100 lb. Club - Accountability/Planning/Menus Oct 22-28

Looking for accountability? This is a great place to share!

Good Morning everyone! Hope you all had a great weekend!

Rhonda--Wow, I never beat you here! Hope everything is ok!! I want to hear about all the great clothes you bought this weekend!!

So official weigh in this am...not good news, but not suprising either. I am up 2lbs (not changing my ticker yet....it WILL come off very soon!). The way I ate and was so lazy during vacation, really, surprised it wasn't more. Today my knee and foot feel better, not great but better. I packed my lunch (yea!) and will be going to the gym right after work. Tonight is arms/shoulders weights and some cardio--what and how much will depend on my knee and foot.

Have a great on plan day!!!

Morning everyone - another Monday! It's started off ok - breakfast was good with multigrain toast, pb, banana and FF milk. I packed a lunch of a turkey sandwich, FF pringles and grapes. Dinner will be even more of my soup I made.

Tonight I will get a manicure and pedicure getting ready for Texas. I am SOOO excited about seeing my family. Oh -and I bought a HOT shirt for hubby's retirement ceremony next week.

I had an off moment last night - begging hubby to let me go back on Metabolic - KNOWING I can't stay on it. I saw some pics of me when he and I first got married - why in the world did I gain that weight back???? Sighhhh...ok - I'm doing this - slow and easy.

Everyone have a great day!

Good Morning,

This is my first "official" post as part of the 100 lb Club! So happy to have found a group of women who understand where I am!

Well, I haven't had breakfast yet this morning - it's just about 10am and I'm off from work today waiting for the electrician to arrive to install an exhaust fan in our bathroom. So once he and his crew are in and working (should be here any minute now), I plan to have whole wheat toast with low fat peanut butter and some soy milk for breakfast. Lunch will probably be a low fat/low salt ham and low fat cheese sandwich with mustard on whole grain white bread. No chips in the house right now which is a good thing - I'll have either an apple or some carrots (or maybe both if I'm hungry enough) with my sandwich, and a Diet Coke with Splenda. Dinner... haven't thought that far yet. If I don't feel like cooking, then probably a Lean Cuisine and a salad. If I want to cook, then probably whole wheat spaghetti and a salad.

It's a gorgeous day, so while the electrician is working I'll probably take the dog outside to either romp in the yard a bit, or for a walk to get some exercise.

Hope everyone has a great day!

Good morning, Everyone. :welcome2: Krz.

MJ, thanks so much for starting the thread for us!:hug: It makes me so happy to know that, even when I'm not here, the thread can go on! This hasn't always been the case in the past.

I slept in again this morning. Woke up with a migraine, probably due to the weather change. Took some excedrin and slept it off. I'm feeling groggy now, but pain free. Today was weigh-in...I'm down 2.4 pounds. I'm now in the 220's.:carrot: Not bad considering that I couldn't work out all last week. The knee is feeling better, but I'm not pushing it. It does hurt when I've been on my feet for a while. If it doesnt improve, I'll have to get it checked by a doctor. I did find a nearby store that does the gait analysis and will recommend shoes for the way I walk and my body mechanics. I am flat footed and may not be wearing the best shoes. From what I've been reading on-line, this can cause something called "runners knee." I hope the answer is something simple and not something like arthritis.

Saturday, I went clothes shopping. So many sales and I was wearing smaller sizes than I've seen in a long time. First of all, I got measured again for a bra. I've dropped from a DD to a D. I also bought size 1x tops....I dropped from 3x. And, I bought size 22 dress pants..I was in size 26. I can't fit into my size 22 jeans yet, but the dress pants looked great. I was dreading this shopping trip. But, I had a blast!

Yesterday, I cleaned and organized the fridge and freezer then went grocery shopping. Menus are planned for the week and I'm 100% on-plan. My goal for today is to drink a bit more water and to keep switching the Splenda for the agave nectar. I'm still trying to adjust my taste buds.

Hope everyone has a great on-plan day!

Congrats on 220s Rhonda!

WI went well this morning, so I'm going to work extra hard this week to stay 100% OP, since my doctor has halted my cardio. I miss the dreadmill.

...Did I just say that? Haha, the fat girl misses the dreadmill. How scary is that? I just woke up about a half hour ago, also with a headache, probably due to all the freaking dirt blowing here in goold ole West Texas.

Breakfast is two mini pancakes with NO butter and NO syrup and a banana. Lunch is going to be more of my WW garden veggie soup and a sammich, and dinner will either be spaghetti or a Lean Cuisine and a salad. Depends on if I feel like cooking or not.

I was going to go on a nice long walk this morning, but it's stupidly cold and very windy, so I'm going to hold off on that. The last thing I need right now is to be sick.

Today I'm going to work on more water and paying really close attention to calories. My ticker is NOT going to creep back up!

Rhonda Congrats on the 220's!!
Laurie... How are you?
Hi all newbies, and oldies...
I have been in a 2 day rut.. what else is new for the past 6 wks , every other weekend has been a problem.. stress, buying food that I shouldn't so I really need to work on this. I am getting back on track today, still stressing out but not ready to quit. I had to get out of the house early, but did 38 minutes on the elliptical, and am going to do the rest of my exercises tonight!! I will not fail!!
Bkfst was 4 oz of grapefruit juice, Kashi go lean crunch cereal, skim milk,
Lunch , I am making right now a cedar lane burrito.260 calories.
dinner will be greek salad. with some dolmas
snacks.... Kashi tlc bar, banana...
I am not giving up!! cheryl

Don't give up!

You've done so well and lost 65 POUNDS! You can do this! You've already proven you can do this! :cheer:

Morning everyone!

MJ, those 2 pounds will come off before you know it. I'm up 6 pounds on my ticker weight thanks to the rubbish that I ate in the last few weeks and the lack of exercise. That stops right now. Well, it stopped yesterday, but right now looks a bit more dramatic and as we all know, I like the drama! ;)

Another newbie! My goodness, we're getting so many newbies at the moment - it's wonderful. If there's any other lurkers out there, please do post and join in the fun. We'd love to have you! Anyway, welcome krzwife. I'm looking forward to learning more about you.

Rhonda, yay for getting below the 230s. That's fantastic.

Sara, hopefully you have a chance to have that walk. Good on you for monitoring your water - I really do feel that's one of the major keys to losing weight.

Cheryl, it's great that you've picked up the rut now after only 2 days rather than turning it into a collapse like I did. It's going to be easy for you to get back on track.

For me, well I obviously haven't made it to the gym since I'm here. BUT the gym bag is packed and I'm going after work. I'm going to start posting my menus again because that seems to help me keep on track. I haven't weighed this morning, but last night before bed I weighed in at 254. Taking off the 2 lbs that I usually lose overnight, that makes my current weight 252. It's frustrating, because I now have to lose those 6 pounds that I worked so hard to lose, but given the events of the last month, I'm surprised I haven't put on more. My kitchen is officially a junk food free zone again, so here we go...

Today's menu

B - porridge with skim milk and 3 dried apricots, chopped

S - yoghurt

L - roast beef, salad and mustard sandwich, handful grapes

S - 1 kiwi fruit, carrot sticks

D - chicken and stir fry.

Have a great day everyone! :hug:

Hi again. It is SO gorgeous here...sunny and warm--it might hit 80 today, which is really unusual for this time of year (usually 50's is the average). I am going to go to the gym, then take advantage of the nice weather and do a little yard work. It is supposed to rain the rest of the week, so today is the day to get it done! I started to slip back into my bad habit of 'I skip the gym just for today because it is so nice out....' which is really bad for me! One day turns into two... I may have to pop back in later tonight just for the accountability!

Kristina--Enjoy your mani/pedi! What a nice treat! Have a great time in Texas!

krzwife--Welcome! This is a great group!

Rhonda--CONGRATS on the loss!!! Yahoo! Shopping sounds like it was awesome!!!! Great job! Sorry to hear about the migraine. Hope the groggy feeling goes away soon. Good idea getting your shoes checked. (My foot doctor is BIG on the 'right' shoes. My last appt w/ him was the first time that he didn't have a negative comment about the shoes I was wearing. I am totally addicted to Berkenstock's right now, in fact there is a birkenstock show on qvc later....)

Sara--Hope your headache goes away soon! Hope you don't have to go w/ out your cardio for too long--that's great that you 'miss' it though, signs of a healthy habit! I also need to work on my water intake--I didn't do so great w/ that over the weekend.

Cheryl--You CAN do this! Good for you for getting on the elliptical this am!


As I said to Sara, I need to increase my water intake--I did pretty bad w/ that over the weekend. It's weird because I usually drink lots and lots of water w/ out even thinking about it. So far, so good today though.

Hope everyone is doing well!!!

Nicole--We must have been posting at the same time! Good for you for packing your gym back and being all ready to go!

Just checking in quickly this morning.

Cheryl - It does sound like you're picking up a bit of an every-other-weekend habit. It's not enough to derail you, as your losses still seem steady, but I can understand both the fear and the frustration. However, identifying the problem is the most important step to solving it, and I know you got this.

Rhonda - Looking forward to your visit to MN! Sounds like your clothes shopping went well - so exciting to get new sizes. I know that I won't actually see you when you're out here, but I'll think about you since we'll be so close!

MJ - So glad the knee is getting better. Yard work, too. I need to do that, but I don't know that I actually will...

Nicole - Glad you're getting right back to plan. Having to re-lose weight is incredibly frustrating, but six is SO much better than sixty!

It's great to see so many people on this thread!

I had a great, almost completely on-plan weekend, which usually means that I won't struggle again until next Friday. I went to the bank today, and they had fresh baked cookies, and the teller asked me FOUR times if I wanted one. I was not even tempted, though my 3YO daughter had one. Hopefully, before the end of the week, I'll be into the "overweight" category and FINALLY out of the "obese" one! Only a 1/2 a pound to lose before I'm there!

Hi all. So far, so good today. I decided that while I was on vacation, I need to do a lot more planning of my meals. I haven't always done that, just had some "stuff" on hand. I didn't do it yesterday because I was just getting back from vacation, but I'm going to try to plan out my meals on Sunday for the week (or Saturday before I go grocery stopping ---- would make more sense ---- obviously I am still working out the details). I tend to make goals while I'm on vacation and I think that this one would be very beneficial.

Rhonda, how was it being fitted for a bra? I think I need to do that, but it kind of freaks me out to even consider having someone else help me with that. But with losing what little weight I have, my bras are just not fitting right. I went to try some on, but there are so many (I hate underwires!), it takes forever. Any advice??

Welcome to Krz!!

Sara, you killed me with your comment of the "fat girl" missing the dreadmill. Ha!!! Still chuckling over that one.

Cheryl, good for you for catching yourself before it gets out of control. That takes strength!

LaurieDawn - good for you... going for overweight! How awesome!

And a great big HOWDY to everyone else! Sounds like things are going well, overall.

I'm replying to this from the other thread (I included the orignal post so people wouldn't get too lost :P)

I know what you mean, Rakel!

I want to meet new people and I want to enjoy new situations, but sometimes I get so freaking self-conscious about my weight that I just shut down and act like a babbling fool.

Oh me too. I am queen for mumbling. John always wonders why I can't talk to other people like I can talk to him, but it all comes down to the fact that I know him extremely well and I know what he thinks about me.

It's frustrating, but I'm working on it. If you want to meet more Christian friends, maybe try going to a venue that would encourage that type of people to be there. It doesn't just have to be church either, something like a praise and worship concert, or some other kind of function like that.

I go to a really small church that is mostly old people. There is a girl my age that goes there, but she has never even made an attempt to talk to me. I have tried to (albeit awkwardly) talk to her, but she never really seemed interested and avoids me. I can't help but feel like it has something to do with my weight. We've tried to do "young adult" activities and so on but she never comes, so I have just given up on that. I think I'll talk to my pastor to see if he knows of any young couples groups that maybe John and I could attend.

You've already done so well in taking off 26 pounds, no matter how long it took you or how many times you stumbled on the way to it. That's still a huge accomplishment, and you should be so proud of yourself!

Thanks for the encouragement! I guess it is quite easy to gloss over, but I do try and consider that through it all, I've still been losing at least 1lb a week, and that is far better than gaining a pound a week! It may be slow but at least it is going in the right direction.

BTW, I don't think I've seen you around here, so if you're new... WELCOME! And if you're not... nice to meet you anyway :D

krz--- WELCOME!

Rhonda! Woman, you are unstoppable! :D Keep it up!

MJ - I'm always reluctant to change my ticker if I gain weight too. I usually go in and input the information in later anyway, but it's just discouraging to me!!

Laurie -- WOW! 61lbs! Amazing!

As for me, I checked the scale today and it said 282.5. I stepped on it again and it was 283, but I'm claiming 282.5!! Yesterday I was 284.5 - 285... I can't believe 2lbs disappeared like that. I must have been retaining water or something, at any rate, I'm relieved, and feel as though I'm making some progress. I regret to admit my sleeping schedule is off again though... I wonder if this is going to be something I struggle with my entire life. I have been so lazy as far as work is concerned too. I think maybe I have just been overworking myself and I never have any time to relax, and I suppose my obsession with the Sims 2 has been contributing as well. But I definitely don't want to burn myself out. I love what I do, but if I can never take a break then it starts to not become as fun. I just hope that John can get a good job so I don't have to work as much and can do more things around the house. I'm sort of keeping up with my laundry. I have been dutifully hanging up my clothes after they come out of the dryer, and my hamper is no longer overflowing, I don't have a ton of clothes in my bathroom or a laundry basket in my closet full of dirty clothes, so hopefully I can keep it that way!!! I've been going through a lot of stuff -- I've gotten rid of some stuff, and put some clothes that don't fit in those bags that compress the air out to save space -- I need to lose another 40lbs or so before I can wear some of them, but I decided to keep them so I don't have to buy a bunch of stuff when I get there. I gave away or threw out the stuff I didn't really like anymore, or that had holes, huge stains, etc. LB is having a huge sale on regular and clearance stuff, so I was thinking maybe I'd see if I can get some steals on clearance for "motivational and transition wear" sometime this week. Maybe that will encourage me to get rid of some other things I've been holding onto with stains on them ... (I am really good at getting food on my shirts when I am eating, and I am clumsy so it's easy to get pen marks, etc, which ends up making me look kinda dingy.).

Well, dinner plans just got totally messed up. I wound up with my three and a half year old niece with absolutely no notice this afternoon, which totally threw my plan of salad and a lean cuisine out the window.

This kid LIVES off of Chicken McNuggets and fries, and pancakes. The only veggie she will eat is corn, so I decided to get off my butt and take advantage of that. I browned some ground turkey with garlic and onions, dumped in a can of ranch style beans, a can of diced tomatoes, and pulled a few ears of sweet corn from the freezer and took the kernels off and threw those in too. Simmered it for a while, and called it "stew...chili...something or another just eat it and stop complaining."

She had hers with some cheese and chips, and I'm having mine with 1 serving of whole wheat ritz crackers. I gotta admit, it's just pretty darn tasty.

OH, I forgot to add that she, the child doesn't touch a fruit, was interested in the strawberries and grapefruit that were sitting on the counter, so after she eats, we're going to make homemade fruit popsicles! I'll try to sneak some pineapple juice in there, and throw them in the flash freeze and see if I can get her to actually get some fruit in her little body!

Way to give some nutrition to that kid! It's a shame when kids are so picky and the ONLY thing they like is terrible for them. One of my nieces is actually allergic to eggs and milk, needless to say she loves vegetables. One time my mom found some chocolate that didn't have any traces of milk in it, and tried to give it to her, and bless her heart (she was about 8 or 9) she was afraid my mom wanted to send her to the hospital.

I was planning on playing the Sims for the evening after I finished my work, but I decided to go with my better judgement and do something more useful. I went to our storage area outside and started pulling things out of it to get our bikes out. The state of the storage closet was a compelte disgrace. Everything was just thrown in there and it seemed like if you pulled something out everything would come crashing. We really need to get some sturdy plastic shelves from Home Depot in there. BUT ANYWAY, I was pouring buckets in no time, then I pumped air in the tires and went out for a ride. I had been waiting until I lost more weight because I thought maybe because I was so heavy that if the bike hit a bump in the road/uneven sidewalk, etc that my body weight would force it to break and I would fall and get hurt, not to mention be completely embarrassed, but I decided to just go for it. The tire is practically falling off my bike so I rode John's. MAN, it was intense. I went up this small hill and it was SO HARD. I only rode for maybe 15 or 20 minutes, I honestly didn't count, but I was extremely red-faced and dripping with sweat. Much better of a workout than the exercise bike.

Hi Ladies,

I decided to post here to give myself some accountability.

I went through and dumped the junk from the freezer today. I had already gotten rid of things from the cabinets when I returned this summer. I put it all in the car to take to the base refuse place and I hope the car is not too stinky in the morning.....YUCK!

I also went to the commissary and spent about 80 dollars getting food for the YOAD/calorie counting I am starting tomorrow. I am going to plan my breakfast, snack, lunch and dinner after this and try to get a good healthy day in the works for me.

I might have to go to the doctor tomorrow as there is a chance I have pink eye. Hopefully it is the type we get in the States and not the Korean type where you look like your eyes are bloody.....very ugly looking more so than the other....I would look like something out of a horror movie. It could be allergies so I am taking a bendryl and putting some drops in tonight and if it is gone in the morning GREAT! I hope so....I am very tired of doctors because of my recent boughts with infections.

Wish me luck!

FYI.....WTG Rhonda on the 220's when I was here the last time you just starting out! Look at how well you have done!!! :carrot: AWESOME! :carrot:

hi everyone,
Thanks everyone for the well wishes.
I am still struggling food wise, but less, I am pretty sure I am going to be better today. I was able to do 45 minutes on the elliptical, but that was it. Today I woke up at 4:30, to take hubby to work, so I am tired. I have only drank water so far, and am going to get on the elliptical at 8 am, and do all my exercises. My shoulder pain is better, that is the good news. I haven't stepped near the scale, because some irrational thought is promising me to see a 30 lb gain, so I may not weigh myself tomorrow, until I get a better handle on this. I have some things to do today, pay bills , stop at walmart, but will not allow myself the luxury of failing. I used to come here like every few hours, now I have to push myself to come and post, but I will not fail!!!
bkfst.. oatmeal, banana, grapefruit juice.
lunch.. choices.. rice and bean burritto( 289 calories), or a veggie chick patty with hummus.. I will decide eventually.
dinner.. .the kids are having tofu with veggies( I stir fry this with oil, so I will not allow myself this), I am going to have this spicy thai tuna( bumblebee) with crackers, and some lettuce.
snacks.. yogurt with fruit, Kashi tlc bar.
I will do this!!

Good morning, Everyone!

We have an overcast drizzling day here in Georgia. This is a very good thing as we've been in a drought. Of course, I'm now struggling with the strong desire to head back upstairs and snuggle back into my nice warm bed. But, duty and the bills are calling my name.:D I had a great on-plan day yesterday with my food. However, I was struggling with hunger which is very unusual. I'm never hungry when I'm on-plan. Hopefully, this means the scales will be giving me a "whoosh" this week. Wouldnt that be nice.:) I'm still not able to workout because of the knee. I've been giving it a rest, but I've noticed that it starts hurting if I'm on my feet for long. This is incredibly aggravating. I'm starting to wonder if I will ever be able to use my treadmill. I thought about an ellyptical as they are supposed to be better on the knees, but we just don't have that in the budget right now. Hubby and I are going to the running store sometime this week. We are having our gait analyzed so they can recommend some good shoes. He has been having some shin splints. We know that we will have to pay some serious money for good shoes, but we decided that its worth it. Hopefully, the lower cost of health issues down the line should be a great benefit.

Today, I want to drink more water and try to find some type of "sitting" workouts.

Nicole and MJ - did you make it to the gym yesterday?
LaurieDawn - Wow! You are almost "merely" overweight...that is awesome!
Diane - Welcome back! Sounds like you have a great plan in place to get going this week. There's nothing quite like a vacation to refresh the mind. Regarding the bra fitting, I go to Lane Bryant. Most of the sales associates there know how to measure for bras. They are quick and professional....and, you keep your bra on! It really made a big difference for me the first time I did it. They told me I should have been wearing a 42DD. I was wearing a 44C at the time. I looked and felt so much better with the right size on. If you just can't get around the idea of a stranger measuring you, maybe you can get hubby to help you. I'm sure he wouldn't mind.:D There are some great websites that will tell you what your measurements equal for band and cup size.
Sara - Great job on improvising your dinner plans. Picky children...or Hubbys!...can make this difficult. Our children try to be picky, but we tell them to eat what was cooked or go hungry. Of course, you can't really do this with you little niece!
Rakel - Congratulations on your bike ride! I haven't been on a bike in ages. Hubby keeps trying to get me to go, but I'm a bit nervous.
Darlene - Great job with throwing out the junk and buying some healthy foods!
Cheryl - I'm really sorry that you're going through a rough time. For some reason, they just keep coming back, huh? Hang in there. You know you won't be feeling like this forever. One day, you'll wake up and this will all seem easier and automatic again. There is light at the end of the tunnel.

Hope everyone has a great on-plan day.

Thanks for the advice Rhonda. I'll have to muster up enough courage to get it done right! The bras just can't get any more uncomfortable than they are right now.

I didn't have a great on plan day yesterday. Trying to get caught up on work after vacation was a challenge and I went for the easy meals, which aren't too great for being on plan. But, I'm going to do better today!

Darlene, glad you joined in on this thread. I remember you from before and I'm really glad you're back posting!!

Hang in there Cheryl. You can make it through this!

Have a great, on plan day everyone!

Hi everyone! I made it to the gym last night! We also did a lot more yard work than I planned on (I even have a blister!), but at least it is done!

Laurie--Hi! I really dislike yardwork! We did more than I anticipated, but the good news it is it DONE! Great job for resisting the cookies!!!!!

Diane--I think your plan for planning meals is a great idea! Ooh, good question for Rhonda! Whenever I buy bras I am too chicken to ask to be fitted! I keep telling myself 'next time'.....

Rakel--I hope you are able to get back on track w/ your sleep! Good for you for cleaning out! I need to do that at my house....that is going to be my fall/winter project. I hope you get some great bargains shopping!!!!!

Sara--Good for you for not letting your plans to eat healthy go totally out the window!!!

Darlene--YEA for cleaning out the freezer!!!! I hope your eye is better!!!!

Cheryl--Today WILL be a good day!

Rhonda--It's raining here in NY too! Sorry about the knee. You are right an elliptical is good for the knees, I have also been told that biking is good too. I know my dr and pt have always encouraged me to wear shoes around the house I normally take my shoes off and go barefoot or just socks, but I have found that when I wear decent shoes when my knee hurts it does help a bit.

Good news for today is that my knee feels a bit better. My knee is so weird...sometimes if I push it a bit when it hurts, it actually feels better the next day. That's what I did yesterday--I pushed it a little bit at the gym, then the extra yard work...all I know is that it feels a bit better so I am happy!

Oh, I almost forgot! I was totally hit on at the gym yesterday!!!!! I was just about to step off the treadmill--I was really sweaty and feeling gross...and this guy stood in front of me and I 'felt him' look me up and down--then he winked. He must have noticed my rings because then he said "Your husband is one lucky guy". Oh my, I laughed and said that I was the lucky one...then I blushed!!! Luckily, I was already red in the face from being on the treadmill! Talk about an ego boost!!!!!!!

Have a great on plan day!!!!!!!

Good morning ladies,
Yesterday was pretty good food-wise. I was on plan except for a glob of frosting I ate when I was throwing out the cookie cake pan from DS's birthday. At least I resisted the cake, and it's out of the house now. All that's left from the party is some Moose Tracks ice cream. I'll keep it for a couple of days in case the kids want some, then I'll throw it out, and all bad party food will be gone from the house.
Last night I made the Chicken Divan recipe from the SB forum and it was really yummy. DH and I both loved it - it's a keeper for the permanent recipe file. Today's plan is leftovers for lunch and Chili for dinner. Perfect for a gray, drizzly day like today.
I have two pairs of pants that fit me. I'm behind on laundry so I tried to wear some of my big jeans today, but it's really not working. I think I'll try to get out and buy a pair today, and I desperately need some bras too. I don't have any idea what bra size I should buy now, I know these puppies have shrunk quite a bit, so I should probably go get fitted too.

Yesterday was a strange day. It had the potential to be really bad. It was my day off, so I was only cooking for me (a potential trap if ever I had one), and I wanted something sweet (a trap that doesn't happen to me all that often, but when it does it's hard to resist).

I had oatmeal with shredded apple for breakfast.

Then lunch I was kinda grazing... a mini whole-wheat bagel with the last of the homemade butter (from our dairy farm trip last Saturday), a few slices of lean deli ham... and then I REALLY wanted something sweet. So I ended up getting into the sugared pecans. Fortunately, they are rich enough that I only wanted a handful or so. But even so, it was a much more fat-laden lunch than I wanted.

Then I met DH at the bank at 1:30 to discuss a loan. We have some major plumbing repairs to do. We have break in the main sewage line right near the house, and it's overflowed in our basement a cou0ple times, so we need to have it excavated and fixed, and replace the carpeting and some furniture. Insurance only covers some of it, so we needed a loan for the rest.

Anyway, by the time we were done with that, DH wanted to go out to eat. He hadn't had lunch yet. So I ended up at HardTimes Cafe (a chili joint) at 2:30, when I wasn't all that hungry. Or so I thought. Once the chili mac got there, I ended up eating half of it. I was hungrier than I had thought.

I didn't eat "dinner" until almost 7 last night, and just had a bowl of the chicken veggie soup I made the other day, and another apple.

So while the chili mac wasn't the best choice, and the timing of eating was rather messed up, the calorie total for the day was under my goal, and I did get at least three servings of vegetables (2 apples, and a bowl of veggie/chicken soup). So all in all it worked pretty well.

Last night was an unplanned cheat night (unexpected friend of my son's stayed for dinner and we did take-out from Longhorn). I caved and had the ribs and (to add insult to injury) also had the little cup of jalapeno cole slaw. So today is repair day. Breakfast was oatmeal and apple. Lunch is from my freezer soup stash and a salad with salad spritzer. Dinner is that LC Butternut Squash Ravioli and a tomato.

I HATE it when I blow my cheat night on something that isn't planned. It takes away some of the joy when I can't dream about it for 6 days and conjure up what my "evil" will be.

Oh well.

Morning everyone!

It looks like being another lovely day here. After all our weather dramas, it looks like summer has arrived. Yay!

Laurie, good job with not having a cookie. Food that's shoved under my face like that is something I really struggle to resist.

Diane, I sit down the night before grocery night and plan my menu. I'm not absolutely strict about it - it's definitely not a case of "if it's Monday it's stirfry, Tuesday it's salad etc". Just to give me an idea. I try to be a little bit flexible just in case the supermarket has something good on special.

Rakel, tell me about the laundry thing. Sometimes I think the laundry basket breeds - it just never seems to shrink. Then again, by the time I separate my work clothes, my at home clothes, delicates and sheets and towels. There's a minimum of 4 loads right there for 1 person!

Sara, go you! I'm not a parent, but I watch friends that are parents just give way to their kids and let them eat whatever they want. With a little bit of time and effort, you can jazz up just about anything to make it appeal to a kid and your frozen fruit sounds ideal!

Darlene, welcome! I've seen many of your posts around the place before now.

Cheryl, I know what you mean about having to push yourself to post here when you're struggling. When I feel like a failure, it's hard to post and read that everyone else is doing so well...

Rhonda, going to a proper running store and getting my walking analysed was the best thing I've ever done. Go for it!

MJ - yard work and the gym! Fantastic stuff. Go you!

Schmoodle, you're right. Better a little bit of icing than a piece of cake.

Synger, sounds as if you made the best choices you could.

Katmeow, look forward to the next cheat and make it the best you can.

Well, I did make it to the gym yesterday and I'm really feeling it now down the backs of my legs and arms. That's a good sign right? I'm not going today because I've been 2 days in a row, and I've made an appointment with a personal trainer for tomorrow night. Thinking I might either go out to the beach for a walk or go for a swim on the way home. I'll pack my swimsuit and my gym gear and see what I feel like.

Anyway, I've written enough of a novel for one day.

Take care everyone! :hug:

I've finally hit a groove where things are going fairly smoothly. I bought a bunch of healthy food yesterday, and actually struggled a little bit with wanting to eat some of everything all at once, but I LOVE that I crave the healthy stuff now. Who woulda thunk that I would have had to say no to an apple that I really wanted but didn't need because I was so full of good stuff already? When I weighed in this morning, though, it said 179.6, so it was way worth it. A week or so of good eating and exercise should solidify my exit from "obesity." It's a wonderful, wonderful feeling.

Cheryl - Rhonda's right. You will work your way through this and come out on the other side when everything feels smoother and easier. I don't know if I could do this journey if every day was tough, but you helped me to struggle through my rough patch, and I KNOW you will work through yours. As you love to say, YOU ARE WORTH IT! You WILL do this.

MJ - Loved your story about the guy at the gym! And he's right - your husband IS lucky.

Rhonda - So sorry to hear of the continued knee struggles. That's actually my very worst fear - to not be able to exercise. It's great that you haven't let it derail you.

Rakel - Cool story about the bike. WTG!

Synger - Real life so often interferes with our plans, huh? Great job on improvising and making it a good day anyway.

Katmeow - I hate unplanned cheats as well. But at least you are wise enough to get right back on plan rather than letting it derail you.

Nicole - Sounds like you are way on top of your exercise!

Schmoodle - Clothes not fitting can be such a pain, but it's a terrific problem to have in the whole scheme of things!

Diane - Good luck on the bra issue. Rhonda's advice was excellent, as usual. There is also a great thread on this subject here:
http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/showthread.php?t=116327

Sara - Way to improvise for your niece. It's so wonderful to introduce her to some healthy food choices. I bet she complains to her parents that the food they give her is not as delicious as the food you gave her!

Dolly - Too cool to have you join us from South Korea! Getting rid of the junk in the house is the ONLY way I have any hope of staying on plan, so congratulations on achieving that!

Hi again!

Schmoodle--Hope you were able to find some pants!

Synger--I hate it when my schedule gets messed up like that. Sounds like you did pretty good though.

katmeow-- that's right...today is a new day!

Nicole--YEA for going to the gym 2 days in a row!!! That's awesome that you are meeting w/ a personal trainer. I can't wait for my brother to get back home (3 more weeks, I think)....then he has agreed to do some training w/ me. How cool that you live so close to the beach! Hope you had fun!

Laurie--Yea for getting lots of healthy food! Awww, thanks!

Well, I spoke too soon....as the day went on, my knee started to hurt a lot. By the end of the day, it was really swollen too. So I did not go to the gym and I am bummed about that. Especially because I am having one of those days when I just feel bloated and icky...a workout usually helps that feeling. Oh well, tomorrow is a new day!

My shopping trip was a success. I spent a bit more than I really wanted to, but I now have 4 new tops (all the same style, but different colors), 2 pair of jeans (one fits perfectly now, and the other is a bit tight -- something I can 'ungrow' into), and one dress outfit for this conference for work that I'm going to in Jacksonville (formal button up shirt & black slacks). Now I am going to be getting rid of some of the clothes I have that aren't really flattering. I'm being much more picky about my clothes now. Before I would buy anything in sight if it was cheap just because, well, you have to wear something and nothing seemed to be flattering on me anyway, but now I'd really rather have a few things that looked nice. I tried to be careful with my purchases, because I didn't want to buy something that I would be swimming in right away. I think I did pretty good. Before I was practically busting out of 24s, getting into 26s. Now, most 24s fit, some are a little tight, and occasionally I can squeeze into a 22. So I should be good with 24s for awhile, at least until I lose maybe 40 more lbs. Clothes are my weakness. If I could, I would have a room full! I talked to John about a little "reward" after I reach my goal, and I said that I'd like a new wardrobe. So he said he's going to set aside a little "new wardrobe" fund for me for at least $1,000. I can hardly wait!!!

Oh, and I just wanted to mention that I LOVE LOVE LOVE Lane Bryants new jean sizing. They fit PERFECTLY. Seriously, they are the best jeans I've ever had. I once had a pair of jeans that fit this well when I was a size 15. They were Tractors... not sure if anyone has heard of them, but I wore those things ALL the time, until they were falling apart. I generally have the problem where if it fits my waist, then the butt and thighs are too baggy, and if it fits my butt and thighs, the waist is just too tight. If any of you have problems getting jeans to fit you, you should try the LB Right Fit ... I was skeptical at first but WOW it really makes a difference! They have their own sizing for them (i.e. approx size 14 is a "1" but they are not direct translations) ... not sure if I like that or not, but the people that worked there were extremely helpful finding my size.

this was a mental day! geez! late for work, pitch black at 8 am and stayed that way all day, miserable and raining, blah!

i had a Kashi granola bar, coffee, fruit salad for breakie

lunch was a slice of PIZZA! ack! I didn't eat 1/2 the crust and had some veggies on the side

dinner was a Wendy's chicken BLT salad - without the croutons and regular dressing it was 200 cals less :D yay!

cup of tea

NOT my best work, but could always be worse LOL

PS does anyone know of Lane Bryant stores in canada?? I've always wanted to go!

Ugh, today was horrible.

Woke up at 6:25, had to be out to door at 6:30 to get to class on time. Didn't have time for anything remotely healthy for breakfast, so I had an apple juice at school and a whole bunch of water.

Lunch was a turkey sandwich on whole wheat with some low-fat Wheat Thins and a wedge of garlic and herb Laughing Cow.

Class tonight was stupidly stressful, had a test I totally forgot to study for, and dinner was a little...well, bad. My mom made hotdogs, and by the time I got home, I was way too exhausted to cook anything. So I just had the sausage part and the buns, only mine were 98% fat free weenies on wheat buns, no chili, with lots of veggies...onions, bell peppers, sliced tomatoes, olives.

So I guess I didn't do too bad after all.

I have to work 2-6 tomorrow afternoon. I already cut up a HUGE salad for my lunch tomorrow, and got some pretty bananas that I think I'll have one of for breakfast with some toast.

Dinner has yet to be decided. I got some zucchini that I need to do something with, and I need some protein, so I'll have to ponder that for a while.

I did pretty well today.

I ate about 1700 calories after all is said and done. This to me is not too bad because I have been tracking the past three or four days before I started and saw totals of 3000+ for a day.

I messed up a little with my snack because I bought the Stoneyfield Yogurt fat Free French Vanilla. I apologize to those of you who like it but I could not get it down. I had some nice blueberries and walnuts mixed in and I have to say I had to throw it away. At least now I know what works for me.

It was also funny today because usually there is not much in the way of snacks etc....today was like the mother load had hit work.....LOL People were coming at me left and right with cookies, cakes, homemade breads....and I turned almost everything down. I did take one 1/4 of a cookie and a bit of something called beer bread.....I did not like either so I worked out for me I walked away not wanting more. I still got in about 1700 calories so tomorrow I am going to go for 1500. I would like to stay between 1500 - 1700.

Thanks to all you ladies for the welcomes....makes me feel good to be here.

Good morning, Everyone!

Just a quick note to touch base and let you know that I'm doing okay. I have another project...this one due by Friday afternoon...and I'm already running behind. Plus, I have an appointment with an orthopaedist on Friday morning, so I need to try to complete the project early. Yikes! Feeling just a bit stressed. I stayed 100% on-plan yesterday, but the scales have decided to creep up 1 pound since Monday....for absolutely no reason. Have I mentioned how much I hate the scales! I wish I could work-out again. Hopefully, the doctor will help me fix the knee and get going again.
Plan for today....another 100% on-plan day.

Hope everyone has a great on-plan day!

Yesterday was another "surprise" eating out challenge. *sighs* Had my normal cottage cheese and fruit breakfast, then had a colleague call to see if I could do lunch. So off to the pub I went. Okay... so "soup and salad" isn't always the healthiest choice, especially when it's caesar salad and beer-cheese soup (each about 300 calories) with a beer and a soft pretzel on top of that!

Ah, well. After work I ended up just baking up a veggie burger from the freezer, topping it with salsa, nibbling on a bit of cheese, and eating another apple. All in all, I came in under my totals. And I DID enjoy my lunch very much. *grins* It's good to have some low-calorie, healthy dinners as back-up plans for days like that.



Katmeow: Isn't it great to have a "freezer soup stash"? Whenever I make soup I freeze a couple servings to add to the stash. Then I have an emergency supply of good, healthy, low-calorie, veggie-laden meals at my fingertips, for those days when lunch was heavier than I expected.

And even if your cheat night wasn't planned, it sounds like you ate and enjoyed something that you usually don't have. So it was definetly a treat, and you definitely enjoyed it. *hugs* That's the point of cheat nights, right?

MJ5: Wow on the being hit on! *grins* What a great stroke to your ego. It is SO exhilerating to get those unexpected compliments, isn't it?

Schmoodle: That Chicken Divan sounded so good I went and looked it up. And now it's on my grocery list for this week. I'll probably make it lower fat, since I'm watching calories rather than carbs, but it sounds so yummy that I may not bother for the first time, and see how it goes.

Nicolen: I really admire you for going to the gym. That sort of "feeling it" is what I call "a good sore". It means my body still knows what it's supposed to be doing, rather than the sore of injury. And packing both swimming and gym gear gives you the option to choose depending on your mood.

LaurieDawn: Yay, you!!! That healthy-food feeling is a great impetus, isn't it? I'm so proud of you for keeping on even after getting out of obesity-land.

MJ5: Sorry your knee is acting up. I know how that goes -- I have a foot that gives me terrible pain when I overdo things, or wear the wrong shoes. But sometimes we just need to give ourselves a little time to heal. SOunds like your swollen knee and "bloated" feeling may be connected. Maybe when one starts easing, the other will too. One can hope.

Rakel: You give me hope. I avoid clothes shopping with a passion, because I so seldom find anything I like and that fits. But my work wardrobe is woefully in need of updating (and not just because I've lost some weight, but also because it hasn't been looked at in years). I may head to Lane Bryant and see what they have nowadays.

Sara: Sounds like your day was busy! I'm glad you were able to make some healthy food choices among the craziness. One tip that helps me, when I don't want chili on a dog, is to use salsa. It still gives a nice "kick" of flavor, without the fat of beef chili. Hot dogs aren't that bad, really, especially if you get the turkey ones or lower fat ones. And with baked beans, you get a lot of healthy fiber (even though you have to watch the amount, because they are calorie-dense).

DollyR: I had to chuckle at you throwing away your yogurt. It's so hard for me to throw away food, and if I'd added blueberries and walnuts, I probably would have tried to fish them out and eat them at least, choking them down, in order to "save" them. I'm glad you have been tracking your calories. I find it amazingly eye-opening when I see how much I really eat when I'm not paying attention!

Rhonda: Don't let the scale get you down. If you work your plan, your plan WILL work. The scale only measures weight, not fat or composition. So it WILL fluctuate from day to day, or even from hour to hour. That's just part of living in these wonderful bodies. *hugs* You WILL see changes, over a longer time period.

HI Everyone.
Thanks for the well wishes,
I am glad that everyone seems to be doing ok..
I am getting back on track slowly... Today was my weigh in day, but I am going to weigh in next week, I will start weighing myself tomorrow, and hopefully the scale won't be too bad.
Food and snacks are a real problem for me, over the summer I was able to snack on berries, peaches, plums, cherries, but right now all they are selling that is fresh is apples, pears and oranges, and bananas. I eat a banana every day, but hate the other fruits, so I end up snacking on my kids snacks, and that kills me. I am going to a more upscale market near me, and will look into what they have, but I don't expect to find anything good. I also ate earlier than I usually do. I ate at 6:20 instead of 9 am, and felt ok. I did 44 minutes on the elliptical and some general exercises, I am hoping to get in some weight lifting tonight.
Here is my plan for food today..
bkfst.. oatmeal, banana, 4 oz grape fruit juice
lunch.. chick a fill patty and hummus
dinner .. I am making the kids quesidillas with refried black beans,, I am going to eat the black beans with 2 corn tortillas and ff sour cream. with salad
snacks.. kashi tlc bar, ff yogurt with fruit..
I can do this today!!

Good Morning! I told hubby I was going to the gym today, no excuses....so I AM going to the gym right after work. I can feel myself starting to slip back into bad habits and I don't want to let them take over. My knee feels 'ok' today, not great, but not super bad either. I get my first injection tomorrow, so we'll see how that goes.....
Rhonda--Good luck on your project! You CAN do it! I am glad to hear you are getting your knee checked out.

synger--I love having some healthy, quick dinners in the house...it totally saves me from blowing an entire day sometimes! I think you are right about the swelling and 'bloatedness' being connected.

Cheryl--good luck w/ finding some yummy fresh fruit. I can't remember, have you tried any of your favorites that are frozen?

Have a great on plan day!!!!!

I did great yesterday staying on-plan. I made Wendy's chili for dinner and it was so good.
Um, okay, I did eat three potato chips. I don't know what it is with me and the nibbles lately. I stay on plan, no binges, but then for some reason I have to take one bite of something bad every day! Maybe it doesn't matter so much in the long run, but it's driving me crazy. I've only recently started doing this and I hope it doesn't mean I'm going to get more and more lax.
Anyway, tonight is Tilapia topped with Ratatouille. Lunch will be leftover chili. Breakfast was Irish Oatmeal with apricots and almonds. Throw in a couple of salads, some yogurt for snacking, and NO BITES OF ANYTHING I SHOULDN'T HAVE.

Well, I didn't get out shopping yesterday, so I am in my baggy jeans again today. Maybe today, sigh...
I am glad to hear about the jeans at LB, rakel. I wanted to try there first. I have always liked their jeans. Sounds like you are curvy, so did you get the red?
synger, I think you'll like the chicken. I won't make it every week because it is a little high in calories, but so yummy and healthy. When I made it, I used a TON of broccoli, nonfat sour cream, and lowfat cheese. We're not supposed to use lite mayo on SB, but you could substitute that too. I was also thinking I could increase the broth a bit and decrease the other stuff. I used 6 boneless breast halves and 2 lbs of broccoli cuts, and still had plenty of sauce.
Good luck at the doctor, Rhonda.
Dolly, have you tried nonfat Greek Yogurt? The texture is amazing, so creamy and rich. I am obsessed with it these days.

Have a wonderful on-plan Wednesday, chicks!

I had a pretty good day being on plan. I'm back to not drinking as much water as I should, so I'll have to fight that battle again and get back to where I need to be. Oh well!

I'm hoping I didn't do something stupid yesterday, though. There is this guy here at work who is a pretty good friend of mine. He is younger by about 12 years or so and was an athlete in high school and college. Well, he thinks he is out of shape and needs to lose weight. We have kept each other in line in the past with working out and drinking water, etc. We basically shame each other into keeping on track because we're both fairly competitive. Anyway, we were talking about the wagers we have had in the past and I told him about the goal I have for Christmas and that I had posted it here on 3FC (he actually doesn't know the exact website, he just knows that somewhere online is this very helpful website!) Anyway, he wants to lose 17 pounds by the end of the year, which would put him at 180. (which, ironically, is my goal weight) He talked me into setting the same goal of losing 17 pounds. Oh boy. That's quite a bit for me since I seem to lose it very slowly. I took the bet (darn competitive side of me did it), so I'm going to have to really buckle down and get this done. If we don't make our goal, the "penalty" bet is pretty severe. I just hope I didn't set that bar too high. I think he might have trouble losing that much, though. He is already very fit, so it will take a lot for him. But he is younger......

Anyway, I guess it gives me big time motivation to stay on plan!

Morning everyone!

OK, I'm never going to predict the weather around here again! I said yesterday that it was going to be a nice day. We actually had high winds and a very spectacular thunderstorm with hail that hit around 7:30. I'm just pleased I didn't go for the walk I'd thought about - I would've been caught in the middle of it!

I ended up going swimming after work at the pool. Swam for about 40 minutes and spent about 15 minutes in the spa - a girl's gotta have some indulgences after all! ;) Personal training session tonight, so we'll see how that goes.

I made pasta for dinner last night - spaghetti which I've just combined with some bacon, mushrooms, spinach and garlic. No cream, no cheese, which took a bit of getting used to, but I actually like it. Got the leftovers for lunch today, so I'd better like it as much today as yesterday!

Laurie, you're doing so well. It's quite inspiring. I've shopped and got healthy food and as I'm unpacking the groceries, I'm wondering where I start - it all looks so good I want everything!

MJ, how's your knee feeling today? Is is something you think you should get looked at? Yeah, I'm lucky to live so close to the beach - it's about 15 minutes by bus. It's something I take for granted - because the country's so small, everyone lives fairly close to the beach...

Rakel, shopping yay! Sounds like you got some lovely clothes.

Tracey, sounds like you did well to stay on track as you did. Still dark at 8am. I can sympathise - I hate that time of the year where you're going to work in the dark and coming home in the dark.

Sara, that dinner doesn't sound too bad. Could have been a lot worse. Just remember that today is another day!

Dolly, sounds like you had a great day yesterday - especially with everyone throwing food your way like that.

Good luck, Rhonda, with all your projects. Hope things calm down for you soon!

Synger, sounds like you could compensate for the lunch so that's something!

Cheryl, well done with getting back on track. It's easier said than done.

Schmoodle, your meals always sound so nice. One of these days I must try some of your ideas.

Diane, motivation is good!

Have a great day everyone :hug:

A quickie today.

I had a good day yesterday. My calories were a touch high because I bought some fat-free ice cream that was on sale yesterday. I couldn't resist because I haven't had ice cream since I started this, and it was only 70 calories for 1/2 a cup. The ice cream was WAY good, and I went a little overboard, having a little over a cup instead of the 1/2 cup I'd intended. But only a blip in the scheme of things. I did completely avoid the chocolate chip cookies my daughter baked, though, so I'm still feeling quite virtuous. I also got in a decent workout - 40 minutes on the elliptical and 15 minutes on the stairstepper - and a 4.5 mile walk last night. The scale continues to slide downward this week. If I can just maintain the effort over the weekend, I'll have another good weigh-in! I feel like I'm in a honeymoon period again, and I want to do everything I can to extend it. I even felt skinny yesterday. That feeling is unpredictable and comes and goes without regard to what I actually weigh, so I was really loving it.

Well today has been better than yesterday so far. I had two pieces of toast with a pkt of instant Brown Sugar Oatmeal for breakfast. Then for lunch I had subway and light doritos(which I love and cant stand the thought of giving them up when I transition into full veganism...yikes). Went walking at the mall for about 15-20 minutes cause it is raining. I felt like I got a good walk in, I was a little out of breath when done and started to get a headache, a sure sign for me that I am exerting myself. Tonight will be roasted red pepper pasta with a sprinkle of low fat parm cheese.

Hope I can stay out of the darn kitchen after dinner!

The thing is I am making suckers in the shape of pacifiers for my nieces baby shower, so I will have to resist ........MELTED CHOCOLATE.......lately I have been able to just do a small bite and stay out of it. I hope to keep it that way tonight!! I am sure those little small bites add up quickly, yikes!

before I forget -- good luck RHONDA at the knee doctor!

today wasn't so bad, so far!

Breakie was a kashi bar and fresh melon (ugh didn't have any cottage cheese for a protein boost and i sure felt it!)

Lunch was a sammich with more melon LOL Leftovers from an open house, I'm surrounded by cut-up delicious perishable fruit!!

Dinner - going to have marinated chicken and a ginormous salad as i've had no veg all day

snackie? not sure .... no more fruit that's for sure ;) Maybe a 100cal bag of popcorn if i feel like it, otherwise just a cup of tea before beddy

Hi again! I went to the gym and got in a really good cardio workout.

As I was getting ready to leave, this guy (different from the one the other day) was totally flirting w/ me! We joined at about the same time and we always say hi and chit chat a bit, but today was just different, somehow...totally innocent (he knows I am married)--I told hubby and he said 'of course...you look hot!' I don't know about all that--unless he was referring to the fact that my face was red and I had sweat running down my face! ;)

What an ego boost!!!!!!!!!

Tomorrow morning is my first injection for my knee....wish me luck! I am a little nervous, I have had cortizone injections in my knee before and I am thinking it will be similiar--a little sting, but not too bad!

Have a great night...I'll check in tomorrow after my appt.

Breakfast today was a bowl of grits made with water and one orange.

Lunch was a HUGE salad and an apple.

Dinner was a Lean Cuisine and a banana. Was way too exhausted to actually cook anything.

Later tonight, if I feel like it, I'm going to make up a zucchini casserole to use up the rest of the zucchini just sitting in the fridge.

You know, I just realized that I have gone almost a whole month with no real progress. 10/04 I was 284.5. Today I am between 283 and 284. *sigh* I guess it's time to buckle down and mostly just stick to my plan, but intensify a bit, start doing some weights every day instead of just twice a week -- really shoot towards eating healthier things, more protein, etc. Tomorrow we're having painters come and paint out entire apartment, so John and I are going to do some activities together -- tennis, bike riding, swimming, walking... and see what happens about my stamina.

You know, MJ, I'm wondering about how much those guys talk about you in the gym when you're not there. Maybe they're forming an admiration club or something. "Man, did you see how good she looked yesterday?" Those kind of things. And after some reflection (I thought about you when I was at the gym today!), I wondered if that first guy was hoping for a bit of a different response when he said your husband was a lucky man. "Yep, but that doesn't mean you can't be a little lucky, too.";) or something along those lines.

All teasing aside, though - I'm guessing that you must feel really good about what you're doing there and be radiating some positive energy. Not that you're not looking smoking nowadays too, but I am betting that they're picking up on some of your excitement about the great choices you're making for your life.

Keep those stories coming! I'm loving living vicariously through you!

Hehe.

The only thing guys ever say to me at the gym is "Are you done with that elliptical yet?"

Good morning, Everyone!

I'm up to my neck with my project today, so this will be short and sweet. I'm still 100% on-plan and the scales are still 100% stuck at a 1 pound gain for this week. Argghhh! Today's plan.....stay 100% on-plan and drink even more water. I might be retaining a bit.

Hope everyone has a great on-plan day. If I get caught up, I'll come back for a visit later on.

Good morning all,
Rhonda ..I hope your knee is ok.
Mj ...:carrot::carrot: congrats on the male chat....
Everyone is doing great here,,
I am finally 100% back on plan , as hard as it seems. Snacking is still a issue for me, went to the store and couldn't find anything I like..

I am going to exercise asap, and then drink water. I ate breakfast early again today..
bkfst was oatmeal, banana and 5 oz of grapefruit juice
lunch... left over refried beans, tortillas( corn) ff sour cream and lettuce.
dinner.. Three sisters stew....
snack Tlc bars, yogurt with frozen fruit.
I can do this today!!
cheryl

Cheryl, what is Three Sisters stew?

Cheryl, what is Three Sisters stew?

It is a Vegetarian stew, I am going to post it on what's for dinner tonight thread..
cheryl

Cheryl - Great to hear that you're back on plan. I had no doubt you would be. As for the snacking issue, I am sure that you will find nutritious foods that you enjoy soon.

Rhonda - Hope the knee and the project are both doing well and that the scale becomes unstuck.

Quick for me this morning. Ironically, I'm joining the Rhonda and MJ "knees hurt" club. Fortunately, it's only my right knee and it's just really stiff all of the time rather than in serious pain. I can still exercise, though I am choosing not to run or stairstep until it feels better. I did 30 minutes on the elliptical yesterday (and about 2 minutes of stairstepping before I decided my knee couldn't handle it) and walked for five miles. My food was good, though my intake was a little low because I just got really busy in the evening. I am starving this morning, though, (and I LOVE waking up really hungry and just craving nutritious foods) and will make sure that I get my calories back up again. Today's my son's birthday, and I may make the decision to have a single piece of cake, and I still have the fat-free ice cream, so I may have another serving of that before abandoning it to the kids.

DH sidetracked my dinner plans last night. DS came home from school very depressed and DH decided it was a perfect night for the chinese buffet. I think DH wanted to go more than the kids. Fortunately I have developed a survival plan for when we have to go there. I had chicken egg drop soup, teriyaki chicken skewers, and garlic green beans. Too much salt and fat, and surely some sugars, but definitely not over for calories anyway. Now I've just got to flush out the salt by weigh-in on Saturday! So tonight's menu is last night's - tilapia with ratatouille and salad. Breakfast was leftover oatmeal, lunch will probably be leftover chili and salad. Greek yogurt and a cheese stick for snack.

Morning everyone - busy day today but wanted to check in because I didn't yesterday. I'm somewhat discouraged as I've been on plan for 3 weeks straight and I was up 3 lbs today - ending TOM so I'm hoping that's it.

Anyway - everyone have a great day - I'll have better participation next week!

Kristina

I'm swamped today, too, so I'll be brief. Just wanted to check in and say hi to everyone. Yesterday did not turn out very good on plan, but I'm trying again today!

Need to drink more water!

Good morning lovely ladies!

I am soo sore today. The personal trainer was fantastic - she liked my plan of gym 4 times a week and swimming twice a week, so that's good. Weight is up since the last time I weighed in at the gym - no real surprise there, and my blood pressure was on the high side - 150/107. Now, I get my BP checked every 3 months at the doctor's and it's usually around the 120 - 130/95 kind of area, so this was a bit of a shock. I'll mention it to the doctor next time I go, but at this stage I'm putting it down to having a stressful day yesterday and then working myself up about the appointment.

We've had quite a tragedy here. I mentioned the gales we had on Wednesday - a 12 year old girl was standing at a crossing. She leaned forward to push the button to change the crossing and the wind blew her into the path of a bus. She died yesterday in hospital. I just feel so sorry for everyone involved - apparently the bus driver is beside himself, but there was just nothing he could do...

I have to get myself organised early today, so hi to everyone and have a great day!

Take care all :hug:

Hi everyone! It is a PERFECT fall day here...bright and sunny, but cool. My favorite kind of day!

Laurie--You totally cracked me up!!! You could be right about the ++ energy though--I am back to looking at my time at the gym as 'my time' and I am really excited about getting in shape and dropping this weight! Oh no, that's a club that you don't want to join! I hope it gets better soon!

Sara--You made me laugh too...I am not able to stay on the elliptical long enough to make anyone wonder if I am done...for some reason it totally kicks my butt!

Rhonda--Good luck w/ the project. I hope you get good news at the drs tomorrow!

Cheryl--YEA for being back on plan!!!!

Schmoodle--Good for you for having a 'survival plan'!

Kristina--TOM has a big impact on the scale for me too...I hope it goes away soon!

Diane--That's right, today is a new day.

Nicole--How are you? Glad you didn't get caught in the rainstorm. Today I started a series of 4 injections for my knee, so I saw my ortho today. Unforunately I learned that it can take 6-8 weeks after the last injections for any real relief...

CC--How are you doing?

I got my first injection in my knee today. So glad there are only 3 left. It wasn't horrible pain, but it wasn't pleasant! As I said to Nicole, I found out that it may take 6-8 weeks before I notice any major improvement. Of course, there is also a chance that it won't get any better....

Ok, funny story....this am after my drs appt, I stopped to get coffee. I have to say for a coffee shop that was crazy busy, the customer service was fantastic. I thought the guy who handed me my cup of coffee was smiling just a little too much (even for being a super friendly place) until I got to my car and looked down....I am wearing a V neck sweater today and well, let's just say it was pulled WAY down! YIKES! It might be time to retire this sweater!! :o

K, I suppose I better get some things done around here. I may pop in later. My plan is to go to the gym and at least walk a bit on the treadmill--even if it isn't a great workout, just to stay in the routine of going right after work.

Just stopped in to see how everyone is doing.

I had another good day today and I am reading the book "Intuative Eating". Kind of interesting actually....I am only into it a little ways but I like the idea of getting over the idea of deprivation and allowing yourself to mentally choose not to eat something becasue you just don't want it. Does that make sense? I sat there tonight when my friends and I went out to dinner and stared down the sourdough thinking...."I love you but not to night dear."

LOL....funny little head game but I never touched that or the popcor at happy hour.

Rhonda....I hope you get good news about the knee.

Good morning!

Another quick note, but I promise to catch up with everybody over the weekend. I'm feeling the stress this morning. I have my doctor's appointment today and I have my project to finish by the close of business.:dizzy: I must confess, I'm a bit nervous about the doctor. I really hope he can determine the problem with my knee and not just make an educated guess. I really want to get back on the treadmill and make those inches and pounds start dropping again. The scales were friendly to me today.....they dropped the pound I had gained for no reason. Now, if I can just get a loss for Monday's weigh-in!

I'm still 100% on-plan. Turning to food for comfort hasn't even been an option this time. :carrot: Maybe I'm getting the hang of this at last!

Hope everyone has a great on-plan day. I'll check back later.

Good Morning all,
It is another wet day here, WET ,DARK and DAMP, we need the water, but it is so depressing. I have to get myself to exercise no matter how I FEEL!!! Yesterday I did 45 min on the elliptical and 14 of general exercises, but didn't do any weight lifting, today I am going to do it this morning. I stayed close to plan as possible yesterday, am not seeing any weight gain, so I am ok. My three sisters stew was great, but the kids hated it.
This is the plan today after exercising.
Bkfst.... oatmeal, banana, grapefruit juice.
lunch ... leftover three sister stew.
dinner .... salmon with lettuce tomatoes
snacks.. kashi tlc bar, yogurt with fruit, ??? something else maybe
I will do this today!!!
cheryl

Hello ladies,
Weigh-in is tomorrow, so I'm holding my breath. I plan to make beef-veg stew for dinner. I've been hungry all week, so I want to eat a substantial breakfast this morning. I don't really feel like it but I guess I'll cook eggs. Don't know about lunch yet, I think DH ate all the leftovers. I stayed on plan yesterday, yeah me!
Good luck at the doctor today Rhonda.
Gotta long to-do list today, so i'd better get to it. Tonight is the town Halloween Parade/party.
Have a great Friday!

Wednesday
Cottage cheese and fruit breakfast
Favorite turkey club wrap for lunch... but I did some investigating on the calories and I was shocked. The tortilla itself is over 300 calories. So while it's my favorite lunch, it has now been relegated to "treat" status, so every other week rather than every week.
Leftover chili mac for dinner, and some vodka in my diet soda to try to ease the pain in my foot.

Then.. I got the munchies. *sighs* DH offered me a piece of honeycomb, and then he and I finished up the rest of the sugared pecans. Didn't break 2000, but still went over 1800 for the day. I can either blow lunch or dinner. NOT both.

Thursday:
Stayed home because of my foot, and worked from home.
Scrambled eggs, mini-bagel with cream cheese, and coffee with milk for breakfast.
Cheese for a snack (no real lunch)
Then dinner we went to the Mennonite restaurant nearby. Turkey and gravy, with filling (stuffing/dressing), and onion rings. One dinner roll with homemade strawberry jam. COuldn't finish the onion rings, etiher. I stopped when I started feeling full, rather than pushing to finish it. Lots of carbs, but under my calorie limit.

Today I plan to focus on fruits and veggies, because it's "movie night" and we'll be getting pizza. So along with my normal cottage cheese/fruit breakfast, I'm thinking either sushi or salad for lunch.

Hi everyone! Just popping in quick. I did go to the gym last night and hopped on the bike. Not sure if that was good idea or not...my knee was screaming all night--could have just been from the injection or the combination of injection and trying to ride the bike. I'll ask next week if I should skip the gym that day (that would be a 'legal' excuse ;))

I am giving myself the night off from the gym--try to recover from yesterday.

I'll pop back in later.

Hi all. Yesterday was a good on plan day for food, but I didn't get any exercise in, so that's the ticket for today. I already have plans to walk at lunch, so that will be good. I'm going to sit down tonight and plan the week's meals so that I can go to the grocery store tomorrow. I don't plan on making it so that I have to know what to have each particular day, but overall what I'll have during the week.

Have a great day!

Sounds like all are doing well. It's great to hear.

I had a planned piece of birthday cake last night. It didn't send me over my calories, but did show up on the scale this morning anyway. And - it made me feel yucky. I have been freaked out about Halloween all month, but my experience with the cake last night made me realize that I have NO desire for Halloween candy at all. I just don't want to feel like I felt last night, and I don't want to pay for it on the scale the next morning. Other than the birthday cake, I ate only on-plan foods. My exercise was also good, in spite of my stiff knee, which fortunately feels much better this morning. I did about 45 minutes on the elliptical and walked about seven miles last night. So, right back on plan today, and I'll inform the kids of my plan for limiting their Halloween candy and the requirement for them to keep it completely away from me. Thanksgiving is coming up with its trip to visit the in-laws, plus my sister is coming up to Minneapolis in two weeks. My sister had a lap band put in about 18 months ago, and I would like to be within 20 pounds of her or so, and I would like to look fabulous for the Thanksgiving trip. It's being on plan that will make it possible!

Good morning everyone!

Yay for Saturday. Today the plan is to get to the gym when it opens at 9, do an hours workout and then go into town to replace my bus pass. Somehow I managed to lose it between work and the gym on Thursday - go me! Then supermarket and then home to do the housework as once again this place looks like a bomb site. Actually a bomb site would probably be neater!

I went out for dinner last night and ordered - wait for it - a grilled chicken salad and diet coke. Yes, a Friday night and I didn't get a wine. That just about deserves a medal, I think! The salad was OK - I loved the veges and I'm going to have a lot of fun trying to recreate the balsamic-mustard vinaigrette, but the chicken breast was overcooked to the point of almost being inedible. Not so good.

MJ, I'm pleased they can do something with your knee. 6 - 8 weeks seems a long time - hopefully you'll notice an improvement before then.

Dolly, go you with not eating the bread. I cannot resist good bread, so to me that's a huge accomplishment!

Rhonda, good luck with the doctor's and the project!

Cheryl, you rock! You're doing so well with the exercise and eating at the moment.

Schmoodle, enjoy the parade. Sounds like fun!

Synger, sushi or salad sounds great for lunch. Enjoy the movie!

Diane, that's exactly what I do with groceries - plan a few meals and make whatever I feel like from that list. I find it's a great way to do things - you plan, but there is a bit of flexibility there as well.

Laurie, you're doing so well, your family are just going to be blown away when they see you!

Have a great day everyone! :hug:

well, I didn't end up with sushi or salad.. it was raining too hard to go over to the food court. But we have a Market to Market under my building, so I went there. They have a hot food buffet.... can be VERY dangerous if you're not prepared. But they always have fish on friday, and lots of great veggies. So this was my lunch:

Salmon
asparagus spears
chickpea and peppers salad
red cabbage and apple salad
kale in an oriental dressing (I could smell the sesame oil)
a piece of mango

So I got my veggies in for the day, and didn't go carb-heavy... AND I have enough calories left not only for two slices of pizza but for TWO boilermakers while we watch movies (beer with a shot of vodka). I may only have one, but it's nice to know I can have two if I want them.

Yesterday was a nice, OP day for me.

Today, however, may be another story. I slept until 10 AM (OOPS!) and didn't get breakfast in. Then, my mom wanted to go eat at this little cafe downtown, so I had a big turkey ceasar salad with half of a chicken panini.

Not terrible, but not the best I could have done either. But hey, my mom wanted to go, and I wasn't going to just not go.

Not sure about dinner yet. Probably either salad to use up all the odds and ends of veggies we have in the fridge or a Smart One.

So here I am on Saturday Morning (nicolen it's nice to see someone in the same time zone)....

I did something weird last night in my sleep and a small section of my right side hurts....like a pulled a muscle. Not sure why? maybe I stretched wrong but it kept me up part of the night.

I am going to go to the base. Wear my workout clothes and join the gym again. I think the side would be ok if I get on the elliptical. The elliptical is my favorite machine. Treadmills kill my knees after a while and for some reason the ellipticals don't . My theory is the elliptical is paced by you and the treadmill is paced by a motor.

My exercise goal is to get on the elliptical and stay on it for 30 minutes by Turkey day at a pace of 60. I know for sure from past experience it will take me that long to get there.

Sara - You sound like you are on track! WTG.

Synger - The lunch was good even though it was a buffet. You stayed in control! How many calories a day are you doing? I am going for 1500-1700.

Nicolen - I am inspired by your Saturday at the gym so I decided to go ahead and rejoin mine today. Something in your post clicked for me...weird eh?

LaurieDawn - I used to feel the same way about the holidays but living overseas away from the states it is not so "IN YOUR FACE" so to speak. Granted we celebrate but they only last for the day or hours we get together. I think I can make it through that. Just hang tough and keep your mind on the right track. My stare off with the sourdough was kind of funny actually.

Diane - Sounds like you have it all together! WTG!

MJ - Take it easy...if something hurts be careful. I am the poster child for screwing up and continuing to exercise when I had a problem. I partially tore my achilles and have a lump in my ankle which hurt for about 4 years . Just recently I have been able to walk without pain. I am sure you will be fine but if it hurts rest it...maybe you could do some upper body work in the meantime.

Schmoodle - Good Luck on the weigh in!

Laurie - you know, I don't have any appetite for Halloween candy either. The ONLY candy that interests me these days is regular 'ole dark & milk chocolate.

Well, I didn't eat super great yesterday. Before I had a chance to get a granola bar out of the pantry, John had moved it to the center of the room against the dining room table, and I couldn't get into it (we had to move everything to the center of the room so these guys could come in and paint), so we just went out to eat.

We were thinking maybe we'd go do some physical things while they painted, but it turned out just rearranging things in the house was enough to totally wear us out, and they weren't there for near as long as we thought. Even though the food wasn't that good, I didn't eat a *lot*, plus we worked pretty much all day. I actually woke up today 2.5lbs lighter (right on!). Food today wasn't that great either, but I ate reasonably and it shouldn't set me back. We've been doing a lot of walking and moving things today too... and we're still not entirely ready for my birthday party tomorrow.... so yeah, there will be more to do!

WELL, I need to get going. I just wanted to check in! I hope you ladies are doing phenomenal!

good morning all,
I got TOM's today, which was kind of suprising, I wasn't expecting it for a few more days, but it is here, making me feel icky, but I am not paying attention to it. I am going to the zoo here, the zoo is on the side of a small mountain , it is a 5 mile walk from the beginning to the end, and it is not a straight walk it is half way up hill, half way down hill. So this will be my exercise today. I am bringing some hard boiled eggs for lunch , and a Kashi tlc bar. I hate the food at the zoo, the salads are so plain, and the yogurt is full of sugar. I am not giving up today!!
bkfst... Kashi go lean crunch cereal, grapefruit juice..
lunch... 2 hard boiled eggs, kashi tlc bar
dinner... Im not sure maybe tuna, or salmon I also have veggie sausages, it will be something healthy and some salad..
snacks... yogurt with fruit, pretzels with mustard..
I can do this.
cheryl

Good Morning! Yesterday turned out to be an ok day--did not make a good choice at lunch, but made a very healthy dinner so it wasn't a total loss.

This weekend I need to really focus on increasing water. I do pretty good during the week, but on the weekends I just don't drink as much water.

My knee feels pretty good today. Actually, considering it is raining and damp here, my knee feels really, really good! So, I guess skipping the gym yesterday was a good move. Because of the multiple injuries it doesn't respond like a 'normal' knee anymore. Sometimes pushing a little is the best, sometimes easing up is the best. It's kind of a trial and error thing--luckily, thanks to my pt I have learned a lot about how to deal w/ it.

Today I am going to my 2 y/o neice's b.day party. My sister has promised me that there will be healthy foods there, so I am really hoping she is right!

Hope everyone has a great day! I'll check back later!

Good day yesterday with food and exercise. 1/2 hour on the elliptical, two separate walks totally about six miles. Ironically, my knee is killing me, so planning on skipping the exercise today to see if rest will improve it. The scale actually went up two pounds from yesterday to this morning, but I think that's just lack of sleep. Hopefully, I'll get a nap in today to catch up with the sleep a little and it will go back down (and then some) tomorrow. I want a good loss for Monday's weigh in.

Morning lovely ladies!

Where is everyone? We seem to be dropping off members at a rate of knots here after all our posts at the start of the week.

Yesterday was a good day. Went to the gym, went twice around the circuit and spent 15 minutes on the recumbent bike and 5 on the arc trainer. Went into town and got into a debate about my bus card. The metro info employee "You've had a lot of cards. What are you doing with them?" I've had 3 cards in 5 years - the original one I was issued with, the one I got to replace it when my purse was stolen 6 months ago and now this one. That's not a lot of cards. He realised I wasn't impressed with that and asked me if I was under 18. Since bus fares are cheaper for under 18's they've got everyone's date of birth on their records. Thanked him for the compliment and pointed out that I would be 34 next month and was well past 18.

Seriously, I haven't been so much as ID'd when buying wine for at least 8 years and while I can pass for late 20's, there's no way I look under 18.

Today, I'm going for a swim and then out to my sister's for lunch. Not sure what to expect there - hoping it'll be good.

Synger, that salad sounds so nice. I think I'll have to try that at some stage.

Sara, how was the rest of your day?

Dolly, someone else on just about the same time zone! I didn't notice you were in South Korea. Good for you for going back to the gym - how did you get on?

Rakel, enjoy your party!

Cheryl, enjoy your walk!

MJ, fantastic that your knee's feeling better. Just don't try and push it too hard too soon, OK!

Laurie, hopefully you can catch up on your sleep.

Take care everyone! :hug:

Yesterday started out pretty good by dinner time was at 1,045 calories. I figured DB and I would eat out on the base and I could do pretty well with a salad. We got involved doing a few things around my house and when we looked at the time it was kind of late. We ended up eating chinese food (delivery). I ate some noodles with black sauce....not a great choice but I was not sure what the restaurant had to offer since we had no menu. It was ok but I probably had 1000 calories for dinner. When I got on the scale this morning nothing changed....whew!

Today I am staying home and getting work done for the grad class I teach on Monday nights so I can control the eating. I will try to get in a 30 minute walk.

Have any of you pulled a muscle around your rib cage? I was sleeping Friday night and felt kind of stiff so I stretched and I fell this funny sensation on my right side. Needles to say now if I lay on that side or my back I get some sharp pain. I know it is something I did ....so Hopefully it will go away soon. I could not get comfortable last night after taking two motrin and a muscle relaxer. Seems to hurt more when I put pressure on it.....weird eh? I will give it a couple of days and see what is happening.

:broc: Have a great Sunday ladies! :broc:

I totally blew it w/ food yesterday. Started out w/ good intentions, but was running late and forgot to eat breakfast. By the time I arrived at my sis's I was SO hungry. There were veggies w/ dip which I stuck to for the most part (w/out the dip), but I ate way, way too much cheese and add on a couple of cookies....YIKES! Luckily, I did not bring anything home. My whole family was insisting that I bring stuff home for hubby who had to work, but I did not (other than a small piece of cake which he ate last night).

So of course I feel bloated and icky today.

I will eat on plan today!!! I may or may not go for a walk--my knee is sore and I may rest it one more day. Tomorrow I am going to the gym--my gym bag is already in the car as a matter of fact! I will also focus on drinking lots of water--didn't drink nearly enough yesterday.

Laurie--Hope the knee is feeling better!

Nicole--Great job w/ the workout! Hmmm, I'll bet you look younger than you think! I won't push too hard, too soon, don't worry!

Darlene--Ouch! Hope feel better!

Rhonda--How did you make out at the dr?

Have a great day! I may be back later!

Morning all,
Laurie , I am glad you are doing good!!! I know you are going to do this in a good way!!
Dolly... please feel better.
mj5... continued good wishes for the knee pain
Nicole .... you sound like you are doing good!!

I am having a bad TOM, yesterday I did the zoo walk, but today I am going to have a rest day, I was thinking about using the elliptical, but just couldn't, and tomorrow I have to work out how to exercise, because the kids have a eye doctor appt. at 8:30, and I have to take hubby to work @ 5:30, I am thinking of sqeezing in some time from 6:30 - 7:30.
I just ate some oatmeal.. 2 packs( 300 cal) since I didn't have any bananas, and I don't like grapefruit juice when I am feeling this way. Usually when I am in TOm's I don't eat breakfast, but since starting this I force myself to eat a breakfast, because I know how good it is for me, and if I don't later on I will get very hungry.
Lunch.... maybe some tuna.
dinner... baked potato with hummus and salad.
snacks.. tlc bar, rice cakes, pear
I am not using TOM's as an excuse to go off plan!!! Yesterday I ate good,and even allowed myself 1/2 of a dark chocolate bar( my dd ate the other half).
Now tell me what to do about this: http://www.ganachebakery.com/store/index.php?catid=7
my dd birthday is Wednesday, we are going to have a cake / special dinner Friday night when hubby comes home from out of town job, but this cake sounds soo good! anyone want to come over and take some? Because when we buy one of these cakes, I am going to not be able to stop myself.
cheryl

Didn't check in yesterday, it was busy!! But the day was pretty good, but no exercise. I really intended to get some walking in, but I didn't make it happen....

Today is another busy day, but I hope to get a walk in. I should change that to "I WILL get a walk in". Weigh in is tomorrow and I don't want to have a bad start to the week!!!!

Cheryl, it sounds like you ended up having a pretty good day despite the TOM issue. Don't you wish we could have a magic pill that we could take that would stop TOM once we're done having kids??? I would take it!!

MJ, you're doing good to get right back on plan! That's the important part and you're doing it!

Nicole, how great to be thought of as 18! Woo hoo!!

Hope everyone else has a good weekend!

Morning lovely ladies!

Monday already! Where does the weekend go? Oh well - at least I'm on early shift and finish at 4. After that I'll go to the gym and then home again. I am PMSing like crazy today, but the chocolate's not going to win this month!

Yesterday was good. Went swimming. Came home and finished off the washing then walked to my sister's for lunch. It's a 40 - 50 minute walk, so that did me good. I also found ice cream in the freezer when I was taking tea out. I have no idea when or why I bought it - ice cream is definitely not something I crave or buy regularly. Anyway, it went down the drain. Even though it's not a trigger food, it's probably a bit too much of a temptation to have it there at this time of the year.

Dolly, how are you feeling today? Could you have slept awkwardly and that's what's causing the pain? Hopefully things are on the improve for you

MJ, it's difficult when someone else does the catering and you have no control over things. Don't beat yourself up over one meal.

Cheryl, I hope you're feeling better soon. I don't have as much trouble with my TOM as I do with PMS in the few days beforehand - I retain everything and crave chocolate. Sounds like you did well, though. About the cake - is it possible to get one that will allow you the smallest sliver of a slice, so that you're getting a bit of cake, but not going overboard?

Diane, good luck with the walk - hopefully things will calm down for you soon!

Rhonda, how did you get on about your knee?

Take care all! :hug:

My birthday party was SUPER fun. Really, it was the best birthday party ever. I could have done better with the food, but I had anticipated it, and so it wasn't nearly as bad as it would have been in the past. I ate more than I normally do, I'm sure, but I did not totally pig out. Today we had a brunch to go to, and it's along the same lines. The food was in no way healthy for you (eggs benedict, bacon, sausage, home fries/hash browns, french toast, etc) but I only had 1 piece of french toast, 1 small sausage, 2 stripes of bacon, 1 eggs benedict, a small serving of potatoes, and quite a bit of fruit. This more or less constituted two meals, but I didn't eat again until about an hour ago. I had a hamburger and some garden pasta salad, and I'm not going to eat anything else today, so I should be fine. In hindsight though, I should have just allowed myself the eggs benedict (not super great for you, but I love it way more than the other stuff) and maybe a few pieces of bacon and the fruit. I did stay away from the full-calorie syrup and had some thatwas 20 calories a serving, and I didn't even use a full serving. ANYHOO. It was fun, and though I enjoyed some of the food, I'm looking forward to getting back on my "diet" ... I think it's fine to go off every once in awhile, but ultimately, I just feel so much better not eating all of the fat and grease, and not starving most of the day and then eating everything at once.

As for birthday gifts... my fiance's sister bought me an exercise ball! I'm super excited about that. I have some work to do and then I'm going to blow it up! I also got some Sims 2 expansion packs from John and a horde of gift cards (2 for Michaels, 1 for Target and 1 for the mall), plus some cash. :carrot: It is modest by most standards, but it's not all about the presents for me! I just had a really great time at the party, being with everyone I care about. It's very nice. The only thing that was missing were the people I left behind in Illinois (and my sister over in Colorado!).

Exercise has been... well, I haven't "done" it, but I've been doing plenty of housework more or less all day long, moving heavy things, cleaning, pouring sweat, etc, and actually dropped some weight with that, though of course with my planned off-plan ;) eating, it's gone back up a little, but at least I anticipated it and was prepared for it and I know it will go right back down... and I have a new toy to play with :D