40-Somethings - 40-Something October Week One Chat

I'm ready for the start of a new week and a new month.

With Mack gone I thought I would sleep in..... not a chance with the dogs, seems they are on the same messed up schedule. I did get a lot done yesterday; shredded a bag full of papers from the filing cabinet and almost finished my HK inventory. Today I'll finish that up and update our "estate" documents.

The wind here has picked up like it does in the winter, I just wonder if that means we are in for rain; that usually comes in November. The temperature has really dropped too, mid week the high is only suppose to be in the 60's.

I feel really good about the start to my month; went shopping and have nothing but "good" stuff, keeping my calories under 1400, and doing 60 minutes on the treadmill daily.

Enjoy your Sunday ladies!!!

Good Morning and Happy October!

Still logging away, this is day 7 but admittedly I'm over almost every day.

I'm going to change my clothes RIGHT NOW and go for a run. I need to work off the deficit at least for today.

Hope everyone is doing well! It's windy here too and we have already turned on the heater... spring and summer went by too quickly for my liking!

Apparently I'm a little out of touch with local weather & news. The cold front came in early with the winds last night and the high today is only suppose to be 64.

In addition, a fire started in the pass (about 30 miles away) and mandatory evacuations are in order for that area. A shelter has been opened here for both humans & animals so I will head over there with my crates and xpens. The wind has died down a bit so hopefully they will get control soon.

Hi everyone. Hope you all are having a good weekend. :cb:
I plan to do some walking today. My bf was supposed to grill out steaks last night but he was not in the mood to cook. We might grill out tonight though as he really likes to grill and our weather is becoming quite chilly.

It is my son's birthday today. He is 20. I gave him some money and made him one of his favorites, crab and veggie pasta salad. Shhh, don't tell him I used light ranch. :chef: He has to work today but his friends will be celebrating with him later tonight.

Marie: Thanks for the dancing carrots! Hope the rest improves your feeling closer to 100%.

CruiseCAT: thanks for starting the week and month off for us! Sounds like you're doing great! Hope all goes well at the shelter.

Velveteen: Hope the run went well. We're getting cool weather this week, too.

Hydra: Hope the grilling works out tonight. We've got a grilled supper on tap, too (chicken and delicata squash on the grill, salad on the side). It's also supposed to be cool here, so we'll see if we really feel up to it. I think I'll push for supper on the early side to increase the chances.

I've got a pot of beans on the stove right now, which feels more appropriate to the weather than our grilling plans for tonight. Hope everyone has a relaxing Sunday!

Morning everyone,

My scale was :goodscale well behaved this morning. 12.8 pounds left to go. So I moved my ticker for the pound loss and that was cool.

DH and I took the doggies for a 3 miles walk this morning. And it was SNOWING!!! Eeks. Like Cruise and Velveteen, our winds are just blowing like crazy. It was cold. I made DH hot cocoa and me a mocha. Then we had hot cereal for breakfast. It felt like the dead of winter. But the doggies loved it.

Cruise, sounds like you are well on track again. Congrats and you will get past that 10 pound fluctuation.

Renee, I'm guessing that even though you've logged over, you were still probably eating less than usually. Logging is a great habit to get into.

Joy, you have your pot of beans and I made 3 bean chili last night. It's so low cal and yummy. I wish I could have it often but I can only get away with it every few months since I'm very allergic to peanuts and soy - both in the same food family. So I don't push it DH is taking the chili with him. But wow, it was great.

DH is packing. :( I really wish he wasn't going. Nov. 10 it a long time from now. But I will be busy as a puppy is on my list. It has been since April but the time wasn't right. Now that the animal behaviorist has gotten my pack in order, she says it's time. So Kai Pixie Bear will get a playmate. I really wanted to adopt this rescue doggie but the rescue group doesn't respond to any inquiries. I talked with my vet and animal behaviorist about that, basically I'm starting to see red flags, and they both agreed. So I'm thinking puppy since a puppy needs a good home as well. I am trying to be nice to DH to get through the initial puppy work while he's gone. He's appreciative of that.

Marie

May I join your 40 something group? I'm new to this board, so would like some buddies. Thanks :-)

Hydra - nice jewelry! How do you make the silver bands bend like that? I've always wondered when I see that type of earrings.

evcolbmom- welcome!

Cruise - I hope the fire is stopped before anyone loses their home.

Marie - good luck with the puppy. I've never had dogs before and I'd love to hear how the training goes.

Velveteen - keep running!:carrot:

gardenerjoy - that sounds like a yummy dinner. What are you making?

It's been a few days since I've been here and lots has happened. I was offered a job on Wednesday and I accepted. I start tomorrow! That was quick, but they have a lot of work on the go. This is the job at the place where my former disgruntled employee works. The people doing the hiring must have put what she said aside and decided to hire me anyway. I'm not worried because I have no intention of stirring the pot.

I've got a terrible cold and I'm trying my best to get better before tomorrow. It wouldn't do to be sick on my first day.

I was feeling frustrated at my lack of progress, so I bought the Beck Diet Solution book that has been recommended by some other 3FC members and, since it focuses on cognitive behavior therapy, it seems to be helping with my eating issues. Time will tell.

Happy Sunday Everyone!

We have had a very busy weekend. Volleyball, 2 soccer games, a little shopping, DH and I went out with some friends last night. Add in a little housework, laundry and cooking. No wonder I'm feeling pooped!

Presmaggie, Congrats on the new job! That's terrific. Don't let that old coworker spoil things for you. Sounds like you know how to deal with her!

evcolbmom, Welcome to our group! Keep posting, this is a great group!

Marie, A new puppy! Sounds like fun! Let us know what kind you get. COngrats on another pound. You are truly in the homestretch!

joy, Today turned out to be nicer than expected weatherwise! What you planning to do with those beans?

Hydra, My DS is also 20, hard to believe how fast they grow up! Celebrate! Does he live with you?

Cruise, Sounds like you have a plan to get things back on track. I'm sure you must be missing Mack, 2 weeks is a long time!

Velveteen, I just can't bring myself to turn on the heat, even though it has been chillier here in the am. I'm missing summer already!

evcolbmom - welcome to the group! this group of ladies and gents have been so helpful to me with their cheerful support.

presmaggie - I use gauge 20 or 22 sterling silver wire for the earrings, so it is very bendable. Instead of using pliers to bend the wire I use an old pair of metal hemostats as I find them easier to handle and grip the wire to move it around.

onmyway - hmmm, tricky question. My son does stay with me a lot lately as he and his gf are having relationship issues. I am hoping that his stay here this fall is temporary and that he and his gf will work things out and be together. It is hard to let him find his own way but he is an adult and I respect his decisions.

For some reason I woke up a while ago and can't get back to bed. I am looking forward to later today after work as I will be babysitting my granddaughter, Hayden. She will be here tomorrow as well. I really enjoy my time with her!

I will be working half days all week (my work is part time and runs about 25 hours a week). I work at a large mental health agency and one of the programs is to have a functional kitchen with breakfast, lunch and snacks served daily. I used to get the lunch at work because it is only $2 and usually quite healthy. Due to recent budget cuts the kitchen is making a lot of fatty and carb heavy and less healthy food. This sucks and I really hate to see the students and staff at work suffer with these budget cuts. I will be bringing my lunch for most of the week as it is just not worth it to try and justify the inexpensive lunch if it is high in fat and carbs and calories.

Hello, can I come in? I've been playing games with my weight for about two years now. Meaning, eating like crazy and watching the scale go up. Made a few halfhearted attempts to lose, but....well, maybe this one will take.

Last night I dreamt hubby and I renewed our wedding vows. Somehow I managed to squeeze into the dress, but I was ashamed to pose for pictures 40 pounds heavier than I was the first time around. So I will take that dream as a "get going" sign.

Today I plan a looooooong walk.

welcome joan and evco! it's an ugly, rainy day here in charleston : ( however it is my thursday so my workweek is almost over : ) I have a change of clothes at work in case I get soaked waiting for the bus. everyone seems to be doing so well! I'm going to weigh in today, but not expecting the scale to move. I've been slack on my extra exercise and skipped pt on thursday. Will try to get to personals after work tonight. hoping everyone has a great week!

Hi, everyone! Had a great trip to NC and behaved myself pretty well - did not drink at all, and didn't overeat. I came home at the same weight I left ... and about 4 extra pounds of snot in my head. :( Yep - I've come down with the classic rapid-weather change cold. I'm ticked off! So, today I'm working from home to spare my coworkers the ugliness and hopefully the germs. Yuck. Must've screwed up with my obsessive handwashing somewhere, somehow.

I'll try to get caught up and post some more later. Have a great week!

Well I almost got myself arrested yesterday for inciting a riot out at the fairgrounds. To make a long story short the FD was sending everyone to the fairgrounds with animals and when they got there they were sending those with "small" animals to the local shelter to have them "boarded". This "shelter" in the worse in the state and maybe in the country. Things got a little nasty but the people with dogs/cats were finally allowed to stay.

At this point the fire is about 20% contained. The winds have died down, temps are cool, and there is high humidity in that area so they expect to really get control and hopefully let people back into their homes today.

Renee - WTG on your logging. I know that logging, even when I go over, keeps me honest with myself.

Pres - Congratulation on the new job. Sure hope you felt better this morning.

Marie - I thought two weeks was a long time to be apart from DH. How often does he go away?

Welcome Sarah and Joan!!!

Hydra - Enjoy your time with your GD. I hate that I'm so far away from my GD. I do get to see him next month, can't wait.

OMW - Wow... sounds like the kids really do keep you busy.

ICU - Sure hope you feel better.

I've already got my workout in and now heading back to the fairgrounds. Catch up with you all later.

I got quite a shock yesterday. It was raining and Hubby told me it was 55*. I thought it would warm up, so I'm running around in hose knee hi's, flats, dress pants, a long sleeve shirt and a sinlgle layer raincoat, which apparently needs to be hit with Scotchgard again. I was freezing! What was I thinking? Jeans and longsleeve sweater today, with socks!

As you may have figured out its raining again, and will rain for most of the week.

Cruise, Eeeek! What a horrible situation to be in.

ICU, I hope you feel better soon.

WLW, At this point I'm just happy when the scale doesn't go up again!

Joan, Welcome to our group.

Hydra, Good job on taking your lunch to miss the kitchen's unhealthy food!

Maggie, Hope you feel better especially on your first day. Let us know what you think of the Beck book.

Evcolb, Welcome, I always think its better to join a small group rather than tackle the whole board at once.

Marie, congrats on the well behaved scale.

Joy, I'm thinking veg soup and grilled cheese!

Velveteen, we turned our heater on today! Enjoy your run!

Marie: wow, snow already! We're a long way from that (I hope). A puppy sounds like an exciting way to spend the time while DH is gone! Should be good for all concerned.

evcolbmom: welcome! This is a good group for buddies!

presmaggie and Onmyway: the pot of beans yesterday was for refried beans, which we haven't made yet. I'm going out of town this week and DH can make refritos without my help if he wants them.

presmaggie: Congrats on the job! Hope it works out well for you!
Did you know there's a Beck group on 3FC? We have a thread under General Diet Plans and Questions. I found it very helpful and the Beck book is making a huge difference for me. Glad you found it!

Hydra: good job on working out what you need for lunch under unfortunate circumstances.

Joan: welcome! Excellent dream analysis! Long walks are great.

weightlosswanted: love your avatar! Hope you don't get to wet today!

ICUwishing: glad you had a good time on your trip. I hope those good vibes will give you quick healing powers!

CruiseCAT: glad you didn't get arrested, but still have a good story to tell!

patchworkpenguin: Stay warm! I'm definitely pulling more things from the fall/winter side of the wardrobe.

We ended up with 3-bean chili last night (like Marie!) and we'll make the grilled chicken tonight -- the weather is supposed to be a tad warmer.

Hi Sarah, welcome aboard. Tell us a little about yourself. We’d like to get to know you.

Presmaggie, CONGRATS on the new job. I definitely think your new employers are lucky and I hope you feel semi healthy on your first day. And the old employee, I bet she is not a happy camper and will be history before long. Most employers can see bad employees.

OMW, I really like that statement in the home stretch. I hadn’t thought about that and it’s sort of motivating. I totally agree how quick kids grow up. My kids are 24 and 23. That’s the ages I had THEM!!!

Hydra, good choice on making your own lunches. That is very sad that the economic times are causing the unhealthy menus.

Joan, welcome to the group. You really had me smiling. I’m picturing a forty-something cartoon woman squeezing into her old wedding dress as the muffin top and bottom. I’m POSITIVE that isn’t what it would be but I have this ridiculously vivid imagination and you made me smile at work. As I’ve detested my job as of late, that was a wonderful break. So thank you and you can lose the weight and have the renewal in your dress and look absolutely beautiful I can picture that too!!!!

WLW, I was trying to figure out your avatar then I realized it was about surviving cancer as you did. I admit that I do really like your hat avatar. You are the epitome of southern lady.

ICU, the obsessive handwashing doesn’t work. I try it all the time and I still get colds. I just never give up on that concept though. Just think, though. When the 4 pounds of snot is gone, you’ll have lost in NC.

Cruise, thank you for standing up for the doggies, kitties and people. The world needs people to fight these battles. I’m glad there’s hope in the fire containment. DH doesn’t go often – it’s because they are repaving the runway, so his base had to deploy elsewhere (Boise) for 6 months. He was there in June, August and now October/partway through November. After that, he’d better darn stay home.

Penguin, so winter hit here with snow yesterday. I think I’d rather that then the rain. I’m not a rain person. Glad you’re warmer today.

Joy, what are you doing this week out of town??? Inquiring minds (or perhaps forgetful ones if you’d already posted).

Tomorrow is new puppy adoption day. I called on an available husky pup and there was a deposit already on the girl pup. But the man said that the new parents were avoiding his calls. To make the story short, he left another message saying that he found someone else to adopt if they didn’t. They called him back immediately and were grateful to back out. So I’m please the girlie pup didn’t go to them. Huskies are a tough breed and if they weren’t ready for a pup, they really weren’t ready for a husky. That would have been a bad adoption. DS is going with me as it’s a 6 hour drive. And so is Kai Bear. It should be an interesting trip.

Marie

ICU - we must have the same cold. I spent most of the day in bed yesterday. It hit me really hard. Of course, I had my first day at a new job today and I was beyond exhausted, but I think I hid it well. Some people looked at me kind of funny, probably because I have these huge dark circles under my eyes from being sick.

Marie - thanks about the job. That woman works across the hall from me. She tried talking to me today, so I hope she can keep it together. It would be nice to be able to move on.

gardenerjoy - thanks for the info on the Beck group. I didn't know there was one, but I had seen the book mentioned elsewhere. It's amazing!

patchwork - sorry you had such a cold day. I always find it so hard to adapt when the weather changes suddenly.

Cruise - good for you for standing up for the people with pets. It has to be stressful enough for them without worrying about the safety of their pets.

wlw - try to stay dry.

Joan - welcome!

Hydra - I bring my food to work, too. In my case, it's primarily to avoid the wheat and dairy that's in most take out food. However, there's that big bonus with being able to control my intake much easier.

Onmyway - what a busy weekend. You almost need to go back to work to rest.;)

My first day on the job went well. It's really interesting work and there's lots going on. Basically, it involves spending government stimulus money on infrastructure projects at a university. It's only a 9 month term, but I think I'll learn lots and make lots of contacts.

Hello everyone...I'm also new here...and can only stay for a while, since I'll be 50 in January...but since I need all the support I can get...thought I would stop by here for encouragement. Thanks for letting me stop by for a few months...I look forward to all the great words of wisdom as well as friendships here. I just started back working on (off) my weight...had just gotten complacent...but hubby is very supportive, and has joined me in this endeavor. We've been at this for about three months now...and today we inched our daily walk up 1/2 miles...so we're up to 2.5 miles daily. I also do "walk away the pounds" DVD (Sansone) when there is inclement weather. Today it was only 63 degrees when we walked...but it felt good anyhow.

Thank you all for the welcome, and Marie, glad to make you smile. Forget the muffin top, I don't think I could even get that dainty garmet over my hips right now.

Anyhow, I had that loooong walk yesterday, and it was great. Stayed on plan, too. Lost a couple pounds water weight already, which is always nice. However, I'm so out of shape that my legs ache.

As I thought the scale didn't budge, but I did stay late to workout at the gym last night. Had the trainer help me with my pt exercises then did the bike and arm bike. Went home feeling like spaghetti woman!
marie: had to laugh at your comment about my hat avatar, I've lived in the south for 20 years now but was born and raised in ny. my attitude and personality are still very much yankee!
cruise: I was worried, thought at first you were raising a ruckus at the fairgrounds because you were evacuated yourself. good of you to volunteer and speak up!
welcome to all our newcomers!
headed out to work my "friday", looking forward to another midweek "weekend"!

Joy - With Mack out of town it's a really good thing I didn't get arrested.

All this talk about chili made me hungry.... guess what I fixed a big batch of this AM.... that's right..... chicken chili.... nothing like having chili at 6am.

Marie -Congratulations on the puppy!!! Will you do me a favor; bottle up some puppy breath and send it my way. Can't wait to see pics.

Maggie - Glad the first day went well. Hope you continue to feel better.

simplymybest - Welcome to the group. Feel free to stick around, no need to leave when you turn 50.

Joan - Take is slow and easy the first few weeks; don't want to injure yourself.

WLW - I have to admit I miss your hat avatar. Pics always help me keep everyone straight. Enjoy "your" upcoming weekend.

I had to stop by the shelter yesterday to drop some stuff off and I ALMOST came home with the sweetest little girl (OK not so little). Problem is Tyra does not do well with other females. That and I really do not want/need five dogs again.

We had our first frost of the year; current temp is 35 with an expected high of 73 today...... I LOVE THIS TIME OF YEAR!!! Weather like this makes me miss Virginia. We may get the cool temps but we don't have the trees with all those beautiful colors.

I'm off to see Dr. Guha for my "huha" today.... sorry I just find that too funny not to share with my lady friends here. Anyway, I'm really hoping he thinks it's just scar tissue and won't want to do a biopsy.

Have a good day ladies!!!

EDITED TO ADD:
HEIDI WHERE ARE YOU!!!

Marie: I'm going to a library conference. This is kind of the last gasp of my previous life. I have a couple of responsibilities and, otherwise, I intend to take full advantage of the hotel exercise room, pool, and hot tub!
Hope the puppy adoption goes well!

presmaggie: so glad that your first day went well in spite of the cold.

simplymybest: sounds like you are doing great! Welcome!

Joan: good job on the walk! I find that mixing up my exercise helps a lot with aches and pains in a 40+ body. Besides walking, I use fitness videos for dance, strength training, yoga, and qi gong. When I'm alone, I also sometimes just put on music and dance!

weightlosswanted: have a great "Friday" and weekend! Good job on the gym workout!

CruiseCAT: hope the doctor appointment goes well and the chili is yummy!

As I wrote to Marie, I'm headed out of town this afternoon for a couple of days. I'm taking my laptop and expect to have internet access. So I'll likely report in tomorrow morning as usual. Thursday is a bit iffy since I have early morning conference responsibilities and need to get checked out of my hotel.

Morning all. Its overcast and 66*. the only day its not supposed to rain is Wed. :p. I pulled my winter clothes down from the attic and found some clothes I can still wear!

Following Maggie's example I went to the library and got Beck's book, along with two others that deal with emotional eating. I had a big PMS meltdown on Sun night, I did do a little binging but it was on grapes not dark choc chips! Progress. At least I'm realizing that food won't help how I'm feeling for long.

Gardner, so what are some of your favorite DVD's?

Marie, Yay, on the puppy! I'm glad those other people backed out.

Cruise, Good luck at the Dr.

Simplymybest, What part of TN are you in?

Maggie, Glad to hear the job is going well.

Hi ladies, I would love to join your weekly chats. I am fairly new here....been hanging out in the South Beach Diet section of the boards.

Last week was great.....lost 3 pounds and felt like I really had the plan figured out. Then this week I am stalled....hopefully it is just my AF on its way and putting my body through its monthly complications. So I am trying to stay on plan and not let PMS get the best of me.

So many of you are lucky enough to have the weather starting to make some changes. I am in Miami, Florida and we expect to stay in the 90's this entire week. While I am jealous that all of you are experiencing cool weather I am sure when you have snow I will be happy to live in paradise.

I have three daughters.....ages 17, 13 and 6 that keep me very busy. The 17 year old is busy applying for college.....huge changes soon in our family.....I need to be strong for her. Havent been at the gym as much as I would like to be, and so that is something I need to work on.

Just stopping in to say hi - I'm still alive. Two days off work - I don't think I've EVER done that in 20 years! Truth be told, I figured with the barely-restrained flu panic, if I showed up at work I'd have been lynched in the parking lot. Going back tomorrow. In between cups of coffee, I'll check in on the past posts - I see some new names already! :) Double-dosing the Nyquil, and heading for bed. Thanks to everyone for the well-wishes!

simplymybest - welcome! You'll find lots of support here.

Joan - the soreness in your legs will go away and soon you'll start getting that great energy boost - so worth it.

Cruise - good luck at the doc's.

gardener - hope you can keep up with the good exercise on your trip!

patchwork - I hope the Beck book can help you, too. My bingeing was getting bad and it's helped me to turn things around to the point that I'm losing again.

KDHW - welcome!

ICU - get well soon!

Today was my second day at work and this cold is still kicking my butt. Hopefully, it will be gone soon. One of my coworkers invited me to join the group who go to the gym for a daily lunchtime workout. I was wondering why he kept looking at my upper arms, but I realize now that he could see the muscles in my arms because I was wearing short sleeves today. Wow, my arm muscles are starting to be noticeable. Sweet. I think I might join the gym group a couple of days a week for some cardio.

edited because I need spell check.lol

icu: hope you feel better soon!
presmaggie: congrats on the new job, and the added bonus of a gym group : )
marie: yay for the new puppy! I fell in love with one I saw last week, now I'm really considering getting a dog again.
joy: have fun on your trip : )
welcome simplymybest, joan & kdhw! this is an awesome support group.

hit the gym after work again, this time did elliptical and treadmill, then some of the stretches they gave me at pt. couldn't do the elliptical yesterday because I really felt it in my back, but was ok today. trying to increase the exercise gradually because there's no way I want to ever feel that pain again!

I did my homemade workout 2 today. This one clocked in a few minutes less than 1, the beginning seemed to fly by but by the end I was ready to quit and skipped two exercises that I had done something similar earlier. Kickbacks and lateral leg presses. So I think I'll rearrange a few things before trying W1 again.

ICU, I hope you feel better.

WLW, I hate being sore after exercise, so I tend to stretch a lot afterwards which helps. Some of my exercise friends don't feel they have 'accomplished anything' unless they are sore after a workout. Eeek!

Maggie, Kudos on the arm muscles, and being invited to join the others.

KDHW, Welcome, glad to have you with us.

hey penguin, way to go with those workouts! I feel it when I'm working out but not so much later. I agree you shouldn't work out to the point you suffer for it after. A little soreness is ok, but not real pain! I'm worried about aggravating my herniated disc. I don't want to do anything to make it flare up the way it had before my epidural. It's hard not to try to push myself to try and get right back to where I was six months ago when I first started feeling the pain. The goal of pt seems to be to build up the abdominal and back muscles that support my lower back in order to protect the disc from further injury. They're doing a pretty good job of giving me exercises to build up all the muscle groups from head to toe!

Well, yesterday not a bad day, but a few bites of salty stuff and my water weight came cascading back!

Don't you hate when that happens? I wish I had a scale that would show two numbers: water weight, and "real" weight.

Having a terrible time with insomnia this week. Is it a fortysomething thing? anyway, I find it hard to stick to plan on "no-sleep" days.

HI you guys! I miss coming here and catching up on everybody's lives! I am swamped with this class and work and life.
I am being pretty good about walking every day and this morning, I think the scale said 139, could it be???
I am waiting to saturday to make sure.

Still trying to be as good as I can as far as eating and walking!

Will post more later,
dmc:carrot::carrot::carrot::carrot:

patchworkpenguin: I like exotic forms of dance, so my newest DVD is a Brazilian Dance workout with Vanessa Isaac. I also use the Hula and Tahitian Island Girl DVDs. Those can all be danced barefoot. My favorite yoga DVDs are by Suzanne Deason. And I have several Qi Gong DVDs by Lee Holden. For strength training, I'm using the 10 Minute Solution: Target Toning for Beginners -- I can watch that for free through my Netflix Account under the Watch Instantly tab.

KDHW: welcome!

presmaggie: yay for noticeable arm muscles! A lunchtime workout group sounds great!

weightlosswanted: way to go with increasing your exercise gradually to prevent energy! That's the way to do it!

Joan: hope your sleep straightens out soon. I've been hearing that eliminating screen time (computer or TV) for an hour or two before bed can help, but I'm finding it difficult!

dmc2009: sounds like you're doing great with your weight loss journey even at a busy time.

My trip is going pretty well. Normal difficulties sleeping in a strange bed, but I'm getting lots of time for exercise and I'm eating well from the food I packed, studiously avoiding the breakfast buffet in the lobby of the hotel.

joan: melatonin works wonders for insomnia! also try to avoid caffeine later in the day, if I have caffeine after about 2pm I'm up half the night. I've found that when I'm not sleeping well I tend to avoid exercise and crave carbs and quick, easy junk food meals.
dmc: way to go keeping up the walking in spite of a hectic schedule!

weightlosswanted - I hope your back will feel better, soon.

Joan - I have big issues with water weight, too. The good side, I find, is that it comes off pretty quickly when I start eating better.

dmc2009 - thanks for dropping by! It's good to fit in a little 3fc time into a hectic day.

gardenerjoy - great job on staying on track on a trip! Those habits you start now can last a lifetime.

When will this cold go away??? (said with a whine in my voice). I just want to feel better so I can go back to exercising strenuously again. Strangely enough, I seem to be missing it. Unfortunately, I got pneumonia a couple of years ago, so I have to be careful with my lungs these days and they still feel inflamed.

Just a quick shout out to everybody. Thank you for your support, your guidance and your wisdom. Today marks 1/3 lost of my weight loss goal!!! Over 10% of my total body weight! I am so excited!!!

I can't sleep! Ugh.
Congrats HYdra on your 1/3 journey.
Presm., I hope your cold goes away soon.

Yes, its been so hectic! My class, my dd's homework, house work, work, extra work, all of it is really hard. But I keep packing my lunches and snacks and force myself to walk. Those are the things I do for me!

I don't think my life has ever felt so hectic... what is it> Age???

see you soon!
Night.:hug:

WLW - Good to "see" you again.

Joy - Glad the trip is going well. WTG on healthy eating and exercise while on the road.

Hydra - WTG on 10%.

Maggie - Sure hope this cold doesn't settle in your chest.

DMC - 130's..... woo hoo!!!

I tried to check in here a couple times yesterday but the site was having issues. Not much going on here just been busy doing my "fall" cleaning. I got the worse out of the way yesterday; the sunroom and all 20+ windows.

My eating has been excellent all week and I've been working out everyday so I'm hoping/expecting a 2 lb. loss on Monday. Once again I decided to only weigh on Monday and so far I'm actually doing it.

Mack and I have been Skyping every night but I still miss him BIG TIME. The weather has been decent but they have had winds that have prevented him from diving the last couple days.

Well I'm off to the treadmill.

Have a good day ladies.

CAT - WTG on the cleaning! Sorry you're feeling lonely! Crossing my fingers for you that Monday reflects your efforts properly! Also want to know everything went OK with your appt.

dmc - well done, Featherweight! :) The goal line approaches ...

pres - believe me, I commiserate and whine along with you. I'm about 80% recovered. I hope you've been better about what you've chosen to eat while sick than I have! Agree with your plan to take care of the lungs. They're just a little bit important. Major congrats on having the stirrings of exercise addiction! Hope your new job is going well!

hydra - Congrats on the 10% and the 1/3 mark! Huge victory!

WLW - me too on the caffeine - I have to stop by noon.

gardener - well done with the traveling discipline! That's definitely going to pay off!

joan - totally agree with the dual scale. I can gain and lose 3 in a day over processed stuff too. I like to think of it as a signal that this is my body telling me that it doesn't like what I put into it and it's showing me in the way that's most likely to get a response. :)

marie - didn't lose, but didn't gain in NC! But I did get a new goal - and I'll get my signature updated to reflect it this weekend. Still making battle plans on how to achieve it. You know we're going to be clamoring for puppy pics when you get back!

simply - welcome! I'm so jealous that you have a partner who's walking the walk with you! I sometimes think, in my dark mood, that I share a domicile with a passive-aggressive saboteur.

patch - I've done the same - broken out the sweaters and THRILLED to see some that were tucked away for a few years! Awesome job steering to the grapes. I was home Mon and Tues with the cold and the PMS ... and the chips won. :( I think I'll make a point of keeping some grapes in the freezer so I can be like you. :)

KDHW - welcome! SBD's a great plan - I never touched cauliflower until I tried the fake mashed potato trick.

Velveteen - I remember when you begged for the kick in the pants - and now here you are at 24 pounds off! LOL!

Sarah - welcome and jump on in!

Carol - I sympathize with the busyness. Still getting up early for workouts?

HEIDI - WHERE YA BEEN????

A small miracle has occurred. I was getting pouty because I have not been able to synch my available time with the lap swimming times at the pool, and began looking for other pools. Then I got an email that because of the surge in the team membership, they're breaking my son's group out to an hour later - 7:30-8:30. And because this fast group is not quite so big ... they'll only be taking up 4 lanes. The extra 2 lanes ... are going to be open lap swimming! :D Voila! DS10 and I will be working out at the same time! :carrot:

Hydra - congratulations!!

dmc2009 - I feel the same about hectic. I feel like my life is on spin cycle right now. It seems to be a combination of a lot to do and a body that refuses to sleep at night. Then, I'm tired all day. Ugh.

Cruise - good job on the cleaning. I'm waiting for the rains to "clean" my windows.:lol:

ICU - that's great news on DS' swimming time. I wish I could do something while my boys do Tae Kwon Do. It's just wasted time and I don't have any time to waste.

Feeling overwhelmed this morning. My boys won't give me one second alone to even think. They are so clingy this morning, it's hard to take. My new job is taking what energy I have left and I need this cold gone. Aaargh.

pres - any chance you can bring a totebag full of mail, or start addressing Christmas cards (way too proactive!), or reading, even if it's for the job? As a "bleacher queen/swim mom", my son's pool is just barely too far for me to drive home while he swims, and having been a swimmer, I simply cannot watch practices, because I either get annoyed with his level of effort, or get annoyed at the coaches. It sucks to have to make every minute count just to keep up with life. :) Nature of the beast I guess! Get well soon!

Presmaggie, I am so happy your first day went smoothly. :carrot: Especially that the woman tried to be nice. How awesome that your arm muscles are defined. What an excellent boost! And an invitation to lunch workouts – that would be so awesome. I work with lazybutts so lunch is only eating!

Simply, welcome. I really hope no one kicks me off this thread when I turn fifty in two years. So if you find the encouragement you need here, redo 49 for another year. BTW, I started my journey a few years ago with Sansone’s WATP dvds. It was a great way to get addicted to exercise.

Joan, just know that the leg ache means you’re doing what’s good for you. Sounds like you’re on a great start! Too funny about the water weight and the real weight. If you figure that one out you’ll be a billionaire! :D BTW, my cold hit its 2 week anniversary yesterday. I’m resigned to it but am really fighting the asthma getting bad – actually my lung capacity has improved a little through this week. I do admit I was tired of exercising at a reduced level and pushed my elliptical back to its normal routine. Other than having to use my inhaler after 5 minutes, it was wonderful to feel in control and better even if it might be a mirage.

WLW, yeah your avatar is back. :carrot: I really do love it even though you’re a Yankee. Spaghetti limbs is a great feeling (unless it lingers for hours).

Cruise, LOL on the logical point of not being arrested while Mack was out of town. But you spoke for the dogs and I admire you. Sorry, no puppy breath. The man was a skank and freak (per my son). He had the audacity to say, I wish I had a 100 of them since the phones ringing off the wall. He wanted me to get into a bidding war, upping the price. So DS and I drove 660 miles for no puppy. But it was a great day as we saw the school my DS was going to move to Phoenix for in Sacramento. It was so strange I saw it cruising down the freeway. Apparently it’s a new campus and they have his program. :carrot: We’re all excited he and his fiancée are moving to Sacramento now instead of Phoenix. 300 miles versus 1700. And, I have been emailing the husky rescue group in Washington. It’s looking really positive that I will be able to adopt Sasha, the 1.5 yo that I had my little heart set on. I am so excited. :cloud9: That was the route I’d wanted to go and it’s working out. I will post her pics as soon as I know it’s 100% sure. I bet it was extremely difficult to resist the shelter’s little girl. Homeless doggies just pull the heartstrings. And don’t you just love Skype. I chatted with my DH every day from Bangkok for 3 weeks and it didn’t cost a cent.

Joy, I’m so happy others just like to dance around the house. :dancer:I have an ipod playlist with the tunes that just make dance. I don’t even have to be alone. There are just songs that make one move.

Penguin, grape binging is excellent. That’s more than progress, that’s success!!!!

Welcome HDHW!!! Three daughters??? I bet that’s fun occasionally when all of you meet AF at the same time. As you envy our weather getting cold, I envy your constant heat. I love warm weather and think I could be happy only vacationing in snow.

DMC, my fingers are crossed that 139 stays for your Saturday weigh in!

Hydra, WTG on the 1/3 landmark. :bravo: I love landmark goal achieving. You should be so excited. WTG!!!!!

ICU, that is awesome news about the pool. :cp::cb:I’m very excited for you. That schedule change is great!!! I love your comment about your body telling you no processed foods. You are so right, we do tend to listen to that evil scale!

OK, so in my comment to Cruise, you all could tell that the Tuesday puppy adoption failed. But I have been in contact with the rescue group and it’s nearly 100% certain I’ll be adopting Sasha on Saturday. The foster mommy and I have been chatting quite a bit and I really like her. Her ways with doggies parallels mine. So on Friday after work, Kai Pixie Bear and I will start the drive up to Tacoma. I’m hoping to get to Salem or so. That way I can get to Tacoma early on Saturday and Kai and Sasha can play a bit before we all head home. I’m so excited. I was worried about adopting a puppy – mostly how in the heck was I going to do our daily 1.5 mile walk with three dogs and carrying a baby pup??? And this way Kai and Sasha get to become play buddies right away. It is amazing how things just work out. The scary part was I was irritated with the skank man but wasn’t upset. Perhaps partly because DS and I were having a great road adventure and finding he doesn’t have to move to Phoenix. And partly because I so much wanted a rescue dog and especially Sasha.

On to other news. The evil scale read 147.0 this morning!!!! :goodscale I have only a dozen pounds left to go. Is that awesome or what??? I even texted DH at 5 this morning because I’m so pleased. I love when a pound vanishes! :carrot:

Marie

presmaggie: take care of yourself! This seems like a good season to make sure our immune systems recover as thoroughly as possible so we don't get the next bug coming along.

Hydra: Congratulations! You're doing so great with this!

dmc2009: hope you sleep better tonight.

CruiseCAT: good job on the fall cleaning -- washing windows lends itself to some good stretching and squatting movements.

ICUWishing: I'm so glad that the pool time has suddenly worked out wonderfully for you!

Marie: so sorry about the puppy but great news about your son's school! And way to go on the lost pound!

I decided to scoot back home because we have a full day of rain on tap today. I figured if I had to drive in the rain, I'd rather get over with than spend the whole morning fretting about it and then driving through it. So, I'm safely home and DH is fixing vegetarian chili mac for our lunch. Glad to be here!

A lot of insomnia in our group right now! I didn't sleep three nights ago because I was excited about my trip and the last two nights have each been worse than the last. I'm hoping that the problem will right itself now that I'm home.

Hmmm. The weather radio just went off -- flash flood warning. No worry for us because we live on a hill but that can cause havoc for lots of people. They are saying some areas have had 2 to 4 inches of rain already and many hours left to go.

Hi, Ladies!

Thanks CruiseCAT and ICU (and anybody else I missed in my quick skim!) for noticing my absence. I've just been busy, compounded by just being sick of it all, the constant battle to lose / maintain weight. My youngest son got pretty sick last week and since he was by my side all week, I just stopped using the computer and checking in. But, like all good losers, I came back and checked in today.

I feel like I've lost sense of how much to eat, and that I've been eating too much. I haven't really gained much, just fluctuating in my 5lb zone, so I guess I've been eating more at a maintenance level. Today I'm tracking calories, trying to gain that sense of understanding and control back. It's 2:30pm and I've had 729 calories so far today; that feels about right.

The problem is, and I know a lot of people can relate to this, I feel like it's all or nothing -- either I'm hyper-focused on food & exercise & scale & tape measurer or I'm not paying attention. The last couple of weeks have been about not paying attention. Now I'm ready to refocus. But I guess that's just life. The biggest thing is that I know that I am in this for life. It's not a 2 month race or anything...

I've missed you all and I'm back!

WoW, It is so hard to keep up with everyone! Here goes, and if I forget someone, it's just pre-alzheimer's kicking in!

Welcome back newleaf. Hope DS is feeling better. I know what you mean about all or nothing. I am really having a hard time regaining my momentum.

Gardener, Glad you got home before all of this rain. It's cold and wet and nasty. We get lots of water running through our yard. Let's hope it all stays in the yard.

Marie, I am a big believer that things work out the way they are supposed to. Sasha was meant for you, just sorry you had to make that big trip to find out. Pretty shady of the other guy trying to put you into a bidding war. Another pound gone! Yahoo!

Presmaggie, Hope you are felling better! It is so hard to find the right balance of work and family, add school to the mix and no wonder you feel lousy. Please be sure you are getting some "me" time in there!

ICU, that's great news about swimming while DS is swimming! Again, things work out like they should! As for exercise in the AM, I am still getting up early a couple days a week. Can't say I like it, but at least I am doing it!

Cruise, glad you can Skype with Mack. Sounds like this week is going well for you. Loved your rescue story you rebel!

dmc, Hope that 139 sticks! If not hope it's 138 instead!

Hydra, Congrats on the first 1/3. Keep up the good work!

Joan, sorry to say insomnia is not a problem for me, in fact I'm very good at sleeping! I'll be in big trouble if that ever becomes an issue for me!

simply, Glad to have you with us! There is no one hear checking ID's so you can stay as long as you like!

WLW, I'm also glad to see your old avatar again! Helps me keep track when I can put a face to a name.

KDHW, Welcome to the best group at 3FC!

Patch, how's the exercise going?

Finally had my spider veins treated yesterday. Went to a dermatologist that a friend recommended. Right now I look like I am covered with mosquito bites. DR. says I should see results in about 2 weeks. The procedure felt like multiple bee stings with burning. I have a pretty high tolerance for pain so I didn't think it was that bad. Also had a suspicious patch of skin removed from my neck. DR. is pretty sure it is basal cell carcinoma. Biopsy results will be back in a few days. I showed the spot to my regular DR. several years ago and he said it was just a dry skin patch.

Woke up this am to find water all over the kitchen floor cause the freezer door was not closed all of the way. Didn't lose too much food, but now I need to think of what to do with the ground beef that was thawed! It's rainy and cold here so chili might be in order!

Okay, so I had a chance to catch up on the thread. I hope everyone who was sick is feeling better!

Welcome to all the new people!

Marie sorry the puppy didn't work out, but hopefully it all works out with the rescue dog. But didn't you mention concerns about red flags at the shelter?? Hopefully it all checks out okay.

PresMaggie congrats on the new job. Hopefully the co-worker has put the past behind her. Sorry that your boys are being clingy. I'm sure this job is a big change for them, too. They'll readjust soon.

I envy you all your chili, sounds yummy! We've been having cooler weather here, too. I've kicked the heat on a few times, when I've noticed that my hands are really cold...

CruiseCAT sorry that you are missing Mack, and then have the fires to deal with, to boot! Skype is great... another addict here. Although I use Trillian now, but it's basically the same thing.

OnMyWay I'm glad they are biopsy-ing the spot. I've had basal cell carcinoma, too, and my regular doctor didn't believe me when I told him I thought it was skin cancer.

I'm looking forward to being back in the groove. I'm working very hard to resist the urge to eat, eat, eat. And, trying to decide whether to make roast lamb or roast chicken for dinner...

Thank you to all for your responses and encouragement on my weight loss thus far. I just love celebrating these mini-goals. I am going to reward myself by making myself a pretty necklace this weekend with some nice beads I have.

dmc - hang in there honey, life can seem really so hectic and I am glad you are taking time for yourself, that is so important.

cruiseCAT - Wow! 20+ windows cleaned is a big accomplishment.

presmaggie - I hope you feel better soon. :hug:

marie - I hope your weekend goes as planned and you will be meeting that cute little puppy soon.

gardenjoy - I hope you get some good sleeping time in tonight and this weekend.

newleaf - I am looking at this weight loss journey as a complete lifestyle change and I totally understand about not focusing and then refocusing, I think that is normal.

onmyway - chili sounds good, especially with this cooler weather. yum.

Picture! My GF, the champion Masters swimmer, entrepreneur, writer, photographer, and all-around Renaissance woman - with me. I am SO glad I went to NC!

ICUWishing what a wonderful photo... I can tell what great friends you are... There's nothing like a visit with a wonderful friend, eh? AND........ look how slim you are!!! You rock!

YYYaaaaaa tomorrow is FRIDAY :carrot::carrot: anyone else happy that the weekend is about to begin??

Tomorrow morning I am going to walk my daughter to school instead of driving. She is very excited about our new adventure we will have together. I am hoping that it will be a great way to add in some much needed exercise.

What is everyone doing this weekend?

I have a bbq to go to on Saturday with my husband and a bunch of beer drinking fire fighters.....I have to admit that i am a little nervous about making bad choices.....I must stay on plan!!!

KDHW Welcome! Your name is unfamiliar so I figure you must have popped in while I had popped out...

I have a love/hate relationship with weekends. Of course I love them, but the fact that they are not completely under my control (ie, I have to think about what others want to do, eat, etc) makes it harder for me to stay on plan.

We actually don't have a lot of plans. My DS8 has a soccer game on Saturday. We *might* go apple picking with my MIL. On Sunday, the boys have cello lessons. That's it for now, and it's a 3-day weekend. I guess I should come up with something fun to do with the boys on Monday. Maybe we'll go for a bike ride.

hi all, I'm very happy that all the difficult stuff of this week is over and I can relax a little tomorrow. Yay, Friday!

KD, good idea on walking DD to school, even better that she is excited about it too! No exciting plans for tomorrow {or the weekend!] but we get to go vote for city Mayor. The previous one resigned. Apple picking sounds nice.

ICU, Great picutre thanks for posting!

hydra, congrats on the weightloss!

I need to go to bed now, I keep making a lot of mistakes typing, and I' m not sure I'm making a lot of sense anyway. LOL

Well, it's been a mixed week. I did a lot of walking and some healthy eating. But then I received some heavy work assignments (I kind of hate my work, this is my fundamental problem), and responded with little binges. I can see the problem so clearly, yet it's so hard to break these habits which have taken hold in the last few years.

Late last night, I binged on just about the worst thing....shortbread! I had bought it for my mother and I wound up devouring it myself. Nice, huh? I didn't even check the calories until after I'd eaten the whole (thank goodness, little) package--holy cow! I might as well have eaten a stick of butter.

Oh, well, another day, right?

Although, personally, I find weekends tough. Mainly because I have to cook all these meals for a houseful of males. Constantly handling food. My mother-in-law is coming for dinner Saturday. That's hard, because she's weight obsessed--her own and everyone else's. I like her, but I get the vibe that these days, she's kind of enjoying my weight gain, because it makes her feel better. I get comments like, "If you and I were petite, dear, we could wear those little dresses."

Joan Eeew, a comment like that from my MIL would definitely annoy me... I'm glad you get along otherwise! I hear you about weekends being tough; it's the same for me. I hope your work day is less stressful today...

Heidi - Good to see you back here. I can really relate to where you are; my post last week was very similar. I've done great so far this week but still a little frustrated that I'm 10 lbs. heavier than my lowest weight since I started my journey.

Thanks for mentioning Trillian. With the issues (including legal) with Skype I'm not sure how much longer it will be available.

Looks like everyone is enjoying chili with the cooler temps. I made a huge batch and put most of it in the freezer in two serving containers.

My weekend will be spent doing much of the same..... cleaning. I always get so much done when Mack is gone. Today I will tackle the bedroom; including purging clothes from drawers and closets.

TGIF!
Newleaf - I empathize completely with the desire to step back and maintain a while! It does seem obsessive to have to pay attention to every single choice, every day, and every meal. I'm slowly making peace with it as the price I need to pay to not go back to where I was. Lots of things require my attention on a daily basis, and I guess this is just going to be one more of them. We miss you when you're gone, though! :) And thanks for the compliment - I wish I looked as thin from the waist down as I do up top! Maybe that's somewhere in the next 5 pounds ... I'm kind of moving into the exploratory phase of wondering which pound will take off the last of the waist roll, the belly pooch ... surprisingly, I just don't have that much left to complain about - weird for me!

KDHW - how far is the walk going to be? I sure wish I could do that with my DS10. Unfortunately, I have 3.4 miles, with no sidewalks, on hilly, curvy roads. Not safe! DS is headed for an overnight Bday party tonight, we have piano tomorrow morning, having a pheasant dinner with the neighbors tomorrow night, and DS sings in church choir Sunday. What else happens is dependent on the weather - there is a LOT of yardwork that has to get done.

Joan - ah, the passive-aggressive MIL. :D They're so special. Weekends are definitely my challenge too - my spouse is a top-of-the-line chef and he gets creative on the weekends. Best I can do is reduce portion size, eat slower, and try to stay active. He doesn't pout if I don't eat a lot, but he absolutely will not compromise cooking technique.

hydra - your jewelry is gorgeous, and I hope you create something really memorable to celebrate your ongoing success here! If you ever want to experiment with natural faceted gemstones, let me know - I have a huge stash that I'm practicing with as part of my gemology class.

patch - holy cow - you are up LATE!! Go to bed, girl! :) Haven't you heard that getting enough sleep is a factor in weight management? ;)

marie - we want to see new fuzzy pictures!

Another half a pound down. The iPod is getting closer ...

KDHW - how far is the walk going to be? I sure wish I could do that with my DS10. Unfortunately, I have 3.4 miles, with no sidewalks, on hilly, curvy roads. Not safe!

our walk was wonderful this morning and my DD(age 6) was happy....which in return makes me VERY happy :D it is only 1-1/2 miles each way and there are sidewalks so it was good

newleaf123: glad to have you back on board!

Onmyway: chili sounds great for today! And a good plan for rescuing the results of an unfortunate incident.

ICUwishing: great photo! And yay for another half pound

KDHW: thanks for the dancing carrots to get our weekend off to a great start! My Saturday challenge is a pre-planning meeting for NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month (http://www.nanowrimo.org/)is November). We'll meet in a coffee house and will be encouraged to support the business of our host location. I checked the menu and the only thing I can have on plan at that time of day is....bottled water. So, bottled water it is!

patchworkpenguin: hope you have a great weekend!

Joan: I'm a librarian, so I'm always offering book suggestions -- ignore this if it doesn't feel right to you. The End of Overeating by David Kessler stopped my binge-ing cold. And the books by Judith Beck have really helped change my behaviors around food.

My efforts for my trip, taking all my own food and taking full advantage of exercise opportunities, paid off -- a new low today!

Gardener - Congrats on the new low! FYI - my mom is a retired library director/reference librarian/school librarian, you name it! I dimly remember when she was going to night classes for her MLS when I was in grade school. The key thing she always emphasized was "you don't have to know nuthin'. You just gotta know where to find it." :)

Joy, I’m glad you came home early. 2-4 inches of rain is too much for driving. I hope the flooding is minimal.

Heidi, I know either I am very focused or undisciplined when it comes to food. So I have made a life long choice to be obsessed with watching my calories because I hate the other end of the spectrum. I realized I can’t be “normal” and just eat. Although from what the news blares about obesity, overeating is normal. ;) Also, the red flags were more pink and after talking with them, I understood the lack of response initially. Vacations tend to do that and the director seems very detailed, controlling type of a person and I can see why she doesn’t delegate when away. I work with someone just like that. And Sasha is worth the initial frustration I'd had.

OMW, I too am a great believer in there’s a reason for why things happen and that they work out. Although I’ve never been tested with a major tragedy so I can be Miss Pollyanna. And I will be until I can’t be. I definitely think that Sasha was meant to be with me. The beginning of her life is a sad, terrifying story but she’s been with great foster parents and I know I’m a good doggie mom as I’d do anything for my pack. So Sasha will be loved forever more. I hope the biopsy comes back benign. I’m thankful you went to a dermatologist for it. GPs are good starting points but they should know when to refer.

Hydra, great job choosing your reward. Non-food rewards I think are a 40 something mentality. We finally get it. Enjoy the new necklace and the process of designing and making it. :carrot:

ICU, I ditto Heidi’s comment – you look so thin! And you’re so blessed to have a great friend. That’s what GF stands for, right??? Great Friend. :D

KDHW, - is your name Kim??? When I type KDHW I think of radio call letters. :o I’d rather think of you with a name. I love Friday!!! It’s the BEST day of the week. Someday, when I’m old and moldy, I’ll regret counting hours down to Friday and therefore weekend. Because wishing the work hours away is probably wrong, but for now, I still count. Fill up on veges at the BBQ and have a water in your hands at all time and sip constantly. Water helps ease the hunger and temptation. And great solution for getting exercise with DD. That’s excellent!

Joan, the shortbread tasted better than a stick of butter. :dizzy: You will break those habits. As long as you keep trying and don’t subscribe to the “well I screwed up and I’ll restart on Monday” mentality, one shortbread won’t hurt you. MIL sounds like a dream. :p Goof her up and reach your goal. Not only with the goal be heady, so will the end of her petty comments.

Cruise, when you’re done scouring your house, my place is only a few hundred miles up the freeway. :D It really needs cleaning. I too usually clean while David is away, but I’m so busy getting ready for the new husky that cleaning isn’t happening.

My weekend, at least this evening and all tomorrow, will be in my Jeep, traveling north to Sasha. Kai Pixie Bear is all packed for Sasha lifelong playdate. We have a hotel room in Salem and the pet deposit is nearly as much as the room. But the room is cheap so it’s good. I’ve packed up my 100 cal snacks, will pack my apples and diet soda after work and we’ll be off. I’m so thankful DS will care for Kody and Blizzie in the morning. And my animal behaviorist and I chatted last night on making Sasha’s introductions to Kody and Blizzie. If it’s not too late, she’s going to come over a little before I get home so she can help with the transition. I really am blessed. She is wonderful.
Marie

Gardenerjoy, thanks for the recommendation. I know a cousin of David Kessler, so I'll take it as a sign. (The cousin, by the way, is a major foodie, ironically, very into fine dining etc).

I just ordered it online from the library.

Hubby came and got me on his lunch and we went to vote for city mayor. I brought a book but we were the only ones there to vote so it was over quickly. If I hadn't brought the book we probably would have had to weit.

I feel like I'm playing catch-up today al little cleaning, laundry and other fun stull like that. Hopefully weights later in the day.

Marie, enjoy the trip and the new addition!

OMW, ditto on the biopsy.

Joy, thanks for the rec for Kesslers book

ICU, I know, I know, LOL! but sleep and I have never gotten along well. I get tired in the middle of the day not at night. Hubby gets home so late that I feel if I want to spend some time with him I have to stay up late. I like to sleep until 9am on Fridays. Helps me catch up. Every Fri some NUT comes and knocks on my door at 830am. April has a fit, wakes me up, can't a woman sleep late? I don't answer the door because I'm in my nightclothes, groggy, and I'm mad!!!! Probably some little old lady collecting for orphans, and I'd yell at her, but this has been going on for weeks.

Joan, big sigh on the MIL. Mine likes to make these little comments too. Hubby swears she's trying to compliment me <rolls eyes> but it doesn't sound like it to me.

KD, Glad the walk turned out so well!

TOM jumped me 2 days early. What I can't quite figure out is why I lost half a pound going into it -- this is outside my norm for the year. And yeah, for those that have figured out that I'm a data-hound, I did review the journals all the way back to the beginning of the year. I guess it remains to be seen if I'll see up to a pound drop off by Tuesday, like I would expect.:shrug:

RANT!!!!! Skip to below if you are already having a bad day. Okay for those who are still here! Week before last I ordered four items from the Champion bra sale. I decided on one bra in a different size and decided to try another style. So we returned the first order, and ordered two more. The order arrives last week and its wrong!! One bra is wrong size, color and style, the other we eveentally figure out is correct but the tag says something differnt that what it actually is! WEIRD. Hubby calls the company because he's better at dealing with people than I am, he gets a nice person who tells him they will send the corrected order out TOMORROW as well as a pre paid mailing envelope to send the wrong items back in. So FINALLY today they arrive. Both bras are WRONG AGAIN!! So I call up and start telling the woman who answered what is wrong, she interupts me to ask something about the label???? HUH, So then she asks me for my zip code " so I don't have to go through the story..." Hey, lady, I want to tell you the whole story because I'm MAD that the REPLANCEMENT order is WRONG, too. So I read it off to her and she asks if I want the order fixed. Well, DUH. And I want the prepaid label for BOTH incorrect orders. Do I get an apology for the incorrect order? My trouble? my disappointment? Even if she doesn't MEAN it, she represents her company!!! So now I'm mad at Champion, this woman, the whole situation, AND I'm bra-less, still! It will be another week before I get that order, at this rate the sale will be OVER and I won't get to order the bras I want because we'll still be playing around ordering test samples.

Patch, how frustrating! Hope you get the right bra and that the company does something to make things right for you!

ICU, maybe you lost a 1/2 pound because you have been staying on plan!

Marie, have a safe trip getting you dog!

gardener, Congrats on you new low! Are you as tired of rain as I am?

KDHW, glad they walk worked out. What a great way to spend time with your DD and get exercise!

Joan, Seems like many of us have a similar MIL story! I'm hoping I remember when I have a DIL of my own!

Cruise, You are certainly keeping yourself busy while Mack is gone. There is something about clearing out excess stuff. It makes me feel great!

Newleaf, I'm guessing you have a 3 day because of Columbus Day. Sadly, we no longer get that day off here.

This week has been chaotic to say the least. Hardwood floors in my kitchen are buckling from the water leaking from our freezer! Now we will have to get estimates to repair or possibly replace. It seems as if it is always something!
We've had lots of rain and it's been chilly and I'm crabby as a result. I will not be an emotional eater! I will not be an emotional eater! I will not be an emotional eater! (Thanks for letting me vent!)

Have a great weekend!

ha ha! To those who enjoy mother-in-law stories.....mine likes to buy me little clothing items here and there, which is nice.....except she ALWAYS makes a point of getting them in LARGE, then making me try it on in front of her, THEN tugging it down over my waistline!

kdhw - great idea to walk with your daughter. Family exercise is a good habit to get into.

icu - nice, gemstones are great to work with. Congrats on the loss!

marie - sounds like you have a busy and fun weekend planned. I hope everything goes smoothly for you and the animals.

penguin - sorry about all the bra trouble and the bad customer service. Hopefully, they will get it right this time.

onmyway - hang in there gal. Big hug. :hug:

I will be spending time on hobbies this weekend. I need to see what I have in my jewelry supplies to make some holiday gifts ahead of time. I know that at the end of the season I bought some beaded ornaments kits and I need to haul those out. I also plan to get some walking in this weekend. Have a good Saturday! :cb:

Re Rant! I called back later, got a different person who was very nice, and feel a little better about the whole thing now. But if I call up with a problem I expect the person to be helpful and polite. Thanks for listening!

Omw, Eeeek on the floors! That's not good! I like your mantra!

Hope to get in the workout I didn't get yesterday. Hubby is off helping a friends fix their car. Even better he's supposed to get paid!

ICUwishing: yep. The profession's light bulb joke is
Q: How many librarians does it take to screw in a light bulb?
A: I don't know, but I'll look it up.

Marie: thinking of you on your trip -- I hope all of the doggie introductions go well.

patchworkpenguin: really frustrating customer experience. I think companies have no idea sometimes that the stories are important and they should be listening to them! Not only does it make the customer feel better to be heard, but obviously something is going wrong there that needs to be fixed.

Onmyway: Good job on talking yourself out of being an emotional eater with house frustrations and lousy weather. Hope today is going better. We have sunshine!

Hydra: hope you have a great weekend with your hobbies

I have a NaNoWriMo pre-planning event (November is National Novel Writing Month (http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/node)) this afternoon. I want to start off on the right foot and not get suckered into the general culture of NaNoWriMo which is to write 50,000 words in November fueled by caffeine and sugar. So, I'll buy my bottled water to support the coffee house that's hosting us and I'll pack my normal afternoon snack to eat if I get hungry.

I am down a lb. I could be down two, but today I weighed later and so it said 140, I will take it.

Class is killing me, work is crazy. Life is insane, but I am continuing to walk and watch my points!

One pound is better than no pound!:carrot:

Will I make it at this rate to my goal by december???? xmas???

Hi, everyone.

PatchworkPenguin I'm glad you're feeling a little better about the bra situation. I hope it all gets cleared up.

DMC2009 congrats on the pound!

OnMyWay yep, Columbus Day. We always got it off in Massachusetts, but I don't remember getting it off in years past in Pittsburgh. Its funny how states / districts pick and choose. The other funny thing is that my boys and I realized that we don't know *why* Monday is Columbus Day -- is it his birthday? Is it the day he was thought to reach land? The day his journey began? (doubt the last one; I don't think you'd set out in Oct) But we were glad that they didn't have to know the answer in order to get the day off... We will look it up, though. Gotta love the internet!

dmc2009: slow and steady gets the job done! A lot of the books I've read said that it's better not to put a deadline on weight loss goals. If you're down 10 pounds by Christmas, that's 10 pounds! You want to celebrate that even if the journey isn't done yet. In spite of that, I'm doing the Halloween Challenge in this section, but I'm taking that goal very lightly, more like a game than a goal. I'm also doing the monthly exercise challenges in the Chicks up for a Challenge section and that one I do take quite seriously because I have much more control over the success of it.

newleaf123: don't leave us hanging on that Columbus Day mystery!

Today should be quiet and everything according to plan. I just love days like that!

Well TOM showed up early for me too and I sure hope I get my little whoosh that comes with TOM. Unlike most I drop 1-2 lbs. on day one but I have stuck to my plan of weighing only on Mondays.

I went out to lunch with a friend yesterday and before I left I checked the online menu and found what I thought would be a healthy meal, they even listed it as "healthy". I guess it would have been had they not added at least a 1/4 cup of oil. I had three bites and ended up leaving the rest. It's getting to the point that I hate eating out. I always feel like a ***** making changes, sending stuff back or like yesterday not eating it.

Heidi - According to Wiki: Many countries in the New World and elsewhere celebrate the anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the Americas, which occurred on October 12, 1492 in the Julian calendar and October 21, 1492 in the modern Gregorian calendar, as an official holiday.

DMC - I agree with Joy about not setting hard goal date. I've had several and when I don't meet them they have a tendency to take away from the accomplishment I have made.

OMW - You know we are here for you if that urge to indulge hits.

Patch - Glad you were able to work things out.

Not sure what I'm going to do today. I still have lots of cleaning to do but I'm burned out. This is my off day for working out but I am going to take a couple of the pups for a walk.

Have a good Sunday!!!

Penguin, on Thursday nights, put a sign on the front door (actually I’d leave it up permanently) saying not to knock or disturb until after 9:30 in the morning. Bummer about the bra fiasco. I’m glad it seems resolved now. It’s the major drawback of clothes shopping online.

I feel really bad for those of you that have petty comments thrown your way by a MIL. I’m lucky and have no idea how I’d respond. Maybe those with this problem can pool a group of responses that aren’t insulting but let MIL know it’s not right or appreciated.

ICU, you’re not alone. I log my TOM – date, length, days between – and have for years. Mostly I want to know when the whoosh the 3rd week of my cycle gives me and to see if there’s a trend to it disappearing for good. So far, no change… :( I want it gone permanently!

OMW, never forget homeowner’s insurance for replacing the hardwood floors. It’s not like you destroyed them. Your freezer failed and destroyed them. Sorry about the rain and very happy to hear you won’t eat because of all the water problems.

Joan, Wow, that is nasty. Next time say, “Thanks for the gift. It makes me uncomfortable to try clothes on in front of people. I’ll let you know how it fits.” Cut her fun off at the pass.

Joy, 50,000 words in one month is a little excessive. That’s about 2/3 or one of my manuscripts. I can’t write on demand but I will try to write more in November and think of you. :D And good choice on avoiding the sugar and caffeine. Bottled water is much better. But if I was at a coffee house, I’m a mocha freak – decaf, fat-free, sugar free mochas. Most ask why bother – because of the taste! :dizzy:

DMC, congrats on the pound!!! :carrot: You’re really doing great in spite of the hectic schedule. Maybe you’ll make your goal but don’t fret if you don’t. It’s not a race. You’ll make your goal even if it’s later than December.

Newleaf, enjoy your 3 day weekend. Our district doesn’t do Columbus Day either. That was strange to get used to when I moved here. I liked more days off. ;)

Cindy, I’m sorry about your restaurant experience. I also HATE eating out. I will never understand how many restaurants make a poor chicken breast have 500 calories. 140 yes – so where do the 360 extra cals come from. Last night DH asked why I didn’t get meals on the road – well duh, I don’t want to gain weight because of restaurant. So I brought protein shakes and pretzels.

Everything went so incredibly smooth. Kai and Sasha fell in love. :hug: When they met and were released into the foster mom’s sister’s yard, they had a ball. They’re acting like they’re tethered together. They don’t like leaving each other’s side. When we started home, after 15 minutes they were snuggled together on one of the doggie beds. It was awesome. I set up a flickr account with pictures. I will take more with a better camera but this will get you started.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/4dogs4marie/

I lost another pound. :carrot: 146 – I am like amazed every time the scale is nice. I truly never thought I’d weight this in my life. 11 pounds to my goal even though I’m thinking 125 might be a better goal. For now, 135 is my goal and I can “taste” it. Starting tomorrow, I’ll be wearing my new size 10 jeans. They fit great (tried them on this morning but grabbed my 12s because ultimate comfort is the goal today. My back is sore (pinched a never near my shoulder blade yesterday at some point) and I want to be a bum and enjoy my pack.

Marie

Good evening! Another fast weekend! They always go by so quickly! I'm in a much better mood and not quite as stressed as I was last week. I realize in the grand scheme of things, water damage to my floors is not that big of a deal, I just am not in the mood to have another improvement project so quickly after having the bathroom done. I've talked with my insurance guy and need to get an estimate to see if a claim is necessary.

On a positive note, I ran into a friend I hadn't seen in quite a while. She was very complimentary about how I looked. Really made my day!

Hope everyone has a good week! Thanks for posting everyone! You inspire and motivate me!

I had a conversation with Hubby about my weightloss or lack thereof. I want to lose weight but I don't seem to be doing anything about it. I exercise sporatically, and watch what I eat to some extent but I know I could be doing a much better job. I lost almost 10 lbs when I first started in July but gained it and a few other lbs back. I keep losing and gaining the same few lbs with no real progress. I realize something is wrong here but I can't figure what the 'real' problem is; possibly I feel unmotivated to lose because I think I will just gain it back. Maybe I just don't care enough to try too hard. I certainly have the time to exercise I just don't have the motivation and I have learned the the exercise is good but if I don't watch what I eat I'm only breaking even.

Any suggestions welcome.

Have not felt that great this weekend. I have been badly nauseous and bloated feeling for a couple days now. If I don't feel much better in the morning I will call the doctor. I think I might be having a medication reaction because I don't have a fever or chills or a cold.

I hope everyone has a good start of the week! :carrot:

OMW - I don't think I would be ready for another project either. I'm not even ready for the one we have planned. I was going to have a couple more estimates done for the bath and haven't. At this point I think we will hold off until spring. We have decided to to the bedroom at the same time and will move EVERYTHING in to the sunroom. Not the place I want to sleep during the winter.

Hydra - I sure hope you feel better. A call to the doc is a good idea, especially if you think it is a reaction to meds.

Marie - I'm going to look a the pup pictures now, I'll be back to comment.

Can't say that I'm very happy with the scales, only a .8 lb. loss for a week of sticking to 1400 calories and working out six days. And no whoosh from TOM either.

I had a conversation with Hubby about my weightloss or lack thereof. I want to lose weight but I don't seem to be doing anything about it. I exercise sporatically, and watch what I eat to some extent but I know I could be doing a much better job. I lost almost 10 lbs when I first started in July but gained it and a few other lbs back. I keep losing and gaining the same few lbs with no real progress. I realize something is wrong here but I can't figure what the 'real' problem is; possibly I feel unmotivated to lose because I think I will just gain it back. Maybe I just don't care enough to try too hard. I certainly have the time to exercise I just don't have the motivation and I have learned the the exercise is good but if I don't watch what I eat I'm only breaking even.

Any suggestions welcome.

Keep trying..... I too have lost the same 10 lbs. for many months now and the one thing I can say for sure is I don't want to go back to the way it was. I feel so much better and love being active. I know if I don't watch it those 10 lbs. will become 20, 30, or even more.

Marie - Looks like Sasha will be right at home in no time. I have to tell you all your dogs are beautiful but Kai especially caught my eye.... simply stunning.