40-Somethings - 40-somethings September Week 1 Chat

Well the lack of appetite only lasted a couple days and then I wanted to eat everything in the house. We still have some not so good stuff so I will have one more planned day of eating crap.

Tomorrow I am back on it.

I will be getting lots of exercise today walking around at the Renaissance Festival! :dancer: Pete and I will be meeting some friends there in just a little bit. I really enjoy the festival every year and I am not worried about gorging on turkey legs and beer....I am worried about spending too much money on all the handcrafted cool stuff they will have, lol.

We went grocery shopping this weekend and I loaded up on fruit, veggies, seafood, lean meats, nuts, gluten free bread and my beloved coffee. I hope everyone has a nice holiday and a good week!!! :carrot:

Marie: That sounds like amazing pizza! What a wonderful day you had berry-ing and hiking. Hope the biking was just as fun.

weightlosswanted: that does sound like a challenging schedule. Yay for losing the number to the Chinese place!

Primm: What a great plan you have for dinner with a challenging schedule! I hope you're able to get back on the exercise habit, soon. I assume that's challenging, too?

Mitzee: welcome! I'm new, too, and I've found 3FC a wonderful motivator and this group, in particular, is very warm and friendly.

Everyone else: Hi! Hope you're all having a great holiday weekend.

Our visit to the in-laws went fine -- and I met all of my goals. We actually walked twice! That really helped balance the meal that I had a little less control over than I do at home. Today will be quiet with some food prep to help later in the week -- baking whole grain bread in the bread machine and making watermelon sorbet.

Hi all,
Slept in and today I am just hanging out. Might go for a walk later with DD if she is up for it.

Yogurt and granola for breakfast, and going to try to stay on plan all day.

Oh.. I did buy some steak and corn on the cob for our dinner later, but I won't put any butter on corn and I will make it small pieces, I might add mine to a bountiful salad to stretch it along.

Hope everyone is doing well and enjoying the extra day off.

Marie, I think you are right, I might go over to Michaels and see what I can find to do, maybe crochet again, or art... I want to paint!

Hello ladies, haven't been on the 40s board in while. Was busy with the kids all summer, but now have some more 'me' time now that we're all back in a routine. My exercise dropped off dramatically in the summer, so trying to ramp that up in time for the fall biggest loser challenge.
Hope everyone is enjoying the labor day holiday & I'll make a better effort to get on here regularly.

Hydra: I went to the Renaissance Festival in Houston Tx while I lived there and absolutely loved it! I know what you mean about spending all your money on the crafts : )
Cruise: so sorry you're still struggling, glad you're cutting yourself some slack.
Mel: welcome back! I'm pretty new but have found this to be an inspirational group.
dmc: I love corn on the cob! I've found a couple of squirts of I Can't Believe It's Not Butter spray gives me the taste of butter I crave on my corn without the fat and calories.
Mitzee: welcome! this is a great support group.
gardnerjoy: glad the visit with the in laws went well : ) someday I want to get a bread machine and make my own bread. I have a friend who's always bragging about baking some.

I had a planned "off" day. But I stuck to my off day plan - did NOT let my neighbors lure me to the chinese place for lunch, and told a friend I would ride with her to chik filet but I couldn't eat the sandwich even though it was free. That fell through, which stinks because it was so nice I wanted to go walking at a local park and we were going to go there after. I spent a couple of hours purging my second bedroom which has turned into my junk/storage room. Can't see much difference yet but I moved boxes into the empty closet, emptied out about 6 boxes and hauled out a bunch of trash. I'm just going to have to tackle it a little at a time! Slept with the windows open last night and kept them open most of the day, love this early fall weather we're having!
My neighbor took me to the store and I stocked up on my chicken breast, some sliced turkey from the deli, pita bread, cottage cheese, fruits and veggies. Then I had to clean out my fridge to fit it all!
I'm struggling with my own family issues: 3 grown kids, 2 with kids of their own right here in town yet once again I'm spending a holiday home alone. Makes me seriously consider moving back to Texas where I can be part of a real family : ( For memorial day I threw a potluck for the friends I've made via meetup.com, but I just didn't really think about it being a holiday until the last minute this time. I'm already dreading Thanksgiving and Christmal again, not to mention birthday number 45 in October.

I hope everyone is having a fun and safe holiday, especially those who are travelling! Back to the grind tomorrow : )

Ruth, it’s awesome that you can make your food in advance. That has to help to keep you from mindless eating when you get home and have to cook a whole meal.

WLW, isn’t it amazing how many calories restaurants can stuff into food. DH and I were chatting about it yesterday. One would expect at 16 oz porterhouse steak and bake potato with sour cream and butter to have loads of calories. That makes sense. What I NEVER get is how a restaurant can take a poor, defenseless skinless chicken breast – grill it and have it come in at 500 calories. I figure they inject Crisco into it. :devil: And I'm sorry you're alone on another holiday. Children cause so much joy and grief. Plan something special for your 45th with your friends. Take the offensive and don't depend on the local family for celebrating.

Jasmine, just let your friend know you’re trying to make a positive healthy change and that eating too much is troublesome for you. Most people accept that. Of course after saying everything looks so delicious.

Mitzee, welcome. You can do it. Great to see another Oregonian here. Your point of a group that have been in your place is so true. It’s why I love the 40’s something threads.

Sunshine, yeah for free food. Good free food is the best. How nice of mom and stepdad to share.

Cruise, toss out the crap and go shopping. It’s much cheaper to throw it out than eat it and guilt, gain and starve it back off. :dust:

Hydra, I hope you had fun at the Festival. There was one where I used to live in Minnesota. It was fun.

Joy, you sound so much like me a year ago when going elsewhere to eat. I have such perfect control at home but not out. That does come, by the way. Eventually you’ll be great at tiny portions out. Usually the only way to keep the cals low. Enjoy your bread. I’m making more sourdough. I LOVE sourdough. No added fat – just the little bit in the flour itself.

DMC, I had steak and corn the other night. My food scale made it possible. Investing in a really nice food scale was so smart for me. BTW, I use about ¼ teaspoon of butter on my corn and it’s a whooping 8 calories. It’s enough to give the flavor and hold the salt on it. If you want to paint, take a class or if you already know how, have a ball at Michaels stocking up on new supplies.

Hi Mel, enjoy your “me” time and WOW you’re halfway to your goal. Way to go.

DH killed my quads. I’ve learned to never, ever ride on a place called mountain not matter how “flat” the roads seemed in the Jeep. Man oh man, that was a killer yesterday. My quads were so tired that this morning’s elliptical had to be only speed and just a tad of resistance or I think they’d have jellied right off my legs. But we did have fun. I just wouldn’t go back anytime soon. I really though the elliptical and bike used the same muscles but clearly I was wrong. I wanted to go to the bike trail this morning just to know I still love biking but it was 36 degrees out. Taking the doggies on their walk was chilly. My nose was running and my fingers were cold even with thin gloves. I think winter was starting to knock on my door. :shocksn:

Marie

WLW - I think it is great that you have friends over during holiday times. I consider my friends as part of my family and try to squeeze in time with them often. Maybe you could plan a holiday party or something.

Had a great time at the Renaissance Festival and not only stayed on plan but under budget too, lol! I treated myself to a cute little ring that has 3 charms on it, a tiny cross, a heart, and a silver bell. I was tempted to drink some beer and get a funnel cake but I resisted, whew.

I wish every weekend was a 3 day weekend! Not that we really did much of anything but just the relaxed atmosphere knowing that there was no work today!

Our bathroom guy showed up at 7:30 this AM. We were not expecting him to work today but he did get a lot done! Maybe by next weekend he will be finished. Maybe....

Did pretty well eating wise all weekend. Haven't been weighing everyday so I'm not sure if there has been any change. Walked with DH again tonight.

Hope everyone had a great weekend. Hello to everyone, new and old!

Hi everyone!

I'm Renee. 45, 135, almost to goal (120) (48 down, 15 to go)

I divide my time between Tennessee and Florida. I am a professional singer. I've been in the music business for 25 years!!! (OUCH!) I am a Gold certified Turbo Kick instructor. I have 5 cats, 3 rabbits, and a husband (all rescues! LOL!) I will be married 20 years this October!

There! That's all there is to know!

Nice to meet all of you!

Renee

Hi everyone, First day back to plan and I would give myself a B-. I had a little trouble during breaks and lunch at work because I'm also trying to stop smoking and I had to do something! I need to plan ahead and have good snacks available at those times. Hope to make it to the gym before going back to work Tuesday (BTW I work at Safeway, no help at all) Better get some sleep. Talk in the am

Can you believe it's the 8th of September? I don't know where the time has gone. I started my journey on December 15 and my goal is to reach goal by my one year anniversary of my life style change (still very doable). The weekend cost me a few pounds but I'm not worried about it; I don't do guilt or starvation. For me I have to allow for a fluctuation in my weight and have found I am comfortable with a 5-7 pound swing. My problem at this point is I've been "swinging" all summer and now it's time to get busy.

I'm off to the doc this AM for my yearly exam, I really don't want to go but know I need to so will "Just Do It"!!!

dmc2009: a craft sounds like fun! and good job on working your plan for the holiday.

weightlosswanted: you got some great stuff in your grocery shopping! I'm sorry your holiday wasn't everything you could wish, but you sound so satisfied with your work on the extra room -- I'm glad you could at least make it productive!

Marie: wow that sounds like a killer bike ride! That's interesting to know that the elliptical and bike aren't the same muscles. At the gym, I switched between a recumbent bike and the elliptical and the muscles were different -- but I would have thought a conventional bike would have been more similar to the elliptical.

Hydra: good job at the Renaissance Festival -- both with the food plan and the budget!

Onmyway: loved your puns on the Halloween thread -- brightened my evening last night!

reneekicksfat: Welcome!

CruiseCAT: go you! Getting to goal by your one-year anniversary sounds very motivating! Hope the lady doc trip goes well. That's not my favorite day of the year either.

Quiet and productive day yesterday. Today is all about catching up! Including a ton of errands. I want to make sure that I'm snacking at home appropriately because snacking while I'm out is really dangerous for me!

Whew - glad the holiday weekend is done! Kidlet is in his first day at school - I have to go pick up him and his buddy in a few minutes, but I did want to say hi and admire how busy everyone's been!

Welcome, renee and mitzi!

I'll be back this afternoon to catch up. I'm taking a so-called "vacation" day and basically doing all the stuff that should have been done over the holidays. sigh.

Had a great weekend with my husband and son. Had one bad day but have been back on track. Not going to let one day get me down. This Friday will mark two weeks on my new journey and I am hoping to see the scale move. Fingers crossed.

Hi everyone!

Holiday is over... back to reality! I had a great weekend actually. I made the cole slaw from the Hungry Girl recipe. Only 49 calories per serving. It was great. I also made the Apple Cobbler from the 200 under 200 book from Hungry Girl, and it was also surprisingly good. I have a few more recipes out of that book to try. All and all we had a cookout with frineds, and we kept the food very low in fat... everyone was on board with it so that helped.

Off to workout then run errands. It's a Costco day!

Renee

Great willpower, Hydra. :dust: The funnel cake smell is so overpowering at those events that sometimes it’s awfully difficult to resist.

OMW, sounds like you had a nice weekend. Relaxing. That’s what my next weekend will be as DH has to do guard weekend. This past weekend was exhausting. Good job on the walking.

Renee glad to meet you. Congrats on the great success you’re having. Those last 15 will go as well. I’m down to my last 17 but they’re being slow. Patience. So in your avatar, are you one of the two girls?? If so, which one? I love Hungry Girl but haven’t bought her book but I love the daily emails. I’ve used many of her recipes and the chicken cordon bleu is my favorite. I also love Costco. I could live in their produce dept. Too bad it's next to the delectable smelling bakery dept. :o


Mitzee, interesting idea of grading your day. Our Safeway has a starbucks in it. I’d be in deep muck if I worked close to one of those.

Cruise, it is amazing how the time flies by. I really like to know where summer went.

Joy, I’d have thought they were the same muscles as well but clearly weren’t. My legs have pretty much recovered. Good luck on getting your snacks in line with what you want.

ICU, enjoy your vacation day. Doesn’t sound like chores will be a good time… :(


Gabby, that’s the key – to never let a bad day keep you down. I swear that’s a bad day is the killer to most diets. “Well I screwed up so I just can’t do it” Good job not letting that trap get you.

Marie

Okay, I need to do some catching up here. Had a nice weekend with Hubby, but now its time to buckle down and get to business again. However, this morning I pulled the sheets off the bed and put them straight in the dryer. Umm, its called 'washing the sheets' because they actually need to go into the washing machine first. I'm more awake now.

Yesterday was hot and very humid {90%} but it never rained. Today seems nicer outside. Yay. So I'm probably end up out in the yard later today.

After many days of overeating I seem to have gotten a better hold of myself and have done fairly well the past few days. Small steps.

Mel, Welcome back

Mitzee, Welcome, congrats on trying to quit smoking! I worked at Kroger 's bakery for many years, being around all that food didn't help much!

Hydra, Your Ren fair sounds wonderful. There's a park not far from us where on Sundays they get together to practice swordfighting which is always interesting to see.

Joy, I hear you on the catching up...I need to fins last week's thread and see what I missed.

Cruise, It does seem like this year is flying past. Hubby Bday is the 11th and it seems to have snuck up on me.

Renee, Welcome. What parts of TN and FL? I'm in Memphis, and I have a sis who lives in St Pete.

OMW, Eeek on the 7am bathroom guy but I'm glad he got a lot done!

WLW, Hubby had a big family but they never seem to include us. They seem to either expect us to know they are doing something or invite us at the last minute when we've already made plans to do something else. I don't have a big family so this seems counter to everything I've read/heard about families get-togethers. My dad always worked holidays so we never really celebrated the 'little' ones like Labor Day, so I don't think about them as 'get together' times.

Marie - Ha! The beautiful blonde in the avatar is Chalene Johnson - Creator of Turbo Jam & ChaLean Extreme (Turbo Kick, PiYo & Hip Hop Hustle) I would be the brunette!

Penguin - Cookeville Tn and Ft Myers Fl

Renee, I was wondering the same thing. I thought the blonde looked familar, I'm a member of a video exercise forum {VF}, and some of my friends are doing CLX.

Evening Ladies! Hope everyone had a great long weekend. I sailed all weekend and got to see the most beautiful sunset and moonrise all in about 2 hours on Saturday nite.

I fell off the wagon, Danged that Tim Hortons! But Scale to day said I didn't gain any! So I must not have been too bad.

Today was first day back to school. There are people older than I am in my class so I don't feel so overwhelmed.

Now it's a matter of learning to make my lunches ahead of time!

Wow, hard to keep up with all the personals!
Hotsplashes: congrats on returning to school! preplanning lunches will help, either packing them ahead or knowing what's on the menu at the cafe that fits into your plan.
Cruise: you're so close to your goal, I can see you making it!

I'm getting better and keeping my calories in the 1400-1600 range recommended by the nutritionist. The whole 4 meals of about 400 calories wasn't working for me. Now I'm eating my regular breakfast, 1st break is more of a lunch and my lunch break is more of a dinner. After work I'm having a snack instead of a full meal. Bonus, I'm not feeling so crappy from the low blood sugar spells. The downside is that I'm STARVING most of the day! I almost never feel hunger, now I'm on the verge of gnawing on my desk. Guessing that means my metabolism is picking up? Got in an extra 1/2 mile on the treadmill during my lunch break today. So far no scale movement, neither up nor down. I guess there's something to be said for maintaining : )

Hello ladies I was just wandering if I could joing your group. I need support and motivation. This looks like a great place for that. I am starting over once again and I am really hoping that I can keep this up. I am trying to just count my calories. I would love to have a monthly menu but I need some help putting one together if any of you have any suggestions or ideas that would be great. Thanks for listening.. Have a great night. :)

Morning ladies!

Just finished Turbo Kick Round 37 and some PiYo. Body bugg calculated 875 calories burned!

Drank my Shakeology post workout. Off to shower then, grab my lunch, and snack and it's off to work I go!

I can at least bring the laptop to work. It'll be dead today. zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!

Renee

Need some advice....

I have a friend who started exercising and a lifestyle change about the same time I did. We both had about the same amount of weight to lose. Well I continued the journey...being very consistent and sticking with the goals I set. She has been very inconsistent and "talks the talk but doesn't walk the walk". She's always saying, I will do this and I will do that. She has dropped out of one thing, added another then pretty much doesn't nothing. She has gotten better and says she has lost some weight, honestly I don't see it...yet. I have been her biggest cheerleader in all this and don't feel that it is appreciated....her loss I guess but frustrating for me.

Anyway....for awhile now things have not been quite the same between us....my BF has been saying for months that she is jealous of my success.

Having said that, yesterday we were talking about (actually texting each other) and I had told her how I had had a veggie burger for lunch that I didn't quite agree with me and wasn't feeling great....her response was what kind of bread did I have with it....and I said, none, I didn't want the carbs (I eat them in other ways, i.e. cheese and crackers).

Anyway....her response,

YOU NEED CARBS, YOUR ARMS ARE TOO SKINNY!!! I was shocked at that response. That is her opinion and I don't agree one bit. Also, not one person has said any part of my body looks "too skinny". My response to her was that I like my arms, and she said, yea but they are still too skinny...all I said was, but they are ALL MUSCLE!!!

I really felt that she was trying to sabatoge me because she has not done much in her journey and would probably like to see me fail. I know that sounds crazy but awhile back someone said something about my arms being really toned and she says, well you tone fast. I was like, I freakin' worked my butt (and arms and everything else) off to get to where I am. There was nothing "fast" about it. This has been a long process and I am proud of how far I have come.

I'm sick and tired of the tension between us and I don't know how to handle it.

Any thoughts?

Also...

:welcome: mystical

Welcome Mystical! This is a great support group, plenty of great ideas and inspiration : )

Jacque: I think your bf is right. Not only is she jealous, but unsupportive and critical! I love your arms, and just saw a story on the news about how women are flocking to the gyms wanting toned arms like Michele Obama. Guess what? You've got them!!!! As for how to handle the situation with your friend...that depends on how important the friendship is to you. You may want to just not discuss what you're eating or the lifestyle changes you've made, and change the subject if she brings it up. Or the next time she says something critical tell her that you're sorry she's not willing to be supportive of your success. Certainly the last thing you need is a friend who tries to sabatoge you with negative comments. If you want to maintain the friendship it may take a sit-down with a heart-to-heart talk. Sadly, when we make changes in our lives, even for the better, it can cause a change in our relationships and we may have to let some people go along the way. I hope you find a way to resolve the situation!

Jacque - I have "friends" that are supportive and "friends" that are enablers. The true supportive friends are there every step of the way (on plan or off) the enablers "say" they are "with me" but the fact of the matter is they pick apart everything I do or eat and tell me why losing weight is impossible for them. Like your "friend" they also seem to think anything under 150 for me is too skinny. They are also the FIRST ones to point out when I've put on a few pounds. They are obsessed with weight; mine and theirs.

Unfortunately these people have been a part of my cycle for years and when I stopped my part of the vicious cycle it created issues within the relationship. For me even though I have a goal number in mind it's about getting healthy physically & mentally and that is my focus especially with my enabler friends. No matter my size there is no denying that I have benefited from being strong physically & mentally.

Welcome mystical, the ladies here are GREAT!!!

Looks like you are off to a good start. What is your "plan", we all have our favorite meals/snacks to share. One of my favorites is a one egg veggie omelet with spinach, peppers, mushrooms, tomato, and 1 oz. of mozzarella cheese (about 260 calories). I also love fruit smoothies, yogurt, banana, and frozen fruit either mixed or just strawberries (about 250 calories).

Jaquee,

Sometimes when you have made positive changes in your life, you start to see the negative you should leave behind.

I have friends that are true friends that have been my biggest cheerleaders, and others that are just doomsayers. I realized they are no more healthy for me than Crisco covered bacon on a buttered croissant. Tough decision, but perhaps you need to move on, and surround yourself with positive energy.

I'm not saying ditch your friend, just make room for new ones with a more positive energy.

Renee

We're getting big! Er, I mean, more of us! I have to take notes sometimes on who's doing what - anybody else having trouble keeping up? :) It's great though - we have (at my count) 22 contributors in just the last week, and I know there's plenty more lurkers who are watching us. FABULOUS 40's, for sure!
Mel - welcome back! Looks like you made some progress over the summer - a credit to the good habits. ;)
Gabby - 2 weeks is a great start! But should the scale NOT move - do not give up - concentrate on how much better you feel. It will move, eventually. Fickle things, those scales!
Hotsplashes - the sailing day sounds terrific. Best wishes for school - and agreed, the habit of making lunches ahead of time is a great one to start.
Mystical - welcome and hop on in!
Renee - I'm curious about the TurboKick, but I'm a classic klutz. :) It sure looks like it's working for you, though!
Cruise - Mid December? Oh yeah. Doable. Join the Halloween challenge! Boo!
patch - We'll be expecting pictures of the knitting projects!
OMW - I love that "groove" too. DH is starting to accomodate my change in lifestyle, and he's beginning to display just a bit of curiosity about how I'm managing my losses. He knows he needs to drop at least 20 to take pressure off his arthritic knees, but like me, he doesn't want to give up things. DS10 has even asked that I stop putting fruit juice boxes in his lunch each day - he wants me to alternate them with water and with V8. Woohoo!
dmc - I have not given up wine! I have ... cut back. And I have made peace with the fact that weight loss is going to be very slow on this round - I'm older, I don't have a lot of time to exercise (and I don't like it that much), and I dearly love great food. What's working for me is portion reduction to bring things in line with my calorie range.
Jasmine - tip from a fellow wine drinker: know thy glasses well. If you haven't done this yet, find out exactly where the proper volume of wine rises to on your typical glass. Generally, wine goes about 24 calories per ounce - I started measuring again when I couldn't break a stall, and found out I was seriously undercompensating. :O
Gardenerjoy- I'm all over that pesto! mmmm!
Auzzie - good strategy to walk during football prep. I'm going to do that during my son's swim practices - I CANNOT sit through another season in those bleachers! Ugh!
hydra - I LOVE Ren Fests! We have a huge one in Holly, MI. Mmmm - Scotch eggs ... and I usually come home with more than I planned, too. :)
Primm - hope your ankle is fully recovered!
Mitzee - like someone else said - there's no "luck" in weight loss. None. The good news is that means it's fully under your control. :)
Sunshine - thank gawd for freezers. Precooking is the only thing that saves me some weeks!
pres - Many of my very best eating days start off with 40-50% of my calories right at breakfast, usually in a meat and cheese-stuffed omelet. There just seems to be something about major protein and fat that works for me ... I can just lightly graze the whole rest of the day and I'm perfectly happy. Hope it works as well for you!
WLW - IMHO - the hunger IS your metabolism firing up and coming alive again. I conquer those "wanting to eat the desk" days with small portions of nuts, seeds, a cheese stick, or a tiny can of tuna. I think you'll see them taper off a bit as you get used to the higher calories. It's great that you're seeing improvement in your blood sugar levels - you're on your way back to health!
Marie - I haven't gotten in to see them yet. The brown spots bug me a lot more than the spider veins. Depends on what it costs, I guess, and we are heading out of shorts weather, so legs will come after face. My recent issue of Life Extension has a huge article on a supplement from Europe that's got some strong clinical data backing up claims for improving leg vein/capillary function. If I learn something worthwhile, I'll make sure to let everyone know.
Jacque - very sorry to hear that your GF is still wallowing in the victim mentality. I think your arms look fabulous - I know you work your fanny off (among all your other thin, toned parts!) and you've achieved the body you DESERVE. You just can't flip that switch for someone else. Now if she's getting catty ... the best response I've ever heard is a surprised "Oh my gosh. I can't believe you said that out loud - you must be so embarassed!" She needs to know she's stepping over the line with you, and is forcing you to back away from the friendship. She will have to decide whether she's going to quit her attempts to block your progress, join you fully in the quest for health, or risk the friendship. :hug:

Filed my Articles of Organization for my LLC yesterday, and also got my federal tax ID. :D Forward!

lol, love the visual renee! and ICU, what a great comeback! I need to remember that one myself : ) Have a great day ladies, I'm off to hang out with my daughter and take the grandbaby to yet another dr visit.

Hi Everyone,

Welcome Mystical..I'm fairly new also and it is a great group...you'll find lots of motivation here.

WLW - Have fun with your daughter and grand-daughter, I love your quote, its so cute and so true.

I am going to join WW tomorrow. I need to put that structure and accountability into my life. I love this board for everyday support and the weekly weigh-in will keep my number focused.

Have a great day everyone.

Diane

reneekicksfat and Marie: just requested the Hungry Girl books from the library. The recipes sound great!

CruiseCAT and patchworkpenguin: For me, part of the sense of the year going fast right now is that Labor Day was so late. In my mind, it should be at the start of month and it just passed but we're more than a week in to September!

HotSplashes: sounds like an amazing weekend on the water. Yay for packed lunches! In some ways I found it easier to eat well in the daytime when I worked -- I packed what I was going to eat and then ate it! Hope it works as well for you.

weightlosswanted: hope the hunger evens out a bit for you, soon. Sometimes I think it just takes an adjustment. But starving all day doesn't sound like a good long-term plan, so you may find you need to adjust the calories instead.

mystical: Welcome! I'm new, too, and this group has been very warm and supportive. I made up a mix-and-match meal plan, 3 breakfasts, 6 dinners, etc. I plan which meals, exactly, that I'm going to eat the night before (but I leave open the possibility of swapping in another meal -- usually that happens if we go out to eat to one of our normal lunch places). I plan dinners for a week on the day I go grocery shopping. None of that is any where near a month's plan, but if I were going to tackle that, I might try doing it one week at a time to make it less intimidating.

Jacque9999: Yikes! That is not a fun situation and not at all cool of your friend. I don't have any advice, but want to confirm that your feelings about it are what I would feel.

ICUWishing: I'm composing my personals in Notepad so that I can go back and forth between windows and not lose track of everyone! Yay on the progress for your business!

AuzzieDee: Have fun at the WW meeting!

Time to eat some breakfast so that I go to the grocery store full and I'm not tempted to snack during my errands.

renee - hi! and welcome!

mystical - welcome!

Hotsplashes - best wishes on the school year!

Jacque - it's sad that others want to pull you back into the pit with them. You are so right that this is a choice and it takes a lot of work. It's been good for me to see so many of the gorgeous women at my gym and to know that they have to work at it. My gym is near a university and the average age is on the young side. That being said, there are some women in their 50's and 60's who look amazing. They work at it, too.

CruiseCAT - sorry about the enablers. I think that when we lose weight, it can definitely push people's buttons.

ICUwishing - congrats on the first steps for your new business! It must feel good to be fulfilling your dreams.

AuzzieDee - hope the WW works for you. I know several people who have had great success with them.

gardenerjoy - good for you for planning a week at a time. I'm lucky if I plan 2 days at a time. I need to work on that.

My boys started school yesterday and I got a call for a job interview. A good day all around. The job would be at the university and it would probably be a good environment for me. It's next week and I have my fingers crossed.

Jacque9999 I am sorry to hear your friend is that way I agree with everyone else I think you arms look awesome. I look at you and it gives me motivation that one day I might be there so don't let her get you down you are an amazing woman.

To all the rest of you ladies thank you so much for the warm welcome! It has been a up and down battle for me my entire life. I learned by example which was my mother and I am trying to change my life now and show my children that it is never too late to make changes in your life to be a healthy active person.

gardenerjoy Thanks for your help, I am pretty good with breakfast, and lunches, do you think you could message me some dinner menu ideas I would really appreciate it. Thanks for your help. :)

Need some advice....


Hi, Jacque. My favorite way of handling this sort of situation is to put people on the defensive for being rude to me.

"You tone quickly."
"Gosh, talk about devaluing all my hard work over the last 7 months."

"Your arms are too skinny."
"Gosh, that's a rude thing to say."

I mean, really, what can she say as a comeback? It *does* devalue all your hard work and it *is* a rude thing to say. So you are just responding with facts...

Good luck with your friend!

We're getting big! Er, I mean, more of us! I have to take notes sometimes on who's doing what - anybody else having trouble keeping up? :)

I'm definitely having trouble keeping up, which makes me sad b/c I can't respond like I used to... But welcome to all the new members!!! I promise to chime in where I can...

helloooooo Ladies!! sorry I've been MIA! wanted to post quickly and then go back and read through the thread!

It was a hectic couple of weeks before my vacation but now all that is over with and I'm back in the swing of things again! Missed you all and can't wait to catch up!

CruiseCat - so good to see you! back on track like you planned? your 1 year goal IS still very doable!! I say GO FOR IT!

Hydra - not sure if we've met before, so nice to meet you here. How was the Ren Faire?

Gardenerjoy don't think we've met either :) how do you do? :)

dmc2009 lovely to see you - hope you are getting in the swing of things again after the holiday?

CanadaMel - I'm just getting back as well! It was quite busy at least the last month, but I'm ready to hit Autumn running!

weightlosswanted we haven't had the pleasure of meeting either. These ladies ARE inspiring and motivational, you are in the right place!

Marie good to see you :) I think you had a different photo as your avatar the last time I was around!

Onmyway Hey! I too wish there were more three day weekends! we are not free of course in the Netherlands, but I just came off a two week holiday. Man, vacation really suits me... too bad it doesn't suit my pocketbook! :lol:

reneekicksfat Hey - welcome! I'm Renée too! WTG with your weight loss! what kind of music do you do?

Mitzee good to meet you! BTW I work at Starbucks... in the roasting plant in Amsterdam... but we have a regular store with all of the temptations there... trust me I know temptation and if I can resist it (daily frapps in the summer...) you can too!!

ICUwishing Yay! so good to see you! back into the old routine again huh?

Gabbytab good to meet you! I'm thinking good thoughts for your two week weigh in on Friday!

patchworkpenguin good to see you here too - I guess you are fairly new around these parts as well?

hotsplashes hope things are going well for you!

mystical welcome! I'm sure you'll find these chicks a great group!

jacque glad to see you! wow, I don't know what to say about your friend though I swear you have mentioned things like this before... I think she just can't handle it and somehow doesn't realise that SHE is the only one who can change her situation. I have a friend who constantly would hit on the negative aspects of things and not talk about the positives. And in a very high school manner, she recently deleted me from her facebook friends list because of something pretty petty. 20+ years of friendship but you know... if it's going to be like that? who needs it! Your friend does sound like a saboteur and it's a shame but honestly... I don't know any other way to deal with it than to either have a heart to heart (confrontation is hard) or take a break from her for a while...

AuzzieDee nice to meet you here :) and here's wishing you success with Weight Watchers! It's definitely the program that I swear by!

presmaggie hey! congrats with the job interview! will cross all crossables for you next week! always nice to have a job in a good environment :)

newleaf great to see you! what a beautiful avatar you have!!

Hubby got stung by a wasp the other day just over his ear, the area has swollen up so he's headed to the Dr today. He's not allergic but this one is giving him a hard time.

I hope to get a workout in today. I'm planning on baking a German Choc cake for Hubby's 9/11 Birthday, but I'm taking it to Renee's house on Thursday, so I need to bake it today.

VelveteenI joined in June, LOL, I guess that still makes me new?? :D

Newleaf, A lot of people have changed avatars recently and that has confused me a few times.

Mystical,Welcome!

Maggie, I hope the interview goes well!

Dee, The extra accountability of WW can't hurt!

ICU, LOL on getting big. There does seem to be a lot of us now. Harder to keep people straight.

Jacque, Re: Friends, Sadly there are people in our lives who are 'diffucult' at best. I've learned the best way to handle them is to not let them ruin my day. Such as 'nod and smile' then do whatever I feel is best for me.

patch - interesting. DH got stung Monday - once on the wrist and once on the ankle. He's not allergic to them either, and yet he says the one on his ankle is STILL annoying. He was nailed by a couple of yellowjackets - apparently there's a nest next to the compost pile!

ICU- the yellow jackets love our compost pile as well. but we're already getting cooler weather here (it ws in the upper 30s this morning) so they won't be around much longer

Renee- good to see you again!

I'm terrible at personals so I'll just chime in when I feel like getting on my soapbox- LOL

Patch, the sheets were so humorous I shared the story with DH. He thought was pretty good.

Renee, the brunette in the avatar looks pretty darn good too. I just really liked the blonde’s pink boxing gloves. I hated TurboJam when I bought it and sent it back with the trial. It was too painful on my knees. But I can see how it would be a great workout.

Hotsplashes, your sunset moonrise must have been awesome. I love the full moon even though Blizzard, Alaskan Husky, thinks it’s important to howl at it throughout the time it’s full.

WLW, I’m glad your blood sugar is starting to get under control. That’s the most important aspect.

Mystical, welcome to the group. This is a busy thread. To be honest on a monthly menu, perhaps your dr. could refer you to a nutritionist for really good guidance. WLW got really good advice just last week. I’m a day to day gal.

Jacque, my first response is with friends like that chickie, you don’t need enemies. My second is your BF is one hundred percent right. She is jealous. I know the image is small, but your avatar clearly shows your arms (and the rest) is absolutely perfect. So my third thought is that you don’t need sabotage or thorny text messages. Confront her on it. Anyone, and I mean anyone including Miss Thorny, knows that losing weight is hard and she’s using minimizing your success as it was easy as an excuse of why she has not done it. There is something called the Self Awareness Wheel us counselors use in situations like this. Google Self-Awareness Wheel and follow the steps to complete it. What it does is put your frustrations in an “I” mentality instead of “You” when confronting her. If it’s done with rehearsing, the other person is not diminished and attacked. It’s stating how their behavior (not them) affects you.

ICU, I’m not having trouble keeping everyone straight but I have found the only way I can respond is to have Word open and my browser open. At work, it’s easy – 2 screens. At home, I make both windows narrow so I can see them both. It sure does help. Also when I need to add another blurb to a personal response, it’s easy to find. And how cool DS10 wants healthy!!!! Your journey will probably stop any bad food relationship with your children as well. That’s is so awesome.

Diane, good job on looking into WW. It sure has helped a lot of people. The accountability is a good motivator.

Joy, we have the most ancient library that have books from the 1950’s. I’m think to get the book, I need to buy it. As I’ve gotten loads out of her daily Hungry Girl emails, I should take the time to buy it.

Presmaggie, I would have to say my fingers are crossed on the job interview too. YEAH!!! That’s the first step and you will wow them.

Velveteen, LOL!!!! I’m glad you had a great vacation. Vacation suits me too. Work, no it doesn’t suit me. Just a necessary evil. And yes I changed avatars. BTW, I’d love to work in a Starbucks roasting plant. One of my very favorite smells in the whole world is coffee beans roasting. I’d be in utopia. :dizzy:


I'm guessing it is time for my break to end. :(
Marie

Thanks to everyone for a warm welcome :) My plan of choice is calorie counting I find that it works best for me. The only times I struggle with it is dinner time when I am cooking for a family of 4.. I want to make a healthy dinner for the entire family and be able to count the calories that I just ate. You ladies are awesome thanks once again for the welcome!

Thanks everyone for your advice. I feel like I want to say something to her because she is a very old dear friend HOWEVER, I am afraid I could ruin the relationship in some way...and since we are in a very tight knit group (and really my only friends), I don't want to make waves....

I know what I have done to get healthy is for ME and no one else....

Unfortunatly I can't * Personalize * tonight but will try to catch up someday!

Lots going on here. I have decided my goal is to lose 1 lb. a week. I hope I can manage that. I have a new "carrot". I am going home for the holidays and I need to feel better about me! So that is it, the heat is on.

Was very good today, a girl at work brought me a piece of rich cake to my desk, even though I told her I was dieting AGAIN, and no thanks. She said... SMELL IT... YUM... anyway, I walked off without it, but low and behold, there she was with a piece in hand. I took a tiny bite and tossed the rest!:carrot::carrot:

My days of menus are planned the night before and lots of activity, walking and gym during the week to get me moving!

I have to close the kitchen at night. Water or sugar free popcycle only!

Well, I will do my best to catch up but for now, its drive by posting!
Welcome newbies!

Thanks everyone for your advice. I feel like I want to say something to her because she is a very old dear friend HOWEVER, I am afraid I could ruin the relationship in some way...and since we are in a very tight knit group (and really my only friends), I don't want to make waves....

I know what I have done to get healthy is for ME and no one else....
Perhaps, but is it fair that *she* gets to ruin the relationship in some way, and you just get to accept it?? I don't think you need to have a big blow up or heart 2 heart or anything... just the next time she says something offensive, show her you are offended. At least, that's what I would do...

Just a quick check in post from me too. No scale movement here, very frustrating since I have been back to my old eating plan and exercising every day.

Glad to see all of the activity here! Old and new friends! Hard to believe there are over 20 of us. I appreciate each of you and look forward to checking in here each day!

Found an online calculator that said I could have over 2400 calories a day with moderate exercise and lose 10 pounds in 6 weeks! LOL there is NO WAY!

Have a great evening!

Perhaps, but is it fair that *she* gets to ruin the relationship in some way, and you just get to accept it?? I don't think you need to have a big blow up or heart 2 heart or anything... just the next time she says something offensive, show her you are offended. At least, that's what I would do...

Very good point Newleaf! Why is it we worry about offending someone who has clearly offended us? Doesn't seem right.

Hubby has an infected lymph node. The venom from the wasp ended up in the node and caused the infection. Hubby got antibiotics, and is feeling a little better.

A bit restless tonight, but not night eating. having water and not really hungry. I have been walking and going to the gym, and have a renewed sense of my goal.

But I am not eating and its late!!!:bravo: If I can just tame the munch monster at night, I will lose for sure!!

Way to go DMC! You CAN do it!

Patch, hope hubby is feeling better!

Good news! I'm down a pound today! FINALLY!

We got my MIL a digital frame for her upcoming birthday. Last night I was going through pictures to load on it and came across one that really shows how big I actually was. There are not many because i was good at avoiding the camera. Later today I will post it to share. Really gives me a visual of how far I have come!

Patchwork wow about the wasp and lymph node!! I'm glad your DH went to the doctor!

DMC2009 good job not turning to calories when the night got restless!

OnMyWay looking forward to seeing your BEFORE picture!

Patch - Glad DH got that looked at and is on the mend.

DMC - Good job on keeping the kitchen closed last night. I have found that I don't need as much sleep as I use to and if I workout after 3PM I have difficulty falling asleep. It's amazing how much changes when you eat healthy and workout.

OMW - I too am looking forward to your "before" picture. The frame you got, are you happy with it? I've been looking at them for years but have yet to get one.

Heidi - I so wish I had that ability to come back without attacking but making it clear THEIR behaviour was unacceptable. I'm going to try real hard to keep your suggestions in mind.

presmaggie: good luck with the interview! My last job was at a university and it's a great environment -- including a nice campus to walk in during lunch!

Velveteen: nice to meet you!

patchworkpenguin and ICUwishing: hope your guys recover soon from the stings. I better pay attention at the compost pile. I think the racoons are getting all the good stuff, though, so maybe that will keep it from appealing to the yellow jackets.

Marie: yikes! library cookbooks from the 50s probably ought to be removed as a public health hazard. Creamed spinach and liver as health foods.

dmc2009: You're doing great! Nightly food planning for the next day is working for me, too. Also a limited list of what I eat after supper. Good job dealing with the food-pusher!

Onmyway: yay for the pound gone! Being kind of new to this, I'm quite amazed at how the scale responds and then doesn't. I seem to lose in fits and starts.

CruiseCAT: for a digital frame, we went with an old laptop powering a large monitor. We couldn't find a "frame" as large as DH wanted, so we set up our own for less money.

Upset tummy last night -- I never have that problem! So not sure what's up with that. I'm eating gently today.

Just a quick break from studying..

Thanks for the well wishes on my job interview. It would be so nice to work in a great environment. I'm in a male dominated field and I've often had to almost put on a different "persona" when I've been at work. It would probably be a lot less stressful for me to be able to be myself.

I feel like I'm back in the groove for losing again. Now I understand why someone I knew who lost a lot of weight struggled for awhile after the first 20 pounds gone. Even though there's proof in my weight loss that it's possible, I still had to reconnect with that feeling. I'm not sure if that makes sense?

Hello ladies hope everyone is doing well... Things are great with me today I think I am finally on plan... I have manage to make it through the entire day feel great about my plan and I managed to get my treadmill workout in... Thought I was going to faint but I did it LOL... Hope things get better with that as I am sure they will as long as I keep going . I'll check in with you ladies later on.. Have a great evening.

http://i713.photobucket.com/albums/ww137/ctk1961/before%20and%20after/IM000265-Copy.jpg

http://i713.photobucket.com/albums/ww137/ctk1961/before%20and%20after/June2009069-Copy-1.jpg

The before picture was taken a couple years ago. I would guess I was at 240 or so. The other picture was taken on vacation this summer. I certainly don't feel like the same person!

OnMyWay -- WOW! What a difference 60 lbs makes!!! You look like a totally new person... fit and shapely. Your daughter is a cutie, just like her mama!

GardenerJoy I hope your tummy is feeling better!

PresMaggie Good luck with the job!! I hope all goes well... I was in a male-dominated industry too, so I know what you mean...

Mystical Welcome to the group!! I'm glad you have found us, and that you have found your groove... Good job on sticking with your workout!! (although if you *really* felt like you were going to faint, you should get off, sit down, and put your head between your knees)

Me, things are going well. I feel in my own groove, too. I've made exercise a priority, and have worked out on Tues, Wed, and Thur. We had house guests over Labor Day, which was a lot of fun, but also contributed to my weight being up a little come Tuesday. So, my start weight for the challenge is a little inflated, but it's what the scale said so I'm sticking with it! I'm always good about getting back down to 164. The day I hit 162 will be the day that *real* movement has occurred. Real in my mind, anyway...

Hi all, really busy day.
OMW, holey smokes, are you sure those 2 pics are of the same person??? Wow, you look great.
Jacque, take a look at the Self Awareness Wheel. It isn't confrontational at all. The situation I used it in the year was humungous and it was good for both me and my parents.
Newleaf, wtg on the exercise priority.
Hello to everyone else. No time for more personals. Hopefully tomorrow will be a little less hectic! But, I'm on my way to change my ticker as another pound has vanished.
Marie

Patchwork- glad hubby is on the mend. Dh got stung last night on the forehead & when he woke up this morning his eye was swollen shut-yikes! We'll see how he is when he gets home from work.

On My Way- WOW- look at you! Thanks for sharing & Keep up the great work!!

Newleaf- you can do it! Getting back into the groove is great feeling.

onmyway - thanks for posting your pictures. You look fabulous!!! I am so inspired by so many people here. Way to go!

Thanks for the compliments!

Weightloss is such a weird thing. My clothes tell me I have gotten smaller but I don't always see it in the mirror. Putting the two pictures side by side on my computer really showed me how much I have really changed. Also motivates me to finish what I started and lose the last 20! I have no dreams of being a 6 or 8, I'm hoping to be a 12!

Cruise, I have a frame that DS gave me for Christmas. Nothing fancy and very easy to operate. Made by insignia, he got it at Best Buy. With digitals, it's a great way to show a continuous slideshow. The one we got for MIL is a desk set with a pen. I purchased it at Kohls this summer. We got one for DH at the same time and he has it at work.

Gardener, hope you are feeling better! There's a lot of stuff going around!

Newleaf, great job getting into the exercise groove! Loved your advice for mystical!

Marie, Another pound gone! You rock!

Another good day for me. TOM arrived so I'm hoping to see a good loss in a couple of days. Hope everyone has a good day tomorrow!

OMY - You look FABULOUS, no need to hide behind DD. I absolutely love before and after pictures, thanks for sharing.

Thanks for the info on the frames. I was looking at them again online and ended up overwhelmed. I'm just going to break down and get one, I'm sure whatever I end up with will be fine.

I'm off to the endodontist this morning for my root canal and then Monday I'll get my permanent crowns. Then I'm DONE with the dentist. Well I would like to be but I have to do a cleaning/scaling.

Mack and I are planning for another hike tomorrow, just need to decide where.

Hope you all have a GREAT weekend.

Carol - fantastic pictures! Isn't it cool to see what a radical difference you've made for yourself? And what a difference in how you experienced this summer, being fit and smaller? I'm amazed at how much more I did outside this year. Helps that it was cooler and pleasant ... but still! :)

Heidi - I did the same thing with the Labor Day goal. I went off what it read that day, in spite of the same couple of extra pounds.

Mel - boy, the fellas are just getting nailed these days!

Marie - congrats on the pound! :carrot: Wow - you're 60 pounds down??? Don't know why I just looked at that the first time ... I'll bet you've got some impressive progress pics too!

Speaking of which - I've found the picture that really began my drive to knock the weight off. I have to remember to bring it to work and scan it. Y'all will be amazed - a beautiful black dress is NOT always slimming. I can prove it. ;)

Onmyway: those are amazing pictures! You are looking great!

presmaggie: I went from computer science to library science -- such a relief to be around women!

mystical: yay for the treadmill workout! It will get easier. And, I'm with newleaf, it is possible to overdo it at first. Better to take it slow and steady.

Marie: hurray for another pound gone!

CruiseCAT: hope the dental work goes well and that you have a great hike this week.

My tummy problems seemed to be of the 24 hour variety and much improved now. Thanks, everyone, for your healing thoughts! I intend to be back on plan today. I'm going to make weightlosswanted's Mexican Tuna Salad for lunch today!

Well, thought I would catch up a little.

And.. OMW... YOU look so awesome. I am sooo inspired. Our daughters are about the same age and I want to lose weight for her and for me! Thank you for sharing. You already look smaller than a 12!

I think I have lost two lbs. I mean, that is what the scale says this morning and I have been sooo good. I am going to wait until tomorrow to move my flutterby to be sure. I am nervous/excited... I hope it sticks. That would be a great start.

Last night, no night eating... I am finding a glass of water is good!

Cruisecat, come out to the beach and hike with me!!! I love to hike. I go to Wildwood in Thousand Oaks alot, check it out online.

Gardenjoy, I hope you feel better, my daughter said all the kids are sick in her class, I think that time is here!

ICU, I would love to see a pic. I will send a pic of me now too. I posted a pic of this not so attactively dressed woman on my fridge. I know it sounds terrible, but I know if I keep eating our shapes are very similar and It could easily be me. It seems to be a detterent.


Newleaf, I have been walking and walking and walking... I hope it helps. I have to watch it because bad knee and tennis elbow.

Like I have heard it said, our joints have expiration dates!!! :lifter:gahhhhhhh

Today, making a pot of veggie soup. maybe.


Have a great day all.

Marie, congrats!!!!!

Cruise and OMW, I LOVE my digital frame. I have it on my desk at work and when someone is really irritating me and I want to scream, I look at the frame and smile. Why??? Because I only filled it with happy time pics. There’s no way I can be mad when looking at the pics so a smile always stays in my voice.

ICU, LOL at the black dress comment. I’m thinking when a person is fat, a person is fat. Some clothes make a person look fatter. I have one photo of me and my newborn DGS that is in profile and me sitting. That was enough to push me over the “I’m OK being fat” hurdle. I’ll see if I can find it this weekend. And thanks for posting my total loss as I thought I’d changed my ticker yesterday but hadn’t. Since each one of those pounds lost is hard earned, I looked at my signature and stared at the 1 week old weight and went and fixed it – during mid sentence. So Jacque’s friend is a twit to think each pound she lost wasn’t hard earned.

Joy, I’m glad you’re feeling better.

DMC, if you’re anything like me, my weight fluctuates on daily, inexplicable way. My thought on the matter is I take the lost reading and post it. Then I weight for the next lowest reading. As it’s consistently going downward with or without the fluctuations, I’m happy. So take your 2 pounds loss and CELEBRATE!!!! :woohoo:And major progress to celebrate on no night eating. You are making great changes.

I am so HAPPY it is Friday. :carrot::carrot::carrot: Weekend is just 7.5 hours away!!! DH has guard weekend so I get to putter around to my heart’s contentment. I love DH yet I do like my alone time. He likes to plan activities for the weekends and I go back to work exhausted. So this weekend, I plan to watch football, write, and I have to stuff envelopes for our road district. I’m even going to watch the Viking game so I can cheer for my favorite (over the hill) quarterback. Now, for a Packer fan to cheer for the Vikings, I must be a devoted Brett Favre fan. Besides, I grew up in Minnesota so I can do it. Just not when they play my beloved Packers. ;)
Marie

Marie - I think I will be buying a digital frame for my mom for christmas. They sound really cool. I have never seen one.

gardenjoy - Glad you are feeling better and I hope you have a nice weekend with lots of rest and relaxation.

cruisecat - Good luck with your dental appointments. I hope you get through this with a minimum of discomfort.

onmyway - I am sure you will soon be a size 12. I am shooting for an 18 and a 16 would be just wonderful.

I was able to stay on plan today, even though at work we had a big meeting and had a ton of salty and sweet bad for you snacks. I stuck to fresh strawberries and they were awesome, a banana and I allowed myself one small piece of vanilla coffee cake. I felt pretty good about that. I also passed up the gooey pink fruit dip.

Have a good evening and great Saturday Ladies!!!:cb:

I hope everyone has a great weekend! No scale movement yet, I'm walking at least 2 miles, often 3 every day. Still trying to get those calories at the right amount, and the right kind of calories! I'm scheduled to start my physical therapy next thursday if all goes well with the transportation. There's so much going on with everyone, I'll have to catch up with personals later-off to work and a potluck with friends after. (which will be a challenge food wise!)

dmc2009: a glass of water at night -- brilliant! Glad that's working for you.

Marie: have a great weekend of puttering and football!

Hydra: good for you on your office meeting eating. One of the books I was reading pointed out that we didn't use to have food at meetings and brought it up as one of many reasons for the obesity epidemic. I'm amazed by how many people on this site have to deal with that almost daily. There's an advantage to working from home for me.

weightlosswanted: the Mexican Tuna Salad was great! Thanks for the recipe! I made it with leftover grilled salmon, so it was kind of a fancy version.

Today's agenda, for me, begins with a walk with a friend and visiting one, maybe two, farmers markets. After that, I'm not sure, but with that start it has to be a healthy day, I think!

Hydra - congrats on successfully maneuvering at the office function!! That is awesome!

GardenerJoy - good point re: food at meetings. I'm glad to work at home, too!

I was pleasantly surprised by a drop in the scale this morning. I wasn't expecting it after no exercise yesterday, and having granola and raisin bran for dinner... But I'll take it! Weekends are hardest for me... but I really want to end up on Monday the same place that I did Saturday morning. I can do this!!

OMY - You look FABULOUS, no need to hide behind DD. I absolutely love before and after pictures, thanks for sharing.
Thanks Cruise! Old habits are hard to break! If there was someone else in the picture, I was usually behind them! Hope your trip to the endodontist went well. Bet you're glad it's over!

And.. OMW... YOU look so awesome. I am sooo inspired. Our daughters are about the same age and I want to lose weight for her and for me! Thank you for sharing. You already look smaller than a 12!
Thanks DMC!, DD has been a big part of my desire to lose, I need to do everything I can to be there for her for a long time! Not to mention the change in the things we are able to do together! She's also a terrific cheerleader! Congrats on losing 2, you are off to a great start! Way to go BFF!

And what a difference in how you experienced this summer, being fit and smaller? I'm amazed at how much more I did outside this year. Helps that it was cooler and pleasant ... but still!ICU, You are so right, this summer has been one of the best I can remember for that very reason, I enjoyed and experienced it instead of watching it! Being slimmer is way more fun! Loved your black dress comment! You are so witty! Can't wait to see your pic! Also, congrats on everything with your business, looks like you are getting everything into place to pursue your dream. That's fantastic!

I am so HAPPY it is Friday. Weekend is just 7.5 hours away!!! DH has guard weekend so I get to putter around to my heart’s contentment. I love DH yet I do like my alone time. Marie, I'm with you! DH is gone for the day at a Boy Scout event! It's good to have time to ourselves! You are getting very close to goal! You rock!

I was able to stay on plan today, even though at work we had a big meeting and had a ton of salty and sweet bad for you snacks. I stuck to fresh strawberries and they were awesome, a banana and I allowed myself one small piece of vanilla coffee cake. I felt pretty good about that. I also passed up the gooey pink fruit dip.
Hydra, Way to go! Events with lots of food choices can be tough! You made good decisions and treated yourself a bit to not feel deprived. That's great! You should feel good!

There's so much going on with everyone, I'll have to catch up with personals later-off to work and a potluck with friends after. (which will be a challenge food wise!) WLW, Good luck with the potluck! Someone once suggested filling your plate with the healthy stuff first, then there's not as much room for the other stuff! Great job with all of the walking! It's great exercise!

Today's agenda, for me, begins with a walk with a friend and visiting one, maybe two, farmers markets. After that, I'm not sure, but with that start it has to be a healthy day, I think! Joy, With an attitude like that, you are destined for success! Have a great day!

I was pleasantly surprised by a drop in the scale this morning. I wasn't expecting it after no exercise yesterday, and having granola and raisin bran for dinner... But I'll take it! Newleaf, Take it, cause you earned it! You've been working hard and one evening shouldn't ruin it! Besides, your dinner was probably a better calorie choice than a bunch of pizza or cheeseburger and fries!

Our bathroom is almost done. Vanity and toilet are in. Tile is grouted. Plumber will be here today to reconnect all of the pipes and then just finishes. I am sooo ready for it to be done! Volleyball season starts for DD today, then we may head to the mall. Not anything too exciting but that's OK! Hope everyone has a great day!

onmyway - what a contrast in your pictures! You must feel so much better now. Congratulations!!

newleaf - it's only fair that we have unexpected drops when we have to deal with those days we do everything right and the scale stays locked on a certain number, right?;)

weightlosswanted - good for you with your walking. Have you found that your energy level is up?

Marie - I had a picture taken this week and I thought "I look better than I did a couple of months ago, but I'd still like to look better than this". Pictures clearly tell us how we're doing. I find them great motivation.

dmc2009 - I have knee problems, too. It was really helpful to work with a personal trainer on some strengthening exercises for them.

gardenerjoy - that salad sound yummy!

CruiseCAT - best wishes on your teeth. It's funny how they start causing us trouble in our 40's.

My parents are visiting for a few days. They always stay in a hotel because they don't like to get up at 6AM when our boys are up (actually 5:50 AM this morning). My mother can be a trigger for my emotional eating, but so far, so good. I'll hope for a good weekend.

Hubby says he had a nice Bday, but since he has to work I think he's lying a little, LOL. I had fried chicken, green beans, garlic mashed potatos, and mushroom grayy ready for him when he came home. This is my mom's recipe, my alltime favorite comfort food, and has become one of Hubby's favorites also. I only drizzle a little olive oil in the bottom of the skillet so the chicken isn't very crispy but its has a good taste. The mushroom gravy is made with a can of Cream of Mush soup and a little milk poured into the bottom of the skillet to get the brown stuff off the bottom. Liquid comfort! Had I used more oil the recipe says to remove all but a few Tbspoons. Not too bad. Hubby says the swelling is going down dramatically. I keep making jokes about his swelled head.
:D

OMW, Great photos! thanks for posting them! Gives the rest of us some inspiration! Yay, on the bathroom! sounds wonderful.

Maggie, Glad you get to spend some time with your parents even if your Mom is a trigger. LOL, is this like being a 'pistol'??

Hydra, Good job on staying on plan in the face of temptaion! I didn't know they had digital frames until my friend said she wanted one, now I want one too!

The scale stuck and I am down. I moved my flutterby!

OMY - Thanks BFF!!! Are you the last standing BFF? :hug:

I am off to the gymnastics class for my DD and then I am going to walk around the place so I don't just sit there!

Now, I have to go get breakfast and snacks prepared to take. yesterday before I left the house I made a little snack pack up for me and stayed on plan.

yesterday treadmill for 20 minutes, and eliptical for 40, burned 390 calories. Now why didn't I just stay on for 10 more calories....? Because I was sooo done!

Personals later! Yippeeeee!!!! maybe I can do this.:carrot:

Hydra, I really love my frame. It totally calms me in some hectic work situations. I don’t think it’s as needed at home but I love the calming effect. Your mom will love it. Congrats on staying healthy when presented with all the treats.

WLW, good luck at the potluck. You can do it.

Joy, ah I envy the farmers markets. The ones we have around here are pretty much a joke so I don’t go. But a real one, I’d make my way to the tomatoes ASAP.

Newleaf, congrats on a lower reading. Here’s hoping for a good reading on Monday.

OMW, I hope you’re enjoying your day alone as much as I am. I love the solitude after a busy work week. More this time of year than others as the start of a school year is just plain painful.

Presmaggie, here’s hoping the emotional eating continues to stay at bay. At least the parents aren’t there 24/7. That will help. You might want to give your early risers a hug for that one.

DMC, you can do this – no maybe about it. Great job on the exercise.

Dear Doggies and I had behavior training again this morning. Kodiak has become prince kody the last few days and the behaviorist even called him a prince. I think I broke through the alpha on him. He's doing great. Now puppy Kai, she's being mule-ish but she is so cute... Liz said she has one of the strongest lead dog mentalities and that dog sled drivers would want her on their team as she's so determined to be first. She wasn't joking, that my baby Kai could be in demand. But alas, she's my baby and isn't going anywhere. She and I are going to start skijouring this year. We've been working on the left and right commands already. I've got all the gear and winter is on the way. I just need to teach her two more commands: Leave it and No. She's pretty good with leave it but NO is her least favorite words. :o

Marie

Oh, and the scale was down another pound. The 140's are a breath away. Perhaps if I exercised for a third time today with that breath being deep with the blood pumping the scale would show me a 4 in the middle number. But since I cleaned my bathroom and cleaned the scale (it was dusty and furry) it'll be a 5 as the scale always hates when I clean it. It has never been nice the following day. Here's hoping tomorrow is different.

hello ladies, I have had a busy weekend but DH and I managed to make it by a gym that we are thinking about signing up too... The boys and DH are very excited about it.. We were looking for one that was open all night since DH has really strange hours and this one is so it will work great for us and the price is good as well LOL so I think we will sign up I am a bit nervous since I don't like to workout in front of others at least at home it might just be that I don't like to workout in front of the family LOL I am hoping that I will just get in there and not think about it since there will be others in there doing the same thing as me LOL wish me luck :)

Well, I could have done better at the potluck but I could have done worse : ) I ate really well all day, and had my cottage cheese and fruit on break 1 1/2 hours before I got there. And even though I didn't ride the bus yesterday I got in 2.5 miles of walking. I ate much less than I normally would (but most of it NOT healthy) and came home with leftover veggies for snacks : ) I also left the 2 liter of coke the hostess wanted me to bring home, because I would end up drinking it all. Earlier this week I got past a craving for chinese and had cottage cheese with strawberries n almonds instead. I've gone a week + without eating out or ordering in...everyone is probably wondering where I disappeared to! And yet the scale still isn't budging, sigh...

Onmyway: I love that this had been a great summer for you because slimmer is more fun! Very inspiring!

presmaggie: boy, I get the mother as trigger thing. My parents are gone now and I miss them greatly, but there are ways that my life is better and that's one of them! I sometimes ate junk food on the entire 90 minute drive up to their house. But, I was never as conscious of it at that time as you are now -- you can do it! I hope it turns out to be a great weekend.

patchworkpenguin: the comfort food birthday supper sounds like a great gift to your husband!

dmc2009: congrats on the moving ticker! You're doing great with planned snacks and walking while your daughter is in class.

Marie: good to know that scales can be persnickety about cleaning -- I'll watch that!

mystical: you can do the gym! After a few times, you'll be so used to it that you won't even think about it anymore. People aren't looking at you -- they are busy doing their own thing.

weightlosswanted: good job on the pretty good potluck and the walking.

The scale was up 5 pounds this morning from yesterday. Yikes! It's a good thing I just read a thread on 3FC about that happening to people or I would have really freaked out. I was on plan yesterday, but Japanese for lunch and Chinese for supper is a lot more sodium than I've been getting recently. Combine that with some digestive issues and TOM and I guess it's a perfect storm.

I need to go to the grocery store. Used to be groceries on Sunday morning meant donuts. And the 5 pound weight gain makes that tempting. But, I'm going to eat veggies for breakfast because that always makes me feel uber-healthy and then go to the store, fully armed against donut-eating.

OnMyWay yay about the bathroom!! I hope it's almost done... I hate being in that "almost done" state that usually lasts for months (even years!) around here...

PresMaggie I hope you are doing well with your parents visiting... My parents stay in a hotel, too, which I find strange. They ostensibly are doing it "to make things easier for me" but it's really because they feel uncomfortable just hanging around without a scheduled activity. They would rather go back to their tiny hotel room and read for a few hours than to just relax and read at my house. Whatever... :shrug:

PatchworkPenguin I hope your husband is feeling better now!

DMC2009 good job with the exercise and seeing the scale move -- woo hoo!

Marie I love reading about your doggies... And I'm so glad that the scale is moving for you!! You have lost so much weight; it really is impressive! I hope you've gotten to see that 4 this weekend...

Mystical good luck at the gym; you'll love it!

WeightlossWanted great job at cutting back the restaurant food... I'm so sorry the scale isn't being kind. I forget, do you count calories? You may want to try that for a couple of days (if you don't already) just to see where you're at, in case you are unwittingly way too high or way too low.

GardenerJoy WOW on the scale! :sp: It's probably the sodium... Although I did once go for a big sushi / sashimi lunch and was surprised to find out afterwards that it had a lot more calories that I would have thought... Keep doing what you're doing (great job thwarting the donuts!) and I'm sure you'll be down soon...

Mystical, join the gym. Remember everyone is busy doing their own thing and aren't paying attention to what you're doing. And I know I'm always happy to see a person working at getting healthy so you have nothing to fear.

WLW, do you measure and log all your food and calculate the calories? You really should give yourself at least a week of measuring everything and calc'ing the calories because with your walking that scale should budge. 2.5 miles walking is a great job.

Joy it's amazing how salt and TOM can make the scale tempermental. I know that during the summer months when I OD on fruits and veges - hence way more fiber than I'm used to - I'm a bit more bloated. Flush your body out with water and have low sodium food today and I bet the evil scale will be more cooperative.

NewLeaf, LOL on the almost finished comment. My DH is like that - get it to the usable stage then that's it. He has more unfinished projects than anyone I know. Maybe your household can be in competition.

So, drum roll. The scale made a liar out of me. Apparently it liked the cleaning...
http://www.mariesdogs.com/images/the40s.jpg

I know, a little strange taking a picture of the weight but I was so excited. And yes I had it measure, then I picked up the camera. I have not been in the 140's in forever!!!! This is a great day.

Today I'm going to make Blizzard a new bed for her "house". Hers has been mulled and ripped by the other two. I bought pink denim when I was in Minnesota and think that since she has a pink collar and food bowl, her bed should be pink too. She looks pretty in pink (my favorite color).

I'm going to hunt down my before picture today. Eeks I don't know about posting it for the world to see. But I will...
Marie

Marie Congratulations -- I am so happy for you!!! :carrot::carrot::carrot::carrot::carrot::carrot:

Sorry I have been MIA....hope everyone is doing well Don't even have time to read the pages of posts but wanted to check in and say hi. Hope it was a good weekend for all!!!

Hi everyone! Today was a day back on track. I've been coasting for a week, roughly. No excuses - back to work. I did not wait til Monday ... I got up this morning and said, "ENOUGH!!!!" Stayed busy and ate carefully. TOM arrived today too ... so I might have at least a bit of an explanation for why anything that wasn't nailed down last week got eaten. That's an exaggeration - I didn't really eat everything - but I did eat like somebody who was thinking maintenance instead of loss. :D

I'll catch up tomorrow with everyone. Looks like it's been a busy weekend - I like to read everyone's posts with coffee in the morning at work!

I feel like I've had a good weekend, so hopefully I won't start Monday with a weight hang-over (ie, having to re-lose what I already lost last week). I haven't exercised today, but after the kids go to bed in a few minutes, I'm going to walk on the treadmill for a bit.

Fingers crossed for Monday...

Good for you, ICUWishing, for getting right back on track. You are so very close to your goal!!!

Mystical, don't care. Just plain don't care.. you are doing it for you, and nobody else. Get strong and in your face about your workouts. You have a right to be there working out and getting fit. Just do it.

WLW, Cottage cheese, strawberries and almonds sounds so wonderful, I have got to try that.

Newleaf, lets hope I can move that baby again this coming saturday. I feel a new resolution!

Marie, you are not strange to take a picture of the scale, it makes it real. Sometimes when I look at the scale, its not digital, its so hard to read!! I have been thinking about a digital! Congratulations:hug:

ICUWishing... Next week is a new week, a new fresh start.

Today, I went on an hour and a half hike in new trails with a friend. Came home and cleaned and went to the market. I have my lunch and snacks already packed for tomorrow. I feel pretty strong about staying on track.

Last night I got the munchies and I got up and had peppers for snacks. No calories and felt pretty good about it. Trying to eat no calorie food or water only at night. I really feel it will help me get there by December.

Only one pound a week is my goal, but if I can do two like last week, I will be happy.

A woman at work is so negative, she drives me crazy, she said that one pound a week will be TOO HARD. Yes, its hard and maybe sometimes the scale wont' move (no matter how long I stare at it) LOL, but I can try and be postive!

Looking forward to another week of good choices!

You are all doing so well!!! The inspiration is just amazing that I get from this site. I hope you all have a good upcoming week. I will check in when I can write more, I am babysitting my granddaughter and she is a tad restless tonight. Hang in there and keep making headway on your goals.:grouphug:

Hi everyone! Hope everyone had a great weekend. Mine was busy and too short as always! Bathroom guy didn't show up Saturday as promised. AARGH! If I could finish it myself I would! You would think he would be as tired of us as we are of him! Or he would at least want the rest of his money!

Hydra, I agree, this is a great place for inspiration. I especially like looking at the goal threads.

DMC, Great job packing and planning ahead. You can do it! 1 pound a week is slow but better than nothing. And yes, I am the last BFF but now at least you're back here with me!

Newleaf, Weight hangover, LOL!

ICU, You are so close, hope you find your groove! Are you near Rochester Hills? We will be spending Thanksgiving there.

Jacquee, Glad to see you checking in.

Marie, Loved your picture! The scale is now your new friend! Please do post a before and after pic. It's great to see the change!

Gardener, Yikes on the 5 pound gain. I'm thinking it has to be from the chinese and japanese food and TOM. Drink lots of water to flush out your system and you'll be back down before you know it.

WLW, Hang in there, with your walking and better eating choices you are bound to see a loss soon. Like your new avatar!

Mystical, I think you should join the gym. Don't worry about others, you are there for you!

Patchwork, Hope hubby is feeling better and had a nice birthday!

Presmaggie, Good luck with the visit from your parents. Recognizing that your mom is a trigger is the first step in controlling it. Take it one day at a time!

ICU, how excellent that you said enough and didn’t do the traditional yo-yo dieter’s “I’ll wait until Monday”. I swear changing that mentality is what will get us through the rest of the losing journey then maintenance. I once read a numbers article about how weekends “off” could easily negate any calorie deficit during the week. Just looking at the numbers, it made so much sense that it pushed the “Monday” mentality out of me.

DMC, ah the joy of the nay-sayers. You do your one pound a week, then put on a skin tight outfit for the office Christmas party and give her a wink.

OMW, maybe bathroom guy has a valid reason for not showing up. Say if he was in the hospital and all phone service was cut. That was rude! At least he does have incentive to finish it. Hopefully soon.

So I found the pic I was thinking of but now that I look at it, it's after a bit of weight loss. I need to find DGS photos of right after he was born. Those are at home so... another day. Plus I'll have DH take some pics tonight as I don't have a full body shot.
Marie