WW Clubs and Groups - 50 or More Pounds #54

If you have 50 or more pounds to lose, jump on in and join us! You will be sure to get a warm welcome! :)

Morning!

Just want to say happy end of week to everyone. This week seemed extra long...maybe I am just looking forward to having the same type of weather as everyone talks about. Those strawberries sound wonderful. Makes me really excited about my garden this year. Any one have any suggestions about how to keep the ground hog from eating my vegetbles? My brother informed me that that is why my mother stoppe planting vegetables. Do you think if I put chicken wire areound the plants it will help?

Congrats to you Rebecca on your .9 lb loss! Every step we take in the right direction is a sucess in my book. Let us know how that ab roller works. I am always looking for additional excercises to make that lumpy thing I call my stomache get back into shape. When I was at my top of my weight my middle section was all one big protrusion. But now that I have lost weight, I don't know if it is because I have extra skin, but it almost looks as if someone folded a blanket and attatched it to my middle. It kind of hangs and is really gross. When I was heavier it never hung like this.

And I envy you Saara,eating like a thin person. Haven't picked that up yet.

Gotta run. Have a great day!

Happy Friday, everyone!

Carol - I do declare - Have we made a "southern" girl out of "y'all"! See what happens when you hang around a bunch of girls from the south!

Joyce - I am so glad that Melissa was able to successfully complete the enchilada recipe - complete with the mess to clean up! Did she have anyone interested in purchasing them at school? She sure wouldn't have any trouble peddling them around here!

Not much planned for me this week-end. I am dog-sitting for dd so will drop by and pick up my "grandog" on the way home from work. They are making a quick trip out of town to see her paternal grandmother - her step-mom will be there too, but not her Dad so perhaps the week-end will be "explosion-free". Step Mom is supposed to be bringing part of the wedding favors she has already made. Makes me feel like I should be doing the centerpieces - or something!! :eek: But I think I will wait a few more months - storage is going to be an issue once they are completed! Don't even know where I am going to put the favors she is delivering! Saturday I have to visit the CPA to get my taxes done. I usually do them myself but I don't know how to pay on some property proceeds I got this past year. Easier to pay him to do it than wade through the IRS regs. :p

Wishing everyone a great week-end. Looks like ours will be a nice one - for a change. Only 20% chance of rain Sat & Sun (temps in high 50s) - course that means, we will probably get a deluge instead!

Hey Everybody!

Justliz- The ab roller is torture. No really, it is a great tool so far. I brought it home on Wednesday and like every kid with a new toy, I had to try it out. Well, yesterday I couldn't sneeze, cough, laugh or anything without me feeling it in my tummy. So I hope that means that it is doing something. I did it again with my workout today and I thought that I was just gonna lay on the floor grasping my stomach. :D I guess like they say, no pain, no gain. So I will keep at it and let you know in a couple of weeks if I notice any difference.

Texaslady- Hope you have a great time dogsitting! And enjoy the weather, hopefully the rain will stay away and you can enjoy blue skies!

Not much going on here. Just getting ready for our trip on Tuesday. My dh has some meetings so I am going to travel along! Yeah!! We are going back to the town we moved from, see our old friends, old home, etc. So we should have a pretty good time. I already have my own snacks, breakfast, and water bottle ready to go. Planning ahead so that hopefully I will make good decisions while we are away.

But I better run. You all have a great day and I will talk to you later.

Rebecca :cool:

Hi everyone! I hope you had a good Friday, and that you are looking forward to a pleasant weekend.
Texaslady, I hope you enjoy your weekend with your "granddog". I'm sure you must have said at some point, but I cannot recall- what kind of dog is he? About my "y'all"- after living in Southern MD for 35 years, I can sound pretty southern sometimes! Not as southern as Janet, since MD is a border state, but enough that my PA relatives comment that I've lost my PA "accent"! So what does your dd think the "painted shoes" idea? :lol:
Liz, I don't know if this would work for groundhogs, but I read recently that you can keep squirrels out of your garden by sprinkling baby oil on the ground.
Rebecca, how are the sore abs doing? Be careful you don't pull your back out in the process! I have a torso track thing- I really liked it, but haven't been able to use it since I hurt my back about a month ago. How nice that you'll be able to go on travel with your dh next week! It sounds like fun!
Jan, I sure hope you've been having a wonderful time on your vacation! I'll bet the week has one all too quickly!
Janet, how are you doing? Has your dd goten back from her spring break trip yet? I'll bet it seems lonely without her!
Joyce, great minds do think alike!:D I think Texaslady will look just swell in her painted SAS loafers!
Nancy, Nancy,Kendra and Saara, how are you doing?
This has been a LONG week! On of our nurses decided to go from full time to part time, so I'm working extra hours until we find another part time nurse. And I work tomorrow too. As much as I love my little sweetie, I'm hoping my dd doesn't ask me to babysit over the weekend- my back's feeling the daily 10 and 12 hour days, and I need to just kick back on Sunday.
Speaking of my little sweetie, he went back for his ear checkup Thursday, and the surgeon said everything looks great.
Well, I'd better run. Have a good weekend and a Happy St. Patricks Day, everyone!
Carol :wave:

I better say TOP O THE MORNING today. cuz tomorrow is busy!
I'll have to WI at 7:30 to be ready to travel to Casie's soccer game at 9.
From the soccer game we go to Granddaughter's 8th bday, an hours drive from here, I haven't seen dd and kids for a while so will look forward to a good visit.
I'm leaving early Monday to go to Mothers for a few days. her bday is next Wed. I put all the birthday people in my family on my homepage. they were impressed. I wish Mother could see well enough to be able to see herself on there.
I'm going tonight with Melissa to look for a prom dress.
Shouldn't be too bad. She usually knows just what she wants, she has reminded me that this will be her very last high school dance, so it is "special".
guess I better get going!
:wave:
JOYce

Yeah!! Another HALF pound gone. That makes 7.5 for me!! It feels good making progress. (And the two chocolate chip cookies tasted REAL GOOD, too!)

JOYce, my twin daughters are also turning 8 the end of the month. We are planning a sleepover. Two friends each will still make for a noisy and active night.

Carol, I agree with the others regarding what to wear to your friend's inauguration. A dress with a jacket or bolero jacket is a smart look. A dressy pants outfit with a tunic top is also nice. Look for a dressy fabric or sophisticated print. A nice crinkly crepe is pretty.

Everybody is Irish on St. Patrick's Day, so this Polish-American is ready with corned beef, cabbage and potatoes! I only bought a small beef, as the kids have lost their taste for the "pink meat." They'd rather have kielbasi!!

Have a fun weekend. Try to catch your breath, everyone. It's been a busy week for many of us.

Happy St. Patty's Day!
NJNancy, congrats on the .5 pounds lost!!!! You're doing great!I too am Polish American. I've never been overly fond of kelbasi, but my grandmother used to make the best perogies (with meat, not cheese like the frozen ones are).! They just dripped with butter- I don't even want to think how many grams of fat were in them!:eek: It sounds like your twins are in for a fun birthday!
Joyce, good luck on your weigh in!
Well, I'd better run. I work this morning, and want to hit one of my favorite stores on the way in. They are having a big sale starting at 7AM, so I thought I'd begin my quest for the perfect dress! Thanks ,everyone, for the suggestions!
Hi to everyone, and have a good day!
Carol

Hi everyone!

Carol, I can't believe you were up before me this morning. And you're 7 hours ahead of me!!! I guess I really slept in. I haven't slept in for a long time, so this was nice. I guess I should study for a few hours before heading to work. It's still pretty quiet at the store near my house, so I guess I'll take my books along...

GOOD NEWS: I weighed in yesterday, after a few weeks, and 3.7 pounds was gone! :) My roommate had lost about 1.5 punds, so she's off to a good start. Oh, and I had bought this cool rubberjacket a few years back thinking that it'll fit me soon. And I ended up gaining even more weight after I bought it, but now it fits me! Too bad the weather got too cold to wear it. The snow was already melting and it really felt like spring, but today it's back to 20 degrees. At least the sun is shining.

NJNancy, congrats on the half a pound gone forever! Isn't it just great that now small amounts of goodies taste even better than the huge amounts did before?

Joyce, I hope you had a good WI! Would you mind sending me a PM with the address of your website. I think I lost it when my computer crashed and all the stuff had to be re-installed...

HI Jan, Janet, Texaslady, Rebecca, Kendra, Liz and Nancy!!! Have a great Saturday! Saara.

Hi Girls! I hope everybody is having a great OP weekend.

I thought I had better check in so that you would know that I'm still with you. This has been a strange week, starting on Monday when I was IN a tornado! :eek: I ended up following the kids to Gulf Shores and stayed until Monday morning. I left Gulf Shores in bright, sunny skies but that soon changed. Let's just say that it is an experience that I don't want to go through again. I was just so thankful that Krysten was not with me...or anybody else for that matter. A friend had offered to ride with me so that I wouldn't have to travel alone, but that has never bothered me so I told her that I would be fine. I was really glad that she wasn't with me either. My car and I both ended up being okay, but one man was killed and there was so much damage. I ended up pulling off onto a cut thru in the median where another girl had pulled off and she told me later that the winds had picked her car up off the ground. I know that I had angels all around me...and that I am very blessed. :angel: I definitely have a new respect for mother nature. I think what got to me the most was the totally helpless feeling. Anyway, like I said, that is one experience that I hope to never go through again.

All the kids had a wonderful time in Gulf Shores and are home safe and sound. Krysten even brought money back with her, which shocked me! She also came home with a new addition...a pierced belly-button. She had called and asked my permission, and although I didn't exactly tell her that I approved, I didn't forbid it. A lot of my friends are horrified, but the way I look at it is that there are a whole lot of worse things that she could have wanted to do...or places that she could have wanted pierced! :D She's a good kid with good morals and a good head on her shoulders. I just personally can't imagine having a needle stuck through my navel. She said that it didn't really hurt. Yeah...right!! :dizzy:

I've been trying to lurk and keep up with this active thread, but there is no way that I can respond to everybody individually. The way I ramble on, we would have a novel here...so just let me say that I'm proud of everybody who is doing so well OP. I do want to tell Saara that I'm proud of her for "eating like a thin person." That is something that I look forward to doing, but I'm not quite there yet.

I want to thank Carol and Texaslady for posting their pictures of our get together. I will post mine as soon as I get them developed. Not only did I love seeing them, but they gave me that added push I needed to get back solidly OP. Nothing does that quite like seeing how terrible you look in pictures. In my head, I'm still the much thinner person I used to be, and it's good to have a reality check. That is probably why I avoid having my picture taken. Anyway, I have had a great week and have lost quite a bit already. Now I just have to keep focused for the long haul...but at least I'm back on track.

I had better run, but may try to post again tonight. I hope everyone had a great St. Patrick's Day. My great-grandparents came straight from Ireland, so I'm VERY Irish. NJNancy, I loved your "pot o' gold"... I need to practice inserting images. Of course, I also have a tiny bit of Choctaw/Cherokee in me, so I have quite a mixture. That is all just on my father's side. My mother grew up in an orphanage and I would love to track my family tree. Do any of you do any geneology research?? I could sure use some pointers. I started doing some searching a few years back, but didn't get too far. Now that my father has passed away, it seems especially important to me.

Y'all have a great (and safe) OP week!

Janet (Kudzu) :wave:

Hi everybody! We're back home from Seattle/Vancouver; had a great time, did lots of walking, and enjoyed the change in scenery.

Janet, what a terrifying experience with that tornado! You certainly had more presence of mind than I would have had; how smart to move into that crossover. I am so glad you were unhurt! Re: Krysten's navel piercing, well, why not? Much better than a tattoo, and not as permanent. I think it's sweet that she called you first, too. I know what you mean about pictures (though I think you looked lovely in the photos). I've hidden from cameras for years, too. But I read somewhere that looking at video of oneself helps motivate weight loss. I think I'll try that so I can get off this long plateau!

Liz, hope you enjoy your seminar next week!

Carol, great news about your friend's appointment. Can't offer any fashion advice, as I am clueless in that area, but the others' suggestions all sound good to me! Glad to hear your sweetie got a good report from his doctor.

JOYce, enjoy your visit with your Mom tomorrow! And way to go, on re-committing to program. You're so right, we only lose when we don't keep trying. Stocking the kitchen with OP goodies is a good plan, too!

Saara, congrats on your 3.7! And on fitting into your new jacket, and *especially* on finding that you're eating like a thin person. That is so great!

Rebecca, way to go on your .9 loss; sounds like you'll make your 10 percent this coming week! And good for you, planning ahead for your trip next week.

Texaslady, have you found your shoes yet? I'm like you, I love those SAS loafers, and seldom wear any other kind. They seem to last forever, don't they?

Liz, we have the same garden problem, only with gophers instead of ground hogs. They will come up from beneath the plants and drag them under by their roots! Seriously! I finally gave up on in-ground gardening, and now grow everything in tubs. Have had much more success! Is container gardening an option for you? Also have heard that some people put hardware wire (or chicken wire) beneath their plants.

NJNancy, congrats on your half pound! I didn't realize you and Carol were both Polish-American. So many of our students are Polish, as we have the oldest continually-occupied Polish settlement in the U.S. right here! They have a lovely church and beautiful rock houses dating back to the mid 1800's.

Nancy in TC, hope all is well up your way!

It's good to be home, but just thinking about this coming week is already stressing me out. Have to drive 150 miles early tomorrow to a meeting that I really don't have time for, as it'll be our first day back from break, and I have so many things to do at work. Oh well! Will try to plan ahead, avoid stress eating, and get my walks in. I need to take a page from Carol's book, and go back to "compulsive journaling" (how descriptive!).

Everyone have a great Sunday afternoon!
Regards,
Jan

i just wanted to say a quick hello, and to give a quick thanks that we are all safe. That tornado story gave me the willies...you never now what the next turn of the road will bring you.

Have to go and pack for the seminar. I have been on pager call all weekend and was so busy I didn't even have a chance to sign on and read all the posts!

I look forward to next saturday when I treat myself to a nice leisurely scroll through all the posts

see you then!

Liz

Hi ladies,
I thought I better stop in real quick. I'm trying to get some things together for my little trip to Mother's tomorrow. I hope to leave early tomorrow, it usually takes me almost 4 hours to get there, taking a couple of "leg stretch breaks".

Saarao, I sent the PM that you requested, I hope you enjoy the site. I have fun making changes, although there are not many changes right now except the first page.

liz, I did like Jan said for the gophers when I had that problem. Putting wire underground around the plant. Unfortunately after a while it rusts out and the varmints are back. Container gardening is the only sure way that I know of, to keep them out.
Good luck!

Must run!

:wave:
~~ ~~~
JOYce

Yes, it is 2:00 am! I couldn't sleep, so I decided to play with the avatar feature. I guess I will know if it worked when I send this, but I'm pretty sure it will. :smug:

Jan, I'm glad you and DH are back safe and sound...and that you had a great time. Thanks for your kind words about my pictures, but they were definitely an eye opener. I love looking at them though because they remind me of what a great time I had! :)

Liz, enjoy your seminar and be safe!! You are right about never knowing what is around the next turn. I think that is one reason that God allows me to get myself into these situations so often...so that when I'm whining and belly-aching about petty things I will stop and remember just how blessed I really am!

JOYce, you have a safe trip to you mother's...and enjoy your visit. How did the prom dress shopping go?? Krysten was telling me tonight about the jewelry that she wants to get to go with her dress...and how she wants "sparkly" things to go in her hair. This will be her last high school dance also, and she shares Melissa's feelings about this being "special."

Hi to everyone else. I had better get to bed or I will NEVER get up in the morning. Traffic is going to be awful since school will be back in session, plus they are closing down yet another road so that more construction can take place. I dream of orange barrels in my sleep!

Have a great Monday!

Janet (Kudzu)

Good morning everyone!! I don't want it to be Monday already!!!:(
Saara, congratulations on the 3.7 pounds lost!!! And to your roomie for her 1.5 pounds! How neat that the jacket you bought several years ago now fits! :cool: Enjoy wearing it, because the way you're going lately, it won't be long before it's too big for you!!
Janet, I am so thankful that you came through the tornado unharmed! How frightening that must have been. Congrats on your weight loss, and on getitng recommitted to being op. But let me say this- you are a beautiful person, inside and out, just the way you are! I was shocked to see you up before me today! I had one of those nights Sat night(Sun morning)- too bad we weren't sleepless on the same night- we could have had an instant message chat to pass the time! :D I did some geneology research a few years ago, but not on the computer, so I can't be much help. I live about 1/2 hour from the National Archives in DC, so I went up there a few times. What a fascinating place- and you have access to everything under the sun!
Jan, welcome back!!! We missed you! I'm glad you had such a good time. You deserve it! How did your dad make out in your absence? I didn't realize you all had such a large Polish American community there.
Liz, I hope your seminar goes well. We'll look forward to hearing from you next Saturday.
Joyce, have a safe trip to your Mom's place! I hope you find her doing well.
Texaslady, are you geared up for a nasty rush hour now that spring break is over?
NJNancy,Nancy TC, Rebecca & Kendra, I hope you had a good weekend.

My weekend was pretty unexciting. I worked Saturday morning, cleaned out drawers and closets in the wee small hours Sunday morning when I couldn't sleep, and watched my little swetie for a couple hours Sunday afternoon (even though I said I wasn't going to this weekend). He's walking well now, and so proud of himself! He just feels so good since those tubes were inserted! Oh! Almost forgot! I did find a dress for the inauguration. I hit an early morning sale on my way to work Saturday morning. I got a dress with a jacket as some of you all suggested. It's pretty, slimming and something I might actually wear again.

I've really got to run- time is slipping away here. Have a good day, everyone! :wave:
Carol

Good Morning Everyone!!

Kudzu- Glad to hear that you are okay. What a scary experience! Makes you appreciate what we are blessed with, doesn't it? I have personally never experienced a tornado, but I have to say that they are one of my biggest fears. Anytime I hear the tornado whistle (which we have) I am a total basket case. Most times it is a precaution, just in case, but that fear is so strong that I get hysterical. Anyway, I am glad that you are safe!!

Saara- Congrats on your loss! And on the jacket fitting. :D Isn't that just the funnest? I tried on some clothes that I haven't been able to wear in a very long time and they fit or are close to fitting. Made me feel like all this hard work is finally paying off!

We leave tomorrow for my dh's meeting. I am excited, he is not. He has classes and a certification test afterwards. I get to swim, shop and do fun stuff. So, he will be bummed and I will be having a great time!

I hope that I hit my 10% at weigh in tomorrow, but I am not feeling very confident. The clothes show the losses, but the scale has not budged in a couple days (I am a scale junky :o and I tend to step on all the time). Need to break that habit, but it feels so good to see it go down.

Well you all have a wonderful week and I will let you know how the meeting goes!

Rebecca :cool:

One more note!
Welcome back Jan. did you get to go kayaking?

Janet, we haven't done the dreaded prom dress shopping yet. dgd was having a spat with her boyfriend that day, so they were working things out. I still have that to look forward to. :rolleyes:
I don't even want to IMAGINE what it was like to be in the tornado, I'm so glad you are o.k.! (I'll take our earthquakes instead)

Rebecca have a good trip. sounds nice.

Bye again... I will miss being on line for 3 days :eek:
but suppose I will survive.

I need to hit the market before I hit the road, and leave a few neccesities for the group here, and get a supply of Pirate booty etc.
:wave:
~~~~~
JOYce

Carol, I meant to tell you yesterday how thrilled I am that your sweetie is feeling so much better. I can't wait to see him when I fly to see you. Notice I said WHEN...not IF. :lol: Of course, that is if you will have me. :^: We traveled all over the country when I was younger, but that is one area that I have never visited. I think I told you that I have a cousin who is a professor at Georgetown and has been for years...and a cousin who lives right on the line in Virginia. I always said that I wanted to take Krysten there to visit because there are so many educational things to do and places to visit. It just looks like a beautiful area.

I am so glad that you found a dress. I never got the chance to tell you, but that is exactly what I would have suggested...a dress with some type of jacket. That is definitely something that you can dress up or down, and something that you should be able to wear for just about any situation. Be sure to have your friend take a picture of you so that you can post it for us to see. I know you will look beautiful in it. Thank you for your sweet words about me. That is exactly how I feel about you, Texaslady and Jan after meeting all of you. It's also how I feel about everyone in this group, even the ones that I have not had the pleasure of meeting yet. We are blessed to have such a great group of women...and what an honor for your friend. I agree with Saara that it is great to see more and more women get the recognition that they deserve. I know it will mean a lot to have you there by her side!

Rebecca, enjoy your trip. It's too bad that you will be having such a great time while your DH is having to work, but I know that he will be glad that you are there with him. Maybe he can have some fun at night. Good luck on making that 10%. You have done great!! :cool: Regarding the tornado...it is something that I definitely have never experienced either, although we have bad weather here a lot this time of year. We are in "tornado alley" but I never knew until last night that Mississippi has the highest death rate. I've never been one to really be afraid of storms or bad weather, but my experience will change that I think. I have a new healthy respect for mother nature. When I was first married, my in-laws lived in an area of the Delta that seemed to always be in the path of bad weather. They had experienced the wrath first hand, so they did not take chances. My brother-in-law had built a storm shelter but lived a couple miles down the road. I can't tell you the times that we would be visiting and we would get a call in the middle of the night and my in-laws would want us to leave the house in the pouring rain to head for the storm shelter. For a tornado warning I could see doing that, but not for every little storm. It got where I would refuse to go...plus I wasn't sure which would be worse...to take my chances alone or risk being stuck under the ground with all those people. I'm kidding (I loved my in-laws and husband's relatives) but I am claustrophobic to a degree. Whew...how did I get off on all that???? :dizzy:

Saara, any news to report on the "crush"? I could hear the excitement in your post about him. I agree with you and everyone else that it will definitely be HIS loss if nothing happens, but I know what you mean about it just being great to experience those feelings again. After my divorce, I wondered if I would ever feel anything again, and it was a relief when I did. I was really worried that I was going to be incapable of caring about someone again after being with my husband for so many years and after being so in love with him...and especially after what had happened. It is still hard for me to trust men, but I know that I will be able to do that if the right person should happen to come along. Personally, I'm hoping that you will wait and fall in love while you are here in the states...so that we can keep you here! :s:

Well, I've rattled long enough. It's either feast or famine with me...isn't it?? :lol: Y'all have a great OP week! Hi to everyone I missed!!

Janet (Kudzu) :wave:

Hi girls - Well, this place has been busy the last few days!

Janet - That tornado story was so scary. That storm came through here too and by 3 PM it was dark green and still outside. You would have throught it was midnight instead. We got some damaging winds and hail and sights of tornados but no touch-downs in the immediate area. We did lose power to the bldg and all had to go home about 30 min early - TOO BAD :lol:!! I am so glad you are OK and I hear you about counting our blessings. So many times we take them for granted.

Jan - Know you are off somewhere today and not having near as much fun as you were this time last week! I'm glad you had such a good time. I, too, am interested if you got your dh into a kayack! Let us know. I don't know if Janet and I told you this, but after you and your dh left with Carol for the airport Sun a.m. of our visit, we found some photos on the glass case at your Dad's. We hope you had gotten them out to show us and somehow overlooked doing so because if not - well, we peeked at them anyway. A lot of them were "before" pics of you - and I am amazed at your weight loss! You are a mere shadow of your former self!

Carol - glad you found an appropriate dress for the inaugeration. What fun that will be for you. And what's this I read about Janet ready to fly to MD and see you! Look what we have started!!! :D Not bad for someone we were afraid wouldn't get on the plane for Texas! Sounds like a great idea to me.

Saara - I am so proud of your loss, too! That's just terrific and I know you are thrilled about the jacket finally fitting. By the time it gets cold again, I am sure it will be too big!

I am at work. Need to go right now. I will get back in here in a little while to finish posting to everyone.

Back again -

Rebecca & JOYce - Have a good time on your trips and stay safe and OP.

Reading JOYce and Jan's musings on Senior Prom makes me remember when my daughter had hers! It was SUCH a BIG DEAL! Took us months to get just the correct dress (for which we paid a small fortune) - which was worn exactly ONE time and is still hanging in my closet. Of course, it is too small for her now - even if she had a place to wear it again! Come to think of it - not much different from this WEDDING DRESS we just purchased! Maybe I should put the old prom gown up on ebay during next prom season - surely I could sucker someone into buying it!

After dd got home last week-end, she brought over the wedding favors her step-mother made. I must admit they are really lovely and she put a LOT of work into them - probably much more than I would have! :) Guess she is trying harder..... Now I have to find a place to store over 100 wrapped candle favors - all with a buttercream scented Yankee candle in each. Boy, is my closet going to smell good! I was just going to put them in my dd's old bedroom with all the other wedding stuff being stashed there (including her wedding gown), but she insisted she did not want her gown smelling like buttercream frosting!

Gotta go now - cheating by posting from work. Have a good day and will check in later.

Hi ladies! Boy, we've been an active thread these days!
Rebecca, how wonderful that you're in to clothes that were formerly too small! It makes it seem worthwhile, doesn't it? The only better feeling is when those same clothes become too big- which won't take long, the way you're going! Good luck on reaching the 10%!!! You're so close!
Joyce, enjoy your trip! Spend some time having fun and not just looking after others!
Janet, I'm so excited that you'd actually fly here to see me!!!! I've got a guest room- any time!! And to think you are the girl I thought I'd have to meet in Jackson to drag her on the plane to Texas!!!:lol: We do have a really good group here, don't we? You are right about my friend- we've known each other since I was one year old and she was 2- which, as you know, wasn't yesterday!!:D She's a wonderful, talented woman, a single parent (divorced since her son was in elementary school) and one of the most down to earth, funny people you'd want to meet. She's written textbooks for teachers (her background in teaching is as a reading specialist, teaching teachers to teach reading), She's worked hard, and in spite of the fact that her success makes me feel like a do-nothing, I'm tremendously proud of her. The day should be fun - I haven't seen her family and some other mutual friends for years.
Texaslady, I'm glad you didn't get any damage from your storm! I didn't get to see the before pix of Jan- although she did show me her driver's license photo while we were at the airport- it was taken in hr "before" days too. She has done such a fantastic job! Ah, memories of prom dresses!! My dd and her dh have been dating since 10th grade, so they attended every homecoming dance and prom together(they went to the same school). Although they are the same age, he lost some credits when he came up from Miami, so he graduated the year after her. So, no chance we could ever wear the same dress twice! Banish the thought! Her junior prom-her senior prom-his senior prom. Wear 'em once! Oh well! The favors sound wonderful- I love Yankee candles, and the buttercream scent is wonderful!
Jan, I'll join in- did you get your dh to go kayaking? He didn't sound too enthused about the idea when we were there!
I'd better run- hi to everyone I mised! Have a good evening, ladies!
Carol

Good morning, everyone. Boy - I am getting bad about posting from work now that I can!

Not much news since yesterday - just wanted to say Hi and hope everyone has a wonderful FIRST DAY OF SPRING! Whooo-Hoooo!!! Course - it was in the high 30's this a.m. but supposed to be a gorgeous day a little later on - lots of sunshine and warmth.

First day of spring...hmmmmm! :?: During February, when it should have been cold, we were wearing shorts here because it was almost 80 degrees outside. This morning, I sat in my office in my wool sweater, wrapped up in my coat because I was about to freeze my (fill in the blank) off! It is in the 40's here today...cold, windy and rainy. I also just heard on the radio that it snowed in Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina and Tennessee.

I weighed in this morning and showed a 4.5 loss. I was pleased because I really stayed OP last week, although I didn't always make the healthiest choices. I found those wonderful Breton crackers that Jan introduced us to, and I had WAAAAAY too many of those. I was always within my points, but I know it would have been better to get those points in fruits and veggies. I eat too many carbs, and I know that I could do even better if I would limit those more...but I love them and they help me to feel less deprived. I have a friend that I work with who has lost 18 pounds in less than four weeks by following a low carb diet. I'm not sure what plan it is exactly, but I know that what she is doing does not sound healthy to me...nor could I follow it for very long. Everytime I see her she is eating cut up hot dogs and mustard...and nothing else, but she says that she is going to keep on as long as she is losing. Krysten told me that her daddy and his new wife are following sugar busters. They still eat breads and pasta but only wheat. They were really losing fast at first, but now it has slowed down. It sounds much healthier to me than the no/low carb plan. It just tickles me because my ex-husband was never overweight during our marriage and used to nag me when I would gain 5 pounds. He could eat and drink anything and not gain weight. I guess age has changed that for him. I know everyone has to find what works for them, but I'm thankful that I found WW. I just don't think I could follow anything for any length of time that put such limits on what I could eat. I even called my ex this morning to find out what he had fed Krysten last night when she went by to visit her little brother. It was chicken by Tyson that had been pre-cooked. All you have to do is bake it for about 20 minutes. They got theirs at Sam's so I'm going there tomorrow night to see if I can find it. It must have been wonderful for Krysten to rave about it. He and I have a strange relationship...one minute we are fussing about money and the next we are sharing cooking tips. :dizzy:

JOYce, I know you are at your mother's right now, but are you being affected (effected...all you teachers out there help me out...I always get these confused) by the rolling blackouts? I don't really understand what it is that is happening in California that is causing the energy shortages. I guess I need to pay better attention to the news. When they do the blackouts, how do they avoid cutting power to hospitals and other facilities that can't be without power??

Well, I've rambled long enough. Someone just called and invited me to participate tomorrow in a birthday party for a guy that I work with. Now I have to figure out something to bring. I'll have to bring something OP and low point because I know there will be lots of tempting foods there. I'm up for the challenge! I am woman...hear me roar!! :lol:

Janet (Kudzu)

I forgot to give y'all a Motley update. Something happened to him last night, and I thought he was going to die in my arms. Liz, I thought about you and what happened with your beloved cat. :cry: Motley jumped down from the couch and I noticed that he was having trouble moving his back legs, but that isn't really unusual because we discovered that he has arthritis a few months ago. He takes medication for that, and was doing better. The next thing I knew, he had layed down under this piece of furniture. At first, I thought he was just laying down to sleep, although he never gets under there. You know cats always have special and favorite places to perch. When he didn't respond when I called him, I picked him up and his little mouth was opened and his eye (that sounds so terrible not to say eyeS) was glazed over. He was just limp. I held him in my arms for about 30 minutes and he never moved. He was breathing so hard, and every now and then he would take a deep breath and I would think it was going to be his last. I knew he was bad off because I was cyring while I was holding him and my tears were hitting him in the head...and he never moved a muscle. Normally, he would have been out of there. Finally, I put him down in a chair and when I did he kind of perked up and started to purr. I knew then that he was okay. The vet thinks that he had a seizure...so now he is going to start taking medication for that. Poor thing...first his eye and now this. He was fine this morning and waiting by his food bowl when I got up, so maybe we can control it.

I know that probably bored the heck out of y'all :dz: ...but it made me feel better to tell it. :)

Have a good OP night!! I'm going home and build a fire in the fireplace...on this FIRST NIGHT OF SPRING!!

Janet (kudzu)

Hi, I would really like to join your group. I see that some of you are from the South, so I think this is the place for me. I just had my second weigh-in last night and I lost 1.6 lbs and lost 6 lbs my first week. I still have about 55 more to lose. I got down to 119 about 5 years ago but then got married and well......need I say more. I seem to be really disciplined now.... haven't had even one sip of a soft drink since I started - which is a BIG step for me. Now I don't even miss it. Well,
I'd love to join your group. Oh, I'm 43, married for second time, one 18 year old son, one spoiled 5 year old pomeranian. Take care, Patti

Hi ladies! I wasn't going tp post till th morning, but I wanted to greet our new member!
Patti, welcome to our group! We love having new members!!! It sounds like you are off to a really great start on WW with your 7.6 pounds in 2 weeks!!! I'm a separated 55 year old nurse from Southern MD with one 32 year old married daughter and a wonderful 15 month old grandson about whom I will probably bore you to death! I've been on WW since Oct 99 and have lost 97 pounds with 20-25 more I'd like to drop. These last pounds are slow and hard, but I keep reminding myself where I was and how far I've come.
Janet, hooray for you!!:D :cool: Minus 4.5 is fantastic! You're back on a roll, girl!! And good for you for planning a low point goodie to take to the birthday thingy at work tomorrow! Those Tyson's chickens are good- even cold- and they microwave nicely too, right in their little container. Tyson also makes some good either fat free or very low fat breaded chicken patties (I forget which) that work out to 2 points each.
Poor Motley! It's good you were there and observed the seizure so you could get him on medication to keep it under control. I envy you your fireplace- I miss mine, and it sure would feel good today! We are due for a "Nor'Easter" tonight and tomorrow- should make the commute to Virginia tomorrow afternoon a real joy! :rolleyes:
Gotta run, folks. Hi to everyone! Talk to you tomorrow.
Carol

Hi Patti! Welcome to the group, and congrats on your success these first 2 weeks; that's a great loss. And you've already discovered the whole secret to the WW system: changing habits permanently, like your learning to "not miss" those soft drinks!

Janet, way to go, 4.5 lost! :) So glad to hear Motley recovered from his seizure; I know it must have been hard for you, but how fortunate that you were there to see it, so he could get meds for that. I know what you mean about carbs; I like those best, too. But I really think those all-protein plans are not healthy. I've seen several folks at our church who went gung-ho on that Atkins thing because our minister was losing weight on it. But none of them have kept it off. I really think a balanced diet and a change in lifestyle (including exercise) are best for permanent weight loss.

Speaking of exercise, re: the kayak, nope, didn't happen this trip. Each time we had any chance for that, the cold rain & strong winds started up again. Oh well! However, we *did* do lots of walking, all over Seattle and Vancouver, and spent time in the sauna and jacuzzi at night instead of late-night snacking. I'm not giving up on the kayak thing, though! We'll just have to go again some summer.

Texaslady, I had to laugh at the idea of your DD's wedding dress smelling like buttercream ... how smart of her to think of that in time! And yes, why not sell a prom dress on eBay? I haven't sold anything over the 'net, but have thought about clearing out some books at half.com some day. And thanks for the compliment re: weightloss; yes, those pictures are downright scary. Some day I'll have to slip those out of Dad's rogue's gallery and replace them with something current!

Carol, your little darling is already walking!? Wow ... and I'm so glad his ears are doing better now. So glad you found a dress for your friend's induction to office; I'll second that request that you post a picture for us after the big day! And thanks for asking, Dad did just great while we were gone. My sister took him out to eat every day, and they shopped, went for checkups, visited relatives, all kinds of stuff. Just wish I could do those things for him more often!

Rebecca, hope you are enjoying your trip with your DH! Swimming and shopping, two of my favorite things ...

JOYce, I hope you find your Mom feeling well and cheerful. I'm sure she'll be very glad to see you! Way to go, planning ahead for your trip, and staying OP; you're on your way again!

Liz, hope you're enjoying your seminar; look forward to hearing all about it next weekend.

Have some good news to share: the board accepted my proposal last night, to add the new classes and change my assignment back to the classroom next year! I can hardly wait; these last 3 years away from teaching, while never dull, have shown me how much I really enjoyed working with kids. Now I just have to get back up to speed on the latest versions of the software we'll be using; I know what I'll be doing this summer! ;)

(You were right, Texaslady, losing this weight has given me more confidence to make other positive changes in my life.)

Good night to all!
Regards,
Jan

Morning, girls!

Jan - That's wonderful news about your returning to the classroom again!! I know you are thrilled. How smart of the school board to come to the realization that allowed them to keep you in a teaching capacity rather than lose you to another school who would allow you to do what you truly want. Now you won't have to do so much traveling & will be home more. I bet your Dad and dh will like that!

Patti - WELCOME to this group! We are always just so happy to get a new member to the group. We have a varied group of all ages - from college to grandmas! Some of us have lost a lot of weight on WW but I think only Jan is "really close" to goal - though we all try to stay on the WW path everyday! I see you are from the New Orleans area - have you lived there long? I am from the Houston area - was born and raised here. Left for 20 years to follow a military man around the country and returned after our divorce in 1987. Been here ever since. Have a 28 year old daughter who is getting married in October so we are up to our armpits in wedding preparations. :D You are doing really well on WW so far! Congratulations for making a wise decision to start you down the weight loss path.

Janet - So glad Motley is feeling better now. I once had a dog (name was Hercules!) who had seizures on a regular basis. The first time he nearly scared me to death - just like you felt, I'm sure. I remember my ex-dh holding him and telling me to be prepared he might not make it. He was only a couple years old when he started having them, but Herc lived to be 15 years old and the seizures didn't affect him much at all. We just learned how to calmly deal with the seizures. I don't think the vet ever put him on medication - but that was so many years ago. Perhaps that wasn't a preferred treatment at that time. About the Tyson chicken - I buy a lemon pepper basted chicken in bags at Sam's. Its already cooked! You can just heat it up on the GF grill or thaw it out and use it as is in soups, salads, pasta, - anything! The flavor is yummy. And big congrats on your 4.5 pound loss! I'm so glad you feel like you are back on track. And if I was told I couldn't have carbs, I would probably just stop trying to lose weight! Can't live without them - and yes, I eat too many of them in proportion to the rest of the program. :(

Better go now and get back to work. Hi to all the regulars and everyone lurking! Oh, supposed to be mid-70's here today and reach 80 tomorrow! Eat your hearts out! We must enjoy it now - won't be long before we are sweltering!

Thanks, Texaslady; I'm really excited about it! Have already started recruiting kids for my classes. :)

Someone had asked about geneology research; there's a site at http://www.rootsweb.com/ that might help!
Gotta get back to work! Hope everyone's having a great Wednesday...
Jan

Happy Wednesday!

Jan, I was the one who had asked for the geneology help. Thanks for the website information. I will check it out the first chance I get. Congratulations on getting your proposal approved. I know how much you wanted it. I know that you will really enjoy being back in the classroom, and all of your kids will be very lucky to have you as their teacher. I already knew that you possessed all the character traits necessary to be a good teacher, but after meeting you, I REALLY know that you are the kind of person who can influence a child's life in a positive way. So many of Krysten's teachers this year just don't seem to care anymore. I don't know if they are just burned out or what, but the kids pick up on their lack of enthusiam and it's hard for the kids to stay focused and excited when the teachers aren't.

Patti, welcome to our group! New Orleans is one of my favorite places, and I try to go there as often as possible. I've been going there since I was a little girl, and it's now one of my daughter's favorite places. I'm 46, divorced after being married for almost 20 years, with one 17 year old daughter. I'm way behind most of the other girls in this group in the weight loss war, but they have been a huge inspiration to me. I think you will find a lot of support and encouragement here.

Texaslady, thanks for telling me about Hercules. My vet did tell me that seizures are very, very common...so that made me feel a little better. Motley is pretty old (I got him from a friend so I'm not exactly sure about his age but think he is about 14), but the vet did a lot of blood work recently when he discovered Motley's arthritis, so I know that he is basically healthy. I'm glad that your DD's party favors turned out so cute. That's one less thing that y'all will have to worry about. I agree that was pretty smart of her to think about her dress smelling like the candles. I don't think that would have crossed my mind...but her bedroom sure is going to be smelling good! That was a good idea about selling the prom dress on EBay too. I'm not sure Krysten will ever let me part with hers, but at least this year she will get to wear it twice...once to hers and once to her boyfriend's since he goes to a different school.

Carol, I hope your commute isn't too bad today because of the weather. It's actually warmed up some here today, mostly because the sun is shining...but it's still chilly. I didn't get to build a fire last night, so don't envy me too much. We have had very few chances to build fires this past winter. Now I'm looking forward to using the chiminea on my deck. It got too hot last year after I bought it so I never got the chance to fire it up. I ended up working last night until 6 and then had to go to the grocery store and run errands. I didn't get home until after 8, and then had to cook a "real" dinner. I had promised DD that I would have something good and hot waiting when she got home from work. Thanks to you and Texaslady for telling me about the Tyson chicken. I'm going to go tonight (or this weekend) and check all the choices out.

Speaking of choices...Saara, guess what I found in the grocery store last night...No Pudge brownie mix. I also found Kashi. They had started an entire section for it. The man who was stocking the shelf was really trying to promote it to me and even mentioned that it was "ON" Weight Watchers. I wanted to tell him that "EVERYTHING" is "ON" WW, but I didn't. I was too busy being offended that he automatically assumed that I was on WW. :lol: I guess most of his requests were from people OP. He was really trying to be very helpful and nice, so I will overlook it this time...but he better not do it again. :nono: (I have just been waiting for a chance to use that smilie...I love it) Anyway, as soon as I get paid I'm going to send you a package. I'll email you to verify that I still have your correct address. Hope you are doing good...let us hear from you soon! We miss you!!

Hi to all our travelers...JOYce, Rebecca and Liz. A big hi also to NJNancy, NancyTC and Kendra...and anyone that I may have missed. Let us hear from those of you who have been lurking but not posting. :)

Back to work...have a great OP day. Oh...I did okay at the birthday party. There wasn't any cake so I only had one cookie and a "tiny" bit of this dip with cream cheese, chili and cheese...I couldn't resist. I probably didn't even have 1T though, so that wasn't too bad. The only other thing I had were some low fat triscuits and cream cheese and pickapeppa sauce. Everything was way too rich, and I felt a little "yuk" even from just the little that I ate. That's a good thing! "Talk" to you all soon.

Janet (Kudzu)

Just a quick note to say HI... it's really late, and I have a Finnish test in the morning. Yup, you read right: I really have to take a Finnish test, had to take an academic writing course, and now they test us so we know all the grammar and spellings and such...
I'm working a lot again for the next couple of weeks, but will take some time off in the beginning of April.

Patti, welcome to the group. I'm 25 year old university student from Finland. Have been on WW for almost a year and have lost 33 pounds so far. Slowly but surely I move towards my goal.

Janet, huge congrats on the big loss! I'm sure you do have my correct address, I haven't moved, but soon I might just forward my mail to my work since I spend so much time there... Oh well, I need to save some money for next year, and when I'm working I'm not spending any... and it's still slow, so it's paid study time for me.

Well, I'd better get some sleep now. 'Talk' to you all later. Saara.

p.s. I'll start a new thread since we're on page 2. Come on over!