Weight Watchers - Counting Down From 250+ March 17 and Beyond

Counting Down From 250+

Greetings. We are a friendly group who have a lot of pounds to lose and who gain support from the members of this thread. Feel free to join in for support, weight loss ideas and friendship as we all journey toward good health and a new lifestyle.

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY!!

Just wanted to move us to a new thread. The old one was getting too long.

Have a lovely OP Sunday. I'll check back in later.

Top o' the mornin' to you, lassies!

(That was my best attempt at an Irish broque -- I'm sure it didn't work... :lol: )

My memory's shot, so I won't try to reply to the last things in the other thread (I'd just muddle it all, I know it).

Headed off for Mass in a few; the kids are all in green, I'm in green, hubby's still in bed (though the blanket is green, so I supposed he's in green as well). I have to change outta green later so the kids can pinch me. :s:

I dug out my Incredible Sweater Machine last night. I bought it at the Goodwill for something silly like $5 but when I got it home it was missing an essential piece. So its been sitting in a closet for over a year instead of making sweaters like I'd intended (I still enjoy knitting by hand but thought this baby might make creating basics, like cardigans and scarves for the winter, easier). So I dug around online and found I can not only order the part I need to make it work for only $6 from the manufacturer, but if I wanna upgrade to the super-de-duper knitting machine, it'll only be about $40. Now its time for me to go all insane ordering yarn, I guess!

Hope your weekends are wonderful!!

Bunny, how lucky you were to find that part for your knitting machine. Sure wish I had one of those babies. It would probably just sit in my craft room lonely and neglected like my serger though. Too many projects, too little time.
Joyce , you were asking about Meridia in your last post and combining it with other meds. Well, one thing my doctor wants to keep an eye on is my blood pressure while I'm taking this drug. Normally, I'm about 130 over 80 but on the odd occasion it has read much higher so he's concerned about that. I bet your doctor wouldn't want you combining Meridia with blood pressure meds for that very reason. I'm combining it with Metformin for my diabetes and Synthroid for my hypothyroidism. So far I haven't exploded. :lol: :lol:
J-Ann , it's not very often that I'm somebody's inspiration but if my determination to get it right this time is helping anybody else, then I'm tickled pink. It sounds like you are getting it all together too which is great. We need more positive attitudes, I think. I tend to get down on myself which leads to binge eating.
Stasia, I think you have me mixed up with J-Ann. I'm Linda and I'm the one who has taken over 8 months to lose 15 lb. I just wanted to encourage you to hang in there with your butting out. I used the nicotine patch about 7 years ago. I used the patch for 3 months and when I got to the lowest mg available, I then started cutting the patches into halves and then quarters so I could really taper off. Then I realised that I really didn't need them anymore and that was it. It definitely was NOT easy. At first I felt that I'd lost my best friend (some friend!!! :devil: ) but I haven't had a craving since. My DH still smokes and it actually makes me feel nauseous if he smokes in the car now. So, it can be done. But, whatever you do, don't let the craving for cigarettes turn into a craving to stuff your face. I hate to tell you this but my lack of self control helped me to pack on a whopping 40 pounds in six months after I quit and I'm still working on losing them...on top of the 100 lb I already needed to lose at the time.

Today's Menu (Sunday)
Breakfast
2 slices h.f. bread
1 egg
2 oz ham

Lunch
2 slices h.f. bread
1/2 cup tuna with n.f. mayo, celery & green onion
salad with lettuce, tomato & gr. onion
1 tsp olive oil & balsamic vinegar dressing

Snack
Fruit & nf yogurt

Dinner
The last of the Seafood & Veggie sauce with leftover brown rice
Asparagus
Small dinner roll with Light Becel Marg.

Snack
Oatmeal with fruit & 2% milk

Should be about a 30 point day. My range is 29-34.

LindaBC

Well, today was very quiet. Went for a walk this morning, did some housework and went to the QVC site and bought a pair of Birkenstocks. I've been looking at them since last Fall. Linda's mentioning how comfortable they are pushed me into spending the money. :)

Here's todays menu:
Just about 30 pts.

BREAKFAST
6AM
1 Soft boiled egg on an Eng. muffin
Tea
1 C. OJ

10:30 AM

Dunkin Donut Glazed
Black Coffee

LUNCH

Where I decided to clean up the leftovers ...

1/4 of a Pizza Hut Personal Pan Pizza
I threw a roasted red pepper on top for extra veggie.
iced tea

SNACK

1C. Lite Lemon Chiffon Yogurt
10 peanuts

DINNER

Everyone else had corned beef and cabbage. Not me. YEECH!

4 oz, grilled Chicken w 1/4 tsp BBQ Sauce.
A med. Baked potato w/horseradish to zip it up.
1.5 C. steamed broccoli w/1 slice of Amer. Cheese melted on it. (What can I say, the chicken had been pre-cooked and in the freezer too long and the broccoli needed help.)
Salad w/imm. bacon bits and lite dressing cut w/redwine vinegar to make it go farther.

SNACK

2 tsp brown sugar (don't ask :) )

A small banana for later.

I've got almost all my water down. Will probably be up tonight since I drank most of it since 4 PM.

I bought a magnifying headpiece on Ebay so hopefully I'll be able to see a piece of cross stitch I started a few years ago. I really would love to finish it but it will take me a couple of hundred more hrs. I put it away when I couldn't see the stitches with just my glasses. A friend showed me her optivisor a couple of weeks ago and it's just what I need. Soon I'll be stitching istead of grabbing those peanuts!

Back to work tomorrow. Sleet and snow in the forecast. Should make for a fun drive to the office.

Keep plugging away at those pounds ladies. We're doing GREAT!

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Hi Everyone & Happy St. Patrick's Day!
I'm so lost with no old posts to refer to. Why, oh why, has my brain turned to swiss cheese since I entered perimenopause or menopause or whatever this now is?!? I don't know if any of you are close to my age (48) or are having any symptoms of the change of life but I hope this symptom really is related to the change of life and not a sign of premature senility.

Linda: Did I call you another name or make some other faux pas? I think I know you. You are a fellow Canuck, take Meridia, have some blood sugar problems etc., right? Where did I go wrong. Are you perhaps referring to the comment about admiring your perseverance? If that's it, then here is my explanation...I think it takes more strength to keep going in the face of slow results than it does if the scale is constantly giving you positive feedback. You have persisted. That's says a lot about your commitment and strength. BTW, thanks for the encouragement about giving up smoking. I do feel like I've lost my best friend. It has been exactly a week today since I gave up the evil weed. I'm just worried about what will happen when I stop using the patch. Actually I quit for eight months of last year but restarted at a stressful time in October. (Soooo stupid!) Now I'm attempting to fix that relapse. It never ocurred to me to cut the patch in half/quarters etc. Good idea. Makes the weaning process a little easier.
Bunny: I'm so useless at anything that requires concentration and fine- motor control that I have nothing but admiration for those that can do crafts of any kind. There is a craft store in Canada that I swear pipes something into their ventilation system that makes me believe I can do crafts while I'm in there spending money like Warren Buffet. Then I come home and harsh reality steps in to remind me I have two left hands. Needless to say, there are piles of craft supplies in my house and no crafter.
Well, here is my food journal for today:
Breakfast: W.Wheat English Muffin
2 Tbsp. Lite Cream Cheese
Tomato
Lunch: Roll
2 oz of Chicken
Honey Mustard
1/2 Tbsp. of Lite Mayo
Lettuce, Tomato, Cucumber
Dinner: Chicken Noodle Soup
3 oz. of Pork Tenderloin
1/2 Large Sweet Potato wi F.Free Sour Cream
Cauliflower wi 1/2 tsp. lite becel
2 C Tossed Salad with F.Free Dressing
1 C. of Watermelon chunks
Snack: Orange, F.free peach yogurt

Should be about 30 points
Stasia

Hello everyone :wave:

I just wanted to pop in and say hello and see how everyone's weekend was going. We worked in the garden today. Getting rid of weeds and getting it ready to till and plant soon.

Linda - Thanks for the information. I don't think my doctor will prescribe the Meridia. :( He's really funny that way. But it would not hurt to ask. I know what you mean about meds. I am on blood pressure, a pill to slow my heartbeat, thyroid & zyrtec ( I developed hives when I got diagnosed with hypothyroidism.) I feel like a walking pill factory. It's amazing how many things interact with these meds. OH WELL....hopefully if I get the weight off I can at least stop the first two.

Bunny - Knitting. That sounds like fun. I learned when I was much much younger (like teenager) and really liked it but have not done it for years. I don't even think I could remember. I used to crochet as well. It really helped me to not eat out of boredom.. having my hands busy and mind occupied. Maybe I'll get a book and see if I can pick it back up.

J-Ann - My daughter loves to do cross stitch. She is a 911 dispatcher and when her work slows down she does cross stitch. She made a couple of really nice Christmas presents last year.

Stasia - I'm 42 so I'm not far behind you. :lol:
Good luck on quitting smoking. I know it is very hard. But you can do it.

Have a great night and I'll talk with "yall" tomorrow.

Hugs,
Joyce

HI :wave:

Just stopping in for sec. Everyone's qui....et today.

I finally got up the nerve to log on from work so I could add an Avatar to my profile. (I post from MSNTV and couldn't get the Avatar to load.) I love this kitty. Reminds me of myself and looks just like my red & white kitty would look if we helped him tot reach his goal of becoming the fattest cat in Upstate NY. :)

Cooking a rolled turkey breast for dinner, and lunch, and dinner, and lunch for the next few days. House smells like Thanksgiving. I love these little guys. All white meat, no waste and low in points. The perfect WW food.

Got to go. Have to hit Sam's club to get the office some M&M's then off to my aquajogging class. Will try to get there early enough to swim a few laps first.

Have a happy, OP Wednesday. I'll check in after WI.

Stasia, I knew you meant me, even though you called me Ann. Not a problem. By the way, I just turned 59 and have been through the "mental"pause. Just keep telling yourself "This too shall pass".
J-Ann I don't recall saying the Birkies were comfortable. It's taking me a while to get used to the arch support in them, and to not gonig barefoot in the house, but I'm persevering because they are definitely helping the constant ache in my feet, knees and hip joints. I hope you like them too. What kind did you get? Mine have open heels and three adjustable cross straps over the vamp. BTW, do you think that magnifier would be of any use for plucking eyebrows? I've had to give up on mine because I just can't see the little suckers anymore. Luckily, I've never had bushy brows so it's not a major problem.

Today's Menus

Breakfast
2 slices hi fiber toast
1 tsp light Becel margarine
2 tbsp Light Philly Cream cheese
1 tsp jelly
1/2 cup yogurt
1/2 cup strawberries.

Lunch
2 slices hi fiber toast
tuna salad

Snack
1 cup oatmeal
1 small chopped apple
1/2 cup 2% milk

Dinner
3 oz Chicken Breast
1 cup h.f. pasta
Sauce made with crushed tomatoes, green peppers, onion, mushroom and zucchini
grated parmesan cheese

Snack
Lemon Yogurt Fluff topped with Light Cool Whip

Hello ladies,

The week has been a bit crazy. DH and I added another member to the household. We got a 8 month English Bulldog female pup as a companion to Bear the rott. So its been a bit frazzling getting the two dogs to adjust to each other. I don't think she sits still for a second. Bear wants to chase her around the yard relentlessly. I'm hoping that wears off or she'll never make it. He doesn't want to be mean but he wants to play so much he can't understand why she won't run faster. Food won't be the first priority but am still walking Bear each night.

Our camper rental business is starting up again and our first camper goes out tomorrow. Won't be much time to sit and eat I guess!!

I've read everyone's posts and it looks like we're doing fairly well. Just hang in there and keep up all the great efforts. I hope to be less frazzled by the weekend.

Take care!

Just the briefest moment to post -- its been non-stop here for days.

This evening I got into an I-want-ice-cream-now blue funk, so I piled the kids in the car and we ...

...went exercising!!!

I'm all proud!

(I'll try to find time to properly chat at you all tomorrow -- my apologies!!)

Good morning, ladies!

Linda -- I'm queen of the neglected crafts! LOL! I have a spinning wheel, two sewing machines, (finally sold my serger 'cause I never, ever used it), several dressers filled with fabric, beading supplies, fimo and assorted tool, and more. My favourites these days are spinning, knitting, and (when the weather is cool enough) quilting. But I've all but given up a dozen other crafts over the years (only to pick them up again, usually just after I've sold off or given away the last of my supplies :lol: ).

J-Ann -- I think Birks are comfortable. :D I hope you enjoy yours! They require "wearing in" ... that's what tripped up my mom. She bought a half dozen pairs (we're a big time shopping family) when I told her how wonderful mine were. Wore them one day and declared them "horrible". It was months before she understood that I meant it when I said, "You have to wear them in, mom..." and she tried again. It was uncomfortable for the first week, but since then its almost all she lives in.

Stasia -- There's a phrase I've read somewhere recently that goes like this: "I thought I'd be much older than this before I lost my memory." That's my life! I'm always telling my husband that he'll never know when I get Alzheimer's 'cause I'm already sooooo bad at remembering things. :o I compensate by writing myself lots of little notes; this way I have evidence of my hole-y memory (one note utterly confounded me: "Berthingale Flats 5 am Tu w/show" :?: Never did figure out what that was supposed to mean; it now is taped above my monitor to remind me of the importance of writing notes that make sense once you've forgotten what they pertain to!)

Joyce -- I've always wanted to learn to crochet -- my mother made me so many sweaters and ponchos and throws when I was a child so I see crochet'ing as very much a "cuddle and take care of" hobby. I do find that crafting keeps me from eating (I can't eat and knit with $10 a ball yarn, after all!!) and its productive too.

Terri -- Another dog, eh? Wow! When we added another cat to our mix, it was at about the point where I was ready to throw in the towel and admit it had been a mistake (and find a home for cat number 2) that suddenly they just figure out the dominance thing and began behaving like cats, not cats-trying-to-kill-each-other. :D I didn't realize (or remember -- it would just be the memory thing) that y'all had a camper rental business! We've always wanted to rent a camper and travel (actually, I'd like to buy a camper and just live in it and never stay anywhere long and always be on the road and... sigh ... dreams!).

Its been a good morning so far -- cool air, good Cheer-ios!

:) Hope your day is great!!

Hi everyone,
I haven't had a chance to post in a little while. I usually take a break in the morning or afternoon and get up to date, but it's been too hectic to do that.
I'm doing well OP and if that "Spawn of Satan" scale isn't lying - as it is prone to do - I'm down the two pounds that I gained since quitting smoking. I have been very careful with eating since I quit, hoping not to replace nicotine with food. I've kept myself so busy that some days I'm just making my minimum points (not like me at all!) yet for some blasted reason, I gained these 2 lbs. Well, they're gone now and may they be gone forever!
One reason that I would like to lose this weight so badly is that I have devoted so much time, energy and emotion to this battle over the last twenty years. Had that energy been better directed, I could have repainted the Sistine Chapel or revised the Oxford Dictionary. I want this battle done and to have food assume its proper place in my life - a source of fuel. For the very first time in all these years, I feel that this is possible - even probable. My new mantra is NO EXCUSES! O.k. I forgot my lunch, or everyone's having it, or it's my b-day, or tomorrow the world ends (alright, maybe not that one) but there are no excuses anymore. My road to **** has been paved with good intentions for too long and I intend to repave it in deeds. (why do I want a road to ****?)
You know, sometimes I get so carried away with this posting, I forget other people have to endure my ramblings. I feel that this is almost like a journal.
Linda a.k.a. Anne: Sorry about that. The brain is on hiatus.
Bunny: Nice to know my mind is in good company. I laughed at your indecipherable message because I have done that too many times. I jot down some reminder and it's like Egyptian Hieroglyphics (Spell Checker!) and the next day I have no idea what it means.
Terri: Those dogs sound a lot like kids. I don't have any pets. My oldest daughter who has returned to school lives with us and she is alergic to everything so we've never been able to have furry pets. We have had some fish, but it's hard to cosy up to a tank full of goldfish. Once the daughter goes, I'm getting a dog. They are loyal and never become teenagers.

Talk to you all soon,
Stasia

Hi everyone :wave:

Just popping in to say hello. We've been up and at it since 7:00 this morning. We had a bad storm go through last night with 70-80 mile winds and pea to marble size hail. I thought the hail was going to break my windows it was so bad. DH checked the roof and the shingles were okay but it twisted and took off one of the turbans. So we were off to Home Depot to get replacements. It knocked down one of our trees in the front yard too. It was bad. Our phones were out until this morning.

Sounds like everyone is doing great. I got on the scale today and show that I lost 1# this week. So far so good this week with being OP. I think DH has really been a big help to me.

Got to go. . I read everyone's posts but don't have time right now to reply to everyone. Have a great evening.

Hugs,
Joyce

Winter sure is having the last laugh around here. We've had four inches of new snow over the past couple of days and today the wind is blowing it all around. It's very unusual for us to have snow at all here, especially when we have daffodils and crocuses blooming. I'm not impressed.
Bunny, I cannot let you claim the title of Queen of Neglected Crafts. That is MY title. We should have a little contest here to see who has the oldest piece of unfinished work lurking around the house. Now, let me see, in an old cedar chest I have stashed away a tablecloth that I began embroidering the year before I got married so that makes it 1962/63 vintage. Can you beat that? I also have a crewel work picture that I began work on around 1980 but when we moved it got put into storage for ten years. When it was finally rediscovered the colors no longer went with my decor and I've been meaning to change them and have even bought the yarn but there it sits in the closet. I have a sweater with a Fair Isle pattern on the yoke and upper sleeves that I began in the mid 80s but I'd never knitted with more than two colors before so the first piece I knit is so tightly done you can hardly tell there's supposed to be a pattern there. Besides it's now about 4 sizes too small for me. WAAAAH! That's just a small sampling of my unfinished projects. In recent years, I've learned how to make vintage Santas and have boxes full of fabric remnants and ratty old fur pieces bought at thrift stores but never got past making 6 of them for Christmas gifts the first year. I have taken up toll painting and have a collection of wooden pieces that I bought on sale taking up closet space waiting to be painted. There are dresser drawers full of fabric scraps from various sewing projects (actually, sewing is one thing I always go back to), a huge bag of yarn to knit or crochet an afghan with but I no longer like the colour, containers under the bed with various other craft materials stashed away, never to see the light of day again. I think it's time I threw it all out.

Anyhow, now I've blabbered on so long I dont have time to say much else. Oh, I just wanted to tell you that today I will have an actual meeting with a woman I've met on a WW on-line support group. She lives in my area and has been to the States and brought me back a package of No Pudge Brownie Mix. Everyone was raving about these brownies so she decided she had to give them a try. Closest place to buy them was Washington State. She's stopping by my house tonight on her way to her WW meeting so I'm looking forward to meeting her.

Still staying OP but not getting much exercise. I really must do something about that.
LindaBC

Just got back from WI. I guess that rant payed off last week. I put my anger to good use by journaling faithfully and being very careful. I lost 4.5 lbs.!!!!! I'm doin' the happy dance now :jig: :jig: Sure was nice to be able to change my sig. :)

LINDA How neat, to meet an on liner. You'll like the No Pudge Brownies. I've made them. They were'nt bad at all. Our daffodils are just forming buds. There's a chance for close to a foot of heavy wet snow this weekend so I imagine we won't see flowers for a couple of weeks. Do try to get to the pool. Think how much better your joints feel when you're there.

BUNNY You and Linda are right about the break-in period on the birkies. I remember now that a few friends who wear them say the same thing. I'll wear them carefully the first few weeks. GOOD FOR YOU! Turning ice cream into exercise isn't easy. You were one strong :strong: weight watcher.

JOYCE I hate wind more than just about anything except fire. We are surrounded by a few thousand white pines. When it blows really hard the tops snap off and fly. Scarey and dangerous. Hope you got that "turban" repaired. Our winds are supposed to be 40 - 50 mph late tomorrow and fri.
Glad you're sticking wih it. Cleaning the yard counts as exercise points you know.


STASIA I can't imagine giving up smoking. That's got to be tough. I gave it up in 2nd grade, after we almost burnt down a friends house. I didnt have to worry about withdrawal. I was too worried about getting caught! :) I did try to take it up about 20 yrs. ago. Figured it would keep me from eating ... no luck. I ate more to get rid of the ciggie taste. LOL

Good Luck at the scale..That Spawn of Satan sure has been living in my scale for weeks. I hope he doesn't find his way to your house!

TERRI A bulldog??? He'll be the thinnest one alive, and probably never develop breathing problems, if he has to keep out running your Rottie. I want a new puppy. The pointer's 9 and the cocker's 10 so maybe at the end of the summer I'll start putting out feeler for a spring 2003 puppy.

A camper. I could use one to get to Grays Summit next month. Wanna come east and get me? Seriously. Are you anywhere near St Louis? Any suggestions for a tourist who will be in the area for only 3 or 4 days? I'm staying out near Purina Farms and will be there for 3 or 4 days.

Enough already,

Stasia -- :lol: A mind is a terrible thing to waste - its a shame both of ours seems to have their "wasted" moments.

Joyce -- its been quite windy here of late too - though nothing like the wind you're experiencing! Wowsers!!

Linda -- It's cheating for you to have a UFO (unfinished object for the uninitiated out there) that's older than I am! Does it help me to re-claim the title if I mention that, technically, the first project I ever started sits to this day unfinished. I have the same problem with setting something aside until it no longer suits me (which explains the stunning silk suit I have started, but never finished because as much as I like the very expensive material, it just doesn't "suit" me), or until its no longer urgent (I mean, once my daughter had turned two it no longer seemed very necessary to finish up the smocked cradle canopy I'd begun), or doesn't go with the house (I got over my pink/blue furnishings period long before I finished the projects I'd begun). Sigh. Can we be co-Queens of the UFOs? I think I have eight quilts in progress right now, at least three sweaters, half a dozen doll outfits, almost all of last year's Christmas presents, and a pile of mending that could outfit a small country (if it were mended :^: ).... I could go on, but won't. ;)

J-Ann -- BRAVO FOR YOU! Say "Good-bye" plateau and "Hello" super-de-duper weight loss!!! I'm all proud!!!

J- Ann - You go girl... here is a happy dance just for you!!!!! :jig:

LindaBC - It would be great to meet those we get close to online.
I hope you like the brownies. They really help when we get those chocolate cravings...:D

Stasia - Hang in there I'm sure the iron monster will give in before you do. I know what you mean about this battle. I'm 5'3" and have always battled my weight. BUT I have NEVER weighed as much as I do now in my lifetime - even during pregnancy.....In fact in 1995 I weighed 127. Then my husband broke his back in a scaffold accident and I went downhill OR should I say up since then. Now 5 years later I am just now ready to take charge of myself and do something about my weight. What good will it do to have my daughter & husband healthy if I'm not around to enjoy the future with them? I'm not saying I don't want them healthy it's just that I've spent all my energy on making sure everyone else is okay BUT not me :( We have to take care of ourselves, right?

I read a quote from a book the other day that really got me thinking about my attitude toward weight loss "There are plenty of alibis for failure; success doesn't need them" - Anonymous

It brought out that we should focus on our goals each day, and then swing into aciton.

Bunny - I think I will go and buy some thread/yarn and pick up crochet again. You've got me motivated.. I will probably wait until next fall though. I like to grow a vegetable garden and can fresh vegetables. So I'm going to be busy with that the next several months. In fact we've been working in the garden this week. I'm sure glad I did not have anything planted with this storm last night. It's been really weird this year late HARD freezes and then this storm. The weather around here is crazy.

I hope everyone has a great day. HUGS.
Joyce

Bunny, we'll need a pretty big THRONE if we're going to share it. :lol: :lol: :lol: but I have to grant that you do deserve the honour of Co-Queen of UFO's.

J-ANN!!!!! FANTASTIC!!!! It just shows to go you that you really CAN do this. I'm so happy for your magnificent loss. WOW!

The lady who brought me the brownie mix couldn't stay and visit but we had a little chat and she seems to be very nice. We're going to try to get together for coffee some day. I baked the brownies last night and tried just a nibble. THey're VERY sweet and I don't think I should indulge in them too often because of my diabetes. This morning I wrapped them individually and stashed them in the freezer for those chocolate attacks. So far, the Meridia is helping to prevent carb cravings. Yesterday, though, I heard that Meridia has been banned in the U.S. for supposedly causing heart attacks. I haven't heard yet about its status in Canada but I'm really hoping it will continue to be available here. It's the first thing that seems to be helping me. Of course, the proof is in the pudding and tomorrow will be my first true weigh-in since I started on these meds (Meridia and Metformin) so, hopefully, they have had some effect. I have been TOTALLY OP for almost two weeks now. If there really is a God, I will be rewarded tomorrow but ya never know.
Joyce , you are SO right about us needing to take care of ourselves. If we don't feel good, we make everyone around us miserable...at least I do. :devil:

Today's (Thursday) Menus
Come on, ladies, share your menus with me. I need the inspiration.

Breakfast
2 slices hi fiber toast
1 tsp light Becel margarine
2 tbsp light Philly cheese
2 tsp light peach jam.

Lunch
2 slices h.f. bread
2 oz deli slice roasted turkey breast
2 tsp non fat mayo
lettuce
1/2 cup yogurt
1 apple

Snack
1 cup hot oatmeal
1/2 cup 2% milk
1 tbsp raisins

Dinner
3 oz chicken breast
1 cup whole wheat pasta
1 cup tomato sauce with zucchini, mushrooms, onions
1 tbsp parmesan cheese

lemon yogurt/pudding fluff with light Cool Whip

These menus are not written in stone. For example, yesterday I was going to have pasta with my chicken breast but decided to have potato and asparagus instead cos that's what I was making DH with his sausages.

Just a quick menu sharing (before I get back to knitting the sweater I started after setting down the one I got bored with... ;) )

Breakfast: Cheerios, FF milk, 1/2 banana

Lunch: Turkey sub, WOW Nacho chips, Diet Coke, FF ice sandwich

Dinner: Hamburger, baked "fries"

Snacks: air popped popcorn, sm TCBY no sugar added & FF yogurt with chocolate sprinkles

:^:

This is why I don't share my menus all the time -- some days, they look awful!!

LOL! But I still made it in under points-- just a bit lackin' on the veggie/fruit end o' things. Shame on me!

Hi everyone :wave:

Well today I got the urge to clean house. I did several projects around here that had needed to be done for a long time. I also had to work in the fish room a little today.

Has anyone heard from Lilac?

Linda - Way to go on staying completely OP for two weeks. I'll be thinking of you and praying for a good WI for you.

Bunny - That is what is so nice about WW you can make bad choices and still stay OP. You can always work on the fruits & veggies tommorow. ;)

Well I thought I'd try to start posting my menu's too.

Breakfast - None (jumped right into cleaning) I didn't even get my coffee.

Lunch - Pea Salad with lots of chopped veggies & a boiled egg.

Snack - 1 svg WOW Tostitos with 1/4c Salsa

Dinner - 4 oz Parmesan Chicken (WW recipe), 1/2 c Mashed potatoes with ICBINB and 2T light sour cream, 12 Asparagus spears with ICBINB

Later I think I'll have a skinny cow for 2pts. :D

Water - 72 oz.

Hope everyone has a great evening. See ya lighter....
Joyce

Hi everyone,
I am such a techno-illiterate that I didn't realize there was a page 2 to this thread until my third trip back! It's not that easy being me...
J-ann: Yipee! You lost 4.5 lbs.! I noticed how much weight you have lost in total and I am so impressed. BTW you posted that you made a half-hearted attempt to take up smoking for reasons of appetite control but were smart enough to give up. I used that excuse for many years. I used to rationalize my smoking by saying that it was helping me keep my weight under control. Well, when the scale hit 307, that excuse looked pretty ridiculous - as all excuses do. Now I'm trying to turn over a new leaf - and I hope it's not a tobacco leaf! LOL

Bunny: Good job with the ice cream. Ice cream tempts me like nothing else. I tried "aversion therapy" I would say "that stuff comes out of the breasts of stinky cows, Bleeech." Apparently I am more than willing (even eager) to eat things that come out of the breasts of stinky cows. Now I don't by it, don't drive by it, don't watch commercials about it and haven't eaten it in 6 months.

Joyce: The quote (about success not needing alibis) in your posts was so apt that I will print it in big letters and put it on my computer to inspire me daily. I post on another site and I read excuses about failure to stick to plan etc. all the time. For some reason, I call them excuses when other people offer them and "valid reasons" when I use them. LOL But I'm definetly trying the "no excuses" mindset now.

Linda: Congratulations on being OP for two weeks. That's great. I hope today brought a weight loss reward and, if not, there is still time for your body to begin processing the new meds and start losing.

I'm posting from work and it's time to go home. I have spent about one hour reading and posting today. If I continue on this tack, I will be a non-smoking, skinny, unemployed, homeless woman in no time at all. Have a good week-end all and stay strong!

Stasia

Yuppers! I stayed OP for two weeks and now have a total of 3 lb lost to show for it. Last week .4 lb and this week 2.6 lb. I'm a happy camper. Yes, I'd raised my hopes that it would be a bit more but I'm not going to complain. No sireee. I just hope it keeps up.
More news about Meridia. Apparently it was banned in the US as part of the whole Phen Phen scare. Probably an overreaction. It is still available by prescription in Canada and I couldn't be happier. I'll take it as long as my doctor allows. I go for blood pressure testing on Tuesday so I will definitely have to think peaceful, soothing thoughts on that day.

Menu for today (Friday)

Breakfast (after WI)

2 slices h.f. toast
4 slices Leaner than Ham
1 egg
1 tbsp lite cream cheese

Lunch (haven't had yet)

1 cup pasta
1 cup home made chunky veggie sauce
2 oz chicken breast

Snack
1 cup berries
1/2 cup yogurt

Dinner

Sole fillet with shrimp in light sauce
baked potato
green beans
cauliflower

Snack
ff/ns chocolate pudding with light Cool Whip

Hi everyone! :wave: Hope everyone is having a great Friday.


Way to go Linda. Woooohooooo!!!!!! You ought to be really proud of yourself. You've worked really hard. :jig: Well the Meridia ban in the US puts a stop to me even asking my doctor about it. :( Guess I'm just going to have to do this the old fashioned way :wink:


Stasia - You had me ROFL with the end of your post. When I was working I'd spend alot of time on 3FC's when I was not very busy and just prayed no one would catch me. You hang in there on the smoking thing. I know you can do it.

Well today's menu is not the best example of what being OP should be but it will keep me accountable.

Breakfast - 2 cups Coffee w/Fat Free Half n Half

Lunch - 2 sl Low Cal Whole Wheat, 2 sl 98% FF Turkey Breast, 1 sl 2% american cheese. 1T Light Mayo

Dinner - 1 svg BBQ Pork Ribs, 1/2 Sweet Potato & 3/4c Green Beans.

Water - 24 oz only so far. Guess I'll try to get some more later, but it will probably make me have to go all night. Can you count trips to the bathroom as exercise???? :joker:

Hope everyone has a great weekend. See ya.
Joyce

ALL RIGHT LINDA!!!!! HURRAY! You're definately on the right path.

JOYCE: I know what you mean about waiting until evening to guzzle that water. :) It's a bad habit I have. After dinner I fill my water bottle a couple of times with nice, fresh cold water. It always tastes so much better at night, and it helps me stay away from munchies but it sure does keep me runnin' in the wee hours of the morning. What's a gal to do? :o :o

STASIA: At the end of each thread is a spot to click on to subscribe to the thread. I use this all the time. 3FC sends out an email when ever someone posts to the thread, but the nice thing is they only send 1 email. Until you go the the thread and read the new post, & any others that have posted since the one you get the note about, no other emails ar sent. Then, after you go to the thread it resets itself and will mail a new notice when the next person posts. Of couse if the emails go to your home, and you're sneaking a look for new posts from work :) this won't help.

Ladies I had the best 6 point frozen dinner ever for lunch yesterday. I don't know if you can get them in the Great White North, but here, in the States, Stouffers Lean Cuisine Bowl Selections (is this name long enough yet???) has a Chicken and Rotinni ( or one of the "R" pastas) with a Caesar Sauce that is fantastic. Recognizable chicken pieces, broccoli that looks and tastes fresh, a good pasta and a garlicky, parmesan sauce. I can honestly say that if I could afford to I'd be able to cook up a bunch of these, dump them in a nice dish, and serve it to friends as home cooked. (Except I can't cook anything this tasty.) If you're local store has a sale on L.C. this is one you shouldn't miss.

Other than that this week's menus have been boring to read. I'm still eating all that turkey. 3 dinners, two lunches and about 3 more meals left. I'd freeze it but it's just not the same. So it's lunch and dinner on Sat. and probably lunch on Sunday. Good thing I love the stuff.

I didn't get to the pool last night. We had white-out condtions outdoors so I hibernated instead. Will do an extra 1/2 hr. or or so in the water early tomorow morning.

You all have a wonderful weekend.

LILAC ... Are You Out There? We miss you.

Hello Hello! :wave:

Can't believe its Sunday already. I am taking a few days off from work. I've been working in the yard, refereeing the dogs and painting the bathroom. We had the carpet taken out of the kitchen/dining area and replaced it with a beautiful vinyl floor. Looks like ceramic tile. So the house has been a disaster for several days. Its cold and wet here today so the only thing that inspires is laying on the bed with a book. Instead I'm trying to work on paperwork and laundry.

The dogs are bonding. The bulldog is very spunky and has no qualms about trying to take the rawhide away from the rottie. The rottie thinks its a game and when she gets too rowdy about it, he lays on her. That makes her furious. But he has figured out that if he gets the bone she will chase him so he gets to run her around afterall. They are truly like children. At least they aren't trying to kill each other. Right now, I have the rottie downstairs taking a nap and DH has the bulldog. Apparently, they were too rowdy in the house (too wet outside) and driving DH nuts.

With everything going on this week, food just wasn't the best. My whole routine has been turned upside down. My goal is to get back on track with food and exercise. Especially some me time too.

I ordered a pair of Land's End all weather moc's. I love them. I have problems with plantar fasciia so shoes are a problem for me. These have a rugged sole and lots of support. I wear them for just about everything. My feet feel lots better on my walks too.

Have you tried the angel food cake mix recipes where all it is is the mix and a can of fruit? I'm going to try a pumpkin one today. I'll post the recipes later.

Bunny - How's the yarn? Did you get your sweater machine going yet? I used to crochet but haven't done it in years. I was always too tight with my hands when doing that and ended up with items for dolls instead of people!! Oh hey, good for you for taking the kids to exercise instead of the ice cream.

Linda - I never thought about the Birkie's for around the house. I shouldn't be running around barefooted either and hate wearing shoes inside. I'll have to think about a pair especially for summer walks. I had to laugh about all your craft stuff. I had so much stuff like that and finally decided to get rid of it two years ago in a move. How cool to meet someone from online. Even better, you had a good loss too!!

J-Ann - How's the headpiece working out? Keep us posted on how you're doing; you might inspire me to dig out my cross-stitch stuff. Hmmm, there are lots of things I used to do before DH and dawgs. I love your new avatar. Woohoo, go girl. 4.5 pounds loss is great. I live about 3 -1/2 hours west of St. Louis. When will you be there? There is the arch, Union Station, good science museum, botanical gardens, zoo. Hmm, you said Purina Farms; wonder if that's the Busch Farm? There is a webpage for St. Louis. I haven't been a tourist there in several years. We went to Busch Farms (the Clydesdale's might be there) and it was pretty cool. A collegue at work is there this weekend; I'll find out form him what they did. DH had bought me the teriyaki Lean cuisine bowl selections. I really liked it. So today I bought three other varieties so have on hand this next week.

Stasia - Don't worry about your memory. I have to print out the thread occasionally so I can write replies. DH quit smoking two years ago (cold turkey) when he had a small heart attack and triple bypass. He had lots of mood swings but he's so much better off. He misses it but knows he can't go back. Hang in there. I had to chuckle about your two left-hands when it comes to crafts. I figured out a long time ago, my real hobby is buying all the stuff not actually doing it. :D Love your posts so don't worry about rambling.

Joyce - I'm envious of you starting on your garden work. Our weather has been so yucky; we're even supposed to get snow tomorrow or Tuesday. wahhhhhhhhh! :cry: You and I are about the same age. I'll be 42 in July. I aspire to doing some canning myself this summer. Not that I'll grow it all myself but would love to do some good canned green beans and even some beets. Could you come to my house to whip on a few projects that need tackling here?

Well, I think I hear my book calling my name. Have any of you read the "Left Behind" series? I'm on book eight of that.

Have a great Sunday afternoon everyone.

Hi everyone :wave: hope yall are having a great weekend.

Well I did not get to work in the garden yesterday. We had a pet shop call and I had to deliver some guppies yesterday. We're hoping to get to the garden Monday. Today has just been a lazy Sunday. I love my Sundays, make the coffee, read the paper, check my threads on the internet, and I'll be reading a book later. I bought Dr. Phil McGraws Life Strategies book. Pretty good so far.

Terri - I love to garden. I love to have canned green beans during the winter. I also can tomatoes with bell peppers, celery & onion. We also have fruit trees, blackberries & rasberries. The only thing I don't like is that here in Texas it gets so hot in the summer that your miserable out there picking in 100 degree weather. I try to get out early in the morning or late evening once it gets hot. Your dogs sound so interesting. What ages are they? We have an old male chocolate lab & we had a female that was just a few months older than him that we had to put down 2 years ago. I miss her. ***she was the smarter of the two***;)
I hope you get to have some me time. I think the older I get the more I hate having my routine messed up (and I'm not a regimented person :dz: ) I've seen the advertisements for those moc's they look really comfortable. What are the Left Behind series about? I love to read.

J-Ann - The Stouffers dinners are really good. Here in Texas they also make Uncle Bens Bowls that have a variety of rice & pasta bowls. They make a really good Southwestern one that is only 6 pts.

Lilac - Hope you are doing well. We miss you.

Today's menu:
Breakfast - 1c Sk Milk, 1sm Banana, Coffee w/ FF 1/2 n 1/2
Lunch - 1/2c Chicken Salad, 2sl LC WW Bread, 1 svg WOW chips, 1/2c Low Sodium V-8, 1/2 svg Canteloupe
Dinner - 1 svg Noodles w/Turkey Sausage & Cabbage (from WW Simply the Best Cookbook) DELICIOUS. , 3/4c Green Beans
Snack - 1 Skinny cow

Have a great Sunday evening.
Joyce

Hi everyone,

I haven't posted all weekend because of computer problems. Each time I would get on the internet, my mouse would freeze. Keyboard commands would work just fine, but try negotiating around this or any site while depending only on keyboard commands. Not good. I tried everything including buying a new mouse, which failed to cure the problem. Finally, I went back to the store to return the new mouse because obviously the problem was not related to the actual device. A techno-geek who looked no more than 14 waited on me. Lately, I find that anyone under 25 assumes because you are middle-aged, your I.Q. must be in the single digits. He wouldn't let me get 10 words out of my mouth before he advised me (rolling his eyes, I might add) that what my computer was doing was called "crashing" and it was "not related to the mouse" (very heavy on the sarcasm). SHEESH! I was tempted to tell him that Bill Gates may not be the Supreme Being, but I try to refrain from outright cruelty. I don't know why this incident bothered me so much, but it could be related to the fact that I just downgraded my nicotine patch to the next paltry level of nicotine and I want to poke a stick in someone's eye. LOL

Anne: Look at you, losing like a super model! Congratulations. It sounds like fine-tuning your meds have really made a difference with the weight-loss. It didn't hurt that you stayed OP for two straight weeks.

Joyce: I bought Dr. Phil's book too. Unfortunately, I misplaced it after only reading about 5 pages and, despite a thorough house cleaning this weekend, I haven't been able to find it. The way my mind functions lately I'll probably find it in the freezer wrapped up with some lamb chops. Let me tell you that hard-cover books are so expensive in Canada that it really irks me to have lost it. Let me know if he says anything life-changing.

Determined to Succeed: What is that series of books about and who writes it? I read all the time (when I'm not putting books in the freezer) and am always looking for something good to read. Your new floor sounds great.

J-Ann: Thanks for the advice about email notification. I will check the appropriate box. We do get Lean Cuisine dinners but I haven't seen that particular one yet. My mouth is watering.

Wow, I just checked the time and realized I have to get to bed or I'll be a zombie at work tomorrow. The forecast calls for freezing rain turning to ice pellets and snow. I have a 45 minute commute to work, so I'm hoping the weather is so nasty that I can work from home. Have my laptop here and everything else I need. Talk to you all soon.

Stasia

Hi ladies,

I'm on my last day of vacation. if you can call it vacation. Today I've been working on paperwork (geez, it seems like I do that all the time) and shampooing the stairs carpet. That's a workout! But its been needing to be done. Why would they put carpet on stairs leading from the garage? Cheaper I guess.

Food has been okay these last couple of days. I tend to eat the house down when I'm at home and have so far managed to avoid that. The sun is shining and its warmed up a bit so the dogs are outside. They about drove me crazy yesterday since it was sleeting and we were ALL inside.

I've got to get back on track with the exercise. I'm not sure how that fell by the wayside since I was being so good at getting in about an hour a day.

We're eating out tonight. So my challenge will be to finally be sensible and eat right.

The "Left Behind" series is a Christian series. Its a fictionalized presentation of the book of Revelations. It starts out with a few characters that get left behind when Jesus raptures his church. It follows these characters and more throughout the seven year Tribulation period as prophesied in Revelations. I believe there are going to be 12 books in all. Only 9 published so far. They are by LaHaye and Jenkins. I bought them at Wal-Mart and Sam's Club. There are also condensed versions on cassette.

Joyce - I'd love to raid your garden! Sounds wonderful. The rottie is 13 months and the bulldog is 8 months. Hopefully the youthful energy will wear down at about the same time. I didn't realize I was a regimented person either but it seems I do better when I have my routine. I get real cranky about someone else jacking with my routine too!!

Stasia - Customer service just isn't what it used to be anymore. I have had two situations recently where I was trying to find out something going on (insurance agent and IRS) and both times they wouldn't listen and then became snotty. After wasting 40 minutes on the phone with IRS going round and round about our account, I finally lost it and told her they were dumber than dog****. Maybe I should go back and reread some Christain material. :o Neither person would just shut up and listen.

Okay, so I better quit ranting and get busy. I need to take the pooper scooper to the back yard.

Have a great day!

Hello everybody. Tuesday already? Raining here on the Wet Coast but daffodils and primroses are blooming and I saw a few blossoms on cherry trees on my way home from doc's. Don't know if I mentioned that because I'm on Meridia to help with weight loss, he wants me to come in once a week to have the nurse check my blood pressure. It's actually DOWN from when he took it last week! I credit it to my ability to zone out and imagine I'm lying on a warm beach with waves tickling my toes. :cool: I do believe this stuff is working and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that they don't have to take this off the market the way they have so many other diet aids. I am getting through every day totally OP now and not suffering cravings or deprivation. It's really great.
Sunday was a lovely day so I did some work in the garden. Actually sawed down a large shrub that has been bugging me and then had to get DH to dig out the roots for me. I couldn't believe it yesterday when I wondered why my cheeks felt so hot. I'd gotten too much sun the day before! I wanted to get my peas and beans planted but never did get around to it. By the way, fellow gardeners, I hope you all know that if you plan to can green beans you must process them in a pressure canner. I can't believe me and my family survived all those years when I just did them in a water bath canner, but now they warn us about botulism so be very careful. I just grow enough for us to eat fresh because no way am I going to buy a pressure canner just for a few green beans and we don't like them frozen.
Regarding the Stouffers Lean Cuisine Bowl Dinners, I had a look around my grocery freezer case yesterday but the best I could find was Lean Cuisine Skillet Sensations in a plastic bag. For a 320 gram serving (half the bag) the points range from 6 to 7 and meat, veggies, pasta or rice are included. I bought the Pasta Primavera and an Oriental Chicken. I don't know if the Bowl thingies aren't available in Canada or if they just have a different name.
Well, nothing new or exciting here other than my blood pressure being 130 over 70 which is good news.
I'll check in with you tomorrow.

Hi Ladies, This has to be quick. :rolleyes: Don't know what happened but my We've Moved Dont Post Here message on our last thread disappeared and Ladyinred, aka Donna posted there asking to join us. I invited her to join us here. With the limitations of WebTV I can't figure out how to move her intro. over from the old thread. If anyone knows how, give her a lift over here would ya?

Should not have had chinese yesterday. :nono: Up 2 lbs., hopefully just water. Not in the dumps lke a I was two wees ago tho.

Catch ya all later. (Nope I'm NOT changing my sig.!)

Well I had intended to lurk for a while but Linda BC's comments about tofu and its resemblance to grout got me laughing so hard I've forgotten my good intentions. So I'll introduce myself.

My name is Donna. I'm 49, divorced for quite a while, living in Columbus, Ohio with two grown sons who live in California. Yesterday I finally said "Enough is enough!" and dug out my old WW 123 materials. I don't plan to attend meetings at this time but will gain my inspiration from online. I have about 130 lbs. to lose, depending on where I set my goal ...

Today is going well so far ... worked out to a Richard Simmons tape, have had my first big glass of water, and an OP breakfast. Will need to go shopping before I can have lunch, though.

Guess that's enough for now ... am very much looking forward to getting to "know" all of you!

Donna

Just a quick post this morning.

I'm slowly getting back into my morning exercises (weights and strengtheners). Bear and I walked last night which felt really good.

I did hop on the scale this AM. I've been yo-yoing being 257 and 260 for seems like forever. The scale this morning was 256.5!!! Here's where I ususally go on an eating spree so I need lots of strength not to do that to myself this time. I think having all the projects around the house are helping to control mindless eating. Wish me luck!

Got to get to work. I should be there already because after having a few days off, I'm so far behind.

Have a great OP day.

... you can't hide from me! I found you! <insert madwoman cackle>

Had a good day yesterday -- didn't quite get in all my water, but achieved all my other daily goals. Went to the grocery store and did my first major restocking of the shelves and got out of there for a tad under $100. Believe it or not, I was pleased -- figured my total was closer to $125. According to my receipt, I saved close to $11 by using my store card. I ought to do something with that $$ I save -- donate it to charity or use it for new clothes or something. :s

Determined to Succeed: I really envy you, having a bulldog puppy. Best dog I ever owned was an English Bulldog named Miss Molly. So loving and full of personality ... I got her as an adult -- her people were moving out of the country and couldn't take her -- she would have been absolutely adorable as a puppy. Hang in there -- just like children, they don't stay "babies" very long.

Did a 45 minute/3 mile walk this morning -- felt like quitting at 2 miles but got sucked in to continuing on. :D Hope everyone else is feeling as good as I do today!


Donna

Hi Everyone,
Welcome Donna, glad to see you found us and joined us. Well it's been an ugly couple of days between the freak snow storm we had, the nicotine withdrawal (aaargh!) and that stubborn Spawn of Satan scale. I have been OP without any deviation for at least 4 weeks and weighed in today. I'm up 3 lbs.!!!! I'm done with that time of the month so it can't be that - there just is no rational explanation. I only follow the WW program but don't actually belong anymore so I'm weighing at home. I am feeling very discouraged and very, very twitchy without my cigarettes. I REFUSE to allow this to lead to unhealthy eating. Well, I hope I refuse to allow it....
Terri, your "vacation" sounds like most of mine. Don't you find that when you work all the big chores get pushed to vacation time, because the weekends are so full of cleaning, laundry and grocery shopping etc. We never seem to get a break.
You know, I'm going to stop writing now, I'm just so negative today, don't want to get you all in a negative frame of mind. I've got to refocus. Talk to you all soon.
Stasia

I saw Donna's post in the other thread and asked her to join us here as well. I hope she makes it.
Today I had to go for a mammogram and it wasn't as uncomfortable as the last time. It sure makes a difference what technician you get. This gal was really gentle. It also helped that the equipment was newer and not as awkward to use. I urge all of you to get regular mammograms. My younger daughter's MIL, who is about my age or a bit older recently noticed a slight irregularity in one breast. She didn't think it was worth worrying about but to be on the safe side went and saw her doctor. He ordered a mammogram and this disclosed a very large tumor that had started very deep in her breast and must have been there some time. She had to have her breast removed immediately and is now undergoing chemotherapy. She had never had a mammogram before because there was no history of breast cancer in her family. Remember, ladies, there are always exceptions so please, schedule that mammogram NOW.

I always go with a friend and we console each other after with lunch out. I did very well. I ordered a grilled chicken salad and, although the dressing was a rather sweet peanut type, I'm pretty sure the salad didn't have more than 4 to 5 points. I gave it 6 just to be on the safe side.

So far I've managed to stay totally within or under my points range for three weeks now. The Meridia is really helping to keep me on an even keel. I haven't had a severe snack attack in all that time. I still get hungry for my regular meals but can stop when reasonably satisfied without wanting second or third helpings. Of course, it also helps to keep guzzling that water and write everything down. Sometimes I get bored writing the same stuff down every day, especially breakfast, when I usually have either light cream cheese on multigrain toast or a poached egg on multigrain. Still, it keeps me honest so I will continue to do it.
No weigh in tomorrow (my usual WI day) because of the holiday so I won't know for sure how I did this week until Saturday. On Sunday my sis and her hubby and older daughter and her younger son will be coming for Easter dinner. I have a small turkey and will probably make the traditional springtime accompaniments such as asparagus and a salad. The hardest thing for me to resist is the stuffing. Maybe I just won't stuff the darned thing. That would settle that temptation.

Anyhow, I hope you're all having a lovely holiday weekend. Don't forget "If you bite it, WRITE IT!"

Stasia - I read your post and felt your frustration. I just wanted to reach out and give you a hug. This journey is so darn frustrating and discouraging. About every other day I'm ready to throw in the towel. Especially when the scale doesn't move. I rant and rave to myself about what's wrong with my body and sometimes htat helps me to remember the little things that I ate and conveniently forgot. Or else maybe I forgot to exercise. But I try to get myself into the mindset of look where I'd be if I hadn't done all the healthy things I had done. I try to remind myself that this will be lifelong, not just today or tomorrow. Getting myself into that mode helps me forget the evil scale. Not that this is always easy. Sometimes I just have to get busy doing things to help work out the disappointment and negative feeings. So just don't give up. Don't give in to the disappointment. Just cheer yourself on for all the good things you are doing for your body. You can win this battle.

Donna - Glad to see you found us! Good for you for hanging in that extra mile.

Linda - Looks like the meridia is a good thing for you. My doc has tried to get me to take it but I have resisted all her attempts. Maybe I should have listened more. I'm happy for you that its helping you get past your plateaus. Your easter dinner sounds very healthy and yummy. DH is smoking a chicken, turkey breast and a ham tomorrow. Lots of meat for the freezer.

Gina, Bunny, Lilac, Joyce, J-Ann - Hope you ladies are doing okay. Miss you! Have a great holiday weekend. Looks like spring may be here for real this time.

I'm sending positive vibes to everyone to have a great OP weekend and avoid all the chocolate bunnies!!

Hi Everyone,
I'm back and in a better frame of mind. Terri, thanks for the encouraging words - it's nice to know someone shares the same frustrations. Well, that came out sounding as if I'm glad you're frustrated! LOL You know that's not what I meant. It just that this time, I have been so faithful to everything I am doing. In the past, I would have "just a few ______" (fill in the blank) and not count it or conveniently "forget" about it entirely. This time, I have counted every morsel of food that I've even caught the fragrance of - that's why I think I'm frustrated. I think it was on another site (or maybe it was here?) someone wrote about a good friend who is very slim/trim, exercises conscientiously, watches every bite of food that goes into her mouth etc. She told her friend how tired she was working so hard to keep her weight down. I guess even the people who have no extra weight are working very hard to stay this way. As you so rightly point out, it is a way of life not just a temporary measure to lose weight. The pounds will have to come off eventually.
Linda: I am so long overdue for a mammogram and have been procrastinating making an appointment. I will do that this week. I intend to roast a leg of spring lamb for Easter, but haven't really decided on what to make to go with it. Usually, when I'm having guests for dinner, I have the whole menu planned out weeks in advance but I have been so busy with work this week, I'll just have to finish my planning tonight.
I wonder what has happened to the others on the board - everyone seems to be taking a small Easter break. Well, Happy Easter to all who read this and will post again soon.

Stasia

Stasia, I meant to reply to your post about being frustrated but I guess the thought slipped through all the cracks in my mind. You really are not alone. Just because I've been having a couple of weeks with slight to moderate losses as a reward for staying OP doesn't mean I haven't been where you are. Man, oh man, have I been there and done that! But I think when you're feeling the most discouraged and hopeless is the time when you really have to fight the hardest because I'm convinced that success is just around the corner at those times and we just have to be patient. So many times I've let my anger and frustration get the better of me and stuffed my face in retaliation (retaliation against what, is the question?) Just cutting off my nose to spite my face. We have to face the fact that we're committed to a new way of eating for the rest of our lives and this is NOT a short term cure. So, if you have stuck to your program for two or three weeks and haven't lost or even gained, you have to try to be philosophical about it. There are any number of reasons you showed a gain rather than a loss. You don't have to be at "that time of the month" to experience fluid retention. I just have to have a little extra salt and whoops, on come an extra 2 or 3 pounds. You could have gained a little muscle weight too. The point I'm trying to make is don't take it personally. It's just the normal fluctuation of your body and probably next week you will be down several pounds. Just hang in there, ok? We're all in the same boat.
LindaBC

Good Evening Everyone :wave:

Terri - Way to go! Congrats on the loss.

Donna - Hi and welcome to the group. I'm glad your here and look forward to getting to know you.

Stasia - Hang in there! Here's a big {{{HUG}}}. I think all of us have felt that frustration. I know I have plenty of times. In fact now is one of them I've losing and gaining the same 4 lbs for a month. I don't remember if I told this group or not but a registered nurse/dietician told me that plateaus are generally places that we maintained our weight for a long period of time. So we create a set point. But if we keep sticking to our program the weight will eventually come off. Just try not to give in to the frustration. I know that when I give in I usually end up feeling even worse. I am sending warm thoughts and wishes your way and hope you feel better soon.

Linda - Sounds like the Meridia and new meds are really working for you. Have you had weigh in this week? I'm cheering you on. :spin: I look forward to see how your doing every week. Your an inspiration. :angel:

J-Ann - You'll get rid of that Chinese in no time. The 2lbs is probably water.

I hope everyone has a wonderful OP weekend and a very Happy Easter. Hello to anyone I've missed.

Lilac - We miss you.

Joyce

Had my WI this morning and was down another 1.6 lb. That makes 3.6 lb in three weeks. I'm very happy with that rate of loss. Just another half pound and I'm into virgin fat. :p
There was a woman at meeting today who has lost 55 lb since last August. Gosh! I've been going since last June and have only lost 18. Of course, she says she has been totally faithful to the program the whole time and I have to admit I certainly blew it over Christmas, all of January and February and part of March.
Well, I'm not going to compare myself to her. Maybe it was her first time trying to lose weight. I'm convinced that our bodies become very resistant to losing weight when we've lost and gained many, many times and I sure have....especially the gaining part. :o
Tonight we went out to dinner at a pub with friends. I had a small steak, a salad with dressing on the side and a baked potato (I think it had butter and regular sour cream on it too) but I didn't eat all the potato and I left some of the steak and I only ate half a piece of garlic bread so I still managed to stay within my points range for today.
Happy Easter everybody.

WhoooooHooooo!!!!!! :jig: Linda! Congrats on that 1.6 lbs. Doesn't it feel good to see the scale go down consistantly every week?

Not much going on here. But the weather was beautiful today in the 70's with the sun shining. It really gave me spring fever.

I just popped in to say hello to everyone. Have a Happy Easter.

Hugz
Joyce

Just a quick post to wish everyone a happy Easter. I have a bunch of "stuff" to accomplish before I take off to have Easter lunch at my best friend's house with her and her family. They always include me for all holiday gatherings which has made a tremendous difference in how this empty nester feels about holidays.

I'm planning to make Oriental Crab Coleslaw as my contribution to the festivities. We're having a pork loin, prepared in the rotisserie, and she's making a couple of desserts made with sugar free/ fat free substitutions. I'm also going to have a bowl of vegie soup before I leave to help fill me up a little and try to ensure I get in that demon vegie allotment.

Been staying very busy, highly motivated ... food, water, and exercisse all going well. First weigh-in is Monday -- it's not quite a week, but I'm sure I'll have a loss since I'm just at the beginning of my journey ...

Donna

Happy Easter!

Starting a new thread. Don't post here!