General Diet Plans and Questions - Doin' it the old fashioned way #13!!!

Hi and welcome everyone!
We are a great group of supportive women who are losing or maintaining weight the old fashioned way-by lowering our food intake and through good old fashioned exercise! Anyone following or wanting to start following a balanced plan can join in with us! (Weight Watchers points counters, Food Mover counters, and calorie counters are the way most of us are keeping track.)
With all of the fad diets out there-no/low carb, juice fasting, pills, teas, prescription medications...it all boils down to eating less and exercising to lose the weight and get fit.
Come join us!
Aphil
:D

Hi everyone! The new thread. Well I am doing good. I have been on the side lines. But trying to keep my head above water. I am still working my two jobs, along with school, and the kids and everything that comes with that.

I just invested in an elliptical machine. Wow is that challenging. It is an awesome machine. I have commited myself to atleast 5 minutes a day. Because 5 is about all I can squeeze in my busy schedule.

My mom started a new weight challenge today and the bank is rising to 500 bucks! I don't know that I will win. I am just hoping that I will lose more. I weighed in on their scale at 204 yet on my scale I was 195! So there was a big difference. I won't let that get me down. I went ahead and jotted down my weight from my scale in order to keep track of my losses throughout the course of this challenge. the challenge will last for 8 weeks. I hope to lose 15 lbs or close to that.

Well I hope everyone is doing well. Kanola welcome back to the thread. I have never had the pleasure of meeting you but Snowey never let your name fade from the thread. She would always give a shout out to you always wishing you well. I really believe that through the support of the participants of the threads here at 3FC does help me to keep focused and commited to my goals. Take care everyone. Talk with you all later.

Kina

Good morning all :)

Just wanted to get on notifications for this thread :)

I'm doing okay. I made it through yesterday without feeling like TOO much of a pig. And, we took my daughter to the park so I got a little walk in by the lake. I must say, I can so totally feel the difference now that I'm carrying an extra 18 pounds again! It really makes me think about how much I want to lose this weight after baby! The difference in my energy level once I lost all that weight was remarkable... and I can't wait to get it back (as much energy as one can have with a newborn waking them up all the time that is LOL).

Hope everyone is having a great weekend! :)

Christine

Hi everyone,
Hope everyone is ahving a good weeekend!
Silence/Christine-You are right, having a few extra pounds off can play a major role in yout energy level-it is amazing how tiring it can be to carry that extra weight around on your body! I am glad you took a walk-it is really good for you and the baby.
Kina-good for you starting a small goal with your new machine doing 5 minutes a day! Most people get a new treadmill or something, and get on it for an hour every day for a few days, and get sore and burned out, and stop doing it. Starting slow, but making sure you do it is the best way to still be doing it a year from now! (They are good aerobic machines too!) When I started getting into exercise after my first pregnancy, I got a recumbant exercise bike, and only did it for 15 minutes a day-but I was using it! I did it during the first half of a soap opera I used to watch while the baby was napping. When I started doing weights and resistance exercise, I started first with a simple 10 minute abdominal tape I did every other day. That and the bike is all I did for a few months-but it got my body used to regular exercise, and helped me shed a few pounds-and I worked up to doing more from there slowly.
I had a good evening last night and a good day so far...The puffs on Jasmine's costume are done and sewn on-and the skirt pieces are sewn together-I just have to wait for her to get home this evening so I can fit it to her, so I can start the hemline and gathering the waist of the skirt. I am not going for floor length, but more ankle length, so she isn't tripping over it. Her party is Saturday-and I need to wrap it up here in a couple days!
Weekends are more of my "fun" exercise days-like walks outside, yoga, or dancing...today I did bellydancing-and while the movements are usually slower than in an aerobic class, you tone up muscles you do not use much, or at least use them in this way. I get sore about an hour afterwards-right through the diaphram, middle and lower back, and hips. I am still embarassed to do it when anyone but the kids are around...but one day I will feel confident enough to perform in front of an audience.
My mother is coming tomorrow to watch the kids while I get a haircut and run a few errands...ahh-time out of the house with no kids or husband! :D
Well, better go-have a good day!
Aphil

Hi, I'm new here and curious about this thread. Do you all just count caloires? Isn't that hard to do?
I would love to do something simple and healthy. Would you have to eat basically the same things everyday to keep the calorie counting simple?

I need a healthy plan and have tried many diet approaches.

Originally posted by skipper88
Hi, I'm new here and curious about this thread. Do you all just count caloires? Isn't that hard to do?
I would love to do something simple and healthy. Would you have to eat basically the same things everyday to keep the calorie counting simple?

I need a healthy plan and have tried many diet approaches.

It's really easy to count calories if you don't mind going to restaurants which publish their nutritional content (made easier with http://www.dwlz.com/restaurants.com) and are consistent about writing everything in a log. I use www.fitday.com, which is free, to keep track of my exercise and food intake. Unfortunately, their exercise tracker is completely wrong and only has about 2 of the exercises I actually do (I like The Firm tapes, but they are more circuit training oriented, for example), so I figure out my calories on http://www.caloriesperhour.com/ and then fool around with FitDay's stuff until the calorie count corresponds.

I think that around here, the goal is less calorie-counting based and more healthy lifestyle. I've noticed that most people here cut down the amount of bad stuff that we eat, up the amount of fruits and veggies, etc., and try to get at least 20 minutes of exercise a day. At least, that's what I do! :) And I consider it a lifestyle change -- for keeps, not for just until I am in shape -- which makes me feel that much more accomplished! :)

Hey all,

I just thought I'd let you know that even though I ate way hugely on both Rosh Hashanah nights, I compensated for that well on Friday (so my calorie count was around 1744... oh my lord, that is a lot!), and FAILED MISERABLY on Saturday (I counted to 2122 and then just threw my hands up in defeat!), I have no guilt. And, thanks to exercise (thanks, exercise!) I managed to go down a half pound from last week. :)

But oy, these Jewish holidays! Good thing you must fast for the next one ;)

I also forgot how painful being overly full is. What a lesson.

Happy Monday!

Hello everyone!!

Welcome skipper88; lots of us here do count calories (that's how I started; I needed to start somewhere) but as alibee said, it's mainly knowing what you are eating; not eating too much; and exercising consistently. I hope you become part of the group; it has been the only way I was able to do this journey!

alibee, glad that your days of holiday temptations are over! But that is such an uncomfortable feeling, isn't it (eating too much). We have to remember that yucky feeling the next time we're tempted.

Hi Nancy! Yes, the number is at 146. Cool! As of now I'm trying to maintain, but would like to focus on exercise to make my shape leaner-looking. Also to get some muscle tone in my legs, which have always been my body part I want to hide. So I've added ankle weights to a routine that normally doesn't use ankle weights; I'll try to keep it up.

Do you still take the nice long walks with your husband? Or is time (or losing daylight - oh no!) a factor. Wishing you a great meeting on Wednesday!!!

Hi Kina! You are so artistic with your ID picture!!! You must be so computer savvy. Congratulations on keeping your head above water...with two jobs, school, kids, husband...super woman!!

Hi Christine! Nice that you had a walk with your daughter. Is she psyched for a little brother/sister, or rather indifferent at this time?

Hi aphil - wow, your daughter's party is this Saturday already...time crunch! Will that give you enough time to finish everything? She will be entranced by her gown, and slippers! Do you get up super-early in the morning for your exercise? Like before anyone else wakes up? That's when I like to do mine...but so much harder to get up on time now that it's not so light out!

Hi jacklyn, how are you doing? Hope everything's going well!

hi tryin'hard! How's our resident teacher? I didn't get to comment before, or laugh, at the woman who feels it's her duty to comment on your clothing...there's one in every workplace, isn't there. I still have one of your phrases in my mind - "I don't eat that anymore" - so empowering!!Thanks!

Hi Kanola!! Again SO glad to hear from you!! Come right here for inspiration/help/ranting - that's why we're here!

I'll personal message you about my motorcycling fun this summer, so I won't bore the others!:lol:

So glad to have Kanola back - now let's see if we can get SPRITE and MELISA back!

Have a great Monday evening!

Your friend, Holly
p.s. - (am still pestering my husband to help me post that picture - it will come!)

trying to post the picture...

Wow, VM, you look good! Are you SURE you're a mommy? :)

Question: does anyone know how many cals is in a slice of Chicago-style deep dish/stuffed? Not the Sbarro kind, but the kind covered in tomato?

Thanks, all. :)

Hi!
Skipper-Weight Watchers points and Richard Simmons Food Mover are easier to keep track of rather than counting calories while basically doing the same thing if you need something easier as a way to keep track.
Most of us here just count the calories-it is a bit of work at first, but soon it is second nature. First-get a book that has the calorie counts of foods-I use The Fat Book-it has counts of calories, fat grams, etc. in foods, but htey go by many names.
You can get the calories of packaged foods on the container-just make sure you are eating the serving size stated. After a while you memorize the counts of foods you eat often, so you don't have to look anything up. If you eat out some, you can go to restaurant websites, and get their nutrition info-Taco Bell, Subway, Burger King,KFC, Wendy's, Pizza Hut-they all have this on their sites. I print off the page, highlight the healthier selections, and keep it in a drawer in my kitchen. Some of the ones that don't will get it for you if you email them-Bob Evans has done this for me-not with the whole menu, but I emailed them for a few specific items.
I keep a food diary with me at all times-one of those pocket sized little notebooks, and put it in my purse when I go out. I write down what I eat and the calories, and add it up. Then when you are done, you can just rip out that page if you want at the end of the day, or you can keep them all until your next notebook.
It really does get easier with a couple weeks. :D
As everyone here knows, I am a strong advocate of exercising daily-I have seen many women lose 20 or 30 pounds without exercise-and they are "skinny fat". They may wear a size 5, but their inner thighs are still jiggly, and they still have flappy underarm area, they are just smaller. Nothing gets rid of cellulite or tightens a saggy tummy after a baby like exercise. (Not to mention all the calories you burn, so you lose weight even faster!)
Alibee-1744 calories is not a lot, honey! Don't be down on yourself! You can actually lose at this level, it will just be at a slower rate. 2000 calories is a good maintenance level, so over the two days, you just ate at a maintenance level, not a gaining level! Do not beat yourself up!:nono:
Vermont Mom-WooHoo!!! (Does cat whistle!):lol:
I can see why your hubby likes that bathing suit!
On a more athletic level-I can clearly see the muscle tone in your obliques (sides of abs) and in your chest and shoulders...good job! And yes, I like to do my exercise in the morning-right after my husband leaves for work, before the kids are up...it is MY time!
Yes, I hope to get her dress done by Wednesday night, or Thursday day...it is looking really nice! When we get her party pics back everyone will have to email me and I'll send you guys a pic of it! I am not as adept as you...cannot figure out how to post pictures on the board yet!:?:
Everyone else, have a wonderful eveining!
Aphil

Don't worry, I'm not beating myself up. I was just awed, because most of that was from ONE MEAL. :)

As for Vermont Mom: Her abs ROCK! That's why I can't believe she's a mommy. :)

Finally, about working out in the morn: that's the best time to do it, calorie/fat burning-wise, but I am too lazy to get up that early, so mine always happens at night. Alas :)

Hello all :)

VM, if you don't mind my asking, how tall are you? Cuz you look damn good at 146 ;) I guess it has something to do with the exercise thing but I was down to 149 before getting pregnant and I so did not look nearly that good :lol: I am 5'4" btw.
My daughter is happy about the baby but quite insistant that its a girl (we don't know yet) and I fear she'll be disappointed if its not! :(

Just my opinion, but I think that Weight Watchers points system is no easier than counting calories. You still have to calculate and you need to know something like the fiber counts and whatnot (i'm not sure, I've only looked over the paperwork, never followed it myself). The old WW system is more like the Richard Simmon's system.. that might be considered easier (although I find calorie counting about the easiest thing ever.. and after looking foods up a couple times you remember the counts on your favorites and don't have to go through that trouble any longer!).. Just my 2 cents on that one :)

So, I decided I need a personal chef because I need someone to introduce me to interesting, varying healthy meals! (Could one of you send me a winning lotto ticket please? .. no lotto in NC :( )

LOL

Christine

Hi everyone....

Today was weigh in day(at home WW on wed.) and I was down 1 pound. I was hoping for more after staying the same last week but no such luck. Oh well

Holly~~~ What a great pic.. You look great!!!!! You have to be feeling awesome and floating on :cloud9: Bruce and I are still walking but the weather this past weekend and today has been horrible... rain , rain and more rain. I did buy that Leslie Sansone walking videos and they are good (not as good as getting out) but good when you cant!

Hi skipper~~~ I am doing WW and it is really a great plan to do. There is absolutely nothing that you cannot have on WW. Everything has a point value and you are allowed a certain number of points a day based on your weight. So if there is a day you wanted to have a candy bar of any kind you can have it as long as you count your points. The point counting is so easy, it just becomes a part of your blood. The important thing is to pick something that you know you will be able to do for life. If you have any questions , be sure to post, with all of us here I am sure one of us will have the answer for you!!! And like Aphil mentioned, a food diary is important.

Kina~~ Glad you posted and that you are doing well, you have to be a busy lady with working two jobs. Are you still doing the slimfast?

Alison~~ Your weekend meals werent all that bad. You will be fine

Hello to everyone else and come on in and say hello...we know you are out there!!! :)

Have a great evening!

Nancy:wave:
203.5/195/???

:) Thanks, guys! I admit I was very apprehensive about showing so much skin :o but yes, one likes to show off one's hard work!

Christine, I'm 5' 6" - wish I was a little taller, but that's that. I have ususally been able to "camoflage" a higher weight than folks would guess me to be. Right now most size 8's are nicely fitting, or even a little loose - but 6 is snug (like the pants that got me in trouble with the gossips!:D )

thanks alibee, it is nice to see results in the ab area. Yup, definitely a mom 2X's!:lol: Two boys, 12 and 19.

and thanks aphil for being able to point out where the muscles have been worked! I thank free weights for that. And YOU for getting me started with calorie counting!

hi Nancy! thank you also! Yes, I'm feeling pretty

:cloud9: !

Have a nice night -

Your friend, Holly

:cb: Hi everybody. I am floating up to :cloud9: right now. I just got off my elliptical machine. I did 6 miles. I came home and went straight to it. I joined this 100 mile challenge at the college I attend. As if I don't have enough on my plate:fr: ! I know. Well as I mentioned before my mom started a new weight challenge worth around $500 burckaroos. So I figured well I am going to be doing my exercise anyway might as well let it count towards something else at the same time. For every 100 miles completed you recieve a free intramural shirt. I have to complete all mileage by December 11, 2002. My mom already put in an order for her shirt. So that means I will have to get 200 miles in. I will have to add up my mileage every week. It is a club where you are on your honor to report truthfully. So the way I figure if I lie I am only lieing to myself and my scale will be the first to tell me the truth!

So anyway I am really excited about this 100 mile challenge. I know that I can do it and I will do it.

I continue to work at night and work in the day and go to my 2 classes. With the help of my husband and mom I am tending the kids as much as possible. I am still sticking to my Slim Fast. It is the easiest way to get breakfast and lunch when I am constantly on the run with very little time to spare. Snowey I am currently weighing in at 196.5. How is your WW going? I see you lost a pound that is great! Something is better than nothing and as long as that scale is going in the right direction is a great thing. Keep up the great work!

Vermontmom...OMG I could hardly see you. YOu are sooo tiny. But girl you are looking good. I thought there is no way this lady is a MOM! I could probably pass for your mom of course there would be some question as to how did you come out so light skinned with light hair with a latina mom. Just blame it on the milkman! :lol: But wow you have got to be so happy for yourself. I can't wait to be there one day.

I know I have been getting frustrated with the clothes I have been getting out of. Because I don't want to go out buy too many clothes for myself until I lose enough of the weight. So I am sorta getting lost in my clothes. It is not noticeable to many people but it is to me. Because I can feel how baggy something is when it shouldn't be. So I am going to work as hard as I can to get to 180 or 185 and then plan for a few new outfits for reaching that small goal.

Well enough said I must go jump in the shower. I have school in the morning. Take care to all. I am glad to see this thread hopping with so much activity.

Bye. :chockiss: Kina

Hi everyone!!

Holly - - WICKED photo!! Love the bikes in the background too!

Snowey - - Awesome result with WW. I just finished Week 1 - Day 3 and wish I had done this a year ago. Very easy and the food is fantastic too.

Hubby had a knee reconstruction 6 weeks ago because he tore something playing basketball (and skiing accidents) so he is into some rehab at the moment. Should be cleared to hit the gym in 2 weeks and is driving the car again! He does not have clearance to ride the motorbike yet, because I have enjoyed having her all to myself. We already paid for our trip to Canada for Christmas, so we are going to start the fund for the 2nd bike (along with the house deposit, Thailand 2004 and the trip the parents want to do in Tasmania with us next year, *sighs*)

How is everyone else going? It is so good to be back in a messaging routine. I really missed the enthusiasm of the group. So awesome to be back!! yay!!!

:grouphug:
Nola.

Hi Everyone! I have been reading quickly every morning before the lovely cherubs come into the classrooms! So far so good, my kids are great!
VM--YOU LOOK FANTASTIC!!! And even though your bod looked great, that smile on your face is the best!!!
Aphil--you are do great with what you're doing for your daughter's party! Make sure you take lots of pictures!
Alibee--you're doing so well! The hard part is to keep it all in perspective and try to eat like a thin person. Thin people had honey cake, and the next day, probably without even thinking about it, they compensated by working our more or eating less.
I have to travel to Baltimore for THursday and Friday to go to training for the new job I have, so I'll be away. I already know from past experience that I will pack my cereal for my breakfasts and some dried fruit for the afternoons. I just hope the lunch and dinner options are flexible. After I post this, I am going to the hotel's website to see if they have an exercise room. I am a morning walker. My neighbor and I are out there at 5:30 every morning (Mon - Sat). We walk for 40 minutes and it really sets up my whole day nicely. It prevents me from "blowing" a whole day because I know I've already done something good for myself. I also pat myself on the back a lot during my walk. I silently tell myself how proud I am and what a great job I'm doing!
Well, off to plan my day. I hope everyone has a great one!

Hi,
Silence-what you said about Vermont Mom looking better than you did at a similar weight IS due to the exercise. People can really underestimate its power, and only do an eating plan-they are only fighting HALF the battle! It is very possible for two women of the same height to wear two different sizes-the one who is more firm and fit will be about a size smaller! The other benefit to exercise is that when you get to your maintenance level, you can eat 100-200 more calories a day if you exercise frequently because you are burning more a day! Exercise is the only thing that will reshape your body-VM looks great, but only because she worked for it!:strong:
Kina-way to go signing up for that 100 mile challenge! This was the exact same thing I talked about earlier-setting up goals that have nothing to do directly with the scale, but your overall fitness level.
Skipper-I hope you find which way to keep track of your food that is easiest for you. The reason most of liek counting calories or points or Food Mover is that it gives you more freedom. There isn't any food that you cannot ever have. Plans like Atkins and Body for Life are too restrictive for me, as far as eating certain things at certain times and not ever being able to have this or that. I try to eat very healthful, with lots of fruits and veggies and low fat protein sources, but if I want chocolate-I want it. I just try to make it as low cal (or low point) as possible, so I have a Hershey's Kiss instead of a ful size candy bar! I make it last by sucking on it!We also learn to sacrifice a bit, by cutting out a snack if we want a slice of higher calorie pizza for dinner, etc. The only thing with counting is to learn to space out what you eat-some beginners can either save up most of their calories for dinner and be hungry all day, or they eat too much too soon and not have much left for dinner. Save calories painlessly so you an eat more each day by making lots of small changes-only calorie free drinks except for the occasional juice, light bread for about half of the calories, canned fruit in juice or light syrup instead of heavy-there are many ways to cut calories so you are able to eat more. I like to eat-so I cut calories in places like this so I can eat more each day.
You will also learn which foods keep you full longer for the same calories-take a slice of toast-a Tablespoon of margerine and a Tablespoon of peanut butter have the same amount of calories just about-but if you use the peanut butter on your toast, it will stick to your ribs longer and you won't be starving in a half hour-as well as getting the protein from it and not just empty calories, just like eating an apple is more filling than having a serving of apple juice. You will learn quickly. ;)
Vermont Mom-You have boys that old? NO WAY!!!!! I from you picture, I thought you only a couple years older than me!-(I'm 26)
Woo-hoo! Alright, you have inspired me...when I am at goal weight-my pic is going up here in something sexy also!:devil:
Have a good day to everyone else, I would love to respond to all of you by name...but I am getting a wrist cramp!:lol:
Aphil

Good morning all :)

I definitely understand the exercise factor. My sister (who is 5'6") worked at a gym for a couple years and her already slim self (I'd guess about 135 and size 8) started working out. Well, disreguarding the lower weight she was at for a while (how gross), when she returned to 130lbs she now wore a size 4 and looked great. I am fully aware of the power of exercise, now if only I could convince myself that its worth it ;) (this is a tough thing for me at the very moment I should be doing the exercise!!). Kind of like remembering that I am unhappy with my weight at the very moment I'm about to put the food into my mouth... somehow thats the exact moment that I forget it all!

Speaking of exercise, hubby finally took my Total Bodyworks back out of the closet so we could use it again. I'm not sure which exercises I can safely do on it but I figure anything that doesn't involve lying on my back or pulling/lifting too much weight should be okay. I would've assumed that working the abs might be a problem but I've read that I really should be working the abs even while preggo, just as long as I'm not lying flat on my back while working them. So, as long as its not uncomfortable to do, I figure it's probably safe. (Now just to get me on there!! :lol: )

Reguarding the calorie counting, I had that exact problem when counting calories, trouble spreading it out over the day evenly. I knew I should be limiting each seperate meal to a caloric number but it was tough some times. Blah. I probably should be counting calories now.. just adding the extra 200-300 per day I need (on top of maintainance level) and sticking to it.. because I'm sure some days I'm just going absolutely insane on the calories and I know I'll be sorry later!!

Anyways, enough rambling for now... glad to hear everyone doing well.. keep up the good work! :)

Christine

:Hi everyone!

Kina, way to go for doing 6 MILES on your elliptical! And to do it as soon as you got home...that takes alot. But it will help so much in giving back to you - energy and stamina for your super-busy life.

200 miles sounds like alot, but I bet you can accomplish it!

Hooray for your baggy clothes!!! Do you have second-hand clothing/consignment shops around you? I found them to be a great, inexpensive way to clothe yourself in something that maybe fits a little better, while not breaking the bank. And then it's such fun to give away/dump your older, bigger clothes - GOODBYE FOREVER!

Nancy - congrats on the loss!! You are steadily going down, down, down! And the foods sound great - that's the way to do it; to be able to keep on the programwithout it "hurting".

Christine - what is a Bodyworks? Is it a home gym, like a Nautilus, or like a Bowflex? I'm sure that you can wisely listen to your body and only do exercises that do not stress/strain you.

aphil - Hi! Yes, I would love to see pictures of your daughter's party!

You are so right about identifying eating well as half the battle - the exercise is what's needed to complete the effort. I sure hope I can keep this up for the rest of my life...

'Nola - too bad about your husband's knee! Too bad he doesn't get to ride the bike :D (hee hee). How are you doing today? Wow, you have two amazing sounding trips planned - Thailand, and Tasmania - cool! and saving for a house, too - yes, "sigh" :lol:

Alibee - hiya! I'm afraid I don't have an answer on the calorie count of that type of pizza...but it sure sounds good :ink: But actually, as we all know, nothing should be forbidden - a slice of pizza with a big green salad would be a fine meal.

hi skipper - how's it going? Are you thinking of starting by counting calories? It might seem like alot of work at first, but you start to remember calorie counts pretty quickly. And measuring out our food is a good habit to get into; like seeing really what a cup of cooked pasta looks like, spread out on the plate; or how much a cup of breakfast cereal fills a bowl.

tryin'hard - hi! Hope you have a great training trip in Baltimore!Sure would be cool in the hotel had a pool, too!

Thanks so much for all the compliments on the pic - yes, I am a middle-aged lady of 41, but feel much younger! And the picture is flattering; can't see my wrinkles, thank goodness!:lol: (oh yes, I'm supposed to call them "laugh lines" and "smile crinkles"):lol:

Well, off to figure out what's for supper - I had better plan now, before I get too hungry to be sensible!

Big hug to all -

Your friend, Holly

Just a quick note...

Total Bodyworks is almost exactly like a Total Gym BUT, about half the price! The only thing mine is lacking that the TG has is the heel straps for certain leg exercises, but since the handles clip on, I imagine I could buy some heel straps seperately and attach them.. I haven't gotten that far yet though ;)

Christine

I just bought weights to use with my Firm tapes (I love the Firm! LOVE them!) on sale! I now am the proud owner of a 3lb and 5lb set, plus 2.5lb ankle weights. I just did a workout with them and YIKES! They make things much harder. I bet I'll be feeling this tomorrow!

PS: Still love the dancing banana :cb: :)

Hi,
I was just reading about a new food, has anyone heard about it? It is called Baker's breakfast cookie-their website is www.bbcookies.com.
I am going to call and ask about hteir prices-they say they carry tehm at Safeway adn Walgren's-but we don't have either one, so I will have to order direct.
It is a health cookie, to be used as a meal replacement, or half of one as a snack. They are supposed to be extremely filling-more than traditional energy bars and meal replacements-(and with a much better taste-flavors such as pumpkin spice, chocolate chip, etc.):moo:
I may have to try these, and if they are good-I have the perfect Christmas gift for my stepfather-the bodybuilding health nut with the sweet tooth!;)
I am doing good-just finished Jasmine's skirt hem and getting all the panels together-gathering and sewing it to the bodice, and putting in the zipper are all I have left!
Anyone here who is using the WW point system, could you pm me with how to calculate points? I am entering a recipe contest in WW magazine, and I need to convert the nutritional infor into points before I can enter it! Thanks a bunch!
Christine-You should be able to do all of those exercises, except for abs ones-until you have watched a few pregnancy workout videos or consulted teh lady giving the pregnancy Pilates classes, even if you aren't taking the class. My videos for that have since been given to another mom, but I know there are certain posistions you can do, and certain ones are no-no's-I wish I still had them, I'd send them to you! I only remember we did ab contractions-holding in our tummies and tightening the abs and pelvis, while on our sides,or on all fours like you are getting ready to crawl-and not a whole lot beyond that. Nothing even resembling a crunch! You could only be on your back if you were in your first trimester. You should be fine doing the leg and arm exercises with the machine inclined.
Well, everyone have a wonderful day! I know I will!
Amy-Aphil

Aphil~~
I use to buy the BB Cookies all the time when I was back home in Illinois. They are good and expensive anywhere from 1.49 to 1.89 a piece. The fruit and nut was the best. Each cookie counts as two servings and to eat the whole cookie it is around 200 to 250 calories, very low in fat . They are good, but can get pricey. They were good to have every once in awhile with a nice hot cup of tea.

Let me know what you think of them.

Well am off for my first WW meeting.

Ok back from my meeting..the scales have a difference of 3.8 pounds. I weighed my self on my scale at home and it showed 195 WW scales shows 198.8. SO I am just gonna change my stats and it will be like starting anew.. I am still pumped and know that I will succeed. They did not give me a goal weight. Right now they focus on 10% and then go from there
Ciao for now...


Nancy:wave:
Re-joined WW 9/11/02

198.5/???/???

Hello everyone -

Feeling kinda sad and reflective, as I'm sure everyone else is, on this date...also because I found out that a good family friend is not recovering from breast cancer; is actually spiraling down. Her son and my older son are the same age; and have been best friends for 10 years. All I feel I can do is make some comfort food for her and her family, and visit her. :( I am so hoping that the prognosis I heard about her is not true (less than a month left).

Well, I shall try to count my blessings; think and pray for others; and see that the sun shines after the storm.

Your friend, Holly

Hi everybody:) ! What a wonderful day this day, considering, has become. So much has come and so much has gone and yet we have so much to be thankful for. Last night as I was showering I was aching so much from my allergies, my overstressed life, my exercise, and my job...and all that came to mind was "Thank you, God, for allowing me to feel life and letting me know that I have all these pains because i have been blessed in so many ways." I have an awful chest congested cough which reminds me that I am being given my next breath. My eyes burn because of lack of sleep which reminds me that I have a very fulfilled life with a job, kids, and a full schedule. I am exhuasted every night which reminds me that I have made every effort to squeeze every minute of time that is given to me in every day. I have my kids argueing as to who will get in the shower first which reminds me that God has a sense of humor and seriously would never give me more than I can possibly handle. And tonight I will be able to go to bed dreaming which reminds me that I should be grateful not just for the country I live in but the smaller unseeable beauties of this world...love, hope, and freedom.

Maybe a little sentimental but something I wanted to share. Along with finishing on a happier note I was laid off from my evening job so I will be spending more time at home with the family and spending more attention on my studies. Talk later.

Kina..............God Bless

Hi everyone,
Vermont Mom-I ahve recently been in your shoes with my grandfather in law-it is so hard for the doctor's to give a life expectancy with cancer and be exact. His initial prognosis was a year to live-and he was stubborn and lived for two years to the month of the doctor visit. He finally passed in July-as I had talked about before. Sometimes it is more, sometimes less-I hope she and her family make the most of that time.
Since your son's friends mother's expectancy is so short-I just ask that while you should be helpful, try to treat her as normally as possible when you can. Let her know you care, but my grandfather in law got upset when he was treated with kid gloves too much.
She and her family, and you and yours will be in my prayers tonight.
Snowey-they sell the BB cookies online at www.bakersbox.com for about $7.50 for 6. You can also get a larger variety of flavors directly from www.bbcookies.com-they have pumpkin spice and molasses seasonal from October-December that I want to try. It is cheaper if you buy a dozen or two, because the shipping doesn't go up much with a larger quantity. I am looking forward to trying them-it will be a great gift idea for health oriented friends and family. I will probably place an order here sometime in the next couple weeks.
I have another recipe for you all. You will have to add up the calories from the single ingredients yourself, cause it can vary depending on what brand you use, and divide that into how many servings you divvy it up into.
Pour a small can of crushed pineapple in juice in a mixing bowl. (Do not drain) Add a 4 serving size pack of sugar/fat free pistachio instant pudding powder into the pineapple and mix well. Fold in a small container of Light or Fat Free Whipped topping into the mixture, and then mix in 1 cup of mini marshmallows. Divide into individual dessert dishes or put into a rectangular Tupperware container where it will be easy to dip out a serving by eye. (1/8 of a pan for example) Chill for at least an hour. Enjoy!
Everyone have a good evening,
Aphil

Quick reply to Kina - you are truly inspirational! Instead on complaining about anything, you're able to see the positive...I salute you, girl!!

And thanks aphil, for the advice...I do admit I don't know how to "act" around someone that is terminally ill - but it helps to know that I should not treat them with kid gloves. I'll just do my best to let her know that I care about her.

alibee - congrats on the free weights! What a smart move to beef up your workouts. I'm sure you'll see more intense results soon!

Hi Nancy! Wow, big difference in the two scales...but smart for you to just adjust yours to show the same, and continue from there.

Hi to everyone else, and have a nice evening!

Your friend, Holly

Originally posted by VermontMom
allibee - congrats on the free weights! What a smart move to beef up your workouts. I'm sure you'll see more intense results soon!

Hey, get that extra 'l' outta my name ;)

Okay, one word: OW. I just did The Firm Cardio (crosstraining) with my weights and I can hardly stand or lift my arms. I think this is the first time I will really be feeling it tomorrow from a vid! Sweet!

I flexed my abs at my boyfriend and step-stepkid (don't ask) and they ran away in fear after touching them and feeling their rockedness. Hee. :)

G'day everyone!

I was feeling a bit down today too..... not just 9/11 and what happened, but in a year that has past by way too fast. Seems life just keeps going faster and faster, not a single moment to spend in any kind of reflection. Hmm.... deep thoughts for a Thursday evening in Aussie land! It was good to come here and read everyone's comments. Cheered me up a lot. I really enjoyed Kina's outlook..... you go girl!!

I am still sticking to WW. I cheated today and had a small chocolate bar. No excuses, work had made me mad again, feeling down, the vending machine at the train station is just too convenient. I will have to work on catching the bus I think! Avoid those evil vending machines. I am hoping for a loss this first week. I am feeling much better and in control than I ever have, and even my small slip up of a 5 piece bar of dairy milk won't get me down. Instead of taking the short walk home, I made myself take the double long way. So I got extra walking in.

There is a motorbike expo this weekend and our club has a stand there. I am going to work it tomorrow night and Saturday afternoon. I have the first WW weigh in Saturday morning too. I already have a plan of attack to take my dinner with me and eat that at work before I go to the Bike event. Then pack my lunch and have my dinner prepared ready to bake when I get back home on Saturday. I also have to take the bike to the WW meeting..... that should make a good impression!!! All because Hubby is going to his physio appointment. We are a one car, one bike couple! Good thing he can drive again already!! hehehehe

Can't wait to take off the bike gear to get weighed tho!! That should be good for a laugh!!
:lol: :lol:

I will try to pop on and let you know how I did.... and the reaction to the biker chick at the WW meeting. hehehe

Hope all of you have a good day..... and I will chat to you guys soon!!

Nola.

:lol: (laughing at Alibee)

Nancy-I didn't say it before, but it is good that you changed your scale to be like the WW one-that is a reason I never weigh myself in someone elses home-because I know that mine will always be a pound or to off! Good to keep yours with the official one at your WW weigh ins!
Alibee-you have never felt it from a video before the next day? Have you ever done Tae Bo or the original version of Buns of Steel? :hot: OW!
By the way, Mists of Avalon was on last night, did you catch any of it?
I did bellydancing today, not much, and I am hoping to get a walk in tonight. It is payday and Wal-Mart night at our house, and we always go out to eat afterwards-usually my weekly fix of Taco Bell or KFC, which have my favorite lower calorie choices-chicken soft tacos at 190 calories each, and KFC tender roast sandwich at 270, and mashed potatoes and gravy for 120. Boy, it feels like cheating! :smug:
Have a good day everyone, I have to get the kids in the tub!
Aphil

Dear G-d,
It was cruel of you to allow someone to bring peanut butter chocolate rice krispie treats to work today and THEN let there be free cake in the lunchroom because of someone's retirement. Cruel, cruel, cruel.

-- Alison, who still has college-student mentality when "approached" by free food: EAT IT! It's FREE!

::sigh::

I was still laughing at alibee's guys running in terror from her muscular-ness, and then again at her honesty in admitting it is SO HARD to not eat someone's retirement/birthday/whatever cake that's just sitting there begging to be eaten...:lol:

Hope your muscle soreness goes away soon, alibee - but good for you in doing the harder workout!:strong:

Hi Kanola - yes, marking off a year can make one pensive. But we all met you and that was something positive and good!!Hope you have a great time at the bike show; and great decision to pack/plan your meals so you won't get tempted. Walk into the WW meeting in full gear; describe what the reaction is to us!:lol:

Hi aphil - hope you have a nice evening out! sounds good!

Hello Nancy, Kina, tryin'hard, jacklyn, Christine, ! Hope everyone's doing well and feeling happy.

Talk to you later!

Holly

Hi everyone!
Well, I haven't weighed in for a while because of the plateau, and I got brave enough to today-and the scale batteries were dead!!!! I put in a new one, and it still said low battery, so I dunno. I'll have Jason check it when he gets home. Wouldn't you know it? I have been waiting so long-because I wanted to make sure there was a loss-even if only a pound.
I went to my food diary this morning, and my husband the kidder-wrote in on today's page the price and item number of a Harley part he needs. Guess he wanted to put that little hint in a place he knew I'd find it huh? Well-since he gets something ordered for himself today-looks like a great day for me to order some breakfast cookies then-fair is fair right? hee hee hee
Well, I bought a small loaf of angel food cake last night-and I am bringing it to Jasmine's party tomorrow, so I can have cake with everyone else without all the calories of the regular.(150 calories and 2 grams fat) In the deli/bakery at Wal-Mart they have small loaves of it that has 5 servings, instead of the big tube pan full sized ones that have like 10-the less I buy, the less I have laying around to tempt me!
Here is another diet tip I find that helps-so many restaurants have salads-and good ones now with blackened chicken,etc. but their dressings are usually full fat/calorie versions. Some larger gas stations like Village Pantry and ones like that with salads and sandwiches in a little deli area, have little single packets of dressings, adn if you are lucky, some of them are fat-free versions! Buy a few of these, and keep one in your purse to use when you go out to restaurants-ordering their salad without dressing! Or you can ask fo r an extra in fast food places that have light dressings-Wendy's has french, and Burger King has Italian.
Here is another recipe:
Egg Drop soup: 2 servings
1 small can of chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon of soy sauce
a handful of chopped green onions
2 egg whites
Heat broth and soy sauce on stove until really hot-drop whites into pan a few drops at a time while stirring continously-they will cook almost instantly and the stirring will give you the little egg swirls. Pour into two bowls, and top with the green onions.
The green onions are like no calories-and egg whites are 15 calories each-the sauce and broth depend on what you get, but are very low. ENJOY!
Aphil

Hey, pretty ladies!

Aphil and VM, I'm glad I could make you guys laugh. :) I definitely learned something yesterday about self-control at work; I somehow convince myself that little things like cake and the rice krispie thing don't count, when they really do. I am going to have to have a lot more willpower, damnit.

I'm excited; I'm flying back to CA to surprise my mom (my dad already knows and is picking me up) by just showing up for the weekend! I am sure she will be thrilled. (She'd BETTER be! Hee hee.) This doesn't bode well for my workout schedule, but I decided that if I can get a half hour in on her elliptical trainer on Saturday, then I will be happy. Also, they eat low fat, but not low-cal... this will be decidedly difficult. I ordered vegetarian meals for the flights (usually I order kosher, but they always freeze the kosher stuff so it comes to you still half-frozen [they can't open the package to check because they need to keep it sealed to ensure it's kosherness], and it's usually really bland and tasteless, and eating veggie IS kosher, so...) but I have no idea what they serve. Knowing Northwest, it'll be something not very tasty. Hm. So, I'm bringing lotsa fruit with me. :)

Monday is Yom Kippur, a fasting day, and you aren't supposed to drink water either, so I am hoping that I'll have time Sunday (while flying) to eat lots of watery fruit and drink lots of water to get myself hydrated for the next day. I'm glad you only have to fast once a year in this religion... 'cause doing Ramadan would kill me. :)

Anyway, I hope you all are doing well and have a great weekend!

Alison

Good morning,,

Friday the 13th,, any one superstitious??? :)
Going to dinner with friends tonight to a Greek Resturant. I have never eaten Greek food, so I have been searching the net for point friendly items. I think the Chicken Souvlaki will be a safe choice. But needless to say , Ii am saving all my points for dinner. I had a late breakfast of Cream of Wheat and a banana (4 points total and I am allowed 27 a day). So heres hoping that my first experiance with Greek Cuisine is a good one!

Amy~~ I hope your scale will be kind to you this week, I know you have been working hard and you deserve a great loss.
I like your tip about the salad dressing, Ill have to stock up on the little packets.

Alison~~ Have a great time in Sunny Ca. I bet you are so excited and I am sure you will do great with your food choices!

Kanola~~ I hope your first WW weigh in its a good one! How are you liking the program? I love it!

Holly, Tryinhard, Kina, and the rest the gang... I hope you are having a great day!!!

well gotta get busy!!!

Your friend
Nancy:wave:

Originally posted by Snowey
Going to dinner with friends tonight to a Greek Resturant. I have never eaten Greek food, so I have been searching the net for point friendly items.

I spent some time in Greece; there, they are big on salads and olives. :) Also, pastitsio (a noodle pie of sorts made of pasta, ground beef, a cheese topping, and a sauce that has cinnamon in it) and the similar moussaka (eggplant, ground beef, cheese and sauce) are delish, but very fattening. They have lots of grilled items usually... hopefully it won't be too difficult!

I'm jealous, though... can I come? :D

Hello to every one out there. I am still here and living well. I joined this event at the college I attend, athletics dept. The event is called the 100 mile challenge upon completion you recieve a T-shirt. I have til December 11 to complete 100 miles or more in order to earn a T-shirt. My mom wants a shirt as well so that means I have to complete 200 miles. You do any sort of exercise that allows you to calculate mileage at your leisure and report weekly. So anyway I have been getting on my elliptical machine daily and doing 6 miles. I figured since I am having to do my exercise I might as well earn a shirt and hopefully lose some unwanted pounds.

I haven't seen the scale move but I am seeing it in my legs. I am just wondering if I will eventually see it anywhere else or am I just spinning my tires and hoping for something that won't come? If anybody has used this kind of machine and has had good or bad results I would like to hear about them. I have been able to maintain my weight under 200. So that is a great success for me being that I have not weighed less than 200 since 1999. This morning I weighed 195.5! Woohoo. If anything I think I may have lost 1 pound since using my elliptical daily.

well I am glad to see people on the thread. Snowey I hope you enjoyed your dinner. Alibee I hope you have a wonderful reunion with your family. Aphil that egg drop soup recipe sounds very easy to do. Vermontmom I am still here doing quite well now that I have been laid off from my evening job. I have more time to take a breath now and then.

Talk with you later. Bye to all.
Kina

Hi everyone!

The weigh in was a success!! 1.6 Kilos (3.2 pounds)! I am a very very happy little aussie over here!

I did take the bike as Tim needed the car to go to his physio appt. I got a few strange looks when I parked and even more when I walked in. It took a bit to get out of the gear and then put it all back on again. Took a LONG way home and got the extra km's off.

Last night at the Bike Expo was boring. Not many people were through but we ended up chatting with the two other clubs near our stand. It was Kewl. Must be going on some of their rides too! Our stand is right across from the food court!!! Good thing I had my healthy dinner at work and had water and fruit in the back pack!! Just off for a healthy lunch and then snacks again in the back pack for today's shift!! Then home for a nice dinner.

Hope everyone is having a good weekend......

Snowey... I love WW too!! Should have done this MONTHS ago!!

See ya!
Nola.

Happy Saturday everyone,

Well dinner last night was fine. I really played it safe and ate a kabob (it was 8, small to medium grilled shrimp) a baked potato, plain salad with lemon squeezed over it and about 2 tablespoons of Taziki dip with 2 small pieces of a pita bread. No desert and I drank diet pepsi. A friend had a huge piece of Baklava and even though it looked good , to eat a piece that size would be 11 points. So no way would I have any of that !!!! :lol: So all in all I came on way under on my points for the day.

Nola~~ Way to go on the big loss this week!! That earns you the little happy dancer :dancer: Here is to another sucessful week for you!

Kina~~That is good news to hear that you can see the change in your legs, do you find the ET a little tough? I have heard that some people like it and soe find it to strenuoous. I hope you win the t -shirt for completing the 100 miles... but remember to have them give you a smaller size because that is what you will be wearing!!!!!!!! :)

Amy~~ How was the party today?

Alison~~ Having a good time with Mom and Dad?

Holly~~ How are you today? Any more comments from the envious co-workers?

Tryinhard~~ How is the new school year going??

Jacklyn~~ Are you still out there? Busy withyour home business? How is the FF coming along?? Come back when you can.

Well that is it for now.... have a great day everyone....

Nancy:wave:

:) Hi everyone!

Wow, another Saturday over. Time sure flies when you've got tons to do!

Nancy - you made such good choices at the restaurant!!! That takes such willpower. Hooray for you!!! Nope, thank goodness no more "snarky" comments from co-workers. Maybe they're scared by the sticker I just put on my bike - "bad *ss girls ride bad *ss bikes"!:o

Kina, congrats on keeping on the elliptical! Especially when you can see results - that is sure to keep the motivation high. I have never been on one, but if it is making you sweat and breathe hard, then you are also doing good cardio work, and that is burning calories, along with the leg work. Glad that you have some evening time now, for yourself, your family and your home!

Hi Alison - what a nice idea to surprise your mom with a visit! That's very sweet of you.

Kanola - congrats on the loss!!! I'm glad that WW is working so well for you. Funny the different reactions we get when we pull up somewhere on a motorcycle, then get out of our gear and act like normal law-abiding citizens!:lol:

I think I entertained a group of gentlemen who gather outside a general store each morning to drink coffee and chat; I had to stop, on my way to work, to buy two big bags of potato chips that were to go with the lunch today (not MY lunch - guest's lunch!:) ) and it took me like 10 minutes of contemplation to decide how to attach bags of potato chips to the motorcycle without crushing the cr*p of of them! I think the men were snickering; I didn't mind, it WAS kinda funny. I ended up with 1 bag in my tank bag, and the other loosely bungied to the sissy bar! That one was only mildly crushed - oh well, the staff didn't mind them!

aphil - was your daughter's party today? How did it go? Fantastic, I'm sure! I also meant to comment how smart it was of you to think to bring some other, lighter sweet to eat instead of the regular birthday cake. And I am definitely going to try that soup, as I love egg drop soup in a Chinese restaurant!

Hi tryin'hard - hope you're doing fine, and enjoying your new "crop" of students this year!

hi Jacklyn - you're probably busy with your day job and home business - that's great!

Hello Christine - how are you feeling? Been able to do any mild walking? Hope things are going great for you and your (growing!) family.

Well, I gotta plan my menu for the next 3 days, as I have off Monday and Tuesday; but need to make desserts for those days I'm not there...so on to my recipe books to plan, but also try not to drool over the chocolate pictures...:nono:

Everyone have a nice Saturday evening!

Your friend, Holly

oh yeah! am planning a day trip to Montreal on Tuesday with husband - am hoping to finally get a pair of leather pants, as hopefully a great price!

Hey everyone!
I hope you are all having a great weekend!

We had a surprise :o bbq last night at our house!! It was totally not scheduled into the day's eating but I came in right on the points.

I helped that I was one of three bikes that got the groceries.... and we are limited to buying stuff that fits in our back packs! Instead of greasy sausages and burgers, I had prawns and some chicken skewers. Also had some grilled mushrooms and peppers and a small salad. Whew!! I was a bit worried when hubby invited a pile of people to our house after the bike expo!!

Made me realise that this is a change for LIFE.

Well... the sun is shining, my friend Nigel just showed up with his bike (his is the one we want to buy when he upgrades in Dec) and we are off into the country... I am packing a lunch instead of eating at the pub.

Enjoy your weekend!!

Nola.

Hi!
The party went great!
The greatest part was after we got everything decorated, and I took Jasmine upstairs up to my sis in law's bedroom to get ready, and I had her sit in front of the mirror while I did her hair in a Cinderella updo complete with headband.(I have my hairdresser's license also) I put a light pink blush and lip gloss-and then we went away from the mirror!
She was smiling at her hair and makeup, but she really couldn't see the rest, and when I fitted her for the dress, I never let her try everything on at once-so this would be the first time she would "be" Cinderella.( I was also talking to herwhile I dressed her so she would be focusing on me and not what I was doing) I put on her slippers, black neck ribbon, the satin gloves, and finally the dress-and then turned her to the mirror! All of the stress and late nights was totaly worth it when I saw her reaction and the expression on her face. Almost got teary eyed for a minute. She waltzed down the stairs just glowing, she was so happy. All through the party she kept coming up to me telling me she loved me-she is a very appreciative 4 year old! :lol:
I'll let you all know when I get pics back!
I have had the afternoon to myself-the kids will be back from the grandparents any minute, and my husband will be back from helping his father close up the camping lots for the season-so I actually have some quiet.
I am weighing in tomorrow, wish me luck in finally getting below 201! (crosses fingers)
Aphil

Aphil, that sounds so sweet! :)

My visit home was really good. I went way over on the way up because I got upgraded, by some guy that I had been talking to, to first class, where they served us a sundae. Like, to order -- first class is amazing! And I would have been okay but I went home and ate a second dinner with my parents (it was really late on my internal clock by then and I was hungry, when normally I would have been sleeping!). I made up for it by exercising the next day. Anyway, my mom really did start crying when she saw me, and we had lots of quality mommy-kid time. I came home and weighed myself this morn to find that I FINALLY got past my plateau and lost 2.5 lbs while in CA! And I expect that to get a little higher because today is Yom Kippur, which means complete fasting until sundown (ie no water, etc). I was hungry last night at 11 so I hope I can stand it until dinner tonight. :)

Anyway, I hope you all are having a happy Monday (if there is such a thing, other than the band...)!

Alison

Hi everyone!
Well, I weighed in, and the plateau is FINALLY over-I did lose 1 pound! that puts me in at exactly 200-so I am REALLY excited about weighing in in a few more days! :D When it starts with a 1, then it is happy dance time!
Alibee-first class sounds totally awesome! I have never flown first class before...how much more is it per seat on average, do you think?
I am not Jewish, so I am not fasting today-do you get to eat a late dinner as soon as the sun goes down? That is not so bad as having to fast until tomorrow morning. :yikes:
How is everyone else doing? Good here-just cleaning up all the mess from the party, and laundry. I did my resistance training today-and am feeling a bit tired from the weekend.
Have a great day!
Aphil

Hello everyone!

aphil, how wonderful that your daughter was SO pleased and happy AND thankful to her mom! What nice memories you are making for her.

I kept my fingers crossed for you for your weigh-in!

Alison, cool that you got upgraded on your flight! And had a great visit AND lost weight!!! Argh, what willpower to fast without even water...

Hello to everyone else and hope you're all doing great!

We're taking off early tomorrow morning for the Montreal shopping trip - lord knows how I got my husband to agree to a whole day of shopping - but he will enjoy the big city also, I know. AND I will stop nagging him about my not having the leather pants, finally!;)

This trip will be in the car; but I hope to do one with the 'cycles next time!

Goodnight!

Your friend, Holly

Hi everyone!
I have a few pics of Jasmine in her costume if anyone wants to see them, just email me at mom2raiandjas@lycos.com!
Holly/VermontMom-have a wonderful shopping trip! My secret weapon to get my hubby to go shopping is to find stores I like next to ones he likes! In a nearby city, for instance-I found a fabric/sewing store and on Old Navy-which I love-next to a Best Buy! He looks at electronics and cd's, and I look at clothes and buy sewing notions UNINTERRUPTED-it is sublime!
Everyone have a fabulous day-I plan on it-the weather has finally cooled down this past week and it is great!
Aphil

Hey ladies!

Aphil, I don't know how much first class is normally; I was upgraded for free. They will usually do that for people who fly a lot if you are a member of a frequent flyer club; in my case, a person I was talking to on my previous flight upgraded me for free because there were extra seats up front. :) Yay schmoozing!

I calculated my cals for Sunday and found that I had less than 600, which is HORRID. It also made it impossible to fast on Monday, although I succeeded. I actually fainted, though (I got up too fast from sitting on the floor) -- thank goodness I have a doctor for a boyfriend! He tried to force water down me but I refused. Then, at sundown, I ate enough food to make up for both days:

- grilled chicken Carribean salad from Chili's (this is absolutely delish -- normally I can't even finish it, but today I DEMOLISHED it)
- half of a large Michael's Frozen Custard turtle (DROOL!)
- two pieces of See's candy
- 5 cups of popcorn (made at home with the air popper, with butter and seasoned salt stuff)

It was great. Yum yum. :)

How are you all doing? I made a website with a list of all of the videos I use and comments on them (click here (http://alibee.linex.com/taireandali/tapes.html)), and was thinking of trading copies, if you guys are interested. Also, I'd be interested in knowing what vids you use and like.

Happy Tuesday!

Hi,
Still laughin' at Alibee's website-her little comments do it every time!:lol:
I really think we would get along great in person-I have that same dry sarcastic sense of humor!
Alibee-I really love Denise Austin's totally Firm for a good full body strength training session with weights. A lot of people find her too chatty, but that actually takes my mind off of any discomfort of the lactic acid building up in my body-or in laymen's terms-"The BURN."
Her new Pilates mat workout is also very good for toning up abdominals and thighs-make sure it is the mat workout, the other Pilates video she has requires a Pilates band. (For her Pilates and Yoga videos, she is actually much more serene and calm)
For good old cardio aerobics, I still love Richard Simmons. You are having a blast dancing around and you do get your heart up-and I love to see a video of people of all shapes and sizes, it is very encouraging to see a 300 pound woman up there doing it! Not to mention fun songs everyone knows the words to!
I also like the Firm videos, especially the ab one. For beginners I would reccommend Denise Austin's 6 week waist trimmer-it starts out with a beginner ab workout, then you go up a bit harder every two weeks. By the end of that, you are ready for something like The Firm's ab workout.
I also love Bellydance vids. There are two types-I do both, because I actually would like to perform when I get more fit, but one that would be great for everyone here to do is a workout one that incorporates a few of the basic bellydance moves-it is a workout vid, not a dance class. It is called Bellydance Basic Moves and Fat Burning-it is on dvd, and they also sell the two separately on VHS. You can't miss it, it has two gorgeous middleastern twin sisters on the front. I fanyone wanted more advanced actual dance class lessons on video or dvd, let me know.
I am kindof excited about something maybe in the works-I will tell you all later if it works out!

SOMEONE PLEASE TAKE THE SEE'S CANDY AWAY!

I think it talked to me! :D

:) Hi all!

aphil, I hadn't realized until I saw your end of post that you've lost 11 pounds - woo-hoo! Congrats!!

Alison, wow, cool web page! You are one fun and crazy grlll!!! (Harrison Ford, I agree - yum :))

Montreal was FUN! And how can one city have so many attractive people?! No fair!
I got my leather pants - although it was rather strenuous talking with the saleslady who said she didn't speak English - so I'm trying on pairs of pants, then saying "gross" (big) or "petite" (small) so she could get me a different pair...I had lots of questions, 'cause when you're paying big bucks for something, you want to be able to ask questions, but with the language barrier, I couldn't...then as I was being rung up, a different salesperson came out, who was obviously French, but speaking perfect English! Hey! :?:

I also got a pair of gauntlet-style black leather gloves, which really keep the wind from shooting up my sleeves. After arriving home, I got all the gear on and went for a ride - whoa! Being encased in black leather jacket, pants, gloves, and boots makes one feel WILD!

We ate lunch in Montreal's Chinatown district; husband helped himself to all kinds of fatty awful stuff; I tried my best to be "good" and had noodles, veggies, 2 dumplings; and clear soup. Then I had to get a cup of coffee (and a biscotti) and we sat and "peoplewatched" for a while. Fun!

I had expected a LONG wait at the border, coming back into Vermont from Canada; due to 9/11, it's certainly not uncommom for people to have to get out of the car and have Customs completely search the vehicle- but we just got away with showing our ID, stating why we were there, stating what I had bought; and showing the receipts. Then we could go.

Alison, you already look totally slim and in-shape - are you maintaining a loss? Or keeping things "in-check" ?-(nosy Holly; if that's too personal never mind)

Back to work tomorrow; my two days off went by too fast, as usual.

Have a great night and a super day tomorrow, everyone!!

Your friend, Holly

Alison~~~ You are just too cute,, I love your sense of humor...!!!!

Amy~~~ Way to go on another pound lost forever!!! You are hard at girl.....keep it going!! :dancer:

Holly~~~ Good to hear you had a great time north of the border....could'nt you at least drove over this way and take me back with you???? :lol:

Homesickness has really taken hold of me... I have been here for 14 months now,, you would think I'd get over it by now... but still feeling the blues.... :(

Tomorrow is WW weigh in day,, I have been OP 100 percent and I hope the scale will be kind to me...

Well I am off to go to the movies with dh... going to walk over... every little bit of exercise helps.....

have a happy Wednesday girls.....
see you later....

Nancy:wave:

198.8/???/???

Hey guys!!

Snowey - *fingers crossed* for the WW weigh in!! I hope it goes well!! I understand homesickness.... I am feeling that way too and am going to start counting the days next month until I reach Canada. Don't get me wrong, I love Aus and my friends and my hubby and of course the bike..... but it will be nice to give mom, dad, grams and bro a huge hug... and have those long meaningful chats with someone who has known you since college, grad school or your last job...... miss the long term friends too!

Vermont Mom - Sounds like you had fun in Montreal!! I grew up in the west and have not been passed Winnepeg!! I would love to go to Toronto and Montreal. This time we come over from Aus we are pretty much only spending the time in Alberta, because I only have 18 days. Then we have some travel plans with friends and it could be 2 years before we make it back :( This time it will be in the summer instead of winter!! :lol:

Alibee - wow... fasting sounds tough, I don't know I could do it!! I would be really grumpy.... hhhmm.... maybe the day before a meeting at work... that will teach them to mess with me!!

Aphil - wow!! great website and what a great job you did on the costume!! You are so talented!

Well... I am outta here.... getting late and I need to pack lunch AND dinner as it will be a late one at the office. Good thing I have the company credit card to take a taxi home. Stick 'em for a $50 cab fare since I live so far out of the city (could be farther!!). Doesn't faze anyone as some of the execs spend more than that for breakfast I am sure!! hehehe

Such is life.

Hope everyone is having a good week!!

Nola.

Originally posted by VermontMom
Alison, you already look totally slim and in-shape - are you maintaining a loss? Or keeping things "in-check" ?-(nosy Holly; if that's too personal never mind)

I gained about 15 lbs when I moved here, and that sort of kick-started me into: a) eating healthier (we have a history of heart disease in my fam, and I already have an arrythmia and murmur, so I want to keep things flowin'!), because I tend towards fatty foods like you wouldn't believe... drool... and b) actually doing exercise. So I'm just maintaining and trying to become buff! :p

Hi everyone!
Alibee-I read a little more into your website...freaky the things we have in common. Scary that there could possibly be three people that like the same strange stuff. (I say three because my husband collects B horror films-he has all the classics like Hellraiser and Halloween, but I mean REAL bad ones, like THEM!, Spider Baby, and stuff like that. He also loves anything sci-fi, retro-he wore an ATARI shirt to work this morning, and pretty much anything goofy. We are BIG kids. We also have a few body mods.)
Well, for some good news-I am now a moderator for the diet plans sections of the 3FC site! They did some moving around of moderators, and added me to this section.
:D
Let's hope I do well!
I am PMSing REALLY bad. AARRGGHH!!! I am really bloated and have been too lazy to start my daily workout-but it WILL be done! I will make myself!
Vermont Mom-I took a few years of french in high school, and have a friend in Louisiana, where it is spoken frequently-so I have goten to use it a bit-but I am wanting to take a course in Spanish, as well as in American sign language. When I was working in the salon, I got a chance to use my French on a frenchman who was in town as a bigwig in a local factory. I didn't know much, but it helped when he wouldn't know an English word, and I understood the french one-so we could communicate.
We have a large Hispanic population in nearby towns, and something I see frequently is the younger generation knowing English, but the elders not speaking anything but Spanish. I thought I would have a chance to use Spanish and sign a lot more than my French.
I am also a person who likes to learn new things all the time-I read a lot, watch documentaries,etc. and always sign up for classes.
Yesterday was a good day as far as eating-I didn't work out as much as I should have, but I will make up for that today-I am looking forward to a good weigh in on Monday morning! I did find a good bargain at the store though-our WalMart had a vat of Lean Cuisine meals for $1 each-usually $1.50-$3.00 just because the boxes were dented down on the corner! It in no way opened the packages, or disturbed the tray or its plastic covering inside, so I bought some.
Everyone have a good day today-we are slowly reaching our goals, one day at a time!
Aphil

Aphil: First of all, CONGRATS!!! You rock!

Secondly, yay body mods! I showed my parents my tat for the first time when I saw them this trip, and they seemed to handle it pretty well. I bet they're just happy that I took my lip ring out. :)

Big kids rule. :D

Ok, why o why does this website quit informing me of updates on the threads!? It drives me nutso! But, I have caught up (it only took me um, forever to read a weeks worth of posts)...

So I've put on a little more weight but then, I guess that can't be avoided! I'm still not comfortable with the numbers but what can I do? Most pregnant women can't wait to have baby cuz they want BABY, i can't wait to have baby so I can start losing weight!! Yeah, I want the baby too, but you know what I mean! :bb:

My treadmill now lives in my livingroom again (was in my bedroom and NOT being used back there). Do you think hubby wants me to work out or what?? I informed him that he's free to use it as well but I haven't seen him step foot on it either! I do plan to use it though... now just to get myself started! :barbell:

Seems you are all still doing well... and I remain jealous!! Keep it up guys.. about 4 more months and I can join in again!!

Christine

PS Ok, this is just not nice... :jeno: :cookie: :m: :chockiss: :burger: I understand all the healthy food emoticons but what are these for!? Just to make me hungry, I think!!! :lol:

I think they are for sort for an exclamation when we have a binge or a craving-I personally like the one of the smiley face eating the hamburger...funny.
Another tip for not eating mindlessly-keep your hands busy- sew, crochet, read a magazine or book, craft, paint your nails,-anything to keep me occupied in the evening that involves my hands is good-if they are busy with something else, I can't shove my hand into a chip bag! When you are just watching tv, it is so easy to just much away and pay no attention at all! When I do watch tv in the evenings, I dole out a single serving of popcorn or baked chips, or cut up fruit and put it on a plate instead of bringing the whole bag or container. I can eat mindlessly and get into the show, because I have already limited my serving before I started. This also works at movies-I get a diet soda and sneak in a box of raisins, or something sweet and low cal, like a Slim-Fast snack bar-120 calories. I feel like I am eating a candy bar! My hubby can take the bucket of popcorn! (Just don't let the theatre catch ya! ha ha ha
I just started a country patchwork fringed quilt in country Christmas colors-plaids mostly, with antique reds, forest greens, and ivory, and tan. I am also busy typing up a pattern to send to a guy in England to instruct him on how to make a Star Wars Imperial officer hat replica-I am still working on the staff at theForce.net costumes section. I don't get paid for the latter, but I enjoy helping other "big kids." I AM however, thinking of selling the blanket when I am finished with it for a few extra bucks.
Well, I better go-I have to go do my workout now!
Aphil

Okay, as I am bored, I thought I would provoke conversation here.

What's your fave low-cal, filling snack food? I'm thinking about air-popped popcorn right now, which you can eat cups and cups and cups and cups of... but what are some others? :)

Alison, wondering if it's time to go home yet so she can munch on popcorn!

Some of my favorite low calorie snack foods:
-Diet root beer floats-1/2 c. low fat ice cream and a can of diet A&W poured over in a glass-only 100-130 calories, depending on brand of ice cream.
-sugar free Fudgesicles in the yellow box-only 45 calories each.
-a banana-probably the most filling fruit-100-110 calories depending on the size.
-Healthy Choice microwave popcorn-the entire bag is only 200 calories-I usually split it up-half to eat now, half in a plastic baggie for later or the next evening.
-strawberries and light whipped topping-I hull the strawberries and place them into a bowl, and measure out the whipped topping serving on top, taking my time to eat it, making sure every berry has a bit of Cool Whip on it.
-Sugar Free Jello-a premade cup is 10 calories-the strawberry is the best! Yummy! (This is what I have for my evening snack if my calories are close to my daily limit.)
-Hot tea and sweetener-the warm liquid fills me up without any calories at all, and I prefer it over coffee in the morning.
I'd love to hear anyone else's ideas!
Aphil

WOO HOOOOOOOO !!!!!

I am doing the happy dance for myself......down a whopping 4 pounds this week...... :dancer:

Amy~~ love those Slim fast bars.. I do say that the Choc/Peanut Butter ones tastes like Butterfinger candy bars.
I also like the seedless grapes(prefer the red over the green) and they are only 1 point per cup.
The OR Smart pop popcorn is real good, only 3 or 4 points for the entire bag!
Love FF yogurt, we cant get the kind that I love here though. I used to eat the Yoplait Boston Cream Pie FF ...it is so good!!!!!!!
Quaker Brand Apple Crumble bars are very good.. only about 100 calories or 2 points if you are doing WW. With a cup of hot tea...hmmm so good!!


later all...

Nancy:wave:

198.8/194.8/???

:cp: :cp: :cp:
Yay Snowey!!!! 4 pounds lost!! WOOHOO!!!

Snowey, you're awesome! Congrats!

Well this thread sure has been busy! That is great:) . That means the vibe must be great in here.

Snowey~~~that is wonderful!:cb: I can't believe it! I have to be something totally wrong. I have been stuck at 195.5 for a while now. Actually when you started WW I was about 199 or so. I just hope I can continue to lose rather than gain.

Aphil~~~Congrats to you as well!:dancer: A great loss! Whatever it is you are doing you have to continue.

Alison~~~I enjoy the new Slim Fast snack bars, raisins, grapes (actually ANY fruit), and sometimes a very BAD sweet cake...that is when :devil: comes out and over powers my better choice senses. BAD very BAD. I enjoyed your website about your exercise guru. I enjoy Denise Austin although like Aphil said she does converse alot. Sometimes I argue with her because she has a bad habit of saying something "You can do it just 2 more!" Then she looses count or something because those 2 become something like 4.

Christine~~~Take care of that little one don't overdo exercise. Talk to the DR first. I understand it can be frustrating to have been losing and doing so well and then BAM you get the news. Weight gain in moderation is always okay for pregnancy. So don't get too discouraged about the amount of weight you will gain. Your weight gain should be inviting it serves a purpose in your babies developement. I don't know what that is. But bottom line you can always lose the weight once you have delivered a healthy baby. Best wishes.

Nola~~~Wow 50 bucks on cabfare!:fr: YIKES that is steep! Have a great day at work. Take care.

I have been very bad with my food intake. I have to get in control before I spiral out of control. But the thing is some say it is because I have been exercising so much that my body requires more energy. Honestly I don't need an excuse. That is the worst. Anyhow I continue to use my elliptical machine daily. Doing anywhere from 6 miles to 10 a day. I love that machine. I see so much definition in my legs. I need to put in 50 miles this week. I hope that I will be able to get that done.

Well I have to send some emails and get to my homework. Talk with all of you later.

Kina

:) Hi everyone!

Nancy, I WAS thinking of you when I was across the border...thinking "this is the country that Nancy lives in". But so far away! I still have some "loonies" and "twonies" that we didn't spend - I'll have to save them for the next time. :D

GOOD LUCK with your WW weigh-in tomorrow!!! All fingers crossed for you!

Alison, hi! My filling snacky low-cal food would be baby carrots, dipped in an allotted portion of low-fat dressing. Air-popped corn is pretty darn good, also - but I don't know what happened to our air-popper - it's MIA.

Hi Aphil! Hey, congrats on being a moderator! What exactly do you have to do for that?

Wow, you sure are talented to be able to have so many different things to do with your hands to keep busy - but that is so true. I see that my hands could be busy clearing off this messy desk of mine - that would keep me occupied for a LONG while.

Hello Christine! That would be frustrating, to not be notified when there are posts...glad to hear from you, though! I can understand your desire to be at a point where you are allowed to work hard to be fit - the time will come soon enough! And we'll be here to help
:)
Yeah, those emoticons are yummy-looking!

Hey Kanola girl! Cool that you can use the company card to pay for your taxi home!

Hi Kina! We must have posted at about the same time; didn't want to xclude you! Cheers to you for sticking to the elliptical - that is SO great that you can see definition in your legs. That is something that I don't have - and would love to see. I am working on it, though!

I wore the leather pants for the ride to work today - what a difference in keeping warmer from wind protection - and knowing that they will protect better than jeans in a get-off. Also the gauntlet gloves are great for keeping the wind from rushing up my sleeves - woohoo!

Have a great night, everyone!

Your friend, Holly

hello everybody, I know you havent heard from me in awhile.. I am trying to make a clean start, been through some things, Yet, Im back!! I have been adjusting to being back, and I have added a few pounds to what I already had left to lose, so Im tired of this, and gonna stop this before it really gets out of hand. How has everyone been? I hope well , and motivated, I am gettin pumped up again slowly but surely. well take care all.

Welcome back Latisia,,,,,,

Glad you are here again. Hang with us and soon you will be on your way.

Nancy:wave:

Hey everyone!! Woohoo for the busy thread!!

My fav low cal/fat filling treat is..... WW ice cream!! There is a caramel one that I love love love.... even before I got into WW!!

Holly - - I laughed about the loonies & toonies! I still have a bunch from when I moved here... and a couple of the bills too, gotta love the Canadian money! Acutally Aussie dollars are plasticy and brighter colours than the Maple Leaf stuff.... I should scan some (is that illegal) and show you guys!

(ps.... We finally bought the second bike... well... we put a deposit down on one we have not seen yet, but it is from the same dealership that I bought the Hornet at..... so here is hoping that I am bringing home a new set of 2 wheels on Sat.... taking the helmet and gear with me!!)

Welcome back Latisia!! Great to hear from you again. I just rejoined the group a few weeks ago and it feels like I have just gotten together with a bunch of old friends!!

Nancy - FANTASTIC JOB with the first week at WW. I love it too and have my second weigh in on our Saturday (your Friday). I will let you guys know how I do!!

Kina - tell me about the cab fare!! hehehehe 'cept that is Aussie dollars... would equal about... what?? $5 US?? hhehehehe
Not that bad but close!! (NZ is worse than us at the moment!!)

Well... it was not so late at work tonight, I got home around 8pm and now it is time to get some serious zzzzz's.

I got up this morning a half hour early and had 30 mins walking and then walked to the train and back today. Wanted to go out at lunch but it was too windy.... as in the kind that would knock you over and gives you funny hair for the afternoon.....

:lol:

Gotta blaze..... will check back tomorrow night!
bye!!

Nola.

Hi everyone!
Wow, lots of posts!!!:D
VermontMom-as a moderator, I kind of peek around the boards, making sure noone is advertising their business for profit-like Herbalife or something, and help welcome people, answer questions about diet and fitness, and try to "diffuse" tense situations. I can also delete posts that may be offensive, or move threads to a higher position if I think they are important and would benefit everyone to read them-stuff like that basically.
Christine-don't feel bad about gaining weight. There is that commercial out now that says "Why does carrying a 5 lb. baby mean that I am now 30 pounds heavier?" Simple answer. When I was pregnant I read about everything there was on the subject and learned that there is a lot more happening to your body besides the baby. Your other organs are moved either up or to the side-your heart does both, at an angle, and your body increases its blood volume by about an extra pint! That is 1 pound right there! Depending on your situation, your breasts will gain anywhere from 1/2 to 2 pounds-and you uterus will become 2 pounds heavier due to its increasing size. Add 1 pound of amniotic fluid, and 1 pound of placenta-and there is 7 extra pounds right there in addition to the baby of absolutely necessary weight gain-so having an average size child (7-8 pounds) there is a minimum of 15 pounds of gain even if you are in a famine! Your body also has the natural instinct to gain a few extra pounds, from the days when there was no formula and all women had to breastfeed. When food wasn't as plentiful, our bodies were made to pack on a few extra fat stores that our bodies could turn into milk for our infant-so they would be sure to be fed even if we were not. There were no Twinkies or McDonalds when the human race began, so it was a perfect system. We ate for nutrition, and not just for the heck of it, so we gained the right amount of weight and it came off when we nursed our children.
If you nurse, you will burn off a few pounds quicker, as well as help your uterus contract and return to normal size more quickly. It you choose not to, then you will have to make up for that after you recuperate from childbirth!
:o
That is why doctors say a healthy gain is between 20-40 pounds when the baby is only 7 or 8. (or in my case, 9 or 10!:lol: )
I will recommend a good video for you to get, though-it is Denise Austin's Bounce back after baby. It is a mild aerobics one, with a light toning section at the end just for your lower abs and rear end-where we tend to get it most after a child! It is not a real intense one, but enough to get you back into fitness after having a baby. Go to www.half.com to get the best deal on it!
Kina-with all the exercise you are doing, do you mind if I ask what calorie level you are at each day? If you are eating 1200-1500, you may actually do better at 1700-1800 if you are doing all those miles walking and on the eliptical. You will be more satisfied, and less likely to binge eat, and still be losing.
t-girl-so glad you are back with us! The hardest part is coming to grips with yourself after a slide, and getting the momentum to start doing better for yourself again.
Did anyone see Dr. Phil yesterday? It was a show about obese kids-and there was something hew said that really rings true.
"You can have all the trainers and equipment in the world-but you have to want your long term goal more than the pleasure at the present. You have to fight through that good feeling of the moment (meaning a food binge or not exercising) and look ahead to your goal."
It is the hardest thing I have to face, because sometimes I just want that food-and when you binge, you feel great at that moment. The damage doesn't really hit you until you are trying on something in your closet that doesn't fit anymore, or you get made fun of by someone, or some other hurtful situation. This may be a week or a month later that you get feel the effect of that binge.
Just something to think about. This is why I stated a couple weks ago about my "getting through that moment" strategy. I think of all the hurtful things I have ever experienced where my weight was a factor-feeling uncomfortable in a bridesmaid dress, getting picked last in gym, a name you were called-whatever your situation may be. It really puts in perspective why we are doing all of this!
(So here I was crying my eyes out at this show, wanting to hold and hug those children and help them and show them the way-remembering my hurtful moments and wanting to shield them from that-aye yay yaye!)
I thought at least I could reinforce my message, and help my friends here...
Have a wonderful day everyone! WE CAN DO THIS!!!
Aphil:flame:
(lightin' the fire under everyone's booties!)

Hi!

Man, last night, I went totally crazy. I think that thinking about food often is now making me a little more binge-prone than I used to be; knowing that I shouldn't eat the gallon of ice cream makes me realllly want it. I was eating stuff without even thinking about it -- putting a piece of See's in my mouth while thinking that I am not hungry and that I don't need to eat anymore! Grr! But, I shall not punish myself too much. Do you guys find that you're more binge-prone now that you think about what you're eating?

Argh.

Anyway, hi! :) It's almost the weekend... yay!

Alibee-I think that this may be the case for someone more in your situation-who just recently gained a few and are trying to get it off. I may think of it more now, but I do still binge and eat more when I am not on plan. I'd be scared to add up what I ate on an off plan emotional day-and probably disgusted.
In most of us who have battled a weight problem most of our lives, I find that I eat tons more if I don't pay any attention-just mindlessly shoving it in-but, like you, I think of food more now because I am making myself be aware of what I am eating and making the mental note of the portion, etc.
I don't think it is so much that you are thinking of food so much more now, but that before you WEREN'T thinking about it while you were eating it-which is worse. It is better to KNOW you are eating badly, than to just ignore it and shovel it in. It is a step in the right direction of thinking like a thin person-to know mentaly when you have had enough,whether you stop eating or not.
I find I do better with a craving if I don't try to make myself go without a certain food. If I want a a McDonald's cheeseburger, it is better for me to go get one and add it in my daily food limit, than to try to wait it out, and think about it all day-then end up going and getting it-along with a large fry and shake and having a full out binge because I had been drooling about it!
My advice about the See's-let yourself have one a day if you must have it, rather than try to stay away from it and then eating 6, and when it is gone-don't buy anymore! If your boyfriend loves them, make him keep them at work! Also-if I crave a Twinkie, I go to the gas station and buy one pack of two instead of box of 10 at the grocery store. That may not be as economical, but I don't have 8 more lying around calling to me in the middle of the night! "EAT ME...CREAM FILLING...I'M IN THE KITCHEN!"
The key is not to deprive myself, but to limit the portion strictly when I do indulge.
You have successfully conquered the first step-realizing mentally when you pop in a candy-before you would have probably not even realized you were eating it. They say most overweight people don't realize how much they actually consume-which is why food diaries are a great learnign tool-it accustoms you to taking a mental note of every thing you put in your mouth, which people with weight issues a lot of time do NOT do naturally and thin people do.
Think of your recent discovery as a step in the right direction!!!!
Aphil

Yeah, I think that you're right, Aphil. As for the See's, I did only have one piece, but when you add that to the other stuff I ate... bleh. Oh well, no sense in beating myself up about it, I just have to make better choices today. :)

As for Twinkies: I love them. They are almost as addicting as cheese curds ;)

Hi everyone, and I do agree with Aphil too, that is the hardest part for me.. I do feel the affects now, everything I could wear in July, if it fit right then, is now too tight, and uncomfortable, I have learned my lesson, and am making moderate steps towards cutting back. This morning I h ad Kashi, cinnamon with yogurt, than, I had one pot pie, which wasnt the greatest for me, but a big cut back, and lots of water!! My son is such a busy body as well, so that keeps me going. WEll, thanks everyone, and ill be back!!

Hi,
Latisia-don't feel bad about the pot pie-you had a very healthy breakfast (I love Kashi cereals-have you tried the newer cinnamon raisin one yet?)
Pot pies for me are sort of a childhood comfort food, along with peanut butter, mashed potatoes, and kiddie cereals. I tend to crave foods like that when I am stressed out. You only had one-which isn't bad as far as calories-so you are okay. The only thing with those is they have a lot of sodium, so as long as it is only like once a week-don't sweat it. Moderation. Just like my Thursday night Wal-Mart/ fast food supper tradition with my family-which is TONIGHT!! :p I do it once a week, and make as healthy choices as I can when I go (no fries, no mayo,etc.) and don't worry about it.
Today was my cardio day-I felt like something fun instead of walking or the exercise bike, and didn't really feel like my bellydancing-I was pretty sore from a few new exercises I did yesterday during my weight training.(OUCH) I decided to take out an oldie but goodie from my video collection-Richard Simmon's Disco Sweat-the tape is about an hour long-I only did 30 minutes of it, but worked up a good sweat, and had a good time. Something about the old disco song "You Make Me Feel Mighty Real" that just puts me in a good mood! I could have done more, but Jas got up at way early at 6:30 and was demanding breakfast then and there, and I can only be interrupted during cardio so many times before I throw in the towel. It is hard to explain to a 4 year old WHY you are out of breath and WHY you cannot converse with them during a workout, and keep on doing it! I will try to get in a 15 minute walk tonight to get my daily 45 minutes of exercise in.
I wanted to tell all of you ladies how proud I am of all of you, and how wonderful it is to see you all reaching your goals-Alibee-for taking control with your 15 lb. gain before it turned into 50, for VermontMom for reaching goal size and keeping on exercising!, For Kanola and t-girl for having the strength to come back and getting with it again! You can do it!, Kina-for all of those miles-I am in awe!, Nancy-for sticking with your plan so well, and to those 4 pounds gone just last week! Yeah!, Christine-for still keeping your fitness goals in mind and visiting with us while you are with child, and not forgetting about yourself and your plan for after he/she is born! To anyone I forgot, or any newbies-these are some happening ladies who are going to be looking pretty foxy here soon, or in VermontMom's case-ALREADY IS!!! :lol:
(see pic back a couple pages on the thread, then add brand new leather biker pants just purchased this week=hottie)
Have a great one!
Aphil

Yay!!! You guys make me feel so happy and supported. I am really glad that I found this site, so I can talk to other people about my concerns, etc., and not get the standard responses that I tend to get from friends and family (you know, those people who don't give a s&*% about exercising and eat what they want and call eating healthily a "diet" instead of a "lifestyle").

Aphil, I feel motivated! Woo!

Hi everyone...

well it is really late here, but I wanted to try out the new signature and the photo to see if it works.....

WW day tomorrow morning.... 8 hours to be exact!! YIKES!

Must drink some water and cross fingers while sleeping for a positive result!

:)

Kanola,
Good luck at your weigh in! You and Alibee will have to show me how to put my pic up as an avatar like you guys did!
I have been pretty busy-Wal-mart last night, household stuff, and I just finished writing out a 5 page tutorial on how to make a certain costume hat-now I just have to mail it over to England!
Want to knwo the funniest thing? My husband has been begging me for chocolate chip cookies-and not from a tube of cookie dough! I made up a batch last night, and substituted half of the oil in the recipe for unsweetened applesauce. (This can also be done with butter, margerine, or shortening in cookie recipes)
I added up the calories from all of the ingredients and divided it by how many cookies it made, and it turned out to be 90 calories per cookie, rather than 120 the original way! And while he would have noticed it I had subbed all of the oil for sauce, doing half of it he didn't notice at all-and I am not going to tell him!!!:devil:
He actually said something to me when I was eating one-"Hey, those aren't No Pudge cookies!" (He makes fun of the No Pudge brand brownie mix I buy occasionally-like I named them myself or something!!)
This is a great tip for making cookies or muffins-and you can use unsweetened applesauce or nonfat vanilla yogurt as a replacement-it keeps it moist without all of the fat, and less calories.
I also omit the margerine and use skim milk when I make packaged dinners, like Tuna Helper or Kraft Macaroni and Cheese-it really brings the calorie/fat count down when you add it all up.
Last night at Wal-Mart, my husband pointed out a new Weider home gym they had just gotten in. We both prefer the stack weights over the resistance bands like Bowflex has, and that is what this was-plus we like Weider products, which are normally at Sears. I normally use free weights/ dumbells-but he likes this type...I may have to go put it in layaway for him for Christmas. It is a stripped down single stack model-only $150, but it has all of the basic exercises, and would fit nicely in our garage-and I could use it as a change of pace now and then. (Jason is not overweight, but he could use a little toning up, it would be great if we could both get back to looking like we did when we started dating! :D)
Something wonderful happened yesterday also-I got my license renewed right before I came back here-and with an 11 pound loss, I am still in the same size clothes, they are just not as snug-and appearance wise, noone has really noticed anything yet-until I was doing my hair and turned at just the right angle, and saw something I haven't seen in a while! I ran to get my license and went back to the mirror-and compared-Ah yes! There it is...I have cheekbones! (And they are clearly unapparent in my license photo!)
Well, everyone have a fabulous day, eat right, exercise, and do something nice for yourself-paint your nails, put on a sensual smelling body lotion, or take a half hour out to take a bubble bath tonight! You all deserve it!
Aphil

Yo!

I use the applesauce trick in my cookies; actually, what I usually do is double all the ingredients except the butter/oil and egg, then I use a fake egg (egg beaters) instead of the egg and add applesauce to moisten everything up. If you find that the cookies spread too much, a little more flour usually fixes that. :) Yum!

Oh yeah, about the picture, Aphil -- if you take a normal photo and shrink it, then you can use it in your profile. If you'd like, you can email me a photo of you and I'll shrink it down for ya. :)

You know, I have noticed that Denise Austin does that miscounting thing that was mentioned a day or two ago-I actually think she does it on purpose to get 2 more out of you-while you are arguing with her, usually you end up doing those last 2 (4)!:)
Just got finished with abwork, and upper body...oh yeah.
I am going to do my lower body tonight out in the garage after the kids are in bed, I actually have a bun and thigh rocker, and it works well, Ijust don't use it that often, because I don't like to be out in the garage without someone in here with the kids, even when they are in bed-Jason will probably be in here vegging in front of the television.
Aphil

:) Hello all!

This is me; duh duh:s: late in giving Nancy HUGE high-five for her loss; she so deserves the scale to reflect how on-program she has been doing!!! Yahoo to you, girl!!!!!

Amy, your posts are so good. Remembering a particular hurtful moment that overweightness has caused really makes the moment of "oh, what can it hurt to eat this" pale in comparision. I am thrilled for you to see the difference in your license photo and the present - isn't that cool?!

The pics of your daughter are great; she is so sweet! A real darling. The satin dress was just beautiful. And wow, the cake! Loved the towers, sprinkled with pink sugar crystals!

THANK you for the "hottie" tag! I love it!!! And NOTHING feels as sexy as black leather pants!!(well, nothing that you can wear in public!:o )

Hi Alison! I can think of many times during the past few months when I was so fixated on what I could/couldn't eat; that seemed to take up so much of my thought. Thank goodness it was only for a couple of days at a time; then I guess I gradually got accustomed to just following in the new habits. Like for me, the best breakfast is just eating the same thing, so I don't have to think about it or tantalize my tastes with something different. For me, that's a half-cup of Kashi with a cup of non-fat yogurt. Sounds boring, but I eat it; and then say to myself "well, I have eaten breakfast; now don't think about food until lunch" and that works for me.

I also have running through my mind something that someone else at the 3FC forum said; not at our thread but another. It was "how can I make friends with the empty feeling in my tummy?"... and I didn't think I could EVER do that; I always equated that empty feeling with more drastic physical feelings; like I was going to be light-headed if I didn't eat soon; or that my stomach was going to cave in! Now I equate that empty feeling with "okay, I'm feeling lighter and leaner, not too-full and sleepy; I'm doing what I should be doing; I can have a sensible snack if I really need to; but will eat sensibly at my next scheduled meal".

Wow, I'm spouting all kinds of stuff! :dizzy:

And yes, you can definitely tell us anything about your concerns, and I don't think any of us would pooh-pooh it, or minimize or trivialize it, as others have done. Probably altogether we've experienced the full gamut of weight-related issues.

By the bye, what is a See's?

Hi t-girl!!! Great to hear from you. You were always so pumped-sounding and inspiring, especially when it came to exercise. We look forward to having you with us again!!!

Hi Kina, how's our elliptical-mileage-accumulating girl? I often think of your SO positive attitude, especially when I feel crabby about something. You must be such a great mom/wife, with that great attitude. You rock!:D

Hi Kanola!!! Yay, we get to see you and your machine!!! Thanks for the photo! Congrats on the second bike, soon to come! It is so fun to ride with your partner. I am also crossing many fingers for an loss for your weigh-in! Dumb me, I remember you telling me what kind of gear you got, but I forget; is it textile, Cordura?


Gotta go and start supper; if I am the one doing supper, at least I know there will be a big green salad and a steaming bowl of green beans to fill up with! (I'm super lucky that my husband is a better cook than I am; but the meals tend to be a bit heavy on carbs when he cooks; and it's hard to resist those carbs when they are already placed on one's plate!)

Big cyber-hugs to everyone!

Your frienbd, Holly

WHAT IS <a href="http://www.sees.com/home.cfm">SEE'S</a>?!?!?!? Honey, give me your address. When I next go to CA (in October) I am sending you a box. (They are like, the best chocolates ever ever ever.)

I just got some new tapes from overstock.com -- they had Kathy Smith's Fat Burning Breakthrough, and also one of her Timesavers -- Cardio Fat Burning. I just did the FBB one and wow, not only does it kick your *** (excuse the lang but ya know, as the youngin' of the thread I have GOT to be controversial), but it's FUN! I would love to copy it for any of you if you're into step (there are weight training sections but nothing like The Firm), or you can pick up a copy for cheap! It supposed to help get you out of plateaus by going through intensity waves (wave 3 is HARD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) but I like it just because I have so much fun doing it! I found myself today at work dreading a workout, so I am so glad that these were in the mail when I got home -- on days when it's hard to motivate, you need something you know you'll enjoy! And, the coreography isn't very hard (I've been trying to work up to Keli Robert's Ultimate Step but it's taken me a couple times -- the first, I did 12 minutes and then gave up in frustration and did half Firm Cardio, and the second time I did 40 minutes and was too tired to continue trying to fight my body, which is not the most co-ordinated). :)

Wow, I never thought that I would actually own 11 workout videos and have 5 I've copied from the library. Yikes. :)

Anyway, I think that I figured out the munchy obsessy thing -- first off, I think that fasting on Monday really messed me up. Also, I've noticed that I do a lot of boredom eating around 9 pm, which I have heard is a hard time for lots of people. Knowing that I'm not the only one who gets the late-night munchies is reassuring, to say the least. :) I think that it would be smart of me to stock up the house with some lightweight snacky food, so if I start gorging, at least it's on stuff that won't make me feel ill or guilty.

Saying that, thank goodness I finished off the Starbuck's Lowfat Latte Ice Cream. That stuff IS SO GOOOOOOOOOD!

Random tangent: What do you guys do for a living? I'm a programmer. :) I work for an insurance company (weird for me, since I've always been in the dot com industry prior to this). :)

Happy Friday and shabbat shalom! (I will teach you all about Judaism! Woo!)

PS: I always notice that I am not hungry after a good workout. Anyone else? :D

Okay, I'll stop hogging the thread now...

:hyper: Did somebody say WEEKEND? Isn't that such a wonderful word? It just has a beautiful ring to it...WEEKEND. It just makes the rainest weather sparkle. I am here in Texas and we have some areas under water AGAIN. My backyard has become a small lake. But that is okay it gives me a good reason to just watch the grass GROW.

My son had his first practice of choir afterschool today. It brought back so many memories of my years in choir. Wow it was hard to keep the tears from welling up. How it would be so nice to just take a trip back but then I would miss so much of now. Memories are good enough then. But my poor baby forgot he had practice so he came home on the bus. So here goes SUPER mom to the rescue taking him right back to school! Oh and he came home with his Friday pack (shows me all that he has done for the week) he had all 100s. So I ask "Matthew, all I see are 100s is there a problem?" He says all worried "No." I say "Well all you have are 100s...are you too smart for that school?" He says puzzled "No." So I tell him "You are doing so good. I am VERY proud of you." So then I go over to DH and say "Matthew is so smart he is ready to teach 3rd grade." My kids are so silly.

Did I ever tell you all about our family parade that we do ever so often? I'll have to remember to tell that story. That is my favorite story there are so many though. But I want to get to the thread posts...

Alibee~~~~I don't know about not hungry. Lately I have been so hungry no matter what it is I have just done. I am hoping right now that I don't find out I am expecting not that it wouldn't be a wonderful blessing. It just wouldn't be expected. The dig about that is that I was taking medication for my allergies (remember?). The DR didn't say anything about it conflicting with my birth control. So I didn't think nothing of it until someone asked if I could possibly be pregnant. :fr: No that I wouldn't be excited because I would like to add 2 more to our family at some point just not exactly now. Anyway. How awful of you to use that forbidden word...chocolate. I have never heard of the See's either. What company makes them?

Holly~~~~I am LOVING my elliptical machine. Like the kids say "well then marry it if you like it so much!" I tell them "I would if I could but I think there is a law against marrying your exercise machine." They just laugh. I did 8.5 this morning. I will do another 8.5 this evening. I only got on it this morning because I was recording some exercise shows for Mom. You know how they find the skinniest girls to exercise in the back yard. Well I was feeling very F@t while I sat there on the couch watching these skinny little things in their skinny little painted on suits. :dz: So I said "Oh yeah well watch me!" So I got off the couch and got on that machine of mine.

Aphil~~~~Applesauce? :chin: I had heard of that but I didn't know where to substitute the applesauce. Thanks for clearing that up. I think I will try it. I have been wanting cookies but they are so loaded with :nono: But now there is hope. Thank you so much for giving me back my cookies. Now the trick is I have to make them:lol: !

Kanola~~~~I shall cross my fingers for you as well. I know you can do it!

T-girl~~~~Welcome back! We have a great family here and you are a great addition. Motivation and support go hand in hand and are always at their highest in here.

Snowey~~~~Knock Knock!:listen: You doing okay?

Well I have taken enough of ya'lls time. I shall be off now. I think we are going to find a movie to go see or something.

:grouphug: :flow2: :chockiss:
Kina

Hello all..

Okay, nosey me.. alibee, if you don't mind my asking, how old are you? You said you were the youngin of the group, so I'm curious ;)

Reguarding the applesauce as sub for butter/oil. I do that for my cakes and its not bad at all but, for cookies I'm not fond of it. It makes them too 'cakey' and less like a cookie. Just my 2 cents ... :)

My weight is so weird lately.. it'll shoot up like 3 pounds or so and then just sit there a few weeks.. then shoot up again.. whats up with the lack of steady gain?? I'm still unhappy with the total gain to this point but since there is not much I can do about the past, I am trying to keep the future gain within reason! I am 22 weeks today.. 18 to go.. this feels like its taking forever! :lol: Of course this month is just crawling.. I'm waiting on my doctor's appointment on October 7 (also my 2 year wedding anniversary!) and then a trip to the beach for a few days (courtesy of my dad who is joining us as well).. And, you know how time slows down when you're aniticipating something! I just hope that it speeds back up when I get back from my trip (although i'll then be thinking about coming holidays.. halloween, thanksgiving, christmas!.. always something to look forward to!).. I guess it'll just have to be slow-going til january! Heehee.

Okay, enough babbling here.. I'm off to sleep.. company tomorrow!

Christine

Silence, If you replace all of the oil/butter with applesauce or vanilla yogurt, it does make them cakey, but if you only replace half, and use half of the oil, then it comes out a bit better-you may like that better.
Your weight gain is normal to be jumping and stopping-so don't worry. One week the developement may be more brain/circulatory/or detail oriented (like fingernails forming) and then the next may be a weight gain or lengthening of the child.
Alibee-yes, how old are you? I am sortof still young myself-even though I do all of these old lady sewing stuff. (I am 26)
As far as what I do, I was a licensed hairdresser and cosmetologist before I got with Jason adn had kids, and now I am staying at home, as far as going to work every day, but I do sewing and costuming on the side, and have a volunteer job at www.theForce.net as part of the costuming staff there-pretty much sending information to people wanting to make real looking costumes in an underground fashion, as to avoid cease and desist orders from Lucasfilm! We can't get in trouble for making them and wearing them to conventions and theatres, but we can if we sell them and they find out the source! If you have ever seen people on tv at nerdy sci-fi conventions wearing stuff that looks straight out of the movies, instead of cheap $40 costumes from Spencer gifts-that is what I help do.
I put up a few of my costumes before you got here-I'll put up an address again: www.fansview.com/2002/starwars/sw05a0013.html
Jason and I are in the top 2 pics as an Imperial officer and Queen Amidala.
I also do kids costumes, crafts, quilting, and movie quality adult costumes from other movies, and renaissance/medeival costumes.
Kina-as far as being pregnant-I have never heard of that medicine counteracting bc pills. I know antibiotics can, as well as St. John's Wort, and I know if you are very overweight that your body may process the hormones faster and you have a slightly higher failure rate than if you were at normal rate. Take a test to be sure, but I still think it may be do to all of those miles!
Alibee-(again) we have a private candy company here nearby that has the best chocolate ever-a candy apple is about $15...go to www.debrand.com. Just don't order any-ha ha ha!!!
I had a good day yesterday-we went out for dinner with the kdis, and went to Meijer-I found a spectacular tablecloth in the exact fabric by accident of a fabric in a movie costume-I hadn't even thought of making it before, but when you find the perfect component to make a great one...well, I had to get it, and it WAS 30% off...and we bought Jas Monsters Inc. with her birthday money-if any of you like kid shows, I highly recommend you see it! It was really good-I also loved Shrek, too.
Oh, my Bakers Breakfast cookies came yesterday-and I had one for breakfast. It filled me up like I just overate at a buffet-and that was 2 hours ago, and I am still stuffed! The mocha chocolate chunk flavor is awesome-and only 250 calories for the whole thing!
Aphil

okay, i just assumed i was the youngest -- 25. :)

Egads,,, I must be the oldest,,,,, But I look and feel young!!!!!

:lol: :lol: :lol:


Nancy

Nancy, don't feel bad if you are the oldest...my mom is a hot 46 year old woman-works out every day, wears a size 6, went back to school when she was in her late 30's to become a nurse, and is married to my sexy stepfather (the former bodybuilder) and they just left for Florida yesterday to vacation for the week!
She looks better and has more fun now than she did when my brother and I were growing up!
Keep up that good attitude and making those positive changes in your life and you will be better than you were in your twenties!

Evening all...

Not that anyone asked, but fyi, I'm 27.. and feeling old already ;)

I love your costumes, Aphil... my mom used to make all my halloween costumes when I was young and I wish I could do the same for my daughter but I've never really done any sewing! Every time my husband, who turned 25 a month ago (another fyi), gets a new video game (Final Fantasy mostly) I think about how neat it would be to dress as one of the characters. One of them actually had this really pretty white dress and I was thinking how nice it would be for a casual wedding! (which I plan to do as a vow renewal when i get SKINNY :D ).

On the Monsters Inc topic, I was really wanting to see it.. so I was thinking of using my daughter as an excuse to rent it :lol: but then, it looks really good so I thought maybe I'd just buy it (its only 15 bucks for the dvd at Sam's Club!)...

Maybe I'll try that half butter/half applesauce thing next time I make me some cookies...

I had my in-laws over today and made a tray of cut veggies.. so tasty.. I really need to have this stuff around more often.. yummo! Its just such a pain to cut it all up! (i need me a personal chef.. a CHEAP personal chef ;) )

Anyway, I'm babbling again.. so i'm off...

Christine :)

I am a YOUNG 29 with 4 kids and my wonderful DH! I attend college, working part time at the college just for the heck of it. I always get mistaken for a 20 year old. I wonder how long that will last???? Although my mom is a beauty at 48. She always gets mistaken for my younger sister!

Aphil~~~thanks for your input. One of the medications was an antibiotic and the other was for allergies. I am just crossing my fingers that I am not pregnant not that I wouldn't be truly ecstatic. But I wouldn't want any of the medications to cause any problems in the developement of an infant. You know? It is just a scary thought. But thanks I am excepting my TOM in about another week. So I may look into it if it doesn't come as planned.

Talk later. On our way out to the ranch to visit mom and dad.

Bye. Kina

:) Hi everyone!

Late at night (for me - yawn) so a quick hello to all, and an answer to Alison - I'm a pastry chef (oh lord, right?!) and have been doing this for 16 years. I work at a private fishing club from early May to late October; then the club closes for the season. Then I have to find other employment for the winter. Last year I worked for a crazy lady in a gift shop; won't be doing that this year! I have procrastinated in looking for my winter job; geez, October is next month!:o

Oh yes - and until 2 years ago, my husband worked at Ben & Jerry's for 10 years - and yes, employees are allowed to take home 3 pints of ice cream a day. No wonder it was fate that I found this site!!:lol:

Good night!

Holly

Good morning gang,

I hope everyone is having a great Sunday.

I am taking a quick break from watching the Chicago Bears/New Orleans game. I am just an old die hard bears fan. I love it when we can see the games here in Canada.

Have had a pretty uneventful weekend so far. The rain seems to come and go. Its just an unbelieveable amount of rain we have had. I swear I am going to start marching animals into my house in twos!!!!!!

I have been OP 100 percent and have not waivered once. I have added more exercise and am doing my arm weights. It feels good to be in control. I cant wait to see a noticeable difference when I look in the mirror.


Well I am going to go watch some more of the bears game and make a WW pumpkin cake. Did I ever tell you guys about the crustless pumpkin pie I made??? Not bad.. with some low fat cool whip it was quite tasty and pumpkin is so good for you also!!!

Its coming to that time of year when you start to have those seasonal favorites,, so have to experiment with new WW recipes. And in my house we have 2 Thanksgivings to celebrate. The Canadian Thanksgiving is on October 14th and then of course the US one in November. So need to get busy planning a point friendly and tasty menu now. And no one will ever know its WW !!!

Have a great day Sunday everyone!!!


Nancy:wave:

Hi everyone!!
I am so happy Monday is over with! I had a tough day at work, but I snuck out the door on time (for once) :dizzy:

Daylight savings is just starting over here, I actually made it home before dark!! What a good feeling that is!

WW went well on Saturday. Down 0.6 Kilos or 1.5 pounds or so.... good result! I was so happy!! This week so far is on plan and I am enjoying the menus and the food. Hubby calls it 'food experiments'. I had one last night that I fed to a bikey friend who always rides with us. Even he did not notice it was low fat, just yummy!!

Snowey - I never ate pumpkin until I moved to Aus!!! That was something you cut up on halloween!! :) I did have pumpkin pie before... and LOVE it. I made a pasta with pumpkin sauce. Pumpkin soup is lovely too. It was something I had to take in small steps. I also make roast pumpkin when I cook potatoes. Very good! And healthy too! Great to hear your WW is going well too! I think you will be seeing a huge difference in NO TIME!

Holly - my bike gear is cordura and kevlar. With body armour in the arms, back, hips, knees and butt. Very flattering?? NOT!!! The second bike is at the shop as it had carbeurator issues coming home. I am a bit sad but it was not good to be out riding it. I really like it tho!! smaller, faster and so smooth to ride!

Alison - I am 30 and was in property management in Canada, when I moved here I worked for a SMALL agent, now I am commuting into the city. Change of pace for me, I am doing Data Admin, and finance for a large property management company. Hoping to get into the software/IT end instead of the lease negotiations and leaking roofs/toilets!!! Hubby is a GEEK!!!

Aphil - you are so talented!! My mom loves to sew and she helped me out a lot when I got my first office job as she could make wicked tailored suits. I hope to fit into some of those suits when I go home at Christmas!! She got arthritis and does not sew as much as she used to.... she likes quilting now... I don't have the patience as the one time I tried to sew a skirt, I threw it across the room and then stomped on it. And that was because a seam was crooked ..... not a good scene!

Kina - how is the eliptical ??? How many miles so far?? Keep up the good work!!

Well..... it is time to make my lunch for tomorrow.....
I didn't stay for the WW meeting on Saturday because I had a hair appointment (a bit shorter, a bit darker.... I am a hair salon sucker) so I am doing a 'make up appointment' tomorrow after work... meaning another day I get to leave 'on time'!

Keep on plan girls!! We can do this!!

:grouphug:
Nola.

Silly me... make up MEETING??? had hair appointment on my mind or something??

Sheesh!!

Hi everyone!
Kanola-working in a salon for years, I can appreciate you being a salon junkie-much better than being one who cuts it and colors it themselves, and then comes in to have us try to fix it! It amazes me what some people think they can do correctly at home and have it turn out exactly right what I went to school for two years to learn!:fr: (This is actually one of the color jobs I had to repair)
Kanola/Snowey-I have plenty of recipes for seasonal stuff-we will all definitelyhave to start putting the fall and winter recipes up here for everyone to try. I plan on eating the roasted turkey at Thanksgiving with the rest of the family, but I am bringing a side dish and a dessert-and am not going to tell anyone but my grandmother in law, who is also dieting, that they are low fat/calorie recipes! If you ladies have good ones, get them up here!
Silence-I know what you mean about cutting the stuff up-I love to munch on veggie trays or cut up cantalaupe, but I hate cutting it all up! It is best to do it all at once, and then have it there to eat for a couple days! One shortcut I use is buying baby carrots, so it eliminates one veggie I have to cut! Thanks for the costume compliments-my hubby is a video game/Sci-Fi/fantasy type nerd (and a Harley rider, go figure!) and I am in love with the costumes, too. When you get to your goal, maybe I can help you out with something! I learned much from my gram as a child-taught me to crochet and to do needlework, and I have always done artsy things, so I am pretty good with fabric selection and color coordination. That is what is so funny-I think my mother in law is so much a better seamstress than I, but she has NO eye for color whatsoever-she always asks me for help in that department, I wish she would when she repaints her house...she likes pastels, but you have to be careful with the ones you choose for your walls, or a light fresh Martha Stewart pastel green can turn into the shade of you elementary school bathroom if you are a shade or two off! ha ha ha
VermontMom and Kanola-I totally understand the carb repairs and the bike stuff-my husband has totally redone his 75 Sportster to look like an OLD Harley-and he did it all himself, except the powdercoating of the bike frame. Our next door neighbor is a big bearded Harley rider, and he is always over with his diagnostic thingie, or whatever. They help each other out all of the time with repairs. I told my husband you know he is a Harley buddy when he knocks at the garage door entrance to the house instead of the front door!;) :lol:
Alibee-FYI-my husband is an engineer. He works now at a company called Guardian-they make windows and windshields for automobiles, and some of the factories make safety tempered glass for storm doors for homes. Check your windows in your car and storm doors, and if there is a G on them, it is from Guardian.
My husband is the engineer on the tempering furnace-if anyone doesn't know what that is, tempering is the heat process that makes car glass "crumble" if you have an accident, rather than break in big shards like regular glass. So it is safer for the passenger.
He has a pretty cushy job a lot of the time, gets trips and training and lunches and all, until something goes wrong with the furnace-if they do not have time to cool it down completely, he has to get ina big spacesuit looking hotsuit to go in and see what is wrong. Pretty dangerous, even with all of the precautions. I have a very large life insurance policy on him.
:lol:
Kina-about being mistaken for a 20 year old-I plan on that in hte next year...hee hee hee. I used to wear pretty wild clothes and hairstyles when I worked at the salon, and when I get to goal, I plan on it again! Which brings me back to Christine-you are so right about how great it would be to dress up like some of those characters...you can act and do things you wouldn't normally do, you can really get into the role! I think maybe that is why costumes in "the bedroom" have always been popular-you can act a lot more uninhibited when you feel like someone else...:o
Well, have a good day ladiesyou are all doing great!!!!
WooHoo!
Aphil

Hey guys!

I am feeling like I am getting ANOTHER cold. I don't get it! Bleh!

VM -- Ben and Jerry's used to make this thing called "frozen smoothie", which was a pint that you could either eat plain or make a smoothie with. The flavor "Chai Iced Tea" was not only lowfat, but so incredibly rich and flavorful that I could eat a pint a day; delish! Then, of course, they discontinued it, so if I want to eat it I have to suck it up and enjoy the high in fat "Phish Food" (YUM). :)

I hope you all had a great weekend -- somehow I gained 5 pounds! Ack!

Ben and Jerry's is supposed to have a Cherry Garcia frozen lowfat yogurt version, instead of the regular fatty ice cream one, but I have yet to see it in our local stores...
I get my ice cream cravings out with a few things-Blue Bunny Krunch Lites-sugar free and 90 calories each-we have them at our Wal-Mart,sugar free Fudsicles-45 calories, and Dairy Queen's sugar free fat free bars-the orange cream is awesome. I tend to prefer things either in small pints or in bars like this, so it is sortof already a single serving. We used to have Healthy Choice ice cream in pints, but now our stores only have the big tubs of it-and I tend to want to scoop out too much-so I try to avoid it.
Alibee-shame on you for mentioning B&J Phish Food-I have to totally stay away from that altogether, or I will eat the whole pint, and then lay there in a sugar induced coma for about 2 hours! That carmel swirl does it every time!
Don't worry too much about the 5 pounds-you just started training with weights during your workouts, and this is normal.
Aphil

Okay, wanna see a recipe for something yummy that I had tonight?

Chicken, Lentil, and Spinach Pasta
2 tsp vegetable oil
1 sm yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
5 oz ground chicken breast
1/2 cu red lentils
2 3/4 cu chicken stock
3 tbs tomato paste
8 oz baby spinach
12 oz shell pasta

Heat oil in medium pan; cook onions and garlic, stirring, until onions are soft. Add chicken, cook until all chicken has changed color. Add lentils, stock, and tomato paste, and simmer uncovered ~10 min until sauce thickens and lentils are tender. Add spinach, and cook until spinach is wilted.

Meanwhile, cook up pasta. Combine pasta and sauce in big bowl and serve!

Makes 4 servings, 6 g fat, 10.8 g fiber, 477 cals. :)

That sounds good....:ink:

Hey, it's healthy! No piggie face!

:) Good evening everyone!

Kanola, I LAUGHED at the description of your sewing the skirt - flinging it and then stomping it! :lol: I am very happy for you that you can enjoy daylight savings time now - of course, on this side of the hemisphere, it now is dark at 7:30 pm...and getting up early in the morning is harder and harder! oh well.

Hi Nancy! Was today your WW weigh-in? I hope you are HAPPY with the results! It is marvelous that you are 100% OP. We're proud of you; hope you are proud of you too!

Hi aphil! I agree with single servings of ice cream treats...my husband would prefer to get a half-gallon of ice cream, but we all know how dangerous that is to have around. With the single servings, once they're eaten they're GONE. Much better.

I looked back again at your costume work - superb. I showed them to my husband, who is a HUGE original Star Wars/sci-fi/geek. I will confess something...where we went for our honeymoon, for crying out loud...was a science fiction convention! :o Not that there's anything WRONG with that, but just not very romantic.

I LAUGHED at the depiction of the bad color job to be repaired!

And we want to see pics of you when you are at goal, with some wild-girl outfits and hairstyles!!Along with your body mods, you will be a hottie!!

hi Alison! That recipe sounds very good. Yes, and healthy!

I am sure that you didn't gain five pounds of actual fat...as we know, that would mean you had to over- consume 17,500 calories. It must be fluid. Or actual muscle weight, as aphil suggested. Not fat!!

I hope you aren't getting another cold. My anti-cold remedy is lots of hot green tea. Sometimes it works. :^:

hi Kina! I really enjoyed what you wrote the other day, about how well your son is doing, and how marvelously you praised him. When children are loved like that, they will grow to be wonderful people, and it's all thanks to great parents...kudos to you!

Hello also to Christine, tryin'hard, t-girl, and jacklyn! And kewi, whom I remember saying we might not hear from for a while. Remember our gal Sprite? I hope she's doing well. And melisa!!!

I 've increased my leg weights on the days I do weights; instead of me thinking "oh, I wish I had nicer legs" I am going to try my best to do something about it!:strong:

Have a great OP night!

Holly

Hi all,
Kanola, I get frustrated about screwed up stitches too...there have been quite a few sewing projects I have wanted to throw in the road and back over and over and over with the car...just ask my husband. I was cracking up, because I feel the same way at times!
Vermont Mom-could I ask what leg exercises you are doing? I didn't know if you had gym equipment or where doing floor exercises, or what. I fyou have gym equipment, what weight are you doing for each exercise?
That is actually cool about your honeymoon...I got the passes, hotel, and invites through a friend's connections to a private party with Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca), and Kenny Baker (R2-D2) all for Jason's Valentines Day present...he was SO excited!!! We have pics with Chewie...out of costume, he looks like a 7 foot tall Alice Cooper pretty much-if you can imagine that!
It was pretty romantic though, I got a great hotel deal through my stepmother, she is an insurance agent for American Family, and travels a lot. We had a fireplace, full kitchen, candy on our pillows, coffee, tea, snacks, and a free FULL breakfast, not continental for under $100 a night...it was nicer than our wedding night hotel room!
We love stuff like that. I am STILL trying to get him to take me to Ohio next month to the huge Renaissance faire for my birthday and our anniversary...
Nancy-hope your weigh-in will be good!
To all you other ladies, keep strong-we can and ARE doing this!
Aphil

Hey all,

Cold seems to be getting worse -- my lymph nodes are all swollen now :( I am drinking green tea right now (I love love love green tea -- the best green tea ever is Republic Of Tea's Jasmine Jazz -- it smells like flowers and tastes awesome!) and taking vitamins to try to make it go away. :) Oh well, if I get sick, that means I get to stay home! Yay!

Last night, my boyfriend and his step-kid were watching the best of America's Funniest Home Videos while I was working out (I ABHOR THAT SHOW and find it a waste of my life). I was feeling uncoordinated, though, and almost stopped 25 minutes into it, but I walked downstairs, and 2 minutes of that show convinced me that I was ready to finish the workout instead of being subjected to the torture of hearing Molly laugh uproaringly at videos that sucked IQ points from my being. So wow, I found motivation in an unexpected place! :)

Also, at Barnes and Noble, we found a couple of lowfat cookbooks that have meals you can make in under 30 minutes. That's where I got the recipe I posted yesterday, which was actually really yummy. I used ground turkey instead of ground chicken and also upped the turkey content (there wasn't nearly enough, imo, with only 5 oz, so I used about .5 lb) while using only 2 cups of chicken stock and water, and also seasoned it with a bit of garlic salt. It was way yum, and easy to make, which was a relief, since I tend to be the cook of the house. :)

As for hair color: I used to have purple hair. :) Now it's reddish but I'm letting the dye grow out and growing my hair, too. I like to change my hair often -- I sorta miss the attention I got with the purple, but now that I work at a more conservative company, I doubt that they'd be happy with me if I dyed it again!

Happy Tuesday!

Kinda in a rush, just landed a job, and have some orientation to attend, so how is everybody? I am doing much better, getting back with the flow of things.. Slowly but def. happening. I was just checking in, will have to come back later to read in greater detail:) TTFN.

t-girl-congrats on the new job, and for getting back in the swing of things with your health! The girl here have told me you are pretty diligent with your exercise-we have something in common! I'd like to know what you do for your workouts!
Aphil

Good morning gang,

Not a bad day outside today, so I am going to make sure I get a long walk in.
Yesterday I went shopping with a friend. I get such a kick out of buying little Halloween goodies to send down to my grandson.

My son phoned me this morning, he said that hurricane Isadore is expected to hit full force tomrrow. He is sending my DIL and grandson up to Memphis to DIL'd mom's house for their safety.
He has to remain on base though. I pray that the hurricane will lose strength and go back out to sea.

Tomorrow is weigh in day, so Ill let you all know how that goes.

Nola~~ way to go on your loss this week!!! :dancer: I bet you are feeling good !!!

Latisia ~~ Congrats on finding a job. Hope it is one that you enjoy! Are you still following the low fat plan?

Alison~~ Hope you are feeling better today, and do continue to drink that green tea. I just love the stuff. I drink it all day long. It is so healthy for you also! I had purple hair once. It was way back when I was in hairdressing school..I was an experiment(you do things like that to each other) but it was fun for awhile. But now that I come to think of it,,,, I probably looked like BARNEY !!!!!!

Amy~~ I have been to several of the Renaissnance fairs back home in Southern Illinois, I really enjoyed attending them. It was like being back in that period of time.

Holly~~ Way to go on the leg exercises. I am trying to work on that also. I just need to be more disciplined. And do it every other day instead of 2 days a week.

Kina~~ Hope you are doing well, are you going to be winning one of those t-shirts?

Tryinhard~~School keeping you busy?? Try to pop in and say hello to your old friends.

Jacklyn~~ Were the heck are you?? Are you survivng the FF plan?

Christine~~ How are you feeling?

Kewi~~ Are you still reading?? Come on in and say hello.

Sprite and Melissa~~ Where oh where have you two gone????

Well ladies,, have a great day and keep on smiling...its a good thing!!!!!!

hugs to all :grouphug:

Nancy:wave:

What a beautiful day it is here in Corpus Christi, Texas! It is not too hot but not too cool. Actually I wouldn't mind it being cooler but I can't expect miracles.

I was so tired this morning that I could hardly get up to go to school. So guess who didn't go to school? That is really bad of me. I normally would NOT play hookie but I don't understand why I feel so fatigued. My mom says it is probably the changing of the weather or perhaps the time change that is coming up. I don't know what it it but it is just not what I am used to.

I continue to do great on my elliptical machine although I have been having to force the energy to get on it. I don't have a problem finding the motivation to get the exercise but I am just so exhausted and over nothing really. What ever it is I hope it passes.

Snowey~~~~I am very close to winning ONE shirt. I have only 12 miles more to go. Then another 100 for a 2nd shirt! I hope that your Son and his family will be safe from harms way. Good Luck with your weigh in. I have snacking too much so I have not been able to lose anything!:mad:

Tgirl ~~~~Congratulations on the new job! I hope that you will enjoy it there.

Alibee ~~~~I dye my hair regularly. When I was younger I opposed the idea of coloring my jet black hair. Once when I was getting a perm the hair dresser asked if I colored my hair and I told no of course. She said you should get some highlights but once you color your hair you will always color your hair. Sure enough I think I color it every month or so. About your recipes...it sounds very yummy. But DH is on a protein only diet and carbs are a big NO NO on his plate. I have been trying to follow his way but my goodness I hide my snacking more and more. Which is very bad.

Aphil ~~~~What a wonderful talent you have! To be able to sew is wonderful. I crochet and knit. A few years ago my hands just hurt so much so I bought my first new sewing machine but I don't know how to make anything other than pillows and simple square pillowcases.

Vermontmom ~~~~Thanks! I love being a step-mom. I remember when I was a little girl and I would get after my little brothers, my mom would tell me "You are going to be a good step-mother!" I would get mad and tell her "Don't say that! I'm not going to be a step-mother!" These days I thank her for jynxing me. These days I am a step-mother and I think I pretty good at it. I have been raising my step-son for 5 years now along with our other 3 children.

Kanola ~~~~The elliptical machine is going great! I wish I had more energy I don't have a problem getting motivated but my energy level is very low. I am up 88 miles as of Sunday. I will be putting 10 miles in tonight hopefully. Actually now that I put that down I will be resposible for truly doing it. :lol: Way to go on your weight loss. I wish I could say the same. I have been getting exercise in but I have been snacking horribly.

So I better get busy here. I have a new member in our family and the kids like to get closer than they should. I have a 1 1/2 month old cockatiel. We don't know if it is a he or a she. So we haven't named him but I usually call him/her "Tweet". Talk to you all later. Bye.
Corina:wave:

Step-mommying... I am sort of a step-mom, because my boyfriend, 9 years older than me, was married to a woman 10 years older than him, and her daughter from a previous marriage considers him her dad (because he's been around since she was a baby). So, even though he has no parental rights to her (like, he never adopted her, considering that he and her mom were only married a year), she lives with us half the time. Since she's 12, I am more like a bossy-big-sis (I am much bossier than he is, which I guess is typical...), and it was way weird to adjust to, but when we move to CA we will see her a lot less. I just have to constantly remind myself that she's 12, not 20, and does 12-year-old stuff. Like, eat my See's candy (which I actually secretly thank her for because it means that *I* won't eat it!). She's becoming a bit weight-obsessed lately, though, which worries me.

Did I tell you guys all this before? I'm having deja-vu....

Hi all,

I just wanted to pop in and say hello real fast, I am on my way out the door for my WW meeting. But Ill be back.

Have a great day !!!


Nancy:wave:

Hi, Snowey and all. Yes, I am still reading but just not much to say. I hurt my knee and slacked off the exercise for a few weeks but did not gain-still did my weights, but am back on track this week. I have revamped my weight program and spend about 25 minutes on it now instead of 10 minutes, every M-W-F, weekends off. I also use my Tony Little Gazelle glider for 20-25 minutes every weekday and sometimes on Saturday, going at 5 mph. Boy do I work up a sweat! Since there is no "impact" I can do it without hurting my knee again. No change in clothing size but I am in this for the long haul and for my health. Fat loss will come it but will take time. I'm not too worried because I am only about 10 lbs over MY ideal size. That weight will become irrelevant as I become leaner and shrink in inches. I enjoy following your successes and problems - they are universal in one form or another. We can all learn from each other. That's why I enjoy checking in. Snowey, I have a friend who does WW at home on her computer and she loves it. She has lost 22 lbs so far at about 1 lb a week. i am glad you are enjoying it. She has shared some recipes with me and they are excellent!! kewi

Hi everyone,
Nancy-hope your weigh in goes well today!
Kina-I crochet as well as sew, but I have never gotten the knack of knitting. I jsut cannot seem to get my hands going and get those darn loops to slip from one needle to the other-it makes me mad, because it always seems the prettiest baby layettes and sweaters are knitted, and not crocheted, at least when I buy patterns...do you have any tips?
kewi-glad to know you are still with us, even if you are just lurking, and not always gabbing with us...your weight routine sounds good-you do weights and resistance training the same 3 days as me!:D
Well, today has been a stressful day. Jason has had problems at work, and has been home 2-3 hours late all week, and they called him in at 4 this morning...I don't know if he will be home on time tonight or not. Jasmine has really been trying my patience, having a smart mouth, and backtalking me all the time-nothing I do seems to help-time out, taking away priviledges, talking to her about it, even spanking hasn't improved it. Today, along with her smart mouth, she refused to take a nap, and I had went into her room twice and caught her awake doing things she is not supposed to anyway-like jumping on the bed-and to top it off, she had an "accident" in her pants. She has not had one of those in about 6 months-it almost made me feel like she did it on purpose just to upset me even more than I already was.
Mrs. Schoolteacher-please give me any advice if you have any? :^:
I got my full workout in today, but with the stress between Jason and Jasmine...I have eaten more than I should. It is only 3, and I have eaten my daily calorie allowance. I am going to try to not have anything else today, and if I am just starving this evening, maybe some fruit or a Slim-Fast. The one good thing was that overeating was healthy stuff, and not candy or fries or something like that-but-I stil overdid it.
The scale has not budged this week, either...but I am determined that it will for next week's weigh in. I am just in a crabby mood, mad at myself for stress eating, and while I love my kids-tired of them making me pull out my hair. I really need another break, and cannot wait for one of the grandparents to call and want them overnight. (That is my only parenting break, as we live over an hour away from any family members, having moved into our town 2 years ago for my husband's job. I have no friends here really, when you are a stay at home mom it is hard to make them, and no family-or anyone I would trust to sit my children here in town.)
That is another reason I love you guys here so much...other than with my husband, you all are some of the only adult conversation I get on a day to day basis, save for days when my mother drives up here-which is about once every 2-3 weeks.
Well, better go-I hear a child-the one who DID take his nap!:lol:
Aphil

Just a note before I go to bed:
Nothing takes the fun out of making low-fat cookies like burning your tongue on a hot one. :(
I have no patience!

Originally posted by alibee
Just a note before I go to bed:
Nothing takes the fun out of making low-fat cookies like burning your tongue on a hot one. :(
I have no patience!


LOL! :lol: :lol: I can certainly relate to that one.

I will be pulling a late nighter this evening. I have loads of homework to get done for tomorrow. I even had to create a webpage of my english material we do in class. OOOOoow what fun. I have test I have to get done by Friday in math. I am not looking forward to that at all. Blah!

I haven't even had a chance to get on my machine. I am aching for some time on my machine but I just can't right now. I have been snacking very badly and I know it has to do with my stress level with school. I need to get it under control before it pushes the scale over the 200 marker. I keep telling myself I am too closee to 200 to tempt the scale. But not even that stops me from getting the extra cookie that we all know I don't need.

Well enough said back to my homework. Talk later.
Corina

Hi everyone!!!

Alibee - you made me smile about burning your tongue on a hot from the oven cookie!! That is just something I would do too!!
:lol:

Aphil - I learned to knit about 2 years ago. My first big project was a 'toque' for my aussie then fiance.... then I attempted mittens and they look so funny. I made them about 3 sizes too big, but he still keeps them with his ski gear. He likes them! I am working on the same for me but never seem to find the time. I will have to drag them out during the TV night or something! I really admire the patience that parents have with children. I am 30 and think that the biological clock will never kick in. I get frustrated with the cats!! When I lived in Edmonton, my aunt was famous for dropping her two boys off at my house for a break (with about 15 min notice of course, single women have nothing better to do on a Saturday!) and it would always be a stressful afternoon. Wow.... sounds like you have your hands full for sure!! Just think... soon they will have a license and you will wish for the smart mouth of a younger child!!

Kewi - good to hear you are still lurking around!! And that you are working towards YOUR ideal weight. I am on week 3 of WW and LOVE it!!

Snowey - how did you do this week? You said you felt more in control and op which is a great feeling and the lose is just a huge bonus!!

Alibee - you sound like a great role model for your 'step' daughter.

Kina - keep up the work on the eliptical!! You will start getting more energy soon from the exercise!! A baby cockatiel?? That sounds amazing!!

t-girl - great to hear from you again!!

Well.... it is a lovely spring day here in Aussie land.... I went for a walk at lunch to the beautiful gardens not far from the office. What a great break that turned out to be. It is amazing what a walk for 30 mins can do for your attitude!!

Well... it is back to work for me... lunch time is over and it is time for reality now :(

Have a good day everyone!
Nola.

Good morning everyone! I just spent about 20 minutes catching up with all of you!
Well, working 2 jobs takes a lot of time! I get to school at 7:15 every morning, leave by 4:30 and then have another 2-3 hours of work for my other job! But, my eating is going well and I continue to walk 6 days a week. The scale is remaining at 147 (with the usual ups and downs of 1-2 pounds), so I guess I am officially maintaining!
I am so excited for all of you! Everyone is doing great and I miss chatting with you all. Hopefully, next week won't be so bad!
Just know that you guys are in my prayers every day and I'll check in soon!

Good Morning Everyone,

Glad to see so many of us checking in.

Kewi~~ Glad you are still with us. Sorry to hear about your knee.
I used to have one of those Gazelle Gliders also. I sold it when I moved to Canada. Sure wish I had it back at time though.

TryinHard~~ 147 pounds!! You have to be feeling wonderful. Even with working the 2 jobs you are in control. So happy for you!:cp:

Amy~~ So sorry to hear you had a stressful day yesterday. I hope today is a better one for you. And just watch and see that scale will move for you soon and it will be a good one!!

Alison~~ What kind of low fat cookies :cookie: did you bake...share with us!!!

Kina~~ Do not lose sight of your goal. You have done wonderful and you know that you can continue this journey! Stress eating can be tough. Instead of having a cookie, eat a piece of celery or fruit. It takes much longer to chew and you wont have any guilt.
Hang in there , you can get past this !!! :)

Nola~~ WW rocks dont ya think? It is so easy and you can eat anything you want. Its not a diet for sure. Its a way of life.

Holly~~ How are you today?


Ok so here is the scoop on me. Yesterday was weigh in.. and I stayed exactly the same...I did not budge at all. I still weigh 194.8. I have been on program and have not faltered so I am thinking that since I had the 4 pound loss last week that maybe the body is balancing its self out. Am I disapointed? Heck no,,, there is nothing to be disapointed about, I am successful, as each day that passes , I am eating healthier and in control. So that spells success to me !!

Well I am off to go eat some breakfast, I hope everyone has a great day and stays strong :strong: and remember to keep on smiling :)

Nancy :wave:

Snowey,
I made lowfat chocolate/peanut butter chip, using applesauce. The applesauce, imo, makes them sort of cool because it caramelizes around the chips sometimes and gives the cookies a sweet, candy-esque flavor. Of course, now I can't taste it because my tongue is all sad and hurty! :( My taste buds are even swollen. I hope that my impatience is a lesson to you all. :)

Molly is having even weirder weight issues than I thought -- I told her to take some to school to suppliment her lunch and she said, "What, are you not happy unless I'm fat?" First off, the girl is a stick. (A stick with a big frame.) Secondly, they are lowfat cookies, and eating two of them with lunch isn't going to make her fat. Oy. When I add this comment up with everything else of late, I worry :(

Hi all,
Alibee-How is your stepdaughter's mother built? Doe she have any eight issues that you know of? Has she ever been hostile with you before? I was also wondering if maybe she is getting to the age at 12 where she is beginning to get interested in boys, clothes, etc. and feeling self concieous.
My stepsister is 16, and going through that. My stepmother is 5'11" tall, with a naturally athletic thin frame, but because of her height, she is very thin but wears a size 10-12. My stepsister has passed me in height this year, (I am 5'6"-5'7") and she is lucky to be built like my stepmother. She wears about a size 7/8, and she looks absolutely great being 5'9 tall. All of her high school friends are like 5'1" to 5'4", so they wear anywhere from a 3/4 to a 5/6-and she thinks she is fat because she wears an 8. She just will not listen to us, that it is because she is half a foot taller than these other girls!!! I am sorry, unless you look like Calista Flockhart-you can't be 5'9" and wear a size 3/4!!!!
Maybe she is feeling pressure because of friends or her mother. Have you ever asked her to work out with you, when you do some of your videos? She could even do the weighted ones with a set of 1 pounders...or had her cook with you, and explain to her the small changes in the foods you make, to make them nonfattening? Not in a bossy informative manner, but casually?
Maybe that will help...
Tryinhard-I am so happy that you are maintaining your weight loss-Good for you! I bet you feel wonderful! :D
Snowey/Nancy-you are so right about what we are all doing not being a diet, but a way of life...eating balanced ways like WW, or counting calories motivates us to eat healthy, but to be able to have that occasional candy or treat now and then and say, "that's okay". It is a way of life. I am also impressed with you not being disappointed about your weigh-in. My body does the same thing-I lose a few quick, then it stops for a bit,etc. I think it is your body and mine adjusting to a smaller weight.Great attitude!
Everyone else, have a fantastic day, I am! (Much better than yesterday!
Aphil

Howdy, it's burnt tongue girl! (Ow.)

I just thought I'd share a pic with you from this morning:
http://alibee.linex.com/journal/2002/sept27-nickyhideshead.jpg
That's me and my puppy, Nicky. He likes to hide his face in the morning, so he put it in the crook of my arm :)
HAPPY FRIDAY!

Hello all...good day so far!!!! Cute picure Alison!
Aphil

Good morning Chickies,

How is everyone today? The weather here has turned gloomy after a beautiful day yesterday. The hubby and I took a late night walk and of course I was a bit nervous about a bear coming out and surprising us. I see a few little bears cubs the other day,, they were so darn cute(from a distance of course).

Dont have anything exciting planned for today. Just do some laundry(exciting eh?) and go for a walk.

Alison ~~ such a cute pic of you and your puppy!

Well do have a great day girls and keep smiling!!


Nancy

Hey,
Just wondering if anyone here saw the show on Dr. Phil yesterday, about the lady suing McDonald's for her child's weight problem...I just wanted to slug her for being so stupid, and for clogging up the court systems with this garbage.
She was all talking about "They don't disclose how much fat and calories are in a Big Mac, and if I knew this, we wouldn't eat there 3 times a week, and if we did, we would get regular sized meals, and not super sized." Hello? I have the nutrition info on about every fast food chain there is-right there on their website, and they have sheets at the restaurants a lot of the time if you just ask...and is McDonald's forcing them to super size their meals?...um...no. And I do not know of a fast food chain nowadays that does not have chili, salads, grilled chicken sandwiches, or some other healthier choice available. This lady just really ticked me off with this crap. She just does not want to take responsibility for her and her child's actions like we all have.
:smug:
Exercise has went well today, eating has been so-so...not bad, but could be better-I guess there is always room for improvement.
Well, better go-lots o' work to get done for the weekend!
Aphil

I wish I'd seen that! I wonder if trancripts are available, I'm too curious, lol.

What a cute puppy, Alibee!

Warning: rant ahead!

Aphil: Oh my lord, I am totally with you. I was reading Time magazine (well, re-reading) about dieting, where they were comparing Ornish and Atkin's approaches. Seventy percent of the article was talking about hormonal causes of obesity, which was really ticking me off, especially since they said that the average amount of calories that people ingest PER DAY in the US is 3700. 3700 calories! How many people do you think are affected by a fat gene? Probably a small percentage. People are always looking for excuses with the fact of the matter is, if you're eating 3700 calories a day, you're going to be overweight. It's not a gene, it's your mouth, plain and simple. Then they went off and talking about how we are "programmed" to be fat because back in the days when agriculture wasn't as easily controlled, there were periods of famine that "taught" human bodies to store excess calories. Argh, that's just another excuse. My boyfriend has to do a psychological evaluation on a woman who wants to get her stomach stapled. I told him that if I had my way, he'd go into that meeting telling her to try restricting her calories a bit and working out before completely messing around with her body like that -- everyone wants a quick fix when the real way to get what you want is to work at it! (He's a psychiatrist so he can't really rant and rave like I'd like him to, but oh well, at least he agreed with me :) ) We're a society of undermotivated, lazy people. Ugh, ugh, ugh. People don't even want to work at RELATIONSHIPS anymore, which explains the fact that our divorce rate is 50%.

CAN YOU TELL THAT THIS MAKES ME MAD? :stress:

Originally posted by Suzanne 3FC
What a cute puppy, Alibee!

Hee hee. He's my baby. I'm one of those people who has a dog instead of a kid and talks about him/shows pictures of him/coos over him/calls him pet names like people with kids do. I disgust me. (The step-kid is enough for me at this point... plus, I'd like to see a ring on my finger before I go around making little me's!)

Wow, I ranted a lot longer than I meant to. Eep. :)

Hey where is everybody???

I hope everyone is having a great weekend and feeling good...

I am doing good today, except for a stupid pain in my head that wont go away....so Im off to take more aspirin..

Bye for now

Nancy:wave:

hi everyone,
Suzanne-they do have transcripts available for that show-go to www.drphil.com and the name of the show was "fight over fat."
They also had a section of the show at the end about airlines, and wether or not extremely overweight peole should have to buy a second seat, and wether or not that is fair, and wether it is rude for someone to complain because an overweight person is taking up part of their airline seat.
I think I have a pretty good solution to that one...If elt teh overweight person should not have to pay for a second seat, and I also felt that the thin person had the right to the comfort of his "entire" seat during the flight. Solution? Have a couple seats in the back of the plane that are a few inches wider than the normal size, and reserve them for really overweight and pregnant passengers-who can also take up more room. When going to the airport, the airline personel should make sure that a thin person is not using the ticket and taking advantage. Probelm solved.
Alibee-I totally agree with you about the article. I know of very few people who are actually overweight because of genetics, underactive thyroid, etc. Thare are a lot of people who like to have a reason that they are fat besides the grande moccachino they have every morning and the Big Mac they eat every day at lunch. It is much easier to not own up to their own doing.
Today has been a good day...I am finishing up a Christmas quilt, that cost me about $40 to make, and I have had an offer for it already for $100...:)
Grandparents took the kids last night, and they will not be back until evening, and while I was out last night, the battery went dead in my car-but I took it in stride, and was happy/thankful that is happened in the Wal-Mart parking lot, where they have payphones, and actually SELL car batteries, so I didn't have to walk a far distance or try to figure out how I was going to get the battery with no car...so it worked out well. Can't ask to break down in a better place.:) I called Jason at home, he came up on his Harley while I bought a new battery, we put it on, and I was out of there!
I have eaten well today, and got some running around done without the children...went to the Goodwill thrift store and found a brand new Jogbra sportsbra with tags still attached in my size! Today has been good!
Aphil

:) Helllo hello everyone!!

Geez, I have neglected to say hi for a couple of days! I could give you excuses, but blah blah - you know. Nothing bad, just busy!

Nancy, eek, a bear?! Now I do remember you mentioning bears in your area from last winter/spring. They're pretty happy and placid at this time of year, right? I hope?!?

Yes, You are to be congratulated for staying OP all this time, and having such a super attitude about it all. I'm sure you're smaller each week, even if the scale doesn't show it yet. IT WILL!!!:D

Did the pain in your poor head go away yet?

Amy, the exercises that I have been doing for my legs is this; lie on side, making sure hips are even (not rolled forward) Raise leg 4 times; then hold it up and "pulse" (little lifts) 8 times; that's repeated through three times. I wear a strap-on ankle weight (1pound) for those; the increases I'm trying to do is more repetitons. These exerxises are part of a audio tape (used to be a video, but I wore it out!) that is a whole body toner-type. Any suggestions for something different? We DO have a Joe Weider-type home gym in the garage; I just need to get really motivated and clear all the junk off/around it away.

Alison, you are hilarious. We love your sense of humor! And your CUTE baby!

Hi t-girl, always glad to know that you are still in our midst!!!:D

Hi 'Nola! How are you doing? I'm so glad for you that you are now getting nice weather. Ride that cycle, girl!!! Ride Safe!!!

Hi Kina! How are you today? Hope you are feeling your usual positively-motivating self!

Hello tryin'hard! Good to hear from you! Yes, praise to you for maintaining that incredible loss for so long, even through the stress of two jobs.

Hi to anyone I missed - here's to us all eating right (well, most of the time!:o ), exercising as much as we can sensibly, drinking our water and loving ourselves and our lives!

Your friend, Holly

Hi,
just a quick response to Vermont Mom...
The exercise you are doing for your legs targets the outer thigh/saddlebags area-keep on doing that, it is a good one. If you aren't doing anything for the other parts of your legs, here are a couple.
Calf raises-these strengthen your calf muscles and define them, as well as prevent shin splints if you get them when walking a lot or jogging. Stand up, holding the back of a kitchen chair for balance. Raise up on your tiptoes for two counts, and down for one...repeat about 12-15 times for a set, then rest them a few seconds, and do a second set. Afterwards, stretch your calves so they don't cramp up.
Also-for inner thighs, a good one is to lie on your back like you are going to do crunches, and hold a throw pillow between your knees. Squeeze your thighs together and hold for 5 seconds-repeat 2 sets of 12-15 with a few second rest inbetween.
Aphil

Thank you, Amy! I will definitely incorporate those into tomorrow's routine.

Holly

Sorry my other post was so short, my husband was shooing me out the door...I have another for the front and back of your thighs...you can do two things, whichever is more convenient to you...if you have a two story house, walk up and down your stairs a few times (5-10) each day you work on your leg routine.
If you do not have a two story house, you can use your weight machine you have at home, and do two exercises for the front and back of the thighs-for the front thighs, do the one where you are sitting with your knees bent, and lifting the leg weight bar/straightening your legs. The back of the thighs are worked laying on your stomach, where you have your legs straight, and lift the leg bar/weight by bending your knees, like the same upward motion as you do when you do bicep curls for your arms.
I hope I explained this alright...if you have any questions...let me know. the front and backs of thighs are also worked when you walk a lot for exercise.
Today was a good day...my calorie total is 1420-here is what I had today:
breakfast-Bakers breakfast cookie
lunch-Healthy Choice Stroganoff meal and vegetables
snack-fruit salad
dinner-grilled chicken breast and a baked potato with 1T light margerine
snack-hot cocoa
Just to give some of you an idea of what my diet is now and then...
Well, better get ready fo rbed, I have to do an early workout, an dmy mother and stepfather are coming over about 10am to visit.
have a good night!
Aphil

Hey y'all... question for ya.
Do you ever notice you get ravenously hungry around TOM? I have pretty much eaten a horse before it's even 12:30. Eep! (Okay, okay, not a horse, but ya know. A lot.)

Alibee - MY OH MY, YES!!! And for me it's wanting SALTY foods, all stuff that we never have in the house anymore, like chips, crackers, etc. (except when some evil person brings them in the door!)

tryin'hard had an excellent suggestion for helping deal with a part of this - she tries to really step up her exercise routine the week before TOM - to help deal with the physical discomfort, and maybe help decrease cravings. I've yet to be pro-active enough to mark my calendar to do that the week before...but it seems like a good idea. Hey, it could also help to counteract any extra calories we scarf down during that time.

I've found myself getting away from some of my good habits!!! I was so good for so long in not taking second helpings, nor eating anything in the evening...I've got to work on that. I am NOT going to let weight creep back on!!!

This week especially will be a challenge, as our Fire Dept's Harvest Supper is this Saturday, and I am responsible for overseeing the production of at least 300 servings of desserts...mostly pies and crisps we are making together at the firehouse on Thursday afternoon, but I also bake alot of additional cakes and cookies at home, freeze them, then bring them on Saturday. I usually let the family have a little something from what I've made, then pack it away. It surely is hard to resist, but I have to tell myself (and listen!) "just because it's there, doesn't mean I have to eat it!"

Thanks for the additional exercises, Amy. I did include the calf raises in today's workout. And yes, I will use the stairs as often as possible. That is something that we easily take for granted, just going up and down all day...but my sister, who lives in a one-story condo, hardly ever goes near stairs, and when she is here, is sadly out-of-breath from going up one flight...:( not good.

Hope everyone is doing well and happy today! It is my first day off of two; did a half-ton of laundry, now need to vacuum, general pick-up, clean bathroom (yes, you guessed right - it is cloudy and cold outside, so that is why I am not riding the motorcycle!:lol: )
Though I did ride to work yesterday, and it was 36 degrees in the morning! I had to stop after 14 miles to warm up my hands - I will invest in a pair of electrical warmed gloves, I think.

Have fun!!!

Holly

VM -- PHEW, because today's been crazy -- I've been eating when hungry (as usual) and have already had 1100 more cals than I usually have by this time! What the heck!

Oh well. :) Even though I also did the same thing Saturday night (excuse me, how did those 2.5 donuts make their way into my mouth?), I'm trying not to feel too bad about it.

Eek. (That's the sound of me actively trying to not feel guilty.)

And the worst part is, I couldn't make any smart choices about what I was eating, really, because I wasn't prepared. Usually, I love love love to munch on rice cakes, but I am out (shopping tonight), and I ate my whole lunch. Someone brought in Otis Spunkmeyer muffins, and I ate one after lunch (noonish) because I was still hungry, then another at 3:30. And THEN I realized that the cal count was for HALF A MUFFIN! One of those dinky muffins has 430 cals! And let's not talk about fat! I could kill the person who brought those in! Totally unfair! I protest! So, 800 cals of those 1100 cals were from two lame ol' muffins! Do you realize how many rice cakes that is!? (23 rice cakes, folks. The big ones.)

I am going to stock up tonight, let me tell you.

Hi,
Yes, I also get ravenous cravings and actual hunger pangs constantly at TOM-usually the day before and the first day of it...the cravings are for bad stuff, usually salty stuff and chocolate, but I actually get hunger pangs an hour after I have eaten!
Alibee-aren't those muffins awful? They are so unhealthy for you, but so good...Have you tried the blueberry muffin mix in the store with the real blueberries, that is lower fat/calories? I can't remember if it is Betty Crocker or Duncan Hines or what, but one of them is fake blueberries, and one of them says real blueberries on the box...THAT is the good one.
I had to order a second box of Bakers Breakfast cookie today, I ordered 2 dozen this time, and I will freeze half...I am totally addicted to them now.
My mom came up with my stepdad yesterday, and we sent him golfing while we yakked and played with the kids.
Today is cardio day...and to be honest I don't really want to do it...but I am going to make myself,I will feel much better afterwards!
My mom offered to take the kids for a night this weekend (yay!) and I am hoping while we are down at my mom's dropping them off, I can talk him into taking me to see Red Dragon at the nearby theatre for a "date." ;)
Well, I better go for now...I need to eat breakfast before I am so ravenous I eat bad for me things, and I need to get the kids dressed...
Aphil

:) Good morning everyone! And Happy October! Wow, can't believe it's October already.

I'm also not wanting to do my aerobic work-out today, but as soon as I finish posting this, I will. It's only 9:00 am so once I'm done at 9:40 or so I will be GLAD it's done for the day and I can have fun! Or at least do things I have to do, but with a clear conscience!:lol:

Hope everyone had a great, "in-control" day!

Holly

Good morning Chickies..

I am just back from my doctor appt. Tomorrow I have to go and have some blood drawn. Its just the usual, no big deal. every 4 months I have to get my thyroid levels tested. I have Hashimotos Thyroiditis. I am sure I will need my medication adjusted. I can always tell when it needs it.
Tomorrow is also WW and maybe a vial or two of blood removed may help me at the scale.... :lol: :lol:

I am doing great on program, still trying some new recipes. Tonight I think I will make one of the WW Taco Soup recipes that I have. I am a sucker for anything Mexican! (ok, except Tequila, had one too many Margiritas once) :eek:

I think I will also make a crustless pumpkin pie. Add a little low fat cool whip and oh so good.....!

Well, I hope everyone has a great day filled with lots of smiles and good happy thoughts.....
see ya later!

Nancy :df:

Snowey, you're mean, bragging about all the yumminess you're making. Can I come over? :)

Hey, speaking of thyroid stuff, I have that too! Mine was self-resolving hyperthyroidism. Unfortunately, a side-effect is that I now get dizzy and motion-sick just from looking at people spin. Yick.

As for me, today is going much better than yesterday. I brought extra apples and rice cakes to work after an emergency run to the grocery last night so each time my tummy tells me it wants something, I've got a salty piece of styrofoam to munch! Good thing I like styrofoam :) Then, someone gave everyone on my project team a Big Kat. So, I ate half, with no guilt. After all, anything is better than yesterday's muffin fiasco. (Followed up by Chinese food, I might add. I am going to be a miserable pregnant woman. Hee hee.)

I hope y'all are doing well!

Hi,
I am like so extremely tired today for some reason...
I am at odds with my mother in law again, so to speak.
She asked me to help her with redoing her bathroom, and she doesn't really like anything I suggest. I am trying ot suggest things I think she would like, and I even asked her her 4 favorite colors, and what 2 colors she absolutely hated, so I could keep that in mind.
She likes pretty much only country styled decorating, and while my house is pretty contemporary, I can deal with, and even enjoy decorating in that style. Here is the problem-she likes pastels. While this is fine, I am trying to get it into her head that some pastels are much better as accent colors to use in throw pillows and wall border, rather than painted all over the walls. (Example-the Pepto Bismol colored spare bedroom she has upstairs)
The room she wants me to redo is also a half bath, so it has only a toilet and sink-so I told her it is very important that the room be pulled together with coordinating things, as we don't have the option to do that with a shower curtain like a big bathroom.
The country prints she likes are the ones that were popular more than a few years ago, like country blue hearts, geese, you all know what I mean. Cute, but hard to find the stuff to do it with now.
She is also afraid of dark colors in rooms because of making the room look smaller. I can see painting the walls with it, but she is afraid to use it in accents also, like the border or trash can, or anything.
So...I am having fewer and fewer things to work with. I asked her to trust me, and she said it depended on how "wild" I got. I wouldn't really consider anything in my house wild, except my kid's rooms-but they are KIDS! (and not "wild", like have stencils painted on my daughter's walls of stars in baby blues and mint greens-her room is Pottery Barn styled moons and stars)
AAAHH!! I could understand more if I was just butting in while SHE was decorating, but she has asked me repeatedly for help in that department...I think she is just afraid to try anything new.
Oh well...
How is everyone's exercising going? I am having my birthday the 30th, and my mother is going to order me some new exercise videos...MooHooHahahahaha...(Evil scientist turned Tweety Bird Big and Bad laugh)
I am going through the collage video site to see what I want! woohoo!
It will be nice to have a few more in my collection. Well, I better jump off here, I need to get a few things done before Jason gets home...and all of those recipes sound great! Can you put that crustless pumpkin pie recipe up here with the nutrition info? thanks a bunch!
Aphil

Amy~~ I dont know all the nutrional info for the pie, just the WW points. Ill see if I can find it somewhere for you.
I hope your day is going better and MIL is not driving you too crazy.

Alison~~ I love styrofoam also,, have you tried the tomato basil flavor??


CRUSTLESS PUMPKIN PIE

1 can pumpkin (15 oz)
1 can evaporated skim milk (12 oz)
3/4 cup egg substitute (or 3 egg whites)
1/2 tsp salt
3 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp vanilla
2/3 C. Splenda (or sugar) or to taste

Combine all ingredients and beat until smooth.

Pour into a 9" sprayed pie pan

Bake at 400 for 15 minutes, and then at 325 for 45 minutes or until a knife inserted in center comes out clean.

Serves 8
Whole Pie: 8 points (or ONE pt. for 1/8 pie)


Ciao for now...

Nancy:df:

Late at night for me, one last check-in!

Nancy, thanks for the pie recipe! Looks great...
Love the buzzing dragonfly at your name! How did you do that?, you whiz kid?:D

Amy, what a drag that you were asked for your help/opinion, and now aren't allowed to follow through! I hope it isn't too much of a drag to do. Did you get to see the movie Red Dragon? or was that for another night?..I'm readin the book right now. Thomas Harris is a great author, but he doesn't give anything easily...you really have to read between the lines to get what is going on...

Alison, I love flavored styrofoam too! with a diet soda it's a treat for me. I like cheesy-like-flavored ones.

Hello to everyone else and sweet dreams!

Your friend, Holly

Happy Wednesday all....

The rain is just coming down here in sheets!!!! It woke me at 4 am and I havent been able to go back to sleep. So my day has certainly started early.

Not much planned for today, go to hospital in about an hour for my lab work, then to WW at noon and then back home to prepare dinner. The FIL is coming for dinner I am making baked beef stew. Nice hearty food for a cold, miserable rainy day like this!

Well off to hit the shower, have a great day everyone. Ill let you know how WW goes this afternoon. Keeping fingers crossed!!!

Nancy :df:

ps..Holly, the little dragonfly is one of the smilies that is on here!

Hi,
VermontMom/Holly-I read Red Dragon right around the time Silence of the Lambs came out...it had been made into an older 80's movie called Manhunter which was awful...from the previews, I am hoping they stay with Thomas Harris' vision on this one-it is looking like they did. He is such a great author-Silence was a fabulous movie, bu it just doesn't get any better than the books. I was really dissapointed with the Hannibal movie-they changed the entire ending of the movie, made the pig man look like a victim, when he was the sickest of them all, and had no mention of the bodybuilding sister, or Hannibal's baby sister Mischa...all which added so much more to the plot. Thomas really sold out to let them change his book into that crappy screenplay...I hope with this one he redeems himself. I am probably going to see it this weekend...:D
Well ladies, I have guilt tripped my husband into taking me to the Renaissance faire in a couple weeks for our anniversary-...and ended up with two nights in a hotel, the night before and after, instead of one! Boy, do I know how to work him....:lol: He really didn't want to drive the 5 hours there and back...but a little "if we don't do that, then it's up to you what we do, I don't care" in a really nice voice with a touch of childlike disappointment did it... :lol: Boy he would be mad if he knew I played him...he he he
That recipe sounds great...I can figure out the points from the ingredients packaging-and egg whites are 15 calories, no fat, no fiber, if that helps anyone.
Have a good day everyone!
Aphil

Holly ~~~ I just noticed your new avitar!!!! Great Pic for sure !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Looking Good Girl !


Well gessh,,, I guess I did not have enough blood taken this morning :lol: as the scale at WW today showed me down only 1/4 of a pound. I have been 100%OP so I know that it just has to be that TOM coming up. After staying the same last week and only lose a smiggon this week I will still forge ahead!!!!

I bought a new cook book at the meeting today , its recipes for 2 people. Has some good lookin ones that Ill be trying soon.

Oh by the way, the WW Baked Stew was a hit with my FIL. I sent some home for him to have for lunch tomorrow..
FIL gave my husband and I $100.00 each for our birthdays. Bruces is Friday and mine is next Wednesday.
That was very nice of him. Oh maybe Ill buy more WW cookbooks with mine !!! :)

Well where is everyone today?? Come on and say hello....

See you all later!
Keep smiling

Nancy:df:

Hey everyone! Stay away from the site for more than a couple of days and I have some reading to do during my lunch!

I have had a good week so far. Today for no real reason I could have eaten ALL the cookies in the work kitchen. I had one and then ate my lunch early. I am still munchy so I went to Subway to get a veggie salad with no cheese. Now there is something crucnchy near the computer for the afternoon! Thank goodness Subway is down the street!

Hang in there Snowey! you are on plan and that is what matters. I have not lost much (about a pound) each week since my first week with WW. Slow and steady! Do you like the leader? The one I have is fantastic. I am taking in my exercise and food diary on Saturday so she can see where I need work. I think I need to invest in the points book and eating out guide. They also have a pretty awesome CD rom that I am eyeing up and down. It is $100 though. Thanks for the pumpkin pie recipe. I am going to have a Canadian Thanksgiving here in Aus this year. I really miss the comfort food and the family atmosphere.

Holly - - I love the motorbike photo! It is an empowering feeling being on two wheels... I crave the weekend rides! I understand about cold hands. We rode in the rain on the weekend and I have not been that cold since I lived in Canada! My friend has heated handgrips on her Ducati. Her boyfriend bought them for her birthday after they went on a trip from Melbourne to Brisbane and back. Talk about true love! I don't know if they make them for specific bikes, I know Ducati and BMW have them.

aphil - I read Hanibal and Silence. Have not watched Hanibal the movie. Hubby hates those kind and I can't seem to kick him out of the house to so I can watch it. I borrowed Red Dragon to read next. I am finishing up book 3 of the Lord of the Rings. I really enjoyed the trilogy. A bit different than what I usually read. Can't wait for the movie to come out for part 2!! In-law's are funny people. I want to do a 'parent' exchange with mine..... his folks are loony as and mine seem normal... funny how 4 years ago mine drove me up the wall!! Must be a new comparison or something!

Alibee - I can relate to the constant eating! I am feeling that way today!! ARRRGH

Well... I hope everyone else is doing great, staying on plan, feeling healthy, getting exercise and doing all those good things! Talk to you all soon!
:grouphug:

Hi everyone!
Holly-I noticed your new avatar right after I posted yesterday-Lookin good girl! :cool:
Nancy-Happy early birthday! Mine is October 30...and my mother had a planned ceserean with me, and had her choice whether or not to have me the 30th, or Halloween-I have asked her over and over why she didn't wait a day! Halloween is still my fave holiday! My mom always gives me $100 also...and I am also planning to get some fitness things-some videos and maybe a yoga sticky mat, or somthing along those lines.
Have you checked out any of the recipes on line? There is a site called www.recipe.com, and they have about anything you would want, as well as listings under holiday cooking, light cooking, etc.
Nancy/Kanola-I totally relate to the slow weight loss-so along with measuring pounds on the scale, I have taken measurements with a seamstress tape of my body parts-bust (around fullest part), waist, hips (fullest part), upper arm, and mid-thigh. I wrote them all down and will measure once each month on the same day-even though there hasn't been much poundage loss, I know my muscle tone is increasing-it is unapparent on most of my body because of the extra weight still there, but I can clearly see definition in my shoulders, and in my biceps area. Do not be discouraged-the same thing happened when I did this after Jasmine...I kept it up, and while I had lost a few pounds and was working out daily, noone really noticed, and then all of a sudden some more came off, and when it did, the muscle tone started showing through-and all of a sudden everyone was asking me what I was doing...:D So, I am hanging in there, too!
I bought Kashi's newer cereal last night-Cinna Raisin Crunch. It is alright, but I still like the Kashi GoLean Crunch the best, and Good Friends probably second best. I'll eat it, though.
Today is cardio day...I am debating on whether to walk outside, or to do a video...either way, it needs to get done.
Well, better go ladies-have a wonderful day-we can do this!
Aphil

Thanks for the early birthday wishes Amy, and a early Happy Birthday to you also!!

I really need to take my measurements . As I felt so different this week I was sure that had lost more then 1/4 of a pound.

Pretty slow thread here today....where is everyone???

Night all...
and have a Happy Friday...

Nancy :df:

Hi!! Just a quick post after the WW meeting. Only down 0.3 Kilos or about 3/4 lb. Arrgghh. Down is better than up and tomorrow morning I will take some measurements. Hubby and I are going to the gym soon which is good.

In today's meeting, everyone had to share an idea that they had for when they meet their 'goal' weight. Around the room came answers like new sexy black dress, bikini, office clothes, jeans, etc. and then I tell everyone how I want to spend $2000 and get a custom set of racing leathers made... ones that fit you PERFECT! :cb:

Anyways, off to the gym to sweat some of this fat off of me!

Hope everyone is having a good day!!

:strong:

I added a journal. It is pretty boring, mostly my honest revelation of what actually is going into the tummy and what I am doing for exercise.

This is to keep me honest. Seems that if I have to write it down, I think twice about eating it.... now if I have to post that I had a biscuit (cookie) every day, and I have to POST it... well, that is enough to make me run into the kitchen at work, quickly make my herbal tea and run out screaming with fear!!

Ok girls, it is almost 11 pm here, I am getting up at 7 am (on a Sunday, shocking !!) to go for a ride on the 'new to us' bike with 2 friends. We are heading into the 'mountains' in search of a quiet country reception place for them to get married. I wonder what they will think of my 'biker' friends?? hehehehehe Considering they are typical yuppies during the week and total petrol heads on the weekend!! :devil:

And I am just the :angel: tagging along with them!!

Ya right!!

Have a good day everyone! Stay on plan!

:grouphug:

Hi All. Sorry you haven't heard from me in so long. I have been so busy with school and family. I wish it were all over already. Crazy it just started. I have been getting my exercise. I have just been taking it a little easy since my fainting spell last week. I have been feeling better now that I am eating real food just in moderation. I actually had a .5 lb loss this morning which puts me at 6 lbs away from my mini goal. Yippppeeee for me.

I would like to see 175 by Christmas. I don't know if that is far fetched but I figure if I make an effort that would be good enough.

Well I must go I have research to do for my homework. Talk again.
Kina

Hi everyone - I'm pooped out right now, as I worked my regular day then helped at a fireman's supper - was there 7 hours, but was a success. This was the event I was baking all kinds of goodies for all week, and I'm afraid I did succumb to tasting many things. but I 've been exercising each day, and pretty in-control at meals, so I hope it won't reflect in an inches gain.

I hate to be a bad news bearer, but the friend I mentioned about a month ago - with the breast cancer - passed away yesterday morning. It is so sad; she was only 47; and leaves two sons, 19 (my older son't best friend) and 22. I am so glad now that I sent her a little letter, and some food and desserts, and had my younger son write her a letter also, about a month ago.

She was a wonderful, caring, giving person, and it's just so unfair :( Her name was Diane, Di for short, and I want to honor her memory here, if I may.

She did smoke most of her life, even after her diagnosis; please, if anyone here smokes; you are probably sick and tired of people telling you to quit, but it's because they love you and don't want you to leave this earth too early.

I just need to grieve for her awhile, and then I will be back here :^:

Your friend, Holly

Hey Kanola-the journal is a fabulous way to "keep it real." I write in mine everyday, and it not only helps with the eating and exercising, but I also have one page int eh back where I wrote my measurements and BMI, and will put in an antry once a month of those changes as well. You are so right about it being a motivator for exercising and limiting the "treats." It really helps when it is right there on paper.
This is where people easily gain weight-they totally underestimate what they eat each day. There are people I know who think they do not eat much, and wonder why they are heavy-from keeping such track of it myself, I now notice that one person consumes about 150 calories with each cup of coffee when I watch how much flavored creamer they use-well beyond the 1 tablespoon serving size...and the next drinks about 4 Pepsi's a day-equaling 600 calories, more if in plastic bottles and not cans...and so on. I am sure all of you are beginning to notice those same things as I am, now that we are all learning where the hidden calories are coming from, and learning by sight proper portion sizes.
I have had a very busy weekend, I did get to see Red Dragon last night-I was very happy wth the storyline, special effects, and the actors that played all of the characters-save one. I just was not real thrilled with the actor that played Will Graham (the investigator) he just didn't have the chemistry with Anthony Hopkins like Jodi Foster did...noone will ever be able to beat her performance, in my opinion.
Ralph Fiennes did a fabulous job though...
We had a nice weekend without the kids-we rented Scorpion King Friday night, then I went to storage yesterday and got some of my renaissance wear out so i can take it to the dry cleaners for the faire in 2 weeks-we ate out at Applebee's-and ladies-you all have to try to low fat bikini banana split...I think it was 260 calories...I had it with a half size low fat blackened chicken salad for 200 something calories-the nutrition info is on their website. It was a banana fat free shortcake, with pureed strawberries and banana slices on top, with a dollup of banana yogurt...YUM. Dinner and dessert for about 600 calories.
We also went to the zoo Friday before we took the kids to grandma's-I walked about 2 miles while we were there, so that was good.
Well, I better go-I have to pick up the kids today, and get my chemise and skirt to the dry cleaners...FUN. ha ha ha
Aphil

VM-so sorry to hear about your loss. I hadn't seen your post when I posted before. I am thinking of you.
Aphil

So sorry to hear of your loss Vermontmom. Luckily we have memories to sustain the emptiness. I often think of my grandmother we loss a few years ago. Sometimes the memories are helpful but sometimes they are bittersweet. It is harder for me because we rent her house from my parents. They own it since her passing. We still have alot of her things here; it's hard. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and allowing us to be there for you. Take care. Many hugs to you and your family.

Kina

Thinking of you Holly, in your time of sorrow.

Hugs

Nancy

Hi everyone!

Holly.... I sent you a PM.... I am sending :grouphug: hugs your way.

Well... another day on track.... it is getting better and better! I went to a step class this morning at 6:15 am. It is a bit of a hassle. I drive and take my stuff to get ready with me. In order to get free parking at the train station I park there about 5:50 or so and then take my back pack of the girlie get ready gear on a half km walk to the gym. Whew!! I will be revising the necessity of 2 towels.... 2 brushes.... 15 velcor rollers..... 3 kinds of hairspray (:lol: it wasn't that bad but close!!) After the class and my shower and prissy time in front of the mirror I walk again to the carpark, drop off my crap and take the train to work. It is a good plan! Hubby is going to join me on Wednesday morning, so he does not take as long as I do to get ready and will take the car to the station so I only walk one way. I don't mind the walk but he is not up to a walk and a work out yet on the same morning.

On another topic, I took a relaxation class tonight after dinner. It is a new one that they have at the gym and I have always wanted to try a yoga class, I have several DVD's. I took Tai Chi with a friend in Canada and LOVED it.

Funny story, at one class we had to pick a song with a partner and make up our own routine... we settled on Metallic, Enter Sandman because we felt it was very relaxing. Poor class nearly had a heartattack.... oh well. Something I remembered and got a bit off topic. (I really miss my loonie friend.... 11 more weeks until I am in Canada!)

Anyway...... this class has pilates, tai chi, yoga, stretching, balance, strength and relaxation. It totally rocked. It is my new Monday thing. I feel like work did not even happen today. I think I will have to dust off those yoga dvd's I bought over the last year. I find that I am alot more mellow at work and at home when I take 20 - 40 mins to myself every other day or so and just get rid of the bad vibes from the day.

Just a bit of a bla bla bla mellowed and relaxed bla bla bla from me tonight.

Off to make my lunch and take heavy items out of my 'girlie gear' back pack ..... have a good day everyone!! (as most of you are sleeping as it is about 6 am on the west coast right now!)

:)
Nola.

Kanola,
Enter Sandman relaxing? You sound like my husband....:D
I totally agree with the Tai Chi and yoga being great refreshers...for any of you wanting to try it at home, I totally recommend a couple videos-Yoga for Dummies beginner workout-it is a great "learn all the poses" tape, and I have a set with two tapes called "a.m. yoga and p.m. yoga"-one to do in the morning, and one for evening. I don't do them all the time, but if I am feeling sore in the morning, or restless and stressed in the evening-they are great. You are so relaxed in the end. I greatly recommend buying a yoga mat or "sticky mat"-they sell them at some Wal-Marts and Targets, and online. It helps keep your feet from moving or sliding on the floor in some positions.
Today is weight training day (yay!) and I am revamping my eating a bit for a couple weeks to try and break this neverending plateau I seem to be in...I am cutting out refined carbs, and only eating whole grain ones or fruits/veggies as carbs, and cutting out my "treats" for a couple weeks-light ice cream, etc. I'll slowly add them back in when this plateau is over and I am losing again.
Well, I better go-I have a busy day and an awaiting workout ahead of me...have a good day ladies!
Aphil

VM, I'm so sad to hear about your loss :(

Things here are hectic. I'm finally over my binging-cause-of-period phase :) and had frozen custard last night because I had been good all day and could eat it and still stay "OP". :) I was happy about that... frozen custard, especially turtles, are SO incredibly yum. We also went raspberry picking on Sat as well as apple picking on Sunday... so now I have tons!! of fruit and I'm not sure what to do with it all :) If you guys have any good recipes, I'd LOVE them.

Here's a photo of me with raspberries:
http://alibee.linex.com/journal/2002/oct05-aliandrasp.jpg

Here, I embarass my dog by putting him in a sweater:
http://alibee.linex.com/journal/2002/oct07-nickysweater.jpg

Alibee-your dog looks REAL happy in that getup....ha ha ha

Hi everyone,,

Hope everyone is doing well. I am doing good myself.

OP and still as motivated as ever.
Off to the doctor tomorrow for the results of my bloodwork.

Wednesday I have to go for a second interview for a part time job I applied for and then to WW and then who knows what from there . DH wants to do something special for my b-day and I would just like to treat it as a normal day. Birthdays lack the excitement they use to hold when we were kids...He asked me what I wanted and he seemed surprised that I said I wanted the newly released DVD of Beauty and the Beast... Its my favortie Disney movie of all time...

Well have a great tomorrow everyone ...
see ya soon...


Nancy:df:
ps... Alison...cute pics!

Nancy,
I plan on getting the new Beauty and the Beast release for my daughter for Christmas! I love it also!
As for your birthday, if you have a husband who want to do it up for you, LET HIM! Get yourself an angel food cake at Wal-Mart or the grocery store, and cut up some fresh strawberries to put on it for your birthday cake! Add a dollup of light Cool Whip and enjoy!
That is why I am going to the ren faire in two weeks-if Jason will take me away in a hotel for two days, and be willing to wear a costume for me-all for my birthday/our anniversary-he is going to do it!
:D
I actually am making him sort of a secret thing to wear for it...I am just going to pack it and give it to him when we get to the hotel-an ivory muslin shirt that has the laces up the front, brown peasant styled pants, and a dark brown half cloak with a hood...he is so used to fabric being everywhere he doesn't even look at it anymore, so I haven't even had to hide anything...With that cloak, he is going to look sexy-like a Robin Hood or something like that.
:devil:
I am still OP, and still working out well...yesterday my arms and shoulders were really hard after the weight training...I actually had to go lookat them in the mirror...they are actually starting to retain the firm curve in the bicep constantly now, not just after a workout...I cannot wait to get the extra pounds off so it will become more apparent.
I also now have a goal/occasion to look forward to next year, and an excuse to wear a figure flattering outfit.(arm bearing) My stepbrother and his fiance have finally set a date to get married-they have been together since he was a freshman in high school, and he is now a junior in college, and she is a senior in college. They have asked my daughter to be flower girl, and asked me to make the wedding flowers, and possibly Jasmine's dress. Even if I am not at goal, I will at least be 15-20 pounds thinner, and much more toned-so goal or not, I am wearing ana rm/shoulder bearing dress to that wedding in July!:)
Well, better get going-today is cardio day...and I have to fold towels! (fun, fun, fun)
Aphil

:) Hello everyone!

thank you all so much for your warm wishes and thoughts. The funeral was difficult - church packed with at least 250 people, not a dry eye in the place. I feel so for her sons; I know there is going to be a period of numbness, but then I hope they will realize that many people will be there to help them.

But the sun came out during her service; it was beautiful and peaceful at the cemetary; I placed three pink roses on her casket, one for Joe/I, and one from each of our sons; and wished her peace and rest. Okay, holly, stop crying now..!:^:

Now on to us!

Yes, Kanola, Enter Sandman is so relaxing!:lol: I giggled also at your description of your pack of "girlie" stuff, and "prissy" time! But we have to primp a little, to look so good, right?:D That is great that you have found the yoga so beneficial.

Aphil, way to go to have such a good meal out (even with dessert) and have it at 600 cals!!! The renaissance faire sounds super. I hope Jason loves the outfit you're making. And congrats on seeing the muscle definition - that is so inspiring, isn't it!! Muscles on girls are sexy!!

Hi Nancy! I'm going to wish you Happy Birthday one day in advance, in case for some reason I don't post tomorrow. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GIRL!!!:D Getting better, getting better with each year...:D And good luck on your interview tomorrow!! What is the job?

Alison, you are such a goof! Loved the razzie picture; and purple IS your pooch's color! Does he really act embarassed? I don't doubt it - dogs can be so expressive.

Hi Kina! Thank you for your sympathy, too. It must be really difficult to be surrounded by your dear grandma's things. But maybe also comforting, to see her "live on".

I've had MANY food "indiscretions" in the past week; but am ready to buckle down and get back to regular. Have kept up with exercising; that is good.

GREAT news - dear husband is now trying to get healthier; he is walking whenever he can, either by himself or with the dog during the day; and we try to go out for a before-dark walk also. He also is trying to eat better. I'm so glad. :) Thinking of his heart and such...want to get it strong and keep it there!

I am on my second day in a row off now; got most of my "have-to-do's" done; and am making a picnic lunch to pack; husband and I are going to ride to Montpelier, hang out in the City Center to eat lunch and people watch, in our sunglasses and scary black leathers...:lol: :lol:

Have a GREAT day!!

Your friend, Holly

Kina - I just now caught reading about your fainting spell? What happened?

Love, Holly

Fainting? Where?

I'll try not to write a book here! I have posted a couple of times a while back and am back with head hanging low :-( I have tried everything at least once and have always been hungry, had blood sugar problems and ending up eating everything in site and weighing more than when I started. Because of this, I thought Atkins would work for me. I actually stayed on Atkins induction for 10 entire weeks without cheating once. You have to understand, I have never stayed on ANY plan for 10 weeks! I was never hungry, had no problems with blood sugar swings, had mental clarity and energy and generally felt great (if you don't count the achy muscles and the terrible breath!). However, in that 10 weeks, I lost 0, yep 0 lbs! I couldn't understand why I wasn't losing any weight, so I decided to keep track of things on FitDay for a few days. Guess why I was never hungry?? I was eating 2200-2500 calories a day!! I'm guessing I could probably eat that many calories of anything and not be hungry!

So, here I am again. Problem is, now I'm so confused. I've read so many books and tried so many plans that I really have no idea what is right anymore. I don't know why I'm so surprised to find that it really does come to calories in, calories out! All I do know is that I have really high cholesterol and need to lose at least 20lbs. Maybe not much to some people, but it is a lot when your cholesterol is as high as mine is. I also don't feel like myself and fit in no clothes in my closet. I have resorted to wearing my drawstring pajama bottoms everywhere I can get away with it! :-) I know I need to exercise too, and used to do lots of exercise but haven't done it more than once a week for MONTHS.

Help! How do I get started again??? Can someone please help me get on the right track? I belong to a gym, have a treadmill, and 4 great grocery stores within a mile of my house! I have what I need to do this, just need a plan. If any of you can help me through this hurdle, I will be here for you when you need me!

Any advice anyone??

Sorry to whine, LOL, just have no idea which way is up anymore!

Take Care,
Katy
162/162/140

Hello Katy,
Welcome!!!!!!!!!!!:)
I know exactly the boat you are in right now. I am also losing weight for health reasons, as well as vanity ones...and I know I speak for the ladies here as well as myself when i say that we will do whatever we can to help you through this.
I have been dealing with a friend of mine who had been doing Atkins, and trying ot get him to convert to a more balanced eating plan as well.
What I would suggest is to start small with the exercise at first-make it a scheduled regular part of your life in small amounts, until it becomes part of your dialy routine. So many jump into an hour and a half a day every day workout schedule when they never usually exercise, and they burn themselves out and get frustrated and sore.
Start with 15 minutes a day on your treadmill. Do it as early in the day as possible, to get it done and over with-if you procrastinate it, it makes it that much more of a chore-but if you do it early, you have that sense of accomplishment all day that it is done. Walk on it, jog-whatever you like to do, just do it. In a few weeks, rev it up to 20 minutes.
As far as your eating, I recommend a balanced eating plan-for your weight, start with about 1500-1600 calories a day, balanced out so you are not hungry with 3 meals and a small snack or two.
There are plenty of filling lower calorie meals you can have-a slice of toast with a tablespoon of peanut butter and some fruit on the side for breakfast is much more filling than a Krispy Kreme donut of about equal calories, for instance.
We share lots of recipes here and usually give the nutrition info so if you want a change of pace, write them down!
While calorie counting gives you the freedom to have an occasional piece of chocolate or a dinner out, try to make healthier choices whenever possible-eating "clean foods"-foods as close to their original form as possible-oatmeal and whole wheat bread rather than crackers or cookies, and raw fruits as a snack.
With your high cholesterol, I would wholeheartedly reccomend that you have oatmeal for breakfast each morning for a while, as well as an apple (with skin) each day as a snack. These foods contain the type of fiber that can help lower your cholesterol. You can have any of the flavored instant oatmeals-and they range from about 110-170 a packet, and a small apple is 80 calories.
Also, as far as cholesterol goes, and artery clogging fat-a general rule of thumb is, if it is solid at room temperature-don't use/eat it...think lard, shortening, bacon and meat grease/fat, butter,etc. If you use a small amount of fat in a recipe, liquid oil is best.
I know you have the strength to make these changes for yourself and for your health...and I have a pair of those drawstring pj pants myself...and I can relate to nothing fitting in your closet-I was in that same place before these first 10 came off. I am not in a smaller size, but at least what I have fits!
:lol:
And yes Katy-we ALWAYS have room for one more...
;)
Aphil

Yeah, Katy, what aphil said. And beware the freakish pictures I like to post ;)

Hi Katy, welcome!

this is a great place to come to for friendship, support, info, and the occasional kick in the pants!:lol: Just kidding!!

I came here in early February; I am so happy to be able to say that I now am 30 pounds less, now have muscle tone and muscles due to exercise, and am really enjoying life. I've done it by counting calories and exercising at least 5X a week. It's tough many times, but I relied on coming here and commiserating (sp?) with the great ladies here.

You are already on your way, knowing that you want to make changes; and accepting that we all need support from friends.

Welcome again!

Holly

alibee - top of page 11, Kina mentions a fainting spell...

Hello to everyone out there. Yes, I had a fainting episode the other day. I don't know why or what may had spurred the whole thing. But it scared my kids and my DH. I think it scared me as well. When I was sitting on the chair trying to gather my wits, I saw my children sitting very close around me and staring into their own thoughts, I realized how much I am the glue to this family.

But I am feeling a whole lot better. I am exercising but I am taking it alot easier than I had been before. I am doing well thank you for your concerns.

I have to get dinner done. I better get going. Hugs to you all!
Corina

Hello Everyone,


Welcome Katy~~ Glad to have you join us. This is a great group of ladies and so supportive also. I am doing the WW plan and I love it. It is so easy and there is nothing at all that you cant have. Have you tried WW? It is really a good program
I hope that you will post often as having a group like this sure does help. Good Luck Katy

Kina~~ Geesh, you cant be having spells like that. I wonder if you are burning the candles at both ends , with school, work, home and exercising. Are you eating enough? Please take care of yourself Kina,, oke doke?


Today was my birthday,,, lets just say I am 29 again and leave it at that ok??? :lol: I went for my 2nd interview for the part time job. Yep I was hired, I start Tuesday(Monday is a holiday here, Canada's Thanksgiving) the job is not one in my field (Im a Human Resources Generalist) but it is an Administrative Asst position for the Manager of our Shopping mall. It will be fine until I can get a job back in the states and move home!!!!!!
I really dont need to work , but need this more for my sanity. I
hate not working...and way to young to be retired (did I mention that I am ... 29?????) But anyway it will be a time killer and give me more money for my Retail Therapy (shopping) :lol:
Ok so after the interview it was time to go to WW.. And yes I lost 2 pounds this week :dancer: I am happy about that , because it is TOM and I feel like a slug!!!! So after my meeting the Dh and I went for my birthday lunch. I picked Pizza Hut and had my usual a Personal Pan Veggie without the cheese :cheese: I know you are thinking that it sounds weird but believe me I love it!!! And only 6 points instead of 14 points!!!!!
I did not have any birthday cake, but I havent had a birthday cake in years so why start now right? Would rather eat my crustless pumpkin pie with low fat cool whip!!!

So all in all it was a good day,,, new job, 2 pounds down, my new Beauty and the Beast DVD ahhhhhhh, what more could a 47 year old ummm,,, I mean a 29 year old girl want????????????????

have a great day tomorrow everyone.....!
night night

Nancy :df:
198.8/192.4/150ish???

Hi everyone,
Snowey-congrats on the 2 more pounds gone forever! I know you are excited about it-I am glad you had a good birthday also! I bought the Beauty and the Beast vid last night since it is on sale everywhere and put it back for Jasmine's Christmas-I like to pick up Christmas gifts all year long, so when Novemeber and December comes around, I only have a few to get...
I also know what you mean about the shopping being "therapy." I have my therapy whenever my kids are gone for the weekend-I usually hit a craft fabric store-you can never sort through that stuff with children or a husband-then I go to our local Goodwill store and "dig." I am a thrift store junkie like Vermont Mom, and also love rummage sales...My best finds this past year were a new Baby Gap sweatsack for my son, a brand new pair of Eddie Bauer jeans for my husband, and a set of vintage Home Interior wall plaques that looked like castle crests/shields-with armor and king crowns and stuff on them for my sons room-his room is decorated in a Pottery barn castle theme, and I painted his walls grey with turrets around the top, and a blue sky with clouds on the top 12" inches of the wall above the turret edge so he could see the sky above the top of his castle walls...
I also plan to hit the Goodwill to get some clothes when I am between my starting clothes, and my goal weight clothes-instead of buying a brand new wardrobe that will be too big in a couple months. Ours has a great selection of jeans-lots of Old Navy, Levis, and Gap.
Yesterday was a good day, I had a good strength training workout...I am up to 5-10 pound weights with my upper body, depending on the particular exercise and body part. I cannot wait to show my arms next summer-I am actually glad it is getting closer to winter-I plan to hide in bulky sweaters and sweatshirts all winter, and unveil it all in the spring-maybe at Easter Dinner or something where I will have a lot of witnesses...:devil:
Isn't that terrible? :lol:
I ate exactly 1500 calories yesterday, which is good, not too many, not too few...and had 4 servings of fruits and veggies altogether, so I did pretty good.
Katy-Snowey was telling you a bit about WW-it is a good plan, similar to calorie counting as far as being able to choose what you eat, and having the added support of the meetings-they just count points instead of calories for each food. Whichever is easiest for you...
Have a wonderful day all! I plan to!
Aphil

Okay, I had a good sleep and I actually feel like I can do this again! Thanks so much for all of your replies. Aphil, you responded so quickly and what you had to say was really helpful :-) For the rest of the week, I have 3 goals:

1) Eat under 1800 calories a day (easy on the starches since I'm coming off of Atkins) I figure I should be able to lose a little on this since I was eating 22-2500 a day on Atkins for 10wks and not gaining, LOL! Once I've got this down, I'm sure I'll need to lower it.

2) Drink my 8cups of water a day

3) Get on my treadmill for 20minutes every day

I think that this is something I can stick to so I'm going to give it my best. I'm trying to get used to feeling hungry again. With Atkins I was never hungry and had to force myself to eat sometimes. Bevlieve me, that doesn't normally happen to me! I have always had blood sugar problems, so I'm trying to figure out the combination of food that works best to control that. It's trial and error for sure....

Nancy, I have tried WW before and it was fun, but I was always starving when I stuck to the points that I was allowed. I seem to be able to hold down 1800 pretty well, so I plan on easing down gradually as necessary. Happy late birthday! I thought I was the only one who ever ordered pizza without the cheese! That always gets me a strange look, LOL!

VM, I saw you picture in your bathing suit, you look awesome, woman! Congrats on the weight loss! I know you must feel like a new person. What types of exercise are you doing? I've done BFL before (body building) but wasn't able to keep it up. Very strict!

Alibee, I love the pix of your puppy! He looks very cuddly indeed :-)

Kina, Fainting is always scary, isn't it? I hope that doesn't happen again. The only time I've ever fainted was when I was very anemic. Hopefully you don't have that problem. It's a wake-up call to see the worried look on the faces of your children, for sure. Rest up, woman! :-)

Well, time for me to get to work. I'm a computer nerd for a software company and have lots to do today that I am putting off! Everyone have a great day!

Take Care,
Katy

Yes Katy, you should be able to lose on 1800 a day-just about everyone can, even at lower weights, it is just a bit slower. 1800-2200 calories a day will maintain your weight, depending on what your goal weight is,a dn how active you are.
The treadmill is a great starting point for your exercise-I bodybuild, but I would recommend you start with the walking first, and then go on to the next level once you are used to the regular exercise. My weight training is similar to that of BFL-my stepfather is a bodybuilder and we have set up a plan for me together.
Once you are not hungry eating 1800 calories, go down another 100-it will help ease the hungries, and give your tum time to shrink, rather than go from eating a ton of calories and going to a low level-that is why people feel like they are starving when they start a diet.
As far as maintenance, when you get to your goal weight, do the same thing-up your calories 100, and if you go a while and don't gain, or lose a pound, then up them 100 more...until you find the level at which you can eat and not gain any weight back-and continue with your workouts.
With your blood sugar issues, as I have also-I find it is best controlled making sure I eat protein with each meal, rather than all carbs-like no donuts or Pop-Tarts or Fruity Pebbles for breakfast, or I feel lightheaded in an hour. If I have an egg or peanut butter with breakfast I feel much better-and if I have something sugary, I feel best if I eat it right after a meal containing protein, so I don't have the sugar rush and then the "drop" like I would if I ate it on an empty stomach. Complex carbs are also slower to rush your blood levels, such as whole wheat bread over white bread or regular wheat bread, and oatmeal, and regular slow cook brown rice over Minute rice.
Aphil

no donuts or Pop-Tarts or Fruity Pebbles for breakfast

WHAT?! I love Fruity (and Cocoa) Pebbles!

Sorry I've been so quiet lately. I am having relationship troubles; it's made me actually not eat at all. I realized that all I ate yesterday was:
an apple
a rice cake
a veggie dog, Chicago style, w/about 10 fries

Um, not good. Anyway, hopefully things will shape up soon. I'm gonna force food into me. :)

I hope you all are having a good, OP week.

Yeah, I love Pop-Tarts and Pebbles cereals too...but I don't like the feeling of going to pass out if I don't eat soon blood sugar drop a couple of hours later...
Sorry to hear about yout relationship troubles...My husband and I have a few issues as well that always seem to rear their ugly head...not to be too personal, but mainly my LACK of drive, if you know what I mean. I mean, I could really care less if it went down to once or twice a year...I know that is terrible, but it is how I feel about it. I love my husband, and find him attractive, but I just do not have a strong drive, and never have-it's even worse now after the kids.
Just know that no relationship is perfect, and that if you really love each other, you will try to work through things-and if for some reason it is not meant to be, then it is only because there is something better waiting for you. Either way you will be fine-I am rooting for you, and always have an ear to lend if you need it.
Take care!
Aphil

HAPPY BIRTHDAY.....SNOWEY! :hb: I hope that all your :wizard: come true! And that all your :gift: s are filled with many :grouphug: (hugs). .:hat: :flow2: :grouphug:

May I add I am happy to see the face behind the message. I might be so bold as to add that you look like a very nice lady.

Continued on the next post because this one was just for Snowey.

Katy ~~~welcome to the thread. I didn't think about being anemic and would you beleive the DR didn't even check that now that I think about it. He really didn't do a darn thing. ugh! DRs what do we pay them for anyway?

Snowey ~~~thank you for your concerns. I know I have a lot on my plate. But really and truly I only have two college courses, work only 15 hours a week, and then family the rest of the time. I figure I am only 29 I really should be able to handle that much if not more. If I knew I could I would work at night but I don't think I can. My mom reminded me of when I was younger I would get really bad headaches and it would cause fainting spells. But it hadn't happened in so long that I didn't remember and that was not the case this time around. I have been eating better but the weight is moving much slower. I have been exercising but very slowly as well. I don't want to over do it.

Aphil ~~~I wish I could understand calorie counting better. I would be interested in the WW but right now I am in a weight challenge and I can't join anything that will aid me in dropping weight. In other words I have to work at losing weight the normal way!

Ali ~~~Sorry to hear about your troubles. There is not a single relationship out there that is perfect. I heard a joke today let me share it with all of you....

warning the joke you are about to read may contain a few offensive words...

A recent study was taken and proved that
about 80 % of women claim that their @SS is too big.
Another 10% of women claimed that their @SS is too small.
The last 10 % said that they didn't feel their was too big or too little but figured they were married to the @SS they would learn to live with it.

Pardon me for not knowing the punch line word for word but it did go something like that. :lol:

Oh by the way I love all sweet sugary kind of cereals! YUM!

Okay I have things I must get done and not enough time in my day. Actually I have a math test I must do tomorrow and then I go to work just to work for a few hours. Talk again. Bye.
Kina

:) HAPPY BIRTHDAY NANCY!!!!:)

Rats, I knew I wouldn't be on time with it! May each successive birthday find you healthier and happier!!!

I'm glad to see your beautiful face as your avatar - lookin' mighty fine at 29!:D

AND congrats on the 2# down!!!

Hello to everyone else! Katy, I do a few videotapes as my exercise - Gilad's Step and Tone, which I only do 2 times a week, on my two days off, 'cause it's an hour long. The other two routines are more managable - 30 minutes each. One is just low-impact aerobics, and the other is light aerobics/with weights. Early in the spring, I did alot of walking also, but stopped that when I went back to work. I'd like to get back into it, though; every little bit helps, and the cross-training aspect is good.

I admit it too - I love sugary kid's cereals...shouldn't even have them in the house, but it serves as a 150 calorie-ish treat sometimes.

Well, ladies, this Saturday I have two fun things to do. First, Joe and I are going on my first group motorcycle ride. About a dozen others, besides us. After meeting them and returning from the ride should be about 120 miles altogether. Not crazy riding; just doing the speed limit, admiring the foliage.

Then that night, we're going out with friends; and I am going to wear those tighest black hiphugger pants in the universe, a long-sleeved button-down shirt that has spandex in it; so it's super clingy; black leather belt and black leather boots. Can you say "HO"?!?

:lol:

Everyone have a great night and great day tomorrow; stay strong and focused on your own goals, and be happy that we all have strength to do it!

Your friend, Holly

Hi girls!! Just a quick post, I just finished my subway salad and diet coke and have a few mins before I hit the stacks of paper beside my desk. Where has this week gone?

Happy Birthday Nancy!!:hb:
:gift:

Good to hear you got two good pressies, weight loss AND a job!

Holly, you are so going to love the group ride. We do 90% of our riding with a group and i LOVE it.

I am booked for a track day on Nov 19 sponsored by the motorbike police. It is on high speed cornering and will be on a real car/bike race track. There will be a speed limit that day to 110 km (65 miles I think). I am so excited about that! Just call me Valentino Rossi!! Hubby gets to go too because we have 2 bikes now. It is going to be a good day.

Katy I also do WW here in Aus. I love it and weigh in is tomorrow. I hope there is another loss!

I am taking a friend to WW tomorrow. She is my biker friend (she is a geek during the week!) and has done WW before. I hope it will be a positive move to bring her along. She better be serious cause I sure am !!

Just thought I would quickly check in and say hi..... I will post more later this weekend!

Take care everyone, stay on plan and eating healthy!!

Nola.

Thank you everyone for the birthday greetings!
Did I tell you all that I am 29????? :lol: :devil: :lol:

Have a great night everyone... I 'll post more tomorrow....

Night Night

Nancy:df:

Happy b-day, Nancy! Woo!
(Sorry I'm a day late.)

Thanks for the kind words, everyone. The @ss joke cracked me up. Hee hee. :)

TGIF! I need a vacation! ::sigh::

Kina,
What did you mean when you said you were on a weight challenge, and had to learn to lose the normal way?
If you were not wanting to try Weight Watchers or counting calories because you were afraid of not understanding it or it being a "diet" don't worry.
It is losing weight the most normal and natural way there is. I guess us calorie and points counters because it is such an old system just assume everyone knows what it is all about-I guess I'll get into a little more detail for those that don't understand as well, and for the newbies.
A calorie is a unit of energy-like a measurement-just like an ounce or pound, except it is a measurement of energy, rather than a measurement of length or weight.
Your body burns so many calories each day just going through everyday life-walking, sleeping, digesting food, everything your body does takes energy. When you exercise your body burns off more than usual.
Everything you eat has calories, or the units of energy to fuel your body. If you take in about the same amount as your body burns, you maintain your current weight. If you eat more than you burn, you gain. If you eat less than you burn off, you lose.
It is the basic science of how the body works. Any doctor or nutritionist will tell you this. If you eat more calories than your body burns over a period of time, you get overweight-which is pretty much what happened to all of us.
All we do is count the calories of what we eat and keep track of them, to make sure we are eating less than we are burning. For most of us, that is somwhere between 1300-1900 calories a day.
The majority of people have no idea how many calories they eat-my mother in law, for instance, does not eat large portions of food, but she drinks about 4 Pepsi's a day-there is 600 calories right there in soda pop-1/2 to 1/3 of most of our daily diets-but most people do not know where the hidden calories are in what they eat.
This is one of the whole reasons I started this whole thing last year-there are so many low carb, no carb, take this pill, get a prescription, eat cabbage all day type of diets, that people want a quick fix-and the whole scientific and doctor approved approach to weigh loss is swept under the rug...and we are all living proof that it works. Slow and Steady wins the race. (How many people have you seen on the 48 hour diet commercial that have kept that 10 pounds off once they were past that 48 hours? :lol: )
Calorie counting helps us ensure that all of our daily calories are right out there, written down, so we know each day exactly what goes in our bodies. If I have a 5 calorie glass of Crystal Light-I write it down-5 may not be much, but if I have a tootsie roll midgie and a bite of my daughters cookie, and so on, those little calories can sneak up on you. This is where the "I don't know why I am fat-I don't eat that much!" comes into play...they don't realize how much they HAVE actually eaten.
It's not a diet plan, nor does it control what foods you eat-it is your decision. All it does is KEEP TRACK of how much you consume each day, so you know for a fact what you are taking in.
I hope this is helpful to any of those who are new, or who lurk at this board, and are afraid of counting calories, because they don't understand what it is-most diets nowadays call for eating this and that at a certain time of the day, and none of those, that you never know what you are signing up for...
Today is weight training day eveyone-YIPPEE!!! For all of you ladies who are interested in weight training past lighter pound dumbells and want some serious curves and muscle definition-I recommend you go to www.joycevedral.com-it is the only site where you can get weight training videos for women that show you how to do the workouts with such intensity and exactness-such as someone said in an earlier post about the instructor talking and 2 more reps becoming 4... Take a look at this woman-she is in her 50's! She is the reason I fell in love with weight training a few years ago, and I have corresponded with her on a few occasions-she is very gracious. Her videos are a bit more expensive, but they work that much better...I also recommend theweight training video by Rachel McLish if anyone wants another weight training challenge. I think Rachel is about the sexiest muscled woman on the planet...you can get that one at Collage video or Amazon online.
For those of you who have read my journal, I am not aiming for the mass of a female American Gladiator, but more for the lean muscle of Sarah Connor in Terminator 2-the scene where she was working out in the psych ward is forever etched in my mind...women cannot gain large mass unless some sort of "help" is involved, but with larger weights and the right training, this is more of the physique that is attainable.
That reminds me of a story...my mother is a very petite size 6, and she has been working out with weights, and at my daughter's party last month, my husband's best friend, who is a big guy, was talking about weight training with me, and I told him that in women the "pumped up effect " isn't really there unless you just finish a workout, or flex it on purpose-that you just have nice tone and firm shape. I called my mom over, and had her take off her blazer to just her tank top, and flex-her arms and shoulders...you should have seen his face!:o I beleive what he said was. something like "I am going to have to watch what I say to her...she might kick my ***!" :s:
I cracked up.
Vermont Mom-your going out outfit sounds great...put those black pants to use woman!
Hey, I wanted to start a topic here to talk about a bit...when you get to your goal weight, or to your next mini goal weight, what are you going to do to reward yourself? When I reach mini goals, I usually have a haircut or buy a nail polish or something like that...but when I get to my goal weight, it sounds silly, but I'd like to get all new bras and undies...nothing too wild, but cute matching ones...and the more expensive matching ones like Bali...and look in the mirrow when I put them on everyday, and prance around a bit before I finish getting dressed. :devil:
What would all of you like to do for yourselves? I'd like to hear your ideas...
Aphil

Amy~~~

I love reading your online journals. I think it is a great idea to post daily menus on here. I know it helps me along the way when I read what others are eating to stay on program.
Your enthusiasm for exercise should be commended !!!!

I am so committed to losing weight but I am totally slacking when it comes to exercise. I really do have a mental block. Let me explain. For so many years I have been suffering from pain off and on in my chest. I have been through tests of all kinds and they have not been able to find anything wrong. So instead of believing the doctors, I still think that if I really exert myself physically, Ill end up having a heart attack. This is has prevented me from doing anything except walking and the occasional little arm weights. So after years of being over weight (at one time 304 pounds) I am the "Queen of Flab" :queen: I hate my arms and my thighs. I also have a mental block when it comes to toning. I figure there is no way in **** I'll ever get this body into shape. Am I a mess or what????????

Even though my face is still looking young and has no wrinkles,(thanks to 25 years of Oil Olay , purchased in 55 gallon drums)
its my arms that look like so awful (it would be ok if I was a flying squirrel) and my thighs could really benefit from a "Suzanne Somers Thighmaster surgically implanted into them"

SO,,,, I am desprately seeking any kind of advice that would help me shake off this mental block that prevents me from exercising.

Do you think that maybe the pain in my chest from time to time, is due to lack of muscle tone?
Do you think that surgery would be the only way to go to change my arms and thighs?
Do you know any personal trainers that would want to move up to the Great White North and help a flabby middle aged (oops I forgot 29 yr old) find the muscle tone that she lost back in 1971?????????
Do you think that I should be a guest on the "Dr Phil " show???
OR would I be better off on the "Jerry Springer" show titled,,,,, "Loose Skinned Women Gone Wild"

Help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! How do I start???????


Nancy:df:

Hello all,
Nancy-I just wanted to say YES you can be saved!!!! The great thing about weight training is that uless you are doing the moves very quickly, you are not getting your heart rate up like you do when you are doing joggin, aerobics, etc. so DO NOT WORRY about the chest pain.
Walking, jogging, dancing, aerobics-all are to burn calories and to get your heart rate up to strengthen your heart and lungs-while weight training does elevate your heart rate like that-what it does is firm up your arms, firm your chest-uplifting the breasts, pull in those poochy abs, and firm those flabby thighs! If you are scared to do anything strenuous because of your heart, then just continue with the walking, but definitely do the weight and resistance training! Weight training also prevents osteoporosis by strengthening the bones-they have started telling women if they haven't already, to definitely start doing it when menopause is knocking on the door...
While the upper body, and some leg exercises are done with weights, usually abs and buttocks are not, you use your own body as resistance, such as with crunches.
If you want to "be saved" and firm up-then I will get you going! It is amazing how much of that flab can get toned up!
I want to start you on sort of a beginners program-get online and order Denise Austin's Get Fit Fast Tapes-there are three-one for the upper body, lower body, and abdominals. You should be able to get them at Collage Video, or you can get them at www.denise austin.com. The reason I recommend these for you is because they have three workouts on each tape-the first level is for beginners, and after you feel comfortable and can do all of that, then you go up to the intermediate level, then the third is the final level. The workouts are only 10-15 minutes for each body section, so they are time savvy. Do each one twice a week, you can do them all two days a week, or you can do one every day for six days a week-like upper body on Monday and Thursday, abs on Tuesday and Friday, and lower body on Wednesday and Saturday, for instance-whichever works best for you. In a a month or so, you will really start to feel more toned in your biceps and shoulders, and in 6 months with continued weight loss, you will feel like a new woman.
I also wanted to ask you if you are under a lot of stress, or if you are "high strung." The reason I ask, is because I have anxiety attacks, usually if I am tense or have a lot going on. It doesn't usually happen, say, right before an event, like public speaking, but more like later on. I get chest pain and strong fast heart palpitations, and it last for about a minute or two-and then just stops. Sometimes lightheadedness also happens during, or a sweat.
Something funny happened since my last post-Joyce Vedral emailed me! She told me how happy she was that I was taking control again, and wants me to send her my before and afters when I am at goal, and actually urged me to send some "durings" because she is impatient!
She puts lots of befores and afters in her books and on her site...wouldn't that be awesome to actually be a before and after in a book! So there's some extra motivation for me...
Well, I better go-I have to rinse off this hair color-I wasn't kidding in my journal when I said I was painting my toenails red and my hair the same color today!
:lol: :devil:
Aphil

Just letting you know I am cracking up at the flying squirrel thing...you CAN get that body into shape!!! You can!!!! Look at Richard Simmons, Jared the Subway boy, Mrs. Jim here at 3FC-all of these people have been severely overweight, and have GREAT bodies now!

Whoo-eee! I can just FEEL the inspiration and excitement crackling here!

Nancy, you are SO humorous when you poke fun at yourself; but I agree with Amy, exercise is the way to go. I can totally understand your trepidations with the chest pains; but I would say that as long as you are under regular doctor's care, and have had those concerns checked, you are safe to go ahead with weight working. I can only forsee good things happening with strengthening muscles.

In my oh-so-humble opinion, I would be scared of surgery...I have read of folks going that route once they have lost weight, and exercised, and had no other recourse to take care of lots of loose skin...but it just seems so invasive. But it's something so personal only you could decide...

But I am psyched to have Amy take you under her muscular wing :lol: and give you guidance and advice! And I will cheer you on also!!!

Amy, great info on calorie/energy info. And girl, we BOTH admired Sarah's arms in T-2, I guess! I remember thinking how sexy and strong she appeared in that scene...

I have seen Joyce V.'s site, but long ago...I'm going to check it out right now and get re-inspired! I owe alot to the tapes I have been doing, but variety would help, too.

Kanola, COOL that you get to do a track day!!! The closest one to me is in New Hampshire, which isn't really terribly far, but would be a long day trip. Hooray that you've got the second bike! It is so great when married people can do fun things together like that. The weather is looking "iffy" for the ride tomorrow; as long as it's not actively raining or misting, I still want to go. I think I'm going to wear my hot pink fleece neck warmer, which with the all black leather outfit is the only "flag" that I'm female, I think...:lol:

Alison, sorry that I didn't respond to your post about the relationship problems...:( I hope that things are working out for you.

Amy, I liked the story about your mom! Congrats to her for working out, and looking great!

Hi Kina, hope that you have not been feeling overwhelmed lately! It seems that is ALWAYS is the female in the family who is the glue that holds it all together...very big responsibility, isn't it. I hope you are taking good care of yourself.

Let's see, I have rewarded myself with...suggestive and slinky underclothing!! Actually, husband has picked out lots of things from the Internet, and they arrive in the mail, and it's a total surprise for me to open them and find...ready?...(WARNING - suggestive stuff here!) fishnet body stocking (your b**bs stay up in place! cool!), black lace bras, halter tops, lacy thongs...hmmm, see where this is going?:o I must say, feeling good about myself has also translated into more desire into the intimate realm...which makes husband delirious. :lol: Wow, yet ANOTHER good side effect of eating better and exercising!

A big hello to those we haven't heard from in a while - the expecting Christine; tryin'hard; jacklyn, Latisia, and our long-lost Melisa. Hope you're all doing well! Say hello!!!:)

Well, wish me no rain tomorrow!

Have a nice night.

Your friend, Holly

What a change of pace from flying squirrels to lacey thongs...hmmm. The picture of the two just don't add up other than a mess of something I don't want to think about. LOL. Just kidding all but if someone were to just skim over the reading material I think that is the picture that would come to mind.

Snowey~~~I'm sorry to hear of your discomfort but if the DR could not find anything medically wrong I would think that simple 2lb hand weights would be a great start for you. I have the same problem with my underarms. But I think I caught early. Since my highest weight was only 225 and am really cracking at it now. I think I may have hope.

Holly~~~Ooo La La! My husband would love for me to get that daring but I am just not that comfortable in my skin. Although he reminds me constantly that I wore all those things while I was pregnant. But I remind him that I had a reason for being over weight and having a Santa belly hangy every which way. Now such is NOT the case. Maybe if I go and buy something sexy I would be more inspired to continue my efforts. Now that is something to think about...? Well enjoy your new toys!

Aphil~~~Lots of information coming from you lady. Thank you! Oh about the weight challenge thing. Well it is a weight challenge my family has going on and we have rules set that we are not allowed to join a gym, seek the proffessional help of a DR for prescribed diet pills, no surgerical weight loss, and no joining of WW or Jenny Craig. They were just the rules that were set in order to inspire everyone to get down the basics and do it the healthy way of regular exercise and just eating right but with no help from anything other than your own willpower. It has been a great journey. Now see if you were to tell me what to eat and how much then I wouldn't be paying you nor joining any kind of weight loss system. So that would be okay. The challenge will be ending soon I don't think that I will have lost so much. We will see.

Ali~~~Glad you liked the joke. I hope you are doing well. We haven't heard from you as much as we have in the past. Take care!

Nola~~~How are you holding up? I hope everything is going well.

Okay well it is quite late and I think I am headed for bed. I just wanted to say a quick hello to everyone. I have many things coming up and I am looking forward to all of them with bright shining eyes. Don't you just love air? Do you ever think of the simple things? Like finding a very quiet spot and just let your thoughts take over but the rule is to only allow positive thoughts? Do you ever just stand up from where you're at and then do some silly dance because you just love your life? I do those silly things alot. Look in the mirror at yourself and just give yourself a HUGE smile...and watch and see how that will change your day. I do that one a lot also. Okay enough of life's simplistics. I will let you all go now.
Many hugs to you all; until next time.
Kina

Not tool time either!! :)

It was 'update the stats time' cause I lost again this week!! 0.8 Kilos or 1.75 pounds. Wow.... must have been those classes at the gym. It rocked this week. I am so motivated and upbeat and ready to face another week.

You guys are so great. What a place for positive words.

Nancy - You can be saved. Just a few weights and you are on track to the toning. Once the weight starts coming off, you will in no time see some results. In today's meeting, they talked about doing weights. There are so many positive reasons to get out there and 'pump' it up! I would take Holly's advice and get ahold of some videos.

Holly - you go girl with the hot outfit. You are going to be stopping traffic!! Wooohoo!! I agree with the effects of exercise and healthy eating translating into feeling better about yourself and that working its way into relationships. Although, try spending up to 8 months on different continents.... that is a major problem!! You will never have a 'headache' in your LIFE!!!

Aphil - you always have the informative posts. I wish I could contribute as much knowledge as you do!! Thanks for your posts.

Well... I must head off to bed..... I am exhausted after a day on the bike, an hour long walk and hubby is out with the boys playing computer geek games..... so I am going to put a movie in, probably fall asleep with a kitty cat and wake up when he comes home around midnight.

Take care everyone, have a good weekend!!

Good morning everyone!
I have just finished breakfast, and am getting ready to go out of town to see my father for his birthday, and to go with my husband to an 1812 war reinactment. I ate a pretty large breakfast for me-eggs and whole wheat toast and some fruit-I did this because I wanted to pack a meal replacement bar in my purse for lunch at the reinactment festival. I am taking charge in avoiding all of the festival food-which I am sure will be fatty and terrible for you.
I will get a lot of walking done today while I am there, so that will be my exercise!
Snowey-I agree you should start with the light two pound weights, and slowly go up from there when they sart to get too easy. The chest pains could also have been contributed to your weight if it was at a higher level-you said you have been close to 300 pounds-and now you are MUCH less...and I neglecte to mention there is also another beginners video that would eb good for you, besides the Denise austin ones-It can also be purchased at collage video-it is called Getting in Shape with Weights for Dummies. It is just like the bright yellow Dummies books-and while you are doing the workout, it goes through what a rep is, what a set it, and how to use proper form, and what body part each exercise if for-very good information for beginners. They not only show you what to do, but explain why!
You know-talking about the negligee...hee hee-my husband also bought me a black body stocking once...it was like wearing a full bodysuit of black lace pantyhose! Very comfortable, but I felt like an idiot! :lol: There just must be something about those that men love-they all seem to pick those out of the Fredericks catalogs! Those and thongs...I am more of a red satin spaghetti strap chemise type of girl, or a bust enhancing corset...more of a Victoria's secret type-but my husband seems to have more of the taste of M's husband! We were in Fredericks one day, and he saw a Wonder Woman suit-red bustier, blue panties with stars, the wrist cuffs-even a rops! He thought it was the greatest thing ever! I said no way-EVER. Men.
Well, I better get going-I have to get the kids and myself ready to go! Have a good day everyone!
Love,
Aphil-BIG HUGS TO ALL OF YOU!!!

:grouphug:

Hi Everyone,,

Thanks so much for the feedback on the exercising. I know I need to do it and I need to START NOW...
I will find the videos that you have all mentioned and I will transform my body.. I will get muscle tone !!!!!


Nola~~ Way to go on more pounds down!!!!! :dancer:

Amy~~ Have a great time today! Will you be my cyber personal trainer? :lol:

Holly~~ I hope the weather is good for you so you can cruise around in your leathers !

Alison~~ I hope things are better your way and that you are feeling good.

Kina~~ I love your outlook on life. Will look at myself in the mirror today and smile also!!! :)

Katy,Kewi, Jacklyn, Latisia, Tryinhard, Melisa, Christine and everyone else I may have missed ...come back and say hi!

Well , am off to finish making crustless pumpkin pies,, we are going to SIL for Canadian Thanksgiving dinner... am going to stay totally OP .. I also made a great Broccoli, Cauliflower salad that is only 1 point per cup. No reason for me not to stay OP,, with the good stuff that Ill be bringing.....

Have a great day everyone....
BBL

Nancy:df:
198.8/192.4/150ish?

Boy it is getting late...I am really tired.
Today was a great day-I walked about 2 miles at the festival today-and can you beleive it, I found some "settler food" I could eat-so I go tto ahve lunch there with my husband. While my husband ate fatty stuff, there was a guy there who made a big kettle of stew over a fire-it was meatless. It was pretty much a peasant stew made of wild rice and potatoes and carrots, served in a small bread bowl. It was really good, and I estimated the cals by what it was made out of.
I had a great time with my Dad today, we got a kitten from his house for the kids, and his birthday present went over really well. He didn't say much about it, but I could tell. Before my grandmother passed away almost 2 years ago, she made my dad a from scratch german chocolate cake with homemade icing-really rich. It is sortof a secret family recipe-and it was his present for his birthday every year. Well, I decided to keep that tradition going. I got hold of her recipe, and when he saw it-he knew exactly what it was.
Well, better get going now-have a good night everyone-and yes, Snowey, I will be your trainer!
Amy

hello everyone. i am kind of new to this site, although i started out with slim fast and posted over there. however, i dont think slim fast is my thing. at first they were yummy (or at least thats what i was telling myself) but then my other side started screaming " i cant take it anymore!" i am so tired of spending money and trying all of these different things. i think this is the thread i need to spend some time on because i want to concentrate on just eating better and exercising. just a little about myself, i am 210 and 5'4. my pre-pregnancy weight 5 years ago (lol) was 140. i am just gonna hit small goals first and start with walking and eating healthier, smaller portions. not to mention that it is alot cheaper. reading the posts here everyone sounds so nice, i cant wait to get to know you guys. :D by the way, any tips on controlling your appetite? i know that skipping breakfast is a big no-no, but it seems like when i eat in the morning i am hungry the rest of the day. but if i dont eat breakfast, i can go until suppertime without being hungry and i know that isnt healthy.:o
thanks for listening!
amy

Welcome Amy!
I am the other Amy! ha ha
My first advice to you would be to definitely spread out your food intake throughout the day-making sure you eat breakfast and lunch, and a small snack each day, as well as your dinner. When you fast until dinner, your body goes into starvation mode and starts conserving calories (burning them off at a slower rate) because it thinks you are starving and is trying to save your life. This goes back to olden times when there were hard times and famine.
To avoid the hungries, make sure you have a little protein at every meal-such as meat/poultry/fish, peanut butter, an egg, yogurt, beans,cottage cheese, or soy. Having only a bagel or muffin for breakfast, even a large one, is pretty much only carbs, and it won't stay with you as long.
For your height and weight-I would recommend you start out eating about 1600 calories a day. This should enable you to lose about 2 pounds a week without starving. I recommend if you do not have one, a book that has the calorie content of foods-while most prepackaged ones have them, foods like veggies and fruits and some restaurant items do not-so it helps out to have one. Also, if there is a fast food place you like, check out the nutrition info here on this site or on the chain's website, and find the lower calorie choices.
Try to split your meals up evenly, rather than hoarding calories all day and having a huge dinner-example:
breakfast-300 calories
lunch-400 calories
snack-100 calories
dinner-700 calories
snack-100 calories
total:1600 calories
After you do it for a while, you can switch it around a bit to better suit your needs, say if you like lunch to be your largest meal, or if you are not a snacker.
I recommend at least one of your snacks be fruit. If you need ideas for low calorie meals, just holler-we all have our favorites and we will throw a few your way!
Since you are a mommy, the easiest exercise for you may be walking with your child in the stroller, or doing a video at naptime. I know it is almost impossible for me to join a gym, so I walk with the kids, and get up early before they wake up to do my workouts.
Today was a good day! I went shopping, and bought a new weightlifting book, and two new tops. I got up and made whole wheat/buckwheat pancakes for breakfast for everyone, one healthy thing my husband will actually eat.
Oh-Snowey-before I forget! That weights video I recommended to you-Shaping up with weights for Dummies-is on Ebay-(new copies) for cheaper than in the store-I checked today-if you are an Ebay member! It normally sells for $9.99 plus shipping, so maybe you can save a couple bucks. :)
Well, I better get going-I have to get dinner started!
Aphil

thanks aphil for the welcome and the information. i think it would be a good idea to eat small amounts of calories throughout the day. maybe i wont get so hungry towards the end of the night because that is my real weakness. night snacking. i am going to try to start my new "lifestyle" tomorrow by getting up and eating a healthy breakfast and taking a walk. is it better to eat first or walk first? you also mentioned buckwheat pancakes. i havent had those in years and that sounds so good. would you happen to have a recipe on how to make them homemade? or do you just use a mix? thanks for the info and i will let you know how i do tomorrow. it will be nice to have someplace to come and talk about how my days go. it will definitely give me motivation. thanks!:)

Hi,
Aimee-I use the buckwheat pancake mix made by Hodgson Mills. I make the recipe for 6-8 pancakes, and instead of 1 tablspoon oil, I change it to 1 teaspoon and 2 teaspoons water to lower the fat and calories a bit. The serving size on the box is 1/3 cup dry mix, and it takes 3/4 cup to make that batch, so I multiplied the calories in 1/3 cup by 3, to get the cals in 1 cup-then wrote down on the box side how many calories were in 3/4 cup so I wouldn't have to figure it every time. I figure the recipe by adding the cals in the mix, the egg (70), the milk, and the 1 teaspoon oil (about 35). Then you divide the total of the recipe into how many cakes you made out of it, to know the calories per pancake. It sounds a lot more difficult than it is...figuring out the calories in recipes takes a couple minutes, but it is worth it to be able to cook and eat things with your family.
I would eat before you walk if you are walking first thing in the morning-you need to have some energy after a nights sleep/fasting.
I just finished my abs and calves/thighs/butt...whew! Now on to my fave-upper body! I realy worked my thighs today-they were actually shaking a bit after I got off the leg press, and I was really gritting my teeth after that last set! (I do 3 sets of 24 reps, with a few seconds rest in between on the leg press) I am doing 70 pounds resistance on the leg press now. I am really hoping to have nice quadriceps (front thigh muscles) by next summer. I want to have that nice little indentation/muscle line in the sides of my thighs...and wear cute shorts!
I have started doing my abs first in my training, because I hate doing them, and I can just get it overwith.
Well, I better get going so I can get my upper body done!
Aphil

wow aphil.
sounds like you have a pretty good exercise regimen going on. i dont have many resources as far as weights and stuff. i have some videos and i can walk. lol. thats about it. thanks for the info on the buckwheat pancakes. i think i will get some. i started weight watchers points today just to have a guideline on how much to eat each day and i am getting ready to take a walk. i picked a bad day cuz it is freezing here!!! :o but i am gonna go anyway. maybe once i work up some body heat, i will be fine. well better go for now!
amy

Hi aimee, and welcome!

I'm Holly, and I hope you find this place as motivating and helpful as I have.

You are fine with videos, and being able to walk! And just having the desire to get better. When I was starting to exercise, and wanted to use free weights, my husband had big honkin' ones, like 8 pounders; WAY too big for me. So I started off with soup cans! Then worked my way up to 1# weights; now I'm using 3.3 pound weights for my routine. Even a small-sounding dumbbell of 3.3 pounds has given me cool definition in my arms (after 6 months, however).

You had a good start with your desire to try the Slimfast, but no one can drink that forever...and we all have to find something we can live with for the rest of our lives. So we have to learn to eat regular, healthy whole foods, but in modest portions.

Definitely space your food allotment throughout the day. That will keep you from getting famished and "blowing it". And about that "blowing it" term - we all slip up, many many times. Don't beat yourself up about it! Just accept it; and get right back on track.

I owe all that I've been able to accomplish to the ladies here - and I'm so proud of it, and of them! I just glanced through my journal, and here are some of the important dates:
Feb. 4, 2002 - Weight 176; wearing size 14 . Started eating 1600 calories a day and exercising to videos and/or walking at least 5 times a week.
March 6 - 170
Apr. 11 - 166
May 15 - 164
June 15 - 162
July 19 - 152
Aug. 12 - 145 - into size 8 jeans by now!
Oct. 14 - 143 - have two pairs of jeans that are size 6 that fit. Never would have thought it possible!

As Aphil has reminded us, it is when you lose weight but also have been exercising, especially with weights that people notice and comment big time!

Notice the big jump down in weight from June on - that's because I was learning to ride my motorcycle; and was so consumed and preoccupied with that, I just did not think about eating. And if I did, I was so motivated to wanting to look good on that bike that I was able to make the right decisions! I was also feeling so much better physically and mentally, that it was alot easier by then to make the right decisions.

Geez, didn't mean to bore with this long post!!! But wanted to say hi, and welcome, and it just takes the desire to want life to be better for yourself and commit to some changes...and we're here to help when you're feeling discouraged/hungry/frustrated/mad/glad/whatever!:lol:

Your friend, Holly

Hi,
Holly-great post! I liked seeing your dates/weights thing! I keep track of my weight on the fridge on a sheet of paper, weighing in once a week and watching it slowly go down.
Aimee-doing the WW points is great-it is similar to calorie counting, just counting the same thing in a different way. I have a Slim-Fast now and then if I am out hte door in a rush, but Holly is right, it is hard to do something like that for a long period of time. It is really the same thing as calorie counting, eating the low calorie meals 2x a day, it just takes the math out of it. I would rather count and eat some oatmeal or some eggs and toast-and not be starving in 2 hours.
I have aquired my equipment over time-I got my exercise bike almost 4 years ago, and slowly began to collect videos, and I bought 2 pound weights, and then 3, and then 5, and so on. Slow as I needed the equipment. I really don't use the 2 pounders anymore, but I use the 3's now occasionally when I do exercises for very small muscle areas-like the rotator cuff of the shoulder, and some tricep exercises. For larger muscles, I usually do larger ones now-5's and 7's for biceps and lying chest exercises, 10 pounds for lying down chest/lat pulldowns-it is much easier to get them as you need them, and not all at once. I can do more on machine/gym weights-but I do most of my workout with free weights/hand weights. I got my leg press a year ago, and the rest of the leg and bun exercises I do on the floor, or with a chair for balance. You will do fine with what you have right now-do your walking, and if you have or buy a toning video that uses weights, you can get 1-5 pound ones at target or Wal-Mart pretty cheap.
Don't be afraid of weight though ladies-women cannot get bulky and gain the mass like men because of our female hormones. The no boobs she-man bodybuilders have to workout 6 hours a day and take some sort of steroid (male hormone) to get like they do.
Extra weight for us just gives our muscles a more defined look and makes them harder.
A key for weight training is to go up a size when you notice that it is starting to get easier-or every 6 weeks to a couple of months, depending on you personally.
Well, I have been starving all day long-it is getting close to TOM-of course, our trip is this weekend. Always seems to happen that way...weddings, trips, vacations...here she comes!
:lol:
I at least have identified the problem-and am making a concieous effort to stay out of the kitchen and allowed myself 200 more calories today just for that reason alone. The planned 200 is a lot better than a binge!
Well, I bette go-I need to get some things done-and the the kitten away from the kids before they kill her. :lol:
Aphil

I can't keep up with everyone, LOL! I guess it will take me a while to get used to all of the different people posting :-) I just wanted to check in and let everyone know that I am still reading and still on track. I have been riding my bike with my son for cardio. I was very discouraged the first time we went out because I got tired way before he did. It seems like every time I can go a bit farther though. He really enjoys it when I go with him, so that is incentive to keep it going. I also picked up the Joyce Vedral book, Weight Training Made Easy and have started that workout. I am telling you, that is a real workout. I started with 5lb weights because I didn't have any 3lb weights around and I could really feel it the next day. She has you do four different exercises for each muscle for a total of 12 sets per muscle! Those muscles really get worked so I am expecting to start seeing some muscles pretty soon. I really am enjoying the workouts in the privacy of my own home. I always dreaded going to the gym and using the little dumb bells. I always felt like such a light weight!

VermontMom, your weight loss really inspires me! You have done a great job! If you don't mind my asking, what was the "click" that made you just do it this time? (I'm assuming that you had failed attempts before like me, if I'm getting too personal, just say so)

You are all a bunch of really inspiring women. I hope everyone is having a great day!

Take Care,
Katy

Hi Katy! You can ask anything, weight-related!:D I also, all my life, have started/failed on attempts. This winter, I was so tired of having all my clothes so tight; tired of the shame I felt at myself; you know, the usual! :) But this time, I was able to keep at it because of the support here. Really. I knew what had to be done, but felt I just couldn't do it on my own. And I had no close friends who were ready to make a change. I feel so blessed to have found this site!!!

And once I knew I was committed, I had the incentive of the dream of learning to ride a motorcycle...then when my husband bought a brand new one for me for Mother's Day, well, how's that for keeping to my plan to be fit and muscular, to ride that baby!

Hooray to you for the exercise...you will improve each day, and the successes will keep you going!

Have a nice night!

Holly

quick note to aphil - OMG, my husband would also love to see me in that get-up!!! Golden lariet and all!!!! except I would need heavy-duty implants to fill out the top part!:D

Hi,
Katy-you will be really happy with the results from Joyce Vedral. I much prefer strength vids by serious fitness pros like her and Rachel McLish, and Denise Austin-Kathy Smith has some good ones too. I try to avoid for the most part celebrity workouts like CIndy Crawford and Cher...the only celeb I would like to see make a video is Madonna-that woman is CUT! She could be a personal trainer herself!
For those of you with limited access to videos, if you have Lifetime (cable channel) Denise Austin has two shows on in the morning, the first one is my fave. Theya re on at 6 am here-so check you times. The first is a combo-yoga/Pilates and some aerobics. It is a great morning pick me up. The second is more of a streneous workout, some days step aerobics, some days weights-but the first is my fave.
Body Electric is a great strength training show also-it is on PBS-or the Sesame Street channel at 6 am here also. All it requires is weights and a kitchen type chair. This woman is in her late 50s! She shows great form also...
Well, today is a busy day-sewing to do, it is cardio day-and I have to start getting things ready for our getaway this weekend. I am really excited. I will have to get some pics up here of us in our garb.
:)
Be stong, and have a great day!
Aphil

I'm still reading, just busy. I am an RN and am starting a second job, probably just one shift per week. Aphil, very good advice about weights. When I began weights in Feb. I started with 5 lbs for bicep work and am now up to 12 lbs. Also, just for curiosity, I tried to do girlie push-ups when I started weights - barely made 5 and had to rest for 15 sec or so in between each one. I am proud to say I can now do 2 sets of 12 girlie push ups with 30 seconds rest between sets. Pretty good, huh!? And I have some pretty good biceps that are starting to really show, even through my too fat arms. I LOVE the strong feeling I have. And I just turned 56 so it is never too late. Fat loss is slow but going the right direction and I feel good. I recently reduced my carbs somewhat and added more protein because my research revealed I wasn't eating enough protein to support my lean muscle mass, which is growing as I lift. Everyone sounds like they are very motivated. Holly, you are my hero for attitude and reveling in your success. And so you should!! Nancy, congratulations on your determination to stick OP and on your success. Loved your new picture - you are a knockout!!! kewi

Hello everyone!! It's been a looooong while since I have posted. I have to shamefully admit that I fell completely off the wagon for a while. I have somehow managed to regress back to my unhealthy eating habits. I had to take some time away from posting because it got to the point of....okay, okay, today will be the day I stay on track...only to blow the diet again.

But I am back now..ready for a fresh new start. My husband and I are planning to join the local gym tonight, so that'll get me up off the couch in the evenings, at least. :^:

I am trying not to beat myself up over this and move on to many new successes! I have continued to read posts (even though I was not contributing) and it sounds like everyone continues to strive toward their goal. Hopefully I can join you!!

Hi,
Jacklyn-so glad you are back! That is a good idea your husband going to the gym with you! it is a great motivator-for you to puch each other into going!
Kewi-great job with the weights and pushups! Even starting with soup cans like Vermont Mom did is a start-and now she has progressed over the months! Even though you may have felt like you weren't doing many girlie push ups-each day you got stronger! Good for you! Now you can do those sets!
That is such an important point! No matter what point we are starting at, or how far gone we feel we are-if we keep it up and have patience, we will be stronger every single day we eat right and work out. Every day is a gift, and we only have one body-let's cherish that and take care of them.
Patience and dilligence is the key-we don't look into the mirror while we are being lazy and eating badly, and say "Geez, why I am I not getting fatter any faster?" We had plenty of patience getting that way-we need ot apply that same patience into doing good for our bodies, and over time they WILL respond.
Oh-and I agree-Nancy IS a knockout, and she will be even more so every day she commits to this!
Aphil

Good evening everyone,,,

Jacklyn~~ so glad you are back...good to see you!!! Stay with us.. we all have are ups and our downs so just shake it off and
"Fah get about it" :)

Kewi~~ glad to see you post also!!! You are doing good with your weight routine also.. I just need to have someone give me a good kick in the behind to get me moving.
I dont know if you read my post from a few days ago , but I have a mental block when it comes to exercising. Amy, along with everyone else are working to get me motivated. I need discipline!

Holly~~ You have come a long way baby!!!! I am so happy for you!! 30 pounds gone, muscle tone, a new motorcycle and confidence to boot!!!!!! WAY to go!!! :cb:

Amy~~ How did your hair color turn out?
I sure wish I had a home gym of some sort. I know I would be more apt to do exercise then. What so you think of Curves for women? DO you think it can really tone ? We have one that just opened here. I am thinking of checking it out. DO you have any input?

Well today was day one of my new part time job. It went fine. It will be a nice filler for the long winter ahead. And of course the money will go for my Retail Therapy !!! :lol:

I am really, really homesick today, and when I get this way its hard to shake the mood. :(

My eating had been completely OP and I am proud to say that is one thing that I am so disciplined with ,, and I know once I start adding a daily routine of exercise along with it, my weight will come off faster. Tomorrow is WW so I will post and let you all know how I did.

Well I think Ill try to go for a walk , and maybe I can shake off the homesick blues.. (Keeping fingers crossed that I dont run across any bears)!

Have a great tomorrow everyone! Keep smiling!

Nancy:df:

Hello everyone! Well I am proud to say so far so good. I stayed on track yesterday with eating and joined the gym last night. Walked for about 30 minutes on the treadmill and did weights for the legs. I'm a little sore today but plan on going back to do some cardio again tonight. It feels good to get back into the swing of things. My husband is motivated as well so that makes it so much easier!! I also slept like a baby, yet another bonus from exercising! Well, I've got to get to work, I'll check in later!

Hi,
Nancy-we have a Curves here in town. The only thing I don't like about it, is that it kindof reminds me of musical chairs...I like to take my time and think about my form while dong the exercise, and don't want it being timed on each machine, and they tell you can come every day, but some of the machines are resistance, and you need to wait 48 hours between strength training a body part-except for abs, they can be worked every day.
I think you would get better results from the right tape and doing it on your own-not to mention cheaper. :flame: (Aphil lights fire under Nancy's booty to get her motivated and getting her equipment together) :lol:
Well-I am officially the bad big sister. My 16 year old stepsister is being a total you know what. My stepmother and my dad got together when she was only 1, and my stepmothers ex took her son, who was then 4-I was about 12 at the time. In all respects my dad raised her, and my stepbrother turned out good-he has his mother's personality-in spite of his waste of space father. Brittney has recently rebelled and moved in with her dad, and lies to her mom all of the time. She called Saturday and told her mom she wasn't coming to my dad's for his birthday because her dad and herwere in the car on their way shopping out of town. I find out from someone else last night that he was takingher out of town to sign for her to get a tattoo underage.
Well, I have tattoos-but I was of legal age to get them, and if my mom would have agreed to get me one, she would have had the decency to tell my father-even if they didn't get along. I think he did it on purpose to spite my stepmother and stick it to my dad. So-I have royally told her off, and blew the whistle on her to her mom.
It really made me mad that he was in the car with her while she lied to her mom, and was basically encouraging it-and that he decided to take her on my dad's birthday to boot. He is a real jerk-he is one of those 40 something guys that goes to clubs and tried to be cool with all of the young people-like a forever midlife crisis-he cheats on his new wife, drinks all the time,etc.
We'll see how it all pans out.
Today is strength training day-I need to get up and moving. I have to finish Jasons pants for this weekend also, and get my dress "Dryeled".
Aphil

Hey everyone :)

I'm sorry that I've been such a stranger; things are getting better here on the relationship front, and while I'm proud that I didn't go into a binge because of being sad (in fact, I stopped eating much at all last week, and lost 2 pounds, one of which I have proudly gained back... heh), I also didn't work out at all. Last night I started up again by doing some floor work (I hurt my ankle) and it was TOUGH! But, I'm glad that I did it.

I also learned how to knit. Wow, it's fun! I only know one stitch, and I've already made a chenille scarf. Now I'm working on another one, and I'm going to give one to my mom and one to my sis for X-mas. (Yes, a Jew that celebrates Christmas... go figure!) I'm going back to California next week to see my family and some friends, which will be way fun, but also a little stressful, since I'll be there with my boyfriend. Hopefully this will help things out a little.

Anyway, I am glad to see that you're all doing well, and that nobody's fainted lately ;)

Aphil, as someone who has recently got a tattoo at the tender age of 25 (ha ha!) -- see the story here [http://alibee.linex.com/journal/2002/020703.html] if you're interested -- I support you turning her in. She probably would have gotten someone lame that she'd regret in years to come!

Anyway. Hi! :)

Hee hee hee
Alison-your tattoo narration cracked me up. When I got my third one, the tribal on my chest-the guys asked me if it was my first, because if it was-he wasn't going to do it there. It goes right across my breastbone, and if you feel the center of your breastbone, a few inches above your cleavage-the skin is very thin, and there is little muscle over the bone. VERY painful. I had all of the guys at the shop peeking in at me all surprised I wasn't bawling my head off. I showed them....ha ha ha
Just worked legs and buns...time for abs and upper body!
Aphil

Hi everyone,,,,


Weigh in went great... am down another 2.6 pounds... woo hoo!!!
:cb: :dancer: :dance:

Amy~~ I can feel that fire you are lighting under me. Am going to go exercise in the next few minutes. I think Ill pass on the curves membership for the time. Thanks for the info on it.

Ok gotta run for now....

see everyone later...


Nancy:df:

198.8/189.8/150ish

Woohoo Nancy!
You have now lost a total of 10 POUNDS!
:hyper: :hyper: :hyper:

Today is going to be a busy day...I am so tired. I have to put the waistband into Jason's pants to finish them, make my little ivy and baby's breath head wreath, do a ton of laundry, clean the house, and go to Wal-Mart tonight, and get things ready to take off tomorrow! Yay! I am SO excited. I will get some pics of us up here when I get them developed. The hotel we are staying in is only a year old, and has a nice fitness room, so I don't have to bring anything for that, I can exercise both evenings at the hotel.
(You know it is good when the fitness room has something to do with which hotel you choose to stay in.)
Have a good day ladies, I will check in before I go!
Aphil

:) :cp: :cb: :dancer: YEAH NANCY !!! A big 10 pounds down!!! And with you so solidly on program, and starting to exercise (yes, we will keep after you!) the fat is gonna drop off and the muscle and tone will develop...so exciting! I also meant to commend you the other day; you were feeling so homesick, yet you DID NOT eat because you were sad! You were still OP, and that is such a big accomplishment. I'm high-fiving you, girl!!!

Aphil, hope you get all your items done so you can enjoy your weekend...so great that you picked a hotel with the nice fitness facilities!
Hey - in the future, think we could see your tribal tat?:o or is that too personal?

hi alibee - I'll have t check your journal about your tat acquisition. Glad that the homefront issues are a little better. Not eating because of stress is not good either, so hope that's better too.

Kanola, how's it going for you? Now are you entering into the Spring season? You are inspiring with all the different types of workouts, and yoga and such. You go, motorbikegirl!

jacklyn, welcome back! We missed talking to you. Hope you're able to connect again. You were so stellar with your walking!

kewi, wow, 12# for bicep work is immense! I hope your family is properly in awe of you - I think a woman who is committed to working with weights is just so to be admired (bad grammar, sorry)

Kina, how are you doing? Hope you aren't having any undue pressures from everyday stuff (gosh, that's probably not possible with family/job/school/ but hope it's all manageable!)

Hi to our newest ladies, aimee and KatyDes. Are you ladies doing well today?

Hello to tryin'hard also! We know you're super busy with the two jobs. Hope you're reading. I think of you as I'm trying to find the balance to maintain; as you've done the super-great weight loss and have maintained for over a year.

Our long-quiet friends - Sprite, Melisa, t-girl, and expecting Christine - I'm thinking of you and wishing we could hear from you :)

Well, TOM is due next week; and as I'm aware of that, should really try to do tryin'hard's suggestion of extra physical work, to offset the inevitable salt/fat cravings...I did take a walk today in addition to my 1/2 hr. weight routine; & will try to do that again each day.

Under the "Success" thread here, someone asked for the top 10 reasons that it's so great to get in shape; after reading them all, I agreed with all of them! But I wrote my own list to add. I thought of the "seeing daylight between my thighs" only after viewing a photo Joe just took of me walking the dog - I am such a photo sl*t now; keep looking at it saying "wow! they don't touch anymore!!":lol:

Everyone have a GREAT night!

Holly

Well ladies,
It is about 10:30 pm here. I have succesfully finished my headwreath, Jason's pants, dry cleaned my dress-LOVE Dryel, and have our route mapped and ready to go. Tomorrow I just have to pack our regular clothes and the kids things. I am SO excited.
Has anyone heard of the new lower calorie beer? I think it is Michelob or something like that, but it is only 90 calories a bottle. That is a good new option for those of us who like an occasional drink. I have a small glass of wine once every month or two, and now I have another option if the mood ever strikes me.
I made my trip out to Wal-Mart, and came home and had dinner, and my night snack tonight was a tangerine. THeyhad some nice ones on sale tonight for .18 each. They peel so nice, nothing like the sore fingers I get from oranges.
Holly, that is so funny about you hogging the camera lense now...hee hee hee That will be me very soon. Yes, and sure you can see my tat sometime. When I ever get some pictures up here, it will most likely show if I am wearig a v-neck tee or scoop neck blouse.
Well, I better get ready to hit the hay...I'll check in when I get back Sunday night or Monday mornng if it is too late.
Amy

Wow!! You ladies sure know how to burn up the keyboard!! It was a long time since I last posted.... just a few days!!

Hi Jacklyn and Kewi!! I just returned to this message group after a few months away.... the motivation is really great here! I missed these girls!

Nancy!! That is an awesome result!! I bet you are so proud of yourself!! I am sending you the happy dance!!

:dancer:

Holly, you are such an inspiration. I am starting where you did and want to end up around the same goal. I am so happy you are here encouraging us all.

Aphil & Alibee.... guess I can join in with the tattoo confession. I got a Maple Leaf (being canadian and all....) on my lower back done 3 years ago the first time I came to Aus... I love it and can't wait until I can wear low waist jeans.... I want to get another one... something Aussie to go with the maple leaf.... need to think on that one!! I had my belly button pierced before I gained most of my weight and have kept it through it all. Also can't wait for abs!! Oh ya.... one more confession... 2 years ago on a bit of a dare... I had my tongue pierced. It has been done so long I take it out during the week (real estate is not really fond of body piercings) and put it back in Friday after work. I am not ready to give it up completely because it was a pain to heal out. Just some crazy facts about this biker chick in Australia.

I loved the narrative on the tattoo. Mine was small and only took about 30 mins and it was not the most pleasant thing I ever went through.... but not the worst. I had tears a couple times and could not imagine 2 hours of work!! I would be going several times to get the work done!! I would like to get a tribal style hummingbird done, sort of like the native artwork or something more aboriginal from Aus.... maybe a platypus or a kangaroo.... hhhmmmm Now I am thinking about it again!!

Aphil - sounds like you have a FANTASTIC weekend planned!! How awesome !

Hi to the new girls too!! aimee and KatyDes I hope you are keeping up with us all and are finding motivation somewhere in our fun posts!!

Well... tomorrow is WW day.... I was good tonight. We had friends over for pasta and they brought fruit and ice cream... the really really good kind but I only had the fruit. Hubby kind of told them I was off junk food so don't bring cheesecake or anything like that. It was a good visit.

Well... it is getting late here in Aus, and I have to get up for a WW meeting tomorrow. My friend joined with me last week and she is going to drive... no more taking the bike to the meetings. I hope she does well and stays motivated.

Gotta run my friends.... will let you know how I do tomorrow, I hope I am half as successful as Nancy was!!!

Nola.

Hello everyone! Thank you for all of the welcomes. Hubby and I went to the grocery store and bought tons of healthy stuff. I really think he's serious about this! I'm so glad because it definitely makes it easier on me.

We are going back to the gym tonight, making it the 3rd visit this week. I am sleeping so much better now!! I love waking up with that kinda sore feeling...makes me feel like I'm actually doing something!

Congrats on your loss Nancy!

Holly!!!! You have made so much progress....you must be so proud! I still cringe if a camera is turned in my direction so I look forward to hogging it one day!

Well ladies....once again, time to get to work! Talk to you later!

Hi,
Well, I am getting thigs ready to go. I am waiting for the clothes dryer right now, so I can get a couple things in it packed, so I have a few minutes.
Even though I have not had a loss in a couple weeks, I am really starting to notice my face thinning out a bit in the chin area, and my wedding ring is getting a bit looser-so I may be switching fat for muscle-I don't want to measure myself yet though, I want to wait a couple more weeks. At least it gave me a clue that someting is definitely happening though.
I am hoping for a good weigh in on Monday however...wishme luck. I am going to try to stay as on plan as possible on my weekend out. Iam packing a couple Baker's breakfast cookies so I can avoid the hotel continental donuts in the morning, and going to go for the healthiest food I can at the faire-they should have some roasted pork or corn on the cob-so I will eat something like that.
The faire is also a permanent fixture, not just a bunch of tents-it is a village on a lake that spans 20 acres, so I am hoping to walk a few miles tomorrow.
We just got our new computer last night-we had a Pentium 2 custom computer-a few years old. It served all of my needs, as far as coming here, and email, and whatever I need as far as teh internet, but Jason plays a lot of games, and wanted something with more memory and better graphics and all-so we had a Pentium 4 built by Dell with upgraded graphics and stuff for all of his geeky games. I told him "Merry Christmas" because that is what he is got! :lol: I must say, I do like its sleek black looks however...and the whisper quiet keyboard...if anyone buys a new one-I highly recommend Dell. They were quick to build it too-we just ordered it Sunday-and it was here on Thursday!
I am excited about working out in the hotel tonight! I have quite a bit of equipment for home use, but I am looking forward to using the stairstepper and treadmill-which I don't have at home-just for something different.
Kanola, Alibee, and Vermont Mom-my tats took different times. The tribal on my chest took about 25 minutes-but its pain was the most intense. I took two of those stress balls you squeeze in your hand, and white knuckled them the whole time-but no tears.
My Woodstock on the side of my belly is real small, and took about 5 minutes. The antique cross on my right thigh is about 4-5 inches long, and 3 inches wide, but it has a ton of details, and black, green, red, yellow, and orange, so I had it done in two sittings-about 2 hours to outline, and about 1 1/2 to color-4 altogether. It is about 8 years old now, it was my first-so I definitely need it touched up with color pretty soon from the years and sun exposure. It still looks good, just not as vibrant as I would like.
Well, I better get those clothes out of the dryer now, and get the kids into the tub.
Have a good weekend everyone-I know I will! Nola-good luck on your weigh in!
Amy

Good morning everyone!
I know, it's been a while since I posted, but I had a great time reading and catching up with you all! Congrats to all of you on your losses, and Jacklyn--welcome back! I have missed reading you!
Welcome to all the newcomers! This is the BEST thread to find support, inspiration and some neat gossip lately!!! I love the tattoo stories. I'm too chicken! I did think about getting the belly pierced, but between being heavy and having a child, I don't want to show my belly--it's not a pretty sight! I took my friend's three year old to the bathroom and after I went too, she wanted to know what all those "lines" were on my stomach!!
I'm doing well maintaining. I had a rough week last week. I was not home for dinner for three nights in a row and that makes me have a little pity party for one and I feel sorry for myself. I did not make good dinner choices and knew that I had to do something differently this week. I bought my favorite veggie burgers that DH and DD think are "gross" and I have enjoyed them when I don't have time for a 'real' dinner.
The walking is the key for me, though. It's the first thing I do every day and just keeps me motivated for the whole day.
Vermont MOm--I was thinking of you in your size 6's this morning--I put on my jeans (it's a "dress down day" at school today) and my size 8's are baggin' in the back! I just may have to go try on the smaller size! I am loving these pants I bought at JCPEnney. They're "st. john's bay" stretch jeans and they fit really nicely and they are super comfortable. THey come in lots of colors, too.
Well, ladies, I do hope you're all continuing to do well. I miss reading and posting everyday, but some days are just too hectic!
Have a great weekend!

To update my loss totals!!

Yay!!:D

Down another pound and a bit... bringing the totals to 9.9 pounds (4.5 kilos) in 6 weeks.

Woohoo!! Progress never felt so good. I also finally took measurements too. That was a good positive feeling before I went to the meeting.

Motivation this week.... I passed a magazine store in the local shopping centre and they had cheapy charm bracelets... I have always wanted one, so for $5 I got a bracelet and for $3 each, I now have four charms.... a sun, a hummingbird, a motorbike (hehe) and a cat. Next week when I lose another half kilo... to make it 5 for a total, I will buy another cat charm because we have 2 of the furry critters!! Silly thing, it looks tacky when I wear it but if it helps, hey... what is $3 every 2 weeks??

Gotta go, we have friends over for a bbq and us girls are going to watch Survivor..... please don't tell me who gets voted out each week because we are at least a week behind over here in Aus.... which means that I can't check out the official website either, we learned that lesson very quickly!! hehehhee

:) :) :P I will post more later this weekend.

Hi everyone!

Kanola, CONGRATS!!! :cb: you surely rate a dancing banana for almost 10 pounds down! I like the charm bracelet idea, too. Good visual daily reminder. Wow, you body mod girl! Wouldn't you love to shock your co-workers with all your jewelry in! :D

Aphil, so cool that you are so in-control with your planning for your weekend. Knowing that there will be donuts, so packing the breakfast cookies. And actually looking forward to using the gym facilities is just so great. You have a Woodstock bird? That must be SO cute!!! And CONGRATS to you too for feeling the loose ring, and seeing the difference. Your hard work is SHOWING!:strong:

Hi tryin'hard! Yahoo to you for size 8's being baggy!!!!!!:cb:

Hi Jacklyn! GREAT that your husband is into it now also. It sure makes it easier to have a partner in the battle...:lol:

Hello to everyone else and hope it was a nice weekend for you!

Today was my last day at my seasonal job...I should have been "pro-active" and searched for a winter job before this, but I'm such a procrastinator! I have no idea what I'll do...but I'd better get crackin' soon. At least this year, I have all this confidence in myself; not the mousy self-conscious thing I was before.

For my last day, I wore the snug jeans that made everyone talk before - am I a pot-stirrer or what?!:devil: :p :D

Have a nice night everyone!!!

Holly

Good evening everyone..


Nola~~~~ Way to go,, the pounds are just melting off of you!

Tryin Hard and Jacklyn~~ A big hello, glad to see you posting and that all is well.

Holly~~~~~ Do you have to work over the winter months or can you take a break? What type of winter job are you looking for?
Oh yeah and If i was you I would have worn those snug pants all along!!! Those women are just green with envy!!

Amy~~~ How was the fair this weekend? I hope you had a great time.

To the rest of the gang old and new,, I hope you are all doing well and will hop in and say hello soon.

I am doing good. Havent waivered one bit on my program and feeling good about it !!!!! I am in control that is for sure!!

I just got back from a walk with my hubby, a nice full moon and the refreshing smell of a cool fall evening, ahhh, I love this time of the year!

Well going to hit the shower and relax..

Have a great Monday girls!!
Keep smiling

Nancy:df:

Hi People! How are all of you doing? I have been busy with school, kids and everything under the sun. I know you can all relate. Today is our son's 9th birthday. We will slightly celebrate today but we will have a pizza party this weekend for both our boys.

I have managed to maintain 192 over the weekend. Weekends are the worst. I have to say my exercise is in a slump. I have been so busy that I have not made the time to get on my elliptical machine. I realle have to. But I have comitted to the fact that tonight we may go out to eat for Matt's birthday so I will have to get on the elliptical machine in order to maintain my 192 or suffer the sacrifices. Now tha alone is motivational.

I better get going now. Talk again. Bye.
Kina

Hi ladies! I am back!
I had a WONDERFUL time on my trip to the faire...it was wonderful! We left Friday afternoon, and got to the hotel about 7 in the evening-and went down to have dinner in the adjoining hotel restaurant. I was pleasantly surprised that htey had a few "no guilt" items marked on the menu, so for dinner I had a veggie burger with grilled portabella mushrooms on top, and a side of fresh fruit-and one of those 95 calories Michelob Ultra beers I told you about in an earlier post. We lingered there a while, and it was really nice. The hotel room had a king sized bed with a pillow top, and down pillows and comforter-it was so nice. It was one of those great ones that had all of the mini Bath and Body Works toiletries and fancy soaps...
It was drizzly and cold the next morning, but was supposed to clear up around lunch time, so we styed a bit longer in the hotel, until checkout time, as to not totally ruin our costumes-so we were lazy for a couple of hours before we got ready and took advantage of room service for breakfast. I was good and ordered oatmeal, and a fruit smoothie-which I got the recipe for while I was there, and will now give to you-because it was AWESOME!
100% Fruit Smoothie
1 banana
1c. frozen strawberries, thawed slightly (The kind you get in the bags in the freezer section-thaw 1 cup of them on the counter for 20-30 minutes)
1/2c. apple juice
2 ice cubes
BLend juice and banana in blender, then blend ice cubes in until smooth-blend in the berries last and pour into a tall glass. It will be very thick, so use a straw!
235 calories 0 grams fat 3 grams fiber
It is worth 3 servings of fruit-and is great for breakfast!
The faire was just great, it was huge, and we watched jousting, Jason bought a sword, and we had vambraces made for him right in front of us-(the leather cuff things that lace up you wear over the wrists of your shirt.) It was so fun, and so many things to do and see-we started a new tradition-we are going to start going every year for our anniversary-which is actually Wednesday!
All of you know that I do bellydancing a couple days a week for my cardio-and if you didn't know, so far I have only done it in front of my kids and my mother...so he has never seen me perform. While we were there, we watched a tribal bellydance performance, which is a bit different from traditional, in the fact that they use tribal drums to dance to, rather than the traditional Middleastern music, and instead of the traditional bellydancer outfits, it is a bit "rougher"-they had on gypsy like patchwork skirts, tops that were tied up under their chests to reveal their tummies, and sort of "bawdy" accessories, like theyhad fringed tasseled belts and slave bracelets, and animal tails pinned to hte backs of their skirts. (The tails seductively "bounced" off their rear ends when they did certain movements. :o ) I really liked this version and am looking into information about it to add to my current "curriculum."
Needless to say, I now have a striped raccoon tail, and a slave bracelet made out of chain maille and gorgeous amber colored stones...you don't think he wants a performance sometime in the future do you? :lol:
I weighed in today without a loss, but also without a gain, which I think is very good considering a whole weekend trip out.
Well, it is getting late here-I am pretty tired after the weekend!
Have a great evening!
Aphil

Okay, yeah, I got lost again... but I'm still alive ;)

I'm not sure when my last visit was but I believe since then I've had my 2-yr anniversary (Oct 7) and first prenatal appointment (also Oct 7)... did I mention these before?

My due date is officially January 23rd according to the prenatal clinic.. that makes me 27 weeks on Wednesday... and so far I'm up 28 pounds.. ouch.. but I'm confident I can get it off when all is done here!! :)

Also, we went to Myrtle Beach for a couple days.. that was nice and my daughter had a ball. The best part was, my dad paid for most stuff.. including the hotel.. he's too good to us!

Anyway, just thought I'd check in with ya'll.. hope everyone is doing well !! I'll try to keep up again .. ;)

Christine

PS That smoothie recipe sounds awesome, aphil.. I just need to get me a more powerful blender and I can try it out... my old walmart cheapo one is worthless :(

Can you believe it is already Tuesday night over here in Aussie land?

Where the heck does the week go? Crikey mates!

I just did my taxes... ggrr... just a small refund. I was used to claiming my education loan in Canada and getting a nice refund back which ended up paying for part of airfares to Australia.... well... getting $200 is better than paying $200.

I think I will put that straight into the bike leathers fund.... or the house deposit fund.... or the 'have fun in Canada fund'. It is all the same fund, which seems to get emptied once the title changes.

Well it is getting late and I still have to pack my gym bag, make my lunch and finish off the dishes from dinner (it has been my turn for 2 weeks now and I have been able to negotiate around that... not tonight!).

Keep up the good work girls! Good to see so many new/old faces around again!

*yawns* have a good day tomorrow!

Good morning everyone!
Boy, I did not want to get up! That bed just felt way too good!
It is cardio day...and I am really not wanting to do it...but I will.
I think I am going to get out a short 15 minute aerobics tape I have, then do some bellydancing afterwards for fun. And no, I am not going to put on that tail today! :lol:
(I'll save that for Jason)
Didn't one of you a while back say you were making soaps at home for a home business? It was mentioned a long time ago, and I don't remember who was doing it-but if it is any of you still here, could you please pm me and let me know how you got started and all? The stuff I make, like my costumes and blankets are kinda just word of mouth, and I'd actually like to start doing a couple festivals around here, like our little street fair we have every day, and local craft shows, and maybe Ebay.
I have even thought of seeing if the local tattoo shop would consider giving me space to sell some of my stuff-since a lot of my stuff is kinda crazy/alternative.
Chiristine, glad to hear all is going well with the baby! If you were not aware, there is a thread under the exercise forum called Everyday Exercisers, and two of the ladies there are also expecting, you may also enjoy posting on that thread! Have you figured out what you are having yet through ultrasound?
Kanola, I know what you mean about the refunds going into a "fund"-our tax refund this spring and his Christmas bonus this year are already spent-to pay down the principle balance on our camper we bought the beginning of summer. We got a 4 year loan on it, and I would like to have it paid off in a year-so we can afford to get a newer vehicle. We could make the payment now if need be on a less expensive new car, but it would not leave much for our little treats we like, like Jason's expensive ice cream, and my breakfast cookies, etc. and our little trips like over the weekend-and if you have no money to do anything, what fun is the car? Instead of enjoying the car, you end up resenting writing out that check for it each month.
Well, I better get going-I have a lot to do and I mUST get this workout in!
Aphil

Good morning everyone :) (or evening or night or whatever it is where you're at!)

Thanks for the info, Aphil, but I think I'd feel a little out of place on an 'everyday exercisers' board :lol: Seeing as how the last time I did any real exercise was before I got pregnant.. I know, I know, I'm bad. :^:

As far as knowing the sex of the baby... unfortunately I had the worlds shortest/crappiest ultrasound ever and during the whole 3 minutes, they were unable to tell :( I am really hoping to get another US before I have this baby but I dunno yet whether that will happen or not.

Hope everyone is having a great week :)

Christine

Hello everyone!

Christine, so nice to hear from you again! I hope you're feeling well.

Aphil, your weekend sounded so great! Your description of the dancers was so vivid - I could see them. I love the tail idea!and I'm sure Jason does too:D

Hi Kanola! So do you and your husband divide all chores, like doing the dishes, into 2 week periods? How civil! What is your weather like now?

Hi Nancy! again, hooray to you for being totally OP!:dance: and enjoying it. I don't have any specific desires for my winter job; around here, it would probably be retail of some kind, except for two majors; I HAVE to like the people I work with; and refuse to do fastfood of any kind; I couldn't stand the odor of the fried food on my hair/skin all day. I'm just a spoiled woman!:lol: :p How is YOUR job going? I hope great!!

Hi Kina!! Good to hear from you too. Maintaining after a difficult weekend is a big feat. Soon you won't even realize that you've replaced bad habits with good ones, and it will be automatic. That makes it so much easier, when the pounds are slowly melting off, and it doesn't seem like such a huge chore anymore.

And hello to everyone else!

I mentioned about a month ago that I ran into a girl that I once worked with; she was so complimentary about my loss, and said I inspired her to try again. We were going to start walking together on Mondays, but then her schedule changed and we couldn't. Well, she called me today; her voice was under control, but I could tell that she was at the point where she HAD to do something, and was aking for help. I was so honored that she was asking ME!

So I gave her Aphil's beginning calorie outline, and went over pretty much what we woud tell anyone new here (she doesn't have a computer, or else she would me our newest member!) And I told her about the power of exercise; that she could count calories and lose some weight, but she will LOOK and FEEL like a million bucks if she would regularly start with cardio and light weights. And I said that 6 months down the road, it is not unrealistic to look forward to some major changes, if she is able to stick to it. I hope she makes it!!!! Her name is Karen, in case anyone wants to send her some positive energy over the miles :)

We have had hard frosts here; and snow showers on Sunday (nothing sticking, thank goodness). Now I'm waiting for our Indian Summer!!! But the past two days the sun has been shining brilliantly, so when the temperature is at least over 42, I bundle up and ride the 'cycle. Whoa! Talk about nippley cold!:o Today Joe and I rode to Montpelier (he works from home, so that's how we're able to just take off for an hour) and got huge coffees and sat outside the shop, soaking up the sun and people watching. As Aphil says, you gotta enjoy life!

Have a great evening!!! Keep on keepin' on!

Holly

Holly,
I hope Karen is doing well starting out to get fit again! Let her know we are all rooting for her here!
Jason's mom just came and picked up Jasmine until Sunday-so I only have one child for a few days! (She is a school cook, so she has fall break off just like the school kids.)
I had a real nice workout today-did a lot of ab work.
Today is our 3rd anniversary-my stepmother sent us a real nice card! We are staying home, as we had our little trip, and we have a few movies that are on our must see list over the next couple months-and you know how expensive it is to go to the theatre nowadays...but the second movies in the Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings trilogies are must sees around here. (We are BIG kids.)
Well, I better go-dinner is about ready. Have a good evening!
Aphil

Crikey mates!! Where is this week gone.

I am practising up my aussie slang as I will be in Canada in.... 9 weeks!!! woohoo!

:D

Holly, funny you should ask about the weather!! I was thinking during my lunch hour walk to mention what a great day it was.

I walked for about an hour all together, I don't do that often enough at work.... I will try to get out 2 times a week. There are 2 amazing parks/gardens practically across the street from where I work. It is well into spring here and the flowers and leaves on the trees have all come out in full force. Palm trees are not native for Melbourne but they do have some pretty impressive ones that have been 'imported'. It is hard to describe how lush and green it is here. Coming from the praire/northern Canada it is still quite overwhelming, even after 16 months of being in Aussie land.

My walk took me past the legislature buildings..... the stairs were covered with flower memorials for those who died in the Bali bombing. I stood there for quite awhile taking the site in. Then spent a few minutes walking among the flowers, reading what people had written, it was pretty emotional. I felt so far away when 9/11 happened, Bali has hit home pretty hard even though I don't know anyone who was killed/hurt. I knew that there were lots of flowers there, and have avoided walking past there for a week, was not really ready to face that until today.

In my journal I put my thought for today.... Dieting is not what life is all about, just improves the quality of something already very precious.

I am very relfective tonight.

We also have our motorcycle club's fundraiser/awareness ride for Breast Cancer research on Sunday. Feeling a bit down about that too. One woman had contacted our ride organiser about being involved about 3 months ago. She had never been on a motorbike, but the Cancer Council had given her a list of events planned around Melbourne that day. She thought we were pretty unique and headed off to raise funds. She was having chemo at the time. About 3 weeks ago she passed away. We had arranged to have a bright pink Triumph and her as a pillion being our honoured guest.... that hit home really hard for the whole club. I am also very reflective on that tonight too. I went around the office today trying to get donations, and told that story about 4 times..... so it is really with me today.

Good news though, I stopped by the chop shop (what my hubby calls the hair people) that I spend a fortune at every 6 weeks and so does hubby.... to pick up a gift certificate. The guy that owns it races Ducati's in his spare time, (not not gay, he has a gorgeous wife and new baby) and he gave a cash donation plus a gift certificate as a prize for the ride.

Very cool.

Well... almost time to take my reflective butt over to a friend's house to watch Survivor. Hmmm..... week 4 and I am predicting that sufer annoying boy/ or 'oprah'(we nick name all those who are in the show... token hot guy, token boobie chick, token religious guy etc) will get voted out. Don't tell me cause we are behind the US in the airing .... :) Let's see if I am right.

Good night ladies.

I will try not to be so reflective tomorrow night!

Nola.

Here is a few websites that may be interesting.....


http://www.fitzroygardens.com

and a site with some photos of Melbourne....

pretty slack.... I have the digital camera charging up its batteries for me to take on my walk tomorrow.....

So I can send a piece of Australia over to everyone! I need to start a webpage again, but I had a bad experience with a free site that went broke and I lost alot of work.....

anyways.... here is the other site:

http://www.companyservices.nu/photogallery/australia.htm

:wave: to all. I just want to see if I fit into your thread. I am a new chick to 3fc and I am trying to find a place to fit in. I see that you guys do things the old fashion way. I have been down the road of prepackaged, diet pills, shakes etc and lost and then put back on again and again. I have decided that I can't continue down that path anymore. I need to lose around 45 pounds and have decided to do the old fashion way. I have been trying to eat my 9-10 servings of fruits and veggies each day what a hard thing to do when at times you would rather just grab a hand full of chips when you are hungry. Well I hope that I will be welcome here.
_______________________
start weight-167
weight today-161
lost so far-6
goal- 10 pounds by xmas
daily goal- to drink some water and exercise
____________________________________
Have a great day:wave:

Hi little chick!
Yes, a lot of us have been down the road of fad diets and gimmicks-it is nice to know there is a real way to lose weight!
I do have some starting suggestions for you, though.
I see that your weight right now is 161-and you stated that you want to lose 45 pounds. Is this really an attainable weight for you? This is a very low weight, and is really only healthy if you are small framed and of petite stature-say 5'-5'3". If that is your size, then that is fine, but if you are average framed and height-5'4"-5'7". then maybe a goal of 120-140 is better for you.
I am also going to stress the importance of exercise with this front, as you can have two women of the same weight, and one can look fit and trim, and the other can have flabby thighs and a dropping rear-all because of exercise. If you are not very active in that mode, start doing it, and you may be happy with your body at a higher weight, if you firm up those body parts! :D
9-10 servings of fruits and veggies will be hard to commit to, if you are eating in a calorie range to lose weight-say 1300-1800. Why don't you start with trying for 6 servings a day-so you have enough calories to get some protein and dairy in there. When you are at goal weight, and are able to raise your calorie level-then you can put in a couple more.
Are you familiar with counting calories? If not-try for the range I stated earlier, aiming each day for around 1500-1600. This will provide you with a slow steady loss of 1-2 pounds per week, depending on your activity level. If you do not have one, get a book that lists calorie counts for foods-because while they are on most prepackaged foods, on fresh produce they are not.
If you eat out, I recommend going to restaurant websites fir nutrition info, so you can choose healthier choices when you go out.
Try to split up your calories throughout the day, I have a plan in an earlier post.
I am glad you are on the road to lifelong weight maintenance and
away from the fads and money gobblers out there. I know I speak for all of us when I say we are thrilled you have looked around this site and chose us! :smug:
All of the ladies here are just great-a very funny, candid, and supportive group! Welcome!
Aphil

Thank you for the welcome, and the concern about my goal weight, but I am only 5 feet tall and not very big boned and my Dr. thinks that my goal is ok, but I know that if I lose 30 and feel good than thats what I am going to do. As for the 9 servings I am up to about 7 a day, some days are better than others but I am trying. Have a great day and I will be posting alot, I am in here a few times a day just to keep myself motivated.
:dance:

We are glad to have you!
And with your height at 5 feet tall, your goal weight is fine!
I am sure you understood the concern before, as there are a lot of ladies who are 5'8" and want to wear a size 2!
You are so right about what you said-"Some days are better than others, but I am trying!" That is the attitude! Noone is perfect, and we are all going to slip up now and then, but let's not do so in shame. We are human-but it is what we are doing AlMOST all of the time that will make the big difference!
Have a great day ladies!
Aphil

:dancer: :dancer: :dancer:
Good news!
I haven't had any registering of a loss on the scale in about 3 weeks...but I just got proof that there is definitely something going on!
I tried on a pair of size 18 jeans a month ago that run a bit small for an 18, and I could get them on, but I could not button or zip them at all.
Well....I saw them in the drawer today, and got them out, and tried them on.
They are ON-buttoned AND zipped...AND I can breathe. They are snug, but they are on!!! :cb:
(Aphil jumps out of computer chair and proceeds to do the same dance as the banana)

Hello everyone! It's been a while but been pretty busy...you know how it goes.

Congrats to everyones losses! Aphil, I'm with you...it seems like I hardly ever drop a pound but I am working out ALOT...and I cant wait for my jeans to feel a little loose!

Here's a little quick humor for y'all.....my friend emailed this poem to be and I thought it was hilarious!!!!Here goes......



Inside me.....
There's a thin woman.....
Screaming to get out......
But I can usually....
shut the witch up with chocolate:) :) :) :) :) :) :)


Everyone have a great day!!!

Sorry Jacklyn...had to sub a "w" for the other letter! I DO have my responsibilities ya know! ha ha ha
Husband came home from work..."Hey, you haven't worn those in a long time, what is the occasion?"
"They fit" I replied.
This just keeps getting better and better.
Moo-hoo wha ha ha ha! (Evil scientist laugh)

Good evening every one....

I had written a long post yesterday on my way out the door to work and where the **** it went Ill never know. No doubt out in cyberspace. So here is the scoop from yesterday....

Ok , everyone knows that I am OP 100 % right,,,well what happens yesterday at WW??? I gained a friggin pound.. :eek: what is up with that????? Could it be because I was way under my point range??? My normal point range for daily is 22 to 27 points. So for the week I am allowed 189 points. Well this past week, my total weekly points were 163, I was under by 26 points. I just did not feel like eating(Crazy eh?) But anyway,, it could be a number of reasons that I am showing a pound up....water retention(TOM coming soon I think ) or because I made a WW Taco Soup recipe and it has a lot of sodium in it. Or maybe it was the lady standing behind me at the scales playing mean tricks and sticking her foot on the scale also!!!!(Ill get even with her next week) :lol: But what ever the reason was for my gain, I know that is was not because I cheated on my plan at all.
So I will continue to march on and I will succeed!!!

Glad to hear everyone is doing well also!

Welcome Little Chick :wave: ~~ glad to have you join us, we are a fun group of ladies from all over the place. You are sure to like it here!!!!

Aphil ~~ Your exercising is sure paying off!! I bet you felt wonderful putting on those jeans. Way to go!!!

Jacklyn ~~ Your little poem you made me laugh. Good to see you posting.

Nola I love the thought for the day your posted in your journal...how true that is.. :)

Hello to the rest of the gang also..... Im outta here for now.....
Hubby has my grilled chicken and steamed cauliflower and carrots ready for me.....what a sweetie....!!!

have a great night everyone....keep smiling :)

Nancy:df:
198.8/190.8/150ish....sometime this century!!!

See everyone later....

Hi everyone. I have been so busy which is no excuse for my absence. But don't think I don't think of you often and constantly you all are in my thoughts keeping me on the right path and far away from the fast food...my pitfall. But today was something a bit hectic and I have to admit I did stress eat. I will tell you why and then stop there because it will be way too long of a post.

If you have seen the news it may have mentioned a tornado creating chaos in Texas. Actually it hit right outside the office that I work at on the College campus. I had heard the weather was getting bad so I figured I would call it a day and go pick up the kids and get home. Just as i was walking out at about 2:35pm I saw some other college workers standing outside looking up to the sky. The rain had started in really hard and the winds had picked up strongly. As I looked up I could see the image of Twister happening right before my eyes. The wind was moving in a circular motion with some debree. All of a sudden I hear a voice yell ''Every one inside head to the back of the building away from the windows!'' So as we were running in the door did not just close immediatley because the winds gushed through the breezeway pulling on the door. As we were watching our ears popped in such a way that caused us to clencth at them. The lights went out and the alarms started to go off. The wildness had passed. We went out to see the devestation cars that had been directly in the path of the tornado had all their windows busted out. An 18 wheeler that is used for the truck driving students had been pushed over on their sides. The library wall had been directly hit and was bashed in where a class was in session the debree fell on a teacher, that later died. A few students from that class had some injuries. Sever portable classrooms were demolished...luckily the students had left early for a field trip otherwise there would have been about 45 students in those classrooms. The student center across from our office had many windows shattered to peices. On the campus I work we have student training for firefighters, police, paramedics, Physical therapy, Occupational therapy, mechanics, welding, cosmetology and a few others I didn't mention. All in all I think we were in good hands and unfortunately all that with just one fatality...a Math instructor Mr. Gillis.

I wanted to give you as much info as possible. A friend took some pics. I'll see if I can get some scanned to share. Enough said. I will talk to you all later.

:flow2: Good morning to all, I woke up feeling stressed out and that I didn't think I would ever make it through the week-end.I got one daughter competing in dance competion all week-end which requires me to run with her, and my other daughter who has to be a guide camp, I have nothing ready for either girl. I need to do bed rolls and costumes bags packed etc..... Then I read about Kina's day yesterday and boys does that put things in perspective, I am sorry that you had to go through that. Here in little old New Brunswick we don't have to many toronado or hurricanes, so to hear from someone that was right in the middle of it is really mind spinning. So I will start off my day with a healthy breakfast and a big glass of water, and be thankful.
Snowey- don't fret about gaining a pound you will do great next week just keep up the good work. It will pay off in the end.
Well fellow chicks have a great day and I will check in with ya all later.:D
__________________________________________
167/161/115
mini goal for today- water and 6-9 to serving of fruit and veggies
goal for xmas - 10 pounds
_________________________________________

:dance:

:cb: :cb: :cb:
It's crazy banana time!
199!!!!!! My weight officially starts with a 1!

Kina, I am sorry you had such a hard time yesterday-but I can totally relate. I live in Indiana, and we have a few tornados around here. Even if you are not in the direct path it can be very scary. About 2 years ago we had a funnel cloud forming directly over our apartment complex-I was so scared it was going to touch down right on top of us. Luckily for us, it went east, and touched down in the city next to us. It was really scary to see nature working like tht so closely, though. I hope all of your friends and you are alright, and I am sorry to hear about the teacher.
Snowey-my weight has stayed the same for three weeks until now, but I was able to put on a pair of jeans that did not fit three weeks ago-so don't use the scale as your only measurement. Take a pair of pants, or take measurements of your bust, hips, and waist-or if you have access to a body fat caliper, check your body fat percentage. This is one thing I really need to do-as I know with all my exercise it has gone down, even if the scale didn't budge for a while. The scale can only show us the total pounds, but it can't say-"By the way, you have lost one pound of fat and replaced it with a pound of muscle-so your weight is the same, but you are much more fit." It WOULD be nice if they could though. :lol:
I cannot deny the good immediate gratification of the scale however, and the 199 this morning has me really motivated to work harder on my abs. I have even got a few patterns for some bellydance items I am going to make myself to wear at home for practice-(while you can dance in leotards or sweats, it is much more satisfying if you are wearing something nicer.) For doing it at home, I am going to make a pair of low rise harem pants, probably in black, and a choli-which is the lycra fitting long sleeved half top some dancers wear. I just need to do some fabric searching. When I get a bit smaller-I plan on making a fancy fringed hip belt with tassels and coins and stuff on it...and maybe getting a sexy little anklet with bells. :o Those can be my rewards for hitting a lower weight or size.
My exercise went well yesterday, I did 20 minutes of country line dancing-I am not really a big country fan, but I do like the dancing-and have I ever mentioned my father in law is the head of a clogging and square dancing troupe? They dance at lots of street fairs and events. He is really good.
I also did a small amount of bellydance-working on mastering a few moves I am not as good at. Practice makes perfect! And, I took a small stroll all the way around our cul-de-sac, which equals about a city block. So-altogether it was about 45 min. of cardio.
Well, it is almost 9 and I have not even had breakfast yet, so I better get going-lots to do!
Aphil

Thank you. I have to say in South Texas we NEVER get tornados. Atleast not in my lifetime. I have never seen one or been in one. It was the worst feeling. After it was all done my stomach was in knots that I cannot even describe. I was feeling like I wanted to puke but I kept pulling my thoughts away from the feelings of being out of control. I just kept thinking of how grateful we all should be and how our Angels had their wings around us all that time. Because had I left without paying attention I would had been walking to my van as the tornado was creeping through the campus...right behind me.

So needless to say I have been a bit shaken up since the whole thing happened. I can't seem to get msyelf going this morning. I have to get things together for our boys birthday party tomorrow. AAaaaargh!!!!! Pardon my need for a good scream. Okay I just need to jump in the shower, take a good deep cleansing breath, and take it one step at a time.

I better run and follow the path of the wind otherwise the dust will soon cover me and no one will ever know that I was there. That sounds funny but true.
Kina

Hi to everyone!

Especially Little Chick! You will love this group of motivators!!

This week I maintained at WW... not a gain, not a loss. Nancy, like you I was 100% on plan. Oh well, must be that 10 lb plateau or something. I did a fair amount of exercise too!

Kina - torando's are scarey. There have been 4 large ones in my lifetime in Canada where I lived and they were awful. Good to hear you were not hurt and got through it ok.

Aphil - you rock!! :cb: Keep up the great work!

Well, we did the practice run of the fundraiser ride today. It is a fantastic route, and will be doing that ride again. Very twisty roads through some spectacular country. I loved it! One of the women in the club commented on my riding, saying she noticed a huge improvement with the different motorbike. It was good to hear! I am feeling better out there on the road so it was nice to hear a compliment, especially after the first no loss week! GRRR.

Well... hope everyone is having a good weekend and staying out of trouble! I will let you know how our ride goes tomorrow!

Hoping the :rain: stays away!!

Nola.

Hi everyone and welsome to all the newcomers.

I have to say this thread has been a great tool to my success whether it be big or small it's certainly better than being 225 that I used to be. This morning I am down to 192.5 or 192 so that means I see the horizon of the 80s. The view is so beautiful. You guys my big goal is to be at 150 by April (which happens to be my birthday month). That means I would have to lose about 7.5 lbs a months. The stress starts to creep in. But you know what I am not going to think of the stress I am just going to think of the path I must take and the choices I must make to get where I want to be. I am going to get darn close if nothing else. So this will be my affirmation from here to April.

Kanola~~~sounds like you are having a wonderful time. I don't know if you frequent Harley Davidson stores...but they just opened a humongous one here nearby where I live. I haven't been in it but it just so beautiful from the outside.

Aphil~~~I sure wish I could find bellydancing here in the local area. I wonder did you seem to lose more weight or gain more tone when you started belly dancing. I would guess doing those stomach moves is equivalent to doing situps or stomach crunches.

Little Chick~~~It is always good to have a positive attitude no matter what your day may bring. Life alone is a joy rain or shine. The simple fact that you have been given another day to rise with sun and share in the enjoyment but also busy schedule of your girls is always something to have a smile on your face. I tend to stress alot to but I take a deep deep breath and just think of why I am stressing and figure there is probably somebody out there that unfortunately doesn't have the gift of stressing because they have no family. I know when I was going through the tornado I started calling my family and this lady (I don't get along with very well she has major mood swings) she makes the comment "I don't have any one to call that would be worried about me." I felt like asking her if she wanted to call my grandma. But this lady is so mean to me so I changed my mind and let someone else use my phone that had asked to use it. But you have lots to be thankful for especially that stress that you often come across. I know you know this but sometimes I need to hear it too. hugs to you.

Snowey~~~the weight will come off once TOM has left the building. I have noticed that I retain a whole lot of water during that time so I have to start packing it in a week early and that seems to help a whole lot. Well see when you started your WW you and I were about the same weight and here I am struggling with 192 and you are about to see the 80s. WOW So see you are doing marvelous. Keep up the great job. I will continue to be right behind you. You just clear the path for me and I shall stroll in and make an entrance. LOL

Well I better get going. Today is the celebration party for our boys. PIZZA...OMG and cake. a double whammy.

Talk again. bye.
Kina

Hi!
Kina-We do not have any local bellydancing classes in our area, so through some instructors I have found online-they have guided me as far as the best videos to use to learn. If you or anyone are interested in trying it out, I would be more than happy to give you some recommendations. There are a few teachers in the state-I am hoping to get one of them to do a private lesson now and then for me, say, twice a year or so-just to have more one on one attention.
The movements in the dance can be slow or fast, depending on the song-but the dance burns calories so it helps you lose weight, but can also tone. For example-ballet strengthens mostly your thighs and buns-and bellydancing also has some toning benefits for certain body parts. The arm positions and movements can make for strong toned shoulders, and the movement coming from the belly/waist/ribcage area mostly tones up and strengthens the lower back muscles, and the sides of the abs (obliques), and all of the hip movements really work your thighs and hips. I still do targeted movements for my abs and obliques, because of my two babies-I NEED IT-but now also I really would like them to be a lot more toned so my tummy isolations and belly rolls will look better.
Ya know-it may sound goofy, but I have actually thought of maybe applying for like a "bellygram" type job when I get to my goal weight, and my dance skills are perfected...
Well, I better go-my son is awake from his nap! Have a good day ladies!
Aphil

Hey all, I'm BACK!
I was in California for a week, and oh boy, did I fall back into old patterns. I now realize that my dad and mom are the main reasons why I eat so poorly -- for example, on Sunday, my dad insisted that we go out to brunch before my bf and I left, and he made us go to a buffet that had nothing a la carte because... well, he HAS to go to buffets, I guess. And of course, since it was $32 a plate, I felt obliged to eat as much as possible. And even worse, there was cheesecake...

Anyway, now I'm back in the land of the cold, and all excited to get back on track. I hope you all are well -- lots of posts while I was gone! Hi to all the newbies! :)

$32 a plate for buffet?!!!!! Did your dad crash somebody's wedding? ha ha ha
Aphil