40-Somethings - 40 Somethings Oct. Chat Week 3

Was going to just add to the other thread but thought that seemed a bit lazy!

Today is our anniversary. DH and I have been married 24 years today! Half of my life! That seems so weird to me. We will go out for dinner to celebrate so I have packed a light lunch to help offset what I might have for dinner. Eating out does not scare me anymore. I know what to avoid and I'm good at bringing home leftovers.

Finally had some sunshine over the weekend. Volleyball and soccer kept us busy but I really enjoy going to the games and visiting with the other parents too!

Time to head to work, Hope everyone has a great day!

Happy Anniversary - Enjoy Your Dinner

OMW, Happy Anniversary!

I've been doing better with my eating, and have lost about two lbs, BUT I'm still above where my STARTING ticker says. changing it would be too depressing. :o. I typed that but then thought maybe I should change it, maybe I would find it more motivating??? ETA: I changed the ticker.


Hubby and I ate lunch yesterday, went shopping, and at about an hour after lunch he asked if I was hungry?? I exclaimed "NO, we only ate an hour ago" He checked his phone for the time, and didn't say anything else. I told him he was probably thirsty, but I wonder if he was just bored or thought more time had elapsed??

Good morning!

OMW - happy 24th! Go out and enjoy that dinner! :) We had a gorgeous Sunday here too - a classic cool, sunny, crisp Michigan fall day.

patch - I joined 3FC about 5 months before I actually started losing weight. It was kind of like peeking out the door of the skydiving airplane - the little voice was going "jump! jump!" but I wasn't ready to let go. :) You've lost -- not gained, so that is progress! It looks like you're getting all the ducks in a row with the exercise and the eating; now it's just a matter of synchronizing your orchestra, so to speak. The "groove" is there for you to claim. :hug:

CAT - the hike sounded wonderful. It's very cool that your spouse is willing and eager to do such active things with you!

Weekend bloat is dropping back off as predicted. I'll be in the pool tonight, and if nothing hurts, will try for 2000 yds. The iPod Touch is on its way - I had it engraved with "A goal is just a dream with a deadline - 10/14/09" to memorialize the day I went under 150. I do want to put a little distance between me and that mark, though. :)

Cruise, sounds like you had a great weekend and my jealousy that you have your DH back has ebbed. Did you wear the dress for Mack?

Penguin, the joy of fall – dressing in layers for the always changing temps.

OMW, congratulations on the 24 year anniversary. Welcome to the married for half your life (or more) club. 24 years is great. Enjoy your celebration.

ICU, that’s a great inscription. You will so enjoy that reward and every pound you put behind you as well.

I’m at work and the only one left in the technology dept. H1N1 has claimed the rest. So I sent an email to the entire district not call, that the dept was closed (I’m not help desk and would hate to be). So my hope is for quietness so I can work on state reports. Which isn’t fun but a necessary evil.

Marie

Marie - yikes! May the germs not recognize you! Thank goodness your coworkers have the decency to stay home. Sounds like you've got it under control. Only downside is that somebody's going to discover that you can run an entire department by yourself, which will lead them to Improper Thoughts. ;)

I did my first workout today with my Pilates Circle. I haven't bought one of these before becasue my additude was "Why make Pilates harder than it already is??" I should have picked an easier beginner workout but I finished the workout, however I didn't finish all the reps or did all the exercises. I did Karen Voight's Total Body Training Pilates, 50min. We started out with abwork, progressed to inner thighs, outer thighs, and topped ourselves off with pushups. I did find that the Circle made simple exercises like side leg lifts and leg circles much more effective, and I'm kicking myself for not buying one sooner.

ICU, I guess I'm discouraged because I'm losing weight I've gained since I joined 3FC. But as you pointed out, I've got my plan and I'm losing again. Thanks for the pep talk!

Marie, LOL, on being the lone survivor at work! Smart move to send the email.

Happy Anniversay - 24 years is quite an accomplishment!

Penguin - great job on losing 2 pounds - we can only control what we do today, yesterday is gone

ICU - I love my ipod touch...hope you love yours as much, and glad to hear the bloat is dropping off

Marie - hope you get your quiet so you can get your reports done

Hi, I'm Deb and I'm new to the 40's board, but looking forward to losing with everyone here. :)

For me, today was a good day - I hit my first 10 pounds off...it felt great to see that this morning.

Lambchop - Deb, welcome and congrats on the first 10 pounds!!! That's always a huge motivator!

ICU and Deb, the best app I have on my iphone (and ipod touch) is Lose It! and it's FREE!!!! It is fabulous. I think I remember Cruise saying she uses the program as well for logging calories/consumed foods. Because it's always with me, there is no excuse not to log.

Penguin, if I could, I'd give you my Pilates machine. I hated it. I was bored to tears. I tried selling it but I'm a lousy salesgirl as I said it was BORING!!!! :)

ICU, LOL at the Improper Thoughts. Since I didn't respond to helpdesk nonsense, I bet they'll keep the flu victims employed. Now me, they could lay me off at this point and I'd do the happy dance. The state reports are driving me batty - and now I want to munch. Thankfully home to my elliptical and all will be well and I won't devour 20,000 calories from frustration.

Also, I did keep my promise to make an appointment with a Dermatologist. Nov. 12 at 11:40 over the mountain. My former boss, now friend is going with me so we can then shop too. :)
Marie

Usually a first week on a diet is a good motivator as I'm always down. This week I was instead, UP .5 POUNDS! I felt so let down today. AF is not completely gone though, so I will weigh again tomorrow and the next day - something I don't ever do. I like to weigh once per week only.

It did get me down momentarily, but I still stuck to my guns, and everything I ate I put into Fitday today. I've shown a deficit every day since I started (and a fairly big deficit - I didn't realize one could burn so much in a day doing nothing btw - so I did expect a loss regardless of AF still being here).

Any words of wisdom? Is this a blip? I haven't added exercise in yet, but it's been a tough week - AF and migraines. Lots of housecleaning though!

For those using Fitday....does it calculate the recommended levels you should stick to for carbs, fat, etc.? I haven't found it yet and wondered if it was there.

Hope everyone has a great week!

Tracy

I have Lose It! :)

I love "Track Weight" and iDiary lite for small notes about my weight and plan

Marie - thanks for the reminder about Lose It! New toy should be arriving in the next day or two and that will be one of the first things to go on it. I've had good luck with my old boring paper planner this year, but it does take up a lot of room. Do not munch. It will not make the report go away. :) Unless you eat the report, and then you'll just have to rewrite it again. Glad to hear you're making the trek to the skin doc. My little burn spot is flaking away, and it looks like the aggravating spot is gone with it. Woohoo!

Tracy - I think your strategy to give it another couple days is fine. Generally, the advice is to give any plan at least 3 weeks to work before you make modifications to it. That gives you a chance to see what the monthly fluctuations are going to do. I'm with Marie - I get 80% of any loss for the month all in one week ... and for me, that's the week that's coming up for you. Hang in there!

patch - keep up the Pilates! I never was able to keep at it for very long, but was always amazed at how fast it made a difference in my stomach muscles.

Swam pretty hard last night and was absolutely starving this morning. The protein shake stayed in the cupboard - I had leftover meatloaf and mashed potatoes instead. :lol: Still waiting to see what the exercise increase is going to do to the scale - so far, so good.

Well, hello and happy aniversary OnMyWay!
Cruise, you look amazing!
Marie, I hope you don't get sick.
Lamb, what is loseit? Is it an app for iPhone?

Today the scaled smiled and said... 138! I am blown away baffled. I hope that it sticks or at least stays in the 30s. I am going to be so good this week.
Maybe I should go off and cheat more often when I am depressed. Maybe I needed a nudge of sorts. Think positive for me that it stays!

dmc

Deb - Welcome to the group. Ten pounds is a GREAT start.

Becky - I love that Mack is also making an effort to eat right and workout. We both lost about 40 lbs. but when I stopped at the 10 gain he did not. Unfortunately he has put on about half and is now kicking himself. Now that he is back from Mexico he is serious again. Yesterday he didn't feel like doing the treadmill so we ended up walking his 5 mile running loop.

I was thinking about you when we went by the town pool on our walk yesterday. I thought about stopping in and checking the hours for lap swimming and then decided I wouldn't use it until spring so we didn't stop. I've never been a strong swimmer, I asked Mack how odd would it look if I wore my mask & snorkel to do laps.

I do use lose it but only when I am on the road and don't have my laptop. I use FitDay mostly because I purchased in many years ago and it's what I got use to; creature of habit I guess.

Tracy - I have the purchased version of FitDay and you can set that up under the "Weigh Goal" tab.

Well the dogs are driving me nuts, time to take them out for morning play time.

Tracy, I find weighing once a week depressing because on a daily basis I can see my weight fluctuate by a couple pounds. I’m a firm believer in Murphy’s Law that if I weighed once a week, it would ALWAYS be the day that I retained 20 pounds of water. Regardless, great job staying focused even though the evil scale tried to sidetrack you! :carrot:


Lambchop, does Track Weight show a graph and have the notes? Or do you use two programs for that? I created a spreadsheet in Quickoffice that I can put in Excel on my Mac because I like seeing the graph. It makes me happy. :D


ICU, thanks for the words of wisdom. :DYou truly made me laugh aloud and my co-worker asked what I was laughing at. She agreed with you. I loved your breakfast choice. I was eyeing a leftover slice of pizza, especially since I was running late this morning.

DMC. YEAH on the 138! Great job!!! Lose It is an ipone/ipod application. Really easy to use.

Cruise, have Mack not want to use the treadmill more often. A real walk is way better, especially 5 miles. BTW, I use a freestyle snorkel and goggles to swim and did it in our city pool. If I don’t, I tweak something in my neck. AND there were other lap swimmers doing the same. :o


My doggies thought pulling me on the walk was a great way to start my morning. Wrong! It took about 4 minutes to even get out the door as Sasha refused to sit and wait to be invited out. The other three were getting mad at her. That part was sort of funny as they started howling. Then they pulled for about 1 mile and didn’t he last .5 mile. I gave them a group grade of B-. I told Blizzard she got an A-, Kodiak a B-, Kai a B+. Then I looked at Sasha and said, “I’m being generous here with a C- but a D would probably be more accurate.” She just looked at me with those two different colored eyes and I laughed. :hug: She’s so adorable. Going down on of the hills, my pink toenail caught on the boot lining and it ripped off. The EEK at the top of my lungs at 5:30 in the morning sure startled my dogs. So now there’s no nail and the sock and shoe are bloody. I really hate Tuesdays. They have always been the worst day of my week.
Marie

Today is laundry. And I put April's beds out to air while washing the covers. Since its finally sunshiny I can't put this off anymore!

I expected to be VERY sore this morning from the Pilates, I discovered that if I sat for a while I got stiff and my legs didn't want to work, but if I kept getting up that helped keep my limber. Hubby and I went groc shopping. At a friend's suggestion we went to Aldi's. This store is much closer than our usual Walmart and didn't take nearly as long and saved us on gas. We tried a few of the products {differnt brands} when we got home and what we tried were fine. We saved a little {very little in some cases} over Walmart but the convience might be worth it. They have dairy, produce, and meat/frozen foods that they didn't have when they first opened several years ago.

Marie, I'm sorry you had such a icky Tuesday! Especially the ripped nail! Shame on Sasha for not being repentant! I appreciate the thought on the Pilates machine! I feel comelled to tell people the truth also!

DMC, congrats on the 138!

ICU, When I first tried Pilates all there was was matwork {lay on your back and work your abs!} but now there are full body workouts that include all sorts of things. Rings, stab balls, bands, I find the gadgets makei it more fun!

Lambchop, Welcome~glad to have you with us!

dmc - well done! It's great the way a favorable number reinvigorates you - it's like the way just one gorgeous golf shot in 18 holes will keep you coming back for more. That's a heck of a big drop for somebody so close to goal! Way to go!

marie - So you said "eek!" when you ripped your toenail? You are much, much more civilized than I - I would have screamed :censored: . My toasted toenail from JULY decided to detach on one side last night ... looks like I'm going to be taping it down til it decides to let go. Otherwise, I will be right where you are - bloody and ouchy! I hope you can repair it well enough to keep going. How does one get blood out of a boot? :?:

patch - I'm going to have to try it with toys. Either that, or I need a yoga program. I bulk up with muscle so fast that if I don't stretch, I'll unbalance myself and end up with an injury.

Cindy - you two are very, very lucky to have found each other. It sounds like a powerful partnership!

Wish I didn't have to swim right before bedtime. It's awful for sleeping! Anybody else have to work out late, and find a way to overcome it?

I just ran over to the doctors - did a weigh in, got a B12 shot, and picked up more of my stuff for my program

It's a gorgeous day here in NJ, and it's nice to see the sunshine again!

Penguin - glad you weren't VERY sore - though sometimes it would take 2 days for soreness to kick in when i worked out regularly -- hope tomorrow is pain free too!

ICU - I don't work out late - I don't have an answer for you -- sorry.

DMC - yes, they are ipod applications -- WTG on the 138!!!

Cruise - do you find FitDay has helped you keep track of things? I'm good at "starting" recording things, then I slack. I just started on Spark to see if i can start a habit of keeping track also.

Marie - I'm very visual, so i like track weight because it appeals to that. It lets me see my weight, body fat, etc...then compares them for me.

How many dogs do you have? I've got 3, but it sounds like you may have 4?? Going from 2 to 3 went from 2 normal dogs to "pack" mentality! LOL

Hey everyone! Hope you are having a great day! It's a beautiful day here in Missouri. Sunny with warmer temps! Yeah!

DH and I had a nice dinner out last night. I did not make the best choices but I did not stuff myself either. I have learned that I do not need to eat everything on my plate. We also split dessert. It was a very nice evening!

Lambchop, Where in NJ are you? I was born in Rockaway and then lived in Bridgewater when I was in HS.

ICU, no suggestions from me about exercising late. Sometimes we just have to do what we have to do. Your breakfast made me cringe!

Marie, Ouch! Glad you are heading to the dermatologist. Hope your spot turns out to be nothing.

Cruise, My DH has also been on a mission to lose some weight. Makes mealtimes much easier since he's making better choices.

DMC, 138 is terrific! Just the incentive you need to stick with it!

Tracy, don't give up. Many if us will agree that the scale is not always the only indicator of success.

Patch, Your Pilates workout sounds great. Keep up the hard work!

Hi to anyone I might have missed!

DD has a soccer make up game tonight. I'll have to DVR Biggest Loser to watch later.

I spent about 40 min on the treadmill today. Mostly steady state but I threw in a few 1 min intervals when the show I was watching got boring or I commerical came on. I wore my new Champion sale bra. I finally settled on the Seamless Fullsupport Underwire, much more comfortable that the Action shape I had been wearing.

ICU, I occasionally workout late but it doesn't seem to bother me that much, either that or I'm so used to not being able to fall asleep that I don't notice!

Lambchop, I'm one of those people that mostly gets sore later. While on the TM I could tell I had worked my muscles good yesterday. Hopefully, the walking will loosen my legs up. what kinds of workouts did you used to do?

Hydra: congratulations on meeting the Halloween goal!

ICUWishing: yay for the size 8 jeans!

GivTLC: that's so cool that your teenage son wants to work out with you!

Onmyway: so glad you had a nice anniversary!

Marie: sending you strong immune system energies. Ouch on the toenail incident.

patchworkpenguin: thanks for reporting your Pilates experiences -- that's next on my list for a new exercise to try.

lambchop: welcome! and congrats on 10 pounds gone!

dmc2009: yay for the loss!

We had a lovely day today and another on tap for tomorrow before more rain and cold. I intend to get in a nice long walk and/or some gardening.

Hi all! Everyone seems to be doing so well : ) Welcome to all our newcomers! I didn't sleep last night so I'm struggling to stay awake until the end of biggest loser...fell asleep on the couch for about an hour beforehand. So glad it's my friday! I got this great sounding recipe by email today and wanted to share it, hoping I'll get a chance to try it once I go food shopping.

GRILLED PORK TENDERLOIN WITH MUSTARD,
ROSEMARY, AND APPLE MARINADE

Yield: 6 servings
Source: "The Eating Well Diabetes Cookbook"
Info: http://diabeticgourmet.com/book_archive/details/87.shtml

INGREDIENTS

- 1/4 cup frozen apple juice concentrate
- 2 tablespoons plus 1-1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary or thyme
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon crushed black peppercorns
- 2 (12 ounce) pork tenderloins, trimmed of fat
- 1 tablespoon minced shallot
- 3 tablespoons port or brewed black tea
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- Freshly ground pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

Whisk apple juice concentrate, 2 tablespoons mustard,
1 tablespoon oil, rosemary (or thyme), garlic and peppercorns
in a small bowl. Reserve 3 tablespoons marinade for basting.

Place tenderloins in a shallow glass dish and pour the
remaining marinade over them, turning to coat. Cover and
marinate in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes or
for up to 2 hours, turning several times.

Heat a grill or broiler.

Combine shallot, port (or tea), vinegar, salt, pepper
and the remaining 1-1/2 teaspoons mustard and 1 tablespoon
oil in a small bowl or a jar with a tight-fitting lid;
whisk or shake until blended. Set aside.

Grill or broil the tenderloins, turning several times and
basting the browned side with the reserved marinade, until
just cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes. (An instant-read
thermometer inserted in the center should register 155 degrees F.
The temperature will increase to 160 degrees F. during resting.)

Transfer the tenderloins to a clean cutting board, tent with
foil and let them rest for about 5 minutes before carving them
into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Arrange the pork slices on plates
and drizzle with the shallot dressing. Serve immediately.

Nutritional Information Per Serving (1/6 of recipe):
Calories: 214, Fat: 9 g, Cholesterol: 63 mg, Carbohydrate: 8 g,
Protein: 23 g, Fiber: 0 g, Sodium: 229 mg
Diabetic Exchanges: 1/2 Other Carbohydrate, 3 Lean Meat

onmyway - sounds like you and hubby had a nice anniversary.

gardenerjoy - thanks, I was thrilled to meet my Halloween goal early.

weightlosswanted - that pork recipe sounds good.

I had a blah day today. My son and his girlfriend are having relationship issues. It is hard to stay out of things but I am doing my best. Work was busy today and then I had several employees call tonight for one thing or another. I think I need a little vacation. I am going to talk to my boss and see if I can get a 3 day weekend soon.

Poop - wrote a whole post and it just disappeared!

Anyway, thanks for the inspiration - your comments sure help!

I'm down so that's great - what a difference a day makes!

Have a great Wed.

Tracy

Wish I didn't have to swim right before bedtime. It's awful for sleeping! Anybody else have to work out late, and find a way to overcome it?

I used to swim late at night. Preparing dinner, checking the kids homework, bringing the kids to and from camogie/hurling/gaelic football/boxing etc all ate up the time.

A few months back I was able to change my schedule. My son's school bus collects him literally at the front gate (how lucky is that?) and my daughter started cycling to her school and my husband suggested that I get up earlier and swim in the morning before work. After all, he'd be around to make sure the kids got off to school OK.

So that's what I do. I'm in the pool for 7 am and swim for half an hour. I then have my breakfast at work. If time allows in the evening (as it did last night) I go for a walk or a cycle.

Now that I'm in WW and following the programme I should actually start to see the exercise reap benefits.

I inflated my new swiss ball last night and spent half an hour rolling around on it getting used to it and trying out some of the moves. I thought I was doing really well until I glanced up and saw one of my cats looking aghast at me with an expression that said "for crying out loud woman....what are you doing?" and then I had to stop because I was laughing too much. :)

WOW.... it's a little after 5am and I've already been up for 3 hours. I may be an early riser but this is ridiculous. I woke a little before 2 and couldn't go back to sleep so I got up and went outside to watch the Orionid meteor shower. Not the best but a decent showing. This AM was peak but they should be around tomorrow also: http://spaceweather.com/

Sandra - XXX on the swiss ball, I about broke my neck on one of those.

Tracy - I still have not learned to type my post in Word and then paste, I've lost more than a few.

Hyrda - Been there done that.... but I have to admit most of the time I have to side with my DIL. I did warn her before they were married how he was and often have to remind her he is the SAME person she fell in love with.

LC - I love using FitDay and have for years; even when "off". There is no way I can deny how I became obese.

Mack and I did the 5 mile loop again and it only took 1 hour 25 minutes (cut 10 minutes off Monday's time). I can't say enough good things about my DH; Mack wasn't my first or only love but he most definitely is my deepest. If you believe in soulmates Mack is mine.

hmmmm..... I wonder if walking just a few hours before bed has anything to do with me getting up so early???

Just a quick check in before heading to work. I've packed a very good lunch. We are supposed to have warm temps again today then ugliness the rest of the week. I'm planning to walk after school.

Cruise, getting up that early is just not right!

Tracy, congrats on the loss!

Sandra, Welcome!

Hydra, Staying out of it is hard but it is the best thing!

WLW, thanks for the recipe! It looks great!

Gardener, enjoy the nice day today!

Gotta go or I'll be late!

Lambchop, Where in NJ are you? I was born in Rockaway and then lived in Bridgewater when I was in HS.

I'm, in High Bridge (Hunterdon County), about 20 mins from Bridgewater's Mall

Morning Ladies!

OoOo it's gonna be another beautiful day here *does happy dance* I love love love the sun, and after the crappy weekend we had...it's certainly a nice change.
When I posted yesterday in last weeks chat...I wondered if there was gonna be one for the 3rd and viola! I wasn't sure about starting a new one since I'm so new here.
Yesterday was a good day for me...I did the 1 mile walk inside with my son(although he made smart remarks during the entire thing lol) and then I went for my normal 2 mile walk outside with hubbie...I was sweating, but it felt good! I'm staying OP with my food, but feeling the need to add more veggies (I'll be working on that)
I went and got my hair colored last night to 1 shade lighter then my natural color(which is black) she also added some slight purple tint to it...OMG I'm loving it! It kinda looks like I'm wearing a wig for Halloween LoL I just have to get used to it :dizzy:

Wow, sorry for the long post...I'm feeling all hyperish this morning lol
Here's hoping you all have an awesome day!!!

Huggies,
Giv

On My Way - not eating everything on your plate is an important lesson to learn. :)

Penguin - good deal on the treadmill - I'm starting the C25K on cool running. I did it a few years ago, and want to start it again. I was like that too..2 days later, after my trainer - yikes!

Joy - hope you get your walking or gardening in today - i'm not allowed to touch any plants, grass, etc at our house! Not my strong point....ha

WLW- hope you slept better last night

Hydra - I hope you get that much needed break soon

Rosin- ahahaha, about your cats!

CruiseCat - 2am, dear goodness, that IS early!

Went out to dinner last night, made good choices - was proud of myself. I'm starting my c25k (couch to 5k) - week 1 today. I did this program in the past, and it's fabulous. I've got the thumbs up to start exercising on my program and I plan on getting back in pattern. I haven't worked out AT ALL this past year...the year before, I was with a personal trainer 2-3x a week for a year. How did I just STOP doing anything? shakes head....so it's time to move again.

I'm ready!

Hi, Ladies. How is it only Tuesday and yet the Board is on page 3?! Wow, we are active!! Oh, wait -- it's Wednesday already... I have just so lost track of time. My DS8 is finally well again and back at school, and now I'm playing catch up with work and house...

My DS10 just left for a 3-day school camping trip and my DH is out of town on business, so it's just DS8 and me for the rest of the week. We have some fun things planned...

weightlosswanted: hope you have a great "weekend"!

Hydra: I hope you can find a little time for yourself

Roisin Dubh: welcome!

CruiseCAT: so happy that you and Mack are having such a rewarding time back together again

Onmyway: hope you get a wonderful walk in after school

GivTLC: Yay for all the good walking!

lambchop: good job on getting going with Couch to 5K!

newleaf123: hope you and DS8 have a great time together

I'm going internet free for an entire week, starting tomorrow. So I hope you all have a great week. And I hope I can manage one week of good eating and exercise without this support. Actually, I need to say that with more confidence -- I will come back in a week to report that I stayed on plan with both my eating and my exercise!

Hi all,
Thanks for the postitive thoughts. I think the scale is sticking and I am so hopeful that on Saturday, I can post a loss of at least 139, maybe 138.
I have been so good since my last week bad days.

Anyway, I hope you all (and me) have a good weigh in this week!

Afternoon all. Nothing much to report today. I've been gone all morning. I get to do some mending, more laundry, and Workout 2 today.

I showed my Pilates Circle to my mom, she works out on the machines at the gym so she did better than I thought she would, with the few she tried. She didn't exclaim "I'll have to rush out and buy one of these" I didn't really expect that either.

Roisin, LOL on your cat's reaction! When I get my exercise equpment out my dog leaves the room, I"m not sure if she just doesn't want to watch or she's afraid I'll step on/roll over/include her in the exercises. Yay, for Hubby for making time for you to exercise!

Joy, way to think positive!

Lambchop. I've heard of Couch to 25K and seen C25K but never put them together before!

TLC, Good job on the walking!

Tracy, Last week the electricity blinked just long enough for the computer to shut off and I lost my post. Then there's that one button I press by accident and all is lost???

Hydra, good luck on the 3 day weekend. Probably best to stay out fo the relationship troubles.

Hi to everyone I missed!

Penguin, hmmm, Pilates and Fun don’t belong in the same sentence. Sounds like you found a nice new grocer. I’m very anti-Walmart so I’m thrilled you’re going elsewhere.

ICU, since I can barely see the blood in the boot, I just pretend it’s not there. I don’t exercise before bed either. That would make me too wound up. Keep trying to figure out what to do since you’re doing great on your swimming yards weekly goal.

Lambchop, I have 4 huskies. I created a blog at http://apps.mariesdogs.com/blog/ and there’s a link on there for my website that has a few more pictures. Without a doubt, I have the pack mentality. I work with an animal behaviorist who clearly made me see that I wasn’t the pack leader in August. I am now. Cruise also has several dogs.

OMW, you rocked on your anniversary dinner. You’ve proven it’s possible to celebrate with food and not overeat. Way to GO!!!!

Joy, enjoy your weather and what’s left (probably) of your garden.

WLW, if I try to watch TV in the evenings, I always want to fall asleep. I’m not good at a staring at the TV. I think it hypnotizes me into slumber. So I tend not to watch often.

Hydra, good luck on getting an extra day. I swear my taking last Friday off helped my mood tremendously. 2 days just doesn’t cover it to get all the chores stuff done and have time for playing.

Tracy, you are not alone in the lost posts. It sure is frustrating.

Sandra, don’t you love when the animals talk to you? I swear my first husky, watched me with dumbfounded eyes. I thought she was from an alien planet placed her to study humans then report back to her mother planet on what an idiot I am. :D


Cruise, that is the most awesome thing you said about Mack. I’m glad you found each other. There is nothing better than being happy about being with the one you love.

Giv, I make wisecracks about Leslie’s chatters during the entire DVD so your son isn’t the only one. It’s awesome he’s doing it with you. BTW, my daughter loves adding purple to her hair too!

Newleaf, I love that the board is active. It helps a lot having you all when DH is still away. So page three is great if you ask me.

Everyone have a great Wednesday. How I wish it were Friday!!!!
Marie

OT - dogs...

Marie, not sure if you've tried glucosamine for Blizzard's hips, but it's been a miracle for my Beagle...he's had lymes, and gets arthritic at times...since using glucosamine, and we doubled it last year, he's as springy as a puppy...and he's 10! We can't believe the difference. He went from lame to bouncy.

(Jack Russell, Beagle, Sheppard/Malamute mix)

12 hours sleep last night! if I can do that again tonight I might just feel human again : ) I had a bowl of cheerios for breakfast and my green tea with fibersure, then went out to have lunch at a beachside restaurant with the woman's meetup group I belong to. (meetup.com) Lunch wasn't the healthiest but it was followed by a 1.5 mile, barefoot walk on the beach. Beautiful weather for an outdoor lunch and walk! On days like today I remember why I love living in Charleston : ) I really, really, need to get more motivated on the food and exercise...just haven't been feeling it lately. Part of the problem is that I haven't been able to get to the grocery store and I can never get to whole foods or any of the other healthier food stores I prefer. I usually get stuck going to walmart. I'm going to wander off to check out marie's website : )

Went to WW last night.....another 1 lb gone! :carrot:

Initially I was a bit disappointed because my clothes "felt" like there should have been more gone. But then I looked at the bigger picture and my overall goal is only for an average of 1 lb a week off for a year and then I will be in and around where I want to be, so then I bucked myself up. I told the class about the swiss ball and the cat to much amusement.

Anyway, this morning I was in the pool again. I did my 30 lengths a wee bit faster, having been boosted by my weight loss. :swim:

I'll get out for a walk this evening whatever the weather and have another go on that ball.:)

[COLOR=Black]Sandra, don’t you love when the animals talk to you? I swear my first husky, watched me with dumbfounded eyes. I thought she was from an alien planet placed her to study humans then report back to her mother planet on what an idiot I am. :D

Oh definitely!

And it's not just me that she reverves her "looks" for. You should've seen her face when she came into the room to see our other cat with his leg in the air and washing his bum. It was like "oh please......just put it away, will you?":snooty:

:)

WLW - Glad you were able to get a good nights sleep. I was able to get my normal 7.5 hours.

LC - I love C25K. I did it early on in my journey on the treadmill but I have been thinking about doing it out on the road. I'll probably wait until spring.

Heidi - Enjoy your time with DS8.

DMC - Positive thoughts for a 138 posting.

Sandra - Good deal on another pound down. For me it is important to remember that my #1 goal is to get healthy, being thinner is a bonus.

Another day another 5 mile walk (90 minutes). I love that Mack and I are walking in the afternoon and not camped out in front of the TV. With the DVR we are still able to watch all our shows. Mack will be home early today so our walk will include a stop at the bowling alley for a couple games.

I am so excited about this weekends hike (really a walk). We are headed over to the coast to Mugu State Park to check our the fall foliage and the migration of the monarch butterflies.

http://www.parks.ca.gov/default.asp?page_id=25211

Drive-by posting! I hope to have some time to catch up at lunch. My weight is slightly up (back over 150, booooo!), but my relative fat% is dropping. I was expecting it to go this way - and yet hoping it wouldn't. Y'know? I'm just going to keep journaling and counting and see what happens a month from now. :shrug:

Joy - good luck this week!

Penguin - what are your thoughts on Pilates?

WLW - ooh, I love a good sleep! Glad you slept well -- glad you enjoyed your time out. I think I was supposed to be born in the south! My goal is to reitre in a warme area

Rosin - woohoo on the weigh-in and weight loss - 1 pound = 4 sticks of butter...melted off your body!

CruiseCat - that's going to be beautiful (the walk at the park!) - and way to go on another 5 mile walk

ICU - one day at a time :) glad to hear your relative fat % is dropping - I also take measurements to help me when the scale doesn't move...tht way I can see other movement

--

Raked leaves yesterday, and ended up out a lot! Super warm in NJ after colder days, so we took advantage of it. Today I'm heading out - lunch with my mom and sister. Going out to eat doesn't make me nervous anymore, because I've gotten good with choices.

Today I worry about today...i'll think about tomorrow ----> tomorrow

Hi, everyone. We are enjoying an Indian Summer here this week. It's supposed to be 71 this afternoon! And thank goodness, with DS10 doing his school camping this week. Last week was in the 40s, miserable, and raining.

I had book club last night and it's funny to see how your thoughts fluctuate. Last month, I was so very good and only had a slice of cheese and berries, along with a glass of wine. This time I was only very good (not so very good) with a couple of slices of cheese, some berries, 1 shrimp, and a glass of wine. I said NO to the sliver of chocolate cake passed around, which is easy for me to do since chocolate and cake are not triggers for me. But the hostess insisted that I take a piece home and when I said okay (knowing that DS8 would love it) she gave me 1/4 of the cake -- ack! But still, not a temptation for me, phew!

I had a couple of weeks of "eyes-closed" candy corn chomping and have put on some weight. I WILL NOT LET THIS HAPPEN... so now I'm working hard to be in the groove.

Work is busy, but I think I'll go out for a bike ride after lunch; this weather is too gorgeous to pass up, and it won't be around for long.

Glad to see everyone is doing so well... ICUWishing I haven't had a chance yet to comment on your new goals; they look wonderful and I can't wait to hear more about them.

Lambchop, yeah, Blizzie is on the full range of hip meds including laser therapy and adequan muscular shots. She was projected to make it to 5 years at the most – she’s almost 9. And I know it is due to the glucosamine tabs she started at 10 months. I do appreciate the advice!!! And please post pictures of you sweetie. Very interesting mix of breeds. I can’t wait to see.

WLW, the beach walk sounds divine. I think Charleston would be a wonderful place to live!

Sandra, great job on the 1 pound. In our 40s I think a pound a week is excellent progress!
To funny on the cat talking. I definitely think some of our pets just think we (and their pack) are dingbats.

Cruise, When I started, being healthy was the #1 goal. Lately it’s been more about looks. Maybe because I’m in the normal weight range and I am healthy so now it’s turned to looks. Hmm, I will contemplate that. I do know, that overall, it’s only about health. Diabetes runs strong in my family and I am going to avoid it at all costs.

ICU, journaling will be the key to our maintaining. And combined with the swimming, no way you’ll gain fat. Muscles are good.

Lamb, enjoy your lunch out. One meal is so easy to work around once it matters because the good choices are important.

Newleaf, I suppose DS8 will enjoy ¼ of the cake… it’s wonderful it’s not a temptation. I bet I’m not alone that it would be for me.

Today’s walk was interesting. Kai refused to come near me to put on the leash. She doesn’t like her halti collar so she thinks she can walk off leash (NEVER!!!). So she didn’t go. Her poor little face in the window almost made me go back but I persevered. I do feel bad for her but chasing her around the house when all the other dogs sit calmly to have their leashes put on is ridiculous. I do admit after her breakfast, I snuggled her quite a bit. She definitely has me wrapped around her little paw.

And I am now in single digits to goal. Another pound gone – 9 left to go.
Marie

[COLOR=DarkSlateBlue]Cruise, When I started, being healthy was the #1 goal. Lately it’s been more about looks. Maybe because I’m in the normal weight range and I am healthy so now it’s turned to looks. Hmm, I will contemplate that. I do know, that overall, it’s only about health. Diabetes runs strong in my family and I am going to avoid it at all costs.

I know that I am healthier now than I have been in 15+ years, maybe more considering I was smoking back then. I'm still a few pounds off from being "normal" but have to admit that what I'm working towards now has a great deal to do with looks. It is something that I have to watch because I can become obsessed to the point where plastic surgery will be my only hope of achieving the body I want. Not totally out of the question as a lift and augmentation would be nice; I swear my boobs are just these empty pockets that hang down to my bellybutton now.

Afternoon Ladies :)

Marie~ Sounds like your dogs keep you very busy and entertained lol What great motivation to get out there and walk! I miss my Rottie :(

ICUwishing~ Good attitude...our bodies are ever changing and fluctuating...just keep on doing what your doing and your bound to see some change soon ;)

CruiseCAT~ Wow! What a great weekend you have planned...your going to have some awesome views. That's cool you can stop along your walk to bowl, sounds like fun :p

Roisin~ Grats on the loss! It's great your able to swim and your doing wonderful!

newleaf123 ~ WTG on saying no to that cake...I'd have been all over that lol I refuse to buy any candy for Halloween till the very last minute...not so much a tempation for me, but my boys would have a field day =op A bike ride sounds wonderful...Enjoy the great weather!

lambchop~ It's warm here too in PA...so nice to be outside getting the garden and yard ready for winter...Raking leaves is exercise too!!!

weightlosswanted~ So nice you got a great sleep in...can't remember the last time I slept that long lol You are surely lucky to be living in SC! I read a bumper sticker this summer that says it all : "If your lucky enough to live by the beach, your lucky enough" Enjoy :)

Only worked half a day today, so I'm able to run some errands and pick up the house before the troops get home lol Another awesome sunny day here! I'm going to try to do another 3 mile walk today. Am a bit tired from staying up so late last night watching the Phillies win...I think we'll win the World Series again this year :carrot:


Have a great day!!!
Huggies,
Giv

please post pictures of you sweetie. Very interesting mix of breeds.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v78/4debbie/dogsx3.jpg

none were planned...all rescues, and just fell in love - 1 at a time.

lambchop: I was born and raised on long island but have been in the south almost 20 years. As they say here, "I may not have been born in the south, but I got here as soon as I could!"
marie: way to go with the single digits to goal! and standing firm when kai didn't behave.
roisin: congrats on another pound!
cruise: I envy all the great hikes you get to go on. 5 miles is awesome!

I finally made it to the food store today and stocked up on chicken, fresh veggies and fruit. Need to get back on track. My crazy scale that I bought showed a 3 lb drop this morning, then it started getting funky again and ADDED weight every time I stepped on it. sheesh!
My other stop today was the lane bryant store at our outlet mall. My new birthday tradition is to buy myself a couple of decent bras in october. I found one last year that I love after one of their bra specialists measured me and I tried on the right size. Because of my surgeries finding a bra that fits and is comfortable has been impossible for the past 6 years. I had seen recently that the same bra at the outlet was $19.99 as opposed to $36.99 at the mall. When I got there today the sign said all items in store were buy-one-get-one 50% off. Whoo-hoo! But not exactly. Because when they have their special sales they charge their original price of $30.00 so that with the bogo I was going to pay $5 more for the 2 bras I wanted. When I fussed at the clerk she offered me 15% off if I applied for their credit card, even if I wasn't accepted. So I paid $41 for the 2 bras after all, but it was aggravating.

My weekend is almost over and I haven't gotten everything done I had planned...but I made good sized dent in my to-do-list. Having friends over for my birthday next week so I've got to get my house finished! Hope everyone ends their week on a positive note - and enjoy your weekend!

WeightLossWanted that scale would drive me nuts!

LambChop what beautiful dogs; I can see why you fell in love!

Nothing much to report. Busy morning at Bible study, again. My glasses still aren't ready. Maybe tomorrow??? Its raining again!

Lambchop, Love the pictures of your doggies! Thanks for posting! When I first tried Pilates I hated it, but I was trying slow paced beginner workouts that focused mostly on abwork {not one of my strong points}. Then I tried a full body DVD {Jules Bensen's Total Core Pilates} and found a lot of other familar exercise were considerd Pilates. I enjoy DVD workouts with 'toys' such as bands, stab balls etc more than the traditional mat Pilates. 10 Minutes Solution Pilates on the Ball is a good one. I just recieved 10MS Scult and Slim Pilates {uses band} from Netflix. If you interested I can post links to clips of these. I like the Pilates Circle but have only found about 4 workouts that use it. One is new the others are OOP {out of print}. I like Pilates as a full body, body weight strength trainging workout but I have to be in the right mood and have the right workout.

lambchop - love the pics of your doggies, they all look happy.

wlw - nice bras are so hard to find at a good price, i am glad you got a couple with not a lot of expense.

I have had a pretty good week. It's a long story but I found out this week that I do not have to have surgery for a medical condition I have. The specialist said to come back in 3 years and be retested. I was so relieved. I have had several small and 2 major surgeries in my 30s and I certainly don't want any more.

I just read a story on the Daily Mail site about a woman who lost 13 stone (182 lbs!!) and got rid of her athsma and gained a boyfriend. How good is that? Great inspiration!

Lambchop - your dogs are lovely. We're on the verg of losing one of ours....our 16 year old (112 in dog years) border collie is fading with old age. She's been getting weaker all week and we've been hoping that she'd pass in her sleep but she hasn't. It was pitiful watching her walking this morning, her back legs have gone very weak so my husband will be calling the vet out today. It's very sad but, like your dogs, she was a rescue case from the SPCA and to have been able to give her 16 years of love has been wonderful.

LC - LOVE the pups!!! I've posted pics of mine before but here they are again:
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e265/123BrindlePack/TheBrindlePackAC.jpg
Scooter - Angel Tucker - Hogan - Tyra - Luke

Sandra - Tucker was PTS last month. One of the hardest decisions to make but definitely the last loving and responsible act we can show those that are in our care. Here is an educational article regarding humane euthanasia: http://www.naturescornermagazine.com/help_companionsprint.html

WLW - Happy Birthday!!!

Our walk yesterday was only about 3.5 miles but it included the backpacks, books on the way out to return to the library and groceries from the store on the way back. Including 5 lb. sacks of both flour and sugar, I'm making banana bread today.

WeightLossWanted Happy Birthday!!

You all are motivating me to post a picture of my animal baby, too... But looking up on Photobucket, the only pic of him I have is with my human baby, also.

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b328/triceratops789/IMG_2708.jpg

This is my DS8, although he is probably around 7 in the picture, along with my rescue cat, Magic Milkshake. He always likes to be near us...

New Leaf - Ohh, enjoy your warm weather! We had a shot of 70's yesterday, but it's back to cooler now. Step away from the candy corn!!! ;) My Sebastian is a tuxedo cat too! Looks just like your baby. Awww, my kids are teens, it's fun to see them so young still - cute picture

Marie- Kai's face would have broken my heart too! Extra snuggling time was probably appreciated - and look how close you are to goal!!! Congratulations

TLC - where in PA are you? I spent most of my life in Bucks County, PA - been over here in NJ for 6 years now - my husband is a Yankees fan, so he's hoping for a Phillies/Yankees series. My dad was a diehard Phillies fan. Did you get your walk in yesterday? One or two years when I was a teen, we had season seats behind 3rd base for the Phillies...fun times. - back in the days of Mike Schmidt, etc..

WLW- that's me...i want to get there as soon as i can! Lately, i've been tripping down to FL about 3x a year. I was MEANT to be a snowbird! LOL = a few more years until I live there, but I have a trip coming up in 4 weeks, so i'm happy about that...glad you got your bras, but sucks it was a hassle. Happy Birthday to you!

Penguin- hope those glasses are ready soon! I've done a few things (Pilates movements) and used the ring, etc when i worked with a trainer, but never thought to try a DVD...let me see how i do with my running, then i'll think about adding in pilates stuff. I've heard good things about it

Hydra - WOOHOO on no surgery!

Rosin - I'm so sorry to hear about your sweet baby. 16 years is a wonderful life, and think how lucky she was to have found your family. Two of my babies are 10, along with my cat -- so I'm nervous as they get older...then brilliant me - I also have a 2yo jack russell! It's like having a toddler all over again! YIKES! I have to say - his personality and the fact he's a momma's boy makes up for it though

CruiseCAT- what a great picture! They are Beautiful!!! Love that we have so many dog lovers here. :) So sorry to hear about Tucker. GREAT walk!!! Inspiring - and your ticker shows me how much hard work you've put in!

---

Finally did my first C25K workout yesterday. Had planned the day before, but ended up doing raking, and going out walking and running errands with the nice weather. Man, I'm out of shape - but I've done this C25k in the past and the changes happen quickly. I sat on my rear for a year - but had worked with a trainer for a full year before that. I think I'll bounce back (breathing, strength) faster from muscle memory, etc...I can hope can't i? LOL -- also raked again yesterday to give my arms some work

Morning Ladies!

Sorry I don't have time for personals this morning. Tomorrow I'm heading down to Wildwood, NJ for a "girls get a way" We'll be leaving right after my weigh in at WW (hoping it's another loss) I have a million things to do before hand...not sure why I always wait to the last minute to pack...maybe I enjoy the rush lol I'm going to try and stay OP as much as possible this weekend (these women like to drink! lol)

Have a wonderful weekend and keep on eating healthy and staying active!

Big :hug: to you all!

Giv

P.S. Love love love all the animal pics! I am a big time animal lover ;)

Cindy - mask and snorkel is fine for laps. Many "mature" lap swimmers do that because it is so much easier on the neck. And masks are great because you don't get the "raccoon eyes". :) Snap a couple pics of the butterflies this weekend!

wlw - thanks for the tenderloin recipe! That really, really sounds great. Hoping that we get just a few more days of nice weather so we can fire up the grill and try it. Happy belated birthday!!!

hydra - sorry to hear your early week was rough. :hug: hope things are improving! Good to hear that no more cutting on you is needed - I'm sure that was a huge relief.

tracy - yup, post blowout happens. :) I'm a believer in Notepad too, esp when doing a long post like this. Congrats on the loss!

roisin - I don't have a cat, but I've seen them give people that same look. Glad to hear from another swimmer! Marie's lucky enough to have her own pool ... (jealous!!!) ;)

OMW - I loved the couple of days of great weather we had. Now it's all rainy, and that's going to knock all the beautiful leaves down. Boooo!

Giv - Your hair sounds cool! We love pics ... show us!

lambchop - every meal out is a challenge. Good job. And woohoo for getting out on the road!

Heidi - hope you're enjoying the time with DS8! I liked that age so much - still little kid, but not whiny, backtalkin' preteen yet.

gardener - Looking forward to hearing about your on-plan successes next week!

marie - welcome to the "last 10"!

This week has made my so-called busy weeks earlier in the month look like they were in slow motion. I've decided to revise my weight goal down to 144.5 to help me focus on creating the maintenance wiggle room that I want to have. Where I'm at is OK but I think just a couple more #'s will be significant. And it will help me with working through the holidays. :)

Its not raining today but its overcast and cold! I'm waiting for the eye doc to call and tell me my glasses are in! Waiting in vain probably! Part of me doesn't want to get involved in anything much because when the calls comes I want to be ready to go!

Newleaf, Love the name Milkshake for a cat! both you babies are cute! My quilting buddy has an eight yr old and he's a handful all by himself!

Cruise, Love the shot of your dogs! Sorry again about Tucker! LOL, Hogan looks a tad out of place among all the brindles. Are the rest of them related?

WLW, sometimes getting what you want is worth a little aggrevation!

Giv - have fun! I'm an LBI girl, but take my son to WW once a year still

OK... I was feeling very domestic today and decided to do a little baking, banana nut bread and pumpkin & chocolate chip. Most will be leaving the house but what doesn't will get put in the freezer.

We didn't get to bowl yesterday because apparently they don't open until 5pm. We are thinking about going on Sunday.

Becky - I talked to one of the ranger's at the park and although the butterflies are starting to arrive they are not there in full force. Seems they like to come after a rain. Interesting the reason they come to that area; they eat the milkweed that is in abundance and it's a poison to birds so after one or two of the nasty butterfly they learn not to eat them. Either way we are looking forward to our outing.

Hang in there.... you're almost to the weekend.

I really wish our pool was big enough to do laps; its great for the dogs and for doing water aerobics but there is no way to do laps. Our community pool is about a mile away so I'm thinking our spring walk will include a stop at the pool. They are open year-round but there is NO way I am going to swim during the winter, doesn't matter that they heat the pool to 84.

Patch - Yes, Hogan is the odd ball. He was one of the orphaned pups I fostered last year, all the others are from rescue (none related). We also have an orange tabby named Aruba.

Heidi - Your DS, from the profile, looks a lot like Mack's son when he was that age.

We got the call from the eye doc that my glasses came in wrong again. They are sending them back, and it will be Tues. The eye doc gave the lab an earful about this, too!

I spent an hour on the treadmill while I was waiting.

Cruise, I have plastic surgery scheduled for the beginning of February. As I thought about the health and looks reason for losing the weight, I thought about what I had scheduled. I realized that it is for looks but not the normal reason for having plastic surgery. I’m 48 and don’t care if I look 48. My wrinkles, I’m ok with them. What I’m not ok with is the big sags from years of being overweight. They make clothes shopping difficult and it’s just plain ugly. I’m having a tummy tuck (removing all the skin mostly as the fat has diminished 90% on its own). That one I added for fun. But it’s my arm wing removal and neck waddle that really gets to me when I see myself. So I really do get the boob/empty pocket concept. There’s a great post on one of the threads (I can’t remember where the plastic surgery thread and sticky are but I can look this weekend if you want). Anyway, one of the 3 fat chicks chose to have the surgeries after her weight loss. She said it perfectly with preferring the scars instead of the rolls of skin. She had several surgeries and the sticky thread was excellent. And enjoy your banana bread. YUM!

Giv, sounds like you’re doing a great job with the walking videos. That is so great! I miss my angel huskies as well. I love, adore and treasure my pack but Teddybear was my first and I miss her. So I can imagine you miss your Rottie. And have fun this weekend!

Lamb, ahhhhhh, they are so cute. Thanks for sharing. Of course, I’m a little partial to Gracie. They are so cute and lucky to have you! And Kai – this morning, she ran off when I took out the leashes and I hung hers back on the rack. She looked at me and walk right over and sat down. She was a perfect angel on the walk. Unlike her sibs Kody and Sasha… they were in the mood to pull.

WLW, sounds like bra woes are rampant on this thread. Yours, penguins and I know of mine (try finding 32D anywhere). At least you got the ones you wanted for the right price. It seems like a sale price shouldn’t be higher than what they’d had them on clearance. And return the scale!!!! But first, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

Penguin, now revised on the wish that your glasses arrived – I’m so sorry they got it wrong again. Perhaps the labs’ people learned their skills from the Champion people.

Hydra, yeah on no surgery. That is EXCELLENT!!!!

Roisin, I’ve heard about people losing significant weight and their asthma going away. I tried not using my meds and ended up on prednisone. So I’m guessing mine is here to stay. I envy that woman!!!! I hope your border collie passes calmly and in her sleep. I sure want that to be the way I go.

Newleaf, your DS8 and kitty are adorable. But wow, I love the name Magic Milkshake. That is so cute and unique.

Muscle Memory??? Lambchop, you’re nuts. Oh it would be nice if it worked that way. Then my quads wouldn’t die the first couple times skiing this year.

ICU, ok you just called me a “mature” lap swimmer in a backwards way. I do love my snorkel because of my neck. Mature, eeks, I am getting old. Lucky for a pool, yes but it’s winter tarped… And Cindy has one too. I’m glad you moved your goal down a tad. Border weights are painful to handle – that second number flipping between the 4 & 5 can push at one’s happiness. Your post the other day about 150 gave me that clue that we have that in common. I can not handle a border weight. That’s how I picked 135. I’m think a little less than that might be better but 130 is a border weight so 125 is flitting through my mind. It is all a mind game after all and we’re in this to win. So are you competing in the West Bloomfield race in November (per your signature)??

So I had been feeling bad that I can't motivate myself to do weight training. I don't like it. It's boring like yoga. So I'm out walking the tugging Kody and Sasha and my arms are sore. Heck I'm weightlifting with my dogs. :o I called Liz and asked if we could try a non-pull harness with Sasha. I hope she gets the message and brings it on Sunday for our behavior training. Kody and Sasha are ruining the morning walking fun. And Kai doesn't pull with the halti collar but it's clear she hates it when she runs off instead of getting ready to go walking. Doggie dilemmas - I'll get them worked out. BTW I am on a chocolate craze that won't quit. It started last Saturday day of TOM, and hasn't eased. It's not normal for me. I haven't gone over cals at all so that means I'm substituting chocolate for veges and fruits. But hey, chocolate bean - bean is a vege. Right??? I must get that craze eradicated though!

Thanks chickas! Yes, I am very happy and relieved I don't have to have surgery anytime soon.

cruisecat - nice pic of your dogs. I bet your house smells great from all your baking.

lambchop - yardwork is good exercise. I plan to do some raking this weekend as well.

penguin - sorry about the delay on your glasses, that is a bummer. An hour on the treadmill?! Wow, good job.

marie - hope you get over your chocolate cravings. I keep seeing so much of the Halloween candy everywhere that I broke down and bought one bag of treats. This might not have been a good choice since I have helped myself to several chocolate eyeballs this week.

This week seemed really long to me and I am so glad it's the weekend. I am off all weekend so I have time to get caught up on cleaning, do the grocery shopping and have plenty of free time. I plan to get a nice bottle of wine at the store and have a few glasses tomorrow. I think I would like to watch some funny movies and just relax this weekend.

Hydra - This week blew by for me. I can't believe it's Saturday already. I'm sure the weekend will go by just as fast :( Enjoy your wine and movies.

Marie - how tall are you? I'm beginning to think my goal weight might be a tad low but not sure yet. I know I still have plenty to lose but I'm feeling good and mostly happy with how I look with clothes on. I still have not decided if I will have PS; if I do it will be the L/A in addition to a TT and my neck. My fear is there will always be something I'm not happy with and I seriously don't want it to become an obsession.

Mack and I are off to Pt. Mugu this morning and won't be back till late. Hope you all have a GREAT weekend.

Good morning everyone. CruiseCAT I love your new siggie! You look great!

Marie Good luck with your pack. I can't imagine trying to work with that many dogs. You are a wonderful pack leader / alpha dog!

Penguin Sorry about the glasses. That's a drag. What's wrong with people??

Hydra Have a nice weekend. Wine and movies sounds great! I'm glad you don't need more surgery; that's great!

Roisin Dubh May your dog pass peacefully; this is such a hard time in our pet journeys... Been there... :hug:

LambChop Cute that you have a tuxedo cat, too. I had never heard that term recently until one of the boys came home from school telling me that that was Magic's "breed". As for the Milkshake part, he has 2 little drops of white at the end of his nose, like he had dipped his face into a glass of milkshake...

GiveTLC I hope you have a great weekend with your friends!

ICUWishing Yes, 8 is fun. Not quite big yet, still sweet and dear (most of the time). You are doing so well with your weight, it's great to see! I've dropped off the Halloween goal thread, just like the Labor Day thread. I guess they don't work for me... It's all a matter of figuring it out! I am sure I will reach my goal, I just am not on any timetable to do so at the moment. But hey, I weigh less than at the start of that goal period, so that's good.

As for me this weekend: DS8 soccer game, pumpkin carving, Penguins watching (NHL), Steelers watching (NFL), book reading. Nothing too exciting, especially since I'm not really a sports fan! Can you tell I'm the only female in the house???

ICU - I like that you're planning ahead and finding a plan that will give you room to move

Penguin - oh no! More waiting on your glasses? oh YES! about the treadmill time

Cruise - the smell of all the baking would have killed me! Right now certain "smells" get to me, but i stay strong - by the way, love the picture!

Marie - I hope your surgery goes well. I'm nervous to see what my tummy will look like when the weight is gone. A friend had a tummy tuck and LOVED it. (she lost about 100 pounds - a few years back) -- woohoo on Kai coming back over.

Hydra - i hope you get to see those funny movies you were hoping for, and enjoy your wine

NewLeaf - have fun pumpkin carving! I'm the only female at any time in my house, so i count my dog Grace as the other female, ha

----

Scale didn't move, but the tape measure did! I'm so glad I keep track of both. I've lost an inch in my hips and an inch in my waist. That made me smile this morning.

We're going to a local art museum. It's a crappy, rainy day - so we decided to go see something we've not done before....10 mins away and haven't once stopped in there before. Tomorrow is supposed to be sunny, so we'll spend time outside somehow. I'll be doing the second day (Week 1) of my C25K this weekend also.

Hydra, ditto on the really long week. I’m really hoping all my co-workers that were home with H1N1 return next week. By the end of every day I had a headache and I rarely get one. The good thing, though, is the headaches went away as soon as I got home each night. I hope your relaxing weekend helps. Don’t clean too much and watch the movies instead. ;)

Lambchop, enjoy your time at the museum. I love looking at art but on the fast thru version. Museums have a sedative effect on me. I hope you have fun and WAY TO GO on the lost inch. May it disappear into the universe and never return!

Cruise, have a great hike today. I hope the weather is perfect. I’m 5-7 but have a small frame (that no one but me and my drs. ever knew about :o). Frame size is a big factor in weight goals. I agree about going overboard and it being an obsession. The TT, neck and arms really bother me and the rest doesn’t so I’m hopeful I can go with just that. Someday having a breast lift and reduction would be nice but they really don’t bug me – I just have to specialty shop at herroom.com for 32D. My bras end up being expensive but so would the surgery. BTW, I’m still jealous your Mack came home… I have another 2 weeks. :p


Newleaf, aw… I’m going to have to cheer against your Steelers. :D I’m a through and through Packer fan but I grew up in Minnesota so I still like the Vikings. Now the book reading – we’re on the same page on that. :lol: Hehehe pun intended. I stay away from goal threads as well since I don’t cheat on my diet (cal wise, not chocolate wise) and I exercise like a banshee. My body will lose it when it’s in the mood, no sooner. Since you weigh less than the start of the goal thread, you have SUCCEEDED big time!!!!:carrot:

My big weekend plans are to be a bum. I’m going to try altering my size 12 black jean skirt since it does me no good falling off anyway. I Kohls online shopped last weekend and my treasure box arrived yesterday. I was so excited to have clothes that fit. Lo and behold, the size 10s jeans and skirts were too big and the medium sweaters too big. Back they go on Tuesday when I’ll be near a Kohls. It was depressing :( and exciting ;) at the same time. So I decided I’ve been sewing all my life and the worst I could do to the skirt is destroy it. I plan to watch football on Sunday, two games at once (DH set up both TVs and DVRs in the living room for me before he left). We have Sunday Ticket so I can watch my Midwest teams on the west coast. Dog training on Sunday. That’s it for plans. The rest is my time to be a bum. I do like that.
Marie

Good Morning!
It's a beautiful fall day here. We have lots of trees so raking is definitely in my weekend plans!

I just can't seem to get back into the groove of losing. I have a good day and then a not so good day. I am holding steady at about 180 so I have not been gaining but I just can't get back to the zone! I am exercising at least 30 minutes each day. Walking, exer bike, Wii fit. I have been at this for over a year and I know I'm not ready to be done.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

And its been a ruff row to hoe! but I a officially in the 130s. yaya:carrot:

Marie, I opened some choc. chips yesterday and Had a handful, I was craving. I am going suppose to bake with the for my DD! HA!

Cruise, you are out my way Pt. Magu, you should bring bikes and go to Venice and do that trial, omg, you would love it next time.

I got a boob job and it was probably the biggest mistake I made as an adult. Think about it long and hard before you do. I got it five years ago, I wanted a lift but they talked me into augmenation. Not me. Now I have these big boobs to try to dress and its not easy. I have to say that I am hoping they will go down (DD) as my weiht drops.

Oh... forgot to tell you. I got a call to go back for a mamo / U.S. I couldn't believe it. Wow, that is scary. Next Week.

Okay, Have a great weekend all.:o:hug:

Quick post - just finished Week 1/Day 2 ----> C25K

Wow, I'm having trouble keeping up! Thanks for the birthday wishes everyone, it's actually on tuesday but I did my shopping early. Got my gift from mom today and am debating if I should wait to open it. Having a bunch of ladies over for a pizza party to celebrate on thursday night. Stopped by at the gym to weigh in the day after the crazy scale episode, back to 166. Would really love to see a whoosh sometime soon...going to try to get motivated to stay after work and get in a workout on monday and tuesday. I hate doing it with a time limit - get off work at 7 and the gym closes at 8. Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

lambchop - it is nice to see those inches lost. I recently started measuring so I could find out what size I am.:cheer2:

marie - good luck on the clothes altering. I recently had to take in a few work skirts.:hug:

onmyway - i think all your exercising is getting back in the groove. I think we all hit times where losing is not our major focus.:trampo:

dmc - fantastic on the 130s!!!:carrot:

wlw - good job on fitting in those workouts. Hope your pizza party goes well.:sunny:

I had a very lazy day. Today I need to get motivated to finish the cleaning and I have my bf, Pete, and my son, Hunter, to help. I am looking forward to watching football later on. My team, the Bengals, are playing the Chicago Bears and we need another win. I am also looking forward to my granddaughter, Hayden, coming over tonight. She will be here for a couple days, yay. :cloud9:

Yesterday's hike is a mixed bag of reviews. The area was OK but everything was still green and we saw only ONE fricken monarch. What was suppose to be a simple 10 mile walk with only 700' elevation gain turned in to a 12 mile hike with 1400' gain and most of that in a half mile going up and 1.3 coming down. It was a good work out. I'll post a link to pictures later today or tomorrow.

The drive home was horrendous; it took us an hour to drive the 30 miles thru Malibu on the Pacific Coast Highway, then another two hours once on the freeway to get home. We did stop to cool our tired feet in the freezing water of the pacific. NOW I remember why I don't go to the coast; cold water and WAY too many people. AND bugs!!! We don't have bugs here in the desert.

DCM - I don't see a return trip in our future. We said maybe we would try for the Monarch's again next year but we would pitch a tent after our hike and then leave at like 4am (regular wake up time for us).

Sending good vibes for your US next week.

I'm torn about the lift/augmentation. I don't want anything big I just want to fill my "pockets"; a nice "C" cup would work.

LC - The house still smells like pumpkin and I love it. Usually my wall flower is emanating mint chocolate, smells just like a thin mint. My sister is like you and can't handle foods smells but it doesn't bother me. Good job of C25K

OMW - Get It Together!!! You know you can do this.

Hydra - Enjoy your time with your GD, I still have to wait four weeks before I see Noah. I HATE being so far away.

Marie - Enjoy your football games. Mack is a Dolphin fan and I'm a Redskin fan; we rarely get to see our teams play out here on the west coast. We are headed to Costco and then will come back for NASCAR nap time.

Enjoy your Sunday everyone.

Marie, giggling...we're not big on museums and blew it off. We usually do the "quick tour" too - but I just couldn't get excited...so we didn't go. I hope your alterations go well. Sorry not all the new clothes fit well, but hey - woohoo on a smaller size!

OnMyWay - the raking is good exercise! Maybe it's a plateau -- I read another thread somewhere about someone being stuck for a long time, but after sticking to it....whoosh - they dropped a bunch one week. Hang in there!

DMC - 130's! Congrats - you must be tickled -Let us know how the call back goes. I get them (call backs) every year since i was 34, so I expect them now..(lumpy breasts/cysts)...((DMC)) _ also have to go every 6months for ultrasounds now too...but rather be safe then sorry - they aren't all scary :) I've had so many call backs, and all have been okay.

WLW - hope your pizza party is great fun, and you see a whoosh sooner than later

Hydra - enjoy your lazy day. I'm an Eagles girl myself. Have a great visit with your Hayden

Cruise- that's a heck of a hike! -- oooh, no bugs in the desert? didn't realize

--------

When I finished my second day of C25K, totally out of breath, i reminded myself i've done it before, and soon enough I'll be breathing fine...

The sun is finally out today, so I'm looking forward to going out for a little bit.

We ate out yesterday, and I got the salad bar and had a really healthy salad. I almost don't recognize myself! Lettuce, broccoli, cucumbers, peppers, onions, eggs, mushrooms, my own lite dressing...WHO AM I? Not one single crouton - never dreamed THAT day would come!

Just dropping by to say "hi" and say that I'm still at this. Starting full time work again after a few years at home has been a big shock to my system (although a good one, I'm loving my job) and I'm having to figure out all over again how to keep myself emotionally "nourished". I had gained a few pounds while drowning my emotions in food. Thankfully, it only got up to 6 pounds before I stopped that. I'm now back to 2 pounds over my ticker number and I'm feeling pretty good. I've been lurking here daily to keep up to speed and I think I'll be back posting again, soon.

Best wishes to everyone.

LC - Two things I will once again have to adjust to when we move to Mexico, bugs and humidity. Being that we will be on the beach I'm not too worried about the humidity. The bugs on the other hand are a major concern not only for be but any of the dogs we have left. None have ever had to be "treated" for fleas or ticks...... and no misquotes either.

Pictures 1-28 are from yesterday's hike:

http://outdoors.webshots.com/album/574263020gZWXGI

:devil:I appreciate all the good / postive mesages and thoughts reagarding US next thursday. It's just freaky!

Cruise, I wanted full Cs too, thats why I went.. I am not a DD kind of gal. It really sucks, you have to wear sweaters, blouses are out because they pop buttons or looked stretched. I hate them and I can't wait to get them out. I need to save for the surgery, and I have other pressing debt that I need to work on. Maybe if I had a boyfriend or husband to "play with" it would be more fun!

anyway... back to the grind!

OMW, you will find your groove. Just keep fighting the no so good days because if you don’t they’ll take over. You’re maintaining and when you get your groove completely back you’ll not have lost ground.

DMC, congratulations. I am so looking forward to the 13x’s as well. It’s been nearly 2 decades since I saw them and at that point only for a few weeks. :o


WLW, can you switch your gym workout to before work and get ready for work there??? Or you can look at it that it gets you home just a tad later than if you didn’t workout so it’s a win-win.

Hydra, during the packer game, I got the million rows of top stitching out of the denim skirts’ side seams and waist band. I think next weekend I’ll use the dreaded pins to fit it to my waist and hips, then stitch it back up. I’m out of desire to work on it anymore. I think a couple of darts would have been way easier. And I hope your team beats the Bears – it indirectly benefits my team.

Cruise, Nascar nap time!!! I love it!!! DH watches and it always makes my head go blurry then to sleep. We have Sunday Ticket so I can watch my team. Occasionally I figure it’s worth the $$$ for the entertainment. Like today when they played like a real team. I could nascar nap since DH has the DVR set to record all the races. And when are you moving to Mexico???

Lambchop, you’re a fat loser – way to go on the salad :carrot:. I had the lumpy breasts and my doctor made me cut caffeine out and the long lumps went away.

Presmaggie, wonderful job on stopping that skid. I’m glad you love your job! That has to help.

My weekend to-do list is finished except baking my sourdough bread (it’s rising). There were about 11 things on it and I did ONE yesterday. I was such a bum. :o I didn't even take the dogs out. So today was chore day while I had the TVs on watching the two football games. I love a big open great room for a house. I can do chores and have the TV on. I’m under on cals today but I’m sure I can fix that… :D

Marie

Hi, everyone! I need to get the trash out before it gets too dark, but did want to say hello. :) Spouse has left for Torreon Mexico for 4 days, so DS10 and I are going to settle in with a big bowl of popcorn (planned naughtiness!) and some good comedy. I threw out the potato chips (spouse's big favorite/my remaining trigger food) before he'd even pulled out of the driveway. 3 lunches coming up this week. I do love all the people that I'm supposed to be meeting, but wow ... I feel safe with my own cooking and frankly, it mostly tastes a lot better.

A couple of quick comments before the new thread starts tomorrow:

Marie - By "mature", I meant experienced. :) You look very immature in your picture. Heehee - is that better? Seriously - you don't look remotely close to 40.

DMC - I've had the callbacks too, and two worthless biopsies too. I've just about had it with the medical establishment as a whole, and am looking for a qualifed thermography center. The odds are very, very good that there's nothing there and they're just covering their butts, but it feels very good to hear that YOU WILL BE FINE!!!! Please don't lose a lot of sleep over it!

Sympathies extended to the big-boobs club! I can occasionally hit an "almost -B" and that was at my high weight. Unlike a lot of flat-chested ladies, though, I've never, ever wanted them to be bigger, and the payback is finally coming. My "little girls" are pretty impervious to gravity at their miniature size. :lol: It's the one feature that's not showing my "maturity".

More next week!

Marie - WTG on getting that "to-do" list done. I always keep one next to computer and it is NEVER ending. There are things on there that I have been putting off for years; like selling e-Bay stuff.

As for Mexico, Mack's last day of work is in 7 years 4 months 9 days (3-3-2017), but who's counting. We will make our big move that summer.

did the Butt and Belly sections of 10MS BBT Blaster. OUCH! I can feel my glutes already! I really like this workout, I saw the clip originally and thought the balance work would prevent me from doing it but Diana's tip to hold onto something really helped. I've been wearing jeans when I do this one also to prevent the band from cutting into my legs. I don't see how Jessica stands it. Planning a trip to Walmart tomorrow to get Knockout body and Pilates ball kit.

We had a beautiful day today Sunshine and highs in the 70's! Hubby spent most of the day working on the porch. Rebuilding posts, and spray painting the iron rail. Over the next few days he plans on sanding down and painting the porch and foundation {a terracotta red} to match the brick. We bought the porch paint that has the gravel {sand?} already mixed in; the current paint {whats left of it} gets slick in the rain.

Cruise, LOL on who's counting!

Maggie, glad to hear you are enjoying your job!