General Diet Plans and Questions - The Plan - 2004

I just am feeling so bad and so fat today!!!!! I over ate all weekend because I could; there was no other good reason. How do you guys get back on the wagon????? I say this every few days, and then when faced with food choices, I make “okay” choices, but over eat that anyway. I know I can do this I lost 80 pounds just a few years ago, I have keep most of it off and my clothes still fit, but I tell you what, they are getting tight and I am getting scared that if I don’t get control back, it is going to snowball!!!!! How do you do it!!!!

Lily

We are having a beautiful day here today and my garden is singing.

Lilybutt, don't beat yourself up anymore. I know what you are feeling. I have been there a thousand times maybe a million ....wondering how can I start and STAY on it. This last time I prayed...honest...and it just kicked in, I really feel diff. this time than all the other times...we'll see what happens.

Heh, heh, Ledom we have the same shopping habits...I wouldn't mind dropping a bundle at Neiman Marcus but nothing fits...though I do seem to remember didn't the bottom floor have plus sizes in (Neiman Marcus in Ft. Worth...maybe I am mixing it up with some place else.) There is something very gratifying with taking a cart at Target and Wal Mart and filling it up to the brim...sometimes I have done that and saw that the line to cashier was miles long with no other cashier open and just left the cart of stuff and went away feeling as satisfied as if I brought the stuff home. (My apologizes to those who work at Wal Mart or Target and have to put the things back on the shelf :^: ) OK I promise I will never do that again

Hi to everyone... first of all Lilly.its nice to meet you. do not fret over when you over eat. its done can do nothing about it. but hey you can move forward to that day your at and go and do good. I have decided for me that i will eat anything i want what ever it be. i will allow for it.. i will exercise more when i eat more. i will drink my water. i will watch my portions. this has given me such a relief now to count the calories. give my self a set amt and then do it.. i was so tired of saying oh cannot have this got to have this. so this is helping me not to worry so much about it.. also i pray daily and i have a bible study that starts off my day or durning the day. this is helping so much... hope this is helpful

to all the rest of you... My trip was the greatest. i needed it so much. i just never worried Aleka i just enjoyed. got to see a lot of things and places i had not been. so that was neat. never walked the beach i love that. but we had gals in the group who with feet and legs and such could not walk. so we took walks to our meeting and all. so that was good. i sit and watched the beach alot. we parked and did it and then the other group there condo had a view of it. but i loved our little house just perfect for us 4 gals and we had a ball. ha i got alot out of the speakers. i am ready to get the rest of this wt off and reach this goal this year. so have a great day all of you.

Aleka, thinking of you in prayers. things will turn out.. I am so happy your with the ww. its fun and i change off and on with it and calories or do both somethimes. you will do it girl... woof tuffy says to lacee. yes there just like babies. tuffy was fine when i got home. glad to see me. the hubby and daughter never lefted him alone so he got spoilted. ha i am glad lacee is ok. LaDean

Good morning,

Had a lunch and shopping date with my girlfriend. I was very good at lunch, had a turkey sandwich on pumpernickel bread. It came with stuffing between the turkey, so took it out, and had coleslaw instead of chips or fries. :smug: :lol:

lilybutt, please don't beat yourself up about how you ate over the weekend. I've also been there myself many many times. I've been on some other websites that advise you take baby steps to healthy habits. Pick something like exercising, eating healthier, or drinking your water, keep doing that one thing until it becomes a daily habit, then pick something else, or pick as many as you think you can handle at a time. Like judi, this time it's different for me. Usually whenever I meet my girlfriend, she & I weigh the same, she can talk me out of trying to lose weight. This time she didn't influence me at all. We are all here for you.

LaDean, thank you for your prayers. They must be working. Glad you had a good time on your trip. Enjoying yourself is the best way to have fun. I'm sure Tuffy was very happy to see you. DH told me last night after I had gotten home that Lacee was shaking while I was gone. WOOF to Tuffy from Lacee.

judi, Shame on you! :lol: The worst part is, I can actually picture a heaping shopping cart left at the register. ;) I used to get a Neiman Marcus catalog a long time ago, not that I could afford anything in it. One Christmas I did buy DH a sterling silver coffee measure, just to have a pkg. come to the house from Neiman Marcus at least once in my lifetime.

ledom, Williams and Sonoma is my very favorite store. There is a store in Va Beach that DH & I used to frequent quite often whenever we'd be staying at my IL's condo. Hope you're having a great time on your trip!

Have a great day ladies.

Aleka, i am so glad prayers are being answered. they always help me. yes fun i had. oh i know the little fellows sure miss us. its pored here all day and i usually go and play with our outdoor dog some. but today i haven't. she sure has missed it.

I hope everyone has had a good day.. i am. LaDean

Well I feel like I am better on track now! I decided to go back to www.fitday.com and just keep track of calories. I hate denying myself something….denial just leads me to a binge every time…..it is always better for me to eat a little something I want than none at all! I decided to keep it between 1500-1800 calories a day. I am fairly active…could be better, but I exercise deliberately several times a week, so I thought that seemed reasonable. I also know that much lower calories backfires eventually and leads to plateaus.

Another note, I had a BAD day at work, several things were frustrating and beyond my control and made me feel ineffective at work, but I felt no need to eat anything, even went in to vent to a friend and didn’t dip in to her M&M’s! Came home and took a nap, did some yard work, went for a walk and ate a Lean Cuisine. So even if I can not control things at work, I don’t have to let work control me!!!!!

Lily

End of week 1 WW online:
-I lost 4.5 lbs and had 18.5 flex points I didn't use :encore: THe thing was that I wasn't even hungry all week and when I don't diet I am starving. It must be the nutrition thing. I had no white bread this week and lots of veg. and fruit.

Lilybut, how did you lose all that weight from before? That is an amazing amount of weight to lose :cool: My DH says to tell you he likes your cat (since he got a cat he turned into a cat fanatic). What is the cat's name?

Hi Alice! Big kiss for Lacee. Bentley has to go to a dermatoligist, he is trying to get his allergies under control. He can't eat anything but potato type dog crunchies, it is real torture for him too because he is the biggest mooch, he sits and shakes in anticipation of getting food.

Sounds like you had a wonderful time LaDean :goodvibes

Ledom, how is the holidaying girl??

Got pictures back from the grandson's christening and it was the ONLY time in about 3 decades I liked the way I looked.

I am looking forward to the new WW week.

Congratulations judi on your weight loss. Way to go!!! :cp: Keep it up!! Glad that you are liking WW online. I did ok myself this week, but don't know if I lost anything because I haven't exercised. I've really had a lot on my mind lately and we're getting ready to leave on Friday. Poor Bentley. Hope he can get his allergy under control. The girl who does my hair has 2 dogs, right now I can't think of what they are, but one of them has an allergy that they just can't get to the root of. This has been going on for a year or more, and I feel so sorry for him. A lot of hugs and kisses to Bentley, Marley, and Esteban.

lilybutt, glad that you went back to fit day. I find that if I deny myself something, that is all I can think about. But, if I allow myself to have something, I don't even want it. With everything you're doing, you will be successful.

LaDean, hope the rain has stopped in your area. We had some rain yesterday with a few claps of thunder. Thankfully the thunder storms bypassed us.

ledom, hope you're "mini" vacation is going well.

Have a good day everyone.

Aleka, rain is gone today. a nice and warm one. had a good walk. we went to store to. got to go tonite and get some things here. I hope all goes ok and you have a good trip and safe one. I know it seems like things just go crazy at times. but pray alot and all will work out. this is what keeps me going. ha ha I am so happy your doing good with your eating plans and all. i cannot deprive me either. i am better to do likle i have been eat what i want and allow for.. My allergies never bothered me at all at coast. now home and its all again. tuffy is ok and jade to..

Judi... great loss good for you. so happy for you. keep it up..

To all the rest of you a good day... together we can do this. makes it fun.. LaDean

Hey everyone,

We're leaving first thing tomorrow morning and I just wanted to say good-bye now in case I don't get a chance later today, as today is packing day. I will check in while we're away.

Hope you all continue to do fantastic on your diets!

Bye! :wave:

Have a good trip Alice!

My D has joined WW online. I was at her house yesterday to see the baby and she had just bought grocery and she marked points on everything (well, not the veg) before she put it away. It is fun to have her doing this too.

I am with you two on the "depriving" thing...that is why WW is so good, you don't have to deprive yourself of anything...just allow the points for it.

Everything is fine here. I got the McDonalds ped. and I am going to wear it today and see how many steps I actuallly do do in a day. I bought a ped. a couple of years ago but it only registers miles.

Hi, Judi., i am going to get that ped to. i am counting ww points to it helps so much.. I am going to make me a list of all the things i eat and points so i do not have to look them up all the time.. is eaiser i think. glad your d has joined it to. glad baby is doing good. there so precious and sweet. mine are growing up to fast..

alice. i wish you a good trip and all. take care. thoughts with you..

to everyone i wish a good day and luck with your plans what ever they be.. just do our best and work together with our plans and makes it work and fun to.. LaDean

Hi all,

Thanks Judi, that is my cat Lily, she lets me use her name for internet purposes :)

I lost the first 80 lbs just by eating less and exercising more.....actually it all started when my boyfriend of 8 1/2 years came at me with a closed fist and I decided that I was not going to take the abuse anymore. I had started to realize that I was a in a BAD relationship probably about 4 years in, but stuck it out, because of his kids ( I don't have any) and basically because I did think it was my fault and I MADE him get that mad.....I have no real idea when it clicked with me that this is not how it is supposed to be, but I made a decision that the next time I became the scapegoat in his drama, I would end it and I did :). So after wallowing around for a week, I finally told my friends and family and got on the self improvement kick, actually it wasn't hard, I just started to take care of my self and not live in fear anymore. I ate what I wanted and when I wanted.....and it was healthier foods and on more of a schedule. I decided I needed to get out of the house so I joined the Y and started swimming laps and then moved to the equipment floor and worked out 5 times a week...before I knew it I had lost 80 pounds.....then I cam eto a stand still for about a year. The I met a GREAT guy, and the pounds have started to creep back and I know I need to get it back in control before It is totally out of control, so I am working on that now. Negotiating weight loss while in a relationship is much harder than when you are single.......I bow down to those of you who do it with a family!!!!!

So that is my story...or part of it;)...I have been entering my food on fit day everyday and trying to keep it between 1500-1800 calories a day. My exercise has not been as good as it should, but I have been very busy at work, and it is the easiest thing to let go!!!! I will be done with work in a few weeks for the summer so my plan is to hit it hard and get back in the habit!
Lily

Lily. good for you . you have loss good. i am glad your life is going good now. I am doing that to watching calories now and portions. eating what i want. i got my exercise down pat. i finally decided after trying millions of plans. lol to get my act together and watch calories. burn off what i put in. ha its helping to. good luck to you. how much do you have lefted to lose.. we can and we will do this together. makes it fun to work with everyone. have a good day. LaDean

Hi, i wish everyone a good day. I was up 3.50 today at tops in 2 weeks. but that was SRD and all. so not to bad. i will be down this week for sure.. i am getting my act together now. back to calories and watching and being good. going to go to fitday and keep track of them. so hope everyone has a great week. LaDean

Lily, you are so inspiring!! :bravo: :cp: Way TO GO! You WILL be able to lose what you want. You cat is just beautiful!

LaDean, I really like the ped. A few years ago I bought one and it was $49 and it is not a neat as this $2 one. It is 2 in the afternoon and I walked on the beach and I am at 5000 points. Maybe I will treadmill a bit tonight.

My D's BF joined WW online too, so it is quite a bit of fun, all the phoning back and forth.

Hi to the girls on holiday and any who are MIA :D

Judi, thanks so much. now i get a salad right to get it??? i cannot remember will just go down and see. ha glad your doing good. glad d bf has joined is fun to work together with someone. i know my hubby does not need to lose but he eats like i do. so is neat. I over slept this morning so missed my walk. may ride ex bike some today. i like to change off some.. have a good day

to all friends here have a great day. My scales were down a lb from friday morning so that is always good to wake up to.. LaDean

GOOD MORNING TO ALL OF YOU..I had a great walk this morning. took it early nice day and i never wanted to get to warm. ha then scales were down what i gained last 2 weeks. so that will make my day. i was so happy to start out what i was friday at tops. i have salad already cut up in bowl. just have to add what i want on it. so that is it for the day. fruits and vegies alot.. i have dr. appt in 3 weeks so of course want to have a loss. lol going to start today getting on the ex bike and doing it to.. and of course my water that is important to us to.. Hey everyone join me and lets stick to the plans of ours. we will have rewards. I pray daily and have a time for bible study also. this helps me so much... so have a good day to all. LaDean

wooffffff lacee from tuffy... hes doing ok. has bad mornings of getting around. hes gained back 2 lbs so hes on his special plan to.

Woooooo hooooooo. Weighed myself today and down to 245……5lbs in a week! But since it is my first week really back at it that is good. Now if I can only lose 2 lbs a week I will make may goal of 220 by August 9th!!!!!

Lily

Lily congratulations for a good loss. so proud of you. what plan are you on??? i have lost 3.50 since friday so i am a happy trooper also.. been good today to.. have a good one. LaDean

Thanks LaDean....I am just counting calories. Trying to keep it between 1500-1800 a day. I exercised some, but THAT needs to get better.....I just run out of time!!! I will get better this summer. I want to go back to strength training too!
Lily

How are you all doing?

I have .5 of a flex point left until tomorrow (we have been going out a lot) and all my points for today. Tomorrow is weigh in day, I am excited. Things are really diff. this time.

LaDean I do a bible study too each day and am trusting the Lord to enable me to do what I have to do on this diet...for years I have tried to do it myself and DIDN'T do it. Are you watching Keith Moore on BVOV for the next few weeks. He is talking about the Spirit led life. I have the tapes, they are so good.

How is the holiday going Ledom? Are you having a fabulous time? Who is looking after Bea & Ricky?

Lilybutt WAY TO GO :strong: I have what sounds like the same 10% goal as you it sounds like. I haven't been there for over a decade but I a full of hope. Are you doing WW or counting calories?

How are you doing Alice?

I have to go treadmill then I am going of the island for the day.

Have a great and wonderful day :D

Good morning to all. No judi have not heard that. will listen to it. sounds good. so glad you do a bible study to.it sure helps.. glad all is going your way. i started the flex ww yesterday. i have some lefted. scales are still down today and i am so happy. maybe i finally got the act together again. i never walked this morning. but will have some exercise.

to everyone have a great losing day. sticking to plans and all. good luck. LaDean

Good morning friends. I got home last evening. It was a great trip, I saw a lot of beautiful things, sampled a lot of wonderful Mexican food, and hiked some steep trails. It is good to be back home. I'll be busy the rest of this week getting D ready for her first apartment. By the weekend I hope to be settled back into my diet and exercise routine. Got to buy groceries, etc. before settling down to a very productive summer I hope. It is good to read everyone's post and lily I wanted to say welcome again. You have done some amazing things w/ your weight loss and I am glad you are here to help encourage us along. This has to be snappy, but more later.

I lost 3.5 lbs. this week...I had a total of 245 available to eat and ate 226 in the week. The week before I lost 4.5 lbs, I had 245 points for the week and ate 184 of them SO I lost 8 pounds in 2 weeks. It didn't seem like dieting at all, the week before I had a piece of cheesecake and this last week I had veggie burger & fries & gravy...so I don't feel deprived at all. :cool: I am happy!

Hi LaDean, Lily & Alice!

Hey, welcome back Ledom! It is so nice to have you back. Sounds like you had a great time.

way just be glad your not gaining.. you will get there again losing.. your doing good. i am down this week. but had a gain last week. wanted to get that off and some and as of tonite i have done it. but i am in here and not near the kitchen. lol i have tops in the am... so do not want to ruin my week. i can do it in one evening. lol

I HOPE EVERYONE IS DOING GOOD THIS WEEK. I AM.... LaDean

Hey girls, I missed you! It is amazing how much I rely on 3FC for inspiration, entertainment, etc. I just wanted to start our thread back up so that we'd have a place to visit.

For any of you who don't know this thread, it is a really low key thread where each poster is generally doing their own plan. We are here to give each other support. More than likely we'll mention what is new with our pets as well. Welcome to this thread. Lurkers are welcome to join in at any time.

I just joined this website and I am soooooooo serious about wanting to lose weight. I am with a great guy who loves me for who I am, but I want to be better. I am trying the South Beach Diet, but have health problems with it,so am trying to watch and count calories. This seems to be my best avenue so far. I have a treadmill that I am trying to work on faithfully,but that can be a challenge since I work fulltime and have 3 kids at home all the time. So, here I am,loll

Goodmorning everyone!

Maggieangel: I did Southbeach for a bit but couldn't live with so few carbs, so now I am doing WW online. I have done WW at meetings before (many times) but I like the online WAY better.

Good for you LaDean!

Waypast 40: You will do it!

How is the new apt. for your D. coming along Ledom?

I am doing OK on WW, I discovered sugar free low fat ice cream :cool: with the Ultra light Cool Whip...it tastes as good as the reg. stuff and feels so decadent but it is less than 3 points for both of them together for 1/2 cup.

I am going into to see my grandson tonight :D I can hardly wait.

Hi Alice!!

Good morning to all of you. Alice? I miss you. If you check in say hi and let us know what is going on.

Way, holding your own is the next best thing to losing! I am gearing up too, so maybe this coming week will be good for both of us.

judi, you are doing great! I am so happy that you are having good success to report.

I haven't weighed since I came home. I am a little afraid to though pants-o-meter is in good shape. I bought my healthy groceries yesterday but didn't get my cooking done. My family has been very demanding since I got back home, I have really not had much time for myself. My poor mother is becoming more and more dependent on me. Yesterday I was driving her around most of the day. D moves into her apartment today and requires my assistance as well. Once I get her settled I will be free more or less. I have set tomorrow as a serious start date to get back to business w/ diet and exercise, yesterday I was there almost except no exercise and I figure today will be about the same. I do hope to get a couple of things cooked today as well. I am going to make my standby turkey meatloaf and the bfl strawberry cheesecake. I'll list that recipe for you guys soon as it is so good and legal at the same time. I love sweets!

LaDean, hang in there - are you still walking?

Welcome Maggie and hey to you lili. How are you guys doing?

Ledom. Hi yes i am still walking. i love it.. never this morning as i had tops. and yesterday it was to wet. have plans this weekend and never wanted to be sick. hubby has a little cold. anyhows i am doing great and had a great week... LOSS 4 LBS LAST WEEK. YEHHHHHHHH I LOVE IT.. i just decided i am not gaining back what i have loss so get off my b???? and do it.. so that i did. now today i pledged to loss 5 lbs for the month... I know you will get back to it and all. family is important so glad your helping and all. i always did and still do.. will see grandbabies tomorrow for a bbq i can hardly wait. have not seen them since mothers day.. i can hardly wait. has pored down most of this day. but rain is needed i guess. sun is trying to peak through little bit to.. good luck this week Ledom

Hey aleka,,,, You are missed so much... my thoughts and prayers with you.. tuffy says wooooffffff lacee.

TO ALL OTHERS... HAVE A GOOD DAY.

I WISH ALL OF YOU A GREAT AND FUN MEMORIAL WEEKEND.... LaDean

Ledom, :lol: the "pants o meter" that is good! That actually is the best indication of all. Glad you are back. You sound busy. I would like the cheesecake recipe.

My D and her BF and the baby stayed over on Sat. night and they COOKED. They made a WW veggie meat loaf (3 points for a huge serving) and creamed spinach from the WW cookbook and my D made a 3 pt. fruit crisp. It was fun. I got to play with the baby. He was 4 months old on Friday...he is smiling so much.

LaDean! You are doing great!! How was your bbq?

Alice, how is house hunting going?

I peeked on the scale, it is going to be ok for Wed. ;)

Today Marley is going to the doggie dresser off island so I will have a "toddler" free feeling all day.

Goodmorning Lily and Way :coffee:

OK judi - here it is. This recipe is from the Eating For Life Cookbook.

Stawberry Cheesecake

Serves - 8

1 c. low-fat cottage cheese
1 Tbs. vanilla extract
3 Tbs. Splenda granular
12 oz. fatfree cream cheese, softened at room temp.
1 cup egg substitute (I use real eggs, 1 yolk and whites to fill a cup)
1 Ready Crust reduced-fat graham cracker crust
1/2 c. fat-free sour cream
2 tsp sugar sub
1 cup fresh strawberries, sliced

Preheat ovet to 350 F.
Spoon cottage cheese into blender and blend til smooth, about 30 seconds. Add vanilla extract and splenda; blend for about 15 more seconds.
Add the softened cream cheese and blend for about 30 sec. , scraping down the sides as needed. While blending, gradually add the egg and continue to blend until smooth, about 45 sec.
Pour cheese filling into Ready Crust and bake until set, about 35 minutes.
Remove cheesecake from oven and cool for 15 minutes. Then cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
Prior to serving, in a small mixing bowl combine sour cream and sugar sub.
Slice cheesecake into 8 portions, top w/ sliced strawberries and sour cream.

I just mix about 1 T. of sourcream and sweetner at a time as I eat a slice for the topping. Your first reaction might be that it isn't rich or sweet enough. After the first slice though, I absolutely crave this stuff. It is great last meal of the day or first meal of the day. Great w/ coffee or hot tea.

judi - so cool that your kids cooked for you while you played w/ baby. It was probably I nice break for them as well. While I was on vacation I found a cookbook on sale, 1000 lowcal vegetarian recipes. I am still in the reading stage but hope to cook up some of the recipes. I love it because it includes nutritional info., my idea of a complete cookbook.

I hope everyone is having a good holiday.

Oh yeah, I weighed and I didn't gain any weight on the trip. I indulged myself for about 4 days after I got home so I may have even lost a little weight though this a.m. I was where I was when I left. Yippee - that makes me so happy. I am ready to plunge on. Yesterday was a perfect BFL day and with one under my belt I know that today will be easier.

Maggie and Lili, I hope you guys check back in and join us here. It's a great day to lose weight!

morning.... A HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY TO EVERYONE.....
I have a potluck this afternoon. but going to be a good girl and allow for it. scales are not that bad after my bbq with kids. hey had a ball as always with them... son did chicken and was so good.. so rest of weekend has been good with plan and all. just had my walk. been riding ex bike of evening.. LaDean

Hello to all……

Well the long weekend is over and even if I did over indulge a few times this past week, I think over all I kept it in check…..I have just been counting calories and trying to be as healthy as I can and posting it all on Fitday. I have been trying to keep in between 1200 and 1600 calories……but this week my average was 1900! Oops! Oh well, I had a few nights on the town and counted the alcohol calories so that is a “Good for me” because I usually just pretend they don’t happen!!!! I do need to get back to exercise and I think this week I will finally have some time with work slowing down…..only 2 more weeks until summer vacation!!!

On another note……I had exciting news this week, I had a pre-op appointment for LASIK surgery and it is go! I have had to wear my glasses for the last 4 weeks and they are driving me nuts, but in 2 more weeks, no more glasses or contacts! I can not wait!!!

Hope all is well with everyone!!!

Lily

Morning ladies - Lili, fitday is great for keeping track isn't it? Sounds like you are being really honest w/ yourself and that is so important. We are very near each other in weight. This morning I weighed 234.5. I am down from 235.5 yesterday. I just love when a lb. disappears overnight! I am psyched to be so near the 220's, it has been so long since I have been there that I don't even remember when. This is my year to leave the 200's - I think it is possible to do.

I spent the holiday being very very good. Since Sunday anyway. I finally found my way back to the straight and narrow since my trip. I have to admit that the two clean days have been hard. When you go off, getting back to routine can be a struggle. I think the treats cause one to start craving them again. I was walking through the store last night and having a big pity party. Chips and dips, icecream, cookies, all the things that have no redeeming qualities were so tempting and more so because after all it was a holiday.

I am trying to up my exercise a little this summer while I am home. I have been adding a yoga session to my weight training/cardio each day. I would also like to get into the habit of an evening walk as well.

Way and Lil, I wanted to say congrats on your dental work and your eye surgery, both should improve your quality of life.

Hope everyone has a good day. I need to get that exercise and many other things started.

Wahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Only lost 1/2 pound...it looked better in the middle of last week. I had 16 points leftover for the week too. BUT I didn't drink my water the last few days and didn't exercise so that might be why. So far I have had 3 WW perfect weeks food wise...I think 3 weeks is a record for me. My D lost 4 pounds and the BF lost 2 pounds. We are going to have a modest 12 point exercise challenge. You gain extra points for exercise. It takes me 30 minutes to gain 2 points on the treadmill.

Sounds like you ALL are doing good...it makes me PSYCHED just to read your posts :cheer:

Thanks for the cheese cake recipe Ledom. It looks WONDERFUL! To be in the 220's is my WW 10% goal...I haven't been there since sometime in the 1980's. Yoga, walking and weight training...whew, Ledom, I have to rest just reading about it.

Lily, 1600 calories is app. daily 30 WW points. I am at 30 WW points with an additional 35 points for the week. That is exciting news about the LASIK :cool:

Goodmorning LaDean and Waypast :coffee:

Hey judi - don't let that scale get you down. Stay away from it even! You know how weight fluctuates and how it very well can be water weight, especially if you haven't been drinking your water. You are doing great and you know it. Just keep walking the walk. Boy, I have been struggling lately - I think it is mostly that I have extra time on my hands. I want to eat at night. I have really been having to sit on my hands the last 2 or 3 evenings. I know if I don't give into it I'll get over the urge sooner or later.

Judi, a loss is a loss. we have to be happy with what ever it shows weekly. I know i sure am. as this week the scales are up... so if i jsut was same after my big loss last week. sure it was nice and i loved it. but now this week hard to keep it off and all. keep with it is all we can really do and not give it up.. which i never will again.. its nice all of you are on ww. i do that and then go to calories and back and forth keeps it going.. calories are looking good.

Ledom...hi and hi to all of you.... miss you aleka. but i know you will be here when you can. woofffff lacee from tuffy... TO ALL MY FRIENDS HAVE A GOOD DAY.LaDean

Hi Judy ..I did not get to read messages yesterday. Any loss is a good loss hahah.I am taking it very slow so I feel good about it.I have lost weight fast before and ALWAYS gain it back...this time I hope it will be different.

Hi! everyone!Have a great weekend.

I know I should keep away from the SCALE :p but once a week but you know how it is...once I even lose an oz. I keep checking to see if it is EVEN more! My D is worse...her BF says he is going to lock up the scale because she is weighing several times a day.

I bought a proper pedometer, one that you put your own stride length, weight etc...the McDonald's one got me started. This one is sold at London Drugs for $25. Yesterday I walked a mile that was about three thousand and some steps, according to it.

We went to babysit our grandson :D It was such fun. It was the first movie that my D and her BF got to see together since the baby was born 4 months ago so they had a nice time.

Ledom, YOU have time on your hands? I don't believe! ;) Is your D's apt. in the same city that you are in?

Waypast: I just noticed you are in Toronto!

Is anyone watching the hockey play offs? We are all crazy about it here...rooting for the Calgary Flames of course. Before them it was the Vancouver Canucks who were taken out by the Calgary Flames. It is the only sport on tv I watch.

Hi LaDean! Thanks for the encouraging words. I am feeling very good about this zillionth diet attempt...it is going to be the ONE. I put on a blouse yesterday that I used to wear with a shell because I could not do it up and it closed across the middle with room to spare the other day. That felt good.

Hi Alice and Lily!

Hello to all.....
I was out of town for a few days....business trip. I used to go on business trips and eat dinner by myself at the mall food court and then stop at the store and stock up on junk food for the motel room, this time, besides, not felling too well, I went to dinner with some colleagues, and then just back to the room. A satisfying meal made it easy to not want the junk, so I was able to beat that habit and stayed better on target than usual. I still put EVERYTHING in on Fitday and was over my cals. but still done a little bit! I am starting exercise again……going to head off for a walk to the post office to mail some bills and then come back and mow! It is a beautiful day here in northern Iowa, so I am going to take advantage!!!!!


Lily

Good morning Judi and Lili - It's a great day for yard work here too! I am covered in chigger bites from really going after my yard. It is DENSE around here with things growing and I am trying to beat it back. Pulling ivy, really cleaning out the beds and cutting back limbs, etc.

I am heading out for a 5 day kayak trip on Tuesday. I am really excited about it and trying to get my gear organized for it. Yesterday I paddled on my all time favorite creek. This will be the 4th year I have paddled on it and I just had to send up a prayer of thanks for having been given another year to paddle here. judi, it is the creek where the wild hydrangeas grow and they are in bloom now. I started out before sunrise, the best time to see wild life, and I saw two otters fishing and playing. They caught a fish and it was so cool to observe them. I got to watch quite a while before they saw me. When they did, one was watching and the other unaware, the watch otter barked like a dog to alert his friend. Way cool.

Well, food on my trip will be up to the float cook. I think I will be ok since I will be so active but when I get back from this trip I will be clamping down for the rest of the summer. Play time will be over.

Not a hockey fan judi, but enjoy the games. I'll be rooting for Smarty Jones today, he raced in my hometown this spring and so there is a lot of local interest in him.

Lili, isn't it great when you realize you have broken some old bad habits? To realize that you have matured to a point where you have the power over the junk?

Hope everyone has a good weekend.

Hello everyone,

There have been quite a few posts since I've been away, so I have a lot of catching up to do. It just may take me a while. :)

Welcome Maggieangel. Hope you will check in often.

From what I've skimmed through already, it seems like everyone has lost weight, and congragulations to all of you. Now that I'm home I can get serious about dieting again, as I'm off the road and a lot of my anxiety has gone. Plus, DH has quite a few lbs. to lose too and he told me that he'll count points with me. So, starting tomorrow.

The good news is we found a house in FL which we'll be closing on the end of July. The people who are selling it are very nice. They're a young couple with dogs, of course :lol: and they're in the process of building a new house. In the course of 2 days we looked at 15 houses :tired: and it was the very last house we looked at that we knew IT was the one. Now we have to clean out all the junk we've accumulated in 10 years where we've living now. We're hoping to be moving sometime in Sept.

Enjoy the rest of the weekend.

Aleka, its so good your back.. welcome back... i am so happy you found a house and all is going ok.. that is great news. are you going to have a big garage sale... wish i was close to come. ha i gained last week but hey i am with it. going to accurate with my ww points this week. i want to start being faithful..ha glad your hubby is doing it with you, makes it easier and all.

to everyone i wish a good week. LaDean

Hey, welcome back ALICE!!!! :cheer: You found a house in Florida :sunny: That is good news! You will have to describe it to us. That will be a big move. Your winters are going to diff. from now on. I am still WW online and my DH is doing it with me, because I just cook WW stuff now.

Ledom, what is a chigger? Your canoe trip sounds like it is going to be just heavenly. Have fun. Getting that canoe was such a smart move, it has taken you into a whole other world that most of us never get to see. Congratulations on all your yard work, that is a good feeling, eh? I have to do some yard work. I lost my gardener, he went to work full time at the golf course and doesn't want to do my yard anymore. Kind of bugs me, after all the good tips I gave him too. My DH can't mow because of arthritis in his hip...oh well, I will put on my pedometer and count it as exercise.

One more hockey game left...it could be anybody's game for the Stanley Cup. We had friend's over for dessert and coffee and watched Sat. it was exciting. I get the magazine "Southern Living", I ordered it on one of trips to the US. I love it. This month they had a cake called "Pig Pickin Cake" and I made it. I like articles and recipes from the South.

Hi Lily! Nice to have you back. It is a good feeling to break old habits, good for you :strong:

Mornin' Way and LaDean!

Good morning girls - oh yes Alice, describe your new house for us! You must be so excited! What an adventure to move to a new part of the country! It will be a new lease on life for you and your husband, and Lacee too of course. Glad you are back so that you can post with us.

judi - I wondered if any of you northern ladies would know what a chigger was! It is one of those southern things. Do you know about ticks? They are the same only they are practically invisible, little red things that live on bushes and crawl on to you and bite. They are more insidiuos than ticks though because you don't actually know they are there until they bite. They itch like crazy. They like to find areas where your underwear has elastic like waist and leg bands so that you end up looking like a chimp scratching yourself.

I like Southern Living Magazine too judi. It has been a staple magazine in my mother's house since I can remember. My current fascination is w/ New Mexican cuisine. After returning home from my recent trip I got on amazon.com and ordered a couple of cookbooks written by chefs at some restaurants I ate at. The Coyote Cafe cookbook especially has me drooling. I don't anticipate cooking from it a lot but I can't wait until my next get together to cook somethiing from it. Cookbooks are almost as much fun to read as novels IMO. I was going to say, I ordered the books used, if you haven't tried doing that from amazon I would recommend it. I only order used books from them anymore.

LaDean, I hope your week goes great. You sound like you are determined to make this week better.

Very much like ticks though they are invisible. The other difference, I don't think they carry a disease like lyme disease that ticks carry.

How ya doin' Way?

Ledom, Yes i am so determined. i searched last nite. mostlty foods that flare up my psorasis. i know in a way its connected. so found some good ideas. so i am getting with my eating plan. i know for a fact that sugar is a culprit and it flares it up as well as makes my joints hurt and other things. like wt gain. then starches potatoes and diary products. so giving it a try and as of today off that darn sugar again. i did so good when off of it.. so going for it again. this wt is going to start coming off again to. so close now i will not blow it this time. Now got that off my shoulders. makes me feel good and in a postive mood this morning. so i wish all of you the same day a good one

Aleka... yes for sure let us know all about your new home... i am so happy for you and tuffy says wooof laceee and all that sun wish he was going to be there with you.ha

Ledom. yes i know what a chigger is... was born in Arkansas but came here at a young age. we went back there for visit and i got eat up by them... i feel for you..

Judi and way have a great day. your doing so good.. keep it up.. i intend to get with the ww points today. i will join you and do them. now your doing the flex ones to right/??? good luck to all and to all have a GREAT DAY... LaDean

Thank's for explaining a chigger...we don't have them up here.

Good news this week...2 pounds down so that makes 10 this month :dance: :dance: what is so marvelous is that it doesn't even seem like dieting. Last night I had a sundae, lf ben & gerry's with hot choc. sauce and marshmallow creme, the day before I had a reg. piece of cheesecake. I earned an extra 13 points this week with exercise but still had 23 flex points left at the end of the week. My D's BF has got his mom online doing WW too.

Today my DH and I are going babysitting. :D

Wahh, my hockey team lost.

I mowed my own lawn and did weed whacking yesterday, it looks good, I earned an exrcise point and saved myself money. I am enjoying my garden so much. It is the first summer we have been home for so long, it is great. There is a garden tour here that we are going on in July. Tickets for this tour go very fast. It is so much fun to look at other people's gardens. They are all diff. here because the island has such varied terrain giving diff. challenges.

Ledom, I love cookbooks too!! I just got a new one from a book club called "The Church Supper Cookbook", a collection of over 375 potluck recipes. My favourite food is not exotic food but COMFORT food. I also got two new novels "Where the River flows" by Aimee Laberge and "Another Kind of Life" by Catherine Dunne...I haven't relaxed with a novel for awhile. Most of my books are "how to" books.

178 is good Waypast...I wish I was at 178!

Judi, good for you glad your doing so good with ww. gee 10 this month how great.. i sure would love to lose that. doing the points also this week. got to read upon it for exercise points though.. i got the flex ones down pat.. its neat all of you are on it. i am sticking good at it this week. good luck to another loss.

Aleka, hey come in and let us know all about your house. so excited for you. Lacee will love the sun right/??? tuffy sure does. he lays in it till he pants... hes doing good. the last 3 nites hes slept all nite and not had to go out.. which i love i feel better. he is even playing some with us. we are so thankful we have him. wooof lacee

way hey your losing good. keep it up

Ledom. your also doing good. we all are and its so much fun having all of you to come in of day and share and see how one another are doing.. its great. thanks friends for being here.. LaDean

Hello everyone,

judi, way to go with your weight loss!! Congratulations!! :cp: :hat: You really are doing fabulous. My diet is going well so far this week. DH & I were even out walking these last couple of days. I am more or less counting calories rather than points. I found something out the other day that quite surprised me. I was hungry one afternoon and if I didn't eat something I was going to be ravenous by dinnertime. I had 2 Triscuits (40 cal.), and they satisfied me as if I had eaten 2 or 3 handfuls, which I would normally have done. Enjoy babysitting.

LaDean, Lacee does love the sun and like Tuffy, will lie there even though it's unbearably hot. When I see her panting then I tell her to move. When we had our other dog, Shamrock, the Vet told us that because of her heart condition she could no longer lay in the sun. So, when the sun was around whichever side of the house, we had to close the blinds. How is the point counting going for you this week. Lacee says WOOF to Tuffy.

ledom, I also love cookbooks. As a matter of fact I am in the process of weeding out my cookbooks because I don't want to take all of them when we move. I bought Bill Phillips EFL cookbook and I make his chocolate pudding w/light cherry pie filling. I modify it a bit by making it with S/F F/F instant pudding. DH & I love it. I also tried it with vanilla pudding and it was just as good. I've heard of chiggers, but we don't have them here. We are now infested with mosquitoes because of all the rain we've had.

Way, you really are doing great with your weight loss. :bravo:

You all asked about the house in FL. It has a good sized kitchen/dining area, 3 bedrooms, 2 full baths, and a lanai to die for. The kitchen and the lanai are what sold me. It doesn't have a pool, but there is room for one in the back yard, and we plan to have a pool installed eventually. The yard is nicely lanscaped with a chain link fence around the front and back. They have 2 dogs and they have the yard to roam. Lacee is going to like being able to roam free. The house is what they call a split plan, where the guest rooms/bathroom are on the opposite side of the house from the master bedroom, so your guests can have their privacy. The square footage is small, but you would never know it. It is a bit larger than the house we are now in. It's all one floor living, no more vacuuming stairs :cb: We are 10 min. away from the grocery store and the mall. That is going to be a godsend to me because no I have to drive 10 miles one way to do grocery shopping, and the closest mall is about a 45 min. drive away.

You all have a good day.

Way, you will do it. if we want it bad enough we will lose it.. the longer takes the longer it stays off they say. so good luck to you. doing great keep it up..

Aleka, hey just dropping in to say hi. woofff to lacee from tuffy. we are doing great. scales are down this week. i been doing the ww points to.. being strict with them. got my blood tests back. some good some bad. ha i am a border line debetic.. so that means to buckle down. cannot believe it 2 years ago had them and all was good and had gone down. the trig's and chol . well was off sugar. then got back on it. well they are sky rocketing. so that is scary. enough to make me get with it. i can see what sugar does to this body.. only i can correct that if i do not and i am not going on medication... well now i have shared that. but its helped me get off sugar again. this is 2nd day so taking it one day at a time with this. i am getting my packet with what to do today i hope ... i hope all is still going good with you.. we can do it..

Judi, Ledom have a great day and to any others who come in to the board... You all help me so much.. LaDean

Good afternoon,

DH & I got back a little while ago from getting 4 new tires for my car. That was a lot of fun...NOT! I am all set for a while anyway.

It was hot and humid here yesterday and we had some pretty good thunder storms come through early in the evening. Luckily we didn't get any of the severe ones that were going through NH.

LaDean, sorry about your bloodwork. Has your Dr. given you an eating plan to lower your blood sugar? Good luck to you. Keep us posted on your progress. Congratulations on your weight loss. That's great and it will help with your blood sugar. Keep up the good work.

Hi ledom, judi, way, hope you're all having a good day.

Aleka, not yet she sent it in mail yesterday so hopefully i will get it tomorrow. but got online and its the carbs that are so important to watch from what i can tell. and sugar of course. so i have done good the last 2 days with it.. i will do this i have to.. thanks for caring. friends around is what keeps me going.. our d just had to get new tires to not to long ago.. so far mine are ok... have a good day.

to all of you have a great week. LaDean

Alice your house sounds wonderful!! What is a lanai? Weeding out cookbooks eh? THat is a hard job. In my life I have done cookbook weeding twice. The first time was when we quit eating meat and I gave away or threw out a lot of my French cuisine cookbooks...good bye beef bourignone, coq au vin, chicken in tarragon creme...hmmm, I am making my self hungry. THe second time it was a lot of vegatarian cookbooks, it takes awhile to find out what kind of veg. cooking one is going to like. A lot of the early veg. cookbooks had a lot of well heavy and "brown" food in them, so I chucked them out. Veg. food has come a long way these last 2 decades.

The cat loves the sun more than the Lhasa. Marley will sit in it but the cat basks.

I finished my novel (the Quebec one). I made a fire in the fireplace, it was raining and I sat all day reading. It was great.

LaDean, I hope and trust all will go well with your bloodwork. That kind of news is always scary.

Waypast...160 would be good for me too. I would be ecstatic I think.

I wish you girls could see my garden...my Pacific Delphiniums are about 3 feet tall and a beautiful blue. It has taken about 6 years for them to reach this state.

Good morning,

LaDean, there is a calorie, fat, & carbohydrate book put out by the Calorie King and the book also has in it a Diabetes Diet Guide. In it he tells you how many carbs to eat for whichever amount of calories you're eating and how to distribute them throughout the day. I got it at Borders Book Store, but I'm sure any book store would have it. The book is in paperback form, and is smaller than a standardized paperback. He also has a website. www.CalorieKing.com It used to be free, but I think you have to pay to join now.

judi, your garden sounds lovely and I wish I could see it. My flowers aren't blooming yet, they are all leaves at the moment. I am going to be so sad leaving my flowers behind when we move. :cry: I honestly don't know if day lilies would thrive in FL. Well, from what I gather, a lanai is just a fancy name for a screened in patio/porch type room on a house, or a screened in deck on a condo. That's what they call them in FL. I did get a lot of my cookbooks/diet books in a box ready to be given away. I'm having second thoughts about some of the ones that I'm getting rid of, and some of the ones I've saved. I have to go through them again and ask myself will I ever use it and/or do I think I'll ever use it? Now I have a closet full of books that I don't think I will ever read. I've had them for years 'n' years, but keep buying new ones, plus people keep giving me books to read. So, today I will be weeding these out.

Hey ledom, way

Enjoy your day everyone

Aleka, thanks so much for the book title and all. i will check on it.. i got my packet today from dr. so that helps me. i am to just go on a exchange plan and have so many of each food group i guess. so i will get more use to it.. i loss 3.25 lbs this pass week so was happy with me. went to a meeting today and it was like a ice cream social. so i had a sugar free one and was rather good. so was proud of me. this is my 4th day again no sweets. so its getting easier. just got to watch the carb's that is my thing. but i can do it.. Oh i know when we moved i had to get rid of things and its hard after you have had them for so long... well have a good day..

to all others. have a great day and lets stick to our plans. together we will do this. LaDean

Morning to Everyone... scales are down 2.25 this morning from friday weigh in.. i am so happy. i know when i get off sweets this happens and i feel so much better. why i got back on them never will know. just thought i can do it sensibly but now i know i cannot and have to stay off them now.. so i will. this is my 5th day none. watching the carb's also. doing good. its like now do not even want them. I just wish i had stayed off it. would not be starting all over now getting it all to move down . but a lesson learned for sure.. I am so happy to have this board and all of you to share with. I hope all of you have a good day. your doing so good. keep it up. together we can do it and have fun doing it... LaDean

Hi,
I hope you all are enjoying your weekend. The weather here has been gorgeous.

LaDean, congratulations on your weight loss! That is fantastic. :dance: Keep up the good work. There was an article today in the Sunday magazine section of our paper about using cinnamon to help with diabetes. They did some testing on it and they said that it can lower your blood sugar if you use it every day. They went on to say that all you need is 1/4 teasp. a day to reap the benefits. Since my late father was diagnosed with Type II Diabetes when he was in his 80's, I'm going to try using the cinnamon to try and prevent it.

Hi ledom, judi, way..hope everything is going well for you.

Good morning ladies - you all sound good. Alice, your house sounds wonderful. I know you must be so excited about the move. Your summer will be so busy getting ready for it.

judi - I would love to see your garden. I am glad you are enjoying it, I'd love to see your delpheniums. The garden tour sounds like a lot of fun.

LaDean, you had a great week dietwise. Way to go!

My paddling trip was so much fun. Living on the river for 5 days and traveling w/ a group of 15 people, sharing the cooking and clean up chores was so out of the ordinary in my experience. It was hard work and exhilerating and intense. We traveled 60 miles. Anyway, hard to describe the trip in full but I enjoyed it very much.

Now it is Monday morning and time to get back into my routines. I am ready for them, I'll be doing leg and ab workouts today. I am really enjoying fresh fruit right now. Strawberries, raspberries and blueberries.

D and I have tickets to see Dreamgirls next weekend. We are looking forward to it.

Aleka and Ledom. thanks so very much. i am going to do this as i have to do it. not much choice. lol i feel better and has not even been a week off sugar and down 5 lbs and some. so that alone shows me what sugar does for me. i had a great walk this morning and plan to add more exercise during the day.. had a great walk weather is good today. cool of morning is why i walk then.. our garden is coming right along. can hardly wait till another month and be eating out of it. my favorite of it all. lol but that is when i lose my wt to.. i printed off some exchange diet diarys this morning. i am on what ever calories i want and then it shows me on a chart what exchanges to eat. i have to watch the sugar and carbs. getting it down pat. i am getting more of not craving them.. was doing so good couple years ago and everything was looking good. well by not doing and being good its back there again. so this time its for life.. I am so happy to come in here and share with each of you. it helps me so much... Ledom so glad your paddling trip was so fun.. my son did that once and loved it. oh a concert that sounds fun. its always fun to do things with D. i know mine and i do alot.. we have a oregon jamboree here now. and right here in town i voleenter for it and love it. this year its going to be good one.. www.oregonjamboree.com so its a whole weekend fun. i have done it now this is 11 years out of the 12 its been here. Judi... bet your flowers are just beautiful.. mine are. have roses, sweet williams, bachlor buttons, dalias. petunias. we love our yard and flowers. have 2 large garden spots. and lots we give away. as so many can not have a garden no space. we have a well now so makes it nice.. as in city and water is so spendy.. so we share.. have a great day to all... thanks for being here for me to share things with and my losing wt... LaDean.

AFTERNOON ALL, HEY WHERE IS EVERYONE. MISSING YOU.. I am here i guess that is someone. ha ha i loss 3 lbs again this week. so happy with me. now if i can drop that much this week to.. i feel lots better and so happy with me. just wanted to share this.. hope its going as well with all of you. have a great weekend. LaDean

HEY MUST BE HAVING A GOOD WEEKEND AND GONE..... i am having a good one. son and family came over. grandbabies are always fun and brought grandpa a gift. they made it with there hand prints in a stone and all fixed up so cute. these gifts are so special.. he put it in his pool room. ha looks nice.. i said oh we are not going to walk on that ... they laughted.. we had pizza and i am so proud of me. had only 2 slices. counting carbs and so not that bad.. i am getting use to my new eating plan and its working out good. had a great walk this morning. is hot so drinking more water also.. so all in all got it down PAT.....HAVE A GOOD WEEKEND TO ALL. LaDean

Good job LaDean. You had a great week. I got my exercising in this week but food gave me some trouble. I was back on track yesterday and hoping to keep that good thing going. I have reviewed my goals and that seemed to help some.

Ledom. good for you. you will get it together. that is the good thing about all of us. if we fail a day we are right back out there moving forward. that is the thing. forget the pass and go forward one step at a time is how i am doing it. down another lb since friday. i tell you No more sugar for me . but of course its a hafe to be not a choice. so sometimes that is what it takes to get me to come to my senses..ha ha I am glad your exercise is good. today i never walked had to get ready for church.. and fridays i had tops. but usually walk every day. i never got on ex. bike and i normally do.. so this week its that and walking. drinking my water and sticking to plan good. never blew the weekend. that is my problem usually do and then got some to get off i have gained before i get started. so its a good feeling to be down this weekend and the last 3 ones..

aleka, julie, way have a great week.... come back i am missing you..ha ha

Way sometimes we have to just plateau along that is part of it. to rest our bodies for a next losing spree i think. this is the way i look at it. your still doing good. the good thing is we do not jsut throw in towel and give up. but a rest is good i think. good luck to you..

Aleka, Ledom and judie hope things are going good your way.. is here.. LaDean
to everyone here on board i wish a good week. :)

This one is so LONG....

How are you all doing??

I lost 1/2 lb. this past week. I am feeling "not hungry" all the time now. I think part of feeling hungry when I was out of control in my eating was being nutrient deprived my D. noticed the same thing about her hunger. Now we are on WW we get way more nutrients but way less calories so it is no hardship to stay on track because we don't feel that insane hunger. The thing I wish I could do better was be more consistent with exercise. THis past week I only exercised once.

My D, her man and the baby came over for Father's Day. THey stayed Sat. night and made a wonderful meal from the WW cookbook. I am going to do more cooking from the recipe books than just winging it. I bought the "WW New Complete Cookbook" and the WW "Take Out Tonight" Cookbook.

Since I last posted I am now "54" and have become a "blonde"...I know what possessed me??? I just wanted a real change. All my life everything about me was the antithesis of "blonde"...the shock was pretty great but everyone likes it now. It has more red in it then I like because my hair was dark with platinum streaks and now it is a strawberry blonde with platinum streaks. Each time I do it the hairdresser says it will be less red.

The 3X are getting very baggy...so I am feeling good about myself and am content to put in the time doing the diet...however long it takes to get where I have to be but I am determined to enjoy the ride on the way down.

I am reading Amy Tan's book "The Opposite of Fate". Any Amy Tan fans on this thread? My D and I just love her and are always anticipating her next book.

Hey judi, no prob. I'll do it now.

Congrats on staying the course. Don't you love it when it starts to show.

My D loves Amy Tan, I'll have to get her that book. I just finished reading a book I loves, Kissing the Virgin's Mouth by Donna M. Gershten - it has Catholic overtones but I warn may be a bit irreverant for some tastes. Actually it is wonderful, it won the Bellwether Prize for fiction.

Been getting serious in the darkroom the last couple of weeks. I am developing negs now but feel I have some good stuff to work with.

OK, I'll start a new thread now.