Living Maintenance - Maintainers Chat: Week Of August 24 - 30

'Tis the last week of August!

I had to work on Saturday and a one-day weekend just doesn't feel like enough! Yesterday was bulk cooking day, so at least I have provisions for the week. Along with clean laundry and groceries. But I didn't catch up with sleep at all, so am feeling pretty tired to start off another week.

For years I've been doing a traditional five-day split in the gym of back, chest, legs, shoulders, and arms. Just because it got to be a habit. This week I've decided to alternate upper and lower body every day, just because I really want to emphasis legs more. I'm still rebuilding strength from my knee replacements and though I'll never squat over 200 pounds again, there's still a way I can go. And having issues with scar tissue in one knee means that I need to work my legs separately so that the good knee doesn't pick up the slack for the one that hurts (it's getting scoped out in October). So today is leg day. :D

Despite having an abbreviated weekend, I didn't lose all sense of my priorities so made it to the end of summer sale at Macys. :lol: My oh my, bargains galore with my 20% off coupon! It's interesting that so many clothes seem seasonless now, in terms of both color and fabric, so there are "summer" things that I bought that I can wear all winter. Maybe it's because everyone works in AC now, so there really aren't "seasons" in offices?

DH and I leave for NM in a week and a half. Yikes, I better give that some thought!!

Grab your mug of coffee or tea and tell us about your weekend! What's going on this week? Are the kids (and our teachers) back to school yet?

Weighed in at 134 this a.m. :dance: Finally back in the black zone!

I'm kinda sad that summer's drawing to an end (can you tell I don't have kids :p) but I've got a vacation/staycation coming up in two weeks which I'm stoked about! :cp:

My dad's coming back from Estonia this Friday and I've been in a really anxious state. I've had to take his car keys (driving without insurance) so we're gonna have a big to do. I did some anxiety eating/drinking (bad, bad mistake :barf:- my body no longer tolerates alcohol at all) but I'm over it now and ready to rock some of my fall clothes on vacation!

Have a great week all!

Dagmar :cheer2:

Good morning, guys!

No gym for me today as we are taking my car in this morning and then going to see our financial planner. What a joy - especially now!

My daughter is turning 7 on Thursday so I am in the party prep frenzy. Then next week we're going to Hilton Head for a few days. I just need to remember to enjoy these things and not stress over them. Exercise when I can fit it in and try to eat normally. :carrot:

Have a great week, everyone!

I'm with Dagmar (Mudpie) - no kids in the house so I'm already missing the bountiful harvest of summer. My last two ears of corn from the farmer's market had the little worms on the tips that usually suggest the end of the growing season. Hope it isn't so; I could still eat dozens of ears. But I did have my first Honeycrisp Apple - a good reminder that apples arrive after the passing of the summer crops.

Not much exercise in the heat, but did get out in the woods to muck about, although doing so with long sleeved shirt and long pants for bug protection. It's so worth it to spend some time with no visible sign of human existence.

Good morning everyone.
Last week of August. Hard to imagine. It has gone way too quickly!

Looks like many of you have upcoming trips to plan for. Sounds like fun.

School starts here tomorrow. We have a staff development day today. Dh is picking up older dd from her camp she worked at all summer (14 hours of driving) and then she'll leave first thing Wed. to go back to college. So I will barely see her. :mad::(

Younger dd got in trouble last night for lying so it should be fun around here. One daughter grounded and the other one sounds like she is going to be deeply depressed about leaving her friends and first boyfriend at camp. The joys of parenting teenagers.

I probably won't get to the gym until Wednesday because I work both of my jobs today and tomorrow and if there are any spare minutes I need to help dd pack for college, cook a special meal, etc.

Off to work!

It has somehow magically turned into fall here, even though it's still August. What's up with that? Yesterday I had to wear a sweatshirt to take Carter to the dog park. It was only 62 degrees! The high today is 81 though so maybe we'll get a little more summer. I admit, I'm starting to get excited about fall. Winter I could definitely do without, but fall is nice!

Bill, our corn from the farmer's market had a worm in it this week too. Yuck! At least DH shucked it outside and found and tossed the worm, so I didn't have to see it. :lol: We've eaten so much corn and so many melons and tomatoes that it will be good to move on to apples, squash, and brussels sprouts.

Meg, you'll have to let us know how the new training plan goes! Does this mean that you used to work each muscle group one day a week, and now you'll be working them two days a week?

Dagmar, congrats on the 134! I hope things work out okay with your dad.

Ward, DH is my financial planner! :lol: Actually we don't really do any complicated investing. We both contribute the max allowed to our 401k's, which are invested in automatically adjusted funds with names like "Retirement 2045 Fund" and stuff like that, then our additional savings just goes to total stock market index funds. I have some stock in the company I work for via the employee stock purchase program, but I admit I don't really keep track of it. :o (Probably because I only have about $200 in there!)

We had a good weekend. Went Saturday night to see Rockapella in concert with the family -- they were the guys who sang the "Where in the world is Carmen Sandiego?" theme song. I bet they're sick of having to end every single show with that song! Kind of like being a one-hit wonder, but a one-theme-song wonder. (Not totally true, I remember their Folgers commercial very well.) A little too much dessert, but not too bad. Overall my plan of cutting down on my daytime snacking seems to be working.

So yesterday DH was out gardening and had the gate to the yard open, and two lost dogs wandered into our back yard! One was a little Westie and the other appeared to be a lab mix. They were very friendly. Luckily they had collars on so we called the phone number on their tags and left a message. Of course right after we did that they got out of the yard and wandered off. We followed them and tempted them out of a neighbor's yard with some treats, then decided to lock them in our back yard until the owner came to get them. The lab mix wouldn't come with me when I put my hand on her collar, but when DH picked up the Westie the lab mix followed along. I think the little Westie was the alpha dog!

In any case we got them safely in our back yard. Carter meanwhile was freaking out barking at them from inside the house. We brought him out on his leash for an introduction and he was actually quite calm, so we had all three dogs running around our yard for a while playing. The owner's son came to pick them up about an hour and a half later (I guess they must have not been home when we left the message). Turns out they lived about a mile down the road and apparently they get out and wander off pretty frequently. It was pretty adorable though -- these two dogs going off on an adventure, but as soon as the guy came to pick them up they ran straight to the back of his car and were ready to go home.

Since I'm like those people who always talk about their kids, but I always talk about my dog instead, I have another dog story. We finally bought a real dremel to take care of Carter's nails, since the PediPaws wasn't strong enough. We also bought a rotisserie chicken to tempt him with, and a muzzle in case the chicken didn't work. In the past we've had to knock him out or drug him to be able to do his nails. He's a smart dog -- he's not afraid of the dremel, until you try to touch his paw while you're holding it, at which point he runs off. :p We spent a while trying to introduce him to it with the chicken, then finally decided to do one paw.

Of course, once we were actually touching his nails with the dremel, he was ready to bite our hands off even if we had chicken. Sigh. But he let us put the muzzle on him (very easily actually, he went into the muzzle easier than into his Gentle Leader harness). Amazingly, once he had the muzzle on he relaxed! Maybe he realized he couldn't bite us so he had to give up? But DH only had to hold him down for a couple minutes, then he just laid back and stayed put on his own. He did decide he'd had enough and get up when I was only halfway done, but we got him calmed down again and I managed to one one of his back paws.

His nails are so overgrown that even after I cut back as far as I could without nicking the quick they are still ridiculously long. Our plan is to do one paw per day until they are nice and short. How long does it take the quick to recede? If we take three days to do his other three paws, will his first one be ready to be trimmed back further?

Paperclippy, it takes longer than 3 days--more like 3 weeks. Here's something to read:

http://www.petgroomer.com/grooming101/articles/nail_clipping-revised.htm

It says you should file them every few days in the meantime. But read the whole thing.

Jay

Hello, hello! How is it the end of August? Is this a good time to point out there are only 4 shopping months until Christmas? :lol: I was picking up some school supplies at Walgreens and they are putting up their Halloween displays. Too fast, too fast.

So, here we are at the end of August and that means I have been in Maintenance for 1 year. I started this last weight loss journey 9/2007 and reached the mid-150s last August. I've fought for the 140s to no avail. I gained 10 lbs in France, and I'm still working on getting that off. So I am really in the upper 150s right now. But I have kept 40+ lbs off for a year. Through holidays, birthdays, stress, joy, reunions, back to school, family crises, etc.

Cool.

Jay, thanks for the link! Using the dremel is more like filing than like clipping so I guess we'll be okay, I'll just only do it for a couple seconds on each nail (which would be like filing). If we can just manage to get him to let us touch his feet by doing this regularly it would be a huge improvement.

Midwife, congrats on your maintenance anniversary!!! :congrat: :cheer:

:coffee: Good...morning...WAIT, it's afternoon! :D Still, I am at my desk with an energy drink. Exercise woke me up this morning, but with all the work in front of me, I need a little extra bit of legal drugs to stay focused.

So, I was at an ice cream social for two hours yesterday and I behaved! Sure, I had three bowls of ice cream in that time span, but they were very small bowls with one half-scoop sized scoop each. I left 500 calories in my plan yesterday for this event, and I know I only used about half of them. I instinctively knew when to stop getting more ice cream, which made me incredibly happy because I have not been this in tune with my body in awhile.

I came to a conclusion recently that made so much sense in my mind:
Junk food is, or should be, a social thing, kind of like alcohol. I drink sometimes, but never by myself -- there's just no point in it for me. While I've been drunk many times, I've decided getting sh:censored:tfaced is not a good idea, and therefore, I stop drinking once I've reached the happy/tipsy point. Any more than that is mindless and not good for my body. Junk food is the same way. Why should I eat it by myself? It tastes good and brings pleasure in small amounts, but has no nutrition. Binge eating will give me an even worse "hangover" than alcohol (actually, I've only been hung over three times in my life -- I usually escape it :devil:) It is unavoidable in some social situations, and enjoying a small bit in positive company is really quite harmless, but that doesn't mean I'm going to spend money buying it when I could be buying produce and lean meats, instead. Junk food should be reserved for the parties.

Meg - your once former workout sounds pretty similar to mine :lol: With all your determination and perseverance, I'm sure you will get your legs stronger in no time. :D I had to smile at the statement about how there are no "seasons" in offices, especially because my boss cranks up the A/C so much that I have worn sweatshirts, jackets, and sometimes even LAYERS to stop shivering.

Dagmar - WAHOO, ba-a-ack in bla-ack! Sorry, couldn't resist. The energy drink is kicking in now and I'm getting a bit hyper ;) We've all been there, done that with anxiety eating... and I've definitely been there, done that with the drinking, too... it's okay... you're back in black to get back on track :p :hug: Have fun on your "staycation"!

Michele - isn't it amazing how teenagers are able to blow every situation out of proportion? They're ruled by emotions instead of logic and can be quite dramatic. I know I was so irrational at that age and gave my parents h-e-double-toothpicks to the point of where I am so thankful they didn't kick me out and disown me! :eek: I always said, "I'm an EMOTIONAL PERSON! It's just WHO I AM!" Now, I can't help but laugh, as I've been told I'm the most easy going person you'll ever meet.
More recently, I volunteered at a community service camp for teens where I stayed in a cabin with them for a week. I started to remember high school again and laughed at how at that age, you truly think trivial matters are life and death situations. :)

Jessica - Fall IS nice. The leaves fall all year down here in Florida, so we don't have much of a fall per se, but there are a couple weeks out of the year with weather similar. I have a huge "fall fashion" wardrobe from, uh, five years ago or so, as I LOVED fall back up in VA and enjoyed the styles. I still WEAR clothes from five years ago sometimes... heck, I'm so stoked that I CAN!
Rockapella. Wow. You learn something new every day. I had no idea who sang that theme song.

Midwife - CONGRATS on one year of maintenance! :carrot: That is certainly something to be proud of!
I'm with you on the re-gaining a little weight... I kept off 50 pounds for a year and... 3 months? ish? Then, I intentionally bulked up a bit for the bodybuilding contest, cut down, and after the contest, I went CRAZY and ate EVERYTHING. I did this for about a month and gained 17 pounds, 5 which came off as soon as I stopped treating my body like a trash compactor/downtown dive/dumpster/garbage disposal. I'll get rid of these next 10-15 with no problem -- by the time December rolls around (two years for me), they'll be allllll off. And you'll get rid of yours, too. :D I have faith in you!

Good morning all!

I am still showing under 150!!! Only another 10-15 to go!!

My neck is on the mend. Sleeping on rock-hard beds with pillows the thickness of a blanket caused me a horrible neck ache on the 2nd day of my trip. Yesterday hot packs and Aleve seem to have helped, but no hot packs while at work today. I hope the Aleve keeps on working.

I'm back at exercise again, too. I woke up 15 minutes before the alarm and decided to hit the treadmill. It really felt great, but I figure with all the walking I did in Italy I'm in pretty good shape!

My DS (youngest child) is at high school orientation today. DD (oldest child) is starting her 2nd year of college today. I can't really be that old, can I?

As for dremeling the dog's nails--I use the dremel on Chico every week. I cut Buddy's nails and usually only do his every 2-3 weeks. I can't cut Chico's nails--they're black and I often cut into the quick. The dremel is so much safer! Buddy, because he's old and fidgety, can't stand the dremel and the clippers work faster for him.

Oh, Bill, apples? Have you tried a Jazz apple? I found them this year and they are superb! Not too sweet, not sour, very juicy! Yum.

OK, question for you guys. A friend of mine recently decided that he wants to lose some weight. What he is doing so far is taking a photo of everything he eats and blogging about it, in addition to blogging his daily weigh-ins.

He hasn't clearly said whether he's actively trying to lose weight or whether he's just trying to get an idea of how much he's eating, but I can clearly see from the food he's been eating that he is not going to lose a pound unless he changes his eating habits. He posts things like "I had a moderate portion of X, then a second moderate portion" but it will be something extremely high-calorie.

The question is this: do I tell him, "You know, blogging won't make you lose weight if you keep eating like that," do I ask him whether he's actively trying to lose or just trying to get an idea of his calorie intake, or do I just take a hands-off approach and not say anything?

Edit: I get the impression from his blog posts that he's not actually aware of how unhealthy the food he's been eating is.

:lol: Jessica, would it be an invasion to his privacy if you showed me a link to his blog? I would hope not, since he IS publicly stating his food intake!

If I were you, I'd ask him if what his goals were. I know if I was doing something wrong in weight loss, I would want to know. Your opinion is better than most in that category, since you HAVE lost weight and kept it off.

Let him know that MOST people don't have a CLUE about the nutritional value or caloric content in their food; re-assure him that you're trying to help him and if he feels stupid because of it, tell him he is not.

Any time a friend has stated a desire for weight loss, I will always give him or her some feedback if I believe he or she really wants to put forth the effort. I've always been thanked for it -- as long as you deliver the words in a tactful, friendly manner, you will most likely be fine. Plus... it's not like you're someone commenting who knows nothing about weight loss or the challenges it poses; you've been there, done that, and would like to help him! :D

Shane, I PMed you the URL of his blog. I think I might just post and ask him what the goal of his blogging project is. If he says "I just wanted to see what I'm actually eating," then no advice is necessary. I know for a lot of people the best first step in weight loss is to figure out how much you actually really eat.

I have got to stop snacking today... Only a few more minutes and myself and my PMS can go home...

I'll be back to post more later... :)

Happy Monday, everyone! I woke up feeling pretty bloated from my dinner out at a Mexican place last night. I got a grilled chipotle chicken breast with veggies but there were still the chips and salsa... and the margarita.... hmmm, I'm beginning to see where I went wrong! =)

Shane, I like the idea of junk food being for social events. Other reasons aside, I'm much less likely to take seconds or large helpings when I'm with other people (I always feel like people are watching what I eat, which I'm sure isn't the case, but it actually helps in this scenario!)

Jessica, if your friend is really trying to lose weight I think it would be helpful to tell him about his food choices, or maybe suggest that he try something in place of whatever the unhealthy things he's eating now. I know I'd appreciate it, but I guess you also have to know if he's normally receptive to info/advice.

I need to get back into an exercise routine. I know I'm only going to feel progressively MORE lazy and exhausted every day until I do. I'm just trying to make a good decision on workout LOCATION - leaning toward the gym at the hospital because it's cheap and doesn't require any extra driving, but I'm still torn because I'd really like to be able to take some group fitness classes which this gym doesn't offer.

Just curious. There are a couple of men in this forum and I'm sure the partners of some of our women members have also dieted.

How do you/your guys do it? I'm being asked for some form of plan by my DH but the method I use (writing down everything with calorie counts and working out a total under a daily limit) is not one he wants to try.

He did have some success with something called "Fit for Life" years ago. I know that involves food "combining rules". Any of you guys tried that?

thanks,
Dagmar

Dagmar - DH and I started dieting and exercise together in March of 2008. He lost 20 pounds pretty quickly, then slowed off. I kept going, reached my goal and have maintained. He did maintain his 20 pound loss, but is back on plan now of trying to lose more weight, wants to get to his original goal. My 'write everything down like a crazy person' plan doesn't appeal to him either. :) He is keeping track of his calories in his head and has set himself a calorie budget for every day. He sets a limit for cals during the work day, I work on keeping dinner to a certain limit, he has a little left for snack in the evening if he is up later than me. He is also trying to get back in the exercise more again. He is basically just trying to avoid the bad stuff.

Shane - you asked earlier this weekend if DH exercised too, and I guess the answer to Dagmar answered that. He is trying to get back into it - life got in the way for a while, working late, people sick, etc, so he got out of the habit. He has had great success with it in the past so I'm hoping he does get back into it and enjoys it. I think he would feel better if he did. But, that could be my bias showing, as I've discovered that I really enjoy it! :)

Iris - margarita and chips could have been the culprit! ;)

Jessica - I have run into this recently with my friend at work who talked to me about diet and weight loss until recently but then stopped.... I say ask your friend his goals and if he would like any suggestions, if he says no then back out. He may really not know how unhealthy the food he is eating is, my coworker didn't. Could you post comments on his blog about some of the food items anonymously?

Allison - high five on still under 150! Woo hoo!

Midwife - I also am about to be at one year of maintenance... This Saturday, actually, is my one year anniversary of meeting goal. And, interestingly, DH's 20 year class reunion, for which I have a super hot red dress to wear. :)

Michele - I remember being a teenager... Everything seemed so final at the end of the summer... Sounds like you have your hands full this week!

Meg - I've noticed the demarcation line getting finer between the clothes for each season as well... I left out a lot of my winter tops this summer and wore them to the office - thin sweaters with 3/4 length sleeves in neutral colors, just like I see in the stores for summer and fall now!

Done with my workout, done with cutting the grass, done with my yogurt and cereal, time to lie down and watch some tv... DH is at a friend's house tonight - buddy & wife just had a baby and I think he was jonesing for a little man time...

Good night all!

:lol: Dagmar and Shannon, I've found most men HATE calorie counting! I designed a diet and exercise plan for my mom. She has done quite well and lost 30 pounds. I am very proud of her, especially since she has multiple sclerosis which makes it impossible for her to do intense exercise. I offered to design one for my dad, but he wasn't extremely interested. He keeps saying he will join a gym. His eating habits are not horrendous (they were worse, but my mom has influenced him:D), though he has a lot of misconceptions. I've helped him correct some, but there are still plenty more. My mom is willing to count calories, but my dad says it's arduous. One of my male clients is willing to count portions (one small portion of _X_, one medium portion, one large portion, and I showed him how big these portions should be corresponding to their sizes), but CALORIES just blow his mind. One of my male co-workers lost a bunch of weight and when I asked him what he did (just curious), he said he just stopped drinking Coke :rolleyes: and started walking 30 minutes on most days.

Iris - :lol: I used to think everyone was watching my food choices (as well as just watching me EAT), but then I realized nobody cares. I have no objection to splurging around people, as most people are usually doing it, too. But just because people are doing it doesn't make it completely acceptable, y'know?
And... mmmm... chips, salsa, and margarita... sounds lovely :hungry:

Argghhh, I have to report to the court for jury duty by 8 am tomorrow. I have been calling all month and hoped that they'd miss me, but alas no. I'll probably skip my exercising in the morning so I can go into work early and get something done. I could be out of the courthouse in an hour, or stuck there most of the day. DH was on call this month too, but in a different group than me. He served on a 3 day jury (for which he got paid $50, woo - hoo!). I don't have time to do that.....

Shannon You will rock that red dress! Please post a photo after the event (if you take one) to give the rest of us lazy-*ss types who still haven't reached goal a much needed kick - oops - incentive to finally get there!

Shane I like your attitude! Just get in there and do it. I'm gonna do that this fall with these last #$%@ five lbs. I've been carrying around for over a year now.

Pat That sucks about the jury duty. They should compensate people with the same rate of pay they receive at work. Less than $20 per day does not even buy groceries these days.

Iris Maybe you can use the gym at the hospital and take some classes somewhere else? In Canada there are all sorts of special interest fitness things happening in schools, in parks, and with individual trainers. You don't have to have a gym membership to join a class. For example I'm taking women only judo at the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre, once I become a member there. The price is right - works out to about $10 per class if I go 3x a month.

Everyone else have a great Tuesday! I'm off to throw the weights around.

Dagmar :cheer2:

Sounds like everyone had a good weekend and a busy week ahead. I had a VERY busy week last week, getting 2 kids off to college. Sunday was my catch up day and I actually even got to relax by a pool for a few hours. Back to the grind this week. Already have been to the gym and did a good full body workout. Last night did 45 min on the Arc and an hour of pilates...so I am back on track...yippee!!!

Yes, we want PIX, Shannon!

Thanks for the advice guys. I asked him if he was trying to get a baseline of what he needs to change or if he was actively trying to lose, and he said both. So I just said he should let me know if he wants any advice about weight loss. I figure if he ever posts something along the lines of "I don't understand why I'm not losing" then I'll give him my 2 cents about it, otherwise I'll back off unless he asks for help.

Iris, check out your local city parks & recreation department for group fitness classes. They are usually pretty cheap, and you don't need a membership.

Dagmar, I might recommend something like Volumetrics or the Weight Watchers Core plan. Both of these have something along the lines of lists of "approved" foods, which you can eat as much as you want of, then foods you need to limit, and foods you should avoid. For people who are not willing to count calories, this is sometimes an acceptable alternative.

My DH sometimes decides he needs to lose weight (never more than 15 lbs, he has never been obese). His technique is to exercise more, hide the jar of PB and any other junk that is in the house, and we buy one less loaf of bread per week (normally we buy two loaves, I have two slices, and he has the rest -- every week!). He can drop 10lbs pretty easily just with that, and usually that's enough to get him back to his comfortable weight.

Morning! :coffee: <---I actually AM sitting here with coffee in hand today: Mello Joy Southern Pecan with SoySlender Cappuccino soy milk in it. It's AWESOME. It's a double whammy, too, since I am getting caffeine and protein.

I've been experiencing some RAVENOUS, PRIMAL hunger lately. It's like my body WANTS to eat at maintenance. DESPERATELY. It's horrible. I never got such intense hunger pangs back when I was losing weight from being fat. I initially wanted to get back to 125 pounds (like I was pre-bodybuilding madness), but I do not know if that is a rational goal for me at this point. See, I was 17.5% body fat for a long time (which I was VERY proud of!) at 125, then 16% after I got hardcore into lifting. NOW, I'm around 16% and 140 pounds, so my body composition is VERY different. What is bugging me is that my clothes don't fit me the way they used to... as in half of 'em don't fit comfortably anymore. I'm starting to think I should maybe just work on trimming, say, 5 pounds of fat so I can get that perfect washboard again... and if my clothes still don't fit (most are 3's and 5's, I'm about a 6-8 at the moment), then, what can I say -- maybe I am just not meant to be tiny! Maybe I have hungry muscles :lol:

Jessica - good plan! :D You're there if he needs you, but you're not going to be invasive about it. :)
Y'know, I've noticed hiding the jar of PB is a really common tactic among those trying to lose weight. It IS a mighty addicting food!

YES Shannon, red dress pictures! Show and tell! :D

Pat - EUGH! Jury duty! :barf: $50 for THREE DAYS?!?! What the :censored: -- I somehow was under the impression that you get paid $50 per day. I've never done it before, but I am sure it is not nearly as exciting as it would appear to be on a show like Law & Order.

Joci - :carrot: WAHOO, full body workout and pilates :D Good job getting back on track!

Hi everyone, I've came crawling back after a very busy summer. Our women's golf league ended last weekend. I took second place overall and got quite a good bonus check for my hard efforts.

Weight wise I'm doing just OK (not great, but OK). I did manage to lose 10 lbs. over the summer from being out in the very hot sun playing golf. Many of my capris that had gotten too tight are now fitting perfectly.

I've been to my chiropractor often lately for my right shoulder pain. I love the electrical stimulation thing he puts on it to loosen up my knotted up muscles.

I've had my 2 year old grandson here now for going on 3 weeks. Not sure if or when he is going home. Oldest SD says "I just can't afford him right now". I would prefer she just left him here with me and the girls and DH. We are really attached to him. He's an easy baby to care for and we love him to pieces.

The girls are settling into their senior year of high school. Lacy is doing better now and seems much happier. She is still eating a little less than I'd like, but has improved.

My son, Shane, let me know last weekend that he is voluntarily re-deploying to Iraq on Jan. 2nd. With his recent re-enlistment, it may be a smart thing. I'd rather he return to Iraq voluntarily right now than be sent to Afghanistan. He will be gone for 13 months again. Right now he is away in training to boost him from an E5 to an E6 (from Sgt. to Staff Sgt). He's looking forward to the large boost in pay.

I have finally gotten over the bad respiratory infection that I had. I'm now being weaned down off 70 mg. a day of prednisone. I will be really happy when I'm back to 10 mg. a day cause I feel like I've had insatiable hunger. The only thing that has kept me from constant "pigging out" is severe reflux with this much prednisone.

Meg, let us know how the new workout routine goes. I'm hoping to also be able to hit the gym more often now.

Michele, I hear you on the teenagers. Oh, what fun.

Lacy and I went to a movie and saw "The Orphan" the other night. It was OK, but very predictable. The previews looked better.

Shane, I like the idea too of junk food only on social occasions.

Good morning! Well, actually afternoon now, I guess! I just got back from a failed mission to assemble shelving in our offsite storage unit. We discovered after we put the first set together that the center shelf has to be fixed at 36" to connect the two halves of the legs together. That was nowhere on the description of the product... Would result in us losing capacity for 3-6 boxes per shelf, putting us 21-28 short on what we planned for. And, we were already 20 short from what we needed to begin with,we were just going to make do. We disassembled the one unit and are going to start back over from scratch... Now have to figure out how to get 770 pounds worth of shelving back to Lowe's...:eek:

I need shoes to go with the fabulous red dress, and I think sparkly earrings. I'm hoping to find some kind of strappy sandal at DSW or Off Broadway Shoe Warehouse, maybe in red, silver or platinum. I'd even do black if there were no other option. I have a journey pendant I can wear, and am thinking dangly rhinestone earrings. If I end up going with black shoes I might switch to black jewelry - I have a nice chandelier necklace with matching earrings if I go that route. I don't dress up a lot, I'm kind of nervous! There will definitely be pix!

Shane - that coffee sounds fabulous... I had German Chocolate Cake with 1 tbsp of Italian Sweet Cream creamer. I normally do fat free vanilla, but this is about to expire and I didn't want to waste it. I used to do soy in my coffee, might experiment with going back to that. I thought it upset my tummy, but might not anymore. And, you may find that after all the bodybuilding and such your body is happier at a little higher weight. You did cut off a lot of body fat!

Pat - I think jury duty in GA is $15 per day. Everwhere I've worked in the past paid you for an entire day of work for jury duty less your official jury duty pay. We don't do it here yet, but are considering it.

Jessica - Good plan with your friend. You are there as a resource if he needs it.

Joci - good workout last night!

Lily - hey there! I was just wondering how you were doing this week. Congrats on the golf tournament! Sorry to hear about Shane going back to Iraq, but I imagine volunteering to go oe place is better than just being sent wherever willy nilly. And, excuse me, she said "I can't afford him right now"? You guys just keep that baby with you.

Have a good day everyone!

Yet another reason to get the weight off and keep it off:

Obese People Have "Severe Brain Degeneration" (http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20090825/sc_livescience/obesepeoplehaveseverebraindegeneration)

:fr: Allison, that's scary! I guess it just goes to show that obesity causes health problems for every major body part.

Shannon - I forget what the daily pay for jury duty is, but the City pays us our regular paycheck and we turn over what the court gives us. DH got to keep his as he's retired and doesn't have to work to get paid! :lol: If you call SS getting paid..... I had to go there at 8 am (hence no workout) and we were there til 10. We filled out a general questionnaire, heard the lecture, and got sworn in. Then we had to fill out a much more focused questionnaire, from which I can tell what the case is about, and were sent away until 1 pm. The lawyers have to read all those second questionnaires and decide if they want to exclude anyone I guess. I'm still hopeful of getting excused because I have a plane ticket for 9/2, and the way the clerk was talking, this case may go into Sept. :crossed:

Lily - good to see you. Congrats on the golfing.

Guess since they gave me 3 hours to be back at work, I ought to do some.... :wave: Have a good day everyone.

Alison, that summary of the research doesn't mention whether the people varied in any other way besides BMI. For example, were any of the overweight or obese people also heavy drinkers? How many of any group were smokers? How many were taking other drugs, perhaps for obesity related disease?

It would really help to know what controls the researchers used and what other lifestyle criteria were involved, if any.

Jay

Shannon-- I must have missed the post about your red dress. What is the event? Would love to see it!

My best friend since high school called me this morning to tell me that she is unexpectantly pregnant. OMG! She is 41 almost 42 and is shocked. My girls are almost all grown up and she will be starting over... I pray that everything works out for her. She has a severely autistic son (12) and a daughter (almost 10). As long as they have a child without disabilities they can handle it. It would probably be a blessing actually as the daughter wouldn't have to shoulder all of the responsibilities later in life. My mom and dad were 40 and 41 when they had me but I just can't imagine. I had my girls at 23 and 27.

I was so proud of myself yesterday. Really proud. We had a staff development day at school and the PTA provided lunch. I got in the lunch line to see what it was, debated back and forth over what to do, got out of line and retrieved my healthy lunch I had brought "just in case". I'm sure people noticed but no one said a word and I didn't have to feel guilty. The lunch provided was Baja Fresh burritos and salad. I knew I wasn't going to be able to work out much this week so the last thing I wanted was to be off track with my eating.

My dd got home last night and leaves tomorrow morning. I'm hardly able to see her because I'm working both of my jobs today. Sigh.... I'm going up for parent's weekend in October so we are both looking forward to that. I quizzed her about her boyfriend and they are still together; she says they just won't see each other as much. I kind of hope the relationship fizzles out but it is her first boyfriend and she would be devastated I'm sure. He is from Senegal and has to go back to renew his Visa, so maybe he will be detained indefinitely..... She looks great though. She worked so hard this summer (physically) that she looks like she has taken a fair amount of weight off. I hope she can continue to at least maintain, if not lose some more.

Glad to see you posting Lily. I will be thinking of you and your girls.

Jessica, that was an awesome idea about checking local parks & rec for fitness classes, I forgot that we have that! Unfortunately all the classes I'm interested in are pretty far away from where I live... so I'm not sure that I'll end up taking one.

I really hope I never have to do jury duty. So far so good...

Michele, do you not like your DD's boyfriend or just prefer she not be seeing someone? I forget how old you said she is, but long distance relationships are HARD, so I bet good chance it doesn't last long. Especially if she's going back to school looking as great as you say! =)

I'm peeved at the moment because I bought an I-pod that has internet on it and my internet froze last night and is still not working... I guess I have to take it to the mac store and see if they can re-set it or something. Dang thing... I didn't need it anyway. :mad:

I've been constantly hungry lately, which is upsetting me, especially since I'm not really working out!

Iris-- well... she is just 18.... he is 25, a different race and a different religion so not who we would necessarily choose. He seems to be treating her well though so we are trying to be open-minded. Though she has lost some weight, she is still very overweight, and she has little to no male attention before.

Hah, got excused from jury duty. It turned out to be a 2 week trial, and I've planned this trip - and had the ticket - for awhile now. I still have to call the rest of the week,but I should be okay unless they have a short 1-2 day trial.

Pat, glad you didn't get jury duty!

Michele, I hope your friend's pregnancy goes well! As for your daughter, it's true that long-distance relationships seldom work out, especially for 18-year-olds. OTOH it is good to have an open mind because you never know what will happen. I married my first "real" boyfriend (and we met when I was 18 and he was 21)!

Iris - did you try googling for a way to reset it? I know on my iPod if you hold down the play button and the menu button together for 20 seconds it does a force reboot and clears everything.

I got an early birthday present from my parents last night -- a new digital camera! I'm really excited. (My birthday's in a couple weeks, in case you were wondering.) My old one was a Minolta, and Minolta got out of the digital camera business, so I can't get replacement batteries for it (it used a nonstandard battery type). The current battery doesn't hold charge for more than 10 minutes anymore, so it is pretty useless. But the new camera is a Sony CyberShot and I love it!

Just a week and a half of work left until my staycation. I am totally pumped. I haven't had a vacation (beyond a 3-day weekend) that didn't involve visiting family in almost two years (not since my honyemoon! :lol: ). DH ended up deciding to take the whole week off too so we will both be home. We'll spend 2-3 days down in the country, then bum around the house. My plan is to take the dog for extremely long walks. ;)

OK one more thing (my, I'm chatty today!). Tomorrow night I have to go out to a work dinner. I was looking online at the menu of the place we're going and trying to figure out the safest thing to order but I could use some help. Here is the menu: http://www.scholarsinn.com/IndyLounge/dinner.html (scroll down past the "Devour Downtown" part, that was a special they had last week)

Any advice?

Jessica - wow, that menu looks great! How large are the starters? I might do the mahi mahi noodle bowl as an entree... The chicken breast looks good too, looks like it is served with the vegetable medley? (CHICKEN BREAST 17
Warm Seasonal Vegetable Salad of Sunburst Squash, Heirloom Zucchini, Cherry Tomatoes, Sweet Peas, Grilled Onions & Roasted Red Potatoes with Grilled Fruit Salsa ). I also thought the duck breast looked good, but not as safe as the chicken - I love jasmine rice... Cool birthday gift!

Pat - glad you got out of two weeks of jury duty! :)

Michele - the red dress is for DH's 20 year reunion this Saturday night. He actually bought it for me for Christmas (he has great taste in clothes) and this is the first opportunity I've had to wear it. And with DD, if he is going back to Senegal with some visa issues it is likely to take some time to sort out.

Iris - I was going to say the same thing Jessica did about resetting your iPod - play and menu together do a hard reset on mine as well. I have to do it fairly often. Well, I did before the battery died at least. :)

I have a serious headache today, it has been hanging on since about 6 last night. I'm giving serious consideration to going home early. If it doesn't clear up I might skip the exercise today...

Good day everyone...

Just popping in to say hi! We had 2 long field days on the boat, field work this morning, another probably long day on the boat tomorrow. I like it better than sitting at my desk, though, so that's ok. We got our first cold front of the "fall" and there has been a "chill" (well, for Florida!) in the air for the last 2 days. I like it!

Hope everyone is doing well, hopefully I can catch up more later this week. :)

Thanks for the Ipod suggestions, seems to be working again! =)

Michele, that does sound like an interesting situation with your daughter - especially with that combination of ages. And religion can be a very sticky issue (speaking from experience, as this is becoming a pretty major issue with my boyfriend and I). It does sound like it may not be the best in the long term...

Jessica, I agree with Shannon -that menu looks delish! I might go for the rocket salad because i LOVE arugula. I also agree with Shannon's choices... but man does that filet mignon w/ the 5 cheese macaroni sound divine!

I'm avoiding the scale and I need to figure out what to do about a gym/working out... GAH! It's making me a little nutty. :p I don't like this lazy feeling!

My dad, after being away in Estonia since June, is back tomorrow. He's contacted me exactly twice while he was away and both times it was to ask me to send him something.

I have felt my anxiety ratcheting up and up for about the past 3 days. I found myself pacing the house last night mentally arguing with myself about eating.

I did cave but only had two frozen fruit bars (90 cals each) and a handful of whole wheat pretzels (225 cals).

I woke up at about 4 a.m. in a full-blown panic attack and couldn't get back to sleep.

Amazing how this 86-year-old little old man still affects me. I could break him in half with one hand but he still creates such huge anxiety in me.

I realized yesterday that he and my mom have been the greatest sources of anxiety in my whole life. They wrote a "life script" for me as a child and, every time I tried to get away from it/them they bribed/bullied me back.

I'm tired of eating to cope with the anxiety, and it doesn't work. Losing and gaining back the same 3 lbs. every week due to a night of binge eating is not healthy for me.

I have decided to try hypnosis and am thinking about a revisit to therapy to try to deal with this once and for all.

Thanks for listening group. Have a great Thursday all!

Dagmar :eek:

Dagmar, relationships with parents can be so tough, regardless of their age and ours. Kudos to you for being able to recognize how the stress is affecting your eating! At least you're aware and not mindlessly binging. Your plans make sense and I hope you get some relief. In the meantime, remind yourself every time that you want to eat in response to anxiety that it allows your dad to control you. Tell yourself that you're an adult and in control of your own life! Easier said than done, I know, so just hang on and do the best you can. :hug::hug:

Dagmar :hug: :hug:
Re: anxiety attacks & the like. I found the book "the full catastrophe living" very helpfull. The book details ways to handle stress through yoga & meditation.

good luck,
rabbit

I've been experiencing some RAVENOUS, PRIMAL hunger lately.
Joci - :carrot: WAHOO, full body workout and pilates :D Good job getting back on track!
This could be your body telling you something...just keep at it and you will get to where you want to be....oh yeah and thanks

My best friend since high school called me this morning to tell me that she is unexpectantly pregnant. OMG! She is 41 almost 42 and is shocked.
I have a friend that that happened to as well. Her older kids were a bit older so it was a REAL shock to her...and the rest of us too. I hate to say it but I told her so. She or really her husband should have gotten fixed years ago (they still haven't). Anyway...there have been times that I think that they, especially her have regretted it. The kid is adorable although he has been raised around all adults ....doesn't have many friends as his parents have no friends with young kids. He is starting kindergarden this year so maybe that will help. Her oldest just left for college and I know she is feeling it more now since she has said, if I hadn't had him, it would be just us and our daughter. It's sad...hind sight is 20/20.
Thanks for the Ipod suggestions, seems to be working again! =)
Modern Technology...It's great when it works!!! :)

Yesterday I tried something new...SPINNING!!! The girl next to me, a friend that I went with, said we have only been at it for 15 minutes!!! Thought for sure I would die before the hour was up!!! But I made it and think I will try to do it once a week. It is at a different gym then the one I belong to so I would officially have 3 different places I workout at. Pilates studio, PF and the new one....who is this person I have become?;);););););)

Hope everyone is doing GREAT!!! Have a glorious day!!!:carrot:

Thanks for the advice on the menu guys! I wish I knew how big their portions are. Like, is a salad a big fat bowl full of salad, or is it three leaves of lettuce decoratively arranged on a tiny plate? :p

Dagmar - :hug: It sounds like going to therapy might be the best thing for you. It's true that our parents continue to hold some power over us our entire lives. I forgot to call my parents the night I received the camera they sent me, and that night I had a long nightmare about them yelling at me. :p

Shannon - is the headache better today?

Jacque - I keep hearing that spinning is really hard! I haven't tried it yet. Maybe this winter.

My weight was going down all week but magically jumped a pound overnight. Sigh. Probably from the teriyaki sauce on my tofu and veggie lunch yesterday. I'm crossing my fingers that between the dinner out for work tonight and my work lunch meeting tomorrow I won't undo all the work I did this week.

Good morning all,

I woke up to a rumble of thunder early this morning. We've got a wave of unpredicted storms and rain coming at us, probably all day, so I had to postpone my field work until tomorrow (hopefully). "Fall" seems to have started earlier than normal here. It's not really fall weather as I think of it, since I grew up in the northeast, but it's the "Florida fall" where there is just enough cool in the air that one might actually want to move around and be outside instead of just melting like a blob under the oppressive humidity and heat of summer. Can you tell I still don't like Florida summers?

Dagmar, it sounds like therapy might be a good idea. You've spoken before about the stress your relationship with your dad puts you through. Though not as extreme as you, I still deal the stress of certain expectations my parents put on me. It's really hard but we are the ones who know what makes us happy, or at least, what doesn't make us happy. Maybe a therapist can help you work through some of this so it won't be as stressful to you.

Joci, you are an athlete! A gym nut! A health nut! Be proud! :D

Shannon, oh yes, I want to see those pictures too. You will be (are) one hot mama in that dress!

Jessica, that menu looks sensational! The sweet crab salad, rainbow trout, and chicken breast look the safest but still delicious. Sounds like the type of place that might serve more reasonable portions, too. Sounds like you've come up w/ a good, not too intrusive plan for your friend. He knows you're there if he wants to ask advice, but it gets a bit sticky when offering unsolicited opinions.

Pat, that's great! I've requested refusal for jury duty a few times b/c of previous plans that weren't flexible.

Michele, great job resisting that lunch! Based on the track record I've seen of "first relationships" at such a young age it may well fizzle out as you hope.

Meg, sounds like you're ready for a change up of your gym routine. I have no doubt you'll strengthen your legs up in no time. Oh yeah, time for split squats baby...

Ward, happy bday to your DD!

Shane, it sounds like you put on a lot of muscle for your contest and that muscle is hungry! You said you're unhappy with the way clothes are fitting - is that from muscle growth? In the past 1-2 years I've also transitioned to a place where I enjoy a little bit to drink, but don't get drunk anymore either. I think this is how "adults" are supposed to drink. Am I an adult?

I'm off to get some work done at my desk. Have a great day all!

:oAack! I was trying to reply and my boss walked in. :o

Megan-- I am from Houston (though now in CA) and we have similar weather to Florida there. I really don't mind the heat and humidity but I can live without the threat of hurricanes, tornadoes and flash floods all the time!

Jacque-- I tried spinning for the first time a few weeks ago. I have been going once a week. The first time I thought I was going to die after 5 minutes and thought I'd never complete the hour (but I did). It is such an amazing workout!:carrot:

Dagmar-- so sorry you are stressed/anxious about your dad. It does sound like you have thought things through and have a good game plan. I had a very rocky relationship with both of my parents (now deceased) so I totally understand where you are coming from.

I had an unfortunate "incident" with brownies last night. I know they are a red flag food for me. I never make or eat them as a result. When I used to make them, I would polish off the pan. Well.... dd was coming home for one night before leaving for college. I found a "healthier" recipe for Rocky Road brownies and we made them. It is a WW recipe and each brownie was 3 points (roughly 150 calories). The first night we all had 2 brownies each. Then dd and dh left which left only me and younger dd and most of a pan of brownies. Two nights ago I again had two. Last night I had two, but then something came over me. The old me wanted to finish off the rest of the pan-- they are starting to go stale, I need to get them out of the house, excuse, excuse, excuse....:devil: I hate that inner devil talking to me! I finally ate one more and threw out the rest of the pan. So, good and bad I guess. The scale "rewarded" me this morning by going up 1.5 pounds.:o

http://www.zappos.com/images/740/7403372/8521-983817-d.jpg

Just bought these shoes (they are silver you just can't tell), a silver and rhinestone bag, sparkly earrings & bracelet to go with my dress for Saturday. I have a diamond necklace I can wear that DH got me for Christmas the year before last. Got my hair color touched up and got my fingers and toes done. I think I'm ready. :)

More later, once I get home and settled...

Love the shoes, can't wait to see a picture of the whole package.

Shannon , I love your shoes, your outfit sounds sensational and you will look gorgeous , I am sure. I love to dress up but not much occasion , living in California ,jeans or shorts seem to be OK everyplace.

Love the shoes Shannon-- especially the sides!
You sound ready to go. Can't wait to see pics!

Megan, I definitely miss northeast fall when I am in Arizona. We never get that "crisp" feeling in the air.

Shannon, those are awesome shoes! I love getting dressed up, I always feel so pretty and I REALLY love heels because they make mediocre calves look fabulous. =)

Michele, at least you didn't eat the whole pan of brownies - that's a definite plus!

I'm getting that "pre-sick" feeling I get just before I come down with something, but I'm hoping to fend it off. I don't have time to get sick!

Hi maintainers,

shannon-PIX!!! the shoes look sensational. I guess I missed what the special occassion is?

Looks like the end of the summer is nearing. The kids will have 1 more week of summer vacation and then we're back to the rat race. I.m going to enjoy it while it lasts, but I definitely have to get the extra pounds off.

Have a great day all,
Rabbit

Jacque - I keep hearing that spinning is really hard! I haven't tried it yet. Maybe this winter.
In my book...IT WAS EXTREMELY HARD!!! But I'm glad I did it...and I want to go and do it again. I think it's a bit like childbirth...while we are going through it we say we will NEVER do it again...but then somehow we forget the pain, and go back again...sometimes even more!!! :)




Joci, you are an athlete! A gym nut! A health nut! Be proud! :D
I never thought I would hear/read my name in the same sentence with those words....THANKS!!!:carrot:


Jacque-- I tried spinning for the first time a few weeks ago. I have been going once a week. The first time I thought I was going to die after 5 minutes and thought I'd never complete the hour (but I did). It is such an amazing workout!:carrot:
TOTALLY AGREE!!!!

I woke up to thunderstorms again this morning, but it's clearing now, so I'm headed out on the boat soon to take a researcher out to take some field samples. I'm not sure what's I'll be doing this weekend, other than the usual chores and working out. BF is out of town for a boat delivery, might be back Monday, so I'm flying solo for a few days. Sunday afternoon I have a friend's 40th birthday party. Monday evening I'm headed out of town for work (BF & I aren't sure if our paths will cross in there), will be home Wednesday PM or Thursday. I guess I'll pack for that, too. Sounds thrilling I know! Hopefully I'll get together with friends in there. What's everyone else up to?

Yesterday I had to run to the grocery store for bananas and yogurt (no, not Stoneyfield Farms, they still don't have it). I wandered by the ice cream aisle - the devil made me do it - and Blue Bell half gallons were on sale. At least I walked away. My food intake still isn't the best (not terrible but not great) but I'm trying to celebrate any victory, no matter how small.

Of course I already know that this weekend Shannon will be looking HOT in her red dress and silver high heels! :flame:

Michele, I think your brownie "incident" sounds like you controlled it well and got rid of the problem before it controlled you! Good job!

I hope everyone has a good Friday. :)

Hey Ladies.

I really need to find a maintenance group to join here. Do you mind if I jump in?

Well, I have just completed the first full week of having both my kids at school. Can I say that I love it? I have busy this week but am doing well with nutrition and exercise. This morning I weighed in at 133. As you all can see my goal is the 120's. While it doesn't seem much to most people, 3-4 pounds would make a huge difference in my appearance. I was thinking this morning that if I didn't have my extra skin (stomach and inner thighs) I would probably be at goal.

Losing weight and seeing the numbers go down so frequently was so exciting to me. What are some ways you guys stay excited now that the numbers don't drop or are VERY slowly dropping? Also, do most of you cook and if so how frequently? With the family gone all day now I am thinking to change things up to make them easier on myself.

I went to the Friday assembly @ the school and then ran afterwards 2.5 miles. This morning was the very first morning for me to go to school in workout gear (running shorts and sleevless tank/bra thing) and ZERO makeup. I didn't even care. Funny how I have changed so much about things like that.

Another crazy question I have--if I get breast implants will it make me gain weight--I mean the implants alone? Crazy question--one that just popped into my head.

Take care ya'll. I hope to join earlier in the next thread.

Good morning everyone!

Rabbit - DH's 20 year high school reunion is this weekend, that is the reason for the red dress and silver heels. :) Granny is coming up to stay with DSS while Daddy & I go to the party, so I'll have her take lots of pics for me!

Thighs - jump on in! I stay excited by looking at other changes, right now I'm paying a lot of attention to my calves and my shoulders. The weight is hovering around the same point, up some, down some. I think I'm increasing my weight a little actually, because I'm finally building some muscle. I'm about a pound up from where I was in January, but everything still fits the same. Some things even fit better or are more loose! So I'm looking at that as well. Oh, yeah, breast implants will make you gain a little weight - mine weigh 2.3 pounds together, so I went from 119.2 the day of surgery to 121.5 the next day just by implant weight alone. :) I just had to move my topline and bottom line up a little. Different size implants have different weights, so larger implant = a little heavier, smaller = a little lighter. Silicone (which mine are) also weighs a little more than saline.

Megan - it is raining here, too... So I'm annoyed on your behalf about the SF yogurt! I get annoyed when my main store is out, but I know I can go to several other stores and find it. Did I tell you I found a frozen version of the SF yogurt? They have the All About Vanilla & the Chocolate Avalance - 100 cals per serving and pretty darn yummy.

Joci - you are definitely an athlete now! Enjoy! :) Spinning... wow... the idea of it makes my legs tired!

Iris - hope you feel better!

Michele - good job throwing out the rest of the brownies! It does sound like you kept it under control, got rid of them when the control started to slip.

Jessica - teriyaki sauce always makes me hold onto 2-3 pounds of water, too.... It will pass. :)

Dagmar - I'm so sorry about all the stress and drama with your father. It is amazing that no matter how old we are our parents can always bring us back to that out of control, stressed out, feeling like a child place. Therapy might help you, at least help you with handling some of the triggers. :hug:

I had a pretty good day calorie wise yesterday, just didn't make the best choices most of the day to get there. Had too many bars instead of real food while on the road, so my tummy wasn't pleased with me by the end of the day... Better today. Going to exercise after dinner - I'm going to pick DSS up from daycare, DH is home today so will have dinner ready when we get there, so plenty of time to get the exercise in. Or so I say now. We'll see. :)

Good day everyone!

Just checking in. It's been a busy week!

Tomorrow I hope to go golfing with DH and DS. It is supposed to be really hot, so I hope to get on the course before 7 AM (that is IF we can get DS up and out of bed!).

My weight remains unchanged since coming home (which is good in as much as it hasn't gone up). I need to kick it in gear again! Next week I'm back on the treadmill--my blisters are pretty much gone. I just wish the neck pain would go away. I was taking Aleve and started experiencing stomach problems so no pain meds at all. I think I really need a muscle relaxer but don't feel like going to the doctor.

Has anyone seen 500 Days of Summer? I really want to see that movie this weekend.

Morning. Cool and rainy here, but I can see that the sky is clearing, so it may be nice by this afternoon. Definitely seems like fall between the cool weather in the morning, and the decrease in daylight. It's not full light when I get up, and if it's a 5:30 am gym morning, it's just plain dark! :)

I'm glad yesterday is over. It was a "munchy" day for me. Lots of tastes of things - like a marionberry (like a cross between raspberries and blackberries) coffee cake (commercial). :shrug: I've been doing so well ignoring those things - you know the ones that appear at work or meetings for "public consumption." Today will be better!

Our State Fair started yesterday, and tomorrow DH and I will both participate in the parade - though with different groups. Then we'll go to the fair itself in the afternoon, and join our square dance club in a demo dance at 6 pm. I'm hoping for cool/cloudy weather to keep the crowds down. When it's warm and sunny it's insane and just leaves me feeling claustrophobic.... I like to have room to look around at things. I esp like to see the animals - lots of 4H kids here - and the quilts and other crafts.

Allison, have you tried heat on your neck? One of those rice or bean filled things that you heat up in the microwave? I've had good luck using that for neck pain....

Shannon - hope your reunion goes well. Can't wait to see you all gussied up :lol:

Welcome, thighs be gone! I love cooking and this summer I did it for pretty much every meal, but I'm really busy now that I'm back to having classes AND working, so I'm going for more "convenience" options. Like buying pre-cooked chicken strips to throw on a salad, or broccoli already washed and cut up... that way I'm still getting decent stuff. It's just a little bit of sticker shock, but I can afford it at this point and I think it's worth it!

I'm feeling better enough today. Honestly I think it's my allergies. They go kind of bonkers with the AC on everywhere here, but I won't complain too much since it's over 100 degrees outside!

I'm going on a retreat this weekend in the mountains where it should be a little bit cooler. Not sure what the food options will be like but I do know there is some outdoor activities like hiking/climbing so I should get some exercise!

Enjoy the weekend, everyone!

Iris - I have pretty bad allergies myself. I use a nasal spray and take an allergy pill every day, have to switch out once or twice per year and take a different medicine for two-three weeks to flush the normal one out of my system and start over. Annoying, but keeps the allergies under control... Enjoy your retreat this weekend!

Pat - have a good time at your fair this weekend! I hope the weather cooperates for you and stays just nice enough for you but not too nice! I think less crowded would definitely be better. I was in 4H when I was younger (horse judging) and I remember those events getting pretty packed pretty fast in nice weather.

Allison - sorry your neck is still bothering you, I was also going to suggest a heating pad or one of those flax bags for your neck, but see Pat beat me too it. I have several of the flax, rice, beans, etc bags and really like them.

Today is my one year anniversary of reaching my weight loss goal, so officially one year of maintenance! Woo hoo! :cheer3: And, when DH went to the mailbox today my paperwork from the NWCR had arrived today. Going to go fill those out right now!

Have a great day everyone! :wave:

Today is my one year anniversary of reaching my weight loss goal, so officially one year of maintenance! Woo hoo! :cheer3: And, when DH went to the mailbox today my paperwork from the NWCR had arrived today. Going to go fill those out right now!
:carrot::carrot::carrot::carrot:
:congrat:

Happy weekend!

I have been using heat on my neck and it makes it feel so much better, but every morning I wake up all stiff again. By noon the stiffness has worn away, so it is getting better. The pain is greatly reduced from what it was, so I'll just keep hoping it will go away for good soon.

This morning DS, DH and I went golfing. It was pretty hot by the time we finished, so I'm glad we got to the course by 7 AM. Next up is lunch followed by the movie 500 Days of Summer and then we're going out for gelatto. No idea what dinner will be today.

Everyone have a great weekend!

:cheer: Happy anniversary Shannon! :cheer:
:congrat:

Congrats Shannon!!!! :bravo: :carrot:

Shannon, you rock!! :broc: Congratulations on your first year of maintenance (which is the hardest, I think!) and onward to many, many more happy and healthy years! :cp:

Congratulations on your one-year anniversary, Shannon!

Congratulations
Shannon

on your

First Year of Maintenance

Congratulations Shannon!!! :bravo: Here's to year two: I know it will be as successful as your first year!

Welcome, thighs be gone! I vary in how much I cook. During the fall, winter, and spring I cook more often, most nights of the week. I like casseroles, roasted veggies, lots of lean chicken and I stuff extra veggies into everything. I'll cook (or prep, if it's a non-cook thing) something on Sundays year-round to serve as lunch, chop up my snack veggies, figure out what I'll be eating for bf, etc. during the week. During the summer I just get so exhausted from the heat (I do field work and am outside at least several days a week) that I try to go for quicker options...or coerce my BF to cook occasionally. I'll do something faster like marinade BS chicken breasts and then have BF go grill them while I throw together a salad. Or pork chops, or a nice lean steak, etc. That's "faster" for me that he likes too. If he's gone I'll eat leftovers, veggie burgers, even the occasional Kashi frozen meal, or cook up some meat. When it's just for me or I'm really busy I tend to resort to more pre-done things, or pre-do them for myself at a later date (b/c of expense and lots of sodium added to pre-packaged things).

I just went on facebook and found that my friend had posted pics of me from our college reunion in May. I'm wearing a pair of Bermuda shorts and a top that I still wear b/c many of my pants are too tight, but these still fit and I thought looked ok. Well, they don't. But I realize it's not the pants, of course, I really have gained quite a bit of weight. I knew it on the scale, but I guess I really had finally gotten a "thin Megan" image in my head and had trouble accepting that I'd gained that much. I'm not going to keep talking about it. It was just...really really bad. I'm need to do something about it. :o:o:o

Oh, Megan! :hug: Photos can be such an eye-opener (and shock!) But you've proven that you're an expert at weight loss, so dust off your WeightLoss 101 skills and knock off those extra pounds. Even though it's painful to look at those photos now, you may end up being happy that you got the reality check today rather than 20 more pounds from now.

All of us here in Maintainers totally believe in you and are behind you all the way! :grouphug:

Thanks for all the congratulations guys! This first year has been interesting. It has gotten a little easier over time, but I also find it easier to slip as time goes on. So, the task for this year is balance... to remain vigilant without getting complacent. Continuing to plan is going to be key for me, I don't think I'll ever be able to let go of that piece of the process - it would make it too easy to slide into bad habits. I would never have made it through the first year without all of you guys and the support I've found here! Thanks!

Megan - :hug: You can do it, I know you can.

Allison - how was the movie? I've heard good things about it.

We had a great time at the reunion last night - an estranged friend that DH had heard wasn't coming was there after all, which was good. I'm hoping that they were able to mend a few fences last night so the estranged will cease. We'll see what happens... And, the shoes were much more comfortable than I thought they would be!

Pics - I don't know why I can't just have a normal smile for pictures... :dizzy:

http://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq12/ShannoninATL/th_S7002515.jpghttp://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq12/ShannoninATL/th_S7002516.jpghttp://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq12/ShannoninATL/th_S7002517.jpghttp://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq12/ShannoninATL/th_S7002518.jpg

The hardest year in maintenance, IMO, is the year in which you start to gain and can't manage to stop it.

Jay

Shannon, you look absolutely stunning! You rocked that dress! And your arms and shoulders have really nice definition. All your exercise definitely paid off. :carrot:

"... to remain vigilant without getting complacent." Good definition of maintenance. :)

I'm packing for our trip to NM on Thursday, with some cat assistance. In the suitcase, on the clothes, under the clothes. :dizzy:

Meg - be careful, you might end up with a feline stowaway in your bag to NM! ;). My cat always gets in my stuff when I'm packing, too. And, for whatever reason, she gets right in the middle of the bed everytime I'm putting on new sheets...

Multiply your sheet changing experience by five cats and that's what I have to work around! :lol:

Multiply your sheet changing experience by five cats and that's what I have to work around! :lol:

And I thought it was bad with two! :lol:

Shannon you look terrific! Glad it was fun.

Shannon, you look great in that dress!

Meg, good luck packing. My dog tried to help me pack when I was moving but I bet cats get in the way much more - my dog is way too big to be climbing in and out of my suitcase! I hope you have a good time in NM... are you going for business or pleasure?

Shannon - a belated :congrat: on your one year anniversary! AWESOME!!!

You look fantastic in that dress!