40-Somethings - 40-Something November Chat - Week One

Mack and I had an awesome hike yesterday. Hard to believe this area is less than an hour from our house. To think a year ago I never would have been able to do some of the rock climbing/scrambling we did.

I see many return visits to this hidden treasure:

http://outdoors.webshots.com/album/575336681vexmvh

lol cruise, you beat me by about 5 minutes : ) I've been lurking the last week or so, but I'm still here. will try to keep up on personals this week, as well as trying to get motivated and back on track. happy daylight savings time everyone!

I have been TERRIBLE about coming in and chatting with you chicks! and I am also NOT completely on plan. Coincidence??? I do much better when I am more involved with the community here and I've not done a great job this month.

Cat, you look gorgeous in your new profile pic!! and Rainbow Basin looks beautiful! I hear what you are saying too - yesterday i was just thinking "If someone were to have told me one year ago that I wold run for 1 hour and do almost 10 KM in that time I would have laughed myself silly and then told them they needed seriously psychiatric help". Amazing changes we have all made!!

How did November get here all ready? Dear goodness, where does the time go?

Penguin - i hope they get your glasses in order. Will you take them back again? My husband just got bi-focals and hates to wear them, so he relies on his older pair and is forever putting them on and taking them off!

BTW, great job on taking measurements - I love those, because when the scale doesn't move - but measurements do, it's a big motivator.

OnMyWay - hope you get to move that ticker down a few notches too! Hope you got a good walk in last night

DMC - one pound is one pound...and awesome. Think of it this way, you just melted 4 sticks of butter off of your body!!!!

Marie - sorry it's been sucha draining week - but wow..only 8 pounds to goal! THAT is AMAZING - and totally inspiring!

I did my elliptical and loved it. <----show off...hahahaa, KIDDING!

Joy - we didn't expect many, but handed out 3 bags before heading out for dinner. Totally surprised us. Ghiradelli reminds me of Disney, because they have an ice cream/soda shop in their Downtown Disney shopping area!

Cruise- i love yoru gorgeous hiking places - it's such a nice thing you two do together - he must love all the time together doing those things too. My husband and I love hanging out together - and he enjoys walking, so i'll need to get researching some new areas around here!

Weightlosswanted- thanks for the reminder! I have to do my clocks

Renee - looking forward to getting to know you - hope you jump back on program - looks like you've gone quite a ways all ready!

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I've decided to sign up for something that will keep me motivated for awhile...

I had to decide if i was crazy, or truly want to challenge myself. I'm going to sign up for a 1/2 marathon - that i'll walk/run/crawl through-- and just see how far i can go. Don't know if you don't train and try. It will help motivate me to keep moving. I'm going to join a group of women and move forward from here. Just ordered Marathoning for Mortals, and am working on the c25k now. It's in the spring/Disney

Here's the thing - I'm not the kind of person who will beat myself up if i don't finish...i'll be proud of how far I did go, and use it as a place to try to beat the next year - so if i'm swept, i'm swept...but i tried, which means something to me.

Can you believe it's November! Where does the time go?

Had a very nice Halloween. Lots of walking and minimal candy damage! I'll be sending our leftovers to work with DH tomorrow, out of sight out of mouth!

Up early due to time change and spent 30 minute on the Wii and 20 minutes on the bike. Feels good to start the day with some exercise.

lambchop, I admire your attitude about the 1/2 marathon. That's quite a goal! Go for it!

Velveteen, Welcome back. We are here for you!

WLW, Good luck getting back on track!

Cruise, Another set of great photos! I'm with you in what a difference a year can make. Way to go!

Have a great day everyone!

Love the pictures! Looks like a great hike!

Good morning all!

We had a little candy riot at our front door last night. Some kids got overexcited and knocked a few things over while arguing with each other. I didn't think the candy was that good! They apologized afterward but I'm glad Hubby was at the door and not me. Geesh. I don't think we're doing TorT next year because of that.

Lambchop, I'm extremely fustrated with the whole glasses thing. I'll take them in tomorrow and see what can be done. Having gotten a taste of what the world looks like in focus I'm reluctant to return them to get fixed but I'm holding things at arms length to read them and by that time the print is too small to read. Good attitude about the 1/2 marathon. I get the same way with weight training. "let's see if I can go a little heavier this time"

Gotta get ready for church, back later.

Cruise - Wow! Loved your pictures! There's some great hiking around here, too, and I think we'll start doing some of that when the kids are a couple more years older. My dh needs to lose some weight before we can do that, though. He mentioned last week that he's actually going to go to a naturopathic doctor (a type of holistic medical person who's done miracles for me) and work on his diet, etc. I know that nagging would never work with my dh, so I haven't said anything, as I worry silently about being widowed within the next 10 years. My dh is 48 next month and he's already been on high blood pressure medication for a few years and he really needs to lose a significant amount of weight. I think I'm being a good example for him.

patchwork - hope you can get your vision cleared up. That has to be frustrating.:hug:

Onmyway - we're planning to get a Wii for Christmas. Which program do you use for exercise and what extra pieces of Wii equipment do you have?

lambchop - good luck on the 1/2 marathon!

Velveteen - congratulations on the running! Where do you usuallly run?

weighlosswanted - nice to hear from you.

So I made it through Halloween without any candy. Even though there was lots at work, I managed to avoid it and I even had them move the candy dish away from the entrance to my office area. It was difficult to do that, since I've barely been there a month and some people weren't too happy, but it was the best thing for my health. Yay to a week totally gluten free, too. :carrot: I'm feeling really good as a result.

CAT - amazing pics - you live in a beautiful area! Have you scoped out all the potential hiking in your home-to-be in MX as well?

wlw - me too! October goes down as a weird month for me - I hit goal, and then regressed. New month, better days ahead. :)

Renee the Runner! That's an amazing accomplishment, lady!

lambchop - high 5 on taking on a big challenge! I'm doing the same thing to help me get through the winter. If I don't have something out there to work toward, I'll be like a big bear and just hibernate through the cold and snow.

OMW - great job on managing the Halloween - you really have recovered your good habits just like you said you were going to. Keep it up!

patch - blame the hyperactivity on the sugar buzz. :) TorT worked out well for DS10 - this year he brought back a lot more sugarless gum, toys, and pencils. Maybe, just maybe ... we're moving away from the candy??? Some wonderful soul even passed out dark chocolate Ghiradelli squares this year!

maggie - super job avoiding the candy, and eating according to your needs. It's not easy to do and you have more challenges than the rest of us ... and yet you never whine. You amaze me!

marie - keep on moving that ticker! That last 8 will be off before you know it. Good thing the dogs are getting so well-behaved, because you'll be light enough for them to haul you all the way to Boston if they decide to do it! :)

Turtle's gone and I'm back in my wagon. Signed up for the Thanksgiving challenge, registered for my Nov 15th swim meet, and revised the tickers. I went to a party last night and ate pretty much like I did last year ... so I'm feeling the repercussions and rather motivated to not do that any more. :) Another lesson learned, and another point in favor of a goot month to come!

Joy, we don’t get trick or treaters either. Lsst night DH asked if we had any thins year. I’m like, I didn’t turn on the light and I guess I have my lindt choc bars that I ration myself with. Ten years of no trick or treaters made me give up.

Cruise, isn’t it amazing how more open our lives become losing weight? I didn’t really think I was missing much being fat but I as so wrong. Your hiking sounds like so much fun.

Renee, welcome back. Make time to chat especially since you know you’re more focused when posting here.

Lambchop, there are days I don’t like to elliptical – the days when moving off the couch is effort. And me a show off – you want to try a ½ marathon. To me that’s nuts. DH used to run marathons and I’d ride my bike with him when he was training. The running looked so painful. You do have the right perspective on it – can’t succeed unless you try.

Penguin, perhaps you can tell the glasses place that since they’ve screwed up the glasses so often, they should make you a new pair to fix the problem and let you keep this pair.

Pres Maggie, good job speaking up for yourself and on the candy bowl and not speaking up to DH. We all know you can’t get pushed into losing weight. Only when someone is ready will they do it. And you are a great example that it’s possible.

ICU, turtle gone??? No I still see it on the avatar!!!! I’m so glad you’re back in your wagon. Great job signing up of the swim meet. And I’ve always wanted to go to Boston but perhaps not on the end of my pups’ leashes.

Marie

I had a great time with my DD and DGS. I thought I'd share a picture DD took of DGS, 2 of my 4 doggies and me.

http://apps.mariesdogs.com/blog/upload/m/a/mariesdogs.com/9564c0e1a35f0a99903339f6fad832bb.jpg

Hey everyone! I have not been around for a little bit due to some family issues and also pc problems. Everything is going okay and I have been on plan and met my Halloween goal. I even lost 2 more than I thought I would, yay. :cb:

I am losing much slower now that I am coming up on half lost of my weight loss goal. Just knowing that others here are doing the same thing and also all the members that have made it all the way really stirs me to stay on plan. I sure missed you guys. :grouphug:

glad to see you back hydra, I've been awol as well. hoping to get back on track this week : )

WLW – Being an EARLY riser does have its advantages. Lurking is good getting involved is better. YOU can do this.

Renee – Good to see you here again. As I just said to WLW getting involved is much better. I know when I was just maintaining over the summer I was not as active as I was in the beginning or now. In the last month I have been VERY active and I have lost 10 lbs., Coincidence….. I think not.

LC – Every month I’m asking myself that same question. There are days that I really would like a “pause” button. Mack and I love being together. We each have a couple close friends but for the most part we spend all our time together. He will golf with his buddy and I do “dog” stuff with my BF.

Good luck on training for the ½ marathon. Joining a group of other women is a great idea.

OMW – Good job on damage control. For the last couple years we have bought candy and only had a couple TorT’ers so this year we decided to not buy any and keep all the lights off. From what our neighbor was telling us they only had one.

Patch – I agree…. GEESH…. Kids these days. Good luck with getting your glasses taken care of. I would ask to keep the ones you have and ask that they make another pair.

Maggie – Good for you on not nagging. Being the control freak (nag) that I am most of the time if I am watching what I eat so is Mack.

We also have a Wii and use the “games” that came with the “Fitness” board. I did see a Biggest Loser game that looks interesting that I might try to find on ebay.

Good for you for asking for what you need regarding the candy dish. Respect yourself and others will do the same (most of the time). There are those that will try to sabotage your EVERY move but those people have bigger issues.

Becky – We really haven’t checked out hiking in the area but there are three things we would like to do on a regular basis; walk the beach, swim, or kayak. The great thing about the water in front of our property is it is calm due to the barrier reef that is about 150-200’ offshore. We have also talked/dreamed about finding more Mayan ruins. There is a small site that was found back in the 50’s in Rio Indio (our little pueblo) that was never excavated and we would love to find more of the hidden city. Big problem with exploring in that area is all the mangrove and things that live in it.

November is going to be a good month for you…. I just feel it. Now take that turtle off its perch!!!

Marie I am so glad that you were able to spend some time with DD and DGS. Custody battles SUCK!!!

Hydra – Slow and steady will get you to your goal and studies show that you are more likely to keep it off.

Mack and I did our 5 mile walk yesterday and took the GPS with us… it’s actually 5.25. Not much going on here hung out by the pool yesterday trying to get a little color before my trip in less than two weeks. It’s supposed to be in the 80’s all week so I should have decent color before I leave; nothing worse than taking a cruise and getting burnt.

Just a quick "hello" before heading to work. I'll spend some time on a real post this evening! Hope everyone has a great Monday.

OnMyWay - cool beans on getting in walking and avoiding the goodies!

Penguin - wow, rowdy group, eh? I hope they can help you with your glasses. That's got to be so frustrating the back and forth.

Maggie - great job on not only avoiding the candy, but staying gluten free

ICU - Lesson learned, put it behind you and move forward...good job registering for your swim meet - keep going, keep going!

Marie - LOL, I'd take miles on the road over mins on the elliptical! ;) I don't see the pic...

Hydra - glad all is okay, and just keep moving girl, one day at a time, and your goal will be here and we'll all be celebrating with you

CAT - 80's all week...JEALOUS! We're looking at mid-50's, but i'm a 70s-80s kind of girl. Man, you guys just keep going and going...it's totally motivating to see that by the way!

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Not sure if reality has set in yet - but hey! i'm going to do something BIG....yeah. Yeah, about that....it's real. WOW. That's about how i feel right now. Now it's time to not talk about it, and move and keep moving.

From what i've read on training and what many, many others do, they do a 4 min run/2 min walk kind of thing through the entire course...improves your endurance and time, and lets you "recover" and then go again - so you'll keep a more consistent pace. For now, I'm going to finish my c25k, then start with the book Marathoning for Mortals and train to about a 4/2 thing.

I'm oddly proud of myself, and that's a nice feeling to have - to say...so what if i don't finish, at least i tried. Nice, I like this attitude.

Lost another pound, another 1/2 inch off my hips/belly area - and feeling great.

Lambchop - the way I learned to run was with Jeff Galloway's methods, which are exactly what you describe. He's got a number of books out if you'd like to check them out. C25K does the same thing. I trained for a 10 mile race (Flint's Crim Festival of Races) several years with the groups, and it made running (something I'm not that fond of) much, much more fun because it was never miserable and it's just amazing how much ground you can cover.

Marie - funny, my User CP shows that the turtle is gone. I'll try to figure it out tonight before DS and I head for swim practice.

Cindy - Thanks for the encouragement! I think November is going to be good for me also. I didn't record any weigh loss for October, but I did lose another inch off my hips, and at this point, the inches are more important to me. The return to the pool added about a pound of muscle already (per a "relative" calculation).

OMW - Great job ducking the junk and sticking to plan!

November's off to a good start. I worked in the yard for 3 hours yesterday and will be in the pool tonight. Zero unplanned feeding, and it looks like clear sailing to Thanksgiving. There are 25 days to Turkey Day, and I'm going to go for 100% On Plan.

Thank you, I looked at that one also...I went with this one because of 2 reasons...

1. it's the book a lot of women in the group who have done it before used and liked, but think most are pretty similar

2. learned about "The Penguin" John Bingham earlier and am currently reading one of his other books - his site (Waddle On.com), etc

I remember something like Hal Higgdon or something and Jeff Galloway, a lot of people used those after the c25k - i'll be reading tons and looking at them all...i love to read.

Thanks again for the info

Hydra, excellent job on exceeding your goal by 2 pounds. That is awesome!

Cruise, excavating for hidden historical treasures would be a blast. You’ll be in top shape to do it. I love the comment about saboteurs bigger issues. Without a doubt.

Lambchop, you’re 4 min run/2 min walk, aka interval training is great. I do that with my elliptical. My dr. recommended interval training for upping my nearly dead metabolism. It definitely helped as I’ve lost 31 pounds since I started last March.

ICU, YEAH no more turtle (no insult intended to the turtle population…). BTW, I rarely actually lose weight swimming but the inches do come off. That inch off your hips is fantastic.

Back at work and it is definitely less stressful. I’m even being honestly pleasant on the phone calls instead of forcing myself not to bit people’s heads off. I did the elliptical this morning and plan to walk the doggies after work. It’s supposed to be ~60 degrees and sunny. As those days are coming to an end and it was 28 degrees out this morning, the choice was simple.
Marie

Hi ladies,

I'm back after a long time and looking forward to be with all of you again.
As I can see you are all doing great . I was going up and down 5lbs this whole summer and kept wieght under some control.
In october I went back to good old : exercise + eating routine and lost ca. 6lbs :) .My next goal is to lose ca. 12 lbs until Christmas.

Have a great day.
Nell

Yesterday and today turned into rest days{code for 'no workout"]. Hubby and I slept late and didn't have much to do today. The porch is looking much better; Hubby got the first coat of paint on the floor/steps. its too light in color, but the sand/non-slip is very nice; worth that extra dollar.

My glasses are working out okay. I think the top portion is great. I think the bifocal line is too high, but depending on how close what I'm looking at it sometimes I look under them so I guess its in the right spot. The 'readers' part seems weak, by the time I push the words far enough away that they are in focus the print is too small, but there were a lot of things I couldn't read even with my stronger readers. I had intened to storm into the office and demand they change them but I thought I'd give them another week. I am enjoying being able to see clearly more than 30-40 ft!

Nell, Welcome back!

ICU, I like the new avatar.

Hydra, glad to have you back. I like your new avatar also.

Marie, I can see a lot of you in DGS. cute pic.

Patch, glad your glasses are working out better. A day off every now and then is good! Time to get back to work!

Nell, Welcome back! Hope to see more (or less!) of you!

Marie, DGS is a cutie! Glad you enjoyed your visit!

ICU, Glad to see the turtle is history! I'm with you, 25 days on plan! We CAN do this!

Lambchop, You should be proud of yourself! I like your attitude!

Cruise, Hope you enjoy your time by the pool. I always feel better when I have a little color, just be careful not to overdue!

Hydra, Keep coming back. You are doing great! Half way to goal. WAHOO!

WLW, We'll be here when you need us!

Newleaf, Wherever you may be, we miss you!

Presmaggie, We love our Wii! We all enjoy it!

I'm on Day 8 of back to basics and I couldn't be happier. I have a good routine and I am confident I can get this done! Bought Wii Fit plus and am enjoying some of the new activities. Wii Fit was starting to get a little boring! This will help me through the winter! On the plus, DD likes to do it with me so we have lots of good laughs together! I'm back to ticker weight and am hoping to make a change here real soon! Hope everyone has a great day

Welcome back Nell! What is it like living in Croatia? That's a country I'm not very familiar with at all - will have to do some research : ) It's great that you managed to maintain over the summer, and seems like you've gotten back on track. Good luck meeting those goals, you can do it!

Marie - Glad work is less stressful this week for you. I hear you on the weather, I'm not loving this colder weather...boo!

Nell - hi, nice to meet you - I'm Deb - Good luck on your next goal, and congrats on losing those other 6 pounds

Penguin - I hope you adjust to your glasses. Porch done, rest days over...now what?

OnMyWay - Yeah on being back to ticker weight, and that's great your DD does it with you to keep it interesting. I've heard a lot of ppl rave about the Wii Fit Plus, etc.

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The plan is to just stay on goal, do what needs to be done, and move forward. I am hoping that by creating these patterns, they become habits, and after enough time - I don't even think about some of the choices i make. I'm focusing not only on now, but on future lifestyle, and I see an active and healthy lifestyle continuing into my future.

just trying my new tracker thingee...

Hi everyone! Welcome back, Nell - a summer of maintaining is great practice for the rest of your life. :)
OMW - it's only day 3 for me, but yes, it does feel good to get back into the routine that works, I'm with ya!
Patch - I only have to deal with weak progressive bifocals, and I didn't like adjusting to them ... glad to hear you're making progress and seeing better!
Marie - I'm happy that your job is returning to "normal"! It's not fun when the job eats your life. I miss having a dog to walk - their enthusiasm is so motivating, and their way of just "being" in the moment with all the great smells and sights and sounds. We'll probably get another Gordon Setter puppy in the spring (spouse loves bird hunting), and I'm almost looking forward to it. :)
Lambchop - nice tracker! They're fun to play with - when they're going in the right direction! I changed out my big one because there was something about being too close to the end of it that messes with my head and makes me lose focus ... going to have to work on that.

2700 yds in last night. It still feels like the water is fighting me, but I'm getting stronger quickly. And last night I wasn't even wobbly climbing out, so that's a positive. I can tell I need to get going on some yoga or stretching ASAP ... that will be the next priority.

You chickies would have been laughing hard at me this morning. I was packing some potato chips for spouse's lunch, and holding the bag away from me as far as possible so that I didn't have to smell them. (I drool just thinking about potato chips). Hey, it worked ... one fell out of the bag, and where I would have been on it like a vulture, I just backed up further, picked it up, and put it back in. I will confess to washing my hands immediately, which might be a little over the top, but one little taste of grease and salt and I would be in a bad place. :) Live 'n' learn!

Nell, welcome back and great job on your October loss. Maintaining over the summer is awesome as well.

Patch, don’t settle – if the glasses for reading aren’t right, march in there and demand they get it right. That’s their job. And you want to easily read all your Christmas cards. So if you get them fixed now, you’ll be set.

OMW, I am SO proud of you getting back to basics and sticking with it. Enjoy the Wii with your daughter. Not only are you doing great things for your health, you’re creating lifelong healthy habits for your daughter and making memories. That is a win-win if I’ve ever hear of one.

Lamb, looks like you got your tracker to work. You are doing great. I would say my eating on plan is a “habit” but it’s the easiest one to dump to the wayside. So I don’t trust it will stay a habit without constant focus on it. Since I can now live with that (I couldn’t at earlier attempts), that is fine.

ICU, good job on no spaghetti arms last night. That was a heck of a swim last night. You’re just rockin’! BTW, if you’d like me to lend you a dog, Sasha is available for walks. She builds arm muscles as well. BTW, I was laughing at your description. Vulture – ah, that was so me in so many instances in my past life.

I ended up getting up early this morning and did both the doggie walk and the elliptical already. After work, I get the entire evening to play except fur recovery from my floors. I’m very excited for four to roll around.
Marie

I forgot to share a piece of info I discovered this morning. When I changed my ticker to 70 pounds lost his morning, I just stared at the number. So I clicked on the calculator and multiplied 70 pounds time 3500 cals per pound. That was a deficit of 245,000 calories. Nearly 1/4 million calories. It just boggled my mind. OK, yeah, I'm a numbers person...
Marie

Holy Moly Marie! that's crazy and a ton of calories! Thanks for sharing...

Great job on getting your walk and thigh killing machine in

ICU - wow, that's quite a swim! food smells, ah yes, my son got a cheeseburger on Friday - and for some reason, that's the one smell that is getting me....I just told him to get it over with! LOL - chips are one of my past triggers too, so i can relate -we keep them out of the house - my husband knows

Our computer is acting crazy this weekend. We think we picked up a virus that made the computer delete its usb ports. No printer, no camera! so I can't post the pics I promised. I wanted to post before and after pics of the porch also.

The weather was nice over the weekend {about time!} I was running around in short sleeves, jeans, and sandals yesterday. Its a tad colder today however.

Because of the glasses I was able to reduce the size of the print on the computer to 125%. The 150% just looked way too big! Progress! I discovered that the eye dr will just order new lenses and replace them in the office, so I wouldn't have to give up my glasses.

Our house is a 50's starter home. The front and back porches are part of the foundation. The paint is peeling and slick when it gets wet. Hubby replaced the wooden posts, repainted the iron rails, painted the ceiling and trim, and is in the process of painting the floor with porch paint that has added sand/grit. The porch has been the traditonal light blue but we are painting it terracotta to match the brick. The color is too light so well get a darker color as a topcoat then paint the foundation/crawlspace to match the porch/brick.

Marie, interesting about the numbers and calories... boggles the mind.

ICU, my dad tried the progessive and talked me out of them.

Lambchop, yay on the new tracker.

OMW, I like you 'back to basics' comment. I may have to steal that.

Good to see everyone is still rockin' and rollin'! I went to the oncologist today and got the all clear for another 6 mos. I avoided these appointments for 5 years and yet the apprehension today was the worst I've had before a visit...probably because of the scare I had over the summer. Now if we can just get the insurance to pay for the brca testing it will be all good! The dr also confirmed that I've lost 8lbs since my last visit in may, so I guess what I'm doing is working. It just seems like the progress has been oh-so-slow! Especially when I see lambchop getting ready to run a marathon and icu swimming those laps, and everyone is making such great progress towards their goals!

Thanks everyone for your support and kind words on my weight loss. :wave:

I have tomorrow off and will be busy running errands and doing chores. My boyfriend said he would take a nice walk with me. I think I want to go for a walk at the park near us. I was thinking of bringing my camera and taking some photos of the changing trees.

wlw - progress can seem slow at times, i try to have all sorts of mini goals, like percent lost or my bmi or figuring out how long ago I was a certain weight. Hang in there and keep doing what you are because you certainly have good progress.

marie - I am a numbers person too. Great idea to figure out the calories saved in weight loss.

icu - swimming is just so good for you. Growing up I swam competitively and I can really appreciate the great distances you are swimming.

lampchop - I like the way you are thinking. Creating change and developing new habits is a big hurdle to jump.

onmyway - spending time and exercising with your DD sounds great.

nell - hello there, nice to meet you.

Today I did Full Body Squeeze DVD with Tracey Effinger which I bought from Borders with a 40% off coupon. I did better in the legs sections than I did in the arms section. I was a little surprised that I didn't recognize much from the Power Squeeze I previewed yesterday. I expected thte shorter workout to be pulled from the longer one. I'm not sure I 'got' all of the little movements right there seemed to me to be a lot to keep track of.

when I see lambchop getting ready to run a marathon

Lambchop (Deb) has sat on her bottom for way too long and is a porkchop! It's not like i'm out there running miles yet, it's a slow paced build up I'll be doing :)

Yes, porkchop (a nickname my sister gave me years ago)....is working her way into wanting to be a lambchop -- hehehe

LC - Nice nickname for your sister to give you.

Patch - Good job on mixing those workouts up.

Hydra - Enjoy your day off and your walk.

WLW - Good news on being cleared for another 6 months and on the 8 lb. loss.

I thought I would drop by and say hello!

I just finished a 3 hour midterm for accounting on monday. I am so determined to get exercise and do this class. When I got my degree online, I gained so much weight with all the work to do, I had no time for me, or so I thought. This time, during this 12 week class I am NOT going to gain weight. I just don't think it would be worth it. I sure appreciate my down time now that I am swamped again.'

I have been walking and doing work out tapes and watching/journaling my food. My biggest problem still and it seems forever is night time grazing. If I didn't do that, I would not have any problems! ;(

I am with you all in spirit and after this class is Over I promise to be more of a participator! 6 more weeks. It will fly!

Okay, off to take a morning walk! Keep it up... this is a wonderful support system.

OnMyWay, a special hello to you!

dmc

Lamb, I life food smells. They don’t trigger me to eat them. When the office staff brings in doughnuts, then know to bring the box in my office so I can have a few cheap thrills – sniffing the goodies. And sis is mean. I only know you as lambchop.

Penguin, YEAH on the glasses front. There was no way you should have had to give them up. BTW, I love my progressives – on the rare times I actually use my glasses.

WLW, last Thanksgiving when I complained to my dr. about how slow the weight was coming off, she said to do interval training. I didn’t take her advice until March and the weight loss speed increased dramatically. Nearly to a point where it’s in a normal range for most people. Before I was lucky for 2 pounds a month. Now I range 5-6 pounds a month although I think that will slow with as I near goal. So, try the interval training.

Hydra, your walk (now today) sounds like fun. I love being outside enjoying fall colors. We have pine trees here so there’s no change. But when I’ve gone up to Tacoma, it was beautiful.

Dmc, good job on refusing to gain weight while going to school. Enjoy your walk!

Two of the non-pull harnesses came in the mail yesterday. YEAH!!! Kodiak didn’t pull at all and Sasha… well Sasha is Sasha and pulling is her game. :dizzy: It was better and I hated the halti collar (goes over their snout and looks like an odd muzzle) so at least it is gone. I think when the mediums arrive (backordered), it’ll work even better. Regardless, this morning was a pleasant walk.

Countdown is on. Two days until DH is supposed to come home. Yesterdays planes arrived (aka took off from the Boise base) which means 1/3 of the jets have returned. DH said 4 more should be arriving soon from today’s batch. If they all take off, then he gets to come home. If I could type with my fingers crossed…
Marie

Today I had one of those 'Goldilock's' workouts. It took me a few trys to find the 'just right'.I finally did do Firm's Cardio Dance Slimdown. This is my go-to fun cardio; this also represents about the most complex choreo I can do. Sigh. Most of my efforts at dance end up looking more like kickboxing and this is no exception, but this one is fun and has saved me from skipping a workout several times.

April rolled in something yucky in the back yard right before I left this morning so I cleaned her up as best I could while wearing 'good clothes' but I decided I had to give her a bath after my workout. Guess what time it is, Furball????

Hi, Ladies.

I am BACK. I am so done with being off the wagon. I am so ready to shed this final weight. I DO NOT want to gain anymore weight back. Here are some small things I can commit to, to move in the right direction.

Tonight I will:
-- throw away the candy corn. Yes, the 2 unopened bags, plus whatever is in the open bag. Good bye.

Tomorrow I will:
-- exercise
-- make a dinner plan for Thursday - Sunday
-- go grocery shopping

In the next week I will:
-- buy new batteries for my food scale

I have just been so busy lately between work, parenting, and chauffeuring, that I have let my bad habits creep back. My big challenge is dinners. The boys seem to have all their activities scheduled during dinnertime. No wonder there is a demise in families sitting down to eat together... My oldest son's basketball practice got cancelled tonight; if it hadn't, that would be Mon - Thur that something was scheduled during dinner (taekwondo for DS1 and basketball for DS2 on Monday, cello for DS1 on Tuesday, basketball for DS1 on Wednesday, Taekwondo for DS1 and basketball for DS2 on Thursday). I know when I was a kid, we did things too, but I guess they were after school or on the weekend. We were always home for dinner and always ate as a family. Even with all of 3 of us doing sports in high school. Ugh.

Exercise? What's that? I haven't exercised in probably 3 weeks. Part of the problem is that that Pride & Prejudice is incredibly boring. I think I could like it if I were snuggled next to the fire. But on the elliptical?? No. But, I got a new book, some Harlan Coban novel. His books are always easy reads but good thrillers. Not having a good book is just an excuse, but the great books definitely did motivate me to get down to the basement.

Oh, and on top of all the normal life things keeping me busy, my cat got into rat poison sometime overnight Sunday/Monday. My boys found a block of it at the top of the basement stairs, which meant my cat found it and brought it up. That was a nice little diversion... but fortunately it looks like he should be alright. Phew!

I hope everyone is well. ICUWishing glad to see the turtle gone Marie how wonderful to spend time with your GS! CruiseCAT looks like a great hike! OnMyWay thanks for shouting out to me! LambChop you're doing great! Penguin I'm sorry these glasses are such an ordeal! Hydra, DMC2009, WeightLossWanted, PinkiePie aka Velveteen, PresMaggie, and Any Folks I've Missed, nice seeing you all again and I'm looking forward to re-engagine.

good to see you back newleaf, sounds like you've got a plan!

marie: interval training sounds like a plan but I'm still pretty limited on what I can do. the herniated disc causes leg and hip pain and I have bursitis in the hip as well. I'm trying to get to where I'm comfortable on the elliptical etc again, then I'll be able to intensify my workouts. right now it's mostly walking and stretching. I do have to commit to regular workouts other than the regular walking and jumping on the treadmill on my lunch break.

Tonight I will:
-- throw away the candy corn. Yes, the 2 unopened bags, plus whatever is in the open bag. Good bye.

DONE It would take a major act of desperation to get the candy back, involving climbing into the 30-gallon trash can and tearing through the assorted bags of garbage down at the bottom. I can say with utmost confidence, this will not happen. :carrot:

Newleaf: way to go! :carrot:

DONE It would take a major act of desperation to get the candy back, involving climbing into the 30-gallon trash can and tearing through the assorted bags of garbage down at the bottom. I can say with utmost confidence, this will not happen. :carrot:

I got a laugh at the visual on this one.

It reminds me of a show that was on a couple years ago about a group of people with eating disorders.

Stay away from the trash can!!!

WLW - congrats on the all clear!

Hydra - i hope you got the walk in the park in...and it felt great

Cruise - she said it in jest, not thinking about my weight--- but in a fat girl's mind, it stung - now i can laugh about it years later

DMC - hope the midterm went well - can you replace your grazing with a favorite drink to sip?

Marie - (the nickname) we were kids, we're great friends toady...food smells, oy, think i just have to be at this longer-- i'm finding i'm excited because restaurants aren't hard to go to at all - I hope the harnesses work out well for you...and hope DH is home soon

Penguin - LOL, my coordination is like yours, it's not pretty, but it gets the job done!

NewLeaf- Congrats on making small things you can do -- yes you can, yes you can!!! I think I have Promise Me or something by him, i'm about half way through, but haven't had a chance to continue it...same author

---
I'm down another pound - yesterday i did my week 3/day 1 of my c25k, and at the doctor's on Tuesday - we found out that the last 4 pounds that came off were all body fat!

Hair colored, cut, highlighted -- so happy to lose the gray - I feel like myself again ;) only better.

Marie - thanks for the doggie offer! I know you'd never break up the pack, though - and I don't have the advantage of having a behaviorist nearby to help. :) I see that ticker flying off to the right ... 70 pounds! I hope you're beginning to draft your goal story, because you can motivate a whole lot of Chickies to keep going! I'll be hoping for your DH to get back to you, on schedule!

Patch - hope you can resolve that computer virus. It wasn't that long ago that you were having appliance gremlins - ugh! Nice to hear that you're finally getting some relief with the vision saga, and maybe, just maybe, the next set of lenses will be the final chapter (crossing fingers!).

WLW - Yay for the health clearance! Insurance is such a wack-job industry - you'd think it would be in their best interest to pay for a test that would help you figure out how to manage your risks, and that one is a biggie. Good luck! I look back through my journal, and I only lost 10 from May 1 - so you're not the only one plodding along!

hydra - did you have a terrific day off yesterday? Any good pics?

lambchop - stuff like that nickname makes me glad to be an "only". :) I'm sure you gave her a good one in return??? ;)

dmc - hang in there! You're over a 1/3rd of your way to goal!

newleaf - welcome back - we've missed you! You won't miss the candy corn. :carrot:

Went swimming again last night - DS made it through his hour OK too. It was a little crowded and for a while I ended up swimming with some of the HS men's team. I've got a lot of work to do before I can keep up with those guys! I'd have to say 4 days in a row on plan; it will likely be Monday before I see any scale movement again, due to that mf***r TOM. Grrr.

ICUWishing unlike you, I am looking forward to TOM next week. I always have a good loss (if I'm of a losing mindset, which I AM!).

Lambchop When my DS8 was born, he was a big baby, at 9 lbs. The first words out of the nurse's mouth?? "Look at that pork chop!" But it was cute, we all laughed... How odd, though, in retrospect, that she would say that... But in context it was funny. And my son thinks it makes a good story (he's slim, though, he'd probably feel differently if he weren't). Congrats on the new hair; that makes all the difference.

Okay, I'm off to figure out the dinner plan for the rest of the week. I think we'll have to have dinner when the boys get home from school (4:00). DH is out of town, and we're leaving for DS10' taekwondo at 5:15pm. I hate that. We normally eat dinner at 6:45 or 7:00 so early early always feels wierd.

Hi everyone! Was up at the crack of dawn to have my Mohs surgery. Everything went great. Dr. removed a spot about the size of a quarter from my neck. 12 stitches to close it all up. I did ask him to pull tight, he got a good chuckle out of that! Thank goodness for some cooler temps here, I'll be wearing turtlenecks for a few days! I'm off work for the rest of the day so I am planning to take it easy and watch some movies.

This is Day 10 of my back to basics plan. So far so good. TOM is starting so by mid next week I should see a big loss! I'm feeling very pleased with myself and am in a very similar mindset as last fall when I lost most of my weight. It feels good to be in control.

Newleaf, Glad to see you back with us! I got a good laugh imagining you digging for candy corn in the trash. Remember the Friends episode where George got caught eating a pastry out of the trash? I know what you mean about eating as a family. It's hard with everyone heading in different directions.

ICU, You'll be swimming circles around those guys before you know it! Keep it up! Glad to see the turtle has moved on!

Lambchop, Another pound! Way to go! I'm due for a highlight too but I'm waiting til I'm thoroughly disgusted with winter so it perks me up!

WLW, Congrats on the all clear. That must be a huge relief for you! Bet Dr. was glad to see some weightloss too!

Hydra, Your boyfriend sounds like a keeper! He must be very proud of how well you are doing!

Patch, I'm no dancer either so I give you an "A" for effort!

Marie, thanks for the tips on interval training. I will check it out to see if I can find something that works for me! You are getting so close!

Cruise, When do you leave for your next trip?

DMC, Keep up the good work with school! My favorite snack right now is a nice crisp apple with a Tbl. of FF caramel dip. I cut the apple into lots of slices so it takes longer to eat. Very filling and satisfies my sweet tooth!

Lunchtime oddity - I'm having my first Big Mac Attack in something like 15 years. I have no intentions of giving in to it - I'm just trying to figure out what component of that Frankenfood is driving it. Suspecting the pickles/mayo thing ... like a tartar sauce? Hm. I can have a fabulous homemade garlic dill pickle once I get home tonight - I'll pay for it tomorrow with the salt, but that's not *real* weight. Hm. It's a good thing that I've learned to leave my ATM card and my cash at home. I'll have to eat my wonderful healthy lunch instead!

Newleaf, welcome back to the chickie wagon!!! I hear you on a non-engaging book (no matter how good it is) will not get me motivated to exercise. I discovered the Harlan Coban series last spring and devoured them. I’d look for any reason to listen (I’m an audiobooker) including extra exercising. Keep that focus and you’ll be on track for good. And way to go on the candy corn – I forgot it was that time of the year – I love that stuff but it would be hard for me to control. I’m glad it’s past Halloween. :D


WLW, body recovery is way more important that speeding up your metabolism. Don’t do anything (including intervals) that compromises your recovery.

Lamb, great job on the fat loss and hair redo. Enjoy that high of the new you. You deserve it. :carrot:


ICU, “only lost 10 from May1” :nono: Wow, you need to look at the glass half full chickie!!!!!! You’ve lost 10 pounds since May 1st – that is excellent, fabulous and great for your health. I understand wanting it faster but look at the big picture. You are doing great and I’m proud of your accomplishments. You made your goal and I bet your ipod has arrived. And I’ve never thought about a goal story. I might be changing the goal number to 125 so it could still be a ways off. BTW, where’s your avatar??? It went to cyberspace.

OMW, I’m so happy the surgery went well. :carrot:And Day 10 is fabulous and another :carrot: is deserved! You are so back on track!

OK, so DH said only 5 more fighters need to get off the ground without breaking and he’ll be allowed to return tomorrow. 1 of the 5 broke before takeoff yesterday but it’s now fixed. The end of 7 months of on off relationship is soon to come to an end. It will be weird to think in terms of “dinner” or meals. I just log my cals and when I’m done, I’m done. I’m guessing some preplanning will have to return to my life. For DH, I can do that! :D

Marie

OnMyWay I'm so glad that the surgery went well... Mine was on my nose, no amount of turtlenecks was going to cover it! I'm glad you'll be able to cover yours for a bit. :) Congratulations on Day 10; that's awesome. I hear you about needing the control back. I'm not feeling good about myself right now; I need regain feeling good about myself again.

ICUWishing Big Mac Attack?!? Luckily that will never be a trigger for me... but I hear you... and the garlicky dill sounds awesome!

Marie I'm so glad your DH will be home back again soon. But I'm sure it'll be weird getting "back to normal" again. Being more mindful of meal planning is probably just one of many changes that you've forgotten about... But it will be wonderful... 7 months is a long time!

And speaking of planning, I've got meals planned for 3 of the 4 next nights. And the bonus of planning in advance? I can actually thaw something from the freezer with enough time... I found an interesting meat loaf recipe with Middle Eastern spices... maybe my kids will like it; who knows. That will be Sunday's dinner.

Work has gotten very busy this morning, plus a far-flung friend called so we chatted for a half hour. I'm still committed to fitting exercise and the supermarket in, but now it'll be a little tougher.

Back to work, and then hopefully the elliptical by 1:00pm.

Tomorrow I will:
-- exercise DONE
-- make a dinner plan for Thursday - Sunday DONE
-- go grocery shopping ALMOST DONE (I got to the supermarket, but not to Wal-Mart yet for staples or the specialty store where I buy chicken)

newleaf - way to go with your progress on your promises! It's so good to see you again! I know how the phone can derail a day - and it takes everything I've got to be grateful the person cared enough to initiate contact, especially since we went back to a landline that's hardwired! Yes, I actually have to sit down at the desk and devote full attention! It does require some flexibility - good luck on catching back up. ;)

Marie - cool! Sounds like you're on schedule for returning to a normal life with DH! He must be very good at what he does.

OMW - glad to hear your surgery wasn't too awful. May you never have to go through it again!

I fought off the Big Mac successfully. Cravings do pass. Whew. I COULD fit one of those into the day, but that means I'd have to give up the glass of wine I have planned to go with dinner, and that's just not acceptable!

So here's the problem. We had healthy well-balanced dinner at 4:00pm (which I hate doing) so one son could get to taekwondo, the other to basketball. But now it's 7:00pm (our normal dinner time) and we're all starving! But I have the fixings on hand for my banana concoction, so we'll have that for a snack.

A whole lot better than them having a kid snack when they get home from school and then a dinner grabbed on the run, so all in all I'm happy. Tomorrow night we get to eat at our normal time, though -- yay!

ICUWishing wine over Big Mac, any day...

Nice quiet day at home after surgery. Watched a movie and took a nap. Made a batch of homemade apple butter. Ate within my calories but no exercise today due to Dr.'s orders. Thanks for all of the well wishes! You guys are the best.

ICU, I'd have to agree with Newleaf. I can honestly say I have never eaten a Big Mac.

Newleaf, sounds like you have quite a plan in place. Adjusting your meal times may take getting used to but it's worth it!

Marie, So happy for you that DH is returning soon. He must be so proud of how well you have done!

Hope everyone has a great evening. I'll be heading to bed early!

Back to the gym and doing my pt workouts plus some elliptical...realized I haven't done a full workout in a couple of weeks.It's time to quit being bummed out about the slow weightloss! All the walking I've been doing isn't giving me the results I want and I CAN do the elliptical again, I just need to start slow and increase my time, distance and speed gradually. I also started taking the stairs at work again, though the elevator habit has been hard to break. Y'all have been a big inspiration, even when I'm just lurking!

I did not get my walk in the park in, I was laid up with the flu. Saw the doctor and got some meds and have been resting and drinking plenty of fluids the past couple of days. I hope to see my granddaughter tonight, as the doctor said it would be okay, I would be past being contagious. Going back to bed, and I will check in later.

ICU - I see you! Love the new pic - ooh, good pickle option. single size mini gherkins - if you can find them...have helped me once or twice while i was cooking for my DH or DS

New Leaf - HA, great story to hear that. My first son was 9.2 - second was a peanut, go figure 6.1 - I like the "figure out the dinner plan for the week" - I'm finding planning is my best friend

OnMyWay - glad everything went okay this morning...i'm glad you feel in control, and are in that great mindset again

Marie - he'll be here sooner than later! That's going to be an adjustment, but like yous said, totally worth it

WLW - woohoo on back to the gym - slow and steady, you'll get there

Hydra - the flu ...aww hon, hope you feel better soon

---
I'm at 15 pounds done, and my first mini goal is 17 -- feeling tickled, which I could really use after last night.

I went to try on sports bras...dear goodness...what an UGLY experience. First, none big enough, but secondly - man those mirrors are BRUTAL. One minute, I'm up and happy..woohoo, losing weight...see those mirror and I'm reminded it's like a teeny, tiny drop in the bucket. I came home and ordered 2 sports bras from Just My Size, so here's hoping they fit right when they come in.

Otherwise...with that little boost this morning, I'm feeling bright and the icky experience is behind me.

Today I'll be doing Day 2/Week 3 of C25k

Heidi – Have I told you how nice it is to see you back here, we missed you. I was looking forward to TOM but unfortunately I didn’t get my WHOOSH.

You sure are busy with the boys; I’m sure just when you get a schedule down it changes. I sure don’t miss those hectic evenings and I only had one.

OMW – So glad that surgery went well. I was surprised it took 12 stitches. Congrats on day 10, I knew you could do this.

As for my trip I leave next Thursday and will be gone until the 28th. I’ll have internet on and off during that time so I’m sure I’ll check in a few times.

Becky – Big Mac??? Are you serious??? YUK!!! I got sick on one about 20 years ago and that ended my desire to EVER eat another. Now their French fries dipped in milk shake that’s a different story.

Marie – I know you must be excited about DH coming home; even if it means some extra planning.

WLW – Yea for getting back to the gym and using the stairs.

Hydra – No good on the flu, sure hope you feel better. I have decided not to get either flu shot this year but I do have Tamiflu on hand just in case I get sick. Sure hope I don’t regret my decision.

LC – Woo Hoo on the 15 lbs.

Not much going on here; been doing the treadmill the last couple days because Mack has been running in the morning and by the time he gets home we are unable to get our five miles in before it gets dark.

Well I need to get the dogs out for their play time. Catch up with you all later.

Good Morning Ladies!

I am sooo sorry I have not been posting here :( Can hardly believe the first week of Nov. is almost over! I've been uber busy with life but have been staying OP. Last weekend I attended a Halloween party and they had a chocolate fountain, complete with all the fixins...I had only one strawberry dipped in choc. Man I could have had a nice binge on that...but I've come so far and I'm not about to turn around now :p On the other hand...I did not do so well with the drinks...ugh I drank way to much and even ended up getting sick...I paid dearly for it, having a 2 day hangover is in no way fun. I honestly don't know what I was thinking...live and learn I guess =op I lost 1 pound at last Saturday WW weigh in. I was .2 pounds shy of 30 lbs...here's hoping I lost at least that much this week...we'll see tomorrow morning at the meeting ;)

I've read through all the posts I've been missing and I'm so glad your all doing well...getting lots of ideas of what exercise to be working on with the winter months coming up. I've upped my walks outside to 2 and 1/2 miles and I do 3 miles 3x's a week with my Leslie Sanone dvd...I absolutely hate the cold so am not sure how much longer I'll be heading out to walk.

Keep up the good work ladies and I'll try to post more often!

Huggies,
Giv

Good morning all,
Just a quick drive by. I am no sure I will weigh in tomorrow, but maybe, good or bad I should. I don't think I have lost or gained so that is something.

Busy busy busy.... Glad to see everyone is well and OMW, glad you are feeling better and it went well!
dmc

Cindy - Food poisoning can definitely put a food off the list! I have, however, been blessed with a cast-iron system. Fries dipped in milkshake ... not my inspiration. :) However ... at Xmas when they bring in eggnog shakes? I have one every year - bring it home, drink about 1/2" down, and then pour in the dark rum. Major naughtiness!!!

Heidi - I empathize with the everything scheduled at dinner dilemma. Sounds like you've made the best of it with planning! I'm looking forward to retirement, when I can eat my biggest meal at lunch.

Hydra - good luck with the flu bug! May you have a speedy recovery.

Giv - yep, it was about a year ago that I forgot everything I know about hangovers and did the same thing. We call that "negative reinforcement" and just move on, more wise ... :lol:

wlw - I lurk EVERYWHERE on this site! There's so much to learn, and even when I'm feeling antisocial, I can still get motivated.

lambchop - thanks - but it's an old pic from June. I had DS10 take a new one this morning and I'll try to get that up later tonight. ;)

Marie - yes, iPod is in and I already have 27 hours of music loaded and a bunch of silly apps recommended by DS10. Very cool toy/tool - and yes, LoseIt was added too. You're right about the 10, and while I'm annoyed at being stuck just over 150 again, it's still lower than I've been in 15 years and it feels fantastic. :)

OMW - don't bother trying a Big Mac. Seriously, they have NOTHING going for them - it was just a weird sudden craving, and there's not a single thing about the 550 calorie cost that makes it worth eating. Today it sounds properly icky like it ought to. :x

Still on plan - peak calorie night was last night at 1830 and now it's back to 1400 again for today. 20 days to Tgiving!

OnMyWay homemade apple butter sounds delightful!

WeightLossWanted good luck with the elliptical, sounds like you've got a renewed commitment, which is great! Just don't overdo it...

LambChop patience... the time will come where the high will continue while clothes shopping, I promise you. But, BTDT re: feeling great and then going into a dressing room. Give it a few months; you'll get there.

CruiseCAT thanks for all the encouragement; it means a lot to me!

TLC sounds like you are doing great on the exercise, and have learned a valuable lesson re: the drinks! Hope you're feeling all better...

DMC2009 I hear you re: being busy... check in when you can.

ICUWishing LOL re: the retirement wish. After a particularly annoying "get out the door" morning with the boys a couple of days ago, DH announced that retirement will begin immediately, the day DS8 goes off to college LOL

So I have finished up all those little items I promised: threw away the candy corn, planned the dinners, did the grocery shopping, exercised, and even this morning bought the new batteries for the food scale. I'm feeling back on track...

Now to eat lunch, work, then exercise.

Newleaf, you’re so right about getting used to more than just the meal planning. I told DH that we’re going to need to work on our marriage. He was confuses until I pointed out that he’s used to being a bachelor and I’m used to being an old spinster with 4 dogs. It will take some getting used to. Luckily he’s my best friend so it should be ok. And good job making your daily goal list!

ICU – yeah!!!! On passing the big mac. :carrot: I’m with OMW and Newleaf, never have had a big mac. I havent’ had a fast food burger in about 20 years. But alas, that didn’t stop me from gaining loads of weight. The wine is just so much better for you!!!! I love your avatar!


OMW, we shall overlook the non-exercise. ;) Following doctor’s orders is so much better. I’m glad you had a nice relaxing day. And that the surgery is over.


WLW, walking got me started in my weight loss but it’s the higher intensity that got my metabolism to rise a notch. I still walk (doggies see to that) but added the elliptical.

Hydra, I hope you’re feeling better. :hug: After I post here, I’m on my way to the dr. for my H1N1 shot (high risk due to asthma). Enjoy the time with DGD.

Lamb, ROTFL :joker:– oh my that was funny – “what an UGLY experience”. If it makes you feel any better, the mirrors still make me cringe. And 15 pounds isn’t a tiny drop, it’s a big splash. You are doing great and those ordered bras will be perfect.

Cruise, I hate the time change – I like having time after work to walk the dogs. I tried on Monday thinking life was normal. Put it this way, I am thankful I had a full moon by the time the dogs and I got back. It was a little frightening. So I understand about too dark for your walks with Mack.

Giv, great job on the weight loss and only one strawberry dipped. Me, I would have vacuumed in all the strawberries and skipped the chocolate. I LOVE strawberries!!!!

DMC, weigh in tomorrow because no matter what it helps keep you on track.

So DH will be home sometime this afternoon (he’s driving though a snowstorm and mountain passes so it could be a little later). I had the floors nice and clean last night – a major feat with 4 doggies. But alas, it was drizzling this morning and the pups looked at me with their beautiful husky faces :D and I took them out for their walk. Did I mention I live on dirt roads??? Man, the floors look atrocious. :oC’est la vie. Then as I was getting ready for work, My curling iron slipped from my hand and I tried to catch it. Oh my wrist is blistered and burnt nasty :mad:. No resting my hands on the desk while typing. But it is Friday, I’m at the lowest weight in decades, work is quiet because it is a non-school day and DH is coming home. Life is awesome.
Marie

I have lost two lbs and managed to keep them off for almost a week! Hopefully this is the beginning of a new trend for me.

Yesterday turned into a rest day. I thought I was supposed to do weights and decided to skip the workout because I was tired, but had I checked I would have found that yesterday was my short workout day, and I get to choose the style. I proabably would have gotten something in. . Today is weights.

ETA: I decided to to Upper body today because I've been doing so much Pilates etc. I pulled out two 'newbies' for me. Denise Austin Get Fit Fast: I did Upper Body Level 1 {which I didn't like because she wouldn't tell us what exercise we were doing so I had to skip the first one, straining my neck to see} and Level 3 to see if I was missing anything. I don't feel that I was. Then I tried DA's 10-5 min Target Toners for Upper Body. I did as much as I could before she drove me nuts. I started working out with Denise and will always love her for her enthusiam and encouragment when I needed it but I just can't stand her lack of cueing and constant chatter.

ICU, Glad to 'see' you in the avatar again.

Hi everyone! Another good day here. DD was off school so she came to work with me. We don't have students on Friday so it is a relaxed day anyway.

Changed the dressing on my wound and was a little startled to see how big it really is. About 1 1/2 inches long. Oh well, it is what it is.

Patch, Congrats on 2 pounds! I knew you would find what works! :carrot:

Marie, Hope DH made it home safely! Sorry about the burn, that sounds horrible. Enjoy your reunion! ;)

Newleaf, Regaining control is a great feeling. Keep it up!

ICU, Your eggnog shake sounds delicious. Might have to give that a try!

DMC, Thanks for stopping by. Go ahead and weigh in, you may be pleasantly surprised!

GivTLC, 30 pounds is a grat accomplishment. Don't let one party ruin your progress, get right back to what was working!

Cruise, French fries dipped in milkshake? I may have to pass on that one!

Lambchop, your bra story gave me a chuckle. Hope your order works out OK. 15 pounds is a great start!

Hydra, Hope you are feeling better. Enjoy that time with your DGD.

WLW, You CAN do it! Attitude is everything and it sounds like you have a great one!

OMW, Glad to hear you are doing well after the surgery :hug:

I was all set to get in a good workout, finished work on time and headed downstairs to the gym...only to be reminded by a friend that the gym closes early on friday : ( I did do the stairs 3 times throughout the day. I counted the steps today, 32 -gasp, pant, wheeze!

Cruise- I'll miss seeing you daily! Enjoy your trip

Giv - good to see you - 2 day hangover!!! yikes, but great job on staying OP and beating the chocoate fountain

DMC - good luck with your weigh in

ICU - I don't care if it's from June -- it's YOU - not a turtle :)

New Leaf - thanks :) I know...one day at a time - awesome for being on track and doing all the planning, exercise, etc

Marie - LOL, I've got another fun one to share later about a running skirt....As for hubs, I'm sure it's going to be an adjustment, and jsut take a bit of time to feel like "old times again"...you live on a dirt road? that's so wild :) Not many of those in NJ...man, it's so crowded here...even in the suburbs..sigh.

Please get some burn cream or aloe or something on that burn so it can heal properly :\ OUCH

Penguin - congrats on keeping those two pounds off..that's 8 sticks of butter girlfriend!!!

OnMyWay - when it heals it won't be so obvious hon...just takes time.

WLW - the stairs are free!

---

Think we're going to the running store today to get my gait analyzed...i'm a supinator (run on the outsides of my feet) so I need to get shoes to neutralize or help that some -- it's TOM, heavy day so i'm all blah, want to curl up in a blanket and be a veg....but i won't give into it...too easy to do that. I need to keep a "STRONG" attitude, and a little achy, blah isn't a reason to sit home and complain....

Where the heck is menopause when you want it? My sister is through it at 44....pfft, i'll have mine until 75 probably! LOL

Thanks LC, the first couple days I'll be able to check in then I'll be off line for a week and then the following week will be crazy in Orlando. I'll definitely be checking in THAT week.

Mack and I are headed back to Owl Canyon to do the 8 mile loop.

Hope everyone has a good weekend.

have determined that Friday's are my worst eating days. The hard part of my week is over, I can relax etc. I'm waiting for the weekend to start! Hubby brought home a small pizza from our favorite place. Celebrate! Hmmmm. I did okay yesterday but I could have done better. I didn't know we were going to get the pizza until Hubby called right before he left work so I didn't 'save/plan' any room in my food plan. So I had two snacks yesterday instead of one, then pizza on top of that. Oh, well. I'll have to remember to be more careful next Fri. Maybe start a new project to keep me extra busy.

Lambchop. 8 sticks of butter...intersting way to look at it. Maybe two bags of Hershey's Kisses would be more my style, LOL. :o I've benn looking forward to memopause for several years now also! I'm usually freezing in the winter, so I'm looking forward to my first hot flash, although those who have had them laugh when I say that.

Cruise, Have a good time!

WLW, Good job on the steps! How dare the gym be closed whan you want to use it!

Penguin, congrats on the 2 pounds. :carrot:


OMW, sounds like you had a fun day at work. Do you not have students on all Fridays? That sounds like my type of work week even if you have to work the Friday. :D


WLW, perhaps you might want to find a fun workout video for Fridays since the gym closes early (and how weird is that!!!).

Lamb, I’m pretty sure TOM will visit me until I’m 75 as well. A running store??? My DH needs one. I made him an appt with a podiatrist yesterday so that they can try to figure out how to make his running more comfy (I personally think reducing 25 pounds off his frame would help :o but I’m not about to mention that – he always left my weight alone so I won’t bug him either).

DH is home safely and nicely tucked in his garage at the moment. :DWe’re going into town for Blizzards laser treatment then the hardware store. Wow, such fun. We’re also going to get the makings for canning 14 qts of marinara. Now that will be fun. We’re going to make the hungry girl’s bloomin’ onion recipe. He was game to try the low cal version. So daring he is. :p We had a nice night last night and it’s too bad my back is all messed up. He agrees we’ll walk the doggies for at least a week together so my joint isn’t pulled for a week. We’re trying to eliminate all the known irritants before I go to a dr. about it. Last night DH took new really horribly unflattering pics of my for the plastic surgeon. It's amazing how yucky all the skin looks on a photo! :o


Have a great weekend everyone!
Marie

tried 10MS HB Bootcamp again today. I did four sections Drills, Cardio, Abs, and Stretch. I started with Drills and loved that section. Amy {the lead} would give us about 4 exercises to do in a pattern but if I pick one and stick to it I find I do better and my HR gets higher, also. I tried Cardio again, huff puff, I finished it but I was breathing hard by the end {only 10 MIN!} Again with the pick one thing and stick with it. I did the abs section and loved it, even though it uses weights. LOL, I'm a gadget person maybe because of the weights! I think I had another Amy workout that I hated the workout but loved the abs??? The stretch was okay, it used a towel/belt and had a lot of standing poses, so I was leaning against the wall, LOL for those.

Marie, Nice to have your Hubby home! I hope your back is feeling better.:hug:

Marie I'm glad you are having a nice time with DH finally being home... How is your wrist??

Patchwork Congrats on the 2 lbs -- woo hoo!!

WeightLossWanted how horrible about the gym being closed. That's really weird. Good job taking the stairs!

LambChop did you make it to the running store? Did they have any advice?

CruiseCAT How was your hike? And, are you all recovered from that tumble a few weeks back?

I've had a good day, good food so far and I'm about to begin making dinner. It's just me and my DS8 since DS10 and DH are camping. There have been a couple times that I've wanted to go off-plan today, but I had a popsicle the first time and an apple the 2nd time, so both good choices. DS8 and I made brownies for dessert tonight, but I'm not planning to have any. I'll just have some tea.

going to do the running store tomorrow - we figured it would be less crowded - street parking in that area (Princeton)

Marie, running specific stores - most will do free gait analysis so you can get the proper fit of shoes, based on how your arch is, if you pronate, supinate - etc...it's just the closest to me is an hour away. Usually employees are also runners too - and it's not just a big sneaker warehouse with all types, it's running specific

Add today to my list of good days. I'm on a roll! I can also finally move my ticker since I was at 178 this morning.

DD had volleyball and then I went to a craft show with a friend. Bought some really neat ornaments made of glass from wine bottles. Love the recycled material idea, plus they are very pretty. They will make nice gifts. I am not really ready to start thinking about Christmas but I know it will be here quickly as usual!

Marie, I work in Early Childhood Special Ed. We have a morning and afternoon class. Our kids come to school M-TH so Friday is our day to plan and prep. Definitely a plus! Glad to hear DH made it home safe and sound!

WLW, bummer about the gym!

Lambchop, TOM here too. Isn't it funny how many of us are on the same schedule! Now sign of letting up here either. I'll probably have mine til I'm 75 too!

Cruise, enjoy you hike!

Newleaf, Glad to hear you are back in the groove too. Keep making those good choices.

Patch, way to stikc with those workouts! You exhaust me!

Hope I'm not breaking protocol here. I used to belong to a group called Partners in Crime which fizzled and I think finally died so I've been looking for a new home. I'm 43, soon to be 44 so this looked like it might be a good option for me.

Hi, Petra. No protocol to break, just jump right in! Lots of dog lovers here (not me, though LOL I'm a cat lover) which I'm assuming you are, given your avatar...

Petra, Welcome to our group; we are glad to have you.. Tell us about yourself.

Hi all, hope everyone is having a great weekend! My gym is at work, and they close early on friday and are closed on the weekends due to the limited number of people who show up at those times. I only pay $15 a month so I can't complain about the cost!

Lamchop: We have two sports shoe stores here in charleston, I checked them both out last year. The one I went with does a video gait analysis. Spent more money on a pair of workout shoes then I have EVER spent on a pair of shoes in my life -but what a difference!

Marie: you might check around locally for any sports or running stores that offer gait analysis for dh...the podiatrist might know of some. glad he made it home safe and y'all are getting back to normal!

Newleaf: glad to have you back : )

Petra: Welcome!

I am feeling much better today. I am taking Tamiflu and it has knocked the flu out and I am just really tired now. I have been staying on plan but doing very little exercise, I have shopping to do today and that will get me out and walking around some.

wlw - how nice that you have a gym at work, i have access to one too and i need to pay my membership, i have been procrastinating about that. :strong:

petra - hello and welcome! :welcome3:

onmyway - yay, ticker change!:bravo:

newleaf - good job with staying on plan. Sometimes it is hard working through those feelings to go off plan and the choices you made were excellent. :cp:

marie - how did the bloomin' onion come out? I am curious to know how you make one the healthy way. :chef:

Petra - welcome!!

newleaf - nice to "see" you.:) Great job on staying on plan.

onmyway - congrats on seeing that scale move! It's going to keep going.:carrot:

weightloss - do you maybe have a public gym nearby that you can drop into once in a while when your gym is closed? It might help to keep your momentum going. I know that my keeping up with the gym is about momentum and I can't stop for long or it's so hard to go back.

Hydra - glad to hear your Tamiflu is working. I've been taking a homeopathic remedy for the same reasons and it seems to be working. It's supposed to be stimulating the immune response. So far, so good. I started feeling sick on Wednesday and I've managed to keep functioning ok. I am soooo tired, though.

Marie - your marinara sounds good. I think I might have to consider canning, too. I have an intolerance to garlic and it seems to be impossible to find any salsas or spaghetti sauces that don't have any. Hmmm...

It's TOM and I'm borderline sick with almost having the flu, although I'm fighting it off as best as I can.