Support Groups - #165 10 lbs at a Time: Losing Our Way to Valentine's Day

Hey guys! I started a new thread because our last one was 6 pages long - I thought maybe it was time...

Grandma G. - Good for you for getting back on the treadmill and keeping with it. Normally when I go a day without exercising, I have trouble getting back into the swing of it.

Dahlia - Congrats on the 4 pound loss!!! You go girl!!!

Hope everyone else is doing well. I didn't lose this week in pounds, but I did in inches. I could actually get a pair of size 12 jeans around my waist and zip up 1/2 way! I am down from a 16! So that is pretty exciting....

I also am starting to feel more attractive again - I got a new haircut, and dyed my hair brighter red than normal. I have gotten alot of compliments.

Talk to you soon!

Just bumping this one to the top....

:dizzy:

Hi everyone,

Toronto was freeeeezzzzzing cold. We were at the International Gift Show. We are selling beautiful copper "Wind Wonders". They are garden ort that hang in trees or on verandas and spin in the wind. They have been available in the states for about a year and this is the first time in Canada. The buyers were very excited and we did well. We sold to garden centers, gift shops, art galleries etc. It was lots of fun and completely different than what we each ordinarily do.

Congratulations, Cat on the wonderful addition to the family. It is so exciting to have a baby in the family.

Pam, you are so close to goal. That is soooo exciting! I am impressed with how organized you sound. It is great when things click right along. You have worked so hard and deserve it all.

Meigg, you are doing so well. Those size 12's will fit in no time and you won't even have to breath in to zip then up :D

Grandma, good job on the treadmill. I missed four days this week being away and I reallly miss it. I love being able to walk everyday. I sleep so much better. Your motivation comments are great for me. I just right back at it after I read them.

Hey, Dahlia, I just need to have people contact too sometimes to perk me up and get me back on track. Keep dropping in here and we will be here.

I go to weighin tomorrow and don't know how it will go but will report back.

Have a great evening everyone,
Karie

Hi all,

Karie I'm so glad the trade show worked out so well. Sorry the weather was so cold but it wasn't much better here. Sunday we awoke to the sound of freezing rain. Silly me forgot that this morning and waltzed off to work only to remember when I saw the windshield was caked solid with ice. Ahh what a refreshing way to start the day :) Alberta...gotta love it...

Meigg, how exciting for you! Keep up the great work.

Grandma G, I love your attitude and I know good things will come of it.

Dahlia, I'm sorry you weren't feeling well but am sending you a big get well hug.

Had another good day today. Work was a pain in the butt this morning but I talked myself out of a big mad so I was proud of myself. I am slowly learning to get my temper/stress under control. The St. John's Wort isn't hurting either :) Got my workout in, stayed within points and got supper ready for the crockpot for tomorrow night's supper as it's a class night.

Was disturbed by a phone call from my best friend who is currently having some marriage problems. It always hurts when you can't just magically fix things for the ones you love. Say a prayer with me that time, common sense, cool heads and long talks will help them work this out.

Well I guess I best get ready for bed as 5:30 comes way too early.

Cat, hope you're doing alright and haven't bought out the stores yet for that new bundle of joy :)

Take care all and I'll check in tomorrow.

Pam

Hi Ladies...Pam i've quit buying for now ;) i went out to post my first parcel off today :D thought i'd better keep it on the small side because often times the postage costs more than the items themselves :lol: i alway's take a deep breath after saying "Send that Air Mail please" :lol:
I'm totally off program :mad: i don't know what happened to suddenly give me this 'can't be bothered' attitude :lol: i have'nt exercised for 5 days and i hate that because once you break the routine it is so hard to get into it again :rolleyes: and i'm eating like a :ink: i don't know about being a Grandma..you would think i'm eating for two :lol: i've got to get back on track tomorrow..at the moment it seems that one bad choice sets me off on a day full of bad choices.

Morning,
Hey, Cat I know what you mean about starting the day off and then it is soo hard to get back on track. Although I have found thant I can do okay until midafternoon and then suddenly I take a sharp turn to the goodie bag too! Oh well forget that theory.
:dizzy:
I am surprised you didn't mail yourself in that package. I love being around babies! Are they all in England? So hard to be a long distance grandma :(

Pam, great planning! I have weeks that go like that and then something happens and my carefully orchestrated plans go all to ****. Must be a moon thing:dizzy:

It is 8:30 am and I have been to the gym and had breakfast. Lunch is made and I am off to weigh in. I think the lack of water and exercise this weekend may have taken a toll but I need the pep talk of the WW leader to kick start me this week.

Have a great day everyone. Hi to Grandma and Dahlia. One meal at a time. Talk to you all later.

Karie

Yep...they're all in England Karie :cry: it will be so hard to leave when i finally meet the new addition..i'm a bawling mess anyway..
but having to leave the baby will be even worse :(

Great Job on doing the exercise...it's 10.30am here and i'm still sat in my dressing gown watching 'the view' while posting..i made hubby's breakfast..bacon..eggs...mushrooms..tomatoes.. toast..like i usually do and packed him off..i have'nt eaten anything yet :rolleyes: it is so hard to 'want' a sensible brekky when i have to make that six times a week :( but i'm getting used to it now..it used to really bother me cooking all that and not being able to have any :lol: i'm definitely going to treadmill this morning..for some reason once its afternoon the chances of me doing it are nil. :wave:

I did it...got my lazy butt on my treadmill..did 30 mins on the weightloss program and 30 mins on the mountain program :D i'm now sporting a blood blister on my little toe..thanks to the new trainers i bought :rolleyes: but i'm tough..i'll soldier on :cp:

Yay Cathy :cp: :cb: :bravo: Way to go. Focus on a positive step each day!

Karie, good job on getting to the gym. Hope you're meeting went well.

Things here are alright but I"m just not feeling well today so I'm off to bed.

I'll check back in tomorrow. Have a good night.

Pam

Hi ya,

Had a pretty good day although I did gain a bit at WW. I really have to drink water, exercise and eat properly these days to make sure I register a loss. At least I didn't get totally bummed out. I just know I want this more than anything else so off to try another week.

Good work on the treadmill, Cat. I don't have one at home. I am not sure how well I would do at home. When I am at the gym, I don't have any choice really but staying on the treadmill for the full 40 mins. I can get very easily distracted at home.

Pam, I hope you feel better tomorrow. I am glad that you are taking the time to take good care of yourself. Have a good sleep.

Tomorrow is a busy day visiting students in their placements.

I'll check in tomorrow.

Karie

Hi Ladies from rainy Victoria :) Pam hope you feel better soon :D i did O.K. yesterday..no :ink: out's :lol: have planned today's meals in advance so that takes the :chin:"Hmmm..what should i have?" out of the factor :lol: i'm planning on treadmilling once i feed hubby his usual fodder :rolleyes: :nono: i don't know where he puts it..he say's i'm only jealous..i guess i am but on the other hand i bet his arteries don't look as good as mine :lol:

Bump

Hi Ladies,

Just a quick check in to let you all know I am still around. I am doing okay with my treadmill exercise. Was busy and missed yesterday but did good today, 2.3 miles, still trying to work my way up to 3 miles! I really think I might get there eventually:)

Now with my eating I am up and down - Doing good enough to maintain, but not good enough to lose!:?: I know what I need to do but I am not doing it consistantly enough! But today is a new day and I WILL DO BETTER. Just one day at a time, one meal at a time. At least I know now I can maintain - I have developed a new lifestyle of exercise and good nutrition. And I know I WILL NOT go back to my old lifestyle:cb: :cb:

Karie, you are doing so good getting up early and going to the Gym. I don't think I could do that. If I didn't have my treadmill right here I probably wouldn't use it!

Cat, good job, pushing yourself to exercise - It isn't easy- I know! Its too bad your grandbaby is so far away. I am lucky, most of mine are close by. Even so, I really miss the two that are in Florida. We talk to them a lot on the phone. they are 4 and 6.
What will power to fix your hubby's breakfast and stay op!

Good job Meg, before you know it those size 12's will be to big for you! keep up the good work

Pam, so sorry to hear about your friends problems - I pray things work out for them. I hope you are feeling better today. So many people around here are having flu. We had shots and so far have been okay. I hope it continues.

It is still so cold! When I got up this morning at 8:00 it was 17 below 0 Farenheit again. Will it ever warm up. At least it is sunny and beautiful out. I guess that is some consolation.

Well hubby is up and has the coffee made, guess I will go join him for breakfast. :wave: Hi to Dahlia and anyone else I missed. Good luck to all of us for an op day!:lol:

Grandma..you'll soon be walking those 3 miles :D i did 3 today on the weightloss program..that is far enough on that one thank you very much :rolleyes: :lol: i'm doing O.K. foodwise but then i alway's go and spoil it by having a little too much of what i should'nt :lol: oh well..it could be worse i could still be having deep fried fries like i did 4 times last week :yikes: i think i've lost the excess pounds that i gained while i was :ink:ing out for 4 days last week..i'll see in the morning :wave:

Hi girls,

Just a quick check in to say "hi". Things here are going pretty good...I'm feeling better now so that's a relief. Food wise I'm doing not too bad and exercise wise I'm alright but not as good as I could be. I started weight training again though so that always makes me feel good.

I get to baby sit my God daughter tomorrow afternoon so that'll be entertaining to say the least. She'll be 1 years old on the 22nd of January and absolutely into everything! She'll be walking soon I'm sure of it.

Have a good weekend and I'll try to check in tomorrow.

Pam

3 days on my new plan have seen off the extra couple of pounds i gained while being a :ink: last week :lol: so..no loss to report :( i'm sure i will do better next week ;)
Pam..glad to hear that you are feeling better :D Have fun with your Goddaughter tomorrow ;)
I was chopping some kindling this morning and as i picked up the axe..click...i threw my back out :ouch: what a pain :rolleyes: i went on my treadmill but only basic walking..no hill climbing today.

Walked 4 miles today :D the metal :devil: showed a loss this morning..TYPICAL :rolleyes: the day AFTER my weigh in :lol: i'm not trusting it though its a :s: :devil: :lol: i'll wait until next friday and hopefully its correct ;)

Pam are you having a good time with the baby? i have'nt got any pic's from my daughter yet..she must be busy :cry: i tried to call her today but no-one was home..i'll try tomorrow :)

Hey all,

Cathy, you bet I had a good time with Makenzie. She just gets cuter and cuter and busier and busier. She's standing on her own now for about 10 seconds and then she falls on her bum and giggles. Won't be too much longer before she figures out how to move her legs and then look out!

Weigh in today was up...not too scary .8 but I also had Vietnamese last night for dinner so the fish oil may have had something to do with it. Next Saturday shall tell the tale.

Hope you all had a good day. I'm pooped so I'm going to get ready for bed.

Talk to you tomorrow,

Pam

Good morning ladies,

Valentine's Day is less than 2 weeks away. So far I have not done to well toward the challenge aside from being sick and losing some water weight. Starting tomorrow I am re-challenging myself to get down by Valentine's day... yesterday was dh birthday, took him out to supper, then the kids all came over for cake and ice cream later. Today is my youngest dgs's birthday, he turns one.... so more cake and ice cream. So tomorrow I'll start. My birthday is a week after Valentine's day... so I'll allow myself a treat of cake then but otherwise, I have to start being more strict. I used to have such will power.. course I used to be thinner too , and let's face it I used to be lots of things I no longer am...:)

Pam, I bet you have fun with your godchild...we just adore having our grandbabies over.. they are so cute and come out with the funniest things.

How is everyone else doing on the challenge... my biggest goal, and its not really that far off is to get under 200 by spring... I know I can do it.. I just have to get serious.... and quit putting things off.. Grandma G... tomorrow I am heading downstairs and climbing on that treadmill. I know once I get started it will be easier each time... I start back to transplanting on the 17th so I will be out of the house each day.. that will also help.

Hope everyone is having a good day, will check in later.

Dahlia

Morning all,

It's been a busy week. We're spending lots of time organizing and working out details about how the new business will operate.
It's exciting but tough to fit it in while trying to stay on top of my regular job.

The scales made me crazy this week. Of course it could be because I haven't broken my habit of jumping on every day at the gym. One day I went in and it said I was up 2 pounds! I was bummed out all day and then the next day I went on and it was down 6 pounds! I am still hesitant about celebrating since I don't know what to believe. Guess I have to wait for the official weighin on Tuesday.:?:

I went to a great sale at the mall today and bought a sheepskin coat 1 size smaller than I am wearing right now. It was 70 % off and I have always wanted one. I figured it would be good incentive to stay on track. Hopefully it fits before summer :lol:

Pam, it sounds like so much fun with Makenzie. I love when they are at that stage and discovering that they can actually move towards the things they want.

Cat, good job on getting rid of those pesky pounds from last week. I feel like I am wresting with the same 5 poiunds over and over and over again. I feel so good when I am losing but somehow I end up getting stuck in a rut. It's like I am exercising just enough to be able to eat poorly. How weird is that?

Grandma, Hang in there! It sounds like we are in the same place right now. I am glad that you keep checking in with us. I know for me it is a lifeline since I know you all understand this incessant struggle.

I am off on a road trip with DP. I am packing carrots and grapes and water to be sure I don't go back to my old chips and licorice for the road.

Have a good few days. I will be gone until Wednesday. Have a good week everyone.

Karie

Hi guys! I don't know where I have been the last few days, but it is good to see the board has been active! Sounds like everyone is doing really well - and that is great!

I only lost 1 real pound this week, but now I am at a solid 180. I have weighed that 3 days in a row, so I feel confindent about it.

I also am continuing to lose inches. I lost another .5" in my waist and hips this week (nothing in my bust :( ).

Anyway - keep up the good work you guys!!!!

I will check in tomorrow....

Meg

Meg..won't be long now before you hit the 170's...Yaaayy!
Karie..hope you have an enjoyable trip :)
I weighed in again this morning and i think i'm winning :cp: i'm down 2.5lbs from where i got to and 4.5lbs from where i binged myself to last week :dizzy: hopefully i will stay on the slippery slope to my goal :lol: i'm cheating too..i can't follow this plan to the letter as i can't get a lot of the thing so i substitute a lot..i let myself go friday and saturday (hey, a girls gotta live ;) right Pam?) i had two homemade trifles yesterday..a curly wurly choc bar and a mars bar :rolleyes: (just because hubby was!) a couple of mint creme cookies and a beer :o thank god the treadmill is on my side.

I'm with you Cathy :) I find I'm tweaking WW more and more too and not trying to obsess about staying within my range. It really stresses me out so as long as I'm within a few of the top of my range I don't worry. I also know this is why my losses have slowed down but I'm happy and I feel good. I seem to be holding steady at 153 and that okay with me. I'm not giving up but I'm going to up my exercise a bit and see if that gets the old scale moving again.

I had a good time Friday night out with my friend even though we both ate too much but hey I don't get to go out very often so I best make the most of it...right Cat ? :)

Meg, great job. I'm so happy this plan seems to be working so well for you.

Dahlia, you will do it..I know you can. Life's been pretty hectic for you as of late so don't obsess too much about the scale. You are still making healthier choices for you and that's always a step in the right direction.

Grandma G, great job on the exercise. You guys make me look terrible...but I'll catch up to you :)

Well back to homework. Yah. Karie I know you probably won't read this but I hope you have a safe road trip.

Pam

Hi guys -

Cat - GREAT job on the weight loss - way to go!!!!

Sammy - do what works for you. I agree - maybe by exercising more and not obsessing about the points you will still lose - and be less stressed.

I forgot to mention in my last post that I interviewed for a new job on Thursday. I lied and said I had a dr. appt. On Friday, 2 of the 3 partners said, "So, I hear you had a dr. appt yesterday. How did THAT go?". I am worried I am going to get fired tomorrow - or laid off. But my husband doesn't think so. They lowered my salary $15,000. They are getting me for a song (at least that is what he thinks). And, he says it is fine if they get rid of me - I would still get 9 months of unemployment - which isn't much less than I am getting now - and be free to look for a job without lying!

I would appreciate good thoughts and prayers that I don't loose my job tomorrow. I am very worried about it. I know that Dan and I would be okay if it happened, but I am still nervous about it.

I will let you know how tomorrow goes.

Meg

Meg..don't worry about it :) even if they know that you went for an interview what can they do about it? they will have to come up with some good excuse to let you go and applying for another job is'nt one of them :lol: they can't prove that you were not ill can they? just tough it out ;) i know in England that you have to be given two verbal and three written warnings about your conduct before they can fire you..is there anything like that there?
My Attitude would be "You can whistle Mate!" :lol: after what they have done to you.

Meg,, you didn't say you were ill, you said you had an appt.. and you did, it just wasnt' with a doctor of medicine...:) after the way they have treated you, I'd not worry about what they think.. and I doubt they'd do anything to lose you.. they'd be fools to... they are getting you for a song.. I agree with your hubby.. you are to good for them.. good luck on your interview... sounds like you need a new job...

Did pretty good today considering I had more cake and ice cream.. but only one piece of each, so nowits on to healthy food, I have been doing good in that respect right along.. getting better every day...

good night all, will check in tomorrow...

Dahlia

Meg,

I know it's easier said than done but really, try not to worry. Dan is right..they've got you for a song and they know that you aren't going to put up with this forever so I'm sure that even if they have figured it out they can't be surprised. Cathy is right, in Canada too they have to have two verbal and three written report before they can let you go. You'll be fine. Be sure to post tomorrow and let us know what's going on.

Night everyone :)

Pam

Morning Ladies...i was up really early this morning..could'nt take it anymore :lol: my husband's SNORING i mean :yawn: i spend half the night punching him in the ribs..legs..stomach :lol: trying to get him to stop..sometimes i dig him that hard that he wakes up and say's "What?" so i tell him i'm sick of listening to him snoring and he always say's "I don't snore" Grrrr :mad: i've got news for him :drill: HE DOES. I like the view at this time of the morning..the mountains are black and the sky above them is almost terracota in colour with grey clouds in the sky..it makes it look like a 3D image..really pretty :) Hope i get some energy to exercise later..right now i can't stop :yawn: ing.

Good morning ladies,

Well, here it is not even 11 yet and I am already starving. I had a bowl of cheerios for breakfast at 8, and orange at 10.. now can't wait till lunch.. think I'll have an early lunch and go from there. Oh, yes, I walked for 20 minutes on my treadmill.. it only goes one speed, dh fixed it, well sort of.. it wasn't going at all. and the speed is quite fast, so my legs were like jelly when I first stepped off it :dizzy: but will soon adjust I hope. At least I was moving.

Not much to say. Just thanks for the encouragement from all of you. I have to find my will power and put my stubbornish to work.

ok well hope everyone has an *op* day.. as we take this one meal, one day etc. at a time.

Dahlia

Good morning everyone! Well - good news - I weighed in at 179 today - now if I can just stay there. For the last 3 days I weighed in a SOLID 180, so I can tell I am losing!

I also took my measurements again, and am down 1/2" in my waist and hips each from last week. I couldn't be happier!

I am going to join the gym tonight (if I remember to stop there on the way home from work).

The receptionist called in sick today, so I am the receptionist. I was happy to do it - I knew it would mean that I wouldn't get laid off today. Now, if I can just make it thru tomorrow, I will know for sure!

Meg

Hi Ladies,

I hadn't walked over the weekend for various reasons, so I decided I had better do a good job this morning and I went 2.5 miles on the treadmill, the furthest I've ever walked in one session (slowly working my way up to 3 miles). Well when I went to post it on the exercise challenge board for my Valentine's day challenge of 50 miles, I discovered they had closed the thread!:?:
So if no one minds I will continue it here until Valentine"s day.

MY GOAL IS TO WALK 50 MILES BY VALENTINE'S DAY - AT LEAST 0NE MILE A DAY - I STARTED ON 12/31/02.

2/3/03 2.50 Miles in 58 minutes - A TOTAL OF 48 & 8/10'S MILES TO DATE.
2/5/03 1.20 miles in 32.20 minutes - Having more trouble with back and hip, so am slowing down a bit. Some walking is good no matter what the problem.
2/7/03 1.60 miles in 41.33 minutes - kept it at a slower pace today. I will try to walk at least 40 minutes, without worrying about speed.

Last weekend was the longest I had gone without getting on the treadmill - 3 days in a row - up until then I had only missed about 3 or 4 days, scattered throughout the month, missing only one day at a time. So it was very important that I got right back on this morning, before missing became a habit! :nono: :nono:

:cp: Good job Cat with the loss. Just keep at it and don't give up. You are doing great with every good choice you make. Forget about the bad ones but just keep trying to make more good ones. One meal at a time, one choice at a time! That is all any of us can do. It's a constant challenge.

Cat I understand your problem with the snoring, but in our house I am the problem:lol: However, my husband tells me losing weight has made a big difference! That view sounds awesome and well worth getting up early for.

:dance: Good job with the diet Meg, Just keep doing what you are doing and try not to get stressed about your job. Prehaps it would help to do a little research on your situation. ONLY FOR YOUR OWN INFORMATION. Try and find out what other people in other companies are being paid for the same job description, and whether there are many jobs in that field existing in your area. The want ads might help with that information. Why the company cut your salary. If they did it with all employees it may have been an effort to save the company from going under. If that is so, is this just a problem with your company or are all simuliar companies in your area having the same problem. (The answers to these questions would tell you whether it would be worth while looking for a simular job with another company) I think you said early on that at one point you had almost no work to do and kept expecting to get laid off. If I am remembering right, could the pay cut have been an effort to avoid laying you off.

Then on a personal basis, answer the following questions ONLY TO YOURSELF - is this the only field you are trained for or could you look for a job in another field? How important is the salary to your family lifestyle. Of course you would have the unemployment for a while, but if you don't find another job in that time, would you still be okay? Have you ever talked to your employer openly about the situation. Of course in expressing your dissatisfaction, you would have to be prepared to lose your job, because they might not take it well! especially if they were trying to keep from laying you off, so I am not suggesting you do this! This is not advice, only some suggestions for assessing your situation before you do anything. And I pray you don't lose your job until YOU ARE READY. It may not be a good idea to lie to your employer, because it might hurt you in your next job. Couldn't you just tell them you have an appointment, without telling them who with? You have probably already thought of all these things, and I am certainly no expert on the work force, having not held a job with an employer since I started my family. Good luck to you Meg with your job search!

:wave: Hi to Karie, hope you are having a good road trip. And hi to Dahlia, Pam and anyone else I missed. Good luck to everyone for an op day

:cp: Yaaayy! for Grandma..you are hot on my heels :lol: i used the user program on my treadmill today for a change :D and boy does it ever shake things up..my face was like a little tomato when i'd finished :lol: i start off at 0% incline at a speed of 3mph then every minute the speed and incline increase until i'm at a 15% incline and then i come down again :eek: that one sure burns the calories!
Meg CONGRATULATIONS on reaching the 170's :D

Hey ladies,

I can't believe no one has posted since Monday morning. I wrote a long post last night but then my computer was so slow it wouldn't submit it.. so I just closed it out and it never posted. :(
Anyway, I am doing good, the scale is not moving, but I have decided not to weigh in again until the end of the month. I started a simple exercise routine this morning, I need to work up to more gradually. I have to be real careful with my back, especially with going back to work in 2 weeks. I need to stretch out my muscles slowly, I do a lot of bending at work.

I was reading an article in a magazine the other day about a poll asking women if they would give up one year of their lives to be skinnier, and 67% said NO... life was to precious.. and another guestion was would you give up an hour of sleep each day to be thinner.. that was more receptive...and then another article said that part of a good diet regime was to be sure to get enough sleep.. that we need from 7-8 hrs. a day to be well-rested.. and another said we don't need to drink as much water as stated before cause we get alot from the foods we eat, and another said we should drink our 8 glasses of water plus one for every other thing we drink... :dizzy: boy isn't this fun? :lol

So with that thought I will go to work now, am busy in the office again today. Hope someone posts soon so I"ll have something to read later today...:s: hope all is well with everyone and you are just busy...

Dahlia

Hi Ladies,

Where is everyone? Are you back yet Karie? How was the trip? Hope everything went well.

Did anyone else get the last storm we did? The last two days have been pretty bad here. It warmed up for a while but we got a mixture of ice, rain and snow with high winds. Pretty wild last night but calmed down now and the temperature is going down. We are back down to about 12 F. and they are promising it will go back below 0, The good old north country! You just have to love it to live here.

I am still exercising, but like you Dahlia I have to be very careful with my back. Because of that I have had to slow down a bit. Every time I try to increase speed and distance I start having some problems, but I know the exercise is good for me. I just have to increase more slowly. The increase in speed seems to cause the most problems. Maybe if I stay at a slow speed but keep increasing the distance, I will get there eventually without problems!. I only did 1.2 miles this morning. That brings me to my 50 mile Valentine's day goal. But my real goal is to make myself more physically fit! and to do exercise every day!

I will never catch you Cat - But I wont stop trying! You are doing so fantastic, you are my inspiration - Keep up the good work!::strong:

:wave: Hi to Pam, Lisa, and anyone else I missed - Good luck to everyone for an op day

Grandma G - Congrats on meeting your V-day goal!!!

I am at a solid 179/179.5. I have weighed in that for several days in a row, so I am a believer.

Things have been going well. The place I interviewed last week called again, and they want me to go back. I also got a call from another company as well, so hopefully I will get an offer from one of them.

Hope everyone is doing well and staying warm. This winter in Chicago is REALLY cold!

Meg

Morning Ladies...i was going to post last night but seeing as i was the last one that had posted i thought "what's the point in talking to yourself?" :lol: i took my measurements this morning and i've lost 1" from my Bust..2" from my waist..2" from my abdomen..and 1" from my thighs :D
Grandma.. :bravo: on meeting your V-day challenge and don't worry about the speed..it's your endurance that counts ;) i read that you don't burn any calories for the first 20 minutes of exercise :( i don't know if that is true or not..its like the water..i saw an article last week that you should drink a glass for every pound that you weigh :yikes: i think i saw that on Entertainment Tonight or one of those programs..apparently that is what a lot of film stars do..they can keep doing it :eek: i'm up all night peeing now and i don't drink near enough water :lol: Meg..I'll keep my fingers crossed for a job offer ;) Well..my wifely duties await so griddle hear i come :rolleyes: he must be thinking i'm on strike!
Bacon..Eggs..Tomatoes...Mushrooms and Toast :T
You would think he would get sick of it 6 day's a week..would'nt you? i wonder what he has for a change on Saturday mornings at the restaurant :s:

I weighed in this morning at 178!!!! I actually have broken 180! I NEVER thought that would be possible. It seems I have found a program that works for me. It is about time.....

Anyway, I have a second interview today at the company I got in trouble for last week. Everyone, please focus good thoughts my way - I REALLY need to get out of where I am at!!!!!!

Talk to you soon!

WHOO Meg!!! Awesome news and many congratulations to you! Good luck and hugs coming your way for your interview. Be sure to let us know how it goes!

Pam

I'm in late today..been really busy..i'm shattered :yawn: thought there would have been more to read but "oh well" :lol:

Meg..Congrats on the loss and the new job ;) i'm thinking positive for you :D

Pam i just got your email :D you look fantastic :bravo: i'm so proud of you for sticking with the program so well :) when i join you i'll have to make sure i stay with you this time..no more yo-yoing for me :dizzy:

I got up at 5.30am this morning..cleaned all the kitchen then got the pressure washer out and proceeded to wash all the gutters.. soffit..and deck and there is a lot of deck :rolleyes: then i went to the mall had to pick up a prescription for hubby..i could'nt believe it when she asked me for $250 :yikes: :eek: :( when i got home i still jumped on my treadmill at 5pm :D i'm determined not to miss a workout...unless i'm on my deathbed :faint:

Good Lord Cathy, you go girl. I bet you that you sleep well tonight. I need half of your energy and I'd be set :)

Thanks for the encouragement. If any of you are interested I have so new pics scanned in. I tried to upload it here but it wouldn't go. If you're interested in seeing my before/after photo, send me a private message with your email address and I'd be happy to send it along.

Had a not so bad day today although I did cave into Wendy's fries. I had a light supper though and ended the day two points over so all in all it could have been alot worse.

I've been working like a fiend this week to get my assignment off for marking so that's why I've been on the quiet side. It's off now so I can play :)

Am going to see my friends from college this weekend. My one friend just received news today that her Mom's cancer has come back so say a prayer for Mary when you're talking to the Guy Upstairs. This time it's in her bladder/kidneys. She battled lung cancer but after a two year remission that blasted disease has come back.

Meg, how did your job interview go today? I'm on pins and needles waiting to hear from you!

Dahlia, how are you doing? I like the sound of resolve in your voice for the upcoming spring. Like Grandma G says, it's a live-it not a diet and small changes will reap rewards over the long run. How is your son doing these days? I hope he is well on the road to recovery. It must almost be time to start getting ready in the Greenhouse eh?

Grandma G, your treadmill work is amazing and I'm quite in awe of you and Cathy. Have you been doing any more commissions for your artwork? Any shows coming up?

I've heard from Karie and she's well just busy with work right now.

Have a wonderful evening, hi to all I've missed and I'll check back on Sunday when I return from Camrose.

Pam

Good morning all,

My friend Milena set me up on her Picture Trail album so here's the link if you want to take a look :)

http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?p=999&gid=1675670&uid=880625

Hi Ladies,

:bravo: CONGRATULATIONS MEG, We all knew you could do it! Sometimes it takes a while to find the right program for each of us, but it looks like you have found yours. Keep up the good work! I hope your job interview went well.

I just got off the treadmill and I walked for 41.33 minutes for a total of 1.6 miles. I have decided to try and walk at least 30 min. a day at a comfortable pace and not worry about increasing speed. I will slowly increase my time on the treadmill, and hopefully get benefit that way. I don't have the physical ability to work out at a pace to really affect a weight loss, but I will get benefits from it anyway with toning and better circulation, and hopefully lower cholestoral. I know it is important that I do it no matter what the results!

Cat you are amazing. You are my inspiration, keep up the good work! WHAT ENERGY.

Pam, You are doing so well, you too are my inspiration - I can just imagine how wounderful you look. I had the scales move this morning. FINALLY Down one more pound - a little progress - I was beginning to think it was stuck! All that cheating during the holidays wasn't worth it. It really set me back on my program! NEVER AGAIN!:devil:

Pam, I was so sorry to hear about your friends mother. I will keep her in my prayers. I know how terrible cancer can be. My dil lost her mother last summer to cancer. My sil just came home from the hospital yesterday after having triple by-pass surgery for her heart, and we just got word that her husband was taken to the hospital during the night with chest pain. He also has a history of by-pass surgery. So please keep them both in your prayers.

Yes Pam, we have a juried show opening on Tuesday night. Both my dh and I were accepted. Mine are two oil paintings from my Historical Home Series and his are two photographs. I just finished writing out the labels for the show. I write them out by hand and it's a big show - 114 pieces. I have a couple of commissions to finish up, but I am not taking any new ones right now.

:wave: Hi to Karie, Dahlia and anyone else I missed - Good luck to everyone for an op day

Pam- OH MY GOODNESS! Those photos are AMAZING!!!! You are such an inspiration to all of us. You show that it really can happen to real people. You give me so much hope!

Grandma G- I think your treadmill plan sounds like a great one. Don't push the speed, but increase the time. It makes perfect sense to me.

Well, the job interview went so well they asked me back AGAIN. I asked for a vacation day, and hopefully I will be able to schedule multiple interviews at that company for the same day. I also have to sign a form that allows them to do a background check - okay, that is a little scary!!!!

I weigh in everyday, and today I am another 1/2 lb. down - to 177.5. I know I will fluctuate up and down, but I just want to die I am so excited. My boss even commented on my weight loss yesterday. And the clothes I bought from Target at xmas are now looking really big - especially the shirts. I am wearing the size 12 pants again because I am so excited!!!!!

Hope everyone is having an OP day!

Meg

Pam your pictures are really big :eek: when you said in your email about taking a look i scrolled down the screen and your's and hubby's heads filled the whole screen :lol: i had to scroll down bit by bit to see your NEW BODY ;) :lol: hope you have a great time with your college friends :) have they seen the new you? or is it a surprise? they will be blown away if they have'nt..you might have to nudge them and say "Hey! its me..Pam" :lol:
Meg..congrats AGAIN on the weightloss :D
Grandma..congrats on the weightloss to you too :D any exercise is good...you don't need to run a marathon to get results :)
Well..hubby is waiting patiently for brekky while he watches Jerry Springer :rolleyes: so i'd better move :wave:

Good morning ladies,,
where is everyone, no one has posted since the 7th... hope you are all just busy, but I miss reading your posts. So come on, ladies,, take a minute to check in and let us know how you are doing....

Today the sun is shining but it is only 10 degrees F. here. We have lots of snow.. I am going to church in a few minutes, will take a while to brush my car off.. :) DH is taking me to the show this afternoon. We need to do something once in a while, at least once a week to break the routine..

It's been a productive weekend so far, we got a couple projects completed finally. I am in a creative mood, but have nothing going right now.. that usually happens as I start back to planting, must be a spring thing.

Son is doing so well, he is sketching and starting a painting... he will be leaving us soon, to go back to his own place and get on with his life... I am so happy for that, but I am going to miss having him home. It will be empty here with him gone, since the youngest is also away at college. But my grandbabies come see me a lot. :)

Food wise I am doing ok, but need to do better. I have been reading a lot of articles on ways and things to do. I seem to be doing ok by them.. I just need to tweak this thing to get the scale moving down faster.

Karie, how did the show go? You were going to send me some brochures etc... I'd really like to see what you are doing. Pam I am sure you are getting ready for your sisters wedding, this time before can be so hectic, just remember to enjoy them too. Grandma G. you are doing great, you already reached your miles goal for Valentines Day.. bet you feel good about that... and the rest of you...hello and hope you're all doing fine too.

Dahlia

Good afternoon Ladies,

I don't really have anything to report, but will check in anyway. We got up this morning to a very snowy day. The temperature isn't bad but we received about 3 or 4 inches of snow overnight. We went out to church and breackfast this morning, then stopped at my son's house for a while, it is my dil's birthday. I took over her present and a small heart shaped birthday cake.

It looks like the storm is over. It is getting brighter. Hubby is out clearing the driveway again! We will be going to our highschool granddaughter's hockey game later today. Last Friday night we went to her sisters hockey game. She is in college and plays on a coed club team. They played the University of Vermont and won. What a game! Exciting!

You are progressing so well Megg, You must really be excited. Success seems to motivate you to keep with the program. I know just finally having the scales drop another pound has really made me want to stay focused and on program. I have a doctor's appointment tomorrrow and will have an official weight-in. I will post the results. I hope it matches my scales. I HOPE.:stress:

We hung the art show yesterday. What a job, 114 pieces of art! We weren't sure we had space for every thing, but we did It is the largest show we have had and it is a fantastic show. There are so many exceptional artist in this area. Such a wide selection of styles and media. I wish you all could see it!

Dahlia, I am glad your son is doing so well. You mention he is sketching and starting a painting. Is he the one taking art in college. If he were closer he could enter our show! What is the subject of his new painting?

:dance: :dance: Well I had better get ready. It is nearly time to leave for the hockey game. I hope the roads aren't too bad, it is a 30 mile trip. They were pretty slick this morning.

:wave: Hi to Pam, Cat, Karie and anyone else I missed. Good luck for an op day

Morning Ladies...Grandma..hope you had a safe journey to the hockey game :D i hate driving when the roads are bad :( in fact i won't unless i have to...i have been doing really badly eating wise :( the chocoholic in me has gone berserk :lol: i just have'nt been able to leave it alone this past week..i've had a kit-kat and a bounty this morning and it's only 11am :yikes: when this lot has gone i'll really have to try hard not to buy any more...all the V-Day leftover's will be on sale after next week too..give me strength!
Must see TV on monday is Oprah :D she is doing a show on weightloss success stories :) it looks incredible judging by all the ooh's and aah's of the tv audience :lol: not much planned for today..just cooking..cleaning..exercising and maybe getting on with a couple of projects that i never finished..sanding and painting a captains chair (swivvel) and a coffee table.

Hi again,
Good to see more posts to read this evening... :)
Grandma G. in answer to your question,, yes this is the son who graduated art school with honors....*:) Proud momma...:)
He is working on some paintings for his portfolio so he can send them in for a job interview with a company looking for background art for their video and computer games...it would be his basic job so he could afford to paint his real passion.. his medium is oils and right now he is into landscapes...
Hope your journey today was a good one and your gd did well at her game.

Dh took me to *How to lose a guy in 10 days* it was really good, we both enjoyed it.. laughed so hard... the time flew by.

We have a lot of snow here too... and its been cold. Getting up in the low 20's for a couple days, and the sun actually shone today, so it was quite nice out, and the main roads are bare, they haven't done much on the side roads or country roads, which is what we live on..but we just keep barreling along till we hit the main ones...:) you get used to it after a few years...

Ok. well hope more of you post soon.. take care all and good night.
Dahlia

Hi Everyone.....I'm baaaack!!! It was a great weekend in Camrose with my girlfriends...we drank enough coffee on Saturday to sink a ship and my Lord all I did last night was pee. Whoo doggie! I'm glad to be home though as it has snowed all day and it's so warm that it's just slush everywhere so at least I made it back before it started to freeze.

Had a nice surprise tonight also....a friend of mine who I'd lost contact with about 6 years ago called me tonight and we blabbed on the phone for over an hour and a half. Turns out she's living about 45 minutes away from me now so we're planning to get together to see each other next Thursday so I'm pumped!

I did not so good yesterday food wise but much better today and I know I'll do even better tomorrow. I'm going to watch Oprah tomorrow to check out the weight loss stories.

Sorry not to say "hi" to you all but I've gotta get a move on here. Hope you all had a great weekend and I'll talk to you tomorrow.

Pam

Pam - great news about your friend - how fun!

Well guys, GREAT NEWS: I just got called back for another interview at that same place! I am taking off Tuesday the 18th (I told them Dan and I are going away for a long weekend), and am interviewing with 2 more people. If everyone could focus some good thoughts my way (again) I would REALLY appreciate it!

I am off to a board meeting - I will check in tonight...

Meg

Meg,

Sending good thoughts and a hug your way. I've got fingers, toes and legs crossed that it turns out the way you want it!

Things here are more of the same...back on track so Saturday will show the damage of the weekend. As far as the challenge goes I did at least make my goal of being back to where I was at Christmas.

Have a good day all,

Pam

Well...Oprah was so inspirational that i watched the repeat at 9am this morning :D if anyone saw it what did you think of the lady in the bikini? :yikes: she looked incredible! and the guy that lost 560lbs :eek: i can only imagine what he must feel like :D
Well...i keep sabotaging my progress with chocolate :mad: when i eat what i want chocolate is'nt so much of an issue but as soon as i try to "diet" it is the only thing that i can think about :spin: i've been yo-yoing with the same 3lbs for a month now and i'm sick of it :lol: i've really got to get my act together and start losing ;)
Meg..good luck with the interview :D just how many do you have :?: before they give you a job over there :lol:
Pam..does your friend know about the weightloss? or are you going to blow her mind? :lol:

Hey Cat,

I've not seen her for about 6 years so I'm smaller than I was then by about 20lbs. She never saw me all blown up :) We were talking about it though and it sounds as though she'd had some weight issues after the birth of her 3rd child so at least we've got that one more thing to talk about. I'll let you know her reaction!

Keep your chin up Cathy..you'll do it.

Hi to all,

Pam

Good morning ladies,

We are falling on the wayside,, so thought I'd better post to keep us on the top of the board. Hope everyone is doing well.. I am doing pretty good food wize... it's getting better, and after all this is suppose to be a life change right? it takes time... Monday I'll be back at physical labor at work, won't have time for snacking, only planned breaks which go by fast.. time for a cup of tea and that is about it..but once I start there, spring seems to be bursting out all over:lol: with the plants and all. :)

It is only 9 degrees here F. again.. sure wish it would warm up.. I better find my longjohns for next week.. course one peep of the sun and it warms up fast inside the greenhouses...

Not much going on.. I didnt' reach my valentines day challenge, that is a bummer, but have a good outlook and am feeling good, so even if I am not losing at the moment I am getting healthier.

Hope someone posts soon, I'll check back this evening..have a super op day everyone.

Dahlia

Well Dahlia I am posting. Sorry if it's not often enough but I'm trying :) I know it's so much more motivating when we're all in the groove so to speak.

I'm so happy that you have such a positive mindset. You are so right to think of it in terms of lifestyle change not diet. I just know that this is going to be a year of positive changes for you. I can't believe it's time to start at the Greenhouse already. I wished I lived by you and you could put me in the right direction of things that grow with a minimal amount of work LOL. My green thumb is for the most part, brown :)

Got my latest assigment back from school so with all my marks in so far I'm carrying an 80 in the course. I've got two more chapter, one more assignment and then it's time for the dreaded final!

Weight lifting again tonight and then I have to sneak out and try to get DH his Valentines Day card and a gift. Never seems to be enough time in the day. I love V-Day now as it's the day that DH proposed (6 years ago already)

Have a great day everyone and I'll pop back in tonight.

Hugs to all,

Pam

I lost 2.5lbs overnight :lol: that :censored: scale is driving me :mad: i'm going to give it a good kicking and then throw it in the closet :lol: think i'll forget about it for a bit..keep exercising and then let "him" out again when i hit the 150's :lol: the weather here is beautiful i've already started a lot of plants in mini greenhouses ready to transplant out into the rock garden when it gets warmer..i've started some tomato plants too..i don't like them but hubby does and i hate paying more for tomatoes than i do for beef :yikes: hard to believe that is'nt it? think i'll get some more on the go i want lots of colour out there this year :) it's hard trying to find stuff that the deer won't devour tho' :rolleyes: they don't like stuff that is smelly or tickles their noses :lol:

Cathy, do yourself a favour and get rid of that scale. Your measurements are telling the tale now. I got Erwin to take the batteries out of ours and I only get them back on Saturday mornings for my weigh in. I drive myself insane with that d*mn thing :)

Having a pretty good day. Had a good weight workout last night but must need to increase again as I'm not feeling stiff.

So do any of you have big plans for Valentine's Day?

Talk to you later,

Pam

No plans for me Pam..what about you? i'm definitely getting rid of the scale :dance: and if it behaves i'll let it out once a month :lol: what a good idea to take the batteries out :) that would'nt work for me tho' because i can just see myself taking a battery out of something else just to take a peek :lol: i'll stuff it in the closet..if its right at the back i won't go to all the trouble of digging it out.. well..that's what i keep telling myself :lol:

I, to, spend every morning peeing and stepping on the scale. I HAVE TO STOP! All it does is upset me when it goes up and down. I read somewhere to take all the weights over the course of a week and average them. I guess if I weighed in once a week I wouldn't have to do that!:dizzy:

Happy Valentine's Day to you all. Hope you have a great weekend and remember to do something nice for yourself.

Pam

Happy Valentine's :love: Day to you too Pam :D i weighed in this morning and i've stuffed the :devil: in the closet :lol: i'm not weighing in again until 1st March so i've got a couple of weeks to make a difference..surely i will show a loss in 2 weeks :lol: that's the plan anyway..and then i've got a whole month until my next weigh-in :D

Do you mind if a long lost fat lamb comes back to the fold?? :^:

I received an email from Cathy and realized just how much I missed this thread, so I hope you don't mind if I post again .... thanks, Cat, for the reminder and the invitation to come back :)

All is well and I must admit (fingers crossed and knock on wood) that I have a had a burst of motivation in the recent weeks and have lost just under 10 lbs. I attribute it to rejoining Weight Watchers Online and journaling every morsal of food I eat. I need to be accountable again and so far it is working. Although, I did splurge a bit last night but I stayed within my points.

I am still having a dickens of a time with the exercise but just recently purchased Leslie Sansone's Walk Away The Pounds DVDs and really do like them. I feel more achey doing one mile of WATP than 2 miles on the treadmill. Go figure.

Before I forget, Happy Valentine's Day to all and I hope you enjoyed your day! I have been up for hours and I can exist only so long on no coffee -- so it's upto the kitchen I go. I'll check back in later and Happy Saturday to everyone!

Cat -- 2.5 pounds overnight?? Missing any pillows?!

:D :D

YO! you are cheeky but i like it :lol: great to have you back Terry i'm giggling already :lol: and CONGRATULATIONS on losing the 10..i'll have to move my @ and join you :) i've seen those WATP's vid's at walmart..do they have religious music in the background? :chin: thought i read that somewhere..or did i dream it? :lol: just got your mail in the middle of posting and i just knew it was you :yikes: spooky eh? :lol: i'll check out the 'baby' thread later ;) i'm still waiting for pic's myself :eek: Jacqui bought a new house and is not hooked up to the internet yet..the suspense is killing me ;) i can't stop looking at baby stuff and i've just sent her an assortment of clothes in all sizes..even a little denim dress with baby bum embroidered on the pocket ;) it will be a while before that fits her :lol: think i'll be pinching her and bringing her back with me when i visit them :) did you have a romantic Valentines Day with hubby? i did..well..i did if you count loading a truck up with firewood then unloading it...stacking it and then having a few beers :rolleyes: :lol: my hubby certainly knows how to show a gal a good time :p:

Terry, I missed you!!!! Welcome back!!! Please don't go away again! Gee, can you tell that I missed you :) AWESOME job on the 10 pounds gone. Whoo hoo. I just bought the Walk Away the Pounds tapes last night at Costco and am thrilled to see an endorsement from someone that's using them. Cool.

OMG Cathy, I laughed at your Valentine's Day...it was right up there with mine. Erwin and I went to Costco and then I treated him to dinner at Wendy's :) ( Iwas good and had grilled chicken and we shared the fries). I pulled a big muscle in my back helping him shovel snow the other night so I got a back rub for my gift and then fell sound asleep. It was the 6th anniversay of the day he proposed to me. Tonight we're going to dinner and the show so hopefully I'll stay awake a little longer (wink, wink)

Weigh-in was the same again. I am holding steady at 152.5 pounds and am thinking that this may just be that set point people are talking about. I'm trying to add in more exercise though in hopes that I can get this last 3 pounds off. I guess in the grand scheme of things 3 pounds isn't going to make me look any different than I do now but it's just that it's the number I've been wanting to get to for a whole year! If you guys think I"m being too anal for pete's sake talk some sense into me LOL.

Well off to hit the showers after my treadmill workout and then off for my date with Ervy (don't ask me why I call him that :) )

Have a great day and I'll pop back in later,

Hi to Karie, Meg, Granmda G, Dahlia, and everyone else...

Pam

Hey, we went to a car wash -- the epitomy of romance. But, to his credit, he did get me a gorilla which plays "Come on Baby Light My Fire" -- dream on. Can't blame the guy for trying!

No religious music in the background of the WATP tapes but lots of chatter. What I do is turn off the volume and put a good CD on (my fav at the moment is Brian Setzer Dirty Boogie) and then let it rip!

BTW, what did ya do AFTER the beers?? Inquiring minds want to know! :cb: :s:

Pamaloo!!

I don't think you are anal -- three pounds may not make a difference on your body, but just think what it will do for your psyche. If that's what you want, then go for it!

Ervy's cute -- we'll never snitch that we know his nickname. Well, wait a minute, Cathy's another story! :lol:

Hope you feel better for your date -- I bet he hopes your back is better too :s: . Bad Terry.

Later Gators!

Hello ladies,
Sounds like everyone had a nice valentine's day.. at least you got to spend time with your loved one...:) I got a real romantic card and a gorilla that sings Love..the Love light up as he sings L is for,
:love: and the 0 is a heart. etc... it goes with last years gift of a couple of gorillas singing I got you babe.. yup its sonny and cher's voices. anyway it's cute and has a special meaning for the two of us, so is really romantic in our own way...:dance:

I put a rinse in my hair this morning, which is naturally brunette, the color I put in was dark auburn brown.. but :faint: :hot: it came out flashing red.... now red is a pretty color,, but I am not used to it....will wait a few days then do a plain brown to it.. hope it tones it down.... and worse part is we are going out to dinner tonight with 2 other couples.. I wanted to just hide the gray on top... well now I did it...:yikes:

I am ready to start planting on Monday.. it will be nice and warm inside the greenhouse, if the sun shines.. which I think it's suppose to.. so I can pretend it's spring...:flow1:

Nothing much to say.. welcome back cool mom.. I didn't post when you were on before, but am looking forward to getting to know you.

Pam, you are so close...you give us all inspiration... go for it girl..
you can do it... how many pounds have you lost total? and how long has it been since you began? And yes I am writing a book...:bravo: :cp: :cb:

Well, got to go find something to wear that will go with red hair.. don't think any of my purple outfits will work..:doh:

Have a good evening, catch ya all later.

Dahlia

Terry..made Dinner then went to bed.. :nono: to sleep :rolleyes: and i did'nt get a :censored: massage :lol: i could do wi' one tho' i'm stiff as a board this morning :lol: Awww Terry you could at least "try" and light his fire :s: :lol: i'm in a lazy do nowt mood today thanks to those beers :yawn: suppose i'd better psyche myself up tho' cos i've a lot of windows to clean not to mention a few miles to walk.
Pam..yeh..you go for your goal..you'll get there..i just know it :D you know..i was saying to Terry (in mail ;) ) what a great job you have done and she reminded me of how we used to have to 'coax' you into taking the dogs out for a walk :lol: that seems such a long time ago now does'nt it?
Dahlia..had to laugh at your hair story..funny how it never turns out like the picture on the box :spin:

Oh my goodness I totally forgot about how lazy I used to be. Man oh man I was reading through one of my old journals and it constantly amazes me how many excuses I could come up with and how many ways I could justify a bad day. Wow...I'm growing up. Whoo scary.....

Dahlia, I wish I could see your hair! I love Red and I'm sure you look Foxy! Have fun tonight with your friends and enjoy the change. To answer your question I have lost a total of 54 pounds and it took me a year and a smidge to do it. I am so thankful that WW clicked for me and I always ask myself before trying something if it's something I can do for 30 years and if the answer is no then I try to find something else that I can live with for life.

Okay, now I'm really heading out with Erwin to the show. We're going to see the matinee of "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" and then off to an early dinner at The Outback. That place is terrific but oh so not diet friendly. I've got my plan though.....Erwin gets 3/4 of the bread, I get my salad without cheese or croutons and dressing on the side and then I ususally order either the Chicken on the Bar B or tonight I might try their Shrimp Griller if it's available. Send me "stay strong" vibes.

In case I haven't mentioned it lately you girls all mean alot to me and I'm thankful to come to the boards to find you all here.

Talk to you later,

Pam

Afternoon Ladies,

Dahlia, thank you for the welcome back -- I would love to be a fly on the wall when your friends first see you in your red hair this evening. And, I agree, purple may not be a good choice! Hey, who knows, you just may like being a redhead :). I also look forward to getting to know you better as well.

Pam, wise statement there -- we have to be able to live with whatever plan we choose to lose weight with. Unfortunately, when I lost all my weight many moons ago (53 lbs), I lost sight of that and allowed stress to reenter my life and influence my eating habits again. Hopefully, I am wiser this time around.

We rented (or did I already write that??) "Greek Wedding" last night and it was awesome. Great movie for Valentine's Weekend if I must say so myself! We also saw "Adventures of Pluto Nash" -- not that great but cute. We also recently saw "Bourne Identity" -- now that was one great movie. Enjoy your evening.

Cathy, if I recall, you have a zillion windows in your house to wash -- lots of activity there. I am still in a "do nothing" mood -- I did so much in the house this week that I think I burnt myself out. When I was pregnant, they used to call all that activity "nesting" (cleaning house, closets, etc), now when I am menopausal, I think it's called "nuts."

Anyway, let me at least get dressed before DH comes home from work so he won't be calling me "Peg Bundy."

Have a great evening ladies and see you all later.

Always, Terry

Just stopping by to say good morning -- wake up sleepy heads! :yawn: We had a quiet evening -- went out to dinner but just had French onion soup and we split a 1/2 carafe of wine. Then we had another big date -- Walmart this time :spin:. Can't stand all this excitement.

I did eat a piece of cold pizza last night too :^: . When I think of what I didn't eat though-- cheese curls were calling BIG TIME, as well as the cashews and Pepperidge Farm cookies -- it was a successful evening food wise.

Looks like we are getting some significant snow tomorrow unless they changed the forecast while I slept. We havn't had a winter here in New England like this in a long time and I love it -- cold, bitter cold and lots of snow!

OK, off and running --- to make the coffee!

Up and attem everyone :cb:

Terry :)

Good morning Ladies,

Well, the sun is shining and its a lovely day.. it started out at minus 6 and now is a warm minus 2... at least its heading in the right direction.

Well, I know you are all dying to know what everyone thought of my hair... sooooo...:spin: I won't keep you in suspense any longer. After I washed it a couple more times.. it wasn't so bright, but it still was definitely RED.... but my husband loves red hair..:hot: so he loved it... he wants me to keep it like this..and the others thought it looked nice too.. so I guess I am a red head for another 24 shampoos anyway... :)

Dinner was at Applebee's. I had the new orange chicken stir fry. Had been seeing it advertised on tv for a couple weeks, It was delicious.. I bit spicy though... not sure what is in it to be spicy, but my mouth was tingling.. good excuse to drink my mucho bahama mama. A combination of pineapple juice, orange juice and caribbean rum... mmmmmmmmm:cp: We had a blast. Hadn't laughed so much in months. Felt really good. And I feel fine this morning too. ready to start back to work tomorrow and to really buckle down:jig: and get going on my changing of my ways.

Hope everyone has a super duper op day, will catch ya's later.
Dahlia:cb: :cb:

Good Morning All,

Well yesterday afternoon's date was awesome. The movie we were going to see wasn't playing anymore so we wound up going to see "Chicago". Excellent movie but don't see it if you don't enjoy a musical. It was very entertaining.

Terry, congrats on saying no to Cheese Puffs; those things are so addictive. yet another food I cannot have in the house. Darn trigger foods :) Hope you're enjoying your coffee. I've had mine and am now getting ready to go tackle Safeway and get us some vittles.

Dahlia, I'm so glad you had such a good time and I just knew that your hair would be a hit. Laughter feels so good doesn't it?

Well I guess I better get a move on. Have a great day ladies and I'll check back in later,

Hi to all,

Pam

Hi Ladies,

I was just reading some of the postings. It is good to see so many posting again. Welcome back Terry. Good job with the 10 lbs. Congratulations!

I was a little discouraged after my doctors appointment. The last time I went to the doctor, I had lost more then I thought, this time it was less. 3 pounds less. But my appointment was late in the afternoon, and I have been checking the scales and find they go up in the afternoon - so I am going to ignore it and just continue on like I have been. Even by his scales I had lost another 14 lbs since my last appointment, so I am definately going in the right direction!

It sounds like everyone had a good Valentine's day. We spent the day driving to Lake Placid to enter two of my paintings and two of dh's photographs in a juried show. We took another couple with us and we stopped for dinner after at a beautiful restaurant in the Adirondacks' where the whitetail deer yard up for winter. There are big windows all around the restaurant and as you eat you can watch the deer roaming around in the woods outside. We had a lovely prime rib dinner. I could have done better with my eating but I didn't have desert and only had water and decafe coffee with diet sweetner for a beverage. However I did splurge with one roll! On Saturaday we went back up into the adirondack park for the "Sweetheart Breakfast", put on by the Christain Men's Group. We go every year, and it is always a good time. After breakfast we have prayer and singing, then the men all sing "Let Me Call You Sweetheart" to their wives. Again, I could have done a little better with my eating. I splurged and had one link sausage and a small piece of banana bread that I shouldn't have.

This has been one of the coldest winters we have had in years. This past few nights the temperature has gone to -15, -22, -30 and -28 farenheit. And it hasn't warmed to much over 0 during the day. The morning we went to the breakfast, the town where it was held, had -40 that morning! You have to be tough or crazy to live in this neck of the woods. My dh is talking about moving to FL.
:lol: He has lived in this town all his life, I didn't ever think I would hear him suggest leaving it. But, I am sure he will forget all about the idea come spring. Whatever happened to that idea of GLOBAL WARMING! That is all they talked about last year when we had a mild winter:lol:

I have been really slack with my exercise. I completed my 50 mile Valentine's day challenge, and I haven't done anything since. So I had better get with it again. I will have to give myself a new challenge! I didn't meet my Valentine's day weight loss challenge. The gain over the holidays messed me up and set me back, but it wont stop me!

Have fun Dahlia with your new look! I will bet you look great as a red head.

Meg, did you get that job, you have been interviewing for? I hope so.

:wave: Hi to Pam, Karie, Lisa, Cat and anyone else I've missed. Have a great day and an op week.

Hey Peg..i guess i'm nuts too then :dizzy: cos' i'm definitely NOT pregnant :lol: i've think i've got 'spring' fever early cos i'm in a turn everything upside down..clean with a toothbrush frame of mind ;) you're right Terry i have got a lot of windows in this house :eek: 4 patio doors and 41 others (if i've counted them all :lol: ) big 'uns and medium 'uns :dizzy: and it sure gets hot in here when the sun is shining..we see the sun from sunrise to sunset so that is nice :D

It sounds like you all had an enjoyable Saturday :D the highlight of mine was watching Heartbeat while hubby snored in the background :rolleyes: I think i'll start calling him "my present husband" or "husband No 2" to keep him on his toes :lol:
Pam you are so good for planning your meal ahead like that ;) i'm afraid that i would have eaten every goody on the menu :lol:
Dahlia..bahama mama sounds like my kinda drink :T maybe you should adopt the name to match your new red haired image ;)

I did'nt exercise yesterday :( was too sore and had to many other things to do to be bothered...i'm still a bit sore today so i must have had a good work-out on friday with all that wood flinging :lol: the truck is full so there's more to stack and hubby said last night that he thought i would have gone down to the workshop in the truck because he has more wood to shift..Hint-hint :rolleyes: what do they say "no rest for the wicked" so i must be a real :devil: :lol: :wave:

Just watched 'Taking it Off' which was'nt on last week for some reason :?: Shawna was on a drinking and eating binge and that other poor girl has just found out that she is pregnant :dizzy: makes me think there is hope for me :lol: the others are doing great..especially the guy on the 'body for life' program...Cathy is a hoot..putting vodka in her health drink :lol: i'm sure we'd get on like a house on fire :s: i can't stop grinning when she is on :D

If DH had his way we'd eat out every night -- just came back from Ruby Tuesdays and I just had a salad and Diet Coke. We took Chris (17 yr old son) and one of his friends and tried not to stare too long at their huge platter of appetizers which they devoured in a New York minute.

Rented Banger Sisters and you should have seen the line at Blockbuster -- at least 50 people in front of me -- took 30 minutes to check out. Huge snowstorm coming tomorrow so I guess everyone watches movies. We only went in because Chris wanted to buy a video game.

Grandma, I know, the last few years all they talked about was Global Warming and El Nino and the fact that we'd never have normal New England winter again. Go figure. Of course, it's not as cold here as in your neck of the woods!

BTW, what a beautiful visual I had of you at the restaurant watching the deer amidst a snowy landscape. Talk about serenity ....

Dahlia, Bahama Mamas are definitely awesome -- they go down so smooth :dizzy: And, yes, Cat, definitely up your alley! I think it's wonderful that your hubby enjoyed your new look -- and they say women are unpredictable! Perhaps the teriyaki had a lot of ginger in it -- that could have made it spicy. Glad to hear you had a ball.

Pam, I definitely want to see Chicago -- I have heard so many good things about it. Not a big fan of CZJ but love Renee Z. My Big Fat Greek Wedding is worth buying as it's out in video and DVD now. A fun movie!

Howdy Cathy -- between washing windows and stacking wood, your arms must be aching big time. Never heard of that show (I know, sometimes I think I live in a bubble) but sounds interesting to say the least (especially the vodka in the health drink!).

Well, time to check email and what I am selling on eBay. Chris had a bunch of friends over all day ( we call them his crew) and this is the first I was able to get to the computer. Oh well, at least he's not roaming the streets ....

Later gators!

Terry :cool:

Wake up, it's Monday! Getting tons of snow -- up to 2' -- between today and tomorrow. Be careful what you wish for?? Not! :dizzy:

Chris wanted to buy a video game last night so we went to Blockbuster -- it looked like a hurricane had blown through. I stood in line right away as the checkout had over 60 people in it already. I figure everyine either makes babies (birth rate always rises after extreme weather and national disasters) or watches videos -- can't birth no more babies so it's the Banger Sisters for me today.

Ok, time to watch the snow fall -- love winter!

Have a wonderful and safe Monday and I'll check back in later.

Love, T

PS: snacked a bit last night :^: but today's a new beginning!

Morning Ladies :wave: god..this system is painfully slow today :( Terry..what are you selling on Ebay? i'm just being :nose: and you never know 'we' might want to buy something ;) do you want to trade Russ? it was Dec 21st the last time i was taken out for a bite to eat :lol: or taken out period come to think of it :( going to walmart does'nt cut it..even tho' i'm sure hubby thinks it does :lol:
and he's never with me anyway so that does'nt count!
I walked 3 miles yesterday even tho' i was'nt in the mood and was going to give it a miss..AGAIN! anyway, once i got going i quite enjoyed it ;) i'm going to try really hard to stay on plan from today..the next weigh-in for me is 1st March so i've got exactly 12 day's to show a loss :) i've thrown the metal :devil: in the closet and even tho' i wanted to hop on this morning to check my weight for the umpteenth time..i resisted..so he can sulk until March 1st :lol:

Pam..i've only just seen your link to your friend's website..don't know how i missed that :dizzy: the pictures are amazing :D have you still got those shorts? you should take a pic with you wearing them holding them out ;) maybe you can fit Ervy in there with you now :D ;)

Hello ladies,
Hope every one had a great weekend. Well, my first day back at the greenhouse was exciting.. if you are squemish you may not want to read any further...:fr:

There is poison out for the rodents, so they don't sneak in and eat our baby plants... well this morning, when I walked in I saw some on a tray near the front door. I told DH he probably should pick it up and move it... cause I take my dogs to work with me.
Well, they are both 10 yrs old and have been going to work with me all their lives. Anway, at break time, I noticed the tray was still there but it was empty. I asked everyone if they had removed the poison but no one had.. so we figured one or both of the dogs must have eaten it.. now there was a huge chunk and some small pellets on the tray.. We tried to determine which one ate it but there were no signs. I called the poison control center and asked what to look for and what to do.. they told me I'd have to pump their stomachs,, well not knowing which dog ate it we had to do both of them... turned out it was the smarter of the two.. guess we had that figured wrong.:rolleyes: go figure.
Well, it worked on both of them.. the smaller one was clean, but the bigger one had it all... Needless to say after that escapade, no one was hungry for lunch.. :crossed: just hope she will be ok.

Am tired but it was a productive day. Wonder what tomorrow will bring.. only working half a day, am babysitting my dgbabies till wed.. starting noon tomorrrow.

Well, going to go make some supper. STill not to hungry..

Dahlia

Hi All,

Dahlia, poor you and Dh and your dogs! What a fright that must have been. I'm so glad they aren't seriously harmed by the poison. Geez they will eat anything won't they? I cannot get over what Tuffy and Toby have ingested over the past two years. Take it easy tonight....

Cathy, I didn't keep the shorts but I did keep a pair of before jeans...I'll have to remember to take that shot one of these days. Should be worth a giggle...

Had a good time out with Milena yesterday but ate too much. Did work out last night though so at least I'm learning to compensate. Am having a very good day today even though TOM is here. Yuck..I hate the way I feel when it comes.

It's a holiday here in Alberta today and I'm having such a lazy day...laundry is getting done and that's about it. Will probably do a tape later today or after supper and then hit the hay.

Hope you all are having a good Monday...

Pam

Morning Ladies...up really early this morning :yawn: i've already had breakfast read a few magazines and planned my menu for the day :) i'm back to counting cals and fat gms..its easier for me than trying to follow a plan that i can't eat certain foods on.
Yesterday i had approx 1300cals and 19g fat..i even went to the mall and came back with a kingsize mars bar for hubby and nothing for me..well..nothing edible :s: i did buy myself some new slippers and a black chiffon blouse with embroidered roses all over it ;) in a smaller size..that's how determined i am :cp:
Dahlia..glad the dogs are O.K. what an ordeal :p might work wonders for the diet tho' :devil:
Pam i for one would love to see the pic of you in your 'before' jeans :) what is the holiday for? does'nt really matter does it? as long as you get the day off..i'm just being a :nose: :devil:
Grrr...where is that Terry? she'd better not be :drill: AWOL again!

CLOSED go to #166...looking forward to Easter :D