I was still hungry and I ate an orange that took awhile to peel and eat (not to mention being messy!) and that made me feel better. I added a big one point pretzel and a cup of tea and I was feeling satisfied then, but not with high point stuff. I journalled everything, I can live with this.
Take care everyone,

Good morning everyone!!!

Linda-I love the advice you gave momoftwo. I think that is why many of us do fail...maybe we avoid dealing with things that trigger us, so when they do trigger us we don't know what to do and don't know how to get back on track for good? I think you and I are the promoters of daily menu planning... IT WORKS!

momoftwo-Congrats on the great loss! My main goal right now is to get to ONEderland, too. I haven't been there since about 6 years ago. *sigh* It's amazing what marriage and kids will do to ya! I really want to be able to fit back into my wedding dress (although when I said that to dh, he said, "What, are you planning on wearing it again???"...MEN, they just don't get it!)
Do you ever get the Light and Tasty magazines? I get their annual cookbooks (which is the recipes from their magazines all compiled into the book) and they are great. The 2007 book is especially good. Also, you said you didn't like to weigh things out...do you have a digital kitchen scale? It just makes things so much easier, and it is AMAZING the difference between what I THOUGHT a serving was and what an actual one is! As awesome as you are doing, just realize that at some point you are going to have to face your cooking and portion control demons...unless you can see yourself eating Smart Ones and Lean Cuisine the rest of your life!!!

Haylo-What you said is completely right...YOU NEED TO STOP GIVING UP ON YOURSELF!!! Stick with this, you'll get through it and come out on top. I know you can do it!

Anyway, I need to go fix myself some breakfast and get on with the day. I know you will all have a super, successful Saturday!!!!!!

Hello All,

Sorry I haven't been around for a while. I haven't been feeling well for the last couple of weeks, plus TOM came for a visit so I had that added in and I haven't been exercising, between my foot and how I was feeling....Anyway I just didn't want to share my negative attitude with everyone so I stayed away. I did go to ww on Tues though and I lost 1.2 of the 3.2 I'd gained the week before :dizzy: But according to my home scale if I don't mess up these next couple of days next week should be a big loss :crossed: We'll have a new leader, they're merging our ww center with one a few miles away and opening one in-between, so I'll see what she's like I may start going on Sat. mornings where my old leader still is.

Anyway I've read all the posts but can't keep all my thoughts straight but here are a few things that stuck:

On the note of self sabotage, I am the queen of this. I think the gain a couple of weeks ago was due to my getting so close to my 30# star. Every time I approach a milestone I seem to eat out of control and back off. This is something I'm going to need to watch more closely.

On daily meal planning, this is definitely a key ingredient. I can't believe they don't listen at your meeting Paige, as one of my leaders said (can't remember which one) "Failing to plan is planning to fail", this is true whether its one event, one day, or one week. I usually make a list of dinners for a week, and then make sure I have everything on that list, then we pick from the list what we want to eat each night, it has helped a lot in not just giving in and going out. Each day after we've picked the dinner and taken it out of the freezer I plan the rest of my day. Sometimes I don't always stick to it but it still helps.

Ann - 19000 steps :eek:

Paige2 and Cathy - Welcome.

Emma and Briza - :hug: Good luck working things out.

I've gotta go. We've got a big family picnic out at my cousins this afternoon and I want to get a ride in before we go, plus I need to make a dessert. So I've gotta get going.

Have a great day everyone.

-Tech

Hi all ... Just a quick post ... we leave here in a couple of hours for Pearson airport. This morning I had a big breakfast at a diner ... but managed to keep it to 11 points and I'm not hungry for lunch ... I'll just have a snack before dinner. Running is going well ... I finished week 3!! I'm excited now to meet the challenge of eating well on vacation. Anyway, I will be following the thread and hopefully I'll have time to post some personals this week but I just wanted to say that I'm so impressed with all of you doing so well with living healthy and giving each other support. WTG!!
cheers
Erika
ETA: Wow Linda, The Magic Flute is one of my fave operas of all time. I wish I could be involved in the production too! Have fun!!

Well I went to WI today and had a gain of 1 pound, as I sat trying to figure out why I realized that I didn't get out of the house very much this past was and was pretty inactive just lying around, and of course my night out. So today I am starting new, again and I am going to work out. I had an unplanned lunch but I am going to go work it off, it actually wasn't to bad just I had a regular coke instead of a diet one, I didn't drink very much of it though and it was in a 12 oz bottole and I already know what I am having for dinner so when I am done posting here I am going to sit down and calculate everyting. Tomorrow I am leaving for Kenutcky and my mom and I have already talked about watching what we eat when we get up there.

derry: You always manage to say things to get me motivated to do things right. After reading your post, I think I am going to get myself a journal like you suggested b/c even though I have trackers and I use the online stuff I think if I write things down and keep it together in a journal it will kind of keep me more liable to stuff. Sometimes with the online thing I just say oh I will get on line and type everything in later and then before you know it, the day is gone and I haven't appropriatly counted my points.

paige: you reminded me that I want a digital kitchen scale I keep seeing that one at the WW meetings and think I might in verst in that one when I come back from my trip. Thanks for the motivation.

tech: thanks for stopping by, I really like that quote that your leader said it makes sense.

eusebius: Have fun on your vacation!!!

Good afternoon everyone.
It is nice to see so many posts. My day is going well. I have walked 6,543 steps so far. I have run 5 k and I am just relaxing, I think I will convince my family to walk with me after supper. Eating is going well.
Erika, have a wonderful trip and do stop in, I enjoy reading your posts.
Haylo, you so deserve to be good to yourself. You are very supportive to all of us here. You know what to do and I know you can do it. I hope your work out went well. I find that when I am running or exercising, I don't always want to do it but once I am done I feel good.
What is your plan for dinner?
Hi Paige, you are doing awesome. It is such a lifestyle change for you. What a great role model you are for your dd's.
Linda, have a wonderful time at the lake and enjoy your dinner.
Tech, you should still post even if it is a negative post as there are so many of us here, that maybe one of us can help you through. I enjoy reading your posts.
Amom of three, thanks for sharing. I know at the beginning of my journey I didnt' know what portion control meant for me. Once I lost a bit then it became easier. Now I don't have to finish everything on my plate when I am out. You are doing awesome, congratulations.
Briza, and Emma, how are you both doing. I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers.
Erica, how was your day? Did you have fun?
Welcome Cathy,
Laura, where are you, how are you doing.
Ginny, hello, what is new with you?
Hello Paige 2, how is your day going.
Sorry if I missed anyone, I hope you are all doing well and have a great Saturday.
Take Care
Ann

Tech-I LOVE that saying, "Failing to plan is planning to fail!" I am going to add it to my signature.

Hi everyone!! Hope you are having a wonderful day so far! At least it's not raining here today so that puts a huge smile on my face! It has rained so much here in the past 6 weeks... that most of my flowers have drowned!!! They look horrible! I was shocked when we got back this week from our 3 week vacation and saw all my flowerbeds!! The flowers look terrible and the weeds have overtaken them due to all this rain!!

Anyway went to my first WI in 5 weeks due to our vacation and I was only up 7ounces!!! I was so excited! So now I'm really motivated for this week and hopefully by next week I'll be down past where I was before vacation!! I've got to exercise this week though! Other then unpacking and doing some cleaning I didn't do any this week.

Enjoy your weekend ladies!

Hi All,

Well yesterday went pretty well. Surprisingly there were a lot of very healthy salads and grilled chicken along with the brats and dogs for dinner so I was able to make some healthy choices. This is not usual for my large (both in number and size) Polish family. But it was nice. If I could have just cut back on the wine I would of been golden. But as it was I didn't do too bad. DH and I went for a 10 mile ride before we went so I had some activity points, plus most of my flex for the week, so I should be ok. Helping a girl out at work who had baseball tickets today and working for her, so I need to grab breakfast and head in soon. I'm going to ride in and hopefully ride after work, I don't know if I'll get in the 10 miles but at least some.

Paige - Glad you like the saying it's always been one of my favorites.

Haylo - Sorry about the pound. Did you enjoy your workout? Have fun in KY.

Paige2 - Good job on not gaining horribly on vacation. That's always one of my challenges. Can you send some of that rain here, my garden is wilting in thirst.

Ann - This was a really blue funk and I was in my 2 year old "I DON'T WANNA" mode. Did you get your family to walk? You do so great on your steps. I need to get a new pedometer and check mine.

Erika - have fun on your vacation.

Well I should get moving. And I need to remember to call my folks to see if we're walking tomorrow, I forgot to ask them yesterday. It's been a few weeks between me picking up extra days, or out of town....

Have a great Sunday everyone :D

- Tech

Paige, I just LOVE that remark your husband made about your wedding dress, I'd tell him that, yes, you do plan to wear that wedding dress again and watch his eyes! Just fitting into it would be an accomplishment. What size is it?
My wedding dress is a size 5, I don't think I'll ever get into it again, but it's been worn in a few plays and you never know if my son finds a girl who is really petite to wear it. I'd love to see it worn by a family member, again one day. My daughter is a size 10 and even when she reaches goal, I don't know if she'll ever be a size 5. She favors my husband's side of the family and a 7 or 9, at goal. is more likely. There is nothing wrong with that size for sure.
Paige, I also love the new quote you put at the end of your signature line, great advice. By the way, I followed my plan well yesterday. If I had not taken the time to actually make the plan, I'd have blown it, I think. I think I did very well. Today, I will create a new plan and it will take an effort to do so as we are at the lake. I keep a small amount of foods here in the cupboards and in the freezer as it's a small place and storage is an issue. I have Hebrew National "lite" hot dogs that are one point each here, though, as well as the Country Kitchen "lite" whole wheat hot dog rolls, they are great and only one point each. So, I can have 2 hot dogs for lunch for only 4 points. I have some Kashi cereal here to use up, but I am not a fan and think it tastes like cardboard. But, one point for one cup is nice to think about so maybe I'll have that. I slept late today, it felt glorious to just sleep until I wanted to get up, the sun was fully up when I got up for a change!
Tech, I am so glad you are back. Hey, I am the queen of having a bad attitude and sabotage, so please don't back off if you feel you are going through a bad time again. That is when you should be pouring out those negative feelings and that is when we can come to your aid the most. Please share if you feel badly again. And, you lost some of the weight you gained, that's excellent! Keep at it!
EriKa, Bon Voyage! Have a wonderful trip. You'll do fine and even if you have vacation gain (I probably will when I am on vacation the week of the 28th) it will come off. I do plan on having fried clams and onion rings one night of my vacation, I just HAVE to and it won't feel like my vacation unless I do this. A lobster roll is in my future as well. There are certain things about a vacation in NH that have to be done, in my opinion. BUT, I can be very good the day I do this, try to get in some extra activity and do the best I can with it. If I have a vacation gain, I will work hard and I will lose it again, I know it and I am comfortable.
Haylo, a little journal is just the thing. Having that written plan keeps you accountable to yourself. I try very hard to plan what I will eat (that is, when I am being a good girl and I am human and there are times when I blow it off, as evidenced by my 2.4 gain last week).
So, ladies, it's a glorious day here at the lake, sunshine and the best weather forecast is a promise for good times! I'm getting off line now to have my healthy breakfast, while typing this I've decided to not have the Kashi cereal, it's going to feed the birds. Having food that just doesn't taste good and feels like diet food spells defeat! I have these mini 2 point bagels in the freezer that are cinnamon/raisin and I can micro one of those and have whipped lite cream cheese for one point on top, then I'll add some pineapple (canned) and have a tasty 4 point breakfast. Hot dogs on the grille will be lunch with leftover salad from last night. Then, dinner.... I have to think here. We'll be arriving home from the lake around that time and I will not have time to defrost anything, but I have a turkey breast in the refrigerator. It would take about 2 hours to cook and I doubt I'll have time. I guess dinner will be pasta, then, with sauce and maybe I'll take a few boneless chicken breast out of the freezer, pour the sauce over them and cover with ff mozarella. Then, it will kind of a chicken parm thing, but with no breaded covering of the chicken, I'll have that with a vegetable for dinner and keep it about 10 points. I'll be well on track and have room for dessert! There, a plan is made and I feel calm!
Take care, forgive any spelling issues as here on this little laptop, I have no spellcheck.

Hello everyone:wave:! I Have not been on 3fatchicks.com in almost 2 years. I am joining Weight Watchers Tuesday with my daughter (she is 11 and weighs 126). We are waiting on a note from her doctor saying it is ok, and what her goal weight is. We should have that by the Tuesday meeting. Anyway, I will be 40 on August 23, and have never weighed this much in my life. I joined Weight Watchers a few years ago, but didn't stick with it. I am determined this time. Not just for me (I can't stand to look in the mirror!), but for my daughter! I also have a son that will be 16 tomorrow. Heaven Help Me!
I would love to join this group, not only to recieve support, but also to give it. :df:

my first post... it's a big site- kind of intimidating. any suggestions on where I should spend time? So many stories- all the messages are interesting. It's hard to jump in with some of those who have many years on the site.
I have no excuses.. well- actually I do but I won't start with them. I am way over 150 and too embarassed to say how much... I am 30 pounds more than when I was 9 months pregnant. I am disgusted with myself. I am trying to be serious...I used to run 3 miles a day and all that good stuff but now 20 years later... I feel like a cow and look like one too. I started working out last week, [seriously] not just walking at lunch. I am going to be 40 this week and it's very depressing. I cut off my hair friday [8"] as a motivator- trying to change... I need support. My husband is too kind to ever say anything about my size...so I don't get into details with him. I want to do this for me.. and for him and for us..and to show my family-- being healthy has always been important to our family. I feel so weak, not physically but emotionally... I am very determined in all I do, but this one thing is literally weighing me down. :(
I hate to talk too much here so I'll cut this short. I live in the sticks and have little support... thought i'd try this for a change. I read about it in a magazine.. I am open to advice... thank you!

HI- we are in similar shoes... I posted and your post was so like mine. My kids are older but maybe we can help each other...

It sounds like you and I have lots in Common!!! Our age, weight, etc! Oh...I just looked at your last post and saw you noticed it too! How weird is that? Anyway.....Yes! I would love to start together and get through some of this with someone who knows exactly how I am feeling (ex: not liking ourselves at all!) My husband sounds like yours as well....He tells me all the time how beautiful I am, but I can't see it!!!
With the support of this group and each other, we can do this. I don't plan on spending my 40's looking and feeling like this.
Kim

Hope everyone is enjoying their day! It rained here again today but it does look like the sun is trying to come out so that's a good thing! I think we are taking the kids to the aquarium downtown tomorrow so they are excited about that!!

Hey o2bskinny- I think maybe we chatted before in another group... I'm recently back too after being gone for about 2 years! Welcome to the group!

Speaking of wedding dresses I'd love to get be able to get into mine again... although I wasn't exactly skinny then either. But it might be possible for me in another 30lbs or so!

I'm still really excited about my WI yesterday. I was so afraid that I had gained. It feels good to know that I can go away for a few weeks and not totally blow it!!! Now I just need to keep up the momentum and make it through this week!!! Day by day is how I have to take this... my journey is gonna be a long one since I have so much weight to lose!

I'm going to fix Paige's recipe tonight for dinner!!! I'll let you all know how it turns out!! It sounded so good!

Okay... gonna go and try to get some yard work done while the sun is trying to come out!!!

Going to do this and o2bskinny... I'm 42 and I know exactly how you feel... I started all this right before I turned 40!! I was in the mindset that I refused to be fat and 40!!! Well now I'm fat and 42!!! Where does time go??

I lost 50lbs... and then gained it all back so here I am again!!! Good luck to both of you and I'm glad your here!!

Hi Paige! I do think we were on the same board a while back! Well, here I am again!!
Oh, to get into my wedding dress.....that isn't possible ( I weighed 103 pounds, ate anything I wanted and had a metabolism that wouldn't stop!)
I wouldn't mind weighing what I did after my 11 year old was born though...119! I lost weight like crazy after she was born!
I am looking forward to being a part of this again.
Kim

Hello everyone. I hope you all had a great day,
Welcome Kim and Goingtodo this, I hope you enjoy posting here.
Hello Paige 2, How are you doing. The aqarium sounds like it would be a great excursion.
Tech, it sounds like you did well at the barbeque.
Linda, How was the lake, I hope you enjoyed your dinner. It sounded good.
Hello everyone else.
I had a great day. I ran this morning and so far have walked 12,409 steps. Eating has been good but I feel like some ice cream right now. I am not hungry, just thinking about ice cream. Maybe I will go swimming and I will forget about the ice cream. It is a beautiful day here.
Have a good night everyone.
Take Care
Ann

Erika- I was just going back and reading some old post and I saw your link for your digital album! You did a great job!! I'm a digital scrapbooker fanatic!!! I like to blame that on my weight gain!! Too much time sitting in front of my laptop scrapping!!! Here's my gallery (http://www.digishoptalk.com/gallery/showgallery.php?ppuser=300) if you want to check it out.

O2Bskinny, welcome! I go to WW with my daughter as well as one of the reasons I went back was for her. Good for you! You will also find that you support each other. If you are tempted, she will remind you. If she is tempted, you will remind her. I feel that WW has made us closer as mother and daughter.
Hi goingtodothis! Stick with us and you WILL do this! Read lots of the threads and posts here on the web site and you will probably settle in with a new group of friends. Keep going to WW meetings, keep journaling and, of course, exercise and drink your water. It's hard not to be impatient as it takes a very long time to lose. But, we all can do this.
Paige2, good to hear from you. Let me know how that recipe was! I need some ideas to keep me on track throughout this week.
Ann, your dedication to running is so inspirational! I must say that without you to inspire me, I'd probably not have joined the gym! Do you keep some WW frozen ice cream type of treats in the house? Those really help me! If I have one of those 2 point WW ice cream cones, I always feel satisfied.
I was on the paddle boat for an HOUR today! My legs hurt, but it was a great ride and the day was just fabulous up North. We're home again now and I wish I was still there. Sometimes it is hard to pull myself away from there, it's so wonderful.
I have 5 points left for the day today, dinner and all my eating is done. I keep wondering if I counted wrong? I don't usually have leftover points, but I did earn points on that paddle boat. My mind is still on that ride... I saw trout swimming in the clear water, I saw beautiful sparkling water, mountains, people boating and swimming, all relaxing.... it was so peaceful. I wish you all peaceful moments such as that.

Linda, thanks for your warm welcome. Can I ask how old your daughter was when she started WW? Is she grown? I am a little nervous. I hate that my daughter is having to lose weight at 11 years old. It just doesn't seem fair. Anyway, I know that doing this with her, I am a LOT less likely to cheat and mess up when I have my baby girl depending on me to help her too!!
Kim

Hi everyone,
i hope you're all having a good week? I don't have much time to read all the posts etc, so will just make it all aobut me as usual :o

I have WI tonight, and THINK that it'll go better than last week (1.9kg gain.. i think around 4lb), which REALLY upset me, because i had tried really hard. I did core plan this week and seemed to make wiser choices, having recently done the core? So hopefully it's paid off.

Gab's dad was over here watching her today, and I was out doing the washing & heard a godalmighty scream - Gaby had fallen off the couch & bashed her head :mad: Grrr seriously, what idiot leaves a (almost) 9 month old baby sitting on the couch by herself? Doesn't appear to be any concussion, but i'm all paranoid so might ring the doctor and see if we can get in for a quick check over. Uh oh she is now after my cell phone charger, so I'd best run! I will check in tonight after my weigh in.......

Emma

Gooooooood Monday morning everyone!!!

Welcome otobeskinny and goingtodothis! Would you mind sharing names/nicknames? I hope you both stick around her and continue to post...this group is the best!

Otobe-I think starting your dd on WW is a great thing for you to do. Yeah, it stinks that she has to think about her weight at a young age, but that is our society for you. Think of it this way...by going to WW, she is now going to learn great things about health and nutrition. She is going to learn the proper way to incorporate all foods into her diet; she won't have to make any foods off limit, so she won't feel deprived and different from her peers. I really think you deserve a pat on the back for having her do WW, and as such an added bonus...I bet she will give you such motivation as well.

Goingtodothis-WOW, you are SO hard on yourself!!! First of all, your weight is just a number...I post mine proudly, and it's way above 150! Your weight does not define you, so you should not let it (..."I feel like a cow and look like one too.") If you feel like a beautiful, confident woman, than that is what you are and that is what others will believe, too. It is all mental!
We all have to start somewhere, so this is going to be your starting block. We are all here for your, so post as much as you want, as often as you want. Ramble a little or a lot...there is always someone here to read it!

Linda-I have no idea what size my wedding dress is! Maybe a 10, but it was altered. I bought it at probably my lowest weight, and then I switched jobs from a busy retail management position to a sales rep position where I was in the car 4+hrs a day...you can imagine what happened. I was eating the same amount of food, but my exercise level changed drastically, and I packed on probably 30-35lbs. I bet WHEN I get down to the 180's I'll be able to fit into it. It's a gorgeous dress. You better believe I'm going to wear it again...I might even clean the house in it!!! LMAO! My dd's would get a kick out of that!
I've been meaning to mention those Hebrew National Lite hot dogs, as well. They are fantastic! I have them at least a few times a week for lunch. I'll have to look for those rolls this week. Normally I just use a slice of ww lite bread for each hot dog. I find that they are less expensive, too, than the other brands of ff/lite ones. Our Wal-mart usually has them 2/$5. Could be our area, this time of the year.

Paige2-I hope the chicken turned out ok...I always get a little nervous after I give out recipes that people won't think it's good! LOL!
I looked at your digital scrapbooking...do you have sites that you go to that are free, or you have to pay? I love to scrapbook, but it's so stinkin expensive, and I always feel "cluttered" when I sit down and everything is all spread out. Plus my dds always steal my stickers!!!

Emma-Are you journalling everything still? If so, I would take those in and talk to your leader about your gains...maybe she would have some insight. I would FLIP OUT if I had 4lb gains two weeks in a row, especially if I had thought I did well.

I will check back in later! Hope everyone has a marvelous Monday!!!!

Paige-yes! it was Darien Lake we went too. It's about An hour and a half from our house. It was fun, but time to get back on track today. I was good while there, but our dinner on the thruway wasn't. I was just really hungry, and felt like having a "real meal". Then that just set me up for an "off weekend". Well, back to basics here on Monday!

Sorry about Gabby's fall, Emma. Obviously dad is not used to dealing with 9 month old kids and I'm sure he felt badly afterwards. Kids are amazingly resilient, thankfully. I used to laugh a bit when my kids had the usual falls and upsets when they were kids, they seemed to be made of elastic! I hope she is OK. Seems to me like dad is not big on any kind of responsibility, including a relationship. You are the strong one!
I'm proud you are sticking with all of this through times that are this difficult. If you can stick with this now, you can do anything!
Kim, my daughter is now 16 and not yet at goal. She started with WW about four years ago, but we both lost control and drifted away from it during a bad time for our family, my dad was diagnosed with bone cancer and he died about 5 months afterwards. Then, four months after that, my mom suddenly passed away, very unexpectedly. It was not a time for either of us to be worrying about weight watchers, so we gained it all back. I am here to say that I should have taken control, stayed on track and continued to go to meetings, but it was discouraging to go week after week and have gains. I was embarrassed and I wasn't dealing with it. I didn't go, my daughter couldn't drive herself there and if I was eating unhealthy foods, so was she.
So, we both went back last June, 5 months after mom passed away, with a fresh attitude. She's done tremendously well. She was at about 170 and at 5'2" tall, carrying a great deal of weight for a kid her age. Now she is 23 pounds lighter and still working at it. I am holding my own and it is much harder for me, at age 52, to lose weight. I'm on arthritis meds that can make you gain a bit and my metabolism is slower, so it's a long, hard journey.
My advice to you is to not keep the TV models and rail thin actresses in mind with your daughter. You mentioned she is 11 and weights 126. You didn't mention how tall she is. 126 doesn't sound all that bad, but if she is only 4' tall, then maybe it is? My best advice is to not obsess, and be careful to follow your doctor's advice. You can't obsess about your daughter's weight as if you do, she could become bulimic or anorexic or something like that. You must approach this with great care. I would encourage activity, but not MAKE her do things. I would provide WW friendly meals and healthy snacks and not get ticked off if you see her with the "wrong" foods. With my own daughter, I had to wait until she asked me to help her lose weight and then assisted her. I didn't want to play enforcer with her as our relationship was more important, though her teens years, than what her weight was.
There are all sizes of people, big and small, fat and skinny, I have learned to accept them all no matter what into my life. A 300 pound person is valuable and worthwhile, just as much as a 110 pound person who looks like they just walked off the runway.
You want her to feel confidence and self assurance, please don't try to be the "food police", she's very young. My daughter started at WW when she was probably about 12, so I have been there. Be her best friend and best supporter and you will do fine. If she doesn't feel she is overweight and you do, wait until a time when she says she wants to do this for herself.
Hope I addressed this properly?
As for me, I have made a plan for eating today.

Breakfast:
oatmeal, made with calorie countdown milk = 2 points
banana = 2

Lunch:
Lite bread
Boca Burger = 2
FF cheese- 1
beets = 0
salad, oil and vin. - 2 (for oil)

Dinner:
Turkey breast = 4
brown rice= 3
asparagus= 0


That's 16 points, I'll have 4 left for snacks. Snacks will have to be a milk serving and some popcorn!

So, I have this plan and will stick with it!

Emma-How is Gaby doing today? I had a somewhat similar experience with my little dd. She was probably around 6 months; I had put her down for a nap in her crib, and had closed the door because my other dd was playing in her bedroom (next door) and I was going to go blow dry my hair. A few minutes later my older dd came running into the bathroom saying that little dd had fallen out of her crib. It was clear that she had hit her head when she fell out, and she seemed like she was sleepy (a sign of concussion) so I raced to Urgent Care (like the emergency room, but it's through our local health care center, and it's supposed to be faster.) I told the girl at the front desk what happened, and she said, "She FELL out of her crib? HOW did that happen??" And gave me a look like I was the WORST mother!!! And then it took 3 hours before the doctor saw us!!!! Thank goodness there didn't end up being anything wrong.

Why in the world did he leave her on the couch? She isn't able to crawl up there yet, is she?

I turned my back on my son on the changing table when he was about 6 months old, once, and he fell. We all are human, make mistakes and learn from them. Luckily, my son wasn't hurt.
By the way, Paige, I want photos of you cleaning the house in your wedding dress sometime, that would be a hoot!
As for me, I have my skinny blue jeans that are not elastic waist that I'd dearly love to fit into. They are not in style, as the legs are really tight on them and they may look stupid, but I shall wear them with pride. I think I can kind of get them on, now, but couldn't wear them for more than 5 minutes and certainly couldn't sit in them. One day, I shall wear them again!
That will be a photo I will share with you all as well!

Linda-I will DEFINATELY share a picture of that!!!!! LOL!!!!

Happy Monday Chickies,

Well yesterday went pretty well, although I was super tired. Some how a bottle of wine and 5 hrs sleep do not a productive day make. I'm over it though, slept like a log last night. DH is out of town again this week, so I'll be cooking for one. I'll have to figure stuff out as I go. Just got home from taking the dogs and meeting my parents at the park. I walk with my mom so it's a slow walk but we walked for over a half hour and covered a little over a mile and a half. I was going to walk again but my foot is bugging me now so I may not. Don't want to overdo it. Maybe I'll drag my bike out. But then I need to go up and sew, so maybe I'll just take a break.....Anyway I'm babbling maybe I didn't get as much sleep as I thought.

NSV - yesterday I had to wear a different pair of pants because I hadn't washed my uniforms, and I was so excited, I could still breath comfortably in them!!!! That wasn't true last time I wore them about a year ago. :D I'm happy.

Erica - hate when one meal sets us off for a whole weekend. But sometimes that happens. Good luck getting back on track.

Paige - I just had an image of cleaning house in my wedding dress (I'm actually smaller now than then), not a good picture. But I bet your girls would get a kick out of it. :lol:

Emma - Hope gabby is ok. Good luck at ww.

Linda - That paddle boat ride sounds like heaven. You're making me wish it was our vacation time. (we're going to upstate NY, NH and Boston in Oct.)

Ann - I'm amazed at the # of steps you get in a day. Did you have the ice cream? Sometimes you just have give in so you don't binge later.

Kim & goingtodothis - Welcome, just jump right in you'll catch up eventually and if you don't understand something just ask. By the way I'm 40 also, I was hoping to be in onderland by then but no.......

Haylo & Erika - hope you're enjoying your vacations.

Paige2 - how was the aquarium??

Well I should go make myself some lunch. Have a great day everyone.

-Tech

Tech, maybe when you are in NH and MA in October, we can find a way to meet for a lunch or something? That would be so cool. Depends on the day/time you will be around here, of course.
I tried on my skinny jeans before I took my shower today and they fit. Last time I tried them on, I could get them over my hips, but not zip them all the way. This time, I could zip them. However, there was no way they would be comfortable on me and the (sad to admit, but I can tell you all the truth, and maybe no one else) my belly fat hung over the waistband - eeewww. In another month or so, I will try them on again. I have faith that I shall wear them. One day, I will wear them to a WW meeting and announce that they are my skinny jeans. I may even weigh in higher that day due to wearing them as they are quite heavy... maybe I'll wear my official weigh in outfit (really looking ragged and awful lately) and then go in the ladies room and change into those jeans. Pants are baggier and more straight vs. tapered at the ankle as these are, but the fact that I can wear them comfortably is so very important.
Paige, I'm still smiling about you cleaning the house in your wedding dress. More appropriately would be to wear it on your wedding anniversary to surprise DH and have your DDs in on the surprise. You could have them serve you a "romantic" dinner with wine and candles. The girls would giggle and think it was so much fun to see you all dressed up. Maybe you could even make whatever it was that was served for your wedding meal? Wouldn't that be a fun thing?
I'm wondering if my size 5 wedding dress would burst at the seams if I even tried to fit my size 10 body in it? I was 28 years old and I'm now 52 and have had two pregnancies, two c-sections and have gone through menopause. I cannot imagine myself being that small again. I'd be delighted to be a size 8 again, maybe, but I'm actually content with a 10 as long as it fits loosely.
With all the weight I've lost, my clothing size has not changed.

Thanks for all the warm welcomes!!
MpaigeW, are you Paige 1 or Paige 2? I will get you all straightened out, just give me time. Anyway, my name is Kim, I will be 40 years old on the 23rd of August, and I really need to lose about 52 pounds. I am only 5'3" tall and I just started back to school in January. I have been doing pre-requisits, and will begin the Respiratory Therapy program Aug 20th!

Wanna know what really made me decide to do this? I have to go up ONE Friggin' flight of stairs to get to my classes, YES....JUST ONE!.......by the time I get up those stairs, I am having trouble breathing, and my legs and back are killing me. I can tell it is worse since I have gained my last 5 pounds. I am too young for this!!!! I hate feeling this way!

Linda, Thanks for your advice on my daughter. I haven't said anything to her about her weight, I wanted her to come to me or give me a sign that she wanted to do something about it. We have run into one of her best school friends (which use to be a little chubby) at the store. She lost so much weight and my daughter couldn't believe how good she looked. Then we went to a family reunion last weekend (my hubby's side of the family) at the lake. All his family are STICK people! They talk about how they gain a pound or 2, blah, blah, blah.......anyway, my daughter and I were the outcast...AGAIN! One of the aunts (that can't weigh more than 105 pounds) said she had lost 15 pounds...my daughter tuned in sadly and said " I wish I could lose 15 pounds!"...So really, I made it her choice. I really was afraid (and still am) that she could end up with a eating disorder, So I am really not talking to her about it very much except to say we are going to Weight Watchers to learn how to eat right and get healthy. I would much rather have her a little chubby! The doctor has mentioned before that he wanted her to lose weight, but I didn't push it. With her height, she should weigh about 90 pounds.

I didn't get the doctor note for my daughter today, so please keep your finger crossed we get it tomorrow so we can start tomorrows meeting. She will be in the middle school this year and she and I both would love to get started ASAP.


Kim

Kim-I am "Paige1." I am 27, from NY. I am a sahm to two dds, 5 and 2. My oldest starts kindergarten this fall!!! I am also finishing up my pastry arts degree. I love to bake; it's the one thing I can say without hesitation that I'm really good at! I do cakes and such for people and I also have a Christmas cookie business. I really think you are doing such a wonderful thing for your dd. I have struggled with bulimia since I was a teenager (I still have problems with it now and then...it's something that will always be implanted in my brain.) I wish that WW had been an option for me when I was younger. I was always an overweight child, and always wanted to lose weight but just didn't really know how to go about it. When I was in my teens, I lost 100lbs, all from not eating at all or I would purge whatever I did eat. It is incredibly sad the pressure that teens and children are under today to maintain society's image of "perfection."

Anyway...I must be going. I have an appt at the chiropractors. Unfortunately my back problems are back in full force, and worse. I now have pain and numbness that shoot all the way down to my heel in my left leg. I am really fearing that surgery might be in my future. Let's hope not... I don't have time for that!!!!!!

Kim, it sounds like you are doing the right thing, then. If you need any help along the way, I'm your gal. Packing school lunches for a person on WW is tricky, I have plenty of ideas if you need them. Jamie (my daughter) found the flex plan vs. the core plan worked better for her, at least while in school.
By the way, Kim, our family doctor insisted the Jamie be seen by them every three months while she was on WW and that young. They set goals for her to achieve that were very different from what WW had to say. They were greatly concerned that she get to obsessive about it. She's doing very well now, but has been on a plateau for awhile. I think this happens to anyone, old or young after an initial period of loss. It's the hardest time to stick with the program, I feel, as you feel like you are fighting an u-hill battle.
Well, today was a good day on program. I'm also glad to say that I finally broke down and called the doctor's office about my long term laryngitis. I now have an antibiotic and hopefully this will do the trick. If not, I go to an ENT. Let's hope it doesn't get to that level.
Do antibiotics make you gain weight? I'm wondering. I have no choice but to take it, of course, but I wonder if this will falsely impact the scale?

Oh yes, Paige, I hope your back feels better. Have you thought of acupuncture? Just curious. I know a few people who have tried that quite successfully. I wonder if your insurance would pay for it and if you would be the type to consider it?

Just got back from the chiropractor a bit ago. He's confident that I have a pinched nerve, and he is having me do some exercises to try to manipulate my discs and get them to move. He also gave me strict instructions...NO SLOUCHING!!! LOL! So it looks like I'm back to my 3x's a week visits for a bit. UGH! Oh well...better that than surgery.

Good morning! What, no other postings here? Are we all taking time of for a lazy summer????
Paige, I read the no slouching thing and it was funny how I immediately squared my shoulders, I hadn't noticed how much I slouch when I am sitting here at the computer. I'll try to be more aware of that as I just feel better with my shoulders squared and chin high. Wonder why we all do those things to ourselves.
Well, today is weigh in day and I'm feeling good about it. I think I'll come in with a loss, however, my weight fluctuates so much that it's often 3 pounds or more different during the course of the day. So, who knows? I hope that last week's gain fiasco will be negated. We shall see.
I am going grocery shopping today and I look forward to that as I want to gather up things to take on vacation and just bring them along vs. having to shop while I am up there. After all, it is my vacation and I don't want to spend it in grocery stores!
I hope the rest of you have been planning your days!
I shall do that here and now... I have a new theory about oatmeal on weigh in days and I'm going to steer clear of that today. Oatmeal is my favorite breakfast, no matter what. I never tire of it and it's so good for you! But, one of the reasons why I love it could sabotage weigh ins? It "stays with you" and slows up the digestive system due to all the fiber in it. So, if you eat something with lots of bulk on weigh in day, does that mess up the weigh in as it kind of stalls things from "moving through"? Just wondering out loud.... I figure that I'll try to stay away from oatmeal on weigh in days for awhile and see if that helps.
So, breakfast today will be a poached egg served on toasted light English muffin with a slice of Canadian bacon and one slice of FF American cheese, kind of my own homemade egg McMuffin. 5 points

Lunch will be sliced turkey, cantaloupe, salad with O+V, and a 2 point roll, 8 points, total 13 so far

Dinner will be pork sirloin on the grille, cut up potato cooked in foil with olive oil on the grille, and a fresh vegetable, I'll have 0 point butter spray on the potato and veggies, 6 points, total 19

That leaves one point for a snack (probably popcorn)
My flex points will be a milk and a fruit, I think, as I'll need those to complete my day.
Also, if I say I'll do this here, maybe I will? I bought all the stuff to make the WW garden vegetable soup LAST week and never did, if time permits early this afternoon, I'll make it!
Paige, there is the best food delivery idea ever.... make huge vats of that soup, freeze and sell it to people you know who are on WW and haven't go the time to make it! You'd probably get rich!
Have a great day, everyone!

Goood morning everyone!

Nothing exciting happening here today. We're going grocery shopping tonight, too, so I am going to look through my fav cookbook in a minute and get a dinner list together.

I'm also going to keep my hands busy today with some painting. Has anyone here ever tried One Stroke painting? I've been trying to get the hang of it, but just can't quite get it. I ran to the craft store last night after my dr appt and got an instructional video, so hopefully that will help me. I'm frustrated because I usually pick things up very quickly, but this hasn't come so easily. I really want to learn how to do it so I can "paint" on my cakes using gel food color.

That's all for now. I hope everyone is having a great morning!!! Chat more later!

Paige 1, I hope your back problems get better. I had cervical neck surgery a few years ago. I had a pinched nerve with a herniated disk. I cried all the time, and had to hold my hand up over my head to get relief! Yes, I looked rediculous, but I would pace the floor at night and never slept until I passed out from exhaustion. I have not had any problems since, but it was a tough surgery. So...my prayers are with you that it gets better. I slouch too, which really looks nice with all my rolls of flab!!:barf:.....something else I too, need to work on.
My daughter has also been having back problems for the last year. We had her checked out, they did a bone scan, etc. and it is her muscles. I know her losing a few pounds will her, cause I know the extra weight is killing my back muscles.
Oh, good luck with your painting! I have done cakes for a several years and I enjoy baking as well. I am not advanced, so most of my stuff is very basic. The biggest thing I did was a cake with a big fondant magnolia. I was really proud of that! But I prefer to stick with the easy stuff! I would love to see some of your work!!

Linda, I would LOVE ideas for her lunches!!!! That would be awesome!!! Your advice for my little girl is VERY MUCH appreciated!! I am sure I will need to talk to you LOTS!
Also, I was wondering...I will go to the store after our meeting tonight. Could you ladies PLEASE give me some ideas of basics you recommend getting? It has been a while for me with WW and I am lost, but would like to get some stuff to start out a few days until I can make a list and get menus together. Any help from ya'll (Ok, I am from Mississippi!) would be really, really appreciated!!!


Ok, Lots to do, and I have posted way too much!!!
You ladies are awesome!!

Good luck with everyones weigh in's and food choices today!!!

Kim

Kim-I can imagine how painful that surgery must of been. Back in the spring I was in SO much pain from my back; I wasn't able to move, just even sneezing made me scream out! They did the MRI and determined that I have a lateral herniation in my L5 disc (lower back) and also two other discs have bulging, but that wasn't as much of a concern. The lateral herniation means that instead of the disc material bulging out, it bulges in towards my spine. Most of the time MRI's miss it because of the angle. My chiropractor is also physical therapy, and he has really discussed surgery fully with me, and has also discussed how he DOES NOT want it to be an option. So I am really going to be good about doing these disc manipulation exercises, and hopefully that works. So far I've been really good today about my posture, but it is SO easy to get lazy!!!!

The foods that are on my "essential" list are...

Whole wheat lite bread
Laughing cow cheese
salad (with balsamic vinegar and a little ff italian dressing)
low fat ice cream (Edy's Double Churn is our favorite!)
whole wheat pasta
97% fat free popcorn
deli ham
fat free/lite hot dogs

I'm kind of laughing at myself because I'm looking back at my daily menu's, and I don't seem to have much variety! LOL! I do throw in some of the 100cal pack chips or the cupcakes (I think they are Hostess?) but I have to be careful with them cause they are binge triggers. I guess during the day I try to keep it the same, for the most part, and then for dinner we'll have different things.

Well, my daughters note from the doctor didn't come in today.....so, I guess we wait till next Tuesday to start. Bummer. :( We had sort of gotten worked up over it, but I guess a little more work up won't hurt either. Maybe it will give us a little more time to plan our lunches for school, dinners, etc. and discuss things a little more. I am staying positive though! After all this time, what is another week???
Paige, thanks for the essential list.....it is a place to start...I need that!!
Okies, well, I am out of here for now.
Kim

I think I'm going to need to do the no weigh in pass this week, cause I don't think I'm going to have a loss...

Hooray! Lost 2.2 at weigh in, whew! As some of you may recall, I gained 2.4 last week. So, I'm back down again. I did have ham the night before weigh in last week, so I do wonder if it was mainly sodium? I'm relieved to have lost the majority of it, especially considering I'm going on vacation as of Friday.
Paige, no one stroke painting for me, I'm more impressionistic in style. I was an art major a million years ago...
Kim, I will gladly give you some lunch ideas. It's really hard for kids who want to lose weight. I'm on the "fly" right now, dinner is literally on the grille, so later! I'll also give you some shopping tips.
Kim, there is also no reason why, even if you don't have a doctor's note for your DD, you couldn't go to a meeting and get the materials and start off on what is called The Core Plan right away, she could do that with you and weigh in for the first time next week. Start drinking tons of water. If she won't drink water, get those mix-in things that flavor the water - those are great for school, by the way.
Amomoftwo...Don't give up, keep trying! When is weigh in? Drink tons of water, eat fruit and veggies, have asparagus - it's a natural diuretic!
Gotta go, dinner's almost ready and I'm starving!

Wow... I miss so much in just a day and a half!! I need to sit down with a sheet of paper so I can take notes as I read all the post!!

We had a blast at the aquarium yesterday!!! We did go over to the Hard Rock Cafe for lunch and I was as good as could be expected... I split a kids meal with my dd... she's so picky and eats like a bird! So it worked out! We snacked on fruit throughout the day so I don't think it was too bad!

Kim and Linda, I think it's great that you are doing this with your daughters! Mine is only 6 but I worry so much about what her future holds. I don't ever want her to struggle like I have pretty much all my life! She weighed 10.2 when she was born which really freaked me out!! Luckily though she doesn't have a weight problem so far... but she isn't going to be a petite girl by any means. I'm pretty sure she was the tallest in her kindergarten class so she's going to be a big girl... my husband is 6'4 and I'm 5'8. I'm pretty sure she will be taller then me! I'm trying really hard to teach her how to make good choices but not be fanatic about it either. I don't want weight one way or the other to be an issue in her life.

Paige- There are alot of sites out there to purchase digital kits. And there are alot of freebies out there too!!! I get most of my stuff free because I'm on 9 creative teams... so I don't have to spend too much $$$. Although I did find myself getting a new computer and camera... so I'm not so sure it's less expensive then paper... but it's certainly not messy like paper! Also I haven't made the recipe yet... maybe tomorrow! I forgot to take the chicken out and defrost it in time! But I will let you know how it turns out when I get to it!

Linda- Congrats on the WI!!! That's great and hopefully will keep you motivated this week!!

Guess it's time I start thinking about what to feed everyone for dinner!!!!

Hello ladies, I hope you all had a great day. Mine was good just really busy.
I ate on plan and ran today. I only got in 6,035 steps, I am exhausted so it will have to do.
Linda way to go on your loss. I have to tell you yesterday I wasn't planning to run and after I read your post I ran. Thank you.
Have a great night everyone.
Take Care
Ann

Hi all!!!

Kim-I was kind of thinking just what Linda said...even if you haven't gotten the dr's note, if I were you, I would still go and sign up and just have her sit in on the meeting. You will get all of the materials, and after the meeting the leader will have all of the new people stay after so the program can be explained. Do you know for sure that the dr is sending the note, you are just waiting for it?

I kind of had a little "revelation" today. I was in my closet, looking through the TONS of clothes that I have...and realizing that I have sizes ranging from 22-? hanging up. Why the heck have I been hanging on to clothes that are that large? I think I have been making it too easy to gain weight and fall into a yo-yo pattern. I'll lose some and be able to fit into the smaller sizes, then gain some and have to go back up to my larger clothes...I've always had clothes on hand that fit no matter what size I was. Welllll, I have made a decision. Tomorrow I am cleaning out my closet. Any clothes that are too big are getting packed up and are going AWAY! I'm not going to be able to gain weight if those bigger clothes aren't there. AND, besides that...I need to make room for all the new, thin clothes that I am going to be buying in the future!

Chat more tomorrow! Hope everyone has had a fabulous day!

Paige, what an awesome revelation. It is funny how we have all sizes in our closets, this allows us to gain weight more easily. Congratulations on your decision. Have fun buying new thin clothes. Your journey has been amazing. You should be so proud of yourself.
Ann

Here's the post I wrote last night... I couldn't get on this web site and I saved it. I'll write something else below tpp, but I wanted this to show up here! I think I'll be re-starting the thread as well, soon, as we are up to 10 pages again.
Paige2, I open a blank e-mail in my outlook express program and read everyone's posts when there are lots to catch up on. As I read, I click on the e-mail and it pops up, I can type in a response and then click on this site again, and so on. When I am done, I can spell check, proof it and then highlight, copy and paste it here. If my post here is lost, I have a back up copy (sadly, that happens once in awhile). It works for me, hope I was able to explain that properly!
Kim, here is a good basic shopping list:

produce: bagged salads that can easily be made up in a hurry, grape tomatoes, string beans, summer squash, peppers, onions, potatoes, grapes, apples, in season fruits such as peaches, plums, strawberries, etc.
meats: boneless chicken breasts (to be frozen individually), 93% lean hamburger, ground turkey, lean steak, chicken.
staples: canned diced tomatoes, olive oil (extra virgin known as EVOO), whole wheat pasta, brown rice, lite bread, lite English muffins, 100 calorie packs of various snack foods, pretzels
frozen: lite/ff cool whip, lite/ff frozen yogurt, veggies weight watchers or comparable low cal frozen treats

School lunches (or for those who work): Oscar Meyer is making packaged (in with bologna and not at the deli counter) thinly sliced ham and turkey that is 50 calories for 6 thin slices, that's only ONE POINT! So, six slices of ham or turkey on lite bread is only 2 points. If you add a slice of Kraft or Borden 2% American cheese for one more point, that is a 3 point sandwich. If your daughter likes sandwiches, this does quite nicely and it has the "look" that all the other kids have and won't call too much attention to her being a "Weight Watcher Kid", if she is embarrassed.
I found our local market makes mini bagels and they are 2 points each. You can get them in white, wheat or raisin. We like to use whipped cream cheese in containers that is only 1 point per tablespoon and she would have a bagel and cream cheese for 3 points, she enjoyed those the most and they became her "mainstay" lunch choice for the school year.
I also found at the local market bakery rolls that were 2 points each. You have to really start reading labels and checking out everything. These rolls are called "mele hada rolls" and are very crusty, like a peasant bread. I would cut those in half and put lite margarine in the middle and she would bring those for lunch as well.
Another thing I would do was count out as many triscuits or wheat thins as she could eat for three points and also include individual packs of cheeses. Kraft makes these individually wrapped cheddar cheeses that are 2% and 2 points each. She found those difficult to open, though.
I tried individual servings of cottage cheese and yogurts, but she said those didn't stay cold and were "awful". I would also save containers to pack salads in and save individual packets of lite dressings from take out food and use my own dressings at home. She enjoyed salad at school, but never wanted to take home dishes. Our recycling program only takes items with #1 and #2 on the bottom, so these containers would end up in the trash anyway.
With every lunch was a bag of sliced peppers, cucumber and grape tomatoes for 0 points. If she felt like it, I'd also include an apple.
I would include a variety of treats in with her lunch that were 100 calorie packs, WW cakes, etc. She also took with her individual packets of pretzels that were only 2 points each.
Each day she would have a lunch item that was something like 3 points, a 2 point 100 calorie pack dessert of some kind and also a 2 point snack item such as pretzels as a mid-morning snack (her lunch was later and the teachers would allow kids to have a snack in class, as they were starving).
Then, I'd always put in veggies and bottled water. I found the crystal lite lemonade "mix ins" for her water and she enjoyed that, she said she wanted "a taste" vs. just plain water.
Each day, her lunch was something like 7 points, depending on the day.
She survived the entire school year with just about everything I have listed. She hates school lunches, so bringing lunch was our only choice no matter what. She is not a big breakfast eater and breakfasts would always be 3 points, if that. She was getting something like 24 points a day, so having a lunch around 7 points fit right in.
I hope that is helpful.

Paige2, sounds like you had a fun day yesterday!
Don't worry too much about your daughter. She's quite young and you don't want to instill worry in her about weight now. If you are overly anxious with her, you could contribute to eating disorders later on. But, that being said, you can teach her simple things about eating well and eating right by doing exactly what you are doing for yourself right now. You are developing a healthy eating lifestyle and if you feed her healthy choices that are balanced well, then she will grow into a lovely young woman.
I wonder if someone has written a book about "feeding our daughters", it would be a good idea if it's not been written. I should write it, but don't have the exact knowledge or time. Oh well. Wouldn't that be a great book considering how Americans (and the rest of the world too) are so vastly overweight. We need to get out kids on board with nutrition and make it part of everyday life and FUN if possible.
Ann, I wonder what it was I said the other day that made you get out and run after all, when you were not feeling up to it! I'm glad I said it, though.
I'm not feeling awfully energetic today, I have to admit, and I have tons to keep me busy as I am getting ready to go on vacation and trying to get caught up on many errands, bill paying and laundry ahead of time. Laundry is a huge issue this week as my son can't go with us and he is going to stay here by himself, he needs dress shirts and pants ironed - enough to last the week. Good old mom does it for him, of course. At any rate, I will go to the gym today anyway. I need to, it's all about me when I go!
Great clothing philosophy, Paige! I did a bit of weeding out in my own closet the day before yesterday. I now have a pile of clothing on the floor that is going away. It was the same time I tried on my skinny jeans and a few other things. I'm getting there. I need to keep motivated to go to the gym as that seems to be changing my shape more than just losing weight. I've been going to the gym about a month now (gosh, where does the time go?) and in the last few weeks, people have been remarking about my weight loss all of a sudden. The scale has truly not moved all that much recently, but people are noticing a change in me. So, maybe I'm not as flabby? Someone, last week, said my face is showing my weight loss. That is a good thing as I always have felt I've had a chubby looking face in the last few years. Having a loss in your face makes you look younger too, and I'm all for that! Ah, but the loss of "flab" creates those "fine lines and wrinkles" the commercials tell us about. I guess I have to use a gallon or two of wrinkle cream!
Kim, one other thing about my daughter, while I think of it. I mentioned your daughter might be embarrassed about being on WW. At first, my daughter was, but then she started to get compliments from kids about her appearance and how great she looked. Soon, a few overweight girls (sadly, there are so many in today's society) were asking her how she did it. Jamie become kind of the school spokesperson for weight loss, I swear. Kids were asking her, complimenting her, and encouraging her. She was never embarrassed about her WW related foods after losses occured, only before they did. Other kids began to follow her lead. She has personally been responsible for more than one other teen joining WW and also a gym. I'm very proud of her. She's got a ways to go before she reaches goal, bit I know she will do it. I encourage her, of course, and we share this together. I do blow our budget from time to time and buy her new clothes. New and stylish clothes are key to a teenager (and early adolescent) life. Having the nice styles and being a trendsetter is crucial to feeling good about yourself. I pamper her a bit where that is concerned and we have hauled BAGS of bigger clothing that don't fit her anymore off to Goodwill. She used to dress in huge T shirts that were baggy to hide her weight, but now she wears form fitting tank tops with layered shirts over them like the rest of the kids. Finally, a few weeks ago, she even bought herself one of those empire waist tops like the thinner girls wear that kind of look like maternity tops. She didn't look fat and pregnant in it, she looks fine.
Another thing, she is an actress/singer and in the past was passed over for lead rolls due to her weight problem (we think) she would be in the chorus and have a small background part. She auditioned for, and got, a lead roll in the school fall play. She was so proud of herself for this as it shows she truly looks like an average person vs. "the fat kid" now. The spring musical will be "My Fair Lady" and it is her passion to be Eliza Doolittle (the lead). She has photos of Audrey Hepburn (from the movie) posted in her room with notes that remind her to exercise! She put a note that says "NO!!!" on the cabinet where chocolate is kept in this house. She has her goals in mind and she works hard. Yet, she is human like everyone else (me too!) and there are days when she stumbles and the chocolate, pizza or French fries beckon her. Yet, on average, she does very well indeed.
Just thought I'd share that.

Good afternoon All,

I went to ww yesterday and stayed the same :( I think it's because I am holding water. I'm feeling a little puffy right now so I think I'm holding water. I also went to Curves even though I really didn't feel like it. But I was glad I went.

I also tried a new dish last night for dinner. I had gotten a new cooking magazine in the mail, and had been interested in a recipe they had for corn sides but their's had a lot of butter that I didn't want, so I just kind of made it up on my own: I diced a small onion, a half lg zucchini, tomato, and 2 garlic cloves, I also took the kernels off 1 ear of corn. I sauteed the onion and garlic in olive oil until translucent then added the zucchini and cooked a couple more minutes, then added the corn and cooked a couple of more. Then I tossed in the tomato and warmed it but didn't really cook it and salted and peppered to taste. It made a huge dish of veggies (probably enough for 2) and was probably only 2-3 pts total (oil + onion + corn). It was really sweet, if I hadn't already baked a potato I probably would have eaten the whole thing with my l/o pork.

Linda - Congrats on the loss!!!

I'll stop back later to respond to everyone, but I've got to go make my lunch my tummy is growling.

Have a great day all.

-Tech

Good grief what have I started!!!!

So today I got motivated to take Paige's lead and clean my closet!!! Mind you I have things from a 10 to a 24!! We have a huge walkin closet and most of what is in there is mine!!! Not only are the racks full... but I have several storage tubs full of stuff up on top not to mention piles of t shirts. We are getting ready to put our house on the market in the next few months. So we are have been working on going through stuff and purging!!! However, I have been avoiding the closet!!! My problem is that I have so much stuff in there that I will never wear again! The stuff in the tubs are the smaller sizes... and I think oh when I lose weight I'll wear that stuff again... but I know I won't ... I'm going to want new stuff!!!! Then I have stuff hanging up in my closet that is too big... but do I dare part with it??? I could probably get rid of more then 50% of the stuff in my closet, but I'm having such a hard time getting rid of everything!!! And I know I need to just take it all to Goodwill... but it's so hard!!!!!!!

HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Paige2-That is why I finally went through stuff. It was that "do I dare?!" and "but what if...???" that I needed to rid myself of. YES, I DO DARE to get of those old fat clothes because there WILL NEVER be any BUT WHAT IF I GAIN IT BACK!!!!!

I didn't get a chance to go through my shirts today, but I did go through my pants/skirts. I have a stack that are going away. I think right now I'm "in between" because I have a lot that are a little big, but still ok. It was really fun, though, to try on things that I haven't tried on in awhile, too.

Speaking of that, LINDA, do you remember back in the fall when I soooooooo DESPERATELY wanted to fit into that STUPID black dress for dh's xmas party??? IT IS TOOO BIG NOW! Can you believe that?!

Anyway, sorry I haven't posted anything today. Don't know where the day went!!!

Hi Ladies! You are all certainly inspirational today!!!
We didn't go to the meeting last night. I wish I had gotten back on the computer and read your posts. The lady at WW just said she had to have a note, so I was hung on that I guess. Anyway, the note DID come today, so we are FOR SURE going next Tuesday.

Linda, YAY!!! :carrot: on your weight loss!! Way to go girlie!

And congrats to all of you for walking, going to curves, and cleaning out those closets! You really are an inspiring group!!! To those that stayed the same.......YAY! That beats the heck out of a gain!!!

Linda, thanks for the WONDERFUL ideas for lunches. That really helps me out alot. I am going to put them on WORD and print them out. I am going to give her some variety and let her decided what she wants to take from the list. She does like to buy from school some times. They have a menu they send home, so I guess I can look at that and try to figure up points for those days??? Hmmmm.......

Well, I am feeling really yucky today. I got home from school this morning and went to bed and slep for 31/2 hours! I don't know if it is allergies or Sinuses, but I am really stuffy and feeling fun down. My stomach is burning too.....Gonna go take some TUMS!!! Then cook dinner!

Okies, Ladies.....I will check in with you later!

W

Tech, staying the same isn't so bad - take it from me with the 2.4 gain last week, I would have been thrilled with that!
Paige2, take a big gulp and get rid of the stuff. You will have a sense of freedom when you do, I think.
Paige, the black dress is too big now? Whoa! What great news that is. I remember you were stressing about it so much. What about that dress you were wearing as a bridesmaid?
I went to the gym today and I felt thinner and I was proud of myself that I was able to increase time on machines as well as weights on some of them. I felt accomplished when I left there and I had been avoiding going this morning. I really wasn't in the mood, but I am so glad I went. I have so much to do before we go on vacation and taking the time to go to the gym is hard right now, but maybe I'll make time again tomorrow afternoon. We'll see.
Kim, I'm glad you liked the lunch ideas. One thing to be is open minded. Having something different is "OK". Go with her likes and dislikes. For example, if she can buy milk at school, why not get individual serving sizes of healthy cereals or send her with a big paper cup and spoon along with cereal in a zip lock bag. Lots of things are good for lunches, things we wouldn't normally think of.
Also, I used to bring my WW "points finder" in my purse and check how many points various things were (now I know it in my head) in the grocery stores. I'd calculate points for certain foods and carefully place them back on the shelves, or excitedly put them in my grocery cart. You'll develop a feel for what is a great deal points-wise and what isn't.
Sorry you are not feeling well, Kim, take care.
As for me, my daughter and I went to a voice teacher for her this afternoon that was a bit far away, but it was worthwhile. On the way home, we stopped for a huge treat, MacDonald's ice cream cones! They are 3 points each and only 99 cents, not bad on a 92 degree afternoon. That was fun and we both enjoyed them so much. The best part, considering the points were so low, they counted as a milk serving and snack for us and weren't going too far. I'm still within my points range for the day!
So, tomorrow morning I will re-start the thread, or if someone else wants to go ahead.

Hello everyone.
This thread is getting so busy. Yeah, it is fun to read all the posts.
Paige 1, I followed your lead and went through my closet. I can't believe all the stuff I got rid of. It was exhausting. I must have earned some activity points for that. Congratulations on that black dress being too big...yeah. I hope someone else gets some use out of it.
After I dropped my stuff off I went out and got some new clothes....it was fun. I bought pants, a jacket a shirt, and a two pairs of jeans. One that fit me and one that is one size down so that I can grow into them.
What other suggestions do you have Paige, this was so much fun. Thanks
Paige 2, the best part about it, is I got to the drop off place and went in and there was a lady there looking for clothes. The woman working there explained they needed to go through it first. I still had bags in the car so I told the lady to follow me. I gave her a bag of stuff she was so excited, she hugged me. It was so worth it.
Linda, what great ideas for lunches. I think I am going to pack a lunch every day and carry it around the house with me. great ideas you have. Congratulations on your loss.
I hope you feel better Kim.
Tech, that is awesome you didn't gain. How was your day. Those vegetables sound yummy.
I hope that Erika is having a great time on vacation. Erika, no kissing cod. Have fun.
Erica, how are you doing? How are your meetings. Are you back to your busy life again? Remember to take care of yourself.
Briza, how are you, I keep you in my thoughts and prayers.
Emma I do hope all is well with you and your little angel.
Ginny and Laura, how are you ladies doing. I hope all is well with you both.
Haylo my buddy, where are you. I miss you. I do hope you are walking and having fun.
Amom of three, I do hope all is well with you.
Take Care
Ann

Ann-You cracked me up...about my "suggestion being fun"...I guess in a way it is fun to see what things don't fit anymore, and what things are closer to fitting. You also made me laugh about "growing" into your new shirt! You're going to shrink into it!!!

Linda-You and I are so much on the same wave length! I was about to post to Kim that one thing that might be kind of fun for her dd would be to take the points calculator into the grocery store and have her figure out the points on various items. Kim, I think the more you involve her in this, the more successful she will be. Let her pick out her own foods and figure out the points...then maybe determine together if those points would be worth it.

Anyway...my favorite show, Ghost Hunters, is coming on in a few minutes, so I must be going! Heeheehee...I love that show, but my dh is really afraid of any talk of ghosts! I always tell him that I hope I go first so I can come back to haunt him!!!! LOL!

Have a fantastic night all!

Hi everyone, I am having a great time out here on the "Rock". Today has been my highest point day so far ... 27.5 after macaroni & cheese at relatives'. (It was delicious though ...) Not too bad. I have managed to continue running and the weather is quite beautiful here right now. Great to see some new people on the list ... looking forward to talking more when I have more regular computer access. oh and I lost 3 this week ... I think ...taking the discrepancy between scales into account. Happy dance! Keep well everyone and thanks for the good wishes!
cheers
Erika

Good morning all.
Paige 1, when I read my post this morning. I am thinking did I write that. I was so tired last night. You are right I need to shrink into my new clothes....Also the dietician doesn't want me to focus on the scale so I am not allowed to weigh myself for about a month. It is difficult. The good thing about yesterday was I could fit into smaller clothes. That is what made going through clothes fun for me. Also I got rid of clutter in my closet.
Erika, congratulations on the loss, way to go. Also great job running. Have fun.
Have a great day everyone.
Ann

Quick posting, I'm running later for a meeting this morning. Will post more later. Have a great morning, all!
Linda

Waving Hello!!!!! Weigh In Today - I've been struggling a lot this summer and trying to pull myself back onto program.

Been thinking of all of you. Vacation away to Lake Michigan and summer activities - who'da thunk summer would be so hard for me? With all the produce, heat and nice weather, it should be the easiest time of year to be on track.

I hope to check in a bit more regularly. I'll try to catch up with everyone and what they are doing today

Hi all...just checking in quickly. I got a migraine right after I woke up this morning, and have been very sick ever since. Luckily, the migraine has finally left the building. I was supposed to have wi this morning; I might go to the 5:30 one, but if I'm not feeling up to it I'll have to go to one in another town tomorrow. I have a chiropractor appt tomorrow in that same town, anyway.

Anyway...I'm going to go see if dds will let me lay down for a nap.

Just started the new thread!
http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/showthread.php?t=118909
C-ya there!
Paige, you cross posted with me!
I hope you feel better, take it easy. It might be air pressure and humidity. This weather really stinks. Do you have AC?